Chapter 48: Tale of the Water Prince

The celebration among the Earth fairies lasted until the rising of the sun. The King and Queen had to excuse themselves when the first light of the morning sun is visible in their realm.
King Merlion and Queen Alina need a few hours to take some respite. They have promised their Princess that they will join her in the next visit to her human parents. They feel that meeting their daughter's human parents should not be put off any longer.
Truthfully, the fairy couple is curious to meet Princess Aria's Popsie Reed and Marmee Rose. Princess Ava has nothing but good things to say in her encounter with these humans. Even the other rangers who were present the first visit appears to have enjoyed themselves very much.
Even though Princess Aria is marveling over the celebration for Aldar and Melandra, she excuses herself earlier than any other fairy because she is feeling a bit tired. She is considering that this might be due to the amount of magic she performed to awaken the two rangers. Until now, she does not have a solid explanation on the miraculous outcome of the magic she administered back at the Blue Haven. She just feels a little bit spent so she needs to recharge herself.
The Princess would also like to have some time to calm herself down for her excitement in visiting her Popsie and Marmee once more. She is a bit wary on how her King Father and Queen Mother would feel when they meet her human parents.
This has kept Princess Aria's mind busy trying to assess her feelings as well. There is a certain guilt inside her for noticing her strong attachment to her human parents more than her fairy ones.
She feels like she is cheating on her real parents. Not that she does not love them fully but her connection to them is like on a magical level while her years of being in the human world and experiencing the unconditional love of her human parents makes her existence more real than her fairy descent.
Princess Aria sighs and wishes she could talk to her best friend Jo so she could ask her opinion on this.
She plans to share her thoughts to Caspian as well but she is aware that he has a lot in his mind right now. Princess Aria would like Caspian to have a little worry-free time so she preferred to retire by herself when Caspian offered to leave the party earlier to be with her.
She is aware of Caspian's closeness to Aldar and Melandra that she insisted for Caspian not to mind her and let him stay on with their other fairy kin at the celebration.
With that excuse, she was able to convince him that she does not have to come along for this time for her second visit to her Popsie and Marmee since her fairy parents would be with her anyway.
Caspian understood this and agreed that it would be a private moment for Princess Aria and both her parents from the human and fairy realm to get to know each other.
This time, King Merlion uses fairy magic to transport them quicker to their destination. Only a few rangers join them. The more experienced rangers like Jeera and Aramir are the only fairies to accompany them. But of course Bran insisted in coming along too. The latter rationalizes that he could be a look out in the vicinity in case of any suspicious activity. At the same time, he could return to their haven for fairy reinforcements while Jeera and Aramir guard the King, Queen and Princess. However, the other fairies are aware that Bran is just be fond of human cooking so the King dismisses the issue with a smile.
The King transports their group just at the shade beneath the willow tree without attracting any attention at all. He is cautious also to cast an illusion so that the house with the blue door across the street would have a magical barrier that the neighbors would not notice their arrival.
This morning, Popsie Reed and Marmee Rose sit outside having their coffee just admiring the sunrise. Popsie Reed has his free arm wrapped around Marmee Rose.
The new arrivals observe the couple from afar like they are watching a mushy movie about spouses so much in love with each other. The rising sun adds to the post card effect on this picture perfect scene.
Both have their backs facing their visitors so they have no idea that they have spectators already.
"Popsie! Marmee! I'm back! Did you miss me?"
Princess Aria shouts as loud as she could to get the attention of her foster parents like she used to do when she was a kid. She does that whenever her Popsie and Marmee are so absorbed in adoring each other as if they are the only one two people who existed.
Popsie Reed and Marmee Rose turn their head to glance at the direction where they heard their Anna's voice.
Marmee Rose stands first and closes the distance between her and Anna, who is running towards her across the street to embrace her.
Popsie Reed stands slowly and notices the other fairies by the willow tree.
King Merlion stares at Popsie Reed intently. He seems to gauge the kind of person this human is made of.
Queen Alina on the other hand, watches Marmee Rose and her Princess in a tight hug.
"Welcome back Anna! We kept having our breakfast outdoors half expecting to see you again."
Popsie Reed announces focusing on Anna now.
"You seem to have a few friends with you today."
Marmee Rose notices their smaller group in comparison to the last visit.
"Popsie, Marmee, I would like you to meet my fairy parents."
The Princess walks towards her Queen Mother tagging along her Marmee Rose whose hand she holds tightly.
Queen Alina crosses the street to meet them halfway.
When they are finally face to face, both mothers seem a bit awkward on how to greet the other.
Princess Aria holds one hand of her Queen Mother with her free hand. Then, she walks back leisurely towards the house with both mothers on her side. She looks like a mother guiding her daughters towards home.
King Merlion walks after them and bows to Popsie Reed as greeting.
"Good day to you, I am Merlion."
The King omits any title to refer to himself. With this gesture, he intends to express his view that Popsie Reed is his equal.
"It is nice to finally meet you, your highness."
Popsie Reed replies in a friendly tone and extends his arm for a hand shake.
Initially, King Merlion is puzzled so he does not take any action.
Princess Aria signals the handshake to her King Father and so he does the gesture a bit awkwardly, repeating his introduction to call him just by his name.
"Good morning boys. It is nice to see you back."
Popsie Reed focuses his attention on Jeera, Aramir and Bran.
"Popsie, I am so glad you remembered me."
Bran finally gets the opportunity to speak up as Popsie Reed notices them.
"It is an honor to be back here sir."
Aramir says politely.
"Thank you for your hospitality the last time."
Jeera utters as she walks up to the group with Aramir and Bran behind her.
"Have a seat my friends."
Popsie Reed offers the benches.
"Where is the lovely Princess Ava, by the way?"
Popsie Reed glances towards the willow to check if he just overlooks the presence of the Princess. The rest of the fairies sit on the benches he offered.
"I had a wonderful chat with her the last time. She is a very smart and sensible fairy."
Popsie continues referring to Princess Ava as a fairy casually like it is an ordinary thing.
"I recall our conversation about the fairy folks and other magnificent creatures. She mentions about a lost person she intends to find. However, we never got into details since it was time for them to leave."
King Merlion and Queen Alina exchange a knowing look but keep silent at the time being.
Marmee Rose goes to the house followed by Princess Aria. They come back carrying some baked biscuits, glasses and pitcher of lemonade.
The group eats and drinks in silence and with a grateful heart for what is offered to them. Bran seems to particularly enjoy the snacks.
Soon after, Jeera, Aramir and Bran stand and bow to the King and the others. They spread out to stay as guardians in the vicinity and at the same time give Princess Aria and her parents some privacy.
"We would like to give our sincerest gratitude for keeping our Arianna safe with you despite of the circumstances of how she came to you."
Queen Alina utters with so much emotion.
Marmee Rose stares at the Queen as she senses that feeling of remorse from the fairy for parting with her daughter.
"We have no regrets in our decisions to love her as our own. I understand how you feel. I would have done anything in my power to protect my daughter. For me, Arianna is my daughter as well."
Marmee Rose reaches out to Princess Aria to take her hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.
Queen Alina and Marmee Rose look straight into each other's eyes. They are one mother to another mother having a silent conversation on their swelling love for their daughter.
Princess Aria gives each one a kiss on the forehead. She picks up the glasses and pitcher to return inside the house. She uses that as an excuse to leave so as not to be seen about to cry.
Finally, she feels that her loves for both are equally whole. They are different feelings of love but both intensities. She takes her time inside to let herself cry her tears of happiness.
Meanwhile King Merlion and Popsie Reed are into another kind of conversation.
"My sister became fond of you so quickly. She cannot stop expressing how much you love her niece. For that I am truly grateful. You are the kind of father Arianna needs while growing up. I could never have wanted any other for her."
King Merlion admits.
"Thank you for your kind words."
Popsie Reed humbly replies.
"My sister Ava has mentioned of someone we are looking for. We have no idea of his existence and we suspect he may not be aware of it as well."
King Merlion divulges this matter to Popsie Reed as he senses a trustworthy nature in him. He could sense it in his own heart how relaxed he feels talking to this human.
"We are in search for a Water fairy. He is our half-brother."
The King adds in confidence.
"I was not able to get to my story of a fairytale that my mother used to tell me when I was little. It is about a fairy king who met a lovely lady by the river. The lady fell in love with this fairy despite their difference. They met at the river each time. But then the lady was with a child so she decided to run away without telling her beloved fairy the truth. Soon, the lady gave birth to a special boy. He was half-human and half-fairy. The lady called her son her little water prince. The story ends with the lady keeping his son's secret until the day she died with a broken heart."
Popsie Reed finishes and stays silent as if remembering his own mother.
King Merlion stares at him as if calculating something.
"My mother and I lived in the city. She has been talking about Bellmont and how lovely and peaceful this town is. We both love nature. I figured she grew up here but left when she married my father. She said my father died when I was still little."
"When I was growing up, I noticed that she was oftentimes sad. I knew she missed my father terribly. As for me, I don't have any memory of him because I was very young when he died."
"She kept mentioning about the wonderful nature of Bellmont. I promised that we would go here once I graduated in college. Unfortunately my mother died before I got to fulfill that promise."
"So I moved here on my own after college and found myself a decent job as an accountant of the only bank in this town."
"I kept thinking about her tale, her tale about a water prince. I find it sad more than it being a fairy tale."
King Merlion is quiet the whole time while Popsie Reed is narrating his tale. When he is sure Popsie Reed is done, he stares at him intently then asks...
"If I may inquire, what is the name of your mother?"
"Her name is Areeadne Rivers."
Popsie Reed stares back at Merlion with a puzzled expression.
The King looks as though he has learned the true ending of the "Tale of a Water Prince".