Page 75 of Taken By the Fae King

CHAPTER39

GRAYCE

As we walk among the stacks, several of the books rattle on the shelves. If Scholar Norlyn had not explained these enchanted books to me, I would have assumed this place was haunted by a ghost inhabiting the library.

He pulls one of the ancient tomes from the shelf and we follow him to a sitting area near the spiral staircase.

Norlyn sets the book on the table and turns back to me. “This is the story of Queen Ilyra’s sacrifice to our kingdom.”

My ears perk up at the mention of this Queen as I remember the portrait in the castle. She is Kyven and Emryll’s famous ancestor.

Norlyn continues. “It is one of the few enchanted books that can still be viewed. In fact, every member of the royal family and each warrior chosen to guard the Great Wall is shown this historical account.”

“Why?” I ask.

“So they may understand the sacrifices of those who have come before them.”

He turns to me. “If at any time you feel discomforted, let me know and I will close the book,” he says, and I nod.

Carefully, Norlyn opens the book. The moment he turns to the first page a burst of light and magic pulse out from the tome, creating a glowing clear bubble around us. My jaw drops as it transforms and suddenly we’re standing on a balcony overlooking a battlefield below.

“What happened?” I blink several times. I glance back at Talyn, his eyes wide as he looks around us. “Where are we?”

“In the pages of history,” Norlyn replies solemnly. “The great battle at Corduin over a thousand years ago.” He glances back at us. “Do not worry. What you see can neither touch nor harm you.”

I stand at the edge of the balcony of Corduin fortress. The cold wind brushes against my cheeks as I gaze out over the Great Wall to the ruined and bloodied battlefield below. The setting sun casts a fiery glow on the ancient structure, as if aflame with magic.

I shiver slightly, drawing my velvet cloak tighter around my shoulders, my breath forming a mist in the crisp air. I glance back at Talyn and find him staring at the scene before us in wonder—a look I’m certain is mirrored on my own face.

A gentle voice breaks the silence, narrating the pages of the book. It is strange—as if I can not only hear the words, but feel them as well."The Fae queen who once ruled these lands was a woman of immense power and unyielding devotion to her people."

A Fae woman, dressed in armor, stands at the front of her warriors, gathered along the Wall. Her white hair is twisted in a braid that hangs down her left shoulder, her verdant wings fluttering and her green eyes blazing and intense as she stands beside her mate and King.

"The Wraith had come,” the book continues its narration. “A dark storm of malice and destruction, their only purpose to tear through our kingdom and leave naught but ashes and despair in their wake. The queen knew that she alone had the power to stop them, but the price would be great."

A black cloud gathers on the horizon, moving toward the Fae army. As they draw closer, hundreds of red eyes blink in the darkness as the Wraith fly toward them. Their skeletal bodies covered in tattered, black shrouds and their talon-like claws fully extended as they gnash their fangs.

The battle unfolds before us—the terror in the eyes of the Fae as they fought against the Wraith, the desperate cries of the wounded, and the relentless advance of the enemy.

A pain-filled cry rips through the air as the queen watches her beloved mate fall—his life force drained by the savage Wraith before her very eyes.

"The queen looked up from her grief, watching in horror as her warriors fell in droves. With her mate dead, she knew what she must do,” the voice continues. “She dropped to her knees and slammed her palm to the ground, drawing upon the very essence of the land itself, the roots of trees and the hearts of mountains lending her their strength.”

I watch in stunned silence as power surges through her, a torrent of energy threatening to consume her from within as she struggles to control it. With a battle cry, she releases the pent-up force in a cataclysmic explosion, obliterating the Wraith and sacrificing her own life in the process.

"She gave her life to protect her people,” the voice speaks solemnly. “The force of her magic was too great, and it claimed her in that final moment. But her sacrifice was not in vain, for the kingdom was saved, and her legacy has lived on through the ages."

The sun disappears below the horizon, and the cold night settles in around us. As I look out upon the Great Wall once more, tears sting my eyes. A stray one slips down my cheek, but I quickly brush it away as Scholar Norlyn closes the book, and the magic of the pages slowly bleeds away, and we are standing in the library once more.

I blink several times as if coming back to myself, and notice Talyn doing the same. Norlyn turns to me. “Now you understand the power of these books,” he says soberly. He rests his hand reverently atop the tome. “Fortunately, this one has not turned like the others.”

“Why do you think that is?” I ask. “Why does this one not need a calming spell like the rest?”

“Because the one who created the spell for this book took great care when weaving it into the pages.” His eyes brighten with tears. “The Queen’s daughter—and direct ancestor of our king—wanted to make sure that her mother’s sacrifice and bravery would never be forgotten. Some stories are meant to be remembered.”

My heart is full of sorrow as I walk across the bridge from the library back to the castle. Talyn follows behind me. His normally happy mood somewhat dampened as well. I understand now what Norlyn meant when he warned of discomfort.

The Fae queen's story resonated deep within me, a reminder of the power, the responsibility, and the sacrifice that comes with carrying the weight of the crown.

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