off on a crazy woman that tried to murder me, just because Elora never wanted to work and needed cash.
“Shall I continue?” Elora asked, and she didn’t even try to mask the condescending tone in her voice. I nodded meekly. “I don’t even remember what I was saying.” She waved her hand in irritation. “If you have any other questions, I suppose you can ask them now.”
“What are the Vittra?” I asked, trying to distract myself from my anger with her. “I don’t understand who they are or what they wanted with me.”
“Förening is populated with Trylle.” Elora gestured widely around, referencing the whole town. “The term Trylle is a distinction similar to a tribe. We are trolls, and over the years, the troll population has been dwindling. Our numbers used to be great, but there are less than a million of us on the entire planet.
“We are one of the largest tribes left, but we are not the only one,” Elora continued. “The Vittra are a warring faction, and they are forever looking to pick off some of us. Either by turning us to their side, or simply by getting rid of us.”
“So the Vittra want me to live with them?” I wrinkled my nose. “Why? What could I do for them?”
“I am the Queen.” She paused letting me take it in. “You are the Princess. You are my only child, the last of my legacy.”
“What?” I felt my jaw drop open.
“You are the Princess,” Elora explained with a condescending smile. “You will one day be Queen, and being the leader of Trylle carries great weight.”
“But if I’m not here, won’t you just find another replacement? I mean, there’s going to be a Queen here even if I’m not,” I said, scrambling to make sense of this all.
“There is more to it than that. We are not all created equal,” Elora went on. “We are far more gifted than the others. You have already tapped into persuasion, and you have the potential for much more. Vittra are lucky to have any abilities. Adding you to their ranks would greatly change their power to influence.”
“You’re saying I’m powerful?” I raised a sardonic eyebrow.
“You will be,” Elora amended. “That is why you need to live here, to learn our ways so you can take your rightful place.”
“Okay.” I took a deep breath and ran my hand along my pajama pants.
None of this seemed real or made sense. The idea of myself as a Queen was completely absurd. I barely managed to pass for an awkward teenager.
“Finn will be staying to watch over you. Since they’re looking for you, added protection would be prudent.” Elora touched at something at her skirt, not looking at me. “I’m sure you have many more questions, but you’ll get the answers over time. Why don’t you go get yourself cleaned up?”
“Wait,” I said, my voice feeling small and uncertain. She raised her head, looking at me with disdain. “Just… um... where’s my father?”
“Oh.” Elora looked away from me and stared out the window. “Dead. I’m sorry. It happened shortly after you were born.”
Finn had promised me a different life where I belonged, but really, it seemed to be the exact same life with different trappings. My mother here seemed almost as cold as my fake mom, and in either life, my dad was dead.
“Also, I don’t have any money.” I shifted uneasily.
“Of course you don’t,” Elora thought I was being ridiculous. “You probably won’t have access to your trust fund until you’re twenty-one, but with persuasion, you can get it sooner. Finn tells me you’re very advanced with that.”
“What?” I shook my head. “No. I don’t even know if I have a trust fund.”
“I specifically chose the Everlys because of their wealth,” Elora said matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, I know you chose them for their money, because it certainly wasn’t for their mental health.” I lowered my eyes, realizing I had been smart with her, but quickly plowed through it.
“My dad killed himself when I was five, so
“Shall I continue?” Elora asked, and she didn’t even try to mask the condescending tone in her voice. I nodded meekly. “I don’t even remember what I was saying.” She waved her hand in irritation. “If you have any other questions, I suppose you can ask them now.”
“What are the Vittra?” I asked, trying to distract myself from my anger with her. “I don’t understand who they are or what they wanted with me.”
“Förening is populated with Trylle.” Elora gestured widely around, referencing the whole town. “The term Trylle is a distinction similar to a tribe. We are trolls, and over the years, the troll population has been dwindling. Our numbers used to be great, but there are less than a million of us on the entire planet.
“We are one of the largest tribes left, but we are not the only one,” Elora continued. “The Vittra are a warring faction, and they are forever looking to pick off some of us. Either by turning us to their side, or simply by getting rid of us.”
“So the Vittra want me to live with them?” I wrinkled my nose. “Why? What could I do for them?”
“I am the Queen.” She paused letting me take it in. “You are the Princess. You are my only child, the last of my legacy.”
“What?” I felt my jaw drop open.
“You are the Princess,” Elora explained with a condescending smile. “You will one day be Queen, and being the leader of Trylle carries great weight.”
“But if I’m not here, won’t you just find another replacement? I mean, there’s going to be a Queen here even if I’m not,” I said, scrambling to make sense of this all.
“There is more to it than that. We are not all created equal,” Elora went on. “We are far more gifted than the others. You have already tapped into persuasion, and you have the potential for much more. Vittra are lucky to have any abilities. Adding you to their ranks would greatly change their power to influence.”
“You’re saying I’m powerful?” I raised a sardonic eyebrow.
“You will be,” Elora amended. “That is why you need to live here, to learn our ways so you can take your rightful place.”
“Okay.” I took a deep breath and ran my hand along my pajama pants.
None of this seemed real or made sense. The idea of myself as a Queen was completely absurd. I barely managed to pass for an awkward teenager.
“Finn will be staying to watch over you. Since they’re looking for you, added protection would be prudent.” Elora touched at something at her skirt, not looking at me. “I’m sure you have many more questions, but you’ll get the answers over time. Why don’t you go get yourself cleaned up?”
“Wait,” I said, my voice feeling small and uncertain. She raised her head, looking at me with disdain. “Just… um... where’s my father?”
“Oh.” Elora looked away from me and stared out the window. “Dead. I’m sorry. It happened shortly after you were born.”
Finn had promised me a different life where I belonged, but really, it seemed to be the exact same life with different trappings. My mother here seemed almost as cold as my fake mom, and in either life, my dad was dead.
“Also, I don’t have any money.” I shifted uneasily.
“Of course you don’t,” Elora thought I was being ridiculous. “You probably won’t have access to your trust fund until you’re twenty-one, but with persuasion, you can get it sooner. Finn tells me you’re very advanced with that.”
“What?” I shook my head. “No. I don’t even know if I have a trust fund.”
“I specifically chose the Everlys because of their wealth,” Elora said matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, I know you chose them for their money, because it certainly wasn’t for their mental health.” I lowered my eyes, realizing I had been smart with her, but quickly plowed through it.
“My dad killed himself when I was five, so
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