The Cottage At The End Of Fairywood

Chapter 3 Bonds never to be broken

Autumn turned to Winter. Leaves fell faster and faster off the trees. The wind grew colder and snow could be felt, if not yet seen. But Queen Freya was as happy as any fairy could be. Her baby was here and she was the most precious little baby anyone could be blessed to have. The King and Queen called her Princess Angelina Skye and she was indeed a beautiful child. Her skin was as soft as  down on a rose petal, and her hair was black like a raven bird. Queen Freya smiled and thought of her raven bird friend that she had found in the woods, many summers ago. It had a broken wing and Queen Freya had nursed it back to health. She had shown it compassion and in return the raven had kept coming back to the cottage where the Queen lived. Many a night the Queen had spoken to her friend and told him about her fears of never holding her own child and being called Mama. She felt she could tell raven anything as he would keep her secrets close to his breast, and never tell another living soul. Yet here was her dream come true and she couldn't wait til her friend visited her again, so she could ask him a favour. To always look over the Princess and protect her as she would do also.
Princess Angelina was to be the fairy people's great hope for the future. Her beautiful blue eyes would seek out any impostor and not be taken for a fool. She would be able to seek out the goodness in her people, and also see the badness. Angelina Skye would be Queen one day and she would be a great, wise and kind ruler. Queen Freya smiled down at her bundle of joy. Here she was barely a few months old, yet she was destined for great things. A flash went through Queen Freyas mind, those bad brothers on the edge of the wood. She had heard dark things about them, and she grew fearful of the change that might come. She had heard talk among the fairies of what those two were capable of and she made a vow to herself, no one would harm her precious child or her people. Not if she, or the King had anything to do with it. She looked back at the sleeping babe in her arms, she smiled again. No, nobody would hurt anyone or anything she loved. Snow started to fall and Queen Freya walked to the window and looked out. Soon Winter would be upon them fully, then the seasons would rush by so quickly again. Time went so fast in the woods. Time that used to be so lonely, but not anymore. Not for the Queen, not since she had her precious gift. A gift she would treasure until she was no longer breathing.
Across the wood, in a cottage just at the edge, Rufus was also looking out at the snow starting to fall. He was also thinking of the Princess. All he wanted was to see her that day, but he had been chased off. He would love to see her and just whisper that he would always be there for her and be her friend. He wasn't a spiteful fairy. He had his moments of anger, but it quickly dispelled. He just wanted to be accepted among the fairies. His dream was to work alongside them, play with them,laugh and sing with them. He knew Barnaby wouldn't like him being amongst them, but he didn't care. He knew how nasty his brother could be but he wasn't like him. He wanted to be accepted and he was going to try his best to be liked. Perhaps, he thought, one day he could be the  Princess's friend, her confident. He puffed his chest out, excited at that thought. He wouldn't always be reliant on his brother, one day he'd be independent, a man himself.
He stepped outside the cottage, snow started to fall quicker. It clung to the branches .Rufus thought snow was pretty, like tiny crystals he thought. Nothing would dampen his spirit now, he had a plan to be accepted amongst his kind and he was happy. However, unbeknown to him, his brother had other plans. Plans that defiantly didn't involve them being liked or accepted. Plans that would bring Rufus's  dream crashing around him