Chapter 5 - My queen
1172 Words
“You are proceeding terribly. She is new here. You must provide her with an introduction. Inform her of what’s going on in our world, before you proceed to ask her to take responsibility for the prophecy.” A woman’s gentle voice reached them. Nate managed to calm down, but no way is she going to take responsibility for another prophecy.
“Sister…” The prince turned to look at the newcomer. From the gap between the king and the prince, she saw a glimpse of her. She froze. She forgot to breath for a couple of seconds as she stared at her. She…
The princess noticed the way the human is looking at her. She narrowed her eyes on her. She doesn’t like that look. It was a mix of horror, wonder, and… something else.
“Mind your gaze.” The woman sternly stated, but Nate couldn’t keep her eyes away. She ogled at her.
“Show some respect. She’s a princess.” The prince ordered as he noticed the way she looks at his sister.
“But…” Nate struggled. What is she seeing?
“My queen…” When she uttered those words, it was the woman’s turn to show surprise. Very few fae knew she was once a queen.
“Who are you?” She was on guard, then she was confused. This human seems young.
“My queen, aren’t you Queen Elise…? Of the north?” Nate could tell, she didn’t age much differently from her portrait in the throne room.
Before anyone could say anything, those pesky lights enveloped her again and she looked around her.
“What…” Nate muttered. Those lights are all she’s seeing.
“What are you doing?” The prince asked.
Elise strode forward to better see this human. She knows. Very few should be able to recognize her now.
“Who are you?” She repeated.
But Nate couldn’t hear anyone anymore. The lights disappeared along with her.
“Who did she say she is?”
“Nate, from the north kingdom of the humans.” Her father replied, watching her closely.
North kingdom. She’s from there. It was a short encounter, but she feels closer.
Watching his daughter as her eyes filled with tears, it took a while for the king to recall the past.
They used her as a changeling. They took the identity of a human princess from the south. When she turned thirty, they called her back into the fae dimension. They hoped to fulfill the prophecy with their own fae princess. The king’s firstborn. The heir to the throne. But it would seem their plan didn’t work. They have been trying for years and nothing has changed in their situation.
When Nate returned to the training hall, it was dark and cold. She shivered. Why is it dark? She called a small flame, but it only flickered briefly before it went out. She pursed her lips. Did she use too much of her magic? She does feel a bit weak, but she attributed it to being hungry.
She trudged towards the door and startled the guards outside.
“Princess…” They seemed surprised.
“Where’s Vince?” She asked, closing the door behind her.
“In his quarters, my lady.”
She nodded before continuing her walk. The guards looked at one another. Wasn’t she missing? Should they report to the king? They decided that one of them should go.
Vince came out of his daze when the door to his chambers opened. He was leaning against the window, looking outside. He couldn’t sleep. It’s nearly midnight.
“Still no news of her?” He asked without looking back, thinking it must be his father.
“Who?” When he heard her voice, he immediately turned to look. He was stunned.
“You’re back.”
“I’m back.” She grinned as she walked towards him.
Vince enveloped her in his arms, embracing her tightly.
“Never do that again.” He stated weakly. His fears the whole day melting away.
“Why is it night already?” Nate asked. It was mid-morning when she used the enchantment and it had only been an hour or so.
“You’re gone for a whole day. Where were you?”
Nate’s look of surprise isn’t what he’s expecting.
“What happened?”
“I went into the fae world. I was only there for an hour.” She hesitated. Should she tell him? She tried to recall the woman. It looked as if she reacted strongly when she called her Queen Elise. She must be.
“What is it? Tell me what happened.” He pulled her to the bed and they sat on it. She was halfway through the story when the door opened and the King Edward came in. He exhaled in relief upon seeing her well.
She was too tired so she asked Vince to tell the king what she already said. Then, she continued. She hesitated again at the part where the woman appeared.
“Go on. Tell us the rest.”
“I… there was…”
She stood up and paced to release her tension. The king and the prince watched her agitation.
“There was a woman who appeared. And she looked…” She turned to look at them and she was even more helpless. She stopped pacing and stared into the king’s eyes.
“She looked like Queen Elise, and she seemed to recognize it when I called her that.”
The men inhaled deeply, as they absorbed that piece of information. No wonder she’s agitated.
The king shook his head.
“No. Elise couldn’t be there. How could she be in that world?”
As his father says that, Vince thought maybe that’s why they couldn’t find her. He has hope and he turned to look at Nate.
“What happened, then?”
“She asked who I am. It seems she’s a princess. The prince called her sister. Wait, he did say she’s a princess when he reprimanded me as I ogled at her. I’m sure they thought I was being rude, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. It doesn’t look like she aged at all. Maybe a few years after the portrait in the throne room.”
The king and the prince exchanged a look. It’s a long shot.
“I didn’t get to answer and talk to her because I got transported back here.” She stated weakly.
“What enchantment is it?” The king asked and she pulled the book out of her bag.
She brought it to the table and opened it to that page. They congregated around it.
“The description was very vague. I thought I could go to the northeast without days of traveling if I use it.”
Vince’s lips curled up at her idea. They wouldn’t miss each other that much if they could do that. Quick visits.
“Have you read anything about fae?” Nate asked Vince, who shook his head. He hasn’t read much on other creatures. He turned to his father. Maybe he did.
“Rest. We’ll talk tomorrow. Meet me in the hall.” The king stated and he patted both of them on their heads before moving out.
“What do you think is he thinking?” Nate asked as she watched the closed door.
“Mother.”
Nate bit her lip. What if it was all just a dream and wasn’t a real place? The possibility only came to her in that moment. She grimaced. Maybe she’ll take a trip to the northeast after all and ask her father what he knows about fae, if they couldn’t come up with anything tomorrow.
- Writer
