Without a word to me, he walked towards the portal.
His silence was worse than any words.
Once I was sure everyone had passed through, I closed it.
I approached the vines.
'What have you done to his father?' I asked Jonah who kept laughing.
'Let's say my father and I were experimenting on the prisoners... but we couldn't do anything without magic. Marco was right, you did it without being asked. You just needed a little push.'
'I don't understand, so why didn't you lift the curse before?'
'You may be pretty but you're not very smart. My father can't create again what he uncreated, that's not part of his power. We needed you and now, you gave us exactly what we wanted. So thank you princess, we will be eternally grateful to you.'
Unable to believe my eyes, I watched as Marco broke free from my bonds.
'Oh, I forgot to mention it. Your brother thought he could boss me around, that I'd give him anything he wanted just for coming up with the idea of how to lure you here. But nobody tells this King what to do. So I gave him a little of the medicine he needed. And all that dark magic is not fought with your magic, now he can kill you as he always wanted to, and I won't have to put up with his demands any more.'
'You betrayed him.'
'Are you surprised? You would have done the same. I see you beauty, I see deep inside you and I recognise that darkness. Soon you will see it too. And when it is so, you will join me, and together we will rule all the Kingdoms. Now I recommend that you start running, because, do you remember that wonderful dinner we had to find me a wife? The food must have been delicious, especially because of what we put in it.'
What had he done? He was insane. I would never be like him. We would never be the same.
'This is not the end, you will pay for all you have done.' I told him.
'I'll look forward to you making me pay, beauty,'Â he said as I rushed away.
I ran through the castle, knocking over every single guard.
I felt Marco coming towards me, he had broken loose and was already running after me. Only it wasn't Marco, it was some kind of animal, like a giant wolf.
Why had he trusted the prince? Now he had become a monster of darkness. Did he hate me enough to make this worthwhile?
I kept running until I reached the main entrance.
'Lightning!' I shouted, hoping that my horse would come back to me.
Galloping non-stop, Lightning freed himself from those who were holding him and came to my encounter.
I mounted him and we began to gallop in the opposite direction.
The ground began to vibrate and hundreds of animals of the same species as Marco came out of the windows. They came from everywhere, from the houses, from the streets. All the guests at the party had become monsters imprisoned by Jonah's darkness.
His wickedness knew no bounds. Seeing what he had done to his own people and what he wished to do to the rest. I would never be like him.
'Faster!' I implored Lightning, who was doing what he could to get us out of there.
What was I supposed to do?
What could I do?
I couldn't let those animals spread beyond that Kingdom.
So, I made a hasty decision, I didn't know if it was right, but it was the first thing that came to mind.
'Follow the path Lightning!' I instructed him, as I tried to rotate in the saddle. I was left with my back to the front and looking the other way.
The animals were getting closer and closer.
I did what I had to do.
Dome, dome, dome.
My hands were the creators of the light that spread around the Kingdom of Bieno, creating a dome exactly like the one around Crescendo. It grew and grew, until it surrounded every house, every street, every person and animal that made up the Kingdom of Bieno.
My body was tired, but I kept holding the idea with all my strength until the circle was closed.
The animals hit the barrier, trying to tear it apart.
They were going to break through, I was not going to be able to do anything.
My magic was not strong enough to stop them.
I was going to give up...
Until a dark light, coming from somewhere in the woods, joined mine.
As if they were shadows that spread along with my light, they created an unstoppable protection.
The animals could not get through the second one.
A unified gray layer surrounded them completely.
The magic intermingled, coming together like a beautiful barrier that stopped the spread.
I thought I was dreaming.
I tried to see where the magic that was helping me was coming from, but I couldn't, I vanished from the effort, over Lightning, who continued the race.
I woke up a few hours later, still over Lightning.
We were near a pond.
I caressed him as much as I could.
'You're a good boy, let's go home,' I told him and directed him to where we both belonged.
I didn't know what was waiting for me when I arrived, but I couldn't help coming back to the Kingdom that would one day crown me as Queen.
How had it worked? Who had helped me?
Maybe I had dreamed it, maybe it was me and I was dreaming it. I didn't know, I didn't want to know, I just wanted to go home.
We reached the tree.
This time, I tried something different.
'I, Princess Gaia, daughter of King Gelon and Queen Sheba, swear on my life that my intentions are pure and honest, and that under no circumstances am I in danger to the good people of Crescendo.'
The tree opened in the same way as always and I understood that it had always known who I was.
Lightning was not so sure he wanted to go through, but I encouraged him to keep going. Apparently, he really trusted me because he obeyed me by groaning.
We went to Crescendo and there I found a hectic and nervous crowd. Although, despite the chaos there was, everyone stopped when they saw me enter.
'The princess is alive,' shouted one of the citizens, and everyone began to celebrate.
I got off Lightning and walked with him through the crowd.
Everyone was happy to see me, some were crying. Others were hugging me and I let them.
I advanced serenely through the crowd, passing the yellow house, which I could not even see from the sadness, until I reached the Comrades' house.
The door was open.
One of the citizens offered to hold Lightning for me.
'Don't worry my friend, no one will hurt you anymore, I promise,' I told him before I left.
I entered the house and found the same chaos as outside. The Comrades were racing back and forth. And just like the citizens, they were paralyzed when they saw me enter.
'Your Majesty,' they lowered their heads.
'I think I'm ready to be Queen.' I told them without a single thought.
'You're hurt,' exclaimed Sir Tlinar as he saw the great bloodstain on my dress.
'No, I am fine. I would like to see my friends and my sister. They're here, aren't they?'
'Yes, Your Majesty, they are in different rooms, each one being treated.' Little Sir Gwen answered me.
'The soldiers told us what you did, it was impressive your Majesty,' Sir Oskel told me for the first time with some appreciation.
'There are many things to solve, but for now I want to see my loved ones.'
I walked through them, straight to the first room.
There, I found Galaga, Tryx and Mena.
Mena was lying on a bed, being attended to by Tryx, totally unconscious. Galaga was beside him, with some bandages, but without letting go of my sister's hand.
'How is she?' I asked Tryx, who was surprised to see me.
She stopped what she was doing and came over to hug me. I let her hold me, I needed the affection.
'She will be fine,' Tryx informed me, leaving me more at ease.
'And you Galaga?' I asked straight out.
'I will survive, Your Majesty, I'm very sorry about... it was all my fault...'
'Galaga, you don't have to blame yourself for anything, just try to rest and get well, I need my First Commander to be strong.
Galaga, without letting go of my sister's hand, stood up and looked at me in disbelief.
'First Commander?'
'Yes, it's the title your father had, and it's the one you deserve. You endured the violence of Bieno, you saved me from a certain death, you gave everything for this Kingdom... '
'I don't deserve it, they made me talk...they had ways of playing with my mind...I don't know what they did to me in there...'
'They injected you with something? Or did you take something?' I asked worried.
'No, I didn't let them do it, I fought back and then I talked a little bit, so I could avoid it.'
I breathed calmly.
'Why did you ask that?' Galaga was instantly interested.
She would make a good First Commander.
'Later, I must now go to....'
'You won't be able to see him, Your Majesty.' Rythel's voice surprised me from behind.
When I saw him, I approached him and held him in my arms. The hug took him so by surprise that he did not return it. So I parted.
'I'm sorry, it was inappropriate. Why can't I see him?'
'Let's talk privately, Your Majesty,' he said and, after smiling at my friends and seeing that my sister would be all right, I followed him down the hall to my room.
Once there, he told me what had happened.
'Russell is not well, he is very ill indeed, he has been shaking and writhing in pain since he arrived. He wouldn't let me heal the scratches and bites on his skin.'
'Writhing?' My eyes opened so wide that Rythel understood my concern.
'Do you know something I don't, Your Majesty?'
I instinctively ran to where Russell was, ignoring Rythel's warnings.
I opened the door to the room and watched in horror as Russell was following in his father's footsteps.
I approached him and tried to talk to him.
'Russell, it's me, your princess.'
His eyes, spinning endlessly, focused on my face.
'You...'
For a second, I felt that he would look at me with his gray eyes, which filled me with peace and security. That he would embrace me and together we would mourn the loss of his brother and his father. That we would be together at last.
I never thought that he would grab me by the throat as he did, or that he would squeeze so hard.
Rythel took his hand off my neck, with a single movement of his hand, invoking the wind he knew how to control.
'You, you ruined my life... My brother died because of you! Because you didn't save him! Syform was right... he was right! You are the cause of all my suffering... you are the worst thing that has ever happened to me... you... I hate you Milaia! I hate you! And I wish you were dead! I will kill you! I will kill you!'
I walked away from him, crying uncontrollably.
Of all the beatings received, of all the wounds suffered, his words at that moment were what had hurt me the most.
'Rythel, you're going to have to put him to sleep or something, he'll turn into a monster if you don't.'
'A monster?'
'Just do as I say,' I told him and left the room.
I collapse in the hallway, where I curled up and just cried.