Rheseis, the Faerie of Love

The faerie of unclenching ambition,

who is determined in her mission,

will battle darkness and light

both within and without.

And a question will arise

as she has her eyes set on the prize:

will she lose herself to the fight,

or will love prevail throughout?

An extremely long time ago (though only a few hours before chapter 1)

“Oh, hello High Priestesses. What can you want with a faerie like me?” Rheseis asked while dancing around the tree in the middle of the circle that the five witches had summoned her to.

The grass felt lovely against her bare feet, soft and alive. In the sky, the moon glowed, casting its light on the scene, illuminating the five witches all dressed in dark cloaks.

“We have a favor to ask of you,” one of the witches spoke. Rheseis knew the witch’s name, like all knew all of the five High Priestesses’ names, but she preferred to think of them by the number of their ranking. The witch who had spoken was One.

“A favor? How fun! You know there will be a price to pay, though?” she answered.

“We are fully aware,” Three said.

“Then what favor could you want from a faerie?”

“We have foreseen the coming of five witches that will grow strong and take over the High Pristesshood to reshape the ways of witches,” Two said.

Rheseis continued her dance like nothing of particular importance had just been said, but inside she was giddy with anticipation. How she had hoped that the High Priestesses would come to her for this favor. She had thought of nothing else but this for such a long time, done preparations to be the one they asked and for what was to come, and knew exactly how to act. Different faeries had had different ideas of what they would do if they were the one approached, but Rheseis had never thought their plans compared to hers. She knew exactly what to do to appease the High Priestesses, create the future the faeries wanted, as well as get to have fun along the way.

“That doesn’t sound good for you,” she mussed.

“Neither for you. If they are to reshape the ways of witches, it can only be towards dark magic,” One spoke.

“You know what that might mean for faeries. If these are dark witches and as powerful as it seems, they might start hunting faeries either to kill or to harvest your powers,” Five said.

“We can’t have that happening,” Rheseis agreed and stopped her dancing to look at the five women. It honestly was a shame to have to fool them. If they knew the changes that would come when their children took over, and then their grandchildren, and grand grandchildren… If they knew the future the way the faeries did, they would not stop these five witches from becoming powerful and taking over. But alas, Rheseis knew she had to fool them, and she did take some pleasure in it. She was a faerie, after all.

“We want you to curse them,” Four said.

“Curse?” Rheseis said and did what she could to sound offended. “Faeries do not do curses.” She started dancing again.

“But there must be something you can do. Some way you can help us. Help yourself!” One pleaded.

Rheseis danced around the tree for a full minute before she came to a sudden stop with a huge smile on her face.

“Witches get stronger when they find their mate,” she pointed out. “The love itself enhances your power.”

“Yes,” One jumped in, a smile spread across her face. “And having to deny or be denied that love can break a witch.”

“So, what if one cannot touch anything living without killing it? Never being able to properly love her mate,” Rheseis said and saw the High Priestesses’ enthusiastic nods. “The second’s mate will be a vampire. You have to choose between your powers and your mate when bedding a vampire, right?” More nods. “The third will not be able to see in the eyes of her mate what he is until his dying breath.” Three gave a tiny giggle. “The fourth will only have a month right after she turns of age to find her mate or death awaits her.” There were more giggles now. “And the fifth and last… Hm. Ah! Even powerful witches like you only can only live eight hundred years at the max. So, what if her mate is not born until two thousand, two hundred and twenty-two years after her birth?”

“We knew we could trust you with this,” One said while the other witches continued to giggle at the plan. “What do you want in return?”

“I will come to you, or your children, when it is time to do the magic required, and then I will name my price and the price must be paid.” Rheseis made sure to make eye contact with each of the witches after having said this. To ensure they understood, but also give them a look so serious, they’d find it hard to say no. “So, for now, you only have to make sure the deal made here is remembered and honored.”

“We will,” the five High Priestesses said in unison before they disappeared.

Rheseis now started to dance from tree to tree, letting her happiness truly out, for she knew why the five coming witches would be so strong and therefore knew what they could overcome. For who was better suited to handle having a touch that kills than the daughter of a nymph whose powers can give life? And a witch already tainted by vampire blood would not have to relinquish her powers to bed one. To only realize someone was your mate as the person dies was sure to be painful, but having a father who’s a necromancer would come in handy. Finding your mate in only a month would not be easy, but a clairvoyant by both witch and flagae magic would manage, no doubt. And waiting two thousand, two hundred and twenty-two years for your mate would be long and lonely, but the daughter of Helios would persist.

Rheseis giggled to herself as she started to fly home to the other faeries to tell them the news.