The Bad Fairy (girlxgirlxgirl)

37. Footsteps

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The darkness of the fairy kingdom's capital at night is only ever experienced by the nightguards that get to live through it.

Shadows mould the trees and houses together into one big mush. The howls of the animals and quiet buzzing of the nightly bugs create an atmosphere of peace, but also a sense of mystery and fear. You can never be quite sure who's walking down the road in the darkness. Whose shadow, whose howl, whose muttered talking. Fairies like to sleep, and even so in complete darkness. The only thing illuminating the streets of the busy capital are the pink and blue fireflies that cast long strands of colourful light over the streets.

That's why the guards standing by the gates to the fairy kingdom's palace are quite jumpy at night. The wall around the palace blends in with the surrounding forest and buildings, with plants growing on both sides of it, effectively making its presence seem like something of a tourist attraction or a beautifying element of the capital rather than a show of power or a nuisance. The trees within the palace reach out over the wall, making it seem like nothing but a joint entity with the rest of the metropolitan forest city.

The long street leading up to the palace is usually empty at night, which is already eerie in itself considering the buzz and loudness of the citizens crowding the king's gates during the day. The real scary part is when it looks like someone is coming. When you can hear echoed steps along the pathway, see shadows moving under the moonlight. You begin to wonder whether it is just the shadows of the trees moving softly with the nightly wind, or if it's just an animal tapping along the road.

"Who goes there?"

But every now and then, the sounds of footsteps become too clear, and the shadows moving along the road too realistic for it to be nothing but animals and the silhouettes of trees. The two guards on the ground outside the palace stand up straight, their grips tightening around their swords. But the people who are coming move closer at a calm and certain pace. The wings of the fairies relax once they see a familiar face through the darkness, one that has been missed at the palace for over a month.

One guard leans to the other, his voice lowered to a whisper.

"It's his highness and the other princes, open the gate."

The guard nods, turning around to look up at the watchtowers above the palace wall and gates. His voice is loud, yelling out into the night as the royal fairies approach them. "Open the gate!" His command echoes in the empty street and some sort of confirmation can be heard from above. Soon the gate begins to move to the sides, and the two guards turn to bow to the crown prince, the other royals and their soldiers. "Your highness."

Nayan nods back. His face is like the sun, shining brightly in the eyes of the guards who see him as a symbol of hope. His father is scary, unfair and unpredictable. Nayan isn't, and having him around is the only thing that makes the citizens and the guards of this palace and this kingdom still loyal to its ruler. Nayan is where their loyalties lie. It's good to see him again. The other fairies in the background fade into what they are, which is, in the background.

Their horses have been left at the stables and now they travel by foot, with the soldiers nearly dragging their feet along the way, and Chepi's eyelids opening and closing heavily and slowly.

But her eyes open wide once she sees a certain princess rushing across the empty and dark palace courtyard. With orange hair, rounder eyes and a pair of beautiful, diamond-like wings, the tall princess Miriam looks like a goddess when she approaches them.