Page 77 of Court of Aether and Shadows

"Someone with a vested interest in the fulfillment of the prophecy," I mused. "Someone who stands to gain from the upheaval that Sparrow's awakening will bring."

A chilling thought occurred to me.

"Or someone who seeks to control the outcome by controlling the key player from the very beginning."

Kaelon's eyes widened as he followed my train of thought.

"You don't think..."

"The Fateweaver,"I said, the name falling from my lips like a curse. "The one being in all the realms with the power to see and manipulate the threads of destiny itself."

"But the Fateweaver has been neutral for millennia," Kaelon protested. "Why would they intervene now?"

"Because the convergence is upon us," I replied, the weight of centuries of preparation heavy in my voice. "The moment when all the prophecies come to an end when the fate of all realms hangs in the balance. If ever there was a time for the Fateweaver to take an active hand in shaping destiny, it would be now."

The implications were staggering.

If the Fateweaver truly was behind Sparrow's awakening, then we were playing a game far more complex and dangerous than I had anticipated.

Every move and every decision we make from this point forward could have consequences beyond our imagining.

Before we could delve deeper into this troubling line of thought, a soft knock at the door interrupted our conversation. The elder woman entered, her arms laden with herbs and bandages.

"Forgive the intrusion, my lord," she said, bowing slightly. "But the princess requires care."

I came to a stop with my pacing fit, reluctantly moving away from Sparrow's bedside.

"Of course. We'll continue this discussion later, Kaelon."

As the elder approached, her eyes fixed on Sparrow with a mixture of reverence and concern, I felt a renewed sense of urgency.

Time was not on our side.

Enemies were gathering, plots were unfolding, and at the center of it all lay my queen – powerful beyond measure, yet vulnerable in ways she couldn't yet comprehend.

Whatever came next, I vowed silently, I would be ready.

To protect her, to guide her, to stand beside her as she claimed her destiny. The game was afoot, and the stakes were higher than ever before.

As I watched the elder tend to Sparrow, my mind raced with plans and contingencies.

We needed allies and needed to secure our position before our enemies could make their move. But more than anything, we needed Sparrow to awaken, to come into her power and take her place as the lynchpin in this cosmic game.

But how?

There was also the ideology that Sparrow wouldn’t be the only “Crowned Monster” being spun into this prophetic wheel of unraveling. Others would be bestowed this title of worthiness. Other women displayed signs of power and hallucinations that deemed them worthy enough to enter our realms by forced parallels.

The Courts may want the same thing, but they will need an environment that would prove who the real Queen of the Shadowed prophecy would be.

A place where maybe…they could be trained. Put to the test.

The idea shimmered in my mind, creating a web of connection that sought a way to give my love more time to adapt to our world and the systems of the court.

A system that will benefit and encourage both rest and growth. Teachings? A place of practice. Hints of solitude surrounded by knowledge while being thrown into acts of combat.

An academy that invited all those deemed worthy of wearing a crown fit for the Queen destined to destroy us all.

It makes my lips quip with pure jubilee.

---