Other Realms

Disclaimer

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Check out Patreo.n/KingSeyer to read ahead.

_____________________________________________

[▪︎1st July 2002 ▪︎]

[▪︎Central Park, New York City▪︎]

"I-I haven't been very honest with you about some things."

She says weirdly unable to look me in the eye.

"Why what's wrong?"

I ask softly as I hold her shoulders.

"You remember what I said about Amazonia a year ago?"

She looks at me with sorry eyes, her tone quite bitter.

"Yeah?"

I nod.

"That was a lie."

She reveals in an embarrassed tone.

"Oh, I know it was."

I smirk.

I was wondering when she'll eventually come clean, I guess it's now. Even Cecil doesn't know Amazonia isn't an Island, she has the whole world fooled.

"How!?"

She asks with wide eyes, her tone slightly quivering.

"I'm an Empath darling, I can always tell when someone is lying."

I say calmly.

"Then why didn't y--"

"It didn't matter, after all, everyone has secrets. And at that time weren't exactly close so it's a given you'll lie to me or hide some things, I'm sure that's what you told everyone right?"

I shrug with a soothing smile as I play with her smooth hair.

She nods with surprise, her eyes still gleaming with shock since she expected a different reaction.

"What? You thought I'll rage or stomp off in anger right? I'm not a child Holly, I understand."

I giggle, making her sigh in relief with an abashed face.

"I suppose you want to come clean now?"

I ask and plop down on the grass, gesturing to her with my hand to do the same.

"Yes, I want to tell you everything now."

She replies as she sits down next to me, her face resolute and her eyes firm.

Seeing my attentiveness, she begins.

"What I said earlier wasn't all lies, there were some truths. Amazonians, as I said come from Amazonia but it isn't an island. It's a pocket dimension called the 'Other Realms'.

Amazonians are technically mortals but in some ways but in other ways too we are not. Our ancestors used to live here thousands of years ago as slaves but my ancestor, the Sorcerer Queen used forbidden magic to change all of them into something different, something better."

"Let me guess, they killed their master and left."

"Yes, they did. They killed all of them and went to settle somewhere else, the region known as the Amazon Rainforest but since word of their deeds spread, powerful men wanted to either kill them or conquer them for themselves.

They resisted fiercely and managed to create a safe haven for themselves on an archipelago.

The attacks continued and many of them died so they decided to leave for good, and go somewhere that no one will ever find them again.

Somewhere they can be free from the influence of men."

She paused in a somber tone and continued.

"At the time they were many legends about people going to different realms and planes beyond the Earth so they searched and searched and searched till they found a way.

By sacrificing thousands of men, they managed to create a passageway to a different plane and left for good. That brings us to me, the descendant of the Sorcerer Queen of Amazonia, the next in line for the throne."

She ends with a wry smile.

Beautiful story, it sounds a lot better coming from her mouth.

You won't enjoy the thrill of listening to stories when you read people's minds, but sadly not everyone wants to tell you their secrets.

"Wow, at least you're still a princess. I would've been heartbroken if it wasn't true that I'm dating a future Queen."

I playfully sigh in relief, making her chuckle.

"Now let's get to why your mother the Queen is so eager for you to return home."

I say seriously.

"It has to do with the fact that she's getting too old and wants me to be by her side to finish grooming me to be her successor."

She says calmly but her voice has a hint of anger.

"Shouldn't this be a good thing? After all, you're going to be queen."

I question her cooly.

"Before I left Amazonia, we had a big argument. It was about men."

She pauses and looks at me weirdly.

"What about men?"

"As I said before, we are a female warrior race meaning there are no male Amazonians.

You see, before we left this planet we stayed on an archipelago, and when our population was diminishing someone came up with an idea.

Instead of being wives of lesser men, they decided to just enslave any man they can find and use them for breeding, everyone of them hated men due to their past so no one refused.

By that time, they had managed to harness the energy of the plane to travel from there to Earth so some of them came back and shielded the archipelago from the eyes and then spread rumors that the fabled Amazonians were back.

This lured many men to travel around the waters where the archipelago is and from there, my people abducted the strongest from the ships and killed the rest. The strong men are then sent to the realm for breeding purposes.

Using magic, they made sure that all of the offspring from then till now will always be females; I I'm the product of the union between a captured Sorceror King long ago and my mother the Queen.

I hated the practice and confronted my mother to abolish it so that rather than treat men like cattle we can rather visit when we want, and peacefully with consent do what needs to be done and then go back.

Even till now, my people disdain men so my mother refused and after a large fight, I left. That brings us to this moment."

She ends with an exhale.

"...That's Uhm,...I didn't expect this."

I feign shock and surprise, making her smile grimly.

"That's why I don't want to go back there, honestly it disgusts me. They have been so isolated that they can't open their eyes to see that times have changed and that if we continue to do that, then we are not different from the men of old who they so hate."

She remarks angrily but she takes a deep breath and exhales her anger away.

"Has it ever occurred to you that going back there could be the solution to this problem?"

I ask, making her look at me with narrowed eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you could've stomached your disgust and waited for when you are Queen then start abolishing those rules."

I suggest calmly.

"You don't understand, my people are very proud. I might be able to do it and abolish it completely but most of them will resent me for it and sooner or later someone will question my authority, leading to bloodshed and that's not what I want."

She rebukes and explains righteously.

Hearing this naivety, I shake my head disapprovingly.

"Sigh, change takes time, you should know that by now. They won't like it, Yes, but with time they will get used to it. If people question your authority, you make sure they don't...violently.

Fear and power are necessary things in ensuring leadership and control, it doesn't matter if you don't want to hurt your people, they will hurt you so you have to retaliate.

Change can either be done gradually or forcefully so if you want your people to change, then you must make hard decisions."

I explain slowly.

The whole place becomes quiet as her eyes widen from realization and starts thinking with her head down.

After a while, she looks at me with determined and resolute eyes.

"All this while a part of me knew this but ignored it to run away from my obligations as I was afraid of what might happen because of my actions. I've been content living my life as a hero and a successful businesswoman when I have a duty to my people, hearing this from you has made me understand that this is what must be done to change our ways for the better."

She says in a determined tone as a sweet smile draws on her face.

"Thank you for your counsel, I'm glad you're by my side."

She thanks warmly with undisguised affection.

"Me too. Now, what do you say about visiting home?"