From Rags to Riches: Fyora's Story

"Fyora, dear, bring me a cup of borovan, will you?"

     "Yes, your majesty, right away," replied Fyora. Fyora was a poor orphaned Light Faerie, who wandered the streets of Faerieland every night, looking for a nice warm bed to sleep in, or maybe a meal. She worked for Queen Marielle during the day to provide her with a small source of income.

     As Fyora set the steaming cup of borovan before her queen, she noticed that the queen's eyes were not their usual sparkling blue. Instead, they were a dull grey color.

     Queen Marielle noticed Fyora's concern. "I'm not the same as I used to be, Fyora," she said solemnly. "All this queen business is really starting to tire me out."

     "Then why don't you use magic to solve your problems?" Fyora asked.

     Queen Marielle sighed. "When I accepted the crown, the Faerie Council took my magic away from me, for they believed that a good Queen should be honest and true. She must truly care about Neopia."

     Fyora was shocked. How could they do such a horrible thing? Fyora figured that even the small amount of magic she had was better than no magic at all!

     "Fyora, my dear," began Queen Marielle with serious eyes. "As you know, I am an orphan also, so there is no heir to the throne. That means I must choose the next queen. Someone who has dignity and and grace, and most of all, determination."

     Fyora listened intently.

     "That someone is you, Fyora."

     "M-me?" questioned Fyora, hands trembling. "Why me? I am a nobody! People just love to make fun of me and step all over me! They even call me "The Little Orphan Faerie!" You don't know what it's like!"

     "Oh, Fyora, I know exactly what you're going through! Don't forget that I was an orphan, too!"

     "You couldn't have been an orphan. You're just too…perfect! I bet you just said you were an orphan so people would feel bad for you!"

     "Fyora," Queen Marielle said sternly. "You know very well that I would never have lied to the people of Neopia. Ever. In fact, I remember when I was just your age, I used to roam around Faerieland in my tattered dress and look into shop windows and fantasize what it would be like to have ultimate riches and fancy dresses. But when I became the Faerie Queen, I realized it wasn't about expensive clothing or extravagant jewels. I sacrificed my magic for the good of Neopia. That is what it truly means to be the Faerie Queen."

     "I'm so sorry," Fyora apologized. "I didn't realize…"

     "It's okay, little one. Now you get some rest. You have a lot to learn about being Queen tomorrow."

     That night Fyora couldn't sleep. She couldn't just let the Faerie Council take her magic away and say, "Here, take your crown and go rule Neopia!" She wouldn't let them take her magic away. She had to do something.

***

When Fyora woke up the next morning, she was shocked to find herself in a huge canopy bed that reached the ceiling and was as soft as a cloud.

     Queen Marielle strolled into the room. "Rise and shine!" she said joyfully. "You and I have a big day ahead of us. Today I shall teach you the basics of being Queen."

     "Okay…but first, can you tell me where I am?" questioned Fyora.

     "Why, you're in the Queen's Royal Suite, of course! If you're going to become queen, you might as well get used to it!"

     "This is something I can definitely get used to!" Fyora giggled.

     "Alright, silly. First order of business is to show you around the castle. We can't have our new queen getting lost in her own castle, now, can we?"

     "This castle is going to be all mine? Really?"

     "Of course! Now let's get to work."

***

After about an hour of walking around the castle, Fyora said, "Wailing white Weewoos! This place has more passageways and corridors and hallways than Faerieland itself!"

     "Trust me, after about a hundred years, you're bound to be able to find your way around here," replied Queen Marielle.

     Throughout the rest of the day, Fyora learned various skills that all good queens should excel in, such as signing her name properly, learning how to make new laws and change old ones, and, most interesting of all, Fyora learned how to remove a deranged (and hungry) Meepit from the Royal Kitchen during brunch. That one didn't make very much sense to Fyora, but she listened attentively anyway.

     All throughout the day, Fyora was becoming more and more accustomed to the thought of being Queen. But she still got a queasy feeling in her stomach when she thought about the sacrifice she would have to make.

***

 It was the day of the ceremony. Fyora slipped into her best dress, a raggedy old beige one. She tied her faded pink ribbon around her ponytail. The queen-to-be took one last look in the mirror, took a deep breath, and walked out of her suite with her head held high, just as Queen Marielle had taught her to do.

     "Good bye old life," she whispered through her tears.

     Fyora walked into the Royal Ballroom. Some faeries and Neopets that had come to the ceremony had strange looks on their faces, as if to say, "That is our new queen?"

     But that depressing thought was pushed away when a group of six Faeries came up to Fyora. "Hello!" said one of the faeries. She was an Earth Faerie. "I'm Heather. My friends and I here are the members of the Faerie Council. I assume Queen Marielle has told you about us?"

     Of course, thought Fyora angrily. Aren't you those people who have come to ruin my life?

     But Fyora's anger was quickly dismissed when each member of the council presented her with a "palace-warming" gift.

     Heather, the Earth Faerie, presented her with a lush, sparkling pink flower that lived forever and never needed to be watered or tended to.

     Amy, the Water Faerie gave her a lovely stone fountain with Neopets and faeries carved into it.

     Valerie the Light Faerie gave her an extravagantly beautiful Rod of Nova, along with an unlimited supply of other beautiful multicolored novas.

     Jennifer the Air Faerie gave her a stunning necklace featuring every shade of blue imaginable.

     Sarah the Fire Faerie presented her with a gold charm that was studded with rubies.

     And lastly, Roxanne the Dark Faerie gave her a luxurious dark velvet furniture set that would take up a whole room just by itself.

     Fyora had never seen such beautiful objects in all her life, and thanked each faerie graciously. But the best present was yet to come.

     Queen Marielle approached Fyora , and bestowed upon her the gorgeous tiara and sceptre that had once been hers.

     "Now that I am no longer going to be queen and I have received my magic back," Queen Marielle began, "I would like to jazz you up a bit."

     And with a flick of her wrist, Fyora began to change. Her tattered old dress turned into a long, graceful purple one, and her faded blue wings sparkled with a purplish glow. Even her frizzy dirty blonde hair changed to a marvelous light purple shade.

     Fyora was too ecstatic to speak. For once in her life, she felt beautiful.

***

Soon it was time for the ceremony to begin. The Faerie Council stepped forward, bowed, and presented Fyora with a beautiful and somewhat delicate blue scroll. As she was instructed, she carefully unrolled the scroll and began to read it.

     "I, Fyora the Light Faerie, hereby pledge my commitment to all of Neopia, and promise to do my best to keep my noble world from harm. In doing so, I will allow the Faerie Council to take my magic awa-"

     When Fyora realized what she was about to say she abruptly stopped. The audience froze.

     "Never!" she shrieked. "I shall never allow you to take my magic away! What kind of cruel people do you think you are?"

     At this outburst, the Neopets and faeries present instinctively took a step back.

     All of a sudden, the ballroom was dead quiet.

     The silence was broken by the soft sobbing of Queen Marielle.

     "Do not…take her magic away," Queen Marielle choked. "I won't let her go through the same misery that I once felt. Is that clear?"

     "Sorry," replied Jennifer of the Faerie Council. "You cannot change anything anymore. You are no longer Queen!"

     Queen Marielle smiled slyly. "But Fyora never finished reading the oath. That means that I am still queen! Now will you please just go on with the ceremony? And leave Fyora be. She needs a little faerie magic in her life. She pointed at Roxanne. "Would you like it if someone took your magic away?"

     Roxanne bowed timidly and slowly shook her head.

     "That's what I thought. Now get to work and revise that oath!"

     Suddenly the ballroom erupted in cheers, clapping, and whistling.

     "They love ya, Fyora," whispered Queen Marielle.

     Fyora smiled. The joyfulness of the crowd felt like waking up after a wonderful dream. She closed her eyes and took it all in.

***

Finally it was time for Fyora to read the modified oath. As she read, the crowd looked up at her with such admiration that it almost brought her to tears. All that work for this glorious moment. And the result? A queen who would never grow weary, always remain loyal to her world, and most of all, never be looked down upon again. And the rest is history.

***

And if you happen to stop by the Hidden Tower one day, (if you can find it!), tell Fyora how much you appreciate her, and maybe, just maybe, she'll tell you what it really feels like to be the Faerie Queen.

The End

Author's Note: Yay! My first Neopian Times story! There may be more in the future, but for right now, I'd appreciate your feedback on this story! Enjoy Neopets!

 ~Gpigluv