"A message for Prince Belenus," they said, bowed swiftly, and disappeared. 

"What… just… huh?" I said and stared down at the envelope. 

The shock of the interaction had succeeded in freezing whatever was happening to me, so I did the only thing I could think of. I turned around to reenter the chaos. I approached Belenus, said "You've got mail," and handed him the letter. I wasn't sure how to address him. He said he wasn't technically a prince, but the messenger had just called him one. Cherish had called him ‘Your Highness’ too.

"Where'd you get that?" Faolán asked. His hand took my elbow, and I managed to ground myself enough to bring the world back into focus.

"A person outside the tent," I said stupidly. I hated how I was feeling, like I couldn't keep control of myself. I knew the others would soon start seeing me as I really was: weak, a burden, and a waste of time.

"It's Bella's seal, and her magic heated the wax," Belenus said. He looked more confident than I felt as he swiftly broke the seal and slid out a letter. "No!" he roared, and the power that thundered from him made me yelp and stumble.Luckily, General Sayer had phenomenal reflexes because he caught me by the arms and held me steady. Faolán plucked the letter from the table where it had fallen.

"Announcing the Engagement of Her Royal Highness, Bellatrix Hearthbright, Crown Princess of Aranthem, and Lord Carwyn, Steward of Aranthem," Faolán said, and I jerked away from the General to gape in shock. "The wedding will be held, in accordance with the Law of Ascension, on the Winter Solstice at Meallán Castle."

"Bella would never-" Belenus said, but he was cut off by his aunt.

"Belenus, calm down!" Caoimhe didn't shout, but her magic reverberated her voice in the tent, and the half-elf prince stepped back from his aunt. "Bella would never have agreed to this marriage without good reason."

"What reason? What possible reason could she have to say yes?" Belenus looked somewhere between devastated and ready to ride to the castle at that moment.

"To give you more time," I offered, though I wasn't sure why I thought I had an answer. Everyone, even Belenus, turned to look at me. "I don't know what the First Flame is, but maybe she's doing this to give you time to find a way to stop it," I said. The desire to shrink back when Caoimhe and General Sayer shared an expression that I did not want to interpret as impressed was overwhelming. Nobody responded, and my blush returned. Something about the wedding announcement struck me as odd, so I continued. "Um, is it common to mention marriage laws in an announcement?" 

"No, it's not," Steren said, and her face broke into a grin as Elowen's eyes lit up. "Everyone knows the laws. Mentioning them hasn’t occurred since the first royal wedding." I tried not to make my exhale of relief seem obvious. Faolán touched my arm to beckon me to the table, and Steren picked up the announcement. She seemed to be examining it for some sort of clue. Nobody else appeared to be eager to jump in and continue the conversation, so I grabbed at the first question that came to my mind.

"If Carwyn is trying to usurp the throne, why not just marry her immediately then kill her off?" It was a common move in so many stories.

"Even with the First Flame, if he did that, he would face an inter-realm war," Belenus said, and I was shocked that he didn't sound condescending. My question had been stupid. "A forced marriage would be grounds for me to summon the other realms to our aid since Bellatrix would not be considered able to rule. Killing Bellatrix would also make me heir unless they had a child first." I was still confused, unsure how this whole situation couldn't be considered forced. "If Bellatrix is agreeing to marry him, even going as far as to abide by the laws and honoring the rites and traditions, the marriage cannot be claimed as duress."

"Hmm," I said. My teeth clenched in confusion.

"So long as Bellatrix is compliant, Carwyn won't try to kill those she loves," Elowen said, her voice sad but assured. Everything began to make sense to me. "So she is protecting us and the people while giving us time to work. Carwyn is agreeing to it so he won't have to go up against our allies."

"Allies," I said, unable to keep myself from asking the question burning in my mind. "I heard you guys say Athena and Asgard and Tir Na Nog." Six pairs of eyes turned to me, as if waiting for me to admit a truth they already knew. "Those myths are all true? Are they sealed-"

"Yes, they are all real," Elowen giggled, as if she found the purest joy from my surprise. "They are still open to your world for the most part. I can explain it in depth later." I nodded at her and clenched my shirt hem in my fingers to keep my hands from shaking.

Sweet Galadriel, I can't believe it's all real! I screamed internally. I had to clench my jaw shut to keep it together.

"So Carwyn has the First Flame. Do we know of anything that could defeat it?" Caoimhe asked. I, again, felt clueless. So I kept my mouth shut. I was just glad that my little interruption had somehow spurred a brainstorming session, and I was all too pleased to just listen and hope I could wrap my mind around what I was learning.

"We elves have no history of the Father or the Mother ever going to war with anyone. Have any of the other races?" Elowen asked. She looked to Steren and General Sayer. He stayed silent, but Steren's face changed to a look of adoration. I was confused even further by the expression.

"I haven't, but Cherish was raised by the Order of the Mother," she said, already almost to the tent entrance. "She was going to dedicate herself to the Order before we met. Outside of actually contacting one of the schools or orphanages, she is our best source of information. Be right back." Then she was gone.

You managed to get yourself caught up in, not just a resistance to a coup, but one with a magician fueled by the power of this realm's god? My inner voice sighed at me in exasperation. I tried to ignore it, as the others talked about time frames and how long it would be until the solstice. I noticed, again, that Faolán was not as talkative as the others, and I wasn't sure why that bothered me. He stood off to Belenus' right, as before, with Caoimhe almost in front of him pointing at some parchment on the table.

He looks left out. I thought, and some things fell into place in my mind. He had stepped in when Belenus' parents died, but he wasn't being treated as an involved member of the council. My insecurities immediately took a back seat, as my need to make sure everyone around me felt noticed and appreciated kicked in. I sidled over, trying to remain inconspicuous, but nobody was paying attention to anything apart from the parchment anyway.

"Hi," I whispered to Faolán, who had looked down at me when I drew close. "You got quiet fast." I offered him a comforting smile, and my fear became unimportant. "Where I come from, that can mean a few things." I kept my voice low, and my statement earned me an exhale that may have been a snort.

"Are you asking if I feel left out of the discussion?" Faolán asked in a whisper. I bit both my lips between my teeth, looked down, and nodded. "I'd say you were deflecting your own insecurities onto me, my Lady, but then I'd be acting evasive, and the comfort level I've been trying to establish would decrease." My lips popped open in an 'o' of surprise as I looked back up at him. "The short answer is that I am not technically part of the council. I am simply Belenus and Bellatrix's guardian until she ascends the throne." He gave a slight shrug, and I felt a stab of defensiveness for him in my chest. "My nephew still looks to me for guidance, but I really have no place to speak during actual council without being addressed."

"Oh," I replied, probably sounding immensely stupid. His gaze softened for a moment. I didn't know what else to say, but I was saved from embarrassment by Steren and Cherish's arrival.

The healer wasted no time approaching the table.

"You're all joking, right? Carwyn can't have the First Flame. It's literally impossible. The Father split it into parts so that it could continue linking us to magic while not being used to make one person too powerful" she said. Cherish's gaze flicked around the room, but all I could do was listen. "More people than you know have searched for the pieces of the First Flame and the Sickle of Life." I wanted to pipe in and ask what the Sickle of Life was, but I knew I could get Faolán or Belenus to explain later, so I continued to listen. 

"The Sickle of Life was broken and scattered too?" Belenus asked, and the majority of the others seemed stunned to hear the news. Caoimhe, however, did not.

"Yes, and the Order of the Mother kept close tabs on it until the sealing of the Rift." Cherish shook her head and exhaled heavily. "They lost track of all but one piece, and it is not an easy item to retrieve." My teeth clenched in anticipation as she shook her head and sighed. "The Priestess of the Mother who was in possession of it was taken by a dragon. I would have to contact the Order to find out which and if it is still living."

"Then do so," Belenus said, and I had to keep from shooting out of my chair. 

Dragons are real! I screamed internally. Dragons are real! I can't believe this. I hadn't even realized that the rest of the council was breaking up until Faolán touched my shoulder.

"Dragons," I squeaked in equal parts terror and excitement. His face broke into a smile that would have made all of Hollywood jump into a freezing pool. "Dragons are real."

"Most definitely," he said, but before he could continue, Belenus held his hand out to me.

"Grace, I was wondering if you'd like to join me for a tour of the camp," Belenus' eyes were still troubled, and I knew without a doubt that his aunt or Elowen had told him to be a better host. He looked, despite his smile, like the last thing he wanted to do was tour the camp. It didn't hurt my feelings at all, but it did make me feel sad for him.

"Please," I replied. "I'd have been lost just finding the dining tent if not for Sir Tadgh," I took his hand, allowing him to help me from the chair.

"I'm going to go see that the rest of our order this morning was followed," Faolán said, clapped his nephew on the back, and hurried from the tent. I hadn't realized how soothing Faolán's nearness had become in the situation until I found myself awkwardly stepping from the tent with Belenus. I took his arm when he proffered it, but I tried to keep a friendly space between us.

"You don't have to give me the tour if you have more important things to do," I said in an attempt to give him an out, which made those steel-blue eyes zero in on me. "The knight who helped me earlier said he'd be happy to give me an escort anywhere."

"My offer for the tour isn't just courtesy. I want you to feel as comfortable as possible here. I just find it hard to focus on anything other than Bella. Do you have siblings?" He asked, and I nodded as he guided me through a maze of tents. "I'm sure if yours were in danger, you'd do anything to save them."

"I would," I admitted. As much as my brother and I argued, and as much of a liar and thief as he was, I'd destroy anyone who put him into the danger Bellatrix was in. I doubted then, and I still do, that my brother would be selfless enough to do the same for me. "Not sure he'd do the same for me, though. Bellatrix is lucky to have you." He paused and stared at me as if I'd just announced I had twenty toes on each foot. He opened his mouth and closed it. Then he continued our journey.