Back in the lounge, Desela, her female pages, my guards, and I are all waiting for the feast to begin.

“This is so unfair,” Orianna whines, “Why is it that only the princess is dressed up?”

“Simple. She’s the main star tonight,” Desela explains, “I can’t have any of you going out there and stealing the spotlight from her, especially since none of you are actual pages.”

“Princess, can’t you do anything about this?” Orianna complains as she looks over to me, “I don’t want to wear this.”

Currently, Orianna, Zoelle, Faraine, Koralesca, Lenadrea, Lyris, and Galatia are all dressed in similar outfits. Their attire consists of a white blouse, a long sleeveless coat, sleek grey pants, and tan boots. The blouse has long loose sleeves, a high collar, and strings to close the front extending from the bottom of the blouse up to the top of the collar. Their  sleeveless coats extend down to their waist; the coat’s color matches each girl’s hair color. Their boots are shin-high and have several rows of laces.

“Please don’t call me princess…” I sigh, “And if I had it my way, I wouldn’t be wearing this either…”

I’m wearing an asymmetrical, two-layered, blue-lace dress. It has two layers of fabric, an inner and outer layer. The inner layer goes from my upper chest to the middle of my thighs. The outer layer is translucent and covers my shoulders while extending down to my legs, just above my knees in the front, and stops above my heels in the back. The lace design is a combination of several different flowers blooming.

“But why? It looks so good on you,” compliments Orianna.

“It really does suit you,” Zoelle adds.

“Seriously, I don’t know why you’re complaining about it?” Koralesca mutters, “For once, I’d have to agree with the runt, this outfit sucks.”

“Hey, who’re you calling a runt?” Orianna barks, “The princess is shorter than me!”

“I’m not going to call the princess a runt,” Koralesca remarks, “What do you think I am, an idiot?”

You kind of just did though…

“Princess, come sit over here, I’ll do your hair for you,” Larina beckons.

Larina is one of Desela’s pages who, similar to me, is a girl that used to be a guy. She is a gnome, or a brown fairy, and has curly brown hair that stops just past her shoulders. She has an oval face, downturned brown eyes, a round nose, high cheekbones, and a bright smile. She is average in height, has a fair build, and a noticeable bosom. She is wearing a green long-sleeved dress that has yellow spirals on it, similar to Avane’s outfit. She has two large wings with a yellow circular pattern and multiple small brown circles on her wings. Her wings also have two tails, with one from each wing touching each other making them look like one large tail.

“Isn’t it fine how it is?” I ask.

“I already told you. You need to look your best tonight,” Desela remarks.

“I know how you feel princess, think about it like this,” Larina consoles, “You only need to get dressed up like this tonight, once it’s over, you can dress however you like.”

“Fine,” I sigh as I walk over and sit down on the couch, next to Larina, “But please stop calling me princess at least.”

“You should just get used to it Evetta,” Desela responds, “Once Verger Flos announces that you’re auntie’s daughter, everyone’s going to call you princess.”

“All the more reason for everyone here to not call me that,” I reply.

“Sorry princess,” Larina apologizes, “It would be incredibly disrespectful to call you anything else.” 

I let out a long sigh, but drop the issue as I was getting nowhere.

Larina brushes my hair and starts messing with my bangs. As I sit there getting my hair done, I look around and see the girls all conversing with each other. Galatia is playing with Orianna and Avane while Desela watches, Zoelle is talking with some of Desela’s pages, Koralesca and Lyris are discussing something, and Lenadrea is sitting silently on the couch across from me.

Hang on, someone’s not here… Faraine? “Hey Lenadrea, do you know where Faraine is?”

“I think she’s out on the balcony,” Lenadrea replies.

“The balcony?”

“Yeah, she’s been pretty down for a while now,” Lenadrea continues.

“Why’s she upset?”

“I don’t know specifically, but I have a guess,” Lenadrea states.

“Could you make sure she’s alright?”

“Sure,” Lenadrea says as she gets up and makes her way over to the balcony doorway.

“Sweetheart, do me a favor and ask Desela who the third skryver is,” Vestele chimes.

“Hey Desela,” I state, “I have a question.”

“What’s up?” Desela replies as she walks over and sits next to me.

“I’ve heard a couple of people mention there being three skryvers here in Folian,” I say, “but I’ve only heard that you and Nolodar are here, so who’s the third?”

“Right… I mentioned her earlier,” Desela sighs, “Her name’s Minerva.”

“Minerva… I don’t remember anyone in our family named Minerva,” Vestele mutters, “Ask her how old she is.”

Yaaay, I’ve moved on from translating to being a messenger…

I sigh, “What’s she like?”

Desela pauses for a moment then says, “To put it simply, she’s a pain in the ass. She’s not much older than you, I believe she’s turning twelve this year, and she’s an incredibly talented skryver, but she’s got major issues.”

“Like…” I say waiting for Desela to continue.

“Well, first, she’s cocky beyond belief. She thinks she knows everything and is determined to prove herself right. Second, she’s extremely competitive, especially when it comes to spyra. Third, she always wants to be the center of attention. And worst of all, the girl won’t leave me alone for longer than a few hours.”

“You’re really singing praises for her, aren’t you?” I joke.

“That’s why I have Arnald keeping her busy… Actually, it’s amazing he’s kept her busy for this long. I wouldn’t be surprised if she showed up any time now,” Desela states, “I’m sorry, but once she shows up, I’ll have to leave and deal with her.”

“Why do you have to leave?” I ask, “Can’t you just deal with her here?”

“Simple, once she meets you, she’ll likely start something,” Desela answers.

“And why is that?”

“Please listen, I don’t like repeating myself,” Desela sighs, “She likes to be the center of attention, and you’re going to be stealing that from her, so she’ll probably propose some kind of competition between you and her. That way, once she wins, she can declare that she’s above you, and the attention will shift back toward her.”

Is she that easy to read? “Honestly, that’s fine by me, I don’t really want the attention,” I respond, “I’d rather just do my own thing until we leave for the spirit realm.”

*Knock* *knock*

Damn, Desela called it… “I guess you have to go now?”

“Hmm, no, I don’t think so…” Desela replies, “Trust me, you’d know if it was Minerva.”

*Knock* *knock*

“Desela, Eude, Elias, and Vallen are back.” Neel announces.

I guess it’s not Minerva.

“Let them in!” Desela shouts.

The door opens and Eude, a short haired nymph with a short but muscular body, and Elias, a grey fairy, walk in first.

Elias has a long-chiseled face, a flat nose, sunken grey eyes behind round glasses, and fair white skin. His short grey hair is perfectly maintained and is combed over to the right. He is tall and has an average build. He is wearing a red long-sleeved shirt, and dark-blue pants. His four wings point diagonally upward, and are also different to the others, lacking any curved edges, with line patterns on them.

Vallen enters after them. He is now wearing white long-sleeved shirt, sleek white pants, and a red vest. His hair that was brushed to the side is now slicked back, showing off more of his handsome face.

The guys walk in and take seats in various places around the room.

“What the hell is this?” Desela inquires instantly after seeing Vallen’s outfit, “I told you to get him dressed into something fitting.”

“Desela, they’re going to be attending a feast, shouldn’t they be wearing something nice?” Elias asks.

Desela heaves a heavy sigh, “None of them are her pages, so they don’t need to stand out.”

“You do realize there’s only a handful of you with rainbow wings, right?” Elias states, “Him wearing some nice clothes shouldn’t take away from the princess, if anything it’ll make her stand out more. What I want to know is what you have the girls wearing?”

“You be quiet,” Desela barks, “Now, go get him changed into something else.”

Desela and Elias continue their argument while I wait for Larina to finish doing my hair.

“Ow,” I cry as Larina pulls it too much.

“Sorry about that,” Larina apologizes.

“It’s okay,” I reply as I see Lenadrea and Faraine come in from the balcony and walk toward me.

“Hey princess, can we talk?” Faraine asks.

“Sure, what’s up?” I reply. Princess again...

“Well, I-”

“Princess!” Koralesca and Lyris yell as they barge in front of me, cutting off what Faraine was saying.

“Princess, were you a girl in your past life?” Koralesca asks.

“Tell this idiot that she’s wrong,” Lyris rebuttals, “You were obviously a guy.”

What the hell, where did this come from... what do I even tell them?

“No way, she’s just shy about things,” Koralesca states, “My sister was the same way!”

“And I’m telling you that you’re wrong. Did you see how she was acting while getting dressed?” Lyris contends.

“Just because she gets embarrassed putting on some clothes doesn’t mean she was a guy,” Koralesca barks, “Princess, tell this deadbeat that she’s wrong.”

“I’m telling you, she’s a guy,” Lyris interjects.

“And what makes you so sure!?” Koralesca roars, obviously getting mad.

“Simple, I used to be a guy too,” Lyris states, “It’s not that hard to tell when you watch how she acts. I’m right, aren’t I princess?”

“Ah… um…” I hesitate.

“It’s okay, you can tell them if you want,” Larina whispers into my ear, “Telling them now will make things easier going forward.”

Suddenly, Desela yells out, “Remember, no lies!”

Right… I figured I couldn’t hide it forever. Besides, I’ve already told Desela and Larina, and if Lyris was able to figure it out, then I’m sure the others also have their own thoughts.

“Haha, yeah, I used to be a guy in my past life,” I awkwardly chuckle, “Sorry for not saying something sooner.”

The room goes silent following my statement. Um… awkward? Koralesca plops onto the couch across from me.

“See, I told you,” Lyris says, “I’m going to hold you to your word.”

Orianna runs over to me and stares at my face.

“What?” I ask.

“You don’t look like a guy.” Orianna declares.

Did she really just say that? “Yeah, I used to be a guy,” I repeat, “I’m a girl now though, so…”

“Hey... how was it going to the bath-” Orianna starts to say before Lyris covers her mouth. She winks at me, and drags Orianna away while saying, “Come on you, don’t make things weird.”

Thanks Lyris. I look over and see Faraine and Lenadrea still standing in the same spot. I guess they were waiting for that to be over.

*Ahem* “Sorry, what were you saying?” I ask.

“Princess, I don’t think I’m qualified to become your page,” Faraine states.

“Huh…? Where’d that come from?” I ask.

Faraine hesitates for a moment, “It’s just, you’re a princess, and I’m a…” Faraine goes silent.

“Who said anything about making anyone pages though?” I inquire.

“But, isn’t that the main reason for picking us to be your guards?” Faraine asks.

“I picked you guys because I don’t know anyone and I’d rather have people that I know around,” I reply, “Besides, I’m still not entirely sure I understand this whole skryver-page ritual, so for the time being I have no plans on making anyone my page.”

“Even so, when you start looking for pages, please don’t take me into consideration,” Faraine states, then pauses. “I- I have to go,” she says sullenly and walks toward the door, Lenadrea follows behind her.

“What was that all about?” I ask quietly.

“Not all fairies want to become a page, some view it as too much of a burden,” Vestele chimes, “Perhaps she’s like that?”

“She’s alright, but it’s complicated,” Koralesca whispers “You see-”

*Knock* *Knock*

“Desela!” A shrill voice cries out followed by words I can’t distinguish.

“Looks like I’ve got to go,” Desela bellows, “I’ll see you at the feast.”

I guess that’s Minerva?

“Desela!” Minerva shouts again, then says something else I can’t understand.

Desela rushes over to the door and makes her way out, Faraine and Lenadrea leave right behind her.

Orianna rushes back to my side and announces, “I’d like to become your page princess! Imagine, all the naps I could take, whenever I want, on the nicest possible beds… ah so dreamy.”

“Orianna, I have no plans on making anyone pages at the moment,” I reply.

Lyris walks back over to me and says, “Good, please don’t take me into consideration either.” She grabs Orianna again and drags her off.

What’s up with them? “Isn’t becoming a page a good thing?” I ask.

“For most, but not everyone shares that sentiment,” Vestele answers.

“Personally, I think it is,” Koralesca also answers, “Don’t worry about Faraine, she’s just going through some things.”

Zoelle walks over and sits next to Koralesca and says, “Yeah, Faraine sort of has a complex, and has some history on the topic of becoming a page, so she’s likely just overreacting.”

“That was an overreaction?” I ask.

“Something like that,” Zoelle chuckles, “Anyway, how are you adjusting?”

“To what?” I ask.

“To being a girl?” Zoelle answers, “I can’t imagine what that would be like. It’s already weird enough retaining our memories from our past lives, but to also swap your gender…”

“I’m... still getting used to it,” I answer.

“Hey, I might just be overthinking this, but didn’t you say you were ten?” Koralesca asks.

“Yeah why?”

“Does that mean you’ve been struggling to adjust for ten years now?” Koralesca inquires.

Ah crap… “It’s complicated,” I reply, “I’d rather not talk about it if possible.”

Koralesca stares at me, then asks, “Is this why you don’t want us calling you princess? Would you prefer if we called you prince?”

“Well… No, that doesn’t solve the actual issue…” I respond, looking down, “Look, I really don’t want to talk about this right now.”

“If you ever want to talk to someone about it, I’m willing to listen, and I’ll help in any way I can,” Zoelle declares.

“I’ll also help out,” Larina says, “…And done. I did a net braid.”

Zoelle gets up, walks over to me, looks at my hair, and says, “It looks great!”

Yeah… it looks great… that’s exactly what I want to hear, compliments on my appearance as a girl… I sigh aloud.

“Hey, I think I’m going to step out for a moment and get some air,” I say, trying to get away from these awkward conversations.

“Want us to come with you?” Zoelle asks.

“I’m okay, just want to think about some things,” I reply as I get up and make my way toward the balcony.

Once outside, I walk over to railing, place my arms on it, and rest my chin atop my arms.

Finally, a bit of peace and quiet… I wonder how Myrna’s doing right now. The knights should’ve made it to Dels by now, so she’s probably okay… Actually, with how she is around people, maybe not… I sigh aloud.

“You okay sweetheart?” Vestele asks.

“I told you not to call-”

*Knock* *Knock*

I turn to look behind me and see Vallen standing in the doorway.

“Mind if I join you?”

I wonder what he wants? “Go ahead,” I sigh.

Vallen walks over next to me, faces the lounge, and leans up against the railing.

Silence fills the air as Vallen doesn’t say anything. This is awkward. I figured he wanted to talk with me… “If you have something to say, then say it.” I declare.

“Hmm?” Vallen looks at me, “I only asked if I could join you, I never planned on saying anything.”

“Right…” I mutter doubtfully.

“You don’t have to believe me, but since you asked,” Vallen states, “I want to thank you.”

“Thank me?” I ask, “Is it because I picked you to be one of my guards?”

“Was it that easy to figure out?”

“Well, I haven’t really done anything to be thanked for. Besides I only picked you since you were already assigned to me, so if you’re going to thank anyone, thank Novaraine, or the verger for assigning you to me in the first place.”

“I already did,” Vallen replies, then pauses for a moment, “For a long time, I’ve wanted to serve under the royalty, so thank you for giving me a chance.”

“No problem.”

“Princess,” Vallen suddenly announces, then kneels down in front of me, lowers his head, and says, “I swear, as long as I am by your side, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Way to make things more awkward. “You don’t need to go that far-”

“I do!” Vallen announces, “Otherwise, I’ll never be able to repay her majesty.”

Vestele, what’s she got to do with this?

“Get up,” I sigh, “I’m not sure what Ve- mother has to do with this, but I don’t see how it has anything to do with me.

“Ah, well…” Vallen hesitates, “I was once saved by her majesty, and I’d like to repay that debt by serving one of her children.”

“I saved him?” Vestele comments.

“Then why me? I’m sure the others would’ve been more ideal,” I question.

“I tried, but the position was either already taken, or I was rejected.”

“So I’m your last chance, huh?”

“Something like that…”

“Well, I’m not going to make any promises, but do as you like.” 

“I understand, thank you princess.”

I wasn’t expecting this guy to be so seri-

“Princess, Novaraine’s here for you!” Neel announces from inside the lounge.

Vallen and I head back inside. I look to Larina and ask, “Should we wait for Faraine and Lenadrea to come back?”

“It’s okay,” Larina answers, “Me and Avane will go find them and have them meet you at the feast.”

“Alright.” Let’s get this day over with, then I’m done with dresses…

I make my way toward the door, Zoelle, Koralesca, Orianna, Lyris, Galatia, and Vallen follow behind me. We all make our way out of the lounge, and are greeted by Novaraine, “Good afternoon princess. Are you ready?”

“Yes,” I answer.

“Very well,” Novaraine replies as she starts to walk down the corridor, I follow right behind her.

“This is sooo exciting,” Oriana cheers, “I’ve never been to a feast before. I wonder what kind of food they're going to make.”

“I’m more interested in seeing how everyone reacts to meeting the princess,” Koralesca chuckles.

“What about Nolodar, he should be a prince, right?” I ask, “How do people react around him?”

“Prince Nolodar…” Zoelle ponders, “He’s kind of difficult to approach.”

“Really?” I ask.

“Well, there’s this pressure that he exudes wherever he goes,” Zoelle continues, “So, most people won’t willingly approach him.”

“Sure, he can be a little intense, but once you get to know him,” Vestele chuckles, “he’s intense in a completely different way.”

“What do you mean?” I intentionally ask, directing my question at Vestele, while masking it as if I’m asking Zoelle.

“He’s kind of similar to Desela… maybe?” Zoelle questions, “His aura’s just… intimidating.”

“As the first prince, Nolodar’s always prided himself on trying to maintain a perfect image,” Vestele adds, “But he has a side to him, that he only shows to those he’s close with.”

It doesn’t sound like it’s anything bad… Now I’m curious.

We arrive at the branch opening, start flying, and descend down the Vravyth. What greets my eyes, is a sea of colors that cover the ground surrounding the massive tree. There’s so many of them… I look around and realize that there are no fairies anywhere in the trees or air. Are all the fairies in Folian gathered here.

“Uh…” I mutter as we descend.

“Nervous princess?” Vallen asks as he flies toward me.

“Maybe a little...” I mumble, “There’s a lot more than I was expecting.”

“You shouldn’t be, in fact, I can promise they’re all more nervous than you,” Vallen replies as he nods his head toward the mob of fairies, “Each one wants to talk with you, and if they don’t make a good first impression, their chances of becoming your page disappear.”

“Right…” I mumble. So, they only want to get to know me so they can become my page…

“That’s not the only reason though. You’re also a symbol of hope for us,” Vallen continues, “You being a new princess means that the queen’s alive, and that means, this lifestyle will hopefully come to an end and we can all return home. Either through her hands, or potentially yours.”

“Thanks,” I whisper under my breath.

“I couldn’t agree more. I’d love to be able to return to the spirit realm,” Koralesca adds, “When we get to go back, I’ll show you all around.”

“Show me the best places to nap,” Orianna comments.

“Sorry, let me rephrase that, I’ll show everyone around except you,” Koralesca sneers at Orianna.

Orianna opens her mouth as if to respond...

“We’re here,” Novaraine announces as she enters a massive opening, one large enough for dozens of fairies to enter and leave without any issue. 

We land in a grand hall with a raised ceiling, there are no fairies anywhere around except the verger. Opposite the opening we just passed through, is another opening just as large. The middle of the room is open and clear to allow free movement. On the left side of the room is a raised platform with an empty table and some chairs. Along the outskirts of the room are chairs and tables; the tables are covered with various foods. Hundreds of balconies extend out of the walls above the floor, each acting as its own area with a table and some chairs around them. Hanging from the ceiling are multiple chains with yellow crystals attached at the end, each crystal radiates a bright light.

“Welcome princess,” Verger Flos says as he walks over to us, “I’m glad you could attend tonight.”

“Thank you,” I reply, “I’m looking forward to tonight.”

“As you should,” Verger Flos declares, “Novaraine, could you get the princess’s guards situated.”

“Very well. Please follow me,” Novaraine says as she guides my guards toward the raised platform.

“Now then princess,” Verger Flos remarks, “If you would follow me, we will begin.”

Verger Flos makes his way to the edge of the opening and continues walking out, the wood extends below his feet as he walks. A small platform forms as he walks out, it is just large enough for the two of us. I walk out onto the platform and stand beside the verger.

Verger Flos starts speaking loudly to the crowd of fairies below us, his voice echoing all throughout Folian as if the Vravyth itself was speaking. For several minutes, the verger talks, presumably in Zoic, as I am unable to understand what he is saying.

Suddenly, he motions his hands toward me, and Vestele whispers, “Wave at them.”

Hearing her, I start to wave at the fairies, and they all start shouting loudly, the booming cheers overpowering the verger’s voice. The ovation dies down and as silence fills the area, Verger Flos starts speaking again. 

“He’s introducing you as my daughter, saying things like you’re a sign that I’m still alive, and that peace will soon return to the spirit realm,” Vestele chimes, “He’s also telling them that you can’t speak Zoic, and that they’ll be allowing people to enter the main chamber to meet you.”

I really need to learn Zoic… not knowing what’s being said is driving me crazy.

Verger Flos stops speaking and the fairies below start cheering again, this time however, he walks off the stage back toward the main chamber. “This way princess,” Verger Flos says as we walk back into the chamber.

Following behind the verger, I am brought to the raised platform where Novaraine and my guards are, “This is your seat princess. We will be allowing fairies to meet you while you enjoy your meal, and we have several performances planned, including dances, skits, recitals, concerts, elemental exhibitions, and some duels.”

I am curious to see all of the elements in action.

“Thank you,” I reply as I take a seat. 

The table we are sitting at is a long rectangular table; Galatia, Lyris, and Vallen are to my right, Vallen being the closest to me, while Orianna, Koralesca, and Zoelle are to my left, Zoelle sitting next to me. Verger Flos turns around and announces something to everyone, again his voice echoes as if the Vravyth was talking. At the conclusion of his statement, cheers erupt from the fairies outside the room.

Suddenly, several fairies arrive with trays of food and begin to place a multitude of dishes down on the table in front of me. There is a variety of meals, from cutely shaped fruit dishes, to odd dishes that look awfully like eyeballs. Before the fairies that bring the food leave, they introduce themselves to me, and briefly explain how they prepared the dish. At the same time, other fairies start to enter the main chamber and begin to crowd into the room, taking a seat at one of the balconies, or the seats on the floor.

I try to enjoy the multitude of different foods in front of me while, every couple of seconds, a new fairy walks up to my table and presents themselves to me. Before I notice, a line seems to have formed. It extends down to one of the entrances into the chamber and continues to grow longer. Some fairies introduce themselves in either Annic or Parazic, but the majority speak Zoic, further cementing the fact that I need to learn Zoic; during these introductions, Vallen and Zoelle translate.

“I’m glad that you have some friends here with you,” Vestele comments, “but it’s bittersweet since I’ve lost one of the few things I can help with.”

Really, that’s what you’re complaining about…

Thanks to the feast, I’m able to meet all of the different types of fairies. Vestele explains the types to me, listing off the element of each as I see each new kind of fairy. Vestele says that wisps are red, sylphs are orange, voltes are purple, alves are yellow, umbras are violet, gnomes are brown, pixies are grey, devas are pink, nixes are teal, wints are cyan, dryads are green, and nymphs are blue. I realize that all the fairies of the same type have the same wings.

During my greetings with the fairies, a large group of them get impatient and start approaching me en masse, to stop them, Lyris puts a barrier of light around me, Koralesca binds some of them in shadow shackles, and Galatia launches crystal spears at their feet. Some fairies still try to force their way forward, at which Zoelle freezes their feet, while Vallen creates a massive ball of fire above us and says, “Take one more step, and you’ll be comparable to charcoal.”

Seeing the scene, a warden descends from one of the balconies, calms everyone down, and gets them back into a line. The meet and greet resumes, although everyone now seems a bit more apprehensive.

“Thanks for that, but was it really necessary?” I ask as things calm down.

“Absolutely,” Koralesca says, “We had to make a statement, otherwise others would try to do the same thing.”

“We were simply keeping you safe,” Vallen remarks.

Keeping me safe… Honestly I might be in more danger around you guys…

Scanning everyone, they all seem impressed with themselves, while Orianna looks troubled.

What’s got her upset now?

While I continue to meet people, groups of fairies step into the middle of the hall and start performing. The performances cycle through rapidly, each only lasting a couple of minutes. In the background of almost every performance, a band, a musician, or a singer plays or sings along with them, making it difficult to keep track of every spectacle. At the end of each routine, the performers and musicians approach me and introduce themselves. Before the next routine starts, the dishes on my table are exchanged with fresh new ones.

During the rotation of dishes, a male wint walks over to the table and places a small brown loaf in front of me and says, “Please give it a try, princess.”

What is this? Some kind of cake? It looks kind of hard though… 

I hesitantly take a bite. No way!  This is… ice cream, it’s an ice cream cake! Oh, when was the last time I had ice cream! “You, what’s your name?” I ask with my mouth still full of food, covering my mouth as I speak.

“It’s Lhoris,” he replies.

Lhoris is tall, slender, and has short curly cyan hair. He has a young face with a thin nose, small lips, upturned cyan eyes, and long ears. He is wearing a grey shirt, grey pants, and has a red apron over his outfit. His wings are similar to all wints, consisting of two large wings that look like shattered ice; the veins are white, and the membrane is cyan.

“Thank you for the dish Lhoris, would you mind making something for me some other time?” I ask.

“It would be an honor princess,” Lhoris says composedly before he leaves.

I don’t remember liking ice cream this much before. I wonder if it’s because he’s a good cook?

“She liked it!” I hear Lhoris shout just before he flies out of the room.

I smile as I go to take another bite. I guess someone’s happy.

As I continue to eat, I return my attention to the performers in the middle of the room. There are groups that do various kinds of dances, some are performed solely on the ground, others are wholly done in the air, and a couple are a combination of the two. One pair of dancers catch my attention as they dance around the hall, mixing between the audience. Their dance makes them look like lovers as they have good chemistry and are full of energy. When they finish the dance, they introduce themselves as Yibic, a male wisp, and his partner Catelyn, a female wint.

“These two aren’t bad,” Vestele comments, “but I prefer Vallen and Zoelle, even if they do have their flaws.”

The next individual that I notice is the main actor of a skit. What catches my attention, is not the fairy himself, but rather his role as a black fairy, a type that I have yet to see. The skit is about an event that happened in the past when a male fairy was exiled from the spirit realm and travels through the world trying to find a place to live. During the skit, I cry as the black fairy kills the heroine, but also dies in the rebellion he starts against the fairies.

“You’re probably curious about black fairies,” Vestele states after the play, “I’ll tell you more about them later, for now just enjoy yourself.”

As the performances continue, eventually a single female deva takes the center of the room by herself and starts to sing. Compared to the other singers, and even some of the bands, her voice alone seems to captivate everyone, myself included. Her melodious voice causes everyone to quiet down and focus solely on her. She finishes, approaches me, and introduces herself as Vivian.

She has shoulder-length, wavy pink hair, and has a short, dainty figure. She has a cute face, and her friendly, outgoing personality makes her smile more striking. She is wearing a frilly dress that alternates between light blue and white and partially covers her left leg. White stockings and blue heels adorn her legs and feet.

“You have an amazing voice, would you sing for me again some time?” I ask.

Vivian replies, “Absolutely princess!”

“She might not be so bad, if you want someone to keep everyone in good spirits,” Vestele chimes, “Similar to Avane.”

The line of fairies interested in meeting me continues to flow, but as it does, I take notice of someone standing in the line. Is that Lenadrea? What’s she doing in line, and why’d she change her clothes. Slowly the fairies introduce themselves and leave, while I keep my focus on Lenadrea. Eventually it’s her turn as she approaches the table.

“Hi Zoelle, Koralesca, Orianna. Where’s Lenadrea? I heard she would be here.”

Huh? What does she mean where’s Lenadrea, isn’t she... “Hey Zoelle. This is-”

“Ah, I’m so sorry, my name’s Aila,” the sylph cries out, “I’m Lenadrea’s younger twin. I came by to congratulate my sis on being chosen by the princess.”

Lenadrea had a twin sister, interesting.

“So, where’s she at?”

“She’s dealing with Faraine,” Zoelle answers.

“Okay, well, tell her I said congrats when you see her,” Aila says as she turns around to leave, “Nice meeting you princess.”

“Yeah…” So, she was here for Lenadrea? Why do I feel hurt after hearing that?

The routines proceed, yet start to become mediocre and mundane, oftentimes the music or dances start repeating themselves, just being done by different, or worse, performers. With the conclusion of another dance, several new fairies enter the spotlight. The fairies each start performing their own unique act, each involving the elements. 

“Hey, what kind of performers are these?” I ask.

“They’re called conjurers,” Galatia answers, “They use elements to create an act.”

“I see.”

They are all fascinating to watch, but the one that I take notice of is a male volte who uses electricity to create life-like animals that play with him and each other. When comparing him to the other conjurers, the others’ elemental creations do not seem as intricate, while his maintain their form and never lose their vitality.

“Wooooah...” Orianna mutters in amazement.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“His control’s incredible…”

“Indeed,” Galatia remarks, “Making the elements appear as animals is already challenging, but doing that with electricity, one of, if not the most difficult element to manipulate, only makes him stand out even more.”

After their acts conclude, the conjurers all approach and introduce themselves. Eventually, it’s the male volte’s turn.

He has a composed face with mysterious thin purple eyes, a pointed nose, and unlike other fairies, has several metal piercings on both of his ears. He has an average height and build, and is wearing a dark green coat, dark-grey pants, and has a floppy teal hat with a pointed tip and a purple feather on it. His wings are similar to Orianna’s. His forewings have straight edges, while his hindwings are long and thin that trail down behind him. All of his wings change from a light yellow to purple as they extend away from his back.

He introduces himself, “Hello princess, my name’s Ruven. I hope you found my show entertaining.”

“It was incredible,” I reply, “I wish I had a better understanding of electricity to fully appreciate your act, but nevertheless, it was wonderful.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Ruven says as he bows, then leaves.

“He might be able to teach you how to control electricity,” Vestele states, “I know many people in our family have struggled trying to learn it.”

Before the next performances start, Orianna declares, “Princess, one day, I’ll be able control my electricity like that, so look forward to it.”

“Looks like someone realized how much they suck,” Koralesca teases.

“Yeah…” Orianna mumbles sullenly.

A moment of silence follows Orianna’s answer. I guess even Orianna has things she worries about. 

“Well would you look at that, someone’s maturing. It really doesn’t suit you, so go back to being the little runt we all know,” Koralesca remarks as she puts her hand on Orianna’s head.

Orianna looks over at Koralesca smiles and says, “Thanks. Looks like even gorillas have hearts.”

Koralesca shoves Orianna’s face into a plate of food. “You know, this look suits you.”

“Pfft,” we all start laughing at Koralesca and Orianna when a whimsical tune permeates the room. I look around in search of the origin of the sound and see a gnome playing a simple flute, and while he is not using an elaborate instrument, the sounds coming from it are pure and harmonious. The silvery sound pulls at my heart, reminding me of the times when I was sad and upset. Unlike the other fairies, however, he does not introduce himself and leaves upon the conclusion of his song.

“Even if there’s the possibility of becoming a page, not every fairy will be interested,” Vestele says, “He isn’t the first, and won’t be the last either.”

A shame too, that was beautiful.

The performances finally reach their conclusion and preparations start for the duels. To prevent any harm from potentially coming to the audience or myself, alves spread out, and alongside Lyris, create walls of light to protect everyone from stray shots. The duels are short but intense as two fairies are pitted against each other, with the match being decided once one fairy lands a hit on the other.

“Everyone looks like they’re seriously fighting,” I comment.

“Princess, no one here is taking these fights seriously. Everyone here is holding back to prevent harming the audience, damaging the Vravyth, or killing their opponent,” Vallen replies, “These are only duels after all, in an actual battle, there are no winners, only survivors.” 

“How true,” Vestele chimes.

“Is that so,” I mutter, “Still they look pretty intense.”

The duels start with the fairies being grouped based on their element, and once each group has one fighter left, the combatants are placed into four groups of three. Each fairy then has a duel with both competitors twice, and the top combatant moves on to the final stage. The four remaining fairies enter a bracket and eventually, the final match is between a male pixie, Crisnic and a female wisp, Meltece. 

Just before the final duel starts, a lone fairy flies in and lands in front of me.

Standing in front of me is the third skryver, a sly smirk spreads across her face as she says, “Hello princess.”