The Princess and the Pauper (Lux and Mia)

[Mia Fields]

Mia was wandering around the kingdom as usual, but this time she wasn't quite in a place she recognized. It was kind of like a forest, but there weren't any around the castle, were there?

At least this place is pretty, she sighed, looking around. It was peaceful, less people unlike the kingdom. There was always noise around there. She sat down her back against a tree, closing her eyes for a moment.

I could get used to this...

[Queen Luxielle de Noire]

Walking through her favorite place in the forest, Luxiele, queen of all faes, felt relaxed and let all her worries go away.
Looking at a certain tree that caught her eye, she thought about her chores and assignments.

Too much work for one person, she thought, feeling disappointed in her no good husband that wants to make peace with the human king.

Her hair was loose and fell freely against her shoulders and her robes were to casual for a queen. She was smiling a lot these days, without any reasons but she still did.

There was a sudden movement to her right, and then it seemed like something fell. Turning around to face the source of the noise, she saw a young girl sitting on the ground with her eyes closed.

Then she did something no queen ever did, she approached her and sat beside her, staring at her intensely, staring at the obvious resemblance.

[Mia Fields]

Mia was in the middle of relaxing when she heard footsteps coming her way, she usually loved getting to know new people but it was cutting into her alone time. She opened one eye, examining the person who just sat next to her, "Um, hello?" She said, more like a question.

She felt kind of awkward as the person continued to stare at her, "Is there something wrong? It's kind of odd when a person you've never met decides to stare at you," she laughed nervously.

She remembered she brought some snacks for her adventure, as they took hours sometimes. "Would you like one?" She asked, offering the woman an apple. "Sorry, it's not much."

[Queen Luxielle de Noire]

The girl had to be human, or of mixed race, she had to be. In her heart, Luxielle was certain her husband would never bond with a human, never cheat on her, but her eyes were telling her something different.

"Hello, no, nothing is wrong!", she said calmly, not letting her emotions show.

Realizing she is probably scaring the girl, she lowered her head and looked away from her.

"I'm afraid your snacks are not the right food for me", she responded honestly.

[Mia Fields]

Mia was a bit confused, and had dozens of questions at that moment but decided not to ask them. Who was this lady, and why in the world was she looking at me like she knew me? She looked up at the woman, she looked different. There's something weird about her, She thought.

"Are you sure?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "You seem off, or are you always like this?" She laughed, wondering what the woman was thinking about. "I'm Mia by the way, seems weird talking to someone without introducing myself."

"Wait what do you mean by 'my snacks'? You can't eat apples? Allergies?" She asked, blushing at the number of question that were jumping out of her mouth.

[Queen Luxielle de Noire]

The girl spoke like she wasn't aware that other creatures than humans exist.
She probably doesn't know anything. Noticing the girls expression, she turned her own blank.

"Yes, I'm sure", she said while faking a smile. "I'm always like this, it is in my nature to be like that." Mia was too casual to her, too open minded to meeting new people, too naive for her own safety. What the hell is she doing here all alone?, she thought feeling slightly motherly towards her.

"You can call me Lux", she responded while smiling again, this time honestly.

"Something like that Mia, something like that."

[Mia Fields]

Mia was still confused, and the woman's surprised expression wasn't really helping. If only I could just read minds... She thought, her eyebrows furrowing when the woman's expression turned blank.

"Okay then, I'll trust you on that one because I don't really know you, and I can't judge if your telling me the truth," She shrugged, she didn't trust most people but there was something about her that she couldn't put her finger on, and it was bothering her more by the minute.

"Nice to meet you Lux, do you know where all the people around here are? It seems a bit too deserted for my liking," She looked around again, searching for human beings.

"You know, you're really confusing me. If it's not an actual allergy then what is it?" She demanded. "Sorry, I get a little nosy sometimes," she added, blushing.

[Queen Luxielle de Noire]

She's even nosy like him, Luxielle thought, coping to face the truth. And those wise eyes, it has to be it, I can't explain but i just know she's his.

"Nice to meet you too Mia", she started. "Human beings don't usually go to this forest. It is forbidden to them and they could easily get killed if the creatures that live here get their hands of them. That is something that's fault of stupid kings and queens, not normal creatures. Politics is a who*re."

"I don't really eat human food. I feed on other... well things."

[Mia Fields]

Mia couldn't help but feel violated when Lux started to analyse her, It's like she knows me or something. No, I would've remembered if I met her before, She thought, shrugging off her thoughts. "Lux, I can't help but wonder. Have you met me before? Or do you think I look like someone you know?" She asked, wondering if Lux knew her mother.

She shook her head in disbelief, " What?!" She asked, "You mean I could be killed right now? And what kind of creature? There are wild animals around here?" She added in one breath, standing up. She felt a bit scared.

"Other things? As in you're not human yourself, right?" She asked, her voice shaky. "What do you feed on? Helpless human girls you trick into thinking you're nice?" She backed away from the woman, all trust she had for her fading away.

[Queen Luxielle de Noire]

She started staring at her again, analyzing everything from her behavior, to her physical appearance, back to those eyes, her husband eyes. The girl asked her something and she needed to repeat it in her head to be able to answer it.

"You are the spitting image of my husband", she blurted out honestly, letting her walls fall down because of the eyes. She knew how it all probably sounded to Mia, Luxielle herself looked too young to be married and now she was talking about weird creatures and babbling about the resemblance between her and some unknown husband.

"No one is going to harm you when you are with me", she started to respond and then back away when the girl accused her of lying and deceiving her.

The fae lost her temper. "Listen to me child, I shall not harm you and it was never my attention to do so. I was just going to help you get out of this forest safely."

[Mia Fields]

"Your husband? How in the world do I look like him? I don't even know my father!" She exclaimed, the whole situation falling into place after she spoke. "W-wait, you mean he's my father?" She asked, confused once again, "My dad?" She added under her breath.

"What makes you so sure you can protect me? It's not like you're some queen or anything!" She said, throwing her arms in the air. She couldn't really trust Lox anymore, especially when she was telling what Mia thought to be utter nonsense.

She flinched at the woman's change of tone, and sat down on the floor in defeat. "You wanted to help me? I thought wives hated their husband's apparent daughters? Especially if he kept it a secret...."

[Queen Luxielle de Noire]

"It would explain everything", she started in a lower voice. "Why he drifted from me the last couple of years, why I felt strange energy around you, why I came to you and why you came to this forest. It is all a matter of magic, my dear child. Your eyes are like his and you talk like him and act like him. My heart is breaking at the moment but at least I know I got a daughter I always wanted to have."

She smiled lightly at the girls conclusion. "You see, I am a queen. A fae queen for that matter. I'm one of the oldest inhabitants of this forest and I dare to say i can protect you from most of the things, with the exception of time and your own mistakes." Luxielle wanted to gain the girls trust, for some reason she needed her to believe her, she needed her in her future and her future plans.

"I don't even know if he's aware of your existence. You shouldn't be afraid of me. I shall never bring you any pain Mia."

[Mia Fields]

Mia coughed, feeling uncomfortable, "Well, I'm sorry for my father's idiocy." She apologized, feeling sorry for Lux. "He doesn't seem like a very nice person. So, I don't really think I'd want to act like him," She smiled a bit, trying to lighten the mood. "Energy? As in different from most humans? Wait, my d-dad. He is h-human, isn't he?" She asked.

She blinked at the queen's confession, "A fae? Like Faires, with wings? I don't think I could believe you without proof, i-it's all too much," she admitted, shaking her head.

Mia thought about all of this, Of course he knows I exist, I even remember him being there when I was little... "He does know I exist, he just decided to leave me and my mum one day. So, you knew nothing about all this?" She asked, gesturing towards herself. She then nodded, "I'll try to trust you, but my trust doesn't come easily."

[Queen Luxielle de Noire]

"Oh, but he is a nice person", she started. "At least he was one. Even though are marriage was arranged and only of political nature at the beginning, during the centuries we fell in love with each other." Her heart was feeling with grief, sadness occupying her whole being, each moment more than the moment before. "it is not easy to accept all this without proof. I shall do some test if you let me, and it's of crucial importance that you do so. The future of the fae kind lies in your hands."

You don't know how needed you are in the resistance, child, she thought worriedly. "Yes different than the humans. If I am not mistaken, and I dare say that I'm not, your mother is human, right?" The girl obviously still didn't have her powers, or more exactly didn't know she has them. It just needed to awake them like a sleeping child from a long night sleep. Luxielle hoped she will have the pleasure to teach her all she knows.

"He knows?!", she proclaimed, surprise filling her voice. "That worthless piece of... I better not finish this sentence." Knowing she has to prove herself to this girl, she started taking of the upper part of her gown and gave it to Mia to hold it.

The queens beautiful, dark purple wings, radiated on the sun, twinkling silvery.

[Mia Fields]

Mia snorted, it was hard to believe the man that cheated on his wife, and abandoned his daughter was nice. "I'd believe that when I actually see the man doing something nice." She said, playing with her fingers. "How does the future of the Fae lie in my hands? I'm not even one, just a boring human." She added, her face scrunched up as she was thinking.

She confused with all this new facts about herself she had never known, "My mum was," She corrected, her face hinting with sadness. "My mother passed a few months ago," She admitted, looking at the floor. She was really sensitive about the subject of her mother.

She frowned, nodding, "The little things I remember about my childhood, surprisingly I remembered living with my father and mother. Although it was for a little whil-" She answered, stopping in mid sentence when Lux revealed her wings. "Those.... Are magnificent!" She leaned to touch them, amazed. I wouldn't mind having wings...

[Queen Luxielle de Noire]

She couldn't object to what the girl told her, for she was right, even though she was blind about everything her whole life. Luxielle realized she was blind too. "You are what we call, a halfwing - you are not completely human, you are not completely fae. It is more likely you will become like me, than that you will stay like your late mother. I'm sorry to her that about her, I know she was a good woman, raising a daughter like you." She pause. "I never met my real parents, but I know they were both faes. My mother and father, who took care of me, were both humans and that is the reason I will always respect their kind, even though they do not posses any powers, well with a few exceptions." She thought of witches and warlocks and being similar to them.

"I repeat to you, you can trust me." It was not usual for a fae to let anyone touch her wings, especially someone she just met or humans. The queen hoped Mia realized how special she is to her.

"You may be the heir of our throne, because I have no children of my own, and even though faes don't choose their leaders only on heritage, it is most likely they will do so."

[Mia Fields]

Mia's confusion was getting clearer by the second, it might be a bit odd, but it all made sense to her now, "A half wing? So my dad's a fae....Do I get wings too?" She asked, enthusiastically. She couldn't imagine having wings, it would be the most wonderful thing, in her opinion. She then sighed, "You don't have to be sorry, it wasn't your fault after all. But, yes. My mother was an amazing women." She said, with a blank face. Her mother's death was a touchy subject to her, and she didn't really like talking about it.

Mia nodded, "I know, but I'm sorry. It's not really easy for me to trust people. I'll try, however, and maybe in time I can." She smiled sadly.

"Heir? As in future Fae Queen?" She questioned, amazed.

[Queen Luxielle de Noire]

"Yes, a half wing." the response was direct and short. "Well, it is not certain if you are going to get wings or not, because your human side could always win your fae side and we have to wait for your birthday that will fall on the full moon to know correctly. It is more likely you will get wings, because faes are more powerful than humans, so your fae part is stronger than your human one." She saw the girls mood change and wanted to change the topic from her mothers death to something, well at least, a bit lighter.

"If everything goes well, yes, but you will have to prove yourself in our society. But first things first, we have to come up with a plan for where you are going to live and I must find creatures that will help me keep you safe."

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