Etherea: The Lost Daughter

15

The silent night air carried only the crackling of their campfire and the chirping of crickets. The light of its flames flickered across their faces. Nia wove a crown of chicory, astor and shamrock she had collected earlier. Torrin marvelled at her in the quiet, as her nimble fingers created an arrangement of purple and green "one day you will have a real crown" she chuckled and shook her head "I could not care any less for crowns or titles Torrin, I care only about the safety of my mother and your people" she replied honestly. Her ears still felt the onslaught of pain in the west "you deserve everything Etherea has to give" Torrins words rang with certainty.

Nia quietened once more, as she remembered similar words Duane whispered in her ear. Her heart still ached for him; but in the scheme of things, it was the dullest ache she felt. It disgusted her, that her soul still felt that pull towards him. He was cruel, she could never love someone who took pleasure in enslaving people. "Those words tricked me into Etherea, set every foul thing that has happened since in motion" she scowled, her fingers ripped the flower crown apart. Torrin felt a pang in his chest at her bitterness and laid a hand over hers "it also set in motion every wonderful thing that has happened, my brother was not eaten by the Faelcu, life grows once more in the Sapphire Court, you have slain the Ellén Trechend of the mountain. You cannot blame yourself for the cruelty of others, for you have shown at every turn that you defy their wishes to trap you in the darkness".

An uneasiness ran through her, still unsure of the path the fates had laid for her. "Tell me more about your mother, I don't think you told me her name" Nia wished nothing more than to change the topic from herself. Torrin looked to the fire with a soft, sad smile upon his lips "her name was Aoife, my grandfather's youngest daughter. She was wild and defiant, so he sent her into service at the castle. Our families have a long and winding history, but at that point we held favour with the crown. So, Aoife was shipped off to be your mothers maid. It's said Riona was so angry at the decision she did not speak to King Ainmuire for two months and tormented his training soldiers at every wake in revenge" Torrin chuckled as he looked at Nia, he could definitely see the family resemblance "she set out with Riona on every adventure, I have been told you could not find one without the other. It is no surprise that they stood shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield" There was pride in his eyes at that.

"My mother was determined to die at your mothers side, but Riona knew this and used her magic to send Aoife home. I will never forget her face as she bundled me and Rian in her arms, tears streaming down her face. We had mere weeks together after Ciar stormed the Courts, and somehow, she ensured our safety. The blast that decimated my court killed everyone who had not gone to the mountain" Nia gasped at that, she had presumed that Ciar had rotted the earth, not burned it with fire. Torrin decided to change from that depressing subject "In the weeks we had together, she told me wonderful tales of her adventures in the Ruby Court. She had spent years in their service, though she said your mother refused to treat her as a servant; so, she did not mind it. It is through our mother's perseverance that women were able to fight in the royal army. The law did nothing to stop them, Ainmuire had two choices; let his decree be undermined by his daughter and her maid or repeal the law".

Nia laughed at that "I suppose he had no choice at all" she beamed, Nia knew her mother; a woman who believed women were just as strong as any man, would never let a man tell her what she could not do "no, I'm guessing he did not" Torrin chuckled alongside her "and what of your father?" She asked and regretted it instantly. Sadness had filled his features, no light in his eyes as he had for his mother. Nia placed her hand over his "forgive me Torrin, I am curious to a fault, you need never answer questions should the answer cause you pain" he sighed and kicked the dirt beneath his foot "his name was Uilliam, they called him Liam. He did not start as a bastard, but he sure became one in the end. I do not know exactly what happened but in the early years, before Ciar revealed his true nature, they were all friends. Riona had managed to grant my mother a pardon for her service after one of their adventures, allowing her to return to the Sapphire Court. Liam returned with her, a babe on the way and a wedding to plan, but jealousy drove him insane. My mother had loved another on their travels, a lowling Silver Fae, and my father cut him down. She did not know this, until they had sent Tara to the Silver Court".