Chapter 10
Cerys opened her eyes and saw Nia hovering by her Grandma. Little Cerys was staring up at her Nan, entranced by what she saw. For the first time in her life, she realised exactly what her Grandma was saying. Cerys leaned in and listened closely. 'What do you mean that Elaina has to go with you? Sam can't do this, Cerys is only six! It would crush her to know her mother had gone to live with faeries!" Nia fluttered about, looking incredibly flustered. "But Farlia, Elaina must come. Tell Cerys something else; Cerys is not allowed to know about us until she is 16. You know that." Cerys backed up, horrified. Nia had been the one to tell her Grandma what to tell Cerys. She watched as her Grandma told Nia to go away and called Elaina to her. Cerys watched as her mother entered the room and stood leaning against the scrubbed wooden table. "Yes? You wanted me?" Her Grandma took a deep breath, her brow wrinkled as she contemplated what to tell her daughter. "Erm, Elaina, I know you like it here and all, and you are learning about who you are, but - um - " "Mum? What is it? Come on, you're making me nervous." "Ok. Sam needs you. You have been requested to go to Aranosia and live there as Sam's queen. If you don't go, then Aranosia could be in grave danger." Cerys covered her mouth and swallowed. She felt a lump stuck in the top of her throat. Elaina opened her mouth, stunned at what she had just heard. She sighed deeply. "Mum, I can't leave Cerys. She is too young and she needs me, I cannot leave her now. I know as well as you I can watch from afar but I don't want to do that. She is my daughter, I am sorry, but I cannot go." Cerys felt tears start in the corners of her eyes. Her mother didn't want to leave her! "Elaina, you don't understand. You must go. Nia can remain here and keep a watchful eye on Cerys. I would, but I have not long left and I wont be here when she finds out about our world. You know that Jesta has returned to strength. You also know that he could attack Aranosia unless you are there. Please, go." Elaina bit her lip. "Why do they need me?" "They need your protection. You are the only person who can-" Cerys wanted to here more, but the kitchen faded away to nothingness, her living room developed around her. Cerys opened her eyes and a surge of anger pulsed through her. She pummelled the carpet with her fist and pushed herself up against the side of the sofa. Why? Why didn't the memory finish? Why was she pulled away before her Grandma could finish what she was saying? Cerys scrambled to her feet. "NIA? NIA? GET HERE NOW!" she yelled furiously. There was a strong flash of blue light, but Nia didn't appear. Elaina did instead. Cerys was so taken aback; she nearly fell into the armchair beside her. "M-mum? What are you doing here? I thought - " Elaina smiled gently. She walked gracefully over to the sofa and sat down. She patted the seat beside her. "Come, sit beside me. You need to understand." Cerys looked at the chair warily. Instead, she sat on the sofa, watching her mum. Elaina sighed. "Can I guess rightly that you are mad at me?" "Yes, I am. You left me for 10 years. You didn't tell me why.apparently you are the only one who can protect blah di blah. You know, I don't even care why. And I didn't call for you anyway. I want Nia. You can go now 'cos I have nothing to say." Cerys slumped back in her seat and looked straight at the mantelpiece. Elaina swallowed and adjusted her robes. "Cerys, I left you because I had to. I didn't want to, but I had to, whether you believe it or not, it is the truth. I had to go to Aranosia for a reason, of which I cannot tell you until after you encounter Jesta. This is your destiny and you must follow it." Cerys opened her mouth indignantly. "To Hell with destiny! You could tell me the reason now if you really wanted to. You know, I was happy up until I learned about Aranosia. I hate my destiny if this is its path! What is my destiny? I don't even know it!" "Look, I cannot tell you the reason yet, fate says I can't. You will find out your destiny when you are mature enough to cope with it." The badge on Elainas' robes began to glow. Before Cerys could say anything, a burst of light nearly blinded her and her mother was gone.
Cerys opened her eyes and saw Nia hovering by her Grandma. Little Cerys was staring up at her Nan, entranced by what she saw. For the first time in her life, she realised exactly what her Grandma was saying. Cerys leaned in and listened closely. 'What do you mean that Elaina has to go with you? Sam can't do this, Cerys is only six! It would crush her to know her mother had gone to live with faeries!" Nia fluttered about, looking incredibly flustered. "But Farlia, Elaina must come. Tell Cerys something else; Cerys is not allowed to know about us until she is 16. You know that." Cerys backed up, horrified. Nia had been the one to tell her Grandma what to tell Cerys. She watched as her Grandma told Nia to go away and called Elaina to her. Cerys watched as her mother entered the room and stood leaning against the scrubbed wooden table. "Yes? You wanted me?" Her Grandma took a deep breath, her brow wrinkled as she contemplated what to tell her daughter. "Erm, Elaina, I know you like it here and all, and you are learning about who you are, but - um - " "Mum? What is it? Come on, you're making me nervous." "Ok. Sam needs you. You have been requested to go to Aranosia and live there as Sam's queen. If you don't go, then Aranosia could be in grave danger." Cerys covered her mouth and swallowed. She felt a lump stuck in the top of her throat. Elaina opened her mouth, stunned at what she had just heard. She sighed deeply. "Mum, I can't leave Cerys. She is too young and she needs me, I cannot leave her now. I know as well as you I can watch from afar but I don't want to do that. She is my daughter, I am sorry, but I cannot go." Cerys felt tears start in the corners of her eyes. Her mother didn't want to leave her! "Elaina, you don't understand. You must go. Nia can remain here and keep a watchful eye on Cerys. I would, but I have not long left and I wont be here when she finds out about our world. You know that Jesta has returned to strength. You also know that he could attack Aranosia unless you are there. Please, go." Elaina bit her lip. "Why do they need me?" "They need your protection. You are the only person who can-" Cerys wanted to here more, but the kitchen faded away to nothingness, her living room developed around her. Cerys opened her eyes and a surge of anger pulsed through her. She pummelled the carpet with her fist and pushed herself up against the side of the sofa. Why? Why didn't the memory finish? Why was she pulled away before her Grandma could finish what she was saying? Cerys scrambled to her feet. "NIA? NIA? GET HERE NOW!" she yelled furiously. There was a strong flash of blue light, but Nia didn't appear. Elaina did instead. Cerys was so taken aback; she nearly fell into the armchair beside her. "M-mum? What are you doing here? I thought - " Elaina smiled gently. She walked gracefully over to the sofa and sat down. She patted the seat beside her. "Come, sit beside me. You need to understand." Cerys looked at the chair warily. Instead, she sat on the sofa, watching her mum. Elaina sighed. "Can I guess rightly that you are mad at me?" "Yes, I am. You left me for 10 years. You didn't tell me why.apparently you are the only one who can protect blah di blah. You know, I don't even care why. And I didn't call for you anyway. I want Nia. You can go now 'cos I have nothing to say." Cerys slumped back in her seat and looked straight at the mantelpiece. Elaina swallowed and adjusted her robes. "Cerys, I left you because I had to. I didn't want to, but I had to, whether you believe it or not, it is the truth. I had to go to Aranosia for a reason, of which I cannot tell you until after you encounter Jesta. This is your destiny and you must follow it." Cerys opened her mouth indignantly. "To Hell with destiny! You could tell me the reason now if you really wanted to. You know, I was happy up until I learned about Aranosia. I hate my destiny if this is its path! What is my destiny? I don't even know it!" "Look, I cannot tell you the reason yet, fate says I can't. You will find out your destiny when you are mature enough to cope with it." The badge on Elainas' robes began to glow. Before Cerys could say anything, a burst of light nearly blinded her and her mother was gone.