A Forgotten Realm

Chapter 3 - A Queen?

I woke up in pain but nothing like before and some place unfamiliar. A room with Jade and gold everywhere I looked. A beautiful and seemingly unreal room. “Great I’m dead..” I said aloud and to my shock a soft chuckle followed my comment.

Sitting up quickly I darted my eyes to the direction of the laugh and there was Exchiel.

“You are not dead My Queen you are in the temples chambers for the risen Queen. The first time your spirit wakes up is painful and it can take so much out of you so this is a recovery space just for you.” he said softly with an apologetic look.

“My Queen?” I said stifling a laugh.

“I’m no Queen my name is Alea, and this joke isn’t funny, did you guys drug me or what?” Reaching to my shoulder where I was feeling a decent amount of soreness I felt something and jumped out of bed collapsing to the floor.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!”

I said holding back tears from the pain shooting through me just from standing.

Exchiel rushed to my side lifting me back to the bed with so much worry I thought he’d faint.

“Your scales my Queen.. some of them anyways. Some will never leave no matter what form you take on and I can assure you this is no joke. When you are recovered you and only you can pass through the Veil. The King is eager to meet you.”

Although I had nowhere left to return to or call home the idea of being yanked away to another land to meet a man to be my husband I had never met didn’t sit well with me fated Queen or not as if the scales weren’t shock enough now this..

“what if I don’t want to go or be this “fated Queen” you speak of.. I didn’t even know all of this existed until tonight..” I sighed and brushed my hair back from my face trying to think of some alternative.

“Not want to be Queen? It’s a fate given only by the Gods to one truly worthy. You may not feel you want this but Alea you ARE meant to be here and with time if you give it a chance I think you’ll come to see how wonderful it can be and how important you are to both worlds.” Exchiel looked hurt and concerned as he spoke but I had a hard time trusting anyone right now so my next words came with caution

“Well, if and I do mean if you want me to give this a try I need someone to retrieve some things from my old home. I can’t go there and I refuse to enter the dragon world without them.”

Exchiel looked confused but nodded in agreement. “What do you need I’ll send someone for the items right away”

“I need… I need my dagger and my satchel. Both were given to me by my father and are of great value to me, I refuse to go without them.”

A look of almost horror came across his face at the word dagger but he hesitantly agreed while telling me that many in the dragon realm carry swords and dagger so it shouldn’t be an issue. After a bit more chatting about the veil and other realm he left the room to send someone for my things and I sat in a wooden rocking chair with the most luxurious cushions I’d ever seen in front of a beautiful stone fireplace to contemplate the days to come unknowing of what I would walk into. Would they be nice? Would they welcome me? Or would they be horrible monsters ready to rip me apart the moment I crossed the veil.

The only thing I was certain of was that there was nothing left for me here.

”I suppose soon I will see. Guess your stories weren’t fairytales after all huh Dad...” and back into the dark lull of sleep I fell.