123: Correspondence Regarding the Future Luna Queen and Her Kings

*Dearest Ada,*

*I am writing to you from my homeland. It has been months, and I have somehow managed to survive, so I figured it was time for me to write to you with some important updates.*

*For starters, after careful consideration, I have decided it’s time to inform you of why I had to flee my homeland. My name is Lilith Amadaria, Princess of the Alpenglow. When I arrived in the Kingdom of the Moonglade, part of the arrangement was that I drop my title and never tell anyone who I actually am. Your Princes have harbored me on their lands at great risk to their Kingdom, and for that I am grateful. I will keep my next words as plain and simple as possible:*

*Two moons before I arrived on the rocky shores of your lands, I murdered many members of my family. It is one of my greatest shames, and yet an equal badge of honor.*

*This may come as a shock to you, given who you think I am. I promise that I am the person you have come to know— but there are a few things that I feel I should own up to. I cannot say that I suffered from a bout of insanity or was not aware of my actions. Unfortunately, I was fully aware of my actions and the consequences of them. I murdered all four of my siblings, their spouses, and all of their children. My parents and I are the only ones I left alive.*

*Yes, I did have a reason. While it doesn’t fully justify my mass murder, I feel it offers a somewhat of a reason for empathy. My siblings were cruel individuals, and their children were being brought up the same way. I am not talking about the type of cruelty that your father has been, or even the Alpha King Everett was before his demise. They murdered our people by the masses, claiming it was all in the name of the Crown. They kept any human that wandered into our realm as slaves and treated them as lesser than. They also perpetuated a war across races because they believed themselves to be superior.*

*All of these are very broad strokes of the issues they caused. The final proverbial sword in their coffin was the coup they planned against my parents. My parents are still young in terms of High Fae royalty. My siblings and I were several hundred to thousands of years old, and my parents are only around ten thousand human years old. They still have time to reform their bloodlines and start anew.*

*And I have returned to find that they have. I am blessed to have two younger siblings now, both around a decade old.*

*Now, if I haven’t lost you to my own brutality and you have continued to read, I can fill you in on some other things here. For starters, I was not welcomed with open arms. I spent the first few weeks imprisoned in my parents’ dungeon while the two of them argued about what to do with me. Thankfully, I still have some friends left on their council. They convinced them my actions were justified and were able to provide something as proof (though I have yet to find out what).*

*Since I have been released, I have slowly been returning to my duties as a princess of my realm. My parents have begun to trust me, and I have filled them in on much of my time away.*

*This brings me to my bad news: unfortunately, we cannot offer much help in your coming war. My parents will not allow me to return, nor will they send great armies to aid you. They have offered to send you two of my greatest friends as a show of alliance. I feel you will get along very well with them, but they may run into some issues with your mates.*

*The men who have brought you this letter go by the names Dagger and Blade. They are former generals in our Royal army and have tremendous magick and strategy to bring to you. They mean to stay in your realm indefinitely, if you can convince your mates to allow them.*

*Now for my final update: Velentaria. Somehow, your mates and your kingdom have wound up on the radar of a rogue High Fae. She is the Queen of a neighboring Fae realm, who fled due to a rebellion. I do not know much about her Kingdom or the way she ruled. I know she is to be feared, and is also the reason my parents refuse to get involved. They fear her. I’ve never seen them afraid, Ada.*

*I wish you the best of luck. Please write back at your earliest convenience.*

*Your Dearest Friend,*
*Lilith Amadaria, Princess of the Alpenglow*

I blinked, re-reading the damp parchment in my hands. Once I had processed the words, I handed the letter to my mates and looked up at the Fae standing in front of me. I wasn’t sure which one of them was Dagger and which was Blade, and I wasn’t going to be able to tell for quite some time, as the men before me were nearly identical.

They had the pointed ears that signaled their fae lineage and had striking faces. High cheekbones and thin lips with thick eyebrows and sharp jawlines. The only difference was their eyes. One of them had a pale blue right eye and a vibrant green left eye, while the other was reversed. They were pale with long, icy-blonde hair. Both were in full fae armor, donning multiple swords, daggers, and even a bow with a quiver of arrows. Their expressions were flat, devoid of any emotion.

Their presence made me shift uncomfortably. Power radiated off of them.

The parchment made its way through our group. Once all of my mates had read it, Nik stepped forward, “Welcome to the Kingdom of the Moonglade. We appreciate any help you will be able to provide us.”

He extended his hand to the pair. The one on the left side gripped it firmly, a wicked grin spreading on his face, “Thank you, King Nikolai. I am Dagger, and this is my twin, Blade.”

Nik nodded, “We will set up quarters for you two immediately.”

“When would you like to start strategy meetings?” Darius stepped forward and offered his hand, “King Darius.”

Blade took it, cocking his head to the side, “We’ve been traveling a great distance and will need a few days of rest, if you can oblige that.”

“Of course,” Phoenix stepped up, taking Dagger’s hand, “I’m King Phoenix. Why don’t I give you a quick tour?”

Dagger and Blade ignored Phoenix’s offer as they released my mates’ hands. Instead, they turned their full attention on me. The two of them bowed, with Dagger speaking, “Actually, we need a private word with the Luna Queen, if you don’t mind.”

“I mind,” my voice broke, and I cleared my throat, “Anything you need to say to me will just be told to them anyway.”

“As you wish,” Dagger smirked, “You have fae blood, your highness.”