The Hands of Fate

Chapter 18

Farah and Strizor looked at each other, shock in their eyes. Although Farah knew deep down that it must've been Amara, it was still hard to process. She watched the sorcerer as his deep brown eyes glistened with wonder. He began to pace once more, his hands folding behind his back. The man kept shaking his head in thought, as if trying to come up with a logical explanation for this, but only finding wrong answers.

Caspian glanced at Farah with confusion written all over his face. His lips were pursed, like he was worried he had done something wrong, but Farah only shook her head.

"Is he always like this?" Caspian whispered to Farah, his hot breath tickling her face. She bit her lip, trying to think of the last time that the sorcerer had acted so out of it due to his wise thoughts and findings. She glanced at Strizor, then back at Caspian.

"Not always," Farah replied softly. "He usually speaks out loud about what he thinks, but since you're a Prince-" she paused for a moment, trying to think of what to say. When she finally came to the right form of words she spoke, "-he may feel just a little.... secluded around you."

Caspian raised an eyebrow, turning around to watch the sorcerer as he paced, now playing with the ring, also. His robes traced his every step. The Prince then turned around to face Farah again, his lips parting as he was now the one trying to think of what to say; but where he expected to see the maid looking right at him, she was not. Her attention was on something else. Caspian tried to follow her gaze, but failed, seeing nothing that she would take interest in. He noticed she was toying with her necklace, and debated if he should ask her the question that had worried his mind since he had first seen the pendant.

"Is that yours?" He suddenly asked, then covering his mouth as Farah jumped out of the trance she was in. Her bright emerald eyes fixed on his, and he could feel a slight blush creeping up his neck.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Farah asked calmly, though she still looked startled from his sudden question.

"That necklace, is it.. yours?" Caspian managed to choke out. He mentally screamed at himself for sounding so unsure of himself, but as he looked at the eyes he cleared his throat, trying not to show his true feelings so out in the open, or at all for that matter.

"Yes," Farah said, glancing down at the diamond pendant. She seemed to have not heard the sudden uneasiness in the Prince's tone, much to his satisfaction. "My mother gave it to me," she continued. "When I was a baby."

"Adeline gave you that?" Caspian cocked his head to the side, eyeing her, making the maid shift in the seat that she was in.

"No, my... real mother."

"But wasn't Adeline your real mother?"

Farah shook her head, she fiddled with the necklace as she tried to think of how to explain her whole entire backstory to the Prince. She finally took a deep breath before starting.

"No, Adeline was not my real mother. She was my... adopted mother. My real, biological, mother was a woman named Ida," Farah said in a low tone so that Strizor could still concentrate. "When I was a baby, she left me on the steps of the palace due to... financial issues, at least, that's what Strizor claims."

"Who?" Caspian asked her, his hazel eyes eager to hear more of this story. Maybe, he thought to himself, she could date back to a Queen or King of some sort. Then he wouldn't have to deal with marrying Amara.

"Strizor, the sorcerer, right behind you," Farah briefly explained before continuing. "He claims that my mother was a poor woman, but a very kind woman. He said that when she learned she was to have me, Ida asked Strizor to fancy her a necklace, this necklace," Farah spoke, and with those words Caspian faltered. So she wasn't related to any royals. He felt his heart weigh down with lost hopes and grief. Farah seemed to notice, as she lowered his head to meet his eyes. "What's wrong, Cas?"