Sorry for being late. I had some problems with my computer.
Two weeks later
Wendy hung up the last bed sheet and sighed. "That is the last one, now we can go down to the village."
"Remember, grandmother said, she had something to show you when we were done," Eva said, as she picked up the empty basket. "Then we can go to the village."
Wendy laughed and put a hand on her sister's head.
She got tense as they walked back to the inn.
Her grandmother had wanted to talk with her for the last week or so, but Wendy had avoided it because the veiled fear in her grandmother's eyes scared her.
She sighed again, as she stepped into the kitchen.
"Your grandmother is waiting for her in her room, Wendy. She said she wanted to show you something." Her mother said as she looked up from the twins for a moment.
Wendy shook and went out to the dining hall and toward her grandmother's room.
Her grandmother was sitting on the bed when she came in.
"Were you waiting for me?" Wendy asked.
"Yes, child." The old woman said quietly and smiled at her.
She patted the bed beside her. "Sit down."
Wendy did as she was told.
The grandmother took Wendy's hands and held them. "Dear child, what did you do?"
The worry was clear in her eyes.
"What do you mean?" Wendy asked.
Instead of answering the grandmother opened a drawer in her bedside table. She pulled out a decorative box and opened it revealing a small handheld mirror.
Wendy leaned in to see.
"Do you like it?" The grandmother smiled proudly, as she carefully took the mirror out of the box. "It was a gift your grandfather gave me a very long time ago."
Wendy was a bit confused but nodded.
The grandmother showed her the mirror. "Look at your right ear."
Wendy carefully took the mirror and held it up to see her reflex.
There was something under her ear. Wendy turned her head a bit more and her grandmother gently pulled back her hair.
It looked like a golden strain or scar behind her ear.
"It is in the shape of two half-moons." The grandmother said.
"What is it?" Wendy asked and tried to get a better look at the mark.
"An elven kiss."
Wendy put down the mirror and looked at her grandmother.
"You have met fairies in the forest, have you not?"
Wendy froze and stood up. "I … need to … attend my lesson."
She left the room before her grandmother could stop her.
She went to the kitchen and hurriedly put on her shoes.
"Where are you going?" Her mother asked.
"To … my lesson…" Wendy said quickly.
Her mother chuckled. "You do not need to do that."
Wendy stopped. "Why not?"
Her mother smiled knowingly. "I spread the word that Miss Elizabeth was a very good teacher, so she is quite busy teaching every child over 8, so she probably does not have the time to teach you anymore."
Wendy stared for a moment, as her mother went back to tending to the twins, then she smiled.
A week later.
"Where are we going?" Edward asked.
Wendy smiled. "You will see."
Edward looked around the forest with suspicion. "We promised not to be out too long. We haven't finished all our chores."
"We will have time for everything, so relax…" Wendy said as Temper carried them toward the clearing.
As they glided down from the horse, Edward did not look impressed.
"Remember two things," Wendy instructed. "Do not eat anything you are given and do not tell others about this."
Edward turned to her with an unimpressed frown.
As he did, the elvens appeared out of nothing.
That one is Edward … a blond elven girl said and came closer.
Edward turned around and made big eyes and the strange creatures, that looked right back at him.
The elven girl stepped closer and took hold of the boy's chin to get a better look at him.
You are a really handsome boy…
Wendy laughed when Edward flustered pulled back.
Those are our guests… the elven queen said as she appeared beautiful as ever.
The other elven pulled back and the elven queen stepped closer – a gentle smile on her lips.
"Your majesty," Wendy greeted her with a nod.
Edward eyed the elven queen and then his sister.
"Do you know her?" He whispered.
"Yes," she said and smiled at the elven queen,
Your sister is my dearest friend… the elven queen's voice echoed around them.
Edward's eyes darted around.
Wendy put a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"There is nothing to be afraid of." She assured him. "No one and nothing has harmed me here."
Wendy sighed in relief as she put her feet in the pond.
Edward's reservations had lasted for only a few moments and they had danced and played with the elven folk.
Are you in pain…? The elven queen asked as she appeared beside her.
"It is nothing, your majesty." She said and splashed the water with her feet.
She looked over her shoulder, where Edward where sitting on the grass with a man with hooves for feet. He was gently touching the hooves, while the man watched him with gentle curiosity.
"He rarely plays these days," Wendy smiled without knowing it.
It is always peaceful here… the elven queen smiled and shank her feet into the water.
Wendy looked back at her. "You left a kiss on me,"
The elven tilted her head.
Wendy looked down. "My grandmother is worried about it."
A warm hand touched her ear.
There should be no worry … the voice sounded like a whisper.
The elven queen pulled at the red curls surrounding her ear.
I have taken others to my kingdom … after I kissed them … though I would not to you … unless you ask…
Wendy watched her friend as a bird landed on her shoulder and some little winged creatures landed in the palm of her hand.
"Why did you do it?" Wendy asked.
The elven queen tilted her head without taking her eyes off the small things playing in her palm.
There was a purpose once … though I have long forgotten it…
Wendy touched her ear. She could not feel the mark, but as she leaned over the water, she could see it glowing.
I have given you my favor … I hope that will not displease you …
Wendy lifted her hand to touch the mark while staring at her reflection. "I kind of like it. It is pretty and shiny."
The elven queen smiled and lifted her hand as the winging little creature fluttered away.
I hope to give you many things… I hope you will like them too…
Wendy returned the smile and looked over her shoulder at Edward. "You do not need to give me anything. It is magical just to know you and the other elvens…"
Edward was playing tag with the beautiful elven girls.
"And you have already given these kinds of moments to me."
You have only seen a little … there are so many things to come…
Two months later
Wendy laughed as a beautiful elven girl spun her around.
The colorful dresses fluttered around the beautiful creatures.
She smiled as one girl let her go and she twirled around on her own.
The music picked up speed and so did feet.
Giggling she skipped and jumped. It felt like the music was telling her how to move.
She spread out her arms, as she spun around in quick dance steps.
She felt so free.
You are enjoying yourself…
The elven sat gracefully as ever under the shade of a tree.
Wendy smiled and sat down next to her friend.
Most of the time her majesty would speak in riddles and Wendy sometimes did not know what the words meant, but other times she spoke straight forward – though her majesty either denied it or was oblivious to it when Wendy pointed it out.
"I do," She said and leaned against the tree as she sighed. "Sometimes I wish, I could just dance and play music all the time. It makes me feel…"
Wendy got lost in thought as she looked at the elvens who danced to music that came from nowhere.
The elven queen smiled at her. Freedom is the most precious thing this world … or the one before … ever brought to be…
Wendy leaned her head on her hand, as some of the elven girls lifted off the ground.
"Sometimes I just wish I could feel this way when I am out of the forest…"
There is no barrier for such a thing…
Wendy tilted her head and looked at the elven queen.
The beautiful creature mirrored her gesture.
"Are you saying I could dance with your folk outside of your forest?"
The only response was a gentle smile, as her friend gracefully rose to invite her to dance again.
Wendy coughed.
She had no idea why the sheet had gotten so dusty.
She opened the small window to air out the room.
There had to be a lot of dust in the room. Neither Her, Edward, David, Eva, or Arthur had ever cleaned the room.
Wendy hit their pillows a couple of times and the dust danced in the light of the sun.
She let them lie on the chair as she put the flesh sheet on the bed. When she was sitting on her knees to get the sheet into place by the edge of the bed, a box caught her eye.
She pulled out the small box with her fiddle in it.
The box had been from when Edward had fetched things from the next village over. Wendy had not even touched her fiddle in months.
She picked it up and stood up.
She placed it on her shoulder and put the bow to the strings, as her fingers found their place on its neck.
The bow slid over the string and made a deep soothing sound.
Wendy's face lit up in a smile.
She moved the bow and her fingers on the fiddle's neck slightly and a lighter sound emerged.
She started giggling.
A month later.
Her fingers moved expertly over the string creating a fast and happy melody, that pulled at her feet to move.
She pulled the bow away from the fiddle with a big smile, as her siblings and the elven queen clapped their hands at her.
"She is really good," Arthur said in a serious tone as he rolled around on the elven queen's lap.
The familiar sound of her laughter rang out all around them. Indeed … there are few such as her…
"Do the fairies like the music too?" Eva said and pulled on the amazingly long sleeve of the elven queen's dress.
Her majesty smiled gently at Eva and then looked at Wendy with her endlessly deep eyes.
There are few among my folk that fears the pull of music…
Wendy raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you trying to tell me something, my dear friend?"
The beautiful woman tilted her head with a smile. You remember better than I … my friend…
The giggling of the twins seemed to distract her.
Such beautiful little things… her long fingers hovered over the babies, that giggled joyfully at her.
"You … cannot take them," Wendy said protectively.
Her friend pulled back her hand.
My friend … only when you come to me … will I take…
Wendy furrowed her brows even further, but she got distracted by her grandmother and called them to get back to their chores.
"You seem happy these days." Her mother said and put a gentle hand on Wendy's cheek.
Wendy looked up from the dishes with a smile. "I do?"
"You are humming…" Her mother smiled back and put down more dishes.
"Everybody is happy," Arthur exclaimed.
Wendy felt her grandmother's eyes on her back, as she lightly moved around on her feet while cleaning the dishes and putting them away.
"Your daughter is spending too much time with the fairies, Mary." She heard her grandmother say.
Her mother just giggled in response and put her hands on Wendy's shoulders.
"The hall is all clean," Edward said from the doorway.
"Good, you can head up to bed with David and Eva." Their mother said. "You should head up with them too, little one." She directed Arthur.
"I wait for Wendy." He said stubbornly from his grandmother's lab. "She sing to me."
"Very well then," The mother sighed with a smile.
"Bringing the children into the forest can be dangerous…" The grandmother said like no one had interrupted them.
"Elenora, I know that it's not good for the children to run wild, but they are young…" She squeezed Wendy's shoulder with a gentle smile. "And there is nothing wrong with letting the young ones have a little fun."
The grandmother did not seem pleased but remained quiet after that.
Wendy finished the dishes and picked up a half-sleeping Arthur.
"Goodnight," She mumbled with a smile and a yawn.
"We will talk about it tomorrow," Her grandmother whispered, as Wendy passed through the doorway.
"Wendy?"
She gasped as Edward appeared out of the darkness of the dimly lit hall.
"Why are you not in bed yet?" She whispered sharply, as they went up the stairs.
"I … wanted to … talk to you…"
Wendy looked at her little brother confused. "About what?"
"Do you think grandmother is right … about the fairies…"
Wendy shook her head with a smile. "What makes you think that?"
"Well…" Edward hesitated, as the door to their bedroom creaked open.
He put down the candle on the nightstand and sat down on the bed.
There was something bothering him.
"There was that man in the lake…"
So, please tell me what you think.
the next chapter should come out on sunday.