vortex she turned into was purple.
«Roses are not for her!» She could hear the fairies whispering even after they were gone.
«Well, don’t!» Gloria took offense. «I don’t really like roses. I prefer fragrant jasmine.»
As if by magic, the bed suddenly bloomed with fragrant jasmine. Gloria wiped her eyes in disbelief. Now this bed was safe to sleep on. After all, jasmine has no thorns. She would be able to get a good night’s sleep. Thank the fairies!
Magical neighbors
No one said a word about the night’s battle with the fairies. The corpses of the sentries were removed before Gloria woke up. The knights greeted her but remained silent.
Let them hide! She herself did not say a word to anyone about sleeping on a bed of jasmine flowers. By the way, it was a pleasure to sleep on it. The jasmine was fragrant, soft and gentle. This is truly the bed of fairies! And by coincidence, it was given to an ordinary girl.
In the morning Gloria went to visit Janet, who lived in a spacious apartment full of toys, where she was left to herself all day. She had probably once been tutored by teachers, for in one of the rooms hung a blackboard, which was now used only for entertainment. Today, the chalkboard was scrawled with fanciful symbols and silhouettes of centaurs.
Gloria noticed that Janet no longer had any babysitters or governesses. They must have all fled the place, afraid of the devilish things going on in the castle.
«Would you like a lesson in etiquette?» Gloria offered kindly, but there was no response.
Janet plucked another doll as if it were a chicken. What predatory instincts this beautiful girl has!
Gloria gently ruffled the child’s hair.
«Don’t dare!» The child was outraged. «I am the future queen of fairies!»
«What a fantasy!»
«It’s not fantasy.»
«Well, it’s fairy tales.»
She was sure the child has heard too many fairy tales.
«You’re so stupid!» Janet snorted, as if she were the teacher and Gloria the student.
«Fairies are creepy creatures,» Gloria admitted grudgingly. «Did you know that?»
«It is not all of them!»
«Have you ever met one in person?»
Janet hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should confess.
«Flower fairies are very nice creatures,» she said. «Only rose fairies are prickly, like roses themselves.»
«Is it literally or figuratively?»
«Both.»
«That is, they are thorny, and their temper is angry, fiery, in a word, prickly as a thorn.»
Now she was starting to play along with a cranky child. Gloria wondered to herself. Did she doubt the existence of rose fairies when roses miraculously braided all over her bed. In Gloria’s bedroom, at least, there was no watering can from which to water them.
«Rose fairies appear where strong feelings have developed between humans and nonhumans. Human couples don’t interest them, but once a guy falls in love with a fairy, or an elf falls in love with a mortal girl, the fairies start watching the affair develop.»
Janet was thinking like an adult. Gloria was even frightened. Either the child was smart beyond her years, or some ancient spirit was speaking through Janet’s lips, inhabiting the child’s body. If so, it must be exorcized. Gloria had heard of rituals to exorcise spirits and changelings. She’d have to fry an eggshell sometime and see how Janet reacted. If she’s a changeling, she’ll give herself away in no time.
The writing on the board suddenly changed. The images of centaurs were gone. There was the silhouette of a fairy tormenting a knight.
«It’s Elves’ writing,» Janet explained. «To you, they probably look like unreadable hieroglyphics.»
«You should learn Aluar’s language, not Elves’,» Gloria said admonishingly, «because I could take you to Aluar.»
«But there are Elves here, not in Aluar.»
«Are there Elves?»
Janet nodded scientifically.
«What crazy teacher taught you lessons about elves? I hope he’s been fired by now.»
«That teacher’s name is life.»
«I thought it was one of those drunken knights who passed off fairy tales as reality.»
«You’ve seen fairies yourself, and you don’t believe there’s magic here.»
That may be true, but a child can’t believe that or she’ll grow up to be a freak.
«If I told you I don’t believe in magic,» Gloria began.
«I wouldn’t believe you.»
«Why it is not?»
«You’ve already seen our neighbors.»
«Do you say neighbors?» She actually calls fairies neighbors!
«We have magical neighbors, except for King Ilior, but even he often gets a visit from the Queen of the Black Fairies right in the throne room.»
«Your father has a pact with her?»
«And so does the king. You have to make pacts with your magical neighbors.»
«Or…?»
«Or else we’re all gone.»
The writing on the board has changed again.
«Stop it!»
«I’m not the one writing the chalk,» Janet snorted resentfully.
«Then who is? Fior?»
«No, it is someone else.»
The signs on the board were turning into hieroglyphics.
«My teachers say you’re bothering them. You’re interrupting class.»
Gloria was stunned.
«Your father promised you to the elves in payment for peace with them, so you are learning the elves’ language?» Gloria guessed.
«How naive you are!»
And this is coming from a child!
«You said yourself that magical neighbors have to make concessions.»
«Not always! Sometimes you can get along with them. Would you like me to teach you?»
Gloria shook her head no and darted for the door. She felt as if the paws of some invisible creature were at her throat, strangling her. Near the door, the sensation passed, but a monstrous shadow scurried along the wall.
«I’ll go!» Instead of words, a wheeze came from Gloria’s throat, as if she had just been strangled.
«You’ll do the right thing,» Janet said with a nod. «It’s best not to interrupt a magic lesson.»
The door slammed shut behind Gloria as loudly as if it had been pulled down by a giant. There was a menacing hiss from the walls, and Gloria could hear it:
«Get out!»
She had to go to her niece with a sword. How had she not guessed that Janet might have unholy guests living with her! It was too late to correct the mistake.
Gloria clenched her fists and thought gloatingly that once she learned to fight properly, she’d have the place in order.
«To do that, you’ll have to learn magic,» whispered the annoying voice of Fior, who, of course, was nowhere to be seen.
Gloria went to look for him in the tapestry room, and on the way