Cursed by the Phantom Prince (Once Upon A Curse)

Chapter 1

1

RHAN

SIX YEARS LATER.

D awn was approaching. I could feel it in my chest like another heart beating alongside my own. Coming to the Fae realm and being immediately connected to this world wasn’t something I had been expecting. My mother had explained all about the four different courts that made up this world but forgot to mention that the magic here was everywhere. It was in the air, the soil, the animals, in the light from the sun and moon. Down to the most minute speck of dust, magic radiated from it.

Lady, my gray wolfhound, let out a sneeze that spewed canine mucus all over my face.

“Ahh, gross,” I hissed, sitting up in bed and wiping my face with my sleeve.

My canine companion didn’t so much as stir at my words or even deign to offer an apology.

Ungrateful mutt.

‘Harsh,’ Lady grumped in my thoughts before turning her attention back to sleeping.

I rubbed my index finger and thumb together, fighting the urge to snap a pinch into her side. Refraining was difficult but I managed not to use my magic for selfish retaliation. Rea would be proud that I hadn’t given into temptation, knowing just how hard it was to resist. The two had reluctantly agreed to a truce and had stuck to it for the past year. I can’t remember what started the feud between the two but they had a rivalry that spanned years and caused staff many messes to clean up. I joined them since she was my responsibility. That fact didn’t dissuade her in the slightest.

Stubborn wolfhound.

A spark snapped between my fingers, making me flinch at the mild jolt of pain. I glanced down at my fingers, struggling to control the magic that flowed through this world.

My magic had always been in my chest, a roiling ball of power that I could call on at will. Back on Earth, I had complete control over it. It wasn’t swayed by my emotions, it would come when I called and that was it. In this realm, the magic reacted to me. My instructors theorized that it was the saturation of magic here. It felt like I could reach out with my will and shape the world around me into what I wanted, which was what the Fae did with incredible skill. Because of my mixed genetics things didn’t exactly end up the way I wanted them to.

It was a dangerous temptation for a human, or so my instructors whispered to each other when they thought I couldn’t hear. They weren’t wrong. Since coming to Alleryia, the Fae’s name for their realm, I’d had a terrible time trying to stop the magic of this world from reacting to me. It seemed whatever I did, the magic of this world was all too eager to respond. It started with my emotions, so I was taught techniques to suppress them. The magic adapted and started reacting to my attitude, mood, and thoughts. It was frustrating but something that I’d learned to live with.

Like most things in life, I had to adapt to survive and surviving in this realm was paramount.

I’d done what my mother had said and sought out those that would be my allies, but in doing so revealed that there were far more enemies. The truth of my heritage was a closely guarded secret that only a select few knew. The purpose of having instructors here was to teach me how to be more Fae so I could blend in better. Unfortunately, it hadn’t quite worked out that way. Learning to adapt in my new environment while trying to weed out friends from foe was an exercise in redundancy. The Fae knew how to play the game. They couldn’t lie, unlike me, thank you human mother; instead they spoke in half truths never revealing exactly what they had in their hand or in their pocket.

I grew up in a human orphanage so coming here with no knowledge of how these courts were run was a handicap that my instructors were paid handsomely to rectify. The gaps had been filled in and I strove everyday not to be a liability to my court or my liege.

My return to the Fae realm was always the plan, or so I am told. What I didn’t know was that my birth mother had organized my adoption before she fled the realm. There was a contract written in both words and blood that said if anything were to happen to either of my parents that I would then be adopted by the Fae Queen of the Court of Dawn. She was a close friend of my parents, she had been enlightened by my parents’ dreams of what this world could be. Unfortunately, that way of thinking had gotten my parents killed.

A knock sounded on my door, jerking me back to the present. Lady sat up, her ears perked toward the door.

“My lady, may I enter?”

“Yes,” I called, rearranging the covers so I looked somewhat presentable.

The door swung open and a handmaiden slipped into the room. I recognized her as one of the queen’s attendants, Frey. Her long dark brown hair contrasted with the cream colored tunic she wore. Her ears peeked out from the curtain of her hair, a proud display that I’d become accustomed to over the years.

“A missive from the queen,” Frey said, walking to my bedside and offering me a folded scrap of parchment and a long stemmed rose.

I accepted both then scooted backward so I was propped up by the mountain of pillows behind me. “Thank you, Frey,” I said, bringing the brightly colored bloom to my nose and inhaling the sweet scent as memories of my childhood flooded my thoughts. The village where I grew up had been surrounded by untamed forests, making it a prime location for sawmills to produce lumber while also giving shelter to wild game. It hadn’t been rich in agriculture like the other villages south of us but the forest provided all of our needs, including hours of uninterrupted play for imaginative children.

With a small smile on my face, I unfolded the note, my eyes sweeping over the delicate handwriting. As I read I could feel the smile slipping from my face, each word like a knife to the heart.

‘What’s it say?’ Lady wondered, feeling my mood sour the more I read.

“The queen has requested my presence to dine with her this evening.”

‘That doesn’t sound bad.’

“A representative from the Court of Stars will also be in attendance,” I revealed, my jaw clenching at the possible implications.

The Court of Stars was the first court to declare neutrality. It was a step in the right direction for the realm but the declaration had been met with backlash and mistrust especially from one of the largest, the Moon Court. Not too long ago, the Court of Stars took the Moon Court’s side in any conflict while the Court of Dawn would usually side with the Sun Court. Things had changed over the past decade, the biggest was the Court of Stars withdrawing their alliance with anyone. Because of their neutral status they were hoping to take on the role of peacekeeper, delegator, and mediator.

It was a good plan in theory, but all four courts were centuries if not millennia old. To change the way things were done now was met with ridicule and mistrust. Anything new was difficult for the Fae to handle. It took the other courts nearly two earth years to acknowledge my adoption and accept me as the Court of Dawn’s heir.

Just a bunch of pig-headed old Fae.

‘What do you think the Court of Stars is here to mediate?’ Lady queried, and I had to give her credit. For a wolfhound she was incredibly intelligent.

“Something must have happened,” I mumbled, leaning my head back into the pillows and thinking about the current state of things.

I was not born with a natural affinity for politics. It was something I had to be taught quickly and master. Which was easier said than done. Every Fae in Alleryia had an agenda and were not afraid to use themselves or others to achieve their goals. It was exhausting trying to keep up with the happenings of one court, let alone the other three.

“Maybe it’s news about the Moon Court,” I mused, sharing a glance with Lady before my eyes returned to the missive still in my hand. “Could they have agreed?”

The Moon Court was one of the largest courts, only rivaled by the Sun Court, which was the court my father was from. I had ties to the Sun Court and even a small amount of sway though I’d yet needed to use it for anything. I was close with my cousin, who was the Sun Court heir, and my uncle the king. They both thought highly of me and even gifted me one of their warriors from the Flare Guard, Rea. Over the years she’d become something more than a guard, she’d become my friend and closest confidant.

The queen’s summons made me wish that Rea was here, but I’d sent her on an information seeking mission. I wouldn’t recall her for this no matter what my feelings were. Rea was my eyes and ears outside of the Court of Dawn and she was damn good at it, plus she enjoyed it.

The room had gradually gotten lighter, meaning that dawn was only a few moments away. Realizing this, I flung the blankets off my legs and hurried to the balcony that overlooked the rose garden. My heart picked up its tempo as the sky continued to lighten, banishing the darkness of the night. Birds chirped, a greeting for the approaching new day from the garden below. I could smell the dew that was no doubt on every plant. I could see flowers tightly closed from the night, beginning to loosen their petals. When the sun crested the horizon the flowers would open, letting the sun’s rays heat them as the dew evaporated from their leaves and stems.

The first rays of the sun rose above the eastern mountains, bathing the world below in sunshine. I closed my eyes as the first light of the new day touched my skin. I shivered as the sun banished the coolness from the night and replaced it with light and life.

Warmth enveloped me and I sighed happily, closing my eyes and breathing in the early morning air. My skin tingled wherever the sun touched. Without looking I knew that the sun’s rays were causing my skin to deepen from cream to a light bronze, a side effect of having Sun Court in my blood. It felt like I was transforming to the best version of myself. It was intoxicating and something I insisted on doing every morning.

Turning around I leaned back against the railing to let the sun bathe my back in its warm light as Lady jumped down from the bed. Once on the balcony she stretched her front legs out in front of her and leaned down, leaving her butt in the air. She yawned widely, her teeth glinting dangerously in the sun’s glow.

‘The regal huntress has risen.’

“More like a lazy huntress,” I teased, lifting my arm above my head for a good morning stretch.

‘Ha ha,’ Lady quipped, letting out an annoyed snort before shaking out her fur.

Before I could retort, another soft knock sounded from my bedroom door. I frowned, wondering why I was so popular this early in the morning. I entered my bedchamber cautiously, reaching out to Lady in my mind but she wasn’t concerned in the slightest, too busy rolling around on the warm stone of the balcony.

She really was a lazy dog.

‘You forgot fierce and terrifying.’

I rolled my eyes at her words, wondering for the thousandth time how I ever thought it was a good idea to teach her how to speak. Since we shared a mental connection the only person she could communicate with was me, which was short sighted on my part.

At the door, I smoothed my hair and night dress before pulling it open just far enough that I could peek out. A male Fae stood a foot from the threshold, his silver armor polished so that it reflected the sunlight from the open balcony behind me. The helm he wore was meticulously crafted to look like thorns, while his chest held the Court of Dawn’s insignia, a sword with a crown of roses wrapped around the hilt.

“Princess,” the thorn guard greeted, bowing slightly at the waist. “The queen’s consort wishes to have a private word.”

I suppressed the urge to sneer. Why would he want a word with me?

“I’ll inform my handmaiden when she arrives,” I said, scowling at him, hoping he picked up on my annoyance. The Fae were all about rules and etiquette but only when it suited them it seemed. “He may call upon me within the hour.”

“I’ll inform his grace.” The guard gave another short bow then turned and walked down the hallway.

I watched him until he disappeared around a corner, wondering what to make of the Consort seeking an audience with me.