A Fairy's Tale

It's never easy to be a storyteller. Sometimes, you get so familiar
with your characters that they plague you even when you're in the
MIDDLE OF FINISHING YOUR FIRST TALE! No, I'm not complaining Ageia but
I was this close in finishing "The Unicorn Valley" ( for my first time
readers, you can read that story in this Set ) when you ---

OH NO, DON'T YOU DARE POINT YOUR WAND AT MY FINGERS AGEIA ! AGEI
---

Once upon a magical time, in an unseen kingdom deep into the woods,
reigned the fairest, most beautiful, most benevolent, super duper queen
of all!

Her name was Ageia. With long, curly and deep auburn hair, Queen Ageia
wore a misty white, resplendent silk robe which flowed onto her heels.
Her purple eyes glistened beneath a wreath of honey-scented,
rainbow-colored flowers round her temples. A tiny star sparkled on top
of her ivory wand and saintly white butterfly wings flapped behind her
shoulders.

"My Queen, what seems to be troubling you? "

"Nothing, Lance. " She turned to speak to a younger male version of
herself who swooped down next to her at their crystal castle's glass
tower. " I've been thinking about Mother. It's been a week since she'd
chosen me to succeed her on the throne and " she paused then added, " I
just wish I could get more advices from her how to rule this kingdom.
"

" You rule over us the way you seem fit, my Queen. "

" But I wish she'd chosen my twin brother, Erech, over me. Then, he
wouldn't have left us and wandered far away. "

" Erech's a bastard! He never would have ruled us the way Mother wanted
to. "

" I wish Mother di'nt turn back into a butterfly. I wish she's still
our queen for the next thousand years. "

" We can't change our fate, my Queen -- A thousand years , a fairy ...
a common butterfly the next ... "

Ageia pondered at the counsel of her young adviser. She couldn't let go
of the thought of seeing her mother turn into a very beautiful white
butterfly as it quickly disappeared into the woods. Where could she be
right now? Will she ever survive the next thousand years as an ordinary
butterfly? Will I ever see her again?

" I hope she lays a million eggs so that she will have a million
chances of surviving another millenium. " She earnetly prayed.

* * * * * * * *

A fairy year had passed and the queen was very busy preparing for her
five hundred first birthday. All the invited guests had confirmed their
attendance to that night's grand party via the crystal balls which they
used to talk to each other.

" I'd be most honored, " said the Dandelion king.

" I won't miss it for the world. " The Rose queen replied.

" I might be a li'l late, Ageia, " pleaded the young fairy of the
Violets.

Yes! Of course! It's a date! I'd love to! Enthusiastic faces of every
ruler in the fairy world greeted her.

"Thank you! Thank you all, " were the only words that came out from the
overjoyed Lilac queen.

At dusk, the invited fairies began to arrive one after another. The
crsytal palace shone with a million lights that someone from afar would
mistake it for a bright star that had fallen from the sky.

" Happy Birthday, Queen Ageia! " The Dandelion king was first to say.
The Rose queen was next, then the Violets', the the king of the
Forget-Me-Nots', and soon every ruler of every flower that has not been
named.

"I'm glad that you could all come! Please make yourselves at home.
"

The party was a blast! Every guest savoured every meal that was
prepared by the Lilacs from the sweetest of nectars. Afterwards,
uninhibited dancing and singing, both on and off grounds, literally
brought the crystal palace down. To the human eye, they all seemed
riotous and off-tune but to a fairy's, they were well-orchestrated and
synchronized.

ZAP !!!!!! The floating chandelier was shattered into smithereens by a
sudden jolt of lightning from the castle's high tower.

" ERECH ! "

" ' surprised my dear twin sister? ' just thought I'd celebrate my
birthday here as well, " an exact resemblance of the Lilac queen, save
for her long hair, grimaced as he continued, " WITH SOME OF MY NEW
FRIENDS! "

( to be continued ... )