A New Beginning part 13

Visit of the Fairy Queen

The entire household, along with the house elves, was busy cleaning and preparing the house before I could summon Rosalind, the Fairy Queen and my healing spirit. While my body was occupied playing with my pets and Fleur, my mind was engaged in conversation with the Queen. Since I was sharing my vision with her, she couldn't help but ask questions about every little thing. Now, how was I supposed to explain the use of empty teacups in the tea party game I was playing with Fleur? Sniff seemed to enjoy the game, possibly due to the sparkling miniature teacups and utensils.

As the clock struck twelve, the agreed time for summoning Rosalind arrived. Yesterday, I had been worried, knowing I had no magical power of my own. However, the Queen had explained that I could borrow some of her magic for the summoning, as well as access certain abilities of a Guardian Druid, like shapeshifting and nature casting. But she also warned me not to make it a habit, as it was better for my body to get used to its own magic first. This would be the only time I would use her magic to summon her.

Touching my forearm, I spoke the Fairy Queen's name.

A complex magical circle, shimmering in white with golden-reddish hues, formed in front of us. From within it, an elegant lady emerged, her eight translucent wings fluttering lightly. She wore a dazzling green dress adorned with intricate golden designs, and a crown of golden flowers rested upon her head. She was Rosalind, the Fairy Queen.

I turned to see everyone in the room frozen in place, their expressions a mixture of awe and disbelief. The sight was so amusing that I couldn't help but speak up.

"Mom, she's the Fairy Queen," I said loudly.

That seemed to snap them out of their daze, but their reactions were priceless. My uncle, with a rather serious face, extended his hand for a handshake. My father, on the other hand, knelt down on one knee as if taking an oath. My aunt bent forward in a formal bow, while my mother, holding my hand, prostrated herself on the ground. Seeing the four of them greet Rosalind in four completely different ways was too much—I burst into laughter. Even Rosalind seemed momentarily confused, as though unsure of how to respond.

Perhaps my laughter made them realize how ridiculous they looked, as they quickly straightened up, their faces tinged with embarrassment. A few sheepish smiles were exchanged.

The next few hours were spent listening to Rosalind explain the affairs of the fairy realm to my family. Since Fleur and I had already learned most of this from yesterday's tour, we busied ourselves munching on potato fries. I couldn't resist teasing Rosalind while eating.

As she spoke with the elders, I could hear her voice in my mind, asking for a few pieces of fries. Delighted at the opportunity to tease her, I deliberately ignored her request and instead shared my fries with my pets. Rosalind's eyes narrowed in displeasure. Immediately, a telepathic tirade erupted in my head—a full-blown argument complete with mental eye-rolls and accusations of favoritism.

Fries for my fluffy companions, psychic fury from Rosalind. Inner peace? Achieved.

After a while, realizing her telepathic scolding showed no signs of stopping, I decided to relent. I called over the house elves and requested another plate of fries. Picking it up, I walked toward Rosalind, who, upon sensing my intention, eagerly thanked me in my mind even before I placed the plate down. However, just as I reached her, I turned at the last moment and set the plate in front of Aunt Apolline instead.

Rosalind froze. Her words died mid-sentence, her eyes widening in disbelief. Even the telepathic chatter in my head went silent. The other members around the table looked puzzled at the sudden pause in her speech.

Fleur, sensing the shift in atmosphere, delivered the final blow. "Aunt, are you all right?" she asked, her voice laced with genuine concern.

"Pfft—!" I couldn't hold it in any longer. A burst of laughter escaped me, but I quickly covered my mouth as Rosalind turned her piercing gaze toward me, her expression a mixture of shock and betrayal.

Realizing I might have taken the joke too far, I decided to mend the situation. I fetched another plate of fries and approached her with exaggerated politeness. Bowing slightly, I placed the plate before her with both hands, even going so far as to rest my small chubby hand over my round belly in a formal gesture of respect.

For a moment, Rosalind kept her stern expression, but then her gaze flickered to the warm, crispy fries before her. A smile slowly crept onto her lips.

Crisis averted. The power of fries had won her over.

After munching on a few fries, Rosalind looked at Fleur.

"I am not so old to be called an aunt. You should address me as Rosalind, just like Aimé does. It's not even my real name, so there's no problem calling me that," she said.

"But aren't you over 800 years old? Isn't that too old?" Fleur asked innocently.

I could see blue veins appear on Rosalind's forehead. She was definitely raging with anger. That day, I learned my first lesson in this life—age is a taboo topic for females, irrespective of race.

Uncle Cadmus stepped forward to explain the difference in lifespan, momentarily restoring peace at the table.

At that moment, my mother spoke. "If it's possible, would you tell us about the other two Fairy Queens? After all, knowledge about fairies and spirits is so scarce that it only fills a few pages of a book."

Rosalind responded, "The other two Fairy Queens are my elder sisters, Adeline and Irene. While Adeline is responsible for the continent across the Atlantic, Irene governs the Asiatic landmass. I, on the other hand, have my domain over Europe and Africa. While I am the Queen of Crystal Stream Fairyland, Adeline is the Queen of Rainbow Isle Fairyland, and Irene is the Queen of Emerald Meadow Fairyland. However, all three of us serve as the high priestesses of Goddess Demeter."

In my mind, I couldn't help but ask her telepathically if the thrones were hereditary. She replied that they were not. She explained that all fairies, spirits, and flower fairies look up to Goddess Demeter as their mother. In a way, they all consider each other family.

The entire afternoon was spent with her.

As the sun reached the horizon, casting a reddish-orange glow over the town, Rosalind stood up to leave. Before departing, she grabbed another plate of fries, claiming she would share them with her sisters—though I had my doubts. She left the same way she had arrived.

At that moment, an owl approached the house, perching itself on the window sill of the hall. Fleur quickly went to untie the letter from its leg. The letter was from Mrs. Delle, my grandmother. She had invited all of us to her house next week and asked us to stay for a few days. Fleur was especially excited because it meant we could visit the Veela Village. She had been there when she was very young but remembered nothing of the place. Even my parents seemed happy to see our excitement.

In seven days, we would leave for Grandma's house, and afterward, the DuPont family would depart for the Elven lands. Aunt Apolline quickly wrote a response and tied it back to the owl's leg. As we watched it fly away, I couldn't help but imagine the day I would receive my Hogwarts letter. Since I had recently learned numbers and colors, I finally figured out my birthdate—July 10, 1980. That meant I was the same age as Harry Potter, which meant I would be in school with him. But I was in France, and Hogwarts was in Britain. How would I receive a Hogwarts letter?

Pushing those thoughts to the back of my mind, I turned my attention to the wizard's chessboard in front of me. Fleur and I had no idea how to play, so we simply placed the pieces in random spots and saw them fight. Fortunately, the board had a repairing spell, so no matter how many times the pieces broke during the war, we saw them getting repaired and then we put them back on board for another round of fights. It was hilarious watching them get angry and scold us.

Even Rosalind, who was still connected to my vision, couldn't help but complain telepathically about our chaotic gameplay. But in the end, even she joined in, suggesting new strategies to destroy multiple pieces at once.

After dinner, we went to bed. Before sleeping, I made sure to wish Rosalind a good night. She was delighted to receive it.