Part 2
Sorry this one's so short
Sarah woke up but didn't open her eyes. She had just had the most fascinating dream. It was a
refreshing change from the Labyrinth. She smiled to herself. Imagine, thinking she was a fairy princess.
Gradually she became aware that she was laying on a cold hard floor and that someone was leaning over her,
fanning her face.
"Your Highness?" Myst asked with concern, "Your Highness?"
Sarah opened her eyes then and groaned. Myst was kneeling over her where she had fallen. In her
peripheral vision she could see Anna and Jeffery hovering with worried frowns. "I'm all right," she told
them, "This is just going to take some getting used to." She smiled and sat up.
"Yes it will. And we must begin your training immediately Your Highness," Myst stated, "If you
are to be ready in six months."
"Oh come on Myst," Jeffery cajoled, "Surely we can wait until she's had time to adjust."
Sarah shook her head. "No, Jeffery. Anna and Myst are right. We need to start right away."
Determination filled her as she stood up. This was just another challenge, and she could beat it too. She
looked at the approving expressions on all three of their faces. "Well, where do I start?"
Myst stood up as well, and presented a scroll that seemed to appear from nowhere. "First, you
must learn the history of your kingdom, as well as the surrounding kingdoms. You will also learn about the
present rulers of each. Then we will move on to your subjects, the fairies, and the other creatures who live
here."
Sarah nodded, trying to keep her groan to herself. She hated history.
Three hours later, Sarah had memorized each and every kingdom and its leader. They weren't hard
really. There was the King of the Fae, Jemin, and his Queen, Areka. Their kingdom bordered hers to the
south. The King of the Dwarves was Jiggle, he had no Queen, but he did have a son who's location was
unknown. He had disappeared over two thousand years ago. That kingdom lay to the east. To the north
was the kingdom of the elves. King Garrick and Queen Aryssa had ruled there for millennia. Their oldest
child, Garret, would be taking over in a year's time, so that the two could enjoy a peaceful retirement. His
twin sister Alyssa was the one who would inherit if Sarah did not take her rightful place in six months time.
Finally, there was the kingdom to the west. It was actually underground, and that's what most called it, The
Underground. It was the kingdom of the goblins, it's king, Jareth, refused to have anything to do with any
of the other kingdoms. Of course, Myst had told her, it wasn't always like that. Before she had been born,
King Jareth and Prince Robert were the best of friends, and he often visited the castle. Then one day, right
before Robert married, Jareth just stopped coming. Sarah was surprised to learn this, especially since her father was so...staid. He didn't seem like the type to be friends with the mischievous goblin king.
Then Myst had taught her about her own kingdom, the Land of the Fairies. Her subjects had different sizes as well as dispositions and intelligence. First there were the Flower Fairies, the smallest of her people. They were also the most stupid and disagreeable, biting anyone who dared to touch them. Sarah absently rubbed her finger where she had gotten a first hand experience. Next came the Water Fairies, also known as the naiads. If a lake was sweet and clear, it was populated by one of these, whose job it was to protect the water from poison and other harmful toxicants. They used to populate Earth's lakes, but had to gradually return to the Magic Realm as the pollution on Earth grew worse. They were more intelligent than the Flower Fairies, and were rather sweet, unless someone tried to harm their water supply. The Tree Fairies, or dryads, were on the same level as the naiads, but worked for the trees instead of water. There were still many of them left in the rain forests of Earth. Finally there were the regular fairies, the ones that storybooks told of, the fairy godmothers and such. There were very few of them left, because, for them to survive, they needed the belief of mortals. Unfortunately most mortals, even those who loved fairy tales, still did not truly believe in them. Sarah had then learned that she and her family were not fairies themselves, but rather descended from a powerful sorcerer who had vowed to protect the fairies. Each of the other kingdoms was the same, except for the Fae and the Elven.
Then Myst went on to explain that other beings lived in the Fairy Kingdom, such as dwarves, elves and even goblins. There was a particular group of creatures known as the quies who made their home only here and no where else. Not much was known about the diminutive creatures except that they were extremely quiet and shy. They rarely came to the castle, except when necessary, and even then they were so quiet you had to use a special spell to be able to hear them. Myst told Sarah that her job was to protect all of these beings, not just the fairies. She had readily agreed.
Sarah stood up and stretched. It had been a long three hours, and she was stiff and sore from sitting in the same position on the hard ground outside. If this was all there was to it, then six months seemed a long time away. She looked over at Myst who was staring off into the distance with a frown. She followed his gaze to see a dark cloud of dust advancing upon them. Before she could react, Myst was enveloped in a white light and Sarah had to cover her eyes. When she opened them again, Myst was gone and a unicorn stood in his place. 'Get on,' a voice in her head told her. It sounded suspiciously like Myst's voice. She frowned and looked at the unicorn who nodded it's head. Sarah quickly scrambled onto his back, and once done, the unicorn took off at an amazing speed, away from the dust cloud.
He carried her to the castle then stopped. Sarah slid off and stumbled slightly. She looked around and saw Myst, now in his human form, standing quietly beside her, staring at the dust cloud which could now be identified as hundreds of horses thundering towards the castle. She was a bit shaken when she realized that they would have trampled her had Myst not acted as quickly as he had. "Wh...What is it?" she questioned her advisor.
"From the elven kingdom," he said, a worried frown on his brow.
"I guess it's not a friendly visit then," she quipped, noticing the full armored men riding the horses.
The army came to a stop in front of the castle. Two dismounted and came walking up to them. As they approached Sarah could make out bright red hair and pointed ears, and that one was male the other female. Other than that, she had no idea. Then they had stopped right before them. They were obviously twins, and most likely Prince Garret and Princess Alyssa. The woman had a sneer on her face, and would have been otherwise lovely. Her brother was handsome and had a look of disdain upon his delicate elven features. Jareth did it better, she thought to herself, then mentally kicked herself.
"Well, hello Myst," the man said, with haughty disdain, "Got a new servant girl I take it."
Myst simply stared at him. "As you see it. Perhaps if you looked further than your own nose you would see something entirely different....Your Highness." The pause at the end was intended to convey insult, and Sarah couldn't help but gasp. That brought her more to the attention of both of them.
Garret circled her giving her a lascivious grin. "My oh my, what have we here? She is much lovelier than any of the others. Hmm...I think I'll have her tonight."
Alyssa snorted. "Yes, she is rather lovely, but in an innocent sort of way. Are you sure you can handle her brother?"
Sarah's eyes widened at their words and an anger from somewhere deep presented itself. "How dare you!" she cried out, eyes flashing, "This is *my* home, and you won't be staying here, much less having your way with me. I want you to leave. Now."
The two looked at each other then back at her, the haughty smiles now a mixture of real amusement. "Your home?" Alyssa asked, "I think not. This is my home, there are no other heirs and the stupid Queen Andrea got herself killed. I am the next in line." Her lovely face again twisted into a sneer. "And if you keep up that attitude this will be your home no longer."
The anger reached a boiling point, and, Sarah unconsciously mimicked another haughty individual she knew. "I don't think so, my dear," she said, her voice laced with icy derision, "Because you see, I am the rightful heir as I am the daughter of her son, Robert." She paused at the look of shock on their faces and then continued with mock concern. "Oh dear me, you didn't know did you? Such a pity, but then that's how things go isn't it? Now, either you leave the premises or I will have to force you to. Understand?"
Garret nodded. "Yes, yes of course we do, come along Alyssa." He started back to his horse, utterly taken in by Sarah's act. His sister was too, but her greediness caused her to stay for a moment longer. "Beware, for in six months time, this kingdom will be mine." The woman turned and walked off.
Sarah watched them leave, her expression still icy. Then when the cloud of dust had disappeared over the horizon, she turned to find Myst watching her with a respectful admiration. "I guess I was kinda over the top there wasn't I?" she questioned him.
"No, Your Highness, it was just right. Now, we must continue your lessons in earnest, so that next time you will not be bluffing when you say you will force intruders from your land."
Sorry this one's so short
Sarah woke up but didn't open her eyes. She had just had the most fascinating dream. It was a
refreshing change from the Labyrinth. She smiled to herself. Imagine, thinking she was a fairy princess.
Gradually she became aware that she was laying on a cold hard floor and that someone was leaning over her,
fanning her face.
"Your Highness?" Myst asked with concern, "Your Highness?"
Sarah opened her eyes then and groaned. Myst was kneeling over her where she had fallen. In her
peripheral vision she could see Anna and Jeffery hovering with worried frowns. "I'm all right," she told
them, "This is just going to take some getting used to." She smiled and sat up.
"Yes it will. And we must begin your training immediately Your Highness," Myst stated, "If you
are to be ready in six months."
"Oh come on Myst," Jeffery cajoled, "Surely we can wait until she's had time to adjust."
Sarah shook her head. "No, Jeffery. Anna and Myst are right. We need to start right away."
Determination filled her as she stood up. This was just another challenge, and she could beat it too. She
looked at the approving expressions on all three of their faces. "Well, where do I start?"
Myst stood up as well, and presented a scroll that seemed to appear from nowhere. "First, you
must learn the history of your kingdom, as well as the surrounding kingdoms. You will also learn about the
present rulers of each. Then we will move on to your subjects, the fairies, and the other creatures who live
here."
Sarah nodded, trying to keep her groan to herself. She hated history.
Three hours later, Sarah had memorized each and every kingdom and its leader. They weren't hard
really. There was the King of the Fae, Jemin, and his Queen, Areka. Their kingdom bordered hers to the
south. The King of the Dwarves was Jiggle, he had no Queen, but he did have a son who's location was
unknown. He had disappeared over two thousand years ago. That kingdom lay to the east. To the north
was the kingdom of the elves. King Garrick and Queen Aryssa had ruled there for millennia. Their oldest
child, Garret, would be taking over in a year's time, so that the two could enjoy a peaceful retirement. His
twin sister Alyssa was the one who would inherit if Sarah did not take her rightful place in six months time.
Finally, there was the kingdom to the west. It was actually underground, and that's what most called it, The
Underground. It was the kingdom of the goblins, it's king, Jareth, refused to have anything to do with any
of the other kingdoms. Of course, Myst had told her, it wasn't always like that. Before she had been born,
King Jareth and Prince Robert were the best of friends, and he often visited the castle. Then one day, right
before Robert married, Jareth just stopped coming. Sarah was surprised to learn this, especially since her father was so...staid. He didn't seem like the type to be friends with the mischievous goblin king.
Then Myst had taught her about her own kingdom, the Land of the Fairies. Her subjects had different sizes as well as dispositions and intelligence. First there were the Flower Fairies, the smallest of her people. They were also the most stupid and disagreeable, biting anyone who dared to touch them. Sarah absently rubbed her finger where she had gotten a first hand experience. Next came the Water Fairies, also known as the naiads. If a lake was sweet and clear, it was populated by one of these, whose job it was to protect the water from poison and other harmful toxicants. They used to populate Earth's lakes, but had to gradually return to the Magic Realm as the pollution on Earth grew worse. They were more intelligent than the Flower Fairies, and were rather sweet, unless someone tried to harm their water supply. The Tree Fairies, or dryads, were on the same level as the naiads, but worked for the trees instead of water. There were still many of them left in the rain forests of Earth. Finally there were the regular fairies, the ones that storybooks told of, the fairy godmothers and such. There were very few of them left, because, for them to survive, they needed the belief of mortals. Unfortunately most mortals, even those who loved fairy tales, still did not truly believe in them. Sarah had then learned that she and her family were not fairies themselves, but rather descended from a powerful sorcerer who had vowed to protect the fairies. Each of the other kingdoms was the same, except for the Fae and the Elven.
Then Myst went on to explain that other beings lived in the Fairy Kingdom, such as dwarves, elves and even goblins. There was a particular group of creatures known as the quies who made their home only here and no where else. Not much was known about the diminutive creatures except that they were extremely quiet and shy. They rarely came to the castle, except when necessary, and even then they were so quiet you had to use a special spell to be able to hear them. Myst told Sarah that her job was to protect all of these beings, not just the fairies. She had readily agreed.
Sarah stood up and stretched. It had been a long three hours, and she was stiff and sore from sitting in the same position on the hard ground outside. If this was all there was to it, then six months seemed a long time away. She looked over at Myst who was staring off into the distance with a frown. She followed his gaze to see a dark cloud of dust advancing upon them. Before she could react, Myst was enveloped in a white light and Sarah had to cover her eyes. When she opened them again, Myst was gone and a unicorn stood in his place. 'Get on,' a voice in her head told her. It sounded suspiciously like Myst's voice. She frowned and looked at the unicorn who nodded it's head. Sarah quickly scrambled onto his back, and once done, the unicorn took off at an amazing speed, away from the dust cloud.
He carried her to the castle then stopped. Sarah slid off and stumbled slightly. She looked around and saw Myst, now in his human form, standing quietly beside her, staring at the dust cloud which could now be identified as hundreds of horses thundering towards the castle. She was a bit shaken when she realized that they would have trampled her had Myst not acted as quickly as he had. "Wh...What is it?" she questioned her advisor.
"From the elven kingdom," he said, a worried frown on his brow.
"I guess it's not a friendly visit then," she quipped, noticing the full armored men riding the horses.
The army came to a stop in front of the castle. Two dismounted and came walking up to them. As they approached Sarah could make out bright red hair and pointed ears, and that one was male the other female. Other than that, she had no idea. Then they had stopped right before them. They were obviously twins, and most likely Prince Garret and Princess Alyssa. The woman had a sneer on her face, and would have been otherwise lovely. Her brother was handsome and had a look of disdain upon his delicate elven features. Jareth did it better, she thought to herself, then mentally kicked herself.
"Well, hello Myst," the man said, with haughty disdain, "Got a new servant girl I take it."
Myst simply stared at him. "As you see it. Perhaps if you looked further than your own nose you would see something entirely different....Your Highness." The pause at the end was intended to convey insult, and Sarah couldn't help but gasp. That brought her more to the attention of both of them.
Garret circled her giving her a lascivious grin. "My oh my, what have we here? She is much lovelier than any of the others. Hmm...I think I'll have her tonight."
Alyssa snorted. "Yes, she is rather lovely, but in an innocent sort of way. Are you sure you can handle her brother?"
Sarah's eyes widened at their words and an anger from somewhere deep presented itself. "How dare you!" she cried out, eyes flashing, "This is *my* home, and you won't be staying here, much less having your way with me. I want you to leave. Now."
The two looked at each other then back at her, the haughty smiles now a mixture of real amusement. "Your home?" Alyssa asked, "I think not. This is my home, there are no other heirs and the stupid Queen Andrea got herself killed. I am the next in line." Her lovely face again twisted into a sneer. "And if you keep up that attitude this will be your home no longer."
The anger reached a boiling point, and, Sarah unconsciously mimicked another haughty individual she knew. "I don't think so, my dear," she said, her voice laced with icy derision, "Because you see, I am the rightful heir as I am the daughter of her son, Robert." She paused at the look of shock on their faces and then continued with mock concern. "Oh dear me, you didn't know did you? Such a pity, but then that's how things go isn't it? Now, either you leave the premises or I will have to force you to. Understand?"
Garret nodded. "Yes, yes of course we do, come along Alyssa." He started back to his horse, utterly taken in by Sarah's act. His sister was too, but her greediness caused her to stay for a moment longer. "Beware, for in six months time, this kingdom will be mine." The woman turned and walked off.
Sarah watched them leave, her expression still icy. Then when the cloud of dust had disappeared over the horizon, she turned to find Myst watching her with a respectful admiration. "I guess I was kinda over the top there wasn't I?" she questioned him.
"No, Your Highness, it was just right. Now, we must continue your lessons in earnest, so that next time you will not be bluffing when you say you will force intruders from your land."