3rd Person POV
The transformation to become a Fae Queen included a new name. Nydia was no longer Nydia but Queen Euphrates, Queen of the Faes.
“She is not a bad person, she…”
“How can you explain her abducting twins? She is a very scary person. Perhaps, this is retribution for what she has done. She is better off without her memories and sanity,” added Queen Euphrates.
This was the point Regina wanted to laugh. She wanted to laugh until tears dropped from her eyes and she rolled on the floor helpless from the throes of laughter. It was ironic because it was like the pot calling the kettle black. Regardless, Regina held herself back as she knew this was a sensitive situation and said instead, “I understand your concern, Fae Queen but I believe I am in a better position to speak of her character. Irvette is my cousin and I knew her before the drugs took over her; the twins you speak of are mine and I understand that she did not hurt them while they were with her. When the drugs had worn off, she was remorseful for what she did. She tried to make it up by risking her life so that we could catch the person that threatened our existence. Irvette is a good person.”
Regina meant it too. She had never forgotten Irvette who had shared her birthdays with her out of pity. She had not forgotten the Irvette that had taught her to read and write and paint and sew. Those memories had grown faint over time and had been repressed when Irvette had suddenly changed but they were still there and they resurfaced more in recent times.
“You describe her as a kind person but it changes nothing, I…”
“Are you going to be like this forever? I understand that you are trying to protect Mount Shasta but if you keep this up, you will only create enmity between the Faes and every other kind on the planet,” Regina believed this was more than protection. She felt that Nydia's transformation had not been complete. It was possible that she still held grudges against Irvette even though she could not remember the reason.
“I will give it some thought,” was her tight-lipped response.
“I will wait for your response then.”
“You do not have permission to…”
“I do not need permission to be here,” returned Regina.
Queen Euphrates scoffed. She did not like Regina very much. She could not explain the reason but she felt the woman was sneaky. Unfortunately, she could not find anything concerning her.
****
“So I missed Aunt Em’s wedding?” Harlin had recovered from the shock of learning about his mother and he was now enjoying a meal with his friends.
“She got married on a boat,” Kade supplied.
“A ship, you fool,” said Reginald.
“When did he become a part of our gang?” asked Harlin who could not understand why Kade had joined them for a private meal.
“You'll need more people to form a gang,” said Kade.
“Three is enough, we don't need you,” said Charlotte.
“Were you two trying to replace me with Kade?” asked Harlin, faking a jealous tone.
“Of course not, Kade is just being a nuisance,” said Charlotte.
Kade laughed at the joke but it was not funny. He was a little hurt; he was not considered a part of them. He left the room knowing that he would always be an outsider in their tight circle.
“You're mean Charlie,” remarked Harlin once Kade had left the room.
“Mean? How so? I did nothing wrong. We were all joking around,” retorted Charlotte.
“You know it's not a joke with Kade, the guy adores you,” said Reginald.
“But she's got Kristoff,” teased Harlin.
“Don't you dare mention that name to me, understand?” Harlin was surprised. He had thought that something had been going on between the two for sure.
“They broke up last week,” Reginald explained to a confused Harlin.
“Aaah,” intoned Harlin. He had missed a lot of things when he'd been unconscious.
“Tell me about Aunt Em’s wedding, what did she wear?” asked Harlin. The twins shared a look and then burst into laughter.
“When the zombie war broke out, Uncle Thoma had had enough. He kidnapped her and she ended up waking up in the middle of the sea with a minister present and her dress ready. That's how they got married,” explained Charlotte briefly.
“When we came back home, she was already pregnant,” completed Charlotte.
“You’re not queen now, are you?” questioned Harlin.
“No, Aunt Em says I must attend court and settle cases,” Charlotte shuddered as she thought about her royal duties.
“I just wish there was another war, you know? Something to keep my blood boiling,” Charlotte smiled with excitement.
“The zombie…” Reginald stopped talking to check the door just to ensure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation.
“What zombie?” asked Harlin.
Charlotte motioned for him to keep his voice down.
“The ultimate zombie, it did not die in the fire. It led a small group of zombies to some lowlands. They are settled there now. No one knows what they're planning to do,” said Reginald in a whisper.
“How so? They're more like animals, they have no real sense,” Harlin said.
“Even animals have senses, we were thinking of burning the settlement down but it's okay if you do not…”
“I'm in,” said Harlin.
“Okay? We must not let Aunt Em know…”
“What are we hiding from Aunt Em?” the three of them screamed in surprise as they heard Emily's voice. They had not seen her come in at all.
“Uhhh, nothing, nothing,” laughed Charlotte. The others laughed as well too but Emily was not buying it. She knew they were cooking up some mischief.
“Nothing? Are you saying… wait! Are you planning to play with your lives again? Have you any idea how much your lives are worth? You're all heir to great kingdoms. I cannot believe these children!”