The Lost Moonchild

Dinah touched Ariadne’s womb with the right hand while closing her eyes and resolutely said: “It is certainly going to be a very healthy, beautiful girl.”

The Queen suddenly paled and ran outside the catacombs. Then, she burst into uncontrollable and bitter sobs and shed profuse tears because of her child’s horrible future. “What am I going to do now? How am I going to save my daughter’s life?” she claimed to the heavens.

Dinah had followed her and was listening. “Send your daughter to live among humans on the Earth. Dante will never figure it out, believe me. Tell him that you gave birth to a boy, but unfortunately, he was stillborn. It is the best option you have to protect your child against Dante’s rage,” Dinah advised.

“I do not want my baby to be far away from me, but I want her to be alive, so I will do exactly what you just said. Thank you very much,” Ariadne said.

Two months passed after that encounter with Dinah, and finally the long-awaited day arrived: it was April 1st. Fortunately for Ariadne, men were not allowed in the Queen’s chamber while she was giving birth, so it would not be difficult to carry out the enchantress’ plan.

As soon as she gave birth to her daughter, she attentively stared at her and softly said: “Oh, my dear daughter… Your name is going to be Nadja because you mean great hope to me. I know that you will become a very powerful woman and will change your father’s mind. Now, my child, I have to say goodbye, but I promise that I am going to be taking care of you from the distance, and someday, we will be together again.”

Her voice was trembling with sobs while pronouncing those words. She kissed Nadja in her forehead and gave a gold necklace with a white diamond in the shape of a butterfly. Immediately after that, Ariadne cast an ancient spell she have learned from her mother and opened an intersidereal gate through which she sent Nadja to Earth.

Dante was walking back and forth outside the Queen´s chamber. His nervous movements and his frown allowed to see his anxiousness to know his child. When Delilah finally appeared at the door, her sorrowful glance make Dante to be even more stressed out.

“Is the baby a boy or a girl? Is it healthy and beautiful,” Dante fearfully asked.

“Oh, your Majesty, my dear Lord… It was a boy… But… the child was stillborn… I am so sorry, my King,” Delilah confessed with a contrite face.

A loud, desperate cry came from the bottom of Dante’s soul. Full of anger and impotence, he hit the ground with his fists while breathing heavily. After some minutes, he entered the Queen's chamber and found Ariadne lying on her bed, very pale, mourning and sighing for their child. He fiercely embraced her and they both cried together for the first time.

Fifteen years passed since Nadja’s birth. She became a thin, tall, white skinned girl, just like her mother. Her eyes were perfectly blue, an exquisite tonality. She had a long, curly, brown hair, maybe an inheritance from her paternal grandmother. She was a fair, delicate, young lady for sure. She grew up in Liverpool, England, on a very beautiful big house next to the beach. A wealthy couple had found her apparently abandoned in the seashore when she was a baby. Just by looking at her, they instantly felt a connection with that child, and decided to adopt her. Nadja never lacked anything, neither material possessions nor love. Of course, everything had been arranged by her mother from the Moon for her to have a full life on Earth, and that is the way it was. Nadja was a very smiling, kind creature with an amazing ability to make friends. Her existence was plenty of joy and relaxation, except for the fact that she knew she has been adopted and wanted to know her real parents. The only thing she had that tied her to her past was the gold necklace with the white diamond in the shape of a butterfly. Nadja did not know what to think about her real parents but she tried to convince herself daily that they were good people and will come for her soon. She was so right about that without even suspecting it…

During those fifteen years in Skyros, Ariadne had gave birth to three more children: Alexander, Feoras and Lilith. Alexander was the heir to the throne, and Dante was extremely proud of him because of his leadership and mightiness. “He is exactly what I wanted from a son. Through him, I kept my lineage’s tradition and I have a worthy heir,” Dante constantly repeated to himself.

Ariadne was also proud of all her children, but nothing could make her forget her beloved Nadja. She decided that she must confess to Dante the truth about their firstling, no matter what. Even if she has to die because of the lie she had told him, she would do it, but she has to let him know that he had one more daughter who was their firstborn and that she was alive in the Earth. Ariadne took Dante to a private place and all of a sudden, said everything to him. At the beginning, he felt absolutely betrayed and disappointed, but strangely, he did not take revenge and understood her.

“I have come to love you and our children so much that now it does not matter if I lose the throne. You are more important to me than anything else,” Dante tenderly said. “We have to bring Nadja back immediately. Send Delilah for her,” he ordered.

Ariadne opened the portal to Earth one more time and sent her servant to take Nadja back, as Dante had asked. To avoid any suffering to Nadja and her adoptive parents, Delilah activated the hidden power in Nadja’s diamond and it erased all traces of her existence on the Earth. Neither she nor her adoptive parents would remember anything of their lives together. With that tremendous impact, Nadja fell asleep in Delilah’s arms, and she took her back to Skyros then. Everybody received her with open arms and a big celebration. The girl was so lovely and exceptional that Dante’s family did not dare to revoke Dante’s authority even though it was against the tradition. Now Nadja was in her real home, with her beloved family. Alexander was very fond of her since the first moment and agreed to let her inherit the kingdom instead of him. Ariadne had an enormous hope in her daughter, and it was entirely fulfilled. Everything had changed in the kingdom and its traditions, but all the changes were for good. Nothing could be better there, thanks to the lost moonchild who came back.