•|•|•

"I was wondering when you would ask about all this."

•|•|•

I SPLATTERED OUT streaks of water, whilst Claire roughly patted my back to bring me back to normal whilst scolding Lira who stood there unaffected.

"It was merely a quarter full, I swear!" she huffed, but Claire didn't seem too convinced, "for Pete's sake, I didn't even spill all of it," she argued, showing her the bucket.

"You reds are so fragile," she huffed before moving towards me, ordering Claire to move, roughly making her sit in front of me as she did the honors.

She soothed my back, in circles until I was able to breathe, "there, see! Easy peasy," she grunted, folding her arms.

Claire quickly moved forward, concerned eyes on me.

"Are you okay, T?" she asked, and after a good long breath in, I nodded, still exhausted, running a hand through my sticky wet hair.

"She could have died!" Claire huffed glaring at Lira.

"Well, isn't this a miracle?" Lira mocked.

Claire gave her an exasperated look, whilst I calmed down.

She let out a sigh, before her eyes dropped to me, "Sorry about that T, you overslept again," she stated, her tone still dipping in concern.

I glanced at her, pushing my hair out of my face before checking my watch. Well, in five minutes I would be missing breakfast.

"Get up reddy," Lira huffed walking toward the door, "now that it's been established that you can easily be murdered in your sleep, I think it's in your best interest to finally wake up," she offered, turning slightly, before opening the door, bucket in hand, revealing a curious-looking David who peered in.

He waved at me momentarily, whilst I offered a tired grin back.

"David and I are heading down for breakfast, " she huffed, glancing down at him, "Daya isn't here, lover boy" She sighed at his searching eyes, causing him to look up at her, rolling his eyes.

"You'll never find her here, believe me," she huffed dragging him along.

"Uh- I'll see you guys at breakfast," David called before the door closed in his face.

I managed a short chuckle at this, and so did Claire before her dark eyes turned to me.

"I'm sorry about that, Lira was convinced you were dead after we tried to wake you up for the gazillionth time, " she chuckled pushing me playfully, "by the way, you sleep like you're dead."

My face heated up at this, cheeks warming, as I managed a small smile, that formed at the corner of my lips.

She stood up and my smile faded, my lips pursuing as I pulled my knees up, rubbing my arm, staring at the sheets as I remembered the weird dream that I had.

The toddler, the figure, that child with those nightmare wings, my parents, the flashing of lightning mirrored across the sky-

"You- need to take a shower," Claire began causing me to look at her, as she turned slightly towards me, standing by my wardrobe.

"And you need to wipe yourself down before you soak your sheets any further," she hummed, moving forward to rummage through the clothes, pushing her glasses back up her nose, pausing for a second.

I looked away not thinking much of it as there were too many things going on in my head to think of anything else.

Was it a dream?

It felt so real.

I never had a dream that was that realistic.

I rubbed my neck for a moment, remembering the face of the child, my palm brushing against my cheeks as I pushed my hair out of the way, pausing when I felt the texture.

That was me.

I was her.

The image of the bluish hue draining out of the younger me to the child, my eyes narrowing at nothing in particular when I thought of the child.

The nightmare dark wings on his back. I could have sworn I had seen it all before.

Twice.

Once, around the hooded figures that had encircled the plane that mom, Gravis, and I were in before we plummeted from the sky and the other-

I paused my heart beating harshly at the thought, with-

"Harvest."

Startled by the blurt of his name, I looked up at Claire, heart beating, as she came slowly into view with something in her hand.

Over her shoulder was my towel, but in her hand was a large dark coat, way too oversized for me, in the same unique pattern and shade as Harvests.

My eyebrows arched at the scene as she showed it to me,

"T-this looks like Harvests," she stuttered out shortly.

The memory of him throwing it over my shoulders, that one night I had spent with him echoed through my mind. I had completely forgotten that I even had it.

We stared at each other for a passing second, before she pursed her lips, wordlessly placing them back.

"Never seen you wear it," she replied quietly, before looking back at me, a practiced smile on her face as she moved forward, handing me a towel, "here."

I searched her eyes for a moment and I had this feeling that she knew something, though for some reason she didn't say anything.

I accepted the silence, however, nodding gratefully as I took it, and she glanced at the floor, eyebrows furrowing.

"What's this?" she asked.

My gaze traveled to her as she bent down and picked up something from the floor, the whitish ivory tusk coming into view.

I quickly grabbed it from her almost as if on instinct and she seemed started by this.

I didn't mean to act that way, like some kind of obsessed order and I couldn't even explain why I did, feeling protective over it, slowly looking up to her surprised expression over my reaction.

She nodded at nothing, in particular, her tone even quieter.

"I-I'll see you down at breakfast-i-ff you'll make it," she added with a short smile, pushing her glasses back up her nose, and I nodded in reply.

The door closed behind her and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding looking down at the tusk, curiously.

It had been there too, in my dreams.

[This kind of conductor is a little bit stronger- It will- take you places, that you desire. - there is a reason why your dilect is hidden, reasons I cannot identify, however, secrets may only be hidden for so long]

I breathed in slowly, my other hand rubbing the length of my throat, thinking about the last thing I thought of last night.

I wanted so badly to know why.

Why my Dilect was hidden, why I was shadowed and protected more than necessary all my life. I always thought it was because of my status as heir to the throne of Barotse, but now I wasn't so sure that was the case anymore.

I studied the tusk in my grip, what if-

What if this conductor could take me places- in time?

Back in time to where it all happened?

Miss Almulese said it would take me places I desired. I desired to find out why and everything that I saw- I trailed off, trying to piece things together.

My jaw tightened, my fists encircling the tusk harshly before my angry eyes looked at the closed door, jaw ticking.

Getting to my feet, I grabbed a hoody throwing it over my silk pajama trousers, pulling up the hood over my head.

I threw the tusk and grabbed a random book, jotting down something, before grabbing my bag, book in hand, storming out of the room.

Locking the room behind me, I noticed that the corridors were mostly empty with a few uniformed students lounging about.

I figured most were in the breakfast hall.

I used this to my advantage, quickly walking through the halls, and coming out in the open space.

I walked down the pathway to the crown, the cold morning air blowing in my face, a light set of fog hanging in the air, the perfect camouflage.

The large building of the Crown loomed over me and made me feel weird, and for a second I felt a pair of eyes watching me.

I looked up at the top of the library but nothing was there except the eerily fog.

I shivered at the thought remembering the eyes of that red-eyed figure in the bathroom, before entering the Crown, to my relief.

I moved down the empty hallways, knowing exactly where I wanted to go, my heart strumming inside me as my anger, anticipation, and just plain confusion echoed through me, asking for relief, knowledge, and truth.

I stopped at the sight of the familiar-looking door, staring at it blankly for a second. Here I would find all the answers that I desired.

Was I ready? Taking a deep breath in, I raised a shaky hand reaching for the knob.

Turning it, I let myself in, closing the door behind me softly, leaning my forehead against it to catch myself, heart hammering within me.

"Tala?"

My mother's silky voice could be heard from behind me, as I breathed out slowly, facing the door, hands still shaky.

I looked down at the book in my hand for a second before turning around, and coming face to face with my mother, who was standing by the window, eyebrows arched, yet a smile on her face that slowly disappeared when she saw tears that filled in my eyes.

Concern drew over her features instantaneously,

"Tala? Sweetheart? I-Is there something wrong-"

'Was I born mute?" I signed, my hands, very shaky.

This question seemed to take her off guard, frozen to her spot, an unrecognizable look drawing on her features, as her eyebrows drew together.

I sniffed, repeating the question whilst taking a step forward, hands moving along, this time more confident and stronger than before,

'WAS I BORN MUTE?" I questioned again, and her shaky hand reached out for her necklace, fumbling it for a second, her breathing seemed to have grown hollow, as she studied my eyes, still seemingly undertaken.

I could see her swallow shakily, before shaking her head slowly, staring me dead in the eye, a hollow look mirrored in them with a quivering shaky voice.

"No."

Tears flowed down my face, released at the singular word, I shook my head as I stared down at the floor, sniffing, feeling as if I was drowning in a watery pit of lies that I never even knew I was in so deep.

I ran a hand through my damp fluffy hair, keeping it in there for a second as I stared at the ceiling, trying to stop my rushing tears.

Trying so hard to be strong.

I looked back at her, my hands quaking- swallowing dryly.

"W-what happened to my voice?" I signed.

Her shaky hand covered her mouth, for a second, staring at me blankly as if for the first time, the mother I knew to be confident and fluent had no words.

She showed pain in her every action, pain that I had never seen in her eyes before, yet she remained quiet.

That didn't sit well with the anger that was bubbling inside of me.

The feeling of frustration, of almost there and yet always falling short.

Of being weak, too weak to be trusted, so weak that I had to be protected like a fragile piece of glass, and even now, I could see it in her eyes.

She was still doing it.

Shielding me from something, something that I desired to embrace after so long of being hidden.

To feel and to understand.

I moved to her, signing quickly as my tears dropped.

"Why am I here? Why was I never told of Kingsland? Why didn't you say anything? Why did you and Dad keep all of this from me? who am I? What was I capable of doing? What was my dilect?" I bombarded her as she watched helplessly.

"What on earth is this place?" I signed pointing out of the window, feeling weak, as I broke down, taking a seat at the edge of her bed.

Seconds passed before I heard her shaky voice, sounding a little more confident this time.

"I was wondering," she began, causing me to slightly turn to her, her figure blurry from the tears threatening to spill.

"When you would ask," she continued walking toward me, "about all this," she added, taking a seat beside me.

She looked down at me with love and pity, something that had always been mixed in her eyes for as long as I could remember.

"I can't tell you everything," she began quietly, wiping her tears from her eyes, "but I can tell you parts and pieces, as you've asked," she began softly.

She paused, looking at me, yet her brown chocolate eyes seemed to be far away, shaking her head softly,

"You were the happiest child I had ever laid eyes on, from the second you were born- you changed the world," she stated, eyes dropping to me, I rubbed the tears from my eyes, trying to clear my vision, eyebrows arching at the statement.

"Your Dilect," she began, "was so strong," she finished, a small smile grazing against her lips, "I mean, I always knew it would be strong, I felt it when you were inside me, long before your birth. The feeling of power, and strength. I told your father, she's a strong one," she grinned.

I tried to smile but I remained anxious.

"As soon as you could sit," she continued, her eyes narrowing at nothing in particular," it became more apparent, you could do things, only converts could do," she explained with shining eyes, "move things with your mind. Heal things, move places in seconds. One moment, you would be here, the next you would be seated on our father's lap, with the most stubborn expression on your face. It was the very best place you treasured in the whole world," she chuckled at this, "it used to startle the heck out of him," she laughed.

"Especially during his meetings, when Gravis blocked those large doors, with his 6ft tall self," she grinned, "denying access to anyone. But one look in those beautiful eyes would leave him under your spell, and as soon as you were in your father's arms, one touch of your stubborn chubby little fingers, clutching tightly against one of his large fingers, so much so, that no one was able to tear you away from him," she added, her hands reaching out for mine holding them tightly.

"He could not say no to you. He would allow you anything you wished for. He was a slave to all your little wants," she chuckled and grinned, too, "still is," she added, patting my hand.

I nodded, with a slight chuckle missing my father even more.

'S-so what was my dilect?' I signed, puffy eyes looking back up at her.

She took in a deep breath, sniffling for a second, staring at the ceiling, before her eyes locked back to me.

"I don't know," she answered quietly, "it was always different," she added, eyes narrowing at nothing particular, "and yet, it was powerful, very powerful. I marveled at it every day," she explained, "You were so different from any baby I had ever seen. You hardly ever cried, and you liked to talk, to form words no one else could understand.

I brushed it off as baby talk, but whenever I saw you and your father communicating, I realized it was something else.

He never explained it, but it was a language that he seemed to understand. One that allowed him to know every single thing you wanted, way before I could even guess it," she grinned.

"I felt betrayed, to say the least," she added, glancing at me, "that my child was so close to her father than to me," she added humorously, amusement dancing in her eyes, and I grinned too until I watched her pause for a second, stopping again as the silence reigned between us.

Her gaze traveled down at the place where our hands connected, tightening her hold on mine, "then one night," she began, swallowing dryly.

Silence consumed us for a moment as her gaze shifted back to mine.

"I just- I felt something was wrong. I could hear you scream, even in my dreams," she gasped, breathlessly, her hand fumbling her necklace for a second and it was almost as if I could hear her heart frantically beating against its cage for a second,

"and then through the baby monitors," she added.

"You sounded so scared, so much in pain-" she paused eyes meeting mine suddenly and I saw her confusion, eyebrows arched.

"You were in SO much pain, and you were calling- I could hear it this time somehow too, calling for me, for your father, for help," her tears stained her cheek, her hands cupping mine for a second,

"I ran, I ran so fast into that room, your father not so far behind me, and I brought you in my arms, and I looked for what scared you, my heart was racing within me," she paused shutting her eyes almost as if she was picturing the moment right now.

"I-I couldn't find it, " she replied, her eyes slowly opening, "I couldn't find anything, and then everything went deathly quiet. I hated that silence," she huffed shaking her head, her fingers shaking as she looked at her open palm.

"I looked down at you, balling your eyes out, and I couldn't-" she paused, shaking her head, eyes shutting, hand tightening around mine, her voice dragging in a shaky quake.

"I couldn't hear you," she whispered so low I could barely hear, "I couldn't hear anything-" she added this time with venom and confusion.

"I looked at your father, and I was trying to make sense of it. I hoped so bad- so badly that it was I that had lost my hearing. I hoped it was me-" she paused, shaky hand pointing at herself as I watched with teary eyes,

"And so I gave him to you because I knew if I couldn't hear you, he could- he HAD to, but.." she trailed off, shaking her head, looking back at me tears filling her eyes,

"He couldn't either." she paused at this, taking a shaky breath out, as I did.

"Since that moment," she began, holding my eyes, "everything changed. You couldn't do what you used to. You became quiet and secluded. You liked to be alone and less cheerful and bright like you used to be. You enjoyed the silence," she sighed, "silence I just hated so much for you," she added, running a hand through her hair.

"You ask me, what happened to your voice?" she said looking at me, "I couldn't tell you that, because I simply do not know," she began, "what I do know is, your father has a lot of enemies," she began, "very powerful enemies, simply because of WHO he is," she began, her hand still tightly against mine,

"Many very powerful enemies. Your birth was not a secret, and that may have been the reason why it was so easy to target you," she began, kissing my forehead for a second,

"And for that, I ask for your forgiveness Tala," she pursed her shaky lips, holding both of my hands in hers, staring down at the connection.

"W-we failed you, something we swore we would never do." she paused at this, eyes trailing up to me, "Never again," she repeated, "We had to make sure you were protected. We couldn't expose you to all this," she began glancing at the window for a moment, at Kingsland.

"Not whilst you didn't have a dilect to protect yourself. A human in the midst of the unnatural?" her eyes narrowed down at those words.

"You would have been the perfect target to bring your father to his knees, and his enemies sit on his throne," she explained, "We couldn't protect you if everyone knew, so we hid you, shielded you. Kept you away from this world," she added looking at the window once more, gaze lingering there,

"Because we thought IT was gone, but during the fall," she paused.

"As the plane was spinning out of control, and I was reaching for you," she began, still seemingly lost in her head.

"I heard your voice. that familiar voice, so loud and clear in my head. A voice I could never forget even after so many years," she began hopeful eyes on me.

"And then despite your injuries, you healed in seconds, something no one had ever seen before," she marveled.

"It was then we realized that your dilect was never lost, maybe hidden, for its protection, like some sort of defense mechanism," she began suddenly getting up to her feet.

And I saw it too, the other day, as you slept in my bed," she grinned, walking toward the window sill, taking the bouquet, from the pane.

"Remember these?" she asked.

I glanced at the rose flowers, my mind flashing back to the memory of how shriveled up and dried up they had been, only to wake up the next day to see them fully blooming.

I thought she had replaced them but now -

"I-I did that?" I signed as she placed the bouquet in my hands.

"I watched them grow in seconds with my own two eyes, as you slept in my arms," she replied, her shaky hand hovered over her lips, eyes gleaming in hope and what I could describe as growing excitement.

I shook my head unable to understand, looking up at her questionably, she moved to me.

"It's coming, Talanda. I can feel the power once more. I could feel it from the moment of the accident to the first time I saw you after, and today, I feel it in you stronger than ever," she smiled softly.

"Your dilect is returning to you, this is just the beginning," she started, her eyes sparkling.

My heartbeat was roughly within me as I stared at the blooming roses, and then back at my mother.

I Didn't know how to feel about this, but I could feel the corners of my lips rise, in some kind of relief.

"I wish I could tell you more my dear, but for your growth, you need to follow every lead," she stated, moving back to me, "You're so close."

•|•|•

There's the story 🥹

•|•|•