CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Despite the late night, the King and Queen were up in the earlier hours of the morning, once again discussing what ought to be done with the cluricaun. Tipsy was soon sent for, and with a light step he went to join them, for, when fairies grow weary at all, it only takes them a few hours of rest to recover. The King and Queen were in the throne room (as they usually were), deep in discussion, and the Princess Apple Blossom was also there, perched upon the arm of her father’s throne. She smiled brightly when she saw Tipsy, and hurried forward to meet them.

“Mother and father have been trying to decide what they ought to do about the cluricaun,” she said, taking his hand and leading him over to them. “They’re not sure if they ought to actually try to capture him, or just let him be.”

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous to leave him alone?” said Tipsy. “He might try to kidnap someone again.”

“Yes, they’ve thought of that,” said the Princess. “But, you see, we know where he’s hiding now. And we don’t know if he’s actually a traitor. He might have simply been in a fit of jealous rage. Mother is very merciful.”

“I see,” said Tipsy. “But I still think it’s unwise. I’ve met the cluricaun at his worst on several occasions, and he didn’t act as though he weren’t really responsible for what he is doing. I think his anger has influenced him, but I don’t think he’s so upset that he isn’t thinking straight. That is to say… I don’t feel very merciful towards him.”

“Well, neither do I,” said the Princess. “I think he’s terribly wicked and should be dealt with accordingly. I agree with you, Tipsy.” She found him a chair to sit down on, and an expression of her worry crossed her face she saw the way he winced as he sat down. “Oh dear,” she had. “How are your bruises feeling today, you poor Tipsy?”

“I must admit I could feel better,” he replied.

“I suppose it’s always worst the second day,” said the Princess. “But I’ll tell you what I plan… you will just rest for the entire day. Of course you’ll have to make plans, but you won’t have to move about very much. We’re not going to be going to the cluricaun’s place so soon, now that we don’t need to rescue you.”

The King and Queen had noticed for the first time that Tipsy had arrived. They had been so deep in their thought and discussion that they could be excused for not seeing him earlier. They greeted him with smiles, but, to his relief, no words of praise for what he had done the day before.

“I told him what you were talking about, father,” said Apple Blossom. “And he says he wouldn’t leave the cluricaun by himself.”

The King turned questioning eyes to Tipsy.

“Well, you see, sire,” said that young fairy, “I don’t think he’s to be trusted by himself. He struck me as certainly traitorous. He will simply cause more mischief if you don’t lock him up. And he might rally other fairies to his side.”

“What makes you think there are so many traitors within our kingdom?” said the King.

Tipsy turned red. “Well, sire, I hope you won’t mind me telling you frankly,” he said. “And especially you, your majesty,” with a respectful bow to the Queen. “But the truth of the matter is, there is much discontent within the kingdom. I know it well, for I’ve been among all the common fairies, being one myself, and they’re constantly grumbling and complaining.”

“What about?” said the Princess, who was slightly disturbed by this. She hadn’t seen the fairies grumbling, but it sounded rather frightening. It would be awful if they revolted, or something along those lines.

“To tell the honest truth,” said Tipsy, “they’re upset because the Queen is living in the far away mountains. It brings about a division in the kingdom that bothers them very much.”

“And you think that because of this the fairies might join the side of the cluricaun?” said the Queen.

“Perhaps not all of them,” said Tipsy, “and I don’t know how many would actually mean to be traitorous. It wouldn’t be difficult for the cluricaun to convince them that they ought to take over the kingdom so it would be run with less division.”

“You believe that the cluricaun is actually planning to take over the kingdom?” said the King, his own disbelief clear in his face and tone.

“I couldn’t say that I know it,” said Tipsy, “but I’m afraid of it. He wants revenge on you, as well, sire.”

Both the King and Queen fell silent for some time, and the Princess Apple Blossom awkwardly kicked her feet, wondering if she had been one of the causes of all this trouble by being kidnapped.

As for Tipsy, he felt really rather foolish, and his cheeks began to colour. He was not comfortable within the courts of the King and Queen, and he was even more uncomfortable with telling them that the fairies were in general unhappy with the way they were running their kingdom. And to suggest that the cluricaun had higher ambitions that some mischief, when he had no knowledge of whether it was really true… that was terribly uncomfortable.

“Well,” said the King at last, heaving a sigh. “I suppose if that’s the case we should begin gathering an army. But how are we to know for sure if this is what the cluricaun is actually up to?”

“I could go spy on him, if you like, sire,” said Tipsy.

“Oh, no, you mustn’t!” said the Princess, her eyes widening in horror. “Why, you’re so stiff with all your bruises. You’ve done your share, indeed you have, and you’re supposed to rest today.”

He gave her a little smile. “I think I’m best qualified for the task, Princess,” he said. “I know the way to the cluricaun’s hideaway better than anyone, aside from himself, and I can, to an extent, navigate in the dungeons, and find my way out.”

“But how do you know there is anything to see and hear?” she said.

“If he is to begin making any plans, it would certainly be now, after he is so frustrated with your escape,” said Tipsy.

“Very well,” said the King. “It certainly is worth a try, and as you volunteer yourself…”

“Oh, father, how can you let him?” the Princess cried.

“Believe me, Princess, I desperately want to,” said Tipsy. “I’ve always liked an adventure.”

Her eyes filled with angry tears, and she folded her arms, flung herself back in her chair, and proceeded to pout. Tipsy looked at her rather apologetically, and then bowed to the King and Queen. “Thank you very much,” he said. “I’ll set out immediately, and see what I can find out.”

As he turned and left the throne room, the Princess brushed at the tears in her eyes, sprang to her feet, and hurried after him. She caught his arm as he reached the door and walked along with him, looking frantically up at him.

“Tipsy,” she said. “Tipsy, you know you shouldn’t go.”

“Why is that, Princess?” he said.

“Well, because… because… well, you aren’t feeling very well, after rescuing us yesterday, you know. And it’s just too dangerous. Besides, it will make me upset.”

“And why is that?” he repeated.

“Because I was so worried about you yesterday. I’d rather you take care of yourself just now, and let me rest a little from worrying. I’ve had nothing but worry for the past days. Worrying that you’d been caught, worrying that I wouldn’t be rescued… I’m tired of being worried.”

“If I can find out anything important you’ll be spared a terrible lot of worry,” said Tipsy.

“Couldn’t you wait until tomorrow?”

“I don’t know if there is time,” said Tipsy, very gravely. “If the cluricaun has anything planned, it would be better to find out as soon as possible. Now, goodbye, Princess.”

She sighed, let go of his arm, and tried not to scowl at him. “Goodbye, Tipsy,” she said, and turned away, shaking her head. “My word,” said she to herself. “I didn’t know Tipsy could be so very solemn. Poor, funny little fellow.”

The courtyard was still empty, for the fairy guards had been relieved from their duties so they might get some extra rest. Tipsy paused there for a moment, and took a deep breath of the fresh air. He really was aching uncomfortably, and he wished he had decided to wait another day. But… he did not plan to be caught. He only hoped his stiffness didn’t make him stumble clumsily about and alert the cluricaun of his presence.

How sweet of the Princess to worry about him so! And, really, how foolish of her. She had more important things to worry about. But, he could not deny that he had done at least a little to rescue her, though he did not consider it too much. Except when he took an awkward step like that one, and he felt the little aches in his body. And then he thought that perhaps it was more than just a little.

The fairies in the city were going about their business as usual. They had not been told that the Princess had been kidnapped, and so there had been nothing to make them gloomier than usual, and now there was nothing to make them happier than usual. But they were still happy, for they were a merry little folk, and they called out bright greetings to Tipsy as he passed, though he was not recognised by any of them, except the keener fairies who had some vague memory of him being at the feast the night before.

Beyond the drawbridge the remains of the feast had not yet been entirely cleared away. The tables were still sitting there, brightly adorned, for whenever a grand feast was held the fairies liked to leave the decorations up for a day or two, because it was so lovely to look out. Tipsy paused there to study the scene. How odd the night before had been. When all the merriment had been going on, he had not taken part in it. Which was very odd. He recalled how mischievous he had been in days not so far gone, and how uncommonly responsible he was now. And he wondered rather sadly if he had become so much older in such a short time.

But Tipsy, in truth, had nothing to worry about. His graveness now was not a sign that he had abandoned his mischievous self, but a sign that he was a fairy of character. He could be mischievous and humorous, in fact he was mischievous and humorous, but only when it was proper. Mischief played no part in this serious business, and so he abandoned mischief.

But he was not quite sure of this, and was slightly concerned as he trod through the woods.

He could not help but think that the woods were very odd that morning. They were rather unnaturally quiet. A few fairies went skipping here and there, but he had a sense that there ought to be more fairies going about, and he began to wonder with no little amount of worry why this was.

He had decided to enter the cluricaun’s palace through the dungeon entrance, which would certainly be much safer, but he began to realise that he didn’t really have a notion of what he was doing. He could find the way to the entrance, that he knew, but he didn’t know where to go after that. If the cluricaun had a room specifically designed for gatherings, he would go there, but he didn’t know if there was one, and he had only a vague idea of where to look. What was more, he didn’t even know if there was going to be a gathering, which was actually rather humiliating. Could he truly believe that there were a great number of traitorous fairies in the kingdom?

And if there had been a gathering, perhaps they had already had it.

He almost went back then, but then firmly went on. It was certainly worth investigation. He did feel that he was right in thinking that if the cluricaun were going to do anything, he would do it today, after been so thwarted and frustrated. And he also felt that what the cluricaun would do was organise the discontent fairies, speak with them, and try to cause some trouble. Perhaps his feelings were foolish, but he wouldn’t allow anything to be overlooked. He took his position as an unofficial Captain very seriously.

In the dungeons, he sought out the building structures, and went up on of the little stairways that had become so valuable to him. Luck, if such a thing exists, has always been with the fairies, and some say that luck comes from the fairies, and so it was, with this wonderful luck, that Tipsy could hear the murmur of voices at the top of the stairway. He knew right away that he had found exactly what he sought.

He hurried to the door from whence the murmurs came, and leaned close to it so he could hear what was being said. He could not distinguish the words (castle doors, at least in the fairy realm, are generally made thick), but he recognised the cluricaun's voice, and it was an easy thing to tell that there were other fairies besides he within the room.

Keyholes are always terribly advantageous in such a situation, so he proceeded to use the keyhole to see into the room.

It was a wide room, but not in the least ornate. The floors were made of wood, with no carpeting, and there was no furniture in the room save a large table, and the chairs that surrounded it. The cluricaun was sitting at the head of the table, and there were fairies seated all about it. There were more fairies standing gathered around the table, as there were not enough chairs to accommodate them all. It looked very much like a meeting was taking place, and that was exactly what was happening.

Tipsy made himself as small as he could manage, slipped into the keyhole, and perched on the edge of it. From there he could see all and hear all, but he could be neither seen nor heard.

"You have all been discontent with the way the King reigns over our lands," said the cluricaun. "You have told me so time and time again throughout the morning. And now that each of you has had his turn to explain why he is bothered, we may begin finding the solution to this."

"Perhaps," said one fairy, speaking up rather timidly, "we could tell the King what bothers us."

"And what is it that bothers you?" said the cluricaun.

"He's the one who didn't like the Queen being away," said another fairy.

"And what will we have the King do about that?" said the cluricaun. "He cannot simply force the Queen to return. And you have admitted that you have begged her to return more than once… with no results! This problem is not easily solved."

"What do you suggest?" demanded a fairy who was slightly suspicious of the cluricaun's meeting. "It's plain to see you have some idea, and you're simply waiting for the right time to say it. Say it now."

"Very well," said the cluricaun, and his eyes glinted a little. "I think these problems that have sprung up are not a result of what the King has done, but a result of the King himself. He has been ruling our kingdom since our beginning, and it is not absurd to think he is beginning to fail slightly after such a long time. I suggest we replace him with another ruler."

"Would you suggest you?" said the suspicious fairy.

"No," said the cluricaun, and meant it utterly and completely. "A fairy would be brought to the throne who was agreed to be the best choice. I ask of no more than to help bring it about." And, indeed, it was true, for the cluricaun did not have ambitions to ascend to the throne himself, but simply to take his revenge on the King by seeing him displaced.

"I don't think the King would agree with that," said one fairy.

"Of course he won't," said the cluricaun. "He will cling to his throne, to his power. He has always been the King of the Fairies, he will say, and always should be."

"Then it seems your plan will fail."

"Ah, but I have simply said what must be done. I have not yet said how it should be done."

"Then say it!" cried all the fairies, and they waited breathlessly for his reply. They already had some idea of what his answer would be. And Tipsy, sitting in the keyhole, knew for certain.

"We must gather all the wise fairies who see that a change is needed," said the cluricaun. "You know, I think, what I am suggesting. That we take the throne from the King by force."

It was an outrageous idea, a preposterous idea. But it appealed to these discontent fairies for precisely that reason. They made no sign of assent to his plan, but neither did they protest it.

"Do not think of it as a rebellion, I beg you," said the cluricaun. "This is not a rebellion, but a quest for the truth. We have all agreed that the King is no longer fit to rule, have we not?"

There was a general nod.

"And he adheres to old ways and traditions, when it is obviously causing so much trouble in his kingdom."

The fairies nodded again, a few of them this time gave vocal assent. They were beginning to grow more excited.

"We are not rebelling against this wonderful kingdom of the fairies," said the cluricaun. "We are doing something that is right and just… we are reforming it. The King has ruled over a thousand years, it is true, but the ways have changed since this kingdom was established. Yet the King insists upon things being done as they always have been. This reform, even if we must take up arms, does not destroy the kingdom, but rebuilds it."

There was a cheer from the fairies then. He had appealed to their adventurous natures, and to their natural love for the beautiful. But Tipsy really did think it was ridiculous. The kingdom was not in division because the King clung to the old ways, but rather because the old ways had been forsaken in recent times. It was tradition for the King and Queen to be together in the center of the fairy kingdom, and the Queen was living in the faraway mountains. And it was a tradition for the fairies to remain loyal to their King. Indeed, it was the cluricaun causing the trouble, not the King.

“Now, go and gather all the fairies you can find,” said the cluricaun, “if you are certain they will agree with us. The King, you understand, must not hear of this. And we will meet here again within a few days to discuss our first move."

The fairies nodded, and made their way to the door. Tipsy took a firmer grip on the keyhole, and held on tightly as the door was swung open. He was rocked wildly back and forth for some time, and when the last fairy was gone, he still sat dizzily, trying to recover himself. And then, glancing at the cluricaun, who was rubbing his hands together and chuckling, he slipped out of the keyhole and to the stairs. There he went back to his usual size, and hurried down the stairs.

He could not help but feel very satisfied with himself. He had been quite right in his guesses, and now he had some substantial information to bring back to the King and Queen. And he had the next few days planned out… he would go into the woods, he would grumble with discontent at the state of the kingdom, and hope that he was invited to the next meeting. He would go there, of course, but small once again so the cluricaun could not see him.

The Princess Apple Blossom was waiting for him in the courtyard, and her eyes lit up when she saw him. But she very casually commented on how soon he had returned, and pretended she was in the courtyard just for her own pleasure. But he could not help but know better. It was so obvious that she was waiting for him.

“Did you happen to find anything out?” she said, as they went in the castle together.

“I found quite a bit out,” said Tipsy, “and the only thing that was pleasing about it was that I found it out. I’m very much afraid there’s going to be trouble in the kingdom.”

“What a shame!” said the Princess, shaking her head woefully. “I was afraid of something like that, you know. But it’s a very good thing that we actually know. What sort of trouble is it going to be?”

“Come with me, and you’ll hear,” said Tipsy. “I’m going straight to your father.”

“Oh, but you can’t,” said the Princess. “He’s not here.” He turned a puzzled face to her, and she went on. “Not too long after you left, he went off to escort my mother to the faraway mountains.”

“But… why is she going?” said Tipsy, with a sinking heart. If the Queen left all would be lost. There would be even more division among the fairies if she left on the eve of what might be a war.

“My word, don’t look so concerned!” said the Princess. “She’s not leaving for good. She’s gathering up all the fairies in her army to bring over here. You see, after you were gone, my mother and father began to speak about what you had said, and they both thought that perhaps you were right about the cluricaun causing trouble. So she thought it would be a wise thing to go bring her fairies.”

“If that’s all it is, then I’m certainly glad she left!” said Tipsy, much relieved.

“But, you see, the point is, they aren’t here, so you had better tell me what you know.” She looked gravely up at him. “Really, I think you ought to tell somebody,” she said. “Just in case something suddenly happened to you. Perhaps the cluricaun saw you and will magic you so you can’t speak. That would be terrible, wouldn’t it?”

He didn’t think the idea of the cluricaun magicking him was quite sensible, but perhaps it would be better that someone else knew. He did not know how long it took to get to the faraway mountains, or whether the King would stay at the faraway mountains until the Queen was ready to return with her fairy guards.

So, as briefly as he could, he recounted what the cluricaun had said about taking over the kingdom, by force if it were necessary. The Princess’ eyes grew wider and wider, and when he had finished, she shook her head more woefully than before, and her eyes had some fear in them.

“That… would that mean a battle?” she questioned.

“I’m afraid that’s what the cluricaun has in mind,” said Tipsy. “It worries me as well, Princess. Now, who has the charge of the kingdom while your father is away?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” said the Princess, gesturing vaguely. “I think it might be my older sister, the Princess Dawn. But they never named anyone specific. I just think the oldest child would be the most proper, don’t you?”

“Then we must tell her about it,” said Tipsy. “Where can I find her?”

“I’m… I’m terribly afraid I don’t know,” said the Princess. “I know you’ll be angry because I don’t know anything, but she’s never in one place. I couldn’t say where to find her. We could try going to her room, or perhaps she’s out somewhere in the courtyard. I didn’t see her there, but she might be…”

“Well then, you hurry right up to her room as fast as ever you can, and I’ll look in the courtyard,” said Tipsy. He felt very much that the situation was at present too large for him to handle, and despite Apple Blossom’s place in the royal family, he felt it was too large for her, as well. The Princess Dawn, from all the impressions had received, was a very responsible fairy who would be able to handle the situation admirably in her father’s absence.

As it turned out, he did find her out in the courtyard. She was in a dark shadow by the castle gates, with that Captain who had gone with Tipsy on their little mock chase of the cluricaun. He was holding both her hands in his, and they were talking earnestly to each other. Tipsy felt at once that he had intruded on something he ought not to have intruded upon, but they had already seen him and had stepped back from one another at once. Now that his presence was known, he felt quite obliged to stay, for his news was important.

“Forgive me, highness, and sir,” he said, rather awkwardly, “but as your parents are away, Princess, I felt that I ought to speak with you about the important information I recently discovered.”

“Oh?” said the Princess Dawn, her eyebrows raising. “Well then, Tipsy, please speak at once.”

“I don’t know if you’re aware of what I’ve been doing this morning,” said Tipsy. “But, briefly, I asked your father permission to go spy upon the cluricaun, for I had a feeling that something important was going to be happening.” And then he gave a more detailed account of the meeting between the cluricaun and the other fairies.

She listened gravely and thoughtfully, and when he had finished, she nodded slowly. “I see,” she said. “Then, Captain,” she said, turning to that good servant of the King, “I suggest that you begin to prepare our own army. My mother,” she added to Tipsy, as the Captain made his way from the courtyard, “has gone to fetch her army from the faraway mountains. I think she suspected something of the sort.”

“So the Princess Apple Blossom told me, highness,” said Tipsy. “Now, what might I do?”

“I wish you would walk with me for just a moment,” said the Princess Dawn. “I have something that is rather important to ask you, though you might consider it rather rude of me. You see, you’ve not made any advances, and so I have no reason to know whether or not my suspicions are true. I ask merely out of curiosity.”

Tipsy felt his face turning red, and he dropped his confused and rather ashamed eyes to the ground. “I’m not entirely sure what you mean, highness,” he mumbled almost inaudibly.

“I think I’ve embarrassed you,” said the Princess Dawn with a slight laugh. “I really have no business to ask. It would have been different, as I’ve said, if you’d been making advances, whether openly or behind everyone’s backs. Then I, or at least my parents, would have a right to know exactly what you felt.”

“I’m beginning to understand what you’re talking about, highness,” said Tipsy, “but I don’t know for certain and I’d rather not guess.”

The Princess smiled kindly at him. “You admire my sister Apple Blossom, don’t you?”

If his face could have turned any redder, it certainly would have. But he replied very calmly. “I think she’s a sweet little fairy,” he said. “And I have quite a bit of respect for her. She was, after all, my Captain on our sailing trip, so I feel especially attached to her.”

“You don’t have to be afraid of me, you know,” she said.

“Of course, even if I wanted to marry a Princess, I suppose I couldn’t,” he said. “After all, I have no royal attachments, so I suppose that I wouldn’t be considered worthy of it. Not,” he added swiftly, “that I have any aspirations to marry a Princess. I think that life would be too grand for me. I’m very much attached to the woods. A city wouldn’t suit me.”

“I see,” said the Princess. “But I think I must clear up your misconception of the way Princesses marry, at least in these woods, at least in this family. You see, in this land we have a grand King, my father, and those that are placed in charge of smaller areas to make sure peace is kept, as my father is far away from many places, are not exactly kings. They’re considered more of lords. And so we have no princes, save the princes in our family, of which there happen to be none. And even if there were, we couldn’t marry them. And as all fairies are considered to be of an elevated state—not being mortals, you see—we, the Princesses, aren’t restricted in their marriage. All that is required is our parents’ permission.”

Tipsy nodded his head in understanding, and the Princess let loose a little sigh that was slightly frustrated. “You caught the Captain and I together,” she said, “and of course you can’t deny it, because you did.”

“I won’t tell anybody if I’m not supposed to…”

“Oh, no, that isn’t the difficulty in the least,” said the Princess. “I have no doubt that my parents’ will approve when I tell them that we would like to be married, especially after all he has done to help us in the matter of the cluricaun. The problem is that we’d rather not say anything until it is certain we can be married, and with all these troubles coming up that will be some time more.”

“Oh,” said Tipsy, and was not sure of what more to say. And then, after a few moments of that, he added, “I won’t tell anybody, in that case, as you don’t want anybody to know yet. I… I can hardly think of why you told me.”

“I just wanted to let you know that it isn’t impossible,” she said, smiling at him. “It isn’t impossible for a simple fairy to marry a royal fairy.”

“Well, in that case, thank you,” said Tipsy. “But I truly don’t think I would be happy in a great castle.”

“No?” said the Princess. “Well, perhaps a princess would be happy in the woods.”

And then they parted ways.