A Modern Fairytale

The court painter

This world is a very strange place, and she is a very strange girl. When she's with you, though, she seems to be having the time of her life.

☆☆☆

Long, long ago, there lived a bird in the imperial courtyard of Rectitia. A little bird the size of a fist, she had smooth feathers the color of a clear sky. The blue bird made the whole castle her home, flying from branch to branch, window to window. She sang her song, understood by none but heard by all. Whenever she was bored, the little bird chose a person within the castle premises to follow, and when she was bored of that, too, she returned to her nest—one she'd taken years to build; she could rest anywhere, and so she took her time putting the nest together.

Chirp chirp!

Under her branch, a silver-haired court musician walked by. With his nose buried in a book, he didn't notice the bird. The blue bird tilted her head. Then, she hopped on her branch, turning to a different direction.

Chirp chirp!

A bit farther away, a red-haired girl sat under a different tree alone, an elbow on her knee and her chin on her fist. A sheathed dagger was fastened to her belt.

Chirp!
It's so peaceful here! Why are you wearing a dagger in the garden?

A question the girl probably couldn't hear. The little bird's song, nonetheless, reached her ears. She looked up, her gaze finding the bird almost instantly. The girl reached out with a hand. The bird flew to her, landing on her index finger.

"What a friendly bird," the girl mused, slightly curious."

Chirp!

"Hm..."

Chirp! Chirp!
You look like you want to eat me! I'm so small, I won't fill your stomach!

The girl chuckled. "It feels like you're trying to talk to me. Well, we can have a chat. What do you think?"

Chirp!

The girl stood up. The bird flapped her wings, fluttering about the girl. As the girl made her way to a more remote area of the garden, she hummed under her breath, and the bird chirped along. There was no rhythm, no harmony—only company.

☆☆☆

I must be crazy, Valerie thought to herself as she made her way down the spiral staircase, talking to a bird almost every day. But I'm convinced she understands the things I say—somewhat, at least, if not all of it.

Guards pushed the double doors open for Rectitia's "warrior princess", looking at her for only a second before shifting their gaze to the floor. She did not even glance at them. On her way to the garden, her senses tingled, and she came to a halt. Valerie raised her head, looking straight into a window somewhere in the castle. She smiled briefly. Then, she continued walking.

"Hey," somebody called out softly to her, still a few steps later.

Again, she stopped. "What?"

"Where're you headed?"

"...I'm not telling you."

A chuckle. "Buh...fine."

All the while, a blue bird was fluttering from one branch to another, amusing herself with the complexities of trees, leaves, worms, and Valerie's denial.

Chirp!

Finally, the girl was alone with the bird.

The girl sighed.

"What are you so happy about today?" she asked.

Chirp!
You're funny.

"Hm...not that I understand anyway. Ah, little bird, have you noticed? I'm sure you have—lately, the clouds over Mecrisdale are getting darker. I don't like it, given how little time had passed since I was last there. Things were fine when I left."

The girl leaned against a tree, her hands behind her back. The bird fluttered around her.

Chirp! Chirp chirp!
Just go visit again then, fairy! That's what you want to do anyway!

Valerie frowned. "I don't want to go there again so soon though."

Chirp...?

The warrior princess turned to the direction whence she had come, saying nothing.

Chirp!

She turned her attention back to the bird.

"Some people...no, most people here have a story to tell—like the King, like that guy you just saw." Valerie narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. "But you fly around everywhere, you probably know more than I do. Why do you stay here? Why don't you get out of the castle? There are worlds of worlds out there you could explore."

Chirp.
You too.

Valerie reached out. The bird landed chummily on her finger. With her other hand, the "warrior princess" stroked the little bird's head. The bird closed her eyes, then opened them again.

Chirp!

The bird lifted her head.

"...what?" Valerie blinked.

Chirp!

The fairy stamped a light kiss on the bird's head.

☆☆☆

"...Valerie, do you know what this is?"

The next day, when the fairy met with her King again, he held up to her a piece of paper: on it, there was a sketch of himself.

"No, Sire, I don't. Maybe it was one of your maids? They are quite fond of you," Valerie replied, bemused.

"I don't think my maids can draw."

"Really..."

In complete silence, the two stared at the sketch in his hands. They were standing at the very center of the library, early in the morning; King Alasdair hadn't even decided which section he would head to yet.

At this time, the door was busted open. In rushed a petite girl with a slightly frantic look in her sapphire-blue eyes, their glint augmented by her spectacles. She wore her raven-black hair in low twin tails, tied lazily at the level of her shoulders. The girl had on a light blue dress and a pink notebook in one hand.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed as soon as she saw the King, bowing her head hastily—almost casually. "Your Majesty."

"Yes...?" King Alasdair voiced, eyeing the stranger.

"Uh...I'm actually..." The girl stole a glance at Valerie. "I'm actually looking for Valerie. May I borrow her for a moment?"

"Sure...?"

Before the King even finished uttering the single syllable, the girl reached forward to take Valerie by the wrist and sprinted out of the library. Pulling her by the wrist, the girl led the way until she found an empty room. She skidded to a stop, opened the door, shoved both herself and Valerie inside, and then closed the door.

"I'm the bird you've been talking to!" she blurted out, "My name is Jena, and I would really appreciate it if you took a look at these."

"What?" Valerie breathed.

"Oh, I said I'm the blue bird you've been talking to, my name is Jena, and I'd like to show you some sketches so I know which ones I should color," the girl who called herself Jena repeated. She opened her notebook and flipped through a few sketches. "Just as you asked, I've got your guy friends noted down and all you have to do is pick! See here...King Alasdair, Iefan, ex-king Ulric..."

"What?! I asked no such thing!"

"Huh?! Is that not what you meant? Ah, I'm so sorry..."

Dropping her notebook into Valerie's arms with unbelievable precision, the girl named Jena turned into a little blue bird. She flew out the window, and a minute later, brought back two loose pages of sketches.

☆☆☆

...yes, this world is indeed a strange place. Everything around here isjust so weird—you included. I wonder if I will have the luxury of getting usedto it.