Faelme: Princess Evol and her Fairy Prince

Faelme Gathering

Evol sat on the swing at the back of her home wiping angry tears away. Why did her mum have to be so stubborn? Why was she so against her being a Warrior?

Couldn't she be both a Princess and a soldier? Even Henry, her soon to be Human step-dad agreed that she should be free to follow her passions but her own mother felt she should grow out of her rebellious phase and learn to be a proper Elfin princess.

Evol gritted her teeth in anger flipping some loose strand of her ridiculously long pink and orange hair, especially ridiculous since Elves were naturally small in stature. Yet she had to keep the long hair because she was ‘Elfin royalty'.

And now her mother said she was going through a rebellious phase?

Evol? A rebel?! Funny

All her life she would always follow her mother's instructions and this one thing she really wanted ever since she was a kid, made her a rebel?

Evol scoffed at that thought.

Well, at least she knew it was not a phase for sure. She had always wanted to learn to fight for as long as she could remember and would still continue to, so her mother, the Queen, would just have to accept that fact.

“Evol, are you okay? " The sound of Erac's voice startled Evol at first and her first instinct was to wipe off the evidence of her sadness, till she recognized the voice as that of her best friend so she turned to face her with a pout on her tear streaked face.

Erac instantly closed the distance between herself and her best friend and enclosed the elf in a big hug.

Evol leaned into the hug instantly feeling better, partly from knowing her best friend was there for her, and partly because her Erac was a healer Elf like most of the Elvin population and so was able to project a feeling of wellness to her from contact.

“Is it your mother? " Erac asked in a whisper.

Evol nodded in response. Erac was one of the few people that knew how much she had always wanted to please her mother and how her ambition to be a warrior always had them arguing. It was getting tiring for Evol to argue about the same thing every other day but her mother seemed to be relentless.

The queen didn't seem to want to change her mind about it, or even to listen to her daughter at all.

She also would not give rooms for mistakes or shortcomings of any sort. Evol just had to be the perfect Elfin princess.

Like her forever poised mother!

“What did she ask you to do this time?" Erac asked, cutting of Evol's train of thought.

“Dance." Evol said simply. The two friends were the clumsiest dancers with seemingly two left feet.

Dancing was one art that Evol failed in no matter how hard she tried. She would think she was already getting the hang of it and then the rhythm of the beat would change and she would be left looking like a newborn unicorn foal on a unicycle.

“Oh no." Erac exclaimed "That never ends well. "

Evol giggled at her friend's alarmed expression. “Indeed, it did not. I promptly knocked down Evom within two minutes and somehow managed to catch my dress on a thorn in a rose bush while I was at it."

Evol felt her lips lift up in a smile as Erac began to laugh uncontrollably at the absurdity of the picture, the situation her friend had just described, painted.

“Well I'm glad you find this funny. Evom wasn't very pleased at all and you should have seen the disapproving look Mother gave me. I was absolutely mortified." Evol said pouting even more.

“I'm sorry." Erac said and schooled herself to sober up so as not to hurt Evol's feelings. She knew Evol might not show it but she really disliked disappointing her mother. “Well are you going to give it another try? I know you are not one to give up easily."

“I have to." My first gathering is in two days and though Mother hasn't said it out loud I'm convinced she wants to impress the other kingdoms so badly. She thinks if we can show how well the Kingdom is faring even with humans amongst us, then Faelme might be united again."

“And you? Do you think so too?" Erac asked finally releasing her from the hug to lean against the pole of the swing instead.

Erac herself was half human half Elvin making her several inches taller than Evol. As she grew up, she learnt that the presence of humans like her mother, had caused Faelme to be amalgamated into the three kingdoms with the Elves' decision to heal and adopt dying shipwrecked human beings amongst them.

“It's not impossible but it won't be easy. It takes a long time to build things that could be destroyed in a matter of seconds." Evol replied pressing her lips in a thin line.

They both sat in silence for some minutes each lost in their own thoughts before Erac finally broke the silence. “Let me see your leg."

Evol extended the limb in question to her friend. There was a long shallow scratch from the thorn with the surface beaded with blood.

Erac put her hand to it making Evol's leg grow warm with a slightly tingling sensation at the site of the wound. She watched as the injury disappeared as though it was never there.

“Thank you, Erac." Evol smilled as she flexed her leg before putting it firmly on the ground. She could no longer feel the sting from the injury.

Healing magic had always come easily to Erac even though she was only half Elvin, and it always came in handy to Evol. It helped her get out of explaining to her mother that she had been sneaking out most nights to practice with the warriors Elves since she turned twelve.

“You are welcome. So now, how about I fill in for Evom as your dance partner, huh? I'm less busy right now and I promise, we would have... –a ball! "

Both girls laughed at the horrible pun and the thought of the disaster they were likely to cause.

********

Coral swam to the surface of the Sea Kingdom for the first time in a while.

Reason was that, the sea dwellers rarely came to the sea surface and rarer still, unless it was absolutely necessary, to land kingdom. At least, not since Faelme was divided.

The occasion that brought her family to land was the yearly Faelme gathering which was a week long affair. Since the disunity, it became a day affair and only the Kings and Queen attended making it more of a meeting than a celebration.

But this year, they were attempting some semblance of the proper celebration.

Tradition required for all the citizens of Faelme to gather for the celebration. However, only the Sea dwellers royalty and a few of their guards ever tried to venture into the land territory because of the outer creatures that dwelled among the Elves, Humans.

The other Merfolk would rather suffer through any number of sickness and disease than live or visit a place where humans lived.

Which was exactly the reason that herself and her family were the only Merfolk attending the celebration.

Coral shook the wet hair out of her face and glanced around herself. Her parents and her little brother, Wiid were also heading for the shore. They made up the Mer-royals. They each had a personal guard who doubled as a companion. Her companion was Daiv.

Even as she thought of him, her eyes sought him out. He was already standing on the shore shaking the water out of his hair. Coral stared open mouthed. Daiv had been her crush since forever!

For as long as she could remember he would treat her so good and give her most of his attention whenever he was on duty.

Whenever she made herself believe that maybe he liked her back, he would say something that reminded her that she had been well and properly boss-zoned.

When they were alone, he rarely ever loosened up to have fun with her and she wished he would because when he did, Coral could almost visualize herself falling into a ditch labelled “IN LOVE WITH YOUR BODYGUARD —DAIV!"

Oh! What she would give for him to love her back....

She was staring so hard, she didn't notice her mother slink up beside her. “That's enough staring, Coral dear, or everyone would notice."

Coral spun and saw her mother smiling sadly at her. Oh no, even her mother thought she had no chance there.

To save her pride, she feigned ignorance and lied through her teeth. “I was not staring at Daiv."

Her mother grinned at her attempt to lie. “I never mentioned Daiv, dear. You should change. Everyone is waiting for you." Her mother told her and climbed out to shore on webbed feet to join her waiting husband.

Coral huffed at her mother's retreating back, her cheeks blue with embarrassment.

She shuddered remembering she now had to change to her closest humanoid form. Coral wasn't very fond of the change and the cold tingling sensation that accompanied it but they didn't want to reveal their true identity to the outer creatures in the Elvin kingdom.

Formerly, the gathering used to be held on the shore which is the center of Faelme but it would be held on the Land kingdom to protect the identity and habitat of the other beings.

Prior to this, she only ever came to land if she was very ill as the Elves were excellent healers.

Then, Daiv would always hold her in his arms and pat her hair down soothingly as she slowly changed. She wished he would do that now. But he wouldn't, because she wasn't sick this time.

Unable to help herself, Coral glanced at Daiv again. He along with Fyin, Wiid's companion were getting briefed by her parents and their companions while Wiid listened in.

Wiid glanced back at her and smirked when he saw that she was still in the water and had not changed. He knew she didn't like the change and was clearly rubbing in the fact that he had changed faster than she could.

Glaring at him in response, she closed her eyes and willed her lower limb to change form.

******

“I need you all ready to go within the hour." Queen Sayah announced to her children as she looked out the back door.

All four of her children were playing a game of loop coconut. Her first son, Curtis and her last son, Stom, were on one team playing against her second son, Murry, and her only daughter and third child, Fyrria.

As she watched, Fyrria caught the coconut Stom had thrown, mid-air and flew towards the other team's loop protected by Curtis' huge figure. Curtis quickly assumed a defensive stance to protect his loop from his sister.

Fyrria flew higher and he followed with a teasing grin physically blocking her view of his loop. She attempted to move around him trying to find a good angle for her shot but he mirrored her every move with a smirk on his face. Huffing, she turned upside down and he followed.

Curtis realized a tad bit too late that that was exactly what she had wanted as she conveniently threw the coconut into his loop. She had pulled a fast on him, making him subconsciously attune his movements to sync with hers and then she had made an upside down throw. It was however more difficult to make an upside down catch. Curtis and Stom watched in horror as the coconut went through their loop.

“Oh man." Stom groaned with a facepalm. Murry and Fyrria flew to each other to bump fists. Sayah shook her head proud of her daughter's genius.

“Okay kids." Their mother's voice cut in their various display of reactions. “That's enough messing around for today. Take a spray, we are about to leave. Don't forget about your coats!" She said in a sterner voice leaving no room for being ignored. She waited to hear their groans of disapproval before she withdrew into their tree house.

“And it's a draw. Good game sis, but I won't be falling for that next time. " Curtis ruffled Fyrria's short hair with a grin.

“I know you won't but I'll have something else up my sleeves for the next game. "

“And I'll be ready. " He replied. They both smirked at each other before giving each other a mock salute, then clasping each other's hands in a firm handshake before bumping shoulders and ending it in two fist bumps.

“We should probably leave now before mother decides to whoop our behinds."

“Speak for yourself, She'd have to catch me first. " Curtis said zapping around his siblings in his ridiculously fast manner making them slightly dizzy.

“Why do we have to put on coats anyways?" Murry asked looking back at his green streaked wings. Since green was a special colour to fairies, it was part of his charm and made him quite popular among the ladies.

The fairies only ever wore a coat when going down to the Elf Kingdom in order to cover their wings and protect their identity. The Siblings were not particularly excited about spending a week walking around when they could fly.

“Why do we have to go at all? " Stom answered with a tone of resentment. He had wanted to stay back at home but since everyone else in the family either wanted or needed to go, he had been overruled.

Fyrria rolled her eyes at her brother's comment and decided to ignore it. “Well... The last person to the water fall is a rotten garden egg. " She had barely finished her sentence before she flew off laughing with her brothers hotly on her tail.

******

“Queen Layla, King Noän and his family has arrived. ”

Layla looked up from the long to-do list she had prep for the week long event and sighed. There seemed to be an unending list of tasks to accomplish and it was just the first day.

If only her daughter would cooperate with her for this week, she would have it so much easier. It was a battle getting her to the royal dressmaker for a fitting or to agree to have her hair styled.

If she didn't have such good genes from her parents, Layla was sure Evol would look like a slob most of the time.

She had no care whatsoever for frivolities. If Layla left her to prepare herself... Layla shuddered at the thought.

Okay, that might have been an exaggerated reaction. Evol was usually an obedient child and did whatever needed to be done, on her own terms.

....Eventually.

Layla turned to Claire, her lady in waiting. “I don't suppose Evol and Erac are back from the Hot spring?”

Claire giggled shaking her head “ You know your daughter, Queen Layla. She'd milk this opportunity for all its worth."

Layla nodded resignedly. “If they are not back in the next half hour, send the guards to escort them back. ” She said and hurried out of the room. She walked down the hallway towards the waiting room with Claire scurrying after her.

Queen Layla paused to paste a welcoming smile on her face before throwing the door open and sweeping in.

“Greetings, King Noän and Queen Sayah". She said putting a peck on each of their cheeks.

“Queen Layla. You look amazing.” Queen Sayah said returning the kiss.

“Thank you, Queen Sayah. So do you.” She then turned to Curtis with a curt nod. “Prince Curtis.”

“Queen Layla.” Curtis said with a deep bow. “It is nice to meet you again.”

“These are my children. You know Curtis and Murry, these are Fyrria and Stom. ” Sayah said pointing them out.

“So this is little Murry, only he isn't so little anymore .” Layla commented with a wide smile.The boy she had last seen when before the amalgation as a baby was now towering over her like most fairies did and was almost as tall as his brother and father.

Murry came closer to the older woman with a smile that showed off his dimples. "Queen Layla, it's enchanting to meet you. ” He said taking her hand and pressed a kiss to it's back smoothly.

Layla blushed at the younger boy's action. “Oh my, what a charmer you've become. ”

“He is a handful. ” Sayah commented with an eye roll. “All of them are. ”

Stom's loud yawn cut them off. Layla quickly changed her playful demeanour to a more composed one.

“Please, pardon me. You all must be exhausted from all that riding. Introductions can wait. Claire will show you to your rooms. Don't worry about your Pegasuses, they will be seen to. Just wash up and rest. Dinner is by seven. ”

“This way, please. ” Claire said waving them towards the door. She glanced back at Layla who shot her a quick thankful smile.

Layla slumped onto the nearest couch as soon as they were gone. This was more exhausting than she had thought it would be. Thank goodness for Claire's and Henry's help.

Goodness, Evol should have been here to show the guests to their room but she was running late at the worse time possible.

Her thoughts were caught up by the abrupt sound of the door being thrown open. She almost jumped out of her skin before realizing it was just her dishevelled daughter.

“Mother, ” Evol panted out of breath, looking sheepish . “ Did I miss them? ”

A/N: This is the longest chapter in the book apart from the smutty chapter!