A/N: This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D
Elfland.
"I see the feast – the purple and the gold;"
– Lewis Carroll.
7. The Feast.
The huge trees had grown, one beside the other, and their trunks formed a large, rectangular hall. The roof of the hall was shaped by the giant branches and the green leaves, which protected the interior from any outside element. This place often served the elves as a consultation room during their meetings about any serious state matter requiring the presence of the majority populace of the town. It was also the main hall for their various elven festivities. In there, several adjacent tables had been prepared for the dinner in honour of the Queen.
A long line of elven lords and ladies entered one after the other in this wide, common hall of the town, all of them moving to occupy their own positions around the long dining table for the dinner. A higher seat than the others, formed by thick, twisted tree roots, green branches, blossoms and leaves, served as a throne to the Queen. The little green Dragon dozed away the afternoon, curled on a lower seat by the Queen's side. Around him a woven veil of magic hid his being, so that his presence was only visible to the boy Garland and Corolla the fairy, who sat proudly beside him.
'Hello cousin!' Corolla greeted the butterfly who, lending her own colorful wings to decorate the table, was there along with her sisters. The butterfly – concentrated on her serious task – gave an official nod at her, smiling faintly; her red and yellow wings ostentatiously stretched on the tablecloth, making a distinct contrast with the green and brown attires of the elves.
The boy – very careful not to be pierced by the sharp spikes – dropped his hand and rubbed above the Green's eyeridges; the little Dragon gave forth a soft crooning sound. At that moment the Queen clapped her hands and a group of elves raised their golden flutes to their lips, producing the most melodic sound the boy had ever heard. Slender elf-women filled the tables with loaves of freshly baked bread, steamy pies, juicy fruits and all kinds of sweets, while a long string of fireflies lit up the room, dancing to the music over their heads.
Garland forgot about the little Dragon and devoted himself to his filled plate. He wolfed a piece of cranberry pie letting the syrup drip from the edges of his lips and fingers. Without being able to restrict herself, Corolla danced in front of the Queen, altering between tapping her feet on the table in time to the music, fluttering around her head cheerfully, and whistling the tune to the rhythm of the flute. An elf-woman joined her melodious voice to the sound of music and sang an old song about the blooming of the flowers, the fruiting of the trees, the lakes and rivers as well as all the small and large animals, living in the vast forest.
Suddenly, the song ended and the tempo of music accelerated. Corolla whirled on the table around the half-empty platters of the fruits in heartbreaking speed. All the elven lords participated keeping the fast pace of the rhythm by clapping their hands and stamping their feet, as the tempo raced ever faster. Even the boy abandoned his plate with the half-eaten pie and started almost dancing in his seat, while the Queen smiled by his side.
A young male elf filled all the glasses with Faelnirv, and once the music ended, everyone drank to the new Queen's health. Corolla, panting from her fast dancing, grabbed her cup – constructed especially for her from the cupule of an acorn – and drank greedily her drink. The effect of Faelnirv quickly produced its results on the little fairy; Corolla continuously danced laughingly and joyously on the table with almost all the butterflies.
Finally, when she fell down dazed, the Queen took her in her palm laughingly and allowed her to sit on her royal shoulder, while she herself stood to enjoy dancing with each one of the elven lords who had asked her; and of course, the first one of them was sir Garland. The boy jumped and danced cheerfully, holding both the Queen's hands, while his brown curls were scattering petals and flowers all around the floor.
'Oh my, this drink is so strong, as strong as ten moonbeams spun all together!' the fairy chattered in the Queen's ear when she sat down at the table again. 'I think I can see right in front of me a strange, green creature.'
A/N: I believe that Fírnen 's presence has changed Arya's mental and emotional life for the better. I want to imagine her as happy as she has been in that feast.
A/N: A great thanks to Restrained Freedom for his constant help and support.
Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.
