Kissing the Fae

Chapter 39

Now I have clearly grasp something that would clear my mind why father made me do this. It was clear to me that he really didn’t trust me enough, that he has no high hopes I’d bring home the victory I have always deem to serves the counselors who thinks highly of themselves.

Yeah, right. Maybe he wanted me to live my life to the fullest and finally experience what it feels like to be happy outside my duties. To make me realize and think that life is better with no circumstances.

Why can’t they understand me? Why does everyone seems to like the idea of me not leading? Why do they dislike the idea of women ruling?

Because they are afraid? Such an as s. I won’t have enough patient to not fire whoever say such things about us.

We are not weak and I will prove everyone that. Even the high commissions who was so much happy when they have learned the struggles I am facing right now, I just hope they won’t have their best nights with their loved ones.

“You should prepare yourself for tomorrow,” Deniz sat beside me as we both looked up at the dark night sky through the leaves.

Tomorrow is a big day. I have finally convinced the Queen Mother to give me whatever she has in mind in exchange of the Power of Glamour. I don’t have any idea of what it could be but knowing this would eventually happen, she prolly prepared something for me.

I am nervous, yes. That’s given. I wouldn’t deny it but these guys and the Little Fairies were so supportive, giving me kind words to ease the tension inside me. The thing is, I don’t know it helped me at least, calm myself yet I appreciate their kind hearts trying to cheer me up.

We stayed in the garden. We were all lying on the grass covered with cloth the Queen Mother provided us, looking at the night sky above us. It is so beautiful and stars are twinkling. I like the beauty of the night sky, no one compares to the silence and peace it gives us.

Also, it reminds me of Alistair. That man... Even though he rejected to offer me help, I don’t feel any grudge against him. Yes, my expectations failed me but it wasn’t his fault. I was the one to blame because I expect and inside my mind, I was so sure he’d help me not thinking that of course, he still has a lot of things to attend to.

Mine won’t help him attend to his responsibility as the leader of the Sylphs, right?

“Do you still remember when we were kids, we used to watch the sky together. Every night, we’d go to our favorite place and sometimes, we stayed in Enchanted Forest just to visit you, Rani Letisha so we could all look at the stars,” it was Deniz who sounded so happy reminiscing the past.

I smiled when memories flash inside my head. It was clear in my mind, every important events we had in our childhood, those little dreams we shared we eventually buried, every bit of it is fresh in my heart.

Those will never be forgotten.

“Ah, yes. I remember those times,” I heard Terran beside me.

I hummed and chuckled. “Alistair even wish to climb on behind the clouds not knowing his place was actually up there.”

They both chuckled. We were so naive. We only thought about our happiness as kids before, not realizing the heavy duties that awaits us once we finally engraved in our minds that we can’t just act like an ordinary kids.

Something I thanked our parents about was they let us be kids as we were who wanted nothing but to enjoy life without thinking of the future. They gave us childhood we’d always look back to until now.

It’s a memories that should be kept forever. I will cherish it until I wither.

“Well, I guess we all wished that...” Deniz whispered, half chuckling. “We were so fascinated with the sky that we all both wanted to climb there. We were so in love with it that we all wish to fly up there.”

“Even until now, I am still in love with the sky,” I told him truthfully.

But not with Alistair anymore... I liked him but then, it changed. I always thought maybe because Deniz played a big role to that, yet I don’t think it was the sole reason why. I just can’t figure it out but yeah, I admit that once in our lives, I had a crush on Alistair, the leader of the Sylphs.

“With the sky but not with him anymore, okay?” I added when I noticed their silence.

Terran laughed. I rolled my eyes and closed it as I listened to them.

“He liked you, too! When we were kids, Alistair talked about no one but only you. He was so deeply in love with you he was so willing to do anything for you, Rani Letisha. Our friend was head over heels but I guess, time really changes a lot of things, even your feelings changed.”

I snorted at Terran’s words. “Not anymore...”

“Alistair stopped talking about you, though. Since Julianna left, he stopped.”

We fell into silence. Julianna... The woman who sacrificed her life for me. The reason why I can’t give up and keep this going.

I opened my eyes and found the brightest star among them. My heart sank thinking of her. Everyday, her name still rang inside my head, it reminds me where I am today. For her name alone is a motivation that led me where I am. Her name that and presence that is still so fresh, those memories we have shared together...

I will never forget those.

“I miss her...” I whispered trying to hide the pain in my voice.

“We all do,” it was Deniz. “We all miss her, Rani Letisha.”

I can barely sleep that night, thinking of what could have been our life if Julianna was still with us. Nothing will change but I figure, it must be so exciting to have her again.

I felt the fabric covered my back and then, Terran sat beside me. The Little Fairies were out again. They were tired from the journey and their little wings needed to rest so I let them.

We are all waiting for the Queen Mother. It’s still dawn, we were away from the oak tree as per as my words because I felt like being there would invade my grandmother privacy.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, thank you.”

“Deniz will be here soon. He’s just searching for food and you know I am not keen when it comes to food whether it’s safe or not.”

“You should really study it,” I said seriously. “There are a lot of fruits in the Acres Kingdom and you should really know what to eat or not with all those fruits.”

He snorted, obviously not liking the idea. I chuckled and stare at him.

“You know it’s not my thing, princess. It’s boring...”

“Then, one day when you’re alone, you might die out of poison.”

“I won’t eat,” he replied. “I won’t eat to avoid that. If being poisoned is the reason of my death, I won’t eat.”

“You’d get hungry...” I shrugged and smirked, trying to push him more. “You hate feeling hungry, right?”

“Yes, but it can be handle,” he defended.

I pouted. Terran hates studying, yes. Between the three idiots? He was the one who hated it. He’d rather sleep than learn something that makes him bored like studying different kinds of tree.

But he’s smart in many aspects. He’s just actually lazy to learn things that... just not make sense.

Deniz came with some food on his grasps. We said our thanks as we eat together, even the Little Fairies who arrived ate with us, too. For a moment, I forgot all my worries as I cherish our time together. It didn’t bother me as we laugh on our jokes, the nervousness I felt was gone for a while.

It’s so beautiful, right? To create memories with them again. The best thing about this challenge is it was the reason we were reunited. If I didn’t seek help, they won’t be here... We won’t be together again.

“Well, I am sure the Queen Mother won’t be easy on you but I guess, she’d only give you a task she knows you can handle and win, right?” Deniz who tried again to cheer me.

“That would be unfair,” I whispered, my forehead knotted at the thought.

Is the Queen Mother even capable of doing that? I mean, even she’s my grandmother, I find the idea so biased.

“You are her granddaughter, of course, she might consider the thought, princess. We all know you deserve your position and those who don’t might be blind to not see your abilities.”

“Then, those counselors are blind,” I told them.

“Probably,” they said in chorus.

I hummed. “They are a bunch of jerks who fear women and that’s shameful.”

“They just can’t accept they’d bow to you soon, Rani. I’m sure you’d replace the Queen when the right time comes and knowing you, you won’t be in favor to whatever they are up to so, they are trying to push you out of the Acres Kingdom to secure their as sess.”

“Deniz was right,” Terran agreed. “So do good and pass this challenge, okay? Yet remember that whatever the result would be, we are still here and we won’t leave.”

“Even if I’d be powerless, you guys won’t leave?”

They shook their heads. Terran held my hands and played with my fingers. I sighed in relief and smiled. How dare me question the friendship we have? How dare me doubt their love for me?

“We are not here because of your power, princess... We are here because we’re friends and you are Rani Letisha we promised to take care of...”

What did I do to deserve them? I must be a good person in my past life and now, this is my reward.

To have them. To feel so good with them.

“Thank you...” I whispered.

He grab me to hug me tightly. It was so warm and I feel like tearing up. When was the last time I felt their warm hugs? It feels so calming and it sent my heart in steady rhythm.

“I love you, princess. We love you and we will always be here for you, rooting for you, okay?”

I nodded. My eyes went to Deniz who just looked at us, his eyes were shining as if holding his tears. He smiled at me so genuinely I felt like melting on it.

“Thank you...” I mouthed.

He grab me to hug me tightly. It was so warm and I feel like tearing up. When was the last time I felt their warm hugs? It feels so calming and it sent my heart in steady rhythm.

“I love you, princess. We love you and we will always be here for you, rooting for you, okay?”

I nodded. My eyes went to Deniz who just looked at us, his eyes were shining as if holding his tears. He smiled at me so genuinely I felt like melting on it.

“Thank you...” I mouthed.

Terran released me from the hug and look at me seriously. I just really don’t know what to do without them. I think I will always need them... We grew up together and it’s really hard to let go of people who became part of you, who witnessed you grow, those people who were there to support you through ups and downs.

So even though I did cut my ties with them before, deep inside me... I know they still have my heart no matter what happens. They will always occupied a part of it and forever, they stay inside it.

“So when the right time comes that you’d lead us, I hope you won’t forget that we are here for you. You have our back and you can always lean on to us,” he said and that made my heart jump more.

I am happy, yes. Because it’s so rare to find genuine friends now who will be there to support you.

“I owe you a lot,” I told them, sniffing. “I owe you a lot...”

I am in debt... I’ll be forever thankful they exists and that we met.