Page 83 of Calling of the Crown

The promises I’d made to myself, to Rune, to everyone … They were all for naught.

Help was not coming.

“Besides,” Muna continued, not seeming to notice—or perhaps not feeling swayed by—the change in my demeanor. “You don’t need my help. You will end this war the way you are meant to.”

We left the cobblestone bridge and approached a garden of sorts. Plants that looked more like crystals than vegetation grew around stones that were a kaleidoscope of colors. It was a stunning vision, one that felt out of place for all the chaos rampaging inside me.

“How?” Feeling helpless and lost beyond words, I fought to keep my breath steady and placed my hands behind my back so she couldn’t see them trembling. “King Elias is refusing all options other than battle.”

“Perhaps that’s what’s meant to happen. Some battles, Bria, are inevitable, be they physical or emotional ones. What matters is how you rise from them and the changes that are born from the struggle. I cannot tell you what will happen in the coming days, months, or years, but just know it’s all meant to happen the way it does.”

Tears pricked my eyes before I could stop them. “Queen Muna,” I whispered. “People are going to die. Innocent people.”

She took my hand and squeezed it. “Such is a reality of life. One quite close to my heart. Fae do come to live here with me when they pass. I do manage life and death for Fae, after all.”

My eyes squeezed tightly shut as I tried to feel her positivity but failed. “I told Water Fae that I’d bring peace.”

“And you might. Who’s to say the battle won’t end with both sides coming together? Even if that isn’t what comes to pass, you tried. You gave it your all for, not only Water Fae, but for all of Ambrolia. That is a beautiful thing.”

Beautiful? How was an impending battle beautiful?

Weight like I’d never felt settled onto my chest, stifling my lungs. The faces of all those I’d met since coming here cycled through my head, and with each one, a new rock stacked on top of me until I was buried beneath them. The image of Rune facing his own mom and being forced to make a decision—his life or hers—played in horrific detail. The stack of rocks burdening me pushed me deep into the ground until all was dark.

All was heavy.

All was hopeless.

“You look as though you’ve already lost,” Queen Muna noted, startling me from my spiraling thoughts.

I swallowed hard. “Water Fae don’t have the numbers that Elias does. Leading them into battle …”

“Have faith in them. Have faith in yourself and your goals. You will never achieve them if you already think them lost.” Muna wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “Elias said three months, correct? So use that time. Train. Prepare. Gather other Fae who support your cause. Do not go into that battle anticipating the worst. You must believe in what you’ve started.”

The truth of our situation and all that Queen Muna was saying nearly stole my ability to breathe. War was coming. Death was coming. And I had to be ready for that, because on the other side could be something wonderful, harmonious, and full of life. I couldn’t look at it as a fight for the sake of anger or vengeance. Our fight, my fight, was for peace, and it was a battle I had to win.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I bowed my head at Queen Muna. “Thank you for all your encouraging words, and thank you for speaking with me today. I hope I can succeed and bring an end to the war and the start of a brighter future.”

She nodded and held up a finger. “Before you go, I wanted to share something with you. Since you came all this way, I want to offer some wisdom.”

Eager to latch onto any good news, I looked at her. “What is it?”

“I know you have a scholar looking into those books you found in the old underwater Kingdom,” Muna said. “While I can’t give you the ability to suddenly read the language, I can let you in on some knowledge I think you’ll be interested in.”

She led me over to a fountain in the center of the garden. Crystal-clear water spilled from the top and fell to the basin below. The light caught certain droplets, making the water flash in an array of colors. The closer we drew, the calmer I felt. All my worries, fears, and apprehensions were still there in the back of my mind, but distant now, like a long-ago memory.

Thanks, water.

“Things have changed for Fae over the centuries,” Muna stated, sitting on the edge of the fountain. She dipped her hand into the water, watching the drops fall back to the pool. “That’s especially true for Water Fae. Abilities have been forgotten and lost; something you’ve seen first-hand among your people. You have a lot of these powers, and part of the reason I aided your parents when they came to me, pleading that I lock your powers until you came of age, was because I had a dream that you would restore what’s been lost. You can help fix the world that’s been broken.”

I stared at her and tried to understand her words. The information was huge with grand implications, and I couldn’t fathom how it was true. How could I, little me who was fresh into this new world, restore something as important and major as Ambrolia? The mere suggestion had my voice stuck in my throat.

“There’s a certain power that Water Fae once had,” Muna continued as she looked at me again. “The book you found talks about many abilities, but there’s one that I feel you might be more interested in learning and understanding.”

I sank onto the fountain edge and leaned in closer. “What power is it?”

“Your mother told you how water is life, and she couldn’t be more correct. Water is in us all. Water is a part of life.”

I nodded. “I felt it in some trees not too long ago. I managed to use it to heal the trees.”

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