Chapter Text
(Cardan’s POV)
I will always love you, Jude. Jude; my wife, my queen, my sweet villain and deadly love, why hasn’t she come home? Jude is smart and should have guessed the answer to the riddle by now, Jude should have gotten my letters; Did she read them? Did she burn them? Did she give up her ambition in Faerie for a mortal man. It has been seven months, why won’t Jude just come home?
Roused again by my thoughts of my missing Queen. Another day spent lounging on my throne listening to petitioners, the crown she placed upon my head is askew on my brow. My hair is untamed and there are dark circles under my eyes and ink stains on my fingers from long nights writing, pleading, BEGGING Jude to just come home through letters that have hopelessly gone unanswered.
Usually Jude would be right beside me as my Senechal. Sometimes I expect her to be there and pass her opinion or commands to me and I would whisper back a scathing insult, as is the routine; but Jude is not here and the only guidance I have is from her spies of the Court of Shadows.
Lilliver and Van have tried their best to keep the Court of Shadows together after the Ghosts' betrayal and Jude’s kidnapping by the undersea, then Judes Exile. Though Lilliver and Van also try to keep me under control which nowadays is a harder job.
The court is morose, the land is wilting and some plants die without reason, there is more rain than there has been in years and I suspect it is a combination of my depression when Jude never returned and the land yearning for its rightful queen.
Yesterday Befin came to me and told me troubling news that there were to be two births of high rulers of Elfame that would rule in tandem and would unite the land and sea, but not only that but the stars also told him a powerful ruler is going to die today and to be ready to send troops because their court might be weak and fall into Madoc’s clutches. That was a confusing conversation because wouldn’t someone pregnant with the royal heirs tell their high king, or could it be the children of Balekin?
Another confusing matter is Madoc, he has been very slow in approach and it is unnerving how he hasn’t made a move in months. When Locke was found dead Taryn didn’t even come to her trial she just ran straight to Madoc. To be honest killing Locke had to be the most interesting thing that boring girl has ever done. It is almost like Madoc knows something we don’t. Madoc is just biding his time and no spy has been able to tell what they are waiting for. They already made their play with The Undersea, Orla has been down for months after the Ghost shot her with whatever he shot her with. The Undersea and Nicasia will do whatever it takes to keep their Queen alive. What is he waiting for? I ask myself again as the next petitioner walks up.
The next in line is a Hob suspected of stealing all of the Blue Pixie’s feather down coats, it has been cold recently. I try to stay awake and pay attention but it is hard with the more miniscule offences.
Suddenly the broughs double doors open and the knights let in a swarm of moths just like the ones my father turned into after Balekin killed him, or it matches the description Jude gave me.
They beat their small black wings and flew right for me and just when the first were going to hit me they all simultaneously dropped dead. Thousands of the little moths just dropped covering the pathway from the door to my throne.
I am then very uneasy. Befin told me a ruler of faerie was to die today but the flying of moths only happens when a High King or Queen dies. I have heard the Ballads and tales about my ancestors.
Jude, my mind goes again the only reason those moths would have flown in here was if Jude died.
I am quickly roused from my throne and Lilliver materializes at my side.
“What is it, my Lord?” she says seeing the distress covering my features.
“Jude, It's Jude” I say, making my way out of the Brough. I can barely even hear the bellows of the petitioners and confused courtiers when blood is rushing so loud in my ears. I am practically sprinting now. Lilliver struggles to keep up with me and Van is then in front of me.
“High king, what is the matter?” looking genuinely confused and like he is trying to calm me down.
“Jude, Jude, JUDE I married her before she was exiled, she is High Queen and the moths and Befin’s warnings it has to be Jude” I say rushing the words out. Lilliver and Van look horrified at me.
“Jude is High Queen?” Lilliver asks me as if she doesn’t believe me but as she knows I can’t lie.
“Jude is still in the Mortal World according to our spies, but Cardan, what were Befin’s warnings?” Van asks me, still clearly in shock from the last revelation.
“Befin told me that a Ruler of Faerie was going to die today and two High rulers of Elfame were to be born today that would rule in tandem and unite the Land and Sea, now can we get to the Mortal World?” I ask still panicking.
Lilliver and Van share a look that tells me they know something I do not. Van winces and looks back to me.
Van then says “Our spies have noticed Jude has put on weight in her stomach recently we just thought she was just not adapting well to the Mortal World so we didn’t tell you, we didn’t think she could be pregnant-” Lilliver elbows him in the side and Van restarts;
“I didn’t think she could be pregnant but now that you say you married her did you ever sleep together. Is there a chance both warnings were for the same thing?” Van looks stricken and I just remember that night in that room behind the daias, it was the only time. What if Jude was pregnant and didn’t tell me?
“We're going to the Mortal World now!” I say in my most king voice and Lilliver and Van don’t argue with me; we are running full speed for the front doors; but all I could think about was Jude, Jude and her rare laughs, Jude and her smirks when something went according to her plan, Jude and her soft brown hair and deep dark brown eyes. Jude, Jude oh Jude.
The guards confusedly open the gates once they see us running full speed toward them and Van pulls out the Ragstock he always has in his pockets and throws them to the ground and says. “Oh, noble steeds rise and take us where we command”
We climb on our steeds and are flying full speed ahead for the Mortal World. There are tears running down my face, why didn’t she tell me she was pregnant. The devastating thought that I was too late and Jude was already gone hit me and I was sobbing into my ragwort steed pony in front of Lilliver and Van but I couldn’t bring myself to care because Jude, my Jude was gone.
We land in an apartment complex and I turn to Van not caring that my face is puffy and tear stained, but he too looks deeply distraught.
“Where do they live?’ I ask my voice coming out a little bit choked.
“Oak and Vivienne live in apartment 378 in building A” he says pointing to the building closest to us, and I practically launch myself off my steed in my hurry to get there not caring about Lilliver and Van calling after me I sprint up to the apartment Van said was Viviene’s and pound on the door.
“Vivienne? Are you there? This is Cardan I need to speak to-”
Viviene opens the door and she looks a mess like I must. She has tear stained cheeks and looks the angriest I have ever seen her. I glance past her shoulder to see Oak in the arms of the Mortal woman Viviene brought to Taryn’s wedding, Oak is inconsolable and the mortal woman tries to sooth him to no avail but there are tears running down both their faces to their equally black clothing. I suddenly remember Jude telling me once it was a human custom for the family of a recently deceased to wear black in mourning.
“What do you want Cardan !?” Viviene screams at me.
“Jude? Where is Jude? Where is my wife?” I ask in such a small broken voice that Viviene looks taken aback and just says in a calmer but not less angry voice;
“She's gone, Cardan, she died giving birth to your twins and Taryn stole them from us. ”