The Serpent and the Maiden Fair
Merry Christmas everyone! :)))
A gentle tap on his shoulder startled a young Phobos and he slowly opened his eyes to see who it is. If it was some kind of lowly servant who dared to wake him up this early he would have him punished. (Un)Fortunately it was not a servant but his mother, she was smiling at him. He groaned and covered his face with a pillow as he saw the bright light from the balcony of his room.
"Wake up my little prince." His mother said as she sat beside him. He did not mind her instead he closed his eyes to go back to sleep. He was tired and still sleepy, it was still early and he is a prince so no one question why he was up late. But then it was his mother who was with him right now and she is the most powerful person in their planet; the light of Meridian.
"Mother, it's still early." His voice was muffled by the pillow but it was clear enough for his mother to understand. He can hear her laugh softly.
"We are to visit Wayfort, remember?" His mother gently said as she tried to take the pillow from his face. He struggled to keep it on place and he groaned as he remembered what day it is. Wayfort. Right, today they will travel to Wayfort to see his fiancée, the girl who was promised to be his wife before they were even born. He had no idea what the girl looks like but his mother told him that the girl was really beautiful. But then they were like what, he was still thirteen years old and the girl was eleven. They were both young and he doesn't want to marry a girl he barely even knew.
A few moments passed and he felt fingers reaching out for his sides and his feet. His mother was tickling him! He struggled not to laugh but then it was so hard not to. He gave up and removed the pillow from his face, revealing his red face and teary eyes because of the tickling. His mother just laughed at him before kissing him on the forehead.
"You should prepare now." His mother said before going out of his room. He groaned again and scrambled to get up. He doesn't have that much choice. Besides if his mother was telling the truth, then he should be thankful that he was not engaged with some kind of high born creatures.
He already met Lady Agatha and Lord Sebastian, the parents of his betrothed and they were good looking, especially Lady Agatha, she almost looks like some sort of fairy or nymph. So he was quite sure that their daughter is beautiful. Well, she should be, there was no way he would marry some sort of freaky blue or green colored creatures like the ones on his mother's council.
He dipped his body on the tub filled with warm water and closed his eyes to imagine what the girl will look like but then it was so hard to combine the features of the Heinrichs. He sighed. Well, it should be a surprise then.
It took them a week before reaching Wayfort, the capital of West Nubar, it was one of the largest cities in Metamoor second only to Meridian (the capital) itself. The two places were separated by a large body of water so they needed to ride a big ship before reaching the place. West Nubar was a large place filled with swamps, lakes and pristine forests.
According to some legends, it was the home place of the Nagas and Naiads but due to people thinking that these creatures were bad luck, some of them were hunted and killed resulting to their decrease in number. Some have claimed that these stories were not true but well people only believe what they see.
They received a warm welcome from the people there as well as the Heinrich household. Phobos was somewhat awed by their beautiful castle. It was located in the middle of a river and it was looks like it was floating if you look at in a far direction. The size of the palace was almost as big as the Royal palace but this one was even more decorative. The walls are adorned by some sort of wild flowers and the glass stained windows were colored purples, greens, blues and yellows.
He finds their sigil interesting, for a place who hated Nagas and Naiads, well theirs were a faceless Naiad with a snake wrapped around her naked body.
"Honey, I'm going to talk to Lady Agatha for a while. You can roam around but don't go any far okay, take the handmaidens and guards with you." His mother told him before disappearing in the halls. He sighed and went outside to check the place out. Everything here was wonderful and the place was beautiful.
Beautiful trees grow around the palace and wild flowers grew on the gardens. The sight was rather soothing. He turned to the handmaidens trailing around him and dismissed them. At first they hesitated but then after he threatened to punish them they reluctantly walked away. He wants to check the place alone, the handmaidens will just scold him when he does something his mother won't like. So he sent them away so he can do whatever he wants.
A soft laughter surprised him and gained his curiosity. It was sharp and peeling but it sounded very nice to the ears. He went out to follow the sound and found himself on the southern part of the castle. There was a small door that leads outside, at first he hesitated to go but the sound of the laughter seems to drag him out. He wants to know who the owner of the beautiful sound was. The gate creaked open and it lead him to the river, the place was somewhat rocky and he cringed as he walked in difficulty. He found himself on the cliff and was disappointed when he saw no one there.
His ears must have toyed with him. Well. Damn his ears!
Then the soft peeling can be heard again and he turned to another direction and he saw a flight of stairs hidden behind some rocks. He went to check it out. The gentle waves of the lake/river splash against the steps making it slippery.
The laughter became louder and he looked down to see something glowing in the water. He gasped. The water moved and a young girl came out of it. She was looking weird, she was glowing! Phobos' eyes darted towards her; she had a long pastel blue hair that covered hanged until her knees and her eyes, they were orbs of gold, her body was covered with glowing scales and she does not have a feet but a tail similar to those of a mermaid but they were different and there were no mermaids in Metamoor.
She rose from the water and her form began to change. Her hair turned into silvery blonde and her eyes, violet, her tail turned into pale legs, she was very beautiful. He was so surprised that he screamed. It startled the girl, she stepped back into the water and her hair glowed blue.
Suddenly a boy with the same age as him jumped in between them. The girl ran to the back of the boy and clutched his arm. She looked scared, strands of her hair were covering her small face but she was still so pretty.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" The boy hissed and Phobos' eyes widen as he watch the boy's eyes. It wasn't normal; it was almost like those of a snake. Wait. The boy was a Naga and the girl, she's a Naiad. But what are they doing here? And they should be extinct by now as what his tutors told him. "Stay back." He heard the boy whispered to the girl behind him.
A blinding light flashed before his eyes, he held his hand to cover it. When it stopped, he was so shocked to see the boy transformed into his Naga form, his body was green and yellow. The boy hissed, flashing his forked tongue to him and it scared the hell of him! He let out another cry but this time for help. This monster creature in front of him should be stopped.
His personal guards came rushing towards their direction, so was the handmaidens he dismissed earlier. The guards drew out their sword towards the creature and it hissed in anger. After a few seconds, his mother and Lady Agatha came.
"My little prince!" His mother called him as she arrived. He ran towards her and hugged her, hiding his face due to fear and embarrassment.
"Avery! Cedric!" Lady Agatha called. Avery? Cedric? What? The young prince was confused. These creatures have names? Weird. He peaked at their direction and he saw the girl hugging Lady Agatha. He raised his eyebrow in confusion. His mother then put her hands on his shoulders.
"Son, I see you have met your fiancée. Lady Avery von Heinrich of Wayfort." His mother said and pointed to the girl hugging Lady Agatha. Well, he'll be damned.
So, this is my younger sister, the princess.
Phobos thought as he looked at the picture Cedric gave him earlier. A smile crept on his face while he studied her face. Ah, she almost looks like their dear mother, the woman who betrayed him. How interesting. He stood up from his throne and took some sand from the viewing stone. He threw it across the room.
"Hi Cedric." A silver haired girl entered the bookstore they used as undercover to draw the princess out. Cedric turned and smiled at her.
"Hi Avery. Why are you here?" Cedric asked the girl. Avery? Phobos' forehead creased. He looked closely at the young girl again. Impossible. It was her indeed but how did she managed to stay young after all this time? She was supposed to age up after fourteen years.
"I'm here to thank you again for the book yesterday." She smiled sweetly at him.
"No problem. You can just keep it." Cedric said and turned away from the girl. Phobos saw his expression change. It was like he was battling with his mind. A smirk formed into the prince's face. Aha. So Cedric kept his knowledge of Avery's safety. He already predicted that it would happen. He knew a long time ago that his former friend was in love with his fiancée. But he cannot let him take her that's why he made Cedric believe that Avery died during the capture of Wayfort. Avery was his and his alone. He walked down the throne and turned towards his chambers. He opened the door, and glanced at the wall on the left side of his bed.
"Avery." He muttered as he looked at the five feet tall painting hanging on it. It was Avery, in her Naiad form. He smiled. He missed her so much, his mind drifted back to the time that they first met. He was afraid but then when he started to know Avery, his views became different.
She was innocent, young, and beautiful but was very witty. She made him feel special. She taught him love. When his counselors advised him to assassinate the Heinrichs, he pleaded for her to be spared as she was destined to be his queen. They agreed. To be sure that they won't harm her, he went to Wayfort with them. But then he learned from his mother that Avery was taken away. It broke him. He felt that all the good in him was lost the moment he found out about Avery's departure. After fourteen years, his heart was totally engulfed with anger, hatred and greed for power.
Now, he found her again and this time, he won't be letting go of her. He won't lose her again like the past. He will do, what he must have done before, marry her and make her his queen. He touched the painting.
"We will be together again my love." He said as he turned towards his bed. He lifted his hand and the Book of Secrets came flying towards him. He opened it. He took a harsh breath before speaking.
"After the night of the coronation, I shall eliminate Cedric and Avery will be crowned as my Queen." He said before closing it. Now he shall let his right hand enjoy his time with Avery while he still can. When the time comes, he shall destroy him. He let out an evil laugh.
'Vathek should have news by now.'
Caleb thought while giving the orders of the new customer to the chef. It's already been a week since he went back to Meridian to ask some information from his friend, Vathek, a blue creature who is one of the spies of the rebel. He sighed. For several days, Avery's identity was bugging him. Who is she? Why is her face hanging on Phobos' gallery? And what's her connection to the Heinrichs? He knew that they were once a powerful political family in Meridian, they were the right hand of Queen Weira.
From what he has learned they were assassinated, all of them. So is she related to them? He sighed. Hopefully she is not some of Phobos' spies. After he delivered the orders, he noticed that the girls were not inside. He went to the backdoor and saw all of them standing and somewhat talking to someone.
"I must speak with Caleb." Vathek! He's here. He felt relieved that Vathek was here but wait, why was he here? It's unlike him to really barge into Earth but it must be really important that's why he can't trust a passling to give him the news.
"He's not here!" Hay Lin exclaimed but he went out before they can say anything stupid. It was a good thing he was able to hear their voices.
"There's something I need to tell you!" Vathek said as soon as he saw him. There was worry on his voice, it must really be something important or urgent.
"Leave us please." He told the girls. They grunted all grunted and started going inside.
"Hey Blunk. I heard that there's a dead pigeon on the roof." Irma said before leaving, Blunk's mouth watered and disappeared before he can even speak. Now, he and Vathek were alone.
"What news do you bring?" He asked him as soon as they were alone. The blue creature sighed.
"It's the princess. They found her." Vathek said. Caleb gasped as soon as he heard it. The princess. Impossible.
"How? What?" He asked, his forehead creased by what his friend said. How did they find her? Was she here in Heatherfield?
"The star of Threbe. It located the princess." Vathek replied. Of course! The Star of Threbe, the girls and Yan Lin were talking about it last time and it cause the guardians to lose their powers for a while and they needed to fight a plant thing that landed in some railroad tracks.
"Who is she?" Caleb asked again. He suddenly felt something weird, like acid was building on the pit of his stomach.
"Her name is Elyon Brown." He gasped. Elyon? Elyon Brown? But she's Avery's sister.
"That's impossible."
"It's true, I heard Phobos and Cedric talk about her and Cedric even gave the Prince a picture. Short girl with blue eyes and straw blonde hair." That was Elyon.
"What of Avery?" He asked leaving behind the topic about the Princess. Vathek searched something from his back pockets. After some time, Vathek finally pulled out a torn paper from it and handed it to him. It was a letter. He straightened it up and started reading it.
'Agatha my dear friend, I am so glad to hear about the news. I'm very excited to meet your daughter, Avery. I'm sure that she is as lovely as you. She and Phobos will make a fine couple. It's just too bad that my son can never be King. Still, I know that the two will become great rulers of West Nubar. I hope to see you very soon my old friend.'
Avery. Avery is the daughter of the Duchess of Wayfort and she is engaged to Phobos. But that's impossible. If she was born years ago, she should have been on her twenties by now. Something was not really right here.
"Thank you Vathek. You should come inside, somebody might see you here." He said and kept the paper on his hands. He hurriedly went to the kitchen where the girls are.
"We have to go." He said as soon as he entered. They were still in the middle of their dinner and they dropped their utensils as he spoke.
"We're eating what's the rush?" Will mumbled, her mouth was full of food. He frowned. What's the rush? Everything is a rush! Vathek just arrived there to bring in some important news and this girl will just ask him 'What's the rush?'. Well what can he expect from a group of teenagers who were just chosen to be the guardians of the veil. They don't even have an idea what they are dealing with the first time they went to Meridian.
"The sister of Phobos has been identified." He said. The girls echoed a "What", his gaze then went to Cornelia who was as shocked as the other girls. "And her name is Elyon Brown." Cornelia's eyes widen at his words. Thunder seemed to have struck her face.
"That's not possible. Elyon was born here, in Heatherfield Memorial." She said as she looked at him with disbelief. He knew that she would react this way. He took a deep breath. This is not going to be easy.
"That's not all. Avery Brown is Phobos' fiancée." The girls who haven't recovered from what he said earlier gasped. Who would have thought that the two sisters were directly related to their enemy?
"T-then how come they're here on Earth?" Hay Lin asked. It seems like the other girls also want to ask that question, how were they able to reach Earth? But then Meridian was a magical place so it was possible that they were able to travel between worlds.
"No. No. No. That's not possible. I've known Elyon and Avery all my life, I grew up with them. They can't be in anyway related to Phobos!" Cornelia exclaimed. Her cheeks were red in anger. He understands her; it was totally difficult to believe. However that's what Vathek heard from Phobos and Lord Cedric himself.
"The heir to the Meridian throne was brought to Earth over twelve years ago." He said as he put his hand on her shoulder to calm her.
"I don't care who she or Avery are. I'm not fighting them. We can't possibly be sure that they are evil like Phobos!" Cornelia stomped her feet stubbornly.
"Then we have a job to do." Will said as she also put a hand on Cornelia's shoulder.
"If she is the princess, why did the bad guys not take her?" Cornelia asked. The door opened and Yan Lin went out, she must have heard their conversation.
"They must earn her trust. The heir to the throne has great powers even if she does not know if it. Phobos knows this and is acting carefully to gain it." She said, her eyes moved to look at everyone.
"But how about Avery? Do you also know about Avery?" Hay Lin asked her grandmother. Yan Lin shook her head.
"Then we still have time right?" Cornelia asked the old lady whose expression was now as gloomy as the others. No one ever expected this thing to happen. He somehow felt bad for Cornelia. She was the closest to the two sisters and she just discovered that the two are related to their enemy. Yet they are not sure if the two are also part of his evil. He barely knew the two girls but he thinks that they are good, especially Avery.
"No. Phobos will send beasts in human form to get close to her and she will be drawn to them for reasons she can't explain. You must act carefully." Yan Lin replied. Will sighed.
"Well, what do we do about Avery?"
"If she is Phobos' fiancée and was sent to Earth with Elyon, we can assume that whoever sent her also wants to protect her from Phobos. You must not let him get the two." The girls nodded. She was right, Avery and Elyon were both sent to Earth so it must be to protect them from Phobos.
"Oh no! The new boy with green eyes!" Taranee cried. Brian! He must be Phobos' minion disguised as human. Earlier this day, Hay Lin told them about Elyon's new boyfriend whom she met by accident.
"They are in the carnival right now!" Irma added.
"That's where portal!" Blunk then said, the girls gasped again. They must hurry. If Phobos did send creatures for Elyon and Avery, they must reach them first!
"Let's go!" He said. The girls nodded and they starting running towards the carnival.
'Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be safe Avery.' He thought while running. He was concerned about her and does not want Phobos to get her. He does not know why but he cares for her. Hopefully they can reach them before Phobos' minions do.
*Chapter contains scenes from Season 1 Episode 12: The Princess Revealed
A/N: Hello there! I'm reached this part of the story, thank you so much. Anyway, your comments, opinions and suggestions are highly appreciated. Don't forget to follow and favorite this story if you like it. Phobos demands it! :P
Sssooo. Howsss the chapter?