Page 1 of Kingdom of Betrayal and Unknown

CHAPTER 1

Long, pointy ears.

That is the first thing my eyes fall on as I look out the window of my home. The next thing I see is how tall the Fae men and women are as they work on constructing the new building for the prince. I will never get tired of watching them work, talk to each other, and just live their lives. To see how strong they are and how efficiently they work together, like they are one unit.

Fae are fascinating beings. Having lived here way before humans needed refuge. Watching them live differently from us but still thrive under the king’s rule.

Any human who walks by is at least two or three feet shorter than the Fae creatures. Standing at a minimum of eight feet, they tower over us.

A little part of me is afraid every time I pass them, but I know they don’t have their magic to harm us. Although just because the witch took away their magic doesn’t mean she took away their strength. That doesn’t mean they couldn’t grab one of us and snap our necks.

Sighing, I watch as several grab heavy bags, hauling them over their shoulder and start walking toward the construction site. I haven’t heard what they are building, but whatever it is, it’s going to be big with the foundation they have laid.

Hundreds of years ago, Fae and humans used to live as one in the world, with the Fae king ruling both kinds. I’ve heard several stories of it being peaceful, but I’ve heard even more stories of them having humans as slaves. That the Fae king was getting too powerful and wanted to enslave humans even more than they already were.

No one but the king, his family, and the witch knows the true story.

“Adeline?” my mother calls.

Turning around, I look at my mom. She’s pregnant, and it was quite the surprise when my mom started showing. Apparently, it was a shock for my parents as well. My sister is thirty-five and I am twenty-five.

I could be the baby’s mother.

I shiver at the thought. Being a mother right now is not something I want. Thankfully, it’s my mother and not me, but part of me thinks I’ll be helping out a lot with the baby and being a second mother to them.

I was weirded out when my mother told me she was pregnant, not knowing what to do with the information. She hadn’t planned to get pregnant, but she is and she is going to have the baby.

“Yes?” I reply, taking a step away from the window.

“Have you finished all the chores?”

I nod. “Yes, I have. Can I go on a walk now?”

Even though I am an adult, I’m not married, which means I have to live with my parents. It is one of the laws of our land, a dumb one at that. But I also ask because I am taking on more responsibility around the house, trying to prepare for the birth of my little sister or brother.

I know with hard work we will be able to get everything done, but sometimes I wonder if we will ever be ready. I still need to go to the next town over to grab supplies for my mother, which is a full day’s trip.

It isn’t going to be easy when my mother has the baby. She won’t be able to work much for the first couple of weeks, so everything is going land onto me. It is going to be rough, but we’re going to make it work. We have to.

As if my mom knows I need to get some fresh air, she sighs. “Don’t be long. There are other things to do around the house.”

I step closer to my mom, kissing her cheek before turning to the front door. “Thank you! I’ll be back soon!”

If I had it my way, I would be outside all the time, walking in the forest and breathing in the fresh air. But sadly, I can’t do that. I want to soak up as much time as I can outside before the baby arrives.

When I step outside, I close my eyes and take a deep breath, savoring the heat of the sun and cool breeze against my skin. Winter is coming faster than I want it to. Another thing we needed to prepare for. With a huff, I open my eyes and start walking down the cobblestone road and into town.

As I walk slowly, the sun warms up my body. Chatter fills the road as people go in and out of shops, getting what they need. Even though life is rough, a lot of people have smiles on their faces as they see friends walking by.

The town is small with a cobblestone road running through the middle that leads to the castle but also the other towns on this realm. The well is placed in the center of the town, near the construction of the prince’s building so it can be monitored by the guards who are also looking after the Fae. Houses are lined up in rows on one side, leaving the construction on the other side of the cobblestone road where the forest is and where the Fae live.

I look to my left where all the Fae men and women are slowly working. With each passing year, this side of the road changes. I don’t know how to describe it, but things on this land are changing. Almost declining, as if the Fae magic is what has kept it thriving and vibrant all these years.

Shaking my head, I look away. I don’t need to feel sorry for them. If the stories are true, they were vicious and mean creatures, wanting to make life hell for humans. But I can’t help but wonder if that is all true. I have never seen any of them be vicious toward humans, yet again, they don’t have their powers any longer.

We are safer with them like this, and it brings me some sort of comfort knowing that. Even though they could still easily kill us if they wanted to.

“Get back to work!” a guard yells at a group of Fae men.