Desired Fate

Goddess' Apparition

•Elay•

It was the middle of the night, but the bright light from the stars and moon seemed almost fluorescent. She didn't feel the cold air or smell the scent of nature; and she was sure she was dreaming. She stared at her bare toes wiggling between the damp blades of grass, but the wet dewdrops also passed her by.

In front of her, the grass gave light and formed a path, which she followed with a fast beating heart. Elay often had dreams with messages, usually from her aunt, who had died of old age about ten years ago. It was not uncommon for relatives of magic users to return in dreams; especially not within the royal family. And that's why she wasn't afraid; inside she expected Aunt Marie.

But the dream had started differently. The moon was full and shining brightly. In the distance she heard the howling of wolves, while the stars twinkled as if they were dancing. The path took her forward at a walking pace, until it finally ended at a large round lake.

With furrowed brows she walked to the water. She knelt at the water's edge and slid her fingers through the water’s surface; she felt the wetness, but now she was sure she was dreaming. She felt the substance, but not the cold. The ripples that appeared in the water from the movements of her fingers seemed as fluorescent as the footprints left in the grass.

She got up again. “Marie?” she called. “Aunt Marie, are you there?”

She looked around, hoping to see her great-aunt's friendly face; but there was no Marie.

The light of the moon grew brighter… And brighter. Elay narrowed her eyes and saw a figure descending from the heavens. It was a woman. She was completely covered in a white, shimmering glow. She wore a long-sleeved white robe that fluttered around her as if she were underwater. She had light, curly hair that danced around her kind face.

“Elayzabeth,” said a soft, gentle voice.

“Who are you?” she replied bravely.

“I am the light of the night. The twinkling of the stars and the moon.”

She crossed her arms and looked at the young woman doubtfully. She had heard of the Moon Goddess before; she was the Goddess that the wolves worshiped. And not only the wolves, also the other shifters. From home she had learned that the Moon Goddess did not exist and was only a dream, but this dream felt so alive that she started the scriptures she was taught. Who was she- one of the most spiritual women in the Ubrena kingdom- to think dreams do not hold messages, or truths even?

“And what name are you going by?” she insisted.

“I have many names,” said the young woman. “But the form I have now taken belongs to a name I have not long held.”

The bright light around the woman faded. The figure changed more and more into an actual young woman. She had silver-white hair and bright green eyes. Her face was sweet, but Elay saw pain in her eyes.

“And what can I do for you, Moon Goddess?” she asked the figure. “Why do you appear to me?”

The young woman smiled and brushed a lock of her silver-white hair behind her ear. “I'm here because I have a solution to your problems. In a kingdom not far from here sits a king who no longer considers his life worthy. He needs a new reason to exist. To live. “

Elay looked at the woman curiously. “And what does that have to do with me?” she asked a question, she was proud of asking.

The Moon Goddess went on to say, “You're searching for a way to rule independently, without the help of a man. Meanwhile, he is searching for meaning in his life. I suggest you go to him and persuade him to endorse your government. With his kingdom's support, your parents will acknowledge your rightful authority.”

“There is only one kingdom my parents have been interested in for generations,” Elay grumbled. “And the Lapis Kingdom has refused our marriage proposals for four generations. Besides, I don't know anything about the current king. I think he's already married.”

A playful smile appeared on the Moon Goddess's face. “Who's talking about marriage? As I said, you seek a reason to rule without a man. Get him on your side. Let him swear his allegiance to you. Let him accept you as queen; then your uncle stands no chance.”

Elay studied the apparition. “You're not a Goddess, are you?” she asked attentively. The young woman shrugged.

“What is a Goddess?” she asked softly.

“Why do you think I can get the king on my side? I don't know him at all. Why are you so interested in my future?”

The young woman walked over to Elay, grabbed her hands and squeezed them gently. “Let's just say I’m personally invested. That his happiness is important to me.”

“But that doesn't answer my first question at all,” the princess continued. “How do I get him on my side?”

The young woman squeezed her hands again. “Say I sent you,” she said enigmatically. “Say I've blessed you. And that it is my wish.”

“The wish of the Moon Goddess?” Elay summed up.

The young woman shook her head, smiling. “Rue’s wish,” she said in a low voice, her figure shining with the radiant glow once again. “Go now. As quickly as possible. My blessing is with you, dear Elayzabeth. If you need me, wait for a full moon and call out my name.”

Slowly the white-haired woman's body rose as the light grew brighter and brighter… and Elay shot up in bed.

Sweat beaded on her forehead and strands of sodden hair clung to her face. She brushed it off her head roughly with the palm of her hand. She got out of bed, slipped into her chamber slippers, and walked softly to her bedroom window, where she pushed back the silk curtains. It was still midnight. The moon was bright; it was full, round and the sky was without clouds.

“I don't think I have any other choice,” she muttered to no one in particular. “I'll take your advice, Rue. Now let's hope you're a good spirit… not a bad one.”