Amara's POV

My mother's letter left a sour taste in my mouth about my brother.

Along with learning Marcella Caldera was her name. My blood mother.

She was of royal blood long lost in time.

The shifters. Few left of her kind.

Her name in song was of a fox.

Seth's was a brown bear and Lily's was a snowshoe rabbit.

Lily had killed my father the king and had the same fate for my brother. But yet she has yet to die.

Either my mother or I will definitely and most likely be ones to end her.

My brother was human just like I, blood from our father's side.

As I slumped down on the wooden and old floor I took in everything, piece by piece.

Ian was a wolf as well but he was working for the eastern empire so he was an enemy.

Lily worked on her own behalf of wanting revenges for her family that my father's father had killed. She was an enemy.

My real blood Father Thane, so far an ally.

Once Lily is dead I'll be Queen. A heavy crown it will be...that much I know.

Right now Marcella was leading a rebellion against the Eastern Empire and was on no terms of aggression to the kingdom I was to soon lead.

Even yet we'd agree to make alliances with one another so her kind could grow strong once more. I bit selfish on her part...to leave me behind but all will be set right when we fight side by side as allies.

I do miss her even if she wasn't the most loving mother. And then there was my real blood father.

Alastair Thane who stayed beside me as he always intended to do. A true father behind the guise of an uncle.

Somehow I admired him more for it.

After getting my thoughts in order I stood and slipped out back to find the barmaid in cat form.

Here soulless purple eyes blinked at me.

The next second she was a human.

She reached into her pocket for a small pipe and blew out a smoke.

"So you're the first girl that's stayed alive with that man."

"He's told me of his cruelty." I spoke with shortness.

"But has he told you everything? His mission of the eastern empire may be a fake you know. He's not to be trusted."

"Neither are you."

"Wise girl."

"Enough games. Tell me where the land of the Shifters are."

"The Queen has summoned you." Her interest seemed peaked as she stood closer to me.

"A human? Being summoned is very rare indeed. You should leave that strange man while you can. Take the first boat you see, leave then to the nearest forest you see once you reach mainland. The Queen will find you there."

"Where."

"She's a fox. She'll find you so worry not small one."

She then vanished into black smoke with an odd smile.

With no question or hesitation I followed her instructions the best I could.

After what seemed liked months, I finally made it to the mainland with my boots almost buried in sand by the time I reached the grass and soil of the nearest woods.

A red fox then appeared before me with playful eyes.

It didn't form into a human like that barmaid had yet it spoke to me, reaching the inside of my mind.

"You are Amara."

"Yes." I spoke aloud as the fox ran off with me stumbling after it to keep up.

"You're human form in clumsy."

I wanted to say for it to shut its mouth but instead decided not to anger it.

After a while more the fox stopped at a gate.

"You may enter but only if you're worthy young one."

Another red fox jumped ahead of me.

"Only if you are worthy." It said in a lighter tone being smaller and oranger than the previous one that was behind me.

I passed through the gate with my hand shaking slightly but not enough for the foxes to notice.

A small sting to my ears were felt both nothing else.

"You passed!" The smaller fox yipped as the older walked father along.

"Follow young one. We've been expecting you."

———

Tents and campfires filled the vast patch of woods they led me to that seemed to be protected by a glamour spell I've only ever read in fairytale books.

The bigger one of the foxes led me to a fancy red and golden tent with the smaller disappearing among the other shifters I'd assume that starred at me like I had four eyes with two heads.

"Welcome. You haven't shifted, my foxes tell me."

"You haven't changed at all either. Marcella."

"Seems my absence has left you sour as an apple."

"You left. What more is there to say."

She whisked her hand away.

"Thank you Dahlia and Tulip for your aid, you may leave us now. My daughter and I must talk."

The foxes left us with my only glaring at her.

"What is this with me using magic? How'd you know about my brother before I did? What are you to the Kingdom of Aster?"

"You are loyal to your bones I'll give you that. Even when Aster isn't really your true home. But if you feel to protect it, who am I to stop you? And let's just say I have ears and eyes everywhere. Even within a dry and human infested kingdom of Aster."

"Is not my true father a human."

She looked at me sharply.

"He's an acceptation."

"What about the king?"

Her eyes averted mine with sharpness...a type of irritation.

"Scars I've longed forgotten. A past I never wish to go back to and now that he's dead, my time to cross my blade with Lily has come. Your brother, my son needs to be avenged. He has to. For taking my own blood like she has will not be forgiven."

"Am I only ever a pawn to you?"

Her eyes swirled with a type of fondness as if she meant to laugh but didn't.

Amusement filled her voice as her finger went to my chin, tilting my face to her.

"Am I not that to you my dear daughter? We need each other do we not? And what of the after? What then? You will certainly not need me, you will go on as you always have without me. Being the new queen of the land you were born on. Most likely your real father will be beside you. He truly is a kind father."

Her eyes filled with pity.

"I envy that. Truly."

She let go of me, stepping back to give me my space back.

...I didn't say anything after she spoke for some time because she was right.

She was never really the warm mother I wished her to be.

And I knew she never would because that's just not how she was made to be. So why try to hide my spite toward her.

Why hide the fact even to myself. We were both pawns in each other's hands right now.

Our only option if we both wanted to win at Lily's game was to work side by side to defeat our common enemy.

Anything after will be of concern when the time comes.

As much as I wished I didn't need her...right now I needed my mother as much as she needed me.

"Fine. I will fight beside you as future Queen of Aster but not as your daughter."

"Fair enough young Amara, future Queen of Aster." A fox eyed woman she was as a mischievous gaze crossed her eyes.

"Let us bind our words with silk spun wide,
ever-twining, weaving through the start and end of time. Until our enemy has breathed their last breath let us make allies, becoming friend not foe. Blood running deep, binding our hands let us make haste on our word that it not be undone until we've fulfilled our term."

My blood mother's eyes fully turned to a fox's in an instant as she spoke her verse of magic.

Something about her seemed to calm me in that moment, something I couldn't explain within me.