TO THE FAE REALM

They came when the sun was about to dip down the horizon, when the farewell of pink and purple painted prettily on the expanse of the sky. 

They came with dozens of people, all of them riding a magical creature. It had blue scales which shimmered in the dark, its tail swaying like a ribbon of white. It's almost like a horse but from a fantasy land, just like the manifestation of a wild imagination. 

All the villagers had rushed outside their homes to witness the small piece of fantasy that was out in the open, be it the creature or the Faes, they were enthralled. Completely and utterly lost to Zera's inner cry. 

She stood by the front of her mansion, dressed in a sheer pink robe, golden hair swaying in the spring breeze. She had lost her battle with her mother and accepted her fate, if not for the kingdom, for her family. She had no path to take other than the one that led to her demise. She was doomed from the start.

She watched as the Faes entered one by one through the enormous gate, the masks covering their faces refusing to betray the express they held. It was the first time she saw the Fae kind, but she could barely see their face. Only their pink lips were out in the open. 

Zera's heart was thumping hard against her chest as one of the Fae jumped down from the creature and walked straight toward her. He was tall, taller than most of the men she met, body sculpted perfectly, red hair seeming to glow from fae magic which only ever read from her books. 

"Let me take this human." That was all he said before taking Zera's hands and binding them with a silk bond. Once she was ready and defenceless, he nudged her toward the creature. A spark of fear skimmed through her when she locked her gaze with the creature, its human-looking pale eyes seemed to be taunting her. 

"Get in." The Fae sounded impatient as he gave her another gentle nudge, "Get in before Kira starts to act up." He pointed an accusing finger toward the creature and it jerked its head at him.

With her heart in her throat, she climbed on top of the creature, the scales where she touched as she was climbing it, shimmering brightly, beautifully. She watched it with sparkling wide eyes, it was like the child within her was awakened— the warmth of awe washing away the chill of fear. 

But it didn't last long.

"Have a great journey, dear." Her mother's voice brought her back from her daze, she was smiling up at Zera. The look of any kind of concern or fear hadn't crossed her face as it did with her father and siblings, and Zera wondered for a moment if she was truly unbothered by her daughter's misfortune or blissfully unaware of the atrocities circling the Fae realm. 

"We shall depart." The Fae said with a curt nod and climbed up the same creature she was sitting on top. His steady chest brushed against her soft back and it caused her to squirm away from his reach. 

"Live long, my Zera." Her mother's words felt like a mockery even though her big eyes revealed their genuineness. Zera sighed and refused to acknowledge that. 

Without a word or a glance at anyone, she let the Faes take her from her land. She let them strip her of all her dreams, privileges and her dignity.

***

It was the sound of water that made her squirm awake, and only then did she realize she'd fallen asleep halfway through the journey.

A gasp escaped her lips when her eyes fell on the glittering pale blue water shimmering in the lake, it seemed to sing a song of magic as it flowed through. Her hands tightened on the creature beneath her as she tried to steady herself. 

The sight was what gave her a hint about the place they were currently at— The Fae realm. This river was the door to their realm. She had read about it. But in those books, the place was described as grey and gloomy—the river black and horrendous which grazed monsters beneath its surface. 

For a moment she questioned everything she read about the Fae realm in books written by humans. What do they know?

She watched with her mouth open wide as the creature walked straight through the river without sinking or drowning to death. The water rose and splashed into the air like little stars in its wake.

"Easy there. Breathe." The Fae sitting behind her muttered with a chuckle. "You are alright." 

Gulping down the scream that was caught in her throat, she muttered a wobbly "I wasn't scared." 

"Sure you weren't." He muttered from behind her.

Zera was about to come up with a retort but the sight in front of her was too beautiful to not pay attention to. The creature crossed the river with such grace. The world moved past her in a blur of glowing trees and star-scattered sky. 

The creature was running so fast that it felt like it was flying through the landscape. And before she could quill her nervous heart and let the reality sink into her bones, they were standing before the Castle. The creature let out a cry that replicated a horse's neigh. But more high-pitched and startling. 

The sight of the castle felt way too familiar to her even though this was the first time she was stepping foot here. It brought her a sense of deja vu. 

The white, glowing tower of the castle kissed the star-graced sky ever so beautifully. Streams of water flowed through the two sides of the castle in ribbons of blue, and white lilies floating in them like little clouds. The garden was enormous, crammed with trees and flowers that glowed with a gentle hum of magic. 

Zera felt astounded. She could barely believe her eyes and the beauty before her. The Fae realm she knew and read about could never be this beautiful. Could never be so magical. 

From behind one of the glowing trees, a hooded figure watched Zera with gleaming eyes, a smile stretching her lips in amusement, "The human is here—again. Will she be able to break the curse this time?"