Dark Throne, The by Raven Willow-Wood

crazy even, but I assure you,
it is very real . You are the
heiress to the throne of Jender and our politics are complicated-
squirreling you away on another Universe was the only way we could
protect you so that one day, you could fulfill your
destiny.
    This man, Fade s, is a good man . His father is evil, his nature abhorrent and while
Fade sprung from his loins, he also came from my dearest and long
departed friend. His father, the King, detests Fade and I'm certain
that Fade will admit this. He detests him simply because of who he
is. The first Elf in a thousand years to have wings on his
back.
    Yes, you read that correctly, daughter . Wings.
    Let me reiterate, Fade is a good man . His mother was the kindest, most sincere woman
I have ever known and to this day, I miss her terribly. She was a
beloved friend and always shall be. This side of his nature has
forged Fade into the man he is, a warrior, true, but a fair and
just one.
    As a child, we betrothed you to one
another . I know of some of
the Earthling customs and betrothal here on Mearth is unlike that
of your current plane. You are now joined by blood. Through that
blood you are bound, as a shared magik flows through your veins. To
deny one another will merely cause you great pain. We have
inhibited your Elven traits through herbs and spices, my dearly
departed sister had to gather on Mearth using the doorknobs to
travel between the two worlds. Without her and the tea preparations
she gave you, you will soon show signs of your true heritage. But,
for a while longer, you will be safe after years of the herbal
doses. They will safeguard you for the moment. However, Fade will
soon start to feel the denial. His blood and yours are the same,
like a magnet, his and yours pull together. Only through
consummation of your bond will he cease to suffer. For him, it will
not be long. I cannot tell you what this means, but it is a grave
thing, daughter. His life depends on your own.
    Jender is in need of both of you . We need your combined powers to save our
kingdom.
    But more than that, my darling, come home to your papa and
I .
    We love you, dearly .
    Yours, forever,
    Your mama, Setta of Jender .
    Only as the words came to an end did Heather spy the drops
of water that had splashed against the old and dry
parchment .
    Confusion, horror, shock . . . . she felt them all.
    But at the same time, there was an elation humming in the
background . Her mind seemed
unable to focus on anything outside of the aspect that her parents
were alive. They loved her, missed her and wanted to see
her.
    It seemed incredible, impossible . Hell, it was more than seemed. It was implausible, inconceivable and yet. . . . she wanted to
believe it. God help her.
    She bit her lip and slowly moved her hand away from the
parchment . "Did you read that
too?" The huskiness of her voice had her grimacing a little, but he
seemed to understand, because from the corner of her eye, she saw
him nod.
    "Do you really have wings?" she asked , uncertain as to why that was the part of the
parchment she'd placed her first query.
    "Yes . I have
wings.”
    There was a stiltedness to his voice, one that didn't speak
of annoyance, but of wariness .
Almost as though he rarely discussed these extra limbs he
possessed.
    "Can you use them to fly?" She bit her lip at the awe in
her voice . Hell, she sounded
like a kid about to take her first trip on a roller coaster, but
dammit, she was curious.
    "Yes .”
    "Do you use them often?"
    "No .”
    "The one word answers are getting a little tiring,
buddy . According to this
parchment, we're stuck together. So, let's start to share something
about one another. Hell, I never imagined I'd be involved in some
kind of arranged marriage.”
    "All Royal marriages are arranged . Even if they develop into love matches. There are
always politics at play- behind the scenes, where the ordinary folk
can't see it. It is the way of the world.” He grimaced. "But, I
digress. I do not use them often,