The Bad Fairy (girlxgirlxgirl)

51. Blue death

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"IF A GOBLIN KING, A GOBLIN, MADE YOUR WIFE PREGNANT? WOULD YOU HAVE LOVED HER AS YOUR OWN?"

Chepi was tired before, but suddenly she can't feel anything at all. It's like all of her struggles have turned into a grey cloud of nothingness. She is alone in the world, suddenly. Alone. Like... upside down. Dwindling from the sky, not knowing what is up or down, left or right, sideways or straight. And even though her father's words echo in her head, over and over again, she just can't understand the importance of them.

All she can think of are her two identities. Her two homes. One that has always felt welcoming, one that has always held her roots. The small signs. The weakness in certain things and the strengths in others. She has felt so alone. Potion magic is fun and dressing like a goblin is fun. Flying is fun and using magic is fun. Being a fairy is fun, but being a goblin would be fun too. Both cultures are beautiful, both realms are full of adventure. And yet, both are enemies, and both are so very different from one another.

"That child's very existence is a constant reminder of it, son."

Novus seems to have finally calmed down, even if it's just a little bit, perhaps from the realisation that he has just revealed something that he probably shouldn't have. The fairy king turns from Nayan to Chepi, but he doesn't address her when he speaks. He only looks at her, speaking of her like one would speak of any valuable object. "I thought she was better off dead, but turns out she had a purpose after all."

Chepi is just thankful that she is called a 'she' and not 'it'. Novus finally looks at her, truly looks at her, something shining in his eyes. "If you give the crystal to me, Cherelle, I might just consider you as one of my own."

"Are you saying that I'm half goblin?"

Chepi stares at him like she's never stared at him before. Her eyes are opening. Her entire soul is opening to this new possibility. How could this have happened? How could she have been so oblivious to such an obvious truth? If her father isn't a fairy, then could her father be the goblin king? Could she be a princess in more ways than one? Not quite belonging in either court, always divided between kingdoms, living on the edge of it all.

Novus' expression turns into the same kind of sour it was before and he practically spits out a response. "I don't know what you are." His angry expression melts away, as if by force. He puts on a smile so fake it makes everyone in the room nauseous. "-But if you give me the crystal..."

"No. Say that again. Who is my father?" Chepi cuts him off, her eyes wild and tongue sharp. She won't give up on this. She won't just let him move on from this. "Is it Dieq's father?" Nayan looks at her when she asks, clearly and loudly, the question that is on everyone's mind. He looks troubled and so does Cosmo. They've been her older brothers for her entire life, and now their entire worlds have turned upside down.

Chepi grows angrier by the second, still half shocked and amazed, but partially feeling the irritation grow. She takes a step closer to her father, and suddenly the sword in her hand becomes a presence that is hard to ignore. "And you couldn't have thought of telling me?" She scoffs, dragging her free hand through her hair, her eyes still wide. It looks like she is deep in thought, slowly going insane, forgetting all about the pain and exhaustion.

"All those years I've felt so... guilty for living with the goblins." She shakes her head, thoughts racing. "-When that's where I belonged all along."

Her mumbled words are apparently too much for the crown prince to take. He shakes his head, as if finally snapping back to reality. His eyes are wide, an alarmed expression on his face. He turns away from his father and takes a step closer to Chepi instead, voice holding a sense of uncertainty but combined with a whole lot of desperation.