Chapter 8: Nadja's P.O.V.
2014 Words
I've been living at the Fae castle for over two months now. In that amount of time, I've gotten used to a few things. Like bathing regularly, eating three meals a day, general hygiene, and speaking with the king and queen.
Queen Lenny had to drill into my head that it was okay for me to have these things. She says that where she comes from, these are normal mundane things that everyone gets to use. Even maids. Which are like what we call servants.
It took me a while to be able to eat three meals a day though. At first, every time Queen Lenny brought me to the kitchen, I began working. She actually ended up giving me strict orders not to work after the first week. Still, I had to get my body used to eating so much daily. Queen Lenny had me eat a lot of soup at first. Which did help tremendously.
Queen Lenny told me that it's good to have a routine. So, I get up in the morning, brush my teeth and bathe. Then I get dressed, which Bea sometimes has to help me with. The clothes that Queen Lenny has given me are sometimes complicated. It's much different than what I'm used to. Especially when I wear pants, but... I really like wearing pants.
After I get dressed, I have breakfast. Most of the time, I eat with Queen Lenny. Sometimes King Emrys joins us, but it's not often. I guess being king keeps him busy. Plus, I know that Queen Lenny has been making several changes throughout the realm. Changes that I have never heard of before. Like equal rights, and equal treatment for all creatures.
Once Queen Lenny and I have finished eating, I have my lessons. The queen has requested that I learn the basics. Math, writing, reading, history, and a little bit of magic, which she calls science. Queen Lenny said that if I wanted to know more, all I had to do is ask.
I'm not sure I'll do that though. I'm so grateful for what she has already given me. I never thought I would learn to read or write my own name. Let alone everything else she teaches me.
I picked up on everything very quickly. Or, at least that's what the queen says. It only took me a couple of weeks to learn to read fluently. Then writing was a breeze. I struggle a bit with math though.
I enjoy reading the most.
After my lessons are over, I eat lunch with Bea, and sometimes a few other servants. Then I have training. Queen Lenny handles all of my training. Which I found a bit strange at first. The queen isn't even Fae. How could she know what to teach me?
That was when I found out who exactly our Fae queen is. Queen Lenny is the most powerful creature I have ever met. She's a Tribrid. A Vampire, a Witch, and a Werewolf. I was beyond excited when I found out she was a wolf. Seeing her shift was kind of scary, but her wolf was beautiful.
Elanor was right, I had been dreaming about wolves.
So, Queen Lenny, being a Witch, is able to control the elements as well. My training consists of her teaching me how to tap into that power. I've gotta do a little better, but I'm still not good. My power is sometimes small, like it used to me. But sometimes huge things happen. Lightning bolts shoot from the sky, I made it snow inside my bedroom once, and I accidently set fire to the entire kitchen. The whole thing went up in flames.
I'm a disaster.
Another part of my training with the queen is fighting. Queen Lenny believes that everyone should at least learn self-defense. I told her that I wanted to be stronger than that. That I want to be able to protect the people I care about. So, she's been helping me.
I'm not too good at it though. It seems that I'm a disaster all around. I feel more like a failure than I did before. Queen Lenny told me that I was not though. Because trying counts for something.
I wish I felt that way. I feel more like a burden than anything. No matter how much the king and queen tell me I'm not.
Which is why I spend a few hours after training with the servants. I just asked Bea to give me a task or two to take off someone's list. Much to my surprise, the other servants have thanked me many times. I'm surprised they even speak to me.
After helping with chores around the castle, I have dinner with the king and queen. There have been a few occasions that they have had what Queen Lenny calls 'date night'. On those nights I had dinner with the servants and knights.
Even on date nights though, Queen Lenny always stops by my room before retiring for the night. She brings me a poetry book every night, and I read it to her. It's done wonders for my stuttering problem.
It's still all so strange to me. I still don't understand why everyone here is so nice to me. I'm too afraid to ask anyone either.
I see that there are many different creatures around the castle. King Emrys told me that every creature has their own skill, all of them are useful, no matter how small or weak they may look. He said that the Fae castle is home to all Fae creatures, so long as they are deserving.
I don't know what he meant by that though. Does the king determine who is deserving? Am I deserving?
The day after I arrived here, I had to sit down with the king and queen. Ralee joined us, and that made me feel slightly better. I'm not sure why I feel so safe around the man.
During my sit down, the king asked me several questions.
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"Nadja, you said that you are the daughter of the Great Healer of the Light Elves," King Emrys said.
I nodded.
"Forgive me for being so blunt, but.. You don't look like a Light Elf." He said.
"Y-yes, I am a-a D-Darkling," I said.
"A Darkling?" Queen Lenny asked her husband.
"It's a slang term used to refer to Dark Elves." Ralee answered the queen.
"Slang?" She asked with a raised brow.
"Slang my a.ss." The king said. "It's a derogatory term." He bit out.
The king's reaction kind of surprised me.
"Why would you call yourself that?" Queen Lenny asked me.
I picked at my fingers as they all stared at me.
"I-I-I... Th-that's w-what they c-called m-me." I said.
The queen frowned.
"Calm down Lenny." King Emrys said as he placed his hand on hers.
Queen Lenny didn't respond, but she didn't seem to relax either. Did I do something wrong? Did I make her angry?
"Nadja," the king addressed me again. "You are not a Darkling. Don't refer to yourself that way. You deserve life just as much as the other Dark Elves, just as much as anyone else." He told me.
"O-Okay.." I said uncomfortably.
King Emrys gave me a sad look that I didn't understand.
"Nadja, do you know who your father is?" He asked.
I shook my head.
"I-I overheard the G-Grand Duke s-say that m-my mother w-wouldn't t-tell anyone." I told them.
The king was silent for a moment.
"You think that her father is a Dark Elf?" Queen Lenny asked.
"If her mother was a Light Elf, her father must have been," Ralee answered. "Her skin would not be dark, her hair would not be silver if not."
The queen looked between Ralee and her husband.
"What's the big deal? There aren't other mixed Elves?" She asked.
The king shook his head.
"No, there are not." He said.
"What?" Queen Lenny asked surprised.
"Lenny, the Light and Dark Elves have hated each other for all of time. When the first Fae king took over, they were his first stop. Just because of the wars they were having. If he hadn't stepped in, the Elves would be extinct by now. That's how much they hate each other. There has never been talk of a Hybrid between the two," King Emrys told her.
Queen Lenny looked at me.
"So, you are the first then," she said with a smile.
"There is one other thing," the king said.
"Yes, we have to protect her," the queen replied.
King Emrys chuckled as he squeezed his wife's hand.
"Yes, but that wasn't what I meant," he said.
Then he looked at me.
"You sent out a call. How did you do that?" He asked.
"Uhm, I-I.. d-don't k-know." I said honestly.
"You didn't feel anything?" He asked.
I averted my eyes as tears welled up in them.
"Nadja," the queen said my name softly. "Whatever it is that happened, it's okay to talk about it now. No one will hurt you ever again. I promise you that." She said reassuringly.
I took a deep breath before looking up at them.
"I-I ran a-away from the L-Light Elf c-castle. Th-three little creatures f-found m-me. W-we spent s-several days t-together. Th-that day.. an O-Oger came out o-of n-nowhere. H-He... k-k-killed them.." I said as a tear rolled down my cheek. "Th-they.. w-were the first bit o-of kindness I h-had known i-in so long.."
The queen grabbed my hand, and squeezed it.
"I-I don't know w-what happened t-to me a-after that. I-I was s-so.. heartbroken.. Th-this power exploded o-out of me.. Th-the river s-started to f-freeze.. a-and l-lightning burst f-from the sky.. I-I must have b-been dreaming th-though." I said.
"Why do you say that?" Queen Lenny asked.
"Because," the king answered. "There hasn't been an Elf in history that could control ice or lightning. Let alone the power that exploded from her, and called out to the rest of the Fae realm. It was spirit." He said.
"I thought Elves controlled the elements." Queen Lenny said, confused.
"They do," King Emrys replied. "The elements that they control are fire, earth, water, and air. There are stories of the very first Elves. Three brothers. On top of controlling the elements, one could control ice and snow, one the clouds and lightning, and the other spirit. We all thought they were stories though. Like I said, there hasn't been an Elf since that has been able to do that."
I squirmed back in my seat.
"Nadja, are you sure that's how you remember it?" King Emrys asked me.
"I-I am n-not sure.." I replied honestly.
I hope he doesn't get angry.
"Well, we will just have to practice to see if you can do it again," he replied.
That's... it?
"What happens if she can your majesty?" Ralee asked.
The king shrugged.
"Then we have a new and very powerful creature among us. One that might be able to put an end to the war between the Light and Dark Elves for good. A new beginning." He said with a smile.
"A-and if I c-can't?" I asked.
"Then we still have a new creature. You're the first mixed Elf in history. That alone is power. If you use it right," he replied.
"Regardless," Queen Lenny added. "You are a person. You matter simply because you are alive." She stated sternly.
"Yes!" King Emrys agreed.
"R-really?" I squeaked out.
"It's very clear that you went through a lot of trauma at the the hands of the Grand Duke of the Light Elves." The king said. "I won't force you to talk about it, but if you ever want to, you can lean on the three of us. Or anyone else you may meet here. I think it is important to tell you that whatever you went through there.. it was not right, and it will not happen again." He promised.
I looked at him with shock.
"Th-thank you your m-majesty." I said.
Are his words really true?
- Writer
