"Really?" Romanov crocked his head. "You think we would ask you? Our people need a king when I'm gone. And You are the only one who could become king. If you would have had a brother I wouldn't even care when you love a horse. But you have not." He had seen how his son had flinched at the way he pronounced the word 'loved', but he did not care; love was something that should be forbidden and destroyed.

Aileh flinched. How could his father be so cold? Flora dug her nails in his flesh. He carefully slung his tail around her legs and squeezed gently. They would find a way out of this. He would do everything to keep her safe, even fighting his own parents.

But suddenly he didn't have to anymore when a column of white light crashed down from the clouds. His father's energy erupted in an futile attempt the ward of that new force, but failed. A scream of pain echoed over the silent plain and the limp body of the most powerful Naga ever, collapsed.

He moaned when awareness returned to him. Bright light blinded him and he shielded off his eyes with his magic. The brightness faded and the only light now came from behind him. He turned and faced a young woman, barely past her majority. Little sparks danced over her skin, her hair caressed her form with every step she took.

"Fera…" When leaving his lips her name barely was a whisper.

"You forgot me." Her voice was sad. "You forgot our common past, Romanov. Why?"

"I never forgot you!" He reached out to touch her, to sooth her, but she fled his embrace. "How could I ever forgot you? Why are you saying such things?"

"Because it seems you have forgotten me. You deny love, you loath it and you forbid your son to feel it. If you have not forgotten me, why do you do it then?"

"Because love hurts. It is agony. Why would I allow my son to live in agony?" Romanov turned, looking at the happenings at Alfea. "Love only brings death. It killed you all those millennia ago."

"It didn't." She moved to stand next to him. "I only died a few minutes ago." She began to alter. Her hair became shorter and her face more mother like.

His eyes widened when he realized who she was. "You are the woman lying in Din's arm's! The Fairy-Headmistress!"

"I am. Only they know me as Faragonda, not Fera."

"But you died… millennia ago." He reached again and this time she accepted his hand on her arm. "Didn't you?"

"I didn't." her dark bleu eyes fastened on him. "Training with a Naga makes powers grow. I was able to defeat that men and to flee. No one ever found out I helped a Naga escape. But what happened to you? I felt your wive die and now… now she is standing down there."

"She indeed died. But you now the curse cast upon us." He laid his hand on his chest. He wanted to say something when he felt his heartbeat slowing down. Wide-eyes he looked at the woman next to him. "What are you doing? Fera!?"

"I'm making you realise."

His eyes shot open when he felt the familiar heaviness of his flesh. He brought his arms beneath him and pushed himself up. Some soldiers shot forward to help him steady himself, but he waved then off.

Aileh hadn't moved when his father collapsed, but now he backed away. Something had changed, he just couldn't point it.

"Aileh." His father locked eyes with him. "You have a powerful guardian angel it seems. But enough of that. I see sense is lost on you. How about a deal?"

"What kind of?" He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What do you have to offer me, father?"

"That headmistress of you. I know a way to get her back. To resurrect her. I tell you and you leave with me and your mother."