Kapitel 4: Aelfrey's Kingdom

The kingdom's palace is nestled in the heart of Aelfrey, surrounded by the now-frozen lake. Its four towering citadels stood proudly on a small hill overlooking the entire kingdom. A wide arched stone bridge connects the kingdom to the mainland. A white high wall fortifies the city and the castle behind with a massive, heavy iron gate at its center. There are three look-out towers in the east, north, and west. Meanwhile, two bell towers are mounted on each side of the gate.

The kingdom's villages, the town's marketplace, and the village's infirmary are located on the kingdom's outer curtain. The Faye houses are scattered throughout the kingdom to the east and west, with the kingdom's barn in the northwest corner. The winged horses, known as Neighfreys, were clothed in bright, thick caparisons to protect them from the extreme temperatures, with the country's emblem embroidered on them.

Sheefreys are located at the heart of the barn, resembling a goat in the human world, only they have thick wool skin that makes them impervious to the frost. Well, not for long as their thick wool will be sheared from them in a week's time. Sheefreys are one of the most vital animal-freys in the Land of Aelfrey, as their wool can be used as fabric and sewn into thick robes for all fayes in the kingdom. They are also the sole animal-frey that has no wings on them.

The chickfreys and rabbifreys are all safely settled on the other side of the barn. Their feathered wings do not need to be coiled on their backs as they have thick fur to warm them. Awwfreys and Meowfreys lived with the fayes in the village and inside the king's castle as they are mostly regarded as pets in the land.

At the heart of the outer curtain lies a vast array of merchants selling roots, crops, delicacies, and other necessities for surviving the frost, such as thick clothing, robes, and tunics. Some also sell various weapons like spears, swords, arrows, and bows. The once lively chitchat of the fayes on the bustling marketplace has now devolved into a solemn silence.

An ascending white, wide marbled staircase on the small hill is the first thing you will see in the kingdom that screams of extravagance. Once you reach the top steps, another white, high stone wall surrounds the king's castle at the very center of it. The inner wall's gate is noticeably smaller than the massive iron gate on the kingdom's outer wall.

Behind the inner wall's gate lies the enormous and magnificent courtyard of Aelfrey's kingdom. The courtyard's floor is embellished with grey stone marble, and four flagpoles that bear Aelfrey's flag stand on its four corners. A blue squared fabric hangs low on the pole, the land's sacred spirit-frey embroidered on its center in a bold, dashing silver. A massive, narrow-round pool stood in the center of the courtyard, its waters frozen. A towering statue of Neighfrey rearing up to the sky mounts on the small platform of the fountain pool. It was breathtaking and heartbreaking, as the fountain is nothing more than a solid ice.

Northward is the kingdom's gatehouse, the castle's only entrance that leads inside. Only a few authorized fayes are allowed inside, as the King forbids anyone from entering the premises. Only high-ranking warriors, fayes, and elders have access to the castle.

The land of Aelfrey once boasted of its vivacious spirit, but now everything has turned bleak.

Gala was escorted by Alvaro's group to the King's palace. She weakly marched on the dirty cobblestones of the main street, glancing at the few figures clothed in warm, thick robes. Her hands groped in rope earned her some inquisitive looks from the townsfolk. Her head hung low, embarrassed by her state. They will definitely think she did something grave and regard her as a prisoner.

Her stomach growled loudly, and she tightly closed her eyes. 'I'm hungry', she thought helplessly.

"I remember Puffhill and Duffhill being so tiny when I saw them in the forest; are the fairies here really that small?" She asks, drawing her escorts' attention away from her growling stomach.

Deviro, the male fairy with light blue hair, chuckled at Gala's question. "All fayes on Aelfrey are normal human size. What you saw in the forest is what we call tarafreyshio; we shrink to tiny sizes every time we enter your dimension," Deviro replied, pointing at her.

Gala simply nodded, grateful that someone in the group was kind enough to answer her questions. She stole a glance at the quiet man next to her. Gala learned that he was the commander of the group.

Alvaro noticed the girl's probing eyes on him. In return, he eyed her small, frail body. Her striking, long, silky platinum hair caught his eyes from the start, but not only that, something about the girl bugs him. If the girl is telling the truth, she is undoubtedly a nuisance to their kind. Dylafreyia, their sacred spirit-frey, has shielded them from human sight since time immemorial.

Aelfrey and the human land are two separated dimensions for a reason. They are not supposed to engage with each other to protect each other. Alvaro suspected that the frost was weakening Aelfrey's barriers, leaving them vulnerable not only to humans but also to other dark forces that had attempted to break into the land's defenses for centuries. Furthermore, a human seeing them could be another effect of the frost. This may already be a stretch, but this is a critical time for their kind, and they will leave no stone unturned.

Gala notices the man's gaze and immediately lowers her head, intimidated by his brooding presence. His mere glances on her are enough to make her feel uneasy. The subtle hostility he's giving her is enough for her to understand that her presence is not welcome, except for Deviro who asks her questions about her world.

"Deviro, stop with the questions. Remember that we are prohibited to interact with their kind." Alvaro snapped at the light-blue winged fairy at one time. Deviro immediately pursed his lips.

"I don't understand. Why is it our kind not allowed to interact with one another; what harm could a simple friendship between a fairy and a human do?" Gala innocently remarked. "Are there any prior accounts that prove so, or is this just another case of wrongful prejudices against each kind?"

Gala remembers that particular conversation she had with the man on their way here.

Alvaro led her to a marbled staircase, which caused her to sigh loudly. 'Ugh, I'm already tired, my feet are cold, and my hands are tied.' She didn't even have a proper breakfast. Gala wondered what her parents were doing right now; they must be worried about her disappearance.

Nonetheless, she started ascending the staircase. ' I'll just convince their King that I'm not a threat and return me to my home. '

Gala's stomach growled again midway and she smiled shyly at Deviro, while Alvaro was looking intently at her. "We're already near the entrance. Don't worry, we will let you eat before meeting up with the King. Deviro, you may untie her. She's not familiar with the kingdom; she's in no way able to escape from the kingdom's security. " Alvaro's deep voice thundered, looking at them with a serious expression.

Gala sighed happily when her hands are free, feeling lighter. She smiled at Alvaro. "Thank you."

When they reached the top steps, Gala turned around and was greeted with the depressing state their land was in. 'Nature can be both beautiful and scary at the same time' Gala remembered saying the same thing this morning.