~~
Trinity
~~
Thankfully, the banquet went well. It set a nice precedent for the rest of the festival. Or at least I had hoped that it would. I guess time would tell.
The first few days of the festival, the light celebrations, seemed to be going really well. The festivities were all held during the day since the night time shows from the year before had been cancelled.. This was to keep more Fae safe as they enjoyed the celebrations.
I did notice that there was a distinct lack of excitement from the attendees compared to last year. There was still quite a lot of joy and glee to be seen, but I also noticed that everyone seemed to be wary of everyone around them.
I literally think that the only ones that weren't being suspected of something were Aunt Glory, Athair mòr, and me and my group. Since we 'outsiders' weren't here when the trouble started, we were not being suspected. Not to mention that I had gained the awestruck reverence of most of the Fae because of my blessing from Danu.
Apparently, I was the first ever living soul to receive a direct blessing from Danu herself. She had 'sent' a blessing that appeared on people like the Goddess marks that I give people, but no one aside from Aunt Glory, Athair mòr, and my deceased Uncle Sorrel had ever even met with Danu in person until Reece and I were summoned before her.
Oh, and do not even get me started on how things were for Reece right now. They all knew that he was my King and, therefore, the person to go to so that they could get to me.? He had been getting bombarded with new requests to join what had become known as our military academy.
The knights that had come with us were very efficiently trained by Paul and Cedar that they were already starting to rival the guards and knights that the Fae had. And these were soldiers that had been in service to the crown for centuries.
The night before the banquet and ball that was to be held for the light celebration, Aunt Glory was giving another show like she had done last year. I could see the lights moving all around the amphitheater in a beautiful display.
"Look Mama, look." Reagan shook my arm where we sat in the private view booth. "Look at the lights."
"Mommy, look. Aunty Glory! Look." Rika joined in with Reagan's excitement.
"Yes, that is indeed Aunty Glory." I smiled and took their hands in mine.
"Are the lights pretty?" Reece grinned at them as he knelt next to us.
"So pretty." Reagan nodded.
"I want to make lights." Rika squealed. "Mommy, will you teach me?"
"Maybe when you're older." I nodded at her.
"Me too, me too, me too." Reagan beamed and lit up like one of Aunt Glory's lights.
"Yes, you too bubby." I smiled at him and called him the affectionate nickname that I used for him once in a while.
Reagan and Rika thought that the lights were beautiful, which they were, but what I noticed the most was that the lights seemed to be conveying a message. The lights and the images that they were showing us were speaking of unity, love, acceptance, taking care of your own community and, most of all, peace.
I could tell that Aunt Glory was putting a lot of emotion into those lights and the show that she was giving to us all. If I looked closely enough, I swear I could see her crying as she created the imagery for her people.
I knew this message wasn't for us. Unlike last year, where she happily displayed her family for them all to see, this year Aunt Glory was begging whoever it was that was hurting her people to stop. She was begging them to talk to her personally and tell her what it was that they wanted out of all of this.
When the show came to a close, the entire crowd started to slowly leave the amphitheater, one by one. As I watched their faces, I saw that not a single one of them was dry. Everyone of the Fae in attendance had been crying. They had gotten the message that Aunt Glory was trying to give them all.
"I will do my best to protect them too." I whispered to myself, vowing to protect each and everyone of these people.
Just as that thought finished passing through my mind, there was a blood curdling scream that rent the silence of the night. Instantly fear washed over the crowd as everyone was looking worried and seemed to be wondering if they should run toward the sound of the screaming that had seemed to take a breath and begin again as screaming and broken sobs.
"Waverly, go with Pierre and take the twins back to the residence. I want you to take half of the knights with you." I handed him Rika, who I had been holding the hand of, and Reece followed suit as he handed Pierre Reagan.
"What are you going to do, my lady?" Waverly looked worried as he cradled my daughter against him.
"What I was asked to do by the Goddess."
With that I took off running in the direction of the screams and sobbing that I could hear. Reece, who hadn't said a word to object or oppose me, was just following right behind me. Gabriel, Vincent, and all of the others were following after me and trying their hardest to get in front of me like guards were meant to. The only one who had actually managed it was David, but he was the fastest among them.
After a few minutes, we made it to the location of the woman who had screamed. I saw that she had fallen to the ground, crying as she looked across the walkway that she had taken to get home. When my eyes followed hers I felt myself nearly vomit.
