Chapter 3 Glass cage

As the meeting concluded and the council began to leave, Lyriel remained seated, staring at the glimmering floor. Her thoughts drifted far beyond the castle walls.

Humans, she thought, might not actually be as bad as the council believed.

Although she had never seen or met one, their world intrigued her. She had read a great deal about them—their histories and beliefs—enough to even steal books from the sealed library beneath the very chamber in which she sat.

"You seem troubled, Lyriel."

Lyriel heard the King's voice and turned sharply to look at her father, surprised that he had noticed.

"She's always troubled about one thing or another, Father," Faye, one of the princesses, scoffed. "I bet she sided with Lucien and doesn't want the portal closed. Those two are so alike... silly girl."

With that, she walked majestically out of the chamber, flapping her golden wings in exaggerated grace.

Lyriel glared at her sister. They were all siblings, but they never acted like it—each of them striving to be more perfect than the others.

Lyriel sighed heavily and turned back to face her father. She had been wanting to speak with him but had not been given the opportunity.

"Father... why are we forbidden from seeing the world of men?"

A flicker of fear passed across the Queen's face.

"Have you gone mad, Lyriel?" she thundered. "What sort of question is that?"

"I'm just curious, Mother. They haven't done anything wrong to us. I don't see any reason why we should be so afraid of them."

The Queen stared at Lyriel in utter shock. She had never expected her daughter to be foolish enough to ask such a question before the King. Thankfully, the council members had already left the chamber, and none remained to hear the foolish words of their princess.

The Queen was about to respond with even greater anger, but the King placed a hand over hers, signaling her to remain calm.

"The world of men is a dying flame, one that burns all it touches," the King replied. "They are evil and selfish. They destroy what they do not understand. You can clearly see the threat the Watchers pose to our kind. If they succeed in opening the portal, they will do everything in their power to rule this kingdom and bring an end to our race... they are creatures of chaos."

"But how can we know their intentions? We've never seen or spoken with them," Lyriel pressed. "Perhaps we are greatly mistaking their curiosity for—"

"Enough, Lyriel!" The Queen rose from her throne, her eyes glowing with anger.

"Mother!" Lyriel pouted, unhappy that the Queen had interrupted her conversation with the King.

"You are very young and naive. You believe anything and everything!"

"But Mother..."

"You will not speak of this matter again! Go to your chambers! Now!"

The room fell silent, and Lyriel immediately regretted speaking to her father in front of the Queen, knowing fully well that humans were the one thing she hated most. She should have kept her thoughts to herself. That would have been far better than facing her mother's anger and the inevitable series of lectures on why humans were evil.

Lyriel walked all the way to her chambers with a sad expression. Her day was not as bright as she had thought it would be. She had upset the Queen, and now she was unsure whether the King was upset as well. He was a man of few words but could bring a mountain down if angered.

Despite what the Queen had told her, she couldn't stop thinking about humans. Just thinking about them filled her heart with a strange softness that could not be explained. If only she could see the human world for just one day—that would be a dream come true.

But how could she? The only portal leading to their realm would soon be closed permanently, destroying any connection the fae world had with humans.

"Why do you look so sad, Princess?"

Miren, the little pixie, asked. But Lyriel walked into her chambers and collapsed onto the silk bed. She remained in that position for most of the day, which only made Miren even more worried. The princess was usually lively and bubbly, so seeing her in such a state could only mean that something bad had happened.

Miren flew over to the bed, no longer able to endure the silence. She sat on the pillow where Lyriel rested her head and gazed at her.

"Is this about Farren? Did he say something bad to you? I know how much you hate him."

"No, it's not about Farren," Lyriel said at last.

"Then why are you sad?"

"My father has decided to close the only portal leading to the human realm."

Miren's face immediately fell. She knew how much Lyriel fantasized about visiting the human world, and now her father was not only going to close the portal but also destroy the princess's dream.

"Maybe it's for the best. The human world is a dangerous place," Miren assured her.

Lyriel sighed and stood up from the bed, walking toward the balcony. Miren followed after her. They ate the berries placed on a tray and busied themselves with knitting and other small tasks.

Time passed quickly, and soon the sun set and darkness began to seep in. The full moon rose into the sky, large and captivating, as though assuring the inhabitants of the realm that even in the midst of darkness, no evil would befall them.

Its light touched some of the trees and flowers, causing them to glow softly and transforming the dark night into a colorful spectacle. Miren sat upon the handrail where Lyriel leaned and followed her gaze toward the Dark Forest, uncertain what exactly had captivated the princess.

"Our world is beautiful, Miren," Lyriel said with a soft chuckle. "Take a look at the Dark Forest. It harbors all sorts of monsters and evil beings, but look—the moon has made the forest glow... it is most beautiful at night."

"I do not see any beauty in it, Princess," Miren replied sadly.

They both fell silent, and Lyriel gazed steadily at the beautiful moon for a long time. She wished it would remain so bright and beautiful, but a dark shadow soon began to eclipse it, dimming its light.

It saddened her that this serene and beautiful night would soon descend into chaos and evil. She could feel fear creeping into her heart, and her eyes shimmered with tears she tried so hard to hold back.

"We are trapped in a glass cage, Miren... I want to be free... I want us all to be free."

"Monsters surround our kingdom, waiting patiently to destroy us, Princess. If not for this barrier protecting us... this seal that keeps us trapped here, there would be no Eloria."

"Isn't it ironic?" Lyriel chuckled. "I read somewhere in a book that the human world is a place of monsters and all sorts of demons... but the truth is that the book was actually describing our world, Miren. Take a look—we are surrounded by monsters that are now dominating the fae world."