“Good morning my queen.”

A small fairy floated over the bed. Under the blankets a figure tossed but then there was no movement. Two other fairies appeared and they giggled, coming up with a plan in their heads.

“Your majesty wake up.” One of them said giving her one last chance.

They waited for a moment, but when there was no movement they pulled the blankets down revealing a small child, no older than ten, curled up in the blankets. In sleep she looked peaceful and very innocent. Her long blonde hair was sprawled out on the bed. The fairies giggled again before circling above her sprinkling fairy dust all over the young queen. For almost a minute nothing happened but then the queen started levitate off the bed. She turned and rolled over then woke in fright as she realized there was nothing under her.

“Put me down.” She pouted.

Giggles filled the room as the fairy dust disappeared and the queen fell onto the soft bed, making a thump as she landed.

“That’s no way to wake up your queen.” She whimpered throwing a pillow at the fairies.

“We’re sorry Queen Alicia, but we asked politely.” They easily avoided the pillows and flew out of the room.

As soon as they left three attendants entered the room. They bowed and started to prepare the queen for the day. They bathed her, clothed her, and did her hair finally placing her crown on top. Alicia looked into the mirror at her vanity desk, watching the attendant behind her through the reflection. Then the woman changed right in front of her eyes, into a woman Alicia didn’t recognize. But her smile was warm and Alicia felt good inside seeing it. She smiled at the reflection and the woman wrapped her arms around her, whispering in Alicia’s ear.

“My beautiful little girl.”

The whisper faded and then the reflection was gone also, replaced by the attendant that was there a minute ago.
“Your majesty, why are you smiling?” The attendant asked confused.

“It’s nothing.” Alicia replied standing.

They bowed their heads and stood still as Alicia made her way out of her chambers. They followed a few steps behind her. She looked down the hallway knowing the audience that awaited her today. As she walked she glanced out the hallway to the garden outside, mostly the fountain that was in the center. It seemed somehow nostalgic to her, but she didn’t understand why. She stopped and moved towards the window, not hearing the protests of the women around her. She watched as some people appeared at it’s edge. They looked up and smiled at her.

“Do you see them?” Alicia asked one of her attendants, not taking here eyes off the couple.

The woman was the same one she saw in the mirror and the man seemed to stir the same emotions as before. One of the attendants walked beside her and looked down at the fountain.

“Who, my queen?”

The attendant asked, her eyes darting back and forth between the fountain and the young queen. Alicia smiled sadly and looked up at the woman next to her, then looked down to see noone standing there. She sighed and continued to walk towards the main audience room. There was a tense silence in the hallway and Alicia was getting more and more uncomfortable.

“Tell me about my parents.” She asked, breaking the silence.

The attendants stopped in shock looking back and forth between each other. Then one of them started laughing and another answered the queen.

“Your majesty, you have no parents. You are as you have always been.”

They seemed satisfied with that answer. But it bothered Alicia to her core, as if her entire heart shook with sorrow at that answer. She didn’t let it show though, she just continued into the main hall. When she sat down on the throne, only then did she realize how crowded the hall was. It was a special day, the anniversary of Alicia’s coronation. Though she could never remember for how long she had been queen. Her past was a blur. Why did that woman stir those feelings in her? Maybe she was just too young to understand.

“Greetings young Queen.”

Alicia looked up to see Tiara, the queen of the fairy realm, standing right in front of her. Tiara smiled down at Alicia and bowed slightly.

“You honor me with your presence Queen of the fairies.”

Alicia stood and hugged Tiara firmly, trying her best to stand strong and fulfill her duties as Queen of all the lands.

“I sense sorrow on this joyous occasion Alicia. Are you well?”

Tiara held her at an arm’s length and looked down at Alicia, who was trying her best to hide her tears.

“I am troubled, yes, but now is not the time.” Alicia said slowly.

Even though she was just a child, she did her role as Queen very well. She was strong and well-mannered, and very much in control of herself. She spent the night conversing with all those who had come. The elves, fairies, dwarves, and many other woodland creatures had attended. All had come to enjoy the celebration and now, other than Tiara had noticed Alicia’s sorrow.

By the peak of the full moon Alicia had made her way out into the courtyard, standing where the couple had been hours ago. The moon’s reflection danced in the water of the fountain as tiny bugs skimmed over it, causing ripples. It was silent in the night, as Alicia sat there alone, thinking over the day.

No it was more than that. More thoughts bothered the young Queen, who were the people she had seen today. Why was she the only one who had seen them? Lost in her thoughts she didn’t notice Tiara approach, even though Tiara had Arion with her.

“Shall we speak now Queen Alicia.”

Tiara sat down besides Alicia, and Alicia looked over Arion. Arion was a unicorn, whose coat glistened white under the pale moonlight. The horn was ivory and stuck proudly from the center of the Arion’s forehead.

Arion walked over to Alicia and touched her forehead with its horn. Alicia knew unicorns could read ones thoughts, but they needed physical contact so she sat still. In a few minutes Arion lifted its horn and moved, placing it on Tiara’s forehead.

“Oh I see.” Tiara exclaimed patting Arion’s forehead.

“Who are they?” Alicia asks calmly.

“I do not know. They are not of this world.”

“Spirits then?”

“No, they never existed in this realm.”

“I don’t understand.” Alicia spoke softly looking into the water.

Tiara stood and looked down at Alicia, facing her. She lifted the chin of Alicia and looked right into the eyes of a small lost child. Alicia didn’t know what to do, only looked up trying to blink the tears away.

“Listen child, I cannot help you, but rumors exist of a sorcerer in the woods. Very few tread there though your Majesty since dragons inhabit that region.”

“I will go alone then.” Alicia stood and said bravely.

“I will not stop you.”

Even standing Alicia still did not stand as tall as the fairy queen did. Tiara leaned forward and gave Alicia a kiss on the forehead. Alicia felt like more like a child around Tiara, not the Queen she was suppose to be.

“Although, will not let you go alone.” Tiara continued. “Take Arion with you.”

“Thank you for that.” Alicia said gratefully.

Tiara left then, leaving Alicia and Arion alone. Arion nuzzled its nose against Alicia and she wrapped her arms around its neck. She didn’t need to read its thoughts to sense its fear, and she was sure Arion could read her fears as well.

That night she slept restlessly, haunted by dreams of the two. A rainy night, but there was someone else with them. Someone she didn’t recognize. But she was happy to be with them, smiling and laughing. The dream was real, Alicia knew that much. It was a memory of something that happened long ago. But she couldn’t remember when or who was with her.

They left before the sun came up, no one else had been awake. Arion allowing Alicia to ride on its back. By mid day they had reached to forest’s edge. Some of the treetops were scorched, no doubt by the dragons. It smelt of sulphur and Alicia knew it would be dangerous. She dismounted Arion and placed her forehead against its horn. She wanted Arion to return home. Arion neighed in disagreement but eventually gave in and turned around and left.

The only sound was that of Alicia’s heart. Not even birds dared to fly in the air near the dragons. She gathered all her strength and turned and walked into the forest. It was dense, there had been no habitation in this forest for centuries. It was night fall before Alicia reached a clearing. There was a huge tree in the middle of the forest, surrounded by nothingness.

She walked slowly towards the tree and as she got closer she noticed the tree was hiding a house, just a small cottage. The door was hidden well in the moss but as Alicia got closer, it opened automatically. She looked into the opening of the house, scared to walk in.

But the darkness called to her, and she knew she couldn’t resist. She approached it cautiously, but as soon as she was in the door closed behind her. She couldn’t get out now, but the house didn’t seem as dark now. It was warm and welcoming. Alicia walked around it slowly.

She went up the stairs, walking to the back room. She knew she had to go there, nothing would stop her. She opened the door slowly and looked in, it was the master bedroom. Two people slept there peacefully.

“It’s them.” Alicia exclaimed out loud.
She walked over and tried to wake them. But as much as she tried, they wouldn’t wake.

“Please wake up, tell me who you are.” She started to cry

“They won’t wake up dear child, because they are not in this world. This is just a memory, one of Your memories.”

Alicia turned and saw an old man there, the one from her dreams.

“I…. I know you.” She stammered.

“Yes child you do.” He smiled

Like it was a reflex she ran into his arms and started to cry. She couldn’t control it. Tears poured from her eyes as she sobbed.

“Who are they? Who are you? Who am i?”

Her questions came rapidly as the old man tried to console her.

“You have come here for the truth and I will tell it all to you.”

He sat her down on the edge of the bed and kneeled before her. The old man looked up with love in his eyes and stroked her cheek gently. The action seemed familiar to Alicia, though she didn’t know why.

“The truth is child, this world does not exist.” He said the words gravely.

Alicia looked at him in shock but he stopped her before she started to talk.

“You created this world when the accident happened.”

“Accident?” Alicia repeated.

“We are no longer in the land of the living my sweet granddaughter.”

The words echoed in Alicia’s head.

“I’m dead.” She started to cry again.

“No honey, but I am. The accident killed me immediately and almost killed you. This world is your reality until you passed completely form the land of the living.”

“I don’t understand.” She choked her tears back.

“Your parents are trying to bring you back to them, but the choice is yours. You must go choose to go back to them or stay here. If you stay here, you will forget them completely.”

Alicia looked over her shoulder at the two on the bed. She started to remember them then, their love and her life with them.

“I don’t want to forget.” She cried crawling between them on the bed.

The woman woke up then and smiled up at Alicia.

“Good morning my little princess.” She said softly.

“Mommy.” Alicia cried

She fell forward trying to hug her mother, but she disappeared. Then her father was gone. Soon darkness began to surround her, everything fading away to nothingness.

“Seems you made your choice.” Her grandfather spoke.

She turned just in time to see him disappear.

“No don’t go.” She cried reaching out to him.

She didn’t reach him in time. He was gone to.

“Don’t leave me alone, please.” She cried desperately. “I don’t want to be alone.”

It was too late, nothing existed anymore. She couldn’t even see herself in the darkness. But a light shined in the darkness and a voice could be heard.
“We miss you Alicia, please come back.”

It was barely more than a whisper but it was enough. Alicia went towards it.

“Mommy.” She whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a hospital room a woman cried silently near the body of a small girl, her husband trying desperately to comfort her. It had been three weeks since the car accident that took her from them. And finally there was sign of life. One word, whispered.