Avi2112
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Chapter 179
🕑 Added 2025-01-23 07:15:43 +0000 UTC“There is much more to see,” Aelsa says. “Mermaids in crystal lakes, unicorns in the glades, and even champagne streams.”
The very thought feels surreal, as if I am in a magical dream. Especially with the radiant Elf Queen walking besides me, her presence adding an ethereal quality to the moment.
“Your Majesty, I know this road!” Fayla calls out excitedly, rushing ahead.
“Yes, we came here last year!” Mayla adds, running after her.
“I will go ahead and check if the path is clear,” Rayla says, darting forward.
“No! I want candy too!” Tayla shouts, scrambling to keep up.
Aelsa’s soft laughter besides me is infectious, and I find myself smiling. I realize I could never grow tired of that sound.
Through the giant trees and past the foliage, we come across a clearing. The air here tastes sweeter than ever, and I find my mouth hanging open in disbelief at the sight before me.
In the clearing is a small garden, but instead of crops, it is filled with candies. Colourful sweets of every hue seem to be sprouting from the ground.
“This can’t be real … Candy farms?” I ask in disbelief. It feels like a scene from a whimsical storybook.
“There are many faeries who are candy farmers,” Fayla says, plucking a red lollipop from the ground as though picking a flower. She even starts licking it immediately.
“In Alfheim, there are more gardens than stars in the sky,” Mayla adds, choosing a blue one.
“These Candy gardens are so small compared to the orchards in the south. Those are the size of oceans,” Rayla snorts, savouring a rainbow swirl candy.
“I like this one better … it’s sour!” Tayla exclaims, plucking a striped candy stick from the ground, where they grow like grass.
I can’t help but think how much my mother, sister, aunts, and … well, all the women I know would adore this place. “This is the perfect vacation spot,” I mutter, earning a puzzled look from Aelsa.
An elderly faery descends from a nearby tree, bowing deeply to the Elf Queen. “Your Majesty, it is an honour,” she says before inviting us all to follow her.
In a nearby clearing, a wooden table is laid out with more varieties of candy than I have ever seen, even in the best-stocked sweet shop.
The faery bows and leaves after Aelsa thanks her.
“Let’s have lunch, Luke,” Aelsa says, her smile warm and inviting.
I smile wryly, eyeing the table, already fearing I will die from sweetness today.
As I sit across from her, the four elf girls eagerly bring out crystal cups and a jug of red wine. Tayla pours me a cup, while the other three compete for Aelsa’s attention, each pouring a cup for her.
Patiently, Aelsa sips from each cup, smiling at their enthusiasm. I sample the wine and candies, unsurprised by how delicious everything is—but, as expected, it is overwhelmingly sweet!
As the elf girls run off to play in the candy farm, Aelsa turns to me, her expression thoughtful. “So, tell me exactly how you teleported here,” she asks, her tone measured, “and more about Midgard.”
I share everything I can, carefully avoiding any mention of the Ancient One’s name. After all, I can’t be sure if she has made friends or enemies in this realm. When it comes to Earth, I highlight its progress and advancements but steer clear of its darker aspects.
“So, Aelsa, you were about to tell me about the different realms?” I ask with a smile, eager to learn more.
“Hm, the nine realms of the World Tree…” she begins, her soft voice taking on a more regal tone. She extends her hand, and the light bends to form a hologram-like image in the air. “These are nine interconnected worlds, bound by a powerful mystical force we call the World Tree. First is Asgard, home to the Aesir—or the Asgardians.” She speaks with a touch of mirth.
“You don’t seem fond of Asgard,” I note, studying the magical hologram she has conjured.
“I have no issue with King Odin; we are allies. But his mischievous daughter deserves a beating,” she replies, her eyes narrowing in irritation.
I look at her face, which is still just as beautiful, even when she is angry. "Odin's daughter?" I ask, wanting to confirm if the female voice I heard before I was yanked from Asgard was speaking truth or not.
"Yes, Thor! Many years ago, she disturbed my afternoon nap just to snatch some of my hair. I was so furious that I burned all her golden hair to ash," Aelsa says with a smirk, as if remembering the scene.
I shudder, realizing that, technically, I also disturbed her sleep. If I wasn’t so lucky, maybe I would have become bald too.
So that was really Thor—a female Thor? I am not that much surprised now, considering this has happened a few times already.
“After Asgard, there is Vanaheim, where the Vanir—relatives of the Aesir—reside. Nidavellir is home to the dwarves. Jotunheim belongs to the giants.” As she speaks, Aelsa conjures holographic images of each realm. “Muspelheim, the land of fire demons; Niflheim, the realm of the dead… and Svartalfheim, the land of the Dark Elves,” she says with a note of distaste.
From the mountainous Nidavellir to the fiery Muspelheim, my knowledge of the Nine Realms expands in just seconds. Although I already knew much more about them from my comic meta-knowledge, like I also know that there is even a hidden tenth realm. However, I will need to verify its presence in this reality to see if it truly exists here.
“But nothing is more beautiful than Alfheim, the land of the light elves,” she concludes, showcasing a mostly green and blue planet in her palm.
“Yes, it truly is a place of peace and otherworldly wonder,” I say with a genuine smile. Aelsa responds with a smile so beautiful it seems to light up the space around her.
Looking at her radiant beauty and the tranquil paradise of the elves and other magical beings, I can’t help but sigh mentally. My meta-knowledge weighs heavy on me—knowing that all of this will be destroyed.
The ruler of the Dark Elves, Malekith, will wage war across the ten realms, leaving Alfheim in ashes. He will slaughter and enslave the entire population, turning this paradise into a desolate ruin. And then there is the memory that fills me with rage: Malekith’s vile act of mind-controlling Aelsa and forcing her into marriage. The mere thought of him laying a hand on the exquisitely beautiful queen makes my blood boil.
Still, this is an alternate universe, and it might not unfold that way here. But if it does, I vow to intervene. I won’t let that cursed marriage happen, nor will I allow this wonderful world to be destroyed.
“So, Aelsa, do you have a boyfriend?” I ask, my voice tentative.
“Boyfriend?” she echoes, her head tilting in confusion.
“Uh, I mean… a husband, a lover—a lifelong partner,” I clarify, tracing my fingers lightly along her fair hand.
Her practiced smile returns. “I love every citizen of mine equally.” Before I can press further, she smoothly changes the subject. “Here, you should try this champagne, Luke.” She gestures towards Tayla, who rushes over, presenting a crystal cup of sparkling champagne.
I hide my wry smile as I take a sip, noticing that she just bypassed my question. I already knew that her defences must be incredibly tough, given her long life and status as the queen of her realm… But at least I am relieved to know that she is still single!
The conversation shifts, with Aelsa asking more personal questions—about my family, my daily routine, and even my favourite sweets. She shares snippets of her own life, the monotony of palace duties, and her excitement over one of her new dress being crafted from the finest elven silk.
The four elf girls return, their mouths stuffed with candy and their steps heavy with exhaustion.
“Let’s continue our walk,” Aelsa suggests with a warm smile. “I have more interesting places to show you. If you stay longer, I will even take you to my castle.”
As I rise to follow her, a beam of light filters through the canopy, bathing Aelsa in a soft, golden glow. The light dances on her radiant features, accentuating her ethereal beauty in a way that momentarily leaves me breathless. I pause mid-step, captivated, unable to tear my gaze away.
“Are you coming?” she asks, turning back with a smile. Her melodic voice snaps me out of my trance, but not before I mutter, “You look so enchanting, Aelsa.”
A delicate blush spreads across her cheeks, enhancing her already mesmerizing beauty. Her cherry-pink lips part slightly, as though she is about to respond, but before she can, I feel the sudden, unmistakable tug—the familiar pull of the crossroads.
In an instant, I am yanked back to the vibrant, kaleidoscopic nexus, the magical world fading away like the remnants of a beautiful, fleeting dream.
***
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