At the hospital, Avelilinélia underwent a battery of tests, the doctors examined her and tended to the wounds on her back, deftly stitching up the huge wounds that had been inflicted on her. All in all, this medical visit lasted three weeks before she was allowed to return home. And in those three weeks, given the efficiency of the doctors hired by the Queen. And speaking of her, the Queen visited Avelilinélia every day, as soon as she could, not to convince her to join the race for the throne but just to check on her. Avelilinélia felt all the affliction that Queen Audisélia might have felt towards her, and it was surely not only about herself.
The weight she carries on her shoulders must be enormous for her to seem so tired? said Avelilinélia concerned about the state of the queen's health, and she even takes the time to see me by bringing me food?
Queen Audisélia often came with a lot of leaves that she filled in while talking to Avelilinélia, she had a bit of trouble being funny but she always tried to make the princess smile as she had difficulty tolerating the care she was receiving.
Sometimes she would just pop in to say hello and leave.
The guilt she felt must have been enormous.
Apart from the Queen's visits, treatments and consultations, Avelilinélia toured this brand new hospital, the Queen had explained to her that it had been built on the model of human hospitals - she had even asked a human architect to work together with Faerie architects from Sylvania so that they could build this underground hospital.
Despite what one might think, it was not made just for the nobles and their friends but for the whole population of the kingdom, many people from the Upper Town had been sent here for treatment, and even more surprisingly, there were people from the Nether, but mostly children. And there were dozens of them. They were treated in the same way as the other residents of the hospital, they were even given new clothes. Avelilinélia was shocked.
- Our queen is working hard to ensure that everyone is treated equally and without difference," a fairy nurse said to Avelilinélia.
- I can see that. And nobody says anything?
- Many people were against the announcement of the hospital, and many people are still fighting to ensure that care is given first to the nobles and then to the Upper Villians and that the inhabitants of the Netherland do not set foot in this hospital at all.
Avelilinélia was devastated by this information.
- But the Queen fought against all odds to make it accessible to everyone, and I think that as long as she is here, nothing will change.
- What if something happens to her?
- How can you think that about Sylvania's Ultimate Weapon?" laughed the nurse, "but it's true that if she were to abdicate for any reason, it could be problematic. But I honestly think she's already thought about it and is working on it so that this place doesn't become a hospice for the rich.
This reassured the fairy, who watched her people smile genuinely when the doctors took the opportunity to make faces at them or spoil them with sweets.
Finally, they are not as bad as Niloran..., thought the princess.
It was after this discussion that, a few days later, Princess Avelilinélia, during a visit from the queen, asked her some questions.
- My queen.
With her nose in her documents, she suddenly raised her head.
- You can call me Audisélia, but yes?
- I wouldn't dare!
- Don't make a fuss, we come from the same place. I never talk to people from the Nether among the officials, they're always either nobles or Upper Villagers. Although I only lived there for a short time and have no memory of it, I think... I don't know... not that we're friends because that would be really weird and problematic in light of future events, and Sawyer wouldn't want that," she grumbled, "but here goes...
- I think I know what you're getting at," Avelilinelia said, scratching her cheek, "I'll make an effort then.
- Very well!" said the queen, "so what do you want from me?
- I had countless questions about the role of Queen of Sylvania, or even just Queen..." said the princess, twisting her fingers.
- Start with the first one, that will be enough.
Avelilinélia took a deep breath and then asked:
- Is it really necessary to be so strong? As strong as you are to claim the throne of Sylvania?
The Queen tilted her head from side to side, patting her cheek with her ink-soaked quill, before turning her head back to her documents.
- Whether you are a man or a woman, a king or a peasant, you must always be strong, or at least live up to what you are protecting, the queen declared, whether it be the kingdom or your loved ones. However, being as strong as I am is not a prerequisite for being the ruler of Sylvania, just proving that you are worthy of the people you protect is enough.
- Surely. So if it's not necessary, why are you so strong?
- Oh, this? It's just that I was born strong, and as I've fought, I've become even stronger, to the point where Sawyer feels useless as a bodyguard... No, I should say, to the point where they call me the Ultimate Weapon of Sylvania. But I told you: personal strength is not the most important thing, it's surrounding yourself with trustworthy people, being brave and courageous, intelligent and willing to do anything for those you love that is. The rest you'll have to figure out for yourself.
- It sounds so simple when you say it...
- It never is. It's work to be a queen. Endless work... Look at all these sheets I have to fill in!" enraged Queen Audisélia, "all because of this damn 'purification'. Administrative documents, magic calculation sheets, accounting...
- But you normally have ministers for that, don't you? asked Avelilinélia.
- Yes and no. Yes, normally I have them, but no, I had to kick out the dissident factions of my government, so I have to deal with them.
- The famous "Governmental Lightning Purge". Did you exterminate them?
- Not at all. Triface would have liked to, to establish my royal rule, but I vowed not to kill anyone during my royal term. They were all thrown into the dungeon. The tax money was not only used to build this hospital but also to expand Limbo. I think I'm heading in the right direction in this final term.
In Avelilinélia's eyes, the queen was a real hard worker, although she felt guilty for some reason other than her health. She seemed to be an upright and kind person.
- You could help the people of the Nether...
- No, I can't do that.
- Why not?" she shouted.
- Calm down," the queen ordered her in a very stern tone.
This startled the princess, who calmed down but asked the question more quietly.
- I have made many mistakes of which I am not very proud and I have put the people of Sylvania in great misery. I am trying to make up for my mistake but given my past actions, I cannot do so. In any case, it is not through me that the change of mentality will be achieved. I am not legitimate to do so since I was "shaped" in the mould of royalty.
- And yet you told me that you came from the Underworld like me! Like her children who are in rooms adjacent to mine! How can you allow them to suffer such a fate when you have learned of the ignominy that is perpetrated in the depths of this?
- I also told you that I didn't really live there, so that's why I offered you to take part in the succession.
- You don't want to do anything to get me into the bloody tournament, do you?
- What will I gain from it?" the queen replied nonchalantly, "I haven't finished making amends for my mistakes and I have to prepare myself to fight an overpowered enemy without the funds and men of the kingdom. I have just answered your question.
Princess Avelilinélia lay back and stared at the ceiling, unable to hide the anger directed at the queen.
- In the current parameters, despite my feats of arms, I am totally powerless," the queen continued, "the faction that is against me is not totally dead, but I was able to get rid of the most virulent. Nevertheless, on certain points I cannot agree with them and acting like a dictator would not lead to anything good. That's why I came to you and analysed your words to see. If you were not worthy of the throne, I would never have made you this proposal, but I would still have looked after you. And you must know that I cannot intervene any more on your behalf because you know our laws, our dogmas and our traditions. It is up to you to act and to regulate the kingdom in your own time. The rest is up to you, Princess Avelilinélia Grave.
The queen was not wrong. It was Avelilinélia's lack of courage that made her refuse to take part in the kingdom's leadership, but she should not be blamed for everything.
After all, she was still traumatised by the barbaric amputation she had suffered two and a half years ago...
- If you want to get something done, just be the first to instigate the change you want to make, that's all. That's why I'm bothering with all this shit!" the queen burst out, "I can't wait for the new ministers to be selected and the army to be reconstituted.
Avelilinélia considered what the queen had said and would think about it later.
While the queen had come to visit Avelilinélia during those two weeks, Lelelitio had not deigned to see her during her hospitalization. Of course it was impossible for the inhabitants of the Netherworld to access Upper Town, let alone the Sanctuary...
- But he could have made an effort, Avelilinélia complained as she left the hospital.
A royal carriage waited for her at the entrance to the castle and took her to her house in the Nether. She found a completely new house. Of course, it was not too extravagant so as not to attract the attention of the curious and reveal the presence, in the Nether, of a princess of the Grave line considered extinct.
But what she hadn't anticipated was that there was now a lock. Usually they blocked the door with a wooden plank against the door - basic magic if he was going to be gone a long time - so that no one would break in. She didn't plan to break down this newly installed door and didn't know any spells to pick a lock, so she went and sat on a bench in a nearby park.
Sitting down, she began to weigh the pros and cons of becoming a princess again to gain access to the throne. A false dilemma to avoid the main reason why she refused to consider running for the throne of Sylvania: she was not worthy of her convictions.
By dint of reading and rereading the tale of the hero and the fairy of the legend, she had convinced herself that she could live up to these immense figures, the last bastion of hope of the Fairylanders... but on her own small scale. That's why she had helped to make this hellish place much more peaceful for its inhabitants. To live up to the hero she admired so much. But, although she was said to be strong, simple bandits ridiculed her and took what was most precious to her and sold it who knows where like a common commodity.
If she could not protect herself, how could she claim to protect others and bring order to this decadent kingdom?
Fighting seemed so far beyond her reach. Lelelitio had gone through thick and thin to find her, and had found himself confronting people who wanted to harm her on numerous occasions. In the end, she remained a burden on his shoulders, not the figurehead that the hero of the legend was.
She had been thinking about the Queen's proposal for a fortnight and she saw no way to get a positive answer from her without being hypocritical and hiding her incompetence.
- I think it's time to tell the Queen the truth, because I'm not getting anywhere with this question," she said aloud to herself. "Once Lelelitio gets home, I'll use the communication shell she gave me to give her my answer.
Then she noticed that some children were being chased by a troop of men, they were going deeper and deeper into the Nether, they would soon reach the area of the Hydragon's corpse: the most dangerous place in the Nether. Caught by a strange curiosity, she followed them until she found herself in a dark alley, the children were cornered by these strange men she recognized: they were the butchers of Traxi, whose leader was the woman who had agreed to turn Malalalivia into ground beef. Horrible people who took advantage of people's misery to amass meat by using them to feed themselves.
The men facing the children were thick brutes, with huge biceps, spikes and horns everywhere, masses as big as her legs. At the mere sight of them, she was completely terrified, she wanted to act but it was certain that they were much stronger than she was, she had just come out of hospital, what could she do in her state? So she was slumped against the wall, watching the scene out of the corner of her eye, hoping that someone would come along and save these children from the disastrous fate to which they were bound.
Their cry of fear, their tears, the frightened "big brother" that Avelilinélia perceived, tugged at her heart, but she did not feel able to act, she was weak... unworthy of the hero of the legend... She only begged the heavens for a guard to arrive and intervene, for the queen herself to come and save them... But how? No one dared to venture into this lawless area where no light could be seen.
One of the kidnappers grabbed the boy from among the children and with one hand grabbed him before licking him for a taste.
- Moma always said she didn't care about her head," said the boy in a hoarse, silly voice.
- No, she didn't. Not bad," replied the other in the same tone.
- Well, that's great!" he rejoined, "we can play tug-of-war!
The boy begged them to let them go, struggling as best he could, kicking all around him, he begged them to at least let his grand-brother and grand-sister go.
- We can't, or Moma won't be happy. Besides, children's meat is always delicious.
The boy began to scream for help, begging to be rescued, Avelilinélia behind the wall covered her ears so as not to hear their cries, screaming at herself to ignore it. Her legs were paralysed by fear, anxiety and cowardice, yet a small voice was screaming at her to act in the depths of all the negative emotions that had invaded her mind but especially her heart. And it was by a simple movement of her head in this alley that she met the imploring gaze of the young boy, he didn't even have the strength to scream for help, this gaze filled with despair but also with an ounce of joy to see someone witnessing what was going on.
He must have thought she could call for help, Avelilinélia thought.
No. She was the one who was the rescue for him. She knew that very well.
However, as she considered whether or not to act, she noticed that the boy's eyes were beginning to dim, the cannibal's strangulation would soon kill him.
Was she really going to let a child die before her eyes? Hadn't her mother and foster mother sacrificed themselves so that she could live? How could she honour the hero if she could not honour the lives that had been offered for her survival?
Driven by a surge of extreme courage, her heart fuelled by something she had never known before, she charged towards the two giant kidnappers and sliced off the hand of the man holding the child's head with an iron hand forged with magic, and as expected, she realised that they were ogres - not to play on clichés, not all ogres eat conscious beings, but it was necessarily expected that it could only be them -, the fight was going to be very trying.
She stood between the kidnappers and the desperate children, barely crouching, holding the child who had simply lost consciousness, her left hand made of flesh and blood protecting her head and her right hand that had been turned into sharp steel, soaked in the blood of those monsters who saw fit to attack children in front of her.
Avelilinélia had not even cast a spell to transform her arm, it had been done instinctively. Like the fact that she was facing these two giants with potato sacks over their heads, revealing only yellow eyes eager for fresh flesh. She had been, as it were, pushed by a mysterious force both inside her, which lay dormant in her guts, and outside. And here she was facing the most dangerous opponents she had ever faced, and yet it was not fear that was in the forefront, despite her trembling lip, she was inhabited by a courage underlying another emotion that was much more violent, an emotion she had never felt in her entire life: rage.
Rage that this kind of injustice goes on without anyone acting, without anyone solving it.
She could be revolted, but the flame in her eyes was more than just revolt or teenage anger, she was enraged that she had been unable to stop fear from guiding her steps all this time.
Suddenly, she remembered something the queen had said to her about her strength and that of Avelilinélia: "To obtain my strength, my power, there is a price to pay that goes beyond simple training. Fortunately you don't have to pay it because you already have incredible potential, wings or not. As I told you: it is enough to be able to fight for those you love to obtain true strength. The rest will come later and in a miraculous way that you can't even imagine.
She was right. It was a miracle that had happened. She had acquired the greatest strength to protect others: courage. And for now, that would be more than enough for her to defeat simple thugs like them.
- What does the wingless fairy want?
- You think you can take on the Bargo brothers.
- Oh yes," replied Avelilinélia, "it's not monsters like you who are going to do these children any harm.
- Oh yes? You've got a big mouth for a nobody.
- Think again. I'm much more than a nobody.
She put the boy down beside his brother and sister and stroked their hair to reassure them, then turned back to the two ogres.
- I am the future queen of Sylvania, the wingless princess, Avel... Talemilia Malalalivia Grave and I will ask you to take yourselves to the nearest guards and place yourselves under arrest.
- And you think we're going to listen to a bourgeois woman from the Underworld?
- As you wish, but don't complain about being beaten by a wingless woman," she warned them, her eyes filled with rage.
She metalized - is that really a word? - her arms and charged into battle against these two ogres, galvanised by the rage that inhabited her, that transcended her. Of course she wasn't going to defeat them as easily as she would have liked: they were twice as big as her, five times stronger than her, she didn't move as easily as when she still had wings. It would be much more tedious, especially as she had never really fought... but she had to!
If I don't do it, who will?
It was after a long battle, with a few broken ribs, swollen cheeks and wounds everywhere that the one who had renamed herself Talemilia Malalalivia won and saved the children.
The children had gone to call for help to get her out and guards arrived with Lelelitio who had returned from wherever he had been. The new Malalalivia saw him, winked and gave him a thumbs up.
- I won the fight, Leleli.
Lelelitio couldn't believe his eyes, his worst expectations after reading Avelilinélia's mother's book were about to come true. But could he prevent it? She had always had this will to protect others, beyond being like this legend.
Was this the famous "Fate of the raging hero of the legend"? the elf wondered.
But was that such a bad thing? After all, he had said that if she showed up, he would serve her as best he could.
He walked over to her and lifted her off the ground.
- You've only just got out of hospital and you're going to have to go back in," Lelelitio scolded her.
- Oh, so you missed me," Malalalivia retorted, "but you haven't even come by to see me!
- Do you really think you're in a position to scold me?
- Well, one thing is for sure, you always show up in the nick of time, Leli," she said before kissing his cheek, "I know I can always count on you.
Lelelitio was speechless, he never thought Avelilinélia would kiss his cheek, she was never a tactile person, especially with him, unless she had to. He said nothing and continued to walk until they exited the alleyway where a centaur guard had them get on his back to take them home. There a doctor would be sent to them, the fairy's injuries could be considered superficial in a magical kingdom.
The queen arrived a few hours later, without a carriage, horse or centaur, she had simply flown in at lightning speed from the castle. She came to the princess' bedside.
- I'm so sorry, I should have left some guards with you," apologised the Queen.
- It's nothing," the fairy princess reassured her, "but I wanted to tell you something.
- Yes?
- I am going to be a princess again and Lelelitio will be my servant and my champion.
- Really?" Queen Audiselia gasped, "what made you change your mind?
The princess sat down on her bed and looked at the floor.
- That fight against those two ogres taught me two things: I don't particularly like fighting, but I learned the need to be strong, and I understood that if I want to change the things I don't like, I'll have to do it myself.
Then she stood up and looked at the queen with her confident smile.
- So, Madam Queen of Sylvania, I will take back my title of Princess and I will remove you from your position.
Lelelitio had not been mistaken: she had regained her courage, and even more, it was beyond her former personality. Perhaps it was the adrenaline coursing through her veins, but she seemed much more confident.
- I'm glad! But I have two things to say: you're not going to depose me, I'm abdicating, it's not the same thing, but I'm going to put it down to euphoria because it's still an admission of an act of high treason. And your determination would have been classy to see if you didn't look like a glocque.
A creature with big cheeks from which it shoots out spikes to defend itself.
The princess hid her cheeks with her hands and said:
- Is that all?
- That's it. The real advice will come later. Don't worry, you and your servant here are going to undergo Spartan training, I presume from what he said last time.
- Yes," Lelelitio replied proudly.
- 'Just know that it will be a rocky road and that betrayal and backstabbing will be rife.
- Don't worry, I'll prepare myself for that.
- And given your technical skills in magic, I don't think you'll need a refresher course on that subject, but the rest won't hurt. Oh yeah, and since we're short on manpower, me and Sawyer will be in charge of educating and training you.
- Really?
- Really," said the Queen, "but it's also to avoid any form of discrimination until your mind is hardened because you're holding on because your body is still on adrenaline, nevertheless, I'm sure you'll get there.
- Thank you my queen.
- You're welcome. Well, I'll leave you to it. See you as soon as you're back on your feet.
Audisélia went out and found Sawyer behind the door.
- Did you manage to catch up with me?
- Of course I did. I did learn space magic so I'd never be left behind again.
- So you went back to the magic of your choice because you're angry about what happened two and a half years ago?
- Of course I do: I was there.
- What do you think about the potential of these kids?
- With the short two-week training and the analysis we got from the hospital and from you, the girl will surpass the boy if he is at his best, even before reaching the adulthood of a real fairy.
- Will she? That'll be interesting to see.
- Are you planning to take him on?" Sawyer asked.
- No. Those days are over, I've got something else to do, I've got a kingdom to run.
- That's fine.
- Stop thinking you're Torn, we're almost the same age.
- But he asked me to protect you, and that's really not an easy task...
- Ahah! You forgot the negation, you're slacking off!
She took his head and rubbed it with her wrist then released him.
- Since you're here, we're going to take care of these guys who think they can eat our people.
- Sélia, language..., he sighed, but yes, since we're here we might as well teach them some manners.
In the room, Lelelitio wanted to clarify something:
- Avelilinélia, why did you take my mother's name?
- Because I want to fight by being like them, maybe Avelilinélia won't exist anymore but it's for a better thing. I want to thank them for what they have done for me and embody the continuity of their lives.
He wanted to contradict her but held back, she was in the midst of an exaltation of her strength, he wasn't going to argue with her about it, and it's not like she took their names for a bad thing.
- Ah yes, you must read your storybook about the legend of the hero and the fairy. I learned a lot from it.
- Like how my mother was the ancient fairy of the legend..., she smiled at him.
- She smiled at him. "Yes. Wait, what?
Lelelitio jumped to his feet, his eyes completely bulging at Malalalivia's laughing look.
- Did you know about this? How long have you known?
- The beginning. When you were reading the story to me, I understood exactly what was in the book. The spell worked on everyone who wasn't affected by it. That's why I admire them so much, before the queen announced that the next queen of Sylvania would be the fairy of the legend, I was determined to do everything to become the hero, well, the heroine of the legend, now I have the chance to become both.
- That's why you admire them so much...
- That's right. I know it was incomprehensible to you, but I didn't live much with my mother so this book is the only thing that connects me to her so...
- No, it's okay. You don't have to explain it anymore. I get it. I just want to know one more thing.
- Yes?
- Are you really determined to become queen, Avelili... Malalalivia? The people we're going to face are big shots, over-trained nobles, even people from other countries and kingdoms, even magical creations.
- Are you afraid?" asked Malalalivia, mockingly.
- I am worried about you.
- I told you: I am sure of what I am doing and of my choice, because I am fed up with not being able to sit at the same table with the other strata of society. I am going to change things and break down the walls that separate us like the hero of the legend and his fairy companion will break down the sky to let us see the stars.
Although he knew of his cousin's admiration, he could not help hating her. But he was satisfied. He would stand by her and push her to the top.
That was the promise he had made to himself.
- So it works for me too, Princess Talemilia Malalalivia Grave.
- Glad to see you aboard, Lelelitio Grave.
And they both shook hands, preparing to travel that famous and difficult road.