Ambassador to the Fairy Wood
Felicity looked out her window and sighed. It was a glum day and no matter how hard she imagined sunshine, it wasn’t going to appear. There was a knock on the door.
“Yes,” she called and walked across the room to open the door.
“M’lady, Lord Albert calls,” a boy’s voice came from the opposite side of the door. “He wishes your presence to mediate a special matter.”
She sighed again, but with a little more pleasure and unlatched the lock. The short little fae boy who she knew belonged to the voice bowed when she opened the door and extended his hand upward to meet hers. She walked lightly down the stairs and past the large double doors to the garden where she was to meet visitors. Lord Albert stood leaning under the wide oak tree off the corner of the castle and stared at the sky. He bowed ever so slightly as she approached and without a word, as he usually did, took her hand and led her to Skylark, his silver horse. Skylark was a very quite horse that looked like stone, if you were far away from her, but as soon as they approached her, she snorted lightly and tossed her main to the side. Albert helped Felicity onto the back of the saddle and mounted behind her, gently flicking the reigns to signal Skylark’s quick gallop across the plains.
They reached the forest as the invisible sun turned the sky a white gray. The fae boy was waiting for them along with three others and they helped Felicity off the horse and carried her train through the forest. She always knew the farther into the fairy realm she got because ever so gradually, the colors got more vibrant and the light got brighter and warmer. Lavender dotted the brown landscape and small patches of moss sat underneath the trees all facing inward to where she was going. Finally, Felicity stopped and bowed to Seraphia, queen of the fae.
“Felicity,” Seraphia said, waving her hand to create a chair for her ambassador, “we are having trouble with contacting the humans. They don’t seem to want to listen to us.”
“But of course they listen to you,” Felicity said sitting down in the chair. “We are very much interested in what the fae have to say.”
Seraphia laughed. “No, my dear. I mean in the future. Your children do not believe in us anymore and don’t listen to our cries. My kingdom will slowly be killed unless you help us.”
“I really don’t know what to do,” Felicity said.
“Please, teach them. It is the only thing you can do. And with that ambassador, I give you your final task for the fae. Should you succeed, I will know because your children will be bound ambassadors to my fae. Should you fail, I will know because the children will not heed our cries and we will die alone.”
Felicity nodded and stood up. “If that is all, my humble lady.”
Seraphia stood up for the first time Felicity had ever seen. She stood up taller than the trees themselves and bent down to kiss Felicity on the head. “Sweet child, my time is coming to a close. But should you feel the need to contact us, remember our stories.”
Felicity nodded and finding herself devoid of any other words, walked out of the circle.
“Well, where are we going now, princess?” Lord Albert said with a smile.
“Home,” Felicity said, taking his hand and pulling herself up onto Skylark’s back. “I believe my time as ambassador is finally over.”
