Chapter 13 - Sowing Discord

'The closer the wedding is, the better.' Teague used to think. However, now having the love of his life in the palace with him to be married soon, he couldn't explain the feeling of wanting as much distance from her as possible.

If he heard she would be taking a stroll through the gardens, he would stay inside to read and tidy the library. When she called for him to look at fabrics of clothing and colors of flowers, he busied himself engaging with trivial tasks even the lowest official could handle. He even personally escorted a misplaced fae to a new village when she made her way to his chambers late at night early in the week to discuss 'husband and wife' affairs of the future.

Today, he picked up a new book and became deeply engrossed in a new tale. Laying against the well-used cushioned chair, Teague's eyes flashed with annoyance as he rubbed his glabella.

He had no reason to ignore her or kick her out of the palace since he was the one to invite her. Her heels clicked against the stone floor, and the large doors to the library creaked open. A small face with piercing brown and gold eyes stared at him hungrily.

"Someone ought to oil the hinges." her straight brows furrowed as she closed the door in disdain.

"My dear," her face twisted strangely as she smiled an almost sweet, slightly off-putting smile as if she didn't believe it could be genuine either. "I must tell you about the newest fabrics Mother had sent in from the far south."

His mother must've gotten more fabrics. They had spoken about them previously, but all fabrics within the castle made by seamstresses were vetoed by the bride.

His head ached as her high-pitched voice droned on about a golden spider silk gown. A gown that is so precious that even the best silk maidens on the plane cannot replicate its grandeur. His head throbbed at every syllable she uttered.

He ran his hands over his head and his smooth forehead. His head felt as though it had enough pressure to explode.

"Darling-" Annalora was cut off.

Teague stood before his mind could process his emotions and spat venomously, "Get out of my library!"

He had no time to care about her emotional state. His head would burst if he continued listening. He sat down once he heard the slam of the library door. He threw his head back in regret.

He didn't know how long he'd sat there. It could've been minutes or hours. He couldn't tell. His trance was broken by a servant knocking.

Knock! Knock!

His blue eyes flashed. He figured if it was Mina, he would explain and make it up to her.

"Come in," Teague spoke softly.

A young servant made his way into the library and offered a glass tray with an unusual envelope. It had no seal.

It could be from a spy or even another attempt to sow discord between himself and Mina. Teague looked up and questioned the young man. "Who sent you here?"

"No one did, my Prince. The letter was outside the door. I worried Your Highness would not see it, so I brought it in for Your Highness."

Teague stared at him. His face gave away nothing. And his statement was clear. "Leave."

With the servant dismissed, he opened the letter and unfolded the parchment. The air chilled around him as he crumpled the parchment and threw it on the tray. It ignited in flames and slowly burnt the edges, and what was left were the words written plainly:

[Your fiancée is dead. The one by your side is fake. If you don't believe me, go here. I'm sure you'll be satisfied with the result. Do not expose the fraudulent one yet. Do not try to find me, I will contact you again first.

Location: XXXXXXX]

It soon became ashes, too.

Another one dares to sow discord between Mina and him! Perhaps even the same one! Anyone who tries to interfere would surely die suffering. It wouldn't hurt to check the location, he figured. Perhaps even set a trap of his own. He stopped pacing. Yes. He would set his own trap to catch the wrongdoer.

But if the information were true… No. He wouldn't even consider it, shaking the thought out of his head.

…

Deep in the forest, the guide, an old fae with yellow catlike eyes, stopped.

"What is the matter?" Teague questioned cautiously. He paid in gold for her to take him to the largest oak with abundant blue moss on its bark.

She opened her mouth, licked her lips through her razor-sharp teeth, and spoke softly, her voice low and ancient. "This is where I stop, young one."

Her short tail flicked in short, nervous beats.

"You said you would take me to my desired destination." Teague accused.

"And I have taken you deep into the woods. Beyond that rock—," she pointed toward a vine-covered boulder covered by green and blue moss. "That is where you wish to go. I will not anger the spirits here. My children have been cursed enough."

"I am not afraid of a little curse."

He spoke confidently, and so he continued through the cursed forest. Smacking away poisonous spiders and cursing spirits away. Before sunrise, he reached a large blue fuzzy oak tree.

He ran his hand from one end to the other, along the soft mossy bark. Finding a small magical seal. He chants softly. The tree begins to shake and its roots lift open on the left side. Exposing a hole in the ground, an entrance.

…

Teague descended the makeshift ladder of weaved vine rope and enchanted twigs. It creaks and groans as he slowly makes his way down.

CREEEAK! SNAP! The vine stretched and broke so without another vine or rock to hold onto he fell and crashed onto hard ground with a small yell. Whoever had made it couldn't have enchanted the vine to hold better, Teague cursed with a groan as he stood up and wiped himself off.

The cave, the only thing he could describe it as, was dark inside and had a musky smell mixed with the unique smell of rotting bodies. Teague wrinkled his nose, enchanting the broken vines into a small torch, and began looking around. He saw something dim through the dark. A light perhaps? He'd take a chance on it.

As he got closer to the light source the smell got stronger but at least he found a lamp and a small chest. Which he searched but it only contained rags and an iron ring inside a purse. No 'evidence' was found within the thin mattress on the ground either. He could hear the faint hum of running water beyond the wall. Perhaps a glamour?

Teague threw the makeshift torch into the cave wall adjacent to the bed. It was no surprise when it went through and disappeared beyond the glamour wall.

Teague smirked. He walked through the glamour, retrieved his torch, followed the thin stream of water for about 15 meters through a tunnel, and opened a bolted door into a dungeon.

The thin stream ran straight between two opposite cells. The air here was ten times colder than in the small room outside. Only a dim light showed movement on the right-most cell. Dead rats littered the floor along the outside of the iron bars.

Teague threw his torch down to see who could've been unlucky enough to be imprisoned here. The creature refused to turn around.

"You're here," Not a question. A statement.

Teague shifted his feet. Perhaps she was the evidence?...No. Mina was fine.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" He questioned seriously.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting?" She ignored his questions as if she had not heard them at all. "All this planning and scheming for that traitor to swoop in and take it all away!" The woman finally turned around. Her black eyes were furious and her sharp teeth bared.

"You! It's all because of you! If it weren't for you seeing me that day, I would've been able to take that boy and eat him!" She gnashed her teeth in hatred as she screamed. "I wouldn't have lost such precious items!"

Teague stared at her as she ranted and wailed. Through the light of the torch he could see her green skin and webbed fingers and toes. A sea witch. Nasty creatures. He was certain he had never seen her. "I've never met you. Much less, seen you until now."

The witch went still and silent. Slowly, her lips began to curl. A Cheshire grin exploding on her face as she laughed and crackled, kicking her feet up and rolling in the dirt. She pointed at him, "Young and foolish indeed!"

She sat up and calmed herself and motioned him to sit. He refused. "I have offered you a seat, so you shall let me free."

"You dare to demand a wish from me? On what basis! You haven't told me anything I wish to know."

She looked at him as if she was about to burst out laughing once more. "You will let me live beyond these walls when I finish telling you."

Teague was suspicious. She might only live for one more minute. "Fine. Tell me what I wish to know."

"Alright princling. Val will tell you the tale of a mermaid who swam away from home. This mermaid was being pressured into a marriage she didn't want. She sought to run away." She, Val he presumed, paused slightly to look at him. "This mermaid was foolish. She swam into enemy territory and killed innocent subjects who were closely related to the strongest creature in that part of the water. This creature sought revenge for her friends lives, so she brought the mermaid back to torture."

The cave echoed each word back. The dimly lit area showed a man leaning against the wall while a caged woman sat and spoke. The thin stream flowed between two opposite cages of iron and into a small hole within the cave wall. It seemed the walls were listening.

"However her foolish son saved the girl, but damned her to a worse fate. The mermaid exposed her identity, willingly making a deal in exchange for leaving as she came. Her engagement and her name and appearance for her to leave as she came: Half-dead. Do you know the name of that foolish mermaid?" Val didn't wait for him to answer as she shouted, "Her name was mine! Wilhelmina Grimm! Isn't it laughable! The eldest siren princess betrothed to you, Prince Teague!"

Teague's head spun. "You lie!" He shouted. "There was no way…"

"Oh, but there was a way. I know because I did it myself!" She declared like a mad man. "I cut her tail off myself! I watched as the smiths ground her bloody tail into dust and formed it into the glass shoes beneath my feet as you drug me to the palace as her body rotted in the ocean!"

"Enough! You are a liar!" Teague turned to leave. Even if he believed it, he would not help her escape. As for this exchange, he would investigate himself how accurate it was.

A small voice across the room spoke. "My Prince. What she says is true. However the girl–"

Teague whipped around and pointed at him. "And who are you?!"

Nervous green eyes glowed in the dark as he swallowed, "I am her son. Nix. I saved the girl. She did not die, I can assure you she escaped with her life."

"Then where is she? And why are you here?" Teague came closer to where the young Nixie was locked up. Hope seemed to glow in his eyes.

"I am here because a fae trapped me by using my mother against me. She was severely injured and covered in a unique glamour. No different than a human. I sent her through a gate and towards the nearest humans. From what I saw, they helped her."

Teague let out a breath staring at the ceiling in disbelief. So much had happened. The messenger had indeed helped him from being deceived. As for this mother and son, sinner and savior, he would seriously deal with them later.

"For helping her…" Teague trailed.

"I would like you to not kill my mother until after you find the siren." Nix pleaded. He couldn't ask for him to spare the one who tortured his loved one even if he saved her.

Teague nodded. Indeed, many things still needed to be fact checked. If there was anything else he would have to ask her.

"And what of yourself?"

"I will stay."

"No. You will come with me. I may need you if I am wrong."

Teague unlocked the enchanted cage and allowed Nix to leave.

Suddenly he whipped around and asked Val. "Who is the one using her appearance in the palace right now?"

Val looked bored. "An annoying blonde. She gave me the workers to make this jewelry. In exchange for the girls tail, she'd support me with her kingdom against the siren's. Of course, I would get to eat the young one."

Her final sentence shook him for the rest of the night.

"They're always sweeter when they die young and violently."

…

Back inside the palace Teague questioned his mother about the missing fae in the human world.

"At first they were assassinated with poison. Then they went missing. I sent many human-plane based fae who are loyal to the crown to investigate as you saw 2 weeks ago." His mother sipped her tea elegantly.

"I see. Do you know where Ever is? I want to check on her progress and monitor the situation."

"You need not concern yourself with leaving to find her. I will summon her after you speak with your father."

"No. I will leave tonight." Teague declared.

"And what of your fiancée?" His mother probed.

Teague threw out a statement untrue to himself at the moment. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

…

Ever greeted him with a smile and curtsy as Teague entered the human plane. Ever's small smile paused as a green young man followed behind him.

"Why did you bring him? Glamour yourselves!" Ever ushered them into the shadows in annoyance.

When they were glamoured enough to continue, Ever led them into her home.

"You said you had information for me." Ever handed a cup of kool-aid to Nix and a cup of tea to Teague and began grilling him for details.

"Yes." Teague turned. "it is serious and of utmost importance you keep this private."

"Yeah, yeah, I promise. Now tell me before the kid chokes on a straw." Ever urged while smacking Nix's back and pulling the straw out of his mouth.

"My fiancée is here."

"Nuh-uh. She's at the palace. I remember she was supposed to stay there until the wedding."

"That is not her. I suspect my fiancée is that halfling you rescued."

"What does this have to do with the information you have for me regarding my current case?" Evers right brow lifted in confusion.

"That's the thing. Someone planned this out. They used her tail, cut it off and ground it into dust, to create magical items."

"Her tail?! The missing fae were all talented jewelers and glass smiths."

"Poor Mina."

"She goes by Mina here?" Teague stood up.

"Yeah? It was the only name she remembered."

"They stole her name and tail. At least she remembers that old nickname."

"..." A nickname? It was clearly a lover's pet name.

"Where is she? I want to see her." Teague wanted rush and hold her.

"School…"

"What's wrong?"

"Calm down. I'll take you after 1st period is over." Ever looked down and sipped her tea. "But you'll have to leave him here." She looked at Nix.

….

Authors' Note: Changing some of the plot for the better. There's no going back.