Avelina

The Truth

     In a second, it all flashed in Alexander's head. The first time he held Avelina in his arms, he witnessed her taking her first steps and speaking for the first time. He remembered when he would walk the streets with Avelina, the time they attended a festival and saw Avelina's eyes gleam in awe, their visits to the relic shop, the first time Avelina cried, the times he had to comfort her, all of the times Avelina smiled at Alexander. All the times she was excited to see him, everything flashed in his head. The moment that stood out to Alexander the most was when Avelina told Alexander that Alexander was like a father to her. Now the two of them stand in front of each other. But Avelina was not smiling. She was glaring at Alexander...and she demanded the truth.

"Alex...tell me who she is..." said Avelina, staring into Alexander's brown eyes.

Alexander lowered his eyes to the ground. "Yes, Lina. Tiabeanie is your blood sister." He spoke in a low tone.

Avelina's jaw hung open slightly in shock. "I...I have a sister. I..." Her eyes wandered across the stone floor as she took this in. "I...I don't understand, Alex, why...why would you keep this from me? Why?"

"I had to, Lina, because..." Alex paused. His face twisted, and his heart raced.

"Because what? Tell me!" said Avelina as she stepped closer to Alex. "Why would you wait so long to tell me something like this? What else have you been hiding from me?"

"Avelina, you have to understand," Alex raised his hand, and she met Avelina's emerald-colored eyes. "I...I wanted to tell you everything. I just wanted to wait-"

"Wait for WHAT?" Avelina shouted. "And what do you mean to tell me everything? What else have you been hiding from me? Does this have anything to do with the Prophecy?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Don't worry about how I know! Just tell me the truth! What's going on? What are you, Aunt Becky, and Uncle Cloyd up to?!"

    And so Alexander did. He told her everything. He told her where she was born, Dagmar sending her to Maru to live with He, Cloyd, and Becky when she was a newborn. Alexander told her about Dreamland, her birth father, King Zog, and her stepmother and stepbrother. He also told her the truth about Dagmar and how she passed. With each truth, he told her. Avelina's expression of horror grew worse and worse. It hit harder to know why Dagmar passed away. He told her how Dagmar tried poisoning King Zog the first time, but a four-year-old Tiabeanie had unknowingly switched the cups.

"I...I have a birth father? And he's alive? And he's the king of Dreamland? I have another mom and a stepbrother?" Avelina glided her hands through her blond hair. Then she realized what Alexander had told her. "Mom tried to kill him? She...she tried to...why?"

Alexander continued to explain. He explained how King Zog would've gotten in the way of bringing Tiabeanie to Maru, so she could bare the crown and fulfill her duty. Then...Alexander explained the purpose of the Prophocey crown and what it is, along with the debt to hell.

"T-The crown has to be bolted to your hea-" Avelina gasped loudly and clutched her chest in shock. "A-Alex..." She stuttered. "J-Jerry...did you all put the crown on Jerry's head?!"

Alexander stayed silent.

Avelina covered her mouth. "That's why he...and those wounds on his head...." Avelina remembered just how many people had worn that same crown. "ALEX, THAT CROWN WAS ON BABY'S HEADS! NEWBORN BABIES!" She yelled. She remembered seeing the small child in an old family painting wearing the crown.

"It is in this family's code Lina..." said Alexander. "One has to bare the crown and keep the tradition going..."

"But...to kill King Zo-To kill my father..." said Avelina, trying her best to hold back her tears. "I don't understand that...mom...mom would never..." Avelina paused. "You said she was sweet and caring...and loving. That's not the mother I always dreamed about meeting."