'You murdered mother'

We walk into the palace gate, through the screech of the metals, mentally prepared for what lies ahead. 

'Do you think she will hypnotize us into willingly sacrificing ourselves?' questions jessica. 

'Let's not talk about it here. I'm pretty sure she can hear us' I whisper and Jessica agrees. We walk through the creepy out-garden and knoch on the palace door; it was the right thing to do as we were an hour early than the appointment time. The large wooden doors opened automatically allowing the chill air to gush out from the inner palace. We get goosebumps due to its suddenness. The wind had a mix of earth and anxiety; the earth from from the dead and the anxiety was the two of us standing at the entrance of our unknown future.

'Welcome, my lovely children. I've been eager for this moment ever since I met the two of you' we hear the late princess from the main area. We walk slowly towards the sound. 

'Greeting princess' I speak trying to sound calm

'Greeting my Laura, you would be so pleased to hear about my offer' continues the princess with pride in her tone, seated in the middle of the room with two cushions opposite to her.

'Please go ahead princess.' I say suppressing my anxiety. I notice jessica taking deep breaths now and grab her palm to comfort her.

'I'm going to help you meet someone very dear to you, my young ladies' 

'Aren't you supposed to help us return to our planet?' bursts Jessica

'Of course I will Jessica but before that I need something in return. I need the two of you to agree to me wholeheartedly' 

'Why should we help you?' she asks still in a fury and I try to being her to calmness and avoid messing our plan.

'There is no such thing as a free lunch, my dear Jessica' giggles the late princess. 

'Who are we going to meet?' I ask calmly.

'Before I reveal, let me ask you two a question. Is there anyone from the dead you both intend to meet?' questions the princess.

'Why does it matter?' asks Jessica.

'Of course it does. I might be helping you meet that very person you always longed for, dears' stresses the princess.

'You broke a family and now want to seek forgiveness?' Yells Jessica 

The princess gives a crooked look and continues 'What are you talking about, my child?' 

'I and Laura are not your children. If you truly want to repent, find our mother and ask for forgiveness instead of trying to being her back' says Jessica in a fury, I have no choice but to observe the late princess change her facial expressions from doubtful to certain and gives out a loud laugh that echoes in the vacant palace. The echoes multiply as the sound travels to various rooms before coming to a single buzz and disappearing completely. 

'I see. Somebody has met my niece.' says the late princess.

'Yes we did and she helped us uncover your identity' I say

'That little piece of junk, what in the name of heaven did she say?' 

'You murdered mother!' reveals Jessica without a pause. The words took the late princess in surprise and she stood there like a statue for a couple minutes when I tried to give Jessica an assuring look. 

'I murdered Fiona? How absurd' speaks the late princess before standing up from her king sized chair and waking towards the window. She crushes the edge of the grey corset. 

'Didn't you excessively hypnotize our mother, so she wouldn't be sane' I say harshly

'Is that what that little junk said? Look Laura, Fiona was like my daughter. I loved her with all my heart and cherished every moment we had together. Why do you think I’ll kill her? asks the late princess in a surprise.

'Then why did you hypnotize our mother to the extent that she would die?' Asks Jessica 

'The war was dense and yes I hypnotized her to avoid being killed but the reason why she became insane is a completely different matter' expresses the princess with regret in her tone. 

'What matter?' I ask

'My brother, the then King along with the wolves wanted to end me and Fiona was only willing to chain me up and hand me over to them. They didn't agree to it and to make Fiona abide they drugged her with an adrenaline that would make the individual do anything they are told to do, by staring straight in the eye. I wasn't aware about their plan and tried to save myself that had an adverse effect on poor Fiona.'

'How did you die then?' asks jessica in an impolite tone.

'I didn't die dear, I was killed by the wolves.' says the late princess. 

'Why?' she asks again.

'Power. There was a war for the throne and my brother was not used to being defeated. He allied with the wolves and they attacked me and said the world that I had normal death due to my age.' 

'But weren't you greedy?' I ask confused.

'Yes, I was greedy for power. I needed a loyal supporter by my side so I asked Fiona to return but I never knew that would put an end to her beautiful life' said the late princess with guilt.

'Did mother ever mention about us?' I ask and the late princess answers with a smile. 

'She told me, she had two little beautiful flowers as her children and even got me a picture to see the two of you. It was a picture of her holding the two of you on a swing, she said Justin captured it so he couldn't be in the picture. I wish I could give you the picture' says the princess and I notice that Justin is the name of my father.

'Is it this one?' I ask handing over a photo that we received in the metal box. 

'Yes yes, Laura, this is the one.' says the late princess grabbing it cheerfully.

The late princess takes the photos one after the other and tells us the memory behind each; a trip that they had to an aquarium on the 1st week of mothers arrival here, a camping they went on the tallest mountain, the rock climbing they tried and mother injured herself and much more. She also tells us the memory behind each item in the box and we sit there listening to her feeling happy deep in heart, as someone would willingly tell us how amazing our mother was. 

'I'm sure your dad already mentioned all this, but i'm too happy to finally meet my grand children' says the late princess emotionally.

'Dad? He is worst. He abandoned Laura and never uttered a word regarding mother.' says Jessica exhaling. The late princess furrowed her eye brows and was about to ask about our past but I spoke first.

'Why do you want to resurrect mother?' putting an end to the memory train of the late princess. 

'To revenge her death.' 

'Wait, i'm not following. To revenge mothers murder you are bringing her back to life?' Questions Jessica with a tease.

'That's part of the plan' replies the late princess.

'What else is your aim?' I ask

'Power of course. I want to rule the kingdom dears' 

'You're reign is over' Jessica specifies.

'No Jessica, my reign never began and I want a chance to prove how good I am worth.' says the late princess lost in her thoughts.

'So we have to die to bring mother back to life and she has to die again inorder to bring you back to life?' I try to clarify.

'Its not like that. That little piece of junk has told you nothing but lies. You will only have to make a blood promise to your mother and chant some verses. She will be come to life and you can meet and have a wonderful time together' says the late princess. 

'What happens then?' Jessica questions.

''Fiona will have to make a promise to me and chant a few more powerful verses and thats all we will all be alive and I can have the revenge I want and you can have the love you always longed for, my little ones' 

'So basically, you're taking mother, me and jessica into slavery?' I ask baffled.

'Slavery is a very harsh word dear, I prefer alliance' says the late princess. I look at Jessica who is as confused as me. 

'Why are you pleasing us? Wouldn't your royal bloodlines power work to force us?' Jessica asks after a minute.

'You both have it all wrong. Hypnosis wouldn't make a person do something you against their moral character and I don't want to repeat what happen to Fiona' says the princess in a low voice. 

'Give us a minute' I say and drag Jessica along with me to leave the palace and reach the out-garden. 

'What do we do?' I ask her finally

'I would like to meet mother and Resurrecting the late princess is her choice.' 

'Are you sure? The late princess may be tricking us. Bringing the dead back to life has its own consequences. Can we afford the price?' I ask trying to make it all very clear.

'Yes, I am very certain.' says jessica in a firm voice.

'Alright then. Let's do it' we walk into the palace once again and the late princess greets us with a wide smile. 

'You made the right decision, my children' she says ' I'll start with the procedure' saying so she takes the blood we withdrew the previous night and places it on the table near the window. The table also held a few ancient almost damaged books and a pot of some unknown solution. 

She hands over the book with an open page and asks us to practice reading the verse without a break. We begin trying but often pause to breath. 'Practice well' saying so the princess started stirring the pot. 

Jessica and I although uncertain continue chanting the verses, when the door of the palace opens with a bang. 

'Have you both gone insane?' We hear the voice in our heads.