6 Dylareia
Gala sobs in the corner of the dirty dungeon. She was supposed to return home this morning but blew up the chance when she mentioned the creature she saw beside the queen.
She had no idea she'd be detained for seeing a creature she wasn't supposed to see.
"Dylareia," she murmured. Memory transported her back to the moment she saw it next to the queen.
Its unparalleled beauty defies comparison. Even a thousand stars can't compete with the blinding beauty it exudes as it flaps gracefully on its back, thanks to its long, slender wings that glisten in pink and blue. The creature possessed both beauty and grace, much like the queen, but it was a thousand times more breathtaking.
Gala could recall one instance when its deep-blue eyes locked on her, nearly knocking her to her knees if she hadn't fought back against its overwhelming presence. Its two tiny horns that rest on top of its head sway in the rhythm only she can hear.
"Miss Gala, you are released," a faye guard yelled outside the cell she was in. She noticed him chanting some foreign words before the lock on the door broke apart.
Gala rose up to her knees and dusted off her robes, a wide grin on her face. "Is that true? Does that mean I can go home already?" Gala inquired of the faye, her face bright with delight.
The faye nonchalantly replied to her, "I have no idea, young miss. You better ask the Queen," he replied shortly. He stood next to her, holding a plain metal spear on its right arm. "Which I believe will be here any second from now.", he simply added. His expression remained constant, as did Alvaro's.
"The Queen? What about the Queen?" Gala exclaimed in confusion when she realized the faye's words. "What do you mean she'll be here any-?" Gala's sentence was cut short by the faint swooshing of wings.
Briefly seconds after, she saw the queen's flying silhouette through the light from the single torch mounted on the cell's wall. She waited patiently as her anticipation of seeing the queen fly grew, and alas, the queen arrived, flying through the cell's door. Behind her were two familiar figures.
"Puffhill! Duffhill!" she exclaimed joyfully. The two fayes responded meekly to her. They hovered for a second above the cell before landing on their feet. Gala immediately bowed to the queen, whose beauty and grace continued to astound her. "Greetings, your Majesty," Gala said simply, her presence making her anxious.
The queen replied graciously, with a warm smile that never left her lips. "Greetings, Gala," the queen said, motioning her towards the two fayes she was with. "I brought Puffhill and Duffhill with me to put your mind at ease as we make our way out here."
Gala nodded in agreement, "I agree your Majesty and I appreciate it.", she answered.
The queen walked elegantly towards the cell's door, her sandal heels clattering against the dirty stone floors. When the queen realized she hadn't followed her, she slowly turned to face her. "Are you really not going to come out, Miss Gala?" she quipped.
Gala dashed after the queen. "Of course, Your Majesty," Gala replied, her smile brighter than the torch in the room, illuminating the entire dungeon, as the faye guard observed. She stiffly smiled at Puffhill and Duffhill, who were standing next to her, and said, 'Hi.' Before they could finally leave the cramped cell, the queen made another turn and bowed to the faye guard. "Thank you for your service," the queen said in a very sweet voice.
Gala couldn't help but think that the people of this kingdom had been blessed with a very kind and graceful queen, in contrast to the arrogant king she had met the day before.
"So the rumors were true; you really broke into Aelfrey!" Gala's ears were filled with Puffhill's tiny shrill voice. They were no longer tiny, but Puffhill's voice remained tiny and pitchy. Gala wonders if Duffhill's voice is not different from his tiny form. "I can't believe you really followed us here." Duffhill's nasally voice escaped from his throat, confirming Gala's thoughts. "So, how many days were you detained?" Puffhill chirped in, obviously excited about getting information from the source. "Is it true that you can see our sacred spirit-frey?" Puffhill shoots her another question before she can even open her mouth.
"Puffhill, stop asking Gala questions; you're scaring her." The queen butted in to their conversation. Her voice was calm. Puffhill, perhaps having realized her actions, apologized right away to her and to the queen. "My apologies to you, Gala and Your Highness." Puffhill replied, her shoulders drooping next to her.
Gala felt bad for Puffhill but decided not to say anything; after all, the queen might have wanted the information about her seeing their sacred spirit-frey kept hidden from their people. She isn't well-versed in the affairs of their kingdom, so it's only fitting for her to remain silent.
"Gala?", the queen called her, and Gala hastily replied. "Yes, Your Highness," she answered politely, a little nervously. The queen gave her a quick glance. "Get yourself ready; the King has requested you for another inquiry. "
Puffhill and Duffhill gave her worried glances, as if the loud pounding in her chest wasn't enough. She had just gotten out of the dungeon, finally thinking that she was out of trouble now, only for her to get interrogated again by the insolent king, who disdainfully hates her kind. 'Oh good Lord, what have I done to get punished as tremendously as this? ' Gala inwardly cried to the heavens.
The queen may have sensed Gala's apprehension, so she proceeded. "Don't worry, I will make sure the king doesn't berate you nonsensically."
Gala heaved out a relieved sigh. 'Thank the heavens for such a kind queen' she silently remarked.
Finally, the queen turned to face them. "We're close to the gatehouse, Puffhill and Duffhill, you may return to your posts now," the queen said, and Puffhill and Duffhill did so immediately. Gala's gaze followed their vanishing forms, wishing they'd stayed a little longer. It was too much for Gala to be alone in the presence of the queen.
They silently continued on with Gala's head full of negative thoughts. "Don't worry, you will see them again." Gala's shoulders dropped; the queen's words didn't soothe her.
--
Gala was led to a familiar room, still in awe of its grandeur. Alvaro's group was present, and his hazel-brown eyes pierced hers. She couldn't elicit a response from him because his expression was as cold as metal.
The queen left her standing at the bottom of the staircase, a recurrence of yesterday's scene. The queen ascended to her throne as the king examined her with his usual solemnity. Gala, despite this, paid him respect by bowing to him, and she now awaits the king's announcement for her.
"Describe the creature you saw yesterday," the king demanded immediately.
Gala took a deep breath before responding to the king. She described the creature to them honestly, without leaving out any important details. Gala hoped that her candor would be rewarded by allowing her to return home. Gala described a bee-like creature that is twice the size of a normal bee. Astonishingly, its wings do not resemble those of a bee but rather those of a butterfly.
When she mentioned the gradient color of the wings in blue and pink, they all gasped.
"It is indeed Dylareia, Your Majesty.", Alvaro said in his thick voice, gravelly calm voice.
"Then, we cannot allow this human to return to her home.", the king replied shortly as if it was the most natural thing to do.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, it is in my understanding that my world and your world are separated for a reason." Gala countered, Alvaro's scorching gaze seemingly piercing her resolve to persuade the king's decision. "Then, the affairs of your world are not of my concern. Your spirit-frey may have simply unintentionally exposed herself. Thus, let me return home. I just turned eighteen yesterday. I am a normal citizen of the country I live in and come from an ordinary family. I am basically powerless from the world I came, Your Majesty, so I can assure you that I will not be a threat to your kind.", Gala pleaded while she bent her knees to the Majesty.
"My king, I hope you will listen to Gala. She has a point. She's still a kid and powerless. I don't see any reason for us to keep her in Aelfrey." The queen seconded her, much to Gala's joy.
Someone emerged from the throne room's dark corner. An elderly woman walked confidently towards her, her long silver gray hair, which belied her age, braided to her waist. "Allow me to speak, Your Majesty. Dylareia has never shown herself to anyone in fifty years, and I doubt she would let herself be seen by anyone, let alone by a kind other than Aelfrey." The elderly woman paused.
"What do you suggest, Elderifrey?" the king asked the elderly faye.
Each second passed was like a ticking bomb for Gala, who sits and waits till the timer approaches 00:00 and explodes. She had an inkling of the possible outcome of this conversation, but she still hoped that the king would release her, but after witnessing his arrogance since yesterday, Gala doubted that the king cared about her.
"Let her stay in Aelfrey and get acquainted with our land. Educate her on our ways. I strongly believe that she might be the key to ending this frost." The elderly faye announced.
