Chapter 23
"She went to scout. Now come, let us go to the hideout, we have a lot of catching up to do".
"Yes we do."
Livia, Ariadna, Ariana and Phoebe all left and headed out of the woods.
*****
Catherine explained to the others about why they arrived here at Gandera.
"Yes, so she was sent back to Gandera as where we were was no longer safe. It was time to fulfill her destiny. She has to go through the tests, well all of us too, we must go to the mountain of despair so we can awaken our powers as guardians of Gandera" Catherine explained again.
"Where are your parents, the other guardians?" Jasper suddenly asked after keeping quiet all this time.
Everyone's attention turned to Jasper.
"Where are the Guardians of Gandera?" He asked again, this time louder and there seemed to be a bit of anger in his voice.
"And who is looking for us?" A voice called out into the distance.
Everyone turned their heads to the direction the voice came from.
Right there, standing beside the house, some distance away, stood four women in their forties. They looked younger anyway.
"Mum"
"Aunts"
"Mum"
"Mother"
"Mum"
Jasper, Isabel, Catherine, Caspian and Jewel all said at the same time.
"My mum?"
"Your mum?"
They all started asking and confusing themselves.
"Who are they? Wait, mum?... Ariana, Ariadna, are they...?"
"They are our kids" Ariadna replied her as she cut short her speech abruptly.
"Wow" said Livia.
"The kids have
Not wasting another minute, Jasper and the girls ran up to meet their mother.
Caspian and the gang came to meet the ladies as well.
Ariana and Ariadna moved in to hug the children.
"Phoebe, Livia, meet my daughter, Catherine. Catherine this is Lady Phoebe and Lady Livia" Ariadna said pointing at the two ladies.
Catherine stepped forward and shook the ladies.
"Pleasure to meet you ma" she greeted both ladies.
"Nice meeting you dear" they replied her.
"Ladies, meet my son, Jasper. Jasper meet the Earth and Air Guardians of Gandera" Ariana introduced.
"It is an honor meeting you both" He said as he lightly bowed his head to greet them.
"Pleasure is ours. They have grown so much."
"Livia, remember when we last saw them. You two were babies when you left" Phoebe said using her hands to show how small they were.
"Who is she?" Livia asked.
"She doesn't look like you guys or you bore a child when u were there?" Phoebe p.o.o.ped the question.
"Still haven't guessed?" Ariana asked them while raising an eyebrow.
"Oh my G.o.d"
"No way... You are kidding right" Livia exclaimed with her hands over her mouth.
"Ohh yes... "
"Ari, is that... The crown princess?"
"Heir to the throne of Gandera? Lady Isabella's daughter?"
They asked Ariana questions as it seemed so hard to believe though.
Before Any of them could reply, Phoebe spoke up.
"But she doesn't look anything like the King and Queen"
"True, her hair is black rather than silver like the King's" they laid down their doubt's about the possibility.
"Livia, Phoebe, this is Isabel, daughter of King Alexander and Queen Isabella, the lightning child and heir to the throne of Gandera."
They still had their look of doubt etched on their faces.
"Mum, aunt Livia, we wouldn't have believed it just now if we didn't see her powers. There is only one lightning use, the king and his child. Well she is the one" Caspian explained.
"Her appearance was altered by Elizabeth and Aiden to completely hide her from Claudius.
We would need a mage to be able to change her appearance back."
"On a second thought Ariana, we should leave her this way. That way no one or the enemy would easily find her and warn Claudius" Ariana suggested.
"She really is the princess" Livia quickly curtsied and and bowed to Isabel, then she looked at the shocked Phoebe and pulled her hand to bow.
Getting herself back, she quickly bowed and they welcomed her.
"My, my, why is she stained and... " she continues to say and turns her head to the other kids, then eye catches their disheveled appearance, especially Caspian.
"What in the devil's name happened to you guys?"
"Well, we got into a fight with her" Melina said.
"A fight with who?"
Melia raised her hand and pointed at...
"What did I miss?".