by A. G. Stone
North-Star nodded. "That I am," she said, not unsnobby at all. "And who might you be?"
"You are not royalty, and you aren't anything special either! You see, I'm a human girl here to save your entire world, so I'd advise that you 'hush up' and back up!" I said fiercely. "A good leader never treats her subordinates like that. You are not fit to be a leader. You aren't fit to be anything close to a leader."
"Neither are you!" North-Star snapped, giving me a dirty look. "And a human girl doesn't have the right to talk to me in that tone of voice. Especially not a human girl dressed in peasant clothing."
"I'll talk to you in whatever tone of voice I want to!" I shot back, my breathing quickening as I grew angrier and angrier. "I am going to save your entire world, so I expect at least a little respect - if not more than you receive as Head Faerie. Now, I'm going to go back to Blayke, and I'm going to tell him to choose a different head fairy, because you aren't fit to be a leader."
With that said, I left, gritting my teeth to keep from screaming angrily; I couldn't stand anyone who treated the ones below them like that. It just wasn't right to do that. If I ever became a ruler of anything, I promised myself I would treat my subjects with all of the respect that they deserve plus three times the respect just for extra measure.
Chapter 12:
The Dress
Thankfully Blayke understood what I was saying about North-Star and put Meadow, the shy faerie that had defended me, in charge instead. North-Star was banished from the mansion for the way that she had treated me. It made me very happy to see that Meadow got her dream at last; after many years of bowing down to North-Star and letting North-Star run all over her, Meadow was finally in charge, and she was doing an excellent job of it, if I do say so myself!
"Milady," Meadow said, and I turned to smile at her.
"Yes, Meadow?" I asked, somehow feeling that being treated like royalty was right though I had never been royalty in my entire life - well at least for what I could remember.
"Would you like to change into the dress Master has picked out for you?" she asked in that sweet little tone that only she had, and I nodded.
"That'd be nice," I said, smiling at her.
"This way, Milady," Meadow said, and she began to flutter off, leading me down the hallway.
I entered the bedroom and stepped on to the water I had discovered wasn't real water; it was just an illusion. I walked over the water and took a seat on the bed. It was soft and cushy and felt as though it melted around me, molding to my shape. After a couple minutes of waiting, Meadow, along with a few other faeries whose names were Rose, Nimbus, Dewdrop, Blaze, Onyx, and Moonbeam, flew into the room, bearing a mysterious piece of red and black fabric aloft.
They draped the fabric over the bed, and Meadow fluttered over so she was flying right in front of my face - but not too close, as she had boundaries and knew boundaries well, not like North-Star.
"Milady, if you would stand up," Meadow asked politely, and I inclined my head, standing up.
Quickly, the faeries took off the tattered dress that still stunk of seaweed and tears, setting it in the fireplace, where a fire roared and licked at the dress until there was nothing left of the dress but green and blue flames from the saltwater. The faeries went to work, scrubbing my body with soap and then incense to remove the stench that clung to my body like a second skin.
Once I was clean, they dumped a bucket of clean, cool water over my head, washing away the traces of the soap. They helped me dry off, drying my hair quickly with their magic. Then once I was dry, they had me spread out my arms so they could put the corset on me. The corset was bright crimson, and the shade of red matched the dress, which I assumed was their intention.
When they began to tighten the corset, all the air in my lungs exited through my mouth in a loud gasp, and from there, I began to pant for breath as the faeries tightened the corset tighter and tighter. At last, they finished with the corset, and I found that I could breathe again.
I looked down at my body, marveling at the work the corset had done. My average sized chest was pushed up so that the curves of my breasts were visible above the corset. My waist was tiny, and the smallness of my waist gave more volume to my legs, which were already curvy naturally from all the time that I spent exercising. My legs which were a pale, milky color had more curves in just the right places. Also, the tininess of my waist set off my hips, which appeared to be larger than they actually were. All in all, my body looked perfect like this.
"Do you like the tightness of the corset, Milady?" Meadow asked, and I nodded, smiling at her.
"Yes, it's perfect," I said, and the faeries looked proud at this.
"Would you like to wear the dress now, Milady?" Meadow asked, and I chewed on my cheek.
"Yes," I said at last, and Meadow gave me a comforting smile.
"You heard the Milady," she said, turning to the faeries helping her. "Time for the dress. Be careful; don't let it tear. Master was very adamant that Milady wear this dress and this corset underneath."
"Yes, ma'am!" the faeries all squeaked, and I giggled, covering my mouth with my hand.
"If you will, Milady," Meadow said, turning back to me, and I held my arms out as she had asked.
The faeries went to work, wiggling the dress over my head and then adding bows and black trimming to it. They dove in and out of the dress with needles, careful not to prick me as their wings tickled my thighs. They kept working on the dress for what felt like hours as I stood there, my legs growing tired. Just before I felt as though I'd collapse, the faeries finished on the dress.
Meadow fluttered over bearing a mirror aloft, having not helped the other faeries make the dress but giving them orders from a blueprint she apparently had memorized. She gave me the mirror, and I examined myself.
My appearance had started to change. Instead of my brown hair cut short in a pixie style, my hair was now turning silver and was growing bit by bit until it fell down to my waist. My eyes that were once dark brown were now turning into a shade of light green with purple flecks that were large enough to be noticed. My skin was still ivory pale, but I had markings starting to appear on my face that were bright yellow trailing down from underneath my left eye across my cheek, only stopping at the corner of my mouth. I couldn't place the markings; it was as if there was something inhibiting my memory. But there were silver jewels studding the markings at random intervals - sometimes they were inches apart, sometimes only centimeters.
The dress I was wearing was mostly red with black roses and thorns trailing across my chest and my stomach. There were black pieces of fabric that looked like they had been crumpled up before they were sewn on to the dress. The rest of the dress was red with little designs of black roses and thorns decorating it like on the bodice of the dress. Some pieces of the dress - dyed crimson with what looked like blood - were made of chiffon and were only near the bottom, amidst other pieces of chiffon that were black. The heels that I wore on my feet were mostly transparent, revealing my ivory colored skin beneath. The black designs crawling up and down the heels were also of roses. The heels cut out to reveal the back of my heels and my toes, which were always painted red.
"Milady, Master asked that you wear this," Meadow said, handing me a small top-hat.
I put the top-hat on my head and angled it. The red and black stripes of the top-hat, mixed with the chiffon flower on the brim, completed the outfit, and I walked out of the room, going to Blayke's side where I felt as though I belonged.
Chapter 13:
The Lesson on the Wilds and the Faeries
"You look lovely, darling Bryony. The dress I picked out for you suits you well, and that hat just accents your hair and sets off the dress just right. How do you like the heels? Do they hurt your feet? I'm sorry if they do," Blayke said without turning from the painting of what I supposed used to be the Castle of Spades. I could tell because Spades were painted on the gates. Somehow I knew that the Castle of Spades didn't look like that anym
ore.
I shook my head. "The heels don't hurt my feet at all," I said.
I could see the corner of his mouth turn up at that, and I blushed, thinking how lovely his smile is.
"Is that your home?" I blurted out without thinking. I clapped my hands over my mouth and flushed, just realizing the rude question I had asked.
Blayke chuckled, turning to me. "Don't be embarrassed, lovely Bryony. Yes, that is my home. It doesn't look like that anymore, though, not since the current Queen of Spades began her rule. Now the castle is dirty and stained with the blood of the people's heads she placed on stakes surrounding the perimeter warning people not to mess with her. The Queen of Spades has at least fifteen people beheaded per day. The King of Spades pardons the others when he knows his wife isn't looking, because he knows that she'll behead him too if she knows he's crossing her; but if the people the King pardoned weren't pardoned, the number of people beheaded per day would be more like sixty-nine."
I snorted, and Blayke looked at me strangely.
"What's so funny about the number being sixty-nine? That's a lot of people being beheaded per day; that's a lot of deaths, Bryony. You should care," he lectured me, but I only snorted again. He gave me a disapproving look, but that only served to make me snort once more.
"Long story," I said, biting my lip to keep from bursting out laughing.
"It's a human world thing, isn't it?" Blayke asked, arching an eyebrow at me, and I giggled.
"Yup," I said cheerily, popping the 'P'. "Very much so."
Blayke chuckled and shook his head. "You humans are a very strange species," he said, turning back to the painting.
"Yup!" I exclaimed, popping the 'P'. "But tell me more about your kind. I'm very curious. Explain to me your culture."
Blayke chuckled at my curiosity and smiled down at me. "My kind is called Faeries. We're winged creatures that come in all shapes and sizes. Faeries withhold the ability to transform into animals or into insects if we so choose. I was a caterpillar at first, but now I'm a butterfly as I went through that particular cycle of my life already. My wings match a butterfly, because that's what I chose that my wings would look like. Faeries are able to do that; they can change their age, their appearance, their wing appearance, and much, much more. We're a very complicated species.
"Our culture is very complicated. We elect a ruler - the Faeries I'm training have accepted me as their leader, but in the wilds, the leader of the Wild Faeries is much different," he explained, and I blinked.
"How are you different from the Wild Faeries?" I asked, and he chuckled.
"In a very simple way," he said, and I gave him a disbelieving look. "We don't eat things raw; we cook them."
I giggled, and Blayke smiled at me.
"You are beautiful enough to be a Faerie yourself," he complimented, caressing my cheek with his thumb, and I blushed at his praise.
"Thank you, Blayke," I said, and he nodded, giving me a mischievous smile.
"Hey, Blayke?" I asked suddenly, and he turned back to me.
"Yes, darling Bryony?" Blayke asked, and I bit my lip.
"Can you tell me about the castle?" I asked, and Blayke hesitated a moment before nodding.
"Yes, I can," Blayke said, giving me a smile. "But you must promise not to interrupt, all right?"
I nodded and attempted to give him a mock-salute. "Yes, sir!" I exclaimed, and he chuckled at my attempts.
He leaned forward and pressed his lips against my cheek. "You're an angel," he whispered in my ear, and I blushed furiously from head-to-toe.
Blayke chuckled before turning back to the painting.
He pointed to the river leading into the castle grounds, going through a grate. "That's the River Ratoon. As it's polluted by creatures' bodily fluids and such, it was purified before entering the castle grounds. That's the purpose of that strange thing attached to the grate." He pointed at the strange contraption that looked like a mix between an air purifier and a water processor. "It was purified with magic, which was cast by a kind faerie who was paid by Morton, the king before the one who is married to the current queen, in fruits and berries to feed her family who were in poverty. The water was purified so that the people could bathe and drink the water without getting sick. You see, we are far more sensitive than humans when it comes to illnesses so it's far easier to get us sick. Therefore we have to be careful, more careful than your kind does."
"That's really interesting," I said, smiling at Blayke as he turned to look at me. "I never knew that. You must be an expert on these things."
Blayke smiled at me. "Oh, no, not really," he said, and I giggled at his modesty. "I'm not even nearly an expert on this, on the history of the castle or on the history of the people within it. I just know what I've been taught."
"'Taught'?" I repeated, and Blayke shook his head.
"Forget I said that," he said, and I nodded. "No one knows that except for Seth.
"I don't want anyone to know; it's not something I'm proud of. Please don't tell anyone I said that," he begged, and I smiled at him, reaching up and patting his shoulder.
"Don't worry, Blayke," I said comfortingly, giving him my sweetest smile that I reserved for people I liked. "I won't tell anyone. It's your secret, and therefore isn't mine to tell. Besides, I don't even understand what that means, so your secret is safe with me."
Blayke chuckled and leaned down, pressing his lips against mine. "Thank you," he murmured against my lips.
Chapter 14:
The Feast
Blayke's lips pressed against mine were soft and warm and tasted of sweet mint and lemons - sour and sweet, yet a little spicy, and I moaned as my eyes fluttered shut, therefore heightening the pleasure. His lips somehow tasted like him, and they moved against mine in small movements, like small circles. He smelled of Blayke, all spicy like nutmeg but sweet like orange. Somehow the scents mixed together perfectly to form the scent that belonged only to Blayke. There was an underlying scent of oakmoss that made the entire scent of Blayke somehow that much better.
He licked my lip and groaned at what I thought must be my taste. My lips parted without my permission, and Blayke's tongue swept into my mouth, bringing with him the taste of sweet mint and lemons even stronger than before. He groaned again and increased his pressure on my lips, nudging my lips into movement against his with the gentle twists of his own lips. My lips began to move against his, hesitantly, and Blayke lifted me up on to the glass table I hadn't noticed before by my hips, nudging his way in between my legs. I gasped against his lips, and he chuckled, licking my lips gently. I moaned against his mouth, and he smirked against my lips, licking my lips again - this time deeper and with more force. One of his hands braided itself into my long, silver hair, pulling my face closer to him, and the other hand cupped my cheek, angling my face so that he could better reach my lips.
After a while of kissing me deeply, Blayke pulled away. He still didn't pull away from me, his breath teasing my lips lightly. He smirked at me as I blushed furiously and panted for breath.
"That was nice," he murmured, leaning down and pressing his lips against mine once more.
This kiss only lasted a few seconds, but it left me panting for breath once more, butterflies fluttering wildly in my stomach and my heart in my throat. I hadn't known that first kisses could be that amazing. Well, I suppose when you kiss such an attractive guy like Blayke - with his blonde hair and blue eyes and angled features just like a Faerie, he was simply perfect - your kiss is going to be better than it would be if it were with someone less attractive.
"W-w-w-w-why?" I stammered, and Blayke chuckled, leaning in close to my ear.
"You just looked so cute standing there, and besides, I had to thank you," he whispered before he nipped at the lobe of my ear.
I bit my lip to keep from moaning at the sensations this boy made rush through my veins as if the feelings were blood. Blayke chuckled at my flushed expression, and he kissed me again, his tongue separating my teeth from my t
ongue and sweeping over my bottom lip in an effort to soothe the battered flesh.
"Don't bite your lips," he said once he pulled away. "It's not good for them, and I don't want you to hurt yourself."
Blayke began to walk away before he turned back to me, smirking. "By the way, you taste like strawberries coated in sugar. Maybe now I'll call you Strawberry instead of darling," he said, teasing me, and I blushed all the way to my ears. "Now, are you coming? We have a feast to go to."
I nodded and followed him. When I was by his side, he grabbed my hand, giving me a mischievous smile that simply took my breath away.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The room that the feast was held in was dark; the only light that entered the room was the light of the candelabras' flames licking at the wicks that somehow never went out. The floor was illuminated well, as if the black and red checkered floor was glass and there was a giant light underneath illuminating the entire floor. There was one, long table down the middle of the room with chairs that were already filled. The table was set with see-through glass plates and silver goblets with jeweled handles.
From what I could see, all manner of guests were welcome here. There were creatures with twisted horns; creatures with leathery wings like a demon; creatures that had the lower half of a snake; creatures that instead of legs had tails like fish; creatures with purple skin; creatures that looked like a mix of badgers and birds with twisted, gnarled limbs; creatures with the upper half of a frog; creatures that were snakes with long and spindly white legs despite the color of their scales; creatures that looked like a mix between a jellyfish and a humanoid kind of creature; creatures without a face at all, only a large, toothy smile; and so much more.
I turned to look at Blayke questioningly, but he only gave me a mysterious smile. "Don't be afraid," he whispered to me. "They are on no side; they are the animals and beings that none of the royalty care about because they aren't the same species as the royals. As far as the royals are concerned, we - the wild beasts of Wonderland - do not exist at all. We are merely ghosts wandering their realms."
