"Rachel! How are you?" Theeya spoke affectionately to the girl on the screen in front of her!
"I'm great! Boy am I happy to see you even though it's just on screen. How have you been? Is everything alright?" asked Rachel.
Ever since her mother passed away when she was 15, Rachel had been her best friend, not counting her two timing ex boyfriend George.
Rachel and Theeya attended the same classes and even enrolled in the same college together. When Rachel got married to David, she was the bridesmaid. Now Rachel got a little boy, David junior who just turned 1.
Theeya used to believe she would also be like Rachel. Marry her childhood sweetheart George and have beautiful babies together. Her dream was crushed when she found out Maria was pregnant with George's baby.
The ultimate betrayal from George: Sleeping with the girl next door while Theeya refused to do more with George beyond kisses. She was glad she kept herself for her REAL future husband and just then an image of her in a white wedding gown with a long train standing next to Jeff in a tuxedo, his dark hair combed sleek to the back. She blushed and turned crimson immediately.
"Theeya! Why is your face so red? What are you not telling me? Any progress with that hunky professor?" Rachel tried to get Theeya back to Planet Earth.
"He is very professional, Rachel! There is nothing between the two of us," Theeya said.
"You are already in your mid 20s Theeya. Time to find a good guy and settle down," Rachel smiled.
Theeya did not blame her best friend. Back home, all her sisters were brought up the same way:
Be a good girl, find a good man and settle down. Have lots of babies and live happily ever after.
Unfortunately some did not marry well. Some Iike Theeya who chose a different life were pitied by those back home.
Theeya shook her head and decided to stick to her own decision to fulfil her father's wish to fulfil the quest inherited from hundreds of generations ago.
After chatting for half an hour the girls laughed and cried, it felt like there was no distance between them even thought they were thousands of miles apart physically.
"I am worried about you, Theeya. I don't want you to be hurt or to be alone anymore. You know I love you and only wants the best of happiness for you," said Rachel.
"Yes I know, and I am happy now, with or without a man," insisted Theeya.
"Whatever you say Miss Theeya James," Rachel smiled knowingly.
"I hate to go now Theeya, I gotta check on Junior now. He should be up anytime now," just as Rachel said that a loud wail came from the background. The baby had woken up.
"Please hug Junior and kiss him for me. I love you Rachel," said Theeya.
"I will tell him the kisses are from his beautiful Aunt Theeya. I love you Theeya! Don't be a stranger! Let me know if you finally start something with that handsome professor!" Rachel winked before signing off.
Theeya sighed. She missed home badly. Then she realized she also missed doing some physical activities.
Her late father treated her as a boy and equipped her with all the martial arts skills that he could teach her with. He said it would come in handy for her expedition. Sometimes she wondered if he would be happier if she was born a boy instead of a girl. Then she felt guilty for thinking that.
Dinner was uneventful. Small talk at the table with the babies fussing, keeping their twins father and mothers occupied. Dawood was deep in a discussion with Jeff on more conspiracy theories of the global economy which did not interest Theeya.
Theeya said her good night to everyone and retired to her room and decided to sleep earlier. After two nights on the water bed, the firm mattress was a good relief. She imagined she was in Magdalena's embrace again and felt so safe and comforted she fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, wait up!" Theeya laughed as the men grew smaller as she left them behind.
"Fly higher, higher!" She commanded her ride.
She was riding a huge white falcon. A special harness was made for her to hold on to and steer the falcon as she wished.
The castle looked so small from up where Theeya was. Everything was reduced to mere dots down there.
She hated the court. Being the sole heir to her late parents who passed away a year ago when she was 14, she was made the Queen of the kingdom of Nitreil. When she came of age in two years she would have to choose her King, either marry the seventh prince who has 15 brothers so he could move into her castle or merge with a stronger kingdom and surrender the throne to him.
She hated the idea of being attached to a man. "Why can't she stay unmarried?"
She loved to fly up here. So peaceful. No attendants or servants breathing down her neck. No eyes on her. Just her and the Giant Falcon.
"I don't ever want to go back there, but the entire kingdom is on my shoulders. What should I do?" She stroked the feather of the falcon.
The falcon flew further away from her kingdom, further than where they had even flown before. Unfamiliar terrains of mountains appeared in front of her. The falcon flew lower and rested on a huge tree branch. It is his nest! A grey falcon, most probably his mate, greeted him and there were five little falcons in the nest with their beaks open. Their mother the grey falcon dropped the food from her break into their tiny giant beaks. They were not bothered by Theeya's presence.
Suddenly the falcon spoke.
"You are both to be a leader, a ruler. Prove your worth Your Majesty. Show them what you can do," with that he shook Theeya off his back and she fell from the tall tree. It seemed like everything was in slow motion as the words echoed, "Prove your worth."
Theeya did not feel the impact of her fall. Instead she fell into the arms of a man. It was Jeff! "It cannot be. This is a dream," she thought.
"It is not a dream, my Queen. This is real. Welcome to the Kingdom of Araneil."
"I am a long way home from Nitreil," she said.
"Did Joey bring you here?" he asked.
"Joey?" she was confused.
"Joey the white falcon," he smiled.
"I am Prince Geoffrey. You can call me Jeff," he flashed his pearly whites.
He was about 21 years old. Dashingly handsome as usual.
"Please let me down, Jeff," she realized he was still carrying her in his arms.
"Are you a princess of Nitreil who is now the Young Queen?" He asked.
"Yes, and if Joey is your falcon can he send me back now please?" Theeya was conscious of how close she was to the young prince.
"Come, I am ready," boomed the voice from her right. The falcon managed to fly down to the ground without even rustling the leaves.
"So you are the one who attached the harness on Joey. He refused to let me attach anything on him." said Jeff.
"Yeah. He came to me as a chick. I would have never thought he would grow up to be such a giant, literally," she said.
"That must have been 7 years ago, I saw him hatch from the egg," Jeff said.
"Yes around that time," she said.
"I like coming out here alone as it is so peaceful and quiet and away from the watchful eyes in the castle," he looked at her while she nodded in understanding.
"I like you, my Queen. I shall remember your coming of age ceremony and win your hand in marriage," he declared.
Theeya's face was a look of shock at the bold claim from the young Prince.
"We shall see when the time comes," with that Joey the Giant Falcon took off and Theeya hung on tight to him.
She woke up to the sun on her face. It was a beautiful dream. Was it really a dream or another past life? It did not matter as it made her smile as she got ready in the bathroom. If only the age gap between her and Jeff in this lifetime could be smaller then she would be pursuing him shamelessly already. She blushed again at that thought. She made a mental note to ask Dawood if she could consult Magdalena again personally, this time without Jeff.