5 Four

Raya took two steps forward before stopping and trying to figure out what this place had to do with her. The hooves of the great stallion that drake was mounted on could be heard coming threw the castle gates, turning She looked back and sighed as she watched him glomp towards her.

"My lady your father waits for you inside," he said as he waved her forward.

Reluctantly she slowly let her feet take her towards the double grand oak doors that swung open as she closed in on them. The smell of wildflowers in the summer gently caressed her senses, strangely it reminded her of her childhood running through the tall grassy fields with the other children playing tag till they could not run anymore and would lay in the grass.

The sound of drake clearing his throat abruptly pulled her from her memories of the good days and back to the realization of meeting her father for the first time. She walked threw the doors following close behind drake. Her nerves became uneasy as they walked down a grand corridor towards yet another pair of wooden double doors. The sound of Drake's armor clanking didn't help any as they closed in.

Drake raised a thick fist and knocked on the wooden door the sound echoed through her ears sending her heart into a frenzy. A loud clank sounded through the corridor as the doors opened almost too slowly for Raya's liking. Drake stepped to the side and motioned for her to go in. she looked at him with a slight touch of fear in her green and violet eyes. She looked into the room past the now open doors as she gathered what bravery she had in her. Placing one foot in front of the other she slowly walked into the large open room and glanced around. The floors seemed to be made of sparkling marble and the walls were practically matching. Straight ahead at the end of the room sat two large thrones. In the throne to the right sat a man with shoulder-length snow-white hair and green eyes that seemed to pierce through your very soul. His skin was absolutely flawless as a smile of pearly white teeth spread across his sharp features.

The man stood slowly to his feet as Raya stopped dead center of the room, it seemed like a thousand years past in that very second as their eyes locked.

"Raya, is that really you?" the man asked walking towards her and stopped a few steps from the confused girl. "I'm king Mirios, your father," he said as he closed the gap and touched her cheek softly. "You look just like your mother," she said as the smile vanished and sadness took its place.

Raya was stunned and confused, this man was her father? He didn't look older than twenty-five, how could this be? "Dad?" she asked her voice barely loud enough to even squeak. She looked at him as anger rolled threw her body. This man was her so-called father? The man who never even had the guts to say goodbye and leave her poor mother before Raya was even born? This was the man her mother still loved after all these many years?

Without even thinking she smacked his hand away, and glared at him anger rolling and pounding threw her very veins. "How dare you!!!" she lashed out " how dare you to bring me here after all these years and pretend like everything's okay. How could you leave like that and not even tell mom where you were going. Do you know how hard it was for me to grow up without a father and every other child in the village had one? And now you summon me here to wherever this is and act like nothing ever happened, well you highness that's not acceptable your a dog!" she yelled tears rolling down her cheeks. She turned her back to him not wanting to look at him, as she tried to stop crying, but could you really blame her?

Marios looked at his daughter and sighed rubbing his hand, his green eyes watching her. The instinct to pull her into his arms and soothe her was undeniable but he stood there watching her letting her get this out of her system. "Raya I know it was hard but I had to for your land, your world was not where I belonged. I loved your mother and still do. I wanted to bring her along and raise you alongside her, but she didn't belong here she would have gone mad" he said and reached out to her but stopped mid-reach and Raya turned sharply to look at him.

" and what you believe I belong here?" she asked wiping tears from her blood-stained eyes.

Marios sighed and looked down "Raya I need your help, and I know I have no right to ask it of you but please just try to understand" he said and decided to drop the subject dew to the glare he was receiving.

"I would never help you not if your life depended on it I want to go home to mom," she said crying even harder. Marios sighed he understood that feeling all too well. But deep down he knew what had to be done.

"My daughter, unfortunately, you cant not until what's going on is fixed. You see it's not only me but my people from my world and even your mother and her world are in grave danger," he said with a grim expression. Raya looked at him confused and stood there not understanding what was going on. "Raya it's late I will explain more of this to you in the morning please let my right hand show you to your room?" he asked softly as she gave him a slight nod giving in.

A woman with long pink curls came skipping into the room her appearance took Raya by surprise. She stood about five foot two with pink curls that went to the middle of her back. She had doll-like features that adorned colorful makeup. Her crystal blue eyes were wide with excitement and joy. She sported a top hat that seemed to have paint all over it with flowers a playing card and other strange things coming out of the band around the hat. She had a blue corset over a puffy white long sleeve shirt that seemed too big for her and men's pants that were tight and torn in some places. And to top it all off she had mitched match shoes on. That strange-looking woman stopped at Marios's side and let out a giggle as her head tilted to the side slightly.

"Ahhh you must be the king's princess you are?" she asked her voice almost childlike not really fitting her. Raya looked at her as if watching a crazy person.

Mirios laughed and nodded "Raya this is my right hand Ace Valentine, she will be at your beck and call if you need anything," he said and gave a slight bow "good night and sleep well," he said before walking out of the room. Ace looked at Raya and tipped her hat slightly to her "it's my pleasure it is" she said. Raya couldn't help but smile at her, this woman was funny in a way and spoke oddly.