Bridge of Eternity

"Please tell me this is the eighth level?" I ask no one in particular, as I pull myself out of the pond and onto the cool stone. Someone chuckles as I look up, I find I'm in the most beautiful garden I've ever seen so different from the times I've swum in the River of Sorrows.

"It only took you a year, but you've made it," the Empress says pouring a red liquid into a glass flute, "probably would have taken you longer if someone hadn't intervened," she gives the Deity of the Underworld a pointed look.

He just shrugs and moves his chess piece, "are you just going to lay there?"

The Empress moves her piece without even looking smiling when Deity clicks his tongue.

"I don't like this game," the Deity pours himself some of the red liquid, "want a drink?"

"It'll probably taste like ash," I start walking towards them, "or lack all flavors."

"You're not part of the Undersea," the Empress hands me a flute filled with the red liquid, "pomegranate wine."

"How do I find the Bridge of Eternity?" I take the flute and sip the wine it had a pleasant sweetness to it.

"If you have to ask then you are not ready to go home," the Empress sets her flute down and stands from her seat inside the gazebo. She looks me over smiling when she finds what she's looking for, "we won't punish her, some things are fated. No matter how hard you try, they cannot be prevented or changed."

"What should we play now?" the Deity asks.

"You pick," the Empress says tapping my forehead, "you need a different stone," there's pulsing energy than a shift, "jasper and rubies are more of your color," she smiles at me, "When you go back you won't look like used to, actually Anastacia is truly dead. You stayed here longer than expected."

"You said it's been a year."

"Time moves differently here, a year here is a decade in your old world, yes it tends to vary by level, but you went through all Eight Levels, something only a few have ever done."

"Then Elena?"

"The Crown Prince took care of it after, you gave your life to end Elena, he destroyed them all. When you return, you'll find he is now the Dark King and many things have changed."

"Night and Ruby got tired of ruling they are off traveling the Realms," the Deity says, "and my namesake is a good King but an angry male. He'd be a much better Ruler if his mate, were to find her way to him."

"I'm his mate?" I ask with disbelief.

"What do you think?" the Empress asks.

"Every time you wanted to give up what did you see?" the Deity asks.

"Violet eyes," I remember the pull I felt towards those beautiful eyes. They smile at me as a gateway appears, "he's my mate!"

"Careful," the Empress and Deity disappear, with them the gate, leaving me standing in a bridge made of ice, shadows, and darkness. Marina said some cross it while others jump, I'm so tired of falling and yet I feel the sudden urge to jump. With Fie's violet eyes in mind, I hurled myself over the bridge welcoming the warmth its light provides.

###

"You realize I won this wager," Fie says as we watch the girl who survived each level of the Underworld jump off the Bridge of Eternity.

"Did you?" I tap his forehead as Cerin joins us.

"It's time," Cerin says running a hand over the bunny in her hand.

"Try not to cheat this time," I say, as Fie walks towards the Bridge of Eternity.

"Try not to take so long this time," he says with a wicked smile as he leans back and jumps off the bridge.

"Your father's a pain in my existence," I say, looking over my pool to see him reborn into the royal family of the Dark Realm.

"Yet, no one else will make you as happy, as you do each other, "Cerin says, "your turn."

"Careful," I step onto the bridge and watch as it twists and turns deciding my new fate.

"Always," she says as I cross the bridge into my next reincarnation.

###

Something pokes my side then my cheek, "is she dead?" a child's voice asks.

"Duno," another answer.

I open my eyes to two little boys looking down at me, "where am I?" I ask.

"She must have hit her head," the older of the two says, "you are in the Dragon Realm."

"Dragon Realm?" why would I be in the Dragon Realm.

"Princess!" a female voice shouts, "Princess please come back."

"Who is the Princess?" I ask.

The two boys shrug, "we live in the streets how should we know," the older one says."

The younger one just nods his head something about his eyes reminds me of an owl.

"What are your names?" I sit up against a tree.

"I'm Ren," the older one says, "this is my brother Jin and you?"

"That's a good question," I say, catching the scent of horses, "we should go."

The children nod in agreement and as we make our way through the forest, I feel a sudden shift. A wave of energy pulses towards us I turn in the direction I came from stumbling into a broad chest. When I look up, I find violet eyes looking down at me.

"Fie," I wrap my arms around him borrowing my face into his chest.

"Is it really you?" he asks, bring his arms around me.

"Yes," I look up at him, love and pain in his beautiful eyes, "has it really been a decade?"

He lets out a chuckle, "to me it's felt like an eternity, who are they?"

The children look at Fie with aw, "Dark King," Jin says his brother holds him back when he tries to move towards us.

"Don't be rude," Ren says making his brother bow his head.

"You know who the Dark King is, but you don't know who the Princess is?" I ask.

"He's in painting at the tea house, where they tell stories," Ren says.

I look at Fie who just gives me a sheepish smile, "Luna," I say.

"Most likely she always preferred our mother's lands," Fie gives me a wicked smile, "as for who the Princess is, well that would be you, my love."

"What?"

"It seems you have reincarnated as Princess Kyra; it seems I'll have to cement a union with the Dragon Realm after all."

I feel like a fool just staring at him, I want to say his wrong but a maid rushes towards us averting her eyes when she catches sight of our embrace.

"My Lady I beg you return to the Palace," the maid trembles but doesn't dare lookup.

"Go, I'll speak with Empress Bai," Fie says, "and I'll take care of them."

The children's smiles are so wide they warm my heart. I nod and reluctantly follow the maid back to the palace leaving Fie and the children behind.

"I didn't realize Princess knew the Dark King," the maid says far more calmly now that it's just us.

"You're afraid of him," I say, following her through a side door and a maple courtyard.

"Who isn't," the maid says.

I turn to look at her and say, "me," I walk past guards and maids heading straight for my sleeping chamber. how I know the way is beyond me, "don't disturb me I wish to sleep."

"Yes, my Lady," the maids scurry away taking with them their buckets and cleaning rags, "you too," I tell Xin.

Xin looks around nervously, "please my Lady no more running away."

"Are you telling me what to do," I tilt my head to the side," let me know when the decree dictating my marriage to the Dark King arrives," I push her out of the room and close the sliding doors. I should sleep, kicking my shoes off, I plop myself down on the bed and fall asleep.