The Forgotten Princess

After dinner, Regaleon and I had a quiet walk hand in hand along the sea shore once again. But because the moon is in its quarter phase, it was not giving off too much light. The huge night pearls that were here a few nights ago were collected and are stored in a safe place.

"Let's not stray that far." Regaleon said with a calm voice and I nodded in agreement.

We were still near the stairs going up the mansion where the lights were brightly lit. The sea was dyed in darkness because of the little light. All I can hear was the calm waves washing up the shore.

"We still have a few days left to admire the sea. We will be going back to the capital of Alvannia after you have regained your strength." Regaleon said. "Why don't we fly over the sea on Tempest tomorrow morning?"

"That sounds like a great idea." I said with a huge smile on my face. "It is a shame I cannot swim on the beach for now. But at least I can admire it from above."

Even though Anatalia gave me permission to swim in the beach, Regaleon was against it. The reason was becasue I do not know how to swim. I was not given swimming lessons like my other siblings have. Regaleon was adamant with his decision and told me that we can go back after I have given birth and I have learned how to swim.

"Then let's go back and rest early." Regaleon whispered in my ear. "We have an early morning tomorrow." He pulled me into his embrace and kisses me on the top of my head.

I was happy that my husband has been pampering me every day, more so now while I was pregnant.

***

I was in deep slumber when I felt myself being swayed gently. My consciousness is slowly awakening while hearing the gentle waves of the sea.

I open my eyes slowly, and seeing my surroundings in a blur. My body felt like it was floating.

"Are you awake?" A voice unfamiliar but felt familiar said to me.

My consciousness was bolted in attention when I felt that I was not in my room with Regaleon. When I looked around, I can now clearly my surroundings. I was surrounded by water, but surprisingly my body and surroundings were dry. I was inside a dome on the sea bed that is being protected by some kind of barrier, the water cannot penetrate the invisible force filed.

Then I noticed that my body was floating a few feet from the sea bed. I was suprised by the realization and my body swayed frantically then I fell down on my behind.

"Aww..." I groaned feeling a slight pain from my behind, gently holding it to relieve some of the pain.

"Be careful now. We do not want you to miscarry or anything." The voice said with a gentle teasing tone.

I looked around to find the source of the voice. If I am not mistaken, it was the voice that I was hearing since I came here in the Port City of Velutria.

Now, I can here the voice more clearly than ever. I recognized that the voice came from a man. It was also the same voice that I heard when we opened the map contained in the pendants.

My eyes landed on a stone statue of a maiden. She had her hands held to each in a praying position. Looking at the statue more closely, it looked more like a statue marking on a tomb stone with lettering under it.

Standing under the statue of a maiden was a man with long silver hair. I did not feel any danger coming from him, actually I felt warm and safe seeing him. The only thing that is off is that his body is not solid, simply speaking I can see through his body. The man was looking at me with a warm smile.

"Are you a ghost?" I voiced out what I was thinking.

"Hahaha, so that is the first thing you ask me." The man laughed heartedly. "Well it is understandable, me looking like this." He looked at his body himself.

"Who... are you?" I asked cautiously.

"I am someone that you people call as the Almighty One." The man said. "But I prefer it if you call me grandpa. You are technically my grandchild." He smiled warmly.

"So you mean you are that Almighty One?!" I said with a suprised tone.

"Call me grandpa." The man said once again.

"T-Then grandpa..." I relunctantly called him, because even though his really is my great grandfather his looks are just in his early thirties. "If I can ask grandpa, where are we exactly?" I asked while looking around.

"Come closer so that we can talk clearly." Grandpa waved at me. "Do not worry, I won't bite. I promise." He jokingly said.

I walked over to where he was standing. When I was near him, I see that his body was indeed just a silhouette. I felt like if I try to touch him, my hand will only go through to him.

"You are currently here under the sea, on the sea floor." Grandpa said and then looked up. "Here in front of you is what the Atlantian's called the forbidden magic."

I processed his words slowly. My earlier speculations of where I was is correct. Just outside the dome from where we were, I can see a shadow of something big swimming around. My head thumped thingking that this might be the creature guarding the forbidden magic.

I looked up at the maiden's statue and was deep in thought. 'How can this ordinary looking statue be the forbidden magic all has been looking for?'

"This, is where my wife's body is laid to rest." Grandpa said with a knowing look at the status. He touched the inscription just below the statue, it was written in ancient words.

"So this is... your wife's grave?" I looked on surprise. "But how did it become the source of forbidden magic?" I asked in curiosity.

"It is because I am also burried here as well. But in secret." Grandpa made a gesture pressing his finger on his nose as if to keep it a secret. "I did not want anyone to know where I was burried because of the fear that my magic can still be used even though my soul has passed. But I guess even after taking such precautions, my immense magic was not able to be hidden for long. It started to leak out and the keys fragments I made as an additional lock was also used with bad intentions." He said with a sad face.

"Then may I ask why I am here grandpa?" I asked.

"I guess you have some clues, correct?" Grandpa said teasingly.

"Then... am I the chosen one?" I asked feeling my heart thumping. I am nervous of what the Almighty One will answer.

"Well, quite close." Grandpa said and took a step closer to me. He touched my stomach ever so lightly, as if the one inside was so precious. "To be precise, this little one is the chosen one. Technically speaking, he would be my reincarnation."

My eyes went wide with shock. Thinking that my child with Regaleon is the chosen one.

"You are here because it is time." Grandpa started to glow brightly. "It is time for me to head to my new body and also the magic that is embedded in my remains will be absorbed in you as well."

The silhouette of the Almithy One started to fade slowly. His hands held mine and slowly lifted them to touch the maiden's statue. I can feel warmth flowing towards my body.

"It might take a while until you can absorb all of the magic within the statue." Grandpa said.

"But I cannot stay here." I said, feeling my eyes getting heavier every second. "I need... to get back to... Regaleon. I am sure he will... be worried." I tried to fight the drowsiness I am feeling.

"Well that will be a problem." Grandpa said. "That grandson of man is a very overprotective man. He will surely turn the whole continent upside down searching for you."

My hands that were touching the statue felt warm and my body felt light. My eyelids were now closing and my consciousness is starting to fade.

"Do not worry, I will inform him where you are." Grandpa said then I saw a light shooting out of his body going up. "That is the last bit of magic my soul can make. It will contain a message for your husband."

I looked at the light fade away to the distance.

"But to come here, he will need the key fragments." Grandpa said. He was now fading into nothingness. "Even though he does not need to open the forbidden magic anymore, he will need it to get past this barrier. And to come here he also has to get past the one guarding. Well I am sure he can." He smiled at me one last time and faded into a small speck of

light.

The light floated in front of me and then came into my stomach and vanished. My stomach felt warm after, and slowly I have fallen into unconsciousness.

Edited by: nalyn