At some point during the night, Leila brought Kat some water and a loaf of bread. She drank, but she couldn't hold anything down, so she refused the food. She didn't even bother to ask where the girl had found it. It didn't matter. Nothing did anymore.

As she lay on the sand, hugging her knees to her chest, her empty gaze sailing across the seas, Kat cried. For the cruelty of fate, the emptiness inside her chest, and the love she'd lost.

Even if she refused to believe that Cage would abandon her, as the hours ticked by and the seas stayed calm, her traitorous mind started to wonder, aided by the whispering voices in her head.

Was she really that special to him? He'd claimed he'd never loved anyone before her, but could it be true? Was she only convenient because she was there when he was forced into isolation? Afterward, when he could finally reclaim his life, was it the magic holding them together?

She knew she loved him with everything she was. That didn't mean he felt the same. He must not have, or she wouldn't be here with only Leila for company. If it were her, she would have never given up on him, no matter what. She'd be fighting to find him.

For a few blessed hours or days, she'd thought he might be doing the same. But the sea was clear and he had magic. There was nothing holding him away from her except his own desires.

Leila, who sat next to her from time to time, mumbled about Cage's betrayal, how she'd loved them together and how, in the end, he didn't deserve her. Because he was weak, and a coward, and ran in the face of her greatness.

Kat ignored her. There was nothing great about her. Even if she was the heir of Endir, it was through no merit of her own. It didn't mean she had any clue about what it meant to rule outside what Cage had mentioned while denying his own heritage. How ironic that it had to be them. The heirs of warring kingdoms. Two people who wanted nothing to do with it. Two people who were in love. Or at least she had been.

"Kat, you can't just lay there," Leila said after what felt like at least a couple of days.

"You're not bound to me," she mumbled. "You may go as you please."

"I'm not sure you're aware of who you are."

"I'm a peasant girl from a small town in Iride. It doesn't matter who my parents were."

"It matters more than you know," Leila snapped. "Do you have any idea what the people of Endir have been going through over the past thirty years?"

No, and she didn't care.

"You think Iride has had it rough ever since Fherras closed the borders. What they failed to teach you is that Endir was dependent on trade with Iride to survive. We do not grow crops. We specialize in stone and steel. Food is scarce."

She truly hadn't known that because, of course, they never learned things about Endir. The place was almost as taboo as magic. But it made no difference.

"Yes, and how would I change any of that?"

Leila clicked her tongue, obviously out of patience. "The Steward hasn't been much better than Fherras at handling the people. Since his military was destroyed, he needed money to form a new army. And since trade was cut, he found more lucrative ways. Like selling young girls as slaves."

Kat shuddered, remembering Jinx's story as well. She'd mentioned young ladies being sold off to powerful men. What she hadn't mentioned was what those powerful men would end up doing with them to keep their fortunes.

"So you see, Kat, we need a leader who would stop the abuse against the people and want the kingdom to grow. Not starve for military ambitions and the desires of fat, old men."

Kat only hugged herself tighter, Leila's words washing over her. How could she do any of that when she was broken?

It's your destiny.

No, it wasn't. Just like burning down the world was not either. Her mother had made the choice for her the moment she'd decided to cross the border and marry her father. Maybe it was the lack of magic in Iride that had ultimately killed her.

Leila gave up on trying to convince her, and Kat sank back into her state of mental disarray. When she became aware again, and her thoughts stopped torturing her, it was night, and a full moon shone over the sea.

You need to face your destiny.

"Go away," she mumbled.

You were born for more.

"I said, go away!" She stood up, her fists clenched.

As she did, white sparks exploded before her eyes and nausea caught hold of her. It had been so long without food and water that the failure of her body was to be expected. What she hadn't expected was to not be alone.

A woman sat next to her on the sand, fixing her with dazzling blue eyes. Her hair was silver-blond and very long, and she wore a dress which seemed to be made out of seafoam. Kat blinked and stared some more. For some reason, she looked familiar, like a half-forgotten dream or memory.

"Hello, my child," she said.

Her voice was musical, like the song of exotic birds, and there was something about her ageless appearance that struck a chord.

Kat jumped. The woman's appearance reminded her of Cecile. "You're a fairy."

She nodded. "That I am."

"Are you here to curse me? Too late, I'm already cursed."

The fairy smiled and placed her hand on top of Kat's. She flinched but didn't have the strength to pull away.

"You are not cursed. Outside magic never touched you."

Kat's eyes filled with tears when she didn't think she had any left to cry. The words, even if spoken kindly, made everything feel even worse. Unlike for everyone else who'd had magic thrust upon them, hers was her own fault.

"Oh, my darling," the fairy said, "there is no need to be sad."

"I am sad," she said with a sniff. "I've lost everything."

"That is not true. You've gained everything. Your destiny. Your family."

Kat frowned. "My family?"

"You are my granddaughter, and I have been searching for you for years."

A gasp turned into a cough as Kat tried to wrap her mind around those words. "Wait, how...?"

The fairy smiled. "I am Lucille. I fell in love with Arcturus, also known as the Witch King of Endir. Together, we had your mother. We lost her in the war, but now, I have finally found you."

Kat wanted to scurry away, to hide beneath the sand, but she no longer had any energy left. To feel disappointment, to feel more hatred and betrayal. There was nothing left of her to break anymore. The fact that the first and most dangerous fae happened to be her grandmother was only natural.

Maybe she was lying, but did it really matter in the end? She was not torturing Kat with magic or making her do anything. At least not yet.

"So I really am the heir of Endir?" she asked instead.

Lucille nodded, the warm smile still on her face. "You are so beautiful, my dear."

Kat huffed. "Why does it matter?"

"You're right, it doesn't. Your heart is all that matters."

"My heart is broken."

A dark shadow passed over Lucille's face, but only for a moment before she let out a long breath.

"Broken by a human so undeserving of you."

Was Cage undeserving of her? After so many days spent on that beach, it was obvious that he wasn't coming for her. And if he wasn't, it meant that all his promises were nothing but lies. Other things were more important to him than her. She should accept that. Embrace it. But she couldn't. Not after everything. Not after she'd cracked her own spirit to spare them all and all she'd received in return was loneliness.

"You need to let it out, my dear," Lucille said.

Maybe it was magic or an ability the fae had to compel people. Maybe it was her broken soul having enough, but all her feelings of doubt and betrayal rushed to the surface, piercing her skin from the inside in an avalanche of pure rage. For a moment, she tried to contain it, but the feelings tore through her more effectively than any magic ever had.

The pain drove her to the edge, and even as she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists she wondered why. What was the point of holding it in like that? What was the point of holding Cage up on his pedestal when he wasn't there to prove he deserved it? She yelled out into the night, letting it out.

The moment she did, the pain inside her dimmed and the tears escaping down her cheeks felt cleansing. But screaming wasn't enough. She had to say the words, let them out into the open and finally accept everything she'd tried so hard to deny.

"He promised me so much! He took everything from me! He took my virtue, and I believed him. His words, his lies, his kisses..."

Lucille stayed silent, letting her shout her rage to the sea. By the time her throat was raw and she was done cursing and bemoaning her fate, she felt lighter and heavier at the same time. It hurt letting go of what she thought would be her happiness.

"He really isn't coming back, is he?" she asked.

Lucille shook her head. "No. Cecile has him doing her bidding. He's nothing but a pawn in her game and has never been more."

"What does Cecile want?"

"To destroy you. Me. Endir."

"Will she use Cage against me?"

"Most likely. That's how she likes to play."

Kat focused on Lucille now, but there was nothing in her expression but sorrow. "You are a fae."

With a heavy sigh, Lucille shook her head again. "Fairies, faes, what's the difference? It's a title the likes of Cecile prefer to use to separate those they don't see as worthy. But think about it. I'm here comforting my granddaughter. She's the one who cursed you, Cage, Jazz, and started this game that ended in disaster."

"How do you...?"

But the question died on her lips. Lucille was a fairy. Of course she knew what had happened. And she made a very good point. Until now, Cecile was the only one who'd proven capable of cursing and throwing magic left and right without fully understanding what it did.

"Endir needs you, Kat," Lucille said. "You are the only one who can save it from destruction. I know you were raised in Iride, poisoned against your own land. But give it a chance, and you will see a kingdom filled with wonderful people in need of guidance. They will receive you with open arms."

The thought warmed her aching limbs, but it didn't mean she could. "I don't know how to rule."

"If you manage this, if you seize your destiny, I will show you how. But for that, you must make peace with yourself and embrace your heritage."

That sounded remarkably like Leila, who was now nowhere to be found. But it wasn't that easy.

"What are those voices in my head?"

"That is the magic in your blood speaking to you. It shouts for what it needs, but you can mold it into what you need it to be."

Her magic. There all along, driving her insane, controlling her. "I... I don't know if I can do this."

As if sensing her weakness, Lucille quirked an eyebrow. "Do you have anything more worthy to do?"

She didn't. But ruling the kingdom she'd feared her entire life didn't seem like the most obvious activity to fill her time.

"Take Leila with you and travel to Corosa. If by the time you reach the Silver Palace you will not want to rule, I will respect your choice. Can you do that for your grandmother?"

Kat couldn't believe that she had a grandmother. Fleeting images of her father, of her friends shifted through her memory, but they were muted by the present, by the pain and the path laid out in front of her.

A part of her still doubted that any of this story was true. But her chest was empty, Cage was gone, and this quest left her with purpose and a choice. So it was better than wallowing on that beach until she died of starvation.

"Promise me that you will respect my choice if I want to walk away."

Lucille smiled and put her hand in Kat's cheek. Her skin was cold as ice and made Kat shudder.

"Of course, my dear."

And she dissolved in front of Kat like the foam of a wave making its way back into the sea.

✨️✨️✨️

Kat spent another few hours watching the sea and mulling over Lucille's words. She didn't feel like she could stand from that beach, let alone lead a country. But on the other hand, she really had nothing else to do except weep and curse the fate which had broken her.

So, finally, she stood. Her entire body was weak from lack of food and water, but she knew it would be, so she wobbled over to Leila, who stood as well the moment she saw her approaching.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

Kat shook her head. "Not necessarily. But I can't stay here forever. Thank you so much for not abandoning me."

"I couldn't. You are my queen."

The words had Kat flinching, but there was no point arguing with Leila about it. Technically, should Kat decide to take Lucille up on her offer, Leila was right.

"I am your friend," she said instead.

"And I appreciate it more than you could know." Leila extended her arm and handed Kat a beagle.

"Where did you get this?" she asked before biting out of it. It was still soft and felt heavenly after so long without food.

"Oh, there's a small village right behind that clump of trees."

The information had Kat tensing. They'd been so close to an Endirian village--

Stop, these are your people. She couldn't think about them as dangerous or foreign.

"Should we... Um, should we go there?"

"I think so," Leila said. "But where do you want to go afterward?"

The question was loaded, and Kat narrowed her eyes. "You want me to say Corosa, don't you?"

Leila's eyes filled with enthusiasm as she nodded. "Yes. I would very much love it if you reclaimed your throne. I meant everything I said, Kat. You are a lovely person, brave, caring, intelligent. And after you see how much distress there is in Endir, I think you will realize how much we need you."

Kat decided there was no point arguing any further, so she indicated to Leila that she should lead the way. The two of them trekked through the sand and between the old, gnarly trees and found themselves in a valley. Old, rickety houses clumped together around a tiny square.

As she followed Leila in that direction, Kat's heart tightened with both fear and pity. To say the place looked impoverished was putting it mildly. On the very outskirts of the village, she could spot a few fields, barely growing any wheat. The contrast was jarring as she remembered Iride's plentiful crops.

Once they entered the town, however, fear took over. There were people there, throwing them openly suspicious glances, and she found herself yearning for her veil. Leila seemed to have no issue with it as she strode towards the square, her shoulders squared and her chin held high. Mutters followed them, but Kat was too nervous to pick up the words.

"Princesa perdta," a woman said loud enough to gain the approving muttering of the crowd.

Kat frowned since she didn't recognize the words.

"Yes," Leila said in Endirian, then turned to Kat. "They're saying you are the lost princess."

"What? How could they know that?"

"I've told you, magic leaves a trace we Endirians know how to recognize. Your appearance also speaks of your heritage."

"She speaks Iridian," another woman said, sounding disappointed.

"I'm sorry," Kat said, switching to Endirian. "I was raised in Iride."

The mood of the crowd lightened considerably once she spoke their language. Am avalanche of words followed from different directions, some of which she couldn't understand. But she got the general idea. They were all inviting her to their humble homes for food and lodgings.

"Thank you, but we couldn't impose," she said.

"Kat, we need food and new clothes. We also need horses," Leila pointed out.

"They barely have enough for themselves. I could never take any of that."

Her life back in Iride had been plentiful compared to what the people of Endir had. Even when she'd been on the brink of starvation. There was food in her town. She just didn't have money for it. Here, there seemed to be nothing to eat in the first place.

"She is so kind!"

"She will be a great ruler!"

"Are you going to dethrone the Steward?"

Kat had no idea what to say to that. She was just overwhelmed by the warmth and kindness of starving people. So she promised them what she could. That she would be going to Corosa to set things straight.

✨️✨️✨️

With her belly full, a new dress, and a horse under her, Kat followed Leila out of the tiny village and further into Endir. On the way, she asked Leila to only speak Endirian and teach her as many of the words she would need to know if she decided to take over the country. Learning came very easy, but she supposed it was in her blood now.

Along the way, they encountered rocky wasteland with very few crops. After a while, it was mines and mining towns filled with rough, no-nonsense people.

But all the villages and towns they passed had one thing in common. Generous and warm people who sacrificed the little they had to give her and Leila food and lodging. They told folk tales and sang haunting songs that nestled themselves in Kat's heart.

Endir was poor and arid, but it was nothing like the scholars of Iride painted it to be. There were no demons walking amuck, no thieves ready to attack behind every bend in the road even if there were barely any riches to go around, no heartless slave merchants. Kat had expected every town to be like Yarik, but even there, she remembered that it was the Iridian knights causing trouble, not Endirians.

"What happened to this country?" she asked as they approached Corosa.

Leila shook her head. "Lucille blessed this land with magic. And it was plentiful. She fell in love with our king. But the other fairies did not approve. They used Iride and its king to wage war on Endir. They gave magic to humans in unnatural ways, increasing their strength and stamina. They raised Endir to the ground."

"That's not what we were taught," Kat said.

It had been quite the opposite. That Endir had attacked Iride for its rich resources and that the Witch King consumed magic from unwilling fairies to enhance his capabilities.

"Of course you would be taught the opposite. How else would you stand behind your king? But the truth is that the war broke Endir. You can see it for yourself. Heartbroken after losing her king and daughter, Lucille fled this land and took her magic with her. Iride closed its borders. The Steward hoarded the remaining resources for himself and his posee. We were left to starve."

"This is horrid." And all because of a broken heart. Kat could understand that too well. "Who is this Steward?"

"He is the heir of the first noble house. The generals who have failed our kingdom in the war."

"Then how is he allowed to rule?"

Leila let out a bitter laugh. "You're so innocent sometimes. He has the army."

Leila's affirmation reminded Kat of Cage and her heart heaved. As they'd traveled, she'd done her best to occupy her mind with all the new information and her new kingdom and not dwell on him. It became nearly impossible once she lay down to sleep. But she forced him out of her thoughts as much as possible and focused on the task at hand. It didn't mean she didn't long for him and miss him so much that sometimes she felt as if she were slowly dying.

"If he has the army, how will I overthrow him?"

Leila grinned. "Kat, you have the element of surprise. And you have magic."

Yes, she had magic. A magic she'd decided to accept and let loose every time it demanded. It translated into snowflakes floating into the sun and chilling drinks. Making it snow just enough for children to make snowballs and entertain themselves. Letting it out little by little satisfied the voices. The whispered thanks and words of love to her. It still felt unnatural, but she let everything slide past her.

After all, here, everyone loved to witness her magic, and given their hospitality and generosity, she couldn't deny them this.

Yes, she had magic, and the Steward did not. All she had to do was come face to face with him.

✨️✨️✨️

Corosa was unlike anything Kat could have imagined. Used to the starving villages and large stretches of wilderness, she was shocked to find herself at the golden gates of an imposing city.

The blood boiled in her veins, and her magic flared at the thought that there was so much opulence here when the rest of the kingdom was in need. Her first impulse was to tear down the gates and give pieces of them to the people, but she then realized that wouldn't do any good. There was no food for them to buy with the gold.

As they entered the city and navigated the cobblestone streets, she kept wondering how to fix all this. Even if the buildings were larger and well-maintained, the streets were still filled with people dressed in rags, most of them beginning for a scrap of food.

What could she do differently even if she were to replace the Steward?

One answer was crystal clear. Demand that Iride traded with them again. She'd like to see Cage refuse this. Refuse her. He would have to face his uncle and knock some sense into him. Stop escaping his fate and who he really was. Just like her.

The capital was not immune to her charms. It appeared that gossip traveled faster than their horses because news of her arrival had people gathering in the streets just to get a look at her. Kat waved and smiled, already charmed by the warmth of Endirians. Iride had lied to her. These people were not tense and frightened all the time. Even without food and riches, they seemed much happier.

Corosa was a bit different. There was a tension in the shoulders of the people which she hadn't noticed before. And this could only mean one thing. The Steward was a poor ruler.

You can be better. You will be better, the magic whispered to her.

After two weeks of travel and getting to know Endir, she believed that too. It was hard for things to get worse with the people, her people on the brink of starvation. She wouldn't allow this.

It was inevitable for the commotion of her arrival not to draw attention, so fairly soon, Kat caught her first glimpse of Endir's military. The guards sported dark grey armor with a blue and silver crest, and they looked much better fed than the poor souls around them.

"What is this commotion?" the commander of the patrol demanded.

Before Kat could answer, Leila spurred her horse to block her path and stood tall. "Haven't you heard the news, commander? The rightful heir has returned to take her throne."

The man's hesitance indicated that he had heard the rumors but had chosen not to believed them. To ease his confusion, Kat raised her hand and made snowflakes dance among the crowd. The people cheered, reaching out to touch the magic.

The little color seemed to drain out of the man's face as he watched her demonstration. Whatever power the Steward had, it wasn't magic. To Kat's satisfaction, he took in the reaction of the crowd and seemed to realize what would follow and where his loyalties should lie.

"Kindly take us to the Steward," Leila said, nodding towards the castle in the distance.

Surrounded as she was by people, Kat hadn't even noticed it. It was a lot smaller than the Grand Palace in Valona, with only two stories and one tower. The silver walls shone into the late afternoon sun, making it look like a giant mirror. It had a homely feel to it, though, one that seemed to match the warmth of the people. The lack of opulence pleased her.

The knight nodded and indicated that they should join him. Kat and Leila directed the horses to fall into step with the man's and headed towards the castle, the rest of the guards in toe. The cheers of the crowd continued behind them.

"The people seem to love you, Milady," the guard noticed.

"Endir has a warm and generous people," Kat said. "They do not deserve to live in fear and poverty."

The guard nodded, and she could even hear muttered approval by some of the ones following them.

"What is your name, Commander?"

"Keith Stranton, Milady."

"Tell me, Keith. Will the Steward cause trouble?"

The man faltered, obviously torn between loyalty to the man who'd ruled so far and the woman who might rule next.

"Not if we are on your side, Milady."

"And are you on my side?"

Keith hesitated again, glancing over his shoulder at the crowd that was cheering them on. "I haven't heard cheers in a very long time, Milady. Endir might need a tender hand rather than an iron fist."

Kat nodded. "Agreed." She liked the harmony, the lack of resistance. Maybe Lucille had been right. Maybe she could do this.

✨️✨️✨️

A lot has happened in this chapter. Accepting her fate has Kat moving. And it appears Endir is not the evil cesspool Iridie thinks it is. Was that surprising? And look at Kat accepting herself and her fate and gaining some confidence in what she has to do. I'm sure Leila and the voices had nothing to do with that, lol.

Just one chapter left. Fair warning, it's going to be huge!

Thanks so much for sticking with me and the story, even if it had a rocky start and it took a while for it to fall into some sort of logical pattern.