'What are you talking about?' Wren asked.
Tanner glanced behind him, where Ladislaya and Jake shrugged. Tanner exhaled and gazed into Wren's eyes once again, hands on his bent knees.
Wren raised an eyebrow. 'Two statements. One - I'm not that short. Two - I would really much prefer you tell me everything now than later.'
'I'm sorry. We were asked not to.' Tanner straightened up. 'We just need you with us right now. So are you in, or are you out?'
'B-but,' Wren faltered, lowering her gaze, 'my - I can't just leave my uncle -'
'You came here for this, Wren,' Tanner said, trying to catch her eye. 'You want to turn back now? This is your chance. And trust me - we're going to let your uncle know. He knows it's your time.'
Wren frowned. 'You're all speaking like I'm about to die.'
'Good point, but no. We're talking serious.'
Wren looked into his eyes. 'Are you sure?'
'One hundred percent,' he, Ladislaya and Jake said together in unison. Jake turned to Ladislaya; she turned to Tanner, all three speaking at the same time.
'You just read my mind -'
'- what just happened?'
'Okay, alright!' Wren shouted, getting their attention. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. 'Alright. I'll come.'
The corner of Jake's mouth turned slightly. 'Knew you were gonna give in sometime.'
Wren surprised herself by smiling back.
'Right. Then we'd better get cracking.' Tanner cracked his head and knuckles. 'Okay, kids. Follow me.'
'Where to? Elryzian?' Wren asked. 'Are we gonna get there on foot? Is it like, another country?'
'No, it's not. Stop overthinking. We're going to the palace through a secret portal.'
'Wait, what?' Wren stood frozen. 'Palace? What palace? You didn't say anything about a palace!'
'Oh,' Tanner said, realisation hitting him. He continued walking. 'Yeah, that's the part we left out. You know you're a princess, and where else do you expect yourself to live?'
Wren gawked, saying nothing. She felt like she was hanging from an open door, deciding if she should stay up there or get down.
'The letter the Royal Advisor wrote,' Wren said, 'he said I had a sister named Odyssey.'
'Odyssey's the queen of Argonian. Just think of Argonian as a state in Elryzian,' Tanner said. 'I'm trying to speak in a language you understand, and I am bloody tired, so would you just hurry up?'
Wren noticed they had reached a broad, open sea. But instead of facing to the direction of the sea, Tanner, Ladislaya and Jake were facing a tall, oak tree. 'Whoa,' Wren said, taken by surprise. 'Didn't realise that was here.'
Tanner snapped his fingers twice. Snap, snap. The tree moaned, its branches creaking. Wren stared in misbelief as the tree straightened. It began to reform, its branches writhing and twisting as if they were alive. Its bark peeled off, revealing smooth, shimmering skin underneath, and the leaves morphed into iridescent feathers. The tree transformed into a majestic, mythical creature, spreading its wings and taking flight. The surrounding forest animals, startled by the sudden transformation, scurried away in all directions, leaving the newly formed creature to take in its new form under the serene moonlight.
Wren stared at the majestic creature, shimmering under the starry night sky. 'What,' she began, 'in the name of sorcery ... was that?'
Jake frowned. 'Oh, your trees can't turn into dragons here?'
'Wha - of course they don't!' said Wren indignantly. 'What kind of tree turns into a dragon?'
To which Jake patted one of the wings of the creature. 'This kind of tree?'
'Alright, clamber up, kids,' Tanner said cheerfully, shifting himself on the creature's back.'
'We're not kids,' Jake said, dignified. 'We're matured, young adults. Especially me.'
Tanner let out a snort. 'Hmph. As if.'
They took off into the deep, velvety blue sky. The stars shimmered, dancing and twinkling, emerging from darkness as they soared higher. The moon casted a silvery glow across the landscape below, adding to the dreamlike quality of the scene. Calmness relived over them.
The journey took around a half hour or so. There was a slight breeze as the crack of dawn started lighting up the sky. The sky was the colour of iridescent yellow, orange, a tint of red and several hues of light blue. Wren couldn't help but feel excited on this huge journey. Scared, but excited. It felt like her entire future was a blank, open notebook, and she couldn't wait to fill it up.
And she had a sister. She was impatient to know how she looked like - all that was on her mind was that she still had family. Of course - Uncle Hunter was family - but this was different. The feeling was in words she couldn't explain. Was she like her? Did she have the same colour of hair, and unbalanced colour of eyes just like her? Wren kept chattering on and on about her sister.
'What's her name? How old is she? Is she like me? Does she have the same eyes as I do?'
'Nah,' Ladislaya said. 'She has amber eyes. But she has the same auburn hair as you. She's seventeen, and her name's Odyssey.'
'Odyssey,' Wren repeated.
It was a good name for a queen.
'What happened to your eyes though?' Jake asked promptly.
'No idea,' Wren said. 'It's been like that ever since I was born.'
They sailed in the air for about an hour, until Wren looked afar and finally caught sight of a huge, towering silhouette of a castle not far away. It was on a patch of land, connecting to the shore.
'I think I see it!' she cried aloud. 'Is that the palace?'
Tanner stood up, squinting. 'The Grand Palace of Argonian, yes.' Jake and Ladislaya peered as they sailed. 'We're reaching,' Ladislaya called. 'It's not far off.'
After around twenty more minutes, they arrived. The Palace was taller and wider than what Wren had seen from feet away. It stood grand and imposing against the horizon. Dawn created a warm, magical glow upon the Palace, making it seem ethereal.
'Welcome back home,' Jake said, grinning at her. Gold traces of dust swirled around Wren's feet, making little twinkle sounds. Gold butterflies and threads appeared out of nowhere, made of the golden dust.
'What's happening?' Wren asked, bemused.
'Magic dust,' Tanner said. 'The land recognises you. You're blood of the royal family, how could it not?'
With Tanner in the lead, Jake, Ladislaya and Wren walked towards the palace. It was beautiful, made out of solid stone, with tall towers towering over them. Wren had to tilt her head up to get the full magnificent height of the palace.
As they walked towards the palace, two guards were standing by the entrance, wearing silver armour and staring unblinkingly into mid-air. One was fat and stubby, and the other was thin. Tanner cleared his throat.
'Identification,' the thin one said gruffly.
'Tanner Blackcut, escorting Princess Wren Eloria Capaldi, with the assistance of Ladislaya Rocquel and Jake Gagneus.'
The fat one blinked. The thin one cleared his throat.
'Mr Tanner Blackcut?'
'Yes?' Tanner said impatiently.
'Did you - are you alright?'
Tanner gawked at him.
'I'm perfectly fine, thank you for your concern.'
'Princess Wren Eloria Capaldi?' the fat one said disbelievingly. 'How is that possible -'
'Oh please, the princess knows who she is, and I'm pretty sure Her Majesty will, too.'
'She-she's never even met her, Mr Tanner,' the thin one said.
Tanner cleared his throat and folded his arms. 'I can call upon Her Majesty. I demand you open these doors at once.'
With much hesitation, the guards pulled down a lever to reveal the magnificent entrance. Wren wasn't quite sure what to do - should she curtsy? She was just wearing a hoodie and jeans - looking anything but a princess. She decided to follow Tanner, Jake and Ladislaya instead.
The cold air in the palace tickled Wren's skin. She took her first breath in the palace. The four of them were standing in a majestic hall which was very spacious and had ornate crystal chandeliers hanging down from the ceiling. Art pieces hung around the walls, statues holding lit candles, and golden pillars were what filled the entire hall. Moving staircases moved from one door to another, aweing Wren. The air was thick with the scent of exotic flowers and soft music echoed through the hall. And at last, the polished marble floor led to an outstanding throne with a red velvet seat standing in the very middle of the room, at the other end of the hall.
'And that,' Jake said, jerking his head towards the throne, 'is the throne.'
'Pretty sure she knows what a throne is,' Ladislaya said.
'OK.'
'That's where my sister sits?' Wren said in disbelief.
'Yeah.'
'Oh okay.'
Suddenly, the sound of trumpets filled the room. 'Her Majesty coming through,' boomed a deep voice. Wren looked around for speakers - but there were none. Tanner nudged Wren's arm, snapping her out of her thoughts. 'Make sure you curtsy. The queen's coming through.'
'We just call her Odyssey, Tanner,' Jake muttered under her breath.
'Kids nowadays, no manners,' Tanner mumbled back.
'It's called "friendship".'
Wren saw Ladislaya, Jake and Tanner bowing and curtseying. Hastily, she looked up to see a tall beautiful lady wearing a silk gown that reached to her feet. The bodice of the gown is intricately beaded with pearls and sapphires, adding an extra touch of elegance to her regal appearance. The dress was so long it trailed behind her. Wren stared at the face of the queen.
She had a pale face, high cheekbones, and had soft, charming eyes. Wren was quite, quite sure that she looked just like herself. Her coiffed hair was styled into a neat, tidy updo on the top of her head. Unlike Wren's red hair, her sister was a blonde. She was wearing a tiara with an emerald in the middle. She wore multiple necklaces, brooches and bracelets - anything a queen would wear.
Her sister.
Suddenly, Wren felt a sharp jab on her arm and she hastened to quickly curtsy.
They stayed there for a couple of moments. Wren decided to peer up just a tiny bit to see what was happening - and to her shock, the queen - her sister - stood there, in front of her. Amazement shone in her eyes.
'Stand.'
Wren took a minute to realise that she was ordering them to stand. She stood up hastily, feeling stupid in her hoodie and jeans. She was dressed as if she was about to go to middle school, not to a palace.
The queen took a step nearer towards Wren. Her eyes widened as she gazed upon her sibling, taking in the sight of the young girl who had been ripped away from her so many years ago. 'Wren.'
The two sisters stared at each other for the first time. Wren was certain they looked alike. Odyssey had the same freckles on her nose, the same shape of eyes, the same smile. Wren felt a sense of belonging, something greater than herself.
Wren forced an unnatural smile. 'Hey. Um -'
'Wow. I - um,' Odyssey brushed a lock of hair over her ear. 'I'm sorry, this is just very overwhelming. I never expected you were going to be found.'
'Never expected that either,' Wren said.
She looked up at Odyssey, seeing the same face except for the eyes that she had seen in the mirror every day. It was like looking into a mirror, but this time it was a mirror of the soul. The sisters smiled at each other, their hearts full of love and joy, knowing that they would never be alone again.
Odyssey wiped her eyes and curtseyed. She looked at Tanner. 'I have to thank you, Tanner Blackcut, Ladislaya Rocquel and Jake Gagneus. This means a lot to me.'
'We're certain,' Jake said, nodding furiously.
Odyssey turned back towards Wren. 'I just can't express how thrilled I am,' she said, faltering. 'I - I just never expected you were going to turn up.'
Wren heard Ladislaya whisper, 'She looks just like her.'
Wren couldn't help smiling.
A guard beside Odyssey cleared his throat. 'Should we -?' he gestured.
'Oh, yes, yes, we should,' Odyssey said, fumbling at her necklace to arrange it in place. 'Come, Wren. We're going to be showing you your room. And we'll have a quick briefing about your education here.'
'Maybe it's best we brief her here,' Tanner suggested.
'Well, as it's most convenient, I don't see why not,' Odyssey said, smiling her charming smile once again. She looked more like twenty-five than seventeen. 'So Wren, you're going to have classes with Ladislaya and Jake in Everhigh Academy of Wizardry. That's where all the young magicians go to for school. I'm pretty sure you have school in the ordinary world?'
'Yeah. I mean, yes, Your Highness,' Wren said.
'Oh don't worry about the "Your Highness", Wren. You're my sister! I prefer people calling me by name rather than by title,' she said matter-of-factly. 'Now, where were we? Oh yes, Everhigh Academy. Your school uniform is already in your wardrobe in your room, school starts everyday at half-past eight and ends at half-past one. You're free to do anything you like for the day but you have to be back in the palace before half-past eight in the evening.'
Wren gaped. 'What?'
Odyssey tilted her head slightly. 'Any problem, dear?'
'I -' she whirled around to face Tanner, Jake and Ladislaya, then back at Odyssey. 'So - I'm moving in?'
Tanner arched an eyebrow. 'I thought that was your intention in the first place, kid.'
'I - my intention was to find out about what happened to my parents,' Wren said, lowering her voice. 'Wha - what is this? I can't just drop out of my school like that. I can't just leave my uncle -'
'Look, kid,' said Tanner, resting a hand on her shoulder, 'your parents are believed to be dead. But if you plan on finding out what happens to them ... well, you gotta start here. You can't start in the ordinary world, can you? Besides, we've got you now,' he gestured to Jake and Ladislaya. 'Search party. Our job was to find you.'
'The whole of Elryzian has been hunting for you for ages, Wren,' said Ladislaya importantly. 'And we've found you now -'
'- and there's no way we're letting you go -' added Tanner.
'So basically, I'm being kidnapped here and I can never go back to the ordinary world?' clarified Wren.
'Hm, well ... technically.' hummed Jake.
'I wouldn't call it kidnapped. You belong here, kid - you always have. And your uncle will understand. A message will be sent to him in the morning and he needn't worry.'
Wren had no idea how to feel about this. 'This is crazy,' she laughed. 'I'm suddenly in a world full of sorcery and tress that can magically transform into flying creatures and I'm expected to stay here. Wow. Just - wow.'
Odyssey clapped her hands. 'Are you good with it?'
Wren opened her mouth to speak. Was she good with it? She didn't know. But still ... the many answers she could find here. The truth. About her, about her past.
Of course she was good with it.
'Great! Let's go up to your room then,' Odyssey exclaimed enthusiastically.
The guard stepped in. 'I'll escort -'
'Oh no, there's no need. I want to escort my dear sister here.'
'I understand, Your Highness.'
'Your Highness, if you please, may I be excused?' Tanner asked politely. 'I have some favours to do outside. The hunters have called on me as soon as I am done with my duty here. I think it's about the fox they hunted last night, Your Highness.'
'Yes, Blackcut.'
Ladislaya, Jake and Wren all followed Odyssey up the moving staircases. 'So how are you, Odyssey?' Ladislaya asked, clambering up the steps. 'Any news? Drama?'
'Nothing much, really,' Odyssey told her. 'Not much palace dramas, just us waiting impatiently for Wren to arrive.'
As Ladislaya and Jake chattered, Odyssey whispered to Wren, 'It's funny, really. I haven't seen or met you once before until just now, but it feels like I've known you my entire life.'
'The long-lost sister bond, perhaps?' Wren shot her a wicked grin. To her surprise, Odyssey grinned a mischievous smile, something very un-queen like. Looking at the expression on Wren's face, Odyssey laughed. 'Get used to me. I might be queen, but I'm also a seventeen-year-old. As much as I like ruling a kingdom and giving out orders, I also like rocking out to pop songs and doing anything a teenager does.'
Wren laughed along. She was pleased that she had decided to come here. Meeting Ladislaya and Jake, getting to know about her past, and most of all meeting Odyssey was like she had found the missing piece in the puzzle after a long, long time.
Hey guys! Thanks for making it to the end! I really appreciate it <3 Don't forget to vote and comment! Stay tuned for Chapter 5! Pizazz is waiting :)
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