Genevieve's Tale: A Nutcracker Retelling

Chapter Eight: History of Slatkovila

"So I'm not the first human outsider?"

"No. Just the first human to come here in the last few decades," said the male fairy.

"Magic has kept our world hidden until the night you appeared, but we don't know how the protection wore off," replied Silvia.

Vi swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. "Was my father...did he do something..."

"He was the opposite actually," said the male fairy, cutting Vi off from finishing her question.

She let out a sigh of relief.

"Then why--"

"Greed." He held up a hand when Vi opened her mouth. "Greed on all sides." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Did you ever stop to wonder why the council was so intrigued by the necklace around your neck?"

Vi bit her lower lip as she felt herself become flustered. If Madame Polley were here, she would scold me for not holding my tongue better. A proper young lady would know that it is impolite to ask so many questions, like I have been doing since I got here. "No, sir. I had not thought about that. Forgive me if I have been making too many inquiries."

Silvia gave her a gentle smile. "While some believe curiosity is a poor trait for a princess, I think it will serve you well in this case. It is the most efficient  way for you to learn about our world and who you can trust." The last few words were so faint that Vi barely heard them; in fact, she almost wasn't sure if that is what she heard at all.

"Throughout history, fairy magic was shared among all fairies. There were some who possessed more natural powers than others or kept a little more to themselves, but it was shared to all. However, all of that changed when a king decided that the magic should only be given to those of a royal birth, to those who would know how best to use the magic for the good of the kingdom," said the male fairy.

"In the beginning, the king's idea made sense to those closest to him. Of course, most of the fairies were angered by the king's declaration, but his subjects respected him enough that they didn't organize a revolt. It wasn't long, however, before the king's only child learned the truth about his deception. The heir discovered that the king wanted complete control of the magic supply to make himself invincible," said Silvia.

Vi raised her hand slowly.

"Yes, Princess?"

"If I may interject, how could this king take control of all the magic? Isn't magic...invisible, something that can't be contained?"

"How do I explain this? Within the forest, there used to be a well which contained the central source of the kingdom's magic supply. The well was designed in a way that allowed the magic to be dispersed so that it could be attained by everyone. Think of magic as a vapor that could be absorbed through the skin, mouth, or nose," replied Silvia.

"Once the heir learned of their father's obsession with power, they found a way to hide the magic somewhere the king would never be able to find it."

What does any of this have to do with my necklace? Vi was trying to figure out how to ask her question in the politest way possible when Silvia placed a hand on her shoulder.

"The reason we are giving you a history lesson," she said with a wink, "is because the magic within your pendant is from the same well. The council is intrigued and confused because no one knows where it is hidden."

"There have been rumors about possible locations, but none of them have proved true," said the male fairy.

"Perhaps the late queen found the well and didn't tell anyone," retorted Silvia.

Multiple trumpets blasted a short series of notes which made the floor and walls shake. Vi nearly fell over in surprise. "What was that?"

Silvia and the other fairy's brows were furrowed. Something about their expressions made Vi's stomach churn.

"We need to see what is going on, but we can't leave you unattended. Stay close to us and do exactly as we say," said the male fairy in a grim tone.

Vi followed them down the corridors; she had to practically run in order to keep up with their swift pace. They entered an ornately decorated room, which Vi suspected to be the throne room. The rest of the Elder Council along with fairies dressed in soldier's uniforms were there, all of them staring at two velvet-lined, golden chairs. Sitting in one of the chairs was someone in an overly large black cloak; the figure's body language showed that they were quite comfortable sitting on a finely crafted piece despite their tall frame; they had their legs stretched out across the second chair.

"I may have been away for too long, but I don't recall the chairs being this short," said a deep voice.

A high pitched squeak came out of Vi's mouth when she watched the figure pull back his hood and his dark pupils locked on her.

Word count: 860