The Search For The Reincarnated Queen

"She's with us all this time?" Macky's wide smile can't hide his excitement.

They were searching for her for a long time -- for years! But she's just with them, with Eli, without them knowing.

"Can I see her?" Macky asked, "Can I?" He repeated with an even cheerful voice.

But Ben shook his head, if he was able to see her, he should've seen her already.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think you can," Ben's voice was soft. He knows how much Macky loves Eliora. Finding out she existed was already too much, and adding salt to the wound is too much, but he has to know in case he can help them.

Macky's smiled vanished and he sits down properly.

"I see," he whispers. He was excited to see the Queen, to see Eliora again, but it turns out, things will continue the way they are now.

"But I'm going to Velo, maybe he knows something that can help us make you see Eliora too." Ben tried to lighten up Macky's mood which was successful, Macky's face brightened with the slight possibility that he can see the Queen.

"Oh," Macky took the papers he has about the people in the mansion in Magnolia Province and gave them to Ben, "I found out, these people were the past townspeople of the Kingdom who were thrown away because they went against the rules."

Ben read each page with a furrowed brows, each individual has the same case, they either threatened or killed another race because it's either it's for revenge or to defend themselves.

Ben sighed and gave the papers back to Macky, "What did you do to them?" He asked and folded his hand in front of his face.

"I don't know," he muttered, "Taylan, Willow, and Trace are in charge of punishing people. Jace and Dane are in charge of defending and fighting," Macky looked at his hands and frowned, "I'm in charge of information, Pen's in charge of beast's affairs."

Ben remembered what E said to him since he never knew about Macky and Pen's condition, he never thought that he might be feeling left out.

"She told me about your curse," Ben said softly, "I know about your and Pen's case."

Macky's eyes grew large with surprise, but he later smiled and looked away, "I see. Regular humans aren't allowed to know about that tragedy, but I know you're not just a simple human." He said and chuckled and took a sip of his hot chocolate.

"So, tell me," Ben leaned his chin on his fist and stared at Macky, "Is there any more information about Vanford that you may be hiding?"

Macky froze, he wrinkled his forehead and shook his head, "I don't know what you mean."

Ben chuckled, he just wanted to annoy Macky, but doing this with a kid seems unfair. "Nothing, it's a joke."

Macky smiled at Ben and stretched his arms, "You know, the Queen also loves to joke around, she said she loves it when I look annoyed."

"Don't worry, you'll be seeing her again. I'm sure Eli will remember it all."

The others, however, acts as if Eli's acting normally.

Taylan shows her the garden in the castle as if she wasn't killed in that same place.

Trace and Willow follow them from behind, watching the two walk hand in hand in front.

"Do you remember when I first brought you hear when my father and the guards aren't around? Willow got angry at me, he even threatened to call the royal guards if I brought you in," Taylan chuckled and turned his head to glance at Willow who just smirked.

Eli wanted to laugh with that memory but her body just smiled and nodded gracefully. For Pete's sake, it was hilarious! Willow was really angry that time.

Maybe it's because he was jealous that E was with Taylan, or maybe because he can get in trouble if someone found out, either way, Willow was smoking with rage when he saw Taylan and E together in the garden.

"Oh, and when..." Taylan told another story about Trace and Macky destroying E's favorite plants with a wide smile on his face. He looks like he's reliving the moment once again. His gaze was glued in the horizon of the orange sky, while his hand squeezes Eli's.

Eli suddenly felt a sharp pain on her c.h.e.s.t. Taylan's happily remembering his time with E, it's not with her. She's not the same person. The way he tries to tell her the past, something that she was not a part of, there's a sudden surge of jealousy appearing in her thoughts.

What will Taylan feel if he found out that his 'reincarnated' queen is not the same person as his Queen?

While Eli tries to ponder on her jealousy, Vanford's voice came in her mind. Eli wanted to roll her eyes, she's going to do something again, and her body will react to it.

"My Queen, can you remember? This is the exact place where the King killed you." Vanford whispered.

Eli's body stopped and froze in the same spot where her body fell down on its death. She then remembered everything, exactly what happened.

Willow, Trace, and Taylan felt the heaviness of the air when their Queen stopped. She can remember that night. They almost forgot about it since they were too happy that she came back as if she didn't even die.

Eli cling to every strand of the memory, she's also curious about how E really died, and since she knew something was already wrong with her death being accused to Taylan, she took notice of everything.

Starting when E's best friend, France Benedict, who suddenly appeared, and disappeared exactly when Taylan appeared, and when he also disappeared like a bubble when her shaman suddenly popped up for E to curse everyone.

Eli's body felt another strong wave of darkness. She stared at the very floor where her blood spilled. She clenched her fist and wanted to hit Taylan. Her bloodthirst suddenly floated.

"My Queen?" Taylan held her hand and c.a.r.e.s.sed it sweetly with his thumb, "Do you want to go back to the library?"

Taylan wanted to embrace Eli, but, with how she reacts, just like how she did before, he can remember that the past Queen isn't as affectionate as Eli. She was reserved, just like any lady should be.

But he knew that she remembers her death. He knew that she's afraid, and maybe, even angry at him since she clearly cursed them before, but all he can do is hold her hand and be there for her.

Eli suddenly thought, vampires do appear suddenly, but the way that everyone around E in this very garden just pops up and disappears exactly when someone appears is noticeably wrong.

Eli's body nodded and smiled at Taylan like she doesn't want her hand around his neck while he dies for air.

While they go back, Eli already put the pieces together, she's not yet sure, but... Vanford can change his appearance fast with a blink of an eye, he can even control someone--- with the way he's controlling her.

Even though there's no memory of Vanford in E's life, there must be something more to his existence.

Ben and Macky went to Aunt Sussie's house where Oberon and Velo also decided to meet.

"Oh, why is Mackenzie Carl here?" Oberon asked Ben while staring at Macky. The first time he saw him was when they were talking about Eli's sudden disappearance where he wasn't able to talk to him.

He knew about the tragedy of the families of vampires and beast before, and he knew that Macky was one of the descendants of the cursed.

"Am I not welcome?" Macky asked and was hesitating to take a seat but Ben pulled him and pats his head.

"It's fine," Ben assured, "I'm here to ask if you can make Macky see a soul."

Velo raised his brow, "Who? And first of all, we were having a meeting here. So better wait for us to finish."

Ben looked around, "Where's Aunt Sussie? And excuse me, this is her house, why are you meeting here?"

Oberon cleared his throat, "Well, she's working and clearly, my house isn't safe anymore since that Vanford has tract me down before. Velo here said that he may have pretended to be someone and I gave him some information about Eli before."

Macky nodded, "If that's the case, you should stay here. I would find something to cover up Aunt Sussie's house from the beasts or vampires connected to Vanford."

Velo smirked with Macky's offer of help. "Then, we should help you too. Who's this soul do you want to see?"

Ben suddenly grew nervous, he didn't think this through, will E let Oberon and Velo found out about her? While sweating through the decision, E suddenly appeared with Tram who's staring at Oberon.

The old man who's now wearing heavy animal bone as a necklace do look weird for a kid.

E smiled and nodded, "Tell them, they'll believe you."

Ben sighed and looked at Oberon, "It's the past Queen, Eliora."

Velo and Oberon suddenly looked at each other and turned pale.

Their meeting was about Eli's sudden transformation into the Queen without any contact with the King. It's suspicious enough that she became a Queen, but with the information Ben gave right now, it's confirmed -- she's not yet the King's Queen-- at least, not fully the Queen.

"You mean, she's still here with us?" Oberon asked while lurking his eyes around.

"Yes," Ben nodded, "What do you mean 'still'?"

Velo shook his head, "I knew something was wrong. She was taken as a human but we got her back as the Queen. The transformation doesn't work that way!"

Macky gasped, he just remembered that. For a Queen to be made, the King or Crown Prince should bite the potential Queen and turn her blood into the royal vampire.

"Right." Velo nodded with Macky's reaction, "Okay, Ben, a bride will have to be bitten by the crown prince or King before she becomes a Queen. In Eli's case, she left as a human without encountering Taylan. Also, if she is a reincarnation, her past soul should come back to her body -- meaning, the Queen's soul should be gone by now if the transformation was genuine."

Ben tilted his head while slowly ingesting the information. E did mention about this before, and this also gives the reason why Eli wasn't acting herself.

"Then that means?" Ben asked.

"It's either, she was made as a Queen artificially or... she's not even Eli anymore." Oberon answered.

"Not Eli anymore?" Macky asked with terror in his face. It's true, she's not even acting half as who Eli is.

"Yes, she may be an exchanged body... or... we don't know. There's only one way to find out." Velo looked at Oberon.

This may be dangerous, but it's the only way they can find out about Eli's condition.

"We will perform a ritual, but first, we have to get near Eli." Velo added.

Ben and Macky shook their head, while Ben clicked his tongue, "Only the vampires, including me can go near Eli for now. Taylan is too tight on security. The library's even closed for safety."

After what happened, Taylan doesn't want anyone getting close to Eli aside from his guards. He was afraid that he'll lose her again. But it isn't helping anyone, especially that they can't see that something was not right in their situation.

"If I can see the Queen, the King will believe me if I say that we need to do a ritual on Eli." Macky raised his thought while looking down the ground.

He wants to see the Queen, and it'll help them much more since Taylan can take anything Macky knows directly, without any bias.

"We should try to open your third eye then," Oberon stood up and took a few small vials from his inside pocket on his jacket. "Let's find out what is happening in Eli."