Lina: Twisted Fairy Tales Book Two

18: Family Strife

“No, she’s moped around the past few days. I thought it was because of her injuries, but I think it goes beyond that. Will you talk to her Ward? Please?” My mother’s voice floated to me from the courtyard to where I stood on the castle wall’s walkway. Below me was the place my grandfather died. This section of wall was new. Or relatively new compared to the rest. I was just staring out at the forest when I heard her words. I think Mama forgot our hearing was so sensitive sometimes.

I sighed and turned slightly, cradling my sore arm. It was healing fast, but there would be scars for quite a while to remind me of the Fae who helped rip me from the Stag. My leg was worse. The Centaur Healer had made me wear a splint and everything to support the torn muscle tissue. I scratched at it absently.

My mother wasn’t entirely wrong. I had spent the last few days wondering if I had done the wrong thing by coming back. Should I have done more? Should I have stayed and helped? With the last glimpse I’d gotten of the Fae King as he reached skeletal fingers for me, roaring in rage, surrounded on every side by the enemy resonating in my head, my doubts plagued me. Did he make it out alive?

And why did I care? I picked up a loose pebble from the walkway and flung it out towards the trees.

“Nice throw. Next time, don’t throw so high and put more power behind it. It’ll go further if you take that arch out of your throw.”

“Uncle Tyrus.” I muttered.

“Hey Trouble.” He grinned and reached out to ruffle my hair like he used to, but stopped, closing his hand and dropping it about halfway between us. He cleared his throat and looked out towards the trees himself, hunching his shoulders uncomfortably. “Listen, uh.. Your Uncle Reggie and I..”

“I don’t blame you.” I sighed and leaned on the battlements, also not looking at Uncle Tyrus. He exhaled with relief, and I turned towards him, crossing my arms. “I’m still mad though.” I growled, and Uncle Tyrus stiffened. He ducked his head and nodded.

“Yes, I guess that would be your right.” My Uncle mumbled.

“He sold me! To the Fae! Uncle Ty! How is that possible?!” I yelled.

“He didn’t know-”

“That makes it worse!” I screamed. Uncle Tyrus rubbed his head, his shorn short hair scratching against his palm while I panted, trying to get my breathing back under control.

“Trouble, you have to understand.. He sold a future he didn’t think he’d have. If your mother didn’t live through the war, if the Kingdom didn’t survive, he’d have had no future. So he bartered away what he thought was already lost to protect your mother. Do you understand? He sold his future. Not you, Princess. He just didn’t know that you were tied to his future. That his future held a wife, and a son, and a daughter-in-law. Or that his son would be King.” Tyrus choked on the last few words, and I suddenly realized Reggie’s Fae deal had harmed far more than me. I moved forward clumsily, but Uncle Tyrus gently scooped me into a hug against his chest.

“I’m sorry Uncle Ty. This hurts you too.” I murmured into his chest, letting the familiar scent of my Uncle Tyrus soothe me. As always it was slightly mingled with Uncle Reggie’s, though I hoped I only imagined that the scent was somewhat fainter right now. Tyrus patted my back softly.

“It’ll be alright Trouble, we’ll all find a way around it.. Somehow.” There was sorrow in his voice that made my heart ache even worse. I was suddenly certain the scent was fainter, and also just as suddenly worried about my two Uncles’ relationship. I carefully extricated myself from the hug so I could examine him carefully, and offered Uncle Tyrus a weak smile. I was about to open my mouth to ask him how he and Uncle Reggie were doing, but I couldn’t find my way around the words. As if by mutual understanding of the awkward situation, we both abruptly turned away to lean on the battlements, staring out at the forest once more. I glanced at Uncle Ty surreptitiously, once again trying to find a way to ask if he and Uncle Reg were ok, when he cleared his throat.

“So uh.. Don’t know if you heard, but Mera, the girl the Centaurs took in as one of their one? Yeah, she ‘went home to the family’, so to speak..” Uncle Tyrus looked over at me and winked, eyes twinkling, so I raised a brow, trying to urge him to get to the point. “She uh.. Found herself a Centaur mate is what I’m getting at.” He chuckled. “She went to broker peace between our two Kingdoms, turns out, one of ‘em claimed her. Or rather, she claimed him is what I understand.” He laughed harder, and I found myself slightly rocking back.

“Well that’s different.” I murmured, looking back out at the trees, but then again, my mom married a wolf-”

“And you’re a fox.” Uncle Ty teased.

“Only some of the time!” I protested, looking back at his grinning face. The moment seemed too delicate to last, and burst like a delicate glass bauble dropped on the floor. Sadly, I looked back out at the trees. Would things ever be the same around the people I loved again? I missed Uncle Tyrus’ jokes and teasing. I missed Uncle Reggie’s stuffy attitude. Yes, I was still upset, but.. I turned back to face Tyrus, my mouth open to try to say something, anything to loosen up the tension between us, when a flash over his shoulder drew my attention.

“Did you see that?!” I blurted. There was a shimmer, but that’s only part of what caught my attention. Mist crept out between a small section of trees, and something moved within it. Something that I was certain by the outline had wings, and if I wasn’t mistaken, a flash of dark hair before the creeping mist had obscured my vision. I had turned and bolted for the nearest staircase before Uncle Tyrus had fully rotated to see what I was looking at.

“Malina! Princess!” Uncle Ty’s voice rang out behind me. You knew it was serious when he actually used my name or title. But I ignored him and kept running.

“Gates! Gates! Open the gates!” I was already yelling it even though I had half the Fortress to run through. I cursed myself for my short-sightedness. Why hadn’t I just transformed and flown over the wall? Courtyard after courtyard, archway after archway I pounded the familiar paths on feet tingling too hard to feel. I kept up my calls for the gates to open, skidding around corners and people, and as luck would have it, the gates were just opening as I made the last arch. Not even slowing, I slid my way through the mud from the morning’s rain and traffic, and simply burst from my clothes as I left my human form behind, my wounds screamed as my fox-form flew out through the neckline of my dress. The rest of my clothes fluttered to the ground behind me. I barely heard the calls of my name or title, and I flicked my tail as I raced out of sight of the gates around the castle wall. They should know better by now. Foxes can be tricky.