"What are you talking about?" I questioned, my heart beating so rapidly in my chest I thought it might break through. "You've been keeping secrets from us?" Had he been lying to us this whole time? What did he know about Sabre?

"What do you mean, Trik?" Auron pushed, something akin to hurt enveloping him.

"I've done my fair share of research into Icrodeia, so I know what their magic stone can be used for," the blacksmith answered as he turned to look at the sun's position in the sky. When he turned back to gently move Auron's shoulder back and forth, he refused to look any of us in the eyes. "Especially since I was asked to take in Sabre."

"Asked? But you said you took her in out of the kindness of your own heart, that you couldn't stand to see her being locked up in a cage to be sold as a slave." I could already feel the betrayal lingering in the air waiting to wrap around us and squeeze with full force.

"The Sephirans asked me to take her in as they knew I was trustworthy and I work on the castle grounds. They needed someplace to keep her safe as Icrodeia was already searching for them over fifteen years ago. Racaea's castle was the only place they could think of at short notice that the Icrodieans wouldn't try to break into straight away."

"That doesn't make sense..." Auron trailed off in thought. While confusion clouded him, there was only anger building in me. "What about the slaver?"

"You lied to Sabre? You told her the night of the ball that you didn't know her parents." Trik was lucky I wasn't able to move.

Trik's hands worked down to Auron's arm, moving it back and forth again as if it were wedged in thick mud. "I didn't know them per se, I'd only met them once before you kids were even alive. I didn't meet them again at the time they were asking me to look after Sabre either, they sent her to Racaea via the slaver that I bought her from."

"Why?" Lorella asked. "I know it's probably not my place to be involved with this, but why did you take her in? There are several places a child could be safe and hidden where Icrodeia wouldn't find them, so why did you agree?"

"The Sephirans were well-known criminals in Icrodeia," he began as he continued to work through Auron's body. The slow movements made me wonder if he was massaging the magic out of him. "They were originally the leaders of a small rebellion against the monarchy there, but after most of that group was taken down, they did most of their work by themselves. Carmin and Jesper stole a lot of things in the hopes to get the Icrodeians to surrender, one of which was the whole Idaphite gem. They broke it down into smaller shards so it was easier to move and hide, and that's where this whole hunt began."

My eyes narrowed. "That doesn't answer her question."

"I took Sabre in because she was also one of those stolen goods. During the havoc of the Idaphite being stolen, they took other things. One of which was an inner-court member's child. She wasn't getting a good life constantly on the run from what the Sephirans had done, so I wanted to change that."

"You lied to her. When this information could have been used to help stop the soldiers now headed to Racaea, you lied straight to Sabre's face!"

The blacksmith ignored me, stepping back from Auron and placing his hands on his hips as if to admire his work. "How's that? Have you gotten any movement back yet, kid?"

Auron flexed his fingers and gently moved his arms around in a circular motion. While his upper body had regained its movement, although it was still a little stiff, the lower half was still stuck in the sun barrier. "Don't use this to change the subject." His brows furrowed.

"I had to lie for her own good. She-"

"Sounds like bullshit to me," I spat. How could he even call himself her father when he had been hiding so much from her?

"I think we should let him finish explaining," Lorella admitted, though her gaze was just as concerned as mine or Auron's.

"She was better off thinking her parents left her, that they weren't treating her well." Trik began to walk over to me to help set me free from the sun barrier, but one glare in his direction had him reconsidering. "You know what she's like. If she knew she had been separated from her true parents, she would have tried to find them. Given how fragile the state of the Icrodeian court has been, that wouldn't have been a good idea."

"Why was there a rebellion in the first place?" Lorella questioned. "I've never heard anything about there being any disorder in the kingdom, aside from their lasting hatred towards the fae."

"The Icrodeian royal family liked to keep all information and secrets about the country under lock and key. Their queen specifically didn't want their kingdom to look bad, so they kept everything to themselves. Secrets, materials, power, magic, everything. Their people didn't like that, so some tried to stop it."

It somehow made sense. I could believe that the rulers of Icrodeia were selfish enough to hoard everything for themselves and that their people didn't like it. Of course their citizens would revolt. Stealing the Idaphite stone to have the power shared with everyone felt like the perfect thing to do. Sabre was stolen, as well as other things, to show the inner court of Icrodeia how much their people were suffering. They wanted them to experience the same pain. Yet, there was still something missing.

"How in the forest's name do you even know any of this?" There was still something he was holding back — a secret still trapped under his tongue. "You talk like you've experienced all of this first-hand."

"I was a part of Carmin and Jesper's rebellion before it got taken out. It wasn't the main sector where all the battles and big schemes were happening, but I helped make weapons and train rebels with combat."

Auron looked like he couldn't believe what was coming out of Trik's mouth. "Why? You're not even Icrodeian. You were born and raised in Racaea, or was that a lie you told us as well?"

The blacksmith recollected his thoughts as the sound of several horses emerged in the distance. "You don't need to know everything, but just know I'll do anything for the people I love." Shadows danced across his eyes, haunted by memories. "All you need to take from this is that the Sephirans weren't Sabre's real parents and I believe Mace knows that. That's why he won't hurt her. Keep this information to yourselves, not everyone needs to know this, alright kids?"

He took a step back as the horses grew closer. "We'll get her back, don't you worry."

Before we could demand more answers out of him, he called out to the approaching group to let them know of our whereabouts. Trik was met with a fury-filled response, "is my daughter there?"

Lorella's eyes widened both in shock and fear. "Yes, father! I'm here!" She called back.

Lord Crowe and a squadron of his soldiers surrounded us as they came into view and Lorella's father dismounted his steed almost instantly to rush over to his daughter. "What happened? Why did you even think to run off at a time like this? You were foolish and reckless with your actions."

Instead of the hug that I thought the lord would pull his daughter into, he merely stood in front of her with crossed arms and a look of disapproval. Unlike Trik who was unkempt with distress for his children, Lord Crowe's hair was neatly slicked back and his beard was trimmed to perfection.

"Now's not the time, father. You need to send your forces to the Racaea border. Icrodeia is going to attack as soon as they receive word to do so and that message has already been dispatched. The Racaea royal soldiers are too far away, they won't get there in time, but our soldiers might." Hope filled her eyes as she spoke, making it bloom in my chest too. If they could get moving now, there was still a chance they could save Sabre before Mace and his fiends made it to Icrodeia.

"So, I take it the marriage has been secured?" The lord's eyes fell on me, silently judging every inch of my being. Was that all he cared about?

"Father!" Lorella cried in horror. "Our kingdom is about to be attacked by Icrodeians and all you can think about is marriage? There are people that need saving. Prince Kayne's marital status can come later."

"You see, I only agreed to let my soldiers help if there was something in it for me. If you are not at least engaged like the High Fae Queen promised me you two would be soon enough, there will be no money, weapons, or soldiers coming to this kingdom's rescue."

Trik's brows furrowed. "Aren't you supposed to be one of the best battle strategists in all of Racaea? Even I can tell this is unnecessarily selfish."

Lord Crowe shrugged with a knowing smile. "What can I say? I know where my priorities are."

"Icrodeian soldiers will be attacking the border," Auron stated slowly, as if it needed to be explained in a simpler manner for him to understand. "Isn't your manor near the border of Racaea? Your home? Belongings? The things you care about? They'll all be gone if something isn't done to stop them."

"My soldiers will guard my property just fine. Whether they expand their patrols to the whole border will be decided on this arrangement."

Everyone turned to me, waiting for my choice. As my mother wasn't here to have a final say in the matter, everything was down to me. If I didn't, the villages closest to the cold kingdom would be captured until they received further word from Mace to be destroyed and Sabre would be taken away to be tortured for information. If I did, my life would change forever. Not only would I be married to someone I didn't truly love, but I would be pushed onto the throne of Racaea. Once I was High Fae King, nothing would be the same anymore.

Though, all the new power could work to my advantage.

I met Lord Crowe's eager eyes. "I'll marry your daughter on one extra condition."

"Out with it then, boy."

"Show your future king some respect," Auron snapped, glaring at the lord before him. He had begun to massage his thighs the way Trik had done to the rest of his body to continue to set himself free.

"As well as allowing the royal family to have access to your resources and sending your soldiers to the border right now to help protect this kingdom, you will stop a group of Icrodeian spies from leaving this kingdom." If I was going to sacrifice my freedom, I would at least bring Sabre home to safety. "They are holding someone hostage who is very important to us. Bring those spies and this hostage back to me all alive and you will have your marriage."

Lorella's father held out his hand for me to shake with a smirk. "We have a deal."

There are only a few chapters left! ;)