Chapter 3

“An estate…I’m going to be living in an estate”, Lea said to herself in her new room. This estate was owned by her father, Sir Thalius Adlynn Ulypher. One of the maids had led her upstairs to the second floor, where her room was. Technically, Lea thought, she would be living on campus when the term starts in a few days. Her new room was obviously bigger than her old one with a blue queen-sized bed fit for royalty, a door to a closet she now knows holds A LOT of good clothes and a balcony which she thought seemed pretty cliché.

Her father was held back by some business meeting and would be informed of their arrival so he could arrive as they were settling in. Lea lied on her new bed and went deep into her thoughts; she had always wanted to be here, in the Fae realm and now that it came true, she was feeling as excited as the first time thirteen years ago, when she realized she was not human for the first time. It was so strange then, she started hearing voices everywhere she went, and she had thought she had gone mental or was possessed like in the movies. Fortunately for her, her mother was truthful and unlike the movies, taught her magic thoroughly from then on.

“It was for my sake, she said,” Lea smiled to herself and got up her bed.

“Well, I wonder what to do now?”

“Madam?”

A young-looking woman, with brown messy hair, long ears and a sort of babyface came in. She was the maid who had led her to her room.

“Ugh that sounds weird, you could just call me Lea.”

“Oh! Alright, I’m not used to this but if you wish.”

Lea just smiled at her and before she could question why she was here again; the young maid spoke.

“I came to inform you that Sir Thalius has arrived.”

“Papa!” Lea squealed and raced out of the room. The maid was stunned but more by the realization that this young woman called her father ‘papa’.

“Excuse me?” Lea said as was back in the room again. “I can’t find my way back down.”

“Oh! happy to be of service.”

“What’s your name?”

“Penelope”

Everything and more, that was what Lea thought of her father. He was a long-eared horned Fae with noticeable Asian features, dark blue hair and brown eyes. She had run to hug him like a child not minding the servants that stared. Her parents laughed about it and then they had settled down for dinner. From their conversation in the dining room, Lea placed her father as a calm yet compassionate man, like a prince. Although he is not, he is from a noble family, making her nobility as well, a thought she decided not to go too far down into. Unfortunately, her father was not aware of such thoughts.

“And now the young miss is a noble,” he said to her as he kissed her palm. She sat at the left side, next to him while her mother sat at the right.

Lea chuckled, “Technically yes, but I don’t feel any different and to be honest, I really hope I don’t have to do some sort of royalty training or whatever.”

“I thought as much,” he replied, “but you don’t have to worry too much, mostly the horned are into such things these days, although table etiquette is sort of a must.”

“Good thing I got that down then,” Lea smirked at her mother.

Her mother smiled in return and took Thalius’s left hand in hers.

“I’m so happy we’re here,” she looked at both of them, “for years I’ve dreamed and been down over this and now…”

Tears began rolling down her eyes and Thalius held her hand with both of his.

“Yes, my Rhal, it took a long time and a lot of fighting to make arranged marriages and divorce a choice for those involved but we won, my love and now we celebrate.” They both stared at each other. Lea watched them with joy in her heart. She had always wanted to see this, see with her own eyes the love her mother talked of with her father. She wondered why her grandfather would be against his son being with who he wished when they looked so in love. Then Thalius turned to her and took her hands in his.

“You too my Alanis, ever since your mother told me she had my child I could never get the thought of you out of my head. For all those years, I raised my other children who I adore as well, I always hoped that you could be here too.”

“I’m here now,” she said as she squeezed his hand with affection.

Thalius kissed both Lea and Rhal’s hands. From today she would be Lea Alanis Ulypher. Although her last name now was still her mother’s ‘Wynnerois’ but as soon as her parents get married, that would be changed, she felt relaxed from that thought and so she continued to chat the night away with her parents.

For the next two days before orientation for new students, she toured not just the mansion they lived in and the estate but other parts of Xylas City with her parents. From the malls in Pirius square to the grand Xylas tower. She also finally got her Scry and saved her non-human friends' contacts. Her human friends believed she had left the country so there was no need to contact them. And never again, Lea acknowledged. But her mood was tempered when they had entered the pet shop and different creatures surrounded her. Thalius had told her that they were just here to sightsee and that when she goes for orientation, she can check if she is able to connect with a creature and have a familiar just like he and Orpheus, his Ice Leopard. This just increased her excitement, which Rhal watched with joy and a bit of sadness.

“I know that face my love,” Thalius slowed to match Rhal’s pace as Lea walked ahead to check out more stores. The look he gave her, was obvious enough, ‘Tell me what’s wrong.’

“I kept her from this, Thalius”, she said only looking at Lea ahead, “Just look at her, she loves this place and I’ve kept her away from it for all these years.”

“It’s not your fault alone.”

“I know, but I’ve always thought I made a good choice and made her happy in the human realm,” she breathed in, out and then continued, “but just look at her, she fits in so perfectly.”

Thalius pressed his lips to her forehead.

“It’s because you raised her perfectly.”