Chapter 16: Lilia

Yelena's POV

"Ugh!" we cried when we reached the landing.

"Oww…!" I cried and touched the back of my head. "Where are we - ?" I stopped when I saw the three of them lying on the ground not far from me. "Huh? Guys?" I said. They're unconscious. "Guys? Guys - !" I called.

"Oh? So you survived my barrier." I heard a voice say.

I turned. My eyes went wide when I saw a woman with her face painted with colors. Her hair was tied up in a bun, and her eyes looked sharp. She also wears a dark-colored dress that reaches her feet.

"Who – " I said, and stopped. "Wait. 'survived'?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah." She said with her arms crossed on her chest.

My heart beat loudly with fear. "What do you mean – " I said, horrified. I looked at Vice, Rio and Oril lying on the ground, still unconscious, then looked back at the woman. "Who are you?" I asked.

She smiled. "I'm the witch, Lilia." She answered. "Welcome back, East Kingdom's princess – " she said and looked straight in my eyes. "Your Highness the Princess Yelena." She said and her smile faded.

My mouth fell open with shock. "What - ?!" I exclaimed. Even a witch was deceived by me!

"Oh?" she said, surprised. Her brows rose. "You don't know?" her forehead knotted.

Her mind made a halting screech. Oops. She actually doesn't know me and just made a guess? "Ah… ahahaha…" I forced a laugh. Shit! What to answer here?! If I'll answer I'm not the princess, she might kill me. But if I'll say I'm the princess, she might kill me, too! She looks like she hates the princess? What did this missing princess do, offending a witch?! I thought. Either way, she'll kill me! I thought and I grimaced. Ugh! What to do? "Err… uhm…" Route A, it is! I closed my eyes. "I … I'm not the princess." I told her. The hell with it! If I'd say I'm not the princess, then she might not kill me if she's an assassin sent to kill the princess!

"You're an honest one." she said.

I looked at her. "Huh?"

"For you to tell me what you think – " she said.

My mouth fell open, shocked. She's actually just testing me?!

"But…" she said and sat on a chair. " – you're the princess of the East Kingdom." She said and poured tea on her cup. "Would you like to join me for tea?" she asked.

"Huh? Uhm – " I said, then looked at Vice, Rio and Oril still lying on the cold ground. "They're – "

"Alive." She said.

I sighed, relieved. "Thanks." I said. I walked to the three and let them sit on the wall.

"That one's a fairy." She said when I sat on the chair, facing her. "Her power and magic are strong." She looked at Rio before turning to Oril. "That one is a knight… a hero that lost his way." She said. "And that one – " she said, looking at Vice. "Has many secrets she isn't even aware of."

"Secrets?" I asked.

She looked at me. "Let's not talk about them." She said. "Even if you have secrets you aren't aware of." She started. "You told me earlier you're not the East's princess." She didn't ask. She stated it.

I nodded. "Yeah." I said. "You might not know this, but I'm not from here – "

"No." she cut me. "You're from here." She said, then looked at me in the eyes. "You're finally home." She said.

My eyes went wide with shock as a warm feeling filled up inside my heart. I saw my tears fall. "What – " I said, wiping them. "Why am I – "

She laid her head on her hand. "See? You're not even aware of your own secrets." She said, then smiled.

I looked at her. "Who are you, really?" I asked.

She sipped in her cup. "Just a witch." She answered. My forehead knotted. She smiled. "How are you feeling that you already came back, Your Highness?" she asked.

"What's your motive?" I asked. "Where does your loyalty lie?" I asked.

She put down her cup and smiled. "You've shown your colors." She said. "For someone that's been gone in 20 years, you still had that regal aura around you." She said. "Just like when you – " she stopped, then smiled. "Hmm…let me cut to the chase." She said and looked at me in the eye. "You can't escape your fate. Everything's been destined from the start." She said, the surroundings suddenly became distorted again.

"Wait - !"

She smiled. "Welcome back, Your Highness." She said.

"Huh?" I said, then looked around. "We're… back." I said. "Where – " I said, then looked at the swamp. "It's gone." I said. It's been replaced by a burnt ground. "Was it… a dream?" I asked.

I heard them groan. "Oww…" they cried, holding their head. "What happened – "

"Guys!" I said.

"Yelena?" Vice said.

I nodded. "Yes?"

"What… happened?" she asked. We woke Oril and Rio.

"Oww… what the hell – " Rio said. Her aura glowed red when she saw me holding her. "You- !" she said, then flew away.

I sighed. "Why are you angry - ?" I asked.

Her face is so red. "N – nothing!" he said.

"Ah…" Oril said. "Have we found the witch?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No." I answered.

He sighed. "Guess we should end this." He said, then stood up. "Thanks, everyone, for helping me." he said, then bowed. "Well then – " then walked away.

"Wait!" I said. He looked back. "Uhm…" I said. "Do you mind… if… you go to my kingdom?" I asked.

Their eyes went wide. "Yelena!" Rio said, smiling happily.

"What – " Vice said, shocked. "Who do you think you are? You're not even the real princess – "

Oh yeah. She still thinks I'm not the real princess. I thought and grimaced. I touched my head. Was that a dream? Me talking to the witch? I thought.

"Yelena." I heard Rio called, her face serious.

"Hmm?" I said.

She looked at my face. "You've… changed." She said, then flew towards me. "Your memories finally came back?" she asked.

I looked at her. I didn't answer.

She sighed. "So it must be." she said.

"Yelena?" Vice called.

I smiled. "Err, yeah… but – " I said. "Aren't you sorry for him? He doesn't have anywhere to go." I said and pointed at Oril.

"You reverted back to your stupid self." I heard Rio muttering.

"This is called acting." I whispered to him and smiled at Vice.

Vice looked at me suspiciously. "You aren't doing that – " she said.

Rio sighed. "Fine, fine. Don't fight." she said. "Yelena. Why don't you tell this to your parents first?" she asked.

"They're not her parents –" Vice protested.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Rio said.

Vice glared at her.

"For the meantime…eh?" Rio said.

We turned. Oril's gone. "Where did he…. go?" we asked.

Rio sighed. "For the meantime…" she continued. "I'll let him stay in my lair. But first, I have to find him." She said. She looked at me. "You go back to the castle first." She told me.

"Err, Rio." I said. "You forgot the reason why we came to your lair." I said.

"We're lost." Vice said.

"Eh?" she said, shocked. She sighed. "Fine. follow him." She said and created a nymph. "She'll lead you to the forest's exit – "

"What…" we said. "What?! If you could to this from the start, then we could've gone home!" Vice and I said, pissed.

"Eh?" Rio said, flew back. "It's not my fault! You didn't ask!" she said.

And we bickered.