Away with the Fairies

*°•○Part Eleven○•°*

They sailed through the air, above the rushing stream, carried by the gentle wind which slowly morphed into the lightest breeze, and then, some time later, ceased entirely.

The sun was hanging low above the horizon when the dandelion seeds glided softly, like fluffy parachutes, to the grass-covered bank. In this spot, it was nearly at the same level with the water again, the stream having become slow, silent, shallow, and wide.

"Rolo, would you please call our friends, please? Then you and Roza could look around for a suitable place to pass the night. I'll think about the dinner," Rosalind said as they all climbed out from their spider-silk baskets.

"Of course, Princess," the elves agreed.

Rolo put one of his bird whistles to his lips shortly, then followed Roza farther down the meandering river, where they could see a few large bushes growing on the grassy bank.

Hans took a blanket from his pouch and, with Louise's help, spread it on the ground, while Rosalind looked around uncertainly, then waved her wand through the air swiftly several times. As she muttered a few words, their dinner appeared on top of the blanket.

The boy, noticing how their meals grew less and less sumptuous the farther from the Rose Castle they travelled, was just about to ask Rosalind about it when she replied to his yet unspoken questions.

"I know, Hans, but there's nothing I can do about it. We can produce food with our magic, but only by using the ingredients that grow nearby. And the more distant we are from the rose garden, the colder it gets and fewer things grow..."

"Don't worry, Rosalind. It's not that important," Louise said, trying to cheer up the unhappy-looking fairy. "We have other things to worry about than food right now. Back at home, we often did not have even this..."

The girl trailed off, observing their dinner, which was still very rich compared to what they usually ate, lost in thought about their poor parents. What will they say when... She glanced at Hans quickly, then turned away from him before he could notice.

Louise was right, Hans realised as he sat down close to her and reached for one of the small, mushroom-filled pies piled on a leaf in front of him.

"What's wrong?" Louise and Hans asked in unison when they noticed the fairy staring at them.

"Nothing," Rosalind said, shaking her head. "Could you just think and worry less? Both of you. You'll make my head explode with all your thoughts! Now eat."

They were halfway through their meal when the Rose Elves returned, followed by a stranger, a Flower Fairy boy. He didn't look as regal as Rosalind, or her parents and cousins, and yet Hans was sure that he was a Rose Fairy like them.

"Welcome, Cousin," the young man bowed to Rosalind. "My family will be happy to offer you and your friends a shelter for tonight. If you accept, of course..." he trailed off as if he wasn't sure that the Princess would accept his offer.

Rosalind jumped to her feet, beaming at him. "You are... you must be..." she started, her forehead wrinkled with thoughts and memories as she tried to remember an apparently long forgotten name.

"Roslav, a Wild Rose Fairy. A cousin twice removed of your..."

"Mother. I remember now. We have never met."

"You're right, Princess. My parents moved away from your garden before you were born."

"Why did they leave?" Rosalind asked, but Roslav only shook his head.

"I really don't know. They never talk about it, but we're all happy here. So it doesn't really matter, does it?" he mused.

"No. Let us not worry about our parents' old arguments. I'm really happy that we finally met," Rosalind said. Then, as her eyes flooded with tears, she let Roslav pull her into an embrace.