CHAPTER FOUR

The town's people began to move back towards the castle, jittery and freighted.

I closed my hands into fists as the flame grows larger, the power strong enough to arch my back, my feet just barely on the ground, hovering.

"I'll show you who you really should be afraid of!" I yelled over the screaming crowd

 All I could see was fire and flames behind my now closed eyes, I opened them watching fire rain out of the sky. 

To me it was beautiful, the color of flickering blue and orange falling over the kingdom.

Everyone inside ran outside following Mave and our father sputtered after him.

Mave ran up to me grabbing me forcefully by my shoulders shaking me. "Celeste, stop this!" 

I shook my head with a maniacal smile plastered onto my face laughing as I watched everything burn. "Go ahead brother, show them."

"What are you talking about, are you serious right now, stop this temper tantrum this instant Celeste." He ordered yelling in my face.

I tightened my fists as I focused the flames one more time. "Better put the fires out or you won't have a kingdom to reign dear brother."

His eyes went wild as he tightened his grip before looking back at his burning kingdom and back at me, groaning in frustration and running back to put out the fires, our father staring at me in horror.

"You putrid child, what have you done!" He screamed at me, his face red.

I turned around and Aris watched in horror as she watched her previous home burn. 

"Come Aris, let's be on our way before Mave puts out all the fires." I ordered as the driver of the carriage helped me step up and inside.

"Wh-what?" She asked, still in shock.

"Now Aris let's go," I raised my voice and she ran and jumped in.

 The driver got the horses to move toward Mystic forest, Aris looking back at the black smoke filling the sky.

"Why did you do that?" Aris asked quietly.

"Revenge." Was all I said.

I watched out the window as the sound of horses galloped toward the Forest, and the screams of Mave's people slowly evaporated in the distance.

I could see Isla standing near an old oak tree, suitcase in hand, and I nodded to Aris to let her know she was close by.

"Driver, please stop for a moment will you?" I asked.

"Sorry miss, I was told to not make any stops," he replies not slowing down.

"You have seen what I have just done to their castle correct?" I asked dully.

"Ye-yes Princess, I did." 

Would you like to be the next thing I set on fire?" I asked smoothly, a cool smile plastered onto my face.

The driver brought to an abrupt stop beside Isla and Aris opened the door holding out a hand to help her in. "Thank you dear." 

She sat in the seat opposite of me and a big grin on her face as we made eye contact.

"I see you have gotten my present, princess and I don't just mean the fact you're wearing the amulet." She says pointing the way behind us where all you could see was black smoke slowly disappearing.

"That I have Isla, it is magnificent I can feel the power going through my body," I replaced, touching the amulet that laid on my chest.

"Wait, you knew she was going to burn the castle to the ground?" Aris asked shockingly, Isla rolled her eyes accordingly as Aris spoke.

"For God sakes girl, keep up. The Queen had every right to burn the entire kingdom down and Princess Celeste has every right to get revenge, it was her mother's last wish." Isla replied.

We weaved through the trees on the dirt roads, as I stared blankly at Isla's statement.

"Her last words?"

Flashback; I could hear mother saying something I couldn't make out. I screamed, reaching out for her. "Revenge me."

I shook my head from the memory of the nightmare from last night.

"That's what she said, to avenge her?" I asked if my body felt numb.

why didn't I remember that before, maybe it was because I was scared and alone.

"Anyway, Mave disagreed with me so I proved to his people that he has magic too," I commented with a sigh.

Trees flew by and we were in the middle of the Forest. "His father got into that poor boy's head." She spoke exasperated, before continuing. "As a child he was such a sweet child. I can't say I understand what he's thinking that one." 

She shook her head in disappointment and I nodded along with her.

Something overly heavy landed on the roof forcing the carriage to get out of control and the horses got loose.

Screeching then running off in fear forcing my body to lurch forwards as Isla and Aris pushed me back into my seat.

 My crown flying off my head landing on Isla's lap.

The driver had a look of terror and he slowly made his way off the cart and then he ran into the Forest.

We all sat and looked at each other in silence other than the sound of the roof boards creaking.

A loud screech from the creature that was above, my heart fluttered as I tried to think of what to do.

Isla placed an index finger to her lips as a gesture to stay quiet, Aris and I both nodded in agreement.

"Glydor, where did you fly off to!" A male voice yelled from a distance.

Then a loud high pitch whistling sound forced me to cover my ears and I groaned.

They both looked at me in confusion. 

Could they not hear the sound?

A silhouette of a man was in front of us and the creature flew off the cart, rattling us once more, and it landed beside the man close to the ground. 

"You can't keep flying off, we keep talking about this," He said with a sigh, it huffed in response.

He must have noticed the cart because I heard footsteps getting closer and closer.

"Is anyone in there?" He asked and we all kept quiet, that's when there was a dip in the cart as he climbed up.

I began to get my flames ready but Isla put my hand down and shook her head.

"Hello there, I apologise for Glydor's behavior. It seems that I have to punish her later." He raised his voice at the end and the creature put her head down in shame.

"You scared off our driver and the horses. Do you have any idea what inconvenience your dragon has caused?" Isla asked in annoyance.

"Mother, don't make the scary dragon man angry," Aris whispered in worry.

"Ah, hello Isla, it's nice to see you," He said in sarcasm as he sat down too.

"You really need to put a muzzle on her," Isla continued, he looked from Isla back to the dragon, which squealed in response.

"You should know by now that it does not work," he says, laughing a little.

"Well now we are stuck here, so tell me, Barinor, what are you going to do about it.

"Mother, stop it." Aris steps in.

"Oh hush girl, this man won't do anything to us, don't you recognize him, he was Falynn's best friend." Isla waved off Aris's worries.

"My mother's best friend?" I repeatedly turned my head.

"That was long ago. I haven't seen her in years." He says scratching his head awkwardly.

"You were my mom's friend, Mr. Er-" I struggled to remember his name.

"Barinor, Princess," Aris whispers.

Isla placed the crown back onto my head and we smiled at each other for a moment.

"Falynn's daughter, I didn't know she had a daughter," Barinor says studying my face.

"Wow, you look.-" I cut him off. "Just like her I know," I say half laughing.

He sat back for a moment, his eyes were as black as Mave's and he had a strong build and square shoulders, strong.

His hair reached his shoulders and he had a bit of a beard, his hair was jet black.

If I didn't know any better I'd say he looks more like my brother than our father does.

"How old did you say you were?" He asked, putting a hand through his medium curly beard.

"I didn't tell you my age, sir, however I am nineteen," I replied, becoming more and more curious about this man.

He sat back thinking for a moment before speaking up.

 "The last time I saw your mother was twenty years ago, when we said our goodbyes, how is the queen nowadays?" He asked turning back to Isla, and she looked down and silence swallowed us up.

His eyes went to each of our faces.

"Has something happened?" He asked hurriedly.

"Barin,"

"Yes?" He sat up on the edge of his seat now waiting.

"There's something, I need to tell you." Isla says, looking at me as she speaks.

"She's dead," I say, ripping off the bandage.

Barinor was lost for words, he began to mouth something yet didn't make it through to sound, his hands in fists on his lap as he took my hands in his. "What happened to her?"

I stared at our hands for a moment, my hands softer and smaller than his, I looked back up again. "-My father."

"That scumbag, of a king I told Falynn to leave him to run away with me, but she decided to stay and for what?" 

He stood up yelling letting my hands go and throwing them in the air. 

"I told her he'd be the death of her I told her.-"

He pointed downward but it looked like he was pointing at me spitting his words out before breaking and sitting back down trying not to break he laid his head in his hands and wept.

"Wait, you asked her to come with you?" Confusion and thoughts ran through my head.

Mave would have been four then and mother would have found out that she was pregnant with.- "Oh my god." I covered my mouth and I felt nauseous.

"Are you okay Princess?" Aris asks, rubbing my back lightly.

"Barinor, I know why my mother didn't go with you." I looked up at him and he looked into my eyes.

"What's the reason?" He asked, more angry than sad.

"It was because of me." My chest hurt, if she'd had just gone with Barinor would she still be alive right now? 

Was she having an affair with Barinor, and the fact he looks so much like Mave could he be, no that would be impossible, isn't it?

"Hey, it wasn't your fault it was that horrendous king do not let yourself be fooled by your thoughts young one, it does no favors." He placed a rough hand on my cheek and I finally looked at him.

"-but what if it is?"

"You're being foolish, your father is a powerful man if she did leave you don't think the king would have found her?" Isla says more seriously.

"Mother is right, y'know," Aris spoke up.

"I'm always right," Isla says with a sigh.

"I thought about that for years honestly, if I would have brought her with me how long it would have lasted." 

"You didn't think that the two of you could have just ran away?" I asked.

"Your mother was a powerful witch, she was also one of the most known with the other magic users, we had taken a vow to keep our magic a secret so that we don't die from the people who don't understand us." He says his head bowed.

I turned to Isla then. "If she was so powerful why did she let them kill her?" 

"I don't have the answer for that one my child." Isla replies.

"I have magic too." I brought my hands up and focused my magic in the palm of my hand and a small flame flickered, and everyone watched in awe.