*A long time ago*

Chay, James, and Ida sat under the willow tree with the fireflies still lighting it nearly as well as daylight in the darkened night, and passed around the bottle of rum James had had on board.

“You mean to tell me, that this war is stemming from our Beast Fey?” Chay asked staring at the sky lost in thought.

“Over centuries, yes. Your people sired magical Beasts devoid of reason or communication into the world, and didn’t take ownership of the results. This has been a hardship to all but your own kind.” Ida commented feeling the warmth in her cheeks, and the soft music lull her into a relaxation deeper than anything she had ever felt before.

Chay pondered this, and scratched at his smooth chin.

“Tell me more of the world here, perhaps about your kind for instance? I have only heard of Servicers, but never seen one.” Chay suggested as he took the bottle James offered to him and drank the burning amber liquid generously.

“They are bonded to anyone who can afford them, and are known to take their Masters to the absolute height of their capabilities. They teach, protect, and are a confidant. They are loyal to none other than their Masters, and the bond is only broken when one of them dies.” James recited tiredly as he gazed out at his beloved ocean.

“I’d like to hear the Lady’s response if you don’t mind Lord Murphy.” Chay passed the bottle to Ida who snorted in a most improper manner before she took a deep drink for herself.

“It’s all a lie.”

James whipped his head around to stare at Ida.

Her life before becoming his Servicer, and her narration of her duties had always been parroted from his school texts. Not once had she ever voiced anything of a personal nature aside from the first day of the bonding 2 years ago when she had seen his telescope.

“How do you mean, my Lady?”

“This… waste of a continent is ruled by tyrants. Slavers that have rewritten history for their own bloody gains.”

James pushed every ounce of sobriety he had left into focusing into what she was saying.

“The North and South Kings you mean?” Chay asked softly.

James noticed the scenery around them grow hazy and the lights of the fireflies dim.

The Fey man was trying to coax more information out of Ida, but James was too curious himself to intervene.

“No. The nations are blind if they do not see who truly rules them.”

James hesitated, but knew the answer all the same.

“The Ruling Family.” He stated, instead of questioned. Ida gave a short angry nod as she continued staring at the blurry sea in the distance.

“They carry the primary bond to all Servicer’s under their care. Servicer’s can have more than 1 bond, but the primary bond is the most potent. The Ruling Family holds absolute power to manipulate the Kingdoms as they see fit, and their reach is spreading. They took my sister and I from our home, from our Kingdom, village, and family. They took us from the position of respect we are supposed to hold.” Ida gripped the neck of the bottle, her rosy cheeks deepening in color and her eyes flashing in rage.

“What are Servicer’s supposed to be?” James whispered, fear climbing up through his toes up to his belly.

“Guardians.” Ida took another drink and thrust the bottle back at Chay.

“We are meant to be bonded to our villages, and cities… we are to be protectors, teachers, and aids to all the people. We were gifted speed from the Gods to travel in times of duress. We were gifted the ability to absorb knowledge in order to gift our people with their lessons. We do this, not to be enslaved, but because we are only one part of a greater puzzle to create a world of harmony. We guarded the people of magicks who healed, who saw into the minds and souls, who saw the past and future, and those who protected from those that used their powers improperly. Only, your Ruling Family here… has changed it all.”

The 2 men remained silent in the awe of this information.

“Who is your primary bond if you aren’t to serve individuals?” Chay asked his eyes glimmering.

“We can bond to multiple people as a primary, but it must be done at the same time. If our villages had new babes, the village would renew their primary bond with the new borns.”

“Does the Ruling Family know if there are other primary bonds?” James pondered aloud.

“No. That is only known to the Servicer themselves. However if a Servicer isn’t already bonded, then they will automatically become the Primary. Servicers born and raised on the Island are unaware of this.”

“Why didn’t you add James as a primary bond to offset the Ruling Family?”

“The ones bonding us has to set that into our vows, and the reach of the Ruling Family is far. That is not feasible.”

The weight of the grim reality was becoming heaver around the trio as Ida, for the first time since her capturing at the age of 13, spoke openly about the truth of her kind.

“Are there no Fey in your land?”

“There are, but the Fey here do not follow the codes of honor. They do not work with the people as they do in my home. Yours have turned their backs. Thinking they are better… and as a result, your seeds have lost their grounds. You breed with others because your own kind is dying as a direct result.”

Chay’s face paled even more.

“Is this why you came to talk to me?” The Fey man suddenly appeared to be glowing, his brilliance hard to look at, and James found himself squinting with all his might against it to keep his eyes on Ida’s resigned expression.

“I came because I was curious.”

James felt himself reach out, around Chay’s back, and touch Ida’s shoulder.

She blinked rapidly several times, the illusion starting to leave her eyes as she finally saw James’ pale face.

She said nothing, but her expression bore the apology for her.

“I have an idea for you both.” Chay glanced at the 2 on either side of him.

They stared perplexed in return.

“Would you two consider coming to Tara? Perhaps we may try fixing some of these wrongs. I must say, I am particularly curious to learn more about Servic- sorry. Guardians. I think my people will be very interested to learn about your land, Ida. In fact, what is your Kingdom called?”

Ida smiled as she locked eyes with James who was also smiling out of joy at sharing a new adventure together.

“The East Kingdom.”

***

Aggie awoke the next morning to see Arlen in deep conversation with the Minkies, his face was ashen, and dark purple lines were dredged under his eyes.

She felt a mixture of pain and regret at having told him the truth of his lineage, and wondered if he would ever be glad of the information.

When Tork had escorted her away from Arlen, she had been frustrated that, once again she was being left out of an important moment, until he had explained.

“When a person is falling apart, hearing someone they care for deeply become distressed can make things worse.”

Aggie had begrudgingly accepted that truth, as she was fairly certain she wouldn’t be able to remain calm given whom his father was.

Slowly, the Lady sat up, and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Tork was heckling Declan about something, and Bonnie was laughing gaily beside them.

A prodding sensation in her elbow followed by a sharp prick, made Aggie jump at the realization that Quib was right beside her.

He appeared to be looking for food as he snuffled beside her, his breath coming out in clouds in front of him.

With a sigh, she patted his soft snout before she rose, and left the creature to inspect her blanket more thoroughly.

Aggie walked over to where Arlen and the Minkies were, and sat down beside her Servicer with her legs crossed.

Her annoyance that they all immediately stopped talking and stared at her was abundantly obvious.

“What did I say about cutting me out of important discussions you wanks!” She barked, and noticed a corner of Keynan’s mouth twitch as though he were fighting off a smile.

“We were actually talking about that Beatha.” The Queen gave Aggie a level stare.

“However, before we relay some information to you, there is something we were hoping you could help us with.”

Aggie omitted a small grunt as a reply.

Arlen turned to her, his tired drawn face softening some of the Lady’s more violent impulses.

“I need to know more about the Captain. I need to know exactly what you know, because this information could sentence not just myself to death, but my mother as well. I am already being hunted as a deviated Servicer, and my mother is more than likely under intense scrutiny- most likely my siblings are as well.”

Aggie leaned back slightly.

“I told you everything.” Her throat was tight. She did not want to talk anymore about her time on the boat.

“There is another way.” Jed said quietly from the Queen’s side.

Aggie frowned. She didn’t like where this was going.

“I am able to access your memories, and relay the images to Arlen. Though I will also see them.”

Her expression morphed to one of horror.

“Not a fucking chance!” Aggie balled her hands into fists. “That is a massive violation of my privacy.” Her nails were digging into the skin of her palms.

“Just accept it may or may not be true and we will go from there.” She didn’t even dare look at Arlen-, her heart couldn’t take the face he must be making.

“I think we need her to know everything before she will agree. We do not have time for delays, we need to start traveling again.” Keynan addressed the Queen, his voice quiet, but urgent.

The Queen had been studying Aggie throughout the exchange, as though making an estimate on how the information would be received.

"Very well. Lady Beatha,”

“-It’s Aggie!” The Lady was inches from throttling the Queen.

“This is not the time, Beatha.” The Queen’s eyes flashed, and Aggie felt a flicker of understanding at why she had become the ruler of her people.

“Lady Beatha, the reason myself and my people have chosen to aid you, and abducted you in the first place, is because you have a great destiny that was foreseen the moment you were conceived.”

Aggie blinked.

“You are meant to accomplish at least 3 acts of greatness that will forever change the world, and your children are foretold to be the bearers of the full power of Life Magick, and they will continue the changes you set in motion. You will rise to a position of great power, though you are never meant to rule. The Minkies are the force in this world to maintain balance, and we saw our involvement in our own visions.”

Several moments of silence passed as Aggie absorbed the information, at which time, the Queen saw fit to continue.

“We were not entirely certain of what the acts may be, but you returned from death. We are believing that may be one.”

Still, silence.

“Given that your Servicer is a half-breed, and you have sworn yourself to free all Servicers, we are beginning to speculate that you may in fact accomplish this seemingly impossible feat.” Keynan added without a note of jest or lightness.

“I don’t want this.” Aggie whispered at long last, her heart pounding.

“Any of this. You all have been manipulating me to fit some kind of fucking prophecy?!” Her legs felt like jelly beneath her as she pushed herself to her feet.

“That is not true. We have simply been at your side as you have made your own decisions.” The Queen replied calmly.

"The only point of force, was forcing our aid upon you."

Aggie didn’t seem to hear her though.

“Did you know about this too?” Aggie rounded on Arlen whose eyebrows shot up at once.

“Yes and no.”

“What kind of fucking nonsense is that?” She demanded, her volume rising.

“I was told you were foretold to be a Queen one day. However, apparently the Ruling Family was-”

“Fuck all of this! Fuck you Arlen, Fuck you Sorcha, Fuck you Keynan, and Fuck you Jed and your fucking mind magick. Stay away from me.” Aggie turned, angry tears she didn’t want already welled up in her eyes as she stormed back to her mat where Quib had made himself very comfortable.

She shoved him off with boot, and felt only a brief pang of guilt as she watched him scuttle away.

Hastily, she rolled up the mat, snatched her blanket, her bag, and began walking in the opposite direction they were meant to be heading.

“Aggie! Where are you going?” Tork called, chasing after her slowly.

Aggie only half turned her face when she addressed him, tears already falling down her face.

“Did you know? Did you hide it as well?” She spat, her pace never faltering.

“Know what? What the hell happened over there?” Tork glanced at the group of Minkies and Arlen quizzically, then realized Aggie was rapidly trekking back the way they had come.

"Where are you going?”

“Anywhere but here- don’t follow me!” Aggie called as she continued marching away.

Tork watched her retreating back, and treaded hastily over to the Minkies and Arlen.

“What just happened?” The Queen was staring after Aggie without a flicker of emotion on her face.

“We told her of her destiny.” Keynan replied calmly.

Tork snorted then turned his gaze to Arlen.

“You. Make sense.”

“The Minkies haven’t been clear with their agenda regarding Aggie, while I did know about it, and didn’t tell her.”

“And just what is your agenda with the Lady Beatha?” Tork’s tone turned dangerous.

“We had no agenda past helping her. We just didn’t explain what our motivations were.”

“If you don’t give me a straight answer Seer, things will become violent.”

Arlen looked at Tork wearily.

“Please sit, I will explain quickly before I go after Aggie.”

With another huff, Tork seated himself, and as he did so Declan and Bonnie stepped forward.

“We would also like to know what’s going on to be quite honest.” Bonnie said apologetically as she sat down without waiting for permission.

Declan continued standing his hand casually placed near his sword at his side.

Arlen rubbed his forehead, he didn’t have the energy to argue, so whether or not it was his right to share, he told them everything.