Everywhere Kendra went she could hear the grating sounds of the sickness plaguing the Kingdom of Fablehaven. She tried to focus on the sounds of the horses trotting instead, the carriage wheels against the jagged cobble, but it was no use. Next to her, Seth was covering his ears, sharing Kendra's sentiments. But they must endure it, for the ailments surrounding the carriage drew them to the Kingdom of Aldera, where the Fae ruled.
The Fae were stronger than humans and carried magic able to heal their Kingdom. So, Princess Kendra, Prince Seth, King Stan, and Queen Ruth were en route to Aldera to bargain for help, while Kendra and Seth's parents held the fort during their absence. The carriage full of royals were seemingly the only citizens in good health, baffling many. While Kendra was clueless about how her grandparents held strong, she regrettably knew why she and Seth hadn't fallen ill.
Her mind flew to the first clue she had of their abnormalities. Of their Fae qualities. At a young age, the siblings' private tutors gave the pair a dungeon tour. During the tour, the children managed to lose their supervision and ventured into the unlit parts of the chamber with no effort despite the dark. Together they marveled at the statues and the prisoners inside the Hall of Dread until the pair heard yelling. They withdrew to find their tutors stumbling in the dark, calling for them, and using the stone walls for support. They couldn't see anything while Kendra and Seth had no trouble.
As they grew and learned, the siblings realized that night vision was a common ability of the Fae. Further exploration told them they carried nearly all (non-appearance) traits of the Fae, though their abilities were rudimentary without training. Yet the siblings were afraid to inform anyone of the situation. Kendra and Seth had seen how much the Fae were despised in Fablehaven, and had the same prejudices against them too. So, the siblings kept quiet, only ever confiding in each other. She had never even told Gavin or Alyssa, her closest friends.
The two royals independently searched for an explanation for their odd discovery, pouring over every book. They found answers only in ancient texts, springing upon legends of Fairykind and Shadow Charmers. They were human-born Fae, light and dark, either of them incredibly rare on their own, let alone the two together. They also discovered that human-born Fae were typically stronger than normal Fae, and were used by humans in the past. That was another reason to stay hush-hush about it. Their parents would jump at the opportunity to get an advantage over Aldera, and frankly, the two siblings didn't think Fablehaven needed it.
Until now, that is, but their secret was still a last resort. Kendra would rather negotiate than be turned into a war mongrel by her people. And she may have been a little excited at the opportunity to learn more magic. It also helped that Aldera wasn't that bad, they simply thought they were better than everybody. They would never go to war with Fablehaven, but the two kingdoms weren't on friendly terms either.
Anyhow, the princess was not excited to deal with the stuffy Fae. She herself had magic and had never looked down on her people for lacking it! It wasn't hard to be nice; she knew that was her biggest issue with befriending Aldera. But Kendra was determined to help her people, and stuffy royals would not stop her.
Bracken's POV
Bracken stood at his open bedroom window overlooking Aldera, wings out and satchel in hand when a light knock graced his pointed ears. The prince internally groaned at the interruption and folded his wings away, striding over to the door. He turned the knob, wondering what the knocker could want as he pulled the door open. There he found a shy castle servant, who startled at his questioning gaze, blue eyes piercing hers. He could easily breach her mind and find out the message that way, yet he felt it crossed a line of privacy and often refrained from performing the feat at all.
"Her Majesty wants you in the throne room by midday today," the timid girl reported.
"Did she ever say why?" Bracken inquired.
"Something about negotiations with Fablehaven, said she wants you involved," she replied. The prince stopped himself from rolling his eyes. The citizens of Fablehaven were some of the snootiest people ever. They constantly bragged about their innovations and creations, while Aldera was stuck with the same old way of doing things. Certainly, his mother knew of his ill thoughts toward the kingdom, and wouldn't be too hurt if he didn't attend.
"Hmm," Bracken replied, acknowledging the servant's words, "Thanks for letting me know." She nodded her head as a sign of respect and withdrew from the doorway and into the hall. Bracken shut the door and returned to the window, his plans not straying. He didn't care for the tedious details of politics and decided he would not be attending. He'd much rather continue his search for Vasilis, the legendary sword of Light and Dark.
The silver-haired prince retrieved his satchel and jumped out the window, unfurling his iridescent wings as he fell. He set a southwestern course, away from the border of the neighboring kingdoms. Not that he was avoiding it, there was a river that separated them anyway, but what he was looking for was inside some ancient ruins.
During his flight, Bracken couldn't help but wonder what the negotiations were for. And what the outcome would be, especially because his mother wanted him involved. Maybe Fablehaven was finally thanking Aldera for purifying the river separating them, as they too benefitted from the clean water. It'd be about damn time. Or maybe the humans ran out of ideas and now must rely on magic. Either way, he'd probably die of boredom, and that's worse than the meager punishments the Queen hands out. Nearing his destination, Bracken wondered when his mother would realize a mere slap on the wrist wasn't enough to reign him in. He hoped it wouldn't be any time soon.
Seth's POV
Seth looked to where his sister had fallen asleep in the spacious carriage as they neared Aldera's elegant castle. He moved to wake her when the carriage jolted, hitting a big rock and doing the job for him. Kendra looked around in wonder, no doubt noticing the abundant magic in the air. He silently hoped its presence didn't expose him or his sister. Pointed ears were a dead giveaway of the Fae, yet the two showed no evidence of it. Seth worried a prolonged stay in Aldera would cause them to take shape, blowing their cover. But at least there was no sign of the curse there.
He watched the guards open the gate for them, sympathizing with the horses at the sight of the steep hill leading up to the castle. Noting they were nearing their destination, Seth mindlessly adjusted his collar, fixed his appearance, and noticed Kendra was silently doing the same. The family had been quiet the whole ride, no doubt dreading what was to come.
Nevertheless, he put on his nicest smile and hoped it would be enough. He was here for his great persuasion skills, and a smile was a big part of it. To think of it, he didn't know why Kendra had been requested to join them. She had skills, but not particularly in politics, yet the Queen of Aldera specifically asked for her to tag along. The prince again worried, wondering if the Queen discovered their Fae-hood, being Queen of the Fae herself.
Once they arrived at the entrance, a couple of footmen opened the doors and lent a helping hand out of the carriage. Every member of the party exited gracefully due to their extensive formal training of 'how to be a prince/princess'. Seth personally hated every bit of those lessons. But all things considered, he was grateful that he wouldn't embarrass himself in front of the foreign kingdom.
He looked back at Kendra to see the princess looking up at the sky in awe. He followed her gaze to find dozens of Fae flying about. Seth understood her expression and knew exactly what went through her mind: "Can we do that?" God he sure hoped they could. Maybe visiting Aldera could open them up to some knowledge and unlock various abilities. He smiled thinking of the various pranks he could pull with flight involved.
The family walked through the grand doors awaiting a beautifully decorated throne room. The Faerie Queen, a Fae woman with long silver hair adorning a light tiara, dressed in a white gown, rested on the throne sat in the middle of a dais, the other seats vacant.
"The royal family of Fablehaven! I welcome you into my home," the queen greeted.
They all nodded their heads in respect, "Thank you, Your Majesty," his grandfather replied. None of them needed to bow as they were all royalty. Between Fablehaven and Aldera status recognized status and that was about it.
"I was terribly sorry to hear of the ailments befalling your kingdom, and I hope we can reach a suitable agreement to mend it," the queen lamented, "What have you come to offer?"
It was Seth's turn now. "Both kingdoms are aware that while Aldera has their strengths with magic, Fablehaven thrives through innovation. We offer many of our inventions and, in time, would like to combine these strong suits, resulting in both sides of the river reaping the rewards. All we ask in return is for your healers to rid us of the curse that plagues our land, healing our people. Do you accept?" His proposition was short but got the point across. He was told that the queen liked the simplicity. Hopefully his 'lawyer Seth mode' helped with it.
The Queen of the Fae seemed to consider it for a bit. "Though I do like the original offer, I'm afraid it's a bit lacking. To clear a curse of such magnitude takes a considerable amount of power, and you are asking for something that benefits you twice and my kingdom once. I would like to add an offer of my own if you will."
Seth held back a frown. They had expected this but had wanted to see what the queen desired before laying out their cards. He looked toward his grandfather, who looked as if he was mulling it over.
"What would you propose?" the king asked.
The queen smiled softly. "My son has always been, say, a free spirit. He's uncontrollable, wild like the wind. My disapproval has not been enough to ward him away from some of his brash decisions. I believe a responsibility added to his belt, or a tie to hold him down would cease the problem. He is not a troubled boy, he simply does the wrong things for the right reasons. He needs a point of clarity to focus on."
Seth monitored his family's faces, finding confusion mirrored in all of them. "And how would this relate to us, Your Majesty?" Does she want them to babysit her son for her? Who, Seth was 90% sure, was older than him?
The Faerie's back straightened. "I suggest a betrothal. It would prevent my son from acting, say," she struggled to find the word, "immature, daily, and it would provide substance to our newfound alliance. It is why I asked for your lovely princess to accompany you." Seth whipped his head toward Kendra in shock. Her mouth stood agape, no doubt a flurry of emotions flitting through her mind.
The queen ignored the reactions and continued, "They are of the same age and she seems like a charming young lady, perfect for my son. Of course, they would wait until both reached adulthood to marry. And even if the princess does not find love with the prince, I am confident he will fall for her, placing her in good hands. My son, though he fails to show it at times, is kind, selfless, and loving, and would be an excellent addition to your family. Of course, I will give you time to think it through, and you are welcome to stay in the castle until you have decided."
Seth was about to object to this incredulous offer when he caught Kendra in the corner of his eye. Her shocked expression was replaced with determination, her back straight and her eyes forward. There's no way she could consider this, she hates the prince. His snide remarks and rude comments toward the kingdom of Fablehaven were no small amount.
His Grandpa looked like he was about to say something, but instead turned to Kendra. He said in a hushed voice, "This may be the only offer she agrees to. It's up to you to accept. But know that I would love you all the same if you rejected the marriage, as will the rest of us. Take as long as you need to make your decision, Kendra."
That's when the princess finally decided to speak up. Averting her gaze, struggling to keep her emotions in check she asked, "Is this the only agreement you will accept, Your Majesty?"
"It is," the queen replied.
Kendra looked up and locked eyes with the queen. "I once promised myself I would always look after my people no matter the cost. As of now, they are dying left and right. The clear choice, to me, is to play along, no matter my preconceptions of the prince. My love life is a small price compared to thousands of lives. When my citizens are at stake I need no further reflection. I am willing to sacrifice all I have for them. Therefore, I accept the betrothal."
Though she was confident in stating her claim, once she had stopped speaking her eyes closed, her face wearing disappointment and sadness. Seth understood, he knew the prince was a dick. He also knew that she had just saved their asses. Imagine if they were forced to go to the dragons for help. He shuddered at the thought. Seth didn't know whether to feel sorry for her or proud of her. Probably both. All he wanted to do was hug her, but that probably wouldn't be wise in front of all the Fae.
"I admire your devotion to your kingdom, Princess. Do not fret, for now your people will be saved and you have been given a great marriage," the queen consoled. The monarch turned to the rest of the family. "While all of you are welcome for a few more days, I would like to ask Kendra to stay anyhow, to meet her prince, if she may? He was supposed to be present, but as I said before, I have trouble getting him to obey."
This is when the Queen of Fablehaven finally spoke up. "We have business to attend to across the river, yet Kendra is welcome to stay if she would like."
"I'll stay," his sister said in a soft voice. It was like the sound of dandelion fluff falling from a wish that would never come true. Seth's heart broke for her. She would never have the chance to marry for love, a dream she had always hoped to pursue. He had personally hoped she would have gone for Gavin.
"Well, that settles it. We have a room prepared for your stay. You could either wait for the prince there or go explore the kingdom, as one day you will be a princess of it." The queen turned to Seth's grandparents. "I will see you off while Kendra gets settled in, yes? I will then begin the preparations of freeing Fablehaven of the curse. After Fablehaven has recovered we can then announce the marriage arrangement." She then stood, where you could see her full ethereal beauty. Her hair shone in the light and when she moved the silver designs on her gown shimmered, the patterns holding wonder and beauty within.
The Fae Queen started towards them and Seth looked at his sister one last time. He came up to her ear and whispered, "You really took one for the team, didn't you?" which brought a smile to her features.
"I'll be waiting for you to come back, don't get too stuffy during your stay." That got a giggle out of her. Good, she was going to need all the happiness she could get here, he thought.
"I love you too, Seth," she replied sarcastically as a couple of servants ushered her Seth could think of from that point was now it was definitely going to be a quiet ride back.