The Fairy Kingdom

Chapter 1

The bed felt unfamiliar beneath me, and my head, where an anvil had
probably come into contact with it, ached. I thought all this with my
eyes closed, hoping, wishing. It was a dream. Let it be one.

I opened my eyes and groaned. The room was dark, but even so, I could
make out that I was not in my own bedroom. The funny thing was, even
while my heart raced and my head throbbed, I admired the bed. It was a
huge four-poster bed with silk cloth draping the sides and... Wait,
what was I doing? My head must have been more damaged than I'd first
thought.

I put my hands to my head to try to massage away the pain, and found
my head bandaged. It was definitely worse than I'd thought it was. Why
else would kidnappers have bothered to bandage it? That thought led me
to another. My hands were free. I was not tied up. Yeah, I was not
tied up. Now what? I was thinking so slowly, I wanted to shake myself.
And then it came. Yes, I had to escape. I began to crawl out of the
bed but had to stop every so often to clear my head. I was so groggy,
I wanted to just crawl back under the covers. Come on, Carrie. Come
on, just one step at a time.

One, two. One, two. At least now, I knew why the kidnappers would put
me on such a large bed. It must have been a conspiracy to ensure I
could never get out of it. When my feet finally touched ground, I was
panting like I had ran ten miles. I could feel perspiration glistening
on my forehead, making my hair stick to my neck uncomfortably. At
least, I hoped it was perspiration, and not blood. I didn't check.
Blood and gore weren't my favorite subjects.

Carefully, I stepped away from the bed. I felt better by the time I
was halfway across the room. But the kidnappers apparently thought
that an ultra huge room was necessary for the ultra huge bed, so
halfway was still a long way from the door.

When I managed to twist the doorknob, I wanted to shout victory. That
was, until I opened it, and saw the gigantic hallway before me. And
believe me, it was huge. There were plush sofas in the corner of the
hall, which to my relief, were empty. The lights were on. I thought
out my alternatives quickly. I could either stay here and let the
kidnappers find me-not a nice thought-or I could slowly inch my way
across the hall and try to find the main entrance to escape-that was,
if I didn't faint halfway through the journey or the kidnappers didn't
see me staggering about in its vastness.

I started crossing the hallway, chanting under my breath, "One more,
one more. Just one more." With great effort, I reached the end of it.
A spiral staircase led downstairs. At least, there were rails I could
hold onto. It wasn't until I was more than halfway down the stairs
that I heard voices. I froze. My heart, which had stilled a little
during the tedious hike, started pumping frantically again. The
grogginess in my head lifted.

Then, the voices stopped altogether. I heard footsteps making their
way towards me. They had heard me. How could they have? I hadn't made
any noise. I turned to run. I reached only the second step when a hand
on my shoulder jarred me.

"You're up." How did he reach me so fast? The voice was even, smooth,
educated. A learned kidnapper?

I turned. Without pausing, I kicked him in the spot just below his
kneecap. The man's leg buckled, and he shouted in surprise as he fell
down the stairs. Adrenalin pumping, I jumped up the stairs two at a
time. I didn't even feel the pain in my head. I was halfway through
the open hallway when I ran into a man. He held my arms as I collapsed
into him, so that I couldn't move.
My cries were muffled by his chest. "Leff me go!" I struggled against
his grip but he must have taken steroids or something; his hands wound
about my arms so tight, I thought they would break.

"I'll let you go if you'll promise not to run." As he said that, I
heard two other voices behind me. One of them must have belonged to
the man I'd kicked, because he was cursing and sputtering.

Three men. I could maybe fight one, but three? And if all three were
as strong as this one was..."Let her go, Jaz," one of the men behind
me spoke.

He let go. I took my face out of his chest, and for the first time
glanced into the face of my captor. There was no other way to describe
him other than beautiful. His cheekbones were high and sculpted, his
mouth pliant, and his eyes were an amazing soft, deep emerald. His
hair was an ordinary chestnut brown cut short to his neck, but its own
ordinariness seemed to accentuate the beauty of his face.

He was so beautiful, I could have probably just stood there and gazed
upon him for all of eternity without getting bored. But of course,
even with the blow to my head, I had better sense. I took a step back
away from him, and stepped towards the side so that I could view my
enemies altogether. And what do you know? Pretty boys didn't come in
ones. Or even twos. No, they came in threes.

The man who had taken a tumble down the stairs-recognizable by a
bruise on his cheek-was built like a Greek god. It was a wonder I'd
even managed to buckle his knee, but I guess even strong men have
reflexes. His hair was a rich golden and it billowed to mid-back. And
his eyes... they were the most intense shade of gray I had ever seen.
They expressed irritation now though. Not a good sign.

The other was more exotic. His hair was an intense color of ruby to
his nape and his eyes sparkled like the deep blue of the sea. The
combination was striking. All three men wore black slacks and white
shirts.

The blue-eyed man spoke. "Listen, we're not here to hurt you." Not
here to hurt me! I almost laughed. Why was my head bandaged then? But
I didn't think the men would appreciate my sarcasm, so I bargained
with them instead.

"Let me go. I'll give you money." I had money, although I was
reluctant to give it away. I had worked hard for it. But I'd rather
have my life than money any time. Survival instinct was strong for me.

"It's not that." He took a step towards me and I stepped back
immediately. He might look pretty, but an aura of danger circled him
like a cloud of mist. In fact, all three of them had that dangerous
feel to them. It was their stance, almost like they were poised for
battle.

"What do you want?" I asked, and immediately regretted it. Black
thoughts flitted through my mind of what the man might reply.

"I do not know how to begin. But let's sit down and talk." He nodded
his head towards the far end where the couches lay.

Talk? I was suspicious and must have looked as such, because the man I
had earlier kicked down the stairs offered me his hand. "Gadon."

I looked skeptically at the offered hand and repeated, "Gadon?"

He smiled. "My name is Gadon."

The smile unnerved me. After all, he still sported the bruise I had
indirectly caused, and he'd looked irritated just thirty seconds ago.
I didn't want to accept his hand but I wasn't sure if he would be
insulted if I did not, and thus cause me physical harm. I must have
taken too long with the decision, because his smile wavered and he
dropped the proffered hand.
"This way." He spread his hand towards the couches. The three of them
stood there like walls of stone, waiting for me to move. Guess I
didn't have a choice. I walked slowly. I didn't know what they planned
once I was there.

I seated myself onto one of those one-seater couches. I didn't want to
have to share seats with them. They, happily, took the bigger sofa.

Gadon spoke, "What we have to tell you might seem far-fetched. But I
hope you'll hear us out objectively."

The fact that they really only wanted to talk astounded me, so I just
nodded.

"Twenty-five years ago, a battle broke out in the Kingdom. Demetrius,
one of your father's Royal Guards, wanted to seize the throne. Your
father, King Alonso Laertes Silvius, sensing the enormity of the
battle that would take place, decided to give you up into the human
world. He entrusted you to a woman, planning to call for your return
when the battle ended. The battle lasted ten years. When it ended, he
tried to call for the woman, but because she had died a few days after
he gave you to her, all contact was lost with you. All these years, we
have been searching for you," and his voice softened as he as the
last, "and now, we have finally found you."

My mind whirled with the story. "Wait. What kingdom are you talking
about?"

"The fairy realm, of course." He said it solemnly, like it was
supposed to make sense.

"Fairy?" I choked out.

"Yes. We are fairies. As are you."

"Fairies," I repeated dumbly, and he nodded affirmatively.

Jaz, the brown haired one, spoke, "And you are the Princess Neriss
Alonso Viola."

I coughed. And then regrouped my thoughts. What were these men playing
at? If they thought that my head was damaged enough to believe that
rubbish, they had to be loony. "Look guys, I'll pay you any amount.
Just let me go," I tried.

Gadon shook his head. "We do not want your money. What we spoke is the
truth."

They all leaned eagerly towards me, as though willing me to believe
them. Were they serious? And then, noticing the intense looks on their
faces, I realized that they probably were. Great. Just great. I was
abducted and being held by three demented men who actually thought
that they were fairies. I took in a deep breath to calm myself, and
then noticed that they were still waiting for me to say I believed
them or something to that extent. I realized that they probably
wouldn't let me go until I said as much. "Okay, I believe you."

The three men actually look relieved. They were definitely crazier
than I'd thought they were. "Now, may I go?" Although I doubted it
would be that simple, I had to give it a try.

"Where do you want to go?" Jaz asked.

"Home."

"Of course. But because you have yet learnt the way of the passage,
you can't enter the Kingdom until you take this." He produced a vial,
stretching it towards me. My eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"No, no. You don't understand. When I say home, I mean home in the er,
human realm."

Gadon leaned towards me. "But it is imperative that you return to the
Kingdom immediately."

I was getting frustrated. "Look, I'm going home." I stood up to leave,
and the three of them stood as I did. Uh-oh. In my frustration, I had
forgotten that they were also dangerous. They certainly looked
imposing with their six- foot frames. I sat back down into my seat.
And the three followed.

"Princess, what could we do to prove this to you?" Gadon said
sincerely.

I wanted to scream, "Nothing!" but I doubted that would get me out of
here. I had acted in school dramas at high school before; I could
certainly act.

I said reasonably, "Yes, I know that after so many years of searching
for me, you are anxious for me to return to the Kingdom. But I have
been in the human realm for twenty-five years and my life is here.
Even if I return with you guys, I have to say goodbye to my family and
friends here before I leave."

Gadon nodded his head slowly. "I understand."

"So I may go home?"

"Yes."
I stood and the three stood up too, but they moved out of my way to
let me go. Great, I was free. Or so I thought, until I realized they
were following behind me. Irritably, I turned back to face them.
"What?"

"We're escorting you home, of course," Jaz replied.

"Of course," I mumbled under my breath. My headache, which had
miraculously disappeared, was returning and I was not in the mood to
play follow-the-leader. I tried another tactic. "Gadon," I said
firmly.

"Yes, Princess," he answered and even added a little bow. Well, these
people certainly took their roles seriously.

"See, I'm the princess here, right?"

"Yes," he said.

"Okay, yeah, so aren't you guys supposed to listen to my orders or
something?"

"Yes."

"Great. So I am ordering you guys to stay here while I go home. I'll
come back when I'm ready to leave."

All three of them exchanged glances at once. Not a good sign. "We will
go with you," Jaz said. " It's for your own protection."

"I don't need protection," I told him impatiently, "I can take care of
myself perfectly fine."

"But..."

"What? Don't you think I can take care of myself?"

"Of course. But we have orders from the late King to find you and
ensure your safety."

"Orders from the late king?" I asked. "Wait a minute. What do you mean
late king?"

Gadon bowed again, this time even lower. "It is my deepest regrets to
inform you this, Princess, but the King, your father, died two years
ago." He stood upright before continuing, "Which is why it is
important for you to return soon. To take your place as Queen."

Was I hearing correctly? So not only did they actually decide to
invent a father for me, they had to make him dead, too. "So now that I
am going to be queen, you can take your new orders from me. I want to
return alone," I told them.

"But Princess, do you not see? If we disobey the King's last wish, we
would be dishonoring him."

I looked at all of them scathingly. It was obvious this was just one
of their schemes to toy with me and that they had never intended to
allow me to leave. I decided to drop this game of fairies.

"Just tell me what you want! I've had enough of playing fairy."

"You still do not believe us."

I shouted, "How can I believe you when you're spouting fairies and
princesses and ...and all this gibberish? You kidnapped me! You hit me
in the head!"

"I apologize for that, Princess, " Jaz spoke. "I was following you,
but then you attacked me. I had just planned to knock you unconscious
but I misjudged my strength."

I pointed to my bandaged head and hissed my disbelief, "Misjudged? You
threw an anvil at my head!"

"Anvil?" he asked uncertainly. "But I had only hit you with my hand.
We, fairies, are stronger than humans. I had forgotten that you,
having been sent away so young, never had a chance to develop fairy
powers."

Fairy powers. Hah! But it was true that I had attacked first. It had
been late, and I was walking in a dark alleyway when I noticed someone
tailing me. A lady has got to do what a lady has got to do. It didn't
hurt that I had a black belt in karate. I remembered that I had
managed to surprise him with my blows, but then, he was stronger than
me. And if I remembered correctly, he had fought well, too. That was
when I felt something connect with my head. I remembered the pain, and
then voices, and some people carrying me away. I must have blacked out
then.

I said sarcastically, "So you fairies go around hitting princesses in
the head?"

"No, of course not," Jaz mumbled hastily.

"You could have killed me," I said accusingly. "Shouldn't there be
some kind of punishment for assassination of a princess in your
world?"

Their mouths dropped open. Blue Eyes, who had remained quiet thus far,
spoke, "But Princess, Jaz had no intent to harm you. In fact, it was
because he was worried that he might accidentally hurt you during the
fight, that he decided to knock you unconscious."

They were at least consistent; Up until now, they still hadn't even
slipped out of character once. "And you are?"

"Jaques."

I figured that if they wanted to play, I might as well play along.
"Jaques, what is the punishment for such a crime?"

He actually paled. "Death." This tactic was at least working. Maybe
they were psychotics who really thought that they were fairies. I
wondered how far they would go with the pretense.

I decided to find out. "Well Jaques, carry out the sentence then."
Jaz dropped to his knees. Or rather, to his face. Gadon and Jaques
began speaking together at the same time. The noise and confusion made
my head throb.

"Princess, please reconsider..." "Jaz has served the King, your
father, loyally for many years..."

I was beginning to feel giddy. "Be quiet." I said it softly, trying
not to throw up. I didn't think they would hear me over the ruckus
they were making. But they did. And actually stilled.

I took deep breaths to still my overturned stomach.

"Are you all right, Princess?" Gadon ventured.

I took a few more deep breaths before answering, "Not really." I felt
so miserable, I didn't even think to lie. Gadon took my arm and tried
to lead me to the nearby couches, but I stopped him. If I sat back
down, I doubted I would be able to get up to leave again. I needed
whatever leeway I had gained, even if it was only ten paces-which was
the distance I had managed to walk before realizing that they were
following me-and having one of them on his knees.

"I'm better," I breathed, and waved him back. He stepped back. Jaz was
still on his knees, with his head to the ground. I hoped he stayed
that way for a long time. At least now, I only had two of them to deal
with. One, if I could make it happen. "Jaques, lock him away some
place."

"Yes, Princess." He took Jaz away without a quarrel, which surprised
me. I didn't believe he would do it.

Now, only Gadon remained. Maybe I could sway him to let me go. I
braced myself, and when I'd counted a full ten seconds that Jaques and
Jaz had disappeared through the doorway, I asked Gadon to support me
to a seat. He came towards me and I kicked him in the same joint below
the same kneecap again. His leg crumpled beneath him like clay.

I ran for the stairs. When I reached the bottom, Gadon was already
there. He stood upright, as though I hadn't just kicked him in his leg
twice this night; the kick I gave him should have splintered his
kneecap.

"How did you.?" I drifted off when I noticed his grim face. He came
towards me and I felt my stomach clench. I grabbed the railing of the
stairs, to prepare for another run up, but he stopped moving towards
me. He must have sensed that since fight hadn't work, I was going to
take flight.

"Princess," he said, his voice strained with forced patience, "I see
that you still do not believe us."
"Sure I do." But it came out meek and patronizing. This man scared me.
His gray eyes were glowing with more than mere irritation now. Danger
screamed out at me from his very stance. He was crazy and I had made
him angry. An angry mad man was probably one of the scariest things
anyone could encounter. And there was the question of how he managed
to reach the bottom of the stairs before I did. Was there another
staircase I had missed?

I heard footsteps behind me and felt my heart plummet. Now that the
other two were back, I probably didn't have a chance of escape
anymore. I leaned my body onto the railing sideways so that I could
keep the three of them in sight. But only Jaques made his way down. He
stopped two steps above me and bowed with a flourish, "All has been
done as you commanded."

So the act continues.

Gadon spoke across me to Jaques, "The Princess tried to run away."

Jaques's elegantly crafted brows rose up, and he cast a look at me.

I was still exhausted from the run, and my knees were weak with
exertion and probable blood loss from my head. I sank down onto the
steps, ready to give up and do everything my kidnappers wanted. I said
as much before I blacked out.