“I am sorry,” I told her honestly.
She wiped the tears off her cheeks, grinning. “It felt so real. If I hadn’t known you had the power I’d have thought it was me. Don’t ever apologize for such things. This is how you will save us all. Let’s work more with this power since your swordsmanship is hopeless.”
I scoffed. She just called me hopeless like it was nothing and yet, I still wanted to please her. I looked up to her, in a way. She didn’t treat me like a delicate, breakable flower. Like my parents did.
“Okay,” I said hesitantly.
Falana, our household secretary, entered the training room holding her clipboard and cleared her throat. She wore her bright red hair in its signature bun and waited until I stepped over to her before she began speaking in low tones. “We have an issue at the southern border that King Leonard wants you to look into. You will be gone a few hours.”
I peered back at Queen Liliana, who dismissed me with her hand. “We will pick up cartography mapping after dinner.”
I groaned. As much as I loved books and learning of all kinds, the preparation I was currently undergoing was relentless. I awoke to weight training, then after breakfast I had the history of Ethereum, then potions, then lunch, and after that it was four more classes before bed. I was exhausted every night and my friends had all but given up on expecting me to hang out.
Following Falana, I stepped out into the hallway and grabbed a clean towel from one of the maids. Wiping my face, I smoothed my palms over my slacks. “What issue are we talking about?” I asked Falana now that we were alone.
The courts in Faerie were historically matriarchal, but my mother, Queen Beatrice, was never interested in the day-to-day ruling. Everyone knew that my father, even though he was only a consort, was the true ruler of the Fall Court. I was still training to take over from him and I couldn’t shirk those duties, no matter how important training to go to Ethereum was.
The past couple months had tested every ounce of my stamina but I was happy to report, I’d had no episodes. Maybe I could have lived my whole life like this. My mother had wrapped me up in metaphorical eggshells my entire life and now that I was living a “normal” existence, I kind of liked it.
“Well, it’s unclear, my lady. A farmer has sent word of a well going bad,” she said, peering down the hall to make sure we were not being overheard.
I stopped walking. “The Fall princess is traveling to the southern border and eating dinner on the road to check out a dry well?”
I wasn’t normally snobbish, but this was beneath me. Was Father mad at me? Why else would he send me on this errand?
Falana stepped closer, lowering her voice. “The farmer says the water he pulls up is blacker than a raven’s feather. Your father wants it confirmed by you personally. You’re the only one he trusts.”
I gasped. Black water. The curse.No.We had two more weeks. It had started already in Fall?
My heart ramped up its beating and dizziness washed over me as I stumbled backward a little.
“My lady!” Falana reached out and grasped my arm, but it was too late. Blackness danced at the edge of my vision and then I lost consciousness.
* * *
I came to in the back of a carriage. Falana was fanning me with her sandalwood fan, my favorite scent wafting over me. As a child I almost welcomed the fainting episodes because Falana was always there to bring me out of it. The scent of sandalwood became my favorite as I associated it with healing.
“How long was I out?” I asked, sitting up slowly.
I’d clearly thought too soon about not having had an episode, and I immediately felt shame that I’d just experienced one. I’d been beginning to think I was healed or had grown too strong for them to affect me like this. It was so disappointing to find out that I’d been wrong.
“About ten minutes,” Falana said. “I had Donte discreetly put you in the carriage. We just left the palace gates. I didn’t want to waste time and I hoped you would wake quickly.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
I eyed the fan, wondering if she knew how much I loved it and cherished her mothering all these years. My family didn’t believe in nannies raising children, like the other rulers. My mother had been the one to put me to bed, wake me up, kiss my boo-boos. But Falana was like a nanny in a way. My mother couldn’t handle seeing me in distress so Falana always stepped in during my episodes.
“Did anyone see?” I asked her.
“No, my lady.”
We were quiet the rest of the ride to the southern border where the farms lay along our land. I opened the curtain and gazed at the beautiful orange and yellow trees, smiling when a gust of wind would come and knock the leaves off them and then drag them down the road.Then magically, more leaves would grow back in their place within seconds.
Eternal fall.
It was the best season in my humble opinion, but every princess thought that about their court. Burned leaves, crisp cool air, pumpkin hand pies, nutmeg cream, cinnamon scones, fire crackling in the fireplace. Nothing beat fall.
When we finally reached the farm in question, my stomach growled in protest for dinner. Falana had packed some muffins and dried meat, but I’d have to eat it on the way back because the farmer was running for the carriage with wide eyes.
