Maud tells her to rest, so she goes outside and lies on the grass watching the clouds and makes a promise to herself.
If they win this rebellion and she becomes queen of Allaire, she will rule her Kingdom how she sees fit and she will do what she wants to do and she won’t be so foolish as to be swayed by other people and their poison.
22
ELSIE SITS IN THE TENT with Gwenna, Bronwen and Aster.
“I appreciate you not trying to talk me out of this.”
“As if we could.” Gwenna laughs.
Bronwen shrugs. “Sometimes the oldest and wisest among us have to let the young pups live as they see fit. If the young only ever do as the older members tell them, then they never find out what works. They never make a choice or a mistake. They never learn to trust their intuition because we do not give them a chance to test it. I have a good feeling about this. And yet I know we will lose many who we love.”
“Bronwen?” Gwenna looks distraught.
“If only the men fight, then only the men die. But someone will die. Even in a successful battle where the victor is who we would choose, there is death on both sides. Battles aren’t clean, Gwenna. Most of the time the men do not know who they are fighting; there is so much confusion. Destruction. Devastation.”
Elsie looks wide eyed at Aster; whose expression perfectly matches her own.
“I don’t want to convince these girls to fight if they will die.”
“Elsie, of course they’re going to die. Not every one of them, but some.”
“So what do I do?”
“What can you do? You convince them to fight, then you convince them not to? These girls are just like you, Elsie. They have minds of their own, opinions, hopes and dreams. They might not be queen of a Kingdom after this rebellion, but maybe they get to walk a little taller, feel a little prouder. Maybe they get to change how they feel about themselves. It’s a worthy cause you’re asking them to fight for. Remember, it’s less about making you queen and more about making us all free.”
“That’s worth fighting for, Elsie,” Aster says.
“Thanks Bronwen. I feel better. Aster, how are you getting on with the wings? Any progress?”
“Yes. I think I have the steps I take really clear in my head now. I was doing things slightly different each time, but now I know exactly what to do. It seems a little quicker too. But I still need freshly clipped wing stumps, still attached to a fairy, to practise on.”
Bronwen beams at her. “How can we doubt the need for this war? How can we think every one of us who is physically able shouldn’t be battling for our independence and safety?”
“If it’s so obvious, why are the men so against it?”
“Attitudes are the hardest thing to change. Even when we can see the error in our thinking, we don’t always like to admit it. Being wrong is no shameful thing, though. And when you girls turn up ready for battle – when I turn up ready for battle-”
“Bronwen!” Gwenna is shocked. “You can’t mean to fight?”
“Didn’t you hear what I said? Every person who can, should. It isn’t the man’s job, it isn’t the man’s problem, it is all of our problem. And we are all the solution. But men can be pig headed. When we show up, swords aloft, they won’t be able to ignore us. And then we will see what they’re made of.”
“You think they might be glad of us.”
“If they are half as bright as they think they are, they should be.”
They all laugh.
“If we are successful and we fight – some of us, all of us – and we win, and I become queen, then what? Will you all help me?”
Gwenna, Bronwen and Aster all nod.
“No Kingdom is run by one person alone,” Bronwen says.
“Same as no child is raised by one person alone,” Gwenna says.
“Same as no war is fought by men alone,” Aster says, and they laugh.
“That might be up for debate,” Gwenna says, standing up. “I have to go check on everybody.”
“Ready?” Bronwen has changed out of her dress and into something more suitable for fighting. Elsie and Aster smile at each other. They had no idea Bronwen would want to join them.
“I’ve asked around and there’s a few of us older ladies who’d like to join, if we can.” She looks hopeful and embarrassed at the same time.
“Of course.”
“And Gwenna has told the men we’re all going to pick berries, so they don’t worry about where we’ve all disappeared to.”
“Brilliant. This is all coming together, isn’t it? Aster, is it Bella or Norah instructing us today?”
“Norah, I think, but I’m not sure.”
“Does it matter?” Bronwen asks. “You know why Bella is upset; her love affair with Hardy is over. Hardy would never have settled for Bella, even if you hadn’t come back to Allaire.”
“Really?”
“Yes. He was her first love, true love, all of that nonsense. But Hardy has been around the block more than once. He’s only a young lad, and he’s not ready to settle down. Unless there’s something in it for him.”
Elsie shakes her head; she’s sick of people bad-mouthing him at every turn. He does so much for the Kingdom, but nobody seems to remember it. “I get Bella feeling angry with him, but everybody I meet warns me about Hardy. What has he done that’s so bad? I see him help the fairies, kill the clippers, look after the children, inspire freedom and change, but everyone seems to think he’s power hungry and that I shouldn’t trust him. Where does this reputation come from?”
Aster holds up her hands. “This one is for you, Bronwen, I don’t know enough about it.”
Elsie sighs. “About what?”
Bronwen sits down heavily on a chair and gestures for Elsie to sit next to her.
“He’s a nice enough man, and he does a lot around here it’s true, but it’s all for atonement, it’s all for guilt. And I know he didn’t mean for what happened to happen, but happen it did, and it just makes you question the nature of a man like that.”
“What happened?”
“Hardy was with his father the night his father got killed. He’d been getting more and more involved in the rebellion and the clipper killings. Revenge is heady for a young man; it made him feel good, I’m sure. But he got carried away as young and impetuous men tend to do. His father had things under control, but Hardy was desperate to make his first kill, to be responsible for one, and not just an onlooker or bystander.”
Dread washes over Elsie. This doesn’t sound like a story that ends well.
“He got caught in the palaver, they stopped the clippers clipping everyone, but Hardy wouldn’t fly away like his father was telling him to, and he wouldn’t stay back like his father wanted him to, and he tried to kill the clipper, but the clipper knocked him unconscious and when his father stepped in to fight back, they killed him.”
“That’s awful.”
“It was a terrible night. Such a sadness to his mother.”
“She doesn’t seem angry with Hardy.”
“He’s all she has left. She busies herself so she doesn’t have to face it, but everybody knows it, Hardy killed his father.”
Elsie lets out a breath. “That’s heavy. The poor thing.”
“Absolutely. We all admire and respect what Hardy does for the Kingdom and what he’s doing with the rebellion, but it’s all he sees. He has such ambitions and such guilt. We only warn you because we care.”
“He seems so nice I wasn’t sure why people were worried. I can see now. But maybe what happened with his dad made him less ambitious, made him rethink things.”
“Maybe, and he is nice. And I don’t think he’s only nice to you because he needs you for this rebellion. We’re just giving you some advice. You don’t have anybody else, remember.”
Elsie nods. How could she forget? There’s a Meg sized gap beside her that will never close.
“Just knowing Hardy’s background helps, yes?” Aster nods at Elsie, and
Elsie nods back.
“It does.” It’s true. All she wants to do is find him and hold him.
“Good, now shall we go?” Bronwen asks. “I’ve got a lot to learn and I’m old. It might take me a while.”
They fly off to meet the rest of the fairies who have decided, for whatever reason, they want to be a part of this rebellion, whatever anybody else might think.
Elsie hugs Norah, secretly glad that she hasn’t had to face Bella again, not yet. Norah organises them quickly into smaller groups and gives them sticks and some basic manoeuvres to learn. She watches each group and pulls out the quickest learners and gets them to help their group.
At the end she takes the best fighter from each group and gives them further help and training, which they in turn can show their little group.
“It’s a clever way of doing it,” Elsie whispers to Aster. Neither of them was the quickest learner in their little group, but Bronwen was in her group, and she’s with Norah now, face coloured with concentration. They both laugh.
The best fighters come back and show more tricks to their little group, with Norah still going around and helping them, showing them how to move, how to hold their sticks. “Swords are much heavier. Anya is working on it, and we should have weapons soon.”
The excitement running through the group is palpable and loads of them come to offer their thanks to Elsie and Norah.
“That was hard,” Elsie says, wiping her brow.
“That was amazing,” Norah says, stabbing her sword into the ground. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”
“Me neither. Do you think Hardy’ll be angry?”
“I don’t think he’ll be angry,” Norah sounds hesitant. “But I don’t think he’ll let you do it.”
“You think all of this will be for nothing?”
Norah nods and scruffs her foot along the floor. “I think it’s right to do it and I think it’s right to try, but we are talking about a war here, a nasty battle. I don’t know if these fairies even understand that, or if this is just a bit of fun for them.”
Elsie is quiet. Why does everything have to be complicated? Why must everything be a struggle? She’s questioning herself again, wishing she was one of those people with innate confidence – like Dayle. Maybe she just needs to channel Dayle.
What would Dayle do in this situation? Would she train these girls up even though they might be told they can’t fight? Would she waste everybody’s time like this?
Elsie is still wearing the scarlet ribbon. She knows what Dayle would do, Dayle would tell Hardy that the women were learning to fight, she would tell Hardy that the women would be a part of this rebellion and if he tried to tell her she was stupid or wrong or if he dared laugh in her face, she’d punch him in the eye.
“I have to go,” Elsie says to Norah. “You keep going here, make sure everyone knows how proud we are of them. But warn them war is scary, and stuff.”
Before anyone can stop her, Elsie flies away, flies to the caves and stalks inside calling out Hardy’s name. He rushes toward her, panic in his expression. “What’s happened? Are you all right?”
“Take me to the war room,” Elsie demands, refusing to stop now, refusing to let doubts or second thoughts creep into her mind.
Hardy does as she tells him, and flies ahead, looking over his shoulder with concern, but taking her to the war room.
She closes the door, shutting the two of them in there, though she can see several curious fairies have followed them and are hovering to see what drama is occurring.
Hardy shrugs. “Something wrong?” His voice is calm and tinged with a little bit of a teasing tone, which aggravates Elsie.
“Yes, there is, actually.” She points to a chair, and he sits, his amused expression becoming more obvious, eyebrows raised.
“I am going to be queen of this place and I want to fight in this battle. And all the female fairies want to fight in this battle. Excellent fairies, like Bella, and Norah, and Bronwen.” She counts their names off on her fingers, her voice rising with each name. “They are damn good fighters, and we make up half of the people who live in Allaire and it’s not fair of you to say we can’t fight, and we can’t help, and we might be rubbish. We aren’t rubbish today. I have rallied hundreds and hundreds of fighters and we are all learning and I wasn’t even going to tell you, and then someone said you might not let us fight and I thought it’s not up to you, it’s up to me and I know this might make you not like me anymore, or think I’m stupid or dramatic, but there it is.”
She sits down, slamming her fist on the table.
Hardy bursts out laughing.
“Oh, Elsie, I barely know you, but I like you. You’re so earnest.”
He scrapes his chair over so he’s sitting next to her, and he takes both her hands in his. “First thing’s first. I hadn’t even thought about the women fighting and I think it’s a bloody marvellous idea. I had no idea they would want to, but if they want to, then excellent. The more fighters we have, the better chance we have of winning. I know how good some of our female fighters are but we haven’t had a fight like this before and so it honestly never occurred to me they might want to be involved; not because they might be rubbish, just because I didn’t think. It was foolish of me.”
He lifts her hand and kisses it. “Second, how incredible are you inspiring everyone and setting up this training? I hope you’ve given yourself credit.”
He kisses her hand again. “And third, how can you think I won’t like you. You’re a breath of fresh air to me. A girl who will rule, who has no idea of the power she will wield, no lofty ambitions or ridiculous notions of being in charge. Just a beautiful and brave girl who came back to Allaire, even when she didn’t have to. Not to be queen, not for her own gain, but to help the people she had grown up with.”
This time he kisses her mouth. “Do I think I might make a good king? Damn right. And maybe, one day, when you’re a little older, you might decide I’ll make the perfect king for you. But I don’t dare hope, Elsie. I look at you and I think of all you’ll be, and I look at me, and the fact that I am nobody and nothing, and I don’t dare hope.”
This time it’s she who leans closer to him, it’s she who initiates their kiss, and it’s she who lets all her fears about him, all other people’s warnings about him melt away until it’s just the two of them, kissing.
He pulls back, his eyes locked on hers. He touches her lips with his finger. “Now am I too late to see this training setup you’ve put together? We might be even closer to getting this thing done than I thought.”
Elsie takes his hand and leads him out of the war room and out of the cave. She keeps holding onto him, oblivious of the stares and the whispers from the other fairies, oblivious to Bella who spots them and rushes away in the other direction, tears coursing down her face, oblivious to anything except the feel of his skin touching hers.
23
THEY FLY TO APPLE VALLEY together, stopping on the way to explain the new arrangements to Ajo, and bringing him along to see for himself.
The female fairies all freeze when they see Hardy, as though they have been caught out, but they can see Elsie smiling, and they relax soon enough. Elsie takes Hardy and Ajo around the small groups, explaining what Norah has done. Norah hovers along, a worried expression on her face. Elsie squeezes her hand to reassure her.
“I only did what Elsie asked me to do,” Norah says to Hardy when he catches her eye.
“It’s brilliant. I’m impressed.”
Relief floods Norah, and her expression reflects it.
Ajo and Hardy hover with Elsie and Norah, watching the women fairies fight.
“I never took you seriously,” Hardy says to Norah, making her blush. “I knew you could fight, and I knew you would help Elsie, so she felt ready to be queen and not so helpless, but I didn’t really think of you fighting in this war. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Like I said, I wouldn’t have done it, if Elsie hadn’t asked me.”
/>
Elsie smiles; she’s happy for the blame to be put onto her if it means they can all fight and feel like they’re part of this rebellion and not just stuck watching from the sidelines.
“And so we have the numbers,” Ajo says, staring at the fairies as they fight and nodding.
“We do. And I don’t think we can justify waiting any longer. It’s time to commit.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. We’ll double down on our training and our weapon making. One week.”
“One week?”
Elsie feels her heart hammering. One week. “It’s not long.”
“We don’t need long. The way these girls are training, they’ll be more than ready. Right?”
There’s a challenge in his tone that Elsie hears, and Norah does too, Elsie can tell from the way she pales, and then nods, and then straightens up. “I better get back to it, then.”
Elsie loves how feisty she is and grins. She nods at Hardy. “You get the weapons and organise the men. I’ll organise the women.”
Elsie doesn’t even wait for his answer, but flies down to her group and resumes training. The women are still excited and learning quickly.
A week might not be long, but these fairies are ready for a challenge. She knows it.
Once all the fairies are exhausted and Norah has worked them harder than any of them thought they could work, Elsie flies over to Hardy. “We’re done.”
Hardy and Ajo sat under a tree watching the fighting with interest, talking amongst themselves the whole time. Elsie had caught his eye a few times, and he had smiled at her. She’s so glad he knows about her idea, and she’s so glad he’s happy about it.
They fly back to Hardy’s house, leaving Norah and Ajo to go their own ways, with promises to meet again tomorrow. Now they have a date set to battle, there’s a lot to do.
The Rise of the Fairy Queen (The Fairy Queen Trilogy Book 1) Page 20