Chapter 35 ReUnion

She felt sore all over her body as if a bull had trampled her and lived to tell the story.

"Aaarghh,..," she groaned when she tried to sit up.

A woman's hand restrained her, "I would not try that if I were you, your body just went through a very taxing incident and it is yet to heal."

Angela's brain was foggy but she did think the voice sounded familiar but she could not place it, she turned her head and froze in place. There sitting by her bedside was the one person she never dreamt she would one day come face to face with in reality but here she was in all her glory. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out, Celestine watched Angela, too emotional to make a move and too scared of spooking her, She just looked at her with tears falling down her cheeks, her heart thumped in her chest at a rate that was dangerously high for someone who had just regained her consciousness after all those years, She stretched her hand wanting to caress her daughter's cheeks and to assure her that she was real but a thought manifested itself and took hold in her mind that she might not be ready for any sort of contact just yet. It finally dawned on Angela that this was her mother, the woman she had always dreamed of meeting, knowing and everything in between,

"Mother" she said testing the sound of the word on her tongue

Celestine found herself sobbing uncontrollably, how sweet it was to hear her cloyed daughter calling. her with such an endearment. She had no idea where the strength to stand came from but in a flash she was on her feet hugging her daughter tightly.

Angela hugged Celestine back and they both held on to each other as if their lives depended on it and sobbed. Neither wanted to let go, they clung to each other trying to make up for the lost time they were separated.

"My beloved Kharisi, my little moon ...”

Celestine kept repeating over and over again as if saying that would erase all the pain they had both endured.

"Why does everyone keep calling me Kharisi," even in her situation Angela could not resist the urge of asking the one person who would know the reason behind the name she had yet to embrace.

Celestine slowly let go of Angela and took her chin in her hands, "I want you to listen very carefully, and your name is Kharisi Liam Adolfo Black. You are the royal princess of Grundolf and Rekhta kingdoms and heir to both thrones. I am Celestine Adolfo, daughter to Casper Adolfo, the one and only the emperor of Grundolf kingdom. Your Father's name was Liam Black, crown prince of Rekhta kingdom, an empire of the rogues."

“Where did the name Angela come from?" she asked.

“Carita Bennett, your guardian came up with that name to protect your identity. Your life was in danger as it is now and you had to stay hidden to protect you from those that wanted to see you dead

“But why would anyone want to kill me yet I've wronged no one?" she asked the concept of someone wanting to kill her seeming too farfetched

"Because of who you are my little one, you carry a destiny that scares many especially those that have compromised their light and sold their souls to evil." She said while holding Angela's hands in her own to comfort her.

"You are also a threat to the impostor that sits on the throne of Grundolf," a voice that sent delicious shivers down her spine spoke causing her heart's pace to speed up and her belly to flip.

"How are you here?" she asked in a clipped tone that showed aggression but it did not come out as she wanted making her sound squeaky.

"I came to check on the both of you, it seems our good friend Mizpah already knew what needed to be done, he also knew of the trouble of taking you without arousing suspicion especially now that they are aware that someone took her out of her chambers," he said.

"I assume I have you to thank for that?"

Celestine looked at Zander with a warm smile that showed how much she cared for him. Angela did not miss the endearing way her mother addressed Zander, which caused the ugly head of the monster called jealousy rear its head.

Celestine's instincts were as usual very sharp and did not miss the way Angela looked at Zander and the feelings he aroused in her. How she wished she could speed up time to get them to the point where they would become inseparable but it was not her place to play the role of the gods so she contented herself with alleviating her daughter's jealous feelings.

"Yes, it had to be done and there was no time to wait for the Bennett witch to find her way out of the dungeons," Zander replied to

Celestine's comment without noticing the turmoil he caused Angela.

"Do you have any idea where the dungeons are located?" Celestine asked Zander already agitated by the knowledge of Carita Bennett's incarceration.

"Word has it that the dungeon is magically cloaked and no matter how hard the witches try, they cannot manage to find its location," he said matter of factly.

Without wanting to feel left out of the conversation, Angela squirmed where she sat but ended up groaning because of the pain that was in her whole body, she was also in a dilemma.

Carita Bennett had specifically asked her not to trust anyone with the information she had sent through the carrier pigeon but this was her mother and the person who had rescued her from the tyrant's grip. As she was debating with herself, she was oblivious that her thoughts were as loud as if she had spoken to Celestine.

How could she not trust her own mother? She also felt she could trust Zander with her life especially because Mizpah seemed to trust him as well.

Deep in thought she did not see the way her mother and Zander stopped talking to look at her, she had a war within herself that occupied her conscious moment. She had also forgotten to block her thoughts, something that did not come naturally to her.

"What is it, what is happening with her?"

Zander asked Celestine through the mind channel.

"She knows the location of the dungeons but she is having an internal war with herself on whom she should or should not trust. Carita gave her strict instructions not to trust anyone including Greta," Celestine divulged to Zander.

"Are you going to tell her?" Zander asked

"Yes, I am about to let her know that I can hear her thoughts," Celestine said and smiled. Celestine cleared her throat to get Angela's attention, when she had it she said, "There is something you need to be aware of, I can hear your thoughts as if you are speaking to me. I have just now heard you debate with yourself on whom to trust, Carita did a great job of instilling a sense of loyalty but a healthy dose of suspicion."

"Wait, you too?" she asked amazed that her own mother could also read minds and embarrassed at the thoughts she had just had.

"What do you mean you too? Who else can read minds in Grundolf or the human realm?" she asked worry etched on her face. There was no one in all the seven realms who could read or hear people's thoughts. She worried that if there was, then that particular person was already privy information that needed to stay secret. Angela blocked her thoughts as she had been shown by Mizpah and by Khisa. At the mention of Khisa in her mind, she felt very guilty for having to hide that she already had a wolf.

Her scent was completely masked that she was just an ordinary human girl to anyone who came across her.

"Ah nothing, I did not mean it in that context," she said trying hard to avoid the subject.

"What did you mean my child," she prodded further but Angela could not bring herself just yet to communicate information that could cost her and her mother a price that would be too great to bear. Khisa needed to stay hidden until such a time as when she would be needed and Mizpah was already known.

"Okay, if it was nothing," replied Celestine.

Angela could not take the guilt of withholding information from her own mother and her next best friend after Mizpah. She wringed her hands and bit her lips, a sign that she was distressed but Celestine's gift of healing was so instrumental.

"I know where they are being held," she said very fast afraid of rebuke from either one of them.

Celestine was beside herself with joy at Angela's revelation of where they were being held, at least now they could plan a rescue mission. Her daughter had cracked a very difficult puzzle that many failed at cracking. She also found a way to explain to her why she chose to abandon her all those years ago, without an audience except probably just Zander. He was very beneficial in such a mission because he could sense people coming from a mile away. They would be safe to exchange secrets away from an eavesdropping and curious ear.

"I saw a pigeon carrier in your thoughts," she told Angela

"Camilla sent it to me with a message and instructions for meeting her at the rendezvous point and to plan a rescue mission to get you back from the dreamscape and give them hand in their escape mission," she explained.

"I did not see that part of the memory in you, it must be very old or very recent, and can you show me?" Celestine asked.

"Yes,” Angela agreed as Celestine moved to get closer to Angela for the sole purpose of seeing her memories.

She asked Angela if it was okay to show Zander as it was safer that way rather than telling it to one person and expecting the person to deliver an exact message which was always impossible. Angela nodded to give her consent and closed her eyes as Celestine took her hand and then Zander's. After a while, both Zander and Celestine gasped and spoke simultaneously.

"Father"

"My Alpha"