The Letter

Once upon a time, my heart was broken.

Twisted. Crushed.

He destroyed everything that I had loved. He removed every last drop of hope that remained before his cruel words faded, and all that remained were memories of his touch.

That was years ago. Now I was stronger. Braver. Refusing to let his words pierce my heart. Not again.

After he left, I wandered these stone halls alone, night after bloody night. I cried myself to sleep once the servants left me alone in my chambers, but during the day, I put on a brave face and pretended that my world wasn’t crashing down around me.

I knew I wasn’t fooling anyone with my faux smiles and frivolous conversations. They all knew and waited in the wings for me to grow stronger. I have ruled this land alone, without a mate, unwilling to let another near my heart lest it shatters in the ruins of another disastrous relationship.

That was until I read the letter.

I could not believe my eyes. My insides were on fire. Anger. Rage. Revenge would be my new friend. What cruel plot had my father devised? Why was I the pawn to be ruined?

My hands were shaking, and I could barely think straight, let alone cobble together cohesive thoughts. I was desperate to crawl out of my skin, needing to become someone else. I didn’t want this life, of

ruler, Queen of the Fae, Daughter of the Seele, not without him by my side.

I needed to find him. NOW! Not tomorrow. Not the next day. Today.

As I rushed down the halls, heading to the barracks, I stopped and took a breath. What was I doing? Was he still alive? In love with another woman? Would he come back to me? Would losing him again destroy me?

Sliding down the wall, I sat there, thinking of all my options. My father, the bastard, sent my mate away because he feared the power inside of him. He forced him to leave, but as part of the bargain, he was to break my heart so I would not chase after him. If I had, my father would have killed both of us.

“Ifan. Ifan. What should I do?” Closing my eyes, I searched for his soul. Steading my heartbeat, I felt his emotions fill me with awe. He was standing alone, watching over the vast landscape, searching for someone. I feared he had found another when I sensed a small child take his hand. He mumbled, “It’s just the two of us now, Elsie. We will be all right.”

Pushing my thoughts to him, I projected, “Ifan, he’s dead. I am free.”

He searched around for me, asking, “Why now, Lizbet? Why now?”

“I found the letter in his desk drawer. Come home, Ifan. Come home.”

Without warning, he shut me out.

I was pissed. How dare he? I was being vulnerable, opening up to him, and he just shut me out. What the bloody hell was going on?

Standing up, I brushed myself off and raced to the stables, saddled my favorite mare, and raced her out across the barren lands, knowing the exact spot where he stood moments ago.

When our eyes met, he was alone. Watching me. Weary of my power.

Jumping off of Himmel, I raced toward him. He glared at me, growling, “Lizbet, why did you come?”

“We need to speak the truth. No more lies. No hidden agendas.”

He snorted, “The truth. Your kind doesn’t know the truth, just riddles and lies. Leaving you was the best decision that I ever made.”

“I know of the child. You have hidden her. You fear rightly that I will kill her, but I won’t. I am my father’s daughter but the keeper of the rules now. Not him.”

He hissed over to me, asking, “What assurances do I have?”

“The Queen’s seal shall be placed upon her head. She will live in my protection all her days.” I pledged to him, wondering if he would accept my words.

Ifan looked at me with uncertainty, but he spoke a charm, and the child appeared before us. She was beautiful, with golden locks and eyes as blue as the sky. “Elsie, this is Queen Lizbet. She will bless you and protect you. Go to her, child. Go freely.”

She walked toward me with trepidation, knowing my powers could destroy her. It was my right. She was sired by Ifan, my mate. But his flesh would instead belong to me. I placed my hand upon her forehead and chanted in the ancient language, charms he could not understand. When I finished, the child fell into a trance, sleeping peacefully until her appointed time to wake again.

“What have you done?” He spun me around. Anger flashed in his eyes.

“I promised you that I would not kill her. I didn’t promise that I would let her live in my kingdom. She shall be sent away and will wake up in the human world where she belongs. She shall marry a great prince and one day rule an earthly kingdom.”

“And you thought this little trick would win my heart? Do you really believe that I will come to your bed now?”

“No, I knew it would drive a wedge between us. I thought I could love you, but I see now that I cannot.”

“So why take the child from me?”

I waved my hand, and her body faded away.

Her fate was sealed.

So was mine.

He lunged at me with his hidden knife, trying to kill me, but I was faster. I left his broken body on the barren lands and returned to my lonely castle.

Ifan was dead. I was free.

Maybe in a hundred years, my heart would mend, and I could love again.