28: Old Friend

Zandro gave me a cloak. She's still unconscious. It could be that she's under illusions, and as far as I know, only King Nemesis can perform that. Which means he's around during the fireflies' show up. I get my handbook in my cloak, this book contains everything I learned from Mr Holland during my training. The possibility of her sudden faint is hallucination.

I open the book and pages turns continually until to my desired page, where I wrote about King Nemesis' gift. Hallucination. If enhanced, illusions while dreaming is achieved. It is a capability to play inside someone's mind and show them deceitful visions. A normal illusion is unpredictable. Only the person with strong sensitivity can evaluate, just like what happened to Leylicendie Village. There are two types of it, the negative and positive.

The negative is taking you to a place where your grim past happened. The only way to escape is suicide. The positive is seeing the things you wanted to see. Being with someone you wanted to be and a place you love to see. More like, this dream gives you everything you wanted. It is an inevitable temptation to stay in that state. The only way to escape is

"Haris!" Aishmalen called me and getting closer. I close the book and scattered to cards in the air. "So she's still the same," he look at Ashti. I look at the direction of Up-don waters where the two princesses was cursed. The royal couple are there guarding their daughter. The only way to freed them is to kill who curse them or be released.

I remember what happened about Mishuzyñel. She's cursed but freed. I was enlighten, Ashti touched her and soon she recovered. Which means with her touch, both of them can be saved. But not now. Waking her up is the first problem. Like a separation of soul from the body. However, only she can save herself. All I can do is protect her outward presence.

And all this time I'm daydreaming not thinking about Aishmalen is talking to me.

"You better rest now, dawn is nigh," he said and left. I saw Maruwie coming closer to me in the air.

"Maruwie! Where have you been? I didn't see you this whole time." Of course she can't answer me in the same language. Her shape is the size of a kitten, she lay and rest beside Ashti. I keep my guard to her until the sun shines. I didn't got a chance to sleep. With those two trapped in a stone, a muster is imperative.

Queen Elizabeth is the head. I thought that's the duty of a king. King Russell approached me

"Time to leave."

"What about the princesses."

"My Queen and her troops, including the Prince will remain here. Only the three of us will leave, I'll join your company on delivering the princess back to her nation."

"Are you sure? This place and everything needed was incinerated," he laugh. He knew it was his fault.

"Rest assure! Don't under estimate them. They survived in the wilderness hundreds of times." I want to tell him that Ashti could freed those two but she's still in a coma. A tentative cessation here is risky. So leaving is best of my opinion.

We ride behind Maruwie to make the travel fleet. Everyone made a salutation for the King's departing. And I sort of out of place here. In the air, it's awkward, sitting next to a King I just met yesterday and a sleeping beauty. Above here the Fireflies' Hideout, half of the grass' realm was burned.

"Haris, right?" I look and nod.

"You are highly recommended by Princess Jexica. According to her description you're astute and accustomed to these kinds of situations. And I observed she's precise."

"According to Xavier, you are King Holland's apprentice," he added.

"Yes I am."

"Where is he?"

"He's long gone."

"Really, I didn't know that. How come?"

"He died protecting me," then he smile.

"Too obvious. You're not just his student, you're his son. Of course as a father I'm the same. I taught my daughter this." He made hawk by fire with his hand. "A messenger. She gave me a message that evening that everyone is in trouble. On the spot, I substitute my duty to my attendant and left my kingdom to rescue them. Curious how I arrived as quick as thunder? I can turn myself into fire too. Then fly like a shooting star."

I don't expect he's too talkative, I'm not even a good listener.

"I may sound pretentious but for someone you love, you'll do everything, right? Just like King Holland. I never got a chance to meet him in person."

"You'll love his hospitality. He's not easily tempered. Imperturbable even in perilous circumstances. I'm trying to be like him but he told me, I have my own personality. And loving it will help me be greater than him."

"I see. He's your idol then." But base from what he told me, I lost my parents because they saved me. And then I lost King Holland because of the same reason. If I'm worth dying for, then I don't want things be wasted.

"You've been together with Ashti, she's beautiful, right?" I was disturbed from my daydream.

"She's... childish..." I almost say idiot.

"This isn't a necessary matter but, do you like her?" a sudden question. I just stammer, thinking of what to say. And then he laugh, "Nevermind!" I look away. He got me there.

(Queen Amber)

Approximately a month since the chateau is surrounded by loneliness. I'm here breathing the air of the nature's blow on the castle's veranda, reading a book about the world's gifts. The four most known gifts are the four elements, water, air, earth and fire. Other gifts are less powerful than those but can still be useful depends on the user.

The most potent of all ungodly gift is the nature. But because of the tragedy century ago, the one with the authority to control nature are deceased. If only the child is born, the generation for that gift will replenish again. And speaking of this nature, I want to visit an old friend. I hug my baby bump with my gentle touch.

I noticed a star sparkling brightly and coming down this way. A fire message of course from the rulers of Greenland Kingdom. The fire formed to an eagle and scattered to show letters. It says that Ashti was found and now on their way back to her home nation. My heart was filled with joy, or I guess it's too early for that.

She's just on her way, not totally beside or nearby. I call my attendant, Naomi. I told her to prepare a carriage. On my way to the throne, I met Rhea, my King's attendant.

"Rhea, I'm leaving for awhile. Can I entrust you the Kingdom?" she's kinda frightened.

"But, Queen Amber, where are you going?" I slip my fingers on my King's throne.

"To Greenland Kingdom. My old home." I gave her a space of silence until she respond. Judging from her eyes, anxiousness from the possible apprehensions are part of her incumbent. Nevertheless in the latter am astound, she said that if the the King trust her, why not the Queen which is me and the people.

I smile at her like a gentle moon does. Afterwards, Naomi arrived and told me everything is set. I left temporarily everything to Rhea and travel with Naomi. As we pass the town, everything is fine, all is well. I wish this will stay for eternity however a painful hunch is unbearable. Going beyond the boundary that covers us is safe.

The mother of Callions was sealed, it is the only way to get rid of Callions as told by Princess Jexica. The nation's current status, we locked ourselves here. No communication from other nation. For now that wasn't a big deal. Naomi fell asleep on my shoulder, while I was gladdened with the outside world. It's been years since I last travel like this.

We set foot at the Kingdom at night, some of the people here that I knew were gone. I also met someone I knew, Ken, my past suitor. And now he have his own family. Everyone here are peaceful like a breeze. My visit is unexpected, inside the castle the one who entertained me is the King's attendant, Acekent.

They led me here in their living room, this place changed a lot ever since I married Xavier. They gave me a mild chocolate drink, but I won't stay here inside for long.

"Where are the royals?"

"They gave me their responsibility for a short time, there are emergencies happening outside our nation, and I'm sorry to inform that your princess is a victim of that chaos." I hold my drink then laid the teacup on the table.

"Please tell them this, I'm very sorry for the inconvenience in saving my daughter. And thank you very much. I'm sure my daughter is safe with them and that boy." I took a deep breath and found him smiling.

"Don't waver Queen Amber. My masters are the coolest royals, they never failed to amaze anyone with their efficiency."

"By the way, I came here to visit Groover, can I?"

"You mean the talking tree?" I nod. "That tree gave birth to a child three days ago."

"Really?!" he took me inside a room where the baby is there laying with a sweet sleep. The baby's crib is made of woods with flowers on it and... a hamster. I took the baby with my arms, he's cute and shy.

"You know anything about this, Queen Amber?"

"This boy is a prince, Prince Len is his name. He is the son of the long gone Queen of nature. She hid him inside Groover, she's also the one who ingrained that tree. The time will come that that tree will release this prince and nurture him."

"I see! And his kingdom?" Acekent sound fascinated now.

"This is his kingdom before, Forecess Kingdom which is the Greenland Kingdom in present."

"So it is our obligation to adapt that prince!"

"I surmise that you should," I said and laid down the child again. And so, I left the castle with my word good luck to them. The backyard of the castle is the garden where Groover was planted. This land has the widest garden. And I really meant to came here at night, on the other hand, Naomi is trembling, a fear of ghost or dark I guess.

"Your highness, are you sure this is the right way?"

"I know exactly the path- wait, hmm... I know that we should turn left and..."

"Your highness!!" now she's almost weeping.

"Ahuh! That tree!" I pointed the weeping willow tree. We came under its leaves, wiping it away until we reached the end, a perfect spot where we can see the glowing trees' leaves around the whole area, until now the beauty of this nature never withered. The soft grasses and dandelions on the ground that glows a little too is the same.

We're here on top of a hill, I slide down like I'm accustomed too when I was a teenager.

"Your highness, your baby!" Naomi shouted.

I tumble leisurely and dandelions dances with the air. I miss this kind of scene. I walk onward, letting Naomi do her best to follow me. I finally found Groover and am behind him. I step refraining a sound of a single thud. In the end, I surprise him.

"Oh—Amber—? No... I mean... Queen Amber." I finally met my old friend. He's getting older like an old man's face and even weaker. Naomi screams after seeing him. That sounds cliche to me and even Groover.

"How are you? It's been awhile!" said Groover. He protrude a root from the underground to give me seat.

"Groover, I'm sorry I can't visit regularly..."

"That doesn't matter, you're a queen now. I know what a queen should be." I smile at him. "What is happening to the two nations?"

"How do you know?"

"Have you forgotten? My roots are connected to the whole world, which means I can feel that something wrong happened either with my fellow trees or air." he mean the power of nature.

"For now, I have a 16 years old daughter and another child in my womb. My daughter was kidnapped and until now she's missing, even Xavier."

Groover hums, waiting for him to talk again. The air raises my hair slowly

"I found your daughter. She's sleeping like a baby. He's with King Russell and a boy."

"Is she okay?"

"Yes. Safe and sound. And King Xavier... well he's in a forest... near Monteih Kingdom... he's severly wounded!"

"What?! Groover, please help him!" I stood up all of a sudden and stand closer to Groover.

"Your highness please calm yourself."

Groover moans, "I don't have much strength my friend. I'm getting older. I won't stay on my roots breathing the air of life any longer." I'm pulling back my tears

"Then please tell everyone, that he's in the forest near Monteih kingdom. And I promise, when I recouped my gift, I'll heal you. You still have to train and tell everything to that prince."

He did told everyone through the whisper of the air. I stay beside him to offer my support.