Chapter 18: The Kiss

It is almost twilight when Caspian reaches the willow tree. He is so lost in his thoughts on the events in their realm that he does not notice that he has reached the end of the trail from the forest. He is even surprised that Anna is waiting at the willow tree, staring straight at him with a frown on her face.
"Caspian, are you alright? Popsie said everything is back to normal in the Valley. But you still look worried?" Anna starts to inquire.
"Anna, sorry I was not able to come sooner, after I hurriedly left from the Diner this morning. Yes, the valley is fine." Caspian walks up to Anna, still with a serious face. He closes the distance between them and embraces Anna unexpectedly.
"Anna, I just have to see you now. Yes, things are still calm in the valley, but there is a war brewing in our realm. Not just the Green Haven, but all the other Fairy realms. It's the Dark Fairy..." Caspian's words just trail off. He does not let go of Anna not even an inch. His words sound fully laden with weariness.
Anna is caught off guard by Caspian's actions, stays still. She waits for the next move of Caspian. She can feel the warm blush on her own face though she cannot see her own face.
They stay that way for a few moments, perfectly still. Anna can sense Caspian's need for reassurance. She is just unsure what else she can do for him.
When Anna realizes that Caspian will not say anything anymore, she pulls away slowly from their embrace and gazes at Caspian's weary eyes.
"Hold on a second Caspian. You are scaring me. There is something more that you do not like to speak about..."
Anna starts to look worried too. She is beginning to feel anxious for his silence. There goes that same sensation again. Whenever Caspian talks about his people and what is happening there, she sort of gets that inexplicable connection with it somehow. Whatever it is about, she empathizes with them. It is as if it matters to her too.
Caspian takes her by the hand and leads her to the willow tree to sit. It is dark around them by now. The atmosphere seems to sense the darkness in Caspian's thoughts. He still does not let go of Anna's hand.
"Anna, like I have mentioned, a war is coming and it involves every Fairy; Earth, Water, Air and Fire Fairies altogether in one messy battle. This is all because of Alirion. He has gained control of the Fire Fairies' realm. Whether by force or the fairies willingly obeys him, which is what our people will try to find out. Whichever the case, a battle is going to happen..." Caspian pauses.
Anna understands clearly. Caspian need not explain further. It is her turn to worry. Caspian is a ranger among other Earth fairies. He is going to battle with the rest of the fairies. This is a battle that they may or may not win against the Dark Fairy.
Upon comprehension of the reality of danger for Caspian, Anna holds his face with both her hands, gently caressing it. She traces every curve, as if memorizing them.
Suddenly, Caspian cannot control his emotions anymore. His face comes closer to Anna's.
He moves slowly, slowly, until he can feel her breath on his face. He can feel Anna's heart pounding at the same pace as his own.
As if there is a magnet between them, Caspian gently places his lips against hers. She does not resist the gesture, as if she is anticipating it herself.
Their first kiss...a short but special one for both of them. Suddenly, time seems to stop. The worries seem to fly away or cast aside for now.
Caspian and Anna sigh at the same time. Both finally smile, still looking at each other's eyes...green to green. Caspian's face suddenly lights up in realization of something. What if?
As an unspoken answer to his thoughts, Anna suddenly touches her heart. She holds on to where the locket glows underneath her shirt. The strong emotions she is experiencing right at the moment sends the emerald locket to glow incessantly. She reaches out for it and in the darkness of the evening, it shines brightly like a star in the sky.
Caspian cannot take his eyes off the glowing locket. For the first time, he sees Anna in a different way.
He just cannot believe that he did not see it all along... everything clicks into place. He has found her! She is just like him, an Earth fairy.
"Anna it's you!" Caspian exclaims with amazement and joy. He takes Anna's hands and guides her to stand. Then, he bows reverently in front of her. "Princess Arianna, I am at your service..." he says in exultation.
Anna stares at Caspian with a confused expression. She pulls him forcefully to stand.
She just cannot comprehend what made him behave that way so suddenly.
"Caspian, are you okay? Are you out of your mind? What are you talking about? How did you know my name Arianna? I have never told you that?" Anna sounds frantic.
"Anna...i mean Princess Arianna, you are our long lost Princess. You are our Princess Aria, the daughter of Queen Alina and King Merlion. You have been lost for sixteen years."
"Why didn't I see that before, when you told me that your Popsie and Marmee are not your real parents?"
"I think the locket is protecting you, concealing you. It did not trust any fairy until now that it felt my true feelings and intentions for you. That's why you can see who I really am even if I glamour myself then."
"Yes, you are the princess child that Aldar and Melandra kept hidden from Alirion that fateful night when he attacked the valley."
"I was still young then like you but your story has been told to every fairy in our realm because your parents, the Queen and King, tried to look for you, in the Fairy Realms. They never thought that Aldar and Melandra will not be able to tell them where they hid you. They were both left unconscious when they faced Alirion."
Caspian pauses after something crossed his mind. He stares at Princess Aria with a devastated expression.
"It was meant to be kept as a secret so Alirion cannot reach you if our realm perishes, along with our Queen and King."
"You are a secret, the forgotten secret kept by Aldar and Melandra, all these years. This changes everything!"
Caspian finishes his explanations with a little less emotion.
"How are you sure that it's me, that I am that Princess you are looking for? I don't even look like you!" Anna tries to argue, still not convince with all these revelations about her past.
The locket Anna is holding in her hand continues to glow. She stares at it, and for the first time, she is looking at herself reflected by the glow. Her green eyes, her pale face, and to her shock, her pointy ears!
"What?!" she utters in amazement realizing what the locket revealed to her. All of sudden she believes it, all of the truth in it, with all of her heart.
"I have to tell Popsie and Marmee. They have to know, i owe it to them. They have protected me since I was a baby..."
Anna starts to cry, choking on any other words she intends to say.
However, Caspian remains immobile in front of Anna. He is unsure of how to react now, to the girl he feels so strongly about, to their Princess.
Anna takes Caspian by the hand and urges him across the street to her house.
"Anna, um Princess Aria, what are you doing? You know I can't go inside!"
Caspian reminds her. At first he hesitates knowing that he cannot enter her house anyway, but as magic can break like any spell, he feels something has changed too. He is not hindered by any shield, he can pass now!
"Princess, i think your locket is allowing me to go with you now!" Caspian utters in bewilderment.
"It trusts me!"
Anna quickly enters her house, tugging Caspian with her. She ignores what Caspian has discovered because she is determined to tell her loving parents what she found out.
They find Popsie Reed and Marmee Rose sitting side by side at the sofa drinking tea. Both look up to them questioning, seeing their excited faces.
"Hi, Anna! Hi, Caspian! Is everything alright?" Popsie Reed asks, intrigued.
"Popsie, Marmee, we have to talk. I have something very important to tell you." Anna blurts out.
Popsie and Marmee stare at each other with puzzled faces. In a few minutes, everything will be clear to them.