Chapter 10 : Fairy tale (Fairui sinnarn)

They had been late for dinner and so Broge asked a kindly maid to bring Diana a tray into her room. Diana's new supplies were neatly arranged inside her wardrobe. She spread a few floor cushions on the balcony floor and sat there admiring the twin planets. Tomorrow would be her first day in a new school, in a new elven school, in a new elven school inside a freaking palace.

How did I manage to get here?

Again, she wished Alex were here to keep her company. I am here in case you wish to talk.

Diana jumped. The boy's voice - she should stop referring to him as the boy - Silvanus's voice was so clear, it seemed like he was in the same room. She'd been happy since his mind had not butted into her consciousness the entire day. It seemed the link between their minds weakened with distance so she could not hear him all the way out in the city. She tried to keep her mental chatter polite, uncomfortably aware that he could hear all the thoughts that bounced inside her head. She reached out tentatively with her mind, unsure whether what she was doing was correct but suddenly she could hear his thoughts. They were nervous, uncomfortable - like a small puppy that expected a rebuff. Thank you but I'd prefer to go to bed now.

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Sleep did not come as easily as last night. She tossed and turned thinking about the next day, then finally, she grabbed a small torch and slipped out of her room. She kept careful note of landmarks like paintings and engravings for fear of getting lost in the vast maze-like palace. An owl hooted in the distance .......... and an answering hoot sounded beside her. She swung her torch blindly till it shone on a large beautifully engraved barn owl.

"Whoaa you have voices too?"

The barn owl blinked once but did not hoot. Then it took off and turned to the right at the end of the corridor. "Heyyy!" Diana followed it to the corner and found herself facing a heavily engraved wooden door. She looked behind her shoulder - this was probably not a good idea, there might be rules against children wandering around the palace at night - but she wanted to know whether it was the marble owl that had answered the hoot. She opened the door and stepped into .......heaven.

Books!

Books as far as the eye could see. Aisles and aisles filled with books of all colours and sizes; shelves bursting with them. Diana passed by aisles labeled Astronomy, Alchemy, Matter, Mystic Arts, Music, .............. and then her torch stopped at 'Fairy tales.' She scanned the titles - some familiar ones jumped out. Cinderella.........Beauty and the Beast............oh they even have-

"What are you searching for?"

Diana almost jumped out of her skin at the deep voice of Cironir. She turned around, mortified at being caught by the Principal himself. "I'm sorry.........I-uh couldn't sleep so I......"

To her surprise, he smiled. "Curiosity is not a sin, child. Though I would like you to know that children are not allowed to wander the palace after dark, so next time, you can come look for a book during the day."

"Yes, Herdir-sorry, Herdante," she said relieved. Diana was not the rule-breaker type and even though she would be staying here only for a while, she didn't want to be anything but a model student.

"Good. Now what kind of books are you looking for? Hmmm Fairy tales?" He chuckled lightly. "Shouldn't you write your own life-story and read it then?"

Diana had raised her eyebrows and smiled wryly at the poor joke. "Yeah, cause it would be a fairytale. Uh-Good one."

"Forgive me. I am trying to be better at cracking jokes. I've often gotten the feedback that my jokes about the alchemist and the radat tails are ........not amusing." He smiled apologetically.

"I want to know the original stories. Herdir Broge said something about Snow White."

Cironir picked up a thick red and white coloured book and handed it to her. "Then you should read this." Diana examined the cover of the book. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves..........talk about plagiarism, they didn't even change the name of the book. I hope you guys sued the Grimm brothers."

"May I ask you something?" Cironir looked thoughtful.

"Sure."

"Now you know that you're a fairy. You have seen your birth-world today. I've watched incredulity on your face....... but not wonder. Don't human children wonder at fairytales?"

Diana opened her mouth unsure of what to say. "Uh........ they do, they do."

"They?" Cironir had caught the significant word.

"It's....uh...... complicated." Diana sighed searching for a way to explain. "I've always liked fairy tales; Dad bought me all the storybooks. Well, minus the regressive parts, of course - the almighty prince come to save the damsel-in-distress. I liked them because of the beautiful visions they bring to mind. A simpler world where the greatest problems are solved by the wave of a magic wand. They're great places to visit ......... but they're not real. At least, they weren't to me. And now my mind is reeling because - turns out - fairy tales are real! Magic is real! How can something so completely illogical be real?

Cironir listened to her rant, amused and thoughtful. "Child, let me ask you a question. What is magic?"

"Uh.... uh........." Diana floundered. Hocus-pocus and abra-kadabra seemed like very childish answers at that point.

"So you don't know what it is but you have branded it as illogical." Cironir smiled a light, knowing smile.

"What do you call the greatest herald of progress on Earth?"

Her answer was instant. "That's easy, 'Science.'"

"And, in the beginning, what did the humans who did not understand science call it?"

Diana raised an eyebrow. "You're trapping me, aren't you?"

Cironir merely smiled bringing out the crinkles on the corner of his eyes.

"They called it magic," conceded Diana.

"Yes! For eons, magic has existed among us called by numerous different names. Essentially, magic is energy - in its purest, most ancient form. The energy that pulsates throughout the universe, breathing life into the engine of everything. We, the magical community, are those who have mastered the art of harnessing this energy using our minds. Humans have chosen to harness it via other matter." Cironir's eyes, lost in thought finally refocused on Diana. "Science is the medium of utilizing energy and magic is that energy - but both were called illogical by those who failed to understand."

"Read it, child," Cironir gestured to the book in her hand, "and discover the wonder that you've not let yourself feel. Just because we understand something, we should not let the wonder of its existence go unappreciated."

Cironir walked back till the end of the aisle, then turned around seeming to remember something.

"Oh I just remembered another name for magic. Some call it...... God."

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Diana laid on her belly under the soft covers, feet in the air and chin in her hands reading quickly. By the end of the book, she wanted to take back her earlier comment on plagiarism. The real story was nothing like the fairy tale she'd read. Unfortunately some of the Elvish words were not completely translated. Diana checked the glossary but it was for the English words. The book was one of those elven children read to improve their English.

........ her face as white as snow, the fairy princess of the mountains was named Snow White........ And her step-mother, the Queen, ordered the huntsman to kill the fair Princess Snow and bring her heart as proof ........... The hunstman's dagger pierced the wild boar and thus he set the Princess free ........ "Reclaim your throne........" Hidden in the forest, in the home of the Original Seven, the Princess learned the tactics of warfare............ The persecuted elves took arms under the leadership of the fair Princess, following her into the worst civil war in the history of Earth...................... Seeing the failure of the army in sight, the Queen sent her last weapon, the sorcerer Rowan................ And as they met, the light of gold bathed the kingdom......... releasing Rowan from one spell as he fell under another........... For the Princess had found her Zareh ............... The wrath of the Zareh fell on the army .......... together, they cast a spell so bright, the Queen perished in the void of darkness ............ for love had united the Paire Cosantora .......... the most powerful spell of all..............

Human children could learn a thing or two from these fairy tales... Why were they changed.........Hmmm....... Maybe the Grimm brothers were afraid of being sued for plagiarism thought Diana sleepily as she snuggled deeper into her covers and let sleep take over.