“There you are,” Greg said walking across the courtyard with Harkura.
“Your Majesty, I have been looking all over for you,” Harkura said. “Have you been talking to the tree?”
“I haven’t been talking to the tree. I’ve been talking to Matt,” I answered.
“Matt—he was your guardian before me?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes, he was, and now he’s trapped because of me, and I can’t figure out how to break the seal.”
“Mellissa, we will figure something out. It will just take time,” Greg said. He held his hand out to me. “Come on. Let’s head back, and we can do some research.”
I took his hand, and he pulled me up. Holding hands with Greg and Harkura, I teleported home.
The next few days flew by. I went back to school. Everyone was going on about the strange weather pattern that had turned the sky black and the weird mirage that appeared by Stonehenge. It had been all over the news. Whenever I heard someone talking about it, I couldn’t help but smile. If only they knew what really happened. I was handed loads of homework so I could catch up on what I had missed. It was pretty lonely without Matt. Victoria had come up with a story about him getting an apprenticeship, meaning he had to leave school. I couldn’t help wondering why I had put off being queen for this. I just told myself I had to finish what I’d started, and I would be done come summer. I had so much work that I didn’t have any time to do more research into breaking the seal on the tree. Greg offered to help me, but I told him I had to do it myself. Otherwise, I wouldn’t learn anything. Come the weekend, I was glad to be going back to the magic world.
We had arranged to meet the Sea King, Radius, and some of his subjects at the edge of the ocean. I couldn’t teleport us there, as I didn’t know the area, so we had to go by carriage. The trains were finally running again, but there wasn’t a line that went all the way to the beach. There was still snow on the ground but not as deep as before. It was suggested that the snow had been so uncommonly bad here because of Kadon’s awakening and his use of the Moon Crystal, which kind of made sense. If the balance was offset, it would affect the weather.
Lady Gabrielle had a member of her staff dress me, since what I usually wore wasn’t good enough to meet with the Sea King. I had met all of them in leggings and a jumper, so why not him? They put me in a pale green dress. It fit snugly on top, and the skirt flowed loosely down to my knees. To match the dress, I wore thick, dark green tights and some fancy snow boots. My hair was braided up and around my head, with flowers weaved into it. To finish the outfit off, I wore the dark green cloak lined with faux fur.
Lady Gabrielle turned me to look in a full-length mirror. “As queen, you need to get used to looking the part.” All this fancy clothing didn’t feel right. Lady Gabrielle placed a silver tiara on my head and smiled behind me. “Now, you are ready.”
I nodded. She was right; this was something I was going to have to get used to. She walked me out to where the others were waiting. There were two carriages to take us to the coast. I got in one with my guardians and Greg. The other carriage was already occupied by Sir Lee and his people. He had insisted someone other than Greg oversee me on this important trip. What he really meant was that he wanted to make sure I didn’t screw up. He didn’t seem to like me for some reason. I wasn’t going to let him bother me. If I let him get in my head, then I would mess up. It was a simple task really. As long as I stayed calm, everything would be fine.
We arrived at a beautiful, sandy beach. As I stepped out of the carriage, I was hit by the salty sea air. The wind blew my hood off. We were greeted by two women in brightly coloured summer dresses. They were barefoot, with pretty jewels around their ankles and stunning headdresses held together by seashells. It was way too cold for how they were dressed, but they didn’t seem affected by it. They led us down the beach toward a marquee decorated with seashells and flower petals. I tugged at my dress and cloak. I had no idea what to do with my hands. Greg took my hand and gave me a gentle smile. I needed to stop fidgeting.
There were two more women and three men. They were also dressed in bright colours and flowing dresses. The men were dressed very similarly to the women. The only difference was that their top halves were uncovered. One of the men wore gold jewellery and had a beautiful jewel-encrusted crown upon his head. He definitely looked royal, but there wasn’t a fish tail in sight. He couldn’t be the Sea King, could he?
“Hey, is that King Radius?” I whispered to Greg.
“I believe so,” he replied.
“But he has legs. I thought mermen had fish tails.”
“It’s a simple spell to allow them to walk on land, but if they stay too long, their skin will dry up.”
I pouted. It appeared I wasn’t going to get to see the merfolk in fish form like I’d wanted to. They looked like normal people dressed for a day at the beach, who used seashells as fashion accessories. The king was around average height and very muscular with greying dark brown hair. The tall woman with fabulously long, bright red hair appeared to be his wife. Once we reached the marquee, they all bowed to me.
The king stepped forward. “It is an honour to have the elf queen herself come to meet us.” He bowed, taking my hand and kissing it.
I felt my cheeks heating. Luckily, Greg had coached me on what to do. I greeted them just as we’d practiced the night before. The king introduced his people to me. I had been right about the identity of his wife. I was surprised that the others were their children, because firstly, even with the king’s greying hair, he did not seem old enough to have children their age. Secondly, they didn’t look related in any way. They were all different builds and had different facial features, hair colour and eyes. They were all stunning in their own way but had no common traits in their appearances. Then again, I looked nothing like my dad.
I went through all the official ceremonial stuff the council had insisted on. Then, I finally handed over the Moon Crystal. As King Radius took hold of the Moon Crystal, it shone brighter than I had seen it before. It was as if the crystal knew it was where it was supposed to be.
“You need to bind to it,” I said, “and then the Moon Crystal will find you two guardians, just as the Heart Crystal did for me.”
He did as I said, then two bright lights came out of the crystal and shot off into the ocean. Two new guardians would soon be drawn to the king. We then said our formal goodbyes, and the king thanked me for everything. I was arguing with myself on whether to ask him or not, and then decided there was no harm.
“King Radius, I know this may sound odd to you, but is it all right if I wait here while you and your family go back to the ocean? The thing is, I really want to see your beautiful tails.” I felt like a little kid.
He gave me a wide, toothy smile. “Of course you can. Growing up in the human world, you have probably never seen real-life merfolk. You have done so much for us all. You stopped this world from falling into chaos, and at such a young age. It is the least we could do for you.”
“Thank you so much.” I almost squealed with excitement. He’d said yes and didn’t seem to think I was rude or some crazy freak with a tail fetish.
The royal mer-family waved goodbye and headed off to the ocean. Sir Lee narrowed his eyes at me and curled his top lip. I turned my back on him.
I grabbed Greg’s arm and shook him. “I’m going to see them in mermaid form.” I ran to the water’s edge. Victoria followed closely. She was almost as excited as me.
“The correct term is merfolk,” Greg shouted after me.
I gave him a dismissive wave over my shoulder. I looked out at the ocean. Where were they? Farther out in the ocean, they jumped up out of the water and flipped their tails in the air. Their multi- coloured scales glistened in the sunlight. It was like something out of the movies. I had the biggest smile on my face. Victoria gasped behind me. They splashed back into the water, waving before swimming off. We all waved back at them. They were truly the most beautiful creatures I had
ever seen. I skipped back to the carriage, the happiest I had been in a while.
When we got back to the council building, we had to go through all the formalities of filling out paperwork, stating that our trip had been a success. It seemed a bit much to me, but I had to abide by the rules. Once I was finished, I went to find the others so we could go home. They were all in the courtyard by the Tree of Time. Of course Greg had finished before me. It was nice to see Victoria talking to the tree like I had. It made me feel less crazy.
I laughed at Greg. He had been given the official robes worn by council members. “You know, those robes look ridiculous on you.”
“You realise that they have had some made for you as well,” he said.
“Well, I think we should get going before they get a chance to give them to me. Are we all ready?” I asked. Harkura and Victoria both nodded. I put my arm out, and they both grabbed hold of me. I looked over at Greg. “Aren’t you coming as well?”
“I can’t,” Greg said.
The smile fell from my face. That hadn’t been the answer I was expecting. “Why not?”
Victoria grabbed Harkura, stating that she’d forgotten something and needed his help, practically dragging him away.
“Because my life is here. Now that my father is gone, I have to take on his responsibilities. I have to make arrangements for his funeral, and then there will be an official ceremony, making me an elder. I will then have to oversee Novosvillas, just like my father did.”
He wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t know. I knew he’d had a ton of responsibility thrust upon him, just as I had. I just hadn’t expected him to take on the role so quickly.
“I know. I just don’t know what I’m going to do without you.”
“You don’t need me anymore. Your powers and knowledge have grown more quickly than anyone could have imagined.”
My chest tightened. I twiddled with my fingers. “I know. It’s just—I don’t—I have grown accustomed to having you around.”
“It’s not like we aren’t going to see each other again.” He took my hands. “There is something we should maybe talk about though.”
My face heated, and I just knew I was turning red. We did not need to talk about that. I knew I had overstepped, and Victoria, who I knew was hiding somewhere, did not need to know I had kissed him and that he was now making sure I knew he wasn’t interested. My hands were clammy. I pulled them out of his and wiped them on my thighs. “There’s nothing to talk about. I know it was a mistake. We are better as friends. Just friends.”
“Err, yeah. That’s it.” He turned away from me.
“I guess this is it, then,” I said. “You know, till the next council meeting.”
“It doesn’t have to be like that. We are still friends, right?”
“Right.”
“Oh, and one more thing.” He handed me a map. I unfolded it. The map was of the human world. He had circled an area in Lincolnshire. He pointed at it. “That is where I discovered the elf village. I’m sure they would love to meet you, and they may have some answers for you.”
I hugged him. “Thank you.” I felt empty inside. Hugs are a good way to hide your face. I wasn’t sure I could keep the sadness from showing on mine. It wasn’t like this was the end. It was just another change, one I would get used to.
Victoria casually strolled back with Harkura behind her, acting like she had finished whatever she’d needed help with. I shook my head at her. I knew she had been just out of sight, listening to everything.
“You guys ready?” I asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Goodbye, Sir Gregory.” Harkura bowed to Greg and then came over and took my arm opposite Victoria.
“See ya, Flopsey.” Victoria waved at him as she took hold of my other arm.
I stared at him as I teleported home.
That evening, after Victoria had gone home and Harkura was back in his tent, I decided it was time to talk to my dad about my plans. After dinner, when he was sat in the living room, I told him we needed to talk and that I had something to tell him. He instantly panicked and started jumping to conclusions.
“Oh no, this can’t be happening. Don’t say it. You’re pregnant, aren’t you? I knew I should have never let that boy stay in this house. It is all my fault, and now you’re not going to go to university and get a degree. Where is that boy? I notice he isn’t here tonight.” He spiralled into catastrophe mode. I could clearly see where I got my overthinking and worrying from.
“What? No!” I yelled over him. “Why would you think that of all things? Jeez, Dad, let me talk instead of jumping to crazy conclusions. It’s not like that at all. Just no.”
“Oh, good. What do you want to tell me then?” he asked, calming down.
“I wanted to talk to you about my future. As you know, I am the heir of the elf throne.” I paused to check that he was following. He nodded. “Once I finish school, I was thinking about deferring my acceptance to university and going to live in the magical world for a bit to see what’s there for me. I’ve always felt like I didn’t quite fit in here, and maybe this is why. Maybe I belong there. I owe it to myself to take a year to find out.”
I didn’t know how he was going to respond. He had always wanted me to go to university and get a degree. He’d always wanted me to be a doctor. Even though I had chosen an English literature course, he was still so happy I had been offered a place everywhere I’d applied. It felt like I was letting him down, but this was something I felt really strongly about.
“I understand. I know I have always made a big deal about you getting a degree, but that was before I knew that your big brain and beauty weren’t the only things you got from your mother. Take a year off. Go discover the world of magic. If it isn’t for you, come back and go to uni, but if it’s truly where you belong, forget about uni and become a magical queen. I have only ever wanted the best for you.”
My dad was being really understanding. I had been worried about nothing. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Where is Greg? You two haven’t had another fight, have you?”
“No, he had to go back home. He will be taking his dad’s place as a changeling elder, so he can’t be hanging around the human world anymore.”
“I feel bad for him, but he seemed to be handling it well when I last saw him. What is a changeling elder exactly?”
I tried to remember what Greg had told me. I put up three fingers. “I believe there are exactly three changeling elders, and they oversee the three major changeling cities. They are also members of the council.”
My dad put his hand on his chin. “He is like changeling royalty? I guess he’s not so bad after all—still hasn’t got anything on being elf queen though.”
“It’s not that impressive being queen.”
“If Greg has had to go back home, does that mean the two of you have broken up, or are you trying for a long-distance relationship?”
“What? Where are these crazy ideas coming from, Dad? Greg is not my boyfriend and never has been. We are just friends.”
“All right, but you can’t tell me there was nothing there. Did you not see how that boy cared for you?”
“Dad, I have no idea what you are talking about. Greg’s a healer. He cares for everyone.”
“You really don’t see it, do you?” he asked. I shook my head at him. My dad hugged me and patted my head. “Please, don’t ever change.”
“I have no plans to, Dad.”
Greg had been nothing but a good friend to me and didn’t treat me like anything more. Maybe my dad had got his wires crossed the same way I had, thinking there was something more between me and Greg. I shook my head and left him to watch television.
“You ready?” Harkura asked.
I nodded. “They are elves like me. I need to do this.”
We were on the edge of a field. Harkura had travelled with me to the place on the map Greg had circled. Once we were close enough, we would set off some sort of alarm and be attacked. According to
Greg, it would be plant magic—something I could easily handle.
“Let’s do this.” I walked across the field.
We had been walking for about half an hour when an alarm went off. The grass sprung up and surrounded us.
“Stop,” I commanded. Pushing my arms out, the grass went limp.
Three men ran toward us. “Who are you?” asked the older of the three. He narrowed his eyes on me. “You are an elf.”
“Yes, I am Mellissa Hail, keeper of the Heart Crystal and heir to the elf throne.”
They all dropped to their knees. The older man took my hand. “Welcome home, My Queen.”
The Queen of Darkness paced in her throne room. This wasn’t meant to happen. Her plan had been ruined. The girl wasn’t meant to defeat Kadon. He was supposed to unwillingly do her bidding and kill her. Her servant bowed at her feet. She narrowed her eyes on him. “You failed me. Now there are two new crystal keepers to stand against me.”
“I am sorry, My Queen. My hands were tied. That boy got in the way. If I was allowed to kill him too—”
She slapped him across the face. “Do not make excuses. It was your idea to release the leprechaun, and what did it achieve? You wasted my power only to put me at a disadvantage. My little bird has yet to fail me like you. Until she does, the boy is under my protection.”
He cowered to his knees. “But it worked, My Queen. We flushed out the last royal.”
She wrapped her talons around his hair and pulled him up to eye level. “And you failed to kill her.” She threw him to the ground. “The lizard prophesied the keeper of the Heart would be the one to stop the darkness and restore balance. My plan only works if the world is out of balance, you fool! I have been hunting the royals for years, and it was all for nothing.”
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