A/N: Even though it's the summer holidays, I didn't get much done. Sorry about that. But another character has been introduced and yet another one is planned in the next chapter. I have so many characters already that even I am beginning to lose track of things. So I've put up a character list at the end.


Joy's Unhappiness

Chapter 7

xxxxx Catskin's POV xxxxx

My eyes opened to see that the ceiling was too close to me for comfort. What I was lying on felt itchy for some reason, and discovered that my 'bed' was only a pile of hay. I panicked seeing as the room was very unfamiliar to me and it seemed to resemble a prison of some sort.

Then I remembered where I was. Or where I should be.

I sat up and tried to gather my thoughts. This is Fairadore. In Darwin's castle - probably. I'm in a room that a fully grown man will have to crouch in, and if I stretch my arms, I could easily touch both sides of the room.

I remember Darwin said that would he send Synal to come and fetch me. He must have put me in this room while I was asleep.

Now that I've woken up, I suppose the next thing to do is to either wait or go outside...

Oh, I've done enough waiting! In the carriage for the coach to come, during the battle and before I fell asleep! I need to go outside!

I opened the door and walked out to find myself in a corridor. Servants ran back and forth like busy bees. I closed the door behind me, feeling a little conscious of the fact that the room was not good for my own privacy.

One of the servants saw me. "Oi! What are you doing, standing about being idle?! There's work to be done!" He had a large stack of dirty dishes in his arms.

I rose an eyebrow (an action that he couldn't see through the hood). "Work? I only just got here though..."

"Oh, you must be the new girl. Just wash these for the moment." He forced the dishes onto me.

I took the dishes bewilderedly. "H-Huh? But where?"

However the guy ran off in a hurry. A feeling told me that I was actually being tricked...

Ugh. First thing in the morning and I have to go wash dishes. Well it's something to do at least...

I saw somebody carrying a platter of fruit and went in the direction they came from, guessing that was the way to kitchens.

My guess was spot on, and I headed for the nearest available sink. How convenient! It has already been filled with soapy water! I set the dirty dishes to the side and began to do my 'job'.

Back when I worked in my own castle's kitchens, I learned that the best way to do tasks like these, were to give yourself instructions and follow them without thinking about it. Make your mind blank and think of only doing your job.

So this is what I'm going to do:

Pick up one dish. Soak it in the sink. Scrub it clean with a wet cloth. Put aside to dry later. Pick up another dish. Soak it in the sink...

xxxxxxxxxx

Before long, I had already finished my task. A stack of clean, dry, dishes were set up on front of me. Pleased with myself, I sat down on a nearby wooden stool.

It was only now that I realised that irresistible smells were wafting around the kitchen. Food being prepared everywhere. My stomach had been growling constantly for a while now and I didn't notice.

When was the last time I had eaten? Did I eat anything yesterday? I think the last thing I ate was lunch on the day of the ball...

My stomach was now as loud as the church bells but I couldn't think about that because a pounding headache drowned out the noise. Head painfully ringing, I leaned my back mournfully against the wall. Why were all these symptoms hitting me all at once? Now of all times?

I saw a loaf of freshly baked bread being offered to me and my mind only barely registered it as food before my hands grabbed it greedily. Forgetting all of my manners, I munched on it ravenously.

The bread quickly disappeared. Although I still wanted more, I remembered that I needed to thank the person who gave me it. I looked up into the face of the scary knight I met yesterday.

He smirked at me. "Just how hungry were you? You were eating like a pig."

I blushed and looked down, embarrassed by my own actions. "Ah...I'm sorry."

Synal kneeled down to try to match my current level. "It's fine. I couldn't leave anyone who looked as unwell as you alone, now could I? When was the last time you ate?" he asked inquiringly, handing me another loaf of bread and a mug of water.

I took them gratefully and drank a mouthful of the water. "...Two days ago..." I said before taking a bite out of the bread.

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "You should take better care of yourself." he said, frowning. Then he stood up straight. "Well, I'm going to train my knights now. See you later then, I suppose."

I halted in my eating. "Ah...Wait..." But he was already walking away.

Oh well. I can thank him a later time.

I finished off the bread and the water. I stood up to wash the mug.

...What to do now? The kitchen doesn't seem as busy as it was before. Who am I supposed to receive my tasks from? I think I should look for the head cook...

As Catskin, I have no confidence when speaking to strangers. However I need more information or else I would just waste time doing nothing all the time.

So thinking: 'Oh what the heck.' I tapped a nearby cook making soup on the shoulder. "Excuse me, but would you mind telling me who the head cook is?"

When he turned around, he gave me an annoyed stare. I squeaked a quick apology and the cook crossed his arms, ladle still in hand. "That would be me."

He had a thick moustache and a thick accent from somewhere I couldn't quite figure out. In the back of my mind, I remembered meeting another person of royalty with the same accent.

O-Oh. Um... Uh..." I started but found myself stuck on what to say. "I-I'm new here, a-and I don't know... what I'm supposed to do..."

"Speak louder child!" He spoke harshly and I flinched away a step. "Whatever. I heard one thing at least. You're new right? Go to Julie! You'll find her by the well. And don't bother me any longer than this! I'm busy. GO!"

I scurried out of the kitchen as fast as I could. It seems that I caught him at a rather bad time... Probably.

Looking around at my current surroundings, I realised that I have no clue where the well might be...

I sighed. Today, I fear, shall be quite a long day...

xxxxx Darwin's POV xxxxx

"Tell me. Where did you get those wounds?"

"What wounds?" I asked.

"Explain the blood found on your shirt right this instant!"

Oh darn. She found out. I was hoping I could hide it from her...

"I have no such wounds. That was someone else's blood." Thing I learnt from the past was that lying was much worse when it was in front of her.

My stepmother let out a deep sigh. Then her face quickly snapped to a deadly glare. "What have I told you about fighting? You are the crown prince! What would happen if you were killed?! Protection is what knights are there for! Rely on them more, will you?!" The last part sounded more like an order than a request.

"I apologise for my mistake." Although I did not feel sorry in the least.

"Make sure it does not happen again!" she flared, pointing her oriental fan threateningly at me.

"Yes Mother. It will not happen again." I tried my best not to sound monotone. It still felt weird calling her 'Mother'. My biological mother is alive and well after all. It felt strange having two mothers.

Somehow, the answer seemed to be good enough for her. "It had better not." she warned with much venom in her voice, before strutting out of my chambers. She at least closed the door behind her.

I finally let my body fully relax in my chair. I can't help but feel tense when she was ever in the same room. Even though she acts like a queen, without a doubt, she is also a very prideful woman. I had to wonder why on earth the king married her in the first place.

I stared up at the ceiling, where an insignia was scratched. Nobody could detect it unless they knew what they were looking for. It was just a mark I made when I first got this room, but it meant something to me. A childish scribble of a dragon and a sword.

"Together we pledge! Let us become stronger! We will be the best knights ever to be known in history!"

The memory popped up and I wondered how my old friends were doing at this moment. Boy, would they be surprised to see where I've gotten. Disappointed as well, I'd bet. I clenched a fist and made a decision. I hopped off the chair and grinned to myself.

To my secret training I go.

xxxxx Catskin's POV xxxxx

After about what felt like half a day wandering about the castle, trying to find the well that 'Julie' was supposed to be at, I gave up.

It crossed my mind that I would probably be nagged to no end about this later, but only for a trivial moment.

Looking around me once more I saw that the hallway was empty save for a door that I knew very well not to open. I slumped against a wall hopelessly.

Click!

My eyes widened to the maximum as I suddenly felt nothing against my back. I found myself falling head first down a dark tunnel.

"AHHHH!" I heard my voice echo in the darkness.

"Ouch!" Soon, my back collided with a hard stone floor. I sat up rubbing it in pain and tried assess my new surroundings.

The room was a dim one, barely lit with a few candles on the walls. A leather brown rucksack sat on top of a small wooden table. A corked green bottle peeked out of it. How strange, I swear I saw movement inside the bottle.

I moved closer to peer inside. I gasped in shock.

"Let me out!" A fairy yelled out while banging his fists against the glass.

I carefully took out the bottle out of the bag, trying not to harm the fairy, and uncorked the bottle.

He flew out eagerly. "Yes! Yes! I'm free!"

While he flew around in circles, I observed him (as best as I could because he was so fast). The fairy had a leaf hat on top of his messy brown hair and only had a thin, worn out, murky-green tunic for warmth.

He celebrated by himself in the air for a moment - doing a funny little dance of his own - before taking any notice of me. When he did, he stopped and hovered above me.

"Oh, I suppose I should be thanking you human. So thank you! But don't be expecting any flashy lights or a prince on a white horse! I don't have anything for you!" He crossed his arms, looking down at me.

I shook my head.

He rose an eyebrow. "How astonishing. You seriously don't mind? What an unusual species of human you are..." he trailed off in his sentence. His previously energetic wings, slowed down and stopped flapping all together. The fairy started to fall to the ground.

I dropped the bottle - causing it to smash to the ground - and quickly caught him in my hands. The fairy panted heavily for breath. Despite his pompous attitude, he was actually very fatigued.

"...Damn that human. Trapping me in that bottle... Expecting me to give him blessings everyday! I'm only a pillywiggin!" he yelled. He used up all of his energy and passed out.

He's a pillywiggin? I looked at the broken pieces of the bottle. Dead flowers lay among the glass.

My eyes gathered tears for the poor fairy. It must have been torture for him to watch flowers die right in front of his eyes! I must get him outside as soon as possible!

Stepping around the glass pieces, I ran for the door on the other side.

I opened it to see a flight of stairs going up. I ran up the stairs.

At the top I was greeted by a lot of green leaves. What seemed to be in a short passage made up of a thin hedge. In front of me was a rusty looking gate. After a few attempts to budge it, I was out.

Dong! A church bell rang loudly, the moment I came out of the gate. I instinctively looked up to the direction it came from, which was somewhere outside the walls. I wonder what was going on?

No matter. The life of the fairy in my hand is my priority. He is feeling colder and colder...

I ran to my left, desperately trying to find flowers. Bushes, trees, apple trees. They won't do!

Eventually, I found a cluster of pink daisies. I rushed there and set the fairy down in the middle, quickly but carefully.

I closed my eyes and hoped for the best.


A/N: Most of you probably don't know what a pillywiggin is, so I'll explain. Pillywiggins are small fairies who tend to flowers in the springtime. They often travel around by riding a bee. They get angry whenever flowers are destroyed but you will only have to plant a new tree or flower to make them happy. Their diet consists of pollen, nectar and dew, thus the dead flowers in the bottle.

Here's an important character list in the order they've been introduced:

Joy, the main character and queen of Deofia. Married to her own father to her dismay. She went a little crazy before the beginning of this story but after a meeting with Arryn and some encouragement from her own mother, she regained her senses. Usually a cheerful girl but as Catskin she tends to be very timid.

Arryn, a mysterious fairy who resides in the forest of sadness. She is shy but able to do her 'job' nevertheless. She may be more important than she appears to be.

Clarence, one of Deofia's elders. He taught Joy many things in her childhood. He can be rather scatterbrained but he is a good man inside out.

King Herald, Joy's father and king of Deofia. He went insane after his wife's death, but tried his best to fulfil her last promise. So much so that he married his own daughter against her will. Since then he has only seen Joy as his former wife.

Lilah, a princess and Joy's dear friend. Caelan's fiancée.

Caelan, a prince and one of Darwin's best friends. Lilah's fiancé.

Darwin Nercessian, the crown prince of Fairadore. His mother was not royalty so he did not live in the castle until a few years ago. He fell in love with Joy as a 'princess' but feels sympathetic towards Catskin. He is yet to realise that they are the same person. Brilliant with the sword but he is held back by his status. Seems to have been part of a group in his childhood but separated for unknown reasons.

Synal, the stern but kind leader of Darwin's knights. They are good friends. He is older than Darwin and Joy by about ten years.

The Pillywiggin, a male fairy rescued by Joy from a man trying to use him for his own greedy benefits. We'll see whether he lives or not in the next chapter...