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The silence in the gaping room was ear-splitting to the
Dark Faerie and queen alike. As they gazed into each other’s eyes they understood
on a level far above that of our comprehension.
“Yes, we have lost two Dark Faeries. Young ones
who were out looking to curse some little pets,” Nendlitha sighed, her eyes
no longer shining with evil or spite, but with a kind of resigned fear. “They
have been accounted as simply missing, but we know that this Faerie is behind
it and so… it is the only logical explanation.”
The Dark queen plopped into her throne and hung
her head in her hands. Fenella watched the pitiful figure and felt something
beyond pity for her Dark sister. Though they were on opposite sides of the spectrum,
Fenella couldn’t help but feel some kind of connection between the two of them
for a few brief moments. Never in either of their history, or possibly ever
in the history of their kind, had there ever been record a Faerie going after
her entire species, and it was something to fear.
“But why do you care, Nendlitha?” Fenella questioned
again. The Dark Faerie regained her cold composure and sat upright in her throne,
commanding respect and power instantly. It was far too late however, Fenella
had seen her weakness, and knew that her power was nothing more than a pitiful
front, at best.
“Why, it is my duty of course to tell my fellow
sisters.” She nodded in a silky, sickening voice.
“Hmm… well I suppose it is. But it is also your
duty to do a lot of other things, which you constantly refuse to do,” Fenella
smirked and sat back in her chair having successfully sprung her trap. Indeed,
the dark queen’s eye’s widened in shock as Fenella anticipated her bluff and
rebuked it perfectly.
“I will help you Nendlitha, but I simply ask
that you do not tell your kind nor mine about this merge.” Fenella feared leaving
such a decision that required trust in the hand of a Dark Faerie, but she knew
that Nendlitha had no choice. Dark Faeries chose their queens not by lineage
(as it was with Fenella) but simply by whom among them was the most powerful
and evil. Usurps were common in their kingdom as each Faerie clamored to rule
over the others with an iron fist. How the current queen remained in power for
so long was beyond Fenella, but she knew that the queen had become too accustomed
to her position, and this Dark Faerie whom she spoke of was most certainly one
who would be attracted to such a powerful and lofty position.
“Agreed.” The Dark Faerie held out her hand tentatively
as Fenella grabbed it and shook it. An agreement upon this magnitude had never
come together between the Faeries of darkness and the queen of all Faeries for
as far back as many of their ancestors stretched The queen was sure that if
anyone in her cabinet had found out what she had done, they would have de-winged
her themselves for having to agree and work together with the black sheep of
their Faerie family.
“I will send you word if I hear anything new,”
Nendlitha gruffed, not at all satisfied with this truce. She hated truces as
much as she hated flowers and those cuddly Neopets, but what else was she to
do? This Faerie was a treat to her power, and she intended to crush all threats…
***
“You are the queen and therefore you are NOT to be sneaking out at such a late
hour! I know that you are no longer a small child, however if you continue to
act in such a manner than we will make sure to treat you like one so that we
can guarantee your safety!”
It was really an humorous sight to behold. The
council Faeries stood over their queen, each with a look of mingled fury upon
their faces as Fenella looked up them with a calm glance. Apparently her disappearance
was noted right away and the entire kingdom had been thrown into dismay for
the three hours that she was missing.
Though it was gravely serious, Fenella couldn’t
help but find it all amazingly funny that she was being talked to in such a
manner. She didn’t voice this opinion for fear that the Fire Faerie, Yelian,
yelling at her may simply fry her there and then.
“For the last time I will ask you, my queen…
where did you go?” Inquired Yelian through gritted teeth. But Fenella kept her
steadfast silence to keep her part of the deal which she made with Nendlitha,
in silent hopes that the Dark Queen would do the same. But, when she thought
about it deeply, she knew that the queen wouldn’t breathe a word lest the Dark
Faeries found that the one who was supposed to lead them into chaos was trying
to help bring about peace.
“I did not go anywhere, I was simply in my room
all night long,” Fenella smiled. Yelian simply gave a feeble whimper and sat
on the other side of the table, cradling her head in her hands, finally having
been broke by the one person whom she was supposed to break. The Faerie Queen
stood up briskly, looking among her court each in turn.
“Now then,” she began, “I want a check on every
Faerie under our jurisdiction… and even some that are not. I want you all to
check-up every Faerie of your element and make sure that they are all
where they belong! Even if they are not where they belong, make sure that they
can get there as soon as possible and stay there. There is no time to be wasted
upon this and you all must report back to me in four hours!”
Nobody needed to be told twice. The Faeries each
scattered from the room quickly as they went to check the many magical instruments
and talismans that kept tabs on those who shared their element. Fenella had
confidence that the Faeries would find everyone who was able to be found…but
she worried about those who could not be found.
“So where did you go last night, my queen?” asked
a voice timidly from the doorway. Tae’la stood by the door peaking in, as if
afraid that someone would notice her there. Fenella simply gave a smile to her
assistant. Oh, how she wished that she could tell her young friend all that
was going on. She knew that her heart was pure and she would understand the
situation that many of the Faeries who exceeded her age by thousands and thousands
of years would not. But a promise was not a thing that a Faerie Queen can break,
even if it is made to so foul a creature as a Darkness Faerie.
“Oh, you know… around,” Fenella said simply,
winking towards her friend. Tae’la’s lips broke into a smile. Though she did
not know where the Faerie Queen went, why she went, or anything else upon the
matter, she alone knew that Fenella had indeed left the sanctity of the castle
for a few brief hours. Tae’la thought that it was so exciting to have a Queen
who favored adventure and hands on delegation instead of the detached emotions
of the haughty Faerie Queen's and court officials in the past.
The Faerie Queen motioned for the young assistant
to come in the room. Once she had, the queen walked towards the shining oak
doors and, after glancing up and down the hallway, closed them with a snap.
She turned towards Tae’la, wearing an expression that was very much different
from the one that she had on not more than three seconds ago. It was a face
of worries and sadness, Tae’la had never seen this expression on the queen before.
She wondered what could possibly be wrong.
Before Tae’la could voice her thoughts, Fenella
walked towards a map of Neopia and pointed at a large grassy plane near the
town which the Neopets had dubbed ‘Neopia Central’.
“Tae’la, I need you to deliver a message to here,
if you would be so kind. Simply go to the edge of the Haunted Woods and place
this note,” and with these words she withdrew a note from the many pages of
letters that she had placed before her seat, “in a tree that looks as if it
has a face on it. I also need to ask that you do not speak to anyone of this
when you return. Please do this for me Tae’la…”
The Earth Faerie took the scroll carefully, as
if it was a precious artifact from long, long ago. Such an honor was never granted
to the simple assistant of the queen, and so she knew that Fenella must have
seen something inside of her to know that she had the ability to be trusted
with this parcel.
“Of course, my queen,” Tae’la said almost breathlessly.
She quickly unlatched a window in the room and flew out in a rush of wings.
Although she could have easily gone through the front entrance, it was almost
like an understandable bond of connection between the two that this letter’s
delivery, whomever it was intended for, was to get there as fast as possible.
But most importantly was the contents where to be left a secret between the
sender, the deliver, and the receiver.
The Faerie Queen watched as Tae’la disappear
into the sky quickly, becoming nothing more than a speck of color in the fading
twilight sky. She continued to stare where her friend was, not thinking about
the contents of the letter, nor if Tae’la would have trouble delivering it.
Her thoughts traveled towards the missing Faeries and the fear that they must
have been harboring, wondering if they disappearances were even noticed through
the kingdom. Fenella tried to imagine the fear and heartbreak they all must
be feeling and felt as if her own heart was being smashed into a million pieces.
She felt as if she failed to keep her subjects under the protection that many
have given to her throughout their lives.
“I’ll find you, my sisters and friends, I promise
I will,” she whispered to the night as it closed upon her senses.
But miles away, another voice heard these words,
and smiled once they were uttered and brought to her ears.
“Promises, are made to be broken, Fenella,” the
voice hissed before letting out a bloodcurdling laugh.
To be continued...
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