Princess of Faerl

*Aranelda*

I walked the room, slowly, looking at each weapon upon the wall. Each one had the mark of a Deity on them. Some Greek, some Roman, others Egyptian. There were even marks of the Orisha and Celtic Deities. I wondered if this was the training place of all the Gods and Goddesses. It would seem unbelievable that they would be able to coexist in such a space without feeling the need to battle for superiority. I jumped a bit as Helios laughed a bit. It was still very odd to hear others in my head and identify them as something other than imaginary beings or creations of insanity.

‘I wonder what we’re looking for.’ My fingers ran over many hilts, none seeming to have the right… connection with me. I traced my fingers over all the symbols until I found a set of swords marked with a blazing sun and my body felt a shiver. I couldn’t help but smile. ‘These are the weapons you want, huh?’ I studied them, one was a very long sword with a handle meant for both hands. The next was a set of twin swords that were about six inches shorter than the long sword. I liked these. I placed the scabbards on my hips, the long sword on my right hip just a bit lower than the twin swords, one on each hip. A smile crept over my face. It felt like a missing piece of me had been restored. I took a deep breath and moved to face Alke. My sister was still mulling over her options for weapons.

“Prince of Faerl, you are mentally capable, stronger than you look. But for now your body is malnourished and weak to physical attacks. For now, you will work on your magic over your physical abilities. The reason you needed to pick your weapons was to attune to them. Let your energy mix with Helios so the weapons will answer you. They are not sentient, per se, but they do have a will. They were crafted by the God Hephaestus specifically for Helios. Now you and Helios are one for the moment, and you will need to learn to wield them perfectly.” She was stern in her speech, her voice ringing in my ears.

“How do I do that? Mentally attune to the weapons?” This was a whole new world. Who knew this could get more complicated than it already was.

“Helios will guide you. He will know best how to imprint onto his own weapons. That is the end of my instructions for you today. The next time you come here, be ready to train physically.” With that she turned towards Elentari, no longer paying any mind to me. I was okay with this.

‘Alright, Helios, how do I do this?’ I sat down cross legged after unsheathing and setting the weapons before me, sharp side facing away. My eyes were stuck to them, as if entranced by them.

‘Close your eyes and feel their energy, call to them. They will speak to you and affirm your allegiance. It will feel like your energy is intertwining with yours and becoming part of you, just as I am for the time being.’ I nodded listening to his explanation. It seemed overly simple. There had to be something more to it. ‘Calm our mind. Take a deep breath. It may take a few tries, but you can do this. Remember, this is part of getting stronger. You can do this. We can do this together.’

I focused on the essence of the swords for hours. It was exhausting. Each attempt took more and more time as my energy dwindled. ‘That’s enough for now, you’ve done well. I told you it would take time.’ I looked to my twin, giving her a bit of a nod as she was working with her own set of weapons. She had a silver glow around her that was very impressive. ‘You’ll get your gold glow eventually. Just be patient. Focus on strengthening your body and regaining your resilience. Hades made sure to keep you strong but weak at the same time. I’m not sure how you were strong with stamina but no muscle or really any skin on your bones.’

I grimaced. I knew all too well how he did that. He gave me Essence of Hades. A special concoction that was meant to break me but I would enter a manic state. I thought of all this and sighed deeply. It was not a pleasant memory. It hurt in every way possible. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. I felt understanding creep over my mind meaning Helios now understood. ’Well now we have another task. Removing the rest of the taint of Hades from you.

Before I rested, I decided I wanted to go and eat. Exiting the room, I saw some not so familiar faces, but familiar nonetheless. Hades had tortured me with visions of her crying over the loss of me, him in despair not knowing how to help while trying to deal with his own grief. It was horrific. At least Elentari had forgotten, or rather had her memory of me wiped. I wasn’t tortured with her pain too. It was hard enough to have that day replayed for me again and again. He had wanted to destroy any and all hope. Now I was face to face with these people.

“Aranelda…” I could feel the sadness rolling off her words as she looked towards the doors, eyes wide. “You… fixed the door?” Sadness changed to shock. “That door has always looked burnt. It looks like it never faded.” She moved to the side of me and reached out her fingers to touch the door and trace my name on it. “You’re really here, you’re not an illusion. We were devastated. I know there’s no way for us to show you, but please believe us, we always wanted you. Always.” I couldn’t help but smile, even though the ways I knew were painful to recall.

“I know, Hades made sure I knew. Showed me both of you time and time again. Your tears, your anguish. He wanted me to think all I was was a tool for pain and heartache. Never good enough for true love or a family. Destined to be a doulos my entire life.” I sighed softly, “There was nothing you could do. None of that was your fault. Now we make up for lost time.” My stomach grumbled a bit. “Though right now, I would love some food.”

“Come on, let’s head to the kitchen and make something for you. Dinner has passed, but I’m sure we can come up with something to fill that teenage stomach of yours.” Alaric beamed with pride. “I’m proud of you son, you survived trials most of us would not. I’m in awe of you.” I had never felt so accepted in my life.

“So… what is there to do for fun here besides train, eat, and deal with council meetings?” I looked around the halls, “It seems pretty empty here.” There were so many rooms but no occupants. Only a few pixies were around to clean and dust everything in rotating shifts. I didn’t really see anyone else coming and going from the rooms.

“Most were compelled to leave when the castle went into mourning. They didn’t like the depressed state of the building and the land around it. It was overwhelming. I’m not sure if it was our depression or the castle itself. But the counselors and extra fae beings that lived here, the emissaries that traveled two and from stopped coming for so long. This Friday will be the first large gathering we’ve had since our coronation and wedding, really. We didn’t even have a celebration of your birth. It’s been so sad here, but the castle is starting to come back to life.” Belle smiled so brightly you would have thought she had the power of the sun.

“You talk about the castle as if it were a living, breathing being.” The idea was confusing. Walking forward, the smells made my mouth water. “We’re close to the kitchen, aren’t we?”

“Gaia is within all the earth, the entire mortal plane. She breathes through each creation. It does not matter if mortals count it as living or not, they are still a creation belonging to Gaia.” Alaric inhaled deeply, “And yes, the kitchen is right around the corner. It seems our amazing staff has anticipated your hunger and cooked up some duck,” He sniffed again, “Some braised beef and… ooooh bread pudding!” He looked almost as hungry as I did.

“Alrighty my bottomless pits, let’s go to our dining room and eat.” She led us to a much smaller room than the normal banquet hall. It was almost cozy.

This felt real. This felt right. I was home.