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Chapter 6 - Truth
The truth shall set you free.
- Avicrus, the Lord of Light
With the Lord and the Princess of Shadow gone, silence returned to the Moon Pond. The wind blew as gently as it did before, like nothing had happened. Eluna was still on her knees, weeping quietly. Solluz got up, holding his lightning in his right hand. He slowly walked towards Treideria and pointed his weapon up at her.
“You were bribed, weren’t you?” he asked.
“You’re such a brave, little boy, aren’t you?” Treideria said sarcastically, ignoring his question.
“Answer me!” the young boy persisted.
“I was not,” the woman said. “My family came from the Shadow region.”
“You cannot fool me,” Solluz retorted. “Disciples of Shadow always wear black clothing.”
“How would you know about that, little boy?” mocked Treideria.
“The Lord and the Lady of Light informed me,” answered Solluz. “And, stop calling me a little boy!”
“All right, you got me,” replied the woman, giving up the pretence. “I am a descendant of Light, and so is my daughter.”
“How could you do this, mother?” asked Amistheia, walking towards her.
“Shush, Theia! You needn’t know anything about this,” Treideria replied.
“You always don’t tell me anything!” said Amistheia. “You teach me Magic but you don’t tell me about anything else.”
“How dare you, Theia?” the woman harshly said, but then Solluz pointed his lightning closer.
“Speak!” he said. “Tell us everything you know.”
Mella and Eluna put more of their attention into the conversation. The latter had somehow stopped weeping, but the anguish that she felt inside did not subside.
“I wanted power,” said Treideria, her voice weakened in humility. “The people in my village have always harassed my family for being Magic-users. They burned my husband at stake for marrying a witch like me. They fear that we are using Dark Magic like the disciples of Shadow. They tried to take away Amistheia, saying that they will keep her from being a witch. None of you know anything about my pain! I wanted to have my revenge!”
There was a pause. Her eyes were already glaring in fury and the others were looking at her, listening. Amistheia’s face frowned as she seemed to share her mother’s pain. Treideria sighed and continued confessing.
“Escuridion, the Lord of Shadow, came to our house one night and offered me more power than the Magic I already had,” she said. “He knew about my anguish, my fears…my hatred. I felt for the first time since my husband died…loved.”
“That’s ridiculous!” snapped Solluz, lowering his weapon. “The dark lord knows nothing about love.”
“You know nothing about the dark lord!” exclaimed Treideria. “He loves me.”
Mella quickly walked towards her and, with anger, slapped her in the face. “You’re crazy!”
“You don’t know anything about my pain!” Treideria said as she slapped Mella back.
“Stop it, both of you!” yelled Eluna, her voice breaking in misery. “These arguments are useless. My brother has been taken away from me, can’t you see? And, I don’t know if I’ll ever see him again…”
She looked down and sobbed again. Mella walked and kneeled down before her in sympathy.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“I’m confused, Aunt Mella,” mumbled Eluna in her weeping as she looked at her aunt. “Tell me now, please. Tell me about my parents.”
Mella hesitated, but decided that Eluna already had to know. Everyone’s focus was then turned to Mella.
“Your parents…” she paused. She stuttered as she asked herself how she would explain. “They didn’t come from the same region. Your father was a disciple of Shadow…”
Eluna raised her head a bit and looked at her aunt in surprise, gasping.
“Yes, Eluna,” confirmed Mella as she saw the shock in the girl’s tear-flooded face. “Your father was a disciple of Shadow and the love your parents shared has always been forbidden. I tried to warn them but—”
“Where are they?” Eluna suddenly asked, frantic as she looked her aunt straight in the eyes. “Where are my parents, Aunt Mella?”
“Dead,” the lady regretfully replied, horrified by the memories of the death of her beloved sister and her brother-in-law.
“Why?” her niece asked, her voice breaking in anguish.
“Their Highnesses had to kill them. They shot lightning at your parents the night that you were born.”
“Why did they have to kill them?” said Eluna as she became rather hysterical.
“Their love would cause complications in the balance of Light and Shadow,” answered Mella. “It’s difficult to explain, Eluna.”
“What would happen?” Eluna asked in curiosity.
The uneasy aunt looked down and, there was a moment of silence. Treideria then walked towards their direction and answered Eluna’s question.
“The balance will be broken,” she spoke in a serious manner. “Their Highnesses hoped that you and your brother are not the prophesied Twins of Light and Shadow but, since that you are, the execution of your mother and father is useless. The dark lord shall use your brother’s power to overcome the Light region once and for all.”
Treideria took a deep breath, knelt and bowed before Eluna.
“Princess,” she spoke with respect. The word echoed in the others’ ears in surprise. “Let me redeem myself by abolishing the spell I have cast upon your ring. The rings I gave to you and your brother were magical devices used to find the location of the wearers. The dark lord only knew of the location of your house so he needed the rings to find you.”
The woman then raised her head, took Eluna’s hand, and raised her hand over it. The ring glowed, giving off bright white light which eventually faded. Eluna had completely stopped sobbing that moment. Treideria then stood up.
“Princess Eluna,” she said. “I was wrong. I didn’t realize the lie the dark lord had made me believe in. Please accept my apologies. Princess, the only way to keep the balance from breaking is to harness your powers as well. This will be the task that you must fulfil as Princess of the Moon.”
Eluna, the Princess of the Moon, had nothing else left to say and stood there still, open-mouthed. The tears around her eyes were slowly drying. Solluz then stepped forward towards her and offered his hand.
“Shall we ride towards the Palace of Light, my princess?” he humbly but asked with pleasure.
“If this is the only way…then yes,” she replied. Her voice was quiet and sad.
She took his hand and they made a few steps away from the pond. Solluz mounted his lightning and asked Eluna to ride at the back.
“Hold tight,” the prince said, and they zapped their way up to the sky with Eluna screaming in surprise.
Mella, who had just recovered from the emotions of the previous scene, looked up to the sky as Solluz and Eluna quickly vanished into the clouds, in hopes that they would be together and that everything would be fine again. Treideria and Amistheia also did the same.
“I don’t know if I’ll forgive you yet,” said Mella, looking at Treideria. “But, let’s go back to the house.”
Then, she turned away and started walking, and Treideria and her daughter followed after her.
Eluna, my dear, Mella thought, I wasn’t able to say goodbye to you or to Xombreil, but I do hope the three shall be together once again. Then, a tear flowed down from her eye as she wept in her thoughts. I just can’t believe that these things had happened. The two of you are the only family I have left…I just wish you good luck on your quest, Princess of the Moon. Promise me that you will get your brother back from the Shadow.
