Chapter 2

She'd been quietly observing for a few days. She'd had many years of experience with people trying to take advantage of her. She was far more jaded now than when she was first crowned Queen of the Fairies. Humans didn't want to be her friends, they wanted to persuade her into helping them conquer whomever they believed were their enemies. Fae could be just as bad, and in her experience, mages were the worst of the worst. She wouldn't be where she was if it weren't for a greedy mage. However, this was definitely the first time that someone had actually listened to her and not tried to take her back to Shotaro. Thankfully it was so, she really was getting tired of sending people off to suffer in the void.

"Oh my… You are the prettiest I've seen." The young voice complimented after she finished gently polishing the crystal sword's black hilt.

With the polishing, a large, beautiful, blue stone was discovered to be embedded in the center. "Sorry, I hope I didn't cause you any discomfort." Maria apologized.

Hmm, this one seems different. The queen thought. She actually took the time to clean me up like that. No one has ever really done that for me, unless it was to wipe the blood off my body. She could actually see around her clearly now that the gem wasn't clouded with grime.

"Thank you…" The queen murmured. She was still a bit apprehensive to let another mage know that she could speak and carry on intelligent conversations, but this child-mage was actually taking care of her.

"So, you do speak. I thought that Sir Ren and Grandfather were just giving me busy-work to keep me out of trouble." She commented calmly. Not at all what the queen had expected.

"Downfall of a kingdom trouble, or spiders in the maid's undergarments trouble?" The queen asked in a mirthful tone.

Maria giggled. This was definitely her kind of person. "Definitely the spiders. Those stupid women only come to the palace to try and spend time with Sir Ren." She scowled a little at the thought.

"He doesn't like that? What is he, some kind of monk?" She asked sarcastically. Maybe he's only into weapons. She thought, remembering her first encounter with him.

Maria giggled. "You sure don't talk like any queen I know of."

The queen groaned a little. "I haven't been a queen in a very long time. Hmm, 300 years I suppose. Time just seems to flow a little differently when one is in my predicament." She explained.

Maria furrowed her brow. "Wow, 300 years? Most swords don't even last that long. Well, you are made of crystal, I suppose that would explain it. Crystal does tend to stand the test of time, but why would anyone do this to you?" Her tone was a bit sympathetic.

The queen sighed, this was actually the first person that had ever asked what had happened or who she actually was. "Fairies tend to be difficult to curse and entrap, add being a fairy queen to that and it's next to impossible. I was stupid and trusted someone that I shouldn't have." She explained.

"You mean the Marble Mage?" Maria asked with interest.

She chuckled wryly. "I will give you a bit of information that you may choose to use as you wish. His true name is Shotaro Fuwa, but… you didn't hear it from me. I know how important a name is to an evil, selfish, conceited, self-absorbed, jackass like him."

Maria giggled and shook her head. "He'll only hear from me if he decides to bring harm to those I care about." She then smiled darkly. "At which point, I will make his life a living hell."

Now this is my kind of mage. The queen thought with glee. "I like the way you think, kid. My name is Kyoko, what's yours?"

"Maria. I'm a mage and the only princess of the Kingdom of LoveME." She announced proudly.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess Maria." Kyoko greeted regally.

Maria nodded. "The pleasure is all mine, Your Royal Highness."

"Ugh, just call me Kyoko. No one's addressed me as such for a long time. My people have probably even forgotten me." She corrected.

Maria glanced at both the men, whom she'd gathered in a private room that had been sealed with enchantments to keep secrets, secret. Kyoko was left laying on Maria's desk, and her scabbard was where she'd initially been placed by Ren, safely in Maria's study. Maria sighed. "She is a living entity. A fairy queen to be exact. I was able to discover additional information, through research after speaking to her." Maria announced. "About 300 years ago, a fairy queen by the name of Kyoko The Benevolent vanished only days after her coronation. It took the kingdoms 75 years to recover from the loss."

Ren's eyes went wide. He remembered the stories his parents had told him about those dark times. Kyoko The Benevolent was the ruler over all of the fae kingdoms. Others would come to pay homage to her and ask for her advice and assistance. It was a massive blow to them all when she'd disappeared.

"Did she say what happened? How she got that way? Is there a way to reverse the enchantment?" Lory asked with concern, hoping there was a way to help her.

Maria sighed. She could feel the anger seeping in just thinking about it. "The Marble Mage… She refused to give him a way of immortality."

Hearing this angered Ren. A fairy's immortality could only be given to a human with the great sacrifice of their own out of love. He frowned deeply at the thought.

"There is a way to break the enchantment, but it will be more difficult than with others." Maria sighed. "True Love's Kiss. And when I say True Love's Kiss, I mean that both have to have a true love for each other. A deep and true romantic love or the spell will not be broken. The spell is called Prisoner. It would seem that the Marble Mage believed that he was her true love or he didn't know exactly how powerful the spell was when he cast it." She informed the two men.

"Well, that shouldn't be too much of a problem." Lory announced blithely.

Maria narrowed her gaze. "That's where you're wrong, Grandfather. She has been betrayed and harmed by love. If it were so easy, she wouldn't have been trapped for 300 years." She reminded him.

"Ah…" Lory sighed out in disappointment.

Ren glanced at Lory, then Maria. "What about the Marble Mage? Is there anything we need to worry about considering that he's still looking for her and we have her?"

"For now, she's safe." She turned to Lory. "Grandpa, how many people have seen her scabbard?"

Lory looked up in thought. "It's never really been a secret; although, no one here really knew what it contained until now."

"Was anyone else present when you had Sir Ren draw her?" Maria asked in worry.

He shook his head. "No, we were in my library. So the fact that it contained a crystal sword is still secret."

"Good. I had a sword made to fit that scabbard to replace her. I've already made an alternative one for her to rest in." She informed them of the fur lined scabbard that Kyoko was now happily sheathed in. It was soft and warm. She'd never been so comfortable.

~xoxo~

Perfect! The dark little thief exclaimed inwardly as she picked up the golden scabbard with a dark hilted sword resting within. Pay dirt! That mage owes me for this. She snickered, quietly leaving the orderly room with her ill gotten gains. She'd been harassed enough over Sir Ren by that twisted little child-mage over the years. It was time to get something for her troubles.

Kyoko let out a sigh of relief from where she was now resting. It was a good thing that Maria had the forethought to make arrangements for her like this or she would now be on her way to the heavens only knew where. Probably back to Shotaro. She grimaced at that thought. Perhaps she should take Maria up on her offer to disguise her a bit more. Maybe even suggest a rumor that the sword from that particular scabbard had been destroyed long ago, to throw him off her trail, because she knew for certain that once he found the scabbard, he would definitely come here to look for her.