197 The Fairy Queen

CHAPTER 197 – THE FAIRY QUEEN

"You are… ha..." a small smile spread across her lips as her expression changed into a happy one.

"You are Fairy Queen Leia, my grandmother."

Leia's cheeks curved upwards into a satisfied smile as she looked lovingly in her granddaughter's eyes.

"I never thought I would see this day when I took my dying breath," Leia confessed, her smile widening and the corners of her eyes cringed from joy and happiness.

Astrid could see the water begin to form from the corners of Leia's eyes. 'Is grandmother about to cry from excessive joy?' She asked herself curiously.

"Which day? Why?"

"The day I would lay my eyes on my grandchild," she replied Astrid, her eyes slamming shut as she revelled in the moment.

"Grandmother!"

"Yes, child?"

"You are beautiful. You look like a goddess," Astrid complimented, bringing her hands in front of her, wanting to touch Leia.

"Why, thank you," Leia said and moved away, her head facing up, looking thoughtful, then she returned her gaze back to Astrid's.

"You look just like her and although I never met him one on one, I can tell you took his appearance as well."

"Who?"

"Your parents."

"Funny thing to say, Glacier thinks I look like you. He said I have your aura."

At the mention of Glacier, Leia's eyes became filled with pain. She quickly tried to hide it but Astrid caught sight of it.

"Ah, Glacier. I see you met him. How is he?"

"He is fine and doing well, he just held on to his resentment for years, in order to shield his heart from the pain of losing you."

"It was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life, that and the day I married your grandfather. A world full of uncertainties, but I went through with it. Never has a fairy married from another race or had been heard that one race married from the other, but we broke it because of an alliance."

"But you were brave enough to go through with it. Your destiny was already laid in front of you with no choice but to go through with it."

"No dear, you have a chance to change your destiny and drive it the way you want it to be. I agreed with the marriage alliance as it was the best thing to do, for the love of my people and theirs."

"The whole magic realm hunts me down because of the powers I possess. How am I to find mother and our kingdom when I have no idea where they are? How do I do those things when I am thrown into this chaos at the awakening of my powers that till now, I have so much to learn about?"

Leia's eyes softened as she gazed lovingly at her grandchild.

"You can do all these things. You just have to believe in yourself and everything would come in place."

Leia's eyes shot open at the mention of Nerissa and quickly moved closer to Astrid, "Nerissa, where is she?"

Astrid's eyes stung from the tears that immediately formed when she was asked about Nerissa.

"Aunt Nerissa is dead," Astrid replied her softly, her head dropping low.

"Hmm. If she told you to take through this path, then she had a reason."

"What do you mean by that, grandmother?" She asked, drawing her nostrils and raised her head to look at her.

"This is the valley of lost souls. Meaning every dead one can be found here. It is a transition, like a gateway to the spirit world. Some people come here to speak with the dead. She must have had a reason why she asked you to take this route."

"Really? Who or what could that be?"

"I cannot say for certain, but the next person you meet should be the one. Be careful, the further you seek the dead, the more your soul ventures into the spirit world unconsciously until you get lost and would forever be lost in this place."

"How do I leave this place? I never wanted to take this route in the first place, I was attacked and subsequently thrown in here and now I'm lost almost and with no place to go and I do not know if I can do all that is required of me."

"Then it is your destiny to meet with him here."

"Who?"

"In time, everything would reveal itself, my dear. For that, I think I am not the right person you should talk to about all these. Nevertheless, I would offer you my advice."

Astrid looked at her expectantly. Right now she needed all the advice she could get on what to do and how to deal with the war.

"In my time, I made sacrifices in other to end the war and prevent countless casualties, including severing my bond with Glacier. At a point, I almost reached my goal and a peace treaty was to be signed but everything failed."

Her eyes held so much pain as she spoke. Apparently all her regret surfacing again. 

"If only I had been more watchful of her, then she wouldn't have gone out on that day and neither would he have died and you wouldn't have been born with this cruel fate. I made a mistake, I couldn't protect her and her loved one and everything your grandfather and I worked for, was lost."

Leia closed her eyes and immediately the mist started to envelop her from her legs, moving upward to her waist.

She opened her eyes back to look at Astrid. "Do what needs to be done for peace to reign. Remember, all lives are sacred and precious. Avoid taking any life or the circle of revenge would never end and ensure that the lost balance is returned to the realm."

By now the mist had completely enshrouded her body except her neck upwards as a golden hue shone around her head.

"Grandmother!"