Meeting The Goddess

    She smiled at me with her eyes, then she sat across from me on the tree trunks holding my hands, her hands are very warm and comforted me in so many ways.

    "No! Malia, I am not your mother." She said with sadness in her voice.

    "Why do you look entirely like her and me, I have only seen her from the books in the academy, but the pictures of my mother, I've seen is so vivid in my memories, may I ask who are you? And why are you here in the forest early in the morning?"

    "I am Thalia, the goddess of the Magical Forest, Thalassa is my twin sister, it means I am your aunt." She looked at the horizon untroubled, yet I can see the longing in her eyes, then her gazed fixed on me for a long time. She touched my face with her right hand, and I felt the relaxing sensation flowing in every part of my body.

"Wow!" I said, bewildered by the information, and I can't find the right words to say. Deep in my heart and mind, I have so many questions I wanted to ask, there are a lot of things I want to know. My heritage on my mother's side is still unknown to me, but I am overwhelmed by the truth that I have an aunt.

"I didn't know my mother had a twin sister." I said, looking at her eyes shyly.

"My existence is untold, when we were still in the womb of our mother, our future has been predicted by the Seer, she will become queen of Erthesia Kingdom and I will become the goddess of this sanctuary."

    "I was brought here after we were born, only our parents know about me, and of course your mother, we are connected in an unexplainable way. We spend so much time together when she was your age during her stay here at the academy, and she introduced me to your father."

     "You never had a chance to be with your real family?" I asked confused.

    "Yes! That was my inevitable fate, the moment I was chosen to be the next goddess of the magical forest. All fairies in fairy land knew that there is a Deity protecting this forest, but they didn't know who I really am nor have seen my face. Amos and your professors only heard my voice, but never seen the real me. I can only show myself to the magical creatures living in this place, and the powerful fairies like you and your parents will be able to see me too." She said.

"Can I call you Aunt Thalia?"

"Of course! I love that, I miss Thalassa so much, when she was pregnant of you, she visited me and let me touch her belly, and I felt your heartbeat and you were kicking every time I talk to you, and now I am so happy to see you grow into a beautiful young woman, during your exam I wanted to meet you, but it wasn't the right time." I am enthralled with the soft voice of my aunt and her charm.

"No words can express how happy I am to know you, aunt Thalia, you are the first family I have known here in fairy land. Thank you for letting me know I am not alone." I said not able to hold back my tears of happiness.

"Always remember Malia, you are not alone, I am always with you, come with me Malia, I will show you to my chalet." She said offering me her hand, together we soared under the trees holding hands, and to the meadow where I usually spend my time alone with Flynn. My heart suddenly throbbed just remembering his face.

In the center of the meadow I see a beautiful cabin surrounded by a lush and shadowy garden, the fragrance of the colorful flowers thriving in beauty took my breath away. I haven't seen this before. It must be hidden by my Aunt.

"This is so beautiful, I have been here in this meadow for how many times, but I've never seen this cottage before.

"This place is shielded with a powerful spell, yes! I saw you here with the Crown Prince of Erthesia, I am sorry Malia, I never intended to eavesdrop with your conversations, and observe your intimate moments together, but there are lots of times I wanted to have a glimpse of your happy face." She said smiling at me.

"You are just like Thalassa when she fell in love with King Maverick, you looked so nonchalant, when you are in his arms, I wonder why do you look so sad right now." My Aunt looked at me with concern all over her amiable face.

    Her place is rounded by a wooden veranda. She invited me inside her cabin, her abode is so spotless and clean and organized, the scent is soothing to my body and mind, that made me drowsy. The chalet has two bedrooms that has own bathroom each, comfy living room, another restroom, dining room and kitchen, after our little tour of her home, my aunt asked me to have a seat. We are sitting beside each other on her cozy settee.

I feel like she is my mother, and I wanted to be near her. I told her everything about what happened between Flynn and me. She never takes off her eyes from me, she listened attentively, when I am telling her, I didn't care to wipe my tears that are streaming down my face.

I am taken aback, when she hugged me and kneaded my back. I find a motherly comfort beneath her embraced. She is silent, yet continued consoling me, after a long moment of silence she finally speaks.

"I can feel your aching heart Malia, you are not broken, your heart is wounded so deeply, be tender with yourself, let go all the bad energy within yourself, every sorrow, hatred, exasperation, and pain. It will last for some time before you overcome all of that, just let your heart weep for only time can heal an injured heart. It only means one thing you have a kind heart, even your mother experienced that kind of affliction."

"Thank you aunt Thalia, can I stay here with you until tomorrow morning?" I asked her, and saw her face filled with gladness.

    "Needless to say, you are always welcome here Malia, anytime you want." She said enthusiastically, and she went to the kitchen and started cooking for breakfast.

The food she served is so tasty that made me so full, yet I am still craving for more.

"You are a good chef aunt Thalia." I said, while my mouth is so full, she chuckled and made her look so girlish and young, with her looks she can be considered as my elder sister not my mother's twin. Timeless beauty is one of the perks of being a powerful fairy, I never know if I wanted this kind of life, I hate thinking the idea of seeing my adoptive parents perish before me.

"Why did you cook? You can just do it by using your magic." I asked her curiously.

"Yes, but it is more realistic doing the actual thing, it runs in our blood, you may never try cooking, but you will be surprised how good you can be." She said proudly at me.

"Really! I want to learn cooking, in the human world, I only helped my mom on preparing and chopping the ingredients, she never allowed me to cook." I said recalling my times with mom in the kitchen.

We spend our time talking about the life of my aunt in solitude. We are seated on the patio chairs at the back part of her house.

"Did you ever fall in love?" I asked her curiously.

"Of course, I did, in spite of the fact that I am destined to be the goddess of this wonderful place, but I can only see him from a distance. There are times I wanted to become a normal fairy Malia, to fall in love, get hurt and love again, but I reconcile myself with the truth that this is my life, my fate."

"Aren't you lonely?"

"No! I am happy being here Malia fulfilling my destiny, you can be surrounded by many people in your whole life, still you can be lonely and empty." She said looking over the lake, together we watched the sunset at the horizon, I am fascinated by the color of the sky, a combination of rich colors of red, orange, and purple, the glowing sun illuminated across the water.

    "I will be happier if you will visit me frequently Malia." Aunt Thalia turned towards my direction, and I nod at her wearing a wide smile on my whole face.

"Do you want to come with me Malia?"

"To where Aunt Thalia?"

"I will be patrolling on the border tonight." She said after drinking our tea.

"I'd love to." I said excited to be with my aunt patrolling the boundary of the magical forest and the forbidden side.

We are on the air for hours, If I didn't train with Serpentina for sure I don't have the stamina to stay out flying for prolonged hours.

"I am glad that Serp did a good job of harnessing your power and strength." She said looking on the other side.

"Yeah! I couldn't make it alive from the cave, if not for the hours I spent with my friends here in the forest, they taught me a lot."

"Yes! Indeed, those three are my loyal acolytes in keeping the peace in the Magical Forest, I asked Serpentina to train you personally and teach you everything you needed to learn so that you can handle your power. Don't underestimate your power Malia, you have to take it under control, or else you will suffer." Aunt Thalia said looking at me seriously.

     "Okay, Aunt Thalia." I replied to her, wondering what will happen to me if I ever lost control of my power, I didn't ask my aunt I have to know it by myself.

    "There are a lot of forests in Erthesia, why this place is chosen to be the home of the goddess?" I asked her a different question, since I am eager to learn more.

"This is not an ordinary forest Malia, this is a magical place where plants and animals are connected to the lives of the fairies, this place is the extension of every living creature of whole Erthesia, the balance of Erthesia land is dependent to the magical forest. The fairy guild is following my every command."

     "This place is needed to be protected at all times to keep everything balanced. I became the forest when I sealed my fate being the Deity, if this place became unprotected and destroyed by the dark forces many lives will be wasted, especially the weak and ordinary fairies." She said and I understand what it takes to become the Goddess of this land, it is not only about beauty and power, but commitment and loyalty.

     I feel worn out and a little lethargic when we returned to her chalet at exactly midnight. She gives me a beautiful purple long night gown made of silk with spaghetti straps, and new lingerie, my aunt has a perfect taste, well she is a goddess after all.