The Returning- The Land of Stories book 7

Chapter 2- The Fairy Inaugural Ball

Carrie looked around her in awe. If this was a magic world, it was exactly what she had always imagined. Everything seemed to be sparkling. The colors were even more vivid, and there were fairies everywhere. Some were tiny, barely as tall as a blade of grass. Others were the same height as regular humans. Some had wings, and some didn't. All the fairies seemed to be heading toward a beautiful, sparkling palace. 

"A fairy palace!" Carrie whispered. She decided to follow them. None of the fairies gave her a second look, which was strange. Maybe they saw humans here all the time. When Carrie looked again, she realized that they weren't all fairies. There were carriages traveling toward the palace. They looked very royal. The first carriage opened, and Carrie froze. The woman who stepped out was unmistakably Snow White from the fairy tales. She really was in a fairy tale world. Another man and a girl who looked around fourteen followed Snow White out of the carriage. Everyone was going into the palace, so once Carrie regained her movement and got over her shock, she followed them inside. Many other royals followed. One royal carriage held several humans, two teenagers, a tiny fairy, and a fully clothed cat who was undoubtedly Puss in Boots. Carrie wondered if they were some kind of council. But her thoughts were interrupted when she bumped into a boy who looked about her age. He had strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Oh! Sorry!" Carrie said. The boy smiled.

"Hi! I'm John Bailey." he replied. Carrie's mouth dropped open.

"Wait, Bailey? That's my name! I'm Carrie Campbell-Bailey!" John's face lit up.

"You must be one of my cousins! I've heard all about you and your siblings from Uncle Conner." He suddenly looked puzzled.

"Wait, why have I never met you? If we're cousins, why hasn't Uncle Conner brought you to visit before now?" he asked. Carrie laughed.

"That is a good question." Carrie and John walked inside together, talking about themselves and the Fairy Kingdom, as Carrie learned it was called. Unfortunately, Carrie failed to notice the two adults standing together talking.

"Carrie!? What are you doing here?" Conner shouted. Carrie jumped, and looked up to see Conner standing with the woman in the blue dress.

"Dad! Um, I....I just wanted to know where you were going, and there was this portal, and..." Carrie trailed off as the woman began to laugh.

"Oh, Conner, I told you it was pointless keeping secrets from this one!" she turned to Carrie. "Hello Carrie. I'm your Aunt Alex. I'm the Fairy Godmother in this world." Carrie stared.

"You're the Fairy Godmother?" she asked. "Like the one who turned Cinderella's rags into a gown?" 

"Oh no, that was my grandmother. She was the Fairy Godmother before me." Alex explained. 

"So, if you're the Fairy Godmother, does that mean I'm part fairy?" Carrie asked. Alex smiled and nodded. Carrie began to bounce up and down.

"Oh my god! I'm a fairy!" she cheered over and over again. 

"What is this?" another strange voice asked behind Carrie. Carrie turned and saw the family from earlier. The woman was wearing a dark purple gown with gold lace here and there. The man was wearing a gold dress suit with a purple velvet sash, the teenage boy was wearing a suit that matched the man's, and the teenage girl was wearing a purple gown similar to the woman's and she didn't look very happy about it.

"Hi Jack, Goldilocks, Hero, Wren. This is my daughter, Carrie. She came here without my knowing." The teenage girl, named Wren, smiled.

"Sounds like something I would do. I'm Wren. That's my brother, Hero, and my parents, Lord Jack and Lady Goldilocks. They're a part of the Western Council that rules the Western Kingdom." she said. Carrie was about to say more, but she heard someone tapping on a glass. A fairy wearing a green gown was standing at the base of a staircase.