The Prince: Back Again
The fire had gone out and Teagan’s body fell from its sitting position to a slump on the floor. Sir Drummond smudged the chalk lines and started to pick the stubs of candles off of the stands. Aidan stood in the corner looking out the window.
“Don’t bother looking for her. She can’t follow you and she’s not coming back,” Sir Drummond said, annoyed. “Stop being such a child.”
“I am a child,” Aidan said just as annoyed. He walked over to the candle stand on the opposite side of the circle and kicked it over. It fell with a loud crash and the candle popped of the stand and rolled across the room. “Everything I’ve learned was from Death, herself.”
“Do not disrespect the Forces. They know more than you ever will.”
“Quite,” Aidan said and walked out of the conservatory.
“Child don’t cry,” a woman clad in white came out of the shadows and put her arm around Teagan. “Goddess Fate has seen your future and she insists that you see her right away.”
Teagan wiped her tears away with her hand and stood up. The light had moved from behind her to in front and illuminated a long straight tunnel leading to a door.
“I am Death,” the woman said before Teagan had a chance to inquire. “I was sent here on an errand to bring you back. My sister, Fate, has much in store for you, but she would not tell us what it was she wanted. She only promised that while you have to stay here, there was a way for you to go back.”
Teagan grabbed the woman’s outstretched hand and followed her glowing white figure out of the darkness in into a cavernous room. The walls were lined with tapestries of kings and famous battles. The table in the center of the room was carved from ivory and had the thousands of names of heroes from every race carved into the legs and edge. Cloaked figures of various colors were seated at the table, some with their hoods down to reveal beautiful faces, some remaining anonymous with their hoods covering their features.
At the head of the table in a large gold throne sat a golden skinned woman, who Teagan presumed to be Goddess Fate. She had her gold hair pulled back by flowers and she sat with her hood down at her neck. She looked at Teagan with pupil-less gold eyes and nodded for Teagan to take the seat across from her at the table. Death pulled the chair out for Teagan before walking to her own place beside two brightly colored figures with their hoods up.
“Now that our final guest is here, I will do the honor of revealing what plans we have in store. It’s imperative for the future that Teagan is still alive. With careful consideration of our rules, I have come to the conclusion that we need to reanimate her body.”
The crowd stayed silent, but a red hooded figure stood up and looked at Goddess Fate. “Should we tamper with the mortals again? They must be going through a lot to fathom the possibilities of trading the dead and then reanimating the bodies. Imagine how history will be different when the Children realize that all their heroes and lovers who have died can be brought back just by killing their brother or enemy. This power cannot be revealed. And if we animate her body? The Children will get the impression that as long as they keep the body, their loved ones can come back to them and live with them forever more.”
“Your concern is one we must consider, but these actions should not lead to undesirable ends like you fear. We will animate her ourselves without the mortals knowing. Then she will complete the tasks set before her like Prince Aidan will complete his fate. And then both of them will die like their fates were written. We have no time,” Goddess Fate said waving her hand to cut off another protest, “we have to do this now, or it will be too late. Forgive me, my brothers and sisters, but we cannot debate this.” At once, she was next to Teagan and lifting her up from her chair. “All you have to do is sleep,” she said while leading Teagan out of the room and down the hall to a green-lit chamber. “We will do the rest.”
Teagan shook her head to rid herself of the splitting headache. Her eyes were blurring everything and the only things she could make out on her surroundings were the large rosy windows. The floor was clean, but slippery and the light in the room was increasing. She propped herself up on one elbow and groaned from the pain in her head. The room was starting to focus, but she couldn’t look at the light for the pain. But as the room got brighter, her head started to clear. Finally, she sat up and examined her “animated” body. Her skin was a slight silver hue that shimmered in the light. The Forces had also changed her clothes: her dreadful dress was replaced by a page’s outfit with pants and her shoes were missing. Her hair had also been extended to long tresses reaching her shoulder blades. She stood up and leaned over the plants to look at the glass as a mirror. The only features that had visibly changed were her eyes. They were still hazel, but the gold flecks had disappeared. It was hard to tell in the crude mirror, but she guessed that her eyes were cloudier than they had been when she was fully alive. She sighed and started towards the door.
The hall way was silent again, but the ocean of silence had dissipated and she heard the hall clock was ticking with familiar rhythm. She could hear Sinead in the kitchen making breakfast, but there was no other sound in the house of anyone stirring. The library door was open and Teagan glanced in. Aidan was sitting with his back to her reading a book. He remained engrossed in the text even when she walked in and sat down across from him at the table. After some time, he closed the book and looked at her annoyed for interrupting. His expression melted into pure surprise and he leapt up from his chair and ran over to her.
“Teagan? What in the hells happened? I thought you were dead. What did They do to you?”
Teagan put her finger to her lips to silence him and stood up. “Goddess Fate said it was not my time to die, so they reanimated my body.”
“I’m glad you’re back,” he said smiling, “even though you really aren’t,” he added sadly. He walked back to his seat at the table and opened the book. “It’s amazing the books you have here,” he said cheerfully. “I could read these stories for hours.”
“Aidan,” Teagan said closing the library door. He looked up at her expectantly, realizing how serious she was that she had said his name for the first time. “We have to talk about this. Lady Fate said that I had a purpose to fulfill alive. She gave me the impression that I was supposed to help you, but I don’t know how. Besides, everyone believes that I’m dead, so if someone found me like this and talking…”
Aidan put his book down again and turned to face her. “What’s on your mind?”
“I think maybe it would be best if I just stay out of the picture. I’ll help you rule in whatever ways I can, but perhaps it would be best if no one else knows of my existence.”
Aidan nodded. “An admirable plan, but don’t you think your parents should know?”
Teagan shook her head. “I’m only here to continue my fate, nothing more.”
“Then you’d better get ready for a journey. The rest of the household has either left or gone to sleep just a few hours ago. They won’t wake up as long as you’re careful. Then go to the coach house, I’ll have a carriage ready for you.”
Teagan ran off to pack her things, grabbing only enough clothes to last her a week. She realized he had not known she was a servant, because the travel through the maids was proving difficult. The girls were almost awake and those that were still asleep were sleeping lightly. She tiptoed through the line of maids and just managed to get to the door when someone grabbed her by the shoulder.
“Teagan? What’s wrong? You look sick,” Talia said fearfully. She held her friend by the shoulders and looked her up and down. “Where are you going?”
“I’m not supposed to be here,” Teagan said giving Talia a hug, “I’ve got to leave.”
“What happened?” Talia asked starting to cry.
“You’ll find out later today.”
“Don’t go,” Talia said feebly pulling Teagan’s arm towards her.
“Talk to Prince Aidan,” she said finally and pulling herself away went up the stairs. Talia didn’t follow, but went back to bed repeating her friend’s words over in her head to try and make sense to them.
Teagan managed to sneak a bit of food from the kitchen by sneaking into the pantry when Sinead wasn’t looking. Just as simply, she snuck out the servants’ door in the kitchen and ran to the coach house. The morning was frosty and glittering in the slowly rising sun. The frost was starting to melt and her footprints left wet puddles of grass where she stepped in her bare feet. Breathless, she peered into the coach house.
“Good morning, ladyship,” a short fae man came out from behind the large brown horses and bowed. He was wearing all green except for a conspicuous red hat, which he took off in her presence. “The lad said you’d be going to Wintershire Cove. Is this correct?”
She nodded. “Would you like any pay for this inconvenience?”
“Already got it,” the man said holding up a gold coin. “Besides, the Prince commanded it. He mentioned you were the one to get him out. I don’t need any other money besides for the tolls.”
She nodded as he continued talking about the bloody roads and blasted laws the fairy folk had set up. She looked back at manor and sighed. She was leaving home for good, now. She glanced through the library window as they passed and caught a glimpse through the sun reflecting off the glass of Aidan waving to her out the window. She waved back and faced forward again. I hope this is what Lady Fate means when I have to complete the tasks set before me, she thought. Because if this isn’t, it’s a pretty horrible beginning to these turn of events.
