Cliché

chapter 4. the kingdom of the fairies

The portal spits me out— quite literally— and I land back on the soggy dirt of the forest floors, sighing out in disappointment from the anticlimactic route the author decided to take. As I stand and brushoff the dirt staining my uniform, my hand hesitates over the spot where I spilled coffee on this morning.

It isn't there.

I frown. The author really needs to learn what consistency is.

"You. State your business here," a deep, authoritative voice commands, breaking the silence of the forest.

I swing my head up, startled to find a large man, dressed in tanned warrior attire with a sharp spear glinting in his beefy hands, in front of me. But what draws my attention are his pointed ears and iridescent wings, radiating a rugged celestiality that doesn't quite fit the theme of the rest of the story.

His eyes harden with impatience as he awaits my answer. After realizing that I've been staring, I clear my throat nervously. "Where exactly is here?"

He glares at me, but replies nonetheless. "The Kingdom of the Fairies. This is the Ruler's Palace."

He steps aside, a luminescent entrance carved inside a tree trunk. Past that is a spacious cave, with flora in various shades of blue lining the walls and the ground. A glass walkway on top of a glittering river leads further inside, palms trees standing tall and proud on either side. The entire space glows a fluorescent pink, the only other light being golden fireflies flying about in the air.

It's simply ethereal.

"Who are you?" He questions suspiciously, blocking my view of the captivating sight.

"Iris Lockhart," I state with an air of false confidence. "And I'm either a chosen one or some kind of fairy debutante."

With all the random plot lines seemingly occurring with no correlation, I honestly have no idea where the author is trying to take this story. But, the least I can do is use the prior knowledge I gained from reading fantasy fiction novels.

The warrior grabs me roughly by the arm, dragging me into the cave and through the rich blue vegetation. At the end of the glass bridge, he knocks on a wooden door with white flowered ivy vines climbing up it, opening it once we hear a verbal affirmation from inside.

A beautiful being sits upon a throne surrounded by more of the flora I saw outside. The fabric of her dress sweeps the floor in a fan of pastel green, gold, and white with star-like flowers weaved throughout. A crown of wildflowers and ivy sits daintily on her golden locks, her authority and dominance over this kingdom on full display.

She looks at me with curious light green eyes, her voice a soft song. "Who are they?"

"Iris Lockhart. They claim to be someone of importance, Ruler Tassiana," the warrior answers, his head bowed.

The Queen nods, her eyes sweeping over me as if she had decided to assess my appearance. I cross my arms over my chest, somewhat insecure because of my dirt-stained uniform and the fact that I only have one shoe on at the moment. She tilts her head to one side, a soft curiosity alighting her gaze. "Child, come closer."

Reluctantly, I walk over to her throne, careful not to step upon the blooming plants. She takes my face in her hands, examining me at a close enough proximity for her flowery aroma to wrap around me.

Moments, dripping in anticipation and unease, pass by. Then, she gasps.

"You... you..." she stutters, at a loss for words.

"I...?"

"You are the long lost descendant of the ancient rulers of this kingdom!" She cries in astonishment.