had been sitting for a few minutes by my own already, staring blankly at the untouched cup of steaming tea and piece of chocolate croissant laying on the oak table before me. Warm light poured from the crystal chandelier, reflecting on the silver patterns decorating the edge of my plate and filling the small room I was in.

There was close to half an hour before the second meeting started, and as I had nothing better to do, I sat there, waiting Father and Ramos to finish their duties and join me here to rest a bit.

The only thing that perturbed the silence was the ticking of the ancient clock behind me accompanied by my breathing. And I hated it. That muteness left me to my thoughts, playing on my nerves as I ran from plan to plan on how to tell them about what discovered.

The fear was driving me utterly insane, twisting my emotions altogether. How? There was no gentle way to let him know, no smooth talk to tell him that his daughter was going to die. No way to evade the heartache.

I would have screamed in frustration if I hadn't sensed their presence coming closer, two or three minutes until they reached this chamber. I pushed the darkness away, steadied my heartbeat as best as I could, and put on the mask of neutrality I had faced the servants with.

I was about to dig my fork into my croissant for the sheer act, my stomach not so eager for food, when the door opened.

"Oh my," said Ramos, closing the door and resting his ivory-carved cane against one wall. "I didn't believe I would see even more beauty in my entire lifetime than what I've seen last night.''

He pulled me in a bear hug and I wrapped my arms around him tightly. At least, the smile I was giving wasn't feigned. "But here you are, looking divine."

I pulled back from the hug, keeping the smile plastered on my face as I turned to my father, throwing myself in his embrace. He kissed my forehead and it took me everything, everything, not to cry in that very moment.

"How was it?" I asked as I stared at my king, shielding my aura from anything that could give away the fakeness I was wearing like second skin.

They took their seats, my father on my immediate right, Ramos opposite us. Two cups and plates appeared magically, resting in front of them. They didn't touch it, most likely having already eaten before attending.

"Fine enough. Based on Claurod's words, Arelesia is faring well,'' replied Ramos, fingers in his beard. ''Of course, some problems here and there, but overall, our grip on the continent is better that what it has been a few years ago."

"That's great,'' I said, half the enthusiasm not a lie. The other half was dreading each ticking of the clock.

"It is. Eziara, from what Sorcha told us, is''--Father paused for an instant, weighing what word to say--"decaying, for the lack of a better fitting word. What she, and your phoenix, told us was nothing from what we'd already pieced last night."

"Does she know?''

"No,'' replied Ramos, lifting his cup to his lips."She suspects something terrible is building, but is as clueless as we were before reaching Siltheres's realm. Now that we speak of it, it was quite generosity from your bird to help her through her observation of the continent."

"And a misfortune that he didn't accompany her today. I was quite eager to meet him," added Father and it was now I realized that neither Father nor Ramos had met Téors before.

"That can be easily fixed.'' Their eyes were intent on me as I whistled a short melody, the sound echoing from wall to wall. There was not even a second between the moment my lips sealed again and the moment I felt warmth against my back like a whisper of fire brushing my bare skin. The heat escalated quickly and even without turning my head, I could feel the wings spreading behind before light flashed so brightly around us the men sitting in my presence had to shield their eyes. I didn't do as much as blink.

When the light died and they stared again, Téors was already fully formed, head on my left shoulder, talons most likely on the head of the wooden chair I was sitting on, and golden eyes studying us.

His fire hissed, glowing white and colors and a mere tinge of black all at once, bringing fiercely the gold forming his beak and talons.

'Your Excellencies,' he said, voice echoing solely in our minds. He turned his gaze fully on me, ' My lady.'

I stroked his fire, feeling him gently purr beneath my touch. Father and Ramos were wordless as they stared at him, taking in all his details. What they were expecting, I wasn't quite sure. Perhaps Téors's grace was more than what they'd imagined; he had changed from what he was that night at the Fire Festival. He became more majestic and graceful and...holy.

"Gods above," muttered Father, reclining in his seat, one hand rubbing his chin. He then looked at me, light in his eyes. "Do you have any more surprises up your sleeves I should expect?''

"One or two,'' I said, earning a chuckle from Ramos that I made myself laugh along.

I have one that isn't quite pleasant.

Still stroking Téors's fiery plumage, I asked, "Do you want to try it?", trying to hide any indications the phoenix's voice was echoing in my head, whispering gently.

This beast was in the Dragon's lair before thou have called. I have seen the prophecy.

Téors screeched as in response to my offer, shifting his position as I responded, whispering in the bond binding us, Good, now play along. They do not know, not yet.

The phoenix rested his glimmering talons on my left shoulder, wings tucking behind him with grace as I lifted the cup of hot tea to his beak. He bended smoothly, sipping from the drink.

"There are rumors,'' Ramos said, eyes not wavering from the mass of fire on my shoulder as he continued to finish his cup."That you do not need food or drink to survive."

'Those legends are true.' Téors straightened. 'The last time I was fed was before the first Red War.' He gave a side glance so subtle I wouldn't have perceived it if I wasn't looking, and said to my father, 'Your daughter's hand are the only ones that can nourish me. Any stranger's one will weaken my rebirth, some even threatening to end my existence.'

"Because she bears her name," Father stated as I was feeding Téors a piece of the croissant.

The bird paused momentarily before resuming, observing us all before he replied, 'She, Goddess of many titles, forged me from sheer will a few years following creating Siltheres. We were her first creations.'

A pause.

'And the most powerful of all, not only hers, but in the entire Circle. The name'--a glance at me--'comes with many privileges. Limited in number perhaps, but their extent is not.'

Three pairs of eyes averted to me, Téors's glinting with what I couldn't read, Father and Ramos's not so shocked, thankfully. We had become accustomed to hearing this it didn't even surprise us half what it should have.

"Do you know what they are?'' I queried, shattering the silence that was starting to weigh on us.

'I do, but cannot tell. This was the very first vow Lord Aether made me swear upon forging thee. But I can warn thee, those powers are not short. They can wreck this world thou all love so much and then forge it from nothing but pure chaos.'

My breath hitched this time. Too much, this was too much power. I had barely unlocked so little during those months I trained and travelled.

But powers to destroy an entire world.

'This much is not granted blindly,' the phoenix added, not eating anymore, 'thou will need it in the coming war.'

Another silence fell on us, but this time, it was different. Suffocating. Dread and fear filled the room, the air even, making my lungs heavy.

Then, my king turned at me, and I read the words forming in his mind before he even opened his mouth. My heart ached, cracking bit by bit.

"Have you found anything?''

I tensed, not even trying to hide it. I nodded.

"What is it?'' he pressed and the Court Leader leaned on his elbows, waiting to analyze what secret card might be under our sleeve.

I dared a glance back at the clock, noting there was little time to discuss it. I almost sighed with relief.

"It is not something pleasant.'' Not a lie, perhaps the most honest thing I'd said during those twenty minutes. "But we don't have enough time to discuss it.'' I stared each in the eyes and continued, "After the gathering, I will let you know everything."

Everything.

I knew they weren't pleased with this answer, could see the begging in their eyes to tell them, to give them hope in defeating the threats loaming above us. I looked away, faking interest in Téors's fire.

He, thankfully, played along the lie that there was utterly nothing disrupting me, and cooed, 'Lord Aether surely wanted thee to shine today.' What could have been the equivalent of a smile lit his face as he pointed his beak to my dress. 'Thou have not seen half its beauty just yet.'

I stiffened and so did the men in my company.

''King Aether sent it?'' there was shock in Ramos's voice.

'He, high and powerful, forged it from both the sunlight and the darkness of night to fit her perfectly, and sent me to lay it in her closets, making sure Nayal finds it. He wishes to let them all know--many the men he aims at, especially a certain Lord his name I believe is Perdiel--that she is queen.'

He looked at me, that smile seeming to grow.

'And his most favored soul.'

His most favored, yet, he was willing to deprive me from this life, to take me from the people I loved. Téors kept staring, and this time said nothing. He knew, I realized, many things I didn't that could change the destiny of this world. But I knew more that he could never hint them without risking his soul and Ardoria falling into chaos.

'The gathering shall start soon. Thou should get ready. I will take thine leave, ' he whispered, bowing his head and vanished just as fast as he came. Silence fell again.

The gathering room was situated in one of the main towers of the castle. And just like the First Norm, it kept shifting between them for protection so our presence, at any moment, couldn't be tracked.

The antechamber we'd been in was situated at the foot of one of the four main structures. The only way to reach the top where we were waited was to vanish--it was a sort of security as only powerful Ardorians could practice this sort of magic.

And so, after Téors left, we talked a bit about what to expect from this assembly, waited a bit more past the meeting time--just for power, as we were royals, and it was our Courts' duty to wait for us, and not the other way around--and vanished, reforming just in front of the immense, double doors that served for nothing more than looks.

The gathering room was enormous, consisting of layer after layer of cushioned seat in circular pattern, fitting the tower's structure. The layers kept on going for each family, each position, each title, the most powerful at the top, the lesser nobles at the far end.

Each layer seemed to shrink in size, ours the most spacious with countless seats, which brought quite irony. The Armedes family always conceived the lowest number of children for safety purposes, only needing an heir, and yet held more than a hundred seats for us to pick and observe from.

There were only Father, Ramos, and me.

The room was filled, one soul or two more than a thousand ones already seated. And once we took our places--Ramos sitting alongside as he was considered a part of family for three generations of Rulers already, despite being born poor--we felt the room starting to move. And then the far ceiling vanished into nothingness, replaced by a clear blue sky.

It wasn't visible, but I could feel the magic warding it, protecting us, intensified by the sunlight pouring in because the King was the bearer of the Sun, and it only made him stronger.

Everybody rose, bowed, and stood stones-still as the royal anthem played from nowhere.

I gave myself that minute or two to stare at all the faces present, shoulders squared and chin held high. I didn't fail in noticing Leon and his family sitting opposite us on the layer right below, then the Cardelyon family, followed by an empty one for the Second Crown of Rimelia, flowed by Sorcha and her sons.

Then, the counts and earls and rest of the nobles started layering, and I only focused on the lavender-eyed Fifth Countess of Cantelot before the music stopped and everyone's eyes were intent on us.

On me.

Because there was light around me, both from my own skin and from the dress Aether had sent. Téors's words couldn't have been truer, because the gown was no longer silk and satin and lace but pure light. And darkness.

I glowed like a new born sun and in the same time seeped a darkness flecked with stars. I was both bright and dark, a symbol of time and power.

I heard the hitching of breaths, the gasps, heard the thoughts howling in the minds of the people watching us. I allowed myself to smile as the three of us rose, each extending our right hand and saying in one, united and firm voice, "Let this meeting begin.''