Reina: Return of the Princess (*COMPLETE*)

Chapter Twenty-One

He nodded, but by the look in his eye, he was disappointed. She waved goodbye, and got out of there as fast as she could. A person bowing to her was weird; especially Calix.

Her parents decided to have a picnic on the castle grounds and she did not want to delay spending quality time with them. Kael, Maeve and her mom and dad were all out on the lawn when she walked over. She sat down and they were all just looking at her like she was an alien or something.

"Okay everyone, just relax. I feel kind of weird when you all just stare at me like that," Corinne said.

Her mother came over and they both sat down on a large blanket. "I'm sorry honey it's just that, well, we haven't seen you in eight years. I can't believe how much you've grown up. You look just like I did when I was sixteen." she smiled.

They caught up and filled Corinne in on the eight years she had missed. Her father spoke first. "I have been the commander of the Siri military for the last eight years but now I am retired. Your brother Kael just joined the military himself a couple years ago. He is already doing well and moving himself up ranks." Kael smiled brightly as his father praised him. "He also plays every competitive sport in Aladarien. He has just finished university and I think he is enjoying his freedom, for now." King Jarah smiled.

Her mother spoke next, "I have been running the Siri kingdom for the last twenty-five years. I am tired of being Queen and ready to pass on the kingdom to you Reina. Aladarien is a matriarchal society. The women reign and rule in this country." Corinne found that very appealing. The Queen continued, "Maeve is going to the finest school in the kingdom and enjoying her economic and political classes the most. She has earned the highest grades of her class. She enjoys playing the Leidle, and has become quite accomplished at it."

Maeve shied away, "Mooommm. I'm not really that good."

"Yes, you are honey."

Her mother shifted uncomfortably. Corinne could tell it was difficult for her mother to talk about something. "Sibyl was taken from us a while back. She died protecting you Reina. She loved you that much. We don't need to talk about how she died right now, but you must know that it was all for you. She knew how important her family was, and she would want you to know how much she loved you."

A tear slid down her mother's cheek. All Corinne could think about was how she never got to say goodbye. Seeing her mother cry made her choke up. A clap of thunder sounded in the distance. The Blakelys were surprised to see rain clouds moving in. They took their picnic inside and continued enjoying each other's company. Inside, the walls glittered like they were made with crushed china. There were diamonds embedded into the walls. Large chandeliers hung from the Sirian art covered ceilings. There were large columns and grand staircases. The tapestries were made of satin and velvet and were massive in size, and all of the furniture was large, grand and fit to scale. The flooring was made of marble, which made her feet sound like she had tap shoes on every time she took a step. The Queen led her up the grand staircase into a cozy little room and they all sat down.

Her mother continued, "We had to protect your identity for quite a long time. We wanted everyone to believe you were dead, so that no one suspected anything. We announced that you had drowned in the nearby river. There was another little girl who had passed away at the time. We used her body to bury, and we had a large funeral. Our plan worked for a while, until an Elven princess named Stana, found out our secret. She talked to the parents of the girl whose body we buried and the Elves have been looking for you ever since," her mother said as she played with Maeve's long hair. "The line of succession can only be passed down to the firstborn or by the Queen giving up her crown to someone deemed worthy in the family. So with you gone, the Elves have solely tried to get rid of me, which was a risk I was willing to take. There have been assassination attempts on our lives as well as other Siri's lives." She put her hand on Corinne's.

"The only one besides our family who knew of your true whereabouts was Gavin. Everything was depending on Gavin's protection. We owe him and your foster parents so much.

"We chose the Harrisons to watch over you Reina, for a reason. Gavin had been studying some human families and had picked them out personally. They were good people that had strong values and we knew they would grow to love you like their own child. We were so nervous to send you to them; after all, we had never even met them. But we put our whole trust in Gavin knowing he would never put you in a position of harm. We knew we made the right decision sending you to them."

Corinne said, "I can't believe all of this."

The Harrisons were the most amazing people she had ever met, and she missed them dearly. They were amazing parents and she loved them. Her heart hurt thinking of them.

Her mother put her arm around Corrine and pulled her in close. "They had three beautiful children Shaun, Grace and...."

Corinne was puzzled. "Three?"

Her mother continued, "Well, you see, they had one more daughter that you never met. Their tiny daughter Jane died in a tragic accident. She drowned in a neighbor's swimming pool. The Harrisons needed something different, a new start. They moved to San Francisco and were excited for their new adventure. They signed up on the foster care list and Gavin showed up as their caseworker. The night we sent you to live with another family was one of the hardest nights of our life. I cried and cried because of how much I would miss you, but I knew that your safety was the most important thing. I would've done anything to keep you safe."

Corinne leaned into her mother. "I used to get so mad at you for leaving me. I thought you had died, and I always felt so lonely. I felt like life was so unfair, and that every kid deserves their parents. But, no matter how much I missed you, the Harrisons were always there for me. Thank you so much for letting me be raised by them. I love them with all of my heart."

Her mother smiled. "You know, I think you healed the hole in their hearts that was left when their little girl died. I think that you were exactly what they needed, just as much as they were exactly what we needed." Saddened, Corinne wondered if she would ever see them again, as she looked out the stained-glass window and listened to the rain tap against it.