fairies twirled in a strange dance right in the air.
«When he comes, I will enchant him with my fragrance,» hummed the lilac fairy, in whose hair and skin sprouted bunches of purple and white lilacs. «For the rose is no longer here, and lilac is the most beautiful flower after the rose.»
«No, jasmine is the prettiest,» objected the jasmine fairy. «He’ll like me better.»
«He didn’t notice you last time, and he flirted with me,» boasted the rhododendron fairy. «He loves my flowers.»
«But not you,» the magnolia fairy said cheekily.
«But he didn’t flirt with you at all!»
«It is exactly! I’m going to fly up to him first tonight. Everyone knows he respects bold women. Rose charmed him with her courage, but she’s not here right now. There’s a vacancy!»
They must mean the Rose Fairy, Flora decided to herself.
Because of some gentleman who was not at the ball yet, the beautiful fairies were ready to fight in flight. They were already sharpening their claws when the gold coin fairy flew past them, her outfit and jewelry literally jingling. She glanced disdainfully at the gardening community and snorted:
«What makes you so sure he’ll join in the fun tonight?»
«He hasn’t missed a single fairy masquerade since he ascended the throne,» the exuberant garden fairies replied in unison. It seemed to Flora that now they were going to fight with the coin fairy, because they saw her as a rival.
«Today he has to choose a new friend, and it will not be you,» said the fairy of the burdock fairy with a belligerent brow.
«He shouldn’t! He doesn’t owe anything to any of us, but we’re only here as long as he lets us,» the coin fairy flew past with her chin held up proudly. Coins sprinkled from her hem and lined the floor in a glittering path. Flora bent down and picked up one of the coins. It bore the image of a dragon on one side and a crown on the other.
Curious, what country are such coins from? Flora still hadn’t seen such coinage anywhere.
«Who are they waiting for?»
«It is the most beautiful emperor in the world,» answered the elf.
«A mortal emperor is coming to the fairies’ masquerade?»
«No, he is not mortal, of course,» the elf even laughed. «When did mortals survive here?»
Flora even took offense. Does he think she’s a fairy? She had no wings, but the forget-me-nots on her corset wrapped around her back as if to hide her folded wings.
Some fairies folded their wings like a cape as they walked around the hall, while others spread their wings out to take up more space.
«There are not enough cavaliers here,» Flora remarked as the elf spun her around in a dance.
Many fairies danced with each other or in round dances. They didn’t care that they were alone, for soon someone would come for whom they were all ready to compete.
«Soon this masquerade will turn into a fairy tournament,» the elf said, «but I believe you will win.»
«But I don’t want to take part in the competition, no matter what it’s for,» Flora shuddered at the sight of the delicate fairies’ sharp claws. «I’m not willing to sacrifice myself for even the best prize.»
«It is nonsense! You don’t have to sacrifice anyone. All it takes is for him to see you, and you’ll be a winner again.»
«Is it again?»
«When you become Empress, appoint me as your advisor,» the elf said, as if he hadn’t heard her and was babbling on and on. «I have long wanted to take a high post at the magical court, but there is so much competition! I’m always being passed over.»
«And you’re counting on my help?»
«I realized a long time ago that honest magic won’t get you closer to the throne! Alas, even in the magical world, everything is by proxy.»
Flora sighed. The elf would be very disappointed when he realized that she wouldn’t be of any use to him. He might even try to cast a spell on her.
«You have me confused with someone else,» she hinted cautiously.
«You can’t be confused with anyone, even if your mask is perfect.»
What mask does he mean? Was it the one that squinted slyly in her hand and winked repeatedly? Or some other mask?
Flora didn’t like that the elf was looking at her as if her very body was a mask. At her own risk, she put the mask to her face. It stuck to her skin like a wet leaf. It was really trying to blend in with Flora’s face. Good thing the mask was on a holder. A tug on it and she let out a disappointed gasp. She had to give up her position.
«I smell mortal!» The flameless fairy widened her nostrils predatorily.
«Is it here?» The violet fairy said. «I don’t think so.»
«I’m not wrong.»
«But tonight is not hunting night. The gates are closed to humans.»
«Maybe someone slipped in by accident, or maybe the Dark Lord sent us a gift.»
The rumors spread throughout the hall, and soon the gathering of fairies was buzzing like a beehive.
One fairy, flying by in search of a mortal guest, hit Flora with her wing.
Somehow the fairies had failed to denounce her. Could they really have mistaken her for a fairy? How could that be? Out of caution, Flora put the mask to her face. The mask became hot. Flora felt that the mask wanted to hide her from the predatory fairies.
It’s not nice to wear a mask that makes faces over your face and gives off frivolous smiles, but there’s nothing to be done.
«Why did I have to come here?» Flora berated herself.
It was as if the fairies had gone blind. They couldn’t find one ordinary girl among the whole magical gathering. Serves them right! While they were looking for her, they should get away from here. The elf might well carry her back on his wings. Was the elf was on her side? Flora was beginning to doubt him. He seemed to value the dream of his own elevation more than her safety.
A witty thought occurred to one fairy, and she began to whisper it to everyone.
«Let’s take off! All are at once!»
Why would they do that? Flora didn’t realize right away. It was only when the swarm of fairies took to the air that she stood alone on the floor. You can’t fly without wings!
«She’s mortal!» As the fairies unmasked her, the mask gasped. She was good for nothing. And it was vouched for by Donatello himself, the great master of magic masks.
«Perhaps the mask is not his work, or perhaps I didn’t pay him enough,» said the worried elf.
The fairies pounced on Flora as a pack.
«Stop it! She’s my companion,» the elf tried to protect her.
Flora was relieved. Well, at least she had an elf on her side! Too bad the elf’s defense was nothing, against a whole pack of clawed and winged beauties. They showed great aggression.
«Mortal! Come to steal our suzerain!»
«Let’s eat her alive!»
«All Earth girls are so clever!»
«She came here on a day like this! And you led her through the guards!» One fairy clutched at the elf’s hair. She called a kraken sleeping in the water under the palace windows, which woke up from the fairies’ cries and swarmed with its tentacles in the water. If it wrapped its tentacles around the palace, it would be the end of everyone. Or rather, she’s the only