Chapter 5

Of course, I've told you all the intimate details, but I did not tell the court anything other than the facts. And then I finished off my story with the events that came just before my rescue.

"And so," I said, in a last ditch effort to defend myself, "with little other choice, I led them through the forest, looking for a way to escape. When I realized we were right next to Peter's hideout, I tried to distract them, then led them away. Captain Hook saw what I was doing, I believe, and might have squished me with his bare hand if Tink hadn't come to my rescue."

"It was no rescue. It was an arrest!" Tink crossed her arms in front of her chest and tapped her foot on the floor.

Drawing a deep breath, the prime fairy gave me a withering stare. "We will deliberate, and once we've reached a conclusion, judgment will be pronounced." With that, he turned to the other members of the tribunal.

My knees grew sore, then numb as I waited, still kneeling on the cold stone floor. I cannot be sure how long they conferred, but it seemed ages before the prime fairy took his seat again, and the high king stood.

"Will the accused please rise."

My two guards yanked me to my feet. I swallowed down a lump that had grown to seemingly human proportions inside my throat.

"Jingle Bell, you have been accused of very serious crimes. Are you aware of just how serious this is?"

"Y-yes your majesty. But I must insist that I am wrongly accused."

The king nodded. "We have heard all testimony in this case. And after deliberation with the counsel, we have decided that you cannot be trusted."

My heart skipped a beat. "C-cannot be trusted, sire?" That could only mean one thing.

"You will be banished from fairydom, in keeping with our laws and traditions in cases of treason."

I gasped and my gaze flew instinctively to my parents. Mother sobbed and turned to bury her face in Father's chest.

The king continued with his sentence. "However. Since you showed a snippet of decency or maybe a last minute change of heart, your banishment will be, at first, temporary. In six month's time we will hold court once again and see what testimony there is, for or against you. If you can prove you are, indeed trustworthy, then you will be restored. If not..." He shrugged, letting his sentence hang in the air. But he needed not finish his statement.

I panicked. What would happen to me? "B-banished? But Sire–"

"To be sure your banishment is complete and irreversible except by order of this court, you will be transformed into a hideous monster. No fairy, or other creature for that matter, will dare come close to you."

"That is worse than banishment!" I sobbed and, yanking free from my guards, threw myself at the king's feet. "Your majesty, please show mercy. Send me away for a time if you must, but do not make me an ogre or troll, or any other such horrendous creature."

"Tomorrow morning when you awake, your transformation will be complete." He waved his arms, sending down a shower of fairy dust.

My body began to tingle all over and tears flooded my eyes. I looked to my parents and pleaded silently with them to forgive me.

"I will prove myself worthy, Mother," I mouthed. "And you will see you can still be proud of me, Father."

"Remove the prisoner at once, before her transformation begins in earnest." The king raised his head with his nose in the air and then turned his back to me.

The queen stood and came to the king's side. For a moment she looked at me with a gleam in her eyes that might have been compassion. One by one the tribunal members turned their backs to me as well. Then the queen raised her hand and blew a little of her own fairy dust on me. Thus confirming her agreement with the sentence, she, too, turned her back on me.

My trial was over, my sentence proclaimed. The two fairies at my sides took hold of my arms and began to drag me away.

"I don't need an escort." I stood, turned my back on my kin and species, and then flew away into the darkness of the cave.

By the time I reached the outside, night had fallen. Where could I go? The tingling in my body grew to distracting proportions. I could feel the changes taking place all over my being. But the buzz resounding in my ears was the worst. I'd likely get no sleep this night. Yet I had to try.

I flew from the glen, following The River for a little while, then turned off into the forest to look for a place to call my own. At least for the night.

I found a large tree and dove beneath the carpet of leaves at its feet. For now, this would have to do.

Lying cold and alone, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. But my mind would not rest. I had to figure out what my next move would be. Where would I go? Mostly, how could I prove my innocence? Six months was an awfully long time to be alone. Especially as a little person.

Somewhere in the midst of my worrying I must have fallen asleep. I opened my eyes to bright day light, and sat up. My back hurt, and as I raised my arm to stretch, I noticed it had not changed. I expected to find it exceedingly hairy, or then green or blue colored. But no! I ran my fingers over my still perfectly normal skin. And then I dared a look at the rest of my body. How could this be? I had not changed into some ogreish creature. The queen. She must have done something to counter the king's curse when she blew her fairy dust on me.

Full of glee, I pushed myself to my feet and danced a little jig. And that's when I realized. The trees. They seemed a whole lot smaller than before. I glanced around and noticed that everything seemed a whole lot smaller than before. I shook myself, but no fairy dust.

Realization struck me with such force I slumped back to the ground. So I hadn't been turned into a hideous monster, but they had made me human!