Queen Esmeralda landed on the tree branch in front of the odd foursome, a scowl etched into her pretty features.
Kokoro had sat down in front of Baron's feet, twisting a lock of red hair around her fingers. When she had asked Baron what they should do, he said there wasn't much they could do, and suggested she sit down because her legs were shaking.
When Queen Esmeralda's scarlet eyes fell upon her son, the scowl melted off her mouth and was swiftly replaced with a glowing smile. "Aidan, sweetie, you're back!" she gushed, rushing forward and embracing her son. However, Prince Aidan remained stiff in her arms.
"Sweetie, I didn't expect you back until the day after tomorrow," Queen Esmeralda continued, leaning back and gazing into her son's face.
Prince Aidan's expression still hadn't changed. "I finished the negotiations early but... Mother, would you care to explain how I am suddenly engaged?"
Queen Esmeralda glanced behind Prince Aidan and glared at Kokoro and Baron. Kokoro, anxiously chewing her lower lip, looked up at Baron and watched as he shrugged. The action only infuriated the Fairy Queen more until Prince Aidan spoke again.
"Mother, this young woman is claiming to be, not only a human, but also my future bride," Prince Aidan continued irately. "And I would like to know what you have been doing since I left. Has the kingdom fallen into ruin in the three days I was gone?"
Kokoro happily noted that Queen Esmeralda looked taken aback at her son's accusations, and, chancing another glance at Baron, saw the cat doll did as well.
Queen Esmeralda stepped back from Prince Aidan and her eyes shifted between her son and the trio grouped behind him. Kokoro, out of nervous habit, grabbed a fistful of Baron's pant leg as Queen Esmeralda smoothed imaginary wrinkles from her dress.
"Well... this annoying little human stole my stone, and she wouldn't give it back, so I had to bring her here, and then she tricked me into letting her become your fiancée, and then her little friends came and crashed my celebratory ball!" she blurted quickly, glaring behind the Fairy Prince.
Kokoro's grip tightened on Baron's pant leg and a scowl of her own spread across her face. As anger gradually filled her, she awkwardly clambered to her feet, using Baron's cane for support. "That's all a lie!" she said, pointing at the Fairy Queen. "None of that's true!" She turned to Prince Aidan. "Your Highness, you've got to believe me!"
"Kokoro." She turned around and saw Baron staring at her, amusement clear in his eyes. "Tell them the truth."
A surge of confidence welled inside her, mixing with her rage as she turned back to face the handsome prince and the queen that was ruining her life. "All I did was find a pretty rock in a river. I turn around, and suddenly I'm being chased by all these angry fairies! So I went to Baron for help, and then I'm kidnapped, tricked into being your new wife, and then I'm turnedinto a fairy! And then Baron and Toto came to rescue me, and we were being chased by more fairies, and then we met you, and—"
"Wait." Kokoro stopped ranting and looked to the prince, who was shaking his head. When he opened his eyes, he turned them to scowl in his mother's direction. "Was this rock by any chance the color of an emerald and had flecks of gold in it?"
Kokoro straightened, but her angry expression did not change. "Yeah, it was," she answered.
Prince Aidan brought a hand to his forehead and groaned. "Mother, you knew that that stone was going to Prince Lune of the Cat Kingdom! Did you try to steal it from their messengers?"
Queen Esmeralda looked aghast at her son's accusations, then indignantly folded her arms across her chest. "Well, I deserve it more than some cat," she grumbled, not meeting Prince Aidan's eyes.
Her comment sparked Kokoro's anger again. "So the rock doesn't even belong to you?" she asked, her voice rising. "You mean I went through all this—" she grabbed handfuls of red and green fabric, "because you were trying to take something that doesn't even belong to you?"
"Well, King Lune doesn't deserve it!" Queen Esmeralda snapped back. "He deserves it about as much as his father did his!"
Kokoro stomped over to the Fairy Queen and jabbed a finger in her face. "I don't know much about the Cat Kingdom, and I know even less about its rulers, but I'm sure that some cat deserves it more than a snotty queen like you!"
As Kokoro told the queen exactly what she thought of her, Baron and Toto shared a secret smile, and it wasn't because they felt exactly the same way.
When Kokoro finished, she paused to take a breath and ran a hand through her hair. Strands of hair caught in her fingers, and when she brought them forward, her breath caught in her throat.
Her hair had darkened from the candy-apple red to a maroon color. Her hands flew up to her ears, feeling the outer shells, and she was surprised to find they were small and rounded, instead of long and pointed. She was changing back!
She turned around and gaped at Baron, clutching chunks of hair in her quivering hands. Baron smiled. "When you yelled at Queen Esmeralda, you gained confidence in your abilities and in yourself," he explained, delight twinkling in his jade orbs. "Your belief is what is changing you back."
"Well, isn't that just peachy?" a contemptuous voice said, and Kokoro turned back to Queen Esmeralda. The corners of her pretty red lips were turning up in a smirk. "But it doesn't really matter, does it? You're still engaged to my son, and there's nothing you can do about it."
Kokoro's heart sank. She knew the queen was right.
Prince Aidan sighed again. "Speaking of our engagement, Mother, there's something I've been meaning to speak to you about," he said, casting a nervous glance at Kokoro. "Kokoro, please don't take any offense to this, but... I don't wish to become your husband."
Kokoro smiled. "No hard feelings, right?" she replied.
He grinned. "Thank you," he said, his voice soft. He then turned, strode past his startled mother, and stopped in front of a daffodil-haired fairy. He took one of her hands and sank to one knee. "Belinda..." he began, gazing up into the maid's golden eyes. "I would be honored if you would agree to be my wife."
The fairy's eyes welled up with tears. "Oh, Your Highness, I..." she started, obviously choked up at the sudden proposal.
"I've been in love with you since the moment I met you," he continued. "I promise, if you marry me, I will be a much more faithful husband than my brother was to you."
Kokoro tilted her head. "Brother…?" she murmured, puzzled. Suddenly, it all clicked. "You mean, Queen Esmeralda is the one that tricked you into becoming a fairy?!" she cried, pointing at the stunned Fairy Queen.
Both Belinda and Prince Aidan stared at their feet. "My mother was so set on my older brother, Edwin, marrying a human girl," Prince Aidan answered sadly. "When a human girl stumbled into our kingdom by accident, she tricked the poor girl into becoming my brother's fiancée. But…" he sighed, "my brother had different ideas. He agreed to marry her, but ten years later…"
"He left me for the Tooth Fairy," Belinda finished, smiling slightly as she looked up. "Like I said, best day of my life."
Prince Aidan continued. "Mother was furious because Edwin abdicated his crown and left the kingdom, so she made Belinda renounce her crown as well and become a royal maid." He lifted his gaze to focus on the fairy once more. "Belinda, I love you more than anything in the world. I would give up my crown, my life, if I could spend it with you."
Belinda's eyes overflowed with tears again, but she had not stopped smiling. "I always preferred you over your older brother," she said, and Prince Aidan blushed. "I may not love you now, Your Highness, but… I think with time… I can learn to." Slipping her free hand into his, her gaze fell to their joined hands, salty tears oozing down her cheeks. "I would be… truly honored… if I could become your wife," she whispered.
At first Prince Aidan was stunned, but once her answer had sunk in, he swept her into a tight embrace, laughing. "I was hoping you would say that," he murmured into her yellow hair as she hugged him back.
Kokoro's eyes widened as the two fairies hugged. "If Belinda agrees to marry the prince," she said, putting the pieces together, "then that means… I don't have to!"
Prince Aidan pulled away and the newly engaged couple beamed at her. Kokoro squealed and grabbed Belinda in her own hug. "Oh, I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed, careful of Belinda's fluttering yellow wings.
"Well that's all fine and dandy, but I'm not going to let my youngest son marry a maid," a shrill voice said, and Kokoro pulled away to stare at the Fairy Queen. "Besides, that maid already has a husband. She can't marry another."
If Kokoro had been mad earlier, she was furious now. Her dark eyes, normally clear and bright, were crackling with rage as she stood up to face the smug queen. "How dare you say something like that!" she snarled. "How can you stand there and tell two people, two people who obviously care for each other, that they can't be together because of something that happened fifty years ago! You, of all people, should be the most supportive of them! After all, it was your oldest son that broke both of their hearts the first time he was married. And why does he get to marry another woman, especially since he left his wife, when he was still married? Just because you're queen doesn't mean that you have the right to order people's hearts around, son, fairy, or human!"
She was shouting by the time her tirade was through, her hands and knees shaking. When she was about to fall over, a hand pressed into the small of her back, and she looked up to see Baron smiling broadly as he supported her weight. "I knew that name suited you well," the cat said, and a pink blush tinted her cheeks.
"Thanks," she replied, breathless. She tilted her head further back and caught a glimpse of the sky. Her eyes began to water as she saw it beginning to turn pastel shades of pink and yellow. "We're too late..." she murmured.
"What?" Baron asked, following her gaze. "Is something the matter?""
Kokoro slumped into Baron's arms, fat tears trickling down her cheeks. "B-Belinda told me that if I'm here for a whole night, I become a fairy f-f-forever."
Prince Aidan stared at the girl, astonished. Then he turned to his new fiancée. "Belinda, what did you tell her?" he asked.
Belinda's golden eyes widened. "That's what I was told when I came here," she answered, surprised. "I thought she should know."
Prince Aidan sighed, rubbing his temples as he shut his eyes. "Mother, how many lies did you tell these poor girls?" he asked, exasperated.
Queen Esmeralda, still recovering the shock of being screamed at so rudely, turned to her son and blanched. "W-W-What are you talking about, sweetie?" she stuttered.
Prince Aidan lifted his head, his scarlet eyes aflame. "How many lies have you told these girls?!" he shouted. "Why would you tell two innocent humans that they would turn into fairies forever if they stay here?"
"W-Well, if I didn't they would leave!" she retorted.
"What do you mean?" Baron asked, helping Kokoro up from the ground, where she had fallen in her despair.
Prince Aidan gave him a strained smile. "The Fairy Kingdom is not like the Cat Kingdom. When a human enters our kingdom, yes, they will change into a fairy, but it's not permanent like when a human enters the Cat Kingdom." He ran his fingers through his dark hair as he continued. "Our magic isn't powerful enough to permanently alter a human's DNA."
Kokoro withdrew her head from Baron's jacket. "You mean... I can turn back?" she asked plaintively, her eyes round.
The prince nodded. "Yes. Actually, there was an antidote created..." He reached into the bag that was slung across his chest, and pulled out a small bottle with a glowing pink liquid sloshing inside. He held it up, the pink glow highlighting the features of his handsome face. "Once a half-fairy drinks it," he explained, "they become human again within an hour."
Kokoro's eyes lit up and she began to laugh in her excitement. "I can be human again?" she giggled.
He nodded, and she threw her arms around his neck. At first the prince was surprised, but he cautiously brought his arms around her waist. Kokoro pulled her head back, beaming, and kissed him on the nose. "You really are cool," she said brightly, drawing back and turning to the yellow-haired half-fairy. "Did you hear that Belinda? We can be human again!"
Belinda smiled softly as the young girl squealed excitedly. "I can't wait to get home! The first thing I'm going to do is hug my dad and tell him how much I love him, and…" Kokoro's face faded as she noticed Belinda wasn't joining in. "What's wrong?" she asked, a hurt edge creeping into her voice. "Don't you want to be human again?"
Belinda continued to smile, but her eyes were sad as she took Kokoro's hands into her own. "Kokoro, I've been a fairy for fifty years. Everyone I knew back then is either dead or too old to remember me. I would have to start completely over. Besides…" she glanced at Prince Aidan, "after I get offered to marry a prince I actually like, I can't just leave."
Kokoro's jaw quivered. "Really?" she whispered. Belinda nodded. She quickly pulled her into a hug. "I'll miss you."
Belinda embraced the girl back. "I'll miss you too. And I'm sorry about the 'dumb human' comment earlier."
Pulling away, Kokoro smiled. "No hard feelings."
"You should get going," Prince Aidan said, pressing the glowing bottle into Kokoro's hand. "You know, before my mother gets over her shock and does something we'll all regret."
Kokoro nodded, wrapping her fingers around the vial. "Thank you so much, Your Highness."
He grinned. "And thank you very much. If you hadn't shown up, I might never have worked up the courage to confront my mother and propose to Belinda. Good luck on your journey back, Kokoro."
She nodded again before popping the small cork off the bottle and downing the pink liquid. It was surprisingly sweet, like liquid sugar sliding down her throat. Except for the aftertaste; it made her mouth and throat burn, and she half-expected smoke to stream out her ears. That was when she realized she had been watching far too many cartoons.
Baron slipped a hand onto her shoulder and gently guided her back to Toto. He lifted her up, then seated himself in front of her, all the while as she continued gazing down at the colorful fairies. Prince Aidan wrapped a strong arm around Belinda's waist, bringing the fairy close as they waved farewell. A small smile spread across Kokoro's mouth as she waved back, trying to hold back her tears as Toto tested his wings.
As Toto took off into the lightening sky, Kokoro snaked her arms around Baron's waist as she looked back, clutching the empty bottle in her right hand.
However, as soon as she glanced down, she squeaked and squeezed her eyes shut. She may have had a pair of wings and change of heart, but it hadn't cured her fear of heights.
"Kokoro, open your eyes!" She cracked open one of her eyelids and peeked out. They were up dizzyingly high, and she had almost shut her eyes again when she felt a soft squeeze on her hand. Baron had turned his head slightly to glance back at his female companion. "Don't be scared. I promise I won't let you fall."
His words prompted her to open her other eye, and, tightening her grip around his torso, she slowly leaned back, her hair whipping around her face. Focusing instead on the scenery around her, it took her breath away. Toto was whizzing among the tops of the trees, and in the distance she could see the golden sun rising. It really was a pretty sight. She even loosened her grip on Baron's waist a bit.
She had been completely enjoying the view, and was working up the courage to look down, when Toto flew under a tree branch. The limb was too high to hit the crow, but the same could not be said for Baron and Kokoro.
The branch hit Baron in the head, and he lost his grip on Toto's feathers. Kokoro didn't have enough time to react, so, joined by his waist, she was lifted off the bird.
And then they began to fall.
~*~