Page 15

Everetta

As I gazed at the numerous paintings lining the frosty walls, they looked less like decorations and more like trophies for former rulers to flaunt their times on the throne with. Like seriously what the hell was that fluffed-up mustache supposed to show? Was that guy some sort of mustache enthusiast? Is that what he spent all the gold behind him on? Did he waste the court's wealth on grooming? Then again what would I know I'm not from the Winter Court. I mean, seriously, who is this individual?

And that old-fashioned hairstyle on the guy in the right painting, even I know that just makes him look old. So did he live a long life? Is that what I'm supposed to be seeing here? Ew, who wants an old guy as a husband let alone lining the halls of the castle?

The background of all these paintings was so basic. They were practically identical. Just a monarch sitting on a throne of ice and sapphire. It’s a fill-in-the-blank situation. All the necessary information is completed now all we need is a picture. I couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight; it was genuinely so stupid. The paintings had no sense to them at all but bragging rights.

Back in the Griffin Court, any ruler who didn't contribute to improving court life was forgotten. Their names would be buried into the ground. No fact, no mentions, and certainly no portraits were hung about them.

I blinked at the sudden venom creeping into my thoughts as the memory flooded me. Was that what happened in the Griffin Court? If so then I'm sure my portrait was painted. I had to be a great ruler.

“You were, and you will be again.” A whisper in the wind flew past through my ears as I frowned. Looking around I tried searching for the source of the feminine voice only to be greeted with a scowl.

"Everetta!" Eli’s eyes were doing that squinty thing again, narrowing them pupils at me. It felt like he was trying to laser-beam my soul. I scrunched up my face in confusion—what's his deal? I was just umm, admiring the painting, ya admiring.

"What, I was just looking at the paintings. Getting to know the history of this place ya know?" Hands on my hips I puffed up my cheeks like a squirrel, trying my best not to let the roaring giggles in my stomach burst out.

Let's be real, how could anyone genuinely admire that mess? There was no way I could say anything else without Eli finding out I was mocking those ugly spectacles. It was like a big ol' uh-uh in my book.

Eli let out this gigantic sigh, and I could practically see the disappointment hanging around him like a rain cloud over all our heads.

Stepping closer to me, he started to do that thing again. The one where he talks down to me like I don't understand what is going on. Like he was trying to let me down easily. Trying to say I wasn't ready. He was talking to me as if I was some kid. I was not a kid.

"You know what, why don't you go and scope out this place? Ok? This would probably just be a repeat of the last meeting's objectives. I'm sure the Witch- I mean… L- Luna and I can handle this, ok?" I frowned, taking note of the reprimanding tone in his voice. Why was he pinching the bridge of his nose? What the fuck does he have to be exasperated about I did nothing wrong! All I did was look at some dumb paintings!

Was Eli seriously removing me from this meeting? We've always been together since-

A throbbing ache started to form at the back of my head. It was like a rhythmic beating low but present. Wincing, I frowned. It felt like someone was playing dictionary with scrambled images in my mind. Find the image that best suited the description except the image was scattered in pieces.

"Ah!" I clutched my head but the thumping was only getting louder and louder. Pressing the heels of my palms against my ear as if that would dim the sound down and respectively the throbbing. It felt like a million giants stomping around in my brain. It was only getting worse as a burning sensation started to sear away any of my thought processes only to feel a cooling touch against my arms.

"No!" I screamed hurriedly backing away like the implied scared little child I was, afraid of a strike from my parent.

"I-I'm fine. I don't need any help."

As much as I wanted to argue with Eli about missing out on this meeting, I had this sudden epiphany. Maybe he had a point. I needed a breather, some me-time to figure out what's what. Besides, I frankly didn't want Eli playing Mr. Fix-it on my brain right now.

"Yeah, you know what you're right. I'm gonna go explore, do my own thing," I declared with an air of newfound wisdom. Even if it was just me trying to dodge Eli's so-called ' help '.

But then this weird thought hit me out of the blue–

Eli and I do everything together, right? Or do we? I mean, he just benched me from the meeting, which, to be honest, was probably gonna be a rerun of the last one. Boring stuff. Maybe Eli was just looking out for my entertainment. Yeah, that's it.

"No, he's fooling you." That same female voice tried to butt into my thoughts again. I shook my head. I must be imagining it. No one was speaking to me right now. At least no one's mouth moved. The voice certainly didn't sound like Luna's either.

Well, that's a bit alarming.

I winced, clenched my eyes, wishing this headache would just peace out, and wondering if the voices in my head meant I was totally losing it.

Eli reached out to me, and this overwhelming urge to dodge his ' helping hand ' hit me like a ton of bricks.

"You know what? You're right. I'll go explore. Catch you later!" I quickly waved goodbye as I scurried off.

Hmm, didn't I already say that?

Can't remember. Oh well, let's go exploring!

Still nursing my throbbing head, I staggered my way toward the illustrious chamber of the prince. Sure, the idea of going into a guy’s room alone as a girl may~ raise a few eyebrows considering where I am at the moment but could you blame me? Curiosity waits for no one. I couldn't help but laugh internally at myself. Ya, that might be a reservation for Eli but not me.

Come on, I just had to know about that red powder thing. Besides, let's be real here, what else was there to occupy my time in this seemingly labyrinthine-styled castle? Sure exploring did sound fun but I can always do that later, so what I said wasn't necessarily a lie. I was going to explore the castle and I was also going to explore what that powder could do. Besides, I could dig out every nook and cranny of this place in my sleep. Cast a ruin, and just like that, I'd have the lay of the land imprinted in my mind. You see there are these super sonar ruins I could place on the ground and it'll give me like this 3D blueprint of the entire castle. In a certain range based on how much magic you feed the ruin. Given how much magic I have, that's not a problem for me. Plus, what better time than now when Eli's distracted, and too busy to stop me from getting that info?

Side note, Ellie doesn't seem to want me to meet this prince, I wonder why? He seems nice enough, a bit odd, and a tad bit awkward for a Wolf Prince. I mean aren't the Wolves known for their cutthroat attitudes? They want it they go and fucking grab that shit. Haha, shit, I don't need to use the restroom now, do I? Wait, how the fuck do I even go in this thing. I mean dress it way too much poofy fluff to fucking squat like I've been doing in the woods. I would describe to you what the dress looks like but honestly, I couldn't care less. It's just some puffy blue sapphire thingy with some sparkly stuff. I think they're called accessories, but I'm not really sure what they're called. I've heard some people call em' jewelry. I think people just buy them cause they look pretty. Speaking of which, I heard there is a nice shop downtown. I wonder if that's where Ellie has been buying all this crap from.

Speaking of which, that new guy, Ellie told me to pretend I know, Luca-Lucie- Lucario-, Mario- Lucara-, Lucarioso- Lucarious! Ah, yes! That's it, Lucarious. Anyway, he told me he could help us or something but the guy just gives me, hmm, what's the feeling- I don't know some vibe, not creepy but also like not-not creepy, ya know. Or at least I thought so. Really enjoyed the guy in the end though. He's funny. Pfft, Eli as a girl. Now that would be hilarious.

I hummed skipping my way down the halls before finally spotting a door that might be his room.

Rapping my knuckles against the pristine, snow-white door, or at least what I hoped was the Prince's door, I mean the same energy the prince exuded was coming from here.

Eli did explicitly warn me about avoiding solo encounters with royalty, but come on, what's a little rebellion in the grand scheme of things? After all, what Eli doesn't know won't hurt his precious rulebook, right? For magics’ sake, who wouldn't be curious about that magical red powder? It's like a cloak of invisibility for the senses: smell, sound, sight. The whole shebang. It's just simply too alluring to resist. Just thinking about the knowledge I could gain from all of it has me drooling.

I couldn't have come earlier because Ellie's been so up in my face about this whole ‘ never go around the castle without me ’ thingy, but after what he just said, I mean he totally just gave me free rein, right? Plus, let's be real, tracking down this ' elusive prince ' wasn't exactly a walk in the enchanted garden. If I interrogated a bunch of servants about him they’d just look at me funny. So I figured, if I can't find him I'll just go to his room.

So, here I am, standing at the door, armed with determination and a mischievous grin. If the prince wasn't in, well, I had a foolproof backup plan. I'll just break in and make myself at home until he returns. I mean, he had to come back to his room at some point, right?

The intel on his room's location was surprisingly easier to extract. Locked doors, after all, only posed a challenge if you lacked the know-how to skillfully break in. Plus, who said a bit of lock-picking wasn't part of the fun? Especially when secrets were waiting to be unraveled?

"Oh, my bad, wrong room," I chirped, offering an apologetic grin to the white-haired—or was it light blue? It was like a seriously ethereal shade-

A girl.

A girl was what peered out at me through the slit of the door with a hint of confusion. The elegant tilt of her head was practically a work of art; seriously, she looked like a high-class copy of Eli but you know with pale blue hair instead of blond. Come to think of it, I vaguely recalled Eli mentioning a familial connection with this chick.

With a little elegant twist to my voice, I happily introduced myself. After all can't be too informal with a princess, Eli would have a fit if he ever saw me doing that. Wait, how do I know that, duh, of course, it's because she looks so much like Eli. If that king was like his father then this chick must be a princess. See I know my stuff. I'm not an idiot.

"Hi, my name's Everetta, but you can just call me Evie, or Ev, that's what Eli sometimes calls me. But of course, you wouldn't know that, at least I hope not, do you? If you did that'd be really creepy. Then again my nickname’s not really all that hard to figure out, or is it? Anyway, I was looking for Prince umm... Fli- Flen, Flynn" Shit did I just mess up the prince’s name. I mean, I only just met the guy a couple days ago and Eli was playing bodyguard, blocking my view the whole time. Hard to put a name to someone when their face is, like, MIA.

The princess just stared at me. Why do I get the feeling that she doesn't like me? I mean we did just meet, at least I think so- been really hard to remember things these days. Hmm, wonder why.

"He's down the hall," she deadpanned, giving me the full door slam treatment. Right in the face. Literally, I swear the door glazed the tips of my nose.

Well, talk about a swift and efficient dismissal.

"Thanks!" I chimed back, half-hoping my gratitude reached her through the closed door. So, that was a bust. But hey, now I know where to find the elusive Prince Flynn.

I mean he promised to show me it but he never really did keep up that end of his bargain now did he? Was he just caught up with his princely duties? I mean, he's royalty, so it's plausible. Still, a promise is a promise, and being the determined soul that I am I wasn't about to let it slide. Sure, Eli threw a bit of interference my way, keeping me occupied with his own agenda, but mark my words that powder was going to be mine.

So there I was, chanting a little knockity, knock, knock ? tune in my head as my knuckles created a little musical against the bleached wood.

Oddly enough, no guards in sight—strange, but who cares?

There he stood, the boy with hair as white as clouds or, more precisely, like the sky, and those eyes of his, oh boy, they were just downright cute. Picture soft clouds but in a blue hue. Or perhaps the ocean if it decided to take on a fluffy cloud-like form.

"Hey!" I beamed up at him, my enthusiasm propelling me straight into his room. I might've bypassed him a tad aggressively, but hey, no Eli to play referee. Besides, he was totally going to invite me in any way, right? Or was he? Well, too late now.

"So, where's the red powder?" I still sported my infectious smile as I made myself at home. Looking around the dingy room it looked more like a library than a bedroom. Or was it a library? Nope, I see a bed. Pretty sure it's a bedroom. The walls like all the other rooms were coated in a layer of ice. A small table stood in the corner below a huge frost-covered window. The high-quality craftsmanship and sapphires carved into the outlining of the chair and table were practically a display of their wealth.

Talk about bragging much.

Then again, if I had the money wouldn't I want the best money could afford? That bed also looks very comfortable. It was so big and wide with light blue curtains dangling down to hide its guests from peering eyes. Turning back around, I made note of the boy's features.

Hmm, were the boy's cheeks tinted a subtle shade of red?

Cute. He's like a little cockatiel.

Was he smiling too hard? Aww, he's so shy.

The boy blinked, looking somewhat puzzled. Then, my eyes registered the fact that he was still in his sleepwear. Oops! Should've paid attention to the time. Glancing over at the clock hanging slightly to the right of the door near the blue-stained nightstand. I watched as the frozen tips of the hour hand ticked just a smidge past three. Strange—why was he still in bed at this hour? But as long as Eli remained blissfully unaware of this, I should be golden.

"Sorry, didn't realize you were still asleep," I winced ever so slightly. Wait, he should've been awake by now, right?

Side note, is it just me or is a lot of this castle blue? Was it because of the ice or maybe the sapphires?

The boy furrowed his brow.

"It's three in the morning. How are you even awake?" Blinking, I cocked my head in wonder at his bedridden hair. It was like a bird's nest with how tangled it was.

"Umm, no, it's three in the afternoon. I think your internal clock’s been damaged." I giggled, finding his bewildered turned horrified regretful expression quite fascinating.

"What were you doing last night that kept you napping till three in the afternoon?" I quizzed, only to be met with a nervous chuckle from the prince.

Odd, but well he was the prince, he must have had something important like his royal duties or something. I snickered in my head.

Duties, haha funny word.

"Nothing. I was just testing something out. Anyway, you said something about the red powder?" Turning he made a beeline for his iced drawer.

I can now confirm it is most definitely the ice making everything blue.

The thing was like a functioning ice sculpture purely made from ice and nothing else. The only difference is that it's not melting. Then again this was the Winter Court, everything's either frozen or made of ice.

Yep, the castle’s most definitely blue cause of the ice.

As he fished out a clothed, you guessed it, blue sack of something my eyes lit up with anticipation. I was practically foaming at the mouth to get my hands on it. "Yep, you promised, remember? Plus, I'm kinda twiddling my thumbs with nothing to do, so I thought, why not seize the moment? Grab this red powder thingy and dive headfirst into some research. It's the perfect cure for my boredom," I declared with a grin, reaching out to snatch the potentially magical pouch. Only to have Flynn play a little keep-away at the last second.

I shot him a frown, “Hey, what gives?"

"I- I was just wondering h-how about we team up on this? There's still some mystery surrounding this new powder. I bet we could learn more together. I'll share what I know, and we'll uncover more about it together?"

Ok, was it just me or did this boy sound all too desperate for me but, well whatever keeps me from passing out from boredom, why not?

Then again......

He never stated what I could contribute to this exchange. And nothing in this realm, nothing, comes without a price. I know that for sure. Maybe he's not the brightest little nerd I took him for. Then again, I don't have much I could give him unless he's talking about what secret me and Eli are keeping from him- You know what never mind if he doesn't know, who am I to tell him that? Normally though in an exchange both parties should give something up. On the other hand, that does seem rather cruel of me, keeping what Eli and I are doing when he's so willing to help. But, our plans are to conquer his court which means he won't be the next king. Cause Eli definitely wants to be king. He's not giving up that crown without burying his competition six feet under.

I nibbled on my lower lip, contemplating whether or not to tell him. If I really think about it, when was I ever so righteous to begin with?

I had initially planned to extract all those juicy details from him by any means necessary. Having him give it up for no price at all is just better for me. The question was, do I really wanna work with this idiot who can't even get the details of how an exchange works? I originally wanted to tackle this research solo. Hmm, I guess working together would be more effective. More hands on deck do get faster results.

"Alrighty, Flynn, you've got yourself a deal! "

Hey, as long as I get that powder whatever I guess. If he doesn't want anything in return then fine, his loss.

An hour had whizzed by, as I got hypnotized by the text and scriptures of the history about this powdery thingy.

I came up with nothing.

An hour and I found nothing .

The guy only had the history of where this thing came from, nothing on why it did the things it did, how it blocked noises in a room from reaching the outside. Maybe it was because I couldn't shake off the questions popping up in my mind from left and right.

Why? Just why did Eli bar me from the meeting? Sure it was going to be the same old meeting again but, I still should have been there. Who knows, maybe something new might pop up.

As my pen danced across the parchment I couldn't help the thought from rising, what if Eli, my very great closest friend, was concealing something from me? I mean why else would he have stopped me today? He's never done that before. Not to mention I can't seem to think straight when he's around, like my mind is clouded or something. No, it's not the heart-racing fluttering butterfly thingy, it's more of a haunting foggy mess crowding my brain. It's like I can't help but agree with him.

Now that I think about it, why did I agree with Eli?

Initially, I thought his excuse was a good reason to help spare me the mind-numbing dull drones of their discussion. But, as the seconds ticked away, a more unsettling idea started to crystallize in my mind. What if Eli's motives were more than just stopping me from listening in on them? What if no- it can't be right-.

He does seem to know a lot more about our history than I do. I mean how did he know Luna was an oracle and I didn't if we both knew her from our past lives? That and the discussion with that man, Lucarious. How did Eli remember him when I couldn't?

I know-I know it sounds far-fetched. Almost like a plot from a fairytale, but hey, stranger things have happened. Laughing at the thought of it I shook my head. As if, Eli's not that kind of person. He is the type who would fight front and center. He's not the scheming type. He'd rather dive head-first into any consequence than hide and pretend to be someone else. So there's definitely no way he's manipulating my mind, right? I mean how in the world would he even do that his gift is ice?

Right?

"No, focus," I chided myself, steering my thoughts back to the primary mission – deciphering the mysteries of the red powder. Maybe, just maybe, it could help unlock my memories. Gritting my teeth I could feel the need to remember grow bigger and bigger in me. I needed to remember who I was. This red powder thingy had to be the missing link, the key to restore what was lost. It has to be. I need to remember or something tells me we might be in big trouble.

How long has it been now? Three, or five hours? Who knows, I always get lost in my studies. I remember once my mother scolded me for missing our family dinners because I accidentally passed out from exhaustion, she always did say I needed to mind my health too and not just- Huh? What did she say, and what the fuck was I thinking about? My mother, who’s that? Well, whatever, I need to focus on my red powder.

What was I doing again? I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts. A slight ringing in my head was pounding through my skull as I felt my vision start to blur.

A bright blue sky and chilly ice-blue eyes stared back at me. "Remember me, Evie." The boy before me said. His voice was so raspy it sounded like a whisper. I blinked rapidly watching the scene fade as I flew back into the prince's room.

That-that was weird. And who was Evie? I feel like I should know that name somewhere.

"Everetta? Miss Everetta? Are you alright?" I jolted back to reality at the sound realizing I had unknowingly closed my eyes at the onslaught of pain jolting my brain.

"What? I was listening," My gaze colliding with clear cyan eyes that, for some inexplicable reason, felt strangely familiar yet not. Almost similar to the boy I'd just got a vision of- was that a vision or a memory? Ugh, I feel like my mind is melting away like ice cream on a hot day. I frowned at that unsettling thought.

"I just finished sharing everything I know about the powder. How about we start experimenting with it?" Flynn suggested, catching me off guard.

"Oh, yeah, sure. Let's mix in some dragon's scales. See if it interacts with the powder in any way. Dragon scales are known to either nullify or enhance effects. It'll be worth a try," Grabbing some of the scales the prince had tucked in his little table drawer in his room, I started on one experiment after another. Why did he have them in his room? Don't ask me ask the prince.

Switching out one ingredient after another. Trying to ignore the ache in the back of my head as I worked. Soon enough it did go away. But what is happening to me? It couldn't be normal.

Despite our best efforts, we came back to square one. Nothing . Again! Ugh!

A sigh escaped me, tinged with disappointment. It seemed like another dead-end. Or so I would have thought if I hadn't stumbled upon a potential breakthrough, something that Prince Flynn was holding behind his back. He seemed intent on keeping it from me though.

Hmm, wonder why that is.

Smiling, I leaned a bit away to catch a glimpse of the object but he was hiding it far too well.

I frowned inwardly. I'll figure it out one way or another. Maybe I should sneak back in later tonight and steal it but then again I wouldn't even know what I would be looking for. Hmm, what to do, what to do. Doesn't he know that hiding it would only make me more and more curiouser.

"So, umm, we're having a ball in a few days and stuff to celebrate you and your friend's welcome party, if you didn't already know… W-Would you mind joining me for a dance?" Flynn asked, snapping my attention back to him and his tomato-red face. His lips pressed thinly together for what?

Don't ask me, I don't know.

Hmm, what is it that he was hiding back there?

Why the secrecy?

I needed to get my hands on whatever it was. Leaning slightly to the left, in a manner where his flushed cheeks and bashful eyes couldn't catch me, I finally managed to look around his body. Ahha! Finally a good look. Hmm let's see that glow, the color, it's quite, feathery? Oh, I know what it is, a Phoenix feather! Grinning, I happily nodded to whatever the guy was saying. What do the feathers do again? More importantly, how should I obtain one just secretly snatch it from here or I could just pluck one from Lucarious. He was a Phoenix descendant, after all, Eli told me. But he couldn't shift so there was no plucking off feathers there. Only the strongest of fae could shift. So let's see if there were more Phoenix feathers stored around here. They were rare but then again this was a castle, so they should have at least a few stored up here. The royals do love their rarities, feathers and all. If they have enough money to embroider sapphires into every little thing that they own, they will have Phoenix feathers. I'll come back later tonight to steal some and then go off to experiment some more.

Happy with my brilliant plan I enthusiastically nodded, "Sure! But hey, I'm feeling a bit tired today. How about we postpone our experiments until tomorrow?"

"Really? That's great! I'll send a dress to your room in two days. I'll be looking forward to our dance," Prince Flynn looked kinda excitement, his smile for one was way too big to be normal, leaving me puzzled.

Dance? What dance?

More importantly, how would I sneak back into his library- I mean bedroom without ruffling any feathers, haha, get it feathers. No but seriously how will I get back in without alarming any guards? Especially considering the prince's status and mine? Sneaking into his room would kind of be rather suspicious, but if no one spots me it’ll be fine, right? On that note how do I sneak out of my room without Eli noticing? The man just had to sleep in the same room as me.

Sigh

Oh well! I shrugged inwardly. I'll just cast a sleep spell on him and the guards. It's not like locked doors have ever been an obstacle for me before. Plus, when I got in just now, there were no guards outside of the prince's room. Odd but hey, works for me! Will it change if it's nighttime? I get why there are no guards in the morning with all the servants walking around but when it's nighttime with nobody walking around wouldn't it be natural for guards to be posted where royalty is?

As the prince practically beamed walking me to his door, an enormous smile etched on his face, I couldn't help but wonder why he was so ecstatic. What had I unwittingly agreed to? Did he just say a dance? I hope I haven't agreed to anything I'll regret. Naw, whatever it is I'm sure it'll be fine. Things will work themselves out. But first I’ll need to prepare an excuse for Eli just in case. It is rather late and with how on guard Eli is with me there’s no telling what mess I might get into with him. Hopefully not too much.

I was screwed. The moment I stepped into my room, a glowering blond-haired boy greeted me, his wolf-like eyes narrowing on me. Ok, so maybe I might have stayed longer than was appropriate for umm, getting a lay of the land. Cause that was totally what I was doing.

Oops .

But then again he should have expected I would be late given how massive this castle is. It wasn't as if he knew where I was right?

Ya, so maybe he might have known I would have chosen the opinion of ruins over physically doing the scoping. Which means, I did need a viable excuse from my late night coming home, or coming back to my room in this case. Wow, talking with Eli really makes me feel like I'm the naughty kid and Eli the mom.

"I was going for a late-night snack.”

I noted the shape of his pristine, well-manicured brow as it cocked in skepticism. Did he have it re-shaped after the meeting?

Determined to justify my actions, I continued, "Umm, I cleaned up before coming back up. After all, it would be rude of me to have crumbs on my new bed. Plus, I didn't want to sleep on crumbs—" Before I could finish my excuse, Eli, always quick on the uptake, ready to cut me off.

He didn't even allow me the courtesy of presenting my side of the story, even if I knew it wouldn't make much of a difference. Oh and how I was able to tell this lie, well it wasn't a lie. Remember that excuse I mentioned? I might've actually gone down to the kitchen and grabbed some snacks before coming up here. Then feeling slimy from all my grunt work today, I took a bath.

"I checked the kitchen; you weren't there. What's more, I happened to overhear some maids going on about one of the new female guests wandering into the prince's room." He was doing that thing he loved, that thing where his eyes narrowed further without really squinting more. Ok, so maybe I was only in the kitchen for like ten seconds to grab my treat of an egg tart then retreat, get it, retreat, treat . I'm just full of jokes today. So, maybe I wasn't as sneaky about finding the prince as I should have been. I shrugged nonchalantly, feigning innocence, secretly hoping to salvage the situation even with as little hope as there was.

Eli sighed, his exhaustion apparent, and I couldn't help but wonder about the source of his constant weariness. It couldn't possibly be me. I'm a beacon of sunshine and rainbows. "Everetta, we're in a castle right now. There are hundreds of servants and peasants with ears and mouths. Do you understand the implications of a girl visiting a boy at this late of an hour?!" Eli sounded as if it was carrying the weight of the entire world's responsibility.

I rolled my eyes. It wasn't so late. Geez, old man much? It was barely past- shit , it's midnight. Ah, magics! The time must have gotten away from me.

I visited the prince in the afternoon, and oh, ya, I guess staying with a prince from noon to midnight doesn't really entail good things, does it? Even so, he doesn't need to lecture me like some child. I'm a grown-ass adult!

"Imagine the gossip and the rumors; we don’t need that now. As much as we should be revered, we do not need our identities to be exposed at the most inconvenient of times! Everetta, I beg you to mind your impulses for even just the barest of days, or at the very least, cover your tracks. They'll think you were trying to seduce the prince, and before you say anything, I know that's not what you were trying to do. But others will think so. This. Is. A. Castle. Everetta. In other words, this is a bloody political battle every day. To win this battle, we must avoid any negative gossip. We must stay hidden, invisible enjoyers. Don't worry, I've already made sure to erase those questions of yours from the maids. But honestly Everetta-" I rolled my eyes at his ongoing never-ending rebukes towards me.

And always always on me. Why me? It's not like I'm a child. I knew what I was doing. He didn't need to do that to the maids. If he had told me I would have cleansed their memory myself. Yes, yes yes, it is a forbidden magic but necessary for certain things like this. On the other hand, it does have dire consequences. This is why some say it's better to just kill the fae or human than have their memories wiped continuously. Or better yet just erase it completely. Depending on the period that memory has been in the mind the effect might be nothing or severely life threatening.

Clenching my fist I just couldn't take it anymore.

All do this, do that, ugh! For crying out loud, I know! I could handle my fucking self! But, hold it in, don't fucking let him see, else he'll try and ' help me ' fix that side of me too. Eli would be all too happy to reprimand me on that. He'd scolded me about how we should learn to maintain our posture and composure in front of others, the hypocritical bastard. Cause he sure as hell was just as prone to burst into his own little fits of rage as me. Yet, here I was never judging him for his faults.

So instead I smiled, seizing this as my perfect opportunity to get him out of my room.

“And what would servants think of you in my rooms? Eli I think you're right we need to be discreet. They'd have a whirlwind of gossip if an unmarried man slept together with an unmarried woman in the same room. Oh magics, the horrors! Therefore you should sleep in a separate room from now on. What do you say, good? Alright!"

I hurried his confused ass out of my room before he could refute.

To make sure he agreed I added a little persuasion to my voice, despite the growing unease I have at using my siren's voice. I still don't know why but I just don't like using that part of myself. The siren side that yearns for the skies. To take flight among the clouds. I just don't like it but if it'll get me what I want then so be it.

Oh, ya I'm part siren, something about my birth mother being one or something like that. Hmm, I don't like it, the feeling that title provokes in me. Hmm, ah! There's that damn throbbing at the back of my head again. No, can't let Eli see, else he's just gonna try to ' fix ' me again. I sure as hell won't call that ' helping me ' anymore. I wasn't a fool. Something's going on with Eli. He's keeping something from me and I'll figure it out, just like I did with that feather the little prince was hiding.

Once I was alone in my room, I let it all out. The anger surged through me like a tempest. Eli, always the strategist, expected everyone to fall in line with his plans. Most of the time, I didn't mind; in fact, I often wanted his guidance. However, once you stepped outside his carefully crafted ideals he'd reprimand and paternalistically pat your head like your some fucking idiot. I am not an idiot ! Gripping the red powder in my hands, I poured some of the contents around my room, waiting until the echo of Eli's retreating footsteps faded.

I snatched up a petite lamp, its fragile form quivering in my grasp before I hurled it across the room sending glass shards scattering in the air.

And what the hell is up with these constant headaches, ugh!

The air crackled with my pent-up frustration as I sent a glass vase flying across the room. Flipping up the small table by my bedroom window, I let my magic slam it against my bed. Using my magic I tore the sapphire blue small chandelier from the ceiling. I watched as glistening crystal shards danced in the air, the small glass fragments reflecting the anger on my face as they bounced up from the floor.

Ugh! This damn headache! I wish it would just go the fuck away! I wish Eli would just go away! I wish-I wish I could just fucking remember everything instead of it being fed to me in small little tablespoons of half-truths and whispered lies.

The wallpaper started to wither away, its edge crumbling in on itself as I let my anger out. Flames started to spark from my light as it angled off the glass shards still trickling down from the ceiling. The windows started to rattle as if an earthquake was happening before it too shattered into millions of pieces. I could feel small cuts jabbing at my skin like tiny knives as the room spun, a whirlwind of magic, light, and anger.