Prin grabbed Valor and Elwin’s hands, clutching them tightly and holding on for dear life. “It’s here!” he said in a loud stage whisper.

“The fairy has red wings to match with Aster’s hair.” Elwin added.

“Bright red, like a drop of blood on fresh snow.” Prin said breathlessly.

“Shh, quiet down.” Aster mumbled. “Don’ make me regret giving you that key.”

The fairy hovered in the air before them, and Prin could swear it was looking directly at him. Making eye contact. He wondered if Aster had a magnifying glass. It had been a mistake not to bring one. But in the depths of his heart he had thought they would never see this fascinating bug again, and all questions would remain unanswered, threads of curiosity forever dangling.

“We-this is our friend, Valor.” Prin told it. “He can’t see you, but he very much wanted to meet you.”

Aster burrowed further into her pillows. “What time is it? No- never mind. Just wanna sleep.”

Since the fairy showed no signs of flying off or hiding, at least not yet, Prin dropped Elwin’s hand and flattened Valor’s, stretching it out before them to make a landing stage for the fairy.

If he couldn’t see it, at least he could feel it. Maybe. Or was this too soon?

The fairy started towards them slowly.

“Just hold still, whatever you do.” Prin urged Valor.

“If you already know this fairy, then you should really properly introduce us.” Elwin told Aster, his tone lightly teasing.

The bright red thing flew closer to them, gliding effortlessly forward like a song in the breeze, and a collective breath was pulled in as it landed on Valor’s outstretched hand.

“Barely feels like anything.” Valor said softly. “Hello.”

“Huh?!” Aster sat up suddenly, tossing her pillows aside and giving them a cartoonishly wide eyed look. “What the hell is that?”

The bug took flight again, and to Prin’s surprise it was the startler herself that it flew towards.

“Whoa.” Aster said. “This is one weird dream.”

“No it’s not.” Prin said. “We brought it -her? Home from the party. Accidentally. But that’s pretty much all we know.”

“Dream Prin would say that.” Aster said.

“She likes you.” Prin said. “She seems attached to you.”

“You mean you haven’t noticed anything before now? Nothing strange?” Elwin asked.

“Well there has been a lot going on . . . What’s a butterfly or two?” Aster asked.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Are you lying?” Valor asked.

“What are you even doing here?” Aster countered. She lounged back on the bed, replacing the pillows behind herself and fluffing them up, stretching out her legs in their ruffly bloomers. “Oh no, wait, nothing happened to your father, did it? I don’t think I could take that too right now, on top of everything . . .”

The fairy perched itself on top of Aster’s head, once again blending itself with the surrounding curls almost seamlessly.

“No, he’s fine.” Valor tilted his head in Prin’s direction. Although Prin was not sure what he wanted him to do.

“Don’t be cross with us.” Prin said. “We saw the fairy the other day when we were here, that’s why we came back here looking for it. We just didn’t have a chance to tell you about it then.” Prin worried they were out of line showing up here so early. In fact, he knew they were.

“I’m not cross.” Aster said.

“Yes you are.” Elwin said.

Aster stuck her tongue out at Elwin before turning back to Prin. “I could never be angry with you, bunny. Come here.”

Aster stretched out her arms to Prin and Prin went to her. He got on the bed and gratefully accepted the hug. Also taking the opportunity to get his face (probably unwisely) close to the fairy.

A jewel colored butterfly, red wings looking like the inside of a blood orange. It wouldn’t look all that out of place hitching a ride with Aster anywhere she went. If noticed, it would just look like an additional decorative element in one of Aster’s extravagant hair dos.

“I am sorry we woke you.” Prin said. “Valor has been really sick and he just wanted the opportunity to talk to the fairy.”

“You make it sound like I’m dying.” Valor said. “Starting to think there’s something I don’t know.”

Prin ignored him. “We also wanted to check on you, with everything that’s been going on. There were these two men who showed up—”

“O-oh those guys got to you too?” Aster smirked. “I figured they would be too chickenshit to bother Captain Thompson. Preferring to agitate people further down the societal food chain. So to speak.”

“How did that work out for them?” Elwin wanted to know.

At the same time Prin said. “They agitated us alright.”

Aster laughed. “Jules is still in a mood. Over the whole – you know.” She made a gesture toward Valor as though to say, Little ears and all that.

Prin, who waffled between whether he considered Valor a child or not, but knew it was too late to shield him from tales of murder and bloodshed, just shrugged.

Elwin sat down at the foot of the bed, guiding Valor by the hand to sit beside him.

Valor, who was being rather uncharacteristically quiet and was probably very tired, allowed it.

“Anyway, so Jules was feeling protective, I guess, and wouldn’t allow me to be interviewed without him present.” Aster rolled her eyes. “As if I couldn’t handle those two wannabees.”

Prin couldn’t help but approve of Jules decision. As much as it pained him. But he would never say so. He nodded.

“My father did something similar.” Valor said. “Did they say who sent them?” He turned his hand over and back. Seeming distracted by contemplation of the fairy who was sitting in his palm, if only for a second.

Prin wondered, did it feel like holding the head of a dandelion when it gets all fluffy and white? Or a little heavier than that.

“Freya has-- had some powerful friends off island.” Aster said. “Apparently they were already on their way when she was still just missing.”

Prin leaned closer to Aster’s hair, breathing in the scent of roses and lavender, as well as something faintly chemical. A curl tickled his nose. He wondered if the fairy would get angry, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop.

“Hey, are you trying to kiss me or what?” Aster giggled.

“Whatever I do all I can make out is the wings, and I have pretty sharp eyesight. I think. They look like velvet.” And it was true, Prin’s eyelashes practically touched the edge of one tiny jewel toned wing and he still couldn’t make out the body of the creature. He half expected a naked person in perfect miniature, with green skin and glowing eyes. And half expected the efficient, delicate, shiny black body of an insect. Either way he was thwarted.

It finally occurred to him that it was all by design. “Ah, keep your privacy little bug.” He said. “It was rude of me to even try.”