Sorry for taking such a long time. I had a really hard time with where to take this chapter and I when figured it out I deleted the chapter by mistake.
Hope you like it.
A few days later
"You look like you are in a thunderous mood."
Wendy nearly dropped her basket in surprise.
Then she turned around and looked at the dark-skinned girl that stood in front of her.
"What are you here for?" Wendy spat irritated.
"To ask you about the fairy queen, of course," Olympia said amused.
Wendy rolled her eyes and went back to picking berries. "She is called the elven queen."
"Is that so?" The other girl said slowly and came over until she stood so close to Wendy that she could look over her shoulder.
She smiled knowingly at the redhead, and Wendy realized what she had just said.
She cursed at herself.
Olympia seemed to find it all amusing and raised an eyebrow at her.
"What has gotten you so irritated." The girl smiled and leaned into the other girl.
Wendy turned her head to look at the girl, who was odd in both her appearance and her way of being, and who was now studying her with big brown eyes.
Olympia came and went from time to time. She wore a strange black uniform and usually wore her hair in strange braids. Though she always made it clear that it was the giant – her father – who had sent her, and she would always ask the same questions about fairies, they had grown a strange friendship and often had long talks, when she visited.
But then again, they rarely talked about anything personal.
"There is this boy…" Wendy started.
"Oh," the dark-haired girl smiled. "A romance."
"No, it is not like that." Wendy shook her head.
"Then what?" Olympia asked and picked an elderberry off the bush and studied it.
"He is the son of a baron."
"Yes?"
Wendy looked at the other girl skeptically. "I am the daughter of an innkeeper."
"Sounds like a fairytale…" Olympia said and put the elderberry on her tongue.
"It is not a fairytale! He is so frustrating to be around!" Wendy snapped irritated.
Olympia seemed very unbothered by her angry tone.
"Do you like him?" She asked and looked at Wendy with big, serious, brown eyes.
Wendy opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
The last few days she had gone through everything that had happened. Every gentle touch and brilliant smile, and every confused eyebrow, when anybody other than her or his servant addressed him, and the hard look in his otherwise beautiful eyes when his clothes got dirty.
She mindlessly picked berries.
Eric was arrogant and ignorant of many things, but he could also be sweet and spoke to her softly and treated her with a tenderness, that no one else had.
She stared at the berry in her hand and sighed.
Sometimes she never wanted to see Eric again, other times she wanted to apologize.
She let the berry fall into the basket.
He had defended her from Alfred, and she had been rude to him. Eric had been brutal but, in the situation … had Alfred not deserved it?
"I do understand…" Olympia pulled her out of her head. "Boys can be so difficult to deal with."
Wendy blinked at her. "What do you mean?"
The dark-skinned girl smiled sympathetically and pulled at the skirt of her uniform, as she elegantly sat down on a fallen tree trunk. "I have had my own encounter with romance."
Wendy tilted her head a bit.
Olympia sometimes reminded her of the fairy in the way she moved and acted. Maybe that was why she kept asking about them.
The dark-haired girl rubbed her hands together and smiled deep in thought. "I met him about a year ago. Father and I were traveling through America and I had snuck away to go dance."
Wendy had heard of America before, but she nearly dropped her basket, when she heard Olympia had snuck away from her father.
Intrigued she sat down next to her. "Did you really sneak away?"
Olympia's eyes lit up and she smiled wide. "Yes! Well, I did go back before midnight – though it does help that Father cares very little about what I do as long as I behave." She looked so much like a proudly misbehaving child.
She leaned closer to Wendy and whispered. "It was so much fun. The music was even more lively than yours and Casper was swinging me around all evening."
"Casper?" Wendy echoed curiously.
Olympia seemed to be enchanted by her own thoughts. "We stayed in the area for a while. He found out where I stayed and stood outside my window like a Romeo."
She sighed like a tragic heroine in one of Miss Elizabeth's romance novels.
"We spend the evenings wandering through the city and talking." She looked straight at Wendy. "You would be surprised about how hard it is to find an American to discuss literature and politics with." The lovestruck girl paused for just a second. "Well, he did not really understand most of it … but he was handsome to look at while I talked."
Wendy laughed and Olympia blushed with a smile.
"So, what happened?" Wendy asked as Olympia did not continue her story.
The other girl frowned. "Nothing. We had to continue the journey and Casper was just a worker in town."
Wendy furrowed her brows. "So, you are not going to see him again?"
Olympia sighed somberly. "There is no reason to. And had my father found out, he would be furious?"
"Why?" Wendy asked as the other girl got up from the tree trunk.
The dark girl seemed to not really know what to say but looked at Wendy with sad eyes before she said anything.
"Casper has nothing. He is a laborer. My father would want a man, that has power or money or something the like."
Love could find a way…
Wendy nearly fell off the trunk, at the sound of her sister's voice.
"What is it?" Olympia asked and then followed Wendy's grace to where the little redhead girl was sitting on the tree trunk happily swinging her feet, wearing just her white nightgown.
Olympia stared at the spot and looked back at Wendy. "Is it a fairy?"
Wendy blinked at her and looked back at Eva, who just continued to smile and swing her feet happily.
"Can I see her?" Olympia then asked when she did not get an answer.
You cannot see me… Eva's voice echoed, and Olympia seemed to hear her.
"I am not going to hurt you." Olympia turned around to try and find the source of the voice.
Wendy blinked and Eva disappeared and the elderberry bush behind Olympia started rustling.
Olympia turned to the bush with big eyes.
As the branches parted and Eva stepped out of the bush, Olympia raised a confused at her, while Eva looked back offended.
Do you think you could … harm an elven…? Eva asked.
It took Wendy a moment to realize that Olympia was actually looking at Eva.
"Well, hello there … child." The dark-skinned girl smiled and knelt down to the younger girl, who still looked at her with skepticism.
"One of your siblings I presume?" Olympia asked over her shoulder.
"Yes…" Wendy said confused at the situation.
Olympia turned back to the little girl.
"Are you playing fairy?" She asked.
Her smile was soft and gentle, and Eva smiled back shyly and fidgeted with her dress.
I guess … I do…
"Can you tell me about them?" Olympia asked and rested her head on her palm, which caused her sleeve to roll down and exposing her arm.
Eva stepped closer and looked at the tan arm and hand curiously.
The little girl seemed to study the older girl's arm for a moment before looking up at Olympia.
Why is it … that you fear true love…?
Wendy saw Olympia jerk backwards in surprise.
She giggled nervously. "Did you listen to our conversation?"
Wendy is the same way … the love you found is a gift and… The little redheaded girl stopped and leaned her head to the side.
As she continued to stand like that, Olympia stood back up and glanced at Wendy over her shoulder.
Eva smiled. I am going to go now…
Then she wandered into the trees her dress fluttered around as she walked.
"Will she be all right?" Olympia asked and looked in the direction the girl disappeared in.
"Yes, do not worry about her…" Wendy smiled weakly.
There was quiet for a while.
"I am sorry…" Wendy said softly when Olympia hadn't moved.
"It's fine…" Olympia sighed and turned to the redhead. "She is probably right."
The young woman looked very somber, as she sat back down next to Wendy.
"He wanted me to stay very badly…" She mumbled as Wendy watched her with sympathy. "He talked about the two of us settling down in a tiny little house, where we could grow a family, and he would work to get a better job…"
"Did you think about it?" Wendy asked as Olympia didn't continue.
She shrugged. "Maybe, but I could never go against my father's wishes."
The girls both sighed.
"What about you and your prince charming?" Olympia then asked, as her fingers played with the handle of the basket.
"That is a bit different," Wendy said. "For one thing, no one is stopping me from being with him."
"Is that a problem?" The other girl asked.
Wendy let out a laugh. "No, it is not that … I guess we are just very different…"
Olympia raised a silent eyebrow at her.
"Eric…" Wendy sighed and looked toward the trees, where small green children were playing. "He can be so arrogant and ignorant. He thinks that the city is so much better than this."
Wendy gestured to the trees around them.
"Well," Olympia said and knitted her hands together. "Cities are amazing, you can meet so many different people and you can do so many different things. There are bigger libraries and better books and stores and foods … and the boys are different."
She looked at the redhead girl beside her with a knowing smile.
Wendy smiled uneasily. "Well, he is different from the village boys."
Olympia leaned in.
"And do you like him and his attention?"
Wendy stood up.
"It is not really whether I like him or not," she said and turned to look at Olympia. "If I were to marry him. I would have to leave all of this behind." Wendy twirled around stretching out her hands. "The hunting, the dancing at the inn, and the elvens of the forest." She expertly stopped in front of Olympia. "And I do not want to."
The other girl just leaned her head to the side.
"So, what you fear is leaving home and the unknown that follows?"
"Does it even matter?" Wendy asked frustrated. "I don't want to marry him, no matter how nice and handsome he is."
"Everyone fears the unknown Wendy. The thing is that if you do not take the change, you will always wonder what would have happened." When Wendy sulked instead of answering Olympia continued. "I am not saying that you have to marry him. I am just saying you should give him an honest chance to court you before you decide."
Wendy huffed, then sighed. "It could not hurt…" Then she smiled. "But then you have to give your American suitor a chance."
Olympia raised an unamused eyebrow. "I know what my father will do if I even entertain that."
Wendy smiled and reached a hand out to her. "You can just not let him know."
The dark-haired young woman looked at her like Wendy had just told her how to fly.
With an excited smile, she took Wendy's hand and got out of the tree trunk. "I will try."
They laughed at each other until they heard a voice in the distance.
"Wendy?" Eric's voice echoed through the trees before he appeared.
He smiled relieved at Wendy but looked confused at the sight of Olympia.
"Excuse me, I didn't know you were not alone – are you Wendy's…"
"Friend." Olympia ended his sentence with a hard tone and an unimpressed expression.
"My apologies for my rudeness, I am Eric Charles Branigan the sixth," Eric said and bowed deeply to the young woman and held out a hand for her.
"Olympia," She smiled politely and placed her hand in his.
Eric did not kiss her hand but nodded at her instead. "Like the home of the Greek gods?"
"Yes, my mother was very interested in the Greek epics. Perhaps she thought me a gift from a god."
Wendy was not sure about what was happening between them, but Eric seemed confused by her talking back to him like when the villagers spoke to him.
He touched his neck confused.
"I … would like to speak to Wendy alone for a moment … would you…?"
Olympia crossed her arms at him. "I go where I please."
Eric seemed even more taken aback. "Are you aware of who I am, who my father is?"
Olympia just raised an eyebrow at him. "I can assure you, no matter who he is, my father is more powerful than him."
Then she turned and walked toward the forest entrance.
Eric looked after her stunned, and Wendy could not help but laugh.
He looked at her with big blue eyes.
She giggled. He looked rather adorable.
"Who was she?"
Still laughing, Wendy shrugged. "I am not sure; she comes and goes from time to time – though she is nice."
Eric smiled uneasily. "I apologize…"
Wendy stopped laughing. "For Olympia? I do not think she cares much at the moment."
"No, not that…" He looked to the ground. "I know, you told me not to come back here and…"
Eric did not seem to know what to say, but Wendy understood.
"I am sorry too," She said and took the basket from the ground.
He looked at her surprised.
"You are?" He sounded hopeful.
She smiled weakly. "I was not fair to you … the last time we met, and I am sorry about that."
Eric returned her weak smile. "I was not fair to you either, Wendy. I should not have talked to your family like I have done, or the forest you clearly love."
He looked up at the colorful leaves gracefully falling around them then down at Wendy. "You really do look like a changeling standing here."
He seemed to realize what he said and apologized again. "I did not mean…"
"It is fine." Wendy smiled and closed the distance between them and took his hand. "I am guessing you have never seen the magic of the forest."
Eric shook his head amused and delighted that she was this close to him.
"Perhaps you could show me?"
Wendy smiled mischievously at him and squeezed his hand. "I could."
Eric leaned in and knitted their fingers together.
"I heard your mother talk about … a festivity of some sort."
Wendy smiled and glanced down at their intertwined hands. "That is the harvest feast. It is happening on Sunday."
"I was wondering if you would do me the honor of dancing with me there?"
Wendy laughed playfully.
"I am going to be playing my fiddle there, though … I am sure spare you a melody."
"I shall count the moments."
Eric leaned in and Wendy smiled, as he gently pressed his lips against her forehead.
That Sunday
Wendy smiled as she twirled around the floor in her light blue dress.
"You look so beautiful." Sophia, the carpenter's youngest daughter awed, as the skirt of Wendy's dress fell back into place.
"I have never seen you care so much about your dress before." Lily giggled. "Normally only Mina considers the dresses."
"Well, she does have someone to show it to tonight." Another one of the older women laughed.
Wendy blushed and envied Lily for a moment. Now that Lily was engaged, she was considered an adult, while Wendy was still considered a young girl.
"Can you braid my hair?" Wendy asked her mother to change the subject.
Her mother smiled proudly and warmly and patted on the stool next to her for Wendy to sit down on.
"I cannot remember the last time I braided your hair for you." your mother said softly as she waited like blue ribbons into her red hair.
"You look just like a princess." Mina's daughter said.
When the braids were in place Wendy stood up and smiled, as she pulled out her skirt in graceful courtesy as an answer.
The little girl clapped her hands in glee, and Wendy turned to look at herself in a mirror brought for the occasion.
She hoped Eric thought so, too.
Wendy breathed out in relief as she sat down on the bench and stretched her numb fingers.
She had been playing her fiddle since she had finished and now all she wanted was to sit down.
Shed stared out of the dimly lit field where the villagers were still dancing and laughing, as William appeared out of nowhere with a mug for her.
Wendy smiled and took the mug and took a big gulp.
"Thank you," she breathed.
William smiled back.
"Are you all right?" He asked and looked at Wendy clenching and unclenching her fingers.
"I am just fine," Wendy assured him. "I just need a little break."
William sat down next to her. "Is it fun playing music?"
Wendy nodded as she stared into the crowd of shadowy people. For a moment she thought she saw Mathilda dancing with someone. "It feels magical…"
"It looks magical too…" William mumbled longingly and stared at the other musicians standing together by a row of lanterns.
Wendy looked down at her little brother, who fidgeted as he watched the musicians move to the rhythm of their own music.
She smiled knowingly.
The flutist rhythmically danced and smiled at the girls who came up to him.
"Do you want to learn how to play?" Wendy asked.
William looked up at her with big eyes. "Will you teach me?"
She nodded and patted his head as he giggled to himself.
"There you are." Maya came wandering out of the darkness and sat down on Wendy's other side.
"Were you looking for me?" Wendy asked as she ran her hand over William's hair.
"Just wondering…" Maya smiled knowingly in the dim light. "If you had run off with your prince charming yet."
Wendy hoped the darkness hid her blush.
"Are you leaving?" William asked panicky and pulled at Wendy's skirt.
Wendy sent Maya an evil eye and turned to soothe her brother.
"Of course not, she is just talking about how Eric will come tonight." She gently took his hand and wondered for a moment when it got so big.
William smiled and hid his face in her dress for a moment.
He sat up. "I should go help Arthur." Then he got up and ran toward the tables where the older villagers.
"They really are sweet," Maya said.
"Yes," Wendy sipped her mug and smiled down at it.
Maya was about to say something more, when people stopped dancing, and a mumble quieted down the musicians.
"What is happening?" Wendy got up and looked around.
Everyone was looking toward the top of the hill, and when Wendy looked that way, she understood why.
A carriage out of a storybook was coming down the hill toward them.
"Looks like he is here." Maya chittered.
Wendy ignored her, dusted off her dress, and fixed her skirt. She felt butterflies in her stomach, as she felt her hair to make sure it was still in place.
The carriage stopped and slowly and dignified Eric stepped out.
He was dressed in a fitted uniform with silver buttons decorating the front and shoulders.
Wendy stepped closer and Eric confidently strode toward the crowds that parted for him and made a path to where Wendy stood.
Eric dark hair looked soft in the light of the lantern and his white teeth glinted as he smiled at her.
Wendy had trouble breathing, as he came closer.
When he reached her, he bowed gracefully to her and held out a hand for her.
She smiled and gave him her hand.
"You look so beautiful tonight." He whispered against her hand.
Wendy breathed. "You look handsome as well."
She pulled at her skirt with her other hand as a courtesy.
Eric straightened his back. "Would you give me the honour of a dance?"
Muffled awes rose from the people around them.
Wendy squeezed his hand. "Of course."
Again, people stepped to the side as they walked hand in hand toward the lit grass field.
Wendy hadn't noticed that the musicians had stopped playing or that Eric held their hands strangely above their shoulders.
As they stood in the middle of the field, Eric lifted one of her hands to his shoulder and placed his own on her side.
He did a nod and music started playing.
Wendy recognized the instruments, as Eric started pulling her along in a slow waltz, though she did not know that they could make such a slow and gentle melody.
Eric smiled and his eyes twinkled as they slowly turned in the grass. Eric let her around confidently without taking his eyes off hers.
To the people watching them, it looked like a fairytale come to life.
The two young people moved around on the grass gracefully like they were floating and stared lovingly into each other's eyes.
The soft melody died down and the crowd around them clapped.
Eric and Wendy let go of each other and Wendy blinked. The waltz had been hypnotic, and it felt like she had been comfortably rocked in Eric's arms.
The dark-haired young man bowed chivalrous to her, and she pulled at both sides of her skirt in a beautiful courtesy, that only a dancer could do.
There was silent.
Wendy breathed for a moment, and it felt like everyone was waiting for her to do something.
She smiled mischievously at Eric and turned to look at the musician.
The flutist caught her eye, nodded at her smile, and put the flute to his mouth again.
The music started out slowly and Wendy turned back to Eric and silently offered him her hands.
Confused the young man took them and the redhead smilingly pulled him around as the music grew louder and wilder.
Wendy moved and danced around freely yet gracefully.
Eric stumbled a bit but kept up when he realized that it did not matter where he put his feet.
The two of them smiled and laughed as they spun around.
Others joined them on the grass and the field filled with the sound of laughter and clanking of mugs.
Young women giggled as they were swung around by their partners, and partners were switched with a moment's thoughts.
Wendy spun around Eric and Eric playfully grabbed at her, encircling her waist, and pulling her against his chest.
Wendy just smiled and clasped her arms around his neck.
Eric spun them around like, their faces getting closer every time they went around.
When their lips touched, Wendy felt like sparks ignited across her skin, and the world around them dimmed a bit.
Their lips barely parted for a moment, before they pressed them together again.
Eric huffed surprised as their mouths parted again. His hand still carefully held onto the braids on the back of the beautiful girl's head.
"I am glad that I came to see what a harvest feast is like." He whispered to her.
Wendy leaned against her chest.
"Wendy!" A girl called over the music. "Should you not share your partner?"
Wendy looked up and smiled as she took Eric by the hand. "No thank you, he is mine alone."
She chuckled as she led Eric through the dancing crowd and into the darkness.
Eric was confused, as the only thing he was aware of was Wendy's hand in his and her laughing in front of him.
"Here we are…" Wendy said.
"And where is that?" Eric smiled at the outline in front of her.
Wendy laughed. "The forest." She leaned against him.
"I cannot see anything." He laughed.
Hundreds of little fireflies flew around them and lit up their little spot at the edge of the forest.
Wendy smiled at a firefly landing on her palm. She knew exactly who had sent them.
"Oh," Eric breathed as he looked at the scene, where the fireflies bathed the trees in a soft light and fluttered around like living candles. "I had no idea the forest could look so beautiful…"
"I did promise to show you the magic of the forest." Wendy smiled and touched his chin.
He looked down at her.
Her braids had come undone, and her luscious red hair was hanging down her back.
Eric smiled and touched her cheek. "And you have delivered, my fairy."
Wendy smiled and put her hands on top of his and knitted their fingers together.
Eric slowly lowered his face to hers. "Are you perhaps really one of the elvenfolk?"
Wendy looked up at him - her green eyes sparkling, her lips smiling- and playfully stepped away. "Perhaps." teasingly she pulled at her skirt. "If I were, would you not have to catch me?"
Eric reached out for her, but she spun out of reach.
He chased her between fireflies as she laughed heartily at him.
A few times he grazed her skirt until he caught her and lifted her off the ground.
Wendy squealed as he spun her around.
As they slowed down, they looked out onto the field, where they could still hear the dim laughter of the villagers and music muffled by the distance.
"This evening has truly been perfect," Eric said and looked up at her.
His blue eyes sparkled in the light.
Wendy was impressed, that he could hold her up this long.
"It truly has." She said and put her hands on his cheeks before she kissed him.
When she looked back. That was the moment when Wendy fell in love with Eric.
I hope you like it.
I am not going to say when the next chapter is coming out, as I don't want to make empty promises.
Tell me know what you think.