"Rainer," I whispered and gave him a sad smile. "Why couldn't you be the one to find me first?"
"Maybe if I was, life would be too easy, and I wouldn't be filled with gratefulness for being delivered my number one wish after loads of sadness and regret," he declared. He brushed the last set of my tears away before coaching me to take a few deep breaths.
Using a pinch of magic to rid me of my teary look, he nodded in approval before taking my hand in his. "Let's listen to what they have to share and then we'll make a decision at a later date, when we can absorb everything and have some time to relax."
"Alright," I replied and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Rain."
"You're always welcome, Sweet Rose."
He kissed the back of my hand before we made our way back to the room. Upon our arrival, Camilla was shouting the moment the doors closed.
"What do you mean he's not your son?!" she shrieked, which left me confused while Rainer arched an eyebrow in question. He shared a look with his dad, which seemed to spark some sort of understanding in his gaze before he directed me back to the couch where Camilla was actually fuming
She's so pissed.
Alicia sat a little taller and cleared her throat to repeat herself.
"Xavier isn't my son by blood." Her firm declaration had me gawking while my eyes looked over to Rainer, who didn't seem surprised at all.
"Why aren't you surprised?" I questioned.
Camilla looked over to Rainer and added, "Ya! Why aren't you furious? Why would the king possibly allow him to return to school when they're not even related by blood?"
"I knew already," Rainer revealed, which seemed to be news to everyone as Sera spoke, "You knew?"
"Since I was a kid," Rainer revealed and looked to me and Camilla. "You two realize I'm not of my parents’ blood."
"What?!" we gasped, and the revelation suddenly reminded me of something.
“An orphan born out of darkness wouldn't know shit," Xavier snarled.
"You're right," Rain declared. "An orphan like me was born into the depths of a river full of dark magic. This orphan somehow was chosen by a woman who couldn't bear children and decided I deserved a chance to live. Now here I am, a royal prince not due to my blood but rather to the love of my parents, who only want me to reach my highest potential. They do not bring me down or speak ill about my actions. They encourage me to live, and I follow every word of advice they give me. I don't know shit, but I've experienced enough in my short life to know stupid when I see it.”
Wait. He mentioned something like that at the park when I was drunk!
Rainer nodded and encouraged Camilla to sit back down before he continued.
"My biological parents essentially left me in a place that's normally forbidden to outsiders. Only strong royals could enter such places, so I guess it was a perfect place to dump a baby." He said it so casually and yet the mere action made my heart clench in anger.
He noticed my immediate frown and squeezed my hand comfortingly.
"It's a shitty choice, but one that my parents decided to make. One's trash can be another's treasure, and somehow I was found by my parents, the king and queen."
We looked to Sera as she smiled lovingly at Rainer. The mere look told me she truly accepted him as one of her own as she closed her eyes.
"As a young child, I wanted to become powerful very quickly. Whether it was due to my family's harsh standards or our living conditions, I aimed to be the best I could be and trained extremely hard. The training I did was very vigorous on the body, but I didn't see it as a problem at the time. It wasn't until I'd married Emmanuel that I found out that my years of aiming for the top had damaged something within my reproductive system, and thus deemed me incapable of having children. As fae, we have magic and medical ways of trying to aid a woman in conceiving, but the risks were far too high to take a chance on."
She looked to Emmanuel. He had his eyes closed, but his hand had hooked around hers to give her the comfort she needed to continue on the topic.
"We decided that we'd look into adoption at that point," Sera continued. "However, we didn't want the kingdom to know about it. Not until we chose the child and all the work involved was finalized."
"Why?" I asked.
Sera's sad smile was followed with, "Our kind isn't for the faint of the heart. Sometimes we're genuinely mean to one another, and I couldn't imagine a son I chose dealing with the ridicule of it all at such an early age. We wanted to at least ensure that the first few years of the child's life would be as pure as they deserved, and that level of secrecy is difficult to come by when it comes to royalty. Instead of looking into our options, I decided to pray to Mother Universe for a way out of this. A possibility, an opportunity, or a door to simply open to the chance of being a mother without the attention."
She paused to take a deep breath and carried on, "That was the night that the guards had gotten ill from food poisoning and couldn't check the forbidden well of darkness. It's a cave that's been marked by magic, and on normal occasions, those who enter can never escape."
"Isn't that the place where, on the outside, it's deemed as a plagued shadow spot with intense magic?" Camilla offered. "The well is surrounded by thick black liquid, like tar, but the well water inside is of pure light magic?"
Sera nodded. "Those who venture in have to be able to use both Shadowed and Purely divine magic. As a result, it's extremely difficult to enter and survive."
"Wouldn't that mean..." I trailed off and looked at Rainer, who shrugged. "Whoever had dropped me there would have perished. Essentially a suicide mission after an attempted murder. I doubt my parents figured I'd survive, and even if I did, it's not like they wanted the responsibility of raising me, or I wouldn't have been there," Rainer elaborated.
Sera agreed with a nod and continued, "Seeing as my guards couldn't attend to the monthly assessment, I decided to do it myself. I was one of the few who could enter the place and not be consumed prior to me rising to the throne. It only made sense for me to quickly check. That's when I discovered Rainer. He got his name from that very place, because that was one the few times where it rained of dark droplets within the cut-off area. He was at the bottom of the well, darkness drops drenching him while he floated above pure white waters."
"Doesn't that mean..." Camilla began and looked to Sera as she nodded.
"Rainer is technically a hybrid fae. One of Purity and Shadow magic. He was left there long enough to absorb a good chunk of the magic, but due to his innocence, the forbidden place couldn't kill him. Mother Nature is indeed a mother, and her own creations, whether light or dark, would never allow a child to perish in a sacred spot like that," Sera explained. "However, since I had to report where I'd found him, the news eventually slipped that he was discovered in the forbidden lands."
"Thus, why I was called ‘dark orphan’ for a good chunk of my childhood," Rainer declared and rolled his eyes. "Funny, too, since a cold boy who was also an orphan decided to bestow that very nickname on me.”
"Xavier," I concluded.
Alicia sighed and looked around at us. "We had a similar circumstance. I, too, couldn't give birth naturally. We were given the opportunity of claiming a child, but we were originally told that we'd be receiving a girl, not a boy," Alicia admitted.
"What changed?" I asked.
"I'm honestly not sure. I was so anxious at the time that I could barely think, and as a queen, my distress can cause the kingdom itself to fall into an imbalanced state. The king aided in the details, and since neither of us were picky in terms of gender, we ended up with Xavier. I felt like maybe the agent aiding us wanted to pick a baby with a higher probability of having light fae magic versus shadowed, but again, I wasn't picky about my options. I merely wanted to raise a child."
She paused as she shook her head. "The mistake I made was not telling Xavier."
"He doesn't know?" Camilla questioned in shock.
"I didn't see the need to tell him. Xavier was an odd
child, to begin with. He was advanced but took things so critically that I worried the truth would make his heart even colder to us. It took some time for him to warm up to us, and his warmth wasn't as pure as those children who enjoy interacting with their parents on a daily basis. Xavier loved solitude and learning, which was a little more beneficial to us because we could still run the kingdom without being distracted or drained from his growth."
"Well, it now makes sense as to why he looks and acts nothing like you or the king," Camilla huffed. "It's honestly like he was born in a block of ice!"
"He may have been," Alicia confessed, which caught our attention. "It was never officially confirmed, but some documents state that he was discovered in a block of ice that they used magic to melt and release him."
"Who would have thought?" I whispered.
Alicia agreed as she nodded and rested her back against the couch.
"We tried to be strict on Xavier, but we started far too late. Between the two of us, I'm on the colder side of parenting compared to my husband, but we vowed to ensure he was aware of his privileges. It seemed like all our lectures, talks, and wishful words were a waste of space, especially now." She shook her head. "Faes parent differently. We want our children to enforce their personalities earlier than how humans promote growth. Due to fae children learning far faster in speed and magic capabilities, we try to give them space to learn about themselves and become who they are meant to be. It seems that way of parenting brings out a lot of nasty qualities in many of our children because they assume being mean, ungrateful, and belittling anyone who doesn't meet their standards is acceptable. It's not. However, changing how our kind raises their children is a form of dictatorship we can't implement. Every parent raises their child differently, and we can’t change that."
Sera actually nodded.
"Rainer wasn't difficult to raise. He was independent very quickly, but he's shy."
"I'm not shy," Rainer grumbled.
"You were when you were younger," she hummed.
He didn't say anything but the tiny pout on his lips was cute. King Emmanuel nodded and added, "Rainer was a child who wasn't one of many words around his peers. Not because he was necessarily shy, but he's a silent critic. He analyzes his surroundings and the characteristics of those around him. It makes it easier for him to tell who is genuinely caring and who is faking it. He takes the time to ensure he's not judging a book solely by its cover, which takes his peers awhile to realize. That only screws them over because they’ve already lost their privilege to get close to him."
Now that was true. He looked past the image before him and would make sure he looked past what everyone assumed and picked up on easily.
That was the reason why he saw through the deceit that day on the platform.
"What are we going to do now?" Camilla brought up. "Yes, we have things we need to work on in terms of making our future fae children not be assholes, but what if word gets out about what happened in the training room with Rosadette and Xavier returns? You realize that would look like you can get away with anything as long as you're a royal or have some sort of connections."
"No one else knows of the incident," Alicia assured me. "We've also spelled him so he's unable to speak of it around anyone who doesn't know of it."
"It still doesn't mean his return is welcomed," Rainer acknowledged. "You're not saying everything." We all looked at him as he added, "I know our kingdoms are different, but you wouldn't simply allow your husband to have the final say. You are the queen of your lands. He may be king, but the very land relies on your magic to thrive, which means you're the more powerful one. Knowing your personalities, you hate injustice, which would bring you unhappiness, and that would mean your king would have to work harder to keep you appeased so your rose doesn't diminish or suffer wilting. This frustrates you, but there's something pausing you from taking true action, especially when Xavier isn't of true royal blood."
We all turned to her once more and she looked at Sera, who seemed to realize what the problem was with her gasp.
"Ah. Okay. That kind of makes sense," she declared.
"What makes sense?" Camilla questioned. Sera needed a moment to think through it before she looked at the three of us.
"Do you know the tale of the three kingdoms?"
"No," all three of us replied and she nodded.
"I won't make it long like the original, but in our lands, there were three vast kingdoms. The one on the left was the kingdom of light. They were designated for Purely Divine. The kingdom to the right was of darkness. They were designated for the Deadly Divine. The two lived on opposite spectrums for many centuries, but one day, a royal child from the dark kingdom fell in love with a royal child from the light. Their love was frowned upon, but they carried forth with their love, stating that if it was truly 'wrong' Mother Universe would prevent it. When they decided to marry, both kingdoms thought it would never happen."
She paused to look at us to ensure we were following along.
"The day of the wedding, they had very few guests. A few family members on both sides, and one or two friends that supported them. They asked the Universe one last time if this was the right thing to do, and if so, please show both sides that unity is possible. They married that moment and decided to visit the light kingdom. They were immediately shunned, and anyone who went with them was banished from their homeland. The king, who was from the light, was heartbroken, but they decided to go to the shadowlands, where the queen was from. Upon their arrival, they too were banished from the lands with all those who supported them, leaving them homeless between the two kingdoms.
“They walked and walked with their remaining companions, attempting to find shelter during the rough months of winter, and they reached the highest point that seemed to connect the light and dark kingdoms like a triangle point.
“The couple and the remaining survivors of the long journey began to weep as another blizzard storm approached. Many of their companions had fallen ill and given up, while others decided it wasn't worth it and killed themselves. With only five light beings and five dark beings to support the king and queen, they knew if the blizzard was worse than the previous, they wouldn't make it. The king and queen went on their knees and begged for mercy from the Universe. They wished to prove to both sides that their union was blessed by Mother Universe and that they weren't plagued with death and destruction. With the final prayer, they huddled together, and the queen and king used the last bit of their magic to protect their comrades as the storm hit."
I could vividly imagine the whole thing playing out in my head, like a movie that had reached the saddest point. To be discarded by your kingdoms and left hopeless in lands like the fae. The agony, heartbreak, and struggle to keep pushing forward to prove to their lands that being married to one another was possible.
"They survived the storm, but they were completely drained of magic, which meant if anything else happened, they and their loved ones would be finished. The storm had brought intense fog, so they couldn't go anywhere. They had to remain in the very spot they had stayed during the night. One would think they would insult the Universe for not giving them the sign they needed to prove their unity was blessed, but they did something unexpected," she explained as her lips curled in a smile.
Closing her eyes, she continued, "They held hands and told Mother Universe that they were grateful. They had managed to survive the storm, and no matter if death was approaching them, they had put up a good fight and were grateful to have survived the journey thus far."
She opened her eyes to see our moved expressions as she whispered, "Mother Universe listened to every word, and it brought tears to her loving eyes."
She lifted her hands to spread them apart. "At that moment, the thick fog began to depart, like curtains that were being parted to both sides. The sun came out and the world around them suddenly grew warm. The dead forest they had been wandering in suddenly began to spark with life, the dead trees blooming in seconds
as the grass beneath their feet healed miraculously. Before their eyes, red roses began to blossom all around their feet, and when the fog cleared out, they realized there was a dazzling golden castle before them."
She lowered her hands as a dazzling smile graced her lips - her eyes locking onto mine.
"The castle was made out of pure gold; it couldn't be chipped or carved. The interior was furnished with the finest pieces from both fae and human realms, following the soon-to-be theme of gold, red, and black. The kingdom would come with a town for their people, their resources coming from minerals, oil, and blessed waters that could create rejuvenation baths. An army of men appeared a few feet from them, dressed in golden armor and waiting for their orders from the king and queen of the lands. That was the day the Rosadette Kingdom was born. A kingdom of light and darkness."
I gawked at her as it finally made sense, and she grinned at my shock as she bobbed her head. "They ordered the guards to make large walls to protect their lands and to ensure no one would be allowed entry until they were ready to open their hearts. They wanted a moment to enjoy the blessed gifts of this kingdom that had answered their pleas, but they were also ready to start a family, and what better way to conceive than in a peaceful kingdom that had Mother Universe's hand in its creation."
She paused and lifted her hands once more.
"Both kingdoms at the time had yet to see the new sprout of competition. Since betraying their own, their kingdoms had been hit with vigorous weather that was strenuous for even the fae. Mother Universe was angry with them, upset that they could get rid of one of their own and she felt that they deserved to face the consequences. With the unpredictable weather, many faes began to grow sick and perish because they struggled to rejuvenate their magic supplies, and soon hunger became a problem for both lands. Neither of them could help one another because they both were low on everything. This lasted for an entire year."
Fae Rose Academy: Year Two (For The Purely Divine Book 2) Page 8
