Love in the Little Kingdom

Love in the Little Kingdom Part 14

Holly stood with Daisy and Poppy and her friends Violet and Strawberry whilst the other girls chatted excitedly about the ball, from the decorations and food to the guests and their clothes.

"Prince Thorn looks like he ate something bad." Strawberry said with a giggle, looking at where Prince Thorn stood in a group of other male fairies looking bored and out of place. Violet glanced at Holly to see if she would react to what Strawberry said.

"That's not very nice, Strawberry."

"Poor Holly has to marry him!" Daisy said without a hint of sympathy.

"Marry him!" Poppy chimed in, with emphasis and the two teenagers fell into fits of giggles, at what Holly didn't want to think about. She looked away, to the starlit sky just above the heads of the assembly and saw something strange. Was it a moth drawn by the lights? She squinted. No, it was a ladybird, but out at night? She frowned.

"King Thistle! Wise Old Elf!" A raised voice came to them. "King Thistle!" A horn blew several warning notes.

The ladybird drew close and Holly saw that it was Gaston II and there was Ben on his back, his face a mask of concern. Gaston circled over the ball.

"Ben!" The Wise Old Elf called out in alarm and the whole party pulled back in surprise. Ben scanned the crowd and Holly thought his gaze might fall on her and she stepped forward. Ben had come for her! He had come to take her away forever! She felt a mixture of excitement and terror rise in her throat. But Ben didn't seem to notice her and she faltered, shouldn't he be calling her name, not King Thistle and the Wise Old Elf?

"What is it Ben?" King Thistle called out amiably although there was uncertainty in his tone.

"Big Bad Barry is in the lake and he's coming this way!"

"What?" King Thistle's affable expression turned to one of consternation. "Ben, this is not the time-"

"It's true!" He turned to address the entire crowd on the boats, bringing Gaston II around again. "You have to get back to shore, all of you!"

People, fairies and elves both began to panic. Several fairies forgot their decorum entirely and fluttered up on sparkling wings. The Wise Old Elf strode forward.

"Cut the ropes! Every hand to the oars!" He sent orders to the boats tied up off the shore of the island and several elves scrambled to obey him. "Everyone else, to the boats!"

The elven guests and waiting staff on the island abandoned their trays and their drinks to race for the shore whilst fairies began taking off into the air. Holly looked up at where Ben circled above them and back towards the shoreline where elves were crowding to board the few boats that were there. She could easily fly to safety.

"I'll stay and help!" She said and flew towards the first leaf boat to be filled and started tugging it into the water.

"Holly!" Her mother called to her from the air. Daisy and Poppy were flying just above her. "Come with us!"

"No, mother, I can help!"

"Holly-"

The water beneath the elf-band bulged and the barge lurched up on one side. The elf band members cried out as they and everything on board slid to one side.

"It's him, it's Big Bad Barry!" Someone shouted as Barry's scaly back came out of water.

"Help us!" The harpist cried from the barge. Holly went to let go of the boat she was pulling when an arc of magical dust spilled across the night and lifted up all the elves in the band. Their instruments fell into the water as they hovered just above it, watching in surprise. Holly looked at her mother who had drawn out her wand and saved the elves.

"Mama!" Holly called to her in relief. The barge slapped back down to the water and righted itself as Barry once again disappeared below. Queen Thistle deposited the elves back on the deck.

"Our instruments!" wailed the drummer. Queen Thistle waved her wand again.

"Some tragedies are blessings in disguise." She used another arc of magic to begin propelling the barge back towards the shore. With renewed determination, Holly pulled out her own wand and pointed it at the little leaf boat, she would get it back to shore!