3rd Person POV
“What do you care about anyway?” quipped Reginald who had been quiet all this time.
“I risked my life and this is what I…”
“You risked your life for your brother, not for us? Stop trying to be one of us,” Charlotte supported her brother.
“One of you? What's so great about being a part of your little group when all you do is throw your life away,” spat Emily with anger. She was still very angry, she had been angry since they had returned with burnt wounds. She was happy to see that they were recovering well but she could not get over how close she had been to losing them all.
“Give the children a break already, are you going to be this mean to our children?” demanded Captain Thoma, Emily's fiance.
“Uncle Thoma is right, Aunt Em. You need to calm your nerves, you have to think about the baby,” said Regina in a soothing voice.
“What baby? Aunt Emily is pregnant?” Harlin's eyes widened in shock. It was the first time he noticed that Emily's stomach was slightly big.
“How long have I been out for?” demanded Harlin. The last time he saw Aunt Emily she had not been pregnant at all.
“Six weeks, you regained consciousness three weeks ago but you were not coherent,” explained Charlotte.
“What about my mother? Is she awake? Can I see her?” Harlin asked. The room turned quiet at his request.
“I couldn't save her, could I? She's dead, isn't she?” sobbed Harlin softly.
“I'll take you to her later, you need to…”
“I have to see her now,” demanded Harlin. Even if they were going to lead him to her grave, he had to see her.
Reginald and Charlotte helped Harlin out of bed and using their bodies as a support system, he wobbled along as they led him to a room at the far end of the corridor.
When they got to the room, Harlin saw his mother hurdled in a corner of the room with her thumb in her mouth; she looked as though she were cold.
She looked better than when he had seen her in the cell but there was no recognition on her face when she looked at him. It was as though her soul had escaped her body and all that was left was an empty shell.
“Mother?” he called out to her softly but she did not respond to his voice.
“We're sorry, Harlin. The physicians have tried everything, they do not think there is anything more to be done,” said Charlotte.
“Mother?” Harlin wobbled towards her, ignoring what Charlotte had just said.
He squatted and looked into her eyes but they stared back at him with no emotions.
“Mother? It's your son, Harlin, don't you remember me?” quipped Harlin but his mother was not looking at him but looking through him.
“Mother?” he was sobbing now.
“Hey, hey, it's okay. Mother is trying to find a solution, okay?” Charlotte said as she knelt down beside him.
“Yes, yes, she has gone to… well, I don't know but she has gone somewhere far away to get help,” added Reginald.
“Why won't she say anything? How could she forget her son?” Harlin sobbed even harder.
“It's okay, it's okay.”
****
The Fae Queen eyed the woman who sat across from her; she eyed her with great suspicion.
“Why should we help this person and risk discovery to the world?” demanded the Fae Queen.
Regina shook her head a little. Certainly, some things never changed. Nydia may not remember anything from her past but she was still as heady as before. It was a good thing for the Faes though, their natural constitution could not refuse to help another person even if it would bring them harm so Nydia was good for them.
“The world already knows about Mount Shasta. It won't be long before this place is swarming with people who have ill intentions,” Regina said, trying to convince Nydia. It was easier to face Nydia now because even her physical appearance had changed radically. It was all part of the transformation to become a Fae Queen. Regina wondered if Nydia had been blessed or cursed. She was Fae Queen now and would be for probably thousands of years to come but what happened when her reign was over?
Lucian had told her that why he had been sorrowful to see his mother die was because afterwards, she would be reminded of everything she had done and the person she was initially. Then she would be made to relive all the evil she had done to other people and once her punishment was over, her soul would be extinguished forever; there would be no fragment of her soul left.
“And we will extinguish their souls if we have to,” said the Fae Queen, raising her voice a little. Regina wanted to roll her eyes but she stayed calm.
“It will be good to have allies that can help you defend…”
The Fae Queen threw her head back in laughter. Regina stopped talking, wondering what was so funny about what she had said.
“Allies? We have magic, what do your Allies have? Spears? Swords? Ten thousand men cannot defeat a single fairy,” she had a condescending tone that Regina found profoundly annoying.
“Fairies do not…”
“You will not dictate to us what to do. If it comes to it, we would set aside our core sense of morality and do what is needed to defend our home,” retorted the Fae Queen.
“I am not here to take advantage of your kingdom. You must understand that I have only done things that are in the best interest of Mount Shasta, I was here when…”
“I am Queen Euphrates and I believe I have made myself very clear. The fairies are not interested in saving the sanity of this woman. Besides, I have looked into her past and she has done some horrible things.”