The Hidden Lands

Chapter 4- Middle Earth

Jayde

My mom had escaped the hidden lands with me when I was five after we had run from our fifth and final owners. I always felt for my mom, being robbed on the highway and sold by bandits. I hadn't been born then but for the next five years we were sold four times and we served dutifully until a freak accident killed them. I was born in the first owner's barn, called Jayde because even then my eyes had been extremely green.

Now we live in Middle Earth, a land full of people ignorant of the land that glitters in the water's reflection. I could barely remember the hidden lands, though my mom had taught me everything I needed to know about them. Faellen, Deltora, Drust, Calirvoy, and Bronz were the five nations that resided on the Ulecide sea and the Euathales were meant to protect it. Not everyone was Euathale, only a select few. I started showing Euathale abilities when I was almost ten. I was a nymph, a shapeshifter of sorts. I'd been upset about something still when I'd first changed, my mom said my eyes turned catlike just before the painful tremors hit and I had turned into a young Siberian tiger cub. It's always seemed like a cruel joke, a striped tiger, just like the black ink marks on my right arm marking my servitude. I wasn't going to complain though, I could've turned into a ferret. Beyond that though, I could shift into whichever cat fit my needs, anything feline from a 1-pound kitten to 200-pound tiger, though I preferred to be a big cat most of the time.

We lived in a beautiful country house with our own stables and gardens, we only left to buy food. Due to the erratic nature of my abilities, I couldn't attend normal school but I spent my extra time riding Myth, the Seal brown Dutch warmblood stallion I'd gotten for my eleventh birthday. I took lessons in karate and swordplay from a retired Gravelinian warrior from the Hidden lands, he taught me how to control my abilities. That is until now.

Now I was riding a strange horse with my mother limp in the saddle in front of me. Now I was in the Hidden lands heading to the capital of Faellen.

Last night had been confusing but inevitable, my mother had explained everything years ago, about my Father the King of Faellen and Wilbur my brother and future monarch. I'd learned to accept it, that's why I'd learned to fight and control my gift. My Father was a Primordial, a variety of Euathale specific to Faellen. My mother's twin brother was Terran, a Terran was Deltoran. It was not unheard of for the different groups to mix, creating mixes nymphs but it was impossible for a child with a gift other than their countries to rule. A ruler could be average but a Median could only rule Bronz, a Clairian could only rule Clairvoy, Ashlar's were limited to Gravelinian thrones and Terran were limited to Deltoran thrones just like Primordials were to Faellen. That's why we left. If I'd been born non-Primordial, like I had been, I'd have been killed, but now I was older and was old enough to renounce my position in line for the throne. So now apparently, I could return, I had to return.

Mom had been passed-out cold since right after we passed through the portal, using draughts to pass back through the barrier. I pulled my mom off the saddle now and carried her into the common house.

The common house was loud, if anything could have woken my mom this would've done it. "How much for a room?" I asked the man behind the counter.

"Depends on how long," he answered curtly as he slid a plate of bread and gravy down the counter.

"Just one night for now," I told him

"Five draughts then," he suggested and he led me up the stairs to a tiny room with a single bed. I handed over the money from my mom's purse and he closed the door as he left.

I laid my mom limply on the bed and covered her with a bed roll. I set out a glass of water for her when she woke up.

I left the room, locking the door behind me, and crossed the large common room to check on our horses before ordering a small meal of bread and cheese for myself. While I ate the bartender began quizzing me, where was I from? Really Middle Earth? Who was that other woman with me and was she okay? To that I had no real answer.

" So what brought you two up to the capital? Government give you trouble about birth certificates?" He asked.

"No, she just figured it was time for a change I guess." I glanced up towards the room "My mom is intent on seeing an old friend," I began, after all I would never meet this man again so why not dig around for the answers mom could give me.

"Does this friend have a name? I know most everyone in the city, perhaps I can point you in the right direction." He suggested amiably I pretended to think for a moment,

"Beatrix of Deltora, I believe she said, they haven't spoken since before my time but last mom heard she was in this area." I hoped my lie wasn't too obvious, though I had told him I live in middle earth so he might just chalk my ignorance up to being so isolated from the hidden lands. The Bartender whistled

"Beatrix of Deltora you say? Boy, can't go far in Faellen without hearing that name. Though for the past twenty years she's been Queen Beatrix. You really didn't know though?"

He raised an eyebrow in disbelief, I shook my head, I was having a bit of fun with this

"She's been dead for sixteen years, girly, threw herself out a window when she thought the King was dead. She was carrying their second child then. Her son Prince Wilbur's almost 19 now and King Rowan." He made a funny pained expression, "He was the best king this country had seen until he got the news, now, well now he gets things done but we don't see much of him anymore."

I tried to keep my face emotionless, with nothing but idle curiosity on it as I continued

"She had a brother though, right?"

"That she did, General Kollin, he still lives in the palace with his Majesty, you might see him down here every once in a while, mostly checking in on us I'd guess, never orders anything." He added grouchily.

"Thank you so much for helping my curiosity," I said nodding my head at him as I stood up, "I think I'll head up to my room now, hopefully my mother can join us for breakfast." I concluded the conversation and headed up the stairs. I had only just closed the door before collapsing next to Mom on the narrow bed.