I was angry with myself, fuming because I couldn't stop thinking about her. She had been on my mind constantly since that moment when I left her in her room at the brothel. She betrayed me, used me, and pretended she was in love with me. I blindly thought I could trust her. Maybe this could have been prevented, but I couldn’t forgive the lies and manipulation. Tears of anger and embarrassment still burnt my eyes when I thought of how our relationship had ended.

It took me a while to decide what I was going to do about the Seelie Court. After I left the brothel, I headed straight to another realm, tormented by guilt. Oran was waiting for me; he had brought me into his arms and patted me on the back a few times, a bit harder than usual. I was glad to see him again.

“What are you going to do now, my friend?” he asked when we met by the Sinful River at the crossroads between both courts. I never knew about the existence of this land, but Marianne had come from here. Oran assured me it was a safe place to stay until I figured out what to do. No other Fae around here recognised who I was, and I needed some time to come to terms with everything that had happened in the past.

"I'm not sure yet. I know for a fact that Ulrich won’t just give up being the Fae King. Swanton and Zak will stand by him. For now, I think I will stay hidden and keep observing. The Fae are unhappy,” I said, “and Ulrich has made many enemies. He has been unjust and indulged himself in his own power.”

I promised myself that I would forget about Martha, even if she had been my world until now. I pulled the amulet from underneath my shirt and squeezed it hard. I was surprised I had gotten it back. It was a powerful artefact and the magic I locked inside was still there. Martha had the other one I had gifted to her over ten years ago, and the third remained lost—well, that’s what the legends said.

Oran kept staring at me like he was unsure if I was the same Darragh that he had buried. We had been friends for as long as I could remember, but almost a decade had passed, and a lot of things had changed since then, and I was no longer the king. He didn't want to risk losing me again, I knew that, but I had to start over.

I was used to being human—a recluse, not living as a Fae. My features had softened, and my ears weren’t as pointed as before, but it was the magic I had to get used to being around again. Besides, I had to regain the trust of all the Seelie Fae, and it wasn’t going to be easy if I wanted to become the king that everyone respected and loved.

“Tell me, Darragh—what do you have in mind?” Oran asked.

“We will return to the Seelie Court, but I’ll stay hidden, my brothers cannot find out I’m alive. You told me yourself that the Fae aren't happy, so I will watch how Ulrich handles himself as a leader. Soon enough the rumours will spread that I’m back, and even then, Ulrich will have to see me to be sure. He’ll have to arrange a meeting."

Oran nodded, he understood that this was a wise plan. I had to be very careful, but he told me later that he was impressed with my dedication to get the crown back. Oran was worried, too—the atmosphere in the Seelie Court was tense.

Sylius was prepared to start a war, and I was going to give him one just as soon as I was announced as the King of the Fae.

These days it was difficult for me to become the Darragh that everyone remembered because I was still living in the past. Thoughts about Martha filled my head.

Oran had to get back to the Seelie Court, because he worked closely with Ulrich. I told him to give me a week to adjust to the new me. Oran had warned me that nobody was going to remember me at first, and he was right. I looked a lot like a human—being in prison had changed me. My magic was different, less transparent—it had adapted to my new surroundings over the years.

The Fae were spread around the entire realm, so I became a hunter to get closer to the Fae that both needed and wanted change. I pretended to be one of them: ordinary Fae who had experienced Ulrich’s injustice. At first, they were wary of me, but slowly, I began to gain their trust.

The energy within me was strong, and a lot of the time, my palms blazed with fire. This was something I was still getting used to. After I returned to the Seelie Court, I stayed close to the Fae who worked in the forest, most of them were harvesting rare herbs. They weren’t being paid enough, and many had lost close family members during the war with the trolls. Apparently after my death, Ulrich had promised everyone compensation in the form of magical gold dust. Many Fae within the court relied on the dust to get food and other supplies. The dust was like gold in the human world, both precious and desirable.

Soon enough, I came across one of the females I had known years ago, when I was still the king. Dyra lived alone on the edge of the forest, and she recognised me instantly. We had a history, and she insisted I should stay with her. Over the next several days I revealed my plans to her.

She wanted to support me. Dyra, like the others, had had enough of Ulrich, so my timing seemed perfect.

I had met Dyra when I was a young and inexperienced prince—she had never mated with anyone, and for a long time, we had been lovers.

Days passed, and then late one night, Dyra came to my room. She kissed me, and for a moment, I was lost in these familiar sensations. That day I thought I was ready, but then the images of Martha started flashing in front of my eyes again. I remembered the sweet taste of her lips and her incredible scent. I pushed Dyra away. It wasn’t her fault, but even so, I hated seeing the disappointment in her eyes. It filled me with even more guilt and resentment.

I didn't sleep for the rest of that night, and every time I closed my eyes, I saw Martha slipping into my bed. Dyra wasn't angry, even after I told her about my changeling. She understood that my heart belonged to someone else.

More time passed, and slowly, the Fae around me began to recognise me. Some were still reluctant to believe that I had survived the war, but others were willing to listen. It was in the Fae’s nature to recognise their true leader.

I couldn't promise them that things would change overnight, but I assured them that my energy was getting stronger each day, and I would work hard to bring prosperity back and let them open the portals to other realms, too.

The Fae needed to know the truth about their leader

and my brother

, so I began travelling around the realm; telling anyone who was willing to listen what had happened to me during the war. Many began to understand that they had been misled and that Ulrich had used them, that he only cared about securing as much power as he could.

Soon enough, word had reached the Seelie Court. My brothers learned that I was alive. Ulrich sent his royal soldiers to find me in order to put a stop to these unbelievable rumours. I was way ahead of him. Oran had backed me up and the Fae started to realise that they had been manipulated. I wanted to sabotage Ulrich’s plans so I needed the support of the Fae. I promised them that they would never have to face injustice again.

Magic was widely available but only to those that had enough dust to pay for the training. Every Fae born into a certain caste had to have someone who could teach the children how to handle magic. If there wasn’t an elder within the family, then the Fae had to pay for one. Most of the time it was the parents’ responsibility.

Very skilled elders charged a lot of dust in exchange for their training. In many instances, if the Fae couldn’t afford to pay the elder, they switched their own children with human children at birth. This was how the changelings came into being.

Soon enough everyone in the Seelie Court heard about my return. The Fae learnt that their king wasn’t dead. Ulrich would do anything to rule, even if it meant getting rid of me. Once Oran had told him what he had witnessed during the war, he didn’t wait around. He took control of the Seelie Court and became King.

Everyone had believed that I was killed during the battle with the trolls and nobody ever dared question him. Oran suspected that my brothers had made some sort of deal with the trolls before the war. They wanted to make sure that I never returned from that battle.

Ulrich had ruled for over ten years, and he was prepared to fight to stay in power. His soldiers were searching for me. The word had already spread, and it was too late for him to stop me. The Fae were tired of being used.

The Seelie soldiers started burning the forest, committing a crime against nature, against their own Fae. Ulrich had lost control and it seemed that he was close to losing his mind, too. It was utter chaos, but my brother wasn’t prepared to give up. The Seelie Court was slowly descending into darkness: robberies were commonplace, and the whole forest was burning. Ulrich’s soldiers soon started killing those who wouldn’t reveal my location.

I began to realise that this had gone too far, so I reached out to Ulrich, proposing a meeting. He had no choice but to finally see for himself that I was back from the dead.

A month later, we met by the Sinful River, at the crossroads between the two Courts. Oran asked to be involved and he played the role of mediator. Ulrich, Swanton, and Zak arrived early. We didn't need any witnesses, so I was glad that they came alone.

My brothers knew that they couldn't control the situation in the realm any longer. The Fae had rebelled against them and the entire Court. On top of that, a war with the Unseelie Court was just about to begin. Things were not looking good for King Ulrich.

My brother had known that our numbers were low, but he had never recruited any new soldiers. It was a natural occurrence after the war, but the Seelie Court army hadn’t ever fully recovered after the war with the trolls. We lost many great soldiers who were truly irreplaceable. Ulrich had wasted ten years on matters that weren’t important. My brothers must have realised that he was an incompetent ruler and that I had to become King again in order to fix his past mistakes.

“Here you are at last, Darragh,” Ulrich said, when he saw me approaching. “The Fae who has risen from the dead.”

I had, of course, taken some precautions in case Ulrich lost his normally short temper. A few of my new supporters were waiting for my signal on the other side of the forest.

“I had to get your attention somehow,” I said, cocking my head to the side.

Ulrich exhaled sharply, then spat on the grass. It was difficult to read his energy. Swanton and Zak were standing behind, staring at me with a mixture of fear and resentment. They were probably wondering if they were going to be included in my plans after I became King once again.

I didn’t blame Ulrich for taking control of the Court. He was next in line to the throne after my death, but even Oran believed what happened to me had been arranged prior to the war.

“What exactly do you want, Darragh?” Ulrich asked. “You are destroying the Seelie Court—everything that our father built.

“Perhaps, but you would have had me beheaded otherwise, and don’t even try to deny it.” He paled, and I knew I was right. I was always right. “I want the crown back. You have lost control and it’s time for me to fix it. I am the legitimate ruler.”

“I could kill you right now,” Ulrich spat, taking a step towards me.

Zak and Swanton glanced at him like he had completely lost his mind.

His voice echoed in my head, but I knew he wasn’t going to do it. He needed me to bring the Fae together again.

“We both know no one is going to die today. I came here to make a deal with you. I will become the legitimate Fae King again and serve you well. The three of you can stay in the Court. Each one of you will take soldiers and command them. How does that sound?”

“You were dead, Darragh. It wasn’t a rumour. Everyone on that battlefield saw you dying.” Ulrich continued to dredge up the past.

The insects were buzzing all around us, and for a moment, we could only hear the water from the river. It was an uncomfortable silence because it gave Ulrich time to reflect on his sins. How ironic that we were standing on the edge of Sinful River.

“Ulrich, he’s right,” Swanton said, quite unexpectedly. “We cannot destroy the Court. Every Fae here will continue hating us. We have to allow him to come back and stop the spreading chaos within the realm.” It was surprising to hear such wise words from him.

Ulrich didn’t seem happy at all. He was clenching his hands into fists, staring at me with daggers in his eyes. It was up to him to make the first move, to let go of the envy that was slowly destroying him from the inside.

He took a few steps towards me and then reached his hand out to me. His eyes were filled with magic. “Fine, be the king and keep your word, brother, then the peace between us shall remain.”

I just shook his hand and smiled.

Oran smiled, too.

It was done. The crown was mine, and I could now let the Fae know they no longer needed to fight—I was bringing peace to the realm—and I would ensure it remained that way. It was time to get back to the Seelie Court and rule. Changes were coming, and I had to brace myself, because this was my land.