The orcs arrived yesterday, and I’d been dying to get a closer look, but Aunt Melina had kept me busy. She took me to the palace spa, where the glistening private pool was fun and relaxing. We got body scrubs and facials.
Aunt Melina was trying to keep my mind off of the ball. People who were working on the ball preparations were freaking out with flowers, decorations and food. She was trying to keep everything fun for me, but I couldn’t help the longing to go.
I was old enough. I could find a mate.
So, why doesn’t Mom want me to go?
“I’m sorry we can’t take you,” Melina continued to say, over and over during our spa days. “We promised.”
Melina had to get her wings cleaned, as well as her hair and makeup done, today. She had them do the same to me, and no one said a word about my wings being fake. They even added glitter to them, smiled and told me how pretty they were.
Melina did all this so I wouldn’t feel left out.
I was really lucky to be blessed with the family I had. Why was I even complaining?
Simon pulled on my nightgown again, and this time he took a chunk of the ruffle of it. His tongue fell out of his mouth to lick at the random string that hung down his chin, continuing to lick until he’d slopped it up like spaghetti. Simon’s hooves clomped toward a fancy cradle where Uncle Osirus had the royal hay put inside for him. Simon twisted his nose up at that and plopped his butt on his bed.
The bedroom I always stayed in when I visited was a far cry from my small room at the treehouse. It was too big, you could get lost in it. I preferred smaller rooms; I liked to feel cozy, and so, I often made a tent in the corner.
Today, my mind had raced too much. I was obsessed with the ball. Obsessed with dancing, the food, watching fairies, fae and other creatures find their mates. And—what about me? Could my mate be down there?
I flopped on the bed, my hair spread out and I let out a deep sigh. It was then, that I could hear the faint music of the ball from here. It sounded so—fun.
I groaned and took a pillow, slapping it over my face.
I must be grateful for what I have.
Simon bleated, his hooves trotting against the wood floor and his head butted my leg. I sat up and reached behind his ear to scratch it.
“I’m being stupid. I just need to—”
“—You just need to go,” a voice urged from the corner of the room.
Simon half yelled and paused before unceremoniously tipping over with a plonk on the floor.
I scrambled off the bed to check on him. He didn’t have soft ground to land on, but a hard wooden floor.
“W-who in cheesus are you?” I said, as I petted Simon’s head and stared up at the purple-haired woman.
She was dressed in a slim black corset and her apples looked very much like melons. She had dark leather pants and a dark cut-off leather jacket to complete her look.
So cool.
She leaned on the door frame to the closet and pushed off, her high heel boots trotting across the floor.
“Well, I am—” she started, but I gasped as I stood up.
This woman… she came out of nowhere. There are guards at the door. No one can get in or out of here without going through them. You would have to be a powerful witch or—
“Are you my fairy godmother!?” I screamed.
My fairy godmother looked back at me with wide, amethyst eyes and laid her hand on her full melons. “Pardon me?”
“You know, my fairy godmother? You’ve come to help me get to the ball!” I jumped up and down, clapped my hands and turned to Simon, who was just shaking off his short-term paralysis.
“I, uh, is he okay?” She pointed to Simon, and I nodded.
“Yes, he’s a fainting goat. Perfectly normal, but I try to avoid his fainting spells. It worries me to death. I’m his emotional support person and, so far, I’m not doing a great job.” I raised my finger to my lip and bit down on the nail.
