The Price of Gold | tom riddle

Chapter 7 - Sky Fairies

"Get up Seb! The plants are not going to water themselves!" His mother's shouting pierced his ears. With a slight fumble, Sebastian dressed and combed his hair.

"This was so much easier when Star was around," he said with a groan. He downed the cup of cool water his mother had left out for him on the table.

"That girl did nothing but help you cheat your way out of hard work and useful skills. I'm glad she's gone, " his mother replied.

"I said some pretty awful things to her before she left. I hope she isn't still angry with me."

"And if she is? She is a freak of nature." Her tongue rolled the r in freak. "You need to find yourself a nice girl in the village."

"Mother!"

"What? Every man, woman and their dog could see the pining looks you gave her. A girl like that is no match for you Sebastian. You are normal, and you should be proud of that." Mrs Arya sat a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her son. "Eat. You've got a long day. Once the plants are watered I need you to go to the Kingdom to pick up some more fertiliser."

Sebastian had not thought about the Kingdom since his last visit with Ostara. He wondered if it was really as bad as he remembered it, or if everything that day had seemed far worse than it actually was.

He finished his breakfast and made his way out to the garden.

As if the universe was determined to make his life hell today, the plants looked extremely drier than usual. So dry, that if they were not given a tonic (which was stored in their greenhouse (which was another miles walk)) they would dry out and die. "Are you kidding me?!" he screamed up into the sky as if he were talking to a god who was inflicting a punishment down on him.

"Sebastian?" A voice called out to him.

"Mr. Stiltskin!" he replied turning around, embarrassed that the older man had most likely seen him screaming at sky. "Sorry I thought I was alone." His hand covered his face in a embarrassment.

"Do not worry yourself over it my boy. Though try speaking a little nicer, they can hear you, you know?"

"Who can? Do you really believe there's someone up there?"

Rumplestiltskin chuckled. "Not one person my boy, but many." His eyes observed the sky, Sebastian looked with him. "Do not limit your mind to what can only be seen, Sebastian."

Seb hummed. Suddenly he was looking at the sky with more purpose than he had ever looked at it with before.

"Having trouble with the greenery today?" Rumplestiltskin asked.

"You have no idea. They're dryer than the desert and I have so much to do today. I have to sort this out, then go to the Kingdom and buy more fertiliser, then-" he stopped. "Sorry. I'm rambling."

"Do not apologise." The goblin smiled.

"I suppose it's good though. Lots of tasks keep me busy." He nodded his head through the prolonged silence that followed.

"I miss her too," Rumplestiltskin replied.

"Have you heard from her?" Seb asked.

The green man inhaled. "Her first night she wrote to me. But I've heard nothing after that. I suppose she's just busy settling in."

"Did she say anything to you? Before she left, about me? I said some awful things Mr. Stiltskin."

"No. You did the right thing encouraging her to leave the Kingdom. But Ostara is...well...Ostara. She does whatever she pleases and once she sets her mind to something, nothing or no one can stop her." He shook his head and looked at the plants beneath them. "Well I best be off. Twelve potions to brew today, it appears there's been a measles outbreak."