of the elders acted like she wasnât there.
Kary and Cinder were nice, but Alida could tell they were a little uneasy around her too.
Everyone was.
Alida didnât blame them. It wasnât just because the villagers had seen her and knew the faeries had come home. She was
different
. She had grown up by herself, locked in a castle tower. Her best friend was a human boy and she missed him every day. That was very hard for the other faeries to understand.
Gavin and his grandmother lived in Ruth Oakesâs cottage near Ash Grove. It wasnât that far away, but she couldnât go visit him. And he was afraid to visit her.
Lord Dunravenâs great-grandfather had made the cruel law long ago. Friendship between faeries and humans was still forbidden. They were not allowed even to
talk
to each other.
Alidaâs family tried to obey the law. They had moved to a meadow far from this one, in a place where no humans lived. They had stayed there a long, long time until Alidaâs mother had realized the faeries couldnât be happyâor healthyâanywhere but here.
So they had come home, traveling at night, following hidden forest paths. Gavin had helped them move back.
Almost all the faeries had come to like him very much. But they were still afraid to have him come visit.
âAlida?â
She turned at the sound of her motherâs voice.
âHave you seen your sister?â
âTerraâs helping Aldous and his family,â an elder faerie answered before Alida could.
âThank you, William,â Alidaâs mother called as she turned away, walking fast.
Today, like most days, she was dressed in plain clothes. She would work alongside everyone else.
If Lord Dunravenâs guards ever rode into the meadow looking for the queen of the faeries, they wouldnât be able to tell which one she was.
Alidaâs mother was always busy. Every single argument, every problem, every decision, was her concern.
Almost
every decision.
Alida lowered her head so no one could see the worry in her eyes.
Kary and Cinder were nice, but Alida could tell they were a little uneasy around her too.
Everyone was.
Alida didnât blame them. It wasnât just because the villagers had seen her and knew the faeries had come home. She was
different
. She had grown up by herself, locked in a castle tower. Her best friend was a human boy and she missed him every day. That was very hard for the other faeries to understand.
Gavin and his grandmother lived in Ruth Oakesâs cottage near Ash Grove. It wasnât that far away, but she couldnât go visit him. And he was afraid to visit her.
Lord Dunravenâs great-grandfather had made the cruel law long ago. Friendship between faeries and humans was still forbidden. They were not allowed even to
talk
to each other.
Alidaâs family tried to obey the law. They had moved to a meadow far from this one, in a place where no humans lived. They had stayed there a long, long time until Alidaâs mother had realized the faeries couldnât be happyâor healthyâanywhere but here.
So they had come home, traveling at night, following hidden forest paths. Gavin had helped them move back.
Almost all the faeries had come to like him very much. But they were still afraid to have him come visit.
âAlida?â
She turned at the sound of her motherâs voice.
âHave you seen your sister?â
âTerraâs helping Aldous and his family,â an elder faerie answered before Alida could.
âThank you, William,â Alidaâs mother called as she turned away, walking fast.
Today, like most days, she was dressed in plain clothes. She would work alongside everyone else.
If Lord Dunravenâs guards ever rode into the meadow looking for the queen of the faeries, they wouldnât be able to tell which one she was.
Alidaâs mother was always busy. Every single argument, every problem, every decision, was her concern.
Almost
every decision.
Alida lowered her head so no one could see the worry in her eyes.
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