Princess Triumvirate

by Catherine Banks

  “Home,” he agreed.

  Chapter Eleven

  We spent two days discussing whether we should be bound or not. We made lists of pros and cons. We discussed different hypothetical situations. We then took a full day apart to think on our own. As we sat on the arena wall the fourth day, Finn dropped a bomb on me that I hadn’t seen coming.

  “Because my father is a god, I have a longer lifespan,” he whispered. “So, in the end you won’t have to worry about me dying before you. Unless there are some crazy circumstances that are totally out of our control.”

  “You live longer? How much longer?” I questioned.

  “I’m not certain,” he admitted.

  “Can’t we ask your father?” I requested.

  “Ask me what?” Aquinn asked from the center of the arena where he was spinning a spear.

  “How long will Finn live? What’s his lifespan compared to mine?” I asked and jumped down from the wall. I walked towards him and was mesmerized by the graceful way he twirled the spear around and around from in front of his body to behind and back and even over his head.

  “Well, that depends on Finn. If he keeps rushing headlong into things and focusing more on you than himself, it may not be much longer,” Aquinn said and looked pointedly at Finn who was still sitting on the wall.

  “You’re avoiding answering my question,” I accused him.

  He smiled. “What will happen if you don’t like the answer? Will you leave Finn?”

  “Of course not!” I snapped angrily.

  “Then why does the answer matter in making your decision of being bound to him or not?” he asked.

  “If he is going to age slower than me or live twice as long as me, I can’t bind myself to him and force him to deal with my death for what could be another lifetime.”

  “What if there was a way to ensure that both of your lifespans matched?” Aquinn asked, halting the spear’s spin to stand beside him.

  “Father,” Finn warned. “What are you talking about?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked nervously.

  “What is the difference in our lifespans?” Finn asked. “Tell us that first before we discuss anything else.”

  “To be one hundred percent honest, I am not sure. It has been a very long time since I’ve had a child. I remember my last son lived to be two hundred and four, but I don’t remember how long the others lived.”

  “Would your brother know?” I asked.

  “Possibly,” he murmured as he stroked his beard and looked over our heads.

  Two hundred and four years old? Finn would live two or three lifetimes longer than me.

  “Tilia, are you alright? You look sick,” Aquinn said and took a step closer to me.

  Finn rushed to my side. “You should sit down,” he suggested.

  I sat and put my face in my hands. This was too much.

  “What is the way to make our lifespans match?” I asked quietly. “Please don’t say you cut his life short.”

  “I can extend your lifespan, Tilia, but all things come with a price,” he told me.

  “What price?” Finn asked in a growl.

  “Don’t look at your father that way,” Aquinn ordered him. “I mean no ill will towards you or your mate.”

  “Mate?” I questioned and looked up at him.

  He waved his hand dismissively. “I spend a lot of time around those who use that term. It’s not an insult.”

  What would it be like to live to two hundred years old? To rule as Queen for more than one hundred years? I would be the longest reigning monarch in history.

  “What’s the price?” Finn asked him again.

  “You’re rather surly today,” Aquinn commented.

  “You’ve upset her,” Finn informed Aquinn. “And now she’s going to think about me living without her, and how devastated I will be, and that she doesn’t want that for me.”

  That was what I had been thinking. Darn him. “I don’t know if you’d be devastated,” I commented and made swirling designs in the sand.

  “The price, Father.”

  “Well, I haven’t decided on the price yet. I had to see if you were interested first,” he admitted.

  “I thought gods would be more organized than this,” I whispered to Finn.

  “He’s not good with change.” Finn whispered back. “The sea doesn’t change. Sure, the day to day sea might change, but if you look at it from one hundred years to the next hundred years, it’s rather constant.”

  “I am fine with change,” Aquinn said angrily, “and I can hear you two.”

  “I see the family resemblance,” I muttered.

  A woman laughed and I felt peace settle over me. “You’ve always had a temper, Aquinn,” she said as she materialized beside him.

  She was gorgeous, beyond gorgeous, and there was no doubt in my mind that she was a goddess.

  “Don’t mesmerize my son,” Aquinn ordered her.

  “I’m fine, Father,” Finn told him and sat down beside me. He took my hand and held it as we looked up at the divine beings expectantly.

  “I like her,” she told Aquinn. “She’s a good balance for the world.”

  “Goddess, do you have a name?” I asked her politely.

  “No, we used to have names the humans called us, but we gave them up long ago.” She paused. “Well, all of us but Aquinn.”

  “Doesn’t that get confusing when you all talk to each other?” I asked.

  “No, we can sense who the other is speaking to.”

  “Handy,” I commented.

  “Is there a reason for your presence other than to try to pester me, Beautiful One?” Aquinn asked her.

  “I want to talk to you before you decide on the price for Tilia,” she said. “My information may help you.”

  “How can they not have names?” I asked Finn in a whisper from the side of my mouth.

  “It’s strange,” he agreed.

  “Children, no gossiping,” the Goddess chastised.

  “Sorry.”

  “Sorry.”

  We waited silently and then I heard an odd bell.

  “What was that?” I asked softly.

  “What?” Finn asked.

  It sounded again.

  “The bell,” I whispered.

  “Someone is trying to contact you,” Aquinn told me.

  “What?” I asked smartly.

  “Make a bowl with your hands,” he instructed.

  I obeyed.

  He wiggled his fingers over my hands and they filled with water. “Now, just say, ‘hello’ as you look in the water.”

  “Hello?” I asked as I looked at the water.

  “There you are,” Favian said with a scowl.

  “Whoa,” I whispered, my eyes widening as his image appeared in the water. “How’d you do this?”

  “Faxon taught me,” he said.

  “What’s up?” I asked since he clearly wasn’t in a happy mood.

  “Marin is being stubborn. Please, talk sense into her,” he requested. I could hear worry and pain in his voice. What was happening?

  “Where is she?” I asked.

  “Here,” she said in a labored breath.

  Favian moved and I saw Marin. She was pale and sweaty. “What’s wrong?” I asked with concern.

  “She’s dying,” Favian growled. “She won’t take her Father’s blessing to increase her lifespan. It’s the only way to save her.”

  “What’s the price?” I asked her and glanced up at Aquinn who was examining his fingernails.

  “No children,” Marin whispered and then sobbed. “No children, ever.”

  “Marin, your life is the most important thing to Favian. He loves you. He doesn’t love you because you’re going to make him babies.”

  “But…”

  “Would you leave her if she was infertile by birth?” I asked Favian.

  “Of course not.”

  “Marin, you can’t die. We haven’t even had our weddings yet. You can’
t die,” I told her urgently. My tears dripped into the bowl, temporarily disrupting the view.

  “I will have to watch the others die,” she said. “I’ll have to watch you die.”

  “Not necessarily,” I said.

  “What?” she asked.

  “What’s happened?” Favian asked me.

  “Finn’s got the long lifespan like Marin. I don’t. His Father has suggested the possibility of extending my lifespan.”

  “Marin’s lifespan isn’t as long as Favian’s,” Aquinn told me. “The Elves live to several hundred years old.”

  “See!” She burst out. “I’ll still have to watch you die.”

  “Children,” the Goddess said softly, her voice calming and slightly chastising at the same time. “We can solve all of this with your compliance and agreement on the price.”

  “No children for me?” I asked her.

  “One male heir for Tilia and one female child for Marin. Sebastian will carry on the Elves lineage for the throne,” she explained.

  “What kind of lifespan are we talking about?” I asked.

  “All four of you will live long, happy lives together and I assure you that your deaths will not be separated by more than five years, unless you do something foolish like jumping from one moving ship to another,” Aquinn said with an arched eyebrow.

  “I made it safe and sound,” I reminded him. “Marin, I’m going to agree,” I told her.

  Her breathing was shallower and I could see that she was closer to death than before. She took one big breath and then nodded. “Me too.”

  “The deal has been sealed,” the Goddess said with a wide smile. “Boys, you can finish up here. Tilia, you and I will talk later.”

  She disappeared and Aquinn muttered, “She’s letting you off easy. My price would have been higher.”

  “I’m beginning,” Marin’s father told Aquinn.

  Aquinn nodded and set a hand on Finn and me. “You’ll have to end your communication,” he told me.

  “Favian, contact me tomorrow,” I instructed him.

  “Thank you,” he whispered. I could see Marin’s father with a hand on each of them and then the water returned to water.

  I dropped my hands, letting the water fall to the sand and Aquinn said, “If we do this, you must be bound as well.”

  Finn looked at me and I said, “If you try to leave me for a pirate wench, I’ll hunt you down for the rest of your life.”

  He smiled and kissed my cheek. “The only woman in the world for me, is you.”

  “Good,” I said with a nod.

  “We won’t bind you until the wedding,” Aquinn told us. “This is going to hurt a lot as it is.”

  “Hurt?” I asked.

  I didn’t get a verbal answer. Instead, Aquinn began to glow and then power unlike anything I had ever felt before slammed into my body, shattered my defenses, and burned me from the inside out.

  I knew I was screaming, but I couldn’t control myself. Finn was screaming too, I could hear him, but I was blind to anything except the pain.

  I wasn’t sure when it ended or what happened afterwards. I woke in my bed feeling as though I’d been thrown into a volcano. I tried to sit up, but my body hurt too much.

  “Don’t move,” Faxon ordered me angrily.

  “Water,” I requested.

  Faxon lifted my head up and then I felt a mug pressed against my lips. I parted them to drink and was beyond thankful for Faxon. Most of the water ended up spilling down my throat and soaking my shirt, but the water eased the burn in my throat.

  “Thanks,” I whispered as he helped me lay down again.

  “Are you in pain?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Would you like me to help you sleep more?” he asked and I felt a cold cloth brush across my forehead.

  “How long has it been?” I asked him as my brain became foggier.

  “Two days.”

  “Is Finn…”

  “He’s sleeping still.”

  “Have you helped him?”

  “Esmeralda is with him,” he explained.

  “How long will I hurt?”

  The cloth disappeared and something broke across the room. “I don’t know,” he said, sounding choked up.

  “You’re mad at me,” I guessed.

  “Not at you, no.”

  “You’re mad about my decision,” I amended.

  “You are young, Tilia. This decision will be with you no matter what you decide in the future.”

  “Faxon,” I whispered.

  “Yes?”

  “Thank you for worrying about me.”

  “I’m putting you to sleep,” he told me, “but I will stay by your side.”

  “You’re the best grumpy mage ever,” I thanked him.

  “You’re still sleeping? What a lazy girl!” the Goddess chastised me.

  I opened my eyes and blinked several times to clear the haze sleep still had over them. “Huh?”

  “Are you still in pain?” she asked me.

  I stretched my body and while I was still sore, I wasn’t in pain anymore. “Just sore,” I told her and sat up.

  Faxon was asleep in the corner of my room in a chair.

  “He will not wake up while we speak,” she assured me.

  “You wanted to talk to me?” I asked. It was still surreal that I was speaking to a Goddess. She was gorgeous, flowing hair, perfect curves, and eyes that saw into your soul and through you at the same time.

  She sat on the edge of my bed and said, “Your life has been rather volatile recently and yet, through it all, you remain strong and as pure as one who enjoys battle can be.”

  I knew I wasn’t pure. Killing tended to remove that from you.

  “You will continue to face adversity and strife, but I have faith in you to keep moving forward and to protect your Kingdom and allies. However, you are not ready for what is coming.”

  “What’s coming?” I asked. If I wasn’t ready, then it must be terrifying.

  “I’m meddling more than I should already,” she told me softly, “but those two meddled more than their fair share with their children, so I will tell you this. A battle will come, one that will be waged in stages across the Realm and into your allies’ realm as well. They will be unlike any enemy you have faced and in order to win you must become stronger! You and the Prince and Princess of the Elves must train together and learn to work together as one unit. Only then will you be able to win.”

  “You want Marin and Favian to train with us? I can’t leave Crilan and…”

  “They must come to you. After you’ve wed and returned from your wedding trip, you will all move to Avlin where you will train and prepare.”

  Avlin? “The small island East of the Lost Port?” I asked.

  “It is uninhabited save for a few animals and is far enough away from Crilan that you will not endanger your people, but close enough to reach in a time of need.”

  “I can teleport,” I reminded her. “I could get there from farther away.”

  “You must learn not to rely on your magic alone and you must push yourself beyond the point of exhaustion.”

  “How will I know when I’m ready?” I asked.

  “You won’t,” she said and then patted my hand. “You will have help along the way. We will not forsake you four as you train.”

  “It’s not Malavar again, is it?” I asked nervously.

  “No, he is dead and will remain that way,” she assured me.

  “This is crazy,” I whispered.

  “I will leave you for now. The others are being informed by their fathers about the plan. I will see you at the wedding.” She kissed my forehead and then disappeared.

  Faxon opened his eyes and frowned angrily. “I don’t like it.”

  “What?” I asked him.

  “What she told you. I don’t like the idea of you going off to train on Avlin.”

  “I thought you were sleeping.”

  “I woke up partway thr
ough your discussion,” he advised me. He walked over and held his hand in front of my face. “You look better.”

  “Just sore now,” I said.

  “I’m not going to let you fight some battle by yourself,” he told me and folded his arms across his chest.

  “I’ll have the other three,” I reminded him.

  “At the very least I will teach all of you more magic.”

  “Faxon,” I argued. “She said that the four of us need to learn to work as a group and…”

  “And if I teach you how to do spells like the containment spell and how to shield each other, it will help,” he interrupted.

  “You’re not going to back down on this, are you?”

  “Nope.”

  “Why are you so stubborn?” I asked.

  “Because he’s unsatisfied with his life and is still striving to find something to make him feel worthy,” Jared said from my doorway.

  “Your rude comments are neither helpful nor correct,” Faxon informed him.

  “Finn’s awake and eating downstairs. You ready to head down their too?” Jared asked and ignored Faxon.

  I nodded. “I’ll get dressed and meet you down.”

  Jared put his arm around Faxon’s shoulders and dragged him out my door. I took my time, brushed my hair, chose comfortable clothes, and walked down to the dining room. I did not expect to find Natalie and Eric there as well.

  “Tilia!” Natalie yelled and rushed over to me. I hugged her and she said, “I was so worried about you.”

  “I’m fine. Thank you.”

  Finn pulled out my chair and kissed my cheek as I sat down. “Did you have a nice nap?”

  “Yes, did your father speak to you?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you feel different?” Faxon asked us.

  “No,” Finn and I answered at the same time.

  I piled my plate high with food and didn’t waste time shoveling it into my mouth. I noticed halfway through my plate of food that Natalie and Esmeralda were talking, laughing, and smiling at each other.

  “What are you two conspiring about?” I demanded a bit grumpier than I intended.

  “We’re discussing your wedding,” Natalie replied happily.

  “I need to contact Marin to discuss it,” I said and wiped my mouth with my napkin.

  “Someone’s grumpy,” Eric commented.

  “You get zapped by a God and see how pleasant you are after being in pain and sleeping for three days,” I snapped at him.