There was a man wandering aimlessly on the pavement. A lost-looking man with frightfully familiar face.
As I stood wondering how the twinned Jes man happen to be here on the dirty and throng footpath in the middle of one of the busiest city in the world like Bangkok, he turned his head looking at me with those pair of heavy stares. This is crazy. This is just plain craziness. I concluded.
Or maybe, works drive me mad—like really mad.
My iPhone rang and the man ran—supposedly toward me—crowing about something I did not hear because customer was saying his requests on the other side of the call. I fumbled for a little notebook to write down as the Jes-faced man caught my arm yanking it over to him. I reeled and was dragged into the more spacious side of the sidewalk. "Hey, what're you doing?"
"Come," He sounded terribly like Jes too. I know! This guy must be the one taking my handbag away when I hit my ahead two years ago.
With no more notice, he jumped into the uncovered vile drainage nearby hauling me down with him. I screamed for help and wrestled the man frantically but nobody was close enough to save me and I inevitably plummeted into the dirt engrossing in the sense of déjà vu.
I was still screaming when my front made a hard and painful kiss with solid stone floor. Disregarding the bleeding nose, I promptly wobbled up to my feet, mind setting on running for life. Someone jumped at me and something long and white and furry rubbed my cheek. I tried to see through those two white bars and saw a courtly lady solemnly stood in a lavish lavender gown, and a red hair man who could have been King Valentine from my dream.
"For goodness sake!" The man who looked like Jes struggling up kneading his nose, struggling with cruel coughs. He hit the floor in the front as well. "I'm so never going back there again! How could you live in that place?! It's so hot, the air's so polluted, so full of noxious smoke, I couldn't breathe!"
"Wow, your hair is really black!" My attention came back to the two white bars, but soon it was attracted by two large garnet eyes which I found very, extremely, mind-blowingly similar to the fantasy dream rabbit Shaph's. "Such a mystical hue, I've never seen this kind of hair color before!"
"That should be enough Shaph." The stately lady spoke with such dead face. "Now, if you all would excuse us, we need a lady talk."
All the dream people unwillingly left this strikingly familiar room one by one, the King Valentine lingered his gazes at me but soon left too. Shortly there were just me and this anonymous woman who whisked her light chestnut hair backward in this chilling chamber.
She started, "You are the renowned 'Princess Kara?'"
Now that I took a good look, she also kind of resembled a girl who used to float past me in that ending part of the dream.
"I know!" I felt so enlightened, thumping my fist on an open hand, "That thief must try to rob me and I hit my head with the corner of the pavement again! I must be dreaming now!" And it's the continual of the last one.
Silence conquered for several long minutes. We just rested on our feet staring at each other. I was having a thought that I should wake up soon when she spoke again, "So that is what you think."
"Huh?"
The woman walked over to a set of chairs and sat on one which I seriously had a strong sense of sitting on it before. She flourished her hand beckoning me to the one beside her. "It's typical, I gather, that explains why you have those power." She then reached out her small white hand and touched me, "but you must also know that this feeling, this sensation, is real."
I was lost so far.
"I'm Prin...Queen Carla of Coronale by the way."
I started too, "Oh I see..." and stopped there.
"I don't think you see anything," she was right, "this is not a dream. This is very real and you were here as a pretend-me two years ago."
Sweat began to bead my forehead. If this is real, is she trying to penalize me for that? No wait! but, really? like really real?! really really real?! I instantly slapped my face, two times.
"Oh, you must believe!" Queen Carla said suppressing her giggles seeing me do that. "Miss Akaranan, what is your real nickname?"
"Ing," I answered, "wait! how did you!..."
The Queen pulled over from the next chair a square pink thing which I had not noticed before and said, "I learnt a lot about you from this," she picked out my long lost old purse drawing out my ID card, credit cards, member cards, alumni cards, all the cards, "like your real name, you graduated from U.S.A., and that you're a privilege member of many banks,"
My bank account was next. She leafed through the pages expertly as if she had done this many times, "you are quite wealthy, probably upper middle class—"
Putting the account on top of my purse, she brought up my old notebook, "you know six languages, well-educated in science. Your occupation could be either a businessman or—no, you must be in a business field considered from stories Shaph told me and—" she took out both my missing phones concluding her hypothesis, "you're a good singer."
I gaped at her observation power when she finished with my bag, "Wow, you could also be a detective." I said unconsciously with admiration.
"I was going to be one," said the Queen, "if I hadn't come back to Coronale first."
I was going to say something to hide my surprise but Queen Carla had plenty more to share, "That is also my problem. Back to you, I have been told of your deeds over here. How you didn't finish the tyranny Keon Queen, how you fool Queen Roseheart and everybody living as me. You even use an alias! No one, not even Shaph, knows your real name if you had not left this," She waved the ID card, "This proves you're quite clever, even a bit distrustful. I think it's only natural since you are raised in a big city."
With bated breaths, I said nothing, maybe it was because there was still an unnamable impact on me. When the Queen saw that I was not going to make any comment, she carried on, "Well, there are two reasons why I called you back here."
I would not lie that I did not expect much from this. A punishment? Come on! I did nothing wrong. If she's going to punish me, so be it!
"What do you think about my observation skill? Great, isn't it?" she answered herself almost immediately, "I have a very rational mind. Do you know what I mean now?"
"Not—not really." I stuttered despite guessing something at the back of my mind. "If this is real, how did you get back here anyway?" I started to say rounding my eyes in a full circle, "I did not go out to find you."
The Queen smiled for the very first time and I saw youth within there, "Let's say, in fact, I was there when Shaph wrongly took you for the first time." I tried to think back but it was too long, I could remember nothing. "I had been trying to look for a way to come back to Coronale because there was no news from my Mother and Father."
Queen Carla's family history suddenly evaded back into my head, "Er, I'm so sorry."
"Thank you," she said and brushed the subject aside, "I knew that the gate opened on that day, but when I rushed back to the place it was gone. But I also knew that someone must try to open it again so I waited and when it did open again, I just jumped in. We met in the dimensional link, remember?"
I nodded with clouded clue. Her tone had gotten way friendlier.
"But this world was already in shape when I got here. Magic was ninety percent merging with this world. And I did nothing of these." she said pressing especially at the last sentence.
"Neither did—"
"Oh, yes, you did." She beat me to it, "You just don't know how to control your power."
This is getting crazier.
"And I cannot thank you enough. If you weren't mistaken as me, I must be right now dead in the hand of my Aunt Neera."
"Um—" This is getting harder to process.
"And that leads us to the first reason, you see," she said, "Aunt Neera's not here anymore. She died because she used too much power trying to kill you while her long-year freezing body could not hold it. And I have a problem of insufficiency of water because I cannot reverse Magic out of water. You see that I can't even open the gate."
"And you think I can?" I gave one not-so-funny chuckle.
"I know you can." She sounded extremely serious. "And I need you."
"But—!"
"You have both logic and imagination, I can prove that much," the Queen interjected, "you are good with Magic, and don't deny, I know because King Valentine told me and Grandpa Derek confirmed it." She talked without space to breathe. "Your age reduces like my great great great great ancestor King Peter."
"There were evidences," she was on a roll, "from King Valentine again that Magic seemed to be totally disappeared when you fought his mother, and while you were almost froze to death by Aunt Neera, you sang, didn't you? Do you know that Magic can be controlled by tunes? Similar to the way Magicians control it by words. That's how I know you can release Magic from ice."
"But I tried, I'm not a Magician," I said firmly.
The Queen shook her head, "Like I told you, your power is still inconsistent. You need practice."
"I—" I had not enough information or proof to contradict her. "but I'm not keen with cold weather and I—what am I going to do with my family back home!"
"That is easy to deal with," Queen Carla said, "I could not help you with the cold but as for your identity in the Dry World, it will become a tales, a story, a legend. That's how it works. Of course, you can also choose to bring all of your family here."
"But—!"
"And the second reason," Queen Carla stood up abruptly and walked over to the big wooden door. Toleration was up to my neck, being forced to swallow so many 'But.' The Queen put her hands on the handles and looked back at me, "Come!" She pushed open the huge door as I traipsed after her clacking heels.
We made our way upstairs. This place seemed to be empty as we trotted on in the lofty amethyst carpet hallway. I traced my fingers on the gilt wall, the gold and marble decorations, and at an alabaster statue of a fairy which brought back many memories I had disposed of, thinking it was just a silly dream. Along the way, we exposed ourselves to the glorious golden rhapsody ray richly woven in through the glass window bathing me with nostalgia. Queen Clara, almost resembling to the younger portrait of hers with her light brown hair and eyes in the warm light, led a few more turns and stop at one of the wooden door. It exhibited a faint fragrance of pine.
"Oh, by the way," she said clasping her hand on the handle and thrust it in. "if you choose to stay here, I prepare this room for you while you learn to control your power in Coronale."
Inside was a small room with enough space for a big double bed, a set of armchairs and a study desk. I ran my eyes on the wall patterned with blue lily. Their petals curled tenderly around the room, on the sofas and chairs, and on the thick curtains. I sighed at the cuteness and the white sheet neatly folded on the bed which set off nicely with the dark blue carpet.
"Sharon noticed that you're not really fond of pink," Queen Carla said, "or roses."
I laughed, had never before realized that Sharon paid such close attention to me.
We went on after I thanked her Majesty. She asked if I remembered the way to the waiting room. I nodded and knew where we were heading. A while passed when she continued talking about the second reason, "you know, another reason I summoned you here is because it is so bothersome being nagged all the time."
I did not quite understand but we arrived at the waiting room then. As the guards bowed at the regal Queen, they stiffened seeing me and pulled out the door eagerly.
Dazzling warm light coming through the large window directly opposite to the entrance shortly whitewashed my sight. My heart stopped, as if making a preparation for a sprint, and leapt as high as the sky could go.
There was no way—there was no any other way in this or that world I could suppress my lips not to spread into a smile.
"Kara!"
Greeted by a canty chorus and faces of lost friends, I was surprise and startled but somehow really happy with just a glimpse of them.
I saw everyone rushed to me all at once while at the corner of my eyes Queen Carla receded into arms of a tall golden hair man with sharp golden eyes whom I recognized as Prince Leander, looking beautiful and majestic like a Princess or a Queen should be, looking happy like one of those lucky wives. I immediately averted my gaze to Jes who smiled at me amiably unperturbed by the sweet scene playing before him and realized I must have missed a lot.
"Princess!" Shaph snugged up to me again, "We all miss you so much!" His eyes were swimming red pools. Sharon came from the other side, "I am so glad to see you again."
"You still look so ordinary. But this is just remarkable," That was Jared standing beside me taking my hair in his hands, putting a strip of it beside his pure white. "We're such a good match, right?"
"You've become thin. Is the life over there harsh?" Philip said giving me his confident kind blue eyes and I had a clue his life after my departure must be perfect.
I found myself covering up by warmth which was ages ago left behind in the depth of the old forest. Almost as soon as I could remember, the hand that was stroking my head was placed on my cheek making me looked up at the equally warm blue pair of eyes. "You don't know how much I missed you. How could you leave me here after I told you that I love you?"
I felt like a thermometer where the red mercury, after receiving such heat, rushed up from its blub to the highest position in the rod, "But—but I'm not Princess Carl—"
"I know," said King Fayn, "but I love you."
"That's enough King Fayn. You can't keep her all to yourself. We all miss her." A pair of pale hands detached us, and I was instantly attached by a pair of moon and mauve eyes. It was still beautiful after all these time.
"He's right." Deep voice sounded near Fayn's shoulder as Leonhard pushed him away and stepped in front of me taking both my hands. "Welcome back."
"Princess!" Eldrin pressed his way in with his slender body. "You won't believe how much I think of you, especially after—"
"What's your real name?" Valentine made way in and I knew what Eldrin was talking about 'after.' Elise was encircled affectionately in his arm, while hers were laid peacefully on the protruding stomach. "We want to name this child after you."
I gawked more and more at the noisy crowd of people wanting to know my name, unable to make head nor tail of it. Kay slowly came into the crowd and said with his smiling face, "I hear you are coming to live with us in Edurne soon. Shaph and Sharon told me that you hate cold so we are planning to build a new castle for you. There will be fireplace everywhere and hot-food kitchen and, as Sharon suggested, hot bath."
"Not so soon, iceman," Jared cut in, "she'll have to come to Cimon first for training. I have prepared a room for you months ago. I hope you like it."
"We too," Elise clumsily took my hand, "I am so excited to have you with us. I want you to hold this child." and she lovingly caressed her tummy.
I spun my head toward Queen Carla with a 'what's going on?' look. She and her King moved in on me, "Before you can go and be Queen in Edurne, you have to train Magic with King Valentine, Prince Jared, and me."
I (almost) see.
"I'll stay in Keon while you're there too." said Eldrin.
"And I'll visit Alette in Cimon while you train." Ciel said and explained to my puzzling face, "She married King Julien."
"I'll go see you often when you move to Edurne." said Leon.
"I'll visit you anywhere you go." said Fayn.
"Me too." said Philip.
In the grandeur of the crammed but cozy waiting room, of the expensive sizzling silk dresses dyed white and gold by the sun, of the mellow tingling of miraculous Magic on my skin, of the woolen white clouds wandering in the brilliant blue sky beyond these fantastical countries, of the epic adventures awaited, I inhaled deeply and held the breath as Queen Carla said,
"So what do you say, Stay?"
The End.