Heart Over Sword-Chapter 245: Royal Bloodline

In the room beside the one Ronan and the others were currently in, Arawn sat beside Evanna on the bed. He watched her doze peacefully as his mind spun with thoughts. They were in Lyvaria now, and though the journey was perilous, still, as they continued to the palace, there were more obstacles to overcome.

Arawn had only visited a few times, and it was always full of twisted dances and blood, always spilt. He still fought with the idea of taking his sweet Evanna directly to a palace where it reeked of sin. But this was the final journey. For the gem.

The gem that King Nuvian and Queen Iolena would not hand over unless a deal was struck. Arawn did not know how much they knew about it. Did this Cilv woman tell them everything?

"Hmm.." Evanna turned to her side. She’d used a lot of energy in the process of healing Ronan. Arawn had felt it surge, the power almost palpable on his skin.

"*Is it wise to take her to the king and queen?*"

Arawn glanced at the night fae who slipped into the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Aware of how little he still trusted her, Fiza leaned against the door, her eerie star-like eyes flicking to Evanna.

"*We have no choice. I’d go by myself, but there isn’t much to offer to the Lyvarians.*" Nothing they would be interested in.

"*Whatever you are after, it won’t be granted easily. Whether Evanna is their grandchild or not. What is your plan exactly?*" Fiza tilted her head to the side, eyes scrutinising him.

Arawn could see the cogs turning behind her eyes. "*Do you really think I will tell you? Spymaster,*" Arawn said icily, glaring back at the fae.

His tone did not faze her. Not like it did most people. But Fiza was older, and to be a spymaster, she would have many enemies and many threats thrown at her. That was something Arawn did admire about the night fae.

It wasn’t easy to be a spymaster and one that had lived for so long.

"*What did you say?*"

Arawn turned back to see Evanna slowly sitting up, clutching the side of her head. "*We’ll talk after. Get some rest.*" He gently pushed against her shoulder, but she shook her head.

"*This concerns me. I want to know if I heard correctly..*" Evanna glanced at Fiza. "*Who are my grandparents?*"

"*Leave,*" Arawn commanded, his tone harsh.

Fiza bowed her head at the pair before slipping out of the room quietly.

"*Arawn, will you explain this to me? How long have you known?*" Evanna sat up properly, propping the pillow behind her back against the bed headboard, then held his gaze, waiting to hear his answer.

Arawn lowered his eyes with a small sigh. "*I’d prefer it if you rested first,*" he grumbled before meeting her gaze once more. "*What you are assuming is correct. King Nuvien and Queen Iolena of Lyvaria are your grandparents. Nobody knew what became of their daughter, many said she died from a mission, and others spoke of seeing her flee to the fae or human kingdoms.*"

Evanna gripped her hands tightly together. Hearing Arawn explain further what she initially believed was a dream, waking up to hear those words really was a shock. It still felt surreal.

"How? How did.." Evanna’s eyes flicked between his, her brows furrowing together as she accepted what he was telling her. Was her mother the princess of Lyvaria? "How did you know all of this? When did you find out?"

In her shock, Evanna stopped speaking in Muranthian. Arawn clasped her hand and brought it to his lips before replying. "*It was all conjecture until recently. Until you spoke with the white sabres.. where it is true that they allow Lyvarians through under the Queen’s command. Only royalty can speak and control the sabres.*

Evanna looked down at her hands, one loosely holding Arawn’s, as she thought about what Arawn told her. "*So, you’re telling me my mother, Loraven, is the missing princess from Lyvaria? And you know this based on what you saw between me and the white sabre?*"

"*Your gifts, Evanna. For someone with only partial elven and fae blood, you shouldn’t be able to wield so much power. You shouldn’t even have one gift. The gifts as well.. they match the king and queens,*" Arawn continued to explain and squeezed her hand gently. "*My father said you reminded him of an old friend of his. He has no human friends or elven peasants as friends.*"

Evanna nodded. It was a lot to take in, and although much of what Arawn said made sense, she still couldn’t fathom it. Loraven, her mother, was a Lyvarian princess. How did her parents even meet? Was it once she left these lands and her father fell for her looks when she was travelling through kingdoms?

There was so much she wished to discuss with her mother. For now, she could only ask what she knew Arawn had knowledge of. "*You spoke as though the king and queen would not accept me. Were they not aware of my existence?*" Evanna shook her head and held her hand up after reading the prince’s face.

He didn’t seem to know, and there was no point in asking. "*Why do you think it will be problematic?*" She asked instead.

"*From what my father told me about the Lyvarian royalty, they didn’t favour their daughter much. It could work in our favour that you turn up, or we could make it work in our favour. I know you want to learn more about your grandparents, but this might not be the time. Remember, it is your mother who is unwell and in dire need of the gem,*" Arawn couldn’t express it enough.

Evanna nodded slowly. "*I understand.* She did not. Not entirely. But if her mother left on bad terms with the king and queen of Lyvaria, then that was how she would view them as.

This would be nothing more than a transaction, a deal between kingdoms because this time she wouldn’t hide her identity.

She was not brought up with loving grandparents, so it was easy. Osian’s parents looked down on her; she was the king’s mistress’ bastard child. Though now, even calling her mother a mistress seemed somewhat inappropriate. Did her father know Loraven was a Lyvarian Princess?

There were so many unanswered questions, but Evanna would have to wait until the next dream walk or when she saw her mother in person. The only time she would see Loraven in person is if she had the gem. Worry started to form on her features.

"*Don’t worry, I have a plan,*" Arawn said quietly, reaching up to caress her cheek.

Evanna relaxed into his touch and his words. Arawn was no fool; if he was confident in a plan, then she would be too. What else could they really do?

"*What about the others? Can we really drag them into all of this? Do YOU want to be dragged into this? Would this not cause issues between your people?*" Evanna questioned, clutching his hand to her face for longer.

Arawn smiled, one that Evanna could never get bored of seeing. They were always so fleeting, but when he did smile, his whole face lit up, revealing more how handsome he was. "*None of us are going anywhere. I’m not sure about Fiza. And I’m quite certain saving your friend’s life made you their saviour, and they’d be willing to do anything for you now. Do not worry so much, Evanna. We all agreed to come on this quest with you.*"

Evanna couldn’t question further. She knew the men were loyal, but she wanted to make sure they knew what they were heading into so they had the chance to leave if they so wished. After resting some more, she did exactly that.

The moment those words left her lips, the men stared at her incredulously, and the tense silence was filled with shocked protests and more oaths to protect and follow her wherever she went. Garrett didn’t comment, but he followed Arawn everywhere, and his stony gaze had already confirmed his answer to Evanna’s ’silly’ question. Fiza remained quiet, but it seemed to be because of the strange energy in the room towards the dark fae more than anything.

Evanna wasn’t foolish enough, though, to ask Fiza to follow them and come along for their mission. Like Arawn, and after befriending someone like Cilv, Evanna couldn’t quite trust Fiza. She was right not to, and Fiza seemed to understand this too. She was a spymaster; there was no other explanation for it.

Even if they had travelled and fought together, it was all for survival, and that was how Evanna would look at their strange friendship.

The group stayed in the lodgings Balin provided for them for another two days, remaining warm, recovering from their fatigue and injuries and stocking up for the rest of the journey. The snow remained heavy, continuously swirling in and roaring across the lands for the entire time.

Due to the weather, the journey Arawn and Garrett had planned to take was blocked.

"It will take at least ten days to unblock the paths so it is safe passage to the palace," Balin said as he stopped by Evanna’s table in the inn after overhearing their conversation.

"Ten days?!" Axel exclaimed, banging his mug of ale down to the table. Not many elves drank the stuff, but other travellers did, and the barman seemed more than happy to serve Axel, Ger and Ronan.

"We cannot stop for ten days," Evanna said. She kept her hood and mask up, covering most of her features. After her discussion with Arawn, it was better to keep her features hidden, especially if others were familiar with Loraven.

"There is another route that leads to the palace, the path of Leviathan. Though it has not been taken for some time," Balin suggested, his smile that didn’t reach his eyes made Evanna’s skin crawl and a shiver run down her spine.

"Why does nobody travel this route?" Garrett asked, his voice full of suspicion.

Balin held his hands up, grinning, like he enjoyed the line of questioning and suspicion. Whereas others would be insulted by it. Lyvarians must be a strange folk. It was possible because of the snow and wilderness they lived in. "Because the usual route is easier to get to the palace. This one will still take at least two days, but the path is harder."

Garrett looked to Arawn and Evanna, waiting for their answer on what to do next. Evanna and Arawn shared a look, one without needing to question their choice.

"Then the path of Leviathan is what we shall take," Arawn confirmed. "We leave at dawn."

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