As the night fell, casting shadows across the room, a soft knock at the door roused me from my thoughts. Deirdre's voice came through the door, a hint of concern threading through her words. "Your Majesty, may I come in?"

I straightened, surprised by her request. "Yes. Come in."

The door creaked open, revealing Deirdre standing there with a tea tray in her hands. She approached me slowly, her expression softening. "I brought you some chamomile tea. It might help ease your mind."

I accepted the tea gratefully, the warm aroma enveloping me like a comforting embrace. She took a seat opposite me, her gaze steady and reassuring.

"I know recent events have been difficult for you," she began quietly. "But I want you to know that everything will be ok. Rune has led us for over a century. He is a seer; he knows the right decisions."

Her words struck a chord within me, stirring a mix of emotions. "Then why am I the crowned queen?” My voice came out in a broken whisper.

She stated confidently, "It's common knowledge that once you obtain your powers, you will lead us."

Shaking my head, I set the tea aside, unsure how to feel anymore.

I know my days of sneaking past the guards are done. I have one day left before Sylvain returns, and my council has already made their decision. I need to find a way to change their minds.

The following day, I couldn’t shake the sense of urgency that gripped me. The past few days had unraveled so much—so many secrets, so much I had been kept from—and now, I was determined to learn the history that had been hidden from me. The knowledge I’d gained from the dark fae had sparked something deep within me, and I knew there was more to uncover. If I was going to make the right decisions for my people, I needed to understand everything, even the parts of our past that had been buried.

“May we at least go to the library?” I yelled through the locked door.

The door creaked open, revealing Allyster standing there, his expression unreadable. "I will accompany you to the library," he stated formally, his tone giving away nothing of his thoughts.

I nodded gratefully, feeling a flicker of hope ignited within me. Perhaps there was still a chance to change their minds, to prove that I was worthy. As we walked through the castle halls, the weight of responsibility settled on my shoulders once more. Allyster walked beside me, a silent guardian in shining armor.

We made our way to the palace library, a place I’d visited only sparingly over the years. The shelves were lined with ancient tomes, scrolls, and leather-bound volumes that smelled of dust and forgotten words. Rune was often found in this room, surrounded by his collection of texts. As the historian and one of the oldest advisors, he was the keeper of our history. I’d always admired his vast knowledge, but today, I was not looking for his guidance. I am hoping that he will be distracted elsewhere today. I needed to look for answers myself.

I wandered through the aisles, fingers brushing the spines of books, my mind racing. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of betrayal as I thought about the information they had kept from me—Rune, Hawke, and the others. They had shielded me from the truth, perhaps to protect me or maybe to control me. They had denied me the very thing I needed to lead.

Finally, I found what I was searching for: a thick, weathered manuscript. I took the book to one of the long tables by the window and began to read.

The pages whispered ancient tales of a warlord named Vexor, a tyrant who had once ravaged the lands with his insatiable thirst for power. His armies had left a trail of destruction in their wake, and no force seemed capable of standing against him. The fae, desperate to save their people, had gathered under the light of a blood moon to perform a forbidden ritual.

In the dead of night, as shadows danced around them, the fae chanted incantations that echoed through the forest. Their magic intertwined, forming a powerful curse that they unleashed upon Vexor and his bloodline. The very essence of their being was tainted, ensuring that every descendant would bear the mark of their malevolence.

As the curse took hold, Vexor's forces faltered, stripping Vexor of his powers and forcing him to transform into a beast every full moon. The transformations were so violent that they prevented the women from being able to carry a full-term pregnancy. Thus, Vexor’s army strength started to wane with each passing month. However, the fae knew they could not defeat him in battle, so they made a daring choice—they fled their homes under cover of darkness, leaving behind anyone who couldn’t make it to the boats in time.

The book went on to talk about how everyone who was involved in the ritual ended up turning into a dark fae because they were so full of guilt.

I read on, my heart pounding in my chest as the words painted a vivid picture of desperation and sacrifice. The fae's decision to flee had consequences more dire than they could have imagined. The darkness that had seeped into their souls tainted them, twisting their once pure essence into something sinister.

The curse of guilt weighed heavy on those who had participated in the ritual, their minds consumed by remorse. It was said that their eyes turned black as night, mirroring the shadows that now clung to their very beings. The once vibrant fae now moved through the world with a heaviness that could not be shaken, a constant reminder of the price they had paid for their actions.

As I delved deeper into the text, I could feel the sorrow emanating from the pages. The words blurred before me, the tale of the dark fae's origins etching itself into my mind like a haunting melody. The weight of their guilt pressed down on me, suffocating and heavy. I could almost taste the bitterness of their regret in the air, mingling with the scent of old parchment and ink.

A sudden sound made me startle, looking up from the manuscript. Rune stood at the entrance of the library, his silver tattoos shimmering faintly in the dim light filtering through the stained-glass windows. His white eyes met mine, devoid of judgment or surprise, as if he had been expecting me all along.

"Uncovering secrets that were meant to stay buried can lead to unforeseen consequences," he said, his voice a soft murmur that seemed to echo in the silent room.

I closed the book with a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of centuries-old mistakes settling. “Well, you can literally see the future, so nothing is unforeseen to you.”

Rune's lips quirked into a wry smile at my response, a glint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "True, but even I cannot predict the full extent of the shadows that linger in our past." His words carried a solemn weight as if warning me of dangers I had yet to comprehend.

Standing up, the haunting stories of old still lingered in my thoughts like a faint whisper. "The dark fae... I remember he mentioned something about a treaty," I said softly. "Can you tell me more?"

Rune hesitated, his expression unreadable as he considered my request. The silver tattoos on his skin seemed to pulse with a faint light, like distant stars flickering in the night sky. "The treaty," he began, his voice carrying a solemn tone that matched the gravity of his words. "It is a fragile pact that has kept the balance between the realms for centuries."

He moved closer, his ethereal presence casting a soothing aura around him. "Long ago, when the conflict between the light and dark fae threatened to consume both realms, a council was convened to broker peace. The treaty was forged, binding both sides to an agreement of non-interference and mutual respect."

I listened intently, captivated by Rune's recounting of ancient history. "But what does this have to do with the dark fae and their forbidden ritual?" I pressed, eager to unravel the threads connecting past and present.

"The treaty grants sovereignty to the dark realm," Rune explained, his gaze meeting mine with a depth of knowledge that sent shivers down my spine.

“You knew this whole time that the dark fae are our people?” I realized with a mix of shock and anger. The implications of what Rune had just revealed hit me like a thunderclap. How could they have kept such a crucial piece of information from me, the ruler of our people?

Rune's gaze remained steady, unfazed by my sudden outburst. "I have always believed that knowledge has its timing, just as the stars align in their own patterns," he said cryptically. "The truth is a delicate tapestry, and sometimes it must be unraveled one thread at a time."

I clenched my fists, trying to rein in the whirlwind of emotions churning within me. "And what about the curse? The Lycans are fae turning into monsters every full moon?" I demanded, my voice tinged with urgency.

Rune's expression softened with understanding. "Yes, the curse was born of desperation and fear, a last resort to protect our people from Vexor's tyranny," he explained, his tone tinged with sorrow. “300 years later, his bloodline is still around. His people seem to have adapted to their curse.”

“And the dark fae? Why are our people still turning?” I asked.

“That ritual opened something extremely dark in this world. Drakaris was a fool to perform it, but he truly believed it would work.” he paused, the weight of centuries-old regret hanging in the air. “Drakaris’s mate never made it to the boats that night. Once we made landfall, Drakaris insisted that he be allowed to sail back for her. Allyster set fire to the ships to prevent him from sailing back. We couldn’t risk Vexor capturing Drakaris and learning about this island. He was the first to turn into a dark fae and attack Allyster. Afterward, he left, and we never saw him again.”

I felt a chill run down my spine at his words, the weight of centuries-old mistakes bearing down on me like a heavy cloak. I stared down at the closed manuscript, my thoughts racing. The stories of the curse, the dark fae, and the Lycans weren’t just ancient history—they were the key to understanding the battles still to come. If we were going to survive, if we were going to defeat the cursed Lycans and stop them from destroying everything, we couldn’t do it alone. The truth was stark and inescapable: we needed the dark fae.