Thank you for reading on ! We provide free access to all our stories, but maintaining this platform requires ongoing costs. To keep the site running and continue offering free content, we display advertisements. You can close the ads anytime, or upgrade to premium membership ($5/month) for an ad-free reading experience while supporting our mission. You can also earn premium for free by completing simple tasks. We truly appreciate your understanding and support!Tarik was much taller now; it was normal for things to change. But as they spent time together, everything would become familiar again-Lissana was sure of it. She believed in her mother's words, thinking that Tarik had been away for too long. Their friendship had faded, and in her innocence, she thought that simply being by his side would restore it to how it once was. Early that morning, Lissana went to find Tarik, hoping to ask him to play together. However, he was busy training with someone else. He had decided that she wasn't his friend, yet he seemed to be having a lot of fun with her.When Lissana approached, Tarik looked surprised and asked, "Why are you up so early, Lissana? You should still be sleeping." "I woke up early to ask if we could play today. I have classes with the queen after breakfast," she replied, her beautiful smile faltering. Seeing her disappointment, Tarik felt a twinge of sadness in his heart. "What if we could do something together?" he suggested. "That sounds good to me!" Lissana's excitement returned. "Is it finished?" he asked. "Yes, let's go," Tarik extended his hand. Lissana hesitated, thinking about her brother, who was much older than her.She remembered how he had distanced himself from her. Turning back, she saw him standing still, watching them intently. "Won't you invite her?" she asked, glancing back at the girl who had been training with Tarik. "She never speaks to me; she always ignores me," he replied. "That's sad. Food is always better with company," Lissana said. "You're right," Tarik conceded. "Can we invite her to join us?" "No, she's dealing with something difficult.Don't worry about her; she'll be fine." Lissana turned to look at her again, but the girl had already started to walk away, and she couldn't say anything more. As they walked through the palace, Lissana felt small beside Tarik. Throughout the day, she realized he treated her like a child, cleaning up after her and helping with meals, just as he did with Uzziel. This made her annoyed, and she said, "I'm not a little girl!" "Why do you say that?" he asked, genuinely confused. "You treat me the same way you treat Uzziel," she replied, crossing her arms."They always treated Uzziel like a baby," he defended. "Maybe they do, but I'm not Uzziel." For a moment, Tarik forgot that Lissana was not a child. "But you still need to be cared for like one," he said gently. "Uzziel hasn't grown up; he's still the same," she countered. "Then you should greet him," he suggested. "Tarik, I'm getting better," she insisted. He fell silent for a moment, reflecting on how things had changed. "No, Lissana, things are different now. But I will always be your protector. I want to be by your side and keep you safe. Now that I'm older, I can do that much better.Don't you believe me?" "You don't have to protect me. I'm strong. My mother taught me to use my magic, just like my light magic, even if I haven't mastered it yet. Did you know you can even fly if you control the wind magic well? Maybe I should be the one protecting you." "Um... I'm the older one, so for now, I'll be your protector," he replied, a smile breaking through his seriousness. Lissana felt emotional at his words, imagining a day when she would be the one protecting him. After their conversation, Tarik returned to his duties, while Lissana sought out her mother in the garden.Abril noticed her daughter's absence and asked, "Where were you, Lissana? I was worried when you woke up." "I was with Tarik," Lissana replied. "Next time, don't leave without telling me," Abril admonished gently. "Since you're together, we should go train. How does that sound?" "Yes! I want to show you what I can do. Plus, I want to get stronger to protect you," Lissana said eagerly. "Protect him?" Abril raised an eyebrow. "Who will be your protector if you're busy protecting him?" "Even so, I need to become much stronger," Lissana insisted."Then you must train hard and come back even stronger," Abril encouraged. Later, Lissana and Abril joined Tarik and Uzziel. As they approached the queen, Tarik took a moment to greet her. "Greetings, Your Majesty, the human queen." The palace felt empty, devoid of the usual bustle. "You must be Prince Tarik," Abril said, recognizing him. "Forgive me for not introducing myself properly," he replied. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter and being there for her when she needed you.noveldramaI appreciate you dedicating your time to her, even when it might be difficult." "She is precious to me; it's no bother to spend time with her," Tarik said sincerely. "It makes me happy to hear that you think so, despite the age difference between you," Abril responded. "While our ages may differ, our bond remains unchanged. I will always be her companion in games, not just her accomplice. I may not be able to be by her side as I once was, but I will always be her dear friend and will be there for her when she needs me," he promised. As Tarik spoke, an idea crossed his mind."Abril, you will be the queen of the fairies, won't you?" "Only if I can leave my throne and cede it to the kingdom of the fairies," she replied playfully. "Not if you decide to imprison yourself," he joked. "But I must prepare for the throne." "Tarik, if you ever need my help, would you call on me?" Abril asked. "Of course, I wouldn't hesitate," he assured her. "I'm glad to hear that," she said, smiling. "Now, let's reunite with the fairy queen."