The Betrayal Part 3: The Invaders

[Anastasia's POV]

She waited for days.

Weeks.

Months.

The Elven man never return.

Anastasia waited long enough for Faramir's return. At the exact spot they met and parted ways. On cold days, freezing nights, blizzards, or any storm, she waited. But even his shadow was never to be found. She waited long enough that she forgot to take care of herself. She sighed shakingly as she pities herself. With all that, tears came rushing to her eyes again.

"Are you still going to wait for him?" lifeless, she turn her head at her back as Glacia appeared.

"He promised" she answered almost whispering. She heard Glacia sighing as she hover towards her.

"You have to go home to Asfelro. The Elven army is coming close, soon enough they will be here and our lands will be their refuge" she felt a gentle force on Glacia's hands holding her arms while looking at the lights in the sky nearby where the torches of the Elven army are in.

"Father is asking you to meet him, Anastasia" Glacia added.

Since her father said so, she no longer has the capability to refuse. But she doesn't have the will to do anything besides on looking farther blankly.

--

Asfelro, Winter Land**

"You summoned me, Father" she kneeled when she was brought to her Father's front.

"It is time for us to welcome our neighbors, Anastasia. It is our duty to help everyone in Estofidel, especially against enemies outside of this domain." her Father said via telepathy.

She looked at Glacia and got the confirmation by nodding.

"B-but father, Winter land belongs to us. The Elven Army? Their technology, do they have any chance to drive out the invaders?" she asked.

If the Elves will live beside them, there is a possibility that she will be able to see Faramir again. But not with the technology they have, Elven Technology steals the mana on its surroundings which have a higher risk of destroying the balance in the environment. The long-term possibility is the entire land will suffer from drought as well as they did and what happened to the Summer land.

It will also harm her father directly. She can't choose that over her own personal gain.

"I miscalculated, daughter. The invaders. They are humans. And they have brought a dangerous powerful entity in here"

She doesn't understand. The secret of the outside world is hidden from the Elves, they are the only ones who knew the existence of the world outside. And humans? Humans are weak creatures.

"What do you mean they brought in a dangerous entity, Father?" still clueless, she asked.

"A Celestial being, Anastasia" Glacia answered.

She stop breathing for a while and her eyes widen as her body entered the coldness of the air.

"T-that is impossible. T-they have been long gone" terrified. Her voice came out of her mouth shaking.

---

[Alyssa and the other nobility's POV]

"No! No!" Alyssa gasped for air as she witnessed and heard the conversation in front of them.

"I-it seems that we stumbled ourselves on something that we should not get ourselves involved" Strelna shakingly back down, almost hysterical as the Empress.

Yusupov supported Strelna to back up on her knees as her strength abandoned her body from the revelation they uncovered.

"Vasil, are you sure this is her memory?" Beznosov who is trying to act normal asked the Prince of the Blood Imperial.

"It is, Grand Duke. I am not tampering with any of it from the start" Vasil who is shocked also is not looking away from the scene they are witnessing.

"Anastasia said it before. That there is someone greater than this is pulling the strings, how can Venicio be involved in any of this? So it really is a Celestial being?" Alyssa analyzing her previous discussion with Anastasia remembered the fairy's previous claim.

"Yeah! And he is involved since then without us doubting he has schemes like this?" Strelna added.

"F-Focus for now. Our questions might be answered as we get to the climax of her memory" Vasil said to everyone.

"The crusaders, they might be the invaders they are talking about" Yusupov unveiled.

They all look at him worried.

--

Since Anastasia was absent-minded for the past months, she never knew until she witness it today that The Elves and Fairies have been communicating with each other for long enough that she is seeing them moving into the Winter land. As she flies around the woods where almost every corner there are elves she saw camping, she realized something that can help them.

The blizzard has been quiet since they occupied the area, Elves find it difficult to leave where snow is still thick on the soil. She tried approaching a family of elves and she stopped in the middle when she saw that these people are scared of her.

"Oh, I--" she chooses to back down but the mother and father suddenly came rushing to her and kneel while thanking her kind that they allowed them to take refuge.

"We have been late in helping you but we will make sure that the fruits and animals around here will be provided for you to harvest and hunt"

She saw a little elf clinging to her mother's dress looking at her so she approached and gave her a smile. She sat on her feet to match the little girl's height then offered her an apple that appeared in her hand. The girl was amazed, look at her mother to ask permission then there you go, picked up the fruit in her hand and indulge in it.

"Good girl!" she said patting her head.

She continues to walk around as if she is looking for someone.

Faramir! Where are you?

"He might not be here, Anastasia" Glacia said. She might have noticed her since she roams around a lot since these elves came.

"I thought you oppose them having refuge here?" she looked at Glacia before she answer, puzzled about what her question is then she saw her looking at the family she approached a while ago.

She looks at them too and the girl is waving so she waves back smiling.

"If father decides to welcome them, I will too" plainly she answered facing her again.

"These people are only composed of children, women, old and injured. The men who can fight are still in the Summer land fighting against the human army and their summoned Angel"

"Why are you informing me this?" she asked her trying to act like she doesn't care and knows that Glacia simply wants to tell that Faramir is on the battlefront.

Glacia sighed before she speak again.

"You are the Titania, queen of fairies. Your power might be needed soon, so knowing what is happening against that invaders is crucial for us, for you. If they get defeated perhaps killed..."

The emotions she felt rushed to her chest hearing the word 'killed' from Glacia.

"...we are the only one who can defend these people. You, rather"

"They won't be killed" for all of that information she has received from her, Anastasia only thinks of Faramir's survivability. That can't be helped. The longer time where she still can't find him or get to know if he is safe makes her worry gravely.

They stop when they heard shouting from men approaching the woods. They saw a group of men, some injured and being dragged by the others approach the camp. Glacia together with the other fairies and elves meet them halfway. She left where she is standing hearing her own heart beating faster and louder. she can't even breathe normally as she saw the men with their blood all over their bodies, some without limbs or arms.

"T-The Chieftain's son went to see the human's camp which allows us to retreat and run here" one man reported to others.

"Faramir did?" he heard someone reply shockingly.

She is more shocked than anyone here! Shakingly she approached the wounded man lying on the bed of snow and ask him again.

"The Chieftain's son you say? Faramir? W-why did he go to the enemies?"

The man is wordless and doesn't know how to react to her presence.

"Anastasia you have to calm down, you're scaring these men who just arrived" Glacia pulls her away from the man.

"F-Faramir is... he might get himself..." her words jumbled as she think the worst possible thing to happen.

Her vision became blurry and her strength she feels like getting sucked out of her system.

"You've been closed enough to their Elven technology, Anastasia. Someone, get her back to Asfelro!" she heard Glacia.

She looked back to the man a while ago and she just noticed in her fading conscience the armor he is wearing, it must have been made with the technology poisonous to them.

Faramir!

Faramir is in danger!

I have to...

I have...

She blacked out.