Kapelya Petrov's Fate

Life, Identity

Fenneck realizes Natalya is Kapelya Petrov, the baby Pufuktin took from the burning longhouse.

Fenneck wrapped his arms around Natalya and kissed her ear lovingly as he pushed her through the door and toward his bed. Natalya giggled and turned into his arms and Fenneck kissed her fiercely, pushing her down into the covers. "Someone had a good birthday!" she giggled as his magical vines playfully sprouted from the plants in his room and wrapped around her wrists and ankles, splaying her out on the mat in front of him. "It's not over yet!" he teased her as he started kissing her neck. "I thought we were waiting!" Natalya gasped excitedly. Fenneck looked down at his beautiful partner and sighed. "I know, I know." He sat back, annoyed with the conflict between his excited self and traditional obligations. The vines released Natalya and she gave him a disappointed look. "Oh come on," he said with an exasperated sigh. "It will be worth it to wait till we're married. I promise," he told her as she sat up. She sighed. "I feel bad. Once again, I have failed in the gift department," she said, giving him a guilty smile. He waved her off. "Birthdays are kinda silly, honestly. I'm not super into them. Baegla insists on throwing a huge, palace-wide shindig for everyone though, so you better prepare yourself," he warned her and pulled her into his arms. "When is your birthday?" he asked her. "Is it bad that I'm only just now realizing that I don't actually know how old you are?" he said as she kissed his neck. She sat up and giggled. "I don't know my actual birthdate. Orphanage remember?" She gave him a coy smile. "But I'm one hundred and... thirty one?" she said, doing math in her head before nodding. "Yeah, thirty one," she decided. His jaw dropped and his eyes filled with disbelief. "You're so young!" he exclaimed, kissing her excitedly. "How old are you?!" she asked him. He laughed. "One hundred and ninety-five," he told her. She giggled. "You're not that much older. Not for an elf at least!" Fenneck kissed her beautiful lips again before sitting back in thought. "So that means you were born the year I liberated a country," he said teasingly. She giggled. "I guess so, huh? The revolution was in 1869, wasn't it?" Fenneck nodded. "It was. I was sixty-four at the time." Natalya kissed him and pulled him down into the covers with her. He admired her lovingly. "Do you know anything about your parents or were you in the orphanage for as long as you can remember?" he asked her as he started unlacing her dress. She thought for a moment. "I don't remember them. Pufuktin told me once that they were farmers. That their longhouse had been set on fire by some halfling or something and he saved me," she said off-handedly. Fenneck stopped what he was doing and looked at her as a horrible realization came over him. "What... what else did he tell you?" he asked her hesitantly, wanting to be sure. She shrugged. "He said that the halfling and an elf and a bird of some sort set the fire and that he wasn't able to get my parents out in time. He also mentioned that I got my red hair from my father and then said something really creepy about how I was much prettier than he was and then he charmed me and forced me to... you know," she said casually. Fenneck sat up and put his head in his hands. It wasn't possible. It wasn't her. How could it be? Fenneck looked at Natalya with a look of bewilderment. It had to be her. He thought about Pyotr and Alina and realized she did look exactly like them. She did have her father's blood red hair. He felt pain and anger flood his body. "Are you okay?" Natalya asked him, surprised at his sudden mood change. "I shouldn't have brought up the charming thing. I know it makes you upset," Natalya said, gently caressing his arm. Fenneck nodded. "I need to go check on something," he said abruptly. "I'm sorry. I'll be right back, I promise." He stood up and walked to the door and ignored Natalya's confused response as he ran to Vyndius and Catherine's room in the other tower. He got to their door and knocked aggressively. After a few moments, Catherine opened the door in a robe with her sandy blonde hair looking a bit matted, clearly having been enjoying some time alone with her husband. She gave Fenneck a confused look. "What's wrong?" she seemed annoyed by his interruption. "I assume Vyndius is here?" Fenneck asked her, motioning to her disheveled state. She gave him a stern look and nodded before letting him inside. He saw Vyndius sitting in bed shirtless underneath the covers. "Welcome!" Vyndius said cheerfully with a wide gesture, disregarding any kind of social graces as usual. Fenneck walked over and paced in front of the bed. "I found her," he announced, turning to the halfling who looked at him in confusion. "Who?" "Kapelya Petrov. The baby." Fenneck met his eyes and he saw the joviality drain from Vyndius' face. He shook his head in surprise at this news. "Who... where is she?" Catherine gasped with realization. "No..." she said softly, putting her hand to her mouth. Vyndius cocked his head in confusion. Catherine sat down on the end of the bed. "Of course. Of course. Oh my gods. Oh my goodness. Why didn't we realize it before?" she asked Fenneck. Vyndius threw his hands up in annoyance. "What am I missing?!" he asked them, clearly annoyed that he wasn't aware of what was going on. "It's Natalya," Catherine said, looking up at Fenneck in despair. Fenneck nodded to her. Vyndius' demeanor collapsed for a moment before he shook his head. "No... Natalya's not a baby, Fenneck!" Vyndius shook his head as if he and Catherine were stupid for thinking such a thing. Fenneck cocked his head at the little halfling. "How many years have passed since then?" Fenneck asked the halfling who pulled out his fingers as if he was counting and thought for a moment before shrugging. "Honestly, who's to say? Like..." he gave Catherine a look asking for help and she sighed a bit sadly at her silly husband. "A hundred and thirty years, dear," she informed him with a compassionate look. He crossed his arms, clearly frustrated with himself. "Look, math is hard. The years all kinda blur together," he huffed. Catherine shook her head and turned to Fenneck. "Did you tell her?" she asked him. He shook his head. "Why not?!" she exclaimed, leaning toward him. "What happened? How do you know?" she asked him. He started pacing again. "She said that Pufuktin told her she was pulled from a fire started by a halfling and an elf and their pet bird and that her father had red hair. He told her that he saved her," Fenneck explained. He watched the halfling's face turn red as he started to fume with rage at these words. Gwynsickle appeared from his small doorway with a look of concern after hearing the distressed voices. He waddled over to Vyndius and squawked softly, climbing onto the bed next to him to comfort him. Catherine shook her head and put her face in her hands. Fenneck stared into an empty space in the room. "This is all my fault," he said. "The reason she's had such an awful, horrible life is my fault." He felt tears start to burn his eyes. "If I would have saved her that day she would have been here and safe. We would have met years ago and Erikur would still be alive!" he exclaimed in pain, realizing what could have been. "She could have been safe. Here. With food and warmth and love, not in some cold stone box being raped by Pufuktin for a hundred years!" He threw his hands up in distress. "Wait, what?!" Vyndius asked in shock and fury. Fenneck nodded. "He would charm her and force her to do things with him," Fenneck explained. Catherine was crying and shaking her head in despair, very aware of how painful this was for Fenneck and her husband. Vyndius crumpled the sheets in his fists, sending ice creeping across the bed. "I'm going to kill him. I'm going to torture and kill that motherfucking neckbearded fuck if it's the last thing I do!" he exclaimed in rage. Fenneck shook his head. "It's all my fault." He collapsed onto the now cold bed next to Catherine who leaned against him and squeezed his hand. "It's not your fault, Fenneck. Please don't think that." She pleaded with him. "Go talk to her. Tell her who her parents are and what happened. I'm sure she's been wanting to know her whole life. Maybe the reason she's your thiramin was so that you could find her and bring her home." She looked up into his eyes. Fenneck sighed. "Or maybe Erikur's death was a cruel form of karma." He looked down to avoid Catherine's heartbroken eyes. "Don't do this, Fenneck. We can't change what's happened. We can only try and make the future brighter. I believe with every part of my being that you and Natalya's thiramin is about more than love and romance. We're still fighting this fight, Fenneck. The revolution isn't over." Catherine's green eyes looked into Fenneck's, painfully reminding him of her brother. Vyndius nodded in agreement, his wife's words calming him. "Far from it," he spat before waving his hand to melt some of the ice. Fenneck sighed and stood up. "I should go talk to her." Catherine gave him a small smile. "It's going to be okay, Fenneck. You're together now. Everything will be okay," she tried to assure him. Fenneck left and headed back up to his tower. He opened the door and saw Natalya who was now in her blue, flowy gossamer nightgown that sparkled with the gorgeous silver elvish embroidery that trimmed the edges of it. She was standing on the balcony and looking down over Flottenheim, framed by the beautiful starry sky and bright crescent moon hanging over the mountains. He beautiful red locks cascading down her back in beautiful waves. He walked up and gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. "I'm so sorry I ran off," he told her as he kissed her neck passionately. She leaned back against him and sighed happily. "It's okay, it gave me some alone time with my flutterer," she teased him. "I'm glad you had some fun," he tried to chuckle at her before turning to Flottenheim and sighing. He had to tell her. He pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on her shoulder, nuzzling his face against hers and pointed down to the Vallee below them. "If you look right there, in the distance, you can see the floral green house I took you to when you first arrived here. Do you remember it?" he asked her. She nodded, still smiling giddily. "I do. It was beautiful. I'd never seen so many colors before," she said wistfully. Fenneck smiled. "Do you remember the cherry blossom tree in the center?" he asked her. She nodded and nuzzled her head into his chest happily. Fenneck took a deep breath before gently kissing her on the head, trying to soften the blow. "Your parents are buried underneath it," he told her slowly. Natalya stopped moving and looked up at Fenneck with a look of confusion and fear. "What?" she asked him, a hint of distrust on her voice as she slowly backed away from his arms. He swallowed. "I was the elf, Natalya. In the longhouse. Vyndius and Gwynsickle, his penguin, were the halfling and the bird. We didn't start the fire though, Pufuktin did," he added quickly. Natalya looked at Fenneck with bewilderment and caution. "Your parents were sentenced to death by the KAV for what I can safely assume was the use of magic and the hiding of resources from the government. They were some of the farmers that made this," he gestured to Flottenheim, "possible. They developed the magical farming techniques we use today, and without them the revolution never would have worked." Natalya shook her head in shock. Fenneck continued, keeping himself surprisingly composed. "We tried to get there in time to save them but it was too late. I watched Pufuktin kill your mother and pull you from her arms," he told her painfully. "I tried my best to stop him but he disappeared." He looked into Natalya's eyes, searching for anger or forgiveness. "I'm the reason your life has been so awful," he told her woefully. "The reason you didn't grow up here, safe and warm in Flottenheim. In your home." He reached out and caressed her arm. "We could have met long ago and not have had to..." his voice trailed off as tears started to slide down his cheek. "It's my fault, Natalya. All of it and I'm so sorry." Natalya looked out over Flottenheim for a long time, processing this new information before turning to Fenneck and shaking her head. "What were their names?" she asked him. "Pyotr and Alina Petrov," he told her. Natalya turned back to the city. She stared for another long while, not betraying her thoughts to Fenneck at all. "Nat?" he asked tenderly as he reached out and touched her arm, causing her to jump away from him. Fenneck swallowed as he felt fear overwhelm his body. He ruined everything. Again. On this same goddamn balcony like he always did. Natalya gave him a scared look and Fenneck's heart broke seeing her pain and confusion. "I had no idea, Nat. Not until you said that you were pulled from a fire. I-" Natalya cut him off suddenly. "Stop talking." Fenneck retreated from her and tried to stop the tears building up in his eyes. Natalya suddenly turned and walked inside and Fenneck hesitantly followed her into their room. Natalya walked to the door and headed down the staircase, still barefoot in her sheer nightgown. "Natalya?!" Fenneck ran to the stairwell and followed her as she ran down to the entrance to the palace. They ran past Baegla and Jasna who were chatting with some friends in the throne room. Jasna looked up in concern as Natalya ran out of the palace in her nightgown. Fenneck frantically followed Natalya down the mountain. "Nat! Please stop!" he begged her as they ran down toward the Vallee. He expected her to run into the mountains, but she headed south at the crossroad and ran straight for the greenhouse. Fenneck ran after her. She got to the beautiful white, ornate pavilion that was dripping with beautiful purple and green wisteria and stopped at the door. Fenneck stopped and watched her as she reached out and hesitantly opened the door. She walked in and Fenneck followed her at a respectful distance. It was dark inside and he waved his hands and sent a few blue orbs of magical light after her, illuminating her shimmery nightgown against the marvelous flowers grazing her elegant frame as she walked toward the giant cherry blossom tree in the center of the room. Some of the pink petals gently fell around her as she looked down at the plaque and read her real name for the first time in her life. Fenneck walked up behind her and gently reached out an arm around her waist. He watched her wipe a tear from her eyes and look around the room in awe and sadness. She finally looked over at him and burst into tears, falling into his arms. Fenneck squeezed her lovingly and started sobbing. They collapsed onto the ground and held each other close. He had finally found her. He had brought her home. She was safe. She was where she was meant to be. He showered her perfect face with kisses as they cried, celebrating her homecoming. "Welcome home, Kapelya," he told her in Elvish, calling her by her birthname. She smiled and giggled at the unfamiliarity of it. Fenneck kissed her lips and pulled her into a fierce embrace. She giggled a moment before crying again and settling next to him and leaning her head against his arm as they looked up at the radiant tree before them. Fenneck took Natalya's hand and interlaced her fingers with his before closing his eyes to meditate, feeling grateful for the best birthday gift he could ever receive.