Trinity Awakening (16 page)

Trinny and Emma were alone in a small room adjacent the main hall. Her mother had told them to freshen up and she would meet them by the river when they were ready, she said she needed to talk with Aarion to plan the river trip into Taeith. One of the Elves had brought in a neatly folded pile of clothes and handed both girls a set. There was a
large bowl of water on a wooden bench with a rusty old mirror hanging above it. Trinny saw herself for the first time in days; she was not impressed with what she was looking at.

             
"Oh Em, I can't believe I've been walking around looking like this." Trinny had dirt on her tear stained face and leaves stuck through her long strawberry blonde hair, her t-shirt had a rip on the right arm and Aarion’s dried blood was on the front and down her jeans. 

             
"I've seen you look better." Emma came up beside Trinny and smiled. "Looks like you had a rough time out there." Emma stared at Trinny’s grubby face. "Your eyes Trin, what's with that?" Trinny looked closer at her reflection, her eyes were a golden amber, the tiny flecks of green and brown were almost gone, it looked like she was wearing contacts, her eyes were now nearly the same color as her Earth pendant. 

             
"Mum said it was because my powers were growing...I kind of like them." Emma agreed and picked up a piece of clothing from the chair.

             
"We better wash up and get changed...what's with these clothes, talk about medieval." Emma was holding up a long dress and did not look impressed. "The last time I wore 'dress ups' was for my 8th birthday party, this better not make me itch." Trinny laughed at Emma as she tried several times to put the dress on, in the end Trinny had to help her, and vice versa. After washing their faces and brushing out knotty hair, Emma braided Trinny’s hair so it fell over her left shoulder. "My goodness Trin, you look like a real princess!" Trinny smiled at herself in the mirror, she wore a long dark red sleeveless Kirtle dress. Beneath was a white chemise smock, it had sleeves to the elbows then flared out to the wrist on top and hung even lower underneath. The bust line of the Kirtle was laced up at the front and was a little lower than
Trinny would have liked, but she felt comfortable in the beautifully woven fabric, this look suited her womanly figure. 

             
"You don't look half bad yourself Em." Trinny said to Emma as she twirled her fingers around the gold-corded belt that wrapped around her hips and hung down the dress front. Trinny could see that Emma was not enjoying her new look, but she really did look pretty. Her chemise was white as well, but it didn't have flared sleeves, they were just straight, her kirtle dress was deep moss green and Trinny thought it really suited Emma. 

             
"There better be a good reason I'm packing away my skinny jeans, at least you've got something to fill in the bust part, I'm sure dresses like this weren't designed for girls like me." She said, looking a little annoyed. Trinny laughed. 

             
"Lets go find my mum, I have one or two hundred questions for her."  

             
"Me too!" Said Emma as she followed Trinny into the large meeting area of the Sanctuary.

Trinny had not really taken a lot of notice of the building when she had arrived, but now she could see why it was called a Sanctuary. There was no roof in the meeting area but there was a tall Willow tree that grew in the center of the room, it was so large that the branches hung over the sides of the structure. Trinny could see that it was nearly nightfall outside and there were flaming torches lit around the edges of the room. Vines crept up the walls; each one was covered in the most vibrant colored flowers, blues, pinks and lilacs. The ground was covered in lush green grass that felt like a plush carpet, Trinny hadn't put her shoes back on and enjoyed the soft grass between her toes. Under the giant Willow tree were stunningly handcrafted bench seats, they had Celtic like
carvings on the backs, and in one sat Aarion with Garus at his side, Morthos stood next to them. Aarion stopped his conversation and stood as Trinny and Emma entered the room, it felt oddly formal to Trinny after what they had been through together. She noticed they had all changed clothes as well; they seemed a lot more comfortable in their new attire.

             
"You ladies look good, you could almost get away with being Fairon wearing that, apart from your short hair Emma." Garus said. 
             

             
"What's wrong with my hair?" Emma asked in a slightly offended tone. 

             
"Fairon women have their hair long, maybe you should wear a scarf when you go into Taeith." Morthos answered. 

             
"Or they may think you're a giant pixie." Garus declared with a grin on his face. Emma didn't answer, she felt Trinny squeeze her arm, so all she could do was try and burn a hole in Garus's face with her glare. Although Aarion stayed quiet, he didn't try to hide the fact that he was watching Trinny while the others bantered. His bloodstained clothing had been replaced with fitting charcoal leather pants and black boots, an ivory long sleeve shirt showed under a black finely woven tunic that clung to his tone shape, his belt sat on his hips with his silver short sword attached.
This is
who
he really is, the warrior
, Trinny thought. There were gold symbols that ran down his right sleeve, she wondered what they meant, the others didn't have it on their tunics.

             
"My mother said to meet her by the river." Trinny said looking at Morthos, trying to avoid meeting Aarion's eyes.

             
"Just out that archway." He directed Trinny to a high arched doorway that had carvings like the ones on the bench seats. Emma and Trinny walked under several archways with
large pillars either side before they reached an outside area that was right next to a huge flowing river. 

             
"Trinny!" Her mother called out, she was sitting by the edge of the water and urged the girls to join her. Trinny sat next to her mum on the soft earth and Emma sat along side her. "Beautiful here isn't it?" Lucille said looking out over the moving water. "I've tried so many times to capture the beauty of this place in my paintings, but there are no colors that could ever get it looking the same." 

             
"Of course, all those paintings in the cafe, no wonder I've been experiencing deja vu." Trinny looked at her mum. "...Who are you, and where is my real mother?" Lucille laughed.

             
"Oh Trinny, there is so much to tell you...but just so you know, I am your real mother, no one else could love you as much as I do. I just don't know where to start." 

             
"How about the beginning?" Trinny said softly, Lucille took her hand and looked at the silver ring that was on her middle finger.

             
"I see you've meet your grandmother." 

             
"The Nixie Queen?" Emma asked with a shocked look on her face. Trinny just stared at the ring.

             
"Yes, she's my mother." 

             
"How can she be your mother, you look around the same age?"  Emma was dumbfounded at this revelation.

             
"We age like a normal human when we are in the mortal world, the Fae realm is like drinking from the fountain of youth everyday. Eventually it does catch up on you, but it takes a very long time." Lucille looked back over the water and she took a deep breath. "I was about your age Trinny, when I meet your father, he was so handsome, but it wasn't that that made me fall in love with him. He was gentle and
wise, with such a respect for all living things. He was traveling through Elven Wood when we met, a Dragus had been injured by a Dire Wolf, your father fought it off and I watched silently as he healed the Dragus of it's wounds.”

             
“What’s a Dragus?” Emma asked.

             
“A Dragus is very similar to a Pegasus, but when it is in full flight or battle, it’s wings ignite in flames and it breathes fire.”

             
“Wow.”

             
Lucille continued her story.

             
“When I saw how your father smiled when the Dragus flew to the safety of the skies, I fell in love instantly and had to reveal myself to him. We spent hours that first night talking under the stars. We understood each other, we were both heirs to thrones, and we both had dreams that differed from leading a life serving our people as their monarchs. He would visit me secretly; we knew our people wouldn't understand. You see, it is forbidden to mix races, so we had to hide our love. My sister discovered us in an embrace one evening and threatened to tell our mother, your father calmed her down, he always had a way with people. She promised to keep our secret and would often come and spend time with us as well, she grew fond of your father also." Lucille looked sad at that moment, Trinny felt her mother wanted to share something more, but she seemed to be holding back. "When I found that I was having you, your father and I made the decision to hide you in the mortal world, as we knew that a mixed child would be considered a sin. We told no one our plans or that we were having you. Your fathers people had been destroyed by then, he had nothing left but me, and there was nothing more he wanted than to protect you. Your father was one of the original
Elementals who saved Taeith, but he didn't go into the mortal world when the others did, he couldn't bear to leave me. He would travel through the portals and keep in contact with each generation, only King Toron of the Fairon and the Air Elemental Micah Govad knew who he really was, to everyone else, he was just the son of the Elemental before him. Your father's and my story started over 500 years ago Trinny, it's been nearly seventeen years since I have been back here. The mortal world aged us a little faster than we would have liked, but it was worth it to save you, to have you grow into this beautiful young woman. Your father would be so proud right now." Tears were rolling down Lucille’s face.

             
"Mum, I understand you know, I'm not mad or anything, I just want to know who I really am? I never felt like I belonged in the mortal world, and now I hear you telling me I may not belong here either, that I'm some dirty secret that has been hidden away. And now I'm meant to help save some Ora thing with powers I don't know how to use in a world that considers me some half cast." Trinny was fighting back her tears. 

             
"No grandchild of mine is a dirty secret, you are a princess of water, graceful and powerful. Lucianna should never have feared to reveal you to me, losing one daughter was painful enough, but losing two broke my heart. When I heard you sing my child, I felt a joy I had not known for half a millennia." No one had noticed the Nixie Queen sitting in the darkness of the water watching. 

             
"Mother! Mother I am sorry for the pain I caused you, I was sure my child would be punished if I stayed." Lucille hung her head low, not wanting to look her mother in the eye. 

             
"Maybe at that time you were right Lucianna, but I do not want to lose you again, and I will not allow my
grandchild to be harmed." The Nixie Queen lifted her daughter’s head and embraced her for a long time. Trinny was feeling joy and sadness all at once, she was so happy for her mother to be reunited with her family and to know that she had a grandmother, but she was sad for the pain that her birth had caused them. She sat silently, not even Emma, who always had something to say could find words. The Nixie Queen approached Trinny and took her hand. "You are strong my child, royal Nixie blood runs through your veins, I will be watching over you, I will never be far when you are near water." She kissed Trinny on the forehead and turned to Lucille. "Make sure King Toron knows we are by his side when the Dark Empress attacks." Her face was hard when she mentioned the Dark Empress, then she turned and disappeared into the deep river. It was like a huge weight had been lifted from Lucille’s shoulders, she looked to where her mother had just left.

             
"Well, you can't pick your family." Emma said to break the silence. "But if I could pick mine Trin, I would definitely go for a Nixie Princess for a mum and an Earth Elemental prince for a dad." Trinny and Lucille laughed; Emma could always lighten a heavy moment. Trinny put her arm around her mum and her friend.

             
"I have all the family I need here." She said holding them tight. "Mum? Is your real name really Lucianna? It's such a beautiful name, why don't you use it?"

             
"Yes it is. I have not been called Lucianna in a long time. I did’nt use it in the Mortal world as I did not want to be found, but in this realm I am Lucianna, Nixie Princess, in the human realm, I am just Lucille, cafe owner and full time mother." 

             
"Looks like you are both now." Trinny said with a smile.

             
Aarion had followed Trinny and Emma outside, hiding himself behind a large tree near where they sat on the riverbank. He was amazed by the story of Trinny's parents, he understood some of the feelings they must have felt when they feared to let people know of their love, just as he feared his own feelings he felt for someone he could never be with. His people would never accept an Elemental as their future Queen, even if she were a princess. He pushed himself tightly against the tree as Trinny, Emma and Lucille walked toward the inner Sanctuary.