Lunareth
703 Words
As far as Alice could remember, they had been riding for what felt like forever without stopping.
She was tired.
Exhausted, even.
Her body ached from the long journey, but that wasn't what troubled her the most.
She wanted to see Liam.
She wanted to know if he was safe.
But she had no choice.
She had to keep going.
Alice lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening around the reins.
I hope he's okay.
She tried not to think about what had happened at the cottage.
The attackers.
The shouting.
Liam standing behind them with his sword in his hand.
The memory made her chest tighten.
For the first time since waking beneath the apple tree, Alice felt genuinely afraid.
Kael noticed.
He could sense the nervousness in her movements, the way she kept looking behind them as though expecting someone to appear through the trees.
He understood.
He was nervous too.
The woman they were riding toward was not an ordinary queen.
Queen Elaria Moonveil of Lunareth was a Pixie Queen—a powerful being whose name was spoken with respect even beyond the borders of her kingdom.
Kael had heard stories about her.
Stories of her magic.
Her wisdom.
And her power.
But one question kept troubling him.
How could Liam possibly have a connection to someone like her?
Kael didn't know.
But he trusted his master.
If Liam had sent them here, there had to be a reason.
After what seemed like another endless stretch of riding, something strange appeared ahead.
Kael pulled gently on the reins.
Alice looked up.
The forest had ended.
And standing before them was something neither of them had ever seen.
A magical portal shimmered between two ancient trees.
Its surface glowed softly, swirling with strange colors like moonlight trapped inside water.
Kael stared at it.
Alice could barely breathe.
"What is that?" she whispered.
Kael didn't answer immediately.
He simply guided the horses forward.
The moment they passed through the portal, everything changed.
Alice's eyes widened.
Lunareth.
It was more beautiful than anything she could have imagined.
The land stretched endlessly beneath a golden sky. Enchanted flowers covered the fields, glowing softly as if they carried tiny stars inside their petals.
Streams of crystal-clear water flowed between enormous trees whose leaves shimmered like silver.
Tiny lights floated through the air.
And everywhere Alice looked, there were signs of magic.
She had heard stories about places like this.
Fairy tales.
Stories people told children before bed.
But this wasn't a story.
It was real.
Kael was equally mesmerized.
For a moment, even he forgot about the danger behind them.
Alice slowly looked toward the sky.
The sunlight touched her face.
She closed her eyes.
It was the first sunlight she could remember seeing.
And somehow, it felt familiar.
Too familiar.
A strange ache passed through her chest.
She opened her eyes quickly.
Why did the sunlight feel like something she had lost?
Why did this place feel almost...
familiar?
She didn't know.
Neither did Kael.
They continued deeper into Lunareth until they came across a small figure hovering above the path.
A fairy.
He had delicate wings that shimmered as he flew, and he watched them curiously.
The moment his eyes landed on Alice, his expression changed.
His eyes widened.
He immediately flew closer.
Then he froze.
"It's her..."
Kael frowned.
"Do you know her?"
But the fairy didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed on Alice.
Then, without another word, he turned and flew toward the palace at incredible speed.
Kael watched him disappear into the distance.
Alice looked confused.
"Who was that?"
"I don't know," Kael replied.
But before he could say anything else, the sound of fluttering wings filled the air.
Dozens of fairies appeared from above.
They surrounded the path, their wings glowing beneath the sunlight.
Alice instinctively moved closer to Kael.
The fairies didn't attack.
Instead, they bowed.
Then one of them stepped forward.
"Princess Alice Vale."
Alice froze.
Her heart stopped.
Princess?
She stared at them in disbelief.
The fairy smiled gently.
"Welcome to Lunareth."
Alice didn't know what frightened her more.
The fact that they knew who she was...
Or the strange feeling that, somehow, she already knew them.
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