Again, Heidi shook her head.
“Honorable, kind, and noble,” she smiled. “Your parents were correct in giving you such a strong name. It isn’t just because you’re a princess, Heidi. It’s because you possess these traits and your mother felt them while she carried you. She knew what a great woman you’d become one day.”
Heidi felt her heart beginning to ache from the thought of her mother. She missed her so.
“Claramond means bright protector, which you also are. By killing Edie, you’ve protected everyone, Heidi. You saved millions of lives by this one act. I know it is not easy to have this hanging on your heart, but don’t you see? That’s what makes you so very beautifully you. You have one of the warmest hearts I have ever seen in all my years of living. You care about everyone.”
“That’s what a princess does,” Heidi argued lightly. “She cares about her people.”
“Yes, but you care about everyone. The humans, the Fire people, the Ice people; you’ve saved all of us from a terrible fate.”
“I believe it is something my mother would have done,” Heidi replied. “But I don’t believe she would have resorted to taking a life.”
“Heidi,” Lille exhaled loudly. “Sweet girl, you need to see the bigger picture here. You said taking the life of another Fire person is punishable by death, right?”
“Yes.”
“Edie, though only a small girl, committed a crime against your kingdom and your family when she killed the queen. She was part Fire. She was sentenced to death from the second your mother’s last breath left her body, and she died by your hand. You carried out that punishment in the name of your family; in the name of your mother.”
Heidi could feel the dull throbbing of a headache. She lifted her hand to pinch at the bridge of her nose as she steadied her breathing. This was all too much. She was tired. She wanted to go home. Nothing Lille said was going to make her feel better.
“Heidi,” Lille repeated.
“What?” Heidi nearly whined as she stared at her. She knew she was acting like a small child in desperate need of a nap, but what did people expect from her right now?
“Sweet girl, come here,” Lille frowned, gathering Heidi into her arms and hugging her close. “I know this is all too much to be dealing with, but you must believe me when I say you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. You are the daughter of King Sidius and Queen Teralynis.”
“I am the daughter of a man who fathered a child with a woman not to be his wife,” Heidi said quietly. It made her feel so sick to think about her father being with someone besides her mother. Even if they weren’t married when it occurred, she couldn’t help but to wonder how it made her poor mother feel.
“Your mother and I were very close,” Lille said, interrupting her thoughts. “I knew her before I ever earned my wings.”
“You have to earn your wings?” Heidi asked, lifting her head to stare at her once more.
“That is neither a here nor there discussion, Princess,” Lille laughed. “I am just telling you I knew your mother from the early years and you remind me of her.”
A strong sense of pride clutched Heidi’s heart from Lille’s words. She’d often been told she looked like her mother, and there was a comfort to be found in that statement, but did she act like her mother?
“Your mother was very strong and very brave, just like you,” Lille continued as she stretched her long legs out and wiggled her toes. “Childhood wasn’t as easy for her, Heidi.”
“What do you mean?” Heidi’s interest peaked from that last statement. She didn’t know very much about her mother’s childhood.
“Your mother was not like the other Fire people, Heidi. You must understand everything I am about to tell you.”
Heidi’s brows lowered on her forehead as she gazed at the fairy. She felt as Lille’s heated hands took her own, her thumbs stroking over her knuckles as she licked her lips. Something deep inside warned Heidi this was a conversation that would not be soon forgotten. Perhaps it was the way Lille’s tone shifted, becoming quiet as if she was about to tell a secret. Was it a secret?
“Many, many years ago, a great travesty happened upon the people of Ice when the king learned his daughter’s unattached maid was with child.”
Heidi lifted a brow as she stared at her.
“I know what you’re thinking, Heidi, but this took place nearly four centuries ago. You know our world is more delayed in our customs than Earth; it still is. It was vulgar and intolerable for a child to be born out of wedlock. The king was furious and immediately called for her execution.”
Death seems to be the only punishment anyone wants to give, Heidi thought sadly as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger in thought. I am no better than that king.
“The young maid, her belly swollen with child, was taken straight to the common grounds so her immorality could be shown to the rest of the kingdom. The king planned to humiliate her before turning her into an example for the people. It was absolutely dreadful,” she frowned.
Heidi was listening, trying to imagine how the poor woman felt as she was forced to stand before thousands of onlookers. How humiliating and terrifying it must have been!
“She was quite young. I think she was around your age, actually. It wasn’t uncommon for maids to grow up with their mistress back then, much like how a guardian grows up with her princess,” she nudged Heidi gently. “It is preferred that a maid gets to know her mistress from day one. She spends nearly every waking moment with the woman she is meant to serve for the rest of her life, learning her likes and dislikes. But what the king didn’t know, and I suspect not many others knew either, was that the maid grew up with someone else as well. Only, the other person who watched her was not supposed to be watching her, per say. He was meant to be watching her mistress.”
“Who was it?” Heidi asked quietly as she lifted a hand to rub at her eyes. She was so exhausted. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could fight the drowsiness that kept covering her mind in a sleepy blanket. If only she could close her eyes and rest for a moment.
“It was the very same young man who stopped the executioner by melting the frozen axe he was preparing to swing down,” Her eyes stayed on Heidi’s as she waited for her reaction. “Prince Frederyck.”
Heidi’s eyes snapped open upon hearing the name, and she straightened up significantly as she stared at the fairy. “No,” she said softly with a shake of her head. “That cannot be right. My grandfather was married to my Grandmother R-”
“Ryllis?” Lille cut in. “Isn’t that short for Amaryllis? Yes. Your grandmother was the young maid serving the Ice princess and the child she carried in her belly was-”
“My mother,” Heidi said. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she pressed her palm against her chest. “That can’t be. That isn’t possible, Lille. My grandmother was the most prestigious Fire person I’ve ever known.”
“I know that,” Lille smiled. “But it is possible. Edie came from two different sides, didn’t she? She is proof that it is possible, just as your mother was.”
“I don’t understand. My grandmother was an Icer?”
“If you want to throw around terms loosely, yes,” Lille shrugged. “But it was because of the love in her heart she possessed for your grandfather, that she was able to become a Warmer, and that is how your mother came into the world.”
“This is too much,” Heidi said as she pushed herself up from the floor. She paced back and forth as she stared down at the curious fairy. “You’re telling me my grandmother was one of them, and my mother was partially one of them…and what does that make me?”
She stopped. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers as she met Lille’s gaze. The fairy simply nodded.
“That’s why Pike gave me the dagger,” she speculated before clamping a hand over her mouth. She rocked back on her heels and then gazed down at Edie’s body. “That’s why the dagger became the sword! It could only be used by a person of Ice to kill a person
of Fire! Of course!”
For a brief moment, Lille feared that Heidi was going to have a heart attack before the young princess spun about and stormed from the room. Lille jumped to her feet, following after her.
“Your Highness?” She called after her. “Princess? Heidi!”
“I need some air,” Heidi gasped as she jogged down the long hallway before darting out a side door. Night time surrounded them as Heidi collapsed to her knees. She dry heaved once before sucking more air into her aching lungs. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?” She asked as Lille’s hand touched her shoulder.
“All this time I have been led to believe I am a daughter of the sun…and it isn’t true?”
“No,” Lille said gently. “You are very much a daughter of the sun, Heidi, but you are also a daughter of the moon.”
Heidi lifted her tear filled eyes to the sky, gazing at the full moon that shined brightly above her. How could her mother have hidden it from her for so many years? Why didn’t she tell her? Her lower lip quivered as the tears began to slide down her cheeks and she bowed her head in defeat. She was officially giving up on life. She was too exhausted, both emotionally and physically. She couldn’t do this anymore. Everything she thought she knew until this point in time was a complete and total lie.
“Is that…why I had an allergic reaction to heat flowers as a child?” She asked after another moment.
“Yes,” Lille replied. “Ice people are not particularly fond of them.”
“And that is why I could understand Pike? Even though I knew for certain that he was an Ice fairy?”
“Yes,” Lille responded once more as she smoothed her hand up and down Heidi’s back in an attempt to comfort her. “Pike knew that you were part Ice before you did, my dear.”
Heidi shut her eyes tightly, willing the ache in her body to go away. She didn’t want to feel lost anymore.
“..Does my father know the truth about my mother?”
Lille was silent for several seconds before she finally spoke again. “I do not know.”
“Perfect,” Heidi sneered as she lifted a dirty hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “So there’s a good chance he’ll despise me.”
“Princess, please don’t think like th-”
The sudden gust of cold wind that swept through the trees made both Heidi and Lille shiver before the fairy retreated to her natural form. She hovered near Heidi’s head as they watched Isaiah appear from around the corner of the building.
“Good news!” Isaiah said with a grin as he approached them, only to stop short as he stared at Heidi. “Why are you crying? What happened?”
“Nothing,” Heidi replied quickly as she pushed herself up from the ground. She tugged at her tattered blouse, her eyes moving to his. “I’m just tired. What were you going to say?”
Isaiah’s blue eyes were sparkling as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. Had he already changed clothes? That cheater!
“We’re going home.”
21
The journey back to their world was eerily quiet and stressfully awkward for Isaiah as he kept his eyes on Heidi. Even as they zoomed past the twinkling stars and a Russian spacecraft, she seemed to be lost in her own mind. It was weird how it took longer to get home than it had to leave. Then again, being shoved off the edge by his father wasn’t the ideal departure he’d had in mind.
Gravity didn’t mean very much to people like Heidi and Isaiah. They could defy it any time they pleased. Once they made it past the atmosphere of earth, their bodies knew exactly where to go. They were headed for neutral ground, where people from every element could discuss crucial things. It was basically the ‘adult table’ and for once, Isaiah and Heidi got to sit at it.
The balance between Ice and Fire came in the form of lush green fields, a temperature that wasn’t too hot or too cold, and the sun and moon on either side to keep a close ear on everything that was said.
Isaiah’s bare feet touched the lukewarm grass and he released a heavy sigh of content. He was almost home.
“Isn’t this great?” He asked Heidi as he stared around, taking in the sight of blossoming ice lilies and swans swimming around in the crystal blue pond. “We’re almost there.”
Heidi was silent as she kept her arms hugged around herself. Her dark hair hid her face from his view as she stood unnaturally still. Wasn’t she happy to be back?
“Heidi?”
When she didn’t respond, Isaiah took a step closer to her, leaning down ever so slightly as he tried to get a peek at her face. She quickly turned her head to avoid him and Isaiah rolled his eyes. “Hey, what are you doing that for? I thought you would be happy.”
Heidi continued to be stubborn as she turned and walked towards a large, vibrant willow tree bathing in the sun’s rays. What a girl!
“C’mon,” Isaiah followed close behind. “I know we’ve been through a lot in the last few hours, but can’t we try to make the best of it? Our fathers will be here soon to retrieve us. You can go back to your palace and I’ll go back to mine. We’ll clean up, eat, and then sleep for a thousand years if it pleases us. Doesn’t that sound appealing to you?”
He was caught off guard when Heidi whirled around to glare at him. Her usual caramel colored eyes were a vibrant orange as her pouty lips anchored into a frown. She looked scary, but beautiful.
“Whoa..”
“You’re not the one who killed somebody, okay?” She replied. “Everything may be perfect for you, Isaiah, but it most certainly is not for me. Things aren’t going to go back to normal, and no, that doesn’t sound appealing. I don’t want to sleep for a thousand years. I don’t want to clean up, or eat. I want my brain to slow down just enough so that I can actually think!”
Isaiah stared at her, unsure of what to say. He knew that she was having difficulty coming to terms with what had happened in the paper mill, but surely she would come to accept it soon? She was a hero!
It was just then that a strong gust of wind licked at the back of his neck and Isaiah turned to see his father standing there. He didn’t look a day over forty, or at least that’s how it used to be. He seemed so tired and aged as he approached his son, extending his arms for a hug.
“Isaiah, my son,” he said in a tired voice. “I am relieved that you are safe. Pike told me what happened,” he pulled back, gripping Isaiah’s shoulders as he looked him over with light silver eyes. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, of course,” Isaiah nearly scoffed. “I’m fine. How is Mother?”
“Worried sick for you. We had no idea that such a hybrid existed. Had I known she could have reached you so easily, I never would’ve agreed to send you to the earth, my son. I’m so sorry.”
“No problemo,” Isaiah smirked, but then he became serious once again. “And Savana?”
“Safe,” his father said reassuringly as he squeezed his son’s shoulders. “I have sent for her return as well. She will be home soon.”
“Good,” Isaiah nodded. He turned his head, glancing over his shoulder to see Heidi still had her back to them. “Hey,” he started. “When will Heidi’s dad be here?”
Isaiah watched as his father’s face hardened. He couldn’t be sure if it was from anger or something else entirely, but something was definitely troubling the older male.
“Why don’t you collect Heidi and we can speak once we get to the castle,” King Fryse nodded. “Do not alarm her, Isaiah. Just tell her that we can discuss everything when we get inside.”
Isaiah’s brows lifted on his forehead as he stared at his father, cocking his head to the side. “Why does that sound like it’s bad news?”
“Just do what I’ve asked,” his father replied more firmly.
Isaiah let out an exaggerated sigh as he stared at him, but he obliged. Turning around, his long legs carried him the short distance to get to Heidi and he placed a hand on her shoulder. He half expected her to tense from his touch, but there was no reaction at all. As if he needed more reasons to worry about
her.
“Heidi, my father insists you accompany us to our castle.”
“Why?” She asked in a low, nearly monotone voice.
What the hell is her problem? He wondered as he licked his lips. “He said we can discuss everything once we’re there.”
Heidi turned around to face him, and for whatever reason, Isaiah found himself staring at an entirely different person than the nerd-like girl he was used to seeing. She seemed older, somehow. Her light eyes remained a dark chocolate brown, her full lips thinned and jawline tight. For a second, he was at a loss for words.
“I urge you to come with us, Princess,” King Fryse said as he suddenly appeared at her side. “Join us for dinner and I promise you that we will talk about everything that has been happening these past few months.”
“Where is my father?” Heidi asked.
“Heidi, please,” King Fryse insisted gently. “All will be revealed in the castle,” he lifted his eyes to gaze around. “Our words are not safe here.”
Our words are not safe here? Isaiah thought. Well why the hell not?
-------------------------------------------------
Heidi had only been inside the Ice Castle a handful of times, but it was still strange each time. It seemed so dull compared to her bright palace. The silver marble that adored the floor was chilly beneath her bare feet. Her breath escaped in small puffs of white smoke as her eyes darted back and forth between the soft blue tapestries and the colossal knights stationed at each door.
“We have repaired most of the damage done by the Darskygg,” the maid spoke up after a moment of silence. “They did significant damage to the courtyard and south side of the palace, but King Fryse saw to it that everything would be just as it was in time for the sir’s return.”
Darskygg? Did they still exist? Heidi remembered stories of them from her childhood. Elemental rogues who fought against the authority of royalty in an attempt to take over. They wanted to possess the powers of all elements, and to control the worlds. They always sounded so frightening to Heidi, but her mother always promised the Darskygg had been defeated by her grandfather, the brave and fearless King Frederyck. She didn’t want to think about the possibility of them returning.
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