This series is an incredible opportunity for me, and the entire writing experience is so surreal. I adore this story and the characters so much, and being able to create and tell this story is a dream come true. Here’s to a chapter (no pun intended) ending, and a new one beginning! Enjoy!

*Also, the RON Team and I are working on a new merchandise design and a sale to celebrate the end of the book, so keep your eyes out for that!

Chapter Ten; Requiem (Book Finale Part Two) 

“Your majesty, the people are demanding answers.” One of the guards said as we all sat in the conference room. Xavier sighed, looking at Mariah. 

“The people will want you to speak on your own behalf, but I’ll see if I can subdue them for now.” He explained, grabbing his overcoat to put on. I laid my head on the table, Lucy giving me a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 

“We’ll all go with you, dad.” Olivia said, holding out her hand to me. I stared at her for a moment, hesitating. It was still weird to see this side of Olivia, but I was more worried about the public outcry. It wasn’t everyday you found out that your future queen was some strange, powerful being with a phantom mother. I can’t say I blame them. I peeked out the window to see a crowd of thousands of Jammers shouting and pushing their way towards the castle doors. We made our way down the staircases and down to the main doors, my father in the front. I stood in the back next to Olivia and Liam, and Lucy stood next to Xavier. The doors swung open, and silence instantly fell over the crowd. However, when I walked outside, the outcry began to lift again. With one lift of my father’s hand, the crowd seized again. 

“People of Jamaa!” He began, ushering me to stand next to him. He put a hand on my shoulder as he spoke. “I know the people want to know. I know there’s a lot of questions, but not every question is ready to be spoken of today.” There were a few snickers in the crowd. 

“My daughter is a phantom-Jammer hybrid, and the phantom that attacked Jamaa earlier last year was her mother. The phantom king is my daughter’s granddaughter.” People began to gasp as I prayed that Xavier knew what he was doing. I was hoping he’d leave out the Destroyer part for the good of the kingdom. 

“The reasons for my relationship with Mariah’s mother were from a few months before I married Lucy,” Xavier continued, “Mariah does have powers, but she has decided to use them for the good of the kingdom. Mariah is a princess, and she will be treated as such. Mariah will do a press release and address her future subjects when she is ready. Let my child grieve in peace, please.” He said, giving me a tight squeeze. Tears rolled down my face at the thought of my mother. She was truly a monster, but she would always be my mother. I had some good memories of her, but the corruption of getting the Destroyer title was too much for her heart to hold both love and hate inside. The crowd began to rumble with questions, and Xavier said he would answer a few. 

“Will Mariah still be queen?” A giraffe asked. Xavier smiled. 

“Yes, Mariah is still going to be Queen when she comes of age.” There was an outcry, but my father cleared his throat. 

“Mariah is the eldest and the rightful heir to the throne. You will treat Mariah as such.” Xavier demanded, and people quieted down. 

“Why is Mariah grieving?” A small otter asked. I put my head down. 

“Mariah’s mother was killed when she attacked the Fall Ball this evening.” He explained, a small crack in his voice. He quickly cleared his throat once more, asking for one last question. 

“Will Mariah still attend Majestia Prep and play soccer for the Jamaa Royals?” An elephant asked. Xavier laughed, nodding his head. 

“Mariah has always loved soccer, so of course she’s going to continue to play. She will still attend Majestia Prep because she’s royalty, but she will return when she’s ready,” Xavier explained, “That is all the questions I will take for the night. We will hold a press release when Mariah is feeling ready to speak out. For now, I ask for your patience and acceptance.” Xavier said, stepping away from the microphone. People started to leave the crowd, which let me breathe a sigh of relief. By the time we all got into the castle, most of the crowd had dispersed. I gave Xavier a tight hug, tears filling my eyes as I did so. I felt wanted here. I felt loved. 

***

I sat on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I couldn’t accept that my mother was truly gone. What hurt worse was that she was gone with the hatred in her heart. I wanted to help her, and I wished that I could turn back time to try to help her from the start. If only I knew Xavier before I left the cottage that day. I could’ve saved my mother. Before I could wallow in my thoughts anymore, my phone began to ring. I lifted it up to see Andrew on the caller ID. I sighed, answering it. 

“Hey!” He said in his normal, cheerful voice. I muttered a quick hello, and he quickly turned serious. “How are you doing?” He asked, quieting his voice. I sat for a second, contemplating a sarcastic remark. 

“As okay as I can be.” I said, and he offered his sympathy. I shook my head. “I know what you’re going to say: ‘Mariah, I know what you’re going through, and I promise it’s going to be okay,’ but I can’t believe that. I’m sorry.” I said. 

“I wasn’t going to tell you that, actually. Because it would be a complete lie.” He retorted. 

“Really?” I questioned him. 

“Because, well, yeah, I do know what you’re going through first hand. But it’s not going to be okay. It will never be okay, and that’s okay. It’s going to hurt. It’s going to hurt for a long time, and that’s okay. It’s going to feel like you are the only one left in this world, even though you’re surrounded by people every day. It’s going to feel like a piece of you is missing, and there seems to be nothing that can fill that hole. And there isn’t anything that can fill it. There are only things that can patch it. That’s what you’ve done for me, Mariah. You’re the patch. As weird as that sounds, you’re the reason I kept my head up and decided to keep going. When I was at my lowest point, you were brought into my life. Sure, it wasn’t exactly how I would’ve wanted to meet you, but I can never thank Mira enough for what she’s given me. She’s given me more than just a friend. She’s given me a light in my life that can never go out amidst the darkness that life brings me. When you’re faced with that darkness, your light shines even brighter. You are my light, Mariah, and even when things happen, when that light feels faded, you somehow manage to find a way to keep your flame. That’s what I love about you. When you think everything is against you, when the world couldn’t get any worse, you still have this flame in your heart that everyone can sense. I know how much you love your mom, and I know that she might not have been the best. You did everything you could, Mariah. Don’t let that guilt fill your conscience. You tried to share that light with her, and her darkness was too cloudy. You might not be okay, and that’s okay. But as long as you keep that light shining, as long as you don’t give up, you’re okay-enough.” When Andrew finished, I was in tears. We sat there for a long time in silence, occasional sobs picking up on the microphone of my phone. After a while, I decided to speak. I cleared my throat. 

“Thank you,” I said quietly, “I might not understand everything with what you said to me before the Fall Ball, and it might take a long time to understand the concept. But I think I understand how to tell if someone is special in your life, and the kind of special that you’re referring to as a “dating” thing. While things might be hectic in my life, and sometimes it feels like it’s too much to handle, I know you’re always going to be here by my side. I know you’re someone I like. I think I have my answer for you, Andrew. Yes, of course I’ll go out with you, even though I do still think the term ‘go out’ is a bit strange.” When I finished, I heard a small ‘yes!’ come from the other end of the phone. I laughed softly, wiping my eyes. 

“I’m not sure when I’ll be back at school, though. And with the hall damaged, I don’t know when anyone will be back at school.” I said. 

“That’s alright. I can come to visit you tomorrow if you’d like. I saw your Dad’s message to Jamaa on the news a little bit ago. I can even be at your press release if you want me to.” Andrew told me. 

“Thank you. Really. Thank you.” 

“That’s what friends, and boyfriends, are for. Man it feels good to say that.” 

***

“Hey, Mariah. How are you doing?” Olivia came into my room the next morning as I was scrolling on my phone. I barely slept that night, and I’m sure my eyes could tell you that. I barely slept through the night since Olivia’s disappearance. I shrugged, putting my phone down. 

“You know, Majestia Prep is closed for the next week for repairs. We could always do something together this week!” She said, sitting on the edge of my bed. I smiled. 

“I’d like that, actually.” I replied, sitting up. My face was dry, but tear-stained. 

“Here, let’s get you cleaned up.” Olivia said, pulling out a wipe from her bag. She really was prepared for me to be a mess, huh? 

“Thanks.” I muttered. 

“So,” she trailed, “did you and Andrew become a thing?” She teased. I groaned, and she giggled. 

“For your information, yes we did. Although I hate the word ‘thing’ for two people becoming a couple.” I remarked. She laughed. 

“Dad probably doesn’t want you leaving the castle with,” she paused, “everything going on, but we could always watch a movie here in the castle! We have a private viewing room! I don’t know if you’ve ever seen it before!” She exclaimed. I shook my head. 

“It’s such an amazing place! But Liam always hogs it up to hook up his gaming system and play soccer games.” Olivia laughed. 

“Isn’t that what the game room is for?” I asked, and Olivia nodded. 

“You’d think.” She answered. It was comforting knowing that I had Olivia as a friend now, even if I still wasn’t used to that. She truly has changed, and that’s the difference between her and my mother. My mother thought Olivia was the ‘daughter she never got,’ but that’s where my mother was wrong. Olivia wanted to change. She wanted to have that light in her life, but she was lost and confused. She needed help getting there. That is why Olivia is here today safe and happy. Because she wanted to be home. 

“I’m glad you're back, Olivia.” I said sincerely. She smiled, giving me a hug. 

“And I’m glad to be back here with my family.” Tears filled my eyes at the mention of the word family, and not family and Mariah. 

“Hey, girls.” I heard a familiar voice. Lucy. 

“Hey, mom!” Olivia smiled. Xavier came in too, looking at me. 

“How are you doing, honey?” Lucy asked, touching my shoulder. I shrugged. I felt empty, and I could only imagine what Andrew went through when he lost his mom. If my mom barely felt love or empathy towards me, how would I feel if my mother truly loved me? 

“Well, I arranged for a family picnic in three days. I think that fresh air will do you good. Would you be okay with that?” Xavier asked. I nodded, showing a quick, small smile. I truly felt like I had a place to call home and people to call my family. It was all surreal and something I thought only existed in books. 

***

The next week blended together, and although Andrew wanted to come over, I wasn’t quite ready for company yet. Each day was the same. I’d wake up, Aura would try to help me smile, Olivia would come in and encourage me to do something with her, and Xavier and Lucy would pop in a few times a day to check in. Olivia told me that Liam wasn’t sure how to help me, so he thought giving me space would be the best option. Our family picnic was quiet, but it was a nice kind of quiet. It was the most at-peace I had felt in a long time. I missed soccer, and weirdly enough, I missed school. I missed lunch with the team, and I missed Andrew. I missed how things were before the Fall Ball, which I never thought I’d say. I was finally starting to settle in, and I didn’t want that to go away. I was scared of how things had drastically changed, and I spent a lot of time worrying about the future of my ‘reign’ of a kingdom that despises my kind. How would it work? Would the throne be handed back to Olivia? What will happen to me? Will I be thrown in the Jamaa Prison for eternity? I spent a lot of time wallowing in my thoughts, Negativity swallowed me whole and shoved terrifying thoughts and images into my brain. started imagining what the Jamaa Prison looked like, and how much torture I would be enduring. Worrying was the only thing I could do, and everything was out of my control.    

With the stronger form I have, Liza says it comes with stronger powers. I hadn’t felt any different, if anything, I felt at my weakest. I felt vulnerable. Sadness always seemed to creep its way into my mood anytime I felt a pinch of happiness and hope. Working on my new powers was in the back of my mind. I spent most of my days in my room and most of my nights trying to hold myself together. I felt almost stupid allowing myself to be this upset over someone who tried to ruin a kingdom I will rule one day, but just because something isn’t good doesn’t mean you can’t love it. She was my mother, and no amount of good or evil would change that. She might not have learned to love, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t start to. 

I heard a knock on my door later that evening to see Andrew with a bouquet of lavenders. He had his clever smirk on his face as I sat up. 

“Now, I know you said you wanted space. But nobody deserves to be alone, especially during a time like this. So even if we sit in silence, I want to be here with you every step of the way.” Andrew said, setting the flowers on my desk. I fully smiled for the first time in a while, jumping up and giving him a tight hug.  

I didn’t think anything could ever be the same again, and nobody would like me anymore. I felt alone, even when I was surrounded by people. The negativity in my life felt like it was too much to handle, and I wanted everything to be okay. 

The truth is, it will never be okay. Andrew was right. Life will never go back to the way it was before, and this emptiness and grief never truly leave. Over time, you learn how to accept it and start to try to keep moving forward. You have to rely on those around you to start the climb back up the mountain that is life. It always seems to be an uphill trail. 

But someone I hold dearly told me as long as you keep that light shining, as long as you don’t give up, you’re okay-enough. And I think I’m starting to understand what he meant.