Chapter 7: Uncharted Territory
Early the next morning, Steven and Stevonnie stopped by Lapis's house to check in on her.
"Lapis." Steven called, stepping inside; Stevonnie following behind. "Are you awake?" He gasped when he saw that the young fairy's bed was empty.
"Lapis is gone!" Steven and Stevonnie cried in perfect unison as they flew towards Peridot, Amethyst, Garnet, and Pearl.
"What do you mean 'she's gone?'" asked Amethyst, raising an eyebrow.
"Steven and I stopped Lapis's house so that we could talk to her about yesterday." Stevonnie explained, quickly. "When we went inside, Lapis wasn't home. Her bed was completely empty."
After checking to make sure that nobody was following or spying on her, Lapis flew into the Enchanted Forest without haste. Upon arriving, she looked around the woods for Prince Jamie; but feared that she was too late to see him. Just as the young fairy decided to turn back, she suddenly heard something that restored her faith.
"It's you." Jamie's voice said. Lapis turned behind her and there he was. The charming prince was standing with his horse as if he had been waiting for her.
"You came back." Lapis beamed as she flew up to the prince.
"Of course I came back." Jamie told the fairy as he pulled her into a hug. "I couldn't bear the fact of going on with my life without having to see you again."
"I feel the same way about you." she replied, blushing.
Almost immediately, Lapis's friends arrived in the Enchanted Forest and gasped when they saw her and the prince hugging each other. But unknown to all of them, Aquamarine, Skinny, and Carnelian were staking out the the prince and the seven fairies.
Jamie and Lapis sat down on a nearby log and tried to get to know each other better.
"What are they doing over there?" Peridot whispered almost a little too loudly. She was hushed by her other friends as they honed in on the conversation.
"What is your world like beyond these woods?" the prince asked out of curiosity.
"It's a breathtaking natural paradise." Lapis described. "With the most pristine waters, greenest grass, and absolutely colorful flowers. There are hundreds of fairies there that call the land home."
Jamie was in awe by the description of the fairy's home and then Lapis asked, "What about your kingdom? What is Delmarva like?"
"Delmarva is a beautiful, but modest kingdom with amicable townsfolk, a cordial royal staff, and a glorious castle that looks out over the ocean." the young prince depicted.
"It sounds incredible, but why do you come into the Enchanted Forest so often?" the blue fairy questioned. "Something tells me that it's not just in hopes of meeting a fairy."
"I adore my kingdom very much, but when you are the crowned prince; the responsibilities that come with it are almost insufferable." Jamie admitted. "The Enchanted Forest is my escape from my royal duties."
"Maybe if you had someone who cares about you by your side, it would distract you from your stress." Lapis thought aloud.
"That sounds like a brilliant idea." the prince said, excitedly. "In fact,...would you like to come to my kingdom with me? It will help you get to know the human world better."
"What?" Lapis's friends chorused, aghast by the prince's request. Even Jasper's fairy spies were taken aback by it.
Lapis was only a little surprised, but she still didn't know what to say. She looked into the prince's eyes as he took her hands and said, "Well?"
The young fairy looked back at the barrier, then to Jamie again and finally answered, "Yes, I would love to come with you." Much to her friends' dismay. "But first, I should make myself look more human; so as not to draw any negative attention."
Concentrating hard, Lapis made her gem glow and a cloud of blue fairy dust began to surround her. When the fairy dust cleared, everyone (spying or not) was surprised to see the young fairy's outfit was replaced by a royal blue silk dress with matching slippers and a midnight blue hooded cloak draped over her shoulders. She used her magic to keep her wings hidden from sight.
"Okay, I'm ready." Lapis announced as Prince Jamie took her by the hand and helped her up onto his steed. And with that, the two of them rode off out of the forest in the opposite direction of the fairy world.
"We're following them, right?" Amethyst said, rhetorically.
"Clearly." Garnet responded as the six fairies fluttered after the galloping horse.
"Are we really going to follow them?" Carnelian asked, rubbing her arm worriedly.
"Of course we are, you fool." Aquamarine told her, rudely. "Jasper's orders." All at once, Jasper's minion fairies fluttered off to follow Lapis.
Lapis saw the trees rush past her and the wind whip through her hair as she and Jamie rode through the woods. The disguised fairy had her arms wrapped around the prince's chest as she held on for dear life. The horse carried the two of them across a long stretch of field until they arrived at a bustling town.
"Here we are." Jamie announced to Lapis. "Welcome to the kingdom of Delmarva."
The fairy's eyes shined with bewilderment as Jamie's steed cantered through the town. There were cozy horses in most of the outskirts and stores that circled around the town square. Just to the west was a magnificent marble castle that gleamed in the sunshine.
"Well, Lapis?" the prince asked, turning his head to the fairy. "What do you think?"
"It's just glorious." Lapis proclaimed as Jamie directed his horse to the marble castle. For her, being in the human world among human beings was a dream come true.