The edges of Addisons vision went gray as she watched the Queen smile. Her lips felt a little bit numb, and she couldn’t move them after uttering such a quick answer…

Well, to a question that hadn’t even spilled out yet.

The softness of the chair felt like it was eating her up, and even though exhaustion was probably playing a large part she kept coming back to the magic of the realm. The magic of every realm, the magic that followed her around and pushed her to the brink, instead of helping and guiding it her like all of her guardians insisted it should.

Guide her or be used by her, yet she seemed to do neither.

She could only be pushed, and watch the regal, beautiful, slightly fuzzy and puzzle ridden queen of the fairies and ruler of her realm. The womanly creature opened her perfectly pink lips and spoke, some enhancing Addison's haze.

The gray edges made her eyes feel heavy, and the usually buzzing sound of the queen became sharp, speaking directly into her ears, her mind, her soul.

“Things are changing, Addison,” the regal fairy said. “I have things to tell you, and you have more decisions to make.”

Addison closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She felt her head not just a little, and her inhale came sharper, eyes snapping open to pay attention during this important meeting. She wasn’t sure how the realm would handle her agreement to the deal if she fell asleep at that moment. Before any words formed for her to speak, she was listening again.

“I want to start us at the basics. My true name is Tanaquill, and, of course, I’ve been watching you.”

Tanaquill, Addison thought as she listened to the speech move on. Of course. How disturbingly perfect. She felt a smile crawling across her face, slow enough that she very well could have imagined it happening.

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“I have been watching you,” Tanaquill continued, unreacting to Addison at all. “And those who you deal with, and I am not the only one. While you were away, I was making deals of my own, sweet Addison. I was making promises and calling in ancient favors. When you came back home, I tasked you. I invited you to this place you have never been, but you had to earn it.”

The queen stood as if the speech was already making her restless. Her feet made no sound against the wooden floors, but there was a faint rustling sound as she moved. “You had to find your way up. You had to learn the way of my people, and all those who share this realm, and even those who come and visit. I needed more time, but you had to complete the task. It was the only way for us to know you were ready for what I had to offer. We’ve been watching, and we have pooled our power to make you this offer.”

Addisons head rolled forward again, and she snapped to attention just as the queen paused. The words were filtering in, but when they got back around to the deal that she had already greedily accepted, she thought maybe she should try a little harder to participate.

“The deal will set you on a path my little one. A dangerous path that I can not protect you on. A path that I had hoped to shield you from. I bought you from your mother to have to here by my side, and this will take you away, and I can not promise for how long. If you truly accept after hearing what comes next, I will take you to begin immediately.”

The queen continued to pace, unable or unwilling to sit back down and hold the conversation face to face. So Addison gave her head a little shake and finally forced words up and out of her throat. “Please. Continue.”

The rustling sound got feverish, and Tanaquill spoke again. “You will be sent to each Realm, on a path you must choose to go down. You must find the thing that binds you to that place. It will be your greatest temptation, a piece of your heart, a string that ties you to anyone there that you love. It may be difficult to find, and you may not return until you have. But sweet Addison, if you find all three..”

Another pause and the queen stopped pacing, looking at her daughter with a paler face than ever. “If you find all three and bring them back to me. I can cut those binds, and you can choose your resting place with no consequence.”

Addison shook her head again. Her thoughts were buzzing, wondering if she should take some time. Her eyes were still heavy and she wasn’t one hundred percent convinced she wasn’t already dreaming. But dreams, or magic, or lies, she couldn’t hold her tongue. For the second time without asking a single question, or taking more than a moment to decide, she answered.

“Yes. Please.”