The encounter

After I left Lyndis in my room with clear instructions to stay out of sight somewhere under the covers, I went to search my mother. She was not in the throneroom yet. She wasn't in her own bedroom either. I finally found her in the office, writing letters and reading letters. She looked worried but at the same time it was a very comforting sight to see her working so hard. I coughed lightly to get her attention. She finished writing her last scentence and put the letter in the envelope, which she closed with the royal seal. After that, she looked up and greeted me. "Hello darling, what's wrong?" she asked. "Nothing, nothing," I answered. "Then why are you here?" she replied. "Well, I came to ask you if you had a little time to accept an audience with a very special someone. She is too afraid to ask it herself." I said. "What girl are we talking about? Is she from our kingdom or from another realm?" she asked. "Well, I can't tell you that because she asked me specifically just to announce her presence, and she asked if I could arrange an audience with you for her." I answered. My mother sighed deeply, put down her things, and said, "Very well, and where does this audience take place, Isyx?" "It takes place in the throneroom like always, mother." "Well let's get this over with then." "I'll see you in the throneroom then, I have to get her from outside the palace because she was too afraid to wait inside."

When I opened the door to my own room, I couldn't see Lyndis, so I softly called out her name. I closed the door behind me as I walked into the room a little further. "You can come out now, Lyndis," I said. The duvet moved and out came her cute face. "My mother is going to the throneroom now, I'll take the soft walking spell off the shoes so you can walk like you are used to. I'll introduce you once we are there, but I'll introduce you to your human name because she doesn't know that name yet. She'll have to figure out who you are by herself."

I took Lyndis, who I now started calling Hazel again, to the throneroom where I made her wait outside the doors. I told the guards to guide her through once I'd announced her to my mother. I went inside and said: "Your highness, I present to you: Hazel from the woods." After that, Hazel walked in, still wearing my clothes, the wig and her ears and the fake wings but walking like her human half would. In other words, it was very loud and a little blunt. She walked unto the middle of the way to big throneroom and made a bow. "Your highness," she said. "Thank you for your time." My mother had a face filled with terror. Of course, Hazel looked like a boy right now, but the minute she dropped the wig, she looked more like herself again. Mother did not recognise her, I mean, Hazel was only a few years old when she was chased away. Mom never saw her as the grown-up she had become.