IN ANOTHER LIFE , josie saltzman ✔️

49. Alpha

Lots has changed since Ruby left me alone on that bench in Meridial's courtyard three months ago. I'd taken on traveling and visited Polarae and Callipso, as well as making my room in Meridial's beautiful castle really my own. The walls were painted in a light green, the curtains and the rug were replaced with ones which colors were brighter and the vanity mirror was replaced with a small, round mahogany table in the south west corner of the room. I'd also unpacked the many moving boxes from my shared dorm room and finally gotten to read a murder mystery series since I bought the books about ten years ago. There was probably already a movie or two out on the books. In the meanwhile, Ruby as well as Astoria decided to write letters which quickly turned into a thing. Ruby preferred to sent them with postal portals, while Astoria used the actual postal service to send. Writing them quickly became a thing. While I was gone, Sophia had taken over my part of ruling Meridial with the circle and I was much obliged by her for that. My mother had abdicated her throne to the circle and so far, there were little to no incidents all over the world. At least, from what I heard. She also was in the early stage of spending time with someone and after almost five years, I was happy for her. Though, she wouldn't tell me who she began to see, which bugged me at first. Now, after redecorating my room and taking on new hobbies, as well as the seat on the circle, I was happy to have at least an hour to myself without someone asking me for my opinion or telling me something important, or anything.
I sighed and set my signature with the Mikaelson crest next to it over the invisible line just before Sophia entered my room after knocking three times. Sophia had her raven hair in a dutch braids and wore an elegant, burgundy pantsuit.
„Just finished the invitation for the ball. Before you're asking, it's for Henry and John," I told her as she sat down beside me and put a ring with a wide, silver band with a square, black stone resting on it as I folded up the paper and put it down infront of the ring on the table.
I took the ring into my long and thin fingers.
„Wait," I whispered and turned it over a few times before lifting my gaze to look at Sophia, „This is Ruby's. Why are you giving me this?" I asked.
She chuckled, before a wave of confusion washed over her, „I thought, I don't know, that she was giving you this as a gift. Oh, wait," She exclaimed and pulled a letter from her pocket and placed it on the table.
„Maybe this answers your question," She said and took the invitation from the table, „I'm making sure the Craven brothers get this." She said, rose from the seat and leaned forward to place a kiss on my head before leaving my room. I was quick enough to shout a thank you after her before I hastily opened the letter.
„Dear Amaya, please take this ring and destroy it. See you soon, x" It said and I took the ring into my fingers again.
„Destroy it?" I whispered to myself and look at the pitch-black stone. I sighed and slipped it onto my finger before standing up and shook my head slightly. She must've had her reasons.

I left my room and walked down the hallway before taking all the stairs down into the courtyard where a fire has been lit by my mother, whose magic was unlike anything anyone ever seen. I took the ring off my finger and watched my mother and Sophia sit side by side near the fire, conversing intently.
But their voices as well as the wind and the voices of the few other people sitting strewn around in the courtyard were drowned out by the magic I sensed from the ring. Magic that was as old as Sophia, if not older. Old and powerful magic that could only be sensed by something or someone that used the same magic.
But that couldn't be me. I've only started practicing ground magic now and with all the lack of what it can and can't do, there was no way I could possibly sense it. And besides, Ruby was from that era, she could've felt this power. This raw and dark magic. Then it clicked. All the times, I saw her, she wore that ring. It was the only thing truly consistent about her appearances back on Earth and even now. Of course, she would want to get rid of this. It probably reminded her of the elders and so far, she has been purging all that could be connected to them. How long would it be until she moved to Earth and left completely? If we truly close the portal bridge, then the elders definitely couldn't reach her then.
I shook my head and looked at the jet black stone. If Ruby were to leave, no one would blame her.
Then I tossed the ring into the fire, mumbled a spell and watch the fire spew orange and red crystals around the ring as it began to melt.
I turned my back to the fire and sat down next to my mother.
„You two look certainly chummy," I told them. My mother blushed and Sophia looked down at her hands.
„The Craven brothers got the invitation and they will be there," Sophia said and I nodded while I let the fire warm me.
„Great! So, when can I start working my wonder party skills?" I asked them and they both smiled.
„You can decorate the throne room if you'd like. Preferably in the same the corridors and the ball room is decorated," My mother said and I nodded eagerly, „Great. Quick question, when is the ball again?"
That earned me Sophia's melodic laugh, „A week from tomorrow, so relax. You'll be fine." She said and I nodded again. This time, more to myself. Next Friday. The 20th. I could do this. Besides, the throne room isn't as big as the ball room and will hardly be used, but it'll get my mind off things.
„Cool, cool." I mumbled.
„You know, I thought about a lot of things while I was gone," I told them and my mother chuckled next to me.
„Yes, dear, I meant to ask. How was Earth?" she asked and I turned to look at her.
„How did you-" I began before she put an arm around me.
„Whenever a portal opens, I get this quick glimpse of the person using it and where they want to go. It's rather annoying, actually." She whispered into my ear and I nodded and hummed.
„Oh. Okay. So, I was on Earth." I said and Sophia chuckled.
„Who'd you visit?" The raven-haired revilas asked.
„Aunt Freya, Keelin, Vincent and baby Nik. And Aunt Rebekah and Marcel and Kol and Davina."
„You said goodbye," Mom spoke in a sudden drop of her voice and lowered her head after sitting up straight. „Wow. How- How did they take it? What did they say?"
„They were devastated, of course, but ultimately all agreed that I should do what's best for me. Hope was there, too. They all just wished that Alpha would leave the bridge open." I said and Mom nodded slightly.
„The portal bridge should've been closed a long, long time ago. Before there were revilas that also possessed earthwalker DNA," Sophia said and went on quickly, „Not to say you two and others with the same heritage should not exist, I couldn't ask for a better friend and queen and godchild, but I couldn't possibly imagine what kind of chaos there would be if people like Cassius and Rose and the like still lived," She exhaled a shuddering breath and shook for a moment, „Earth would not be the way it is now, trust me," She said and shuddered again.
„Wait, so the bridges weren't always open. Revilas weren't always traveling between Alpha and Earth?" My mom asked and I looked up between them.
„No. God, no. I'm grateful for that. The bridge only opened around what- three hundred years ago. It has like a mind of its own but it can be willed and I'm sure if one of us makes it so, then it will close again. For good, this time."
„You know, Mom, I'm a bit shocked you didn't know that, or well anything about the bridge in the first place," I said and she looked at me.
„Well, even though, I'm queen, I learn constantly something new about this planet. Just like you. That's why Soph has been regent for as long as she has."
„Because there is no one smarter than her, I know. It's like a mantra or something, so often you used to say that." I laughed.
„You two are seeing each other, aren't you?" I asked. The words tumbled out of my mouth faster than I could do anything to stop them.
Both their heads snapped towards me. They began to stammer and mumble while I simply smiled at them, „Yeah, I knew. I've known for a while actually and well, I couldn't be happier for the both of you."
„Of course, you knew," Sophia whispered, shook her head and laughed. „You know, little one, you'd be the perfect spy," She said and I snickered.
Standing up and turning around to face them, I said, „Well, maybe I am." And made a silly and weird expression.
„I love you, Mom. Always," I pressed a kiss on her head and walked back inside into the comforts of my hollow and big room.