The wind blew loudly through the Willow trees, the long thin branches flowing like long tendrils of hair. The leaves broke free and danced into the sky, creating a shower of green.

I walked quietly through the cemetery, passing the tombstones of those long forgotten, their engravings faded and forgotten with time. Mom and I used to walk through here when I was little, making up names and lives for those who were forgotten. We would bring flowers and lay them out, I guess to let them know that there was still someone who thought of them.

At the end of the rows stood a large weeping willow under which was a single tombstone.

My mother had always loved this spot. She never did tell me why. I suspected it had something to do with my father but because she couldn't remember him, she only remembered that this place was special to her. When her memory started to fade, I would often find her hear, sitting under the tree or dancing by herself, humming her favourite Beethoven song, Pathétique. I always hated the name but mom always said it wasn't the name that made the song, it was the feelings you put into them.

When she died I fought tooth and nail for her to be allowed to be buried here. The caretaker had been more worried about the roots of the willow and if there would be enough clear ground to bury the casket. I knew there would be, sensing it to be so, and in the end they relented after I hounded them day in and day out for permission.

The tombstone was simple, with only my mother's name and date of birth and death. Underneath it simply said, Never Forgotten.

"Hi mum," I said softly. "I hope you're well, wherever you are. I'm sorry but I won't be able to visit you for awhile. I don't know when I'll be back, but I promise it's for a good reason."

I pushed the hair from my face as the wind grew stronger. "I'm going to get dad back. That'll be good won't it? Maybe he can tell me why you loved this place so much. He can also come and say his goodbyes."

My voice broke and I turned away, watching the leaves dance in the wind.

"Am I doing the right thing?" I whispered, my eyes moving with the branches. "I know this is a lot to ask but if you could watch over me every now and then while I'm in Faery, I think I'll feel safer somehow, knowing you're with me."

I listened to wind whisper through the branches, wishing I would hear her whisper in my ear that she would be with me. I heard soft footfalls behind me and knew it was time.

Touching the stone, I closed my eyes. "Bye mom, I love you."

Walking out from the tree, I saw Kheelan in his Faery garb, waiting patiently.

"Are you ready?"

I nodded, a sense of peace stealing over me. "I'm ready."

We walked back through the headstones until we reached a large mausoleum in the centre of the cemetery. It hadn't been cared for for years. The angel on top of the roof was crumbled and faded. A creeper vine had grown wildly, covering the walls and leaving no trace of the granite that was beneath. White flowers were blooming and it almost looked pretty.

Kheelan walked straight up and opened the door. It groaned from years of not being used.

"Wait."

Kheelan stopped and turned around looking at me questioningly.

"Why are we going in here?" I asked, feeling uncomfortable.

"This is a gateway to Faery." He explained. "It's the closest one available at this time."

"It's in a mausoleum?" I whispered in disbelief. "Are you freaking serious?"

"Very serious," Kheelan replied. "This mausoleum holds the remains of a man who used to be quite important to my mother."

Now that grabbed my attention. "What?"

"He was a mortal man who accidently walked into a faery ring, dancing for nearly three hundred years before my mother found him. She admired his musical ability, for he was quite gifted with a violin and so a deal was made. He would remain in the Seelie court, playing for my mother and in return he would live forever. For many years he played for the Court, his music bringing my mother great happiness. Then -"

"Let me guess." I interrupted. "He fell in love?"

Kheelan looked at me surprised. "Have you heard this story before?"

"No but it's all the same in the end." I muttered.

"Anyway," Kheelan pressed on, his eyebrows scrunched in annoyance at being interrupted. "He fell in love with a mortal woman who was trapped in a deal with one of the knights. He loved her voice and she would often sing for the court while he played his violin. They fell for each other but they couldn't be together, both still stuck in their own deals.

The man begged and pleaded our Queen, saying he would no longer play, only wishing to be with the woman he loved. When asked of his immortality he stated he no longer wanted it, happy to live a mortal life if it was with his lady. The Queen was not one to be told what to do but she loved to hear his music and was saddened he would no longer play for her. As cold as she may come across, my Queen believes in love and she saw the love between them so, in the end she agreed to his terms.

However when they returned to the mortal realm, the Queen's terms of their release were made clear. The man, he could no longer play a musical instrument, his hands became riddled with arthritis, unable to hold anything properly. For the woman, her voice was gone, and no longer was she able to sing."

Kheelan fell silent and I felt sad. "What happened to them?"

"I'm not sure what happened to him and the young lady, but from the stories, I believe they were happy, even in their final days."

"What makes you think your mother won't pull the same stunt on you and your lady lover when you reveal everything to her?" He didn't answer and my lips tugged into a self satisfied smirk.

Walking into the mausoleum, I felt strange as if the man and woman from the story were there, watching us. It was dark and gloomy inside, cobwebs filling the walls. A dry pot of flowers sat in the window, light barely pushing through the dirt and grime embedded on the glass.

I suddenly wished someone had taken better care of it, thinking they deserved it after everything they had been through with the Fae.

I jumped as the door clicked shut and spun around. "What are you doing?"

"You will see."

Kheelan twisted the doorknob three times left and then two times right. As he released his hand from the doorknob it made a loud clank noise and suddenly the wind couldn't be heard through the cracks of stone.

"We're here. He said simply, smiling at me.

My heart started thudding loudly.

"Great," I said lightly, trying to hide the tremor in my voice.

"Let's do this."

X'A