The farther they’d gone from Orkney, the more the world around them bloomed.
Spring was supposed to be a time of celebration, the hard work of autumn and winter finally slowing down as the summer moons winking closer. There were still nights to fill with aurora; there were still branches to frost and coarse winter coats to brush through. But the subtle flawing had once meant renewal and rest. Now, the green world was an alien world, the humidity sticky on the back of Atta’s neck. When they stopped for sleep, huddling in badger dens or in bird nests, that humidity coated Atta’s throat and she swore, she couldn’t breathe.
She always closed her eyes and counted, running her thumb over the lines of her own palm until she found the rhythm of her own heart again.
When they arrived to Enchantra, that tightness in her throat returned. Atta’s gaze darted from tree to tree, her delicate wings folded yet still trembling, like she could dart into the sky at any second. The forest was freshly wet from a spring rain, so everything looked so impossibly green and tasted like soil with every breath she took. She clung to Dot’s hand, like a breeze could rip her away.
She clung tighter when the first Scout arrived, even though this should be a sign of hope. Of relief.
She wished she could close her eyes and find something from Orkney Hollow to help her. Royals visited each other’s Hollows all the time, she knew this in the same way she knew that summer followed spring. But she was empty inside. It was like telling herself that fairies had once walked on the moon.
“Queen Clarion only leaves the Hollow on official business,” spoke one of the scouts. “But we can take you to her.” She glanced at her friend. “Fury, alert Queen Clarion of King Milori’s presence– here, follow us–”
As the second scout darted away, the first fluttered into the air.
At once, Milori’s careful mask darkened, his eyes flicking away. Her King had always known how to stay composed. Wasn’t that part of their talent– a Royal, knowing everything, learned the art of revealing just enough so they could hold the weight of the rest. The Orkney fairies all glanced at each other as the silence ticked another second, and this second was the heaviest of all. Their King–ashamed of his wings.
Atta wanted to close her eyes. Instead, she spoke for them. “We don’t have enough dust to fly,” Atta said. “And our King is injured.”
The scout frowned and lowered back down to the ground. “I see,” said the Scout. Her eyes instantly softened. “Is this your whole Hollow then?”
The scout nodded again. “Don’t worry,” she reassured. “I’ll go fetch a few more of my troop. We’ll make sure you get to our Hollow safely. Just wait here for a couple more flits.”
The Scout darted back into the trees and Atta let out another breath. She reached forward and took Milori’s hand, squeezing it gently as this strange new world rustled around them, watching them just as they watched it.
It didn’t take long for the scout to return with several more, and an animal-talent as well. They couldn’t yet use the dust from this Hollow without talking to the Queen, but they all boarded the backs of squirrels in order to make the rest of the journey. When they arrived, they were taken straight to the Pixie Dust Tree– tall and thick and beautifully brown, reminding Atta of rye bread. Yet the tree was alive, glowing from the inside out, and full of heartbeat. Atta breathed sharply as soon as she saw it, feeling the emptiness of her own hands, the smallness of her own body. When she looked back at her Orkney fairies, she knew they must feel the same, their eyes filled with tears.
They walked slowly up the winding staircases of the tree, up and up, deeper and deeper. Inside the tree, Atta breathed easily.
Finally, two heavy doors were pushed open and the Orkney fairies entered into the Queen’s corridors.
Atta held back, letting Milori take the lead again. She stood behind her sister and tried to disappear, though her eyes watched everything.
It was a rarity for things to surprise Clarion. Many things were predictable: the change of the seasons, when fairies would be readying for their placements and so on. The Hollow had its routines, and it wasn’t often that something changed it. Her own routine for the day would likely have been going over plans for the summer, possibly making a visit to the tinker workshop and convening with the past royals. She had her system.
But then Fury came rushing in rambling about King Milori and other Orkney fairies. Despite the many years it had been since she had last seen him, it still made her heart beat a little faster, even if only for a moment. There had been a lot of emotion there, though Clarion was happy to say that she had pushed it back, far back and only let herself think on it on the rarest occasion. She didn’t regret the decisions she made.
Not even now that she was face to face with Milori and his fairies in her throne room. She straightened up in her seat, taking a long moment to study Milori, the exhaustion on his face…on all of their faces really. She ignored the brief flash of a memory, an evening spent somewhere between her Hollow and his and being held in his arms, brushing it aside before it could really take root.
“Your majesty, I must say I am surprised to see you here.” Clarion spoke up finally, eyebrows furrowing as she glanced over at the girls huddling up close to each other, the group in general look as if…as if something dreadful had happened. “What can I….what can the Hollow do for you?”
Milori had felt so many things over the weeks since they’d left what was left of Orkney Hollow behind. Grief over the loss of his people. Worry for the few that were left. Shame over the state of his wings and his magic. He was a hollow version of what he once was—merely a husk of a fairy, unworthy of the title of “king”.
But in spite of the near crippling sorrow and pain, an old familiar flutter stirred in him as they followed the scouts to the throne room. It had been many years since they’d parted ways and yet—as the doors parted and he saw her perched on her throne gazing evenly back at them—it felt like barely a day had passed since they’d last shared a quiet sunrise awakening together, safe and at peace in each other’s arms.
Out of sheer necessity, he shoved those thoughts back and maintained his smooth, professional mask—he may but barely a whisper of magic left to him, but some parts of his royal talent were simply engrained into his very being.
“My apologies for our unexpected arrival, your majesty,” he started with a respectful nod. His voice was quiet, but clear as he strived to keep the brokenness and grief from creeping into his tone. “But I am afraid that contact was very much impossible as a great tragedy has befallen our hollow.” He paused, his eyes darkened as he considered how best to explain without causing more pain to Atta and the others. None of them needed to relive those memories if at all possible.
“Suffice it to say that Orkney Hollow is no more, and we—” he glanced back, meeting Atta’s gaze and gesturing to his fairies as he continued, “are here to humbly request refuge here in your hollow.”