Page 4

Eli

Peering down at the girl in my lap, caked in dirt and grime, I offered a weary smile for what I had to do. No, not for what I had to do. This is something I must do. Someday, she'll forgive me. For now, I'm just happy to be back in her company.

After she saw that vision and passed out, I had to sit her down and make her rest a little so I could help her relax more. So I could make sure that she remains in control. That’s right this was all for her, always for her.

Staring out into the orange haze I noted the small tinges of life slowly yawning awake. The light peaking through the sky as the sun rises. It still gave me goosebumps. It reminded me too much of those times. The days when Everetta had been slowly withering away. The months and years that I couldn't do anything but bear the brunt of her grief as I allowed my own to swallow me whole. It was nice finally seeing the clash of blue, greens, and oranges once more.

Still....

My gaze turned towards the desolate mountains, the naked barks, and twigs that covered the forest. The empty greenery lining the compact dirt floor. The dusting of soil blowing in the wind, a sign of the slowly crumbling forests.

I'd once visited the lower ground of the Griffin Court.

I will not call it the Summer Court. It would bring shame to the realm's founders if I did so.

When I first visited these lands me and my father passed through all sorts of assortments of colorful leaves. So plush and still blossoming with even more rainbow-colored leaves to be seen. The reds, oranges, blues, purples, greens, and yellows all blended perfectly together in one single leaflet. Yet not even a hint of color showed throughout these woods as we passed them by. But the leaves weren't the only things that had changed. The soil used to be such a vibrant shade of chocolate I once mistook a clump of it for a treat. It just goes to show how far our realm has fallen without its proper rulers. Which is why we must regain our crowns. For the sake of our lands. But it is quite odd how the closer we are to the Griffin, now turned Summer Court, the less lively the trees seem to be. I looked down at my companion, my other half. Perhaps she might know.

But I can't risk it.

So I kept my mouth closed.

Shaking my head to prevent the thought from drowning me. I centered my focus on my current duty. There's no need to dwell on the past; everything will be set right soon.

I shall fix everything .

Soon, very soon. Once I gain back my crown I will set everything right.

Even though Everetta only discovered her true purpose in life a few weeks ago, much earlier than I would have preferred, I only found mine after she had rejoined me. Odd, perhaps it's linked to Everetta being the conduit for the spell. As much as I dislike the idea of some things returning to normal, we must rescue that witch—whose magic I sensed the moment my memories returned to me. How could I mistake that horrid stench of lilacs? It's practically burned my nose every day since. That witch, as much as I abhorred her, is essential to salvage this realm from the brink of destruction. For she is much more befitting for a Queen of the new Fall Court. Ugh, who in their right mind decided to rename the Fae Realm by bloody seasons? How disgraceful are they to cast aside the names of our ancestors, the cores of our blood, as if they mean nothing? What was once the birthplace of warriors, the Wolves of the Fae Realm, is now called Winter? How disgraceful! Do they not care for the Great Wolf who bestowed upon us our magic—the cold winds of the Fae Realm? Or do they prefer to shame our blood by reducing our magic to some sort of season? As if our magic was gifted from the changing of the weather. Clenching my fists I narrowed my gaze at the shining beacon of gold in the distance. Even from this distance Everetta and I could see the looming brightness of the ' Summer ' Courts castle. It was as bright as if we were standing right at its gates.

A soft moan emanated from my right as I placed my cool hands against the light sparking along her skin.

I frowned, "Just hold on a little longer. I promise I'll fix this soon." I whispered, to no one in particular. Or perhaps I was saying this to myself. Worry crept into every pore of my skin as I wondered if the witch might be able to assist me. Apart from her rightful place on the Fall Court's throne—ugh, Fall, what's wrong with naming it the Phoenix Court? How dare they mock the very foundation they stand on. Utterly disgraceful, I say!

Shaking my head to gather my thoughts, I couldn't stop the involuntary clench of my fists at the view of the golden-haired beauty before me. I truly felt remorse for what I was about to do. But it needed to be done. In the end, this is the best course of action. I'm sure of it. Yes, withholding her memories might seem a tad severe, but it will all unfold for the better. She'll come to understand why I did this.

I bit down on my lips, remembering our first encounter in this life. Which should have restored all her memories and mine from our past lives, but I took some precautions for that very scenario.

In the case that our meeting triggered our memories, I ensured that Everetta wouldn't fully regain hers. At least not entirely. I wanted to be in control of which memories would resurface in her mind. Not everyone possesses this ability; only the highest of fae kind, such as myself, can. And, well, I had to do it for the Fae Realm. Once she realizes what I did for us. No, not for only us. For the whole Fae Realm. She'll even thank me. I am positive.

So when we stopped to rest at a small village I knew that was my chance. I had to take back the memories she had remembered in the little time that we had reunited. But in doing so she would forget everything so, of course, I have to guide her now.

Yes, she needs only to rely on me.

Upon casting my spell on her, as I had predicted, she forgot everything. So I had to pretend that I had been on a journey to find her specifically. Then retell her everything she had told me when we first reunited. I decided that retelling her some of our events was better than simply letting her remember those details. It would serve much better for my image and also help prove that I was a brilliant dear friend.

I'd told her that we were embarking on a journey to take back what was ours. To bring back balance to our realm. You could say the events in her so-called room were our second encounter, after I wiped her memories that is. But no, I shouldn't feel guilty there was nothing to feel guilty about. I was doing this for her.

This was the right thing to do.

In the meantime, all her memories will flow through me. Hopefully, she'll never discover that part, at least not until I'm ready to tell her. If she were to ever find out about me sifting through her memories I have no doubt that she would end my life. Or at least torment me for eternity. When I am sure that everything that once was is back to the way it's supposed to be. I will let her remember again.

That's right we all need to make sacrifices for the betterment of our citizens. For our courts. For our rightful lives. I was making a sacrifice for us, for her, for our realm. Besides, it's not as if I was casually looking through her memories in my head. I locked it all away in a box. Sure, a few details might have slipped through here and there, but nothing I didn't already know.

Her escapades with my brother, for instance. Might I say, I never thought my brother had that side to him. It was a bit shocking to see him act so uncouth. And honestly, Everetta's relationship with her parents, as I suspected, was very misguided. Sure they didn't like her, but by no means did she have to hold such animosity back towards them. Their relationship might need a bit of assistance, but I felt like she might have blown it out of proportion. If she had just spoken with her mother under better circumstances I'm sure they would have worked it all out.

I sighed, smoothing out the wrinkles on her forehead and the sweat-damp hair plastered to her face. She had told me what she saw, as she should like she should have always done before she had fainted a little while ago. Honestly, how could she not have told me about meeting her birth mother in the past? I mean, I would have been far more helpful than my brother. I would have ensured that the scene and mood were correct. Not in a dark dank alley that they met in. But never mind that I could have helped mend her relationship with her parents far better than my brother could have. What matters now is that she is stable. She must never have all those memories back, at least not yet. If it was up to me never. I never want her to go through such heartbreak again. If she were to ever remember how we came to die in our first lives, she wouldn't make it in this life or any other life.

Yes, I am doing this for her. So that she doesn't have another tantrum and cast everything into smithereens once more.

It was daybreak when we finally reached the border towns of the Summer Court. I waited until Everetta woke before we continued our travels. As if to confirm my theory that we needed to regain our crowns the streets were swarming with filth and decay. Half-starved skeletons lay at the entrances to crumbling stones, which I wouldn't dare call homes. Toddlers, barely five sun cycles old, crept behind stone walls. Tiny children performed the tasks the adults should have managed. As for the mothers. They were either drunk or half-dead. Looking at the petite crying skeletons I could tell not even a single droplet of milk was available in those wasted bodies. How in the world did they manage to birth not one but several children when such a wasteland was to be their home?

Frowning, I sighed, bending down towards the crumbling wells made of mold and the tiny bits of meat these villagers lived on. The squirming wriggling maggots bathed the bottom of this slab of stone.

As if sensing my thoughts, Everetta opened the little magic box she managed to figure out. I rolled my eyes at her show-off attitude. Yes, yes, just because you remembered that little spell doesn't mean I can't do it either. I'm just letting you think that. After all, that's why I gave her the book. Her precious gems .

Dropping three full piles of werehound meat onto the ground, I watched as the villagers stared with hope and primal hunger in their eyes. As if willing to kill us for the food. And they will, I have no doubt about that. What with how much bones protruded from their bodies I would be more shocked if these savages just sat there. Once our backs were turned they would surely knife us and then steal the meat. Eating it raw. But before the chance arose Everetta spoke, "Come now, we have enough for everyone. Make a nice line now, or else I can make all this disappear just as quickly as I made it appear." She made sure they all lined up into a neat little line. Ugh, they looked like hollowed husks of flesh and bone. How distasteful. I will never understand how she puts up with these magicless fae.

Is one getting too close to me? Oh lords, "Get away." I made a shooing motion with my hands as I pointed with my eyes to the line before Everetta. And thank the lords this little child covered in piss and dirt, if you could even call them that, hurried away.

While Everetta was distributing the freshly cooked meat, on which I have no clue how she managed to do so, considering they were raw just moments ago. Never mind, I don't want to know. The small glint of pride and smug satisfaction in her looks is enough to deter me from asking. Rolling my eyes, I turned back to the well, using some ice magic to clean it of its grime, before filling it with a bit of ice. I'll have to ask Everetta to melt it down later, once she's done playing goddess. A role I'm sure these villagers now see her as. Ugh! If this wasn't all part of our plan for the crown I would have waited to aid these things after my coronation.

Being the cunning wolf that I am, I'd already expected as much. Given how utterly useless these incompetent rulers are compared to us. It was only natural that they were hungry, broke, and utterly desperate for their next meal.

I smiled at the thought of how much of a 'knight in shining armor' we'd be in their eyes. Better yet a god and goddess I suppose. Once we challenge these so-called rulers for their crowns, there's no doubt the citizens will side with us. For it is the citizens. The broken ones lining the streets, not those sitting on chairs made from the hands of the poor, who truly rule the kingdom. But if we can control those peasants, then, well, the kingdom might as well be ours. Besides, it's only right to give back to those who will support us. For now, we'll just have to plant the seeds of rebellion.

"Everetta," I pointed toward the well gesturing for her to melt the ice. Looking towards me and then at the well, Everetta sighed, pouted, and trotted along toward me. Once the ice had melted into liquid, the villagers were lined up to receive the much-needed clean water they craved. And yes, of course, there were the constant thank you's and looks of worship. Some even tried to hug me , with their grubby little hands! As much as I detest the thought of those savages touching any part of my body or clothes I had to put up with it.

This was all for our plans. All for our bloody plans. I must endure this torture.

I repeated the mantra in my head as I felt the dirt-stained muck of their bodies pawing at my clothes. I tried not to shiver in horror for it might hinder their affection towards us. I needed them to think that we were truly kind and quite frankly shunning their touches away would state the contrary. I suppose I am quite generous that way. Allowing such magic-less creatures to touch me. Hopefully, they will remember our acts of generosity when we ask for their support. Then again this was mainly Everetta’s court. So I suppose I didn't necessarily need to show as much kindness as she did. This wasn't going to be my people after all. But alas I am quite the giving fae, so I had helped.

Once we leave, they will no doubt be starved again, which is why we must leave a little guidance for them. By that, I mean planting a magic stone I crafted with Everetta's help. This plan was my idea of course. This stone with the anti-monster ruin will ward the village from beasts too strong for these mere simpletons to fend off. Only fodder for their bellies will be allowed in. Everetta and I will train those who seem strong enough to be taught such skills. But of course, we can't stay long so we'll imprint the necessary skills into their minds with magic. Since I lack the necessary gift to do so. Everetta boastfully used her creative ability to alter her gift and make it possible to cast such magic. It seems she's learned quite a lot from that one book.

Maybe I was a bit too quick in giving it back to her.

In the meantime, we'll provide a small food supply to those we deem strong but kind. But I wouldn't be shocked if these barbarians decided to hog more of the food instead of sharing it with the village. Everetta thinks otherwise. How there wouldn't be any form of greed as this village had endured starvation together. "So, it would only make sense that they wouldn't take food away from one another." Or so she says. After ugh, five whole days we departed to other villages. Performing the same tasks and enlightening the same skills in each village. Hopefully, they will remember our kindness when Everetta returns for her crown.

We did this until we reached the center of the Summer Court, which was the only prospering city in this rotten court of heat and sweat. Once we left the outskirts of the villages and small towns. The surrounding forest, though still damp and lacking the true joy it once held, thrived more. Don't get me wrong the closer we got to the capital the more the trees and roots seemed to be drained but it was only near the core of the capital that the forests finally seemed to thrive.

It was like layers of a tree trunk. The farthest layers of shrubs seemed to thrive the farther we were from the capital of the Summer Court. But as we continued down the layers closer to the core. Or in other words the middle layers. It seemed to wither but then at some point towards the layers closest to the capital. Say for example the last three layers of a tree's lifeline. The forest and greens seem to thrive once more. How strange. What's more, it seems the three main cities prospered, but none were as prosperous as the central capital city of this court. Something was definitely going on with the 'Summer Court' but what?