‹ Prequel: Shattering Crystals
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Twisted Returns

had no one but each other

I turn, half expecting a dark, evil spirit. But what I get is my mother.

"I - "

Marigold shakes her head, her face expressionless. "I'm not mad at you for reading it. Or being about to read it, I suppose."

My heart slows down, calming itself. But I still keep my guard up. She might pull one of those "disappointment" tricks that parents always use. "Then why were you hiding it?"

"Sometimes you're better off not knowing."

"But this has to do with me. Shouldn't I know?"

"As I said, sometimes you're better off not knowing. Your story... it isn't a pretty one."

"But I thought I am... was... perfect."

"That may be so, but there are stories that take place before your birth. They explain your existence, and the things that make you."

"So, it's in the book?" I look down at the yellowed pages.

"The beginning, yes. But not the whole story. Open the book. Page forty-two."

I do as she says, and then I find myself looking down at a bunch of foreign symbols that mean as much to me as a pile of dirt does.

"What language is this in?" Dean asks. "I can't read it."

Marigold nods. "Didn't think you'd be able to. It's written in Mareise, my native language."

"Why is the title in English, then?"

"I was translating it. But then I figured that if I wanted to keep it a secret, I would keep it as Mareise. Very few can read it."

"It's kind of weird how they speak English here," I say. "I figured that I would have to learn a whole new language."

"That is my doing. I personally converted Crystallaria to English, and Glitteria followed suit. As did many other planets. It also had to do with you."

"Well, what did we speak before?" I ask.

"Crystallarian. It was a beautiful, fluid language. The drawback - to learn it, you have to be born on Crystallaria. A strange magical property. When I came here, I tried so hard to learn it, to defy the law. But as soon as I learned a word, I would forget it a few moments later."

"So why English?" Dean asks.

"I'd always had a fascination with Earth. My parents had traveled to New York. When I was younger, I always dreamed of going there. They speak English there, and so I chose it. And in that, the whole planet also converted to become very Earth-like, changing their calendar, culture, everything."

"How did everyone agree to it?" I ask. "How did they learn it so fast?"

"They didn't. I was the new queen, and I was hated. They didn't bother doing anything that I said at first."

"What about the old rulers?"

"They weren't around to do anything about it?"

"They must have been alive, though. You were young when you took the throne," Dean says. "So they couldn't have been that old. Aren't magical life spans longer?"

"They weren't old. They didn't die of old age. They were dead because they killed themselves." Her face is still strangely blank.

"They what?" I say.

"It was my fault," she says with a sigh, finally showing some emotion. "They disapproved of me, a commoner. They committed suicide when Chris told them we were getting married."

"What did your parents think?" I ask, horrified. "My... grandparents."

"They were long dead. Chris and I had no one but each other, and a kingdom full of people who hated us."

"They love you now, though," Dean points out. "They think very highly of you."

"It's because Diana was born. That was when Crystallaria began to flourish." At that point Marigold summons the chairs from the other room and motions for us to sit. And I know that this is not going to be a short conversation. "Do you remember how your father and I met?" she asks me.

"No."

"I was alone on the planet of Marigold. My only ally was the cottage my parents had left me," she says, drifting off into her memories. "I was waiting to be saved. One day, Chris showed up at my front door. He seemed to be running from something - his parents."

"What happened then?"

"Long story short, he stayed with me. And we fell in love. After two years, we abandoned the disappearing cottage and went back to civilization. I never saw that house again. I still wonder..."

I can see tears glittering in her eyes. I wonder what other painful secrets she must be keeping. Why is she finally telling me now?

"We returned to Crystallaria," she continues. "It was huge news in this universe. A prince finally shows up after two years, a strange girl in tow. A girl that had never before seen civilization."

"How did he stay hidden for the two years?" Dean asks. "If he's royalty, wouldn't there be people out searching for him?"

"No, there was no one. He made sure of that."

"How?"

"He had run away from his parents, and not without a plan. Not a complete plan, but a plan nevertheless."

"What would that be?"

"He said he would kill himself if he was found. If someone was sent to search." She looks at me. "Your father is an honest man, but I'd like to think that was the only lie he's ever told."

It seems like she's lying. I know Christopher, and he's a calm, gentle person. Would he really have threatened someone with something like that?

"Uhm, Marigold," Dean says, "this is all very interesting, but..."

"It's not really related," I say, finishing his sentence. "How does this have to do with how I, and my magic, came to be?"

"It has everything to do with it, actually. But I see your point. Let's start from the beginning." She flicks her fingers and the book flies into her lap. She turns to page forty-two. "The story starts three hundred years ago, during the War of the Sparrows."
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Important milestone chapter. This milestone consists of chapters 33, 34, and 35.

Also, Marigold's (more detailed) story is located here.