Sixteen Years Later

A loud crash resounded through the dimly lit room, waking the young man who lay in bed with a start. Rubbing his face, he sat up running his hand over the scruff that grew on his jaw, his straw-colored hair was a mess from his slumber. The young man took in the dry summer air and pale morning light. His muscles protested as he got up, getting dressed for the day. He was a tall man with well-defined muscles showing his lean physique.

"Ma? Was that you?" The man's voice was deep and held a strong accent. He made his way to where an older woman was cooking over a fire.

"Ah, Faolan, sorry to wake you dear." Slaine turned to look at her son, her straw-colored hair held grey in it now and her age began to show in her features as she neared her fiftieth year.

"It's alright. I should be getting up now anyway. I promised to meet Vilfred out on the training grounds at midday." He stole a taste of the food Slaine was cooking and laughed as his mother swatted at him.

"Faolan! I swear, you're just as bad as your father!" She grabbed a wooden bowl and poured him some of the stew. "Eat up then go out and meet with the prince. Fair warning Princess Belladonna is in one of her moods again. She's already caused Princess Aoife to turn sour in mood."

"She really doesn't give her older sister a respite, does she?" Faolan ate his meal and watched his mother clean up. There was a small tapping on the window nearest Slaine and she opened it to welcome in an albino raven who sat on her forearm in comfort. "Looks like the prince sent a message."

Faolan got up and pulled a small piece of parchment from the raven's leg, reading it as he rubbed the bird's chin. "Vilfred canceled our training today. He's going out with some of the other knights to help some of the farmers struggling with the drought."

"That boy is so much like his mother." Slaine loved Vilfred as if he were her own, it helped that he and Faolan grew up together. "Why don't you go check in with Princess Aoife and see if she needs anything. Wash up and dress nice boy."

"Yes ma'am." He wrote a note to Vilfred attaching it to the raven. "Go on to Vilfred, Bramm." The raven crowed and plucked a piece of hair from him before flying off. "Damn bird. Always got to pluck my hair."

After Faolan got dressed in his uniform, he made his way to the princesses' wing, making a beeline for Aoife's chambers. The door to one of the rooms creaked open revealing a black-haired young girl about fourteen years old. She had eyes the color an onyx and fair skin that stood in stark contrast with the dark hair and eyes. She watched Faolan walk by before leaving her room and bouncing down the hall to go about her day.

Faolan sighed catching sight of the younger princess. He knocked on Aoife's door. "Princess, it's me, Faolan." He called so she knew who it was at the door.

"Come in." A sweet voice rang out like the call of a canary. When he entered, he smiled seeing a sixteen-year-old sitting near the large window with a cloth in hand as she worked on some embroidery. She had red-toned strawberry blonde hair that looked like a wheat field at sunset. She had stunning eyes of blues, greens, and golds. "Sir Faolan, could you please stop staring. I'm not in the mood to be taunted today."

"My apologies your highness. Would you like some company today?" He stepped to her side to see what she was embroidering.

"What I would like, is for Princess Belladonna to leave me in peace for once in her life so that I may go about my chores and studies without her trying to infuriate me in the process. My tutors wonder why I prefer to do my studies in full privacy, clearly, they are bewitched by Belladonna's youth." She set down her work and got up going to her balcony. "Faolan, come here."

He followed her and stood beside her as she surveyed the city. "Tell me, am I so weakhearted that I am easily taunted by a child two years my younger?"

"No, your highness. If I may be so bold, I get an eerie feeling when I am in the presence of your younger sister." He put his hands behind his back as he observed the people in the streets.

Aoife snorted, a rather unladylike habit she had when in his presence. "So, it is not just me? These days she's been even more strange than ever. Even Queen Fiadh has noticed that Belladonna seems rather detached from the world, stuck in her own mind."

"Princess, perhaps she is just going through a season in her life that she is struggling to express herself through. You were the same when you started your monthly bleeds." He looked at the young princess who sighed out in exhaustion.

"Faolan, I want to go down into the city and check on the people. The people of Vilidia need us now more than ever to know what they are struggling with." She went back into her chamber and instructed a maid to fetch as many water skins as possible and to fill them up.

Faolan smiled and began helping the princess pack up items to give out to the people who needed it the most. It wasn't long before they made their way down to the city and began greeting the people.

"Princess, you are so much like your mother." An elderly woman beamed up at the young woman. "But be warned, the tainted flower blooms sooner than you know and seeks the beauty's demise."

Aoife stared at the elderly woman in confusion as she tried to process what she had just said. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

"Beware the demon nightshade." She whispered before turning and walking away, disappearing into the crowd.

"Princess Aoife, princess. Are you okay? You zoned out for a moment." A maid asked getting concerned. "I believe the heat is getting to your head, we should take you back and run you a cold bath."

"Millie, did you see where that elderly woman went?" When the maid looked at her in confusion the princess frowned. "She was just speaking to me."

"Princess, I think you're about to suffer from heat injuries." The maid felt her forehead as Faolan approached them. "Sir Faolan, we need to get the princess cooled off quickly."

"Of course, come with me Princess." He took her hand and began to escort her back to the castle. He glanced at her and paused. "What's troubling you?"

"Am I losing my mind? Is it truly this heat that is causing me to see things?" She felt her forehead. "An elderly woman was just talking to me. She told me that the tainted flower blooms sooner than I know. The flower apparently is seeking the beauty's demise. What does that mean?"

Faolan looked at her, color draining from his features as he began to think about it. "We need to go meet with someone. Meet me at midnight in the courtyard. I saw the elderly woman as well." He rushed her back to the castle and had a servant help the princess cool off as he went to get a hawk, he was fond of.

He tied a note to the bird and rubbed its beak. "You know where to go Fae, go fast, it's urgent. Return swiftly and you will be rewarded with a rabbit."

The bird ruffled her feathers and nibbled his hand before taking off into the sky, leaving the young knight to stare at the sky. He couldn't help but think about the story his mother told him all those years ago, stuck on how he believed the queen's new baby was going to be the beauty. Oh, how it rang true now as the prophecy was beginning to be fulfilled.

As the night fell, Faolan got his mother ready, heading out to the courtyard where he waited for Aoife to arrive. A sigh left his mouth as he saw the princess sneak over wearing her riding britches and a cloak.

"Faolan, oh Lady Slaine, how have you been?" The princess hugged Slaine with a smile.

"I've been good, my dear princess. To answer your upcoming questions, we are going to meet with Cathal MacDonald. My husband and the king's former guard." Slaine explained and led the two to the stables taking out two horses. "Aoife, you should ride with Faolan. He will keep you secure on his horse."

"Yes ma'am." She mounted the horse, followed by Faolan. Urgency was easily detected in Slaine's tone, causing her to bite her tongue and hold back any more questions. She squeaked when Faolan put his arms around her, holding onto her waist.

The ride was long, the night darkened with only the stars lighting up the sky as the moon was covered. They rode out to the dark forest where a large man on a very large brown and white horse was waiting for them. He led them to a cabin deep within the forest and brought them inside where a fire roared, lighting the room in an ominous orange and red glow that cast deep and eerie shadows across the home.

"Princess, welcome." The deep voice was mixed with a strong northern accent, the man pulled down his hood to reveal a red-haired man with a tangled red beard. One of his eyes was missing with the eyelids sewn shut to hide the gaping hole. His other eye was beginning to cloud over with a cataract obscuring his vision. "I am Cathal MacDonald. Please, have a seat. I want to tell you about a prophecy from long ago."