Chapter 1

Opening my eyes, I found myself in a snowy wonderland and their were many people gathered around. The ground was covered in snow all around and icicles dangled from the trees. As I looked at all the people, they had blue and white hair, pale skin, and as I looked harder, they seemed to be fairies. One in particular, a man who actually had no wings approached me slowly in the center of the giant tree stump I was standing on. "Hello child. Welcome to Winter Village. I am Father Winter and what might your name be my dear?"

At first I wasn't sure, but it came to me quickly enough that I was surprised since I had never heard it before, just coming conscious of my life and self a few moments ago. "Aspen White," I exclaimed, bowing to the man with no wings.

"Now, Aspen White, you are a snow fairy and all snow fairies have their own jobs set from birth. Snowflake Maker, Ice Sculpter, Hybernation Gatherer, etc. Now, before we find out your job my dear, let's take a look at your wings."

I turned around so my back was facing him and I cranked my neck to look behind me to see my wings. He touched my wings and I could suddenly feel them on my body. He lifted them up, but as he did, there was gasps from the fairy audience.

"My Goodness... We have our Equinox Princess..." Father Winter said quietly to where only I could hear. The crowd whispered and murmured to one another. I looked at my wings and they were a sparkly ice blue and big and no silhouette defined the edges of the wings. But I realized mine were different than the ones of the snow fairies around me. Theirs were white and had a translucent look with smaller oval outlines. Every fairies' wings looked like that except mine.

"My fellow fairies, this is Aspen White; Our Equinox Princess for Fall and Winter!" Father Winter exclaimed as the crowd began to cheer. They continued to cheer as Father Winter turned to me and exclaimed, "Come with me my dear. I have someone I need you to meet."

He took me by my arm and lead me from the stump and off down the street. We past by stores and homes and I could see ice towers over the tops of the buildings. As we got closer, it became clear that it was a castle. The people from the stump had followed us, cheering still as we came to the front gate of the castle, Father Winter hollered to the guards in the towers above to open the gate. They opened it slowly as a few more guards approached the gate to prevent the villagers from entering the castle courtyard. There was a stout women with white hair up in a bun approaching us from the doors straight across the the courtyard from us.

"Ah, you must be Princess Aspen. I am Professor Crystal Ice," She exclaimed, giving a curtsy to me.

"Professor Ice here will be the one to train you in the ways of being a Equinox Fairy and knowing everything in our winter world as well as teaching you on being a princess as well."

I curtsied back and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you Professor."

"Oh, Princess you don't need to curtsy. The only people you curtsy to is other royalty. Now, come along dear." She took me by the arm and we walked to the doors to the left of us as Father Winter went to the doors in front of us. "So the doors Father Winter is going to is the Winter Wing where he lives and many of our events happen. The ones to the right of those is the Solstice Wing where we house guests and some royal servants stay. And the one in front of us is the Equinox Wing where you will live and many of our regular royalty stays."

Each of the wings were another wall to square off the courtyard with ice. The whole castle seemed to be made of ice almost. There were a few pine trees in the courtyard and benches along the walls, but it was actually very empty in the middle. We reached the Equinox Wing and the guards standing in front of each door opened them up and let us in. The entrance grandiose with large stairs on both sides of the room that led to the same platform that led to another pair of stairs that went up further.

Prof. Ice led me to the left where there was an archway just before the stairs and there was one before the other stairs as well and one under the platform above as well. "Where do those halls go?" I asked.

"The hallways across from us is for servant quarters which you won't be seeing, but the hall under the stairs is the main hallway and we will get back to that, but this," She exclaimed as we entered the room, "is the library."

All the walls were lined with books from floor to ceiling and there was chairs and a sofa in the center of the room for sitting. She had us walk through slowly and between the book shelves were reading coves where the windows and a seat were and I could see the Main Square. There was a big chandelier hanging in the middle of the room that was beautiful and carved from ice as well.

She led me into the next room which had sofas lining the walls now instead of books and had a stage in the corner with a grand piano, a harp, and an xylophone set up on it. "This is the Lounge Room where you can entertain guests with hors d'oeuvres and cocktails."

We walked through quickly and across the hall to the ballroom which had columns down the sides and a platform on one wall and a pair of doors in the back. "Is that a backdoor?" I asked.

"Yes. There is a deck and a garden and a view of Ice Lake. But we don't have time to go see that. We must continue on your tour before the presentation of the Equinox."

"What do you mean 'Presentation of the Equinox'?" I asked as we went back down the hall.

"It is where we celebrate the bringing of fall and winter and this year, we will also present you to all of Pixie Hollow. Then we host the Winter Equinox Ball here in the evening," She exclaimed as she opened a pair of doors with guards in front of it. "And this is your office where you can conduct business."

It was a more elongated room with a desk and two chairs sitting in front of it at the end and more big bookcases. We exited and went across to another pair of doors. "This is your hobby room where you will learn the arts and music to be a proper princess."

We went down the hall again to another room and it had a pool table in it and a few bar stool tables. We crossed the hall again to another room guards by guards. "And this is your conference hall where you can have big discussions with groups of people."

It was a long table with maybe 40 chairs on either side and a head chair at the very end. We continued on to another room which was the second to last door of the hallway and Professor Ice opened it up to something wonderful. A great big pool and a jacuzzi in the corner. "My own pool room?" I exclaimed.

Professor Ice nodded and then she closed the doors in front of me. "We must go through here quickly Princess Aspen. This last room I think you will like quite a bit."

The two guards guarding the last pair of doors opened them up for us and revealed a green room. It gave off a warm blast of humidity and smelled wonderful. "Your own greenhouse that only a few fairies can enjoy. You are one of them. But you will have to indulge later." The doors closed again and Professor Ice turned me around to see two girls with white and light blue short hair and they almost looked the same except for their hair. "These two are your maids in waiting, Bright," the white haired one bowed. "And Light," and the blue haired one bowed.

"A pleasure to serve you Princess Aspen!"

Light and Bright took me up to the 2nd floor and Professor Ice left. They led me down the hall. "This whole floor is bedrooms. For guests and your royal suite, Madam. Here is our room, "Bright exclaimed gesturing to the right. "And we are right next to your room for convenience. And this is your room."

The two of them walked in front and the guards in front of the door opened the double doors for them as we entered the room. There was a high ceiling and a big bed with a frame that stood about 5 feet taller than me with draping. There was a giant vanity and dresser. Also a sitting area next to the door and a beautiful painting on the wall of a crystallized fountain. There was two other doors in the room. "Those are your bathroom and closet. So if you will follow us, we must get you ready."

"What do you mean?"

"For the Presentation of The Equinox and you, Madam. You must look radiant, not to say that you don't. But this outfit just won't do," Light exclaimed.

I looked down and realized I had just been wearing a white long sleeve maxi dress and ballet slippers. "I guess you're right..." I exclaimed.

"And we have the perfect look for you. Here it is!" Light said, bringing out another dress. This one was a sparkly pale blue, almost matching my wings and was a sleeveless one that would surely trail with the tail it had and had a slit on the right that went up a fair way.
"Let's try it on you," Bright exclaimed, having Light and her assist me out of my dress and into my new one. It fit comfortably and the slit went up to my upper thigh. The sweetheart shape of the top of the dress formed a crease between my breasts and the tail went behind me about 3 feet.

"You are gorgeous," Bright said.

"Now, for your hair and makeup," Light said.