Erivale: The Lost Princess

Chapter 20: Part 2

A few heads bobbed in the crowd, and a small path began to form. Suddenly a tiny body with tawny wings flapping behind slammed into my knees. I felt small arms encircle my legs, and I looked down to see a face rounded by youth smiling up at me. Freckles covered the young Garuda's nose, and he was missing his two front teeth giving quite an endearing gap-toothed smile.

"You're finally here! You're finally here to save us!" He spoke through a slight lisp from his missing teeth.

Everyone's eyes were on me, waiting for my reaction. I had never been good with kids, even in the human realm. Kneeling down, I offered him what I hoped was a confident smile. "Yes, I'm here to help you."

"Papa, papa! Did you hear that?" He turned around to dart back into the crowd and began tugging another out, presumably his father.

I felt my mouth drop open in surprise when I recognized the Garuda before me. It was the same from the vision memory and the prisoner that was held in our dungeons. I took a closer look at the young Garuda and noticed the slight peak to his ears that protruded from his long hair.

"I'm sorry about my son Octavius, he can get quite excited."

"It's okay," I said slowly. "I, well, you," I trailed off.

"Yes, I was one of the prisoners."

"I'm so sorry," I eventually breathed out. "I didn't want any of that to happen."

"I know, it is not your fault that you lived under their corrupt rule too."

"Are the rest of the escaped prisoners here too? Did you all make it out okay?"

"That we did," the female Lilitu that was chained with the Garuda standing before me said. Scars were healing on her body that were once red, open wounds exposed for all to see in the Himmelsk town square.

"I promise I will do everything in my power to prevent anything like that from happening again."

She gave me a welcoming smile. "I know, we know." She spread her arm out, gesturing to the large crowd.

Zora walked towards me and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "This might be the time to say something to them. They want to hear from you."

My eyes wandering across the faces before me once again, and I swallowed hard, hoping to find my voice. There were so many eyes just staring at me. And within every gaze was a soul searching for hope. It was that simple. They just wanted hope, they wanted to believe that this wasn't a lost cause.

Clearing my throat, I began to speak. "I have not been here in Erivale for long, but within that time, I have learned more than I could ever imagine. I have learned how to be a queen, how to use magic, how to fight, but most importantly, I have learned about all of you.

I cannot say that this will be easy, because it's not. Joining this cause has brought death into my life and torn away my dreams of family, but they are sacrifices that needed to be made because this is right. This is what this land needs.

I did not grow up in your world, with your laws, and your customs. The government was completely different in the human realm and within my country. There people had freedom, and a voice, and a choice!

But the right to freedom and a voice did not come easy, no, it came with a revolution. A revolution of the people to show the rulers at the time that they were wrong and unjust, and that is what we will do here today. Long before I was born, the resistance has always been building up for a revolution. You all have been strengthening the group, preparing for the revolution. And now here we stand to change the fabric of society and rip the mask off of the Ithican government and take back what is ours, freedom!"

The forest was dead silent when I finished. All of those eyes were once again staring at me, but instead of a longing for hope, I saw a fire within their souls. Slowly, one by one, they began to clap until they were cheering wildly. There were shouts of excitement, tears of joy, and smiles of happiness because, for once, maybe in a long time, they were infused with hope, and hope did wonder for a resistance.

A small hand wrapped around mine, and I looked down at the wide eyes of Octavius. "Come on!" His little voice squeaked, and he began to tug me towards the crowd.

Within seconds I was being enveloped by everyone. Hands rushed against my arms and face; fingers swept through my hair. Some people kissed my arms and hugged me as I walked by. Others simply nodded in acknowledgment and in thanks.

In one single breath, I had become indoctrinated into their community and into their hearts. A warmth spread through me and the camp that battled against the cold, wet interior of the ravine. No mud, no rain, no chill could stop the infectious spirit that bled amongst us, joining us together as one.

An elderly hand gently stopped Octavius's progress through the crowd. "Nana Majken!" He greeted. "Have you met the pretty queen yet? She's gonna help us!" He said with all of the childlike innocence the world could hold. I wondered how he had held onto that excitement and optimism after everything he had been through.

"Yes, my boy, now run along to your papa. I'm sure he's looking for you."

"Awe, but I wanna stay with Queen Amberleigh." He stumbled over the letters of my name, making it sound more like 'Ambailey.' A small pout pursed his smooth flesh. Such a stark contrast to the wrinkled and leathered skin of the old woman standing hunched before me.

"Listen to me now, go find your papa. You can see Amberleigh later, Octavius."

"Promise?"

"Do I ever break a promise?" The old woman challenged with a wink and a nudge to encourage Octavius to scamper off back into the crowd.

When Octavius was gone, and a silence fell between us, I spoke. "Hello, I am Amberleigh."

"I am well aware of your name, child." She stepped closer with a knarled wood cane in her hand. "I am not here for introductions, we are far past that. Instead, I want to impart a little of my old wisdom to you. When you get to my age, that is about all you have left to offer."

"That's not true,"

"Don't interrupt. That is very impolite." Nana Maiken snapped and smacked my shin with her cane. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes, my wisdom. First things first, this revolution will not be an easy one. Expect hardships unlike anything you will have ever imagined, but you and I both know this is what needs to be done. And more than that, the gods have told you that as well."

My eyes flashed with surprise, and I was about to ask her how she knew, but one pointed glare from her hazel eyes shut me up immediately.

"You're wondering how I know, I have my ways," she winked at me. "Now, my second piece of wisdom is to stop hiding those ears of yours under your hair, embrace your humanity Amberleigh, because right now that humanity is what we need."

Her hand, bony with swollen arthritic knuckles, reached up to my face and brushed my hair back behind my ears, revealing the lack of Elven tips.

A moment of déjà vu ran through me, and a memory was suddenly jogged. The memory of Luciana and I at the Winter Solstice Festival. That night she had told me to accept my ears too; it was one of the few moments where everything felt right. Where I felt loved and cared for by my parents. It was a moment I had always dreamed of having with my mother.

As if she had read my mind Nana Maiken said, "That woman was not truly your mother. They were not your true family. They may be your blood, but your family is the people who you surround yourself with. A family means you can have a home anywhere. You should look around at some of the folks around you to see who your true family might actually be."

As she said this, I glanced back up to the main tent where Soren, Gerard, and Ulric still stood. For a flash of a moment I could have sworn, I saw Leda standing next to them, smiling as well.

They had crossed the world with me, literally. They had sacrificed so much for me, and they had stood by me through everything. I had been blind to it all along, blinded by the longing for the ideal parents and family of my dreams. In reality, my family had been here this entire time.

When I turned back to Nana Maiken, a soft smile on my face and tears glimmering in my eyes, she had disappeared.