Rise Of Faeries Book I : Ascension

Chapter 15 - The Crown Princess Of Celestria

A month has passed since Kairo's awakening.

Her emergence changed a lot of things in the court. She had learnt of the Queen's punishment to her uncles and their families though it offered a small solace to what she endured in their hands.

She had her coming out party a few nights after her eighteenth birthday and met all of Celestria's nobles. Her life as an ordinary teen had taken quite a turn and she did not recognise the girl in the mirror anymore.

The girl had moved quarters as well and now resided in the Phoneix nest closer to the Eagle's Nest where the Queen resided. The old woman had made a great effort the past weeks to console Kairo and ease her into her new role, they had bonded somewhat although there was still a lot of unresolved history between them.

Kairo missed her parents more now that she remembered them. Her desire to save them has only intensified in the few past days which led her to her extensive training daily with her best friend, Cassian and General Aloys of the Utusan armies.

"Your Highness, remember to watch your footwork, it's still clumsy at best. Although I must commend you, I am impressed by how well you can fight."

The speaker was General Aloys, currently standing ramrod straight out of respect for Kairo. The man wore a white military suit adorned with golden chains, emblems and shoulder pads. His facial expression as usual was stoic.

Kairo pursed her lips. "That's not good enough, General Aloys. I have told you of my ambitions, clumsy at best will not suffice."

"You push yourself too hard. The shadow realm is no child's play, if you cannot defend yourself it will devour you whole and you may never come back," the older man softly commented.

"I know it's no child's play. My parents have been trapped there for years," Kairo snapped. Her voice came out sharper than intended.

She stood from her majestic throne-like chair, pushing from it, she strolled towards the large open windows in her office.

It still baffled her that she had an office. Her grandmother had left all the decorations to her heart's desire and she chose each colour according to what she liked. The girl had decided to live her life, her way.

The office boasted walls adorned in rose gold accents gracing the corners. Towering windows adorned one side, offering a picturesque view of the crown princess's gardens and beyond to the horizon from the marble terrace.

Cream-coloured furniture was strategically arranged, including a square table with golden edges and legs, adorned with stacks of documents, some annotated with colourful marks and others with markers. These supplies were among the stationery retrieved from Earth, gifted by her grandmother along with other belongings salvaged alongside her fragile body.

A fluffy white rug extended across the tiled floor, stopping just short of the terrace entrance. The ceiling, painted in a sunflower hue, remained unadorned save for a small light fixture suspended in the centre. Soft blue curtains danced in the gentle breeze outside, while over four weeks, Kairo had undergone remarkable changes. Her silver hair had grown longer, styled like a crown atop her head, and she now favoured more contemporary dresses reminiscent of her earthly home, finding them more comfortable.

Clad in a flowing, light blue dress that accentuated her eyes, Kairo stood with her back to the general before turning to address him, expressing her resolve. "Throughout my life, I've been tossed around like a ball, whether for my own safety or not. It's time I take control of my fate, don't you agree?"

The general, slightly perplexed, responded, "A ball, Your Highness? I'm not familiar with the object."

Realizing his lack of familiarity, Kairo sighed. "Of course, being from Earth, you wouldn't be. Have we received a response yet?"

"We're anticipating it before sunset," the general assured her.

"Good. Once it's confirmed, I'll inform my grandmother. Thank you for your assistance, General Aloys."

Left to her own devices, Kairo went back to her everyday routine since she woke up from her awakening. She buried her nose in huge historical books and studied every bit of literature the royal library could provide and that amounted to a lot.

It had been a long time since she strolled lazily or visited the song forest. She wondered how the pixies fared there.

A loud screaming could be heard across the hallway and the door to her office opened unceremoniously. A dishevelled man rushed inside, reeking of compost and something metallic.

Kairo stood alarmed, her nose turned up at the putrid smell. "Blake?" she questioned in disbelief when she recognised the man.

"Your Highness!" Blake cried, his mouth turned downwards in a pitiful pout.

"What on Celestria happened to you?"

"It was those damned pixies! They have gone rampant, I tell you! I had only gone to check on them because I know you miss them and wonder about their well-being but -but those damned miniature devils screamed at me and did this!"

Kairo strained her lips, her cheeks quivering and her eyes desperately fighting to maintain composure but betraying a glimmer of amusement. It was when her mouth twitched that Artwell caught the expression on her face.

His turned bitter, "This is not funny, Your Highness. They are mean those pixies of yours and I will not be visiting them ever again."

Kairo finally cracked a dimpled smile followed by a musical laugh. "Forgive me Artwell but I haven't seen you this disoriented in a while. However, I find their behaviour strange, they have never outwardly expressed such extreme behaviour. What else did you notice?"

"They kept screaming something. I couldn't make out the words exactly, it was like they were possessed! One even bit me. See!"

Artwell pulled back his coat to show Kairo where the pixie bit him, the amusement faded immediately from the princess's eyes. "That's infected. Something is wrong, Artwell goes and gets treated at the infirmary this instant and tells Lord Carl I require his audience."

A perplexed yet annoyed Artwell did as he was told, leaving the office in a hurry. Kairo pressed the magical bell calling for Faye, her attending lady. Without wasting time, she rummaged through her desk at the reports she had been studying last night, what she saw on Artwell's arm reflected the description in the reports.

"Your Highness, you rang?" Faye asked, standing at the door in her royal blue floral dress, looking elegantly.

"I am sorry, I know you are tasked with planning the upcoming dinner but I was wondering if you could invite Lord Cassian and Princess Amaira for evening tea on my behalf?"

"The pleasure is all mine. Is Artwell alright? I heard he came barging in like a crazed dog and screaming like a banshee."

Kairo looked up at Faye and almost laughed at the painted picture, the girl had become more outspoken ever since their positions elevated. She and Artwell bickered like siblings, on most days it was funny on others it was annoying.

"He got bit by possessed pixies," Kairo informed the girl. Despite the seriousness of the case, she wanted to laugh again but held herself.

Faye had no such constraints and went right on ahead to laugh. Her laughter though would cause Kairo to eventually laugh because it resembled a horse neigh. It was a combination of snorts, a snicker and a whinny-like quality, the laugh was funnier than the earlier spectacle.