Beyond The Realms

• Prologue •

He looked around himself.  The place was swarming with humans, but it was to be expected because Fairs as enormous as these tended to attract large crowds.

The last time he had crossed over into the mortal realm was eight years ago, but the long absence wasn't due to a lack of interest.

How could he be disinterested when the mortal he had once fallen for and the children he sired with her dwelled in this realm?

But the unexpected chaos that had taken over his empire like a storm had compelled him to stay away.

As its ruler, his duty demanded his constant presence. He would have stayed in his kingdom if not for the news that one of his twin offsprings had gone missing.

But by the time he had received the terrible information, it was too late.

She was long gone.

Fearing that same fate or worst would befall his other child, he had crossed over the veil that separated his realm from the mortal one.

Hurriedly checking over his reflection in one of the many mirrors in the ' Fortune-telling shop', making sure he looked nothing more than a frail white-haired old man he smiled at the approaching duo of mother and daughter.

The mother seemed reluctant, but the child, however, was excited. " Come on mommy! I want to know my future !" the child zealously pulled at her mother's hand.

" It's nonsense. These people are liars and, nothing he tells you will come true"

Constantly getting tugged by her insistent child the mother looked up to fix a glare at the 'Fortune teller '. The king had to struggle to calm down his racing heart because despite the passing of time the mortal woman he had fallen for all those years ago was still stunningly beautiful enough to make his heart misbehave.

He had intentionally chosen not to appear in front of her in the human disguise she had seen him in before but rather in another one.

Yet, he had hoped and dreaded in equal parts that she would recognize him.

She didn't.

" Mommy, please! " The child continued to plead insistently until the mother sighed giving up" God, Amelia! You are just too stubborn "

Hearing his daughter's name for the first time the king's heart swelled with happiness.

Amelia, such a beautiful name.

They both finally entered his shop.

One wearing a huge smile and the other wearing a frown just as big as he greeted them both with a welcoming smile of his own.

" Mommy says you guys are liars," The girl said with a lisp " Is it true ?"

He found both her lisp and her straightforwardness endearing." I try my best not to lie " He replied earning a derisive snort from the mother and an even bigger grin from the child " Good"

He enjoyed the series of questions the child, his daughter, proceeded to ask him as he made a show of reading the cards she had eagerly picked up .

Few in his kingdom possessed the gift of looking into the future. He wasn't among them. Yet, what he lacked in real skill he replaced it with genuine wishes and hopes for her beautiful future.

In the end, Amelia, who was no older than eight years of age was thoroughly satisfied by what she had heard but her mother, though she maintained icy silence throughout the session her brown eyes screamed at him that he was just another con artist who had tricked them.

She arched a skeptical eyebrow when he refused to take any money for his service and instead bend down on his knees until he was at eye level with his daughter.

With a warm smile and a friendly flick on her long nose, which he was convinced and proud had been inherited from him he slipped an ordinary-looking chain with a small obsidian pendant over her neck, " Keep it on you at all times, little one " He instructed " Never take it off "

His daughter, Amelia, smiled back at him not knowing that the simple-looking chain held within itself extraordinary magic .......

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