A Pixie’s Quest

CHAPTER 2 A New Romance Novel?

Rianne entered the East Tower and walked up to the entrance of the Palaces’ Public Library (Public meaning the only people who worked, studied, or had Royal permission to enter). She saw Sargent Caleb and another low ranking guard posted there. Rianne had expected as much, it was the same on every third Saturday. Sargent Caleb was one of the few humans they had in the city of Alvania. He took his job seriously but not so much that he couldn’t have a decent chat now and again. He also happened to be the same age as Rianne. The lifespan of a pixie was a lot longer than a human. So fifty did not look as good on him as it did on her or any other Next Being. If she were human, Rianne probably looked closer to twenty five.

" Hello there Sargent Caleb. Is mom still in?” I asked him with a knowing smirk.

" I do believe you already know the answer to that Miss Hartwing " he said with the slightest hint of a smile, that would be missed if it was not looked for.

Rianne’s smirk grew wider as ahe walked past the two guards and through the double doors and in a raised voice said back towards him "Make sure you get her home safe tonight Sargent ".

She giggled as she heard him sputter with shock. At the same moment the other guard exclaimed "I knew it!"

She always had an inkling that the Sargent had a thing for her mother, who was of course oblivious to any of it. Christa Heartwing worked as the library’s director and the Royal Records Keeper. Those responsibilities took up most of her mother’s head space. It was a wonder to Rianne that she ever had a clutch with Rianne’s father. Not that Rianne could ask him how he had pulled off asking her for a first date.

Queen Alexandra’s Royal Messenger Noah Hartwing, died before Rianne hatched, as he tried to save her and her clutchlings on the day of The Burning. That day the palace was infiltrated by Low Pixie assassin wasps who wanted to murder the royal family’s bloodline after the Queen had condemned their siblings to death for their part in the attempted slave trade. Fortunately they had been misinformed on where the Queen’s cluster was being nurtured. This caused them to go mad with rage and malice. Which led them to kill more than the royal line as they set the Nursery Wing on fire. The nursery had several raised pools of water with Forever Sapling trees on small islands at their centers, a room for cribs and a play area. On every branch, in every pool and other spaces held hundreds of clusters, clutches, pods, babies, small children and litters of everyone who lived and worked in the palace. The fire spread quickly and panic ran rampant amongst most of the medical staff. The braver staff and guards had evacuated with only the babies, children, and litter mates because they could be carried or led out. The other beings’ eggs and hatchlings were not so lucky, they would die if removed from their environments for too long. By the time Rianne’s father arrived there had only been one Forever Sapling tree and a very deep pool left untouched. The pool where Rianne and clutchlings were had started to boil and evaporate with the heat. As the water level lowered Noah had made a split second decision to dive in and grab as many of the clutch as he could. Noah was only able to grab a handful of them unfortunately. After he climbed from the pool, he wrapped the ones he was able to rescue in a wet cloth belt. He had then sprinted towards the Queen’s cluster, used his boiled wings to jump up the branches and carved off the bark with the last two eggs that had not burned. After Noah had collected all of their eggs, he placed them safely on and in the last tree and pool. He had then began to bark orders to the guardsmen that had come back in to get the fires under control. Once the situation was managed he had collapsed and days later died in the medical tower from smoke inhalation and the burns from the boiling water and fires. Unfortunately Rianne was the only one in her clutch to survive the transfer. Queen Alexandra, at his funeral and as a thank you for saving her children, had gifted Royal Messenger Noah Heartwing the golden butterfly medal of heroes. All of this Rianne got second hand from her mother and Joel. The Burning as it had been named, was now a part of the city’s history and was taught in schools, along with a day of mourning on its anniversary. Noah’s image was carved out of a piece of the last Forever Sapling tree and placed in the middle of the new Nursery Wing. There was also a memorial wall at the science and history museum for every being lost in the attack.

Rianne found her mother on a rolling ladder putting away the books that most likely had been left open on a table or sideways on the wrong shelf. Mentally shoving thoughts of her father away as Rianne reached her. She had begun to lean a little too far over to place the book she had back on the very pristine sandstone shelf.

Rianne sat down her mother’s dinner on the closest table and grabbed the ladder as she stated "Mother if you keep that up you are going to fall and possibly wreck all the work you’ve already done. Not to mention break something."

With no indication that Rianne had startled her, Christa said "Well then would you stop trying to mother your mother and slide the ladder farther to the left."

Rianne crossed her lips with a zipping motion, laughed and did as she was told. She then helped with the rest of the stack, which went fairly quickly with four sets of hands. Christa did not have to do that kind of task being the Royal Record Keeper but being the bookworm that she was, she enjoyed it. Rianne had asked her mother once why she did not make one of the wordkeepers do it instead and she said she liked to know exactly where every written word was. Rianne rolled her eyes at the memory as she continued with shelving the books. After they had finished they found a quiet place on one of the terraces with a large enough table for her mother to sit and eat what was likely her only meal all day.

As Rianne settled more comfortably in a chair and not so nonchalantly asked "So Sargent Caleb is posted at the entrance today, are you going to let him walk you home again today?”

“What? Are you not going too? I just figured you would after your last class that is" Christa questioned.

"I didn't have lessons today. We were given a rest day. Dean Joel was sent to the medical tower last night, for minor burns. Provost Jacobs wanted to give him a day for recovery according to Professor Ky" Rianne replied factually.

" Burns?! How in the world would that have happened?" she asked, surprised.

"Minor burns. He apparently got into an argument with the Head Chef over his mosquito steak supposedly being overcooked and a new line cook tripped with a bowl of hot soup that landed on him. Or so Gabby says, not really sure how much of that is true coming from the college’s biggest gossip. I tried visiting this morning but they weren’t allowing visitors. They even had guards posted" Rianne said as she stole a Midge fry out of her mother’s weaved basket box.

"Hmm, well hopefully the burns are not too serious and they just want to insure his recovery. Then you all can get back to preparing for your graduation tests. I want you to know that I am very proud of you Riannelynn and I know your father would be as well, if he were still with us." she said with a solemn undertone. "Although I still think I would prefer it if you had chosen a safer profession. Maybe one where you would be out tucked safely away and of the line of fire".

"Line of fire? Mom, there hasn't been an incident with a messenger of any tier in almost 200 years, and the only reason that messenger had been gutted was because he did not follow proper etiquette. The dumbass said "I give this message” instead of “Lord Black gives this message". We now have the calming method to perform before giving the message because of him." Rianne stated exasperated.

“Even so Beings are all fickle creatures, whether or not proper etiquette is followed. Oh, just because the saying goes “Don’t kill the messenger" doesn't mean that they won't " Christa worried.

" Well, then I guess it is a good thing that Queen Alexandra ordered combat training to be integrated into the messenger's lessons after The Burning.” Rianne quipped as she rested her hand on the short sword she was required to carry.

"Hmm, I suppose. So what are you doing tonight that is going to keep you from walking your old mother home " she asked, with a swift change of subject.

"Oh, the girls and I are going to Luna's tonight for some dancing and drinks. Not that I would get in the way of the Sargent walking you anyways” Rianne answered as waggled her eyebrows and was grateful for a different topic.

"What is that supposed to mean?” asked Christa, with a raised brow.

“That means, he likes you mom. Obviously, and is too much of a gentleman or a scaredy gnat to ask you out properly” replied Rianne.

"Ask… ask me out?! You think Sargent Caleb wants to ask me out? Oh, but I'm so much older than he is. I mean he is cute and all, for a scruffy silver haired human. You think he sees me that way? What about your father? What about you and your sisters?" she asked in quick succession.

"Yes. No, I don't think, I know. You are about the same age in human years and still amazingly beautiful by the way. Do not forget the huge muscles. He smiles every time he sees you. I think dad would want you to be happy. Katie, Maddy, and I would also rather see you happy than wasting away in this dusty old library. At least if you and Caleb get together you can waste away together " Rianne answered with a wink.

"Oh, you hush, I am not wasting away. I do miss your sisters terribly though. However they wanted to go back and rebuild our village from the ground up, so I can't blame them for leaving. Oh, I almost forgot they actually recently sent a message saying that they have both met their life mates and that they are both blue bottle fairies as well. I can't wait for all the adorable grandbabies. Oh and they will be visiting for the Spring Festivals. Ooo speaking of mates, have you met anyone recently?” she asked.

"Seriously? I swear even though they are adopted they take after dad tremendously. Heroes of the countryside they’ll be named. I am only fifty years old and still like my freedom thanks. Besides I have thirty more to go before I have to start to worry about finding the right one. Also Katherine and Madeline are more into having babies than I am. So of course they would find their mates as early as possible. I miss them as well and I'm glad that we can get to see them so soon after they’ve settled" Rianne said as she collected the trash. She sent one of the library's working Messengers to go and ask the kitchens for some digestive tea. By the time they had finished cleaning up the tea had arrived.

Rianne paid the fee and then asked her mother "So how about you ask Caleb out to a drink tonight or coffee on his next day off? Which I do believe is tomorrow by the way. "

“Oh, I don't think I could find the courage to do that just yet, Riannelynn. Besides I rather like the idea of a man being the one to do the asking. " She said.

Rianne rolled her eyes knowing she would have to do some meddling once she left. With a grin she jokingly said "You are so old school mom."

“Well of course I am. I'm allowed to be at my age. One hundred and forty five is no spring hatchling you know.” she matter of factly retorted.

Rianne let loose a small giggle before she finished her cup of tea. Pouring another on top of two blood rocks she said "Makes me happy that I have the same gene pool. Unfortunately mother, your wardrobe could stand with some improvement, especially if you are going to start dating. "

"Oh the audacity of you younglings nowadays. Borders on absurdity. There is nothing wrong with my wardrobe. How would I even begin to update it anyhow?” Christa scoffed as she glared at her.

Rianne just about busted up laughing when her mother tilted up her ebony colored face in a snubbing manner. She only found a way of controlling herself because the light caught the sparkle of her mother’s royal blue scale freckles. Then the shine of a silver highlight in her blue black hair as a piece fell from the hair pin and subtly framed her mother’s face. Rianne had always thought her mother was stunning and it made her once again be very glad to have the same genetics. Rianne’s body pattern closely resembled her mother’s but her eye color was from her father, a deep grey with specks of white and green. Christa’s eyes were a bright blue color and according to the stories her father’s pattern had resembled wheat grass. Poky had told Rianne once how jealous she was of how easy it would be for them to blend into the shadows.

They finished the last of the tea and afterwards helped the server pick up and stack the dishes onto his cart. Rianne kissed her mother on the cheek and said farewell. As she walked towards the exit she smirked at the thought of Sargent Caleb's face going bright red when she says that he should ask her mom out on their way home.