"Think about it, Matt, what if this is true?" What if there's a plan behind it all? What if they took me away from my parents and now they want to take power through me? "

In Matilda's room, under the warm light of candles from the human world, Ferry was whispering his worries. Finn was snoring lightly in his corner, and Matilda was looking at him with her deep eyes, a small furrow appearing between her thick eyebrows.

"I don't think so, Ferry," she whispered. "Why would they do that? Why would they pretend all this time? "

"Maybe they need me. Or, rather, they need the Spear of Justice that can only be activated by me... "

Matilda didn't answer, and the furrow on her forehead deepened.

"And where is this enemy?" he continued. "Did you see them? Has anyone seen them? All I saw were happy people, living their lives in peace and quiet and honoring their leaders. Waiting for the Lost Prince to return... "

"They are Hollowers, Ferry. They are shapeshifters. They can take any shape they like. Who says innkeepers or crystal sellers or marketers aren't really Hollowers? "

"What about my parents? The people of Akna behave as if they are still alive. They respect and honor them. And toast in their honor... "

"That's to see that it was just a play. A tall tale told and retold for the amusement of people. You can't believe it's true... "

Ferry shook his head. "I don't know, Matt... Isn't there a grain of truth in any story? What if that's all I am to them, Matt? A weapon... A tool for Amalghams to have rights in Akna? To get to rule over it? " Ferry whispered bitterly.

Matilda shook her head. "Ferry, we've known your guardians for our entire lives. They wouldn't do that to us. They wouldn't lie to us. Sage wouldn't lie to me," she said with a short hesitation.

Upon hearing Sage's name, which she said so affectionately, Ferry felt his whole body tense.

"What does Sage mean to you, Matt?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Sage is part of the family, Ferry," she said without looking at him this time.

"What do you mean family? Like a father? You have the best father in the world... A brother? You already have one, " he said, pointing to Finn, and his whisper turned into a voice, sharper than the frozen mountain.

"Ferry, you're going to wake Finn," Matilda said, looking at him this time. But her eyes shot arrows.

Ferry felt the soft light in the room become suffocating. He stood up.

"I have to go," he said shortly.

Matilda stared at him. "So fast?"

"I must rest. I have a hard training coming. With real weapons... "

He wasn't lying. Raghnall had informed him of the next training, and Ferry already felt that he could finally show what he had learned. And yet, he really wanted to be able to stay with her for at least one more minute... But she had ruined everything when she mentioned Sage's name. A usual. Sage appeared between them when he expected the least and ruined everything without even being present.

Matilda got up and away from the friendly fire and stepped closer to him. "I'd like you to stay," she said softly. "But if you have to go..."

"I have to go," Ferry repeated and went out without looking back, barely refraining from slamming the door behind him.

***

At the next training session, Ferry was surprised to find that almost everyone he knew was present. His guards, led by Thyme, Leomh, and his acolytes, Matilda... They were all there. But Ferry was most surprised to find Lord Stephan, wrapped in his huge cape like a storm cloud, leaning on his gnarled staff and talking something with Thyme.

At the sight of Ferry, the murmur stopped. All the warriors greeted him with a bow, and even Matilda did a small curtsey, without raising her eyes from the ground.

Ferry felt his chest tighten.

"What's with everyone here?" he asked Raghnall who was by his side, as usual.

"It's the first time you're fighting with real weapons. Everyone is curious to see you. "

Ferry felt his heart begin to pound in his chest. He took Ragh aside. "But I haven't fought real weapons before, Ragh..."

Ragh smiled. "Do not worry. Remember what I taught you. And keep in mind: do not hesitate, strike at the right time, before you are hit! The sword fight is chaotic. You have to decide when to give the final blow, " he said with a firm nod.

Ferry saw Thyme walking towards him. He handed him a long sword with a sharp tip in a silver sheath inlaid with tangled symbols. Ferry picked it up and looked at the edge that shone in the starlight.

"This sword belonged to someone very special to me," Thyme said softly. "I want you to have it. Wear it with pride, just as the one before you did. "

Ferry swallowed the lump in his throat. "Thyme, I haven't fought real weapons before. What if I hurt someone? "

"There are rules for that. Every time there should be a strike, you stop and it is considered the real blow. Then the fight continues until one of the fighters gives the blow that will be considered fatal."

Ferry nodded. He put on his armor with Raghnall's help, but his arms and neck remained unprotected. Then he walked to the middle of the cave. He would show everyone that he was no longer a mere beginner. His guards, Leomh, Stot, Matilda, Sage (especially Sage) would find out that he could master the sword at least as well as the others. That he was worthy to be their leader...

Everyone stepped aside, making room for him to pass. Ferry continued on until he reached Lord Stephan. He looked him in the eye without being intimidated by his massive stature and his piercing eyes.

Leomh, the Second Commander, gave him a defiant look, clearly disturbed that he had been interrupted from his conversation with his Lord, perhaps because Lord Stephan was focusing all his attention on Ferry.

"Prince Garrett," he greeted him with a slight nod. "Are you ready for today's training?"

Ferry realized he hadn't seen Lord Stephan since the last lesson when he ordered him to kill the bird.

"I've never been more prepared," he said, glancing at him.

"Very well, then. You will fight Stot. "

Ferry felt his heart tighten a little. Stot was one of the best fighters. He was brave and determined and fierce in battle. He saw him coming down from a high stone on which he stood like a pedestal, with other Solacers at his feet. He jolted right in front of him. He looked at Ferry from head to toe, and Ferry could see the arrogance in his eyes.

The circle around them suddenly became wider. Ferry took a deep breath. Lord Stephan raised his arm and signaled the start of the battle.

As the Lord's hand slowly went down, Stot rushed with a loud shout at Ferry with all his might. Ferry barely had time to block the elf's powerful blow that almost unbalanced him. He clasped both hands on the hilt of his sword and pushed hard on Stot, who was forced to step back. Ferry took advantage of the moment and launched himself into a cascade of blows on Stot.

At first, he was astonished by the determination with which he fought; then he regained his confidence and avoided the shower of blows that fell upon him. Then he flew over him and threw himself on him like lightning. The blow came from above and Ferry fell to the ground. He barely had time to lock the edge of his sword, which would surely have cut off his arm. Lord Stephan or at least Thyme was expected to stop the fight and score a point for Stot. But none of them did. And Ferry knew it was a real fight he had to win if he didn't want to get hurt.

Stot landed in front of him, out of breath, and Ferry barely had time to get up from the ground until the next blow came again. Stot stepped in and prepared to deliver a full force overhead attack on him with speed and intent. Ferry parried the attack with the strongest part of his sword. Without missing a beat, Ferry followed up while looking at his opponent's head and keeping the actual target only in his peripheral vision, he sidestepped out of the way of any potential counterattack and attacked with one hand, suddenly dropping the attack into Stot's foremost leg. Stot fell to the ground and Lord Stephan finally stopped the fight. The warrior elf was wounded.

As the murmur roared around them like a bee's hum, Ferry headed for Stot with a sigh. The thought of hurting him really made him shudder.

"Stot, are you okay?" he asked the elf, who was still on the ground, trying to tie his wound to a strip of his shirt. Around them, the circle of warriors became tighter.

But Stot jumped in front of him, got up with difficulty, and limped off. Ferry looked up at the exit of the cave, watching the elf's chaotic flight.

He wanted to follow him in flight, to make sure he was well, but he was surrounded by his comrades who cheered and congratulated him, patting him on the shoulder.

"You did great, Ferry," Ragh said with a big smile on his face.

"Well done, Garrett," Thyme added, and Ferry even saw a smile on the corner of his mouth. "You fought well."

Ferry looked for Matilda. He saw her somewhere farther away from the enthusiastic group of fighters. But the girl smiled at him and that made him feel better.

Lord Stephan walked over to him, supported by his staff, and suddenly there was silence around him.

"You fought well, Prince Garrett," his voice thundered. "You fought with honor and courage. You fought hard and you won. "

"Thank you," Ferry said simply. "But is Stot okay?"

"Don't worry about him," he heard Leomh's strong voice, though Ferry felt a tinge of irritation in his tone. "He can heal by himself. Fairies have that power, "he added, looking at him curiously as if to say something else entirely, something that Ferry missed. But his words took a stone from his heart - he didn't want Stot to be hurt because of him, and the fact that he was going to heal made him feel better.

The group around him began to disperse. Ferry took off his armor which protected his torso when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and found Sage.

"You fought well, Garrett," he said. "It's just that--" and his voice became lower, "sometimes, courage and honor are not enough. Sometimes a hand of dust in the enemy's eyes or standing with the sun behind you so that the glare distracts your opponent can make the difference between life and death... "

Then Sage headed for Matilda and together they climbed the stairs leading out of the cave.

***

Ferry didn't meet Stot again in the next training sessions. Raghnall had told him that he trained alone until he was healed. And that made Ferry's heart tighten. Knowing that he had hurt someone, even a fairy who could heal by themselves, made him fear his power. How big was it? And could he control it without hurting anyone else?

But he noticed that the people of the citadel looked at him differently since he had defeated Stot. Their eyes were more confident and full of hope. They showed their gratitude in the most varied ways: they fed and cared for their horse (although Ferry loved to spend time with Wind and feed him with his own hand), they brought him the most beautiful and tasty fruits, they decorated his room with flowers and had to make sure that the clothes he wore, even if simple, always shone.

Encouraged by all these changes, Ferry had asked to be able to dine with his friends, and his wish had been granted, a sign that even Lord Stephan had been impressed with his fighting performance. So Ferry could enjoy the presence of his guards (and Oona) at least during meals. But most of all, he was glad that Matilda was finally allowed to dine with him, even though she was sitting at the far end of the table, with Sage by her side, of course.

And yet Ferry could not be at peace. The representation at the fair still disturbed his life and chased away his sleep. And when he managed to sleep, he dreamed again and again of the scene in which he was taken away by his guardians. Then he would wake up with his forehead drowned in sweat and his heart pounding. Were the guardians really his friends? Or were they actually his captors, the ones who had taken him out of his home and taken him away to carry out their plan?

He wished he could talk to Thyme, but he saw him so seldom that he was sure Thyme would not have time for his childish gibberish. He had learned from Raghnall that Thyme was preparing for a new journey to one of the remote villages of the kingdom to free it from the clutches of the enemy.

As for his other friends, they behaved as if nothing had happened. While Matilda... Matilda wouldn't have said a bad word about Sage, and that drove her crazy.

So he had only one person left to talk to -- Oona. After returning from the fair, he had met her several times, walking through the clearing by the lake, lost in thought, with the baby fox stumbling between her legs. Something had changed in her. It was as if she was no longer the same air-headed fairy, playful and carefree. Sometimes, she watched in the distance and her big green eyes were looking for something in the forest. But what? Then, as if someone had snapped the fingers, she became a jolly and lively fairy again.

But Ferry had noticed that with this change, Oona's tolerance for Raghnall had increased. She no longer pushed him away every time he was close to her. She no longer gave him funny names and no longer laughed at him. And Ragh enjoyed every look and every gesture that came from her.

One day, Ferry caught them in the large kitchen by the fire. Oona was sewing Ragh a button on his tunic. She was so focused, that her red hair always slid down her face and caressed Ragh's cheek, who was standing still, breathing fast. When she had finished sewing, Oona tore the thread with her teeth, her lips so close to the young elf's chest that he jumped to his feet as soon as she finished sewing, coming out of the kitchen like an arrow, almost knocking Ferry down.

Oona watched him walk away, a small smile hidden in the corner of her lips.

"What brings you here, fairy boy?" she said as she spotted Ferry at the entrance.

"I'd like to talk to you," Ferry said softly, looking suspiciously at the Amalghams in the kitchen.

Oona's eyes twinkled. "Anything your heart desires," she giggled, loud enough to be heard.

"Not here," Ferry said in the same low voice.

"Meet me by the lake after the meal," she chirped cheerfully. Then she took the baby fox in her arms and came out of the kitchen, her steamy dress waving behind her.

Ferry barely touched the food, eagerly awaiting the meeting with Oona.

When each retired to their rooms for a well-deserved rest, Ferry slipped out of his room into the castle walls, descended the steep slopes behind the old trees beyond the castle, and reached the clearing lake.

At first, he was blinded by the gleam in the water in which the light of the star was reflected freely, unshaded by the crowns of the trees. The stretch of water was large, and the waves trembled under the kiss of the wind in velvet waves.

Oona was sitting on the lake's shore, dangling her feet in the water with lazy movements as she stroked the fox cub sleeping next to her. She seemed lost in thought again. She shuddered as Ferry sat down beside her. He smiled slightly at her, then looked away at the row of trees lined up on the other side of the lake that reflected in the glistening water, leaving the impression of an impenetrable wall. Oona was shaking. Ferry took off his tunic and put it on her shoulders, and she accepted with a smile.

"Isn't that beautiful?" she asked softly, her voice almost a whisper. "I could get used to this place..."

Ferry was also impressed with Akna (as much as he had known it), but he didn't know how long it would take him to get used to the place or if he would ever will.

Oona turned her emerald gaze to him. "Why did you want to see me?"

"I wanted to ask you... At the fair... Did you happen to see the play?"

Oona shrugged. "I saw some mountebanks, but I didn't pay attention to them. Ragh and I --"

Oona stopped, realizing that she had called Raghnall by his name, but especially the soft way she had called his name. "Raghnall and I visited the stalls with clothes."

"I saw the show, Oona," Ferry said, and his words sounded louder than he would have liked. "It was a play about the Lost Prince. About how he was taken away from his parents. By a Pan and Amalghams... "

"And do you think that's true?" she asked.

"Yes. No... I don't know what to think..." he sighed.

"I would not trust a pathetic representation of poor actors. They would play anything to make a sensation and earn a few extra coins. "

"I know, but I can't help but wonder... In Tenalach, when we first met, you were looking for the Fountain of Truth, weren't you?"

Oona frowned. "Yeah, but what has that got to do with it?"

"I was wondering how true was what it showed you..."

Oona's eyes darkened. "Well, at least it showed me what I was looking for. Alwyn is my mother," she said, and her voice trembled.

Ferry then realized that Oona had never talked about her mother. And it was probably not easy for her to talk about that.

"I wanted to know what happened to my parents... And the Fountain showed me something completely different..."

"And now you don't know what to believe," she said.

Ferry nodded.

Oona tucked her hair behind her ears, as if preparing to give him a demonstration.

"I just want to know if what I saw there is what really happened."

"As far as I know, the Fountain is always right. But sometimes what we see may be different from what really happened. "

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, sometimes what we see is what we want to see. And that might not be the truth. "

Ferry tried to remember what the Fountain of Truth had shown him, but everything seemed so far away and shrouded in fog that he seemed to be searching in a meaningless dream he could no longer remember.

"I don't know what my purpose is here, Oona," he said.

Oona looked at him intently. "What does it matter? You're here now, aren't you? You can do great things, Ferry. You can save these people, change their lives. You can change this world. And I can help you, "she said, placing her cold, delicate hand on his.

Ferry frowned. "Help me how?"

"We could make this world a better place... People will be able to love whoever they want. They could start families with whomever they wanted. We could change so much together," she added, squeezing his hand.

Ferry stood up. Oona did the same, and Cub awoke and sighed softly. The water trembled at their feet and the light around them suddenly became bigger. Her scent of wildflowers grew stronger, and Ferry lost himself for a moment in her deep eyes.

"Oona, I like you, I really like you... We've been through so much together, and you really mean a lot to me. But we need more to be together. Besides, I don't want to have children. I don't want my child to carry the burden of saving land and the welfare of a people on their shoulders for the rest of their life! " he said, taking short breaths.

Her gaze turned icy. "Do you think they'll let you be with her?" she said coldly. "She's a human, Ferry. Look at this place. They hate everything human. Do you think they will ever accept a human queen? " she continued, barely breathing. "Besides, you have the privilege of marriage. But it won't be with whom your heart desires. They will choose a wife of noble blood, pure fairy blood, to carry and give birth to your pure-blooded children and carry on your inheritance... You are the descendant of the Great Fairies, Ferry. They will not let your seed be wasted without offspring. "

"Then if everything is arranged for me, what should I do, who should I fight with, who should I marry and have children with, what is your role in all this? You can't be my wife either! "

"Yes, but I can be your mistress. Don't tell me this isn't done... It's been done for centuries in the human world. Kings have always had mistresses. The queens were just the façade. The mistresses ruled from the shadows with their king. And I -- I'm willing to be your mistress, Ferry," she said, taking his hand in hers and holding it tight. Her eyes shone even brighter, and she was close, so close, that strands of her fiery hair tangled with strands of his silver hair under the still breeze of the wind.

"But I don't love you, Oona," he whispered, yet his voice trembled and he wasn't of what he was saying. "You deserve someone who loves you and only you..."

"I can teach you how to love me," she whispered, rising on her tiptoes and clinging to him. Ferry wanted to get rid of the feeling of her hot body, but couldn't. Or maybe he didn't even want to, so powerful was the spell she was scattering around. Her lips moved closer to his, and Ferry felt their irresistible warmth. Her thin hands clasped around his neck, pulling him closer and closer. And Ferry fell prey to her warm mouth, which consumed his with a savagery he had never known before, but at the same time with a velvet gentleness. And before he realized what was happening to him, his hands wrapped around her thin waist and drew her even closer. Ferry lost himself completely in her kisses, not caring about anyone or anything.

And if Oona hadn't bitten his lip with the ferocity of a predator, their passionate kisses would have continued for a long time, for time seemed to have stood still then and there.

Ferry felt the pain of her bite run through his body. He pulled away from her wild kiss and reached for the lip that throbbed under his fingers. His lip was bleeding.

"What did you do that for?" he shouted, feeling his heart in his throat.

Oona chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"Listen, Oona, I don't know what games you're playing," he continued, "but you're not going to play them with me!" he kept on shouting, feeling his whole body tremble with rage.

She glared at him. "Don't be so dramatic. Live a little, " she added, turning her back on him and leaving the clearing with the fox cub following her.

Ferry took several deep breaths to calm his rage. He didn't know if he was angry with Oona for kissing him that way or for giving in to her kisses. His mind seemed to be caught in a trance from which he could understand nothing. Who was she really, Oona? Was she the air-headed fairy, cheerful and carefree, naughty and naive? Or a schemer that had a plan set up in the smallest detail from which she never deviated.

He also left the shore of the lake, shaken and upset, pressing his bloody lip, which was still pulsing. He had some way to go to the castle, and the trees were too thick, and he was too tired to fly. But somewhere in front of him, two figures were moving in the shade of the trees, hiding behind the old trunks. Ferry quietly snuck, trying not to be seen. His presence there, when he should have been in his room, would have been at least suspicious.

He managed to get close enough to recognize the voices that came from the shadows — Leomh and Stot.

"I was waiting for you at training today," Leomh said coldly. "Where have you been?"

"I couldn't. The wound hasn't healed yet..."

"Why does it take so long? I need you to show that we are strong, we, the Solacers," said Leomh, and Ferry read a slight irritation in his voice.

"Don't worry about me," Stot said, but his voice sounded soft. "I will be back soon. Did you miss me? " he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"Don't be silly," Leomh spat the words. "It's just that your absence is starting to look suspicious. Why does it take you so long to heal? Maybe one of the women healers should see you. Did the 'human lover' cut you so deep? I didn't know he was so strong. Let me see, "Leomh said as he stepped closer to Stot.

But Stot withdrew abruptly, his face twisting in pain. "No!" he growled as if Leomh had asked him to cut off his leg. "I'll be fine," he tried to regain his composure. "I'll be back soon, trust me..."

Leomh was stunned at first by the reaction of his most trusted man. Then he became the cold, confident commander again. "You'd better fix this soon. I don't want to have to punish you for your lack of training. "

"It won't be necessary," Stot said, trying to sound confident.

Leomh said nothing. He turned his back on him and walked away, disappearing beyond the tree wall.

Stot limped to the nearest tree and leaned against its thick trunk. Ferry watched him investigate his wound. He moaned as he untied the cloth with which the wound was bandaged. To Ferry's surprise, the wound was deeper than he had expected, and the thought of injuring someone so badly made him shudder again. He saw the scarlet-brown stripe furrowing Stot's leg, and he couldn't help but think he might have been him instead. Stot bandaged his wound back, then got up and limped away to the castle.

Ferry leaned against the old maple for a long time thinking about all that had happened, so much and so intense, in such a short time.

***

Ferry descended to the great hall of the castle after a sleepless night. He had tried to make his lip deflate with cold compresses. But the swelling was even greater, and his lower lip looked as if it had been stung by a whole swarm of bees.

When he got to the dining room, they were all there — his guardians, Oona, Finn, and Matilda. He passed by everyone with his head bowed, trying to look as natural as possible, and sat down in his place at the end of the table. Oona was to his left, as usual, eating undisturbed a peach with his tunic resting on his shoulders. How had he forgotten about it? Fortunately, the fairy didn't say anything to him, eating quietly as if nothing had happened between them.

He did not dare look at Thyme who was standing to his right. A few young women from the kitchen placed a plate of berries and honey in front of him, along with a slice of fluffy bread, and giggled when they saw his swollen lip.

Ferry began to eat, but his lip ached at every bite. Yet his friends behaved as if nothing had looked suspicious on him, and he was finally able to relax.

The pre-training meal was frugal, as usual,  and everyone got up in a hurry, ready for a new day.

Ferry hurried past Matilda and Sage, who were also coming out, trying to get out of there as quickly as possible.

But Sage's loud voice made him stop, "Hey, Garrett, good luck with today's training!" 

Ferry nodded, trying to keep going. But Sage cut his way. "Oh, and here's some arnica stalk," he said, placing a thin plant in his palm. "I've heard it works wonders for love bites," he added, smirking and tapping him lightly on the shoulder. Then he left the room whistling.

Ferry could hardly breathe, his fists clenched. If he could, he would punch Sage in the face, throw him to the ground, and walk all over his body to the exit with the heaviest step.

He looked up and met Matilda's puzzled gaze. Then, her gaze turned icy and her chin tightened. He watched her as she left the room in a hurry; he could've sworn he could hear his own heart breaking, knowing all too well that he had broken hers.

If you liked this chapter, please vote and comment. I would really like to know what you think of this book so far. This story is coming closer to its breaking point and I can't wait for it. Thank you for being here all the way through. Love lots!