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Boran snored next to me, Darwin’s head rested on my chest. Playing with his hair, Luna was cuddling with Avianna and Somata. Chuckling to myself, it wasn’t that long ago they hated each other. A portal swirled behind me, a gust of wind pulled me from my mat. My delicate fingers grabbed my scythe, my ivory nightgown hugged my bump. Merlin cursed next to me, Sir. Acorn flying in with us. The three of us crashed into a random capital city, a myriad of creatures rushing past us with baskets in their hands. Struggling to our feet, Sir Acorn groaned bitterly in my ear. Merlin yawned, his pocket watch dangling from his navy blouse. Spinning his hair into a bun, our eyes scanned the stone buildings. Thump! The black heart’s energy bathed the land but didn’t at the same time. Merlin stepped up to the nearest stand, raising his finger. Passing him a golden coin with an hourglass, they passed him an emerald silk gown with a punch of accessories.
“Put this on, and fix your hair.” Merlin ordered irritably, rubbing his eyes. “This is the land where time travelers live. It’s called Golden Sands. The very fabric of time travel begins and ends here. If something were to happen here, the whole world would erupt in chaos. I am assuming that you are here because of a black heart.” Stepping into the dressing room, the dress slid over my head with ease. Sir Acorn scrambled down my back, his paws pulling on the silver ribbon. The top tightened to support my breasts, the simple silk cascading over my bump. Tying it into a neat bow, he accepted the acorn in between my fingers.
“I have been meaning to ask. Are you okay with being the queen?” Sir. Acorn inquired with concern dripping in his voice. “I understand you gave up a lot.” Smiling warmly to myself, I slid my scythe into a silver cover. Tying the bag into a neat knot, my feet slid into a pair of emerald shoes. Fixing my hair into a side bun, my ears flattening. A tender blush rose to my cheeks, my tail popping out of the skirt. Stepping out, an excited smile illuminated Merlin’s face. Shooting me a thumbs up, embarrassment burned our cheeks as all of our stomachs growled for breakfast. The golden light posts flickered to life, the electrical fairy lights lined the streets. This must be what they call electricity.
“I kind of have to be now.” I sighed exhaustively, my hands resting on my bump. “You could technically come here anytime because of all your pocket watches, right?” Shaking his head in affirmation, the anxiety in my head alleviated itself for just a moment. Taking a deep breath, Merlin guided us to a run down shack on the outskirts of town. The aging wood smelled of warmth and a sweet home cooked meal, his hand moving the curtain.
“Mom? Where are you? I brought some friends.” He called out jovially, a short jet black haired woman slamming into him. Her golden eyes flashed with glee at the sight of me and my bump, her mind making the most obvious observation for most people to make. Embracing me, her plump body heated up my soul. Nervous laughter escaped my lips, her wet eyes looking up at me.
“I can’t believe my boy brought home a wife and is having a child.” She gasped joyfully, rubbing my bump. “I am Morsy De Morgana. I will be the mother-in-law I can be.” Waving my hands around, Merlin slid his hand across my throat. Shaking my head, dishonesty wouldn’t do at all. Sighing tiredly, this was going to break her heart.
“I am his friend, Lottie. He does have a girlfriend and her name is Maryanna.” I explained awkwardly, a sigh escaping her lips. “Your hug is so nice. It is so nice to see where Merlin comes from. You must be his sister.” The compliment softened the moment, her tiny feet skipping into the kitchen, her brown dress swaying with each bounce. The creamiest scrambled eggs sat in a cast iron skillet, a loaf of bread sat in the middle of a table made out of scraps of wood.
“So you did end up with that lovely Maryanna that you always talked about.” She teased adorably, passing us a plate of eggs. “You must be the new awoken queen. Emmie doesn’t stop talking about you in his letters. He is my baby brother and is bound to the train.” What did the legends say, a nervous grin twitching on my lips. Merlin downed his eggs, giving his mother a quick kiss on her cheeks. Seeing him so sweet with his mother made him human, the electricity flickering before darkness bathed everything.
“I love you, Mom!” He shouted,yanking me into a twisting tunnel. “I promise to visit you with my girlfriend.” The two of them embraced , her tiny little feet rushing off to defend the fort. A blast of golden energy flashed in the night, a dome of invisibility hiding her home. Flames flickered to life with each step, a wave of energy shaking the capital. Merlin caught before I fell back, gears ground to a halt. The sound of metal scraping against metal busted my eardrums, blood pouring from my ears. Sir Acorn buried himself into the bag, the ground crumbling underneath us. Crashing into a pool of water, my trembling fingers pulling out my scythe. A silver light illuminated the tunnels or what looked like them. The truth was that we were walking on the ceiling, Merlin helping me up.
“This must be the underworld of your home.” I commented with an annoyed tone, Dackworth’s eye opening. “The hearts are usually in the center of these damn things.” Pressing my palms to the ceiling, the heart was definitely on this level. Seeing the rug over my head messed with my head, my fingers tracing the ceiling. Sprinting forward, a golden armored warrior smashing me into the wall. Merlin twisted the top of his pocket watch, pulling a blade from the top. Gears whirred, metal wings locked into the bottom of his watch. The sleek onyx blade spun in his palm, my eyes falling to the tip of a golden blade pinning me to the wall. Immense pain jolted my muscles, my vision blurring. My fingers glitched, a grunt escaping his lips the moment he swung his blade towards the warrior's neck. A cry of agony burst from my lips as the warrior ripped his blade from my shoulders, blood pouring from my wound. A dull throb radiated through my shoulder, my arm screaming in protest as I struggled to my feet. A noise alarmed me, another wave of energy nearly stealing my footing. An inky vine whipped past my head, destroying the warrior in mere seconds. A cloud of venom curled down the tunnel, this heart proving to be a bigger threat than I thought. Snapping my finger, masks popped up over our mouths. Bouncing off the walls, we took turns slicing up the invincible vine. Our situation grew perilous, time warriors emerging from the walls. A blunt object smashed into the back of my head, darkness enveloping me
Jerking awake, Merlin and I were tied together by our waists by a simple piece of rope. Merlin stirred awake, Sir Acorn choosing to hide in the shadows. Pointing to the ceiling, two spikes haunted me. Gears whirred to life, the spikes beginning to lower. A panic attack ensued, my chest growing tighter by the second. Each breath grew shorter, a voice snapping me back to reality.
“Here’s the game.” A cruel male voice mused sadistically, Merlin’s back stiffening. “I am the guardian of the black heart, an old friend of Merlin’s can we say. In fact, I am his father. I digress. You have ten minutes to escape the spikes of fate and then you will be one step closer to the heart.” Merlin shot daggers from his eyes, his hands struggling with the rope. Glancing down at the rope, the knot was the puzzle.
“The knot is the puzzle.” I informed Merlin, hoping his mental composure wasn’t so far gone. “There is a pattern we have to move our wrists to.” Nodding in a silence agreement, frustrated groans escaped our lips with each failed attempt. My face paled, cold sweat drenched my skin. The tip of the spikes poked the top of our heads, a wave of relief washed over me as the ropes thudded to a small pile. Searching for a way out, Sir Acorn hopped onto a red button. My ears flatten, all of us sinking onto a slide. Flying through twists and turns, we crashed into a pool of rising water. Water, why does it always have to be water! Our weapons shimmered in the bottom, thousands of keys taunting us.
“I hate my father.” He growled through gritted teeth, holding his hand over my shoulder. “Heal.” A golden light bathed my wound, the two sides sealing shut. Taking a deep breath, our eyes examined the locks. The icy water nipped my skin, my hair floating around me. Three ovals and a rectangle is the pattern I was looking for, my lips pressing into a thin line. Swimming to the surface, sweet oxygen soothed my burning lungs. Merlin popped up next to me, Sir Acorn’s tiny paw barely keeping him afloat. Carrying him over to the ledge, he smiled as I swam back down to the bottom. Turning on my silver eye, Merlin was already trying to shove random keys into the lock with which he wasn’t having any luck. Two keys glowed, my fingers digging through the keys. Swimming to the surface, there was barely any room to breathe. This bastard was sick to put his son through all of this, Merlin began to drown. Swimming back down, my fingers wrapped around the keys. Jamming them into the lock, the click of them unlocking caused a drain to whistle open. The drain sucked the water down, a sputtering Merlin vomited up volumes of water. Merlin tossed me my scythe, my eyes falling on the three doors in front of us. The heart was here, my palm pressing against the first door. Nothing, I felt nothing. Stepping over to the next door, my palm pressed against the middle one. Thump! The black heart thundered behind the door, Merlin calling my name.
“Lottie!” He cried out, his father pinning me to the door by my throat. “Put her down, father! You are dead, doomed to guard the underworld till the end of time.” His shadowy figure gripped my neck with vigor, the vines of the black heart banging on the door. Tears welled up in Merlin’s eyes, his blade spinning in his palm. Charging at him, my body collapsed into a heap.
“Go and do your thing, Lottie!” Merlin shouted over the clanging of their weapons, his strength on par with mine. “Go! You can end all of this.” Struggling to my feet, the door swung open. Sir. Acorn tucked himself into my inner pocket, the doors creaking open on his own. Sprinting down the hall, my scythe sliced down the vines. A scream from Merlin broke the still air, the scent of his blood poisoning the air. Shit! I had to move. Bouncing off the walls, his father was pounding towards me with malice in his eyes. Dodging his attacks, too much was going on. Sir Acorn popped up, a silver pocket watch spinning around his paw. Time stopped around him, blood pouring from his eyes. Taking my chance, the inky blob throbbed. Silver water swirled around my arms, blue flames devoured my scythe. Leaping into the air, the vines whipped in every direction. Swinging it down towards the center, my heels slipped on the surface. The tip sank deeper into the mass, blue flames devouring it from the inside. Vines curled around my body, shrill shrieks shattering the air. Bracing myself for the explosion, the blast knocked me into the wall. Blue ash snowed around me, a busted up Merlin limping in with Sir. Acorn on his shoulder. An elevator dinged behind me, Merlin helped me up. Leaning on each other, the tip of his bone stuck out of his leg. Collapsing onto the floor, my stomach churned with the swift motion of him putting his bone back in place. An awkward silence hung between us, the harp music not helping. The golden elevator rose to the top, his mother waiting for us at the top. A fresh set of clothes hung over her arms, guilt dimming my eyes. She didn’t need to buy us new outfits, her pleasant smile enough to calm anyone down. Merlin jumped to his feet, his arms embracing his mother. Pecking her on each cheek, he helped me to my feet. Guiding us through the tunnels, my hands rubbed my scythe anxiously.
“I am sorry about your father.” I apologized, his crooked grin telling me that he was okay. “I didn’t know you had family issues.” Chuckling softly to himself, he nudged my shoulder. Accepting the outfits with another embrace, he tossed me a clean dress. Going into a crevice, he turned his back. Sir Acorn untied the ribbon, the dress falling to my feet. Tugging on the dress, a mint colored gown floated over my bump. Sir Acorn tied the silver ribbon around my waist. The top barely contained my breasts but what could be done. Stepping out, Merlin was in a long white robe with a fresh navy blouse peeking out underneath it. Stepping back into his mother’s home, Dackworth protested as I slid him into the cloth cover. Tying the cover around my shoulder, my hands played with the silk.
“Don’t be a stranger, your majesty.” She chirped, shoving a bag of cookies into the brown sack she had prepared for her son. “Can you give those to Emmie for me? I don’t get to see him. He loves them. I am assuming he is picking you up especially if he has given you the pocket watch. I do love my brother after all. Can you give him this letter?” Bowing in her direction, my fingers curled around the letter. Turning to head back to the edge of the realm, Merlin grabbed the bell sleeves of my dress. Scarlet colored his cheeks, a strand of his hair falling in front of his face.
“I just need to pick up Maryanna’s favorite desserts that are only made in this market.” He stuttered, my ears flattening. “Also, I believe everyone has thank you gifts for you. It is a good thing Emmie is coming to pick us up when you call him because my pocket watch is out of magic. Using it as a sword does that.” Walking behind him with a polite smile, my eyes twinkled like the lights lining the street. Stopping at a particular stall, Merlin held up a couple of fingers. The baker and him chatted, everyone shoved gifts into my arms while bowing at me. A train whistled in the distance, relief washing over me. The adoration was nice but it all seemed like too much. Sir Acorn knocked his paw on the top of my head.
“They simply love you. You are their queen after all.” He said sympathetically, his tail wagging. “You will probably be back here at some point. Besides, look at how much fun Merlin is having.” He was right, Merlin chatting with everyone with a relaxed smile. The horn blew once more, Emmie waving at us. Yelling all aboard, we climbed on. Waving out the window, Sir Acorn scurried over to the pile of acorns. Calling Emmie over, his eyes welled up at the sight of his sister. Blowing her a kiss, she caught it and put it in her pocket. Merlin searched through his bag, pulling out the cookies. Ruffling the top of his head, Emmie leapt into his arms. Smiling happily to myself, Emmie accepted the cookies with a twinkle in his eyes. Watching them talk, my body sank into the seat. Emmie skipped over to me, a cookie in between his lips. Shoving one into my mouth, a wave of cinnamon tickled my tongue. His feet swung, his hand wrapping around mine. Pulling the letter out of my sleeve, tears streamed down his cheeks. Wiping away his tears, he didn’t need to tell me.
“One of my family members needed to take over the train, and I volunteered myself.” He sobbed softly, the mixture of joy and sadness evident on his little face. “The sacrifice is worth it when I see my passengers smile. I get to see her in passing. One day she can join me one day when she dies. I will have to wait for that day but until then I have you, right?” Laying his head down my lap, he let me play with his hair, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Who else would be your best friend in the whole world?” I joked , his hands cupping mine. “I am always here if you need to talk.” Kissing the top of my hands, he leapt to his feet. Saluting me, he bowed before going back to running the train. Merlin plopped down next to me, fiddling with his pocket watch.
“Hey, thanks for letting me visit today.” He thanked me earnestly, leaning back onto his seat. “My uncle really took a shine to you. I have never seen him warm up so much. The townsfolk loved you today. They adore their new queen. Try this.” Pressing a chocolate cupcake into my palm, he packed up the gifts into a box. Taking a bite, he was right. Life was like this cupcake, sweet but a bit spicy. Everything was going to be okay.
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