The Garden Witch

Claire and The Fairy Prince

"My moon maiden, let's go home."

"Home? This is my home" says the man. "My family has kept it for generations."

"We can move out, provided you give my family a place to stay" says Claire.

"No" he replies. "If the house called you, then you are meant to be here."

They enter into the kitchen, where the girls are eating cereal.

"Mom? Where have you been?" asks Sadie.

"With the 'Fairy Prince'" scoffs Sandra. "Prince Michael."

"I'm sorry.. my daughters are..."

"Witches" answers Michael, smiling.

...

Prince Michael's heart grew two sizes larger with his love for Claire Bishop. He was meant to take over the kingdom, to marry a queen, and to keep it safe from the evil underworld. Nevertheless, one look at Claire, and he forgot all the bad threatening the world. He forgot of his duties, and neglected the Fairy-World.

His family used to live here long ago - when fellow faeries, giants, witches, trolls, and vampires would walk the Earth. The humans needed protection long before Christianity arrive. His family provided that service. In return, the humans would work on their land, providing them food and only distributing it among themselves by the permission of the family - hence the farm and gardens surrounding the palace.

After Christianity had arrived, Christianity persecuted Paganism and the old, ancient ways of knowing about the natural world and hidden powers of man, but it was still hiding under the surface. Witches still practiced, vampires roamed, and dragons sometimes terrorized the skies (though they mostly hid in caves with their claws wrapped over their treasure).

Unlike witches, faeries tend to have particular gifts. In his mother's line stemmed a long, long line of gardeners. They knew ingredients to cure any ailment, and they had a way of listening to the plants that helped the garden to grow even in their absence.

His great-grandfather had a habit of digging caves. He found an abandoned troll kingdom where the buildings and streets were paved with gold. It was of this he challenged the King of Davdon and won, moving the family from the ranks of lower nobility to royalty. It had been a way of paying off the mansion and maintaining their notoriety within Fairy-World.

The human world had all but forgotten the magical world and the Orid Dynasty would no longer profit. Michael mused that, because they were gone for so long, the house had called witches to fill it's place.

His mother wouldn't be thrilled, but he didn't care. He loved Claire - finding ways to do things romantic for her and make her life easier. Eventually his mother would come around and see the benefit in their marriage.

He also found himself loving Sadie and Sandra. He taught them how to listen to plants, the secret history of magic, the dangers of the underworld, and the multiple worlds. Sadie and Sandra were able to develop rapidly in their magic, studying in their spare time with little need to go to human school.

It was very soon that Michael and Claire got married in the attendance of many magical folk that were long-time friends of Prince Michael. He went very carefully through the list to make sure that there would be nobody on the list to betray them. Perhaps he would have been better not trusting anyone at all.

While the girls were watched by a magical nanny, they retreated into Michael's seaside castle in the magical realm - where they conceived by the glistening crystalline sea, giving birth to the half fae, half human child. They named the baby Luna. She had the brightest, bluest glowing eyes. Both Michael and Claire knew that the seeds of their hope would always rest in Luna - for the strong might of the glistening ocean reflected within her eyes.

It was a lovely day in spring when a knock came to the door. Claire opened it, to see Michael slow in animation, being led by the finger by a sisterly relation, following a regal woman that could only be his mother.

"Disgusting" she purses, looking at the plants hanging from the ceiling. "To think this is what this house would allow itself to become. "

Before Claire could protest, she went up to the stairs to take down baby Luna.

"Please don't hurt her" whispers Sadie.

Now all were gathered in the drawing room.

"It's disgusting what you have done - enchanting an engaged man - you witch!" accuses the Queen.

"I am not magical!" protests Claire.

"Ha! If you'd expect me to believe that..." she says. Then, with the twitch of her fingers, Sadie is gone.

"Sadie!" cries Sandra and Claire.

"What have you done wither her?"

"I've taken her" answers the Queen. "Prince Michael is engaged to be married. He must give an heir to the kingdom. Sadie will make an excellent future maid to the future heir."

With another snap, Michael and his sister disappear.

"You will never see Michael again. For your sultriness, I'm cursing all your descendants. They will never marry. If they do, they will find themselves divorced and back to this house. None of you will ever remember your magical powers, or ever find a way to lasting happiness. If they do, they will find themselves divorced and back to this house. None of you will ever remember your magical powers, nor a way to lasting happiness."

With a flick of her fingers, the family found themselves asleep.

...

Claire woke up to the baby crying. She nurses Luna, then goes downstairs to find Sandra staring at her bowl of untouched cereal.

"Mom, I cannot help but feel as if we are missing someone. As if there are people here that are no longer here."

Claire put her hand on her daughter.

"I know" she whispers.

The days would now be long and grueling. Whatever magic had existed was over.