Page 14 of The Princess of Nothing
“How could you know?” I looked around at the insects crawling over darkened roots to the wilting undergrowth. “Birch told me they were cutting into the forest. She thinks it was to find forest nymphs.”
“Then why wouldn’t they just go directly to the elves?”
I placed my hands on my knees, leaning over. “They don’t know where the elves are or where they’re hiding them, I imagine.”
A dead tree caught my eye. On the ground, something white glistened under the setting sun. Reds and purples poured through the leaves, illuminating the carnage left behind. I turned toward Cedric, but he was staring behind me.
I looked back. My hand shot up to my mouth. Flies buzzed around what was left of a unicorn. The creature’s purple blood had reached the stream, poisoning it. Death lurked in the air, and as we drew closer, I noticed it had been skinned. Its horn had been removed too. I felt the color drain from my face. Cedric hurried to my side, knotting his hand with mine. He guided me around the rotting carcass. I pinched my nose at the stench of rotting flesh. It stung the back of my throat and made my eyes water.
“What did that?” I asked, focusing on the path ahead.
He glanced back and sucked in a deep breath. “Something human. Animals don’t steal horns.”
“You don’t think an elf would have?”
“I don’t know them like you do. Honestly, I’ve only met the ones who live in the villages. None from the forest. I heard they’re completely different.”
“I don’t think they would do this. No. I’m sure this was a solis.”
“They’re always the enemy to you.”
“Well, I doubt a fae would have done it.”
He fell silent.
I huffed, then wiped sweat from my forehead.
He sighed. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Okay.” I thought for a moment. “Why do you always wear that crown anyway, with the exception of now?”
“It’s complicated.”
It wasn’t the answer I was expecting. “How so? I thought it was an accessory.”
“I mean, really, I suppose it is. For me anyway.”
Fae couldn’t lie, but I felt like he was skirting around a truth. A thought came to my mind, but it was laughable. “I mean, you’re not royalty or anything, right?”
“That would be funny, huh?”
“Considering how much grief you gave me for being a royal—”
“No. I didn’t care if you were royal. I didn’t like the tyrannical rule Magaelor was under.”
I winced. “My brother would have been a good ruler. I wished he’d survived. It was my father’s idea to have him go out onto the battlefield, you know. He always did what he said. I hated that. I think King Amos felt guilty about it, even up until he died...” I trailed off. Cedric looked uncomfortable. He stared ahead, emptily. I supposed bringing up the dead wasn’t the most uplifting topic. “Anyway, now I have the chance to make up for it all and honor my brother’s name.”
“Yes. Once we can find the elves.”
“Yes.” I paused. “I want to ask you something. I mean, I know about the light and dark fae, but how exactly does it all work. I’ve researched, of course, but considering you are the same race, what happens when a faery is born to the light fae and they are dark? Do you just send them to Niferum?”
“It’s not quite as straightforward as that, Winter. I think we all have our prejudices, but if I step back and am factual about it, the entire thing about there being light and dark fae is quite preposterous really. Dark fae are named that simply because they indulge in their pleasures and embrace their darkness. They don’t have many constraints. They enjoy making deals and, as you know, some can go really bad. Like the feral fae as you mentioned.”
I shuddered at the memory. “Yes, but some of the ones at Lepidus didn’t seem bad at all.”
“They’re probably not.” He shrugged. “In the end, both are simply just fae, only separated by our nature and a division between the older generations. The dark fae were labeled that when they split from Berovia centuries ago and since then it’s what has become the known thing.” He smiled. “Worry not, I’m sure that’ll change. Everything is like a circle in life, eventually things always end up coming back around.”
“I suppose it does. I wonder why they call themselves dark fae?”
