Once upon a time, on a beautiful morning, when the birds and bees were heralding the arrival of spring, I found myself alone; in a place, that was my home. It wasn’t long before I realised, I knew a warm and handsome guy who was in the mood for an adventure. He is a curious, loyal and dauntless sort of a fellow. A perfect companion when setting out for an adventure.

So, we stepped out from the confines of the castle. I tucked a few violet tulips in the folds of my white skirt of lace. A sign of good luck, that we would arrive back safe.

 

 

Across the stormy sea we sailed. The waves showered us with the deepest blue saphires. Under the sun, they sparkled, glazing our eyes. We steered clear of a perilous cave jutting out of a rogue island. What monsters lay within, I shudder to think. My companion nuzzled my neck, as I bent over peering into the swallowing darkness of the far off cave. Hot blood rushed through his veins, but his nose was soft and his touch tender. I knew he would protect me if need be.

Suddenly, a splash sounded in my ears. My brave, reckless companion had dived in to get me some gems. In a red cart, we pushed along our first heist of the day. He pointed at some kryptonite stalagmites. I chided him, with a twittering laugh. “Silly, we aren’t in a comic book story. We are in a fairytale“, I said. He stared at me with adoring eyes. The iris black and mysterious.

He walked ahead of me. Under the cool shade of trees. For miles around there was no one in sight. Should we go west or simply turn right?

We had made it to the Land of Flowers. The queen was a benevolent frail old woman. She came to greet us, offering a drink and respite from the growing heat. She was directing her gardeners to clean up the dried old vestiges of autumn and winter.

We lingered around, enjoying the hustle-bustle of work and shouts of men carrying away withering logs. Little girls brought jars made of glass. As sunlight shone on them, tiny beetles started to yawn in some and butterflies fluttered sleepily in others. An invisible bard serenaded us with a song. I was tempted to burst into a dance.

 

 

 

 

 

It was time for the final ceremony. The planting of the Prince of Orange, the successor of the Kingdom of Flowers. The tiny baby seed was selected and sowed into the earth. His mother waited. So did the subjects. Before our eyes, the orange fire bloomed.

I curtseyed and my companion bowed down low. There were cheers in all directions. But, we had dallied enough in the safety of colours and fragrance.

We bid adieu. Eager to enter the next realm of unknown wonder.

 

 A dark jungle lay under the path we tread. Pixies and unicorns had fled. We walked in silence. Careful, not to crumble dried leaves or kick stray twigs, with our feet.

My companion wanted to take a rather dangerous looking turn. I implored and pulled him close. He growled but, kept by my side.

The wind was howling now. The branches dipped down, shaking away evil spirits latching onto them. One sharp branch slashed against my arm. We ran, not daring to see if we were followed.

A subtle change of scenery greeted our eye. This part of the jungle was not menacing. The trees had cleared a bit and sunlight streamed in. We rested, catching our breath.

Nearby, a group of wood nymphs lazed. They were celebrating something. A little baby nymph wanted to join the curvaceous nubile others. Her elder sister was exceptionally rude and mean to the little nymph.

“Please”, she implored. “Let me join you”. The elder sister was unmoved. She huffed, puffed and flipped her hair. The vines that were bound to her golden braid scattered. I was sad and helpless. My companion pulled and heaved and made sure we didn’t delay to leave.

 

 

A landscape of torrid unending dunes of sand threatened us. Travellers had been swallowed by the hungry heat. Their belongings lay strewn across the uninhabited wasteland. I sighed, too exhausted to walk across. A mirage of a meadow simmered before my eyes and fade away.

I didn’t need to worry after all. My companion found me a carriage. We travelled swiftly through the desert, towards the mirage. Or was it one?

At the far end was the Land of Meadows. Weeds were preserved here. So what, if they were different? Their beauty was admired. Peaceful white and bright yellow peppered the verdant green. It was a sight to behold.

We were close to our destiny. My nerves hummed excitement and the inevitability of a happy end. My companion had grown talkative. He chased away a black winged creature. I had a feeling the creature was harmless, but one never can quite tell with certainty. Since, black winged creatures that swoop down from the skies are known to pick at child’s innocent eyes and carry back messages to the dark lords and evil witches that hide our of sight.

We had arrived at the treasure at last! In a nondescript wooden box they lay. Words of wisdom, sentences of valour, paragraphs of fantasy and tomes of love. All lay waiting to be claimed by us. We filled our cart with as much treasure as we could. My companion and I walked back.

All was well, until our next big adventure.

 

AARWEN’S INDEX