Sleep Away Freya
Chapter 1 Inviting Beauties
Long ago during the ages of castles and knights, there was a small traveler's kingdom called Amayeta. Amayeta is located between the two rural kingdoms called Cantara and Torrell. Cantara and Torrell are two large kingdoms which is known for its resources in their mining. They stock and trade precious metals and jewels all over the world. The roads and pathways are long and hard between the two kingdoms so Amayeta lives off of the travelers, nobles, and rich men that past by. The royal families of the three kingdoms are the best of friends, now. The streets of Amayeta are filled with market places, inns, and places to rest. The villages of Amayeta are friendly to each other and their kingdom. There is hardly any poverty and there's always enough to go around.
King Ronald Francis Balthasar III and Queen Sadia Amira Balthasar love their small kingdom. But their love for Amayeta wasn't enough for them. Several times the royal couple has tried to have a baby. The king and queen of Cantara, King Richmond Charleston I and Queen Belle Calla Charleston, had given birth to their second child, a cute baby boy named Channer. This made Queen Sadia want a baby even more but, alas, her child would always die before the birth. A year later King Elroy Kingsley XI and Queen Amalia Basil Kingsley of Torrell had their first child, another baby boy, Leonard. King Ronald could see his wife getting more and more depressed. So he prayed to the heavens one more time and went to a local priest to perform a holy ritual on Queen Sadia. Nine months after Leonard was born in autumn, during the winter, Queen Sadia had her first baby girl named Freya for her magical beauty. It was then time for the world to know about their precious daughter.
At the Amayeta castle there is a ball celebrating the miracle of the royal family's first daughter. Many nobles and kings from across the country are there to see an opportunity to make friends with King Ronald. Many nobles and kings brought their own children and babies to create bonds with King Ronald and other kingdoms. But the most important people there are the families of Cantara and Torrell. They have the first decision of allowing their child to marry Freya.
The royal throne room's stone walls are decorated in beautiful colors and fabric. Everyone is dressed from outrageous to simple ball gowns and children running around. The sounds of babies and children playing fills the room. Fairies, dressed in their finest, follow their maiden master's daughters around, talk with their master, and some fairies play with theirs. From the great doorway and to the steps of thrones there is a long strip of carpet meant for a pathway. At the end there is a golden baby carriage meant for baby Freya.
The horns play and a short man with a stubby nose shout at people to clear the pathway. People rustle around to get a good spot.
"Clear the way! Clear the way! Ye's king and queen are arriving!" the short man yells. Horns play again. "Ladies and Gentlemen. I would like to introd'ce ye to the new ladies-in-waiting!"
At the balcony to te left the curtains part and reveal four lovely fairies in varying age groups. They wear sparkling hair pieces and dazzling gowns.
"The first maiden is Lady Winter!" the short man shouts and then his eyes go wide as he takes a look upon Winter.
Winter is the oldest and has chosen to stay in her late twenties. She has shiny black hair, with bluish white eyes, and snowy light skin. She bears a beauty no other human can have. Winter has a fair hourglass shaped body and nice facial features. She wears a gown of a soft flowing white in three layers, the sleeves are a foggy fabric where you can almost see her skin. In fairy culture there is no shun of showing skin. Winter's hair is tied up like a braided reef with thin purple ribbons at the sides and small purple daisies. Winter floats down like a snowflake from the stone balcony, lands on the carpet pathway, and walks to the baby carriage to take her place next to it.
"Next is- the b-bea...utiful Lady Spring." the short man falters at the end. Everyone can see why.
Spring is the second oldest and has chosen to stay in her early twenties, nineteen or twenty. She has moisturized light brown hair that waves in big curls at the end, big sparkling brown eyes, tan skin, and incredible facial features. Spring's gown is a soft lighter green and flows into darker greens to the hem of the dress and covers her feet. She had decided to go with fairy culture and wear a gown where parts of her skin show. The sleeves are short and lightly ruffled and the dress has a u-shaped neckline. Embarrassingly Spring is known for her big breasts. It also hugs her slimming hourglass body nicely. Spring bears a side low ponytail with a white daffodil at the tie. As Spring floats down like a petal in the wind. all men's eyes are turned at her with mouths open. Women turn their men away in anger and look at Spring with jealousy. As Spring lands she stumbles a bit and the short stocky man swiftly goes to aide her.
"Thank you sir." Spring says, her voice like an angle's song.
The man stumbles, himself, when he sees the beauty of those eyes staring back at him. Spring takes her spot next to Winter on the right side of the carriage.
"I believe there are many wandering eyes in this room this night Spring." Winter whispers at Spring. Spring giggles under her breath.
The short man clears his throat and reports back to his duties.
"Introducing Lady Summer." he chokes and turns away at Summer before he has a heart attack.
Summer is the third youngest and stays in her middle teen ages, sixteen and seventeen. She has long curly red hair, forest green eyes, and lightly tanned fair skin. Summer has luscious pink lips and a slimming yet big bottom. She is wearing a sleeveless light yellow dress with rhinestones the shape of an eight pointed star at her breast with a yellow shawl. Summer isn't as gorgeous as Spring but she's up there. She has red ribbon hair curled down and has a white rose flower cap with a white veil up to her shoulders. Summer flies down as gracefully as a swan and slowly walks with a smile on her face to the left side of the carriage.
"You were right Winter. Too many wandering eyes." Spring laughs.
The short man rubs his eyes and prepares himself for the next lady.
"And finally young Lady Autumn." this time the man turns away from the face of Autumn before he sins.
Autumn is at the age of twelve and is the youngest. She has blond hair that cuts a few inches under the shoulder and bangs just above the eyebrows. Autumn has the bluest eyes you'll ever see like two pools of pure water but as you look more into them it's like traveling through the cool crystal oceans. Autumn wears a brown dress that looks almost like a maid outfit with white lining. At the waist is a white tie and at the breast a white brown ribbon. In her hair is a beaded headband in vintage patterns and two blue flower ribbons.
Autumn has a fake subtle smile on her face although in her head she is saying, "I wish we didn't have to do this. People are looking at me with questionable eyes and the short man down there is undoable ugly. You can tell his eyes are wandering at Spring."
Autumn tries to float down as gracefully as Summer did but can't. As she lands she has to bend to catch her balance and spins around once. Her hair flips as she turns with a welcoming smile on her face. One leg balancingas she spins her hands clutching and lifting her dress a little in gain her balance in the best way possible. Boys her age turn and see the movements she doing with eyes wide. Autumn stops her self with hands behind her back and does a little giggle to remove attention from her failed landing. Boys sigh at her giggle and instantly fall in love. Autumn walks over to stand next to Summer.
"Graceful as a swan." Summer whispers.
"Hush." Autumn glares back.
The short man clears his throat once again, "Ladies and Gentlemen make way for your King and Queen and your new princess, Freya!"
King Ronald And Queen Sadia walk down the path linked arm to arm. Queen Sadia holds the bundled Freya with one arm. Freya is wrapped in a silky pink blanket and is soundly asleep. Queen Sadia exchanges smiles with everyone as she arrives at the baby carriage. She sets Freya inside and clutches the king's hand. Freya wakes up with a slight smile on her face. Her eyes are a bluish green, big, and has long lashes. Freya shows little stables of blond hair. Autumn looks at her with excitement and squeezes Summer's arm. Summer gently touches Freya's cheek and Winter and Spring clutch each other. The king turns around and face the guests.
"People of Hera! Your new princess Freya Saida Balthasar!" The king shouts with his arms in his hair. His voices echoes through the room as everyone claps and cheers with him. "May the new princes see her." His hand greets the royal couples of Cantara and Torrell.
Queen Belle and Queen Amalia walk with their children to the carriage. Queen Belle's son, Channer wants to see Freya first. Channer supports himself at the edge of the carriage balancing on the tips of his toes and stares at the baby girl with wonder. Queen Amalia lowers herself little to let her son, Leonard, see her as he's bundled in his blanket.
"You see her Channer? There's your new wife." Queen Belle whispers at her son. She picks him up and joins her husband in the crowd.
Queen Amalia and Leonard walk into the crowd too. The king makes a gesture to the fairies to let them do the offering of gifts now. Winter steps up to the carriage first. She smiles at Freya.
"Remember one gift and one gift only from each of us. That's all we can do. Dear Freya. I give you the gift of song. Your voice shall be the voices of angels in unison." Winter strokes Freya's head and then gently places her finger in the center of Freya's forehead. A surge of a white light leaves Winter's hand, passes through her finger, rests in Freya's forehead, and fades away. People awe at the magic. Summer wants to go next so she does.
"Hello there Freya. I will give you the gift of confidence and bravery. You will have more courage than any other man but know when it is time to be brave and when it is time to be smart." Summer presses her finger on Freya's head and a yellow light passes through and fades in Freya. Autumn rushes beside Spring and Spring let's her go next.
"Hello new friend. I want to give you the gift of intelligence. You will learn faster than others and be very talented in other things." Autumn's orange light fades within Freya.
Spring slowly makes her way to the side of the carriage as she carefully chooses her gift and then suddenly there is a huge blast of smoke and sounds of thunder in the room at the doorway. People are panicking and crouching in the big smoke cloud. Everyone runs to the thrones away from the smoke. Mothers and children stay in the back as men stay in front of them behind the baby carriage the baby carriage. King Ronald stands in front of his wife and the baby carriage to protects them. Queen Sadia grasps the king's arm and quickly cradles her child. Autumn runs to Summer and Summer picks her up and covers her face in her shoulder. Winter holds her stance and her hands turn into fists.
"Maryweather." Winter mumbles to the others.
Spring and Summer's faces turn into fear and they stand just behind Winter but in front of the king and queen. The smoke clears away and Summer, Spring, and Winter stand ready. Autumn is set down next to Spring and she hides behind her dress. The smoke reveals an old ugly woman with silver and white streaks in her long hair. The old woman has a big nose and wrinkles around her creepy smile. Her eyes small and purple and she's dressed in black velvet robes. The old woman carries a tall wooden cane with the shape of a dragon as a head and with a black purple crystal ball. The old woman stands tall and looks straight at Winter. She begins to slowly walk closer. Autumn begins to shake.
"A party and no one invited me?" the old lady speaks. Her voice is crisp and strict sounding. "Aww and you invited all my friends but me. How could you Sadia? After all we have been through."
"You're not welcome anymore Maryweather. You're just a bitter old witch." Sadia says boldly but her voice shakes a little.
"Oh that hurts. If only I had a heart." Maryweather says sarcastically. The sound of her cane echoes.
"What do you want Maryweather?" Winter questions her with strength in her voice.
Maryweather stops walking in the center of the carpet pathway. "Can't I come to support my master's child?" Maryweather then notices something. "Oh I see. They are now the new ladies-in-waiting to this little mortal. Oh I also see you're using your magic really well, sisters. Spring don't you look wonderful. Don't worry those whore houses will love you best."
Spring takes it like a slap in the face. "At least we can choose any age we want! At least we didn't turn into ugly witches who age!"
"How dare you Spring. After everything I've done for you. After everything I've done for all of you. Including you Sadia." Maryweather says in a calm voice. She sees Autumn. "Dear Autumn you've grown. Maybe you can join me someday."
"What do you want witch?" Winter shouts at the witch.
Maryweather turns her gaze away from Autumn and stares at Winter. "Oh you know the usual. As you can see I need another child to fulfill my youth. It seems I'm in the mood for...blue blood." She smiles at Sadia. Sadia squeezes the king's hand.
"If it is revenge you want you will never touch her!" Summer yells.
"Don't worry dear. The babe's not ripe enough yet. I came to give my gift." Maryweather slams her cane onto the ground The sound of thunder rings through people's ears and smoke comes from the dragon cane's mouth. "I give you a prediction- no a prophecy! -Given by my crystal." The smoke turns into a movie screen with an image of a woman with gold blond hair, lips as red as roses, and eyes with an unknown color. "When little Freya turns a ripe seventeen. She will prick her finger on my poisoned needle." the image shows the woman pricking her finger. "The venom, in the needle, will flow into her blue blood and will cause her to have no control of her body." the image shows the blond haired woman fall to the ground. "Then the venom will suck the youth of her and transfer it to me. Your precious Freya will then die and I will be beautiful again." the image then shows a grave with Freya's name on it. Maryweather laughs an evil laugh.
"No." Autumn mumbles to herself. "No...No." she says with the sounds of the crowd. "Noo! You cannot do this Maryweather!" Autumn shouts. Autumn steps away from Spring and points her finger at Maryweather. "You were once so kind. Nan`akunay!" A surge of wind tries to attack Maryweather.
Maryweather takes her robe and circles it to absorb the power. Then she reflects it back. It comes after Autumn and Autumn stares death in the face. Winter grabs Autumn and pushes both of them out of the way. They tumble in circles into the middle of the crowd and Winter hits her head on the floor. The surge power hits the stone wall and it leaves a huge hole. The crowd of people spread away from Autumn and Winter, unconscious. As Autumn gets up Maryweather speaks to her
"Fool! That will teach you to disrespect your elders!" Maryweather laughs at Autumn's angry face.
Autumn tries to wake Winter and check if she is dead or not. Without looking she says, "You are the fool Maryweather…what would he say now?"
Maryweather says nothing at this but closes her eyes calmly. With that thunder roars and Maryweather vanishes with the smoke behind her. Spring goes to Autumn and Winter to wake her up. Queen Sadia falls to her knees in fear she would faint. The king faces the guests, still in shock.
"My baby!" Sadia yells. Her face in Freya's blanket.
"Mistress do not worry. Maryweather will not harm a hair on that precious child. Spring has not yet given her gift." Winter gets up from her sleep. "Go on Spring."
"Can it get rid of the spell?" Sadia clasps her hands together and stares at Spring with hopeful eyes.
"I'm sorry mistress but Maryweather is too strong. But there is hope for I can give a special gift to make the spell better." Spring clasps her hands with the queen's.
Everyone clears a nice big circle in the middle of the room to give Spring room. Spring circles her wrist and snaps her hands to reveal a wand. The wand looks like a silver sword with a cone shaped handle, a light pink ribbon tied around a green crystal ball on top, and two jingle bells. Spring shakes the wand a little as if tapping someone with it on the shoulder. She circles it around her head to create a cloud of what seems like dust but it sparkles with many different shades of green. The dust cloud expands like an explosion and turns the room dark with a beam of light shining on Spring. The dust cloud circles over everyone's head like a spiral galaxy; its arms curve in delicacy. The sound of bells ring from her wand jingle with the delicacy. The room fills with sounds of awe and whispers of wonder in the silence.
Spring begins to speak, "My darling Freya, I wish I could do more but I'll try to do everything in my power to help you." She points her wand at the dust cloud above and then she gestures her wand to create shapes in the air and the shapes are dragged to the ground to form cloudy images. One image is of a woman with hair as blond as gold, lips as red as a rose, and eyes as mysterious and beautiful as the universe above. The woman image stands frozen as if it's a picture on a wall. The second image is of a jack spinner. The images begin to act a play as Spring guides them to their parts, "If Freya may prick her finger on a venom needle the venom will not work as quickly as Maryweather plans on. When a person pricks their finger the venom will travel slowly thought the body and keep the body in a mental sleep." The images play a similar scene from before; the woman pricking her finger and then falling down. Then image shows the woman on a bed. "The spell will be broken when Maryweather pricks her own finger and reverses the magic on Freya. Then a blue blood prince must transfer Freya's youth back to her." The image shows Maryweather pricking her own finger and then an explosion of bright light covers the room and the room is back to normal again. Spring sighs a relief sigh though it kills her inside that she can't do more but she's already used so much of her power. Summer aides to her side and she supports Spring's limping body.
"Is that all you can do?" Sadia snuggles her baby and caresses Freya's smooth cheek. Freya snuggle towards her mother as she sleeps soundly.
"I'm sorry mistress. She's just too powerful. As I was casting that spell I can feel the restraints of Maryweather. I wish I could do more." Spring is so tired and worn out she can't put away her wand. She allows Summer to guide her to the steps of the thrones and Spring leans on Summer as they sit.
"Do not fret Spring. I know how much you've done and I thank you for it." Sadia says without taking her eyes off of Freya.
The king wants this night to be special after all that has happened. He looks around the room of staring eyes. "Please come with us back to the party in the ballroom." The gestures to the doorway. Everyone starts moving to the ballroom in quick movements. The king aides his wife and tells her to take the baby back to the party. The queen trusts her husband and goes back to the party Before he goes he pleads to Spring to create a plan to stop the prophecy.
"Of course my grace." She bows to him and looks at Autumn. At this the king takes his leave with his baby.
"Oh what are we to do? What are we to do?" Summer paces back and forth sucking her nails, "Maryweather's sure to get her. That poor babe. Our poor babe!"
"We just need to put our heads together and think. What can we…ummm?" Winter comforts Summer. "We could!-uh…no that won't work." Winter taps her porcelain skin.
Spring jumps out of the king's throne. "We need a quiet place to think! That's what we need!" Spring uses her magic to become small. "Follow me." She gestures.
Winter and Summer turn into their small fairy form and follow Spring. Autumn tries to turn small but her dress gets caught on the throne. She pulls and pulls but it won't come off. Autumn uses her magic to cut the dress off but she accidentally cuts the arm of the throne too. Autumn realizes this and flees the scene following Winter. Spring leads them into a guest room with a wooden jewelry box with a lock and key. Spring opens the glass door, meant to hang necklaces inside, and holds the door for her sisters. Summer zooms in first and looks at the mirror inside the little compartment for necklaces. Winter and Autumn drag behind and sit down on a pendant left open on the floor of the compartment. Spring scans around the room for spies. She closes the door and uses her magic to lock the door and make the key disappear. Then magically blinds scroll down to hide the inside of the glass door. Spring relaxes on a necklace missing a jewel.
"I have an idea!" Summer turns from the mirror to face her sisters. "We could turn her into a tree! That way she can't prick her finger!"
"Yes that's true but will the tree survive through frost?" Spring suggests.
Summer sits in the hole of a blue sapphire ring and sighs. Winter paces the floor in deep thought.
"We need a plan that even Maryweather wouldn't think of. She knows we would do anything to hide the princess." Winter says. "But you know those skeletons of hers aren't to smart without their brain anymore. But we still need something!" Winter hits her fist to the palm of her other hand.
"Maryweather doesn't understand the abilities of love and care anymore. I miss the old Maryweather." Autumn whines to them.
"She used to be so kind. Taking care of us for all of those years. The perfect older sister." Summer reminisces.
"She would also take charge of everything. But all know she was closer to you Winter." Spring traces pictures on the cold surface of the ring.
"I know I know. But that was then and this is now-" Winter is interrupted by Autumn.
"That's it! A place where she wouldn't look! Where no one would know she's a princess!" Autumn shouts.
"Where? Where do you speak of?" Spring leans forward as if she can't hear Autumn's voice.
"In the forest! The forest next to the village, Thalia!" Autumn almost yells.
"Do you mean leaving her with mortals? Humans? Until her seventeenth birthday passes?" Summer asks with eagerness.
"Yes! Thalia is also near the castle she could disguise her herself as a family merchant and then go to the castle whenever she is needed. No one knows what she looks like up close right? Everyone only saw her wrapped in a blanket! Only the kings and queens of Cantara and Torell!" Autumn gets excited and starts to plan in her head.
"But so do the princes. What about them?" Summer asks.
"Then they know. We can set up something later." Autumn answers with excitement.
"But who are we gonna trust to leave Freya with?" Winter taps her head.
"Turn around." Autumn makes a spin gesture. They listen and face the mirror. With a spin of her hand Autumn uses magic to change the clothes of her sisters and hers into normal human clothes. "You see."
They admire their new clothing and hug each other. Plans and more plans come to their heads. They rush out of the jewelry box to join the party and they explain the plan to the king the next day. After careful planning to cover all the holes, arguments, doubts, and the secret messaging plans the king and queen reluctantly agree. The king sneaks the four fairies up to Freya's nursery, to avoid the servants and keep things a secret, to pack some things for the road. They would stay in the Thalia inn for a few nights until -for probably the last time- use magic to build a house but little by little to decrease suspicion. Quickly they go to their own rooms to pack what they need for at least one week.
Down in the royal master bedroom Sadia is cradling Freya as tightly as she can without suffocating her trying to relish the little time she has with her precious daughter. After trying so hard and trying so many times to have this feeling of a mother Freya is being taken away. Freya will never have a real relationship with her mother or father. Unknowingly tears just start to flow in Sadia's glassy eyes and they rapidly flow down her cheeks and until a single tear falls onto Freya's forehead she never notices she is crying. Sadia touches her fingertips to her tears and tries to wipe them away so that the final image of her mother is a happy one. Freya is handed over to her father and Sadia walks to the vanity and fingers through her jewels. Sadia unexpectedly finds the ring Ryan had given her as a friendship promise and Maryweather had one too. It was a yellow rose ring represented in gold and iron. It had a small pearl in the center of the rose and the iron base was shaped to look like a flower stem with patterned leaves. She reminisces the day like it was only yesterday.
"It's from the Swedish ocean." said RayRay as we admired the craftsmanship, "It's a yellow rose, meaning eternal friendship." He raised his to the sun and continued, "This is a promise okay girls? A promise that our friendship never ends and that we never lose ourselves to age!"
"I drink to that!" Sadia joked.
Back to reality Sadia continues her search through her jewelry. She stumbles upon many memories along the way but she finally finds it. The Amira Family heirloom that is given to their daughters on their eighteen birthday. It's a necklace with their family crest of the yellow gladiolus flower; the yellow gladiolus flower represents the strength of women and their growth in life. Sadia wraps the necklace in a white silk hankie and ties it with a purple hair ribbon. She hears Ronald whispering a conversation with Freya getting ready to let go of her.
Late in the hours when the moon is high in the starry sky, as everyone in the castle has fallen asleep, the king, queen, and the four fairies find themselves walking through the secret passage of the castle. Sadia holds Freya against her chest and her head tells her to walk slower but she knows she can't. Ronald comforts his wife arm in arm stroking his only child. Even Ronald's eyes begin to turn glassy but he must be strong for his family. Freya starts to get fussy and moves around in her gold threaded blanket. The four girls are holding one bag each except for Summer who has Freya's bag. Clutching her daughter for one of the last times Sadia let's her tears fall with every step she takes. With every step and every breath she breathes in kills her inside and her chest swells with pain. Her veins flow pain into her arms and stomach. Finally at the end of the long deep tunnel there's a wooden door with a lock and key on the door knob. Sadia kisses her baby goodbye and struggles deeply to give her to her own father. Ronald can feel the strain Sadia gives when she relishes even the smooth threads of the blanket. Ronald feels guilty of even holding his own daughter because he's taking her away from his wife. He kisses her feeling miserable even though deep inside he'll be able to see his daughter but he won't be able to sincerely connect with her. Reluctantly he gives his only child, his only daughter to Winter and hides the baby in her basket and covers Freya's face with a thin blanket and leaves as many air holes as she can leave. With a few more hugs to go around and more tears to fill up an entire lake, they attempt to take their leave but Sadia stops Spring short.
"Please take this." Sadia hands over the fabric bag to Spring, "A true memory to remember me by. Please give it to her when she's ready." Sadia encloses Spring's hand over it and places her hand on top.
Spring stares back into Sadia's eyes with a sincere look in her own. "I promise." Spring takes the bag and slowly slips her hand away.
Autumn unlocks the door and looks around for anyone. She says the "okay" and the four girls step out of the doorway. They walk out to find that the door is disguised as a boulder. With the trembling goodbyes and the painful separations the four fairies take baby Freya into the night to the inn safe for now.
With that the royal couple turn back to the other end of the tunnel. Sadia and Ronald look back at the door one more time and start the long walk home. The reality of the situation finally hits Sadia like a steel sword striking through her heart. Walking in with their baby and walking out empty handed is the worst feeling the royal couple ever endured. Ronald only had half a mind to keep his daughter with him but inside he knew it was best to be elsewhere. A bittersweet moment.
A bitter.
Sweet.
Moment.