The Fairy Queen

Chapter 5

You know that feeling when you’re trying to sleep but you feel someone is staring at you? You ignore it at first but fear slowly creeps up your spine and it comes hand in hand with burning curiosity. You surely feel like you want to see what is there and confirm if she was imagining things.

Meryl peeled one eye open to peer around her room and the first thing she saw was a pair of vivid violet orbs peering down back at her. She screamed and rolled off the bed, scrambling towards the door. It was locked.

Panicking, she grappled around her room for a weapon. She had only turned 18! She wasn’t about to die without fulfilling her dreams first!

Eventually, she chanced upon a stick she had used earlier and waved it crazilly. All while she was screaming and crawling, he stood by her bed, staring at her as she did whatever. Those violet eyes never left her for a moment. Aside from those unnatural eyes, there were also the huge silvery wings that rose behind him, rising above his head and even extending inches behind his feet. She blinked to see if she was seeing them well.

“Y-You! Who are you?!” she asked, shaking even more.

He finally blinked, going down on one knee, bowing deeply.

“Princess. I’ve finally found you.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? What even are you? A cosplayer serial killer?”

“I am Fairy Duke Sylin of the Sphies. I’ve been tasked with finding you, your highness.”

His name was strange, pronounced Si-lin and it was unlike any name she had heard before. And fairies? Those didn’t exist anywhere except her dreams! So, by default, this was a dream. Yeah, she was going with that.

“Why do you keep calling me princess, your highness or whatever?”

“You’re Fairy Princess Marigold, heir to the throne of the fairy kingdom, Yggdrasil.”

Yggdrasil, a mythical tree known as the world tree. It was mythical! It didn’t exist! Fairies don't exist! Even for a dream, it was getting ridiculous!

“Look, you’re sounding more and more ridiculous with every word you say. I think you need to go see a psychologist or go for a head scan because you sound insane. Do you still have fifth grader’s syndrome at this age?”

Sylin looked a lot older, like he was in his mid-20’s. His brows were knitted together in a serious expression, his pale skin making it hard to tell if he was truly human. Still, he was very handsome, a picture perfect definition of being carefully carved by nature.

‘Even handsome men are going crazy these days. What’s going on with the world?’ she says in her mind, maintaining their distance.

“I apologize, your highness but I didn’t understand anything you just said. However, there is no time to explain anything. You need to come with me.”

Having said this, he started walking closer.

“W-W-Wait! What are you doing?”

He stopped when he was close and crouched in front of her, extending a hand.

“The mana is thin here and the gateway will close soon. It was only kept open because of the awakening of your magic. Please your highness, if you do not return now, the fairy kingdom would collapse on itself. If the fairies do not care for Yggdrasil, it would die. If it does, so does Entria.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying and I don’t care! You need to get out now! Get out! Get out! GET OUT!”

Sylin was suddenly thrown into a wall. His wings cushioned his landing but she thought she heard a c***k. Those still unnatural violet eyes found hers and he sighed.

“I must’ve scared you. I apologize. The mana is stronger in the night so I must leave now. Now that you’ve awakened, your highness, you cannot survive on such little mana, releasing those pulses. You’ll have to make a choice soon.”

“I don’t care. Get out.”

“It’s really not safe here. Are you sure you’re not coming?”

“Get out! My papa has a gun. He’s a deep sleeper but if I scream enough, he’ll come. Get out!”

“Princess, please…”

Meryl was fed up with his nonsense and decided to scream for her parents. If she kept screaming, maybe the power that repelled him would help her reach her parents.

As she opened her mouth to scream, a raven flew in through the open window, flying around haphazardly. It attacked Sylin, trying to peck his eyes out. He grabbed it and threw it against a wall, specifically the wall that contained a framed photo of her family. It fell to the ground and broke. While she diverted her attention to that for a moment, a strange wind blew into her room and both the raven and Sylin were gone.

Her eyelids felt heavy and her body heavier. Before she knew it, the stick in her hands fell to the floor, her body hitting the floor right after. When she opened her eyes again, it was already morning. The sun rays landed on her face from the open window. She jerked upwards and looked around her room.

She convinced herself it was just a dream but it felt too real. It still felt like there was someone else in the room. It was too unsettling. She lifted her eyes to see that the picture that hung on the wall was no longer there.

Terrified, she climbed out of bed, inching closer to where the picture formerly was. A chill went through her heart when she discovered it was on the floor, broken. As she bent to pick it up, the door slammed open.

“Merrryyyylllll! Time for a birthday makeover! Meryl? What are you doing?” Coraline gave her a look of suspicion seeing her awkward position.

“N-Nothing! What are YOU doing here?”

“I’m here to give you a birthday makeover,” Coraline replies, raising the bags in her hands. She drops them beside Meryl’s bed and sits on it, picking up her phone to text Gus. Meryl gives the picture one last glance and leaves it there.

If she told Coraline or Gus about the dream, they would freak out. All her other dreams were all harmless adventures that were all figments of her imagination that in now way affected the real world.

“I don’t want a birthday makeover. How are you even here this early? What are you, a witch?”

“Better a witch than a slob that doesn’t keep to appointments.”

“What appointment? You didn’t send me another text for a meeting at 6 am, did you?”

“I told you I was coming over! Whatever. We’re losing daylight. Let’s get your face primed up first. By the end of today, you would have been eye r***d a million times.”

“Who says I want that?! Hey! Coraline! Listen to me!”

Legends say that Coraline indeed did not listen and did anything she liked.