Silverbell stands up and flies to the bedroom doors. "You need some rest... I will return to His Majesty."
My tongue tumbles over my words as he leaves. "Wait, but—Silverbell! I need—"
Silverbell slams the doors shut.
"...to go outside," I finish my sentence, my head crashing into a pillow. I close my eyes and sigh, hoping these overwhelming feelings will fade.
What do I do now? Is it acceptable to sneak out of the Silver Palace?
Perhaps Elder Faerie has palace guards patrolling. Either way, White Lily is out there, and I want to help her in battle.
I have to get out of this palace.
I get up from the bed, stifling my violent coughs whenever the urge arises. I need to remain silent so I don't get sent back.
I creak open the bedroom doors and peek outside. Initially, I expected to see guards, but there were none in sight. Perhaps they are all at the Silver Tree.
White Lily.
Oh, White Lily. I truly hope she is safe out there.
I shake my head, reminding myself to stay focused.
I tiptoe out of the bedroom and gently close the doors behind me. They hardly make a sound as they click shut.
A violent cough booms down the hallway, startling me. I nearly knock over a Silver Tree Knight's armor, which wobbles precariously, threatening to crash to the ground.
A sensible Cookie might return to the bedroom. Yet, it's too late for me. I hear the fluttering of Faerie wings approaching, heading towards the silver staircase nearby. If I return to the bedroom, the doors will slam loudly. It will be obvious I tried to sneak out.
The fluttering sounds grow closer, and I recognize them. It's Silverbell. I've heard that sound many times before.
I'm going to get caught.
The urge to cough is overwhelming, but I shoot my hand over my mouth, muffling the sound as the wings draw nearer.
As expected, it's Silverbell. He flies down the silver staircase, and soon he'll spot me outside my bedroom. I wonder why he is heading outside... wasn't he supposed to stay with Elder Faerie?
I quickly tiptoe out of Silverbell's sight, my hand still covering my mouth. The flutters fade and eventually disappear.
That was close.
I must follow Silverbell to exit the Silver Palace, but I do not want to get caught.
Another cough from earlier booms across the hallway, and it sounds familiar.
Elder Faerie!
Perhaps I'll stay with Elder Faerie, now that Silverbell left. I follow Elder Faerie's coughs in hopes of finding where he is.
~
I end up in front of a grand bedroom—I can tell from the doors. They are silver and floor-to-ceiling tall. The Silver Tree is carved across the bedroom doors.
This must be Elder Faerie's bedroom.
I gently open the door and peek inside, searching for any sight of Elder Faerie.
I spot his legs resting on a grand bed. I open the doors even wider and allow myself to step inside the bedroom.
Once I enter, I physically flinch. The silver in the room threatens to blind me every time I move. I look out the floor-to-ceiling windows next to Elder Faerie's bed, noticing the sky. Instead of the crimson-red sky earlier, it has returned to its normal hue.
Is the calamity over?
"Pure Vanilla..." Elder Faerie's cough interrupts my thoughts. My gaze switches to him. "How did you... get here?"
I have no choice but to tell him the truth. "The Faeries took me here so I could rest," I stammer. "Isn't Silverbell supposed to stay with you?"
"I told Silverbell to..." He coughs. "I told him to bring White Lily... here. I merely asked for..." He coughs again. "Her in my palace."
White Lily.
I wonder what has happened to her. I need to hurry, but I can't leave Elder Faerie alone...
"White Lily? Why do you need her, Your Majesty?" I ask, walking closer to him.
"Pure Vanilla..." Elder Faerie blinks away tears. "I can sense my Life Powder slowly drifting away... I requested her here... so I may discuss some matters with her."
What?
I stand motionless, unable to soak in his words.
Every Cookie knows that less power means less Life Powder. A low amount of Life Powder is fatal for a Cookie.
I thought Elder Faerie was... immortal. He walked on Earthbread for eons. I never thought death would ever get a grasp of him.
He notices how stunned I am. "What's the matter...?"
Remembering White Lily's revival, I shake my head. "Why did you revive White Lily to fix the shackles when she crumbled from it?"
"I brought her back to life with a reason, Pure Vanilla..." He sighs. "If... When I crumble... my remaining Life Powder will be given to her... she will have enough to mend the Silver Tree's vines.".
"Your Majesty, don't say you'll crumble," I try to reassure him. I rush to Elder Faerie and hold his hand, my heart growing heavy. "You are immortal—a gift from the Witches. Do not say that," I frown. "What will the Faeries do without you?"
"White Lily is fit to continue my legacy... she has led this kingdom to prosperity..." He stares at the ceiling with sadness. It is the first time I've seen him vulnerable. "The kingdom can live without me... I have no use."
My breath hitches.
During my entire time staying in the Faerie Kingdom, all of the Faeries interpreted Elder Faerie as a confident and strong Faerie.
This moment proves me wrong. Yet, he is understandable.
"How are you useless?" I say. "You have ruled this kingdom for centuries and guarded the Seal... you brought White Lily back to life...!"
A tear rolls down his cheek. His small tear is capable of ripping my heart into two. "Do you want to know the purpose of my life... Pure Vanilla...?" He coughs.
I nod, a lump in my throat preventing me from saying anything.
"When the Silver Tree was still a sapling, the Witches entrusted me to protect the Silver Tree and the Faerie Kingdom. Ever since my birth, Earthbread experienced peace like never before."
The Faerie Kingdom knows that.
Where is he going with this?
"As gratitude, the Witches blessed me: the Faerie Kingdom, my powers, and bestowed upon me the Faerie King crown. I gained my title, the Guardian of the Silver Tree. Their blessings were everything... I admired their trust, so I vowed to them that I would never fail."
"Why didn't you fix the shackles instead?" I ask, confused. "If the Witches blessed you, you certainly had the power to create the First Seal. Creating a seal requires all of your Life Powder, and mending the seal requires the same amount."
"Indeed... my amount of Life Powder was one of the Witches' blessings. I was young... and my amount of Life Powder was beyond average. As I grew in age, my Life Powder was growing weary... I was unable to mend the Silver Tree. My Life Powder was weary by the time White Lily first arrived here," he says. "I am willing to die for the Silver Tree... yet, as I said, my Life Powder is insufficient."
In the last sentence, I sense Elder Faerie's heart shatter like glass. He begins to sob and his voice falters as he speaks.
"I... feel like I have betrayed the Witches and my subjects. When White Lily was a mere foreigner within this kingdom, my seal faltered. I couldn't mend the seal, but White Lily did, sacrificing herself to protect us without sparing a thought about herself..."
He wipes his tears. Seeing a strong Faerie like him crying... hurts me.
"The Two Seals are faltering again, and I am still powerless to mend them... Instead of facing my duty... I burdened White Lily and my Silver Tree Knights with what I failed to do," he coughs. "I am the Guardian of the Silver Tree... yet, I allowed myself to become a shadow of the guardian I was supposed to be... My subjects view me as a resilient Faerie, but nobody knows I hate myself."
I stifle a cry. "Indeed, the weight of duty and expectation can be heavy. But remember, even guardians have moments of doubt and struggle," I squeeze his hands. "It takes great courage to admit these feelings, and your vulnerability shows your strength. You've protected and guided so many... including White Lily and the Silver Tree Knights."
Elder Faerie's voice trembles. "I never confessed this to anyone else. Faeries view me as their steadfast king... but I've grown weary of upholding this perfection. I've become a weight of burden on my kingdom, my Silver Tree Knights, and White Lily... It is consuming me whole. When I revived White Lily, I wished I would crumble."