Fenix
"Fenix!" Iris burst into my room, pacing along the flooring of my marble floored bedroom. I was brushing my hair in front of my large mirror when I noticed hers. "Your hair!" the change exasperated me. It was now short, just under her ears. Her neck was exposed, where once long dark hair caressed it.
"I know. I know. I cut it, and I felt powerful when I did it too." She continued to pace.
"But why?" I held my own long silvery locks and squeezed them securely. I wouldn't give up my hair if my life depended on it. "Because I needed a change, and I needed to feel like I was in control, because I don't feel like I am." She finally stopped and turned to face me.
"But you have everyone eating out of the palm of your hand. Every rule you put into place, no one goes against it."
"Except my mother in law." She eyeballed me.
"Well, yes, but don't worry about aunty. She will come around." I smiled sympathetically. "And what about Jameson?" I added. "How is he going about it all? I haven't seen him at any of the meetings. I've heard talk that he isn't even interested."
"About that..." She pulled her lips into a tight line, she hadn't trusted me with secrets any time in our lives, so I was getting all the information I could squeeze from her. A sisterly friendship was always my biggest desire. "He wasn't showing much interest so I just took the lead, and now he has come to me, wanting to learn and be a part of it all of a sudden and I'm not sure why."
"How do you feel about that?" I asked.
"Well, until now, I had carried the weight of taking care of, educating and nurturing our nation. It was as if we had a child and I was the only one taking care of it - I cared for its every need, and suddenly, he stepped up to the plate. I'm trying not to feel too much relief at the offer of help, because who knows if it will last, and secondly, I kind of like being a single parent - getting to make all the decisions about our baby. And there are some rules I want to put in place before he gets too involved." She paused, "
I will break the barrier between the two sides of the Isle. I want everyone to mix - no more poor and wealthy. I want to see the children touch the browning leaves with their chubby hands and giggle with glee, just as I did as a child, before we were banned from the 'poor side' of the Isle.
I want propper guards to manage the jail - not folks that were deemed to be unworthy of being in our society due to their families history. Everyone under that law will be released from it. And people wouldn't go to jail for ridiculous things - only crimes like murder or anything of equal stature.
I want magic to be practiced and experimented with in schools. Only if magic was used to harm others, would it be banned. And if that were to happen, depending on the severity, the person will be warned, and if that warning was disregarded, they will be punished, ending in jail.
Faeries can choose who they marry, or if they marry at all. There will be no more 'arranged marriages' by parents or those in power.
Once those rules are changed, then, and only then, will I be okay with Jameson ruling by my side."
I smiled, not really knowing what to say. I had always wanted children with someone who would be a big part of their lives and carry the weight, and her new rules, they were unheard of. But, she was queen now and maybe she could make this harmonious place even better, or maybe it would turn into a criminal ridden disaster, but either way, she had only made good decisions so far, so I wouldn't stand against it. "But, I might have some feelings about him personally that I didn't think would ever exist?"
"Oh?" This was a new development that no one saw coming, especially not me.
"Last night we were talking and looking through the book of magic as I was explaining to him what I wanted to do next with the kingdom and our hands touched. I felt something inside me that I never expected. I actually wanted him to like me." She looked at me with squinted eyes, waiting for validation.
"Wow." I breathed, a heaviness in my voice. If they ended up having a normal marriage, this could change a lot of things in the kingdom.
"I know. And I felt myself waiting for validation from him. I even asked him if he wanted more."
"And what did he say?" anticipation building.
"He asked what I meant." she looked down, embarrassed.
I blew out a whistle. "Look, if he can't see what you're implying then maybe you could show him more clearly."
"How?" She looked up at me expectantly.
"Well, when Draco wanted to show me how he felt, when I just couldn't see any of his hints, he took me to a private place and kissed me - so deeply that I couldn't mistake the meaning."
"I don't know if I can do that. Not with all of our history. It would take a lot of suppressing past hatred toward him to get to a point where I felt that confident."
"Well, maybe that's what you need to work on first." It was all I could offer. I didn't want to persuade her too much in one way or another - it wasn't my place.
"Thank you sister." She placed her hands on mine.
"I am the only family you have left." I hugged her tightly. We needed to rely on each other, even if we never had before, we needed to now.
