This is something I have had to constantly explain to people throughout my life. I am not evil. Sure, my father was. Sure, I am the Naka’Idis. I may hold the power of darkness and I may have been born out of hatred, but that does not make me evil.

Whether it be my power of my appearance, something always seems to scare people off. Until recently, no one dared stay around me long enough to find out who I really am. I was often cast out of places and found myself moving on a regular basis. It is no way for someone to live.

I did eventually find some people, but they were captured. After breaking free from the Terpolite mines and leading my people to freedom, I soon found some had begun conspiring against me. As the daughter of the man who’d first commanded them to be hunted down and captured thousands of years ago, they thought I was the one to rat them out. Never mind I’d also been trapped in the mines along side them . . .

I left soon after, taking what little possessions I had. As news of my father’s coming reappearance spread, I found it harder and harder to stay in one place for too long. Very few people let me stay a few nights. After months of being alone, I was very happy to make my first friend of the time.

Shortly after my father’s defeat, I found myself wondering the streets of a world whose name I did not bother to learn. I had my hood up against the rain, my travel pack slung over a shoulder, my head down, and my hands shoved into my pockets. A small portion of my power had created a shield around me, keeping me dry. At the time, I was looking for somewhere to stay the night.

“Are you okay?”

I looked around at the voice, seeing I had been about to walk straight into a Fae Female. She was pale-skinned, silver-eyed and had long braided burgundy-coloured hair. I couldn’t help but stare.

The Female smiled. “Nice to see I got your attention.”

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “Sorry. I guess I was lost in thought.”

“Must’ve been some thought,” she said, twisting an umbrella and holding it over my head. “You haven’t noticed its raining.”

I looked down. At some point, my shield had vanished and I was very quickly becoming soaked.

“Where are you going?”

“Nowhere in particular.”

The Female looked me over. Her eyes landed on my bag. “Got anywhere to stay.”

I didn’t want to, but I shook my head.

She nodded slightly then came to stand beside me, linking our arms and holding the umbrella over both our heads. “Come on,” she said. “I’m staying in a hotel just up the road. You’re welcome to stay with me.”

I was at a loss for words. This random stranger, who no doubt had noticed my face by now, was offering me a place to stay! That had never happened before.

“I’m Ema, by the way.”

I smiled. “Xix.”

Ema convinced the man at reception to let one more person stay in her room. After paying a fairly decent amount of money to keep him happy--honestly, the nerve of some people!--she led me to an elevator. We went up in silence to the floor second to the top. Ema led me down the carpeted hallway to a door. She swiped a keycard and let us in.

The room was incredible. Cozy. Warm. There was a small kitchenette slightly inside from the doorway which split into a living room with a dining table, large lounge, TV, coffee table and amazing view of the city below. To the left was a bedroom--I didn’t look inside there to respect her privacy--and a bathroom was to the right.

Ema shrugged off her overcoat, tossing it over a chair at the dining table before beginning to undo her braid. I cautiously put down my travel back and took off my jacket. I pulled my still-black hair from its long ponytail and let it fall to my waist. Now, Ema was staring.

“You were in the Terpolite mines,” she said, nodding at the marking on my brow.

“Yes,” I said, grasping my jacket tightly.

“That must’ve been rough.” Ema cocked her head. “I heard there was an escape there almost a year ago.”

I looked away. “Might’ve had something to do with it.”

“Wow.” She placed a kettle on the stove. “Never would have thought Enliatu’s daughter would be in the mines. I guess the rumours were right.”

I sighed. “So you did figure that out.”

She smiled. “The eyes. Very pretty but only come from the Acheron bloodline. You can sit down, you know. I won’t kick you out.”

“You won’t?” I asked, surprised.

“Well, unless you’re planning on doing something that proves the rumours of your ‘evilness’”--she put that in quotation marks--“to me, I think we’ll get along just fine. You like tea?”

We sat up half the night just talking about anything and everything. It wasn’t until I was about to fall over from exhaustion that Ema insist we both get some rest. She pulled an extra quilt, blankets and pillows from the cupboard, and helped me set up the pull-out lounge-bed. Ever the gracious hostess, Ema made sure I had everything I needed before turning in for the night.

As I lay beneath fluffy blankets and atop the most comfortable pillows ever, I couldn’t help my amazement. It had been months since anyone had shown me even a scrap of kindness and now here was someone letting me stay with them. I was warm, dry, had a full stomach and felt safe. I had almost forgotten the feeling.

From that day on, Ema and I were practically inseparable. When I became Queen of Lyriumia, she became my most trusted Advisor and Second in Command. We worked together, went on missions together, and travelled between Worlds together. She helped me create a new family and show the Worlds that I am not my father. I doubt I will ever be able to thank my dear friend enough in our lifetimes.