"Where's the girl? She's always off making trouble for herself... for everybody, for that matter!" Yelled the Queen of Ulaid, with hair dark as ink and skin fare.
"I believe she's in the garden again, your majesty." The young servant girl's voice was shaky and soft as she spoke. There was a slight tremble in her hands as she lifted her linen skirt to curtsy before the Queen.
"Agh! Duna, how many times have I told you to keep her from the gardens! She always returns to her chambers covered in mud and grass stains!"
"She's, but a child..." Duna paused, looking up at the Queen, her dark thick brows furrowed, her face growing red. "...and I have just finished a new gown for the young princess. Just in time to replace the ruined one!" Duna smiled, hoping the queen couldn't smell the fear that radiated off of her.
"Fine." With that, the Queen pushed back the spindly girl, who was dressed in a plain, green dress, which concealed her womanly figure.
Duna stumbled backwards, catching herself on the long oak work table in the scullery.
"That woman will be the end of me." Duna whispered to herself, as she loosed a breathy sigh.
_
The castle gardens were bursting with color in early May. Bluebells, primroses, and bell flowers of every color covered the grounds.
A young girl, dressed in a purple, woolen gown, ran round the man made pond that sat in the middle of the gardens, encircled by rocks, chasing an orange tipped butterfly.
She tried to catch it, cupping and clapping her palms together in order to cage the delicate, fluttering creature.
She squealed as she continued her chase.
"Elaine!" The Queen's voice boomed through the garden, making the birds cease their chirping. Elaine too, silenced her squeals and stood rigid.
The Queen approached, her emerald green gown, embellished with gold threads moved freely with the wind as she marched towards young Elaine.
"Yes mother?" Elaine said in a sweet, velveteen voice.
The Queen tugged on Elaine's bell sleeve, which was now lined with brown.
"Look at you! Your father is to be back from Linns any second and you look like a ruffian!"
The Queen ran a finger through her daughter's hair, which had blades of grass strewn through it.
"How did you even manage to do this?"
"I was digging..." Elaine looked at the ground, averting her eyes from her mother's.
"May I ask for what?"
Elaine rocked back and forth on her heels, clasping her hands together in front.
"I was digging a tunnel to the Otherworld."
"The Otherworld is nothing, but a myth my sweet girl. Duna needs to stop filling your head with such nonsense." The Queen stood tall and turned away from Elaine, calling out to Duna. "Duna, come help Elaine ready for her father's return!"
Duna immediately ran out of the castle, onto the garden, as if she had been waiting at the door listening in for the Queen's next demand.
"Of course, my Queen, I'd be happy to."
Elaine looked up and smiled as she saw Duna walking towards her.
The Queen looked at Elaine with sad eyes, then to Duna with her brow once again furrowed, eyes narrowed.
"No more talk of the Otherworld. Do you see what damage those silly stories have caused." The Queen gestured to Elaine, in her filthy and very un-princess like state.
"No more stories, of course."
"Mhm." The Queen straightened her lips and raised her brows, knowing that their was more truth in the stories of the Otherworld, than in Duna's words.
As the Queen turned and began to walk back into the grand stone castle, Duna crouched down to be at eye level with Elaine.
"What were you doing this time?"
"Digging for the Otherworld! I want to meet a faerie prince and fall in love, like in the stories!"
Duna laughed, "So do I!"
Elaine too, partook in the laughter. However, the laughter came to a pause when the orange tipped butterfly landed on Elaine's button nose.
Duna brushed her finger lightly across the creature, causing it to fly away.
She took Elaine's hands in hers and whispered.
"You know Elaine, butterflies are the messengers between worlds. I think that one just delivered a kiss from that faerie prince of yours."
Duna winked as Elaine's cheeks went rosy.
Before she could protest, Duna led her into the castle, to ready for her father's return.
YOU ARE READING
Hidden Wings
FantasyThe stories of the Otherworld of old Ireland had been told for centuries, in both song and the written word. Children dreamed of journeying to this world of faeries and other unusual creatures, but as adults the Otherworld became nothing more than m...
