War of Talents | A TINKERBELL FANFICTION (2023 Rewrite)

Chapter 4: The Overwatch

"Your Majesty, there is someone here to see you."

Through the tremor of the thunder, Queen Clarion turned at the anxious voice of her ministers, finding them gathered hesitantly near the entrance to her chamber within the Pixie dust tree. A strike of lightning illuminated their fear as yet another torrent of rain cascaded upon the already-drenched earth.

It took only a moment for Clarion to recognize the librarian and the way he shouldered his way past the ministers and the panic stretched across his features.

Something's happened, she realized, her heart sinking even further.

"Oh, Dewey, good afternoon," she said, mustering as much of a calm facade as she could. "What brings you over to this side of the border on such a dreary day?" She first looked to the backpack over his shoulders--a clever device the tinker guild had invented to allow winter fairies to temporarily cross over into the warm seasons, filled with ice and ventilated to prevent rapid melting--and then to the books under his arms.

"Hi there, Queen Clarion," Dewey answered quickly. "Sorry to barge in unannounced like this," he waved a hand toward the door where the four ministers were still lingering, "but I have something I think you'll really wanna see."

"Something so important it couldn't have come over with the weekly shipment?" Redleaf scoffed.

Clarion looked up at him for a moment thoughtfully. No, this was not the right time. Not even close. "Thank you for your time, Ministers," she said gently, but sternly. "I can take it from here now."

"Oh...of course, Your Majesty."

"We'll just be on our way now."

"Just call if you should need us!"

All four scattered from the room and the queen watched them until they were long out of earshot, shaking her head and turning back to face Dewey. She frowned. "What is it, Keeper? What's going on?"

"Well, you see, it's about the weather," the librarian began. "I'll bet you'll have noticed that there's been this massive storm these past few hours."

Another shatter of thunder.

"It has come to my attention, yes."

"But yet it's not the doin' of the weather talents, is it?"

Clarion sighed, deflating slightly and folding her hands neatly in front of her. "You know that it is not, Dewey. You're the one who found her book after all. I hate to say it, but you know as much about what is going on as I do."

"And perhaps even more than Lord Milori?" he suggested.

"For the time being, yes." This is the only safe option, she had to remind herself against the knawing of guilt. Secrets, secrets, always keeping secrets. And even though the lord of winter knew what was going on, he did not know the extent to which it affected everything.

"The storm isn't the only reason I came here now," Dewey went on. He lowered his voice to barely more than a whisper. "He came looking for it today, poking around and asking questions. I gave it to him. I had no way of knowing just how much you had shared about his...situation."

"Not the finer details," Queen Clarion confessed. "Not about...about him. The Hollow isn't ready to know about this. Any of it." And Milori would just be even more confused and hurt by the truth. He couldn't tell him about it before, not with Starlight always monitoring so close...I don't think I could tell him now without explaining so much more than I think the world is ready to know.