Meanwhile, deep under the ocean in Maraqua, a Blue Acara named Ingridr was working as a maid at King Kelpbeard's castle. She dreamed of meeting royalty and thought being a maid would put her in a good position to meet some important people, but she quickly found out that working in the castle was not as romantic as she had thought. She did get to meet other servants who worked more closely with nobility, and she became close friends with a wise old Island Koi who had been the lady-in-waiting for King Kelpbeard's mother. The Koi was full of stories about old Maraqua, and Ingridr listened with rapt attention. A new dream began to emerge in her heart - a dream to become a lady-in-waiting for a princess or a queen.

One stormy day, she was busy sweeping the entryway floor when the doors burst open. There was quite the commotion outside, with guards yelling at an intruder and trying to refuse him entrance. Frightened - and curious - Ingridr dropped her broom and hid behind a pillar. A single voice, strong and calm, was insisting he had very important business. Ingridr peeked around the pillar and saw Emith, wearing his Lutari Talisman. He exuded power and confidence, and the guards seemed to be afraid to touch him. He easily pushed past them and marched into the castle. Behind him was Ai, wearing her mother's green tiara, shy and careful to stay in Emith's shadow. She didn't intimidate the guards at all. One grabbed her by the paw and started to drag her out of the castle. In a blink, Emith struck, pulling Ai free and throwing the guard across the entryway. All of the other guards took a step back from the two Acaras, trembling in fear. The dazed guard on the floor stood on shaky legs, took a step forward, tripped over Ingridr's discarded broom, and fell right back down.

"Emith! How could you do that?" Ai said, frowning at him. "Maybe we should just go and try to make an appointment with the King at some other time."

Emith had positioned himself squarely between her and the guards. "I demand to see King Kelpbeard immediately," he said to them, ignoring Ai's words. "Tell him that the heir to the Emerald Kingdom is anxious to meet him. We will wait here until he sees us."

The hall fell silent. In the shadows behind the pillar, Ingridr gasped. The sound echoed loudly around the walls.

"Who's there?" Emith called. "Come out where we can see you."

One of the guards made a hasty retreat to the throne room while Emith was momentarily distracted. Ingridr took a cautious step out into the light. "Oh, I-I-I'm sorry, but did you say the Emerald Kingdom? I've never been, but my parents lived there. Is it as beautiful as they say??

Emith eyed her carefully. "We do not know; we were hoping King Kelpbeard could assist us in that matter."

Just then, the throne room doors opened and the nervous guard returned. "The King will see you now. Please come in, and accept our apologies for detaining you."

"That's more like it," Emith said, satisfied. "Ai, go on ahead of me. And you - " beckoning to Ingridr - "would you mind coming as well?"

"Oh, I'd be delighted!" she squealed, beaming from ear to ear. This was by far the most exciting day she'd ever had, and now she was about to see the king, too!

A beautiful red velvet carpet stretched from the open throne room doors to the elaborate golden throne, where King Kelpbeard awaited. Ingridr couldn't take her eyes off of him, and she tripped on the edge of the carpet. Emith caught her before she fell, and she gave him an apologetic smile. The doors slammed shut behind them and Ai took a few hesitant steps closer to the king, glancing back at Emith as she did so.

To everyone's surprise, the king stood up from his throne and bowed to her. They all stared at him, eyes wide with confusion. He straightened again and beckoned them to come closer. "I am so sorry, Princess, for the behavior of my guards. They could not have known how important you were. Come closer; I don't bite."

Ai curtsied politely. Emith tapped Ingridr's shoulder, waking her from her reverie, and she curtsied as well.

"Thank you for seeing us, King Kelpbeard," Ai said, her voice soft and uncertain. "There is no need to call me a princess; I just happen to have a mysterious history and my brother - guard - Emith - has done some research on my homeland, the Emerald Kingdom. I think he may be a little out of line, but - "

"No, no, he is right!" the king interrupted enthusiastically. "You couldn't have known, but I was a great friend of your parents. You are the spitting image of your mother, but you have your father's eyes. I would recognize you anywhere, Princess Ai!"

Ai stared at him, amazed. "How did you know my name?"

"When your mother was pregnant, a faerie came to bless her and told her you were a girl. The last time I saw your parents, they had a name picked out for you and they were so excited about having a kitten. It's a shame you could not be born in the Emerald Castle, but what has been done cannot be changed. Now, what is your petition? What is your request?" A genuine smile lit up his usually grumpy features.

"I... I need to know... Where is the Emerald Kingdom? Emith has been all over Neopia looking for it, and not even Queen Fyora knows where it is."

The smile faded, and the king shook his head sadly. "I never actually visited your parents, and all of my maps were destroyed by Captain Scarblade, so I have no idea as to where the Emerald Kingdom may be. I know of only one person who may know its location: the faerie who blessed your conception."

"Who might that be?" Ai asked quietly.

"Taelia, the Snow Faerie. It was quite a surprise when she came. We're used to seeing Water Faeries, but the rest usually avoid the oceans."

"So we have to go to Terror Mountain, then," Emith mused.

"I must insist you stay for lunch, first," King Kelpbeard said. "You." He pointed at Ingridr.

"Me?" she asked, her voice squeaking.

"Yes, you. What is your name?"

"Ingridr." She swallowed hard, trying to regain her composure.

"What is your relation to Princess Ai and Sir Emith?"

"Um... I don't have one, your highness. I'm just a maid."

"King Kelpbeard," Emith interrupted. "If I may make a request of my own. Ingridr said her parents were from the Emerald Kingdom. It's possible she may have some information that could be helpful to us. May she accompany us on our journey?"

The king considered. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea. Princess Ai has you for her knight, and now she will have Ingridr as her lady-in-waiting."

Ingridr fainted.

Later, after she came to and everybody had eaten lunch, the trio swam back up to the surface and made their way to Neopia Central to grab some warm clothes for their visit to Terror Mountain. Katie was waiting in Cockroach Towers.

"Emith, Ai, there you are! And who is this?"

"This is Ingridr," Emith said. "She's Princess Ai's lady-in-waiting."

Katie looked at them with wide eyes. "Seems like I missed a lot. Care to fill me in?"

Emith filled her in on the details while Ai and Ingridr picked out some clothes. He really wanted to get moving again right away, but Katie had other ideas.

"Well, if Ingridr is going to be working for Ai, we should probably make this whole thing official. Would you like me to adopt you, Ingridr?"

"Really?" Ingridr squealed.

Katie laughed. "I'll take that as a yes. Let's stop off at the adoption agency to fill out the paperwork. It's probably a bit late to go traveling, anyway, especially with this storm going on."

"I don't think we should wait, Katie," Emith argued.

"Ai? Ingridr? What do you two think?"

The girls looked at each other for a moment, excitement sparkling in both of their eyes, and then Ai spoke. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Emith. We've come this far. I don't think we should stop now."

Fortunately, the adoption didn't take long to finalize, and the three Acaras left for Terror Mountain. The storm only increased in intensity as they approached, and by the time they arrived at the foot of the mountain, a full-blown blizzard was in progress.

"Maybe Katie was right," Emith shouted over the screaming wind. "We can book a room for the night and regroup in the morning."

"We have to try," Ai shouted back, uncharacteristically brave.

"What about the Ice Caves? They lead up to the top," Ingridr volunteered.

"Good idea. Follow me!" Emith led the way, since he'd been to Terror Mountain before, but the cavern entrance was completely blocked by snow when they arrived.

"We have to climb," Ai shouted, taking the lead as she started up the side of the mountain.

Emith took up the rear now, helping whenever one of the girls got stuck. Ai seemed to be an Acara possessed - she refused to slow down, even for a moment. Ingridr was hard pressed to keep up, and she kept tripping and falling face-first into snow banks. When they finally made it to the top, Ai was almost as blue as Ingridr with cold, although the others couldn't see that - there was no visibility anymore in the rushing blasts of snow. They all joined paws, desperate not to lose each other, and then a hand touched the top of Ingridr's head.

"Please, follow me. I will lead you to shelter," said a feminine voice that rang clear as a bell in spite of the howling winds. A hand took hold of Ai's free paw, and the three were soon in a nice warm house with a crackling fire in the fireplace. Their rescuer removed the hood of her light blue coat, shaking the snow out of her short black hair.

"Taelia!" Ingridr gasped.

"Well, of course!" she laughed, a sound like the tinkling of a windchime. "Only a faerie would be out and about in a storm like this. Now come here to the fire and have some hot cocoa."

"Taelia, we're here on a rather important mission," Emith started. "You see - "

"Shh, sit down and get some warmth into your bones," Taelia interrupted. "I know what you're here for; I sensed Ai's approach long before you reached this peak. You want to know about the Emerald Kingdom and its location, am I correct?"

We all nodded.

"I will take you there tomorrow. You can spend the night here and start fresh in the morning. I have a feeling the weather will change for the better between now and then."

The next morning, Ingridr was awoken by birds chirping. Emith was already awake, but Ai was still fast asleep on the couch. Ingridr stopped, staring at her. There were white spots on Ai's green fur, and her paws were pure white.

"Shh," Taelia whispered, putting a hand on Igridr's shoulder. "Leave her alone. She has a big day ahead of her."

"But the spots-"

Taelia shook her head and led Ingridr into the kitchen, where Emith was eating a hot, fresh doughnut. Ingridr grabbed a couple for herself, and about a half hour later, Ai joined them. Nobody said a word about her appearance, but she was uneasy and nervous.

After breakfast, they all stepped outside to a bright, sunny winter day. Taelia had told them they would need to find a boat heading due south, and Emith and Ingridr took the lead during the trek down the mountain. Taelia dropped back to talk with Ai, their voices too soft for anybody else to hear.

Their journey took most of the day. They had to switch boats multiple times, following Taelia's directions from the top of Neopia all the way down to the South Pole. "Just a little bit farther," she said encouragingly. Eventually, they saw a crowd up ahead. Taelia stopped them for a moment to speak again: "I sent out word of your mission last night. These are a few of my friends and yours. I think you will appreciate their being here."

They were faeries, possibly all of the faeries in Neopia. A group of Dark Faeries huddled together slightly apart from everyone else. Fyora, Aethia the Battle Faerie, and the Soup Faerie were standing in a little group talking. They seemed to form the boundary line between the Dark Faeries and a group of Light Faeries. Ember was pacing in a wide circle around the others, hugging herself to keep warm. Illusen broke through the crowd and headed towards Taelia and the Acaras. She knelt down to give Ai a hug. "Ai, how are you feeling?" she asked.

Ai looked at her, eyes wide with surprise. "You're Illusen," she stammered.

Illusen smiled at her. "That's right, you don't remember. I blessed you when you were born. I knew this day would come. Are you ready to be a princess?"

Ai looked down at the ice. "I... I don't think so."

Illusen held Ai in her gaze for a few seconds before speaking again. "Your humility proves that you are ready. Look at all the support you have! Even the Dark Faeries want to help you reinstate the Emerald Kingdom, and starting in about a week or so, all of the royalty of Neopia will begin coming here to help you get on your feet. Come now. We must break through the ice to reach the castle."

It was amazing to watch the faeries work. The Fire Faeries directed blasts of flame at a central point on the ice; the Air Faeries stirred up wind to feed the flames; the Light Faeries shone as brightly as they could to provide more warmth. Some distance from the hole in the ice, Illusen led the Earth Faeries as they grew plants on the sheer ice, the roots reaching through the weaknesses in the ice and splitting it. The Water Faeries were moving the excess water away to the sea. The Dark Faeries were chanting strangely painful-sounding words. Suddenly, an earth-shaking tremor threatened to knock everybody off their feet as something hit the ice from below. The bang came again and again, splitting the ice all around. Taelia began chanting as well, and large chunks of ice coalesced beneath each major group of faeries as well as the three Acaras.

By this time, there was a huge hole in the ice large enough for the entire group to dive in and the source of the blows from below became visible: Chiazilla, guardian of Mystery Island. He hit the ice one more time with his powerful head. The Dark Faeries' chanting changed to a more calming tone, and the monster turned and swam away into the depths.

"We don't have to go in the water with that creature, do we, Taelia?" Ingridr asked, her voice trembling.

Emith spoke up. "There's no way we could survive in this water. It's much too cold; we'd be frozen within minutes."

Taelia smiled. "You would think so, wouldn't you? But if that were the case, the Emerald Kingdom would be uninhabitable."

At that moment, Ai dove into the water. "Ai!" Emith yelled, and then he plunged in after her. Ingridr stared after them.

"Go on," Taelia said encouragingly, giving her a gentle nudge.

Ingridr shook her head, but suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and she was pushed headlong into the icy water. She immediately swam for the surface, but she paused when she saw Jhudora's purple face leering back at her. It was then that she realized that the water was warm. Not wanting to confront Jhudora, she turned just in time to see Emith disappearing below. Startled, she realized she could breathe. She swam after Emith, followed by the laughter and talking of the faeries following behind her.

The beautiful Emerald Castle had not been destroyed, simply hidden away. It was an exact replica of the castle in Faerieland, but very different at the same time. The emerald walls were a pure shade of green, but almost translucent. The unkempt gardens around the castle's base were forests of seagrass and aquatic Petpets. Houses and farms were scattered all around the castle, abandoned but as neat and fresh looking as if they were brand new.

Oh, it was a beautiful castle, but it was also bare and lonely inside. Ai took the lead with Emith at her right hand--her eyes were shining and sparkling as if she were recalling a very good memory. Ingridr followed close behind them, but there were no footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw that the faeries had all stopped at the doors.

One of the Water faeries spoke. "Go on. This is your home now. We shall be waiting here until the Princess invites us inside."

There was no water inside the castle--that must have been due to the faerie magic used to build the castle. Their paws left prints in the thick dust on the floors, but when Ingridr stopped to wipe some of the dust away, she found that the emerald beneath was as beautiful and shiny as if it were polished. She looked up and saw chandeliers hanging from the ceilings in the middle of the rooms they entered. They were probably gold and silver in the past, but now they were unlit and dusty relics. She brushed up against one of the curtains and the amount of dust that it shook off made her sneeze.

They explored every single room in the castle before Ai was satisfied and ready to invite the faeries inside. At this point, it was sundown on dry land, and Ingridr was tired. Ai showed no signs of weariness, though, and Emith also stood strong. Ingridr mustered a little bit more energy as they returned to the main doors.

Queen Fyora stood just outside on the emerald steps. "Princess Ai, may I enter?"

Ai smiled. "Yes, do come in. Please excuse the condition of the castle; it has been empty for some time." Her voice was strong and clear, without the hint of shy nervousness it usually contained. She stood daintily on her pretty white paws and curtsied to Queen Fyora as the faerie stepped inside. The Faerie Queen returned the motion. Emith bowed as well, and this time Ingridr didn't need his prodding to remember to curtsy.

The Soup Faerie was the next to enter. After she curtsied, she said, "Princess, may I use the kitchen? I'm sure you must be hungry, and there is a good variety of edible plants in the gardens."

Ai consented. "Yes, of course. Take what you need, and thank you."

Now Jhudora entered. She didn't exactly curtsy, but she did incline her head a little bit. Then, strangely, she turned to Ingridr. "This place is a mess. You were formerly employed as a maid, correct?"

Ingridr nodded, feeling a little ashamed. Jhudora's tone made it sound like Ingridr was at fault for the dirtiness of the castle.

Jhudora nodded. "I thought so. Come here."

Ingridr looked at Ai, who nodded for her to do as Jhudora said. Emith's eyes were narrowed with suspicion, but he didn't make any motion to interfere. Ingridr stepped forward and Jhudora placed her hand on the Acara's head. "You were blessed at birth by a Water faerie, but you are lacking. Your heart is not dark--neither are many of my sisters' hearts. Still, you have my blessing--or curse, if you prefer. Use it wisely."

Ingridr's heart sank at the faerie's words and she tried to step away, but she couldn't move. She felt a strange tingling sensation all along her spine. She looked up and saw a flash of purple fabric outside, and Jhudora was gone. She looked back at Ai, Emith, and Queen Fyora - they were giving her strange looks. She turned to look outside again, and all of the Dark faeries were standing on the steps, watching her. She sneezed, blowing dust off of the floor and into the air, when something in her mind seemed to click. "Are you here to do as I say?" she asked. The Dark faeries continued to stare at her. That was when she started giving orders, and within five minutes, all of the Dark faeries were cleaning the castle. The tingling of her spine stopped once all of the instructions had been given, and she returned to Ai's side. "Did Jhudora just give me the authority to order the Dark faeries to clean?" she asked quietly.

Ai laughed, a sweet, bubbly sound. "I think so. Queen Fyora, do you have a mirror?"

The Queen nodded. "I do indeed." She held it out for Ingridr she see. She was the dark blue of an Electric Acara, but where most have light blue accent markings, hers were all a dark purple.

Conclusion

The Emerald Kingdom is officially reinstated now. As the only heir to the throne, Ai has been crowned Queen of the Emerald Kingdom. She is a good monarch, due in large part to help from faeries and established monarchs across Neopia. She is kind, just, and wise. When she has some free time, she can usually be found reading in the Royal Library.

Ai's first action as Queen was to knight Emith. Sir Emith is Ai's personal bodyguard and is also the Commander of the Royal Army. The job suits him very well. Like Ai, he knows that he cannot do his job alone, so he regularly consults with the military leaders of all of the kingdoms in Neopia. He trains regularly and, strangely for a knight, prefers the martial arts to traditional melee.

Ai's second action was to instate Ingridr as the head of the household. Under her direction, the castle is now fully staffed with cleaning, cooking, and gardening pets that have returned to the Emerald Kingdom. She has also discovered that Jhudora's blessing extends to authority over the Dark faeries in many different ways, of which cleaning is just one. Should anything go wrong in the Kingdom, Ai has the power to call on the other kingdoms for aid; Emith has the power to muster the army and defend the Kingdom; and Ingridr has the power to call upon the Dark faeries for aid as well.

Katie was busy in real life, so by the time she was able to return to Neopia again, she found the rooms on the top floor of Cockroach Towers were being leased to pets other than her own. Fortunately, she only had to ask the Shop Wizard concerning her Acaras' whereabouts to discover where they'd gone. The Emerald Kingdom and Ai's story had quickly become famous, and it was all the rage to visit the blossoming new monarchy in the Antarctic of Neopia. It was a happy day when one of the guards ushered Katie into the throne room. She told the Acaras how proud she was, and she promised to visit often. She also decided to write down all of their adventures and publish them so that other owners could know the true story of Ai and the Emerald Kingdom.