To those who have read this story to its end, thank you. It has been such a wonderful, yet heartbreaking experience to write it. I know that the ending probably wasn't what you were hoping for, but at the end of the day, I did what I thought was best for the story. Trust me, it was a very hard decision to make.

This book needs serious work and a full rewrite, but despite that, I still have so many wonderful readers for it. As I mentioned before, this story is not Tinker Bell, but not all fairytales are. Some of the most well-known fairy tales we know are seriously dark. I know that this novel touches on heavy topics, but they were mainly based on my own experience as a young adult and what happened to my older brother. Mateo is supposed to be an icon of how young adulthood can affect somebody. He is my baby, and he always will be. But life is not easy, and Mateo proves this.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The Pinta Country stories, as a whole, are very dear and nostalgic to me, so writing this book is a blast from the past. Despite its heavy themes and the fact that it's horribly written, I hope that you enjoyed it. As I continue to work on this book, I hope that it will one day become one of my debut novels as a Fantasy author. The journey there, like the story in its entirety, will not be easy, but I refuse to give up, just like Mateo. I still intend to give my older brother its first published copy. I don't know how, but me being my creative self, I'll come up with something. Matthew will be the first person, in spirit, who I will read the published version to.

This leads me to a question that I have for you, dear readers: Would you like to see more Pinta Country stories in the future?

Thanks again for reading The Green Guardian, and may the Force be with you... always.

Now excuse me while I go cry over Mateo.

- Catherine Victoria Christie/Viktoria Fyodorova