The Rise Of The Fairy Queen: The Fairy Queen Trilogy, #1 4c174u

The Rise of the Fairy Queen

The Fairy Queen Trilogy, Volume 1

Gemma Perfect

Published by Gemma Perfect, 2020.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

THE RISE OF THE FAIRY QUEEN

First edition. August 2, 2020.

Copyright © 2020 Gemma Perfect.

ISBN: 978-1393688662

Written by Gemma Perfect.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

Here’s the first few chapters of the next book, The Fall of the Queen | 1

2

3

Author’s Note

1

“IT’S TIME,” MEG TOUCHES Elsie on her shoulder, gently rousing her from sleep. Elsie opens her eyes, instantly awake. She sits up, pushing the hair off her face, and shaking out her sleep rumpled wings. “I’ve been counting down to this day for years.” “Me too.” Elsie reaches out for her maid and her only friend, eyes full of unshed tears. “You don’t have to come with me. You can stay if you want to. Escape.” Meg shakes her head, frowning. “I won’t leave you.” “This is your chance. It might be your only chance.” Meg shakes her head, no taking hold of Elsie’s hands. “I won’t leave you. Not before and not now.” Elsie closes her eyes, letting the tears fall. “I’ll knock for breakfast.” Elsie walks over to the window and looks out at the abandoned garden, while Meg knocks on the bedroom door. Neither reacts to the scrape of the deadbolts being drawn back. A guard shoves two trays into the room with his foot, and then they hear the locks being pulled again. Meg places Elsie’s tray down on the little table first, and then her own. “I won’t miss this.” Elsie laughs, as she sips the warm water and takes a bite of bread. “Oh, Meg, will it be wonderful? Will it be completely different?” Meg nods and smiles, and Elsie feels better, finishing the meagre breakfast

quickly. Meg has the same amount but finishes first. Elsie watches her wipe her hands and then turns to her, smile overly bright. “Let’s get you ready.” Elsie stands in front of the mirror and allows Meg to dress her, taking off her shabby nightclothes and replacing them with her newly bought travelling clothes. Meg brushes and ties up her hair. Elsie is sixteen years old and has never dressed herself, not once. “It’s time.” Elsie nods and closes her eyes as the door is unlocked once again. Meg steps out of the room first and the guard follows them through the castle corridors and out to the waiting carriage. There’s nobody there to see her off, nobody to send her away with love and luck and the wish of a safe journey. The driver nods to her, a sympathetic smile on his face. Meg helps Elsie into the carriage. They will never return to the castle where she was born, where she said her first words, took her first steps and first realised how cruel the world could be. Meg, who knows her best, drapes a blanket over both of their knees, and tucks her arm through Elsie’s, keeping up a stream of light-hearted chatter so Elsie doesn’t have to face her sadness. “How about a story? One of your favourites?” Elsie nods. She loves listening to Meg’s tales of brave girls and fearless warrior women. She won’t look back at the castle. She will look forward. To her new life, to her new home and to her new husband. To freedom. “Meg! Tell the driver to stop, I need-” Overcome with emotion, Elsie is shaking, and crying, and Meg does as she’s bid. The driver slows to a stop and Elsie all but falls out of the carriage, touching the grass, the gravel road, the flowers. She raises her face to the sky; the light making her wince, tears stinging her eyes. Then she flutters her wings and flies straight up and a little wobbly. It’s been a long time. She lets out a whoop as she somersaults in the air, before landing

beside Meg who takes hold of her by her shoulders. “Be careful. Please, Elsie.” “I how to do it.” “That’s not the point.” Elsie drops to the floor, her legs suddenly giving way. “Oh, Meg, am I free?” Meg kneels beside her and bundles her into a hug, a tight hug. “You are. You are free.” “Nobody can make me go back?” “Nobody can make you go back.” Elsie is sobbing now, but smiling too. Through her tears she asks, “I can do what I want?” Meg nods. “Within reason, princess.” “Then I want to eat. I am so hungry. Is there food in this village other than stale bread? Can we stop on the way to the docks?” “Yes, there is and yes we can stop. We can do whatever you want.” Elsie wipes her eyes and her nose on her sleeves, laughing when Meg tuts, and then stands up shakily. “I cannot believe I am free. The sky is so blue, the grass is so green.” “You are giddy, get back in the carriage.” “Can’t I fly to the docks. I long to fly.” Meg spins to face her, a flash of fear in her eyes. “No!” “Why not Meg, what are you scared of? I won’t fly off and leave you.” “That’s not what I’m afraid of. We should go straight to the dock. We can eat on the ship.”

“Please, Meg. We’ll be quick, I just... I just want to eat. Do what I want. Be free.” Meg sighs but nods her acquiescence. Elsie climbs into the carriage and sits back under the blanket. “So, we can stop at the next tavern?” “We can. But we must be quick and careful. You might be hungry, but taverns aren’t pleasant places to go.” “Even in broad daylight?” “They are every bit as rough as they are at night. Please, Elsie. I am charged with looking after you. If we don’t make it to the ship-” “It’ll be because we’re dead in a tavern, and nobody can be angry with you if you’re dead.” Meg laughs and rolls her eyes. “I cannot be angry with you. You take advantage of that.” “I do not. I promise I don’t. I’m just... free. And so, so-” “Hungry!” Meg finishes the sentence for her and Elsie laughs. “Do you know how I have longed for this, Meg? How I have longed to be away from the castle?” Meg knows, she has heard her princess and her friend cry more nights than she can count. She knows all that she endures because she is right by her side, enduring it too. “A quick stop is all I will agree to. The driver accompanies us, and at the slightest sign of trouble we leave.” “What trouble would there be?” Meg shakes her head but doesn’t answer. “Meg?”

“No trouble. Let’s finish our story.” Meg tells the story, one Elsie has heard more than a hundred times, and she lets her words wash over her. She is free. Like a bird, or a butterfly, or a fairy who may fly once more. She is flushed with excitement. Elsie squeals as the carriage slows down. “Please, princess.” Meg gives her the warning, but Elsie ignores her. “Do I really need my cloak?” she asks, holding it up. Meg pales slightly but smiles quickly. “Absolutely. It might be cold.” Elsie climbs out of the carriage before it has even stopped. Before she can dart away, Meg tucks her wings in, smoothing them down, and covering them with the cloak. Then she shakes her head as she takes in the tavern – well, more of a shack, really. “You couldn’t have waited until we got to a nicer tavern?” she asks the driver but doesn’t wait for his answer. “Princess.” Her voice holds a warning that Elsie pays no heed to, as she turns to drink in the sight of her first tavern, the first signs of life, other people, freedom and choice she has encountered since she was ten years old. She cannot help but shudder, a tremble that runs through her entire body, and she turns to Meg, excitement shining in her eyes. It looks a little grubby: she touches her cloak, a dark grey velvet that won’t show the dirt, at least, and moves closer to the tavern. She can hear raucous laughter, shouting and music, despite the early hour and cannot help the rush of joy that fills her. She is determined to live a different life now that she’s free. She squares her shoulders and walks towards the noise. Meg is right beside her. There’s a sign outside, hanging askew, FINE WINES AND ALES. Nobody believes that lie; there is nothing fine about the place: it’s a dump. The place doesn’t even have a name; that’s the only sign, and it’s not even straight. As Elsie gets closer the door slams open and a group of loud, laughing men spill out into the chilly air. She drinks in the sight of them. Fairies. Drunk fairies, but people still. Talking, laughing, moving. They can barely stand up straight, let

alone walk and, suddenly, her heart is beating loud enough for her to hear it. They turn away from her, staggering the other way, and relief almost makes her knees buckle. She turns to Meg, sees the expression of amusement on her face, and sighs. “I’m going in.” “Don’t let me stop you,” Meg says. “As if you could.” Elsie pushes open the door to the tavern, the heat and stink of ale making her take a step back. It’s strong enough to knock the uninitiated out, and her eyes are watering from the reek. She breathes through her mouth so she cannot smell it and steps inside. The noise and the smell hit Elsie afresh and the gloominess. She can barely see through the fog of smoke and the dim lanterns with grubby glass. There are too many people and not enough room; she gets jostled and takes a step to the side, knocking into someone else. “Sorry.” She turns as she apologises and takes a step away from the man – he’s the tallest, ugliest brute she’s ever seen, and he grins at her, showing his lack of teeth – and promptly bumps into someone else. She cannot help but sigh at how ridiculous it is, as she heads for the only empty table she can see. The men and women all fall silent as they watch her. Aware of the silence she keeps her head down, holding her arms close to her sides, so she doesn’t hit anybody else, making sure her wings don’t flutter madly, which they do when she’s scared, and refusing to meet anybody’s eyes. The noise starts up again, and Elsie breathes a sigh of relief. If the sights she has seen in here so far are anything to go by, she can’t be that interesting to any of them. She takes in the table, a slab of worn and stained wood on legs, wonky and dirty and the stool, maybe in a worse state. She tucks her cloak under her, so her dress stays clean.

Meg sits, a scowl on her face, and the driver stands beside them. “Now what?” Elsie asks and Meg laughs. “Funny how you think I would know.” Elsie shrugs, looking so painfully out of her depth that Meg feels sorry for her. “Luckily for you, a day spent with my father usually meant placing a bet or two, followed by a little lunch in the tavern.” She bangs the table and the barman looks over at her. “Three pints of your best ale, and some water for the horses outside.” Elsie looks at her, awe clear on her face. “Meg, you are a wonder.” “I’m not a wonder. One drink – I refuse to let you eat here. I don’t care how hungry you are.” Elsie is happy to agree and has to hide her disgust when the barman puts the dirty tin cups on the table, ale sloshing over the sides. “The driver will pay you,” she says, and the barman nods, a man of few words. “Elsie, I know you want your freedom, but I promise you this isn’t it. Drink quickly.” Elsie cannot argue, so instead takes a single sip from her drink. She feels she ought to after the fuss she made about coming here, but she is more than ready to leave. A cough has them both looking up, fear filling Elsie’s eyes. The man standing there stands alone. He has a jug of ale in one hand and a plate of chicken bones in the other. “Smelly Jim,” he says by way of an introduction and Elsie tries to smile, she really does, but smelly doesn’t cover it. The stench emanating from him is too foul to describe as a mere smell. It is dizzying how bad he smells, the surrounding air is hazy, and she’s sure there are flies buzzing around his head. He’s a skinny man, painfully skinny – even though she can see evidence that he eats with the chicken bones, she would question the truth of it. He looks cadaverous, skeletal and between the look of him and the stench of him she

wants to turn around and run away, but her princessly manners are rooting her feet to the floor and her backside to the stool. Despite where she is and who she is looking at, she cannot be rude. Smelly Jim takes a tiny, birdlike sip of his drink, and nods at her. His expression doesn’t change; he looks serious and strangely still. She wonders if he smiled would his skin split. It looks so tight; he hasn’t an ounce of fat on him. “A princess?” Elsie nods, as Meg reaches over to place a warning hand on her arm. “A princess who is just leaving,” Meg says, her voice firm and her eyes hard. There are too many men, and women, who would want to take revenge against any member of the royal family they met; even if the princess in question was oblivious to the horrors that go on in the crown's name. Which Meg knows she is. “Don’t leave. Not yet. I should tell you something. I bet you haven’t been in many taverns in your life. Am I right?” He grins then, and he looks all the worse for it. Elsie nods and risks a look around. Most of the people are ignoring her. It’s ridiculously busy, people sitting, people standing, people perched on laps, jostling for space, the noise of them all talking, laughing, shouting, arguing, is headache inducing and there’s an undercurrent of menace that is making Elsie tense. There is a strange atmosphere here; despite the laughter and the revelry, there is a barely masked threat of violence. She catches a few people looking her way, men and women, and they are bold enough to hold her gaze, and she understands. She doesn’t fit in. And she wants to leave. “It was delightful to make your acquaintance... Jim.” “Smelly Jim.” “Quite.”

“One thing. I can see how sad you are, butterfly. But let me tell you that exceptional things are waiting for you. I shall not visit the sins of others upon you, and neither will anybody else.” Elsie turns to Meg and whispers, “The sins of others?” Meg shrugs as though she does not understand what Smelly Jim is talking about, but she knows they need to leave. He considers Elsie over the rim of his cup of ale, and she cannot help the rush of panic that comes over her. But for her ridiculous notion of needing to enjoy her freedom and eat because she’s always so hungry from the tiny amount of food she’s eaten for years, she would be tucked up safely in the carriage, listening to Meg’s tales, but she is perching, in this dark, smelly, uncomfortable tavern, with the reek of ale and Smelly Jim assaulting her nose and the sound of swearing, laughing and general hullabaloo assaulting her ears. She is close to tears and feeling foolish for taking such a risk. “Exceptional things and grand adventures.” He pauses, eyes glassy. “And a life like you would never have dreamed, fairy queen.” Meg takes Elsie’s hand and pushes back her stool, the loud scrape against the tiled floor, breaking the spell. Elsie stands with a stumble. “Thank you, Jim, we’ll be off now, and good day to you.” Meg doesn’t wait for any further insights from him, just tucks Elsie as close as she can to her, and hisses to the driver to watch them safely outside. He glugs down his ale, not wanting to waste it, and quickly downs the other drinks. A loud bang and scream have him reaching for his sword. Elsie freezes when she hears the scream and the bang, even though Meg is pulling on her arm, and her eyes are wide with fear. Frantically looking around, she sees a young girl being carried over a man’s shoulder. She is screaming but not putting up much of a fight. “Shouldn’t we help her? Does she need help?” Meg asks the barman who is watching them with an amused expression on his face. “That’s her husband,” he says. “She refuses to put dinner on the table for him. Every night’s the same.” “Really?” Elsie watches the pair with interest. When he finally puts her down,

they kiss to a roar of applause before the chef plonks two pies in front of them. Looking at the grubby grease covering his tunic, Elsie is glad that Meg wouldn’t allow them to eat here. “Time to go.” Elsie won’t argue with Meg. She is more than ready to leave and opens her mouth to say so. It’s not a scream that cuts her off this time but a yell, an angry yell from a deep-voiced man. Immediately it’s followed by more shouting and swearing, and then there’s chaos as all the punters rush to gather around the brawling men. Elsie shrinks back against a wall, horrified by the noise, swearing and shouts for violence. She has let go of Meg’s hand and cannot see her in the rush of bodies and violence. She can hear the thwacks as the punches land, and the crowd roars louder with each hit. She cannot see the fighting men, only the press of bodies surrounding her and them, but she is trapped. She cannot hope to force her way through the throng without getting hurt. Frantically looking from side to side for means of escape, but finding none. The noise of the crowd and the bloodthirsty cheering is making her feel dizzy. Sick and dizzy. Her hands are sweating, and her heart is beating loud enough for her to hear it. Tears spring to her eyes and she uses the wall behind her to stop herself from fainting flat on to the floor. As often happens when one fight starts, the swarm of people watching them fight amongst themselves. The mood is high and with space lacking, people are jostling each other, shoving, cursing and scrapping. Two men wrestle to the floor in front of Elsie and she screams, trying to make herself smaller, edging sideways along the wall, desperately trying to move out of their way, desperately looking for Meg or their driver. They’ve backed her into a corner with no means of escape, frightened tears coursing down her cheeks. She is stuck.

2

A THIRD MAN PILES ON top of the two near her feet and as he does, the man at the bottom of the pile swings out his foot and kicks Elsie’s shin, before scrambling up at the same time as shoving his hand against the wall, except the wall is Elsie’s stomach and as she doubles over in pain, one of the three men swings out a fist and instead of catching one of his fight mates, it catches Elsie square in the eye. She is sobbing in pain and whimpering at the sight of the blood on her hand from the wound on her eye and wondering how she will ever escape from this tavern alive, when a familiar voice calls out over the ruckus. “Elsie!” Elsie turns at the sound of her name being screamed over the din of the tavern and her legs crumple at the sight of Meg. She had felt like she would never see her again, that she might be stuck in this nightmare forever more. Meg pushes through the crowd with the driver to reach Elsie, shoving people with her elbows, and punching a man in the gut when he tries to grab hold of her. The driver scoops Elsie up and she clings to him as Meg leads the way to the door. Her fierce expression ensures them clear age. Outside in the cool air, with space around them and no one to jostle them, the driver sets Elsie down. Meg hugs her and then shouts at her. “No more adventures.” Elsie nods. She is happy to do as she’s told. “I cannot believe how loud it was in there. I...” “Oh, Elsie, you’re hurt,” Meg says, seeing Elsie’s eyes spilling over with tears and the blood pouring out of the cut under her eyebrow. She bites her lip, keeping her angry words to herself. She helps Elsie into the carriage; she’s shivering with shock and cold, the pain and embarrassment of what’s just

happened colouring her features. “We need to get your eye seen to.” “How?” Meg sighs. “Leave it to me.” Elsie stares at her hands, tears blinding her. She has been shut away for so long, ignored and starved of love, but she has never been physically hurt, not once. After giving instructions to the driver, Meg takes her seat next to Elsie and holds her handkerchief against the cut, trying to stem the bleeding. “I’m sorry.” “Nothing to be sorry for.” Elsie knows that isn’t true, but she loves Meg for taking it easy on her. “Where are we going? Not back to the castle?” “Not back to the castle, never back to the castle.” Elsie smiles at her, grateful that Meg knows her so well. “Just close your eyes; you’ve had a nasty shock.” The carriage eventually slows down and Elsie opens her eyes, peering out of the window, a confused expression on her face. “Where are we?” They are on a dirt track, in the middle of the woods. “We won’t be long,” Meg tells the driver. “We’ll be quite safe. I just need some stuff from the forest, plants and petals to fix Elsie’s eye.” The driver shrugs. Meg pulls Elsie along with her. “I just need to make sure he doesn’t...” She trails off. Already the driver has pulled his cap down over his eyes, gearing up for a nap. “Never mind, come on.” “Where are we going?”

“To the campsite where the troupe live.” She laughs at Elsie’s confused expression. “Now this might be an adventure.” “What’s a campsite? What’s a troupe?” Meg doesn’t answer, just pulls her along. As they thread through the trees, deeper and deeper into the dense forest, where there are no tracks or roads, a gaggle of small children s them, always eager to see something out of the ordinary. Elsie shakes her head at Meg, her eyes even wider. Their little feet are bare and dirty, the same as their faces. The troupe make their clothes from the most colourful material and Elsie cannot stop smiling at the excited expressions on their faces. “Meg!” One of them calls out and Elsie looks even more confused. She grabs Meg’s arm. “How do they know you?” “Come on.” Meg leads the way, enjoying Elsie’s amazement, but nervous about how her sister will react. “How do you know this place?” “My sister, Gwenna, lives here with her family.” Elsie’s eyes are wide, taking in the colourful tents, the colourful clothes, hundreds of grazing horses. “She married a man who travels with the troupe.” “Wow.” Meg leads the way, threading through the tents, the people, the horses, the children, the open fires, the washing hanging on lines, the laughter and the chatter. Elsie cannot take it all in; her head is turning this way and that, trying to keep up with Meg and trying to absorb it all and trying not to stare open mouthed at things she has never seen before. Like bare-chested men washing down wagons with hot, soapy water. Like women feeding babies from their own bodies, with no shame at the world seeing their skin. Like children running in groups, whooping and laughing and shouting with nobody telling them to behave themselves.

She cannot believe that such a place of freedom exists, and she calls to Meg, who turns around, laughing at Elsie’s expression. “Meg, how could you stand to live at the castle with me, knowing your sister lives somewhere like this?” Meg shakes her head and gestures with her arms. “This isn’t me, not one bit. I like peace and solitude and order and routine.” She doesn’t add that being locked up in the castle is the safest place in the kingdom. “I like a visit, but I like to go home. You’ll see – you’ll have a headache by the time we leave. Look, there’s Gwenna.” Outside a large tent, there’s quite the gathering, there are men and women sitting in a large circle, singing and playing instruments, and there is a lone woman in the centre of the circle, dancing, wings fluttering. “She’s such a showoff.” Elsie cannot take her eyes off the scene before her. After nothing to look at except the four bare walls of her room and an empty garden for the last six years, this is mind boggling to her. Meg takes Elsie by the hand and brings her closer, and when the adults see who has arrived the music stops and the dancing stops and a hum of anger and fear ripples through the crowd. Gwenna gestures for her sister, and Meg asks Elsie to stay where she is. “You’ll be fine, just give me a second.” Elsie cannot hear what Meg is saying to her sister, but she can see that her sister is angry with her. She doesn’t understand why and moves closer to hear what’s being said. “Why have you brought her here? Are you crazy? You’re risking all of our safety. We’ve said goodbye once. Meg!” Meg takes hold of Elsie’s arm, shooting a furious look at her sister. “The driver is at least a mile away, on the upper track. He didn’t follow us; he couldn’t care less. I promise I wouldn’t bring trouble to your door.” “What trouble?” Elsie asks, unsure of what the sisters are fighting about. Gwenna ignores Elsie and nods at her sister. “I hope you’re right.” She scours the treeline looking anxious.

“Please, Gwenna. I wouldn’t have brought her here if I didn’t have to. She needs Bronwen.” Gwenna visibly relaxes when she can see no sign of movement in the trees, and then shrugs. “Bronwen isn’t here. She won’t be long. You can wait and I’ll finish my dance.” She turns to Elsie. “You are welcome.” Elsie feels anything but welcome but doesn’t know what to say or do, so follows Meg’s lead. She can see Gwenna talking quietly to a few of the fairies sitting around the fire, who whisper to the person next to them, and on and on, and Elsie knows that they are talking about her – some of them are staring at her with obvious curiosity in their expression, others look openly hostile. She doesn’t know why they don’t like her. As quickly as the atmosphere turned sour it turns jolly again, and the singers and musicians shift up and make room for the newcomers, most of them recognising Meg, who nods her thanks to them. “Why don’t they want me here? What have I done?” Meg pats her arm. “Nothing. Honestly, don’t fret, it’s just sister stuff. Enjoy this.” The music is hypnotic, and Elsie finds her feet tapping and her hands clapping. She has forgotten completely about her eye, her stomach, her shin. No pain could find her in a place like this; it’s magical. Gwenna’s hair is swishing, her hips are swaying, arms in the air. Her wings are glittering in the daylight, and she dances and flies, dances and flies, as several others them. They spin and swap partners as anyone not dancing claps, louder and louder, faster and faster. Gwenna nods to Meg, and Meg s her sister. Elsie is open mouthed now. She has known her handmaiden for years and years, but she has never seen her as free as this. Meg beckons for her to them, but Elsie shakes her head. She is happy to watch. Meg is laughing as she goes, spinning, spinning, spinning and Elsie is laughing just watching her. She feels freer than she ever has in her life, and she is only watching.

Eventually they stop, and Meg sits beside Elsie. “I’m so sorry, princess, I got carried away.” “Never apologise for that. It looked wonderful.” “It was, but Bronwen is back. Come on, come with me.” Elsie does as she is told; she is past deciding anything on this journey. Her last decision didn’t end well. She ducks inside the large colourful tent and follows Meg to the corner. A little old woman sits there, her body and hair wrapped in colourful silks. “This is Bronwen. She’ll fix you up. Bronwen, this is princess Elsie. We’re on our way to the ship, but we got distracted. Elsie tell her where you’re hurt, other than your eye.” Elsie sits at Bronwen’s instruction, with the strangest feeling that she knows this woman and has met her before. She knows this is impossible. She hasn’t been outside in six years, and before that she would never have visited a campsite or a troupe. She stays quiet as she’s tended to; she doesn’t want to say anything and sound stupid. She’s used to being ive, letting someone dress her or wash her hair. This is no different. It doesn’t hurt at all; she can hardly tell that Bronwen is touching her. She puts some kind of paste on the cut that makes her skin tingle and a small dressing. She touches Elsie’s stomach through her clothes and immediately Elsie feels better, less tender, and then Bronwen does the same for her shin. “She’s a healer,” Gwenna says, ing them and throwing her arms around her sister. “Sorry, Meg. We’re always on high alert, you know that.” Meg nods but widens her eyes in warning. Gwenna says nothing but hugs her. “I’ll miss you, Meggy.” “I’ll miss you too. Stay safe. We need to go. We can’t miss the ship.” “Thank you,” Elsie says, tired from her adventures but desperate to know why people don’t seem to like her and why anyone would be on high alert.

Gwenna presses a hamper into her sister’s hands and Meg kisses her cheek. They thread their way back through the trees, first with company, as many of the children and teenagers follow them, enjoying a change in their daily routine, but who fall off until they are alone. Elsie sighs. “Thank you. I would never have known that all of those people lived in there. It was amazing to see, but why don’t they like me?” Meg stops and takes Elsie’s arms. “It’s not that they don’t like you. They don’t like anyone. They keep to themselves and they keep hidden. Elsie, please don’t mention them once we are back in the carriage.” “So, they were angry that you brought me there, not angry with me?” “Yes. But I assured them that their hiding place was safe.” Elsie feels better. “It is.” They climb into the carriage and open the hamper. Meg es the driver some bread, and within five minutes they are on the move again. “We have raspberry gin,” Meg says, looking through the basket. “And honey cake.” Elsie closes her eyes, and within seconds, she is asleep. She sleeps for more than an hour, and when she wakes Meg pushes a tin cup of raspberry gin and a hunk of ham into her hands. “Drink and eat, we’re nearly at the ship.” Elsie nibbles the ham. “Did they ask you to stay with me, or did they make you?” “What difference does it make? I love you.” “I want to know. Did they ask you to stay with me? Did you have a choice?” “I did, you know I did. I got to leave, didn’t I? They allowed me to visit my mother.”

Elsie nods. “Every Sunday. And every Sunday I couldn’t breathe until you came back.” “I didn’t know that.” “I thought you’d stay away. I wouldn’t have come back if I was you.” Meg holds her tight. “I had to come back. I would never have left you alone.” “I can never repay what you did for me.” “You don’t have to. This is a life of my choosing. I wanted to go into service as soon as I was old enough. And I have looked after you for a long time. I served your parents...” They are both crying. “I couldn’t leave you to face all of that on your own.” “Really?” “Yes.” Elsie takes a drink of her gin. “I suppose I don’t realise how lucky I am.” “Not lucky.” Meg’s voice is thick with anger. “Your step parents have a lot to answer for.” Elsie says nothing. She wants to forget her step parents and only look forward. They quietly enjoy the rest of the hamper’s contents, and then the carriage slows down as it negotiates the cobbled streets and the narrow lanes down to the docks. The driver pulls the carriage in as close to the ship as he can and then he unpacks her belongings, along with Meg’s things, while the two women stand and watch the world go by. Elsie reaches out to Meg and takes her hand. “I’m scared.” “I know, my lovely. But we made it this far. I thought highwaymen might have set upon us or murdered us in that tavern.” Elsie looks shame faced.

“And you’re bound to be scared. But anything is better than where you were and what you’ve been through. It’s time to forget the past and look forward. It’s time to be excited. You’re like a girl in the stories I tell you – all those old tales of warriors, and fighters, and incredible girls. That’s you. There’s a whole unknown life waiting for you on the other side of this sea.” Elsie doesn’t answer, so Meg just squeezes her hand. There are only ten years between them, but Elsie has always felt that Meg mothers her and she welcomes it. The docks are noisy, rammed with people and sellers and sailors, men, women and children, and Elsie smiles at the bustle; so different to her own life at the castle. Life at the castle has been quiet and small and lonely. This is so different: she can smell the freshly caught fish; a mix of different foods and the stink of many people all crammed together in one compact space. The noise is overwhelming – with men shouting out to each other or hollering lewd comments at the women who them, some shouting back, some choosing to ignore the heckling. Amongst the noise is the screeching and laughter of children playing. She feels dizzy with it all and cannot focus on one thing before something else takes her attention; she’s like a leaf in the wind, being blown this way and that. She sits on a bench and lets the scene wash over her. She is enjoying it, even though it’s very different to what she’s used to. She watches a little girl; golden curls bouncing and smiles at her. This is a child who knows freedom and happiness, she can tell. When she runs past Elsie, the ribbon falls from her hair and Elsie picks it up. “Hey, your ribbon.” The girl turns and smiles and takes a step toward Elsie, getting knocked off her feet by a group of lads kicking a can. She cries out in indignation and pain, fat tears plopping onto her dress. Elsie scoops her up and sits with her on her lap. “It’s all right. It’s just a little scrape.” Her knee is bleeding, but she’s stopped crying, and she’s just smiling at Elsie, her bottom lip trembling. “Let me put your ribbon back in.” Elsie sets her on the ground and turns her around to tie the ribbon back into her hair. She lets out a gasp and looks for Meg. Meg is facing the ship, oblivious to Elsie, so she calls out to her. “Meg!” She’s not sure what to do or what to say

because she has seen nothing like this. This little fairy girl has got no wings. They’ve been clipped. The edges of what’s left are ragged and Elsie’s eyes fill with tears. This poor little girl; who could have hurt her like this? The girl snatches her ribbon and runs off, leaving Elsie panicked. Meg takes her by the shoulders. “Elsie, what’s wrong. Has something happened?” “Meg, we need to do something. That little girl didn’t have any wings. It must have been her parents. We have to help, or tell someone.” Meg leads her to the ship. “Elsie, we can’t do anything. She’s not yours to save.” “Meg don’t say that. Please, she needs someone.” “I’ll tell the captain of the ship and he can tell someone before we sail. He’ll know people here; we don’t.” Elsie nods, breathing a little easier. “Yes, that’s an excellent idea. Thank you.”

3

AS THOUGH TALKING ABOUT him summoned him, the captain of the ship comes down to greet them. He bows low, and when he straightens Elsie flushes slightly. He is the most handsome man she has ever seen, and he looks young, maybe only a few years older than her, young to be a ship’s captain. “Princess.” His deep voice is as pleasing as his face and Elsie gives him her hand and flushes a little more when he kisses it. He nods his head to Meg, and Elsie smiles when she blushes. “I’m your captain, but my name’s Tom, so just call me that. I’m nervous to have a princess on board. I rarely carry such important cargo.” “Cargo?” Elsie laughs, despite feeling unsettled by the little girl with no wings. “I’ve never been described as cargo.” Now it’s his turn to flush and stammer his apology. “I’m so sorry, princess, that was clumsy. I meant guest. I rarely have the pleasure of such an important guest.” She cannot hide her smile and he just laughs, holding out his arm, ready to take her aboard. “Your cabin is below deck and you have the best that we have. It’s usually my cabin-” “Oh, no, you can’t give up your cabin for us.” “Too late. You and your lady-in-waiting will be in together, I assume that’s all right?” Elsie nods. “That’s wonderful. I feel bad, though-” “You mustn’t. This ship is a beauty, but we don’t have a lot of esteemed guests and so our beds are all bunks, narrow and uncomfortable. My cabin is better.

Still not what you are used to, but it’s comfortable.” Elsie takes in a sharp breath. If he only knew what she was used to. She changes the subject. “How long should the crossing be?” “Somewhere between three or five nights, depending on how the wind favours us.” “I’ve never been on a ship before. I’m nervous to sail.” “Don’t be. It’s the most wonderful feeling. It’s like flying without the effort of flying.” His wings twitch, as though they are ready to fly, and he pulls them in, looking strangely awkward. “Excuse me, I have many things to do before we set sail. Aside from your cabin, there is a small room off the main deck where we congregate, where we eat, and where you may wish to sit now. You are free to walk around the open deck, just be careful. I have lost nobody yet, and I don’t want to lose you.” He nods and bows again before leaving them alone. Elsie watches him then looks up at Meg, who is grinning. “What? I was just looking at the unusual colour of his wings.” “I’m sure you were. Let’s go down to the cabin, see what it’s like.” Elsie sits on the bed – a large double that she will share with Meg. “It’s comfy.” Meg s her for a second, bounces slightly, nods. “It’s softer than what we’re used to.” Meg smiles and unpacks Elsie’s things. They have packed light, mainly because Elsie didn’t have much to take. “Here’s a tonic so you don’t get seasick; Alyce gave it to me. I have seven little vials of it, which should be enough to get us there. Drink one now, and one each morning. She advised that the best cure for seasickness is flying ahead or behind the ship, though. Not for so long that your wings get exhausted, but just long enough to stop the nausea.” “I hope I’ll be okay. I’d rather be onboard.” “With Tom.”

“Oh, he is handsome, isn’t he Meg?” Meg has to nod. He is a good-looking young man. “He looks young to be a captain, though.” “I thought that too, and then I thought he must be good at it, sailing, I mean, to be in charge of such an enormous ship.” She sighs. “I wonder if my new husband is as handsome as Tom.” “The painting of him showed him to be very handsome.” “We all know that paintings are not an accurate likeness. Don’t you the one they did of Isla? When she is old enough to wed, her husband will not recognise her.” Meg snorts with laughter and then covers her mouth. “Elsie! That’s terrible.” “And true. I think my step father paid him extra money to paint her in a more favourable light.” “That may be, but it’s not kind to say so.” Elsie shrugs. “I’ll never see her again or my step parents. I’m as good as an orphan now. I have only you, until I am married.” “I think it’s the right thing for you to do, to forget them. Try to your mother and father, if you can, but forget those two.” Elsie closes her eyes. “I don’t them. It’s harder every day to picture their faces.” “That’s normal. It means nothing.” “It doesn’t mean I’m a terrible person for forgetting them?” “Not at all. It means you’re exactly like everyone else who ever lost someone they love.” Elsie shrugs. It sounds too easy. She heads over to the small round window and looks out. “If we have rough seas, we’ll be able to see the fish as they swim by.”

“Great.” Meg shakes her head. She will not be looking at fish as they swim by; she will be getting as much fresh air as possible, and flying daily, as long as she’s able. Fish! “Let’s go up on deck, we don’t want to miss the sail away.” Elsie spots Tom straight away, deep in conversation with several men. One of them is shouting at Tom, his hand raised, his finger pointing towards her and Meg. They are too far away for her to know what they are saying, but she has the same sinking feeling she felt at the campsite, the same ominous understanding that people don’t like her. Tom sees her, raises a hand, and breaks away from his crew. The angry man throws his arms up in the air and storms off the ship. “Princess.” Tom bows. “You can call me Elsie. You don’t have to be so formal. Tom, why was that man so angry?” “He’s always angry. You need not worry.” He puts an arm around her and leads her away from the other men, and around to the far side of the ship. “I wish my ship was smarter. She’s not really a enger ship, just a merchant one.” “It’s perfectly lovely,” Elsie says, staring up at him. “It’s not. We’ll be travelling with a smaller crew than normal, and I’ll make sure they know to tone down the swearing and the drinking and to that we have two ladies aboard.” He hesitates for a moment. “It surprised me to be asked to ensure your safe age, honoured but-” Elsie sees Meg throw him a glare; a subtle warning of something that stops him mid-sentence. He stutters slightly and then catches himself. “So if you look over here we can wave as we set sail. Is the royal family here to see you off?” Again, Elsie sees Meg send him a warning glare, and can’t stop herself from feeling angry. There’s something going on and she’s not sure what it is. Meg takes her arm. “Nobody is here. Just us.” Her tone is enough to stop Tom asking any more questions and Elsie shoots her a grateful smile but feels unsettled. Tom scratches his neck, a blush colouring his skin. “So, let’s wave goodbye.” Meg squeezes Elsie’s arm as they go. “Come on brave adventurer – this seems

like a much nicer adventure than that tavern.” “Will you ever let me forget that?” “Unlikely.” Tom ushers Elsie to the front of the ship and she pretends not to listen as he talks in a hushed tone to Meg behind her. “I misspoke?” “You couldn’t have known. The princess has never had a close relationship with her step parents.” “If she has a hard relationship with her step parents, does that mean that she’s unhappy with all that goes on?” “Unaware.” “Surely not?” Elsie spins around. “I cannot pretend that I don’t hear you. I’m standing right here, and I want to know what you’re talking about, why everyone hates me, why that man stormed off. What goes on that I am unaware of? Meg!” Meg takes her by the arm and steers her away from Tom. “My lovely, I’m so, so sorry. I’m not being fair on you, but now is not the time or place. Please, let us set sail, then we’ll go to the cabin, and then...” She takes a huge breath. “There is something I need to tell you.” Elsie shakes her head and opens her mouth to argue, before closing it again. She looks around and can see Tom staring at her, the other crew looking, and she lets her anger go. “All right. I can wait. But you must stop talking about me as though I’m not here. I’m not a child, Meg.” “I know. And I’m sorry.” Meg stays beside her charge, wiping her tears and holding her hand, and then turns to Tom, allowing Elsie to wallow without being observed. “How are you a captain at such a young age, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Not at all. I’m proud to be the youngest captain to ever sail the seas. Apparently.” He grins, and she laughs. “My father was a captain, his father a sailor. The sea is in my blood. My mother always joked that if you cut me open, I wouldn’t bleed, I’d spill out salt water. I hope you know that you’re in safe hands?” “I do. I trust you with my princess. And I’m fiercely protective of her. Just so you know.” He nods at the warning, and turns to Elsie, keeping a little more distance between them. He takes her hands in his. “Princess I am honoured to have you on board. I need to go, but I’ll dine with you tonight, if I may. My crew as well?” Elsie nods, unable to speak, and then turns to Meg when Tom walks away, her eyes wide. “I’m scared. Something very wrong is going on – people don’t like me, and they are angry with me. I need to know why.” “I’m scared to tell you.” Elsie is about to reply when she feels the ship move. She clutches onto Meg’s arm. “You can’t be scared, you just have to tell me.” Meg nods and leads the way down below deck. She sits Elsie on a chair in the cabin, and perches on the edge of the bed. “Elsie, they have locked you up for six years, you know that was wrong of your step parents, don’t you?” Elsie nods. “Of course. But what could I do?” Meg holds up her hands. “Nothing. There’s nothing you could have done. But you know they’re terrible people, right?” “I didn’t at first. When my mother died, I was sad, but only six. I don’t really her. Then when my father remarried, I was happy. He wasn’t sad anymore, and she was very kind to me.” Meg takes a deep breath. “And then he died.” “Exactly. I didn’t like the man my step mother married. He was cruel and unkind to me and Isla. My step mother changed. She became more like him. He tried to hurt me a few times, but he never managed... then they locked me up.”

“Well, in that six years they have been unkind to, and hurt, many people. All the fairies in the Kingdom fear them.” “I can understand that.” “They rule through fear and abuse and they’re not even royal. They don’t deserve the thrones they sit on, or the crowns on their heads.” Elsie feels a wave of dread wash over her and stands up. “What do they do?” “They take money off everyone – too much money. They leave their subjects hungry and ill. They also... they clip them. That little girl we saw before; her parents didn’t hurt her, the king and queen of Allaire hurt her. At their command, thousands and thousands of fairies have been clipped.” “Clipped?” “Clipped. They take grown men and clip their wings, new mothers and clip their wings, tiny babies and clip their wings. And they charge them for the pleasure – money for the royal coffers.” “That’s so awful. Why would they do that – it’s sick.” “To scare people and keep them under their control. They are terrible, terrible people, and I’m so glad you’re safe, that we are safe, away from them.” “That’s the proper reason your sister hides. Why she was so furious that you brought me there – it was in case someone from the castle had followed me.” Meg nods. “I knew they hadn’t. It’s sad to say, but they don’t care enough.” Elsie closes her eyes, tears sliding down her face. “And the man who stormed off the ship. He was angry.” She spins around to face Meg. “Do people think I know about this? That I condone of it or approve of it somehow?” Meg nods, her face pained. Elsie covers her mouth, sobbing now. “Don’t. It’s not your fault. You’ve been mistreated too. They locked you up like a common prisoner, when rightfully...” She pauses.

“Rightfully what?” “Rightfully the throne is yours. You’re the only true heir to the throne of Allaire. Not those monsters.” “The true heir?” Elsie looks uncertain. Meg nods. “They’ve kept you locked up and now you’re sixteen they are happy to send you away for a marriage of their convenience and not yours. They are lucky you don’t start an uprising against them.” “An uprising?” “People talk about it.” “They do?” “Nobody I know – they wouldn’t dare, but Gwenna has mentioned it to me. I am glad nobody ever did it.” “Why? If they’re so terrible, wouldn’t you be glad that someone stopped them?” “Not while you were there. If rebels had stormed the castle and found you, us in it, we wouldn’t have survived. Besides, I think it’s just talk.” “You think?” “I have always hoped. Maybe they’ll do it, maybe they won’t. The fairies are angry, but they’d need a spark to set something like that off. You don’t just wake up and rebel if you’ve put up with mistreatment for years.” “A spark.” Elsie looks thoughtful for a moment and then tunes back into what Meg is saying. “Don’t let it worry you. There’s nothing you can do. You’ve never had to make choices or decisions, not yet, but when you do, I know you’ll make wonderful choices, different choices to what your step parents have made. Choices that reflect you and who you are, who you want to be, what you want to be ed for.”

“They don’t clip everyone.” “They don’t.” “You have your wings, Tom and his crew have their wings.” “Elsie, I’m in service, so is Tom in a way.” “I feel ashamed of them. Shouldn’t I go back, try to fix things?” “You cannot fix anything. I won’t put you in harm’s way, for a start, and what could you do or say?” Elsie sobs harder, soaking Meg’s shoulder. “You cannot worry, you cannot let this spoil your new life, you cannot undo this, or change it, or help anybody. Please.” Meg is crying too. “I’m selfish. If I just leave, I’m selfish. Isn’t this one of those choices you’re talking about? Where I do better than them?” “I wish it was. But this is one of those times where you count yourself lucky and don’t look back.” Elsie looks so pained that Meg can only take her in her arms again and hold her like she hasn’t been held for a long, long time. “I don’t want to go up and face everyone. What must they think of me, Meg?” “Nothing. If they thought anything, Tom will make sure they know the truth.” “And Alwen? Does he know? Does his family know? Why doesn’t anybody stop them?” “Alwen might know. His parents might know. But they have enough to do running their own Kingdoms. They wouldn’t want to start a war by interfering.” “So, why would he want to marry me?” “Darling girl, he probably doesn’t. This is a political marriage, strengthening bonds between our Kingdom and theirs, and probably ensuring that they don’t interfere. He had as much choice in it as you did.”

“So none?” Meg nods. “I can’t imagine how you’re feeling, but I only want you to know that this isn’t your fault, and it isn’t your problem to fix. We’ll go up when you’re ready.” Elsie lies on her bed, and turns to face the wall, silently crying, listening to Meg bustle around the cabin as she readies comfier clothes for Elsie to wear.

4

THE DECK IS EMPTY, with all the men at their stations, and the ship on her way. They are the only two extra guests and it isn’t a huge crew. The proper work comes before they sail, loading up the ship with cargo, and when they arrive across the sea, and empty the ship of her goods, before they are taken and carted off to wherever they end up. Traders pay good money for safe transport of their goods, and it’s definitely not a fitting vessel for a princess. Tom s them, and Elsie touches his arm. “I know everything.” “I’m so sorry.” “Do your crew think I’m like them?” “I don’t know. But I’ll speak to them before we dine. They would never upset you; they’re friendly people.” “Unlike my step parents.” None of them know what to say. “Meg, can I fly?” “Yes, but be careful; you’re bound to be rusty after six years.” “Six years?” Tom looks shocked. “She’s flown once in six years and that was just after we left the castle.” Elsie faces Tom, taking in his confusion. “You can’t fly when you’re locked up.” “They locked you up?” “Me and my sister. And not even together.”

“That’s awful.” “Not as awful as what they’ve done to other people.” “What a horrible thing to find out. But you’re free now. Would you like me to fly with you?” Elsie nods. Free. What a paltry word for such a big feeling, for such an enormous thing. Free. She might be free, but others aren’t as lucky. Fury and sadness and helplessness fill her, and she flies off the ship, high into the sky, straight up, like an arrow. Then she drops like a stone, before swooping, twirling and somersaulting. Meg might have been scared that she’d have forgotten how to fly, but she hasn’t. Tom s her in the sky, and the two of them fly, flit and soar over the water. They swoop down and hover beside the dolphins, laughing when they get splashed and zipping out of the way before they get soaked. The sun shines on the two of them, making Elsie’s wings look even more beautiful than usual – they are glittering in the sun. Tom’s wings have the strangest colour, a mossy green, almost muddy, but they look striking with the water and the sun on them. Carefully Elsie lands on a dolphin’s back, saying hello to it, and asking for a ride. The dolphin stays above the water, as though it heard her, and they swim along for a long way before it turns, cheekily, throwing her off. She flits up before she hits the water and hovers, breathless, beside Tom. “You look like you’re having fun.” “I am. It’s not something I ever having before.” She flies off before she has to see the pity or sadness on his face and he watches her soar before flying to catch up with her. He takes her hand and they fly together, swirling and turning in the sky, somersaulting and spinning, landing just on the surface of the water, before shooting up in the sky until Meg can no longer see them. Elsie is breathless when they land on the deck, colour in her cheeks and life in her eyes. Meg wipes a tear away. Elsie is straight by her side. “What Meg, what’s wrong?”

Meg shakes her head. “Absolutely nothing. I just love seeing you so happy, so free, so... alive.” Tom runs a hand through his thick, floppy hair and grins. “I’ll get some stick for that. The crew rarely sees me at play.” “I’m sure they’ll appreciate it, as did I,” Meg says, smiling at them, and watching the smiles that are being shared by the two of them. “Fly with me, Meg!” Elsie pulls at her hand, bringing her to the edge of the deck. Meg shakes her head, but then changes her mind. They gain height quickly and hover between the ship and Tom. Elsie has colour in her cheeks and her wings look strong and shimmery, not limp and under-used. “I love this, Meg!” As Elsie flies with Meg, and Tom does tricks in the sky, the crew come out to watch, and soon they take to the sky too. The sea is full of dolphins, and a few mermaids who have come to see what all the noise is about, and the sky is full of flight. The late afternoon sky becomes a riot of singing, laughing, flying tricks in the air, and the crew chanting “Cappy! Cappy! Cappy!” whenever Tom es them. Elsie laughs so many times that Meg loses track. Her eyes shine so brightly. Her cheeks flush so prettily. Her wings are ablaze. She is having the best few hours of her life, and when they all land on deck, the happy feeling clings to them and the surrounding air, like magic. They are still smiling when food is brought out, and then they all sit together, crew, captain, Elsie and Meg. “This is so good,” Elsie says, pulling apart soft, fresh bread. “That would be thanks to Mark,” Tom says, pointing at the young lad, who is no older than her. He blushes and shakes his head, stuffing his face with food so he doesn’t have to speak. Elsie smiles at him, aware that she looks at Tom the way this young boy is

looking at her, and then she cannot look up from her plate for fear of blushing. She shifts slightly and knocks knees with Tom, feeling flustered and silly when she apologises. She has never sat so close to people before. “I just need a minute.” She pushes her chair out and the crew and Tom all stand. “Please sit and eat, I don’t want you to stand on ceremony throughout this entire journey. No bowing, no standing, no your majesty. Just, please, carry on as though we weren’t here.” She walks out of the room, up a few steps and over to the side of the boat, holding onto the railings, and gulping in the fresh air. It’s dark now, and she can’t make out much ahead of them. It feels oppressive suddenly. She lifts off the floor, contemplating flying away, being alone in the air for a while, when a hand on her arm stops her. “Don’t fly off. It isn’t always safe at night.” Elsie looks at Tom, fear in her eyes. “Not safe?” “You’re safe onboard, but there are sometimes bandits in the sky.” “Bandits?” He nods. “Pirates, we’ve been lucky, but I’ve heard of ships being attacked, crew vanishing, I’m sorry, I don’t want to scare you, but I don’t want you flying off alone, either. I’d like to know where you are. Are you all right? You seemed a little... uncomfortable just now.” “I was. I’ve been alone in a room with Meg for six years, I’m just not used to being so close to other people.” “I cannot even imagine it. Was Meg allowed to leave?” “She would leave every Sunday to visit family, and I would sit staring at the door until she came back.” She picks at a thread on her dress. “The room was so small; my world was so small. Even this ship feels like it’s too enormous for me. I’m not sure what to say to people or how to act. I’m afraid of saying the wrong thing, and I’m afraid that they all hate me.” “They don’t. I know they don’t. I told them what you told me. They feel as sorry for you as I do.”

“I don’t want their pity. I feel pity for the fairies I’m leaving behind.” He reaches out and touches her hair, just tucking it behind her ear, making her wings shiver when Meg interrupts them, startling Elsie and causing Tom to flush. “The food is getting cold. We don’t want to insult Mark by ignoring his efforts, do we?” “Absolutely not.” Tom pulls away from Elsie and Meg takes her hand. “Come on, butterfly.” While they eat, the crew keeps them all entertained with stories of the things they have seen on their travels back and fore across the seas. Each of the crew has a story to tell, a joke, a lark, an unimaginable tale, and for Elsie, who has seen nothing but the same four walls for six years, their tales are even more incredible than the stories Meg tells her. Her eyes are wide, her cheeks flushed. Sometimes she thinks they must be teasing her, but they all remain straight faced. “I don’t believe you,” she says to Tom, when he laughingly tells of the mermaid who tried to kill him when he accidently sailed into her cove. “She was very protective, very territorial. I’m telling you if I hadn’t flown away and got the ship out of there pretty quickly, I don’t know what she would have done. I’m not even convinced she was a mermaid; she might have been a deranged harpy.” At this point Elsie spits out some of her drink, before covering her mouth, embarrassment colouring her cheeks. This has the crew in stitches, and they then share the most disgusting series of burps, farts and crude jokes. Even Twitch who has been silent the whole time s in, before Meg calls out to them to stop. She cannot hide her laughter or her shock, and this makes each of them laugh even harder. “I’ll never leave the sea,” Mark says, clearing their plates. Meg stands up to help him, but Tom puts up a hand in protest. “Please, while you’re on my ship, we look after you.”

And Tom and the rest of the crew clear up while the girls sip hot whiskey and watch the stars come out. “I could get used to this,” Meg says. Elsie nods. “Me too. Do you think Alwen would notice if I didn’t turn up?” “I think so. They’ll be getting ready to celebrate, not only your arrival, but your wedding.” “I wish I could choose a husband, instead of having a political marriage.” She cannot help but look wistfully at Tom as she talks. “Princess, you have had your head turned a little here today, which you weren’t prepared for, but it was inevitable, if you think about it. You have been locked up for six years and now you’re in the company of a handsome young man, who looks at you the way you look at him. I’m sure you’ll get these same feelings when we get across the sea, and you meet Alwen. And, even if you were awarded the luxury of choosing your own match, you wouldn’t be able to choose a sailor. You’d have to choose a nobleman, from an important family, with connections.” Elsie shrugs. She doesn’t want to face reality yet; she wants to pretend for just a little longer. If she tries hard enough, she can almost feel the touch of his skin on hers, her hand in his, his breath against her ear as he points out the different fish and then tells her how beautiful she is. One of the crew, a man older than Tom, brings up his fiddle from his cabin and plays. Tom and Mark sing, and the two remaining crew men clap and stamp along. Meg and Elsie are both clapping and laughing, and Elsie feels overcome with happiness. “I feel like I can’t breathe,” she says, turning to Meg, her eyes bright. “It’s happiness you’re feeling, my lovely. Pure happiness.” “I think I might die of it.” “That’s dramatic, even for you. You won’t die, you’ll have a wonderful night, and a wonderful journey, you will talk and flirt and fall in love with this man, Tom, and you’ll always him, and then when you meet Alwen, you’ll

do it all over again, but you won’t be so scared, you won’t feel so nervous, you’ll be ready.” “You think I will fall in love with Tom? And you won’t try to stop me?” “I don’t think I could. I think you’re already half in love with him, convinced that you could run off with him, sail the seas for your entire life, instead of marrying Alwen, and be happy for ever. I’m sure you look at him and imagine how pretty your children might be, or how glorious nights under the stars with him would be.” “Meg!” “Thoughts are not deeds, Elsie. And you can have all the thoughts you please. I won’t let you have anything other than thoughts, though. I have to protect you – you and your reputation. You will be as innocent when you end this journey as the day you begin it, this day.” Elsie’s eyes fill with tears. “I really am so naïve. I imagined staying on this ship or running away. And I think our children would be beautiful. And you’re right, I will leave this ship as I have boarded it. Innocent, unhappy, and bound to do as I am told forever more.” “You will not be unhappy. You will be happier for knowing Tom, for these flights of fancy you are having, for flying, as free as a butterfly, like you’ve never done before. If you look at a beautiful picture, you cannot look at it forever, but it changes you for looking at it. Do not close yourself from the wonders of this journey, from the joy you might get from it. Enjoy it, indulge in it, wallow in it, for it is so different to anything you know. You’re bound to feel giddy and light and full of possibility, and that feeling can go with you to your new life. Alwen doesn’t know you, neither do his family or his people. You can start a new life, with fresh ideas, and new courage.” “Why do you believe in me more than I believe in myself? Why are you so kind to me?” “Because I love you. You’re my family.” “You’re my family too. I hope you know that.”

“I do.” Meg kisses Elsie on the cheek. “Now say goodnight to your handsome captain and his lovely crew. I think you’re more than ready for a rest. What a day it has been!” Elsie accepts a kiss on her cheek from Tom, closing her eyes as his lips meet her skin, and wishing it was a proper kiss. She’s still blushing when Meg leads the way down to their cabin. She puts Elsie into her nightdress and then stands behind her, brushing out her hair, before hugging her and tucking her into bed. “I’ll just tidy up, you sleep.” Elsie turns to face the wall, listening to Meg bustle around the cabin as she readies herself for bed. As soon as she is sure Meg is sleeping soundly, she slips out of bed and up onto the deck. The night air is freezing, but she likes it; it numbs her and distracts her from her racing thoughts. She watches the sky, the gloomy clouds zipping along, the birds swooping in front of the moon, and she listens to the sounds of the sea, the fish and the ship adding to the choppy waters. She is glad she is leaving, and yet she cannot believe she gets to leave. Why should she be free when her step parents are abusing their subjects? She thinks about them now, distant figures, capable of locking two innocent children away and hurting who knows how many more people. She sinks onto the floor, back against the railings as it dawns on her; she has been a prisoner. A prisoner in plain view of the Kingdom. Kept from her sibling, ignored by her step parents, loved and cared for only by Meg. Thank goodness Meg returned to her prison every week. She’s crying again, the wind taking her sobs and the crisp night air punishing her, stinging her skin. She won’t move though. She can’t lie in a comfortable bed, dreaming sweetly, with no cares, now that she knows. When Meg said that you can’t look at a beautiful picture forever, but it will change you from seeing it; that’s how she feels – this knowledge changes her. How can she leave her kingdom, the place where she was born, when it’s in such a terrible mess? The sins of her step parents might not be hers to bear, but is it her responsibility to help?

According to Meg, nothing brings her step parents more happiness than abusing and suppressing their subjects and charging them for the pleasure! She shakes her head. She can still hardly believe what she’s been told, and yet she knows it is the truth. And she gets to just walk away, fly away, sail away and forget all about it? It doesn’t seem right. It isn’t right. The sound of vomiting breaks the spell of silence around her, and she stands up and tiptoes towards the steps. She can fret in the cabin. She doesn’t want company. “Princess?” It’s Tom, and she cannot turn away from him. There’s something about him that she feels a pull to and it’s something that’s never happened to her before. She’s curious about her feelings for him. She crosses the deck and stands across from him. Even in the pale light from the moon, she can see that he’s green. She cannot help but laugh that a ship’s captain gets seasick. “You get seasick?” He nods, shamefaced. “Every time.” “Maybe you’re better suited to a life on dry land?” “I couldn’t give up the sea. I love sailing. It’s the only time I feel happy.” “And sick.” “It’s worth it.” She shakes her head at the logic of a stupid man. A handsome man. Then she re the tonic that Alyce sent with Meg, to stop her feeling sick. Her stomach feels the same as it does on dry land; she doesn’t think she’ll need them. “I have something for you. Our wise woman, Alyce, sent it with Meg in case I got sick. But I feel fine.”

“Wait until we hit the rough seas.” “I cannot believe you sail every day of your life when it makes you feel like this. I will get word to Alyce and she can make you enough tonic to last you a lifetime; you’ll never be seasick again.” “There’s no need, really.” “There is. I cannot believe you haven’t tried to find a cure.” His face darkens, and she cannot read his expression. “I’ve never wanted a cure. I...” She takes a step closer to him, despite the sick. “What? Tell me.” He shakes his head. “It’s nothing, just family...”

5

SHE CANNOT HELP BUT snort, and he laughs. “What?” “Just what I found out about my family, my step parents, today. I still can’t understand it.” He looks sad for a moment and then he reaches out and touches her arm, his fingers warm on her icy skin. “I can’t pretend to know how you feel.” “So what do I do?” “You cannot do anything. Your step parents are monsters. It would be a risk to your own life to go back to Allaire, to confront them, to...” He shakes his head. “I don’t even know what you think you could do or say to change them.” “Nothing, I suppose. I just feel terrible, sailing away while the Kingdom is in ruins.” “You didn’t ruin it and you cannot save it.” She is silent. She has no answer, and no way to explain why she feels the way she does, why the knowledge of what’s going on, what was going on under her nose, has made her feel so sick, so responsible and so cowardly for turning her back on her home. “My family are all clipped,” he says, his voice low. She spins around to look at him, horror clear in her expression. “I’m so sorry.” “It’s not your fault. It’s your step parent’s fault. Everybody hates them.” “I guess they do.” She slumps onto the floor, feeling helpless and hopeless. Tom hunkers down beside her. “I’ll move away from you if I need to be sick.” “Thanks.”

He laughs at the despondency in her voice and then looks contrite when more tears spill over. “I’m sorry. I was trying to reassure you.” “I’m sure. My entire life changed today. First, they let me out of my prison after six years. Then I was told what’s been happening in Allaire. All the good my parents did, my grandparents did, has been undone. You know, I thought they locked me up because there was something wrong with me, because they hated me. Now I know they hate everybody, I don’t know whether to feel better or worse. I never tried to escape from my room. What does that say about me and how compliant I am!” “I don’t think it says anything. How old were you when they locked you up?” “Ten.” “Ten years old, with both your parents dead. What could you have done?” “I’m not ten now. I should do something.” “You’re not ten, but you’re still no match for them. I’ll get you safely across the sea, and then you’ll start your new life, you can’t punish yourself...” He looks away from her, and sighs. “The reason I don’t find a cure for my sea sickness is because I feel guilty. Guilty that I got to keep my wings when my entire family was clipped.” “Atonement?” “Exactly.” “That’s how I feel. It isn’t right that I just get to leave, while all of those people have to stay there and endure such awful things at the hands of my step parents.” “But that’s the point. It’s not at your behest. Please, if one person gets to escape and live a wonderful life, then why shouldn’t it be you?” “Because I don’t deserve it. I’m a princess. That makes me culpable.” “It doesn’t. It makes you as much a victim.” She shakes her head. “I don’t know what to do.”

“There is nothing to do. Your path is set.” “What if I change it?” “And go home? Confront your step parents. What would they do to you?” “Nothing good.” “So, don’t go home. Be safe.” “And you’ll take your seasickness tonic?” “Absolutely.” They sit in a pleasant silence, and then Elsie stifles an enormous yawn and apologises. “I’m sorry, I seem to have forgotten my manners.” “It’s fine – I’m might be captain now, but I’ve been a sailor since I was fifteen, believe me yawning isn’t unpleasant manners. Not when you’re used to travelling with a crew like mine.” She laughs. “They seem lovely.” “They are. Let me walk you to your cabin.” “Yes, and I’ll give you the tonic. I have plenty.” “Thank you. I’ll be glad to feel better. And you promise me to forget your guilt. Only look forward.” “Or I’ll get seasick?” Grinning, he follows her to her cabin and waits outside while she fetches the vials. She es him the box. “Drink one each morning, and when you go back to Allaire, you ask Alyce to make you more. As many as you need.” He kisses her cheek, and she closes her eyes as his lips touch her skin. She cannot see that he has done the same. Sleep eventually comes, and when the sun rises, Meg wakes Elsie with a nudge on her shoulder.

“Why did you wake me?” Meg laughs. “You’re not on holiday. You can’t laze the day away inside. Did you sleep well after yesterday?” Elsie nods and sits up, stretching her arms and shaking out her wings. “It was the best night's sleep of my life, I’m sure.” “It probably was; there’s real peace in freedom, despite learning what you did. There are no worries or troubles on the waves. Are you going to fly today?” “I will fly every day, Meg, for all the fairies at home who cannot.” She squares her shoulders. “I’m glad you told me, but I will be brave, and only look forward. Like Tom said in the middle of the night-” “In the middle of the night? Why were you with Tom in the middle of the night?” “I wasn’t with him. I couldn’t sleep, so I went up on deck. And Tom couldn’t sleep because he was being sick. Don’t worry. Let’s go.” She cannot wait to see him again, and Meg helps her to dress. They head up the stairs to the deck. “I gave Tom the vials that Alyce gave you. So he won’t be sick-” “Are you sharing my dark secrets?” Elsie covers her mouth and then bursts out laughing at the fake outrage on Tom’s face. “Yes, sorry, I am, but only to get myself off the hook.” “I was wondering,” Meg says, “why my charge was spending time with a certain captain in the middle of the night?” Elsie holds up her hands. “And I explained that it was for the most innocent of reasons.” “And it was. I apologise if it upset you or worried you, that wasn’t my intention. Thankfully Elsie has shared her tonic with me, and I hope my seasickness days are behind me.”

“And you definitely don’t need it, Elsie?” Meg checks. “No, I feel fine. Maybe I was born for a life on the sea.” “Maybe.” Tom says, and the two of them grin at each other. “Is it time for breakfast?” Meg asks, wanting to break up their chatter. “It should be. I’ll check with Mark, see what help he needs.” Tom bows and heads to the kitchen. Elsie watches him walk away. “Princess.” Elsie rolls her eyes at the warning in Meg’s voice. “What? You told me I should fall in love with him.” “Did I? That was not my exact intention.” “Meg. I promise I’m just enjoying my journey, with a kind and handsome man, and you, and the thought of my entire life ahead of me. It won’t be inappropriate, it won’t come to anything, it’s just... nice.” “Nice is nice. Come on.” They take their seats and Tom and the crew serve them their breakfast. “So, what shall we do today?” Tom says, laughing as he takes his seat, leg resting against Elsie’s. He locks eyes with hers and this time she doesn’t move, instead she pushes against him, just a little. “Joking aside, there is a cove with the most perfect beach, and caves, we could be there by lunchtime, in time for our meal. And the winds seem to be with us. We might cut a day off our time.” “I know what I’d like to do today,” she says, looking at Tom and all of his crew. They all look at her, waiting. “I want to have the best day I’ve ever had. I want to laugh, eat, tell silly jokes, fly with the birds and swim with the fish. I want to help you, with food or the ship or anything else that needs doing. I want to feel exhausted when the sun sets. I want to laugh until my face hurts and eat until my stomach aches and fly until my wings wilt. Will you all me?” They are all grinning at her, shaking off any lingering concerns that she might be

anything like her step parents, and nodding. “I think that might just be the best idea I’ve heard for a long time,” Tom says, drinking down the last of his coffee. “Meg?” Elsie turns to her handmaiden, lady-in-waiting and favourite person in the world, and lets out a squeal when Meg nods. “Can we get to the cove as quickly as possible and then stop for the entire day?” “Maybe not the whole day, there are people expecting you.” “People who have no way of knowing how long this journey will take. You said yourself that if the wind is against us...” Tom nods his acquiescence and before Mark has finished making a delicious lunch, they arrive at the cove. The crew anchor up, and they all fly over to the beach, landing with some laughter, before brushing the sand off their skin, clothes and wings. And then the day es in a blur of happiness. Meg relaxes and lets Elsie out of her sight for more than a minute or two. The crew get to see their normally serious – and green around the gills – captain laugh and play and enjoy himself. Elsie gets to shake off the oppression of her prison and has the time of her life. Never has she had a day spent with such abandon. She flits around, swooping down and splashing into the sea before flying back up into the sky, water raining everywhere. Mark catches fish to add to the food he’s already prepared, and the crew makes up a fire to cook it. Elsie and Meg help to find wood for the fire, and some berries to eat. Soon they are all eating their meal, the midday sun strong, and the sound of the sea filling their ears. “Meg, may I show the princess some caves?” “As long as you are careful.” She lies down on the sand, eyes closed, and Elsie smiles as she watches her. Her prison sentence was Meg’s too, and she will never take her love and friendship for granted. Tom gestures for his crew to keep quiet, so Meg can nap. They make faces and roll their eyes, but they do as their captain tells them. They always do. As well as

young Mark, there is Dave the fiddle player, John and James – brothers who have no family left alive, and hope to marry mermaids – and Twitch, named for his nervous tick, which sadly gets worse when he’s around strangers, but has been strangely under control with Elsie and Meg on board. Tom takes Elsie by the hand and leads her through the sand dunes and around the row of trees and down a bank. “You must fly a bit,” he says and takes off. She follows him, floating along. “Look at the colour of the water, isn’t it beautiful?” “Like you.” She turns her head sharply. “That is inappropriate.” “I know and I hope you will forgive me. I wouldn’t do anything to offend or insult you, but I have never seen a more beautiful girl than you.” “You don’t see a lot of girls on this ship.” “Elsie, I see mermaids every day, sirens that could make a man lose his mind and a hundred girls at the dock, but none of them is as pretty as you. Your future husband is a very lucky man.” “Do you think it’s strange that I will marry a man I’ve never met?” “Just about as strange as marrying a man because there’s nobody better around.” She frowns, a question in her expression. He shrugs. “My parents. Tiny village, few options... I don’t think they even like each other very much. I shall marry a woman I love, who loves me madly.” “Madly?” “Madly. A girl who makes me laugh, who makes me smile, whose presence improves my day, makes me better. A girl whose heart is as beautiful as her face. A girl who has opinions and something to say for herself.” “You don’t want a lot, do you?”

He shakes his head. “I know you don’t have a choice but to marry who you’re told to, but I have. Until then, I will only think of you.” She laughs so loud that a fish jumps out of the water. “What?” He looks offended. “You are so full of it. I bet you never think of me again once I leave your ship.” “That won’t happen. I promise you.” She shakes her head and flies into the cave, before taking to her feet. She runs her fingers along the wet walls, eyes wide. “I have seen nothing like this, it’s so beautiful.” “Everything is beautiful to you. You’ve been locked up for too long.” “That much is true. I shall never tire of my freedom.” He pats her arm, feeling so sorry for her. She turns to him. “Does it hurt when they clip their wings? Did your family tell you?” He closes his eyes, ing the pain in their voices when they spoke about the clippings. “Yes. It hurts. It humiliates them. It belittles them and embarrasses them. It takes away their identity, you know. Are they fairies anymore if they cannot fly?” “I hate them, my step parents.” “Me too.” “I’m sorry if I spoiled your lovely tour of these caves.” “You didn’t. Besides, I had an ulterior motive.” “You did?” She raises an eyebrow at him. She has no idea what to do with a handsome young man and his ulterior motive, so she just goes with it. “I wanted to give you this.” He presses a cold, smooth and beautifully sparkly

pebble into her hand. “I want you to keep it and think of me whenever life is hard.” “I’ve never had such a wonderful present before.” “It’s not worth anything.” “It’s worth everything because it links us. I will always think of you when I see this little pebble. I will treasure it always. Thank you. We should get back.” Regretfully he does as she suggests, and she slips the pebble into her pocket, smiling. She has had the happiest day of her life, maybe the last one for a long time. Eventually the skies darken, and they gather on the deck. Elsie looks at all the crew and Meg before resting her eyes on Tom. “Thank you. I know all of you know what my step parents have done and maybe your own loved one’s have been affected, but thank you for giving me a chance. I didn’t know what was being done, and now that I do, I can hardly imagine what the fairies of Allaire have been through at their hands. I’m sorry.” Twitch bows low and then blushes and stammers a bit. “You shouldn’t apologise to anybody. It’s not your fault what they do. You’re not responsible for what your family does.” “No, but it’s my fault what I do.” Meg pats her arm. “What does that mean, lovely?” “It means I’m going back to Allaire. To make things right.”

6

MEG COUGHS SO HARD that she chokes, and Dave jumps up to pat her back. She waves an arm, signalling that she’s all right, but she still has to clear her throat a few times before she can speak. “Going back? To make things right? What does that even mean?” Elsie nods her head. “Exactly what it says, Meg. I have to. I cannot sail onwards, marry Alwen – who I know nothing about and have never met – and forget what my step parents are doing back home. I cannot do it. How would I live with myself; how would I sleep at night; how would I ever find peace?” Tom touches her arm, and she looks at him, pleading with her eyes for him to understand her and agree with her. “Elsie, it would be too dangerous. What can you do?” “I have no idea. This is a pretty recent plan, stemming from some pretty recent information, but I cannot forget what I know, or carry on regardless. I’m no fighter, no warrior, I’m just a sixteen year old princess, but I have to do something.” She sits back in her chair and closes her eyes. Ever since Meg told her the truth, she’s known what she would do. Even while Meg was telling her not to feel guilty and look to the future, even when Tom told her there was nothing she could do, she absolutely knew what she couldn’t do. She couldn’t carry on with her journey, carry on with her new life and carry on with a sham of a marriage – a union made purely for the political benefit of her step parents – as though she knows nothing. She knows. And so she will go home. The thought is terrifying, toe curlingly scary, and yet she’s not stupid. “I’m not stupid. I don’t plan on rushing back to the castle and demanding that my step parents become exemplary citizens and kind rulers. But I have to do something.” Meg looks ready to cry; she’s wringing her hands and pressing her lips together.

“Elsie.” That’s all she says, but it’s enough to make Elsie cry. “Meg, please don’t be cross, or sad, or disappointed in me. I have to do something, find some allies, fairies that will help me, try to figure out why my step parents do what they’re doing and stop them. Please don’t be angry with me.” Meg reaches for her young charge, her little prisoner princess, and touches her cheek, rubbing her skin with her thumb. “I am not cross or disappointed – I never could be. I’m proud. Oh, so proud of you. When I told you about your step parents it wasn’t to get this outcome, and yet, what should I have expected from you? I know you, how pure and kind your heart is, despite how you have been treated since the death of your parents. We must go back.” Elsie smiles and opens her mouth, but Meg cuts her off. “I’m petrified. Your step parents are terrible people and they have an army of other terrible people at their command, and I have no idea if you can do anything, but I know where we can start.” “You do?” “The troupe. As soon as you said that you want to go home, Gwenna was the first name that came to my mind. My sister and her extended family have all escaped the band of clippers, and I know they’ll help us. To do what exactly, I’m not sure, but...” Tom is staring at Elsie with something close to wonder on his face, although he says nothing. “Do you think they could help me?” The hope on Elsie’s face, the naivete in her expression, is endearing. “Elsie, I have no idea. Maybe nobody wants to help you. The fairies in Allaire are angry, yes, but also downtrodden, abused and attacked by your step parents and their army. There might be nobody willing to stand by your side. And stand by your side while you do what? You cannot fight them; you could never kill them. What are you going to do to stop this?” “I don’t know, Meg, but I know I have to go back. It’s all I can think of since you told me the truth of what goes on back home. I have to go back; I have to get

some help – maybe an army of my own – and I have to stop them. And if I can’t kill them, then I can still stop them.” “What about Alwen?” Tom asks, his expression innocent. “I never wanted to marry Alwen. I had no choice. I have never had a choice in any matter. I’ve been locked up and forgotten about for six years, why should I do as I’m told? And nobody will expect me to come back. They won’t be expecting anybody to go against them, least of all me.” “That’s an excellent point,” Tom says. “But if we take you back to Allaire, we also don’t take any of our cargo across the seas. And if we don’t do that, there’ll be a bounty on my head.” “You take us back, close enough to Allaire that we can fly in, undetected, and then you go across the seas with your cargo. Tell them there was poor weather that slowed you down.” “And what do I say to Alwen, if he’s at the dock to greet you?” Elsie puts her head in her hands. “I don’t know. I know nothing at the moment. I have no plan, no idea, I just know it’s the right thing to do.” “We’ll think on it. We have a few days more until you’re missed. We have the time to gather our thoughts and make a plan.” “Bandits!” Elsie shouts, startling the crew and causing them to jump to their feet and bunch their fists ready to fight. “Where!” Tom yells as Twitch falls off his chair. Elsie covers her mouth with her hand, trying hard not to laugh. “Sorry. There aren’t bandits here, but you said that there are sometimes. We could pretend that bandits took me. That way Alwen won’t be waiting for me, and my step parents will think I’m dead, if they think of me at all.” Tom’s arms drop to his side, relief clear in his expression. “That might work. I have to go across the seas, we have to take the cargo...” He’s explaining himself to Elsie, who can’t stop smiling at him.

“We’re doing it? You’ll take me back?” Tom and the crew nod, and Meg takes Elsie in her arms. “This won’t be easy. If your step parents find out you’re back, if something goes wrong... Boys, you know the waters better than we do. We can’t go back to the dock, but we can’t fly a long way, neither of us is used to it. My sister lives in the West woods, an hour from the castle. Can we get close to there without being seen?” Tom and Dave confer. “We can get close to there, but it might take a little longer. Instead of taking a straight sail in, which is too risky, we’ll go wide and come back down from the North. We won’t be seen, but we can sail right past the West woods that way. Boys turn the ship straight away.” As soon as they got back onboard after their day at the cove, they had slowly headed on their way again. Now they need to turn. “We’ve been going slow, so we’ll speed her up.” “I can’t believe I’m going home. I feel sick,” Elsie says, suddenly realising what she’s about to do and how difficult it might be. They make excellent time through the night, James and John taking turns to stay awake, making sure they don’t hit any obstacles and sail away from any choppy waters, to keep them on track. By the time Elsie and Meg wake up after it took them so long to fall asleep, most of the morning is gone, but Tom has saved them breakfast. “Are you both all right? I wasn’t sure if I should have woken you.” He places meat and bread, ale and coffee on the table and then pulls out the seat next to Elsie. “Did you get much sleep?” She shakes her head, no. “I think you’re so brave. I wish I could come with you and help.” She smiles at him before taking a long drink of ale. “Thank you. I know I’ll need all the friends I can get. I don’t know anybody in Allaire, except Meg. Thank goodness you can help me, Meg.” Elsie turns to Meg, giving her a grateful smile. “I can try. The fairies are frightened of your step parents, rightly so, so I can’t

guarantee you that anybody will help.” Tom shakes his head. “Somebody will, won’t they? Even if it isn’t your sister or anyone she knows. The fairies are frightened, but they’re also angry. There is a real unrest at home. There will be people who want change. I’m sure of it.” “I don’t want Elsie to get her hopes up,” Meg says, staring pointedly at Tom. “But she has to have her hopes up. She can’t go back all meek and mild, worrying that she won’t be able to do anything and nothing will change. She has to go back and rally people.” “Rally?” Elsie looks petrified. “I can’t rally people. Why would anyone listen to me, when I’m from the castle and I have my wings? Won’t they be furious with me? Won’t they think I’m one of them?” Panic has paled Elsie, and she pushes the plate of food away. “I’m scared.” “Of course you are. But you have to be brave. Why do you want to go back?” “To make things better?” “Don’t ask me.” Tom says, laughing. “Tell me.” “To make things better, to make it up to the fairies, to stop my step parents.” “Are you sure? You don’t just want to sail to your new life and your new husband where it’s safe?” She shakes her head. “I know it’s the right thing to do. So I might not be at the rallying stage yet, but I’ll get there. Once I’m home, and once I face the havoc that they wreaked, the misery they inflicted, then I’ll be ready.” “You will be,” Meg touches her arm and squeezes it. “You could have sailed away and never looked back. If you feel unsure, then we’ll that. And Tom is right: there will be fairies who want this entire thing over with, fairies who are willing to listen to you and hear what you’ve got to say. Stay brave.” Brave. Elsie nods her head. She will need to be more than brave. You don’t have to be brave when you’re locked in; it’s not something she’s well rehearsed in. But a good thing is that her step parents will never expect her to come back from

her trip and be the figurehead of a rebellion, even though it’s exactly what she needs to be. Exactly what she hopes to be. “I’ll be right back, I need to help the crew,” Tom says and leaves them to finish their late breakfast. “Am I stupid?” Elsie asks Meg. Meg shakes her head. “You’re doing exactly what you know you need to. I’m just scared for you. Leaving would have been so easy to do. It was what we expected of you. Nobody would have questioned it if they never saw you again. Alwen is waiting for you; a pleasant life is waiting for you.” “I’m glad you told me the truth. I feel like I was meant to find out.” “Really? I was so worried that I should have stayed quiet.” “No. You definitely did the right thing; the only thing. You have known me a long time, Meg, I haven’t had a life. I have only had an existence. I’m ready to do something, change things, live a life I’m proud of.” Tears fill Meg’s eyes. “I’m so proud of you. I have no idea where this mettle comes from, but I’m so pleased it’s there. Whatever you want to do, you’ll do it. And I’ll be proud to be beside you while you do.” “Never leave me, Meg, you’re the only person I know, the only person I trust. I love you.” “I love you too. You’re like my child, Elsie, and I’ve had such a hard time watching you wilt and wallow, but this is good. Good and scary, but exciting too.” Elsie nods. She will need to keep convincing herself that she’s doing the right thing. It won’t be easy to do. “Will you be all right by yourself if I rest? My head hurts a little.” “Of course, but are you all right, Meg?” “Nothing to worry about, just a lack of sleep.”

“I know that feeling, but I’m enjoying the fresh air. I’ll check on you soon.” They hug and then Elsie is alone on the deck. She stands at the railings, looking out over the water, feeling the icy air on her face, the splash of the sea. She feels more than a bit sick. Not seasick, but nervous, sick. Not one person on this ship would have judged her for leaving her old life, and yet she is secretly proud of herself for what she is choosing to do. Nobody would have expected it of her; it’s so unlike her. And yet what is she like? Who is she? When you have lived as a prisoner with no choices to make and everything done for you, who are you? Maybe she really is brave. Maybe she really is fearless. Maybe she is a warrior, and then she smiles just a little because that’s definitely not the case. But it could be. She thinks of the caves and how they were formed by the force of the sea, and how something so solid can change and knows that she, too, can change. She can go from a timid little princess whose life is mapped out by someone else – and not even someone with her best interests at heart and good intentions – to a girl who chooses what she does and where she goes and maybe even who she ends up with. A shiver runs through her. She feels powerful instead of scared. As strong as a wave, able to knock somebody off their feet; as opposite to what she has always been as it’s possible to be. “Is there anything you need?” It’s Mark, looking up at her, adoration clear in his gaze. “No thank you, but it’s kind of you to ask. You’re young to be on the sea, the same as Tom. Is it something you always wanted to do?” He shakes his head. “I never gave it a thought until the clippers came.” Her blood runs cold at the word: clippers. “Tom lived near me, and as luck would have it, he was home from a voyage visiting his family. The clippers came, and they caught my mum out. She hadn’t realised the day or the time, or just forgot with all us kids running around and nagging her. The little ones all got away, under the floorboards and into a hole we hide in, but I was too late. My mother was wailing and Tom came through to see what the problem was. Well, he made up the lie on the spot, said they

couldn’t clip me because he’d only come off the ship to collect me. I was part of his crew. They don’t even need six on a ship this big. But he took me, and he pays me, just so he could save me.” Elsie wipes away a tear or two and Mark grins. “Made my mother cry too. He’s an honourable man. So, I won’t ever leave the sea. Safest place in the world. And I won’t ever leave Tom.” Mark gives her a brief bow, before running over to the table where her breakfast plates sit, and clearing them away. Tom crosses the deck, giving her a wave, and Elsie watches him walk towards her, wishing he could come with her and that he could be a part of this future that she’s building for herself, in a way she never thought would be possible. Tom looks excited when he s her. “We are making impressive time. Mark all right?” “Yes, he’s sweet.” “He is. Great little chef.” “So how long until we fly away and leave you and your crew to cross the seas again.” “Early evening.” “I wish I could stay. I enjoy being here on this ship, with you.” “Really? I like you being on here. I was ready not to like you.” “What? Why?” “Why do you think?” Instantly Elsie loses her indignation. “Of course: my step parents. Do you think anybody will believe that I didn’t know what they were doing, what they are doing?” “I think you’ll make them believe.” “You have faith in me I don’t have in myself.”

“That’s because you’re scared, which is understandable, but when people see you back home, and realise why you’ve come, you’ll have faith in yourself too, because they will.” “I hope so. I’m not saying I’d rather marry Alwen than run into a little resistance, but I’m doing something risky here. I’ve never run towards trouble before.” “That’s because you never knew it existed. This will change you, Elsie. In fact, this will make you. And I hope I get to see the new you. One day.” She smiles at him, and places her hand on his chest, feeling his beating heart. “I hope you do too. I think you’ll be very impressed with her.” “With you.” “With me. Oh, Tom, what am I doing?” He puts his arms around her and holds her tight and close. “The right thing, the only thing. You know it and so do I.” She takes a step away from him, out of his embrace, wishing she could stay in his arms forever, but knowing she cannot. “You’re right. And from now on, I will not question myself. I’m going home to make things right, and that’s that. I'll fly ahead if you don’t mind, Tom. Clear my head.” “Of course. Just stay in sight, please. I don’t actually want to lose you to bandits.”

7

SHE LAUGHS AND TAKES to the sky. The feeling is still so new to her she feels like she might fall. She spreads her wings as far as she can, enjoying the feel of them stretching, buffering against the wind, like sails themselves. She flies as high as she can until the ship is just a speck on the blue, and then swoops back down, somersaulting as she goes. Flying is so much fun; she cannot imagine how bad it is for the fairies who have been clipped. She cannot imagine why her step parents are so evil, maybe she will ask them before she locks them up. Or kills them. Could she kill them? She has no affection for them, nor any love. They locked her up until it was time to send her away. But murder? She shakes her head and flies higher still. Whatever the outcome of going home, she’s nowhere near worrying about what to do when she confronts them. If she confronts them. She flies up again, higher and higher and higher, and then floats down, letting the wind carry her. As the ship comes into sight, she spots another vessel close, but tucked around the rocks; out of sight of their ship. A strange prickle of unease runs along her skin, which is silly; there’s no reason to be suspicious of another boat. But then Alwen wouldn’t have someone out looking for her because he wouldn’t be expecting her yet, and her step parents wouldn’t have sent anybody out to make sure she crossed the seas safely because they really didn’t care, so why was the boat so close? She spirals down at breakneck speed until she’s back on deck. She calls for Tom and he comes running up from below deck, a smile on his face at the sight of her. “Tom, there’s a boat close by, I could see it when I was flying, but I’ve got a strange feeling.”

“How close? How big?” His demeanour changes immediately; he’s serious and sober. She describes as best she can where the boat is in relation to them, ahead and around a bend, and how big; smaller than them, but not tiny. He gestures to Dave, who immediately turns the boat, heading backwards and then around in a circle. Meg s them. “What’s wrong?” “We think it might be an ambush. Elsie saw a boat when she was flying, and we think they’re waiting for a merchant ship bringing goods to Allaire to . We need to circle for a while, while we decide what to do. If we go past them, they’ll come aboard and ransack us and they might hurt us. Sometimes they just want valuable cargo, sometimes they have murder on their minds, you just don’t know with bandits. But if they find women on board... there’s no telling what might happen, especially if they know or figure out who you are, Elsie.” Elsie pales, and Meg puts a hand on her back to her. “Don’t worry. They rarely send anyone to look out, they just wait to see who es. This is a busy water age and they are murderous but lazy.” “So they won’t know we’re close?” “Shouldn’t do. We’ll stay quiet and circle for a minute. Decide what’s the best thing to do.” James and John are both furious. “We’ll fly straight over there and sort them out, Cap.” Tom holds a hand up. “Wait. Let’s not do anything rash, we have others to look after today.” Mark tugs on Tom’s sleeve. “I’ve got an idea.” “Go on.” “I’m a better swimmer than I am a flier, so I could swim around and behind them, see how many of them there are, report back, so we know what we’re dealing with.”

“Excellent idea. They’ll be expecting a ship or a boat or a fairy flying ahead. They won’t be expecting anybody to swim up near them. The mer-people all swim away when there’s trouble around, you know how fickle they are.” “John, you’re a better swimmer than James, can you go with Mark?” John nods and slings an arm around Mark’s shoulders. “Superb idea.” Tom turns to Elsie and Meg. “I think you two should go below deck, just in case.” Elsie takes Meg by the hand and turns to follow Tom’s orders when she spots him. A bandit. Her face turns as white as chalk and before she can say anything Tom has followed her troubled gaze and seen him. “Go!” he yells at the two women, who don’t need telling twice, and he turns to the bandit. Elsie pauses at the top of the stairs, watching. He doesn’t hesitate; just flies at him, leg up, kicking him over the edge of the ship. Almost immediately another three scramble up onto the deck, crawling over the edge of the railings like rats. Dave screams as he rushes towards one, punching him squarely on the nose, before running at another one. Mark grabs a broom and uses the handle to poke at the third one. Three more swarm aboard and the fights break out proper. The crew are determined to defend, not only their ship, but the princess and her lady-in-waiting. The bandits want the cargo and aren’t afraid to fight dirty. Mark takes a punch to the face and drops to the floor, clutching his jaw, and trying not to cry. Tom wallops his assailant and flings him overboard. All the men are brawny, used to carrying heavy cargo on and off the ship, and they are a suitable match for the pirates. Twitch is fast on his feet, punching and kicking whoever he encounters. John and James grab another bandit and throw him off the ship. There is only one left and Tom faces him, short of breath but grinning despite the bloody nose they have given him. “You picked on the wrong crew,” he says, wiping the sweat off his brow and rubbing it on his tros, before punching the man right in the nose and throwing him, with help off Dave, into the water. “Let’s get moving, before they recover. Quick.” Elsie lets Meg pull her down the stairs, assured that they are safe; the crew put up one heck of a fight. They shut the cabin door, and it swings open immediately.

“Cargo!” Elsie looks horrified, and Meg lets out a squeal of fright. Standing in the door is a bandit. A female bandit. She’s tall, dressed all in black, except for the bright red silk ribbon that is threaded through the belt loops on her tros. Her hair is black, and her eyes are dark. She is beautifully terrifying. “I was expecting some quality stuff on this ship, but nothing as good as fresh meat. I’ll make a fortune selling the pair of you over the seas.” She makes to leave but comes back into the cabin, shutting the door behind her. “Before I get one of my men to bring our ship around, I better tie you up. I don’t want to hurt you – you’ll sell for more without a bruise on you – but I don’t want to lose you, either.” Elsie looks helplessly at Meg, whose expression matches hers. “Will you sit for me? Ladies, I don’t want to threaten you.” Meg fetches two chairs, and the pirate places them back to back. They obediently sit and she pulls a long, thin length of rope from a pocket in her tros. “What are you two doing on a merchant ship, anyway? I don’t know many stowaways who want to escape to Allaire.” She lowers her voice, tying them up neatly. “The rumours are true. If you value your freedom and your wings, stay away from Allaire.” Neither woman answers, and this amuses her. She hops onto the bed, boots up on Meg’s lap. “Tell me. I don’t like people keeping secrets from me.” She slides a knife out of her boot and holds it up as though inspecting it, but just making sure they see it, and the threat it represents. “Elsie! Princess!” They hear Tom call out and don’t dare warn him. He opens the door and walks in, stumbling as he takes in the scene before him. The pirate raises a hand in greeting, before licking along the blade of her knife and giving him a wink followed by a wicked grin. “Princess? This day just gets better and better.” “Dayle?”

“You know her?” Elsie blurts out. “Everyone knows her. Or of her, at least.” The pirate almost preens at his words, stretching out, feline-like, on the bed and then in one quick move standing up, her knife at Elsie’s throat. She holds her other hand up, warning Tom from coming any closer. He puts his hands up to placate her but looks at Elsie and Meg. “She’s a legend on these seas, almost like a mythical creature because so much is said about her and sung about her and she’s so rarely seen.” He lets out a laugh. “But here she is, on my ship.” Elsie feels a little hurt. Tom is so taken by this hoodlum. He looks half scared, half fascinated. Dayle, the pirate, nods, her expression smug and amused at the same time. “That’s me. Queen of the seas, queen of the pirates, queen of pretty much everything.” She spins the knife before tucking it into her boot. “I was looking for valuable cargo down here, but I wasn’t expecting to find anything as valuable as this.” She nudges Elsie’s chair with her foot, causing the princess to whimper. “Let them go. There are six of us on here, and your men are all gone.” She snorts. “My men? Replaceable every one of them, and none of them is a patch on me. I love a challenge. Go get your crew, little boy.” Tom laughs at that, but does as he’s told. He opens the door, still facing Dayle, not taking his eyes off her, not giving her a chance to do anything. “Boys!” He yells the word, the urgency clear in his tone, then he yells it again and the thunder of feet coming down the stairs tells them all that they heard him. Dave stops short at Tom’s expression and the rest of the crew crash into him. “We have company.” Tom’s tone is serious, and the men surround him. Dave glares at Dayle, John and James look at her in awe, already half in love with her. Mark and Twitch hold back. “Who is it?” Mark whispers to Tom. “Dayle. Pirate extraordinaire.”

“Come on in boys. Don’t be shy. There’s room enough in this cabin for me to slice you all limb from limb, while these pretties watch. I wonder what the going rate for a princess is these days. I don’t know whether to sell her or ransom her.” Twitch pushes past Mark and the rest of the crew and into the cabin. “You’ll do neither.” There’s a moment of confusion from the crew and Dayle and then she squeals, jumping up and down in excitement before taking Twitch in her arms. “Joey! It’s so long since I saw you. You’ve grown.” She is beaming now, all traces of threat gone from her expression and her body language. She slaps Twitch on the back and then grabs hold of Tom’s hand, shaking it almost loose from the socket. “Thank you! I’d heard that someone had given Joey a chance and taken him in. Following his big sister out onto the waves, though in a much less criminal manner.” She looks a little disappointed as she frowns at Twitch, but then she grins again, and starts untying Elsie and Meg. “Please forgive me. I had no idea this was Joey’s crew. Do you like it, Joe? I’m so glad you got away from home and our father’s right hook.” Twitch rubs his face and scratches his neck. “I love it, Dayle. Tom, you won’t throw me off the ship, will you? Because of her?” Tom shakes his head, a bemused expression on his face. They’ve gone from imminent and life-threatening danger to a family reunion in far too quick a time for them all to keep up. “Twitch, this is your sister? Dayle, the most feared pirate to ever sail the seas, is your big sister?” Twitch nods, pride colouring his cheeks. “Yes. I always hoped we’d avoid her, though.” “I’d never hurt you.” She ruffles his hair and then hugs him again before turning to Tom. “Aren’t you going the wrong way, though? I thought the princess was crossing the seas to marry some prince or other. Why are you coming back to Allaire?” Elsie clears her throat, finally feeling brave enough to speak up. “Thank you for untying us.” “Oh, sorry for tying you up. I had no idea my little Joey was on board. Does he listen to you, captain, is he good at his job?”

Tom nods, and Dayle punches her brother on the arm, making him wince. “Good on you, boy.” She turns back to Elsie, nodding for her to continue. “We are going back to Allaire so I can stop my step parents.” Dayle frowns. “You want to stop them now? Why didn’t you ever try stopping them before?” “They had her locked up in the castle since her father died, since she was ten.” Meg answers on Elsie’s behalf. “She didn’t know what was going on.” Elsie nods and holds up her hands “I know it sounds unbelievable but it’s true. Now I know I want to go home and fix things.” “My sister is part of the troupe; they’ve stayed hidden from the clippers. The ship will take us close to the West woods and we’ll go to my sister.” Dayle whistles. “The West woods are rough. Outlaws, bandits, talk of spirits roaming the pathways.” Meg smiles. “The spirits at least I can handle. My sister and the troupe like to spread that rumour around, hide in the trees and throw things at people ing through, make strange noises that scare people. It keeps them safe, so they reckon, encouraging fewer people into the woods.” “What about bandits and outlaws, Meg? Will we get attacked?” Elsie looks petrified. Dayle narrows her eyes, looking from Elsie to Meg and then back again. Then she nods. “I’ll take you. Make sure your safe.” Elsie shakes her head. “Oh, no, I mean thank you ever so much, but I wouldn’t want to put you out or-” Dayle grins and pats Elsie on the back, nearly breaking her back, causing Elsie to bend in half in a fit of coughing. “No arguments. I know I frightened the living daylights out of you when I tied you up, but I’m a delightful girl really, and if you’re going back to Allaire to sort out your family, then I’m more than happy to help. In fact, I know so many

people who’ve been clipped, that I’m duty bound to help.” Meg nudges Elsie and then answers on their behalf. “Thank you. We’d be delighted to accept your help.” “Brilliant. Now I’ll call off my men before they attack in strike two.” She leaves them all in the cabin and after a second of silence they break into laughter. “I thought I would die,” Elsie says, shifting and wincing and rubbing her back. “I think she killed me just patting my back.” Twitch coughs nervously. “Are you mad at me?” “No!” They all answer at the same time. “You’re not your sister’s keeper, Twitch.” “Same as I’m not responsible for my step parents or what they’ve done.” Tom shakes his head. “How didn’t I know that your sister was the legendary queen of the seas?” “Because I don’t tell anybody. She’s not all bad.” “She’s a pirate. She steals and murders people.” Twitch frowns. “Or so legend says. They steal, but they give almost all of it to the fairies who don’t have a lot. And they don’t murder people – they just... beat them up. They only ever kill terrible people.” “Oh, that’s all right then!” Twitch shrugs. “I think she’s amazing.” John and James are still gazing at the empty cabin door she disappeared through. “We do too,” they say in unison. “Is she married?” Twitch laughs. “My sister wouldn’t look twice at either of you.”

The men look hurt and everybody laughs. Twitch shrugs. “Her true love drowned, and she’s been alone ever since.” “This is a strange old day. Let’s gather on deck, break some bread with your sister and her crew. We should get to the West woods within the next few hours, quicker than I thought. You’ll have time to get to the troupe before nightfall. Elsie, are you happy to have Dayle accompany you? We could try to change her mind...” “I’m happy. I’m a little scared of her, I have to it, but I’d feel safer in the woods if she was with us. No outlaw or bandit would stand a chance.” “That’s true.” They troop up the stairs, and Dayle and her crew are already on board. The men all look bashful, especially the long-haired one who punched Twitch. They all look like they’ve had a telling off, though they couldn’t have known Dayle’s brother was on this ship any more than she could have. Apologies and acceptances over and done with, the table is filled with food and the cups are filled with ale and there are toasts made and bawdy jokes told, and the day es by in a blur, the knot in Elsie’s stomach tightening with each ing hour. Dayle flies on ahead looking for trouble, though Elsie is sure with her on board, the worst of the trouble is over. The men exchange fighting tips, and Meg packs up the cabin; they’ll be leaving everything on the ship, but Meg wants it all neatly put away. Elsie stands at the railings watching the water, hoping that Tom will talk to her. Now it’s almost time to go, she’s reluctant. There’s still a bit of her that just wants to run away. “Do you still have my pebble?” He eventually comes to her side, and she feels better in an instant. “I do. I shan’t ever lose it.” “And when you look at it, you’ll think of me?” “I will.”

“And I’ll think of you.” “You’ll forget me in a day. You forgot me as soon as you saw Dayle.” “Not true, and not possible. I think you’re the most beautiful girl in the world. And the bravest. I’ll come back to Allaire once I’ve been across the seas. I have to voyage from there to the great sea; I have already arranged to pick cargo up when we dock to take along, but I’ll come back. Do you think you’ll me?” “I’ll never forget you.” “Here we go!” Dayle lands on the deck, shaking out her wings. Elsie has to it that she is glorious, she’s beautiful and the way she holds herself is so confident, like she wants everybody to look at her. Elsie feels meek and mild beside her. And forgettable. Dayle wouldn’t have put up with being locked up like a prisoner in her own home. She wouldn’t put up with anything she wasn’t happy with. “I can see land. Won’t be long now.” “I’m scared.” Elsie has to say it, it’s making her feel sick. She feels like someone is pushing down on her chest. It’s hard to breathe. “It’s normal to feel scared. You’re doing something scary. I’ll say goodbye to my men and then we’ll be ready to go. Get your maid woman up here.” Elsie does as she’s told by Dayle, as she’s always done as she’s told by anyone who tells her to do anything. She’s so conditioned it wouldn’t occur to her to say no. Inside the cabin, Meg is sitting on the bed and she’s been crying. Elsie goes to her side and sits, talking hold of her hand. “I’m sorry. My decision has changed your life too.” Meg shakes her head and smiles at her charge, wiping her tears away. “It’s all right. I’d never let you go anywhere without me. But I didn’t think we’d be coming back this way. I thought...”

“You thought?” “I thought I would be safe. But I also felt guilty for leaving my family behind. This is the best thing to do. I’m so pleased and proud of you. This is an incredible thing you’re doing; I don’t know when you got so brave! I have no idea what we’ll do and if it will work, but we’ll try.” “We will try. And we will succeed. I feel like this is what I’m meant to do, Meg, after a lifetime of doing nothing.” “Go easy on yourself, you’re just a baby.” “Maybe. But it’s time for this baby to grow up. Dayle told me it’s time for us to go. She told me to come and fetch you.” “She frightens the life out of me. On the one hand, I’m glad she’s coming with us, because we’ll definitely make it to my sister in one piece, but I’m also scared to look at her in case she beats me up.” “I think that’s the effect she has on everyone.” “Except John and James. They would like to marry her.” “I think they’d marry anyone.” “Anyone who’d have them. Ready?” Elsie nods. This is it. They are leaving the safety of the ship, the promise of a simple life across the seas, and going back to Allaire to face dangers unknown. There is no turning back.

8

ELSIE FLIES OFF THE ship, looking longingly over her shoulder at Tom and everything he represents – safety, surety and the age to a new life. Then she looks at Dayle, who represents everything new and scary to her. She’s going home, back to Allaire, back to trouble. If she’s doing the wrong thing it’s too late to change her mind. She won’t it to Dayle how scared she is and how much she wishes she had never been told what her step parents get up to. Dayle flies on ahead, and Meg brings up the rear and they quickly fly out of sight of the ship and the crew and land at the edge of the West woods. Dayle turns to them, her eyes bright. “Ready?” “Not really,” Elsie says, shrugging and peering past Dayle into the dark of the woods. “I am. I love a good fight.” Meg tuts. “I’m hoping we won’t get into any fights. I want to keep her safe and we don’t want anyone to know she’s here.” “Do you know how long I’ve sailed these seas?” Dayle flies ahead, clearing the path and watching the woods carefully, sword at the ready. Elsie and Meg follow along, staying close together, and shrug at each other. Dayle doesn’t wait for an answer. “Since I was thirteen years old. Much too young to head out on my own, but I figured anything was better than staying at home. And I was right.” She stops and turns mid air, causing Elsie and Meg to fly into her. She holds up her hands. “I know people call me a murderer and worse, but I promise all the songs and

poems written about me are an exaggeration. I might hurt people, but I rarely kill them.” “Oh well, that’s good...” Elsie has no idea what to say to this woman who is the complete opposite of her. Brave while she is meek and mild. Confident while she is awkward in her own skin. Dayle pushes on, unafraid. “The first man to hurt me was my father. He hit me so hard, I saw stars. I should have taken Joey with me, but he was only ten. He wouldn’t have kept up with me. I wouldn’t have been able to keep him safe.” “He’s safe now,” Elsie’s voice is small. Even talking to this woman intimidates her. “He is. And so am I. No man would ever dare lay his hands on me now.” She grins at them over her shoulder. “Sometimes the hyperbole surrounding me has its advantages. I’m a teenager on the seas; I have to protect myself in every way I can.” Elsie can’t help but splutter. “A teenager?” Dayle nods. “I’m nineteen. Been on my own for six years. It’s probably why I seem older.” It’s not just that she seems older; it’s that she is fully in control of her life and her choices. Elsie is in awe of her. Nobody could tell her what to do or lock her up. “Don’t look sad, princess. Aren’t you doing exactly what I did? Refusing to do as you’re told and taking matters into your own hands. The king and queen of Allaire are the worst. They deserve everything they get. And you’re the one to give it to them. That’s amazing.” Elsie flies quietly along. Is Dayle right? Are there some similarities between them? The idea makes her smile and feel a little better. “My worry is that nobody will help me. Or that all the fairies will think I’m like them because I’m a princess.” “You’re nothing like them. We are all different from our families. We define ourselves. We get to say who we are. Nobody else.” Dayle’s face is filled with

fury and she lands, leaning against a tree. “Do you know in everything I do, I try to forget my family and what my father was. I invade ships and boats at sea, I do, and I give what we steal to other people. People who don’t have the things I have. I have myself. And I’m all I’ll ever need.” Elsie has no idea what to say, and neither does Meg judging from her expression and so they quietly fly on. “Do you think I’m a terrible person?” Elsie shakes her head, wondering where all this soul searching is coming from. “No. I think you’re marvellous. I think you’re strong and independent, brave and fearless. You’re everything I need to be if I will fix this mess my step parents have made and help the fairies of Allaire.” Dayle stops again, and this time throws her arms around Elsie. “Really? I always get like this when I come home. I feel like I’m thirteen years old all over again, questioning every word and every decision and feeling like nobody has ever felt as awkward and out of place as me. It’s why I left. It’s why I hardly ever come back. Allaire has nothing but bad memories for me. I love my life on the sea.” “Well then, you’re even braver than I thought. If you hate Allaire but you’ve come here to help me, then you’re twice as marvellous as I thought.” Dayle is beaming, a flush colouring her cheeks. Without a word she flies on ahead, but Elsie sees her wiping her eyes and knows she’s made her cry. In a good way. The journey through the woods is uneventful. Now and then a loud bang or a strange creak will make Elsie start, but Meg reminds her that the troupe pretends the woods are haunted to keep people out of it. “They have chimes tied to trees too, if you listen, you’ll hear them.” “It’s so spooky.” “It works. The clippers never venture in here.” They fly quickly, flitting between the trees and pausing only to adjust their course.

“I thought we’d meet trouble in these woods for sure. I’m sorry you had a wasted journey, Dayle.” “Not wasted at all. I’m glad to keep you safe, and it’s always good to face your demons, even if it’s just to show them you aren’t afraid of them anymore.” The further they walk, the more signs of life they come across. A fire recently put out and still smouldering in a clearing between the trees. They hear a horse neighing and galloping, not in sight but close enough to be in earshot. Then Meg smiles. “I can hear them now, can you?” They all smile. They can hear children talking and laughing, men calling out to each other and the chatter of women. “I think it’s over this hill. Let me check.” Meg flits up and nods when she gets to the top of the hill. Elsie hugs Dayle. “Thank you. Will you come with us?” Dayle shakes her head. “No, I don’t much like meeting people. They make me itchy.” “Itchy?” “Yeah, all uncomfortable and on edge. I’ll go now and wish you love and luck with your venture. I can’t help you, but if you’re ever on the sea and we cross paths, know that I’ll make sure you’re safe. I won’t beat up your crew again.” Elsie laughs and they hug again before Elsie watches her fly away, the scarlet ribbon falling from her belt loops as she goes. Elsie rushes to pick it up and calls out to her, but she’s gone; the trees swallowing her up. Elsie runs the silk through her fingers. It feels like a sign that it was Dayle’s and now she has it. She wraps it around her wrist and ties it in a bow. She will keep it and Dayle and try to be like her. She turns to Meg, who has just flown out of sight, when she feels rough hands grab hold of her. Before she can scream, someone clamps a hand over her mouth and then pulls a hood over her face. The darkness swallows her and she cannot scream. Only whimper. Someone lifts her up and flies them away, and all she can do is go along with it.

The same as she did when her father remarried. The same as she did when her step mother remarried. The same as she did when they locked her up. The same as she did when they told her she would marry a prince from across the seas who she had never met. The same as when Meg told her it was time to leave her home, her land, and her memories of a happier time. Deciding to come back to Allaire is the first choice she has made in a long time, and now some random fairy has stolen her away. From Meg, who is always beside her. From the troupe who were her only hope for defeating her step parents and having a future free from guilt. She’s angry and helpless and cannot even struggle. Whoever has hold of her has her in such a tight grip she can barely breathe. She closes her eyes and concentrates on her feelings of anger. She has never really felt anger before. She has felt sadness at her parents’ deaths. She has felt sad at being locked up. Helplessness at not being able to change her situation. Apathy at being sent away to marry. Maybe even gratitude at being sent away to marry and finally escaping her prison in the castle. But now it’s anger. It’s an unfamiliar feeling; an uncomfortable feeling. She wants to scream but can’t. She wants to hit out but can’t. Instead of coming to the troupe with her idea of a rebellion and giving them hope for a better future, instead of being the spark that starts the fire of change, she’s bundled up with a hood over her head. Subject to someone else’s whim. Again. The red ribbon around her wrist suddenly feels tighter. Dayle wouldn’t accept this. She would rally and fight. And win. A burst of furious energy fills her with the strength to wriggle, and struggle, and make carrying her awkward. She stiffens up completely, then lets her body turn to liquid, then does the same thing again and again, until she hears a huff of impatience. She’s stood on her feet, the hood ripped off her head, taking some of her hair with it. “Ow!” She rubs at her head, scowling. The man holding her is scowling too. She lifts off the ground ready to fly away, but he’s too quick. He grabs hold of her arm, fingers pinching into her skin. “Don’t even think about it. Hardy’s waiting for you.”

“Who is Hardy? I object to being taken like this, manhandled like this. I-” The man pulls her close and shoves the hood over her head again. She punches out, blindly, and flies blindly, bumps into a tree, and collapses onto the ground. She pulls the hood off her head, crying, staring wretchedly at the man. “Who are you? Why have you taken me? I’m not important? I’m not rich. I’m-” “The princess.” He grins at her, a smug grin that makes her itch to punch him. She thinks of Dayle again, feeling itchy around people. “You’re lucky I’m not Dayle.” “Dayle? The pirate queen?” He looks confused. “Yes. She brought me off the ship and if she was still here, she’d... well, she’d... she’d...” Elsie trails off. It doesn’t matter what Dayle would do if she was here. She’s not. She’s on her own and she has absolutely no idea what to do. She stands up, holding onto the hood. “What does Hardy want with me? Who is he? Does he wish to hurt me?” The man shrugs. “I have no idea. I’m just the delivery man.” “How did he know I’d be here, or am I just a lucky catch for you?” “Oh, he knew. He knows everything that goes on in Allaire.” She scowls at him, feeling aggravated with him and this elusive Hardy who knows everything, even though it’s impossible that he could have known. She hasn’t known herself for that long that she would come back to Allaire. How could he know? “That’s ridiculous. I just got off the ship. I wasn’t meant to come back. How could he have known?” “That, my lovely, you must ask him yourself. Let’s go.” He reaches for the hood, and after a second of hesitation she hands it to him.

This stand-off is doing neither of them any good. She will ask this Hardy how he knows she was back in Allaire, and what he wants with her, and she will try to channel Dayle while she does so. “Do I need the hood? I won’t put up a fight.” “Yup. Hardy’s headquarters is a secret.” Elsie rolls her eyes, but allows him to place the hood over her head. He’s a lot gentler this time, and she doesn’t put up even the tiniest fight. He’s gentler when he carries her too, not pinching her skin with his fingers, but holding her far more carefully. She cannot imagine how far they have flown or where in the Kingdom of Allaire they’ll end up, but when he sets her down, he does so carefully, and he takes the hood off her head taking no hair with it. They are standing outside the entrance to a cave, and Elsie frowns at him. “Top secret.” He nods and gestures for her to go in. She takes a deep breath and goes inside. He follows her in. The front part of the cave, for a few metres looks like a normal cave, wet and cold, dark and dank, but when they go around the corner the walls are dotted with lanterns, candles burning inside, and it’s easy enough to see the way. The floor is smooth, the path well worn, and they walk together; it’s high enough that neither has to stoop. Several paths lead off the main course through the cave, but he seems to know where he’s going, and Elsie dutifully goes along. The path isn’t steep, but they are heading downwards, and then after another turn the path opens out into an enormous cavern. There are fairies milling in every direction, lots of laughter and chatter, and Elsie can’t take it all in. In one direction there’s a gigantic table with four or five fairies flitting around it, swapping pieces of paper and scribbling furiously. Over to the left there are three fairies with weapons, examining them and practising with them. A little old fairy, the oldest she has ever seen, stoops over a huge vat of something that’s bubbling away and she’s adding ingredients from little jars

that are lined up on the wall behind her. There’s a“Here she is!” The man who brought her pushes her forward, breaking her reverie. She stumbles and a strong arm grabs hold of her and sets her right. She steps back, suddenly nervous. She knows she hasn’t been taken for a good reason. She’s sure it’s because of the things her step parents do. Will anyone here believe her if she says she didn’t know? She looks around. Everybody has stopped doing whatever they were doing, and they are all watching her; some with open hostility on their faces, others with interest, but not one of them has a friendly expression. Her stomach twists. She feels far more scared than she did when she came home to Allaire. Why did she come home? Some foolish sense of her own importance? Did she really think these fairies – abused and attacked by the royal family – would welcome her with open arms, hold her up as some symbol of change? She closes her eyes, feeling stupid and small and exposed in this enormous cave full of enemies. She has no choice but to face it, though. She cannot stand with her eyes closed for eternity, however much she might like to. She opens her eyes and finds the man who steadied her is staring at her intently, but not unkindly. He doesn’t look like he’ll murder her in the next few minutes, at least. “Princess Elsie?” She nods. “Come with me.” She has no choice but to go with him; he places a hand on her back and ushers her along. All eyes are on her and she can feel the anger from the people she es. He reaches past her to push open a wooden door and then shuts the door behind them. They are alone. In a cosy room. It’s still a hollowed out cave, but there are rushes on the floor,

and chairs and a table. There are lanterns and candles giving the place a gentle warmth. “Please sit.” “You’re being very polite for a kidnapper.” She wishes her voice sounded steadier; she can hear the trembling. She wishes she could demand to know what was going on. She doesn’t; she just sits quietly, twisting the red ribbon that Dayle left behind. He sits opposite her, and steeples his fingers together, looking at her over the top of his hands. He’s younger than she first thought. The beard he sports makes him appear older, but he has a boyish face. Then the silence goes on too long. He just stares at her, making her very uncomfortable. She cannot look at him, and she feels her cheeks get hotter and hotter, as she refuses to look up. “Look at me.” She closes her eyes and then reluctantly opens them and looks at him. “I’m sorry if I scared you, if Burt scared you when he took you. I hope he didn’t hurt you.” She touches her head, ing her hair getting pulled out, the way he happily dug his fingers into her flesh, relishing the hurt. “He didn’t. Not really.” Maybe this bearded kidnapper would be glad to know he had hurt her; she won’t give him that satisfaction. “I’m glad. That wasn’t my intention.” “What is your intention?” He steeples his fingers again. Maybe he thinks it makes him look intelligent, calculating, she has no idea, but all she can focus on is his dark brown eyes. He doesn’t look mean. But then neither do her step parents. She wishes he would answer her and just get this – whatever this is – over with. If he wants to kill her, do it. If he wants to lock her up, do it. If he wants to march her around the villages letting people throw stones at her, do it.

He just stares at her, endlessly and unnervingly, until she cannot stand it any longer. “Please, just tell me why I’m here.” He grins and stands up, holding a hand out to her, which she takes wordlessly. “Because, Elsie, I want to help you.”

9

“HELP ME?” HER VOICE comes out as a squeak, so she coughs and clears her throat, and tries again. “Help me?” She’s incredulous. She cannot help it. “You kidnap me, have that man Burt hurt me, drag me here against my will, frighten me half to death with your silent stare, and a cave full of fairies who all look like they want to hurt me, and then you tell me you want to help me? Why put a hood over my head and hurt me if all you want to do is help me?” He looks amused. “You said Burt didn’t hurt you.” “I lied.” He raises an eyebrow. “I was trying to be polite.” “Well, you can stop that right now. We don’t stand on ceremony around here.” He sits opposite her again, leaning forward, focusing all his attention on her. “Look Elsie, I have spies at the castle and pretty much everywhere in Allaire. I know how you’ve been treated. I know you had no idea what was going on. I also know you should be halfway to a new life across the seas, with a royal husband to boot. I know you came back. I had to ask myself why. Then I had Burt bring you here.” His gaze is intense. “We can work together.” She shakes her head. “I barely came back. I only told the people on the ship. How can you know what I was planning?” He laughs. “I had no idea at first, but I have spies everywhere. Spies at a tavern. Spies at the dock. Spies who work with Dayle and who fly very fast. I had word that you’d be flying into the West woods and I can move quickly when I need to.” He turns his back to her and flutters his wings. “It’s why I’ve still got these. Not that I came for you myself – too many clippers looking for me – but I sent Burt.”

“So this entire operation is, what?” “A rebellion. Well, the start of a rebellion.” His eyes darken. “My father started this whole thing. Then the clippers found him. And when he fought back, they killed him. I vowed I would carry on and finish it.” “But what is the rebellion? A plan to kill my step parents?” “Maybe. Right now, we organise and assist. We get the younger children away from the villages and keep them safe underground in these caves. Their families visit them, but they don’t go out in case they get caught. We steal food for the families whose men cannot work because they’ve been clipped. We make cures to heal the pain and stop infection in the wounds made by clipping. If we find any clippers and we can, we kill them.” “That’s amazing. And you don’t want to hurt me?” He reaches over and takes her hand in his. “Absolutely not. I think you can help. I think you might inspire people.” She smiles and shakes her head. Maybe she wasn’t so foolish. “I want to help. It broke my heart when I found out what they were doing. Tell me what I can do.” “Yes! Thank you, Elsie. This could be the turning point for us. We’ve been behind the scenes for years, but we’re ready to do something big. Something to end this. Will you help us?” She nods and tears fill her eyes. This is exactly what she was hoping for. She knew there was no way she could come to Allaire and do anything other than get locked up again, if she was by herself; she knew she needed help – it’s what she was hoping Gwenna and the troupe would give her. But if these fairies will let her help, if she can be a part of what they are doing, then maybe she can face her step parents and feel proud of herself, instead of disgusted. He grips her shoulders and gives her an enthusiastic little shake and then opens the door and leads her back outside. “Let me introduce you to everyone.” The relief Elsie feels facing the fairies in the cavern again, but this time without the fear and doubt is immense. The atmosphere has changed and instead of menace she sees fairies on a mission, filled with camaraderie and purpose.

There’s still an underlying fizz of tension, but that makes sense – knowing they might be captured and clipped would make anybody on edge. “Do you all live down here?” “No. We live in the villages, but we hide down here a lot, and work down here. We have an idea by now of how the clippers work, so we try to stay one step ahead of them, emptying the villages before they come, and only leaving behind fairies they’ve already clipped.” “I bet that makes them furious.” He nods his head, a grin on his face. “They hate it.” Then he turns serious. “We do what we can, but it isn’t enough.” “Only stopping them will be enough. Do you have the manpower to storm the castle, or do they have more men?” “I’ve thought about it, but had sense talked into me by my better half.” He peers around, looking for her, but shrugs. “I’ll introduce you later. I’d love to do it – but they are heavily guarded and hardly go out. They have an immense army and more men besides.” She’s quiet. All of this work and effort because of the royal family. The royal family should love and protect their subjects, and advise them. Be an advocate and want the best for them. It’s what her parents had been like. “I feel sick that it’s come to this. Tell me what you need me to do and I’ll do it.” “Music to my ears. Come on.” She follows, hardly able to take in everything she can see around them. He points out little pockets of fairies and tells her what they are doing. “These guys are divvying up food. We have several fields hidden out beyond the edge of the last village; the clippers rarely come out that far. We’ve got huge fences blocking the fields, so hopefully they won’t notice them, even if they come out, but we farm it and bring the food for the fairies who are struggling. Not much grows in Allaire now. We have so many injured and sick fairies that the land has gone the same way. They can’t tend to it like they used to.”

He stops by the little old lady with the vat of something she’s brewing. “This is Calista. She’s our finest healing fairy.” Calista lifts her face up to peer at Elsie. Her eyes are bright, though her skin is grey. She doesn’t look very well. As though he’s read her thoughts, Hardy nods. “It takes a toll on her. She gives all that she has to save and heal fairies who’ve been clipped. Many don’t survive. The clippers aren’t careful, their weapons aren’t clean.” Calista smiles at Elsie, showing lots of gum and very few teeth. “I’m training up the next generation of healers. I’m not long for this world.” He hugs her and kisses the top of her head. “She’s a marvel.” Elsie smiles and follows Hardy along. Most of the fairies have gone back to whatever they were doing before, but she can feel somebody staring at her. The prickle on the back of her neck tells her it’s not a friendly stare. She looks around but can’t see anybody taking any notice of her. “These boys are the head of our secret army. If they see a clipper, the clipper dies.” The two men look up from their weapons, wipe their hands on their clothes and hold out their hands to shake hers. Elsie does so, shaking both of their hands and then shuffling awkwardly on her feet. They are burly and intimidating, and she feels unnerved. Knowing they are murderers – even if it’s a justified murder – is a little unsettling and yet when she looks at them, makes herself really look at them, she sees two handsome, young, friendly looking men. They both look strong, and the way they handle weapons with such ease says a lot, but they’re not monsters. They’ve been forced to take this position. If you back a dog into a corner, no matter how friendly it is, it will bite. Elsie isn’t sure what to say, so points at a group of fairies heading off down a path. “Where are they going?”

“To visit the children. Take them food and drink. They’ll stay and play games with them and entertain them, while the ones who are there now take a break. We all work in shifts. We’re all in this battle with the royal family.” “Those poor children.” “Do you want to see them?” Elsie nods. She feels an affinity with children. Maybe because her childhood got cut short. It ended when her mother died. Life was never the same in the castle when her step mother came along, even though she was nice, something changed. Her father changed. And when he died, everything changed. “Do they ever go outside?” Hardy turns to her, his expression sad. “Not as often as we’d like. The mouth of these caves is at the bottom of the West woods, close to the troupe, by the side of the river, so we go out at least once a day. We set up guards to make sure that nobody from the castle can come close... but they have to be quiet. And we can’t let them fly in case they fly away. Some of them have already been clipped.” Elsie feels weighed down by sadness as she follows Hardy along, running her fingers along the damp walls. She feels such empathy for these children; she’s been locked up too, but she still has her wings. How could anyone want to inflict such pain and degradation on a child? The pathways within the caves, head down and down, deeper underground, and then Elsie hears them; children. Very quiet, but unmistakable – the odd giggle or shriek or shout. She smiles. They round a corner, and Elsie has to take a deep breath. There are hundreds of children swarming around the caves, some playing with balls or skipping, others listening wide eyed to stories, and others cramming food into their mouths. None of them look well. It’s obvious that they’re not thriving. Their hair is lank, their skin is grey, their wings are wilting. She wipes a tear away before anyone sees it. This sorrow isn’t hers; it’s theirs. A little girl pulls on Hardy’s wing and then, when he turns, ducks around the other side of him. He pretends he can’t see her and then scoops her up, causing her to scream and laugh. Elsie laughs too; despite how bleak their situation and

how unwell many of the children look, they seem happy. There are smiles and laughter, affection and a feeling of safety here. She often wished she’d been locked up with her sister Isla instead of on her own. She had Meg, and Meg always felt like family, but Isla was family. She would have been even more scared than Elsie, being younger. Elsie breaks away from Hardy’s side and sits with a group of children listening to a story. A fairy is ing out tiny honey cakes and es the plate to Elsie. She takes one. A little boy slips onto her lap and they listen to the story together. Elsie lets the sound of the children wash over her. If she had any doubts about coming back to fix the mess her step parents made in Allaire, those doubts have vanished. These children need their freedom; it’s criminal that they don’t have it. A little girl comes over, shyly looking at Elsie through her fringe. “Your hair is pretty. Can I make a plait?” Elsie nods. “You really know how? That’s so clever.” The girl grins and kneels behind Elsie, taking her hair out of the neat pins and clips Meg had put in. Tears make Elsie’s vision swim. She had spent so much time playing with Isla’s hair when they were little. They would take turns, and Elsie’s hair always looked a mess. Isla was only a year younger but had no idea when it came to hair. She could barely manage a plait, and it always ended up with more tangles in than when they started. The little fairy keeps up a running stream of one sided conversation, while Elsie just sits with her eyes closed, letting her tears fall. She can hear the story still, hear the other children chattering and talking, and she lets it all wash over her. Her heart is breaking. They should be outside in the fresh air, flying over fields full of flowers, lush grass and plump cows, and the burning midday sun. They should be laughing and playing and chasing bees, not sitting in the gloom of a cave. Children need to be free. What sort of grown-ups will these fairies become, if they ever make it that far? Repressed and angry, bitter and miserable. The entire future fate of the fairies of this Kingdom rests with these little fairies. It’s not

normal to live in caves, to live in fear, to live cooped up. Fairies need to fly. “All done,” the little girl says, coming around to the front of Elsie and inspecting her handiwork. She nods and tucks a few stray strands of hair in and then smiles. “You have beautiful hair.” “Thank you. So do you – what’s your name?” “Carys.” “And a beautiful name for a super pretty fairy.” Carys shakes her head and turns so Elsie can see her back. “Not anymore. Not a fairy now.” The little fairy’s wings are gone – exactly like the girl at the docks. Elsie pulls her in to hug her, mainly so the little fairy can’t see the horror on her face. Who could bring themselves to clip a little child? She pulls away. “You are still a beautiful fairy, and one day, I promise you, I’ll help you fix your wings.” “Really?” There is a flush of hope on the little girl’s cheeks that fills Elsie with a steely determination. “Really.” Carys hugs her fiercely, kisses her on her cheek, and then skips off, the torn stumps of her wings making Elsie feel completely and utterly sick. The pain that little girl would have felt while monsters – grown men – did that to her is horrifying. Repulsive. Every vile description she can think of. Hardy sits beside her, and the children scramble to sit near him. “Enjoying the story?” he asks her, and she nods, quickly wiping away her tears. “More than I thought I would. It’s incredible that you’re doing this – all of you. These children should be free.” “I agree with you. I’ll level with you: I’ve been waiting, biding my time, trying my best, but I’m failing. I can’t keep plugging the leaks, I have to fix this.

Properly. But not everyone thinks like me. The fairies are scared and I know why. They have little fight left in them. When I heard that you were coming back, I knew I had to talk to you. I think we can do more together than I can do on my own.” “What can I do?” “You can give the people hope. That we can overthrow the royal family as it is and have a better version with you. I think with my desire to fight this and your desire to put things right... maybe we can win.” His words are inspiring, and she feels a rush of something she can’t explain. Hope? Excitement? Being locked up for so long has deadened her emotions, but she’s feeling them slowly come back. The children in this room give her hope, and this man beside her gives her hope. “And you think the people will accept me and rally for me?” He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and rests his hand on her cheek. “I know they will.” “Hardy?” They both turn at the voice and Hardy jumps up, children scattering away from him. “Bella! This is the princess, Elsie. Elsie, this is my better half, I told you about her.” Elsie nods and scootches the little boy off her lap, standing up and smoothing down her dress. She puts out a hand to shake, but Bella ignores her, turning to Hardy. “I still can’t believe you brought her here. She’s one of them.” “Bella!” He turns to Elsie and shakes his head. “I’m so sorry. Don’t be rude, Bella. She’s not one of them, you know it and I know it. She’s been locked away for years, nobody at the castle has seen her since she was a child.”

Bella shrugs but offers no apology, just frowns at Hardy, her wings bristling. Elsie steps toward her. “It’s all right. I understand why you’re cross. I-” Bella puts a hand up. “You might be a princess out there, but here you’re just another fairy. A fairy privileged enough to live out her prison term in comfort. These children don’t have that luxury.” She stalks away and Hardy seems torn between staying with Elsie or following her. Elsie puts a hand on his arm. “Go after her. I’m fine here with the children.” He smiles gratefully, and rushes after Bella. Elsie sits back down, a little shaken by the fairy’s outburst but understanding of it too. The children gather around her again and she lets the unpleasant encounter wash off her. There are more important things to worry about. Like her step parents and what on earth can be done to stop them.

10

ELSIE STAYS WITH THE children until the fairies head back to the cavern, and then she follows along with them. None of them talk to her, but when they are leaving, a little fairy with crimson wings gestures for her to go with them. She’d prefer to stay with the children; she has a feeling she’ll be judged less harshly by them, but she dutifully does as she is told. As she always does. She spots Hardy straight away in the main cavern, in deep conversation with Bella. She’s still scowling, and he’s trying to placate her. Elsie can’t help but smile; she’s making him work for it. She has no experience or knowledge of relationships. She knows she felt a jolt of attraction to captain Tom, and she knows that Hardy is good looking and makes her feel awkward, but other than that she is clueless. She’s sure it would upset her if her boyfriend was paying attention to another girl, though. With nowhere to go and nothing to do and nobody giving her any direction, she’s weirdly lost. She hovers awkwardly by the fairies who came back from the group of children, but they soon drift off in pairs, or groups, or alone to do the things they usually do. Some say goodbye and head back out of the caves, others little groups and set to work. She is useless and feels it. She twirls the ribbon on her wrist and sits on a small bit of rock jutting out from the cave wall and making a natural seat. At least she’s safe. They might not all like her, or be taking any notice of her, but she knows none of the fairies here will hurt her. He kidnapped her for a good reason, though Meg won’t know that. She keeps worrying about Meg, and then she realises that someone could take a message to the troupe. She smiles and heads over to Hardy and Bella. They are still deep in conversation so she hesitates before approaching them, but by now she’s so close to them she’ll look and feel stupid if she veers off and pretends she wasn’t heading straight for them. Besides, where else would she go? “Sorry,” she says, hands up in apology. “I was just thinking, um, my maid, Meg, will worry about me. She’s with the troupe.” She looks at Hardy, because she can

feel Bella glaring at her. “You mentioned the troupe earlier. Is it possible to...” She trails off because Bella laughs or snorts or humphs or makes some noise the purpose of which Elsie isn’t entirely clear. Reluctantly, she turns to her. “Aw, is your maid going to be worried about you? And you’d like someone here – someone who has a million better things to do – to tell her you’re safe, or maybe bring her so she can dress you and brush your hair? We’re cleaning up the mess your family made. None of us have time to send messages to your maid.” Elsie doesn’t answer, but her lip trembles and tears spring to her eyes. This fairy is mean. “Bella!” The anger in Hardy’s voice is much more pronounced this time, and he puts an arm around Elsie. “Ignore her. She has issues. Someone will go to the troupe and explain... I should have thought of that. I was so excited to get you here that I was thoughtless. We can bring Meg – is it?” Elsie nods. “We can bring Meg here too. I’m sorry.” “It’s all right. I’m sorry – I don’t want to cause trouble. Bella-” Bella refuses to look at her or answer her and storms away, leaving Elsie in tears. All the panic at coming back, the fear at being kidnapped, the hostility is too much for her, and when Hardy hugs her, she sinks against him, letting him hold her. Minutes and then he pulls away from her. “I’m so sorry about Bella.” “Please don’t apologise. I know what some people must think of me.” “Well, I don’t think unpleasant things about you, and in this place, it’s my opinion that matters, not hers.” She smiles up at him. Even though she feels awkward in his company, she also feels like he’ll look after her. That he could look after anyone, everyone, that he’s got it all under control. Whatever ‘it’ might be.

“Hardy!” The shout is followed by running footsteps and Elsie tenses up. Hardy tucks her behind him and calls out. “I’m here!” The footsteps get closer, and Elsie peers around him. Meg! She can see Meg. She darts from behind Hardy and flies forward, falling into Meg’s arms. “Did anybody hurt you?” Elsie shakes her head no and answers, her words muffled by Meg’s shoulder. “No. I’m fine.” The two men and two women with Meg are still hesitant. They aren’t sure if they need to be hostile to Hardy or not. Elsie recognises Meg’s sister and gives her a slight smile. Gwenna smiles back, an uncertain frown on her face. Hardy has his hands up. “The princess is fine. I think there’s been a misunderstanding.” “No misunderstanding,” the taller of the two men says, taking a step forward. “Meg told us you kidnapped the princess.” Elsie shakes her head and moves back to Hardy’s side. “I’m all right. I was taken, but for a good reason, Meg, not a bad one.” “Honestly, guys, everything is fine here. Elsie is safe. I have introduced her to the children. She’s fine.” Gwenna turns to Meg. “She seems fine, sis.” Gwenna turns to Hardy. “Is there somewhere safe for them to stay, or shall they come back with me?” “I have a safe house. They’ll be fine. As long as your happy with that Elsie?” Hardy stares at Elsie, a question in his expression, and she nods. “I’m happy.”

He grins. “I am sorry for the way I brought her here. But I want to help her. I think we have a better chance of our rebellion working with Elsie on our side.” Meg takes Elsie’s arm and leads her away from Hardy and the others. “Elsie are you sure you’re all right. I nearly died when I saw that you were gone. Dayle was gone too; I had no idea what had happened.” “Dayle had already left me, but I’m fine. I promise you. How did you find me?” “Luckily, the troupe has spies everywhere.” “So does Hardy. It’s how he knew I was in the woods. Oh, Meg, this is everything we wanted. Someone to help me and me, to fix this entire horrible mess. This is good.” “Really? Is he a good man?” Elsie nods her head, glancing over at Hardy who is now deep in conversation with the fairies who brought Meg. “He really is, Meg.” Meg nods and walks to her sister’s side, putting an arm around her. “Thank you. But it seems like the cavalry wasn’t needed. You all know each other?” A man nods. “We’re friends, really, but we’d have kicked his arse if he’d hurt your sister.” Hardy shakes his head. “Thank goodness it didn’t come to that.” There are handshakes, and backslaps and hugs, and then Elsie and Meg are left alone with Hardy. Meg looks him up and down, taking the measure of him. “I’m not happy with you. That’s no way to treat a princess, especially one you say you want to help.” Hardy looks bashful and bows to Meg. “I am sorry. I was wrong.” She nods, happy for the moment. “And where will the princess sleep? She’s had a very busy day.” “I have the perfect place. Tomorrow I’ll introduce you to more of my team, and

we’ll talk strategy.” Elsie nods, even though she has no idea what a strategy is. She holds hands with Meg and they follow Hardy through the cave to the opposite end from where they both came into it. “This entrance is even more hidden than the primary entrance. Hardly anyone uses this way in or out,” Hardy says as he flies ahead of them slightly. “We have a safe house in the village, close enough to the castle it’s almost hiding in plain sight.” Elsie’s stomach turns. “Near the castle?” He comes to her side and takes her hand. “That was thoughtless. But you’ll be safe. I guarantee it.” She nods up at him, happy to take his word. Meg squeezes her hand and whispers, “I’m so glad I’m back with you. I hated not knowing where you were.” Elsie smiles. “I was so scared, Meg. But I promise Hardy’s been kind.” “What about the other fairies? Have you seen any, or just the children?” “Some others. They were all right.” They are quiet the rest of the way and fly to the safe house without event. Hardy lets them inside. Elsie knows exactly where they are; she can the villages nearest the castle from when she was a girl; she re the markets, the noise of all the people, the way they would throw flowers at the carriage as they ed by. She can see her mother’s smiling face, the pride on her father’s face. They were so beloved in the Kingdom. Their subjects would have done anything for them. It’s all gone so wrong. Being so close is making her feel sick, but she feels something else. A defiance maybe? She’s back. She’s sure her step parents never thought they’d see her face again. And she’s not just back, she’s back to stop them.

She looks around the front room of the safe house. It’s bare and plain, but she can smell something wonderful cooking. It’s been a long time since she ate anything and a long time since they slept. She’s suddenly starving and exhausted in equal measure. “Is Bella here?” Elsie asks, the tremble in her voice causing Meg to glance at her with concern. Hardy shakes his head. “No, she’s at her house. She lives close by. I usually stay with her. We use this place as a headquarters, similar to the cave, but smaller and cleaner. Come, let me introduce you to Maud. Maud lives here all the time.” They follow him through to a kitchen, and the lady there envelops him an enormous hug. “Princess, Meg, this is my mother, Maud.” Maud beams at them, then curtseys at Elsie, then grins at Meg, then pinches Hardy’s cheek, then turns back to her saucepans. “Oh, don’t let me burn this now. I’ll skin you alive if you’ve caused me to burn this Hardy!” Hardy raises his eyebrows at Elsie, and Meg, then helps his mother with plates. She’s made a meat stew, crammed with huge chunks of beef and vegetables. She’s also baked a batch of soft bread rolls. Hardy pours ale for them all and then takes a seat next to Elsie. Maud dishes up and then sits, exhausted, mopping up the juice from the stew with some bread. “It’s been too long since I had anyone to look after Hardy. And then you bring me a princess, with no warning.” “I told you you’d have guests tonight, ma.” “You didn’t tell me she’d be a princess. I’d have washed my hair and changed my pinny for a clean one.” She shakes her head and then turns her attention to Elsie and Meg. “Are you all right, my lovelies?” They both nod. “This food is delicious, thank you.” Maud beams and spears a carrot with her fork. “I used to cook for my boy and his father three square meals a day. Then my poor husband...” she trails off and

then shakes her head. “Anyway, this one was never at home after that. Always plotting, always scheming. So I cook for the little ones. Have you met them yet?” Elsie nods. “Such darlings. Such innocent darlings. Their whole lives ahead of them, ruined by that evil pair of monsters in the castle.” Hardy coughs. “So, ma, Elsie is here to help us. She had no idea what her step parents were up to. She’s been locked away for years.” “Poor lamb.” Maud holds out another bread roll to Elsie, who takes it, despite being stuffed. “And this is your maid? Was she locked up too?” Meg nods, quickly swallowing down a bit of stew. “Yes. I’ve been with Elsie all her life. I was only ten when she was born. When her step parents locked her up, they locked me up too. I was allowed out once a week to visit family.” “Makes you think they had some good in them, when you say that.” Hardy sips some ale. “It’s strange that they let you out, Meg. When they didn’t even let Elsie take a walk outside.” Meg shrugs. “I never questioned it. I was glad to see my mother, my siblings.” Elsie reaches out and takes Meg’s hand. “Meg always came back. She’s like a mother to me. She’s always been by my side.” Maud grins. “You are lucky. There’s few that’s as loyal as that.” She es Meg some bread. Meg tears a piece off and chews it. “So what’s next son?” Hardy shrugs. “I still don’t know. I want to talk to the rest of the men. Probably tomorrow. I’ll introduce them to Elsie and we’ll make a plan. I don’t want to wait too long. I’m hoping having Elsie here will inspire anyone who’s been

reluctant to us.” “Overthrow them?” Maud asks, chewing on some meat. Hardy nods. “Yes.” They are quiet for a while, all enjoying the food. Maud serves up extra helpings, and despite being stuffed, both Elsie and Meg eat more. It’s so delicious that neither wants to stop. “I’ve made up the beds for you. You’re both in the same room, if that’s all right?” Elsie nods. Meg seems distracted. “I’ll love you and leave you,” Hardy says, pushing back his chair. He grabs a bread roll to take with him. “I’ll be back in the morning. You’ll be safe with my mum.” He kisses his mum’s cheek and then does the same to Elsie. He nods to Meg and then leaves the room. They hear the front door slam. “Who’s up for pudding?” Maud asks, and Elsie laughs even as she groans. “I’m so full I might not make it up the stairs.” Maud laughs. “Your maid can push you.” Elsie laughs and turns to Meg, but Meg is swirling bread through her stew, seemingly oblivious to the conversation going on around her. “Nice bit of cake and cream.” Maud bustles around, clearing the plates, refilling the jug of ale, and then bringing over three bowls of cake. The cream is in a jug. “I’m not even going to resist.” Elsie pours cream over her cake, then digs in. She hasn’t eaten so well in six years. She had so little to eat but had gotten used to it and been conditioned to it. Now she could eat the entire meal over again, even though her stomach is protesting, and her dress is too tight. She licks the spoon and then pushes her bowl away. “Thank you. That was the most delicious thing I’ve eaten in years.”

Mark cooked well enough on the ship, but the food was plain. Maud is an outstanding cook and seems to have the best ingredients. “You’ve cheered me right up telling me that. Now let’s get the pair of you up to bed. I didn’t know I had royalty coming to stay, but I knew I had two women, so I have fresh clothes for you. I filled the bath with boiling water, so by now it should be pleasant enough. Shout if you need anything.” She leads the way upstairs and shows them their room. It’s large but plain, with only basic furniture and furnishings. She puts a little plate of tiny cakes and pastries on the table, winks at Elsie and then leaves the room. Elsie thanks her and then closes the door before turning to Meg. “What’s wrong?” Meg is crying, causing Elsie to rush to her side. “Meg, what is it? Tell me.” “Nothing, my lovely. I was just so scared. When I turned around and you were gone, I felt sick. And then Gwenna told me about Hardy, I panicked. I thought he might have hurt you.” “He’d never hurt me. He’s so kind, Meg, you should see him with the children. They love him.” “I didn’t know that. I just knew that the head of the rebels had taken you. I think I’m just overcome with relief. That you’re all right and that we’re back in Allaire. I never thought we’d come back.” “Me neither. But I’m glad. Meg, wait until tomorrow, when you see a bit more of Hardy. You’ll see. I know we can do this. I’ve gone from feeling nervous and scared to feeling sure we can do it.” “And then what?” “And then what, what?” “If you help Hardy or he helps you, and the rebels finally get the momentum and

the numbers to storm the castle or attack your step parents... then what?” “Well, we’ll get them to stop. Everyone will be safe again.” “And...?” “And?” “Will you be queen? Will you run the Kingdom?” Elsie shakes her head and slumps into the seat beside Meg. She picks up a pastry and nibbles it. “I suppose I will. I know you said I was the rightful heir to the throne of Allaire, before, but I’ve never had a hankering to run the place, just to stop my step parents. I haven’t thought that far ahead. Do you think I’ll be queen?” “Who else could be? If the rebels want to stop your step parents, then you’re next in line to the throne. Somebody has to rule. I just want you to be careful. With these rebels, Elsie. If you are next in line to the throne, that means you’re special and important.” “I’ll be careful, Meg. I promise.” They both fall silent. Coming back to Allaire has changed everything.

11

ELSIE WAKES BEFORE Meg and sits up in the bed, knees tucked up to her chin, blankets snuggled around her. She takes a drink of ale and eats one of the small cakes Maud left them last night. It’s a little stale, but it’s still nicer than most anything she ate while she was locked up. She picks up the pebble that Tom gave her and holds it in her hand. Is she really back In Allaire? She must be crazy. She was free. She was on her way to a new life, a better life. Would it really have been any better? Was marrying someone you didn’t love and knew nothing about just a different type of prison? Probably. For the first time in her life she’s deciding, choosing what she does, and it’s a little terrifying, but she can’t deny that it’s a little exciting. She watches the room get lighter, enjoying the calm. She’s safe in this little bed, in this little room, in this tiny house with Meg – who always makes her feel safe – and Maud, who she likes a lot. And Hardy. She likes him a lot, but he makes her feel uncomfortable. He’s so handsome and so commanding. And Bella. Bella really doesn’t like her. Does she believe she’s as bad as her step parents? Maybe. Hopefully, her mind will change when Elsie helps and s the rebellion that stops them. They won’t be expecting it, and they won’t be expecting her. She didn’t see a lot of them once she was locked up. Her step mother would visit occasionally, more so at the beginning, but less so toward the end. She brought the news of Elsie’s betrothal, and the news of the acceptance, and the picture that had been painted of Alwen, the prince she should marry soon. Her step father stayed away. He had tried to hurt her a few times, when he first came to the castle, but something always seemed to stop him. Then she was locked up. In many ways it was easier. She didn’t have to be scared all day long, and she didn’t have to pretend to like or love the strangers

who she was supposed to call family. Meg stirs and Elsie smiles at her, the only constant in her life. “Morning.” Meg stretches and sits up. “Good morning. I slept like a baby.” “It was the food last night. I was so full.” “Me too. It was delicious. Did you sleep well? Have you been awake long?” “I slept just wonderfully. I’ve been awake for a while. I’m nervous.” “I’m sure. I’ll be with you every step of the way.” “I know. I’m glad of it.” Meg sits up, shaking out her wings. “Gwenna was worried when we found out you were with Hardy. He’s quite the rebel.” “He is, but he’s doing good stuff. They feed the fairies who can’t work because they’ve been clipped. They look after the children. They-” “I think he’s a good man. I was scared at first, but after I met him, I felt better. Gwenna said that the troupe has considered ing forces with him. They feel guilty sometimes that they stay safe, but they don’t actively help anyone else. But...” “But?” “Something has always stopped them. But now you’re here, now I’m back. Well, Gwenna will talk to the group elders and see if there can be some alliance. They’d bring a lot of manpower.” “That’s brilliant news. We can tell Hardy when he comes.” “We can tell him they are considering it. Let’s get you dressed. I’m afraid you must wear the same clothes as yesterday.” A knock at the door interrupts them. “Morning lovelies. I can hear you chatting,

so I know you’re up. I won’t interrupt, but Hardy’s downstairs. He brought some clothes for you both. I’ll leave them outside.” “Thank you, Maud.” Meg opens the door, but she’s already gone. She picks up the yellow box and brings it inside, placing it on the bed. Elsie looks at Meg, her eyes wide. “Look at this, Meg!” She opens the box and squeals. She pulls out the first garment, a pale green shimmery dress, a little shorter than she’s used to, but ever so pretty. Then there’s a dark blue, more sensible looking specimen meant for Meg. There are ribbons, and a brooch, new shoes for both of them, in just the right sizes. Meg raises her eyebrows at Elsie. “He’s good.” “He is.” Meg helps Elsie to dress. “What are you going to do with this?” She gestures at the red ribbon, still wrapped around her wrist. “Shall I tie your hair up with it?” “Yes. I’d like to keep it. I feel like it’s a good luck charm. Dayle is amazing, isn’t she?” “She is. But so are you. Don’t underestimate what you have done by coming back here.” Elsie shrugs. It’s difficult to be proud of herself. She doesn’t feel like she’s earned it yet. But she will. Meg ties the red ribbon around Elsie’s ponytail, and then quickly dresses herself. “Let’s go.” Elsie finds she’s itching with excitement to see Hardy again. He’s in the kitchen with his mother. She is sitting sipping a hot drink, and he’s frying up some meat. “Take a seat, ladies. What can I get you? Meat, eggs, cake?” “All three. They need feeding up,” Maud says, setting down her cup and pouring hot drinks for the two of them. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.” They both answer at the same time and then laugh. Hardy pops a plate of honey cakes in the middle of the table. “I have barely slept at all. Elsie, you have given me fresh hope, new enthusiasm and new determination. We have a little time and then we’ll meet the men I deal with. I think we can do it this time.” Elsie smiles at his excitement. She hopes she doesn’t let him down. Hardy s them once everything is cooked, and they eat in a comfortable silence. “Will the men you work with hate me like Bella does?” Elsie asks after a while. Meg shoots her a confused look and Maud tuts. “Bella doesn’t like anybody who isn’t Bella. Don’t give her a minute’s thought.” “You didn’t tell me anyone was unkind to you, Elsie.” Meg sounds hurt and Elsie feels bad. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t want to worry you.” “What did she say?” “Nothing nice,” Hardy says, reaching over to pat Elsie’s arm. “I feel responsible for her. I love her very much, but she’s prickly.” Maud laughs. “A hedgehog is prickly. That girl is poisonous.” “Ma!” She holds her hands up placatingly. “I know you love her, I’m sure she’s a different person with you, but to the rest of us.” She shakes her head, making a face at Elsie and Meg. “Prickly doesn’t cover it.” Hardy pours some ale and takes a swig. “I won’t have you being horrible about her, ma.” “I won’t be horrible. I’m only stating facts. Look at this poor girl here. Why would Bella be unkind to her? We all guessed the truth. She’s not been seen

since she was a child. The royal family was always present in the Kingdom. You’d see them in the gardens, or the market, or the taverns, the princesses included. Then they vanished. But instead of escaping for a new life, she came back. I think that’s the bravest thing I’ve ever seen. Bella should have been kissing her feet for ing your rebellion, for coming to light a fire up the backsides of all the fairies in Allaire. Instead, she’s prickly.” Elsie and Meg have to eat to cover up their smiles, and Hardy just shakes his head. “Enough.” His tone clarifies that he won’t hear anymore on the subject and Maud seems happy to comply. She dishes out the remains of his cooking between their plates, and the silence envelops them again. Meg clears her throat. “Hardy, you cook as well as your mother. She must have taught you well.” He smiles, and Elsie reaches for her hand under the table to give it a squeeze. Meg always knows how to make, not just her, but everybody, feel better. She’s worked at the castle all her life, so she’s schooled in respectful manners and decorum. Maud is humming as she clears away and shoos Elsie and Meg away when they try to help. “I’ll gather everyone, and then I’ll come back for you. We’ll go to the cavern; I know we’re safe there.” “Meg wanted to tell you something,” Elsie says, just as he turns to go. “It’s not definite, but Gwenna, that’s my sister – who lives with the troupe – mentioned that they might be happy to band together with you. For the good of Allaire.” Hardy looks surprised. “They’ve never wanted to get involved before. I’m not sure they agree with some of our less peaceful tactics.” “They’re not usually fighters. They prefer a gentle existence, but they’re loyal to Gwenna, who is loyal to me, and I am loyal to Elsie. The dots connect themselves. Gwenna wanted to talk to the elders, to be sure. But we can go to

them. Maybe after our meeting?” He looks unsure. “Maybe we should go now? It would be great to bring even more good news to the meeting. It could really help rally us, if we knew we had additional ...” He trails off, weighing up what to do. The women stay silent. This isn’t their decision to make. Elsie watches him with fascination. He’s not that much older than her, she’s sure, but he has such a confidence about him. He knows exactly who he is and what he stands for, she can just tell. He doesn’t hesitate for long. He’s almost fizzing with excitement. “Let’s go to the troupe.” Meg looks a little nervous, and he smiles at her. “Please don’t worry. I’ll be polite and I’ll ask for help. I know it’s not a definite thing; you haven’t given me false hope. But I’m ionate about helping Allaire. I’ve never addressed the troupe or the elders. This is an enormous opportunity for me to show them we aren’t thugs just looking for trouble. I can tell them all the good things we’re doing for Allaire and the children. Let me convince them. Please?” “I’m not sure I’m supposed to show people where they live...” “Oh, Meg, Hardy knows. When we were in the caves yesterday, we were talking about the children and how they play by the river near the troupe.” “It’s only a secret from the castle and the clippers. I haven’t spoken to them directly, but we run into each other. They keep to themselves and we keep to ourselves, but there’s no animosity.” Meg nods and smiles at Hardy, feeling better. “Then we’ll go. I’ll be glad to see Gwenna again.” Maud quickly fills a basket with goodies. “Take these for the troupe. Food always makes people more amenable to doing what you want them to.” Elsie laughs, but Hardy shakes his head. “We’ll take it, but we don’t need to blackmail anybody. Anyone who lives here knows this is the right thing to do. The only thing that’s stopping any of us is fear. Food won’t help.”

“It won’t stop the fear, but it will help. Trust your mother.” Meg takes the basket and Hardy leads them out to the front door. He turns back to his mother. “Ma, have you got a hood or a shawl she can wear? Just in case.” “Is she in danger?” Meg asks, panic making her face pale. “She would be if anybody from the castle saw her and recognised her. It’s not likely. Nobody’s looking for her. If she was still on the ship, she wouldn’t have made it across the water yet. Nobody knows she’s not still on her way, but we might as well be safe.” Maud es Elsie a grey shawl and Meg helps to tuck it over her hair, using some pins from her own hair to secure it in place. “That’s better.” They head outside and Meg links arms with Elsie. The village is bustling with people and activity and for Elsie it doesn’t feel frightening; it feels invigorating. Being locked up was something she quickly got used to, but it was quiet and boring. She listened to endless stories from Meg; they played endless games with a ball, throwing, catching and bouncing, but the silence was so thick sometimes she wanted to scream, just to hear her own voice echo off the thick walls. The bustle and noise are filling her with a happiness she hasn’t felt for a long time. It’s a peaceful happiness. She feels joy. There’s nothing exciting being said or done by the fairies in the village. It’s banal really; greetings and jokes, chatter and laughing, people calling out and waving, clapping each other on the back and smiling. It’s the simple joy of people being together. Her head is turning this way and that and even though she knows she has to stay calm and go unnoticed, she’s too excited to keep her head right down. The every day has become amazing to her. Hardy rushes through the busier part of the village but slows down once they reach the moss laced pathway through the woods. “That was nerve-wracking.” “I thought it was wonderful. I can the village from when my mother

would bring me and my sister-” She turns to Hardy, a look of pure horror on her face. “Hardy, my sister. We have to make sure she’s safe. What if she gets caught up in the rebellion, what if she gets hurt?” Hardy holds his hands up. “I know the princess Isla is locked up the same way you were.” “I haven’t seen her since I was ten and she was nine.” Elsie wipes a tear away. “We were close when my parents were alive. Meg, who’s with her? Is it Lacey?” Meg nods. She had always looked after Elsie, despite only being ten when she was born. She had only been a little maid then, assisting the older maids, handmaidens and lady’s-in-waiting, but the older she got the more she did, until she did everything for the little princess. Lacey, one of the other maids, who’d been a little maid with Meg, had been locked up with Isla. “Yes. Do you know we came up through the castle together? We were both little maids and then promoted to handmaidens. I know she loves Isla like I love you.” Elsie catches up to Hardy, slips her arm through his. “Can we rescue her? Or ensure her safety somehow? I would hate something to happen to her. She’s an innocent in all this.” Hardy looks at her as they walk along, and Elsie feels herself blush. He’s so intense. “I’ll think of something.” Meg falls in step with them. “They allowed me out each week, Lacey too. Maybe we can get word to her.” “I have a spy at the castle, let me see what I can find out.” “Really? Who?” Hardy refuses to look at Meg or answer her question. Meg frowns at Hardy, but Elsie smiles at him. “I feel safe with you.” It’s a simple statement, but it’s true. Hardy grins at her and then lowers his voice. “We’re getting closer to the troupe.” He pauses. “I just want to stop and make sure we haven’t been followed.”

“Surely we haven’t.” Elsie turns to look back the way they came and gasps when she sees a figure duck behind a tree. “Hardy, there’s someone there.” Hardy doesn’t need telling twice. “Stay here.” Meg pulls Elsie closer to her, into the shelter of the trees. They hear a shout and the sound of a scuffle but can only wait. Elsie has her hand over her mouth, tears filling her eyes. This is too scary. Meg shakes her head and puts a finger to her lips. It’s only a matter of minutes, even though it feels like forever, when Hardy comes back to them, blood gushing from a cut on his eye, the other eye bruising already. Elsie rushes to his side. “Are you all right?” He grins. “I won’t say you should see the other chap, because I barely touched him. Something spooked him and he ran off.” “Something spooked him?” An adolescent girl steps out from the shadow of the trees. “It was me. I think I scared him away.” “You’re with the troupe?” Meg recognises her but cannot her name. She nods. “I’m Aster.” “Thank you, Aster,” Hardy says, smiling at her and causing her to blush. “I should get back.” She darts away, her silver wings fluttering, but Hardy calls her back. “We’re heading there now. Maybe you can ensure our safe age?” Elsie smiles at him; he’s not too macho to ask for help. He’s so humble and so kind. Aster beams, delighted with the compliment, and nods her head. “I know a quicker way.” The children of the troupe grow up in these woods; it’s their playground, and Aster is true to her word. She flits through the woods, ignoring the more obvious pathways through the trees, and then flies around a corner. The tents laid out

before them like a colourful patchwork blanket. Aster nods at them and flies down ahead of them, her silvery wings matching her silvery hair perfectly. Meg takes the lead. “We’ll go to Gwenna, and Gwenna can take us to the elders.” “I hope they listen to me,” Hardy says. “I look like a thug.” “We’ll ask Bronwen to tend to you first.” Elsie stares at him, adoration clear in her expression, causing Meg to take a step closer to her, as if she might guard her. “They’ll listen to you. Who wouldn’t?”

12

MEG TAKES THEM STRAIGHT to Bronwen’s tent. Elsie smiles at her and waves in greeting; this fairy has exceptional healing powers, she’ll make Hardy right in no time at all, and then he can plead their case to the troupe elders. Bronwen beckons Hardy forward with a bony finger and he sits in front of her. It’s fascinating for Elsie to watch her work. There’s magic in her fingertips, but also an intuition to how she works. She knows what Hardy needs instinctively. She has a little shelf of potions and lotions just beside her seat, and she reaches for things without even looking to check what they are. Gwenna comes into the tent. “Were you careful?” “Good to see you,” Meg says, laughing and handing her the basket of goodies Maud gave them. Gwenna takes it and kisses her sister’s cheek, the question still clear in her expression. “And we were. How many times do I need to tell you I would put none of you in harm’s way?” Gwenna smooths down her skirt and then fluffs her hair when she spots Hardy. “What happened?” “We were set upon in the woods-” “So, someone followed you?” Gwenna’s eyes flash angrily. “No. I think it was an unlucky encounter,” Hardy says, turning to them all, his bruised eye already back to normal, the swelling gone, the blood stemmed. “Aster scared him off.” “Aster,” Bronwen says her name with some reverence. “That girl can heal better than me.” Elsie raises her eyebrows. Aster must be a skilled fairy to be better than Bronwen. She has only met Bronwen twice, although she still feels a strange

sense of familiarity when she looks at her, and knows from watching her, and from being healed by her, how good she is. “Why are you here? I thought you’d be halfway to storming the castle by now.” Hardy gives Gwenna a little shove with his hip as he es her. “Sarcasm doesn’t suit you.” Gwenna blushes and rolls her eyes. “It suits me well enough, thank you. Are you here to see the elders? I have spoken to them. I think they’re interested. Did my sister spill the beans?” Gwenna gives Meg a disapproving glance. “I told him it wasn’t definite.” “Good. Because it’s not. Come on.” She turns on her heel and they all follow her outside. They thread through the tents and then she stops outside the largest of all. “Good luck.” Hardy hesitates. “I think Elsie should come in. She’s the reason I hope they’ll change their minds and me. Will you come?” He holds out a hand, and as though she’s in a trance, she takes it and follows him. It’s as bright inside as out, there are so many lanterns and candles lit. There’s a huge fire in the middle of the floor, the smoke snaking all the way up and through a hole at the top of the tent. It’s not too hot, just comfortable and clean. There are two fairies standing at the fireside and several others sitting around. Hardy clears his throat and the two by the fire turn to them. “Welcome. We thought you would visit today. My name is Ool. This is Marella. Sit with us.” They sit away from the fire and away from the other fairies, and Elsie feels a wave of apprehension come over her. This is all very serious. The male fairy, Ool, smiles at her. “I’m glad to see you with your freedom, princess.”

“Thank you,” Elsie says, unsure if she should add anything. Marella, the female, speaks before Elsie can make her mind up. “It pains all of us you were locked away and that your sister still is.” “This is why I’m here,” Hardy says, leaning forward in his chair, his expression intense. “If we band together, if the other fairies see that we have Elsie on our side, I think it might be enough.” “The Kingdom is weak, Hardy, not just the fairies who have been clipped, but the rest of us. Nothing grows like it used to, nothing flourishes or thrives here anymore, us included. You have a fire in you, but for the rest of us, this rebellion you speak of seems like a death wish. We are safe while we hide.” “Not all of us are safe.” There is some condemnation in his tone which even Elsie picks up on. “We won’t be made to feel bad for looking after ourselves and our own.” “I don’t want to make you feel bad, I just think now is the time to do something. Before it’s too late and before it gets any harder. You say I have this fire – let me share it with you, let me rile you all up and give you the fire too. I didn’t get it from the ether; I got it from my father, and it grew. I want justice. I want the clipping to stop. I want our children to fly freely through the air of the Kingdom they will inherit.” Elsie’s eyes fill with tears as he speaks, and she cannot stay silent. “Please listen to him. him, us. My step parents have ruined too many lives. I’ve seen the children with their clipped wings, their painful scars. I want to help. The more of us there are, the easier it will be.” “Is there a plan?” Hardy shakes his head with some reluctance. “I have had a hundred plans but each of them has a flaw which I cannot see a way around. The more of us there are, the easier it will be to come up with an idea that works.” “They don’t venture out. They know they are hated in their own Kingdom.” “I know. I’m not saying it will be easy.”

Elsie reaches for his hand and takes it, squeezing it. “But it has to be done.” “Let us speak. Stay here.” The two fairies call to the other fairies in the tent and they gather down the other end where Elsie and Hardy cannot hear what they are saying and cannot fathom anything from their facial expressions. They are still holding hands, and their breath. Hardy smiles at her. “I think you’ve helped. I think they’ll us. We just need an idea.” “Something they won’t be expecting,” Elsie says, almost to herself. “You’re right. Something unexpected. Like what?” “Attack. You say you’ve always wanted to, well, if you get the numbers then you can. They’d never expect it. If they hardly go out, it’s because they know what people think of them. They think they’re safe in the castle.” He lets out a whoop, causing the fairies to pause their conversation and stare at them, and then grabs her face, kissing her forehead and making her blush. “Yes. Oh, Elsie, please let the troupe agree to work with us. We’d have the numbers then. Or more than we have now at least.” He takes hold of her hand and she lets him. She’s pleased that he’s pleased with her. His praise makes her feel warm. They sit in silence, watching the elders. There’s no way to tell if the decision is going their way or not. Hardy squeezes her hand, Ool and Marella have broken away from the other fairies who all flit out of the tent leaving them alone. “Good or bad? Yes or no?” Hardy whispers, so close to her face that his breath tickles her ear. “Yes,” she says, hoping she’s right; she would hate to see him disappointed. Ool is impossible to read, but Marella is smiling. “For the sake of the Kingdom and the future of Allaire, we have decided to back your cause, Hardy. To you and the other rebels and to overthrow the royals.” Hardy cannot contain his glee. He stands up and hugs both of them, before

lifting Elsie out of her seat and spinning her around. They both hover in the air, expressions ecstatic, arms around each other. Ool coughs and they come back to the ground. Elsie sits down. “Thank you. I’m ever so grateful. What my step parents are doing sickens me, and I want to be a part of the fight that stops them.” “You’re the reason we changed our mind,” Ool says. “A battle against the royals isn’t a straightforward thing to undertake; they have all the power. But you are the royal princess. Your parents ruled Allaire so well. It’s time to get that back. We will fight with you, if you agree to take the throne once we defeat your step parents.” Elsie nods. “I’m ready to do that.” And she is. It might never have occurred to her in the beginning. Even when Meg mentioned uprisings and rebellions and her being the rightful heir to the throne, it wasn’t something she desired. She just knew she had to stop her step parents. But the logical step after they bring them down is for someone to replace them, and it cannot be anyone but her. Not really. Hardy turns to her. “Long live the fairy queen. Let’s do it!” Elsie laughs but feels a tingle fill her from head to toe. She will not have to marry a man she has never met; she will be a queen in her own right. Queen of the Kingdom she was born in. “So what’s next, Hardy? What do you have in place?” “I have spies at the castle – spies I would trust with my life. I have men making weapons, and men training the fairies on how to use them. We have soldiers, young men and old men making up the bulk of our makeshift army, and the older, more experienced men training each core group.” “Talk numbers. Logistics.” Ool is warming up to this, Elsie can tell. The excitement of a war bringing light to his eyes. Marella looks fascinated by Hardy’s words and Hardy. “The castle has good security. Guards on duty all day and all night. Less in the night, but an attack at night could end up being confusing. The changing of the

guard, the shift swap happens at first light. That’s always been my ideal time. Honestly, I have planned this hundreds of times in my head. I know when to do it, how to do it, what could go right, and what could go wrong. I’ve just never had the numbers. I am so grateful to you; I cannot even explain it.” “It’s good for all of us. Sometimes you just have to wait for the right time. Now is that time. We have Elsie, the true heir, and together we’ll have the numbers. I’m not saying it’ll be easy to convince all the troupe. Us agreeing to this doesn’t mean that every member of the troupe will automatically be happy and ready to bear arms.” “I know, but I can speak to them, they can come to the cave and see the setup we have – the weapons we have at our disposal. We are prepared for this. We’re more than ready.” “I have someone you need to meet. He’s as obsessed with a rebellion as you are.” Hardy follows Ool out of the tent, ready to make his mark and ready to convince everyone and anyone of this cause his father started him out on. Elsie and Marella trail after them, and Meg rushes over to her. “You were such a long time, is everything all right?” Elsie cannot help but hug her. “It’s amazing. The troupe will help us!” Meg lets out her breath and smiles. “Thank goodness. That’s excellent news. It couldn’t be done without them. I know Hardy is excited and brave, Elsie, but he can’t do this alone.” Elsie thinks he probably could but won’t argue with Meg. There’s no need. The troupe is on board and all that needs figuring out now is exactly how to do it. “Oh, Meg, he’s so inspiring. I wish I could fight; I wish I was like Dayle.” “Thank goodness you are not!” Ool calls them all over to a striped tent. A man is sitting outside on a stool, bare chested, holding a guitar. He puts the guitar down and stands, holding out his arm to shake hands with Hardy. He nods a slight bow to Elsie and then grins at Hardy again.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for this.” Ool nods. “Ajo has been trying to convince us to help you for a long time. Our concerns were too big. They still are. But we think with Elsie coming back, maybe it’s the right time.” “I’m like you, Hardy. I can’t stand living here and doing nothing about it. It’s been going on too long.” “Ajo lost his father to the clippers. One of the few in our troupe to be clipped or lose their life. We’re lucky.” Ajo stamps his foot. “We’re only lucky because we stay hidden away. It’s no way to live.” “You won’t have to hide for much longer,” Hardy says, clapping Ajo on the back. “Our time has come. Thanks to Elsie.” He looks at Elsie with such intensity that she has to look away. “I’ll leave you here with Ajo. He’ll be your point of for the troupe. Ajo, you’ve been waiting for this. The elders, and Marella and I, are happy for you to take the lead on this. Rally the troupe, find who you can to fight, make sure they know the risks and what’s at stake. Nobody is bound to fight. It has to be a choice. And win or lose, we won’t penalise anybody for not taking part in this fight.” Ajo nods his understanding and Ool leaves them to it. Elsie watches him walk away. “Does that mean the elders won’t fight?” “They might. I reckon Ool will. But I have hundreds of men who will this fight.” “Excellent. Any fairy who wants to fight, may fight. Is that it?” “I think so. Come with us. We’ll go to the cave and I’ll show you the setup. You can tell me what you think.” “And maybe someone can show me how to fight,” Elsie says, moving away from Meg and closer to Hardy and Ajo, still imagining being more like Dayle.

“You could learn to fight,” Hardy says. “Lots of the girls do. But not for this rebellion. This rebellion isn’t a game.” Ajo looks her up and down, an appreciative expression on his face. “I reckon you could fight if you had to.” Meg humphs. “This is a princess you’re talking about. She couldn’t fight if she had to. Despite being locked up for the last six years, she’s still got more decorum than most.” “Meg!” Elsie glares at her handmaiden and only friend in the world. Meg shrugs. “Elsie, I can’t have you talking with these two men as though you’re getting ready to be involved in some sort of underground fighting club. You’re a princess. If this rebellion goes well, you’ll be on the throne. These men will kneel before you, and they ought to that. I’m sorry if I’m not saying what you want to hear, but that’s the truth of it.”

13

ELSIE’S EXPRESSION brokers no further word on the subject, and on the flight back to the cave, Meg is shoved firmly to the back of the entourage. Elsie and Hardy fly ahead, together, and Ajo and his sister Anya fly straight behind them. Determined to get her way, Elsie asks Hardy who the best female fighter he knows is. He hesitates slightly and then grimaces. “It’s Bella.” Elsie’s heart sinks, but she raises her chin, her expression fierce. “Then I shall ask her to help me.” “She might say no.” “She might say yes.” “Does it really matter? You have all the time in the world to learn how to play with a dagger, once you are queen.” Elsie is ready to convince Bella to help her but when they fly into the cave and the first thing she sees is Bella glaring at her with her hands on her hips, a furious expression on her face, she’s willing to wait awhile. Hardy flies over to placate his girlfriend and Elsie, Meg, Ajo and Anya hover together. “The weapons are over there,” Elsie says, pointing over to where Hardy had introduced her to the two men in charge. Ajo and Anya fly over. Elsie stays with Meg, wondering if she should clear the air. “I’m sorry, Elsie. I have to speak up for you. It’s my job.” “It doesn’t have to be your job anymore, Meg.” “What do you mean? Are you asking me to go?”

Elsie shakes her head, tears springing to her eyes. “Oh, no, Meg. I never want you to leave. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” “What do you mean then?” Elsie sits on a crag of rock and pats the space beside her. “I mean, that I shouldn’t be a job for you, not anymore. I want us to be friends, equals I suppose. It’s time I learned to dress myself, don’t you think?” Meg chokes on a sob. “Oh, Elsie, you’re more than a job anyway, you’re my family. I can understand you wanting to feel useful and not just watch this battle for the throne going on, but please... who you are and what you’ve spent your life doing. You’re brave and courageous, but you’re no Dayle.” Elsie rests her head on Meg’s shoulder. “I think there’s only one Dayle.” “Thank goodness. I don’t think the men in the Kingdom could cope with two of them.” “Or some of the women.” “Elsie!” Elsie laughs. “Meg, you’re so funny. I know about love.” Meg smooths her hair. “I know. And I’m sure Dayle could take her pick. So was that the girlfriend? The one who was mean to you?” Elsie nods. “Yes. She was sarcastic when I asked Hardy if they could get a message to you-” “You tried to get word to me?” “Of course. Meg, I haven’t been without you my entire life that I can . I was scared without you, and I knew you’d be worried about me. But you were already here with your sister. But Bella was mean.” “She’ll get over it.” “I hope so. She reckons I’m completely spoiled.”

“Well, Elsie, you can’t even dress yourself, so...” Meg cannot stop laughing and Elsie gives her a playful shove. “Not squabbling are we, ladies?” Hardy s them, an amused smile on his face as he watches them. “Of course not. Princesses don’t squabble.” “Well girlfriends do,” Hardy says, glancing balefully in Bella’s direction. She is refusing to look his way. “Where’s Ajo and Anya?” “Over there.” “Let’s go. I want to show you all something.” Meg hesitates, not sure if she’s part of this war game. Hardy nods at her. “You too. Elsie needs you.” Elsie grins at him and follows behind him, along with Meg. “Ajo!” Hardy greets him as though he hasn’t seen him for years and Ajo high fives him. “Quite the setup you’ve got here, Hardy. I’m impressed. These two certainly know their stuff.” The two burly fairies beam and Hardy claps them on the back. “That they do. Keep at it, boys. We will need ten times the weapons we have.” He gestures for Ajo and Anya to follow him and they fly to the other end of the cavern where Elsie didn’t go last time. Down a small flight of steps, hewn into the rock, they stop in front of a heavy metal door. Hardy turns to them, a serious expression on his face. “Nobody outside of my closest allies in this rebellion, or hopeful rebellion, or possible rebellion, have ever been inside this room. I don’t even let Bella in here.”

Meg raises an eyebrow at Elsie but says nothing. He opens the door and gestures inside with a flourish. “This is the war room.” “The war room,” Ajo repeats, walking inside, eyes wide. Elsie takes in the maps of Allaire, the surrounding seas, the floor plans of various buildings pinned up along the walls. There’s an enormous table in the middle of the room, piled with papers, surrounded by heavy wooden chairs. She recognises one of the floor plans. It’s meticulously drawn out and would have taken someone ages, but it’s the castle. She runs her fingers over the paper, tracing the walls of her prison with her fingertip, feeling suddenly sick and overwhelmed. Why didn’t she just run away when she had the chance? Right now, she’d be enjoying Mark’s cooking, listening to the crew’s stories about mermaids and pirates and falling in love with Tom. Instead, those same feelings she felt for him – feelings so unknown to her they don’t even have a name – are creeping over her again, but this time for Hardy. Her stomach flips when she looks at him, but she cringes under his gaze. She cannot bear for him to look at her; the attention feels too intense and personal and intimate, but when he’s not looking at her, she wishes he would. When he touches her, her entire body tingles and a heat spreads through her, to parts of her that until now hadn’t been wakened. But what would her life have been if she had left? Full of regret that she abandoned Allaire and her sister? Full of shame that she kept herself safe and didn’t care enough about anybody else to help them. And what would her marriage have been like. Would these feelings, these new and uncomfortable feelings, have crept in about her husband? She’ll never know what might have been. She closes her eyes. Just because she’s scared doesn’t mean she’s done the wrong thing. And the fact that she’s in a war room, for crying out loud, means she got what she wanted. She wanted to come back to Allaire to fix things, and she could never have done it on her own. “What do you think?” Hardy slips an arm around her waist, a move so affectionate that she squirms a little bit under his touch and cannot think of a single thing to say.

Meg comes to her side and rescues her. “It’s a great setup. I’d say you’re more than ready to go.” “We need numbers.” “We have numbers,” Anya says, touching Hardy on his arm. “I worry it won’t be enough. I have always wanted to attack, spring something on them and surprise them. They’ll never be expecting it. So we need numbers.” “There are many of us in the troupe who have felt constrained by the line we’ve taken. We would have fought back years ago. But we are safe, and to risk the safety of ourselves and our families for something which seemed impossible, seemed the height of stupidity. With you, and us, working together, it feels possible.” “With Elsie it feels possible,” Hardy says. “I won’t argue with that,” Ajo says, giving her a slightly leering glance. Anya swats at her brother. “Ajo. She’s a baby.” “I’m not a baby.” Elsie feels affronted and knows she looks it too. Anya smiles at her. “It wasn’t an insult. I was just trying to stop Ajo from being disgusting.” “I wasn’t being disgusting.” Ajo looks insulted and Elsie laughs. Hardy gives him a friendly ish punch on his arm. “Time to be serious, Ajo. Come and look at these. These are plans...” Hardy leads Ajo away, evidently not bothered to show the girls the plans. Anya rolls her eyes. “I wish they’d let us females get involved. See how he shows the boy the plans but not us?” Meg nods, but Elsie frowns. She doesn’t like to hear criticism of Hardy. He feels like a saviour to her, and she doesn’t want to question his methods. Or his motives.

She changes the subject instead. “Anya, do you know Bella?” “Hardy’s Bella? Yes.” “Hardy said she’s the best fighter, the best female fighter he has.” Anya nods, contemplating her words. “He’s right. She’s feisty. And mean. Why? You’re not looking to fight for Hardy, are you?” Elsie blushes. “I don’t want Hardy.” She shakes her head at Anya’s sceptical expression. “I don’t! But I want to help with this rebellion, if I can.” “Take my advice and stay out of it. Hardy knows how many of us can fight; but he’s not interested. He’s so old fashioned. He says only the men can fight; he’s preaching to us all about our responsibility and this vision he has for Allaire, but when we offer help, he scoffs. It’s worse for Bella. He knows how good she is, better than some of the men, but it honestly doesn’t occur to him. If we fought, he’d have had the numbers years ago.” She gestures to the table, and Hardy and Ajo, heads bent over some grand plan or other. “If they get their way, if we get rid of your step parents, you need to be safe and well, ready to rule. Even if it occurred to him to let some of the girls fight, he wouldn’t risk you.” She shrugs. “I’m just glad you came back. I’d much rather have a queen than a king.” She stares pointedly at Hardy. Elsie glances at Hardy, watching the way his tongue is poking out in concentration, the hunger in his eyes. Does Anya mean what she says, does she know what she’s saying is true, or is she repeating gossip. Meg gasps. “He couldn’t have thought he would rule?” Anya shrugs. “Just be careful. They have planned this rebellion for a long time, before you came back, Elsie, before you even went. And before anyone even thought about you being part of it. There have been people in Hardy’s circle pushing for it, and people in the troupe being rallied along by my brother. The plan was always to stop the clipping. Great. The plan was always to overthrow your step parents. Great. But nobody could ever say what would happen next. If the rulers are dead, who rules?” Elsie opens her mouth, but Anya holds up her hand. “I can tell you that your

name was never mentioned, not once. And if they assumed you’d be away over the seas, happily married and oblivious, then I’ll tell you that nobody mentioned your sister either. I know that when they storm the castle, the plan is that nobody gets out alive.” A sick churning fills Elsie’s insides until she’s worried she’ll be sick. She knows that Hardy’s been planning the rebellion for a long time; he said so. Does that mean that he planned to rule? That he would have killed her and Isla? White noise is filling her head until she feels dizzy with it. “I am the rightful heir...” Elsie says, almost to herself. “You are,” Anya says, giving her arm a reassuring squeeze. “And it might be you’re the spark that made this entire thing a reality instead of just a dream. Maybe we needed you. An heir, someone to offer hope to the fairies. We can overthrow the royal family and their clippers, and we have someone better to put in their place. Maybe it’s what Hardy wants.” She shrugs. “Just be careful.” It feels strange for Elsie to hear such an ominous warning from a stranger. Apart from Meg, everyone she meets now is a stranger. Hardy hadn’t felt like one, though. That’s why she’s feeling so on edge. He had felt like an ally almost immediately. She had felt like he wanted the best for her. That he would watch her take her throne and cheer along with everybody else in the Kingdom. And yet it’s a throne she never wanted, never even imagined as being hers. This change in her ambitions and her ideas for what’s possible for her future are very new. The idea of ruling has been thrust upon her, really. But there can be no alternative. Not now. She glances at Hardy again, who looks up and grins at her, nodding, checking she’s all right. She nods back, smiles, and then closes her eyes briefly, takes a deep breath. Anya is Bella’s friend. Maybe she’s just saying mean things about Hardy to drive a wedge between them. Her newfound friendship with Hardy, and the way they will need to rely on each other and work together, is something Bella hates, so

maybe Anya is muddying the waters and trying to put doubt in her mind. She will listen, but she will make her own choices and decisions based upon only what she knows, not what someone tells her. When she gets a chance, she will ask Hardy what the plan is regarding Isla, and what would have happened if they had started this rebellion while she was still locked up. She will ask him and see what he says. She doesn’t want to play games. “Thank you, Anya. It’s good to know I’ve got in Allaire.” Anya beams and tucks her arms around Elsie’s shoulder. “Absolutely. And I’ll talk to Bella for you. I’ll tell her you’d like to learn how to fight and I know she’ll help. She can be mean, but she can also be a good friend.” “That would be good. Thanks.” Hardy tucks himself between Elsie and Meg. “What do you think then?” He holds his arms open, encoming his war room. “I think it’s bloody marvellous,” Ajo says. “I didn’t ask you,” Hardy says. “I think it is too,” Elsie says smiling, still worrying about what Anya said, but trying to push it out of her mind. “And now I want you to meet the other rebels, Elsie. They’re so excited to meet you.” “Really?” “Of course. You’re the spark.” “The spark,” she repeats his words and they all follow him out of the room. Anya kisses Ajo on the cheek and then hugs Hardy for a little longer than necessary, Elsie thinks. “I have to go. I’ll let Ajo fill me in on everything later. And if I see Bella, I’ll talk to her for you.” She flits off and Hardy frowns at Elsie. “What was that about Bella?”

“I want her to train me, ?” He shakes his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He holds his hands up at her disgruntled expression. “But it’s your call. I’m sure you’ll need additional things to do once you’re queen. Anyway, do you know Elwin’s Peak?” They all nod. It’s the largest mountain in the Kingdom. Hardy grins. “We’ve set up our base there. It’s even more secret than this place. Bella’s never been there.” Elsie frowns. Why should that matter? And why is he worrying about Bella helping her? Would she try to hurt her? Or would she tell her something Hardy wouldn’t want her knowing? “Let’s go.” Once again Hardy leads the way out of the caves. Elsie can feel someone watching her, but when she looks around, assuming it’s Bella, there’s nobody there. It’s a lengthy flight to Elwin’s Peak and when they get there Elsie feels exhausted. She’s not used to flying such long distances. “Are you all right?” Meg asks her, worrying as always. Elsie nods. “A little overwhelmed and tired.” “I can imagine.” They have stopped outside an enormous building, cleverly disguised with foliage. Few fairies visit the top of the peak – why would they? All that’s up there is a view. And this cabin; but the cabin is tucked so cleverly into the landscape you’d never find it, if you didn’t know it was there. The guard outside stands to attention when he sees Hardy and salutes. Elsie shivers. There’s something so official about it all, something a little unsettling. She shrugs. It’s highly likely just nerves, and she knows that. She has been so nervous since coming back, the sick churning in her stomach intensifying, the burden of being the ‘spark’, the sudden pressure. She’s so used to whiling her days away with stories and naps, bland food and

early nights that all she has seen and done since leaving the castle is becoming a blur of over stimulation. She’s glad she’s here. She’s ready to help. And if being the spark that helps really get this uprising going is what they all needed to feel ready to do it, then she’s glad she’s here to do it. Glad she turned around and came back to Allaire. But it scares her. She knows only Meg and everyone else, even Hardy – who she’s so drawn to – are strangers. Do they want the best for her or the worst for her? Is she worrying over nothing or is she being used? She takes a deep breath and follows Hardy inside the cabin. Only time will tell.

14

THEY GO INSIDE AND the front room is empty – it’s a small room with just a few seats. “We meet in the back,” Hardy says, pushing open a door and leading them along a narrow corridor. “Here.” He pushes open the door and everyone in the room inside pauses, falls silent and turns to see who it is. Then they see Elsie – Elsie feels the weight of all of their eyes on her and blushes. Then the applause starts and Elsie blushes even more. Hardy laughs and s in, then lifts her up onto his shoulders. The cheering and clapping and absolute delight on their face’s baffles Elsie, and she can see Meg is crying. It’s such an unexpected welcome. Hardy sets her down and whispers in her ear. “I’m so glad you’re here with me.” Elsie closes her eyes when his breath tickles her ear and smiles up at him. What are these feelings she’s feeling? A young female fairy rushes over and embraces Elsie, almost squashing the breath out of her. “I can’t believe you’re here!” She takes hold of Elsie’s hand and holds it up, causing another wave of ear-splitting cheers. Elsie grins, awkwardly, and looks at all the fairies, the hope and happiness on their faces. She has done nothing to deserve such a welcome. “Is there a toilet here, Hardy?” “Of course. Out here.” He holds up a hand. “She’ll be right back.” There are more cheers as he leads her out. Meg steps forward to follow them, but Elsie shakes her head. “I’m okay.” Out in the empty corridor Elsie takes a shuddering breath. “Hardy what was that?” “They’re just excited.” He laughs at her expression. “They’re happy.”

“That was madness. I have done nothing.” “But you mean everything.” “I don’t understand.” “The royal family torment us, but historically they have always kept us safe. Your parents, your grandparents, did wonderful things for Allaire. It’s scary for a lot of fairies to wonder what will happen next. It’s fine to say we can overthrow them, but then what? Who is in charge? Who rules? Who metes out justice?” “Me?” “Now. But before you came back, when you were still locked up? We had nobody who could have stepped in to run Allaire... except for-” “Except for?” He folds his arms over his chest, looking a little defensive. “Me. I would have done it.” He holds out his hands at her expression. “Who else?” “I don’t know. So why are they so excited to see me, if you would have ruled, anyway?” “Nobody wanted to see me on the throne. I’m no king. I can fire people up, and I am well liked, but I’m not a royal. There would always have been somebody who thought their right to the throne was equal to mine. If I can take it from a royal – just a commoner – why couldn’t they just take it from me? We would have had unrest for years.” “But you’d have done it, anyway?” He shrugs. “My father was hell bent on this, Elsie. He couldn’t stand the unfairness and the abuses that went on. He wanted to change it, and he was brave enough and clever enough to think of a way. Most people never step out of the box they are put in, but my dad did. And why not? Allaire is being killed by your step parents. Nothing grows, nothing thrives here – not flora or fauna or fairy. All the enchanted creatures have left, they have squeezed all the magic out of the place. It’s become dark and dangerous for anyone who lives here. So if I had convinced anyone to me in a rebellion, I would have. But I’ve never

been able to get there. I’ve got close so many times, but we’ve always lacked the numbers and the fire. Now we have both. You are the fire, Elsie, whether or not you like it. You are someone that can give ordinary fairies hope. If you escaped the prison of the castle, under the rule of your step parents, maybe they can too.” His eyes are pleading with her to understand and she steps towards him; she cannot help but feel moved by his words, feel awe for his determination. “I think you’re amazing. You are the bravest person I’ve ever met. But I’m scared.” He puts a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up and meet his eyes. “I will look after you. I promise no harm will come to you while I’m alive. I’ve been waiting my entire life for this, Elsie, to make my mark, for my father’s sake and my own, and for the Kingdom I love. You have helped me to do it. I could kiss you.” She holds her breath, her eyes full of fear but something else. She wants him to kiss her, she suddenly wants to be someone who means everything to somebody else; to be the most important thing in someone’s life. She’s never been special, and she has never been adored. She cannot look away from him. He leans close to her, and she closes her eyes and he kisses her cheek, so soft and so gently that her eyes fly open. His eyes are closed and then he pulls away from her. “Thank you.” His voice breaks slightly and she smiles. He might not want to kiss her the way she was hoping he’d kiss her, but he’s grateful for her and she’s happy with that for now. “Didn’t you need the toilet?” She shakes her head. “No, actually. I was just feeling a little overwhelmed in there. You know I’ve been ignored for six years, right? The only person I’ve seen for years is Meg, and suddenly I’m free and I’ve seen so much and found out so much. I’m still reeling.” He takes hold of her shoulders. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think. I thought you’d be as excited as me to be here.” “I am excited. Please don’t feel bad. I just wasn’t expecting... that.”

“Neither was I, if I’m honest. They never cheer like that for me.” This makes Elsie laugh out loud, and Hardy grins at her. “Better?” She nods and gestures to the door. “I’m ready to go back in.” “You sure?” “Yes.” They go back into the room, hand in hand, and Hardy shakes his head when the applause starts again. A sullen-faced fairy s them. “This is Malachi. My cousin and the brains behind this entire thing.” Ajo laughs. “If he’s the brains, what are you?” “I’m the brawn, of course.” Hardy tenses his muscles and then shakes his head, laughing. “I’m the drive. But I’d rush in and get myself killed, or so Malachi tells me. This way we get to win. And live.” “Both pretty important,” Malachi says, wiping his hands on his tros before holding out a hand for Elsie to shake. “We need more manpower. It’s why we’ve never gone for it. Hardy thinks he can storm the place by himself, but it’s impossible. We need to be careful.” “Which is why I found us more manpower. Do you know Ajo, Malachi, from the troupe? They are ready to help us.” “You’re kidding. Really?” Ajo nods and grins, slapping Malachi on the back, causing him to cough and splutter. “Your boy Hardy came and talked to our elders today and they finally agreed. Elsie tipped the balance. Just give me a day and I’ll figure out how many we’ve got. How many do you need?” “As many as possible. We’ll struggle to hold back the regular army and the army

of clippers otherwise.” “This is it, Malachi.” The two men embrace, and in that second the atmosphere in the cabin changes. The excitement is replaced with a nervous energy, an additional level of concentration and intensity takes over all the conversations and the air hums with the electricity of it all. Elsie turns to Meg. “I’ve got goose bumps.” Meg tries to smile but can’t help the expression of caution that comes over her face. “What?” “Nothing.” Elsie makes a face at her that shows she doesn’t believe her. “I’m just feeling nervous, that’s all. This is an enormous thing they’re planning.” “We’re planning. We’re part of this now, Meg.” “That’s what frightens me. We don’t know these people, we don’t know what they’re planning, how many will get hurt.” “I know them, Meg. Already I feel like we’re old friends. All of us.” “You really feel a part of this?” “I do.” It isn’t true. She doesn’t feel a part of it quite yet; she’s hovering on the outskirts of it all. But she wants desperately to be a part of it and not just a figurehead. She wants to impress Hardy and show that she could rule if she had to. That ruling – the very idea of being in charge of a Kingdom full of angry, abused and bitter fairies – petrifies her and makes her feel like flying back to the ship and captain Tom, is something she’s hoping will . She’s hoping that if she throws herself into this rebellion, she will feel a part of it, and she will feel worthy of the crown when it sits on her head. She can see Meg isn’t entirely impressed with Hardy and this setup. Meg doesn’t have to say a word; Elsie knows her too well. But it impresses her. She thinks what they want to do is brave and clever and will change the lives of so many innocent fairies. When she

feels like flying away, she tries to think of the little children. Poor Carys with her clipped wings; the little fairy at the docks. These children don’t have a choice, but she does. She must be brave, even when every inch of her is screaming for her to leave. “If you’re a part of it, then I’m a part of it.” “Exactly.” Elsie grins. “I know you worry about me, but you can stop. I’m in expert hands, whatever happens. This rebellion isn’t something new they’ve done because I’m here; they’ve been planning it for years. I’ll be safe. We’ll be safe.” A few fairies have come closer to Elsie and Hardy, smiling shyly at Elsie, causing her to blush. Nobody has paid any attention to her for years; she has lived as anonymously as a princess could. She’s not used to this level of attention or adoration. These younger fairies look awed by her very presence. “What made you come back?” one of them asks. She’s a dainty fairy with the faintest blush of pink on her wings, which matches her hair perfectly. She looks too tiny and delicate to be involved in the planning of a war. Hardy grins at Elsie’s expression. “Don’t let her fool you. This is Norah, one of our feistiest fairies. She’d be the one to help you if Bella digs her heels in.” “You want to learn to fight?” Norah asks, her expression incredulous. “But you’re a princess.” “I’m only a princess in name, I promise you. I haven’t been cosseted at the castle. I’m not spoiled or pampered.” “I’ll help you. I’d be honoured to help you. I’m nearly as good as Bella, and I’m four years younger.” “How old are you?” “Fifteen. Just a year younger than you. I’ll help you.” Norah turns to Hardy. “Can I help her? I’d be so good.” Hardy nods. “You’re definitely the one to help Elsie.”

Norah beams and tucks her arm through Elsie’s. “I bet she refuses to help. She’s such a grump. Then I’ll help you. I bet you’ll be great. Why did you come back? You never answered me. Not that we’re not glad. Without you, we’d still be in limbo; making plans that go nowhere.” “I found out what was happening here on the boat when I was leaving here. As soon as I found out I just felt sick. I knew I couldn’t leave, not knowing what everyone here was going through. What my sister might be going through.” “Is she locked up like you were?” Elsie nods. “I haven’t seen her for years. Can you really miss someone you don’t see, don’t know?” “You can if she’s your sister.” Norah hugs Elsie and then squeals. “We’ll rescue her, and we can reunite you with each other. You’ll see – it’ll all be so wonderful and marvellous and fantastical.” “Norah.” There’s a subtle warning in Hardy’s voice, though Elsie isn’t sure why. She likes the girl’s enthusiasm, her childlike excitement. She can’t help but feel her dread turn into bubbles of hope and possibility. “Well, I’m super glad you came back. You’re our spark of hope.” “I’m glad I did too.” And she is, despite Meg’s apparent reservations. Whatever happens from here on in is at least her choice and not somebody else’s. She’s not a pawn in somebody else’s game anymore. She makes the choices, and this is her choice. If it ends badly and the rebellion loses, then she’ll have lost at a game she wanted to play in. If she wins, then she will rule. Either option is better than running away and leaving her home Kingdom in a quandary. Looking around this cabin, thinking about the war room and the work she saw being done in the caves, she’s confident that she’s picked the winning team. Or the winning team picked her. She’s not sure which way around. Ajo claps Hardy on the back. “I’ve spoken to Malachi and a few of the others. Give me until tomorrow and I’ll let you know how many I can rally. When are we looking at starting this, realistically? So I can give them an idea.” Hardy rubs his face. “We’re ready. We’ve got weapons stockpiled and we’ve got

all the manpower we will get. If you can give me your numbers so we can plan who to put where doing what, then we can do it soon. Maybe a week or two.” “That doesn’t give me much time to learn to fight,” Elsie says, unable to stop herself from butting in. Hardy turns to her, takes her hands and smiles. “Elsie, with all respect, we can’t wait for you to be ready to fight. We have to do this; we have to move while we’re all ready and fired up to do it. I’ll make sure you learn the basics; you’ll pick up enough to defend yourself if anybody gets too close – which I assure you I won’t allow – but to learn to fight properly takes years. You know we don’t have years, right?” “I thought we had longer than two weeks. Why so quick, why the rush?” Hardy drops her hands. “Elsie. You know why. For every day we leave your parents in charge, more fairies get clipped. Some of those fairies get ill, they get infections, and they die.” “Step parents.” He rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean.” She is silent after his outburst. She knows that action is imperative, but she didn’t think it would be so soon. Meg takes her hand. “It might be time for us to go. The princess isn’t used to so much stimulation. She’s probably tired. We can take a lesson in fighting tomorrow and the next day, maybe early in the morning, Elsie. Then you’ll be twice as equipped to fight as you are.” Elsie squeezes her hand and Norah nods at Elsie, sympathy in her expression. “I live right by Maud. I’ll come over tomorrow and show you the basics. Even if Bella can help you, it won’t hurt to have a head start.” Hardy bows his head. “I’m sorry for my outburst. I feel so ionately about this. I forget that not everybody has been planning this for years. Norah, take them home, would you?” Norah nods, looking over the moon to be asked to carry out such an important

task. Elsie nods at Hardy but quickly turns away from him. She’s been dismissed, and she knows it. It stings, but she won’t show it. She could cry, but she won’t. She is a princess and knows how to carry herself despite being locked away from court for so long. Norah flits off to say goodbye to her friends and then comes back to Elsie and Meg. “Ready?” Norah is so enthusiastic that Elsie forgets for a moment that Hardy is cross with her and turns to say goodbye. He has turned firmly away from her, head to head with Ajo and Malachi, and she feels rejected all over again.

15

NORAH KEEPS UP A RUNNING commentary as they fly to Maud’s house. She flies ahead, turns around, chatters and points things out, flits up and down and left and right, so excited to be with Elsie and taking her to Maud’s that she’s almost hysterical. Elsie smiles at Meg and Meg grins. “She’s so cute.” “I know.” They fly on, thoroughly enjoying Norah’s chatter and her insights into the Kingdom. Elsie recognises so many parts of it as they fly along. She feels like she’s going back in time to when she was a young princess flying around with her mother and then her father. The Kingdom was such a friendly place and the royal family were so beloved. Her eyes fill with tears as they fly. “Not far now.” Elsie’s stomach flips as she sees the castle looming in the distance. Maud’s house is so close to it, it’s uncomfortable. The memories of her mother, her father, her step mother and her step father fill her up and make her queasy. She calls out to Norah. Norah swoops back to her side. “I need to stop.” “Are you all right?” “I just feel a little sick.” They land and Elsie drops to the floor, leaning back against an enormous oak tree, eyes closed while the nausea es. “It’s the castle,” Meg says. “Being so close to the castle brings back terrible memories.” “Oh, poor thing. I can’t imagine. Was it so awful for her?”

“Bad for both of us.” Norah hits herself on the forehead with her palm. “Of course. They locked you up with her. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t being rude; I just forget things.” “It’s fine. I didn’t think you were being rude.” Meg goes to Elsie’s side and hunkers down beside her. “Are you all right? We need to go to Maud’s.” She looks around. It’s fairly quiet; a few fairies hovering around and chatting in groups. “I don’t enjoy being out here. You’re not meant to be here, ?” Elsie stands up, holding onto Meg for . “I just feel so strange. how exhilarating it was to leave the castle?” “I know.” “I hadn’t stepped foot out of that door in six years. Such a long time, and then I was free. It felt risky enough coming back to Allaire, but to be within a stone’s throw of the castle feels like tempting fate.” “You’re safe though. They would never expect you to come back. But let’s go to Maud’s.” They follow Norah through the streets and Elsie keeps her head down and her nerves in check. They knock and wait for Maud to open the door. “I’m going, but I’ll come back in the morning. I promise I can help you, even just a little. Just to defend yourself.” Norah hugs both of them before soaring up and flying away. The door opens up and Maud beams at the sight of them. “Oh, you are early, catching me before I’m finished baking!” “I’m so sorry.” Elsie’s face falls; she can’t bear to have Hardy and his mum angry with her. Maud pulls her into a tight hug. “Oh, pet. Don’t cry. I was only playing. Come

on in. We’ll bake and cook and gossip up a storm together. How did you get on with that boy of mine?” She doesn’t wait for an answer but bustles through to the kitchen and gestures to the full pot bubbling away on the fire, pastry waiting to be rolled, bowls waiting to be stirred and a plate of hot bread rolls waiting to be eaten. “Here.” She gives Elsie a spoon and sets her mixing a batter. Meg rolls out the pastry for savoury biscuits. “I cook and bake all day long. What we don’t eat, we along. There’ll be no hungry bellies around here if I can help it. Now how did you get on with the troupe? I used to know a boy who lived out there...” She chatters on and Elsie lets her mind wander and the conversation between Maud and Meg wash over her. She likes just sitting, stirring, wondering how different her life will be if they pull off a rebellion in the way Hardy hopes to. She also hopes Hardy will call into his mother’s so she can apologise to him. She can’t stand the thought of him being angry with her or annoyed by anything she says or does. He’s such a kind man, doing so many good things. Maud takes the bowl off her and es her another set of ingredients to mix. “Good girl.” She pats her hand and Elsie smiles at her. This is what she missed the most when she was locked up. Bustle and busyness; being part of something. Even these mundane tasks become more interesting if you can do them with other people. “And what a beautiful queen you’ll be.” Elsie looks up. Spoon paused mid stir. “Sorry?” She hadn’t heard what Maud said, she wasn’t listening, but can see Maud and Meg staring at her and waiting for a response. “You’ll be a beautiful queen, I said.” Elsie shrugs. “I honestly never thought about it until Meg said I was heir to the throne.” “It’ll be lovely to have some young blood on the throne, someone who isn’t stuck in their ways, someone who’s willing to listen.”

“To listen to who?” Meg asks, showing Maud a cut out biscuit to check it’s big enough. Maud nods, pleased with Meg’s efforts. “Well, anyone I suppose. A good queen should listen and take heed. Don’t you think?” “I think it depends who has her ear.” Elsie watches Meg watching Maud. She’s never seen Meg bristle like this. She’s watching Maud with such a suspicious expression on her face. “I’ll definitely need trustworthy advisors, if it all goes well and I end up ruling,” she says. She already knows that Meg will be her most trusted and loyal advisor. “I know nothing about ruling a Kingdom.” “Exactly!” Maud es them each a freshly cooked cake, and grins, pleased with Elsie’s answer. “Now if we eat what we want with a nice cuppa, we can take the rest around the houses. You’ll help, won’t you?” “Should she be going out?” Maud laughs, looking at Meg, amusement colouring her face. “You’re a right worrier, aren’t you? She’ll be just fine. Old Maud will look after the both of you. And then Hardy will come for his supper. He comes every night. And then you’ll sleep the sleep of the just.” Meg doesn’t answer, and Elsie watches her shoulders drop, the tension ease. She loves how much Meg worries about her, and there’s no way she’d want to do any of this without her by her side. Maud es them each a hot drink and plonks into a chair, letting out a deep sigh. “Thank you, my lovelies. I usually do all this on my own.” She pats her belly. “And I eat it all on my own. And then I give out the food parcels on my own. Wait till you see the happiness this food brings people. Besides not much growing around here anymore, there’s too many that can’t work because the clippings have left them so ill.” “It’s so sad.” “It is. Ravaged the place they have. Those royal bastards. Excuse me for cursing,

but they make me so angry. Roll on the rebellion, I say.” They sip their drinks in silence, nibbling on bread, meat and sweet cakes. It’s heaven for Elsie after the bland food of the castle. She could drink tea and eat cake forever, whether she was sitting on a throne with a crown on her head or not. Elsie watches Maud chatting to Meg and feels a rush of warmth course through her. It makes sense for Maud to worry about who will guide her as a new queen. What does she know about running a Kingdom? Nothing. And she will need good people on her side if she’s mending all the damage her step parents have done. “Maud, is there a way to fix wings that have been clipped? Can they grow back?” “Not that I’ve ever seen, lovely. You’d need a real talented healer for that kind of magic. Alyce is good in the castle, of course, though I’m not sure anyone would trust her. I hear that the one who lives with the troupe is good, but not good enough. If it could be done, it would be done by now.” “Why wouldn’t they trust Alyce?” Meg asks. Maud shakes her head. “Maybe they would, I don’t know, I’m just assuming, I mean, I...” She trails off, colour rising in her cheeks. “What is it, Maud? Why don’t people like Alyce?” Maud picks up a cloth and twists it, her expression awkward. “Listen, this is just some people, and definitely not me, but some people think anyone who lived or worked at the castle – except you two babies who were locked up – is complicit in this whole sorry state of affairs.” “What’s complicit?” Elsie asks, looking from Meg to Maud and back again. Meg looks halfway between furious and heartbroken. “What Meg?” Meg shakes her head, tears staining her face. “It means they think I’m to blame, that I condoned it or didn’t stop it.”

“Oh, no, that’s not fair, Meg. Maud, who thinks this – not anyone who’s involved in the rebellion, surely?” Maud is silent. Meg is sobbing. Elsie is distraught. “Meg, if anybody thinks this – and they’re stupid if they do – I don’t. I know you couldn’t have helped me or saved me. It’s only because you were there with me, I got through it. I’d have died of loneliness and heartbreak if I’d been in there by myself. Please, Meg.” Meg refuses to look up, just sobs with her head in her hands. Elsie looks at Maud who shrugs and mouths the word, sorry. Elsie sighs. “Please, Meg. Look at me.” Meg looks up, face blotchy, sobs making her shudder. “I don’t think that. I know you did everything right by me. And if we meet anyone who thinks you’re in the wrong, then we’ll put them straight; I’ll put them straight. I love you – you’re my family, Meg.” Meg is still crying, and all Elsie can do is pat her on the back, wishing she’d never asked the stupid question about healing wings. It was a stupid question – if they could do it, someone would have done it by now. It can’t be done, nothing can be done, except kill her step parents and try to make amends for all the terrible things they’ve done during their reign of horror. “Hello!” Hardy calls out as he walks into the kitchen and takes in the scene. “Elsie, what’s happened?” Maud clears her throat. “It’s me – I upset her.” Hardy drapes an arm around his mum’s shoulders. “Ah, I’m sure you didn’t, don’t worry. What’s up Elsie?” “Your mum just mentioned how some people think anyone who lives at the castle is complicit in what’s happening in Allaire and what happened to me and my sister.” He rolls his eyes. “Well...”

“Well what, you don’t believe that do you? Meg is my only friend, was my only friend in that place.” He takes a seat. “But she got to leave every week.” “And?” “Well, there’s some that say, think, believe that maybe she could have got help, or spirited you away from there.” “No!” Elsie is crying. Meg pushes her chair back, the scraping noise jarring all of them and making them wince. “It’s obvious what you think of me, Hardy. Well, do you know what I think? I think you’re just as complicit. It’s easy to say you want a rebellion and want to fight for change, but I don’t see you doing anything about it. The clippers are still clipping and Allaire is still being ruled by those two, and all I see from you is a load of puffing. I won’t stay where I’m so poorly thought of, Elsie. I’ll go to the troupe and you’re welcome to come with me. They don’t say mean things about me there.” Elsie takes her hand. “Meg, don’t leave, please.” “Come with me.” Elsie stands between Meg and Hardy, feeling every bit torn between the two. Meg humphs and turns away from Elsie, storming out of the house. “No, Meg, wait.” Elsie runs after her, but Hardy pulls her back. “Elsie, it’s not safe for you to go off-” Meg spins around. “You didn’t worry about that when you told her to leave the cabin, because you were in a huff, did you?” “Meg!” Meg shakes her head and throws open the front door. “I know where I’m not wanted.”

Elsie follows her. “Meg, you’re my family, don’t leave me.” “Come with me.” “I can’t.” “Why not? You’ve just met this man.” “But you know he’s helping me; I can’t do anything on my own.” “Please Elsie, come with me?” They fly between the houses, Elsie wishing Meg would stop and come back to the house, Meg refusing to slow down. “Just stop!” Elsie shouts, causing a few people to stare at them. Meg stops and faces her, tears coursing down her face. “What Elsie? Are you really going to choose him over me?” “It’s not a simple ‘him or you’ choice, Meg, please?” “What have we here?” They both spin around to face the owner of the unfamiliar voice, and fear fills Elsie from head to toe, turning her entire body icy. He’s a castle guard, clothed in the familiar livery she re from her childhood. The guards then were honourable men, who would slip her an extra cake or make her laugh with a magic trick. They weren’t clippers. Or jailers. She grabs hold of Meg and makes to fly off, but the guard grabs hold of both of them, his strength rooting them to the ground. He calls out, and another clipper s him. “Ooh some pretty wings. Thanks Ed, you know I love to clip pretty wings off pretty girls.” “You’re welcome Sid.” Elsie screams and struggles, and Meg does the same. All the fairies who were near have vanished, and as Elsie’s eyes dart around looking for help, she sees the

shutters close on the houses and the lights inside go out. A deathly silence fills the streets, the only sound her screams and Meg’s sobs. The clipper called Sid grabs hold of Meg and Elsie closes her eyes. They have no hope of escaping, not now they are each being held onto by a clipper. They might have struggled free while it was two against one, but now? Elsie takes a deep breath and screams as loud as possible, so she hurts her throat: “HARDY!” “Don’t tell me you’re friends with that hoodlum?” “All the more reason to clip them,” Sid says, leering at Meg and licking the side of her face, making her cry even harder. “Please, let us go, we don’t want any trouble.” They both laugh. “You might not want it pretty, but you’ve got it. Trouble walks these streets and if you’re from round here you know it.” “What the heck are you doing walking the streets by yourselves? Asking for trouble the pair of you.” “Asking for it.” “We’re not from here, we had no idea it wasn’t safe. Take pity, please, let us go?” “Ah, you’re just visiting, came for the wonderful shopping, did you?” They both crack up and Elsie twists and turns again, helplessly looking for, searching for help off anyone. “Liars the pair of you. If you were just visiting, you wouldn’t know Hardy – damn thorn in our side he is. Killed too many dutiful men.” “I don’t like liars.” “Me neither. Which one shall we clip first?” Elsie feels her stomach turn and drop and isn’t sure if she’ll faint. They will be

clipped. She has no idea what to do. “Stop. You can’t clip us. I’m the royal princess, Elsie, don’t you recognise a member of your own royal family?” Again, they both burst out laughing. “She’s a joker. We know the princess just left for her marriage across the seas.” “Lucky fella who ends up with her. She’ll be desperate for some company after being locked up for so long.” Elsie closes her eyes so she can’t see their crude and lewd gestures. There is no hope. They’ll be clipped, and then what will become of them? Ed spits on the floor. “Do you know what, clipping is too good for the likes of you. Clipping means you get to sleep in your beds tonight. Liars make me angry.” Elsie shakes her head. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I panicked, please don’t hurt us or clip us or-” Ed tightens his hold on her. “Shut it.” He nods at Sid. “You go first. Show this little one how it’s done.” Meg is pleading now, and the cries and begging from her and Elsie overlap and echo in the quiet streets. Ed slaps Meg so hard that she falls silent, only whimpering. Elsie still pleads. But the clippers aren’t listening. “This is how you do it.” Sid takes hold of his blunt and rusty dagger, and before Elsie can let out a sound, he saws across Meg’s slender neck. Elsie goes limp, causing her clipper to drop her to the floor. He curses and gathers her up, but she is screaming and screaming and screaming. The noise doesn’t sound human; it sounds feral. Meg is dead.

16

ELSIE CLOSES HER EYES, blocking out the sight of her best friend, her only friend, her confidant and nurse maid – her everything for as long as she can . If she doesn’t look, it won’t be true, if she cannot see Meg’s lifeless body, the river of blood, then it doesn’t count, Meg will be all right. She cannot live without Meg. Meg is her only constant. Don’t look, don’t think, don’t look, don’t think, don’t look, don’t think. Refuse to accept it. “Elsie!” Someone is shaking her, and she knows it’s the clipper, and maybe that is the only blessing in this situation; she will Meg. “She’s in shock, love her. Quick lift her up, carry her.” “Elsie!” “Just grab her.” Elsie opens her eyes. It’s Hardy holding onto her this time, not the clipper. Maybe she’s dreaming, maybe she’s already dead. She doesn’t even care. Without Meg, nothing matters. She closes her eyes again. Although she’s refusing to look, she cannot block out the words being spoken around her and tears silently fall down her face. Meg is dead. Hardy thought she’d taken too long to bring Meg back to the house and looked for them. He had knocked out both clippers and carried her to safety. His mother is fussing. And Meg is dead. Meg is dead. On the street. Like a dog. Her eyes fly open. “Hardy! Get Meg!”

“Elsie, Meg is dead, I’m sorry, I was too late.” “Her body. We can’t leave her on the street.” “I don’t know what to do-” “Of course, my lovely girl. Don’t listen to Hardy. We’ll send the neighbours boys to fetch her. I’ll pop her in the garden. We can decide what to do later.” Elsie closes her eyes again. She can’t bring Meg back, but she can’t leave her on the street either. It’s too much. She wails again, sobs again, and repeats Meg’s name over and over and over. “We need to get her some help.” “Calista?” “No, Bronwen. From the troupe. We need to tell Gwenna what’s happened.” “I’ll go. Look after her, mum.” Elsie drifts in and out of sleep. She’s physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted from grief and shock. She can tell Maud is sitting by her, smoothing her hair, and it’s a comfort and a distraction. She cannot live without Meg. Voices wake her up and the first thing she does is cry. Bronwen kneels beside her, cradles her head and gently pours liquid into her mouth. Elsie swallows it, coughs a bit, and then allows Bronwen to help her sit up. She feels worse than wretched. Hardy, Bronwen, Maud and Gwenna are all staring at her, concern etched on their faces. Gwenna wipes her eyes. “What happened? Why was she outside?” Elsie sobs. “We had a fight. I don’t even ... Hardy?” She looks distraught that she can’t , but she can’t. Her head is full of screaming and her vision is swimming when she tries to focus on anyone’s face. She’s sure she will faint.

“It wasn’t a fight, Elsie, Meg just wanted to visit her sister, and you wanted her to stay, that’s all. It’s not a clipping night.” “I wouldn’t have let either of them go outside if it was,” Maud says, blowing her nose loudly into her handkerchief. “I know.” Gwenna nods absentmindedly, fiddling with the beads on her bracelet. “Where is she? Meg?” “In the garden, under the blossom tree.” “I’d like to take her, Elsie, if I can? We have a place where we bury our loved ones. We always know where they are then.” Elsie nods, not that it’s up to her. “I’m so sorry, Gwenna.” “It’s not your fault. It’s those damn clippers.” Silence fills the room as they each deal with their grief. Bronwen keeps feeding Elsie the tonic. “This will blank it out; she won’t what happened. It should help. Some food would be good,” she says to Maud, who happily bustles off to her kitchen. Maud comes back with food and ale for all of them. “I can’t believe she’s gone,” Gwenna says. “When she was finally free.” Elsie chokes on a sob, and then before anyone can stop her or tell her it’s a stupid idea, even though she already knows it is, she bolts from the house, flying in a daze towards the woods. She flies until she cannot see from the tears pouring down her face, and then she drops to the floor. She crawls under a bush and closes her eyes. She is the reason Meg is dead. Because she came back to Allaire and because she argued with her. She’s doubly responsible and has no idea how she will ever get over the guilt. If she closes her eyes and tries to her childhood Meg is always there. Always by her side. She was there when her mother was alive. She tucked her into bed after her mother died. She dressed her in the prettiest dress when her father remarried, and Elsie and Isla were flower girls. Meg washed her, dressed

her and brushed her hair. She cut up her food and told her bedtime stories. Meg reassured her when she was scared and cajoled her when she wanted her to do something. Meg had stayed awake all night holding her when her father died. She had reminded her to smile when her step mother introduced the man who would be her step father, and she kept her safe when he was unkind to her. Meg. She can hear someone calling her name. It’s not Hardy, it’s Gwenna. She calls out from under the bush. “I’m here.” “How stupid are you trying to be?” Elsie wriggles out from under the bush and sits up, leaning against it. “You’re all muddy.” Gwenna rubs some dirt off her face and pulls a twig from her hair. “Do you think it helps if you get yourself clipped or killed?” Elsie shakes her head. “I feel guilty.” “I know, but you shouldn’t. Meg wouldn’t have left your side if her life depended on it.” Elsie sobs. If Meg hadn’t been by her side tonight, she’d still be alive. Gwenna tucks an arm around her. “Meg loved you. She was there when you were a baby, and she watched you grow up. It was always her goal to look after you. She must have seen something special in you. Maybe she knew you’d be queen one day.” “I can’t-” “Elsie.” Her tone is sharp, and Elsie turns to look at her. “Meg only came back to Allaire because you wanted to. She’d have followed you anywhere and done anything you asked. She always told me she felt like you were her own daughter, despite the slight age gap.” “I felt like she was my mother. That’s why I can’t-” “Stop it. You don’t get to change your mind now. It’s too late. It’s time to grow

up, Elsie. It’s time to stand on your own two feet and be a big girl. Meg is gone, and if it’s not to be in vain, you need to step up.” “And if I can’t?” Gwenna ignores her question. “Do you know when your step father first married your step mother, he tried to hurt you? He wanted to kill you and Isla. Meg ran to us in the troupe, with such fear on her face. I’ve never seen her like it. She was shaking, spluttering, sobbing, just hysterical at the thought of anything bad happening to you.” Elsie’s voice is small. “Why did she run to you?” “For Bronwen. Bronwen has magic like you’ve never seen. I think she’s part witch, though she won’t confirm it. Meg wanted protection for you and your sister.” She pauses. “Bronwen could help her, but Meg had to sacrifice her own freedom.” “I don’t understand.” “Bronwen could ensure your safety, make sure you and Isla stayed alive, but only by Meg and Lacey agreeing to stay locked up with you. Every week when Meg left the castle, she came to the troupe with Lacey. They both had to drink a potion and bring a potion back to the castle for you and Isla. She brought a different magic infused object back each time too; one that bound her to you and helped keep the castle a safe place for the both of you.” Elsie covers her face with her hands, sobbing afresh. “I had no idea.” “She wouldn’t have told you. Meg was the most selfless person I have ever met. She only wanted your safety and your happiness. And she gave up her life to stay with you so you could live.” “And now she’s gone.” “Which is why you must be strong now, Elsie. You cannot crumble now. Do this. And do it quickly. The royal family and the clippers rule with a cruel hand. They had no reason to kill Meg tonight. They maim and kill whoever they please whenever they please. We must stop them. For Meg.”

“For Meg.” “I’m not saying it will be easy and I’m not saying there’s no risk, but it has to be done, and you have to be the one to do it. This rebellion will putter out without you to rally everybody. We have to have a common cause to stand behind. And you are it.” Elsie stands up and brushes down her clothes. “I won’t let you down. I won’t let Meg down.” Gwenna nods. “Good. Now let’s go back to Maud’s before something else terrible happens.” As soon as she pushes open the door, Maud envelops her in a hug and a scolding all at the same time. She ushers her to a seat and pushes a plate full of food in front of her and a cup full of ale in front of her. Elsie opens her mouth to speak, to apologise, to say something, but Maud holds up a hand. “Enough. This day is bad enough. Let’s eat and drink and say a toast to Meg.” They all hold up their cups. “Meg.” “Take this if you need to, Elsie, it will help you sleep.” Bronwen es her a tiny vial of clear liquid. “Thank you.” “She should take it, anyway. A dreamless sleep is what she’ll need tonight.” Bronwen nods at Maud’s suggestion. “You’re probably right.” Gwenna stands up and hugs Elsie, Maud and Hardy. Bronwen does the same, and then the two women leave. Elsie sits staring at her drink. Whatever she agreed to with Gwenna, she still feels responsible. Hardy hunkers down next to her and takes her hand in his. “I’m so sorry about tonight. I know it was my fault. I have never thought the people at the castle were complicit. I shouldn’t have been so hard on Meg.”

Elsie stares up at him, his handsome bearded face and tears fill her eyes. Is he responsible for Meg’s death? Maybe partially. But the real culpability is hers. She brought Meg back to Allaire. “Gwenna just told me that Meg kept me alive all these years because she traded her freedom for my safety. Every week when she left me, she’d go to the troupe with Lacey – that’s Isla’s handmaiden – and they would drink a magical potion and also bring one back for me and my sister. She sacrificed her own life for mine.” Hardy puts his head in his hands and groans. “Oh, Elsie, now I feel even worse. I shouldn’t have been cross with her.” “It’s fine. She got pretty cross with you too.” “She did, didn’t she? She was always on your side and looking out for you.” “I cannot imagine my life without her.” He takes her hand and brings it up to his face, resting his lips upon her skin. He’s not kissing her, but it’s still the most intimate way a man has ever behaved with her. After a lengthy silence, she pushes him off. “I’d like to go to bed.” Maud shoos Hardy out of the way. “Go on you, out of my way, let me help the princess.” Hardy sits down and sips his ale, his expression contrite. Maud takes Elsie upstairs and sits her on the bed. She gives her a drink in one hand and a cake in the other, and quickly tidies away what she supposes are Meg’s things. Elsie watches her, feeling completely hollow. “Drink the sleeping potion, you need it.” “What do I do now? She’s the only person I really know. I could tell Meg anything and trust her with anything. In all of this, I know she would have steered me right.”

Maud sits next to her, tucks an arm around her. “I can’t imagine how scared you are, pet, how afraid you are. But we’ll all help look after you. Trust will grow with unfamiliar people, friendships and family can change. I know you feel lost without Meg, but I promise you it’ll be all right. Grief is a funny thing. You feel like you cannot live a day without that person. It’s what I felt like when my husband died. I would have happily gone with him, if I’d had a choice and a magic wand. I promise it’ll change.” “I feel so empty. And I know it was my fault. She gave up her entire life for me when she was alive, and now she’s dead. She never got to live, or love, or-” Sobs take over and Elsie cannot speak another word. Maud wraps her arms around her and lets her cry. Eventually, when her sobs subside, Maud lets her go. “Drink the potion, Elsie, and sleep. It sounds trite, but everything is always better in the morning.” Elsie drinks the potion and lets Maud tuck her into bed. Once she’s alone, she cries again. How could she not have known how kind and selfless Meg really was? Imagine doing something so immense for somebody and then never telling them about it. She never made Elsie aware of what she was doing for her. She never asked for recognition or thanks or anything. She never held it against her or over her. She just quietly lived with her, locked up with her, knowing she was keeping her safe. She wishes she had known so she could have thanked her, though anything she said would never have been enough. What a sacrifice she made, so quietly, so kindly. Elsie cries about her loss and for Meg and what she lived without, so Elsie would be safe. She cries and cries until her grief and sorrow harden and a bitter anger takes over. Her tears dry up and her heart hardens. The next time she sees a clipper they will rue the day they murdered Meg. And if she is the one to face her step parents, they too will know the pain and anguish of death.

17

THE MORNING COMES AROUND and Elsie still feels empty and hollow and sick. Meg’s unused bed is just another reminder that her only friend is dead. She dresses herself, all fingers and thumbs, and it takes twice as long as when Meg would do it. She struggles with her laces; she struggles to tie up her hair; she is exhausted by the end of it and then laughs, a bitter, sharp sound. Does she really think she can rule a Kingdom when she cannot even get dressed without trouble? Her mood is dour when she ventures downstairs and finds Hardy and his mother talking in inaudible voices by the kitchen table. “Here she is!” Maud’s voice is over bright and does nothing to lighten Elsie’s mood. “How did you sleep?” Hardy comes to her side. She ducks away from his touch and sits on the other side of the table. “Not well,” she says, accepting a drink off Maud with a smile. “Well, that’s to be expected, lovely. Here.” Maud es her a plate filled with warm bread and meat. Elsie is suddenly ravenous and happily accepts a second helping and more ale. “I’m ready though. Ready for this rebellion to begin. I wonder if even more of the troupe will help now. They all knew Meg, and Gwenna is well thought of. We need numbers and we need to move fast.” Hardy sits opposite her. “You’re right. The clippers were brazen last night. They rarely kill us. It’s an escalation that frightens me.” “We have allowed them to get away with whatever they like for too long,” Maud says, sitting down with another platter of food. “Someone needs to stop them.”

She touches Hardy on the arm. “You need to stop them.” Elsie shakes her head. “I need to stop them.” There is a steel in her voice that wasn’t there before. Hardy raises his eyebrows, and she laughs. “I mean it, Hardy. I know I’m only sixteen and I know nothing about anything, but I have to do this. I have to be an actual part of it and not just a figurehead.” “Elsie.” She shakes her head at the warning in his voice. “I’m not stupid. I can learn. And I can be there when my step parents are captured and if someone needs to kill them, I can do that as well as the next person.” He nods and takes a bite of some bread. “You’re right. And I spoke to Bella last night. She doesn’t want to help you and she...” He hesitates slightly, but his mother nods. “She broke up with me and she’s refusing to help with the rebellion. She’s jealous that I’m helping you and she’s refusing to get involved.” He looks hurt and furious at the same time and Elsie feels bad for him but also a little bit happy. Bella wasn’t very nice to her, so why should she waste time worrying about her? “Once Norah’s been, do you want to come with me to the troupe? Get their final numbers? Maybe speak to them all and see if they’re ready for this?” Hardy asks. Elsie nods. She is ready to do anything she needs to. The knock at the door gives her the first jolt of happiness she’s had since last night. She’s determined to learn how to fight – even if it’s just enough to lift the sword that finishes her step parent’s lives – and she will imagine the two clippers faces as she learns. “Morning. Morning Elsie.” Norah brandishes her sword around with a flourish, albeit a clumsy one. “Ready?” “Elsie, ask my mum to tie your hair up a little tighter.” Elsie knows he only wants her out of the way so he can tell Norah about Meg. “It’s fine, Hardy, I can tell her.” She turns to Norah and takes a deep breath.

“Meg was killed last night. By a clipper.” Norah looks aghast; she covers her mouth with her hand and tears pour down her face. “Oh, Elsie, I’m so, so, so sorry for you. I can’t even imagine how you feel. I could tell you loved her, and she loved you.” Elsie cannot speak, just nods. “Oh,” Norah says, pulling her into a hug. “Don’t be nice to me,” Elsie squeaks. Norah puts her hand up. “I shan’t. I shall be rude and horrible. It’s always worse when anyone is sympathetic, isn’t it? Oh.” She squeezes Elsie’s shoulder and Elsie half laughs, half cries. Norah hits her forehead. “Sorry – I did it again. Right, no sympathy, no niceties. Hardy, get her a sword.” Hardy rolls his eyes but does as he’s told and es one of his older, lighter swords to Elsie from inside the house. “You can’t watch,” Norah says, batting him away with her hand. “I’m not letting you see the secrets of my success.” Hardy laughs but ducks inside the house and leaves the two of them alone. “Are you happy to come with me?” Norah asks and Elsie nods. She trusts this young fairy; she likes her. “We can’t fight in the streets, especially if they killed Meg last night. The clippers might be out and about. Ooh, they’re so damn horrible. I would kill every one of them I came across, let me tell you.” They fly into an enormous garden. “That’s my house.” Norah points. “Shall I tell you my number one secret for fighting as a girl?” Elsie nods. “Ready? Men think you can’t fight. They think we can’t fight and so they get cocky. They get arrogant and they get sloppy. If you’re a much worse fighter than they are, but you can keep your nerve, then you can win. There aren’t any

female clippers, so the only fights I’ve ever got in – proper fights, sword fights – are fights with men. They look at me and they do this.” Norah sneers at Elsie, a smug half-smile on her face, and Elsie laughs. “And that’s when I know I can kill them. They hardly see me coming. I’m quick and I kill them. That’s the other thing they’re waiting for – they’re waiting for you to hesitate, to panic and freeze; to be a weak and helpless girly girl. That’s when you kill them. Let’s go.” “Go where?” “No, I mean, let’s fight.” Norah laughs and Elsie groans. “Who do I think I’m kidding here? I couldn’t even put up a fight last night when I thought they would kill me and Meg. I didn’t even stop them killing Meg – what use will I be in the middle of a rebellion? How many men are in the royal army? Hundreds?” Norah shakes her head, her expression sympathetic, but incredulous. “Thousands, Elsie. They have thousands of men. Would you rather fight for the crown or be killed by the crown? Work as a clipper, or be clipped? Their army is enormous because it’s an escape from life on this side of the fence.” “Fence?” “Not a literal fence.” Norah sighs. “You’re safe or you’re not. You’re on the side of the royal family or you’re not. They have more men than they know what to do with.” Elsie throws up her arms. “So what are we supposed to do?” “The good thing is, only the smallest fraction of them can fight. They might have numbers, but they’re pretty crap numbers.” She throws up her arms. “I’m allowed to kill clippers, but nobody thinks I want to fight in this rebellion. It’s so maddening.” “Hardy thinks you’re amazing. Have you told him you want to fight?” “Yes, and he pats my head and laughs. The men think the rebellion is different. Maybe we can defend ourselves, maybe we can kill a clipper, but a proper fight, an actual battle, no!”

“I thought he’d be glad to have you fighting.” “Me too. For example, one of me equals about one hundred of them. I could kill them so quickly they wouldn’t know what had hit them. We have a lot of warriors like that. And we’ll have the element of surprise on our side. I wish I could help.” “I wish I could get Hardy to listen to you.” Norah shakes her head, a sad expression on her face. “I’ve tried. It would make me so happy, but...” She shrugs. “So even without you, do you think we’ll win? Will we be successful? Will I be queen?” “Yes, to all three. I mean it’ll be close, without me, but they know what they’re doing.” Elsie feels sorry for her. “You are too sweet. Show me how to fight?” Norah laughs, but then Elsie watches her expression change as she concentrates on the task at hand. She shows her how to hold the sword, how to stand, how to move, and then they stand off for a pretend fight. Norah lunges at Elsie with the sword. “I’ve been doing this my whole life. I’ve got five brothers, so if I don’t fight back, I wouldn’t get to eat in our house. Then I’m tiny, so people assume I’ll be weak and useless. But I’m not. I learned to fight because it’s important to me. Fighting is my identity now.” “You’re scrappy all right,” Elsie says, squealing as she rolls out of the way. Norah pulls her up. “I won’t hurt you.” “I know. I’m in awe of you.” “Thank you. That means a lot. Can I tell you a secret?” Elsie nods; this scrappy little fairy is exactly who she needed to spend time with today.

“I’m going to fight anyway. Even though Hardy says I can’t. I’m going to disguise myself and the ranks, right at the back, where he won’t see me. I’ve got a goal during this rebellion. Three hundred clippers.” “You want to kill three hundred clippers?” “I will kill three hundred. At least. You know Hardy won’t let you on the field, don’t you? He won’t let me, and I know what I’m doing.” “Let me?” Norah laughs. “Don’t act like he’s not in charge.” Elsie pauses, sword dangling from her hand. It drops to the floor. “He is, isn’t he?” “Did that just occur to you?” “Yes. It really did.” “It’s not a bad thing – he’s ionate about this rebellion and he’s been planning it for years, first with his dad and then on his own. In fairness, there’s no way you could have come back to Allaire and done anything by yourself.” Elsie shrugs and stabs the sword into the ground. “When Meg was killed last night, I was furious, and ready to fight. Now I feel like a fool again. What do I know?” “Hey, I get doubt. I feel it every single day. But you have to push past it. You might know nothing, but who does? We’re all just trying to figure it out.” “But I’ll be queen.” Norah pulls the sword from the ground and es it to Elsie. “You’ll be queen and before that, if you want to kill your step parents, you’ll be ready. Go!” They fight again, and if it was an actual fight Elsie would be dead, but she can feel herself handling the sword better as the minutes , and she’s watching Norah closely to see how she moves and how she does things.

“You pick things up quickly,” Norah says, plunging the sword into the ground where Elsie’s head had been just seconds before. “Thanks. That’s hopefully a good sign.” “It is.” Elsie spins and stabs with the sword and for the first time gets the upper hand. Norah claps. “Yes! The queen gets it!” Elsie lies on the floor, sweating. “That was hard.” “It was. You’ve been locked up for years, ? I’m impressed you can move at all. Was it awful?” Elsie shakes her head. “No, actually. But only because I had Meg. She was so funny, and she would tell me these stories – she had endless stories. She would make me laugh and make me feel safe and loved. I forgot I was a prisoner, really. If I’d been on my own, I can’t even imagine. I’d have probably lost my mind.” “Well, thank goodness you had Meg, then.” Elsie nods. “Thank goodness for Meg.” Norah lies down next to her. “You’ll be queen – imagine that. You’ll be the most important fairy in the entire Kingdom. You’ll be able to do anything you want.” “Imagine.” A shiver runs through Elsie. Queen. She cannot imagine it, not even for a minute. They fly back to Maud’s and Elsie feels exhausted. “I think I’m ready for a nap,” she says, and Maud pulls out a seat for her and fusses around bringing her food and drink. “Stay for a drink, Norah?” “No thanks, Maud. I’ve got a bunch of stuff to do, but I’ll be back tomorrow

morning to train again, yeah?” Elsie nods. She’s tired now, but she can’t wait to fight again. She enjoyed herself. Hardy es Norah in the corridor and thanks her for helping Elsie, then s them at the table. He grabs a cake. “How did you get on?” Elsie nods. “Good. Better than I thought. Terrible.” Hardy and Maud laugh, and Elsie smiles, a wave of melancholy coming over her. It makes her sad how quickly life goes on without someone when they die. It doesn’t seem right to laugh and talk and eat without Meg, but what other choice does she have; does anyone have? The world keeps turning, however wrong it might feel. “This food is delicious. We had awful food at the castle.” “It’s not too rich for you, is it? I don’t want to make you ill.” Elsie shakes her head and pulls the whole plate of food toward her, and they all laugh. “It’s wonderful. I’ll pace myself.” “Are you feeling up to coming over to see the troupe with me?” “Yes. I want to see Gwenna again and make sure she’s all right. And we need to know how many fighters we’ve got, so we know when we can start this thing.” “Rebellion?” “Yes. It sounds too big, though. It scares me.” “It scares all of us, pet. But what’s scarier by far, is that lot at the castle lording it over us forever. They’d wipe the whole Kingdom out without a thought. I dread to think how many they’ve clipped and how many they’ve killed.” “One is too many,” Elsie says, the anger from last night coming back and filling her veins.

“You’re right. Let’s go.” Elsie grabs one more cake to enjoy on the journey and they fly quickly, in case of danger. They walk through the first part of the woods where it’s hard to fly, and Elsie gets her breath back. “You tire easy,” Hardy says, taking her hand and helping her over a log. “I do. I haven’t done much these past few years.” He laughs and gives her a shove with his hip. She laughs. “I had to laugh; Meg always made me laugh. I don’t know what would have happened to me otherwise.” “It’s good. It’s good that you didn’t let them win. What were they like to live with?” “I don’t . Thank goodness. Since they locked me up, I’ve seen both of them just a handful of times. I probably saw more of her. Now I know that whatever Meg gave me and whatever she brought back with her from Bronwen kept him away from me.” “Some sort of magical protection so he couldn’t kill you or send anyone else to do his dirty work. They like to keep their hands clean.” “She was lovely. When she married my dad, I thinking she was so pretty and so kind to me and Isla.” “And then?” “My father died.”

18

THE COLOURFUL TENTS before them, they fly down to the camp. There’s a definite air of melancholy in the air, the children are subdued, and they have laid the musical instruments down. Elsie raises a hand in greeting when she sees Gwenna. Gwenna waves back, half-heartedly and then flies over to them. She hugs Elsie and smiles at Hardy. “I still can’t believe she’s gone. Come through to the big tent. Ajo is leading a meeting. There are loads more fairies wanting to and help. Since Meg died.” “Since they murdered her.” Gwenna nods. “I can’t get over it. I saw her every week and I would get so excited when I saw her flying down the hill. It was something we both looked forward to. And we would laugh and talk, and she’d ask for her potion.” Gwenna laughs. “She was always thinking about you, Elsie. She spoke about taking you away from the castle, spiriting you away one day, but she was always too scared.” “I don’t blame her. She did everything she could for me. More than I knew.” “Come on.” They can hear the brouhaha before they even reach the tent, and Elsie can see Hardy’s eyes light up. He lives for this. Thrives on it. She hangs back, nervous to see another sizeable crowd. “You’ll be fine. I’ll stay with you.” Gwenna is every bit as wonderful as her sister was – always worrying about other people and being kind, and Elsie is glad. She finds these enormous crowds overwhelming.

They slip inside, but Elsie pulls on Gwenna’s hand when she tries to weave through the throng to the front. “Can we stay here?” Gwenna nods. “Of course.” They hover at the back and listen to Ajo, and now Hardy, rally the fairies. “How many of you are sick of hiding and sick of being scared every damn day of your lives?” They all nod and murmur. “The clippers are getting worse; they don’t even wait for you to fight back. Meg didn’t fight back. Meg did nothing wrong.” Elsie feels sick hearing Meg’s death being used like this, but Hardy knows exactly what to say and what buttons to push. The crowd is angry and instead of being angry and impotent as they have always been, Hardy and Ajo are giving them a direction to vent their anger, a useful thing to do with their anger, and within minutes they have hundreds of fairies ready and willing and excited to fight. “Who’s with me?” A cheer goes up and Elsie nods and squeezes Gwenna’s hand. It’s going to happen. “Who’s ready for a new rule, a new way forward?” The fairies all applaud. “And who is ready for the rightful heir of Allaire to take her place on the throne, crown upon her head?” Elsie wishes she could disappear as suddenly all eyes are on her. But there’s no such luck. They pull her to the middle of the tent and Hardy grabs hold of her hands and jumps up with her, flying a few feet above the ground so everyone can see her. The cheers and applause and hand clapping and foot stamping are deafening, and

Elsie is caught up in it, despite her misgivings. The chanting starts: Long live the queen and Elsie is laughing and crying and bursting with bubbles of excitement. Hardy brings her down to earth and kisses her mouth. While all the madness goes on around them; a frenzy of excitement and happiness with more than a tinge of untapped anger and aggression, it all fades away for Elsie as a man kisses her for the first time. His lips are softer than she could ever have imagined lips could be, but firm and pressing against hers. His tongue slips into her mouth and the bubbles of excitement turn to bubbles of something else; something unfamiliar that she’s never felt before. She doesn’t want him to stop and pushes her entire body against his, desperate to feel his body against her, desperate for his kiss to continue forever. He eventually stops and just holds his lips still against hers. Then he pulls back and his eyes are dark with hunger. Elsie has to close her eyes, to guard against the intensity of his gaze, but she knows he’s still looking at her and so she opens her eyes again and this time there’s a smile underneath the hunger, a warmth and a connection. The cheering is still going on. It’s only seconds they have been kissing for, although it felt like hours. The tent isn’t empty, though Elsie could swear they are the only two people in the Kingdom. Her toes curl with pleasure and she takes his hand in hers. She feels like she can do anything with him by her side. Ajo grins at the two of them, but Hardy shakes his head. “Don’t start.” “I wasn’t going to. I’m pleased with this turn out. They’re fired up too. We need to act before their anger abates.” “Absolutely. We’ll go to the cave, gather the weapons, give them out, start telling people where they’ll be and what they’ll do. We need to do this.” “When?” Elsie’s voice comes out as a squeak. She clears her throat. “I still say we need a few weeks,” Hardy says.

“I say sooner,” Ajo says. “We can’t wait any longer. The clippers are getting bold, and I’m sick of being pushed around by them. So is everyone else.” “We’ll figure it out,” Hardy says, tucking a finger under Elsie’s chin. “Don’t be scared. I’ll make sure you’re safe. I’ll make sure you’re queen. I’ll stay by your side as long as you want me to.” “Thank you.” Elsie shivers. She will live and rule or fight and die sooner than she ever thought possible when she sailed back to Allaire from freedom. Hardy asks Gwenna if Elsie can stay with the troupe or if someone else can take her back to Maud’s house. He’s needed. “Shouldn’t I come?” “No, I don’t need you.” Elsie humphs, but Gwenna nods. “Of course she can stay,” Gwenna says. “Or Aster can take you home? What do you want to do, Elsie?” “Stay a bit. If that’s all right?” “Of course. It’s hard to be alone when you’re grieving.” Elsie nods. That’s true, but she also feels left out and annoyed. By Hardy. One second he’s kissing her like his life depends on it, and then he’s asking Gwenna to look after her and take her home, like she’s not even there. As if she’s nothing to do with this uprising, as though he hasn’t told her it’s the only reason it’s going ahead; because she has given people the push to do it; to get over their fear and take action. If she’s so important why isn’t she with him when he’s making all these plans? Why is he ignoring her and talking to Ajo about it all?

“Don’t let it worry you,” Gwenna says, taking her arms. “Let me take you to Aster. She wants to show you something. These men have been planning this uprising for so long, let them carry on.” Elsie shakes her head, wondering how Gwenna can know exactly what she’s thinking. “I’m pretty intuitive,” Gwenna says. “War is a man’s game. Don’t roll your eyes. It is what it is.” “But women can fight.” “Bella and Norah? Two women? I can’t fight, you can’t fight. I don’t know many women who would go into this battle. We’re all too sensible. Let the men fight.” “And...?” “And we’ll be glad when it’s done. And you’ll be sitting pretty – and safe – on your throne.” Elsie shakes her head but bites her tongue. She feels so frustrated by Hardy and the way he’s handling this. He’s shutting her out. But she’s not sure what to do about it. And she doesn’t have Meg, her loyal sounding board, to steer her in the right direction. Is she stupid to think she could fight in this battle? “Aster! Elsie’s here.” Gwenna announces her and then gives her a little push into the tent and leaves. Aster flies over and smiles, a little shyly. “Thank you for coming. I asked Gwenna to see if you had a little time for me, if she saw you, but I know you’re busy and I know you’re sad and I’m so sorry about Meg, but I thought you’d be interested in this. Well, I hoped you’d be, I’m not sure, though I think it could be...” She trails off, a blush colouring her face. “I’m sorry, I just-” “Don’t apologise. Hardy just left me here and went off to do important men’s work, so I’m happy to be here.” Aster giggles. “They think they have all the answers.”

Elsie laughs. “Right? Like none of us could know what to do or what to say or have any input. Do you know Norah?” Aster shakes her head no. “I don’t think so.” “Well, she fights better than most men, I’d bet. She’s teaching me.” “Oh, that’s wonderful. I’d love to learn, but they don’t teach us. Girls, I mean.” “Ooh.” Suddenly Elsie’s eyes are shining with excitement. “What?” “I just had the best idea. But...” She’s not sure. Is it great or stupid? “Tell me.” “I wish Meg was here. She’d tell me if it was a good idea or not.” “Tell me.” “All right. What if Norah taught me to fight? And you to fight? And all the other female fairies? And we all the rebellion and help lead us to victory.” Aster is quiet for a moment and Elsie winces. It is a stupid idea. Then Aster’s face changes – her excitement mirroring Elsie’s. “I would love that!” “Really? You don’t think it’s stupid?” “Stupid? I think it’s genius.” “Really. Yes. We make up half the population of the Kingdom, we’re the victims of the clippers too. We should definitely do more than just making weapons and food.” “You think we should fight?” “Absolutely. But I think it needs to be a secret.”

“Yeah?” Aster nods. “The men won’t like it.” “Do we care?” “I think we’ll care less when we’re dab hands with our swords.” They both laugh. Elsie frowns. “What did you want me to see?” Aster looks excited all over again. “I’m not quite there yet, so I’ve only showed Bronwen.” She gestures for Elsie to follow her and they fly to the back of the tent. There’s a small doorway through to another ading tent. “This is where I work. Bronwen is training me up. Look.” She holds up a small piece of gossamer-like fabric. “It’s pretty. What is it?” “It’s a fairy wing.” “A fairy wing?” Elsie’s eyes are wide. This is just what she’d been talking about with Meg and Maud. “Did you make it, grow it, magic it? What did you do? I was just saying to Meg and Maud how we need to mend the broken wings and regrow them.” Aster looks so proud of herself, a little shy still, but obviously proud, and she’s nodding. “I grew it, made it and magicked it. I’m a super healer. So, this is from a little fairy who was clipped.” She es it to Elsie who holds it carefully, turning it this way and that, watching how the light catches it. “It’s amazing.” “The clippers did an awful job, and she was in so much pain. The bit you’ve got, that was left on her, kept getting caught on things, so even though it hurt her, she asked Bronwen to tidy it up. Bronwen cut it off as carefully as she could, and I

asked her if I could have it. It was only this big when I had it.” She puts her fingers together, showing a circle half the size of an apple. “It’s not perfect, and it’s not attached to a living thing. I’m not sure what would happen if it was. Would it work or not – I know what to do. I just need more time to refine it.” “I can’t believe you did this.” Elsie gives the piece of wing back. “I wonder too if I did it and it was still attached if it would grow back the same shape. I don’t know if I could do it.” “Does anyone else know you can do this?” “Only Bronwen and Gwenna.” “This is incredible. When I’m queen, I want to fix everything my step parents have done, and healing the broken wings is one thing I desperately want to do. Will you keep trying to see if you can do it?” Aster nods. “I’ll ask Hardy if we can find someone who has just been clipped and bring them to you. This is so exciting. Imagine if you could undo all the harm that’s been done to so many.” “I would love that.” The girls hold hands and squeal. “I’m so excited. I’m excited to fight and I’m excited that you can heal. This is such a gift you have.” Aster shrugs. “Not my doing, but I’m grateful.” “It’s wonderful. You’re wonderful. Now can you help me? I don’t know enough people here to gather all the women who want to fight.” “I can help you.” “And Norah should be able to help with fairies who aren’t in the troupe. I will try to find her later, so she can do it by tomorrow. But you think we should keep it quiet?”

“I do. I definitely do.” “I trust you. You know more than I do. I’ve been locked up for such a long time I have no idea what’s what.” “It must have been terrible.” “It was all right. Because of Meg, it was all right. Sorry.” Elsie apologises because the tears have started. Aster hugs her. “Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” “It’s fine, it’s fine. I keep thinking I can hear her voice. I keep waiting for her to take my hand and show me what I should do next.” “It’ll get easier. Oh, I have something.” She holds up a hand and then turns her back on Elsie, rummaging through a gigantic box of bottles. “I have. No. Wait. Not that one. This one. No. Here.” She turns around and es a bottle of pink liquid to Elsie. “My mum died last year. I made this for myself. It helps.” “What does it do?” Elsie takes the bottle, opens it up and smells it. “It smells lovely.” “It helps, it soothes, it stops you from feeling too sad but it doesn’t numb you. I wanted to miss my mum and think about her and all the lovely things about her; and the sadness too. But I couldn’t function when I felt so sick and so scared and so worried, and I kept replaying things over and over in my head. Bronwen told me to make myself something, just as I would if I was making it for someone else. It worked. I felt better. I still take a little now and then.” “Do you need it, then? I don’t want to take it off you-” Aster shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. I think I’m ready. And it’ll be nice to help someone else. It’s what my healing’s for. Bronwen keeps reminding me I can’t be bashful about my gifts because it’s not showing off to help people. It’s kind.” “It is. Thank you. I need help.”

“And purpose.” “What?” “Sad people need purpose. We only give up when we have no hope. And as long as we have purpose, then we have hope. This rebellion is giving you hope. Hope that your step parents might stop. Hope that maybe I can fix the broken wings. Hope that you might rule.” “Will you come to the castle if I’m queen?” “What for?” “To be my wise woman, my healer?” Aster stands up a little straighter; her smile is a little wider. “It would honour me. Oh Elsie. Bronwen always tells me that my time will come and that I’ll know what I’m meant to do when I’m meant to do it. She says to keep my eyes open because opportunities always come up and now you’re here. And you’ll be queen and I’ll be your helper. And we’ll all learn to fight.” They are both beaming at each other, when Gwenna pokes her head through the tent opening. “I wondered where you two got to. Did you show her, Aster?” Aster nods. “What do you think, Elsie?” “I think it’s amazing.” Gwenna grins. “Are you wanting to go home now or eat first?” “I’ll go back to Maud’s, if you don’t mind. Thank you, though.” “Oh, she’ll feed you better than we ever could.” Gwenna laughs. “Will you take her, Aster?” Aster nods, and Elsie grins. She knows who she needs to talk to next, and she knows it might not be easy.

19

“ASTER. I WANT YOU TO take me to see Bella. I can’t quite how to get to the cave. Do you know?” Aster nods. “Bella? You want to see Hardy’s Bella?” Elsie nods. “Do you know her?” “I’ve met her. She’s frightening. I mean, I’m sure she’s lovely. I just, she just-” “I know what you mean. That’s how I feel about her too. And she doesn’t like me.” “Why? What did she do?” “She was just mean. Snarky. And she broke up with Hardy. But she’s also the best fighter.” “I heard that too. It’s strange that he didn’t want her to be part of his rebellion. If she’s that good.” “I think it’s just men, thinking girls don’t fight.” “Maybe. Are you sure though?” “I am.” “Won’t Hardy see you?” “I hope not.” “Come on.” Aster leads the way, and Elsie is glad; she would have definitely got lost if she’d tried to find the way on her own.

“Will you come tomorrow and bring as many females from the troupe as you can?” “Where?” Elsie tries to think of somewhere in her Kingdom they could go. Somewhere she used to go to a long time ago, before she was locked up, somewhere lots of people could meet up and not be seen. “Apple Valley?” Aster looks sad. “There aren’t any apples there now.” “Then it’ll serve as a reminder of why we want to do this.” Aster nods. “Be careful with her. If she doesn’t like you.” “I’ll be okay. I think maybe we want the same thing.” Elsie closes her eyes for just a second, ing Hardy’s lips on hers. They have more in common than Bella might like to accept or even know about. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t forget to take that potion.” They hug and Aster flies off. Elsie takes a deep breath and walks as softly as she can into the cave. She can hear bustle and chatter and doesn’t want to be seen by Hardy; he’ll only think she’s spying on him because he wouldn’t let her come with him. She’s hoping to tuck out of the way, so nobody sees her until she sees Bella and somehow gets her attention. She spots Ajo’s sister Anya and whistles. Anya looks, but so do a few other fairies, so Elsie ducks back out of sight. She sneaks a look and Anya is heading her way, a curious expression on her face. “Elsie! I don’t know how, but I knew it was you. Come in, I’ll find Hardy, he’s holed up with Ajo somewhere.” “No.” Elsie pulls Anya out of the cave and around the corner. “What’s going on?”

“I want to talk to Bella. And you.” “Why? You know Bella hates you – and she broke up with Hardy and he didn’t even try to talk her out of it.” “I know nothing about that. I just had an idea and know you’ll help, and I think it would be good if Bella did too.” “Good for Bella, or good for you?” “Good for everyone.” Anya shrugs and sighs. “Tell me and then I’ll tell you if it’s a good idea.” “I want to fight.” “And Hardy said no.” “But I’m not going to listen to him. And – hopefully – neither are you, or Bella, or Norah or Aster or any of the other females in the Kingdom.” “I don’t get it.” “We will train to fight and the rebellion.” Anya laughs and shakes her head. “Elsie, sweetie, I know you’ve been locked up for a long time and you don’t really know how things work out here, but we’re not going to fight. Even if we could, the boys won’t let us.” “The boys won’t let us. Since when do we have to do what the boys say?” “Well...” Anya cannot answer but still looks sceptical. Elsie needs to convince her; she will help to convince Bella. And Bella is the best fighter – the best female fighter – in the Kingdom. They’ll need her. “What use is being able to fight if you’re never allowed to fight? And why should the boys or your brother or Hardy get to choose what we’re allowed to do? I saw Norah fight, she showed me what to do, and I bet she’s better than half the men in the Kingdom.”

“Probably. And Bella is better than all of them. I still don’t get your point.” “Hardy reckons this rebellion is all about me. Now I’m here, the fairies finally have the courage to overthrow my step parents and put me in their place, but it’s crap if I’m not even allowed to help win the throne I’ll end up sitting on. Why do we have to sit back and watch the men fight and win and get all the glory?” “What if they fight and lose?” “What if they do? What if we do? At least we’ll have been part of it, and not just bystanders. I’ve spent years being unable to do anything. I’ve had to sit and wait for my wedding before they’d let me out of the castle. Now I’m out and someone else is trying to tell me what to do. Doesn’t it annoy you that Ajo gets to have all the fun?” Anya nods. “It does. I just, well, I just never thought to change it.” “So let’s do it now. There’s enough of us we could fight back. We could insist on being part of it. We’re meeting tomorrow. In Apple Valley. Norah, Aster, and as many of the troupe as she can convince. You can help her. We want as many women as we can get, young, old, it doesn’t matter. But if we have outstanding fighters who can help us and train us and we all show up, the men will have to listen to us. Hardy will have to listen to us.” “I’ll fetch Bella. I’m not convinced she’ll listen to me. Or you. She’s angry about you and Hardy.” “Me and Hardy?” “He made it clear when she broke up with him he was happy to be free. I think he’s got designs on you. On the throne, maybe.” Elsie shakes her head. That can’t be right. She can see his face close to hers, as though he’s right there with her; she can feel his lips on hers as though he’s still kissing her. She refuses to look at Anya. “Get Bella.” Anya flits inside the cave and Elsie flies back and fore, her wings feeling so tired and the ache from being used something she’s not used to. Bella comes out of the cave with Anya. She folds her arms across her chest and

stares at Elsie, open hostility in her expression; she doesn’t hide it. Not one bit. “What?” Elsie holds up her hands. “I know you don’t like me though I don’t know why-” Bella humphs and laughs, and Elsie ignores her and carries on with her pitch. “But I know you’re the best female fighter in the Kingdom. Hardy told me.” “Before or after he kissed you?” “Kissed me?” “I know him, Elsie. And I know that he’ll do anything for his ambition.” “His ambition?” “I might be the best fighter this Kingdom’s got, but did that mean he’d let me fight? No. And when you came along, suddenly he didn’t see us having a future together, suddenly he was prickly and awkward and mean and when I said I think we should take a break, he didn’t cry and sob and tell me he couldn’t live without me, which is pathetically what I was hoping for, he just walked away. I know him better than anyone Elsie, and if you tell me he hasn’t made a move on you yet, I wouldn’t even believe you.” “He...” Elsie cannot think of anything to say. She’s clueless about love and lust and anything of a romantic nature. But she knows she feels something for Hardy, and she is sure he feels something for her. Was he just saying what she wanted to hear so he could be King? Anya steps between them. “Can we talk about Hardy later? I’m feeling excited about what you suggested, Elsie. I want to know what Bella thinks.” “Excited about what?” “Elsie thinks we should all fight – all the females in the Kingdom who want to – fight in the rebellion and help win the throne for Elsie.” “You think I want to help you win the throne, so you can sit on it with Hardy at

your feet?” “Bella! Put that aside for a minute.” “I can’t. I love him and I have loved him for years, and as soon as this puppet comes along, he’s happy to see me go. Tell me he hasn’t kissed you.” Elsie’s hands drop to her side, and she feels tears spring into her eyes. She wipes them away, feeling angry. And hurt. And confused. “Did he kiss you?” She nods and Bella throws up her arms. “See?” She’s shouting now. “I bet he’ll tell you he loves you next and that he wants to look after you and protect you and guide you, and then he’ll push Meg out of the way and he’ll be the only person you can turn to and-” “Meg’s dead.” Bella stops and turns to Elsie, a look of horror on her face. “Dead? How? I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” “She was killed last night, by clippers.” “Clippers? That’s...” she trails off, suddenly awkward, and shakes her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. You must be devastated.” “I am. What were you going to say?” “Nothing.” Bella touches her arm and Elsie meets her eyes, nervous to see the hatred there. But it’s pity she sees instead. “What Bella?” Anya nudges her with her hip. “What is it?” “Nothing. I’m sure it’s nothing. It’s just not normal for the clippers to be out on a Tuesday. That’s all.” Elsie is silent, and the tension between the three of them grows. Elsie shakes her head and frowns. “What Bella? Say it? Do you think it’s sketchy?” Bella is still, but then nods. “I think it’s sketchy. Meg was the person you were

closest to. She was someone you leaned on for and comfort, and I’m sure you would have run any big decision past her. She would have been the voice of reason; she would have made the calls for you because she loved you and she had your best interests at heart. And now she’s gone.” “And I’m alone.” “And who will guide you now? Who will steer you right?” Elsie closes her eyes. She cannot think straight. Is Bella right? Is there something more sinister going on? “I’m sorry, I need to go.” Without waiting for either girl to answer, and with no clue where she might end up, Elsie flies away. She flies up high until the sun is too bright for her eyes and then she swoops down, corkscrewing to the ground. Then she flies faster than she ever has before until she can see the sea. Then she drops into the docks and sits on a bench. She has never felt so lost and alone before. Does she trust Hardy and his mother, who are both so nice and have been so kind to her? Does she trust Bella who hates her? Does she listen to Anya, who told her to be careful around Hardy? Her own instincts are useless. She’s like a feather in the wind blowing this way and that wherever the breeze takes her. Hardy kissed her. And that must mean he likes her. But Bella says he wants to be King. Anya says he would have killed her and Isla if they had still been in the castle and he could have got the uprising to happen. She cannot think straight and she has no idea what to do next or who to turn to. Meg. Who would have gained from her death? If she listens to Bella, then it would be Hardy. She closes her eyes and sees the warmth in his smile. He would never have hurt

Meg. There’s no way. The kiss felt too real. The look on his face mirrored her own, and she knows she feels something real for him. It might be new and unexplored and damn scary, but it’s real. She watches the fairies go about their business and lets the sounds of the place fill her up. She cannot think straight and so she’s better not to think at all, not for a minute or two. She drinks in the place's smell, the sound of fairies talking and laughing, the sight of so many people, when she’s used to such peace. She likes it. It’s a joyful noise, a normal noise. People just going about their business. Nobody is paying her any attention. She’s not the spark that’s leading to an uprising here. She’s not the poor princess who was locked up and is now free. She’s not the figurehead of a rebellion. Or the future queen. She’s nobody. And for now, it’s refreshing. She has to have a clear head and she can’t do that when she’s got Bella being mean to her or Hardy being kind to her. And if it all goes to plan – Hardy’s plan or anybody else’s – and she becomes queen, she will have to have some nous about her. She will have to start fine tuning her instincts now. She cannot run to a grown up any time she needs to decide. Even if she’d like to. “Who have we here? Princess?” Elsie spins around and then has to stand up and take a step back to catch her breath. “Jim!”

“Smelly Jim,” he says and takes a seat on the bench. “Indeed.” And oh, he is smelly. Her eyes are watering from the stench. And she can see no polite way to escape. She smiles at him as best she can, and he laughs. “Stay here.” He vanishes before she can protest and before she can fly away an unfamiliar man takes his place. An unfamiliar man, but a familiar one. He laughs at her confused expression. “Jim?” “Smelly Jim,” he says and dips his head in a bow. “How?” He doesn’t smell, he’s not cadaverously thin, and he’s fairly handsome, in an unobvious way. “The art of manipulation, my dear. I’m a chameleon. It’s always been an archaic and fairly useless form of fairy magic, but I made it pay. There are people who pay for information. And if you can talk to their enemies, they’ll pay you double to play games. I have fun.” He stretches his legs out in front of him and steeples his fingers together. “Elsie. I feel bad. And I’ve been looking for you. That you’re sitting here in the open probably isn’t a good thing for you. If someone from the castle spotted you, it wouldn’t be good. But here you are.” “Here I am. Why were you looking for me?” “I had a feeling you’d need some help. Sometimes we’re on a path so straight and the way ahead is so clear, we could be blindfolded and turned in circles and we’d still end up where we were meant to be going. Easy. Then for some of us, our path changes and the way ahead is unclear. There are obstacles. There are upsets. There are questions to be answered and decisions to be made and so many variables we feel as though we may never get to where we’re going.” Elsie smiles. She has no idea what he’s talking about.

“When I saw you in the tavern, my dear, your path was clear and straight. Then I was paid for some information. I gave it freely, as it seemed such an insignificant thing. Could I watch the princess leave the Kingdom and could I report when she got to the other side? It was your step parents, just making sure you got where you were going. Easy. Then I got wind that you were back in the Kingdom. I have my spies as others have me.” Elsie is leaning close to him; thankful that he no longer smells, hanging on his every word. She cannot believe her step parents cared enough to make sure she left. Dread fills her. “Did you tell them? My step parents?” He shakes his head. “No. something stopped me. I watched you instead, to see what you did and where you went. And now I’m here to help you.” “Help me?” “Don’t you need help now Meg is dead?” Elsie nods. “I do.” “It’s simple, what I’ll tell you, but you must listen to me. I see so much, and I know so much. You must fight in this rebellion. And you must win this rebellion. And you must take up the crown and sit upon the throne and refuse to let anybody else tell you what to do.” “But how will I know what to do if nobody helps me?” “There comes a time butterfly, when you must do as you see fit, do what pleases you and make choices that satisfy you. One courtier will ask you to do things this way, and another will advise you to do it that way. One man will say he is innocent while another will swear he is guilty. There will be so much contradictory advice that you will spin in circles the entire time the crown is on your head.” Elsie sighs. Why is it all so complicated? “It just is.”

She looks sharply at him, confusion in her expression. “No, you didn’t say it aloud; I knew it anyway. I know much and I see much. And I know this; there are many who will see you, a young and naïve princess, as the perfect way for them to get what they want. They will manipulate you and abuse your friendship. I am not saying that you will only know false friends, but I say that without Meg and with no other to advise you it is time to do as you see fit. Use your moral com to find the way ahead.” “I’m not sure I have a moral com. I have had no life experience to gain wisdom or knowledge.” “It is all within you. If I ask you to kick that old lady, how do you feel?” “How do I feel?” “In the pit of your stomach, just under your belly button?” “I feel sick.” “Right and so you know it’s not a good thing to do. Now focus on that same spot whenever you have to answer a question. People assume your intuition lives in your heart, but it doesn’t; it’s in your gut.” “And if I make a mistake?” “To err is human, ? But to blindly follow or foolishly and ively allow others to hold the reins that belong to you – that would be a travesty. Hold on to the reins and your reign will be successful.” “Hold on to the reins. But-” She blinks and looks from side to side and all around, but he’s gone.

20

ELSIE SUDDENLY FEELS exposed and flies quickly back through the woods and up to the village and back to Maud’s house. She knocks on the door and Maud answers, her usually welcoming grin covering her face. “Hello duck. How’s your day been?” She peers past her. “Is Hardy with you?” Elsie shakes her head. “Just me. He had rebellion stuff to do.” Maud beams. “He works so hard that boy. Are you hungry?” Elsie nods and then smiles. She doesn’t want Maud to know how unsure she’s feeling about everything. Seeing smelly Jim has confused her even more. How can she trust herself to decide when she’s never had to do so before? What if she makes a terrible decision, what if she ruins everything, what if her idea of the women fighting is an example of a rubbish idea? Maud es her freshly cook slices of beef, still hot from the oven and dripping with fat, and some freshly baked bread. “You must cook all day.” “I do. I love to cook it and I love to eat it. And I love to feed people.” She laughs. “We’ve always had a full house. Between my husband and all his plans, and now Hardy with his, there’s always some hungry belly that needs filling.” “Don’t you wish you could do more, be more involved, I mean, in the rebellion?” “Oh no. That’s men’s work.” “Really?” “Yes. Oh my pretty, you’re not still wishing Norah could teach you to fight? What would be the point? There’s never been a warrior queen in Allaire, and we

don’t need one now. This will be a peaceful Kingdom when your step parents are out of the way. You won’t need to fight to keep your crown.” “I suppose. I think it just feels lazy.” “Nothing lazy about women’s work. Don’t we cook and clean and feed everyone and wash up and wash the clothes and, well, I suppose you won’t be doing all that when you’re queen. But you’ll be hosting parties and jousts and having beautiful dresses made.” Elsie laughs. “Won’t I be busy running the Kingdom?” This time Maud cannot hide her mirth and laughs and laughs. “Oh, Elsie. You’re a real star.” “Why?” “How can a sixteen-year-old girl run the Kingdom? You’re a funny one. You’ll have a council to do that for you. You’re the figurehead, ?” Elsie chews on her food, then as nonchalantly as she’s able asks. “Who will be on the council, though? We couldn’t have anyone who’s in the castle right now. We couldn’t trust them, and I don’t know anyone here who would know about the running of a Kingdom.” Maud es her a beautiful little cake. “Hardy. Hardy has been planning this for years. Not just the rebellion – that’s the first phase. It’s what comes next that’s important. Getting Allaire back to its former glory and running a peaceful Kingdom. It’s all anybody wants.” Elsie remains quiet. He really wants to rule the Kingdom, as her husband or otherwise. He really thinks she came back to Allaire just to give the running of the place to someone else. He really thinks she’ll happily step aside and play dress up while the capable men run the Kingdom in her name. Bella was right. “All right, pet? You’re quiet.” “Just enjoying my lovely food, thank you. And excited to be queen and buy dresses and stuff.”

Maud pats her hand. “I knew you wouldn’t be any trouble. Hardy wasn’t sure. But I knew. I knew.” Hardy wasn’t sure. What does that even mean? Does that mean his kisses were an insurance policy? Just a way to keep her sweet and keep her on side. She holds a hand to her stomach and tries to gauge what her intuition thinks. All she feels is a rumble of hunger, as if she hasn’t eaten enough. “I heard that rumble. Here have some more bread.” Maud pushes the plate of bread closer to Elsie, and Elsie digs in. She might not know Hardy’s game, if he’s even playing one, but she knows she will meet Norah tomorrow and Aster and maybe Bella and Anya and she will have some say in this rebellion. Her gut is telling her that’s a good thing to do at least. And maybe it’s wise to keep your thoughts to yourself and decide slowly and carefully and in a considered way. Who knows? The biggest decision she had to make while she was locked up was if Meg should tell her this story or that one. Hardly powerful stuff. Hardly important in the grand scheme of things. But if she should trust Hardy or not? That’s big. If she should listen to Bella or not? That’s big. Trying to figure out if someone killed Meg on purpose? That’s bigger than big. “Shall I get a nice bath ready for you, lovely? You look exhausted.” “Yes, please. That would be wonderful.” If she’s by herself, she won’t have to pretend that everything’s all right. And maybe it is. That’s the ridiculous thing. She really has no idea. Elsie climbs into the bath, the scorching water covering her skin and scalding it. It feels delicious. It also feels strange. Even though she was a prisoner; she was still a princess and so she had a handmaiden and so everything was done for her. Meg even cut up her food for her. Elsie laughs and ducks under the water, soaking her hair. How pathetic she is to be sixteen and unable to wash her own hair, cut up her own food and dress herself. No wonder Hardy thinks he’ll have to run the Kingdom on her behalf.

So she’ll show him. She’ll gather up the women, and they’ll all learn to fight, and they’ll all go to Hardy and show him that women can fight and she can rule. She can decide and not wait to be told what to do. Then he’ll see how capable she is. Then maybe she’ll get to run her own Kingdom instead of watching other people do it for her. She washes her hair and washes herself and dresses in a clean nightdress she finds on her pillow. Maud is so nice; how could she think otherwise? They know she needs help and they just want to give it to her. Her stomach twists. They have been kind to her. Her stomach twists again. Is this intuition or indigestion? That she has no idea makes her laugh. Then she’s giggling, then laughing, then the laughter has a slightly hysterical tinge to it and then she’s crying. It’s how Hardy finds her when he knocks on the door and comes inside. “Elsie. Are you all right?” She laughs and sobs in one weird sound and Hardy scoops her up and holds her against him, letting her cry and sob and laugh and hiccup. “What’s wrong? Is it Meg?” Elsie nods. There’s no way she can tell him what else is troubling her. “I know it’s sad and scary, but I promise you, you won’t have to deal with any of this alone. I’m here for you and my mother is, all the rebels. We all want what’s best for Allaire and what’s best for you.” “What is best for me?” He pulls back and smiles at her, his expression unreadable to her.

“Whatever you want. You’ll be queen. Doesn’t that sound amazing?” She nods and bites her lip. She won’t say any more. “Are you hungry?” “Yes, and I wouldn’t mind some fresh air.” “Come down. We’ll eat in the garden.” “That sounds wonderful. Thank you.” He pulls her up and then puts his arm around her. “I’m at your service. Anything you need, you just tell me. Anything you want, you just tell me. Elsie, I can’t help it. When I’m with you... I’m feeling all these feelings, these new and frightening feelings. I don’t even know you, but I feel so protective of you. I feel like I’m meant to be in your life.” He shakes his head and laughs. “I know I sound crazy.” “Not crazy,” she says and heads down the stairs. She wants so much for his words to be true, but since speaking to Bella everything he says just sounds hollow. And yet she is feeling those feelings too. Is it that unbelievable that he might feel something for her? Maud greets her with a warm smile. “How was your bath my lovely?” “Lovely. Though quite a novelty to wash my hair.” They all laugh and take the dishes outside. “This was a great idea. I love to sit outside to eat. We haven’t done it for a while, Hardy. Why not?” “I think it’s something dad always liked to do.” Maud nods. “Of course. Ah, he did. He loved the fresh air and the sound of birds tweeting. We must do it more often.” “Absolutely.” “Evening.” Norah flies over the fence and s them. “I knocked at the door, but

there was no answer.” She grabs a cake. “Ooh, Maud you’re the best.” Maud laughs and they all tuck in. “So, I was just out and about and I saw Anya.” Norah looks at Elsie who gets her point right away. “And I was wondering if Elsie wanted to me in the morning for some flying practice. I know you’re still a bit rusty.” “Really?” Hardy turns to Elsie. “Yes. My wings ache so much. Thanks, Norah. That would be great.” The two girls smile and although Hardy is looking from one to the other as though he’s trying to figure them out, they give nothing away. “You’re not bothering to learn how to fight anymore?” Elsie shrugs. “What would be the point?” Maud brings out more food and they eat and drink and chat. Norah talks enough that Elsie can switch off a little and contemplate all the things she’s learned today, and she feels all right. She has to learn how to do this by herself. She has to learn how to judge people and decide if they are good for her or not. Hardy can assume all he wants, but when she is queen, she will make sure she makes the choices, not him. She will put people she chooses in her court; not him. She won’t be a puppet. And if that’s what he thinks he’s getting, he’s mistaken. She enjoys the rest of the meal. Norah is funny and has them all in stitches with story after story after story. Hardy is good company, and she feels more sure that he’s being honest with her, and Bella just has a severe case of sour grapes. There’s a bit of her that hopes he is falling in love with her. Would that be so terrible? She takes a long time to fall asleep when she finally gets to bed and her dreams are unpleasant. She wakes up feeling unrefreshed but excited to see what the day will bring. What if nobody turns up? What if Bella still hates her, and Anya thinks it’s stupid, and Aster can’t convince anyone from the troupe and Norah only turns up

by herself? She keeps as calm as she can through breakfast. “You don’t need Norah to help you with flying,” Hardy says, ing her a drink. “I’d have helped you.” Elsie smiles up at him. “You’re so busy though with the rebellion. I didn’t want to bother you.” He touches her hand. “You’re no bother. Not to me.” She blushes and eats her food. There’s no way he’s that good an actor. She’s listening to her gut and her gut is telling he that he likes her. Hardy takes a shawl from the back of another chair and drapes it over her shoulders. He kisses the top of her head and sits back down. Maud beams at them both. “You’re a sweet pair.” “Mum!” Elsie says nothing. Just eats her food. The knock at the door interrupts them and Elsie tries not to look too excited. Will her idea work? Will anybody be interested in ing her? “Enjoy and don’t let her fly you too hard.” Elsie grabs Norah’s hand and they fly away before either of them says a word. “Oh, thank you for coming and thank you for coming last night. Am I mad? Did you get anybody to come? Will anybody me?” Norah laughs and puts a finger to her lips. “Tell me!” Norah refuses to answer and just flies alongside Elsie to Apple Valley. It looks different to how she re it, and she’s so busy feeling sad at the lack of greenery and the dying trees and the dried-up river that she barely notices hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of female fairies. When Norah turns her

away from the woods and she sees everyone, her hand flies to her mouth and tears well up in her eyes. She spots Aster and raises a hand. Aster s them. “I can’t believe this,” Elsie says. “Are they really all here to fight? To help me?” Aster nods. “The women in the troupe are so excited. Some of them think it’s a terrible idea, but most of them want in. They couldn’t all come; the men would wonder where they were, and the children would have gone wild with nobody to supervise them.” Norah laughs. “I had the same problem. We’ll have to do this in shifts or something! There are hundreds more who wanted to come. Everyone is super excited.” “Really?” “Yes. They’re ready to take the Kingdom from your step parents and they think it’s amazing that you’ll be queen.” “And most of them are pretty annoyed that the men won’t let them fight.” “The men think it’s funny we might even want to fight.” Bella flies over and lands in front of Elsie. “Men think it’s funny that I might want to fight when I could beat any of them. Even Hardy.” Elsie grabs her hands. “Thank you, Bella. Thank you for coming.” “I enjoy fighting. I’m sorry if I upset you yesterday.” “You did. But maybe I needed it. This will be a test. If we all get trained and we all ask to the rebellion; we’ll see what Hardy says then.” “He won’t like it.” Bella, Aster and Norah say at the same time. Elsie laughs. “Then he can lump it.” She flies to the middle of the throng of fairies and hovers in the air. “Thank you!” She calls out loud enough for them all to hear. They press closer.

“For those of you who don’t know, I’m Elsie, the oldest princess of Allaire. They kept me prisoner from the age of ten until I turned sixteen. Then I was allowed to leave the castle to go across the seas and marry. This wasn’t a marriage I chose or wanted; it was a political marriage. I had no choice in the matter. I haven’t had a say in my life since my parents died. I had no idea what was happening in Allaire or what my step parents were doing.” She takes a deep breath. All eyes are on her. It feels strange, to say the least. “I am sorry to any of you who have been clipped, or know someone who’s been clipped. I cannot tell you how heartbroken I feel about what’s being done to you all. I found out about the clippings when I was on the ship heading across the waters, and almost immediately I knew I had to come back. I have never felt so scared and terrified and petrified and any other word that means the same thing! But I was also determined to come back and help if I could. I didn’t think about being queen, I just thought about my homeland, my Kingdom. I also knew I’d need help. I don’t know anyone in Allaire and there’s no way I could fight my step parents alone.” Elsie holds out her hands. “I found out about the rebellion and I knew it was the answer I’d been looking for. Fairies who were ready, willing and able to fight alongside me – however scary it might be – to rescue Allaire and all the fairies who live here. It made me even more sure I had made the right decision.” This is where she needs to convince them. She takes another deep breath. “Allaire is my home. And yours. It’s where you live, where your family lives, where your children live. There are a lot of us. Why shouldn’t we be part of this rebellion? We have some of the best fighters in our ranks – Bella, Norah and I know there are hundreds more and I’m sorry I don’t know your names yet. me. us. Let’s fight for Allaire together. Let’s show the men folk what we’re capable of and what we can do.” The women all cheer and Elsie lets it wash over her. This is it. This is what she came back for.

21

THE EXCITEMENT RIPPLES through the crowd, and the air feels electric. Elsie weaves through the crowd with Norah on one side of her and Aster on the other. They introduce her to various fairies who all smile and thank her, grasp her hands or hug her. Bella stops her with a hand on her arm. “We need more than inspiring words. Do you have a plan?” Elsie shrugs. “Of course not. That’s why I need all of you.” “And Hardy?” “I don’t know about Hardy yet. I have to make my decision about that.” Norah nods. “Bella, you broke up with Hardy; you can’t worry about him now.” “I can if he plans to be King.” Elsie butts in, her tone irritated. “I’m not stupid. I like Hardy, I’m sorry, but I do. I don’t know if he likes me or if he likes the fact that I’ll be queen. I don’t even care about that. I want us all to get ready to this fight. Why shouldn’t we? When I came back to Allaire, I had a feeling it was for something huge, not to sit and watch the men fight and then cheer when they won, or cry when they lost. There are enough of us to take a stand.” “And then what?” “Hopefully we’ll defeat my step parents and we’ll all be safe.” Bella rolls her eyes. “And then you go and live in the castle with Hardy and live happily ever after?” “So, what if I do? Are you telling me you came today, but now you wish you

hadn’t? That you don’t really want to this fight. That you’re just here to be rude?” “I think you need me. I’m the best fighter here by far. But what do I get for fighting, that’s all I’m asking? Am I helping you to win a throne and then we’ll all be cast aside?” “You get glory. You get honour. You get prestige. You get the satisfaction of knowing you saved your fellow fairies from clippings or worse. You’ll know that all the little fairies can sleep soundly in their beds instead of hiding away in a cave. And I don’t want to sit on my throne and ignore everybody who helped me win it. I want to rebuild Allaire and make it wonderful again.” Bella folds her arms and refuses to answer. Aster touches her arm, then turns to Elsie. “It sounds good and we want to help. What’s the plan?” “So I don’t really know, but I thought we could work out shifts so we can all train, learn to handle a weapon and have a fighting chance if we get to this battle. I thought we could make or borrow weapons from Hardy and the rebellion to train with, unless any of you know of a better idea?” “I know where Ajo keeps a bunch of weapons. They might need a bit of a clean, but we could use them.” “Brilliant, thanks Anya.” “I know the techniques Hardy’s been using to train the men. Mostly ideas I gave him. It works, though. If me and Norah work together, I think we could figure it out quickly. Some of us will have a natural flair for fighting so we can figure out who to utilise too.” “Thank you, Bella. I know you hate me, and I am sorry, but if we can put our differences aside for this, I think it would be worth it.” Aster clears her throat. “We need to get back. We’ll be missed.” Elsie hugs her. “Thank you so much for coming and for helping.”

“We all want the same thing.” “We do. I wasn’t sure if I should say about your wing mending?” “Not yet. When I know I can do it properly.” “You’re right. Thank you. I’m not sure when I’ll see you.” “I’m sure it’ll be soon. Elsie, I’m so excited about this. It will be amazing and change so many lives.” “I need to go too,” Norah says, flying over to Elsie. “Bella and I will coordinate and run two training groups. Then we’ll find our best fighters and get them to run smaller groups, and on and on until we’ve all got some good basic understanding, and until we can figure out who our prize fighters are.” “Thank you. Thank you for believing in me.” “Thank you for believing in us. We’ve been pushed aside for too long.” “Not anymore.” Bella comes over and gives Elsie a little shove with her foot. “I think this might be incredible. The girls are all so excited.” “I am too.” “I think it will work. Me and Norah have figured out an idea, if you’re happy for us to get on with it?” “More than happy. So grateful. I had this idea that we should all fight, but I had no idea what to do next, and I could never have organised anything by myself.” “I’ll see you soon.” One by one, the fairies fly away until Elsie is left alone. It feels exciting to think that instead of being the spark that made the rebellion begin, she might be the spark that ignites all the female fairies to take up their weapons and defend their home. She flies back to Maud’s house feeling lighter than she ever expected to after

Meg’s death. Maud opens the door and ushers her inside. “Where have you been, girl? We’ve been worried.” “With Norah. I’m fine.” Elsie follows her through to the kitchen. Hardy is sitting at one end of the table, looking stern, and Gwenna is sitting on the other side, looking less amiable than usual. Hardy clears his throat. “I ran into Norah in the street about half an hour ago. You weren’t with her.” “I wanted to be on my own. Norah left me.” “She shouldn’t have done that. It might not be safe. Stupid girl.” “That’s not fair.” Elsie tucks her hands under the table so nobody can see them trembling. “I was quite safe.” “She was supposed to be helping you to fly, not abandoning you. Wait until I see her.” “No, Hardy. I’m fine. I told her to leave me alone. I was sad about Meg and I wanted to be by myself. I’m allowed to be on my own.” “Of course you’re allowed. I don’t mean it like that. I just worry. When I saw her without you...” “You thought the clippers might have found me?” “Exactly. Come with me a sec.” Hardy leads her out of the kitchen and into the hall, shutting the door behind them. He takes her in his arms. “I was so scared. After what happened to Meg. I thought you might be hurt, or worse.” She sinks into his arms. “I’m fine, absolutely fine.” He kisses the top of her head, letting his mouth rest there. “I’m so glad you’re safe.” He looks at her, and smiles. She can see unshed tears in his eyes; he really was worried about her.

“You were really worried?” “Of course. What did you think?” She shrugs, looking embarrassed, feeling embarrassed. “What? What’s worrying you?” “Just something Bella said.” He rubs his face. “I was worried about this. Is she saying awful things about me?” He takes a step away from her and holds up his hands. “It’s all right. I know she’s angry with me, and maybe she has a right to be. I was happy with her until...” “Until?” “Until you came along, Elsie. But why would you trust me? You don’t know me. I’m sorry. I’ll go, I’ll-” “Don’t go.” The hurt on his face is too much for her; she feels guilty and cruel. He’s only ever been kind to her, he’s only ever looked after her. And she has no idea why it’s easier to listen to Bella than it is to trust her feelings. “I’m sorry. I was worried about the things she said, but I don’t know why. You have only ever been kind to me.” “I thought my path was set, Elsie. I know people like to moan about me. They think I’m too ambitious or power hungry. The truth is, I would have ruled if I’d had to, I told you that, but it’s not what I wanted. All I have ever wanted is freedom. And then you came along, and all I seem to want now is you. But I can see why you’d worry, especially without Meg.” Her face pales and she’s not quick enough to hide the flash of guilt she feels at Meg’s name. Could she really have believed he had anything to do with her death? Even for a second? “What?” He steps towards her again, concern colouring his face.

“Bella said...” “Bella said what?” “About Meg?” “What? She thinks it’s my fault? Elsie, you know I feel guilty enough about that. I shouldn’t have argued with her-” “No. Bella said something about the clippers.” “The clippers?” Confusion turns to understanding and this time a tear falls down his face. He covers his face in his hands, letting out a groan. “She told you I had something to do with it? No, Elsie, please tell me you don’t believe her. I can understand your lack of trust in me, but I would die if I thought you could believe such ill of me.” He drops to his knees, peering up at her. She drops beside him and takes his hands. “No, I knew you couldn’t do something so terrible. I’m sorry. Please.” They hold each other in silence, and then Elsie clears her throat. “I have no experience in this, no idea about love. I feel things for you, and I feel nervous about those feelings. It was easy for Bella to plant doubt in my head; it’s already there. Not about you or your character, just because I’m scared. This is all so new to me. Please forgive me?” He pulls her up to standing and envelops her in a hug, kissing her softly, and then hungrily. “This feels new to me too. Let’s go back in, before I do something ungentlemanly.” Elsie shivers and kisses his cheek. When they take their seats again, Gwenna smiles at her. The complete physical opposite of her sister, Elsie can still see Meg when she looks at Gwenna. Something in her eyes and her smile.

“I came to offer my help,” Gwenna says. “I spoke with Aster.” Panic makes Elsie’s stomach turn, she doesn’t feel right keeping this from Hardy. Not now. “Before Meg died, she spoke to me about all the things she wanted you to learn. Courtly manners. Jousts. Plays. All the things a queen will need to know. I a lot from when I was a young girl, and the castle was a cheerful place to be. I was going to help Meg train you.” She puts an emphasis on the word train, and Elsie smiles. She must stop worrying; she can tell Hardy another time, when she knows exactly how many women want to fight. “I’ve told Hardy that I need to take you under my wing. While he’s busy planning this rebellion and the day creeps ever closer, he won’t have the time or the knowledge – no offence, Hardy – to help you. We can’t have our new queen embarrassing herself in front of the Kingdom, can we?” Maud es around some cake. “I wish I had the time to help you myself, Elsie. It was remiss of us – of Hardy – not to think about it.” Hardy nods. “Of course. Thank you, Gwenna. I am so, so grateful.” “It’s nothing. Now I wouldn’t mind some of Maud’s legendary cuisine before I head back to the troupe. I’ll come and fetch you later, Elsie. You have a lot to learn.” Elsie takes a cup of ale from Maud and sips it. Even though it’s clear Gwenna will help her and give her an alibi so she can meet the other fairies, she also seems a little angry. Once they have all eaten and drunk and laughed and gossiped and commiserated a little more about Meg, Hardy excuses himself and leaves the house, touching Elsie’s knee under the table before he goes. Maud excuses herself to bustle around with more cooking and clearing, And Elsie walks Gwenna to the door. Outside they talk in quiet voices. “I thought I made it clear to you that war is a man’s game.” Elsie looks bashful. “I wasn’t trying to ignore you, or be disrespectful, I promise, I just felt strange letting the men take over and take all the risks while we sit

around and watch.” “Oh, it’s an unfamiliar world and I cannot get used to it. When you came back with Meg, I knew you were something special. But all of you young girls are. There’s no resting on your laurels, letting other people look after you or tell you what to do. It’s so different to how I have lived.” “Are you angry?” “Would I be helping you if I was angry?” “Probably not.” “I’m in awe, I suppose. When we were told to sit down and be quiet and let the men run the show, we never thought to question it. Your generation is different. You’re asking the questions we were too scared to ask. Why can’t we get involved? Why can’t we do it? Why are we letting men tell us what to do?” “It wasn’t really a conscious thing; more I was fed up of doing nothing and having no say in my life. Imagine thinking I could rule when I haven’t helped win the throne. Would I ever feel deserving of the crown?” “You are deserving, and I am proud of you. I know Meg would have been too. If there’s anything I can do to help, anything you need from me, or the rest of us oldies in the troupe, then you just say so.” “You’re not old.” “I am twice your age.” “Twice as clever, twice as experienced, twice as quick at picking up new skills?” “Are you trying to convince me to fight? To this battle.” Elsie laughs. “Maybe. Aren’t you even a bit intrigued to know what you could do?” “No. I fill my days with work.” She pats her stomach. “And I have a baby to grow.”

“Oh, congratulations. Did Meg know?” Gwenna wipes a tear and shakes her head. “No, she didn’t.” “Oh, I’m so sorry. But you’re right, you definitely shouldn’t even think of fighting. And I have even more reason now to do what I’m doing.” “More reason?” “Yes.” Elsie points at Gwenna’s belly. “That’s Meg’s niece or nephew and I owe it to Meg to make sure they live in a Kingdom that’s safe. And if it’s a little girl, then she’ll grow up in a Kingdom where girls can decide what they want to do, even if it’s something they wouldn’t normally do.” “You’ve made me cry even more now. Meg would have liked that. She would have liked this – you stepping up like this, making decisions like this, taking charge like this. She wanted you to be happy. That was always her primary concern, you know. She felt such an affinity with you. She would have loved this. She might not have approved initially. I know she’d be feeling like I’m feeling; worrying about your safety and worrying what people would think – worrying about what the men will say – but I know she’d have been bursting with pride.” “Thank you. That means so much. And I hope you’re right. I wouldn’t have done anything to upset Meg, but this feels like the right thing to do. These are my step parents and I know I’m not responsible but if I can be a part of the rebellion that stops them, and part of the team who get Allaire back to normal then I’ll be happy.” “I’ll be back later.” They hug and when Gwenna flies off, Elsie leans against the house for a moment. She feels almost giddy with warmth. She’s so glad she told Hardy about her worries. They feel stupid and insignificant now she’s spoken them out loud. He would never have hurt Meg; he didn’t know she would storm out of the house for a start. How could he have organised her death? And why listen to Bella or Bella’s friend? They are bound to say unkind things about Hardy. It would be weird if they said anything but unkind things about him. Poor Hardy. She will never forget the look of sadness on his face; the hurt she

made him feel. He’s so handsome and when he looks at her, it’s with such intensity. The old clichés in the stories Meg told come to mind. It feels like they are the only two people in the room, in the entire world. When he looks at her, she melts. His touch gives her butterflies. She smiles. Clichés are often true. Maybe too true to be comfortable in this case. She ducks inside the house and into the kitchen, happy to be fed by Maud once again, who doesn’t disappoint. She has the best food, always fresh, always hot from the oven, and Elsie feels comfortable in her presence. She’s so lucky Hardy found her when she came back to Allaire. She spends the rest of the day waiting for Gwenna to come for her, making small talk with Maud and helping her with the chores around the house. Hardy pops in for food and then pops back out. He gives her plenty of attention while he’s there, though, and she tries not to show how sad she feels when he leaves. She can tell he has forgiven her for earlier. Maud tells her to rest, so she goes outside and lies on the grass watching the clouds and makes a promise to herself. If they win this rebellion and she becomes queen of Allaire, she will rule her Kingdom how she sees fit and she will do what she wants to do and she won’t be so foolish as to be swayed by other people and their poison.

22

ELSIE SITS IN THE TENT with Gwenna, Bronwen and Aster. “I appreciate you not trying to talk me out of this.” “As if we could.” Gwenna laughs. Bronwen shrugs. “Sometimes the oldest and wisest among us have to let the young pups live as they see fit. If the young only ever do as the older tell them, then they never find out what works. They never make a choice or a mistake. They never learn to trust their intuition because we do not give them a chance to test it. I have a good feeling about this. And yet I know we will lose many who we love.” “Bronwen?” Gwenna looks distraught. “If only the men fight, then only the men die. But someone will die. Even in a successful battle where the victor is who we would choose, there is death on both sides. Battles aren’t clean, Gwenna. Most of the time the men do not know who they are fighting; there is so much confusion. Destruction. Devastation.” Elsie looks wide eyed at Aster; whose expression perfectly matches her own. “I don’t want to convince these girls to fight if they will die.” “Elsie, of course they’re going to die. Not every one of them, but some.” “So what do I do?” “What can you do? You convince them to fight, then you convince them not to? These girls are just like you, Elsie. They have minds of their own, opinions, hopes and dreams. They might not be queen of a Kingdom after this rebellion, but maybe they get to walk a little taller, feel a little prouder. Maybe they get to change how they feel about themselves. It’s a worthy cause you’re asking them to fight for. , it’s less about making you queen and more about making

us all free.” “That’s worth fighting for, Elsie,” Aster says. “Thanks Bronwen. I feel better. Aster, how are you getting on with the wings? Any progress?” “Yes. I think I have the steps I take really clear in my head now. I was doing things slightly different each time, but now I know exactly what to do. It seems a little quicker too. But I still need freshly clipped wing stumps, still attached to a fairy, to practise on.” Bronwen beams at her. “How can we doubt the need for this war? How can we think every one of us who is physically able shouldn’t be battling for our independence and safety?” “If it’s so obvious, why are the men so against it?” “Attitudes are the hardest thing to change. Even when we can see the error in our thinking, we don’t always like to it it. Being wrong is no shameful thing, though. And when you girls turn up ready for battle – when I turn up ready for battle-” “Bronwen!” Gwenna is shocked. “You can’t mean to fight?” “Didn’t you hear what I said? Every person who can, should. It isn’t the man’s job, it isn’t the man’s problem, it is all of our problem. And we are all the solution. But men can be pig headed. When we show up, swords aloft, they won’t be able to ignore us. And then we will see what they’re made of.” “You think they might be glad of us.” “If they are half as bright as they think they are, they should be.” They all laugh. “If we are successful and we fight – some of us, all of us – and we win, and I become queen, then what? Will you all help me?” Gwenna, Bronwen and Aster all nod.

“No Kingdom is run by one person alone,” Bronwen says. “Same as no child is raised by one person alone,” Gwenna says. “Same as no war is fought by men alone,” Aster says, and they laugh. “That might be up for debate,” Gwenna says, standing up. “I have to go check on everybody.” “Ready?” Bronwen has changed out of her dress and into something more suitable for fighting. Elsie and Aster smile at each other. They had no idea Bronwen would want to them. “I’ve asked around and there’s a few of us older ladies who’d like to , if we can.” She looks hopeful and embarrassed at the same time. “Of course.” “And Gwenna has told the men we’re all going to pick berries, so they don’t worry about where we’ve all disappeared to.” “Brilliant. This is all coming together, isn’t it? Aster, is it Bella or Norah instructing us today?” “Norah, I think, but I’m not sure.” “Does it matter?” Bronwen asks. “You know why Bella is upset; her love affair with Hardy is over. Hardy would never have settled for Bella, even if you hadn’t come back to Allaire.” “Really?” “Yes. He was her first love, true love, all of that nonsense. But Hardy has been around the block more than once. He’s only a young lad, and he’s not ready to settle down. Unless there’s something in it for him.” Elsie shakes her head; she’s sick of people bad-mouthing him at every turn. He does so much for the Kingdom, but nobody seems to it. “I get Bella feeling angry with him, but everybody I meet warns me about Hardy. What has he done that’s so bad? I see him help the fairies, kill the clippers, look after the

children, inspire freedom and change, but everyone seems to think he’s power hungry and that I shouldn’t trust him. Where does this reputation come from?” Aster holds up her hands. “This one is for you, Bronwen, I don’t know enough about it.” Elsie sighs. “About what?” Bronwen sits down heavily on a chair and gestures for Elsie to sit next to her. “He’s a nice enough man, and he does a lot around here it’s true, but it’s all for atonement, it’s all for guilt. And I know he didn’t mean for what happened to happen, but happen it did, and it just makes you question the nature of a man like that.” “What happened?” “Hardy was with his father the night his father got killed. He’d been getting more and more involved in the rebellion and the clipper killings. Revenge is heady for a young man; it made him feel good, I’m sure. But he got carried away as young and impetuous men tend to do. His father had things under control, but Hardy was desperate to make his first kill, to be responsible for one, and not just an onlooker or bystander.” Dread washes over Elsie. This doesn’t sound like a story that ends well. “He got caught in the palaver, they stopped the clippers clipping everyone, but Hardy wouldn’t fly away like his father was telling him to, and he wouldn’t stay back like his father wanted him to, and he tried to kill the clipper, but the clipper knocked him unconscious and when his father stepped in to fight back, they killed him.” “That’s awful.” “It was a terrible night. Such a sadness to his mother.” “She doesn’t seem angry with Hardy.” “He’s all she has left. She busies herself so she doesn’t have to face it, but everybody knows it, Hardy killed his father.”

Elsie lets out a breath. “That’s heavy. The poor thing.” “Absolutely. We all ire and respect what Hardy does for the Kingdom and what he’s doing with the rebellion, but it’s all he sees. He has such ambitions and such guilt. We only warn you because we care.” “He seems so nice I wasn’t sure why people were worried. I can see now. But maybe what happened with his dad made him less ambitious, made him rethink things.” “Maybe, and he is nice. And I don’t think he’s only nice to you because he needs you for this rebellion. We’re just giving you some advice. You don’t have anybody else, .” Elsie nods. How could she forget? There’s a Meg sized gap beside her that will never close. “Just knowing Hardy’s background helps, yes?” Aster nods at Elsie, and Elsie nods back. “It does.” It’s true. All she wants to do is find him and hold him. “Good, now shall we go?” Bronwen asks. “I’ve got a lot to learn and I’m old. It might take me a while.” They fly off to meet the rest of the fairies who have decided, for whatever reason, they want to be a part of this rebellion, whatever anybody else might think. Elsie hugs Norah, secretly glad that she hasn’t had to face Bella again, not yet. Norah organises them quickly into smaller groups and gives them sticks and some basic manoeuvres to learn. She watches each group and pulls out the quickest learners and gets them to help their group. At the end she takes the best fighter from each group and gives them further help and training, which they in turn can show their little group. “It’s a clever way of doing it,” Elsie whispers to Aster. Neither of them was the quickest learner in their little group, but Bronwen was in her group, and she’s with Norah now, face coloured with concentration. They both laugh.

The best fighters come back and show more tricks to their little group, with Norah still going around and helping them, showing them how to move, how to hold their sticks. “Swords are much heavier. Anya is working on it, and we should have weapons soon.” The excitement running through the group is palpable and loads of them come to offer their thanks to Elsie and Norah. “That was hard,” Elsie says, wiping her brow. “That was amazing,” Norah says, stabbing her sword into the ground. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.” “Me neither. Do you think Hardy’ll be angry?” “I don’t think he’ll be angry,” Norah sounds hesitant. “But I don’t think he’ll let you do it.” “You think all of this will be for nothing?” Norah nods and scruffs her foot along the floor. “I think it’s right to do it and I think it’s right to try, but we are talking about a war here, a nasty battle. I don’t know if these fairies even understand that, or if this is just a bit of fun for them.” Elsie is quiet. Why does everything have to be complicated? Why must everything be a struggle? She’s questioning herself again, wishing she was one of those people with innate confidence – like Dayle. Maybe she just needs to channel Dayle. What would Dayle do in this situation? Would she train these girls up even though they might be told they can’t fight? Would she waste everybody’s time like this? Elsie is still wearing the scarlet ribbon. She knows what Dayle would do, Dayle would tell Hardy that the women were learning to fight, she would tell Hardy that the women would be a part of this rebellion and if he tried to tell her she was stupid or wrong or if he dared laugh in her face, she’d punch him in the eye. “I have to go,” Elsie says to Norah. “You keep going here, make sure everyone knows how proud we are of them. But warn them war is scary, and stuff.”

Before anyone can stop her, Elsie flies away, flies to the caves and stalks inside calling out Hardy’s name. He rushes toward her, panic in his expression. “What’s happened? Are you all right?” “Take me to the war room,” Elsie demands, refusing to stop now, refusing to let doubts or second thoughts creep into her mind. Hardy does as she tells him, and flies ahead, looking over his shoulder with concern, but taking her to the war room. She closes the door, shutting the two of them in there, though she can see several curious fairies have followed them and are hovering to see what drama is occurring. Hardy shrugs. “Something wrong?” His voice is calm and tinged with a little bit of a teasing tone, which aggravates Elsie. “Yes, there is, actually.” She points to a chair, and he sits, his amused expression becoming more obvious, eyebrows raised. “I am going to be queen of this place and I want to fight in this battle. And all the female fairies want to fight in this battle. Excellent fairies, like Bella, and Norah, and Bronwen.” She counts their names off on her fingers, her voice rising with each name. “They are damn good fighters, and we make up half of the people who live in Allaire and it’s not fair of you to say we can’t fight, and we can’t help, and we might be rubbish. We aren’t rubbish today. I have rallied hundreds and hundreds of fighters and we are all learning and I wasn’t even going to tell you, and then someone said you might not let us fight and I thought it’s not up to you, it’s up to me and I know this might make you not like me anymore, or think I’m stupid or dramatic, but there it is.” She sits down, slamming her fist on the table. Hardy bursts out laughing. “Oh, Elsie, I barely know you, but I like you. You’re so earnest.” He scrapes his chair over so he’s sitting next to her, and he takes both her hands in his. “First thing’s first. I hadn’t even thought about the women fighting and I think it’s a bloody marvellous idea. I had no idea they would want to, but if they

want to, then excellent. The more fighters we have, the better chance we have of winning. I know how good some of our female fighters are but we haven’t had a fight like this before and so it honestly never occurred to me they might want to be involved; not because they might be rubbish, just because I didn’t think. It was foolish of me.” He lifts her hand and kisses it. “Second, how incredible are you inspiring everyone and setting up this training? I hope you’ve given yourself credit.” He kisses her hand again. “And third, how can you think I won’t like you. You’re a breath of fresh air to me. A girl who will rule, who has no idea of the power she will wield, no lofty ambitions or ridiculous notions of being in charge. Just a beautiful and brave girl who came back to Allaire, even when she didn’t have to. Not to be queen, not for her own gain, but to help the people she had grown up with.” This time he kisses her mouth. “Do I think I might make a good king? Damn right. And maybe, one day, when you’re a little older, you might decide I’ll make the perfect king for you. But I don’t dare hope, Elsie. I look at you and I think of all you’ll be, and I look at me, and the fact that I am nobody and nothing, and I don’t dare hope.” This time it’s she who leans closer to him, it’s she who initiates their kiss, and it’s she who lets all her fears about him, all other people’s warnings about him melt away until it’s just the two of them, kissing. He pulls back, his eyes locked on hers. He touches her lips with his finger. “Now am I too late to see this training setup you’ve put together? We might be even closer to getting this thing done than I thought.” Elsie takes his hand and leads him out of the war room and out of the cave. She keeps holding onto him, oblivious of the stares and the whispers from the other fairies, oblivious to Bella who spots them and rushes away in the other direction, tears coursing down her face, oblivious to anything except the feel of his skin touching hers.

23

THEY FLY TO APPLE VALLEY together, stopping on the way to explain the new arrangements to Ajo, and bringing him along to see for himself. The female fairies all freeze when they see Hardy, as though they have been caught out, but they can see Elsie smiling, and they relax soon enough. Elsie takes Hardy and Ajo around the small groups, explaining what Norah has done. Norah hovers along, a worried expression on her face. Elsie squeezes her hand to reassure her. “I only did what Elsie asked me to do,” Norah says to Hardy when he catches her eye. “It’s brilliant. I’m impressed.” Relief floods Norah, and her expression reflects it. Ajo and Hardy hover with Elsie and Norah, watching the women fairies fight. “I never took you seriously,” Hardy says to Norah, making her blush. “I knew you could fight, and I knew you would help Elsie, so she felt ready to be queen and not so helpless, but I didn’t really think of you fighting in this war. I’m sorry.” “It’s fine. Like I said, I wouldn’t have done it, if Elsie hadn’t asked me.” Elsie smiles; she’s happy for the blame to be put onto her if it means they can all fight and feel like they’re part of this rebellion and not just stuck watching from the sidelines. “And so we have the numbers,” Ajo says, staring at the fairies as they fight and nodding. “We do. And I don’t think we can justify waiting any longer. It’s time to commit.”

“Yeah?” “Yes. We’ll double down on our training and our weapon making. One week.” “One week?” Elsie feels her heart hammering. One week. “It’s not long.” “We don’t need long. The way these girls are training, they’ll be more than ready. Right?” There’s a challenge in his tone that Elsie hears, and Norah does too, Elsie can tell from the way she pales, and then nods, and then straightens up. “I better get back to it, then.” Elsie loves how feisty she is and grins. She nods at Hardy. “You get the weapons and organise the men. I’ll organise the women.” Elsie doesn’t even wait for his answer, but flies down to her group and resumes training. The women are still excited and learning quickly. A week might not be long, but these fairies are ready for a challenge. She knows it. Once all the fairies are exhausted and Norah has worked them harder than any of them thought they could work, Elsie flies over to Hardy. “We’re done.” Hardy and Ajo sat under a tree watching the fighting with interest, talking amongst themselves the whole time. Elsie had caught his eye a few times, and he had smiled at her. She’s so glad he knows about her idea, and she’s so glad he’s happy about it. They fly back to Hardy’s house, leaving Norah and Ajo to go their own ways, with promises to meet again tomorrow. Now they have a date set to battle, there’s a lot to do. Maud, of course, has a table laden with goodies for them, and Elsie is starving. Her cheeks are flushed as she explains to Maud what she planned with the female fairies. Maud looks shocked and Elsie laughs. Hardy shakes his head at his mother, a warning to say nothing, and Elsie catches it. She loves how he

sticks up for her. “I don’t know what to say, pet. I have no interest in fighting, so I can’t understand it. I suppose you youngsters like to think you’re full of radical ideas, though.” Elsie takes a bite of food. “Actually, we have some fairies older than you ing us.” Maud chokes on a piece of bread. “You’re kidding me! Who?” “Bronwen and a bunch of other ladies from the troupe, and quite a few from the village who Norah brought along.” Maud shakes her head and takes a sip of her drink. “Well, I never! Maybe I should swap my spoon for a sword. What do you think, Hardy?” Hardy grins. “You could definitely batter a few guards, mum.” Elsie and Maud groan at his terrible joke, and then Elsie catches hold of his hand under the table. How could she have doubted him? “And we have a date set to fight.” “You do?” Maud looks panicked. “When?” “One week.” “A week! Is that long enough?” “Of course. We’ve been preparing for years. Don’t panic, mum.” “It’s just one of those things. We’ve been planning it for so long I almost never thought it would happen. Then you came along, Elsie.” Elsie smiles. She’s got what she wanted. She came back to Allaire to stop her parents. She knew she’d need help. And she’s got it from Hardy. She didn’t come back to be helpless and weak; she wanted to make a change and now she gets to fight in this battle which should see her on the throne. It’s all working out perfectly. She is frightened of the fight and what might happen, but she’s happier

to fight than to sit around. She eats until she’s bursting and then excuses herself. “I’m tired, I’ve never done so much as I did today.” “I’ll walk you up to your room,” Hardy says and follows her upstairs. Outside her room, she pauses. She wishes she was more experienced. He leans in and kisses her. “It’s not that I don’t want you to fight; it’s just that I’m scared you might get hurt.” “I won’t.” “You won’t because I’ll make sure of it. Norah knows what she’s doing, but there’s still a risk.” “I think we all know that. We’re not trying to be reckless, but we want to help.” “And you will. We have the numbers now to do it. Even with the troupe ing us, we were a little short. This way we can set up barricades and perimeters and make sure we’re all safe. As much as possible. Thank you.” “Really?” “Really what?” “You’re thankful that I did this. You don’t think I was sneaky, or that I went behind your back?” “Not at all.” He kisses her again, and she lets herself melt into him. Trust grows, she knows that. She barely knows him, however attracted to him she is. Time will tell. She’s heard that saying, and it makes sense. She puts her hand on his chest, wanting to touch him, but also giving him a subtle sign to back off. She goes into her room and leans against the door. Her life has changed so much and so quickly she can barely catch her breath. She undoes her hair, running the ribbon through her fingers. She thinks Dayle

would be proud of her, if she knew. Rallying the women to fight and then telling Hardy what was going on; not asking for his permission, but telling him was brave. She feels impressed with herself. Meg said that when she had the chance to make choices, she would get to make good ones, better ones than her step parents made, and she feels like she’s doing it. She undresses with some difficulty; who knew buttons and laces could be so tricky? Then she puts her nightgown on and snuggles into bed. There’s a knock at the door and Maud slips inside with a pitcher of ale and a plate of food. “In case you get hungry in the night, lovely.” “Thank you. And thank you for not laughing when I said we’d be ing the men in this fight.” Maud perches on the edge of the bed. “I’d never laugh at you. I’m an old woman, but I can learn from you as you can learn from me. I would never make fun of you. And I hope you’d never make fun of me.” Elsie shakes her head. She likes Maud a lot. “Hardy takes this thing seriously. I don’t know what he’ll do with himself when it’s done; it’s been such a big goal for such a long time, and it’s felt unattainable.” “But it’s good that we’re doing it?” “Good, but strange. I honestly never thought we’d get here. After my husband died and Hardy had to do it on his own, I thought there’s no way he can rally anybody. He’s just a kid. But he’s done it, and he’s made me so proud. This is his life’s work.” Elsie is quiet. She’s not sure what to say. “Good night, lovely.” Maud kisses her forehead and leaves her alone. Elsie knows how much Hardy has put into this. She knows what it means to him. It’s what it means to her too. She’s the princess. The castle is her home. However

much Hardy has made this his mission, the result has more to do with her than anyone. She will be queen. Running a Kingdom. She shivers; with excitement or fear, she’s not sure. The next morning, she wakens with a bubble of excitement filling her up. Already a day closer to the big day. And still so much to learn. “Morning,” Hardy greets her and pulls the chair out for her. She sits down and starts eating straight away. Nobody would ever go hungry in this house. It feels like a home, a routine centred around mealtimes, and Maud a constant. However crazy your life was, you’d be relaxed to come home to this. “Ajo will bring the men from the troupe to the training today, and weapons. There’ll be more of us all, but it’s such a good system, it makes sense to train altogether. Norah did a splendid job.” “She’s bright. And fun. I like her.” Elsie takes a deep breath. “Bella is helping too.” “Bella? Really?” Elsie nods. “She’s an outstanding fighter; you said so yourself.” “I just didn’t think she’d want to help me.” “She didn’t want to help me, at first, but I think she likes the thought of fighting in this battle more than she hates me.” “That’s good. She’ll be an asset.” Elsie likes the way he can still say kind things about Bella. She thinks it shows that he’s a good man, despite what everybody seems to think of him. “Ready?” Maud wipes her hands on her pinny and hugs Elsie. “I’m nervous to see you go, now I know where you’re going.” “Don’t be. Hardy will look after me.”

Maud nods. “I know that much is true.” When they open the door, Norah is outside. “I thought it was Bella’s turn today?” “I wasn’t sure if she’d turn up,” Norah says, looking awkward. “Anyway, now we know when we’re doing this, we need to get moving.” Elsie loves Norah’s enthusiasm and the three of them fly quickly to Apple Valley. Most of the fairies are already there, male and female, and there’s a different feeling in the air today. It all seems more serious, there’s less laughter and more concentration. Bella is there, leaning back against a tree, scowling. Hardy gives Elsie’s hand a quick squeeze, then flies over to Ajo. They give out the swords and daggers, showing everyone how to hold them, the best way to grip them, swapping some for others if they are too heavy to hold. Elsie flies over to Bella, who doesn’t smile but doesn’t scowl either. “Morning. Do you know we’ve set a day? Are you still happy to help?” “More than happy. And yes. I’ll be glad to get it over with.” “I’d love you to help our group, if you don’t mind.” “Not at all.” There’s an edge to her voice, which makes Elsie nervous. But she s the group and accepts her sword from Ajo, choosing between two. Bella is very good, and Elsie relaxes as she instructs them. She does the same as Norah – they’ve planned this well – taking the best fighters and letting them help the ones who are struggling. Soon the fairies are split into twos, practising manoeuvres and learning the ropes. Elsie smiles as she spots Bronwen helping some younger fairies and gives her a wave.

“Concentrate!” Bella says, her tone harsh. Elsie spins around. “Sorry, I was just-” “You can’t afford to be distracted. Not when we fight. In less than a week. If you get distracted, maybe you get killed, or maybe you get someone else killed. This isn’t a game.” Elsie wants to cry but doesn’t. She digs her nails into her palms to stop herself and she concentrates twice as hard, copying every move Bella makes, twisting this way and that; the sword making every move that much harder. She’s physically exhausted and knows that every fairy who fights in this battle will feel the same way. She also knows that an actual fight will be different to their training camp. It’s time to rest while the more advanced fighters get extra training and some weaker fairies get extra help. The ones who are faring somewhere in the middle get to relax. “This is harder than I thought,” Elsie whispers to Aster. “Any more progress with the wings?” “It’s so hard, but I’m enjoying it. And yes, I had a fairy fresh from a clipping last night. He’s very unwell, but I seem to be helping him, and his wings are growing. Only a little but growing.” “That’s incredible. I’m so impressed with what you’ve done. You’re so clever.” “Thank you. So are you. Who would have thought we’d all be fighting together like this? And so quickly.” “Are you scared that it’s so quick?” “Not at all. I think it’s time. This man, who’d been clipped, Elsie – he was broken. Absolutely broken. We need to stop this. It’s simple, really.” “Simple.” “Come on! Back to it.”

Elsie and Norah smile at each other, eyebrows raised, but listen to Bella immediately. Neither of them wants to be on her bad side. “Let’s see what you’ve got, princess.” Bella’s tone is harsh, and Elsie feels a flutter of apprehension. Some other fairies are looking, and so she wants to appear brave. She grabs hold of her sword and stands up. Pretending it isn’t Bella and imagining it’s someone else, Elsie holds her sword aloft, ing how Norah showed her to hold it and how to move, how to duck and weave. Bella is quick though, and with a leap and a flick, she hits Elsie’s sword out of her hand. “You have a lot to learn.” Elsie nods and picks up her sword. It’s true and she can learn. Bella learned and so did Norah or anyone else who got good at anything. She stands opposite Bella again, sword raised. This time it takes longer, but Bella knocks the sword out of her hand. Elsie picks it up, ready to try again. Hardy flies over. “Elsie you don’t have to do this. You have nothing to prove.” “She has everything to prove,” Bella says, spinning around and pointing her sword at him. “This little girl thinks she can rule this Kingdom, but she cannot even hold on to her sword?” Elsie holds her sword up, gripping it tightly, so she doesn’t cry. Why is Bella being so horrible today? She thought they’d got over whatever was making Bella so angry with her. Bella gets into a fighting position. Elsie tries again. She fights back this time, weaving and twisting, jabbing and warding off blows. She’s panting but determined to do well. Bella is relentless, and Elsie eventually loses her sword, stumbles and falls back. Bella leans over her, sword to her skin, evil expression on her face.

“Bella! Don’t do it.” Hardy comes to their side and reaches down for Elsie. He takes her hand and Bella digs the sword into Elsie’s skin, just enough to draw blood. Elsie cries out and Ajo pulls Bella away. “What’s the matter with you?” They all close ranks around Elsie, and Bella flies away. “Are you all right?” Elsie touches her finger to her neck, looks at the blood and wipes it on her skirt. “Fine. I’m fine.” She isn’t but she will not show it. She would love to know what’s rattled Bella, but she is also happy that she’s gone. That wasn’t fun. Norah calls the fairies back into their groups, and soon the atmosphere returns to normal. Hardy slings his arm around Elsie. “Ignore her.” “I will. I just thought we were all right, you know. She said she was happy to help. I thought...” Her voice trails off. She cannot worry about Bella, not with so few days to go before the battle. Norah flies over. “I think we will be ready. What do you think?” Hardy nods. “We’re doing well. We’ve got weapons for almost everybody, and Calista has been making some tonics, just to make sure everyone’s in good health.” “That’s a good idea. Aster can probably make some too,” Elsie says. Aster nods and Elsie opens her mouth to tell Hardy about how Aster has been mending wings, but then she stops herself. Aster is bashful about her gifts and she doesn’t want to embarrass her; she can tell everyone when she’s ready to. “So, we’ll do it again tomorrow?” Norah asks, her cheeks flushed from excitement and the training. “Yes. I think we need to do it as much as we can. Before it’s too late.”

24

THE DAYS FLY BY IN a rush of training, eating and sleeping. Elsie has never been so exhausted or so happy. She thinks Meg would be proud of her, and sometimes that’s the only thing keeping her going. Her fighting is improving, and her strength and endurance have both increased dramatically. Her wings still ache, but it’s to be expected, and she reminds herself how lucky she is to have wings. The plan is all ready and just has to be finalised. She is spending as much time in the war room as the training field. A few fairies have dropped out – male and female – from injuries and nerves, and on Elsie’s instruction none of them are given a hard time because of it. Bella hasn’t been back to Apple valley, and Elsie can’t say she’s sad; she wants everyone to like her but understands it’s not possible. “Let’s go,” Hardy says, taking a basket of food off his mum. “You pair are never here, anymore. I miss you. It’s too quiet here.” “I bet you enjoy the peace, really.” “Never!” They all laugh, and Elsie and Hardy fly out. They are going to the war room before the training ground. The battle is tomorrow. “Last day,” Hardy says. “Last day.” Elsie feels sick. She hasn’t spoken this out loud, but she can’t pretend to herself. Her stomach won’t allow it. “Then you’ll be queen.”

“If we win.” “We’ll win. We have the numbers, a simple but effective plan, and right on our side.” He takes her hand. “Success guaranteed.” “A simple and effective plan that isn’t finalised because nobody can agree on the fine details.” He waves a hand. “It’ll sort itself out. I’ll let everybody argue and then I’ll decide.” Elsie laughs. “So, we win, and then?” “Then you rule, and we all bow before you. Isn’t that what you want?” “You don’t have to bow, I mean, you could, if you really wanted to...” She trails off, laughing. “And then, you will live in the enormous castle by yourself, and I’ll go back to living a boring life with my mother.” She laughs again. “And you’ll be one of my council .” “If you want me to be.” She shoves him with her hip, and he grabs hold of her, kissing her. “As if I could stop you,” she says when he pulls away from her, her lips tingling from his kiss. “You could. You could hold me in the dungeons.” She rolls her eyes, and they land together and walk into the caves. There’s even more going on than the first time Elsie came here. “We’ve got armour, weapons, tonics, oh, Elsie, we’re all ready.” “Aren’t you even a little bit apprehensive?” He shakes his head. “No. Not even a teeny, tiny, weeny bit.”

The war room is full of activity. As the group of fairies with access to the room and the plans has grown, so have the disagreements about what to do and when. Nobody can agree, and there are countless plans littered around the room. “We’re going around in circles,” Malachi says, smiling in greeting at Elsie and Hardy. Elsie smiles back. She hasn’t seen Malachi many times since the first time she met him; he doesn’t come to any of the training sessions; she’s not sure why not. Whether he won’t be fighting or whether he’s so good, he need not train. Not that it matters. They have more than enough fighters. They just cannot agree what to do with them. She sits down and watches the novel ideas being batted around, and then she bangs the table. “I’ve got it.” They all turn to her, anticipation filling the room. “Go on.” Hardy sits opposite her. “We’ve got the numbers, right?” Everybody nods. “We can fight whoever comes out of the castle, right?” Again, they all nod. “But we know they won’t come out, so we have to go in by force, right?” “Yes!” Hardy sounds frustrated. “Wrong.” “Wrong?” She grins. “Yes. Force is fine, but there’s no element of surprise, and by the time we get inside the front line will be exhausted.”

“So...?” “So, I knock on the door.” “You knock the door?” “Yes. They’ll open up for me, they’ll be surprised to see me and curious. All the guards know me. They’ll assume something went wrong on the journey over the seas.” Sadness hits her like a physical blow. “Especially when I turn up without Meg. They open up and we swarm.” Hardy steeples his fingers, and Elsie knows he’s thinking about her idea, trying to come up with a reason it won’t work. Malachi sits down with a thud. “It’s so simple. It’s genius.” “You think it’ll work?” Elsie asks. “I know so,” Malachi says, and they all turn to Hardy. “Is it too simple?” “Is there such a thing?” Ajo sounds excited. They pick the idea apart for an age, turning it this way and that, questioning what if this happens, or what if that happens, but they all know the same thing. It’ll work. We rarely see the royal family outside the confines of the castle. The place is ridiculously heavily guarded. The guards are prepped to look for signs of trouble or unrest. Elsie walking up to the castle, alone and unarmed, won’t raise any suspicions. But it will raise curiosity. They’ll open the doors and the battle will begin. Hardy kisses her, despite everybody watching, and Elsie blushes. “You, my dear, are a genius.”

Elsie shrugs and then laughs. With a firmer understanding of what was always the most troublesome part of their plan – where to begin – it’s easy to make further plans, more detailed plans, of exactly who will be where, doing what. The aim is to kill clippers and guards and capture everyone else. They want all of their fairies inside the castle walls, closing in, until the castle is overrun and under their control. They’ll free Isla and her handmaiden, Lacey, and lock up any servant who cannot come quietly. Elsie wants everyone locked up, not murdered, but eventually gives into everyone else. Clippers and guards will be killed automatically, no questions asked, and everyone else will state their case for survival. It feels very real to Elsie, and now and then it hits her what they are about to do, and what she has agreed to. This is what she came home for. To stop her step parents doing what they are doing. She’s so close. They spend the rest of the day giving out weapons and organising a last meet up of the fairies who are prepared to fight later that evening at Apple Valley. Hardy wants to rally them: Elsie wants to thank them. Final weapons are given out and a tonic for every fighter, so they are full of energy and ready to go. The hours are rushing by, and it overwhelms Elsie. She slips out of the war room and flies down the corridor and outside. She needs fresh air. She knows they won’t, but now and then she panics that the guards at the castle will kill her when they see her. She worries that the clippers who killed Meg might spot her and know something is going on. She worries that the clippers who killed Meg didn’t believe she was the princess, so the other guards might not know who she is. Hardy has an answer for each of her concerns and she feels better. Just overwhelmed. She breathes in deep gulps of fresh air. It’s almost too late to worry. She will walk up to the castle and then the battle will begin. She hopes to survive. They will her her weapon when the first wave of fairies swarms the castle. If she

doesn’t make it, at least she will have started the entire thing off. They will win because of her help. “Anya told me your idea about tomorrow” Bella says, coming from behind a tree. She uncrosses her arms, smiles. “It’s an excellent idea. Clever.” Elsie shivers. “Thank you.” Bella runs her finger along the bark on the tree trunk. She looks everywhere but at Elsie. “I want to fight tomorrow, if it’s not too late.” “Of course it’s not too late. And it’s not up to me, anyway. You don’t need my permission.” “I suppose I need Hardy’s?” “No, I didn’t mean that. I meant it’s up to you. You’re a fairy and an amazing fighter. None of us would stop you, none of us would want to. I’ll be glad you’re on our side.” “Really? Even though I’ve been horrible.” Elsie shrugs. “We can all be horrible.” “Even you?” “I’m not some perfect princess. I’m petrified of tomorrow. I’m a rubbish fighter – still. I have no idea how I’ll rule a Kingdom.” “You’ll do all right. You’ll have help.” “I know – Hardy-who-would-be-king.” “He told you?” “He said he’d have done it if I hadn’t come back. He also told me that the other fairies wouldn’t have liked it.” “It’s true. There would have been another battle, another uprising, another

usurper.” “But I’m not a usurper.” “Exactly. It’s the best outcome for everyone. I don’t care that you’re with Hardy. And if his intentions are honourable, then I wish you well. I just wasn’t sure...” “Neither was I.” “And now?” “I’m a little surer, but taking my time, thinking before I speak. It’s hard without Meg. I feel like I’m on my own.” “You’re not. You have the entire Kingdom behind you.” “Thank you. It’s still pretty daunting.” “I can’t do much, but I can fight tomorrow. As long as you’re sure?” “I’m sure. I’d be honoured to have you there.” They go inside together and even though Bella holds back, Elsie tucks her arm through hers. “I’m not coming in there,” Bella says when they reach the door to the war room. “No way.” “You don’t have to, but you can if you want to.” Bella shakes her head. “It’s too much. I’ll be at Apple Valley later.” They hug and Elsie goes back into the war room. Hardy lifts a hand in greeting and mouths, you all right? Elsie nods and takes a seat, letting all the kerfuffle wash over her. One day left. After several arguments back and fore they have decided on Elsie going to the castle at first light. They can get their troops into place while it’s dark and be

ready to attack as soon as the door is open. They are all nervous, and they all handle it in distinct ways. Elsie feels sick. Hardy is giddy. Norah is even more talkative than usual. None of them are unaffected. By the time they all gather at Apple Valley, the air is electric. Hardy addresses the crowd first. “Tomorrow!” A cheer goes up, and Elsie smiles. He is very good at what he does. People look to him for guidance and leadership. Every time. Even she does it; though she’s determined to keep him in check. “Tomorrow we change our lives. We change our futures. We change the entire Kingdom. We won’t have to cower in our houses anymore. We won’t watch our children go hungry because nothing grows. We get our pride back. We get our dignity back. We get our home back.” The applause is enormous. The excitement and fear palpable. They are on the brink of something. Elsie takes Hardy’s place and smiles at the cheers. She bows her head slightly. “I want to thank every single one of you. Those of us who fight, those of us who clean up the injuries. Those of us who use the weapons, those of us who made them. Tomorrow is for all of us, every man, woman and child. The clipped and those in fear of the clippings. Tomorrow!” It feels like a celebration before anything has even happened. The fairies are mingling, laughing, talking, getting pumped up. Some are angry and some are fearful. Elsie veers from one to the other and just wishes she had Meg with her to talk some calm into her. Everyone feels good. And then a shadow falls over them. Elsie peers up to the sky, unable to make out what’s going on. Murmurs break out and then silence as they realise what they can see.

At least a thousand fairies, dressed in royal livery, are flying overhead, in formation, as one black mass, blocking the sky and blocking the light. The mass comes to a stop and a single fairy drops, with something in his arms. Fear snakes through the crowd of fairies and snuffs out the excitement they had all been feeling. The mass of fairies is still, but the single fairy flies lower and lower and lower until they can see what he is holding. Who he is holding. He drops the body to the floor, and then the mass of royal fairies flies away. The valley is lit up with the evening light again, but a dark heaviness has descended on all of them. Elsie flies over to the body and turns it. Her sister. She screams an unholy sound. She hasn’t seen her for six years, but it’s like time has spun backwards. Her little sister is dead, dropped from the sky like a dead rat from a bird’s mouth. She gathers her into her arms, sobbing. The other fairies stand around helpless and frightened. Hardy hunkers beside Elsie. He reaches over to Isla. There is a piece of paper pinned to her dress. “Looking forward to tomorrow.” He reads the message and swears, ripping the paper into pieces and throwing them to the ground. Elsie doesn’t look up, just holds onto her sister. The fairies press closer, muttering and murmuring. What do they do now? Is the rebellion off? How did the royal family know about it? What do they do next? Hardy flies away from Elsie and hovers in the air so everyone can hear him. “This is the royal princess, Elsie’s sister. They have killed her. It’s a message to

us. A simple message. And what I say to their message is screw you. They think they will stop us. This will spur us on. They think this will make us cower like pathetic losers. This will rally us.” Elsie sets her sister down gently on the floor and asks Aster to stay by her side. She s Hardy. “They think this will scare us off. I say we don’t wait a second longer. We had a plan to storm the castle, but I changed it. Now we go back to the original plan. Right now. We storm the castle. If you are too scared you don’t have to come, but look at what they’ve done, look at how worthless they deemed my sister to be. I’m ready. Are you?” There is a rallying cry from most of the fairies in the valley, and they allow the ones who do not want to help to slink away with no repercussions. Elsie barely notices them leave. Her mind is focussed on only two things; Meg’s dead body and now Isla’s. She feels sick with a fury so intense it frightens her. The mass of fairies leaves Apple Valley as one, and head to the castle. Their weapons aloft, their bellies full of rage. As they march the streets, other fairies them, fairies who had been reluctant to fight, fairies who had been frightened and unsure. Word spreads of what happened to Isla and the anger mounts. The mob is armed and ready to go, repression finally replaced with fury; helplessness finally replaced with anger; hopelessness finally replaced with a white-hot anger which feels like a physical thing, coursing through the crowd, igniting each person it meets with a ion to end this and end it now. When they arrive at the pathway that winds up to the castle, the throng is twice the size that they expected it to be. It appears almost every fairy who lives in Allaire has finally come out in its defence. Despite knowing that some of them may die, the fairies don’t miss a step. They continue their march, weapons aloft, up the hill to the castle. The first wave of armoured guards swarm out of the castle to meet them, and they are dealt with swiftly. The guard’s skill is nothing against the fairy’s anger, and they all die.

The band of fairies pounds onward. More guards pour out of the castle, and the fairies automatically make a barrier around Elsie and Hardy, so Elsie doesn’t get hurt. She has her sword but won’t need it if they can help it. They fly easily over the walls and into the courtyard, smashing windows and swarming inside the castle. At this point they disband, and every fairy has to fight for themselves. Elsie is still by Hardy’s side, heading for the throne room. She thinks the king and queen will have hidden at the first sign of trouble. And she knows exactly where they’ll be. Hardy is a force; every guard or clipper who comes near them is murdered without hesitation. They shove any servant behind them; some other fairies have the job of mopping them up – either killing the ones who cause trouble or rounding them up and locking them in the dungeon until Elsie and Hardy have taken control of the castle. They can hear the sounds of battle behind them, but Elsie is focussed on one thing only. Her step parents. The ones who made the call to have Isla murdered. “Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Hardy asks, slicing through the neck of another guard. He’s barely broken a sweat. Elsie nods. “I’m sure. Off the throne room.” They enter the throne room and Elsie pauses. She’s taken back to when her parents were alive, when they would sit in here as a family and talk and laugh and their father would chase them and their mother would tell them stories, such stories. She swallows down her upset and nods. “This way.” Behind the thrones a wall of gold hides a door which nobody would know about. Unless they had ever played hide and seek in the castle. She hid in here every time, and every time her father would find her and gather her up despite her squeals. “If you don’t want me to find you, you should hide somewhere else.” And she would answer every time. “I want you to find me. I love you.” And every time he would laugh, and together they would find Isla, who was always better at hiding. It’s a smaller throne room, for esteemed guests only. Elsie pushes open the door.

25

SHE WAS RIGHT. THE king and queen of Allaire, who are brave enough to order the clipping of tiny baby fairies, are cowering in the corner, hands clasped, faces pale. Hardy holds up his sword. Elsie touches his arm, holding him back. She shuts the door. Nobody will find them. The king stands up, hands up, trying to placate Elsie, but trembling. She shakes her head and scoffs. “You’re not so brave now, are you?” The queen stands up, takes the king’s hand. “Elsie.” It sounds like there’s a plea in her voice and Elsie shakes her head, closes her eyes for just a second, picturing Isla’s dead body falling from the sky. “No. There’s nothing you can say to me, no way you can justify all you’ve done. It’s over.” “We’ve stormed the castle,” Hardy says. “Most of your guards are dead. Most of your clippers are dead. You have nobody left to you or fight on your behalf. It’s just you two.” “Will you fight?” Elsie asks, looking at the panic on their faces. She already knows the answer. “I wanted to ask you so many questions. I wanted to understand why you locked me up, why you locked Isla up, why you wanted to hurt us. I wanted to know what compelled you to hurt the fairies you should have been protecting. Why clip them? Why abuse them? I had this burning need to find out why.” She sits on the throne her mother always sat on. “Stop cowering in the corner. Stand before me.”

They obey her and Hardy stands behind them, sword ready. “I had so many questions until you killed Isla. Then I realised you were monsters. Soulless. Evil. And I realised I didn’t want to hear anything you said because I don’t care. You might justify your actions in your own heads, and maybe even to each other. I don’t know and I don’t care. Hardy, don’t kill them.” “Don’t?” “No. We’ll clip them. I want to hang their wings on a pole in the village square so everyone can see what happened to the king and queen of Allaire. The royal family who betrayed their own subjects.” The king and queen throw themselves onto the floor, sobbing and begging for their lives. Their words don’t sink in for Elsie, her head is full of white noise. She can hear the echoes of the cries of every fairy who has ever been hurt by these two, ever been clipped by these two. She can see her prison walls, and Meg’s dead body. She can see her sister drop to the floor like a stone. She can hear the fight go on outside these walls, and she has no feelings for the two of them. Not hatred. Not sympathy. Just nothing. She stands up, gripping onto her sword. “If you try to fight back, I will hurt you harder.” She grabs hold of the queen by her arm and pushes her to the ground, to her knees. “I can do this,” Hardy says. “I have to do this,” Elsie says. “You clip him, and I’ll clip her.” Hardy pushes the king to his knees and readies his sword. “Elsie, it’s not pleasant.”

“I know.” Without letting herself hesitate, she holds up her sword, and slices through her step mother’s wings. Hardy does the same to the king. The screams don’t sound human; the sword feels too heavy; the struggle too difficult, but she does it. She slices the wings off, leaving bloody stumps, just the way the clippers did to so many other fairies. Then she throws the wings onto the floor. She turns to Hardy. “Now I kill them.” She stabs her step father in the heart, watching the life fade quickly from his eyes. Then she does the same to her step mother, before she can change her mind. Then she drops to the floor, exhausted and amazed by what she’s done. “Hardy?” Her voice is thin, and he drops beside her, taking her in his arms. They can still hear the sounds of the battle going on in the other rooms, and they know they should help, but they just need a minute. Elsie needs a minute to breathe, a minute to accept what she has done and by doing so, who she has become. She’s a murderer. She has no regret. She looks at their bodies and she’s glad. She looks at their wings and she feels vindicated. But it’s not a light feeling. It’s an immense responsibility. And she knows this feeling will only grow. Now she’s queen of Allaire. Queen of the Kingdom. Hardy’s queen. “That was easier than I thought,” she says, her voice shaking. “None of this has been easy. What you just did wasn’t easy. I’m so proud of you, though.” “Thank you.”

“Queen.” He kisses her hand, and she laughs, then cries, then hiccups. “Did we just do that?” She gestures to the dead bodies, and Hardy nods, sober now. “I need to go back out. Can I leave you here?” “No, I should come and fight, come and help.” “You are queen now, I cannot risk anything happening to you. Stay here, and as soon as I see someone we know, I’ll send them to you. Please.” Elsie hesitates but then nods, taking a seat on the throne, watching the blood pool around the king and queen’s bodies, falling into a daze as she watches it spread and then congeal. She is a queen. This castle is her home again. It doesn’t feel real. She picks up her step father’s wings, dusky grey and feathery, and drapes them over a chair. Then she picks up her step mother’s wings and does the same. She will do what she said she would – they can fly like a flag in the village to remind every fairy in Allaire how life once was and what they have overcome. Together. She cannot sit while the fight continues. She just cannot. She listens at the door and then, when she hears nothing, slips out into the throne room. It’s empty. She listens at the door to the corridor, nothing. She opens the door and takes a deep breath when she sees the dead bodies littering the floor. The sounds of fighting are lessening, she can tell. There cannot be many left by now. She can only hope that there are more dead guards and dead clippers than are dead on her side. She makes her way cautiously along, sword in her hand, flying over the debris of death. She cannot see anyone alive, anyone at all. She heads down to the great hall. If

she cannot find anyone to help or kill, she will go back to the throne room and wait. She knows Hardy will come back for her. She can hear voices and sneaks a look around the corner. She has no way of knowing if it’s friend or foe. It’s Hardy. She pauses. She can hear Bella. They are arguing. She hesitates and then doubles back on herself, heading past the throne room and around in a big loop, coming up on them from the other side, so she’s closer, so she can hear what’s being said. She knows she shouldn’t eavesdrop; maybe she needs to know it’s definitely over between the two of them. Maybe she needs just a slight reassurance. She is queen now – shouldn’t she have anything she wants. She flies up and watches the scene through a small window. Spying was always going on at the castle. Between secret rendezvous and nefarious deals, there were always little spots to hide away or secret yourself. It was what made hide and seek so much fun when they were children. Elsie feels silly. Should she just fly down to the two of them? Something stops her. Bella is sitting against the wall, blood pouring from a wound. Hardy points at her with his sword. “You just couldn’t stay away, could you?” “You know me so well.” He scoffs. “True. And you know me, which is why you should have stayed away.” He lifts his sword. “Is that your answer? Kill me?” “You leave me no choice, Bella.” “I haven’t told her.”

“Yet.” “I won’t tell her. Don’t kill me, Hardy.” “I can’t trust you, Bella. If she ever found out, it would ruin everything. You know how hard I’ve worked for this, how much I wanted it. It’s the only reason I killed Meg.” Elsie covers her mouth with her hand, so she doesn’t let out a sound. She drops to the floor, wings failing completely. She hears the squelch as Hardy’s sword slices through Bella’s skin and she cannot make a move to stop him. She cannot move. She cannot breathe. She cannot bear it. She is a queen. And she is betrayed before the crown even sits on her head.

Here’s the first few chapters of the next book, The Fall of the Queen

1

HER BREATHING IS LABOURED, and she’s not sure if she’s going to be sick or faint. Hardy killed Meg. It’s what Bella alluded to, but she never believed it. How could he have known that arguing with her would make her run away? How could he have known the clippers would be out at that specific time? Unless they weren’t clippers? She shakes her head. She doesn’t have time to think about this right now. She flies up and sees that Hardy has left Bella for dead. Is she dead? She has to check. She lands in front of her, feeling broken. Why did she believe Hardy? Because he’s so handsome, so kind to her, so believable? “Bella.” Elsie touches her, feeling for a pulse. She can feel it, it’s so faint, but it’s there. With difficulty, she lifts her; they are the same size and it’s difficult, but Elsie knows the castle better than anyone and knows a shortcut to her room. She flies Bella there quickly and carefully. If she comes face to face with Hardy now, he will kill her. If she comes face to face with any guard or clipper, they will kill her. She cannot fight and rescue Bella at the same time. She pauses inside her childhood bedroom, taking in the soft pink bedding, the toys and games still littered around the floor as though she has just slipped out of the room and will be back any minute. It’s unsettling to see it, but she hasn’t the time to stop. Between her room and her sister’s room is a secret age and a

room. It’s where they would go to play and hide from the grownups. Sometimes they would fall asleep there and cause a panic while everyone looked for them. She smiles. She misses her old life so much. Who thought she would set foot in this castle again? With her sister dead, her parents dead, and now her step parents dead. She is queen of Allaire, and Hardy killed Meg. She cannot process it; she just has to get Bella somewhere safe. She thinks Aster might help her – if anybody can – but amid a battle she has no idea if she’ll find her and if it’ll be too late for Bella when she does. As long as she tries. Her old things are waiting for her in the secret room. Blankets and pillows from when she and Isla would make dens. Toys and clothes. Her baby doll. She makes a bed for Bella and lies her down. She checks her body for wounds and finds two. One isn’t bleeding at all, the other is. She tears a blanket and wads it against the bleeding, and then, as best she can considering she has no idea what she’s doing, she wraps another piece of blanket around Bella’s body, over the wound, hopefully stopping the bleeding or at least slowing it. She shakes her head. Why wasn’t she born a super healer, like Aster? She’s no help. “I’m going to get help,” she whispers to Bella, who is unresponsive, but breathing. Elsie pauses for only a moment in her bedroom, closing the door to the secret corridor and covering it with a trunk. This room was her haven. She cannot help but feel tearful and nostalgic. Strange. She holds her sword and leaves the room; she was lucky to get Bella to safety without being hurt; she’s not sure she’ll be so lucky again. She’s also sure if she meets anybody who wants to hurt her, she won’t a bit of her training. You probably have to be fighting for a long time for it to become innate. The corridors are quiet. The battle over. She hopes. She flies to the courtyard and sees several fairies she vaguely recognises. They all look as unsure as she is. There are too many dead bodies – guards, clippers and fairies. Some she recognises as castle servants, others are fairies who came

to fight for her cause, for Hardy’s cause. “Follow me,” she calls out and as a group they all troop through the castle. “We’ll go to the hall.” The great hall was the hub of the castle – where they ate, where they had dances and plays – before her parents died. Now it’s just an empty shell, filled with the echoes of a happy past. As they weave through the castle, other fairies them, and she sees Bronwen – alive but limping, a smile of pure joy on her face. “That was epic!” she says when she catches up with Elsie. “I killed so many guards.” “Well done. Have you seen Aster?” Bronwen turns. “Yes, I spotted her just now. All fine.” She takes in Elsie’s worried expression. “I know we lost some lives here, Elsie, but we won. It’s okay to celebrate that.” “I know, and I will.” She’s distracted though, scanning the battle-weary faces for Aster, hoping she doesn’t see Hardy. She can see blood and bruises and broken hearts as people realise who they’ve lost, and she feels helpless. What should a queen do to help them? “Bronwen, are you able to get some fairies to fly to the troupe with you and pick up as many lotions and tonics or whatever magical things you might have to hand there? I think we need to help those of us who made it through.” Bronwen beams again. “Even better. I’ve been making up little packs for everyone and yesterday we brought them up in some canvas bags and hid them outside. Give me five minutes.” Elsie smiles. This is the help she needs. She flies up on the dais which holds the thrones for the royal family and clears her throat. Nobody hears her over the din. “Hey. Hey!” Slowly the noise stops, and the fairies turn to her. She hates to see the fatigue and the sadness in their eyes. “Thank you. I know it might not feel like it now, but this is a victory. The king and queen are dead. We clipped them before I killed them.”

A small murmur of appreciation emanates from the crowd. “Before I killed them, I told them I’d hang their wings in the village square so everyone could see that they were dead. And that I’d done to them what they did to so many of us.” There’s a slight cheer. “I know you’re exhausted and hurt, and we lost too many fairies, but it’s done. I promise as queen to give you a better home, a better version of Allaire. A Kingdom where everyone is safe, and everything grows. Bronwen is going to give you all some medicine to make you feel better. If we can help the fairies who are truly injured over to one end of the hall, please, so we know who needs help. Thank you.” There’s a smattering of applause, hardly the grand victory celebration Elsie might have been hoping for, and then someone shouts out, long live the queen, which brings tears to her eyes and a humbleness to her heart. That so many fairies risked their lives to help her here today, unplanned and off the cuff, is a testament to something. She’s not fully sure what, but she’s happy. Then she sees Hardy, and she’s miserable again. He weaves through the crowd like the showman he is. He shakes hands; he hugs people; he smiles and grins, and comforts and rallies, even now, and she watches him with a strange sense of envy. He probably would make a better leader than her. Why did he have to be so duplicitous? She needs help and advisors, and he could have been that for her, anyway. It’s not like she knows hundreds of people who could step into the role. He finally comes to her side and gathers her into his arms. He holds her and hugs her and kisses her cheeks, forehead and then lips. She feels nothing but venom towards him, but when she looks around the room at the hurt and injured fairies, she knows that not one of them would raise a hand against him. She cannot call him out now. Not yet. She has to gather a team. She has to get people on her side. And in a Kingdom where her only true friend is dead; she knows it won’t be easy. She has some idea that Bronwen, Gwenna and Aster will help her. There’s a

definite divide between the troupe and the rest of the Kingdom. She has no idea how deep that divide runs, but she knows it exists. She thinks Norah might help her, but it’s a guess, really. She doesn’t know anyone well enough to know who she can trust. And Hardy knows everyone. He’s the real figurehead of this whole rebellion. Even though he said it was her, he really was just keeping her on side. There isn’t a fairy here, right now, who would stand against Hardy. And there isn’t a fairy here who would take her side. She will have to bide her time and be clever, despite how disgusting it felt to have his mouth on hers. She cannot imagine how these days will unfold, but she is wise enough to know her hands are tied for now. He pulls back and stares at her, as though he’s trying to read her mind. “Queen?” There’s a question in his word, which she doesn’t like. What else is she but queen? She nods and takes a step back, looking at the fairies. He’s clever and organised and she can use him to clean up the mess they have made in the castle. “I saw Bronwen on the way in. She’s doling out her little care packages. I’ve instructed the younger lads to clear away the bodies. It’s not a pleasant job, but the older men will find it back breaking.” “What will we do with them?” “I know the troupe like to bury people, but it’s not practical. I’ve instructed them to separate the bodies. We’ll burn the guards and clippers on the far jousting field. The castle servants on the side garden, downwind of the vegetable patch, and we’ll burn the fairies on the front lawn.” He brushes a thumb over her cheek. “I can see from your face it’s not what you want. But we have hundreds dead, Elsie. We have to be efficient in this clean up. You don’t want to be ruling over a graveyard full of rotting bodies, do you?” She shakes her head. “No, it’s good. It’s a good call. Do we know if Aster and Norah and... the others are safe?” She cannot bring herself to mention Bella’s name. She watches his expression with interest. Now she knows, everything she perceives about him is different. His eyes cloud over with sadness and he drops

his head, unable to meet her eyes. He reaches for her hand and rubs his fingers over her skin. “I’m so sorry. I saw Bella. She’s dead. A guard or clipper must have got her.” “Must have,” Elsie almost chokes on the words. “I wish I could have saved her.” The regret in his voice sounds so genuine that Elsie searches his face, his eyes, his body language. How can he lie so easily? How could she have been taken in so completely? “I want to find Aster and Norah. I’m going to look.” “Be careful.” He doesn’t offer to go with her or help her. He has less reason to want her alive now. A chill runs through her, and she looks back at him as she winds her way through the crowd. He smiles and raises a hand. If he has less reason to keep her alive now, will he? Is her life in danger from him? If she were to die during this battle, she knows that the fairies would look to him for answers, for guidance, for leadership. She grips onto her sword. She will have to keep her wits about her and find out quickly who she can trust. She can see lots of fairies, but not Aster. She directs the ones able to move to the hall and sends help for the ones who cannot. She spots Norah kneeling next to an old man. She hunkers down beside her, putting an arm around her. Norah jumps and then leans into Elsie, crying on her shoulder. “This is James. He lived by my grandparents. I can’t let him die alone, Elsie.” “No, you can’t. I’m sorry.” “I am too.” Her voice is small, and her tone measured; so different to how she usually speaks, running excited sentence together with excited sentence. Her eyes have lost their shine and her shoulders are slumped. “I’m sorry,” Elsie says. “I talked you into this fight.” Norah shakes her head. “I didn’t take much talking. I wanted to fight, and we

won.” She smiles. “Someone said we won. Is that right?” Elsie nods. “We did.” Her voice is just a whisper. “Have you seen Aster?” The chances of Bella being alive when she gets Aster to her are dropping with every minute that es. “She was just around there.” Norah points but then turns her attention to the old man. He’s dying. His thready breathing and low moans are testament to that. Elsie hugs Norah fiercely and then flies in the direction she pointed, looking for Aster. She eventually sees her, huddled with two young fairies. She’s healing them, touching their injuries and ing around potions. Elsie’s heart leaps. If there is hope for Bella, it will come from Aster. She has magic in her fingertips, Elsie can see it. But will she tell Hardy? How do you test to see if you can trust someone? How can you know who is loyal to you? For Bella’s sake, she cannot even worry. If she hesitates she might die. She will take Aster to her and tell her the truth. If Aster tells Hardy, then the world will turn on its head again. It always does. “Aster,” Elsie calls out, beckoning her away from the fairies so they’re alone. “I need you.” “Are you hurt? We won.” Aster gives Elsie’s arm a squeeze. “Are there many hurt?” “There are, but one more than most. Will you come with me?” “I heard we’re taking the injured fairies to the hall. At least that’s where I’ve been sending them.” “That’s right. We’re not going there, though.” Aster pauses, her expression confused. “Where then?” “I’ll show you.” They fly through the aftermath of a bloody battle, both quiet and saddened by what they see. “Elsie!” Aster calls out and Elsie turns. Anya is dead on the floor, in a pool of blood. A shiver turns Elsie cold. The work of a guard or a clipper or Hardy?

Elsie pulls Aster away. “We can’t help her.” “I don’t like this. I knew we’d have injured fairies, but this is monstrous.” “I’m sorry.” “It isn’t your fault. It’s the legacy of war.” Elsie pushes open the door to her childhood bedroom, so different to the prison they held her in from the age of ten to sixteen. Aster follows her in. “There’s nobody here.” Elsie pulls the trunk away from the wall and opens the door. They have to crouch to climb in, but then they can stand. The room is lit from above by a skylight in the castle walls. The light falls on Bella’s face and Elsie shudders at the colour of her skin. Aster rushes to her side. “Oh, Elsie, what happened?” “She was stabbed. Twice.” Aster folds Bella’s top up, exposing the wounds on her stomach that Elsie tried to dress. The blood has soaked through, making her bandages useless. Aster pulls all the material away so she can look at the wounds properly. She sighs. “Someone wanted her dead.” “Did they succeed?” “She’s not long for this world. I might be able to save her.” She pulls some vials and bottles out of her pocket, a small pair of scissors and some fine thread. “This is from the wings I’ve been repairing,” she says, holding it up so Elsie can see it. “I can stitch with it. I tried to bring anything I thought I might need. I know Bronwen brought a load of stuff up yesterday.” Elsie kneels the other side of Bella, not wanting to get in the way. Aster’s expression is worrying her. She doesn’t look hopeful. She places her hands on the wounds, one at a time, oblivious to the blood and

gore. Her eyes closed, she whispers words Elsie can’t hear, and Elsie can feel the room get warmer. The light gets brighter. Aster opens a small bottle and dabs some green ointment onto the wounds and then pours another concoction into Bella’s mouth. Bella still hasn’t moved. Elsie can see she’s breathing. But barely. “It was somebody strong,” Aster says. “These wounds are deep.” “Can you save her?” Aster meets her eyes. “If anybody can, it’ll be me.” Elsie nods. She knows it’s true. She hopes it’s true. She watches in silence, and it’s fascinating. Aster works intuitively, her fingers dancing over Bella’s skin, adding this potion and that lotion, stopping the bleeding and stitching her skin together. Elsie can see the air change when Aster puts her hands on Bella; it shimmers and pulses. It’s captivating to watch. “And you don’t know who did it to her? Just a guard or clipper?” Aster asks. Elsie shrugs. “Sometimes knowing the intent helps.” “I think they intended to kill her.” Aster nods. “I meant...” She shakes her head. “It’s not relevant here, but usually I would heal differently depending on who hurt a person.” Elsie takes a deep breath. “It was Hardy.”

2

ASTER PALES AND SNATCHES her hands away from Bella’s body, clasping them together. “Hardy did this to her? Are you sure?” Elsie nods, wishing it wasn’t so. Aster roots through her little bag and pulls out a flower. She tucks it into Bella’s hand, closing her fingers around it, and then sprays a fine mist over her from a bottle. “What’s that?” “Hardy and Bella were lovers.” Elsie closes her eyes, thankful that things between her and Hardy never got that far. “And that makes a difference?” “Absolutely. Like I said, how I heal depends on who did the harm. Harm is different when it’s ionate, different when it’s indifferent or indiscriminate. It’s something I’m figuring out with my wing healing. The clippers don’t care which fairy they hurt, and so although they make a mess when they cut the wings away from the body – they are cack-handed and use rusty and blunt instruments, there isn’t the rage you might see in a different murder. It’s easier to heal. They don’t care about who they kill, they kill on demand. Or else they did. A murderer filled with hatred and ion will kill differently.” Elsie thinks about how she killed her step parents. She wasn’t in a mist of rage, but she still killed them. “Why did he want her dead? Do we know?”

Elsie nods and holds a vial Aster es her. “She knew something, and he didn’t want her to tell me.” Elsie breathes a little easier. She’s not laying blame or asking Aster to take sides; she’s just giving her the information. “Didn’t want her to tell you?” Aster holds her hand out for the vial and Elsie es it to her. “He killed Meg.” The words sound so flat as she says them. Meg already feels like a character from another lifetime. She hasn’t been gone long and Elsie is forgetting what she looked like and sounded like. “Hardy killed Meg.” Aster pauses, her face ashen. Her voice is quiet. “I thought the clippers did it.” “They did. At least I think they were clippers. I heard him say it, Aster. He didn’t know I was there. He killed Meg.” Aster is silent and busies herself with tending to Bella. Elsie is desperate for her to say something, but the air is thick with the tension of unspoken words. “Now we wait.” Aster sits back, watching Bella carefully, feeling her forehead and touching her wounds. Elsie nods and then stares at Aster, utter helplessness in her expression. “Elsie. You’re in grave danger. If Hardy killed Meg. And he killed Bella – or thinks he has – then who might he target next?” Elsie takes a deep breath and then shakes her head. She cannot say it, and she doesn’t have to. She knows they are both thinking the same thing. She’s next. “Won’t he need me for the throne?” Elsie hates the pathetic hope in her question. Aster shrugs and es her a little box. “Eat one.” Elsie opens it up, it’s filled with tiny little orbs of liquid.

“These are weird.” Aster smiles. “My concoction. Good for shock. Stress. Anxiety. All those fun things. Crush it between your tongue and the roof of your mouth.” “Can I take them all?” Elsie pops one in her mouth. It’s so weird, but she likes it. The liquid that oozes out of it when she pops it is hot. “I think he needs you for the throne. That’s what’s been said. But thinking logically, and disionately, your step parents are dead, and they weren’t the true rulers of Allaire.” “But if he killed me-” “He won’t make it look like he killed you. Elsie, I mean this, I think you have to tread very carefully. If some terrible accident happens and the queen dies, I know it, and you know it, every single fairy will look to Hardy. He’s the natural choice. He won’t kill you in front of anyone. He will make it look like an accident. He will be heart broken. He will play the victim every bit as much as if something terrible had happened to him himself.” Elsie swallows thickly. She knows it’s true. “How come you have such a high opinion of him?” “I think he’s a handsome man, Elsie, and I don’t know him at all. But if you heard him tell Bella that he killed Meg, and then he tried to kill Bella, left her for dead, then it doesn’t take a genius to work out you’re next. Why kill Meg, but to make access to you easier. Why kill Bella, but to make sure she couldn’t tell you. Why kill you? So he can have the power for himself.” “So what do I do? I cannot hide and sit on the throne at the same time. I cannot keep myself safe every minute of the day. He could poison me, behead me, spear me. There are a lot of ways to kill me and make it look like a terrible accident, or the work of somebody else.” There’s a slightly hysterical edge to her voice now.

“Aster?” “I don’t know what to say, Elsie. I want to help you, and I will, but how do we keep a queen safe?” “I’ll help.” They both jump. It’s Bella, sounding as groggy and half-dead as she probably is. Aster scoops her up and asks her to drink. She’s able to get much more liquid into her now she can swallow. She has three potions, all mixed with different ingredients, which will help her to recuperate. Together they sit her up and lean her against a wall. “You’ll help?” Elsie’s eyes fill with tears. “Hardy nearly killed you.” “Exactly. And he thinks he succeeded, am I right?” Elsie and Aster both nod. Suddenly it doesn’t seem as hopeless as they thought. “So he won’t be expecting me to murder him in his sleep, or the next time I set eyes on him.” Her anger is palpable, despite her injuries and lack of energy. Aster shakes her head. “Bella, you can’t fight right now. It would kill you. And there’d be another uprising if you killed Hardy. Nobody knows Elsie yet. We have to tread lightly.” “I don’t want to tread lightly. I want to skewer him with my sword, I want to gouge his eyeballs out and-” Elsie puts a hand on her arm. “Bella, I know you’re furious, but I’m terrified and I don’t want to do anything rash. Aster’s right. I’m new here and I don’t have anybody’s trust or loyalty yet. If Hardy’s dead and I try to rule, I fear anarchy.” Bella shrugs, her expression sullen. Aster es her a small bottle. “Every time you feel pain, I want you to take a swallow of this. Just a mouthful, or it’ll knock you out.”

“Maybe we could put some in Hardy’s dinner?” Elsie laughs. “Who would have thought we’d end up on the same side?” Bella stares at Elsie, eyebrows raised, expression hostile, but then she breaks into a grin. Elsie isn’t sure if it’s Aster’s potion or a genuine smile. “I hated you. You just waltzed back to Allaire and stole Hardy from me.” Elsie opens her mouth to protest, but Bella holds up her hand. “But I know that you can only steal something that wants to be stolen. Hardy wasn’t ever happy with me. Not really. He was always on edge, always ready for a new plan, a new endeavour. He won’t rest now that he’s achieved this rebellion.” “No, I don’t think he’ll rest until I’m dead.” “Maybe he won’t kill you,” Aster says, fiddling with some lotions and ing one to Bella. “To rub on the wound if it itches. Maybe he’ll just rule through you.” “And if I argue with him? If I don’t let him have his way?” Aster shrugs. “I know nothing of this type of thing. The first I really heard of the rebellion was when you came back. I keep my head down.” Bella tuts. “I don’t. I want to know what’s going on in this Kingdom and make it better.” “Aster wants to make it better, too. She’s been healing wings.” Aster blushes and shakes her head, but Elsie ploughs on. She feels like these two girls are polar opposites. Bella is brash and cross and not afraid to speak her mind. Aster is soft and gentle and full of healing power, nervous to show off her astounding capabilities. “Really?” Bella shifts, wincing, to look at Aster. Aster nods. “I’m good at healing, and I mentioned it to Bronwen, and I started

experimenting. Between different magical potions, and my healing ability, I could mend a wing, but it wasn’t attached to anyone.” “Useless really,” Bella says, swallowing a mouthful of her pain relief. Elsie snatches the bottle. “Ugh! Bella – you’re so rude! Aster saved your life. She can mend wings – not just severed wings, she can mend them on a fairy now. She’ll be able to fix every fairy who’s been clipped, and all you can say is something snarky.” She holds out the bottle as if to pour its contents on the floor. “I won’t give it back to you.” Bella holds her hands up, placatingly, and with great difficulty. Her breathing is laboured again. “I’m sorry. Being murdered hasn’t put me in the best of moods.” “I understand,” Aster says, keeping her eyes down. Bella sighs. “I’m sorry. I am. Being mean to you is like being mean to a bunny rabbit or a baby deer. It’s not half as satisfying as you’d think.” Aster looks up and smiles. Her smile is as beautiful as her soul, and Bella closes her eyes. Elsie hands her back the pain medicine and Bella immediately drinks down another glug. “I don’t want to be stupid. I want to rule. And I want to do a good job.” “And I want to kill Hardy.” “And you can. Just not right now.” “For more than one reason.” Aster says. “Honestly, if you try to move now, you’ll die. I have no way of knowing what internal injuries you’ve suffered, and I need to tend to you every day until your health and strength return. Please do nothing rash. I feel guilty if people die on my watch.” “I promise not to die. I won’t give him the satisfaction.” “So, now what?”

“He won’t show that he wants you dead,” Bella says. “That’s what I said,” Aster agrees. “I think he’d make it look like an accident.” “Definitely. He has a thing for power, but he also just loves to be loved. He has a way of making everyone fall in love with him. Men think he’s their best mate and all the women fancy him.” Her tone turns wistful. “He makes you feel special.” Elsie nods. He does. She felt like the only girl in the world when she was in Hardy’s arms. “I want to rule.” She feels embarrassed to it it. Ruling the Kingdom she was born in had never occurred to her. After her parents died and her step parents locked her up, she knew her only hope of escape was marriage. She only got out of her prison in the castle because she was leaving Allaire to marry a prince across the seas. And then she found out what her step parents had been doing to their subjects – abusing them, clipping them and killing them. She had realised she couldn’t leave and had returned to help. But even then, she had no genuine desire to rule. At sixteen years old, with no experience and no team to back her, how could she think to rule? And now she is queen. Her step parents are dead and she is the rightful heir to the throne. But she doesn’t want to be a puppet for Hardy to play with. She wants to rule how she sees fit. She wants to make the decisions and build a better future. The question is, will he let her? “I want you to rule.” Bella laughs. “I never thought I’d say that.” They all laugh. Aster reaches out for Elsie and pulls her sleeve. “We can’t stay here. The Kingdom needs a queen. They’ll be wondering where you are.” Elsie turns to Bella. “Will you be-”

“I’ll be just dandy. I’m going to plan all the ways I can kill Hardy. I can be patient.” “Let’s go.” Aster runs through her medicine one last time, so Bella can help herself until she comes back, and then the two girls leave her alone, and head for the hall. The corridors are empty; dead bodies gone. All the fairies have gathered in the hall. The noise is deafening. Some fairies are crying, others are wailing in pain. Elsie sees Bronwen straightaway tending to the injured, and Aster squeezes her hand before going to her. Elsie can see Malachi and Hardy. She flies over to them. “I still can’t find Norah,” she says by way of an explanation, hoping Hardy will think she’s been searching for her the whole time. “She’s fine. I’ve seen her.” Elsie has seen her too, but hopes Norah won’t mention that. Hardy takes her in his arms, holding her tight and rubbing her back. Elsie tries not to stiffen. He thinks she needs and comfort because of this battle, but what she needs is distance away from him so she can figure out her next steps. She has to have things her way, without making him angry. She has to be careful, so she doesn’t come to an accidental end. She has to placate him until she can win the trust of the fairies and build a loyal team around her who will allow her to reign, even without Hardy. She closes her eyes. It’s a lot. They weren’t even meant to start this battle until tomorrow, but her step parents had hastened the inevitable when they killed her sister. She can’t even grieve for Isla. She feels numb. She didn’t know her very well; hadn’t seen her for six years, since they were both locked up separately at the castle. Meg’s is the death she feels, like a physical wound. Knowing that Hardy planned it and condoned it; ordered it, makes her want to be physically sick.

She has to play the game, just for a little while. He pulls back and kisses her forehead. “Queen of Allaire.” She smiles at him; she has nothing to say. “We lost Anya and Ajo,” Hardy says. “I saw Anya,” Elsie says. “I didn’t realise Ajo had died. That’s such a loss for the troupe.” “Loss all around,” he says. “But much less than I thought. We did good.” She steps into his arms again. She’s worried he’ll read her expression, and she’s scared. If he can kill Meg just to get her out of his way, so he can be the only person who has her ear, and he killed Bella so she couldn’t tell his secret, then as soon as he thinks the time is right, he will kill her. It stands to reason. Why would he keep her around? They have shared a few kisses, a few hugs, a few sweet words, but this man has been planning this uprising for years. He has known her for days. She will have to learn to cover her feelings and play the game better than she is doing right now. “I have things to do.” He untangles himself from her hold and kisses her again. “Malachi.” He calls his cousin and Malachi gives Elsie a brief wave, before following Hardy around the room. He’s doing a better job of ruling than she is. She shakes her head. He’s organised the removal and burning of the dead. He’s organised the tending to and healing of the injured. He’s rallying everybody. It’s such a shame he wants to harm her; she could do with him around. Does he want to harm her? She doesn’t have definitive proof that he wants her dead. Maybe he just wants to rule through her, take over bit by bit until she’s just that damn figurehead he’s always talking about. Then she shakes her head and closes her eyes. Killing Meg is definitive proof of harm. Anyone who wanted the best for her couldn’t have

harmed Meg. Anyone who wanted her to rule Allaire would know she’d need Meg by her side. Killing Meg was him showing his hand. She won’t be sucked in by him. Even if he wants to rule by her side, he doesn’t get to, not after what he did. She mustn’t forget it. She makes her way around the room, doing what she thinks a queen might do in this situation. She thanks people, hugs them, helps Bronwen and Aster hand out tonics and tinctures. Hardy flies over. “The castle cook is dead. I’m going to get my mum up here. She can make food for everyone. These fairies need sustenance.” And so it begins. She nods her acquiescence, because to refuse him would be churlish. They do need to eat. The castle needs a cook – and Maud is great. She can’t imagine it’s her life’s aim to cook at the castle, but Elsie also knows that like everyone in his vicinity, Maud will do what Hardy tells her. She wonders if all the castle servants are dead, or just the ones Hardy wants to replace. She needs to organise this mess. She needs to be a queen.

3

SHE LOOKS AROUND AT the fairies; these people are her subjects now whether or not Hardy likes it. She has to rule and take charge. Or he will. She calls over some young men and asks for their help. For so long the table and benches have been packed away in a stable. Her step parents didn’t run a crowded court, and they never entertained. If Maud is going to cook, they will need somewhere to eat. All the crockery and cutlery, jugs and cups are also packed away. They used most of the stables for storage after her mother died. Her step mother was frightened of horses and didn’t like to ride them. They also packed a lot of the beautiful things away from the castle; her step mother didn’t like the memories of the former queen. And the king was happy to forget – his grief so extreme. Maud will also need help in the kitchen. She cannot feed more than a thousand fairies by herself. Elsie finds fairies willing to help and shows them where to wait. It appears the castle has no servants left; she will need to find fairies willing to work at the castle. She wants the place to be a hub for the Kingdom – somewhere all fairies are welcome. The numbers are dwindling. Many of the fairies who fared well in the battle have asked to be excused; they want to celebrate with their loved ones and recover at home, where they are happiest. Elsie has so few happy memories of the castle; she needs to make new ones. Which won’t be easy while she waits for Hardy to kill her, but she is determined to try. She jumps when Bronwen touches her shoulder; she really needs to get her nerves under control. She’s jittery, and Hardy will guess something’s up. “I’ve done what I can.” She wipes her face, leaving grubby streaks across her cheeks. Her hands are stained with dirt and blood. She’s too old for this, and Elsie feels a rush of affection for her. She hugs her fiercely.

“Thank you, Bronwen. Thank you for fighting today and for helping with the injured fairies.” “I’m happy I could help. Never thought I’d be in a battle at my age, let me tell you. Though...” She trails off, wincing as she takes a step back, stumbling slightly. “Bronwen, are you all right? Here, sit.” She pulls over a seat and helps Bronwen into it. Bronwen nods, but Elsie cannot help but worry at how weary she looks. “Aster!” “I’m fine, I’m fine. No fuss, Elsie, no fuss. This is just more than I’ve moved for a long, long time. My days are gentle, my pace is slow. I thought my heart might stop more than once tonight.” She laughs, and then coughs. Aster s them. “Bronwen?” She pulls a vial from her endless pockets and squeezes a few drops onto Bronwen’s tongue. “I’m fine, I’m fine. No need for fuss. I’m just tired. I’m not the only one.” She gestures around the room. “You need rest. All that training and now all this fighting and then all the healing you just did. I say you need to rest for many days,” Aster says, crouching beside her. “Oh, how does the taught become the teacher?” Bronwen touches Aster’s cheek. “You might take over from me sooner than I thought.” She laughs again and then catches the misery on Aster’s face. “I’m fine. I’ve got years left in me, child. I’ve seen my end, and this is not it. Fear not. I also know that Elsie has requested you her here at the castle.” Elsie opens her mouth to protest that Aster can stay at the troupe if Bronwen needs her to, but Bronwen holds up her hand. “Aster is meant to come here. I know that too. I will be fine. I trained Aster for greater things than looking after the old men of the troupe. She is the finest healer I have ever seen; her ability sures mine. You will do well to have her

at your side, Elsie. She’s wise and kind.” Elsie nods, she knows it. Aster is young but has an old soul. “Shall I take you back to the troupe?” “No.” Bronwen grunts as she stands up. “My old bones. They might not forgive me for this.” She laughs at the alarm on Elsie and Aster’s faces. “Girls, I jest. This is the finest damn adventure I have ever been on, and I have to live to a ripe old age so I can brag about it. The fairies from the troupe who didn’t come today won’t believe my tales. I stuck my sword in a man’s eye socket. Straight in, no messing.” Elsie grimaces and Aster looks like she wants to be sick. “I wasn’t aiming for his eyeball, but I killed him. I’m all right, girls. I’ll get myself home to my bed and sleep for three full days and then I’ll be like new. I promise you. If I need you, Aster, I will get someone here. I assume you’re staying now?” Aster looks at Elsie, unsure what the next steps are. Elsie shrugs. All her things are at Maud’s house. Not that she has many things. She needs to clear her head of her dithering and be decisive. “I’d love you to stay, Aster. Maud is on her way to cook, so maybe after you’ve eaten you could collect what you need from the troupe. You can always go back and fore over the next few days to get all your things, and tell your parents?” Elsie has no idea if Aster lives with her parents, or how old she is. She knows so little about anyone she has met; which is why she’s on the back foot. “I don’t have parents.” “You don’t?” “Well, I did at some point, I suppose. Bronwen found me in the woods when I was about two. She doesn’t know where I came from, but I was alone. Nobody ever came looking for me.” Elsie feels a wave of sadness wash over her. Aster has as sad a past as she does,

but she’d never have known it. She’s so peaceful, like she’s never had a worry in her entire life. It shows what a wonderful healer she is, that she can make someone feel at ease, despite the strangeness of her own circumstances. “That’s so sad.” Aster shrugs. “I think I ended up where I was meant to. Bronwen has been a mother to me. I don’t anyone else. The troupe has been my family. I’ve done all right. And now I get to live at the castle!” Elsie hugs her. “You do. As long as you still want to.” “I do. When you asked me, I felt a certainty inside. It’s what I’m meant to do next. I’m sure of it. Bronwen has taught me so many things, but listening to my intuition has been the best lesson. I’m never afraid, because I know I’ll always be all right. The answers will come to me. I just have to listen.” Elsie thinks about what Smelly Jim said to her. It’s the same thing. She has a lot to learn, and maybe Aster is meant to help her. “I’m off,” Bronwen says, touching her hand to Aster’s head. Elsie feels the surrounding air change in temperature. “What was that?” she asks Aster, as the two of them watch Bronwen hobble off. “She does it all the time to me. It’s just her transferring her wisdom and love to me.” Elsie’s eyes fill up. “That is so lovely. You’re lucky to have had her as a mother. Do you ever wonder where you came from?” Aster shakes her head. “I did for a while. But then I realised I couldn’t live my entire life looking backwards. I don’t know if I got lost or left on purpose. I don’t know if I was loved or cared for or missed. But it doesn’t help me to ponder. And it doesn’t help me to worry.” “How are you so wise? How old are you?” “Same as you. Sixteen. Almost seventeen.”

“Well, you’re amazing. I hope you’ll be happy at the castle. I plan to learn all I can from you.” “Here you are!” Norah descends on them and Elsie laughs. Here’s another girl who is as opposite to Aster as Bella is. But Bella is snarky and mean and sullen, Norah is happy and infectiously energetic. “I’ve been flying here and there and everywhere looking for you. The old man I was with? He died. I know, don’t be nice, because I’ll cry. Too many tears here today. It’s time to celebrate now. Elsie – you did it! You’re the queen of Allaire.” Elsie laughs. “Norah, be quiet.” “Why? You’re the queen of Allaire. The queen of Allaire. Long live the queen of Allaire.” The other fairies are laughing as they watch Elsie blush, but they take up the call as well and Elsie laughs. She doubts she will ever get used to this. “Anyway. I did it. I killed hundreds of guards and hundreds of clippers and had the best day.” She spins. “And not a scratch on me! I know not everybody was as lucky as me. I don’t want to be unsympathetic, but I did good. I’m allowed to be happy about that, aren’t I?” “You are. You did better than me. I only killed two people.” Norah nods at her, waiting for the story. “My step parents. I clipped them too.” “Whoa.” A strange and unsettled sadness comes over the three of them, and they watch the rest of the fairies in the hall as though they are separate from them. Aster bursts the bubble. “I need to go. There are people who need me.” Elsie nods, knowing exactly where she’s going. Norah flits off to a friend of hers and Elsie stands alone, back in the weird

bubble of feeling separate and isolated, despite being in a crowd of hundreds. She backs away from the middle of the room, to the periphery and then out through a door, with nobody noticing her. She might be the queen, but she’s still a stranger to most fairies in Allaire. She’s a stranger to herself sometimes. And the person she wasn’t a stranger to is dead. She flies to Maud’s house. She will gather her things, and Meg’s things. Gwenna will probably want them and she will bring them back to the castle, and then maybe she will feel better. It was a happy home a long time ago, and she can make it her cause to make it happy again. She can fix the clipped fairies and she can learn to rule as she goes along. Each day she will know more and each day she will get better. Maud has already left her house with Hardy to go to the castle and cook, but her neighbour hears Elsie knocking on the door. “Hello lovely. Do you need to go inside?” “If I can. I just need to get my stuff.” “Did Hardy win?” Elsie laughs. “Yes. He did.” The neighbour unlocks the door and Elsie goes upstairs. “I knew he would,” the neighbour calls up. “Do you need a hand?” “No thanks. We didn’t have much stuff.” Elsie grins to herself, suddenly wondering what Prince Alwen will do with all her things that were shipped to him before she left Allaire. She’s not as careful as Meg would have been, she just shoves everything into the bags. It takes but a few minutes. She looks under the bed to see if she’s missed anything and sees Meg’s letter opener. She never got sent any letters, but she had loved this thing. It’s tiny. Silver at one end and pearl at the other. She had called

it her treasure. To think Meg’s entire life had been put on hold so she could look after Elsie still fills Elsie with love and shame. To be so loved by someone who wasn’t her own family makes her feel happy and loved and warm, but the guilt of knowing that Meg lived without love because she sacrificed her freedom to keep Elsie safe, and then died because of it, makes Elsie’s toes curl with shame. Nothing she can do now. She finds Meg’s pouch in the bag she’s already packed and tucks the letter opener into it. She adds the scarlet ribbon that fell from Dayle’s waist and the smooth and sparkly pebble Tom gave her. She’s got treasures of her own now. She tucks the pouch in her pocket and carries the bags downstairs. “Thank you.” The neighbour grins. “Happy to help.” Elsie flies off before she can bang on about Hardy winning the war again, and flies home. Home. The castle looms ahead of her, looking ominous in the evening gloom. Her step parents are dead. The biggest threat Allaire faced is over. Inside there is order and celebration. Hardy flies up to her, concern in his expression, and Elsie thinks she can see a touch of anger too. “Where have you been? You’re queen now, you can’t just flit off. Nobody knew where you were. Something could have happened to you.” He takes her in his arms, holding her just a little too tight. “Don’t do that again. Promise?” Elsie nods and looks around. They have transformed the hall. It looks like how

she re it. Rows and rows of tables filled with food, rows and rows of benches filled with chattering fairies, all eating and drinking. The dais is set too. One throne – for her – and seats next to it. “Your throne.” Hardy takes her hand and leads her up onto the dais. He takes her hand and lifts it into the air with his, like she just won a joust or something. She smiles and the crowd roars. “The queen!” He gestures to the throne, and she takes her seat. It puts her higher than him when he sits next to her. Maud comes over and brings them food and drink, her cheeks pink. “Oof, that kitchen is hot.” “Thank you.” She waves her away and pushes a platter of food towards her. Elsie reaches for it and hesitates for just a fraction of a second. Could Maud have poisoned it? Or would that put his mother in the frame? He’d never do that to her. Elsie loads her plate with food and takes a bite. Maud beams and bustles off. Hardy takes his food and starts eating and drinking. She tries to relax and enjoy. These are her first hours as queen. She did what she set out to do when she came back to Allaire. She stopped her step parents and they won’t be able to hurt anybody else. They’re dead. She also clipped them, which was a nice bit of poetic justice, she reckons. This is her first meal as queen, sitting on her throne and surrounded by her new subjects. And sitting beside Meg’s murderer. That’s why she cannot enjoy. He eats and drinks like he hasn’t a care in the world and it’s infuriating. “Did you get all your stuff from my mother’s house?”

“Yes. We didn’t have much.” “I know a man in the East of Allaire who makes the most wonderful clothes. I’ll get a message to him. You should have a wardrobe fit for a queen. Don’t you think?” She nods. Clothes aren’t something she’s interested in. She wore the same uniform of dress the entire time she was locked away. She got measured for new clothes when the date was set for her to leave Allaire. As cruel as her step parents were, they knew all about keeping up appearances. They had lovely clothes made for her, but they were all sent away. “Are there any castle servants alive, Hardy? What about Alyce and Lacey, Isla’s handmaiden?” He shrugs, unconcerned. “There are a few in the dungeon – you’re welcome to look, but I wouldn’t trust any of them. They worked for your step parents, Elsie.” “I imagine they were in fear for their lives.” “Maybe. But the guards and clippers are all dead. I’ll gather and train a small army for you, but Allaire has always been a peaceful Kingdom. I don’t expect wars. My mother is happy to cook and I have several men I trust to make up the council.” “I think I’ll ask Gwenna to the council and maybe Ool and Marella.” “I think we’ll have enough. You don’t want people arguing for the sake of it, or shouting over each other. Just me and four others, I thought. Then we’ll have a deciding vote.” “Won’t I be counted.” He pauses, fork in the air, and slowly nods. “Of course. So me, you, and three others.” “But I can be out voted?” Elsie can see he doesn’t enjoy being questioned. But she figures she’s safe to do it here in front of everyone. “It’s just I am queen. It

doesn’t seem right somehow...” He shakes his head. “We can worry about this later.” His voice is too bright. “Eat. Drink. Celebrate.” She does as she’s told. Again. But let’s herself relax into the evening. More and more fairies come to the dais to curtesy and bow to her. Most of them include Hardy in their thanks and goodbyes, and Elsie tries not to get annoyed. He has done everything for these fairies, and in their eyes he’s the one who pulled off this rebellion. And it’s right. He did. He was planning it for a long time before she came along. But she is their queen now, and she needs to figure out a way to gain their trust and their loyalty so she can rule without Hardy. It’s dark, and she’s tired, but she doesn’t know what to do next. This is when she misses having Meg tell her what to do and help her. The hall is mostly empty, but she’s feeling lost. “Queen.” Gwenna curtseys and then smiles. Meg’s sister from the troupe. It always lifts Elsie up to see her. She didn’t fight in the battle for the throne, because she’s pregnant; Elsie wasn’t expecting to see her tonight. “I’ve come to help you. If you need me.”

Author’s Note

TO KEEP READING THE series, click this link to buy . Or buy direct, for less, from my website: www.gemmaperfect.com . Thank you - I have to write this in the back of every book I publish, because I really do thank you. Thank you for choosing one of my stories to read and taking the time to read it. Thank you for allowing me to do the job I dreamed of doing as a little girl. Thank you!