The four of us returned to Crescendo to get the things we needed to leave. According to Tryx, we had only a few hours left before we had to meet Rayn.
On the way to the yellow house, I questioned Tryx about how she knew Rayn and that Polar guy. I didn't expect what would happen next.
'It's complicated.'
She answered me at first, but noticed that that answer did not satisfy me, and because of who I was, she could not refuse to tell me what I asked.
'Okay, but promise not to panic.'
'I promise.'
What's the worst thing she could say?
'I lived in the Lost Kingdom for a while, Rayn and Polar were my friends, even Caelus tolerated me. Caelus isn't anyone's friend, he just pretends, at least that's what I think.'
I couldn't understand.
Russell had spoken so badly of all the people who were from there, everyone had spoken badly of the Lost Kingdom, even Tryx herself had not put on a good face when Galaga suggested that we include them.
Had it been Galaga's or Tryx's idea? I wasn't sure anymore. But what I was completely sure of was that Tryx was nothing like what they had described about the Lost Men and the people of that lost kingdom, so I let her explain further.
'My parents were from the Kingdom of Tellus, they were fairies... I am a fairy.'
My mouth opened in a big circle at what she was saying to me. I always noticed something special in her way of being, in her voice, in her movements, but I never imagined that she was what she was.
Tryx was a fairy. A real fairy.
'I never knew a fairy before,' I said in wonder. 'How did you...?'
I wanted to ask her how she had ended up in the Lost Kingdom, but I did not know how to formulate my question. So, I hoped she would understand me, and she did.
'My dad made some bad choices. We had a farm and when the curse hit us, we lost everything. My parents only knew how to take care of the land with their powers. When they didn't have them anymore, they couldn't recover. My father stole a couple of times to feed my mother and me. They threw us out almost instantly, they didn't let him explain, they just threw us out. I was very young and we still had to leave. We wandered around for a couple of years, living off what we could, until we found the Lost Kingdom. There they welcomed us with wide open arms. It is not an easy place to live, not at all. But it was better than nothing. You may wonder how I got to Crescendo. My parents got sick when the plague attacked us in the Lost Kingdom and I was orphaned. Polar invited me to his group. They were a group of little vandals, who were orphans like me. Rayn, Polar, Aurora, Caelus and me, a strange combination. But Caelus was...he is...a very difficult, very dark being. One day he sent us on a mission, as he took the lead, but something went wrong. We had to split up. I ran desperately without finding them and that's how I met Galaga. She was with her father. They found me in the woods.'
'A ragged and lonely girl, that's how I remember her,' added Galaga, who was ahead of us with Russell, but who was listening to our conversation.
Russell kept quiet. I wondered if he was thinking about what had happened at the lake.
'Shut up, it's not my fault we couldn't bathe every day,' she laughed, 'they took pity on me, I guess, and told me to go with them. They welcomed me as their friend and didn't let me become a "mercenary". It was shocking to live here, with magic again. My body woke up little by little, as if I were paralyzed and slowly could become me again. Of course, I didn't get my powers back completely, I'm still healing, my wings, for example, never came back.'
It is different to know something than to hear it in the first person. She had been the protagonist of what many had experienced.
I thought about the other inhabitants of the Lost Kingdom, how many would be really bad and how many would be victims of circumstances like Tryx? How could I judge some orphaned children who were abandoned to their fate?
Even Caelus seemed more like a victim than a criminal to me.
'And the others? Why didn't they come to Crescendo with you?'
'They are my friends, I wanted them to come with me but they decided to stay with Caelus, they are inseparable.'
'They wouldn't have passed through the tree; their intentions are not pure.' That was all Russell said, interrupting Tryx.
Before arriving at the yellow house, I was inspired to do something that may not have been right.
I thought about all that Tryx had lost and yet she was a sweet person, full of life. I felt that she deserved something more, I wanted to give her something more.
I stopped and hugged her, putting my hands behind her back.
I closed my eyes, and felt the breeze running through my fingers.
'You are a fairy, and a fairy has wings,' I said it with intensity before releasing her.
Tryx began to breathe heavily.
Galaga pushed me aside.
'What did you do to her? Tryx? Tryxin what's wrong?'
Tryx opened her eyes widely and behind her, two beautiful wings unfolded. Everyone who passed by was petrified.
Galaga took her mouth in her hand.
'My wings... you gave me back my wings,' she said with tears in her eyes.
Her wings were a grayish color but quite transparent. They shone, I don't know if it was the reflection of sunlight or simply the beauty of them. I never saw anything like that, it was like watching an art painting come to life.
Tryx swung back and forth, trying to keep the balance.
Then she frowned and her wings evaporated.
'I can still do it!'
Galaga was standing next to her, still not moving, but I could read in her eyes the joy of seeing her friend so happy. With her lips alone, she said a thank you to me.
Tryx's happiness was Galaga's happiness.
'Your Majesty!' I was surprised by the call of attention.
Behind me, Sir Oskel and Sir Gwen were watching me with concern.
'Comrades, how can I help you?' I tried to ignore their faces.
'You were supposed to come and see us to start your lessons, but we see you are too busy doing magic tricks,' Sir Oskel said angrily, before turning around and leaving.
'Forgive Oskel, it's just that your father...we are still not used to a daughter of his,' Sir Gwen came forward to me, 'but I do need you to come with us, there are many things to talk about.'
I knew at that moment that I could not refuse. If I did, they would know I was up to something, and they were capable of keeping me from leaving.
We couldn't miss our chance.
'Sure, give me a second,' I went over to Russell and, imitating a hug, whispered in his ear, 'take everyone into the woods, I'll meet you there.'
Not knowing how, I winked at him and followed the little Sir Gwen.
The experience of walking through the village was repeated, only this time, they also made way for Sir Gwen.
'It has been many years since we went out to the village, we thought our salvation would never come, and we preferred to shut ourselves up in our little home. But, here we are.'
I had passed by this door several times, but I had never paid any attention to it. It was quite hidden among the purple flowers that were scattered above it. It had a five-part circle carved into its wood. Above the circle, Comrades was written in almost invisible ink.
Sir Gwen did not bother to explain himself to me, he just looked at the door and it opened by itself.
'Even an old man like me has a few tricks left in him.'
As I passed by, it was so dark, that for a second I was afraid of what might happen to me. I wished there was some light to see what was in that place.
Lights came on at every step I took, thanks to the candles hanging on the walls. A large room appeared before my eyes. The only furniture was a round table, which had six chairs.
'I'm sorry it was so dark...'
'Oh no, it is not a problem.'
'If you wanted me to turn them on, all you had to do was ask Your Majesty.'
'Wasn't it you who turned them on?'
'I told you, she has no control over her powers, even if she wants us to believe otherwise,' from one of the corners at the side of the room, Sir Oskel appeared with Sir Tlinar and Rythel.
'Please Oskel, you saw with your own eyes how she helped the fairy, she is more powerful than all of us.' Sir Gwen walked to the table and sat down on one of the chairs. His legs were so short that they did not reach the floor.
'I couldn't control my special powers at first either, but that doesn't mean I couldn't use them,' Rythel took a seat in another chair next to Tlinar.
'Special powers?' I asked, approaching the table.
Rythel immediately stood up and offered me a chair.
'Yes, Your Majesty,' I sat where I was offered, 'I am an Eun from the Kingdom of Ventus.'
He recognized the confusion on my face and, before Sir Oskel commented on my ignorance again, explained.
'The Eun are what are known as bird men, I was born in the kingdom of Ventus but travelled as an emissary to the kingdom of Crescendo and your father recruited me to the Comrades. I have been faithful to this kingdom since then.'
'Bird man? It means you can...?'
'Become a bird, yes, your majesty, a beautiful owl if you ask me. Very few like me remained after the curse, I was lucky but out of respect, I decided not to return to my Eun-like form for a while.'
'That's very noble of you,' I said and smiled. He smiled back.
The magnitude of this world was beyond me. There was so much I did not understand, so much I did not know. And all because of Bieno, for not having taught me what I should have been taught, for lying to us, for hiding reality from us.
With everyone sitting around the table, with only one seat left, I decided to make use of my position, my privilege.
'I thank you for being as faithful to me as you were to my father, but you must give me time. I am trying to get used to the idea of being royal, not to mention the idea that my whole life was a lie. That's what I need, time.'
The four of them reflected until Sir Oskel attacked me again.
'I thought it was you who thought there was no time, by the way, have you decided who you will send in search of the sign?'
I did not let them see me hesitate.
'Yes, tomorrow the ones I chose will go out.'
'Wonderful, now on to other matters,' Rythel tried to cut the conversation short, but Sir Oskel insisted.
'Are you sure they will be the right ones? You should tell us who you chose to approve them, or not.'
'I think I can make that decision myself.'
'If you think you are so clever and you pretend to make all the decisions, then I don't know what use we are to you. You have no idea of your power, you don't know our history, you're a time bomb waiting to go off.'
I stood up suddenly and looked him straight in the eye.
'I don't know who you think you are talking to, I remind you that I am the Princess of this Kingdom, my father was King Gelon, so think about it before you talk to me like that again. If you want to help me, then don't disrespect me.'
As if someone else were taking over my body, I responded and then started to leave.
'You will never be like your father,' Sir Oskel got up and started walking in the direction of one side of the place.
'You are right, I will never be like him, I will always be me, whether you like it or not.'
I opened the door, I don't know if with my powers or my hands, but I ran away, as fast as I could. I wished they could not follow me, I felt the door close behind me locking them inside their house.
I continued to run through the streets of the town, ignoring the worried looks of those who saw me pass by.
Maybe I would never return to the Kingdom, maybe I would leave them without their Princess, but I had to try, I had to do it for them and for my parents. My parents had died for this Kingdom, and if I had to do it, I would do it without hesitation.
I reached the tree and turned around.
I breathed the air of that beautiful place before turning around again.
'Protect us,' I said to the spirits of the Kingdom, to Syform, to my parents.
And I went out into the woods, into the most complicated adventure I would ever go on.