Bird in the Golden Cage

Chapter four

Aislinn spent the next few days learning about Feria and the life that awaited her. About a life, she didn't want to live. She was given teachers who were responsible for teaching her all this. Fighting, riding, dancing, politics, history, social behavior, and the lore of the creatures and abilities of the creatures living in Feria. The basics of what she should master.

This world was not even close to the one she had heard and read about as a child. They were more like humans than anyone would think. Wars and endless power struggles. And if someone couldn't have a crown on his head, he tried to get as close to it as possible.

She learned about the courts that once made up Feria. Fragmented into small kingdoms, fighting each other for territory. Subsequently, there were lords who thought they could rule the world and started charging. The stronger ones tied the weaker courts to theirs. Over time, two courts were created. Moon Court and Sun Court. The mighty sun king desired to rule the lunar territories and vice versa. The two most powerful kingdoms in Feria.

"They got their names because the sun never rises in the Moon Court and never sets in the Sun Court?" Aislinn asked her teacher.

"Yes," he confirmed. "But of course, the Feria is not only divided into two halves of the solar and lunar courts. There are still smaller courts that retain their autonomy, such as the Wood Elves or the Swamp Nymphs. And you must have noticed that here, in the Highest Court, the sun sets every evening and rises again every morning. We stand on the border of the two most powerful courts and unite these warring parties into one mighty land." he explained.

After years of fighting and reclamation, Feria was taken over by two courts, trying to absorb each other. And from the spilled blood arose one power with one king, uniting the lunar and solar courts into one. The first king of Feria, King Nuada, ended the wars and united the Fae people. All were subject to one ruler, who smothered the spark of conflict before it had a chance to burst into flame.

You could usually tell who came from which court by their hair. Faes from the Sun Court were usually black-haired, while those from the Moon Court had hair as white as moonlight. It was said that those born under the eternal moon were evil deep down, and those born from the eternal sun had a soul full of light and goodness. However, everyone knows that even in a heart woven with gold, darkness can take root.

"However, after centuries of peace, our land once again found itself in chaos caused by the fight for the crown. Although this time in a slightly more civilized form, without bloody wars. And you, Miss Aislinn, have accidentally found yourself in the middle of it all." said her teacher Senan.

"You say it all like you've experienced it," Aislinn said.

"I have survived many kings and I have survived many wars. It is up to me to record the history of Feria."

That was actually the reason why he was the best history teacher for her. But Aislinn would never have guessed that Senan could be old enough to survive all those centuries. He witnessed a history she could not even imagine.

"You're getting kind of interested in Feria, Miss Aislinn, considering you're planning to leave," he shot her a challenging look.

No answer was correct. If she said yes, it could sound like she was soft, and if she said no, she would be lying.

"Feria is definitely different from the mortal world," she finally replied after a moment of silence.

Senan just laughed at her evasive answer. She was not willing to admit that she was attracted to this world.

"By the way, why aren't you talking to Prince Nathaniel?" Senan remarked. "You're breaking his heart, miss."

"He knows why I don't talk to him," Aislinn said.