The Land of Stories: Rewriting the narrative

Chapter 2: Private Matters

"Seriously, Mum?!" Aurelia asked incredously. "You're SO annoying!" She took the magic mirror off the wall and placed it face-down on her bed.
"Aurelia? I know you can hear me! You're being very immature!" She could still hear her mum's voice from the mirror, but ignored it. When it died down, Aurelia carefully picked the mirror back up. It showed her reflection again. She put it back up on the wall of her bedroom. How did her mum think she was supposed to go about normal life when a mystery had unfolded right in front of her? She sighed and stomped downstairs when a thought hit her.
"Emerelda?" She called. "Skylene? Coral? Anyone?" Where is everyone? She thought.
"Yes, Aurelia?" Emerelda asked behind her. Aurelia spun around. "How can I help you?"
"Oh, hi Emerelda. Just wondering what our plan of action is for the statues?"
"Our plan of action?" Emerelda asked, one eyebrow raised. Aurelia rolled her eyes like the fairy was missing something.
"Yes, our plan of action. I've proved I'm helpful, haven't I? I'm sure mum would be proud of me for taking the initiative. I could go and check in the town to see if anything else has been affected, if you'd like." Emerelda chuckled.
"That's funny, because your mum - the Fairy Godmother herself - contacted me to say that you should continue with your magic lessons as usual today, and not let the statues affect your routine at all." Aurelia's face fell.
"I should have known. She hates it when I have fun."

Rosette led Aurelia towards the library in silence, then stopped suddenly. Aurelia gasped. The statue of her mother outside the library - which had shown her defiantly facing the Enchantress with the Wand of Wonderment - now showed a side of Alex Aurelia had never seen before. Her hair flew out in all directions around her, her eyes were blank and she was poised as if she was floating. Rosette gasped and disappeared in a flash of red without giving any explanation to the young fairy. Aurelia stamped her foot, not caring how immature it was.
"NOBODY EVER TELLS ME ANYTHING!"

☆

The residents of Glassville, creatively named after the supposed material of Cinderella's slippers, were used to strange sights. However, that's not to say that they were expecting to see a driverless pristine white-and-gold carriage bearing the Fairy Kingdom crest to come through the town. Some marvelled at the splendour, others marvelled at the condition it was in after being on such a muddy path, and everyone marvelled at who it was transporting.
"That's the Fairy Godmother!" Whispers snaked through the crowd. "I'd recognise her anywhere!" The carriage came to a halt and the door swung open by itself. An beautiful woman in her mid thirties with rose-gold hair and deep blue eyes carefully stepped down. Villagers flocked to her side, asking her questions and begging her for help. She held up a hand and the townsfolk immediately fell silent.
"Good people of Glassville, I will be only too happy to assist you when I return. However, I am currently on a rather tight schedule. Would one of you be so kind as to guide me to the house of Sir Lampton?" She spoke calmly and authoritatively.
"Allow me." A young man with dark hair and green eyes stepped forward.
"This way, Your Godmotherness."
"Please, Alex is fine." She insisted. The man gulped and Alex sighed. "I don't know why people have such a problem being on first-name basis with me. The only person ever asked to address me as anything else is my daughter. But I'm getting off-topic. Lead the way, good sir."

The man nodded, gulping again, and led Alex down a pretty street with tall whitewashed houses and thatched roofs. He stopped outside a house with a tidy garden, neat path and shiny door knocker. A small bronze plaque read:
HERE LIVES SIR GREGORY LAMPTON, RETIRED HEAD OF THE CHARMING ARMY AND DEVOTED FRIEND AND PROTECTOR OF THE BAILY TWINS
Alex, though touched, rolled her eyes upon reading the plaque.
"You'd think after we saved the world the fourth time people would learn how to spell our name." She sighed, and corrected the spelling error with the flick of her wrist. She turned back to her guide.
"Thank you for bringing me here. Take this." She clapped once and the man found himself holding a small red velvet bag. "It contains the exact amount of pumpkin seeds you need to make sure you have enough for the celebration in two months." She smiled at him. He stared at her in astonishment and opened his mouth to thank her, but she stopped him.
"No need to thank me." She said, paraphrasing from when she was godmother-in-training. "I'm a fairy. It's what I do."

☆

"Aurelia!" Xanthous snapped for the fourth time in under an hour. "Please at least try to concentrate!"
Aurelia whipped her head around, not sorry in the slightest.
"Why do you all treat me like a child?" She asked suddenly, strangely calm.
"Because you are one." The fairy replied simply. "Now, onto the task at hand."
"I'm not a child!" She insisted, refusing to let the subject drop.
"Aurelia, I am not having this conversation with you right now. Focus on the lesson."
"No, Xanthous. Not now."
"What did you just say?" The flames on Xanthous' shoulder rose higher as his eyes flickered with anger.
"Something's going on and I know I can help, but only if you'll let me!" Aurelia stood up to emphasise your point. Xanthous' flames died down and he brushed an invisible speck off his marigold suit.
"Aurelia, I mean this in the nicest way possible-" Oh no, Aurelia thought, he's going to say something degrading. "-but the best way you can help is staying out of the way." Aurelia wanted to scream, but managed to contain herself, instead opting for the passive-agressive route.
"Fine. I won't waste any more of your precious time then." She said, and stalked out of the room.
"Snarky and sarcastic is not a good look on you!" Xanthous called after her.
"Won't stop me wearing it!" Aurelia shouted over her shoulder.

In her room, Aurelia pulled out her mother's copy of The Beginner's Guide to Charms and Curses and began to flick through it. After what felt like ten minutes of fruitless searching, Aurelia closed the book. She muttered 'protection' and pointed a finger at the front cover, and the pages flipped forward until she came to a Simple Protection Charm. Unfortunately, it was for protecting objects and people specifically against harm, and therefore not the one used on her great-grandmother's statue. She moved her finger in a scrolling motion. The pages flipped forward again, this time to a Barrier Spell. This one cast a protective barrier around a person or object. It 'defends against spells and swords alike', according to the book, but needed the spellcaster to remain near the protected being, so still not the spell used on the statues. There were no more protection spells in the book, and Aurelia snapped it shut with a cry of frustration.

It was then that a knock came from outside. Someone was tapping on the wall by her curtain-door.

"Who is it?" Aurelia asked, not in the mood for visitors.
"Coral and Fisher." A bright voice came from the other side. "Xanthous sent us."
"Of course he did." Aurelia groaned. "Come in."
"Yay!" Coral seemed disproportionately pleased to be allowed in Aurelia's room.
She practically skipped in, cradling Fisher in her arms. She had short blonde hair with pink streaks and a sleeveless dress that matched the cherry blossoms on the tree hanging over Aurelia's room. Coral sat down on the bed and gently set Fisher down between herself and Aurelia.
"Xanthous is annoying, huh?" She said, tucking a pink lock of hair behind her ear. Aurelia gave a short mirthless laugh.
"You can say that again."
"Look, I know it must be annoying to have everyone treat you like you're five, and so I'm not going to give you a talk on how we're just trying to protect you, don't worry. It's just... the council have a hard time accepting they're wrong. I do too, sometimes. It can be hard to take advice from someone younger than you, and... I guess Xanthous just wants to be authoritative whenever he can."
"It's not like he's short on opportunities." Aurelia rolled her eyes. "But I think I get what you're saying." Even though Coral had basically reprimanded the council and explained their actions in one breath, Aurelia had found it helpful, at least mostly.
"Yay!" Coral grinned. "Oh, by the way, is it true I'm your favourite council member?"
"Yeah! You're awesome!" Aurelia grinned without realising. She had already started formulating a plan for proving her worth, and she was now seeing how helpful Coral could be...