by Liz Dejesus
Bianca chuckled and joined in to sing the chorus with her friend. At their coarse “cut ’em out, ride ’em ins,” the guys roared with laughter.
Even though her mom had forced Ming to come along as a chaperone, Bianca was glad her best friend was here with her. It made her feel less lonely. Sure, Terrance and Prince Ferdinand were by her side, but there were still a lot of things they didn’t understand about her.
Bianca slapped her neck. She hissed as the stinging sensation spread over her skin. Something had whizzed past her and survived.
“What was that?” Bianca asked.
“What was what?” Ming asked.
“That was the third time something flew past me. Always the same spot, too. Mosquitoes don’t do that,” she said.
“Hmph. We’re getting close,” Terrance said.
“Close?” she echoed.
“To the Fairy Realm. The fairies are playing with you. Harmless, really, at least for now,” Prince Ferdinand said.
Upon closer inspection, Bianca saw a few glowing specks in the distance. She squinted, but her nearsightedness prevented her from seeing anything else. She made sure that Terrance or Ferdinand weren’t looking at her. She snuck her hand into the saddle bag and pulled out her glasses. Very quickly, she slipped them on and studied her surroundings.
“Wow,” she whispered. She waved at Ming, who turned to Bianca and gave her a puzzled look. “Up in the trees.”
A female fairy peeked at Bianca from behind a yellow maple leaf. She was the color of a pale pink rose. She giggled and then flew away. A few more fairies buzzed around them and then vanished into the trees.
“Whoa,” Ming said.
“Don’t be fooled. They can be vicious,” Terrance said.
“They’re so pretty.”
“That they are.”
Bianca made a mental note to remember to ask Terrance what his issue was with the fairies. Why did he distrust them so much? What did they ever do to him? Or maybe it had something to do with his parents or his family.
More fairies started to appear and come out in the open once they were within seven miles of the Fairy Realm.
“Stay close and don’t stray from the path,” Terrance warned.
Bianca nodded and steered her horse closer to Terrance. Ming and Prince Ferdinand did the same.
“They like to play games, often cruel ones,” Terrance explained.
“I thought fairies were supposed to be sweet,” Bianca whispered.
“Some of them are, and most of the time, they are fair, but you have to be careful no matter who you are dealing with.”
Bianca put that bit of information away for safe keeping.
“Shh, we’re here,” Prince Ferdinand whispered.
Bianca didn’t know how to explain it, but the nature that surrounded the door they approached was wilder than the rest of the forest. A wooden door on a gray stone wall was the first thing to greet them. It had a doorknob made out of red marble that had been carved to look like a rose in full bloom. Red roses climbed all along the wall. Plants that were supposed to grow in the spring were blooming in the end of summer. Butterflies in every color imaginable fluttered all around them, and some rested on the wooden door. They gently opened and closed their wings, as if they had all the time in the world.
Bianca and her friends dismounted their horses and tied them to the trees outside of the fairy ring. A semicircle of burgundy mushrooms with white dots surrounded the wall. Bianca assumed that the other half of the fairy ring was somewhere behind the wall.
“Is it usually this desolate?” Bianca asked.
Terrance chuckled. “Just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean that they can’t see you. Watching. Waiting to see what you’ll say. What you’ll do.”
“Where are they?” Ming whispered. She held the prince’s hand and pressed herself close to him.
“Everywhere. Make no sudden movements. We don’t want to give them an excuse not to allow us to see the queen,” Prince Ferdinand whispered.
“Okay,” she nodded.
The prince took a moment and looked down at Ming. It was plain to see that he was thrilled to have her by his side. He gave her a warm smile and a quick peck on the cheek. Ming responded by holding his hand tightly and blushing until her cheeks were bright pink.
“All right, here goes nothin’,” Bianca said.
Together, they walked into the mushroom ring. She felt a sudden whoosh of power wash over her. She gasped. Prince Ferdinand was correct. They were surrounded. Gnomes, fairies, pixies, and brownies…all of them were guarding the entrance to their realm. All eyes were on them. Some of them giggled and pointed at Bianca. She fixed her hair and wiped her nose self-consciously. The last thing she wanted was to meet the fairy queen with a booger dangling on the end of it.
“Halt! Who goes there?” a light blue fairy shrieked as he flew from his post in front of the oak door and hovered in front of Bianca’s nose. He had wings that mimicked those on a dragonfly, and his skin had a pearlescent sheen. His hair was white, shaved on the sides, and braided down the middle like a little Mohawk.
“It is I, Prince Ferdinand. I am accompanied by my friends, Terrance Connor, Bianca Frost, and Ming Lee,” Ferdinand spoke in his most authoritative voice.
“What do you want?” the blue fairy asked. He narrowed his violet eyes suspiciously at Ferdinand.
“We wish to see Queen Titania.”
“She doesn’t see anyone, least of all a bunch of filthy mortals,” the fairy replied. He brandished his tiny sword and swung it left and right.
Bianca covered her lips and giggled. How cute is he?
“How dare you laugh at me, you disgusting mortal,” he shouted and then stabbed her on the arm with his sharp sword.
“Ouch!”
“Laugh once more, mortal, and I will suck the marrow from your bones.”
Bianca’s eyes widened in shock. “I thought fairies liked milk, honey, and sugar,” she whispered to Terrance.
“They do. I think he’s trying to frighten you,” he replied.
“I think it’s working,” Bianca muttered.
Ferdinand gave the blue fairy his best smile. The prince’s teeth were white enough to light up an entire room. Bianca hoped his charm would work on the fairy, since everything else had failed.
“What is your name?” Ferdinand asked.
“Bluebell…the Fierce!”
“Fierce name…Bluebell. My friend, I hope you can assist us. We need to speak with the queen. It is of great importance. A certain item has gone missing, something that I know Queen Titania will want back. Please help us, if it’s not too much trouble.”
Bluebell rubbed his chin and thought about the prince’s request. “Humph. Well, since you asked so nicely, I will see what I can do.”
Bluebell zipped away, leaving his post for a few seconds. He returned, gasping and panting for air.
“Her Majesty, Queen Titania, will be here momentarily,” Bluebell said. “She seemed to be expecting you.”
In a flash of light, a tall, lithe woman appeared before them. She had long, strawberry-blond hair that cascaded off her shoulders in luxurious waves and cornflower-blue eyes. Her skin was pale like ivory, with a sprinkling of powdery gold. Every inch of her exposed skin sparkled in the light, as though the sun was doing everything in its power to illuminate her. The queen’s lips were small and full; they reminded Bianca of a bird for some reason.
She wondered if what she saw was an illusion. Did Titania really look like that? Was she really as tall as she appeared? She would have to save those questions for later. Perhaps Ferdinand or Terrance would have the answers.
“Thank you, Bluebell. That will be all,” Titania said, her voice feminine and sweet.
Bluebell zipped away and left them alone with the queen. Bianca looked around and noticed that all of the other fairy creatures had vanished as well.
“Good day, Prince Ferdinand. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Titania examined
each and every one of them. The queen’s eyes lingered on Bianca for a fraction longer than she would’ve liked.
Bianca frowned but said nothing.
“We have reason to believe that Elda has stolen Queen Helena’s glass slipper. It was taken from a castle that had your protective spells around it.”
“Impossible. Elda’s dead. I saw it happen with my own eyes,” Titania hissed.
“Why else would we be here?” Bianca asked.
“It must be someone else. You must have made a mistake. But…if Elda is alive…if that horror of a creature managed to survive after all these years, then she cannot be allowed to get her hands on the second slipper. She will do everything in her power to destroy my kind and everyone you hold dear. She will stop at nothing to get what she desires. She cares not for man nor woman, child nor babe.”
“Don’t worry. The other slipper is safe,” Bianca said in what she hoped was a reassuring tone of voice.
“If she stole the glass slipper from my castle and made it through my magical wards, I’m sure she will figure out your puny mortal magic in no time at all.”
When the queen said puny mortal magic, Bianca gave her a tightlipped smile. She crossed her arms and mumbled, “We’ll see about that.”
“We would like to speak to Fanny,” Prince Ferdinand said. “She may be the only one who knows where to find her sister.”
Queen Titania clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and shook her head.
“I’m afraid I cannot allow that,” she replied.
“Why?” Bianca asked.
“Because Fanny is my guest, and she is in my realm under sanctuary. If I were to permit you into my kingdom to ask her questions, I would break my promise to her. I swore that I would keep her safe.”
“But we mean her no harm. We just want to ask her a few questions,” Bianca argued.
“I know. I can see your true nature,” the queen replied calmly.
“Well, if you won’t let us see Fanny, do you know where Elda is?” Bianca asked.
“Sadly, I do not know Elda’s whereabouts. As I mentioned before, I saw her die. All these years, I believed she was dead.” She slowly shook her head.
“I think this is what people call an impasse,” Bianca said.
“I believe so,” Titania replied.
“Is there anything we can say or do to convince you to let us talk to Fanny?”
At that, Titania smiled a wicked smile. All of her teeth were short and square, almost as though her teeth belonged to a child. Her grin sent shivers down Bianca’s spine. It led her to believe that what Titania had in mind was beneficial to the fairy queen and her alone. The queen tilted her head to the side and tapped her perfect pink lips with her index finger. She pretended to be deep in thought.
Bianca expected the queen to ask for her firstborn child or something along those lines, but all the fairy queen said was, “A favor. Each and every single one of you will owe me a favor in exchange for entering my kingdom.”
Terrance shook his head in response. He had warned her about this, that it was the worst possible thing you could owe a fairy.
“A favor. What kind of favor?” Bianca asked.
“Use your imagination.” Titania’s voice was sweet, but Bianca had a feeling that it was all just an act.
“Even Ming?” Prince Ferdinand asked.
“Oh yes, especially your friend Ming,” the queen replied.
“I don’t know magic. Just in case you’re wondering,” Ming said.
“I’m sure I’ll find plenty of use for each of you,” Titania replied. “And Prince Ferdinand…I should warn you. Your mother has sent me a message that should I see you, I should be so kind as to send you back home…whether you want to or not.”
“How?” Ferdinand stammered.
“Mirrors, sweet prince. Mirrors are the fastest way to communicate with other kingdoms,” Titania replied.
“I’m not going home,” he said.
“Good. It’s in my best interest that you stay on this journey. I will see to it that the guards follow a different path.”
“How are you going to do that?” Terrance asked.
“Oh my dear boy…my fairies will do my bidding. They will simply take your tracks and footprints and move them somewhere else,” Titania’s lips curled into a mischievous grin.
“Will they be led somewhere safe?” Terrance asked.
“Of course. I’m not a cruel queen.”
Before Bianca could react, the prince accepted the fairy queen’s terms.
The fairy queen beamed with joy and clapped her hands excitedly. “Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. I’ll take you to Fanny.”
“Really? Oh, I mean…thank you…I guess,” Bianca said, then gave her the best fake smile she could muster.
Terrance and Prince Ferdinand gave the queen a curt nod and kept their faces neutral. Ming, unsure of what else to do, curtsied, but she never let go of the prince’s hand.
When the queen turned her back to them, Terrance quickly grabbed Ming’s and Bianca’s arms and drew them to him. Bianca suppressed the urge to gasp when she felt Terrance’s strong grip. He hurriedly whispered to them, “Remember my words. Drink nothing. Eat nothing. Speak to no one except the queen and Fanny. Do not fall for their illusions. Everything they show you is a lie. Everything.”
Ming’s eyes widened as she released a soft puff of air. Bianca swallowed hard and nodded nervously. In all of the time they had known each other, he had never spoken to her that way. Bianca took a deep breath, held Terrance’s hand, and followed Ming, Prince Ferdinand, and Queen Titania into her domain.
“Whoa,” Bianca whispered as she walked through the door and entered the Fairy Realm.
She looked up and all she could see was a clear blue sky. The sun was yellow, warm, and bright. The ground was carpeted with bright green grass; she leaned down and touched it. It was so soft that all she wanted to do was lie down and take nice long nap. She shook her head and snapped herself out of it. The smell of peonies and sweet flowers took over her nostrils. Their scent was intoxicating.
In the middle of this vast nature-like hall was a table covered with food. Her stomach growled in protest. It was close to lunchtime, and she hadn’t had anything to eat yet.
Just one bite. It won’t hurt anyone. Nobody will notice.
She inched a little closer to the table and extended her hand to grab a handful of grapes. They were a light peridot, shimmery, juicy…delectable. She could already taste the sweet, tangy flavor in her mouth.
Prince Ferdinand grabbed her hand and gently led her away from the table.
“You should heed my friend’s sage advice,” he whispered.
The prince gave her a single nod and walked away. She shoved her hands into her pockets to keep herself from reaching out to the food again. The last thing she wanted was to be trapped in the Fairy Realm for the rest of her life.
Which is probably what the queen wants. To make me her little pet.
The fairies opened another set of doors, and Queen Titania glided past them without slowing her steps. They had reached what Bianca assumed was the ballroom. The music was mostly pan flute and lyre. It was a very airy, plucky, lively song that the musicians played. Bianca saw a group of people dancing in the ballroom. In the middle was a woman with long, chocolate-brown hair that reached her lower back. It was braided, so for all Bianca knew, it was much longer than it looked.
The song came to an end, and the woman fell on the floor, laughing and gasping for air.
“Fanny,” Queen Titania said.
She looked up and gasped in surprise. Fanny quickly stood and curtsied. It was all done in one fluid motion. Bianca had never seen anyone move with such grace.
Bianca remembered the story of Fanny and her sister Elda:
A bad-tempered old widow had two daughters; Elda, the eldest daughter, was disagreeable and proud, but looked and behaved like her mother, and therefore was her favorite child. She and Elda badly
mistreated the woman’s younger daughter, Fanny, who was sweet, courteous, and beautiful and resembled her late father.
While she was pulling water out of the well one day, Fanny was asked for a drink by an old woman. The girl politely consented, and after giving it, she found that the woman was a fairy, who had taken the guise of a crone to test the character of mortals. It turned out that this fairy was in fact Queen Titania. As the girl was so kind and compassionate toward her, the fairy blessed her with having a jewel or a pretty flower fall from her mouth whenever she spoke.
Upon arriving home and explaining why she took so long to her mother, the widow was outraged at the sight of roses falling from the girl’s lips and desired that her favored eldest daughter, Elda, should have the gift as well. Elda protested, but the widow forcibly sent her to the well with instruction to act kindly toward an old beggar woman. Elda set off, but the fairy appeared as a fine princess and requested that the girl draw her a drink from the well. The elder daughter spoke rudely to the fairy and insulted her. The fairy decreed that as punishment for her despicable attitude, a toad or a snake would fall from Elda’s mouth whenever she spoke.
When Elda arrived home, she told her story to her mother as disgusting vipers fell from her mouth with each word. The widow, in a fury, drove Fanny out of the house. In the woods, she met a king’s son, who fell in love with her and married her. In time, even the widow was sickened by her older daughter and drove her out, and Elda died alone and miserable in the woods.
“Fanny, my dear, you have guests that wish to speak to you,” Queen Titania said.
The queen’s words brought Bianca back to the present.
Fanny smiled and shook her head. The music started again, and she turned away from the queen and everyone else and began to dance. There was no rhyme or reason to her movements. It was a series of pirouettes, twirls, and kicks.
“What’s wrong with her?” Bianca whispered.
Before Prince Ferdinand could answer her question, Queen Titania replied, “She’s touched.” She turned around and faced Bianca. “She’s mad. Her people, your kind, did this to her. Her mother especially. Poor girl. She was nothing but a giant bruise when I found her at the well. I only wanted to help, turn her luck around a bit.”