Once Again: A Modern Fairy Tale Ch. 3

Chapter 3







Mara’s first photos were simple: the flag stretched out by the wind, students brushing hair out of their eyes, a sea gull seemingly hovering in place on a warm current of air. Eventually she went down to the docks to see what the wind was doing. Fortunately, it was a blustery afternoon, so she was able to get some beautiful shots of sails puffed out, as well as white caps. Back towards the city, she managed to spy a particularly artful arrangement of windswept trash, where it lay up against a chain link fence.

“Edgy… definitely edgy,” she mused in satisfaction. Finally, her wandering brought her back to her own side of town and she was once again standing in front of “The Craftsman’s Majick”.

“Well are you going in or not?” Mara questioned. “Yes, of course I am.”

Inside, the musty Laundromat seemed transformed by magic. It was bright and cheery with swaths of jewel toned silk billowing down the walls. Mara noted shelves neatly stacked with enough beads and baubles to delight any jewelry maker. On another row were paints, and canvas and paper. So thrilling! Mara simply grinned as she took it all in. Eventually she found they did indeed have photography supplies and so with abandon she purchased several items needed to restock her darkroom, and even some she did not. It surprised her when she had to stand in line to make her purchases.

“So he doesn’t work the counter after all,” she whispered in a soft sigh.

Looking about, she saw a tiny red-haired teen straightening items on the shelves. Up at the register an efficient looking woman with sandy brown hair and warm eyes worked, capably scanning and bagging purchases.

“I see you have got an armful,” remarked the woman whose nametag said, “Button”.

Not able to stop herself Mara blurted, “Your name is Button?”

Button replied, “Why yes it is, and a finer name I’ve never had.”

Someone behind Mara sniggered. Blushing prettily, Mara pulled out her debit card and quietly completed her transaction. On her way out the door she muttered. “Well that didn’t go so well.”

“What didn’t go so well?” asked a decidedly smooth voice.

Turning back Mara blushed furiously. He was standing there, next to the wooden wind chimes as the wind once again ruffled his hair and the soft mellow chimes sounded rich and clear. How she missed seeing him there she couldn’t even fathom.

Catching her breath she stammered, “Oh, ah – I – I think I offended your boss.”

“My boss?” he queried with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, I’ve never heard of anyone named Button before…” Mara replied, gaining composure.

“Well never you mind, Button is an old family…” he twisted his lips in thought before continuing with, “friend. And a sweeter lady you will never meet.”

With a nod at her full arms, Aerrvin offered, “Would you like help with your packages? I do believe I am going your way.”

“You are? Sure, I guess I did go overboard. I was just so excited to see all the supplies I needed, and couldn’t help myself.” Mara handed over the larger of the two bags, shifted her backpack to a more comfortable position, and headed up the block. They crossed the street in silence. But Mara could feel his eyes on her from time to time.

“I am somewhat afraid to tell you my name, since you go about offending people for having unusual names…” he started.

Interrupting, Mara injected, “Oh, no whatever name, my name is Mara, Mara Jamis.”

“…and my name is Aerrvin ap Rosewin,” he finished with a half turn. Extinguishing the impulse to bow, he merely flourished his free hand without notice. Facing her to see her reaction he waited, both eyebrows raised, and a slight smile tickling his lips.

Flushed again Mara replied, “That is a name I’ve never heard before, but it suits you. I just noticed you have a slight accent. Where are you from?” 

“My friends and I moved here from Ireland some time back. We’ve got a place out on the peninsula, but I wanted to try my hand as a businessman, so I opened up the craft store. Just to see how things would go.”

Covering her face with one hand, Mara did not think she could be more embarrassed. The store was his!

“Sooo, Button works for you?” She cringed.

Turning up the sidewalk to her townhouse, Mara rang the bell for Jill to open the door instead of fumbling for her key. Trying to look calm she turned to face Aerrvin who still had that slight smile on his delightfully handsome face, he nodded graciously and handed over her bags.

As he turned away he called back, “I’ll see you tonight.”

Just then, Jill opened the door and gushed, “Oh, I see you met the new guy down the street. Isn’t he cute?”

Still mortified Mara moaned, “He’s coming to the party tonight?”



***



Jill’s parties were always a big production. Her friends across the way had giant speakers, which were set up on the patio; they were techno geeks so they could turn on the music and forget it. No sitting around wondering ‘what should we play next?’ They always had a whole evening’s worth of great music programmed in and dancing lights to go with it. Fortunately, the neighborhood was young, so complaints were not a problem.

As a sous chef with intentions of opening her own catering business, Jill’s food was always amazing. The only thing she even allowed Mara to help with was decorating.

“I found inspiration at the craft store for the decorations I am putting up, Jill, I hope you don’t mind. I am hanging these gauzy curtains all around the gazebo. I want to get some great shots of the wind catching the curtains.”

“No problem, kid. Do you want Dougie to set up some of his colored lights to shine on them?” Jill asked, rubbing dough from her fingers into the sink.

“Sure, that would be awesome.”

By 6 p. m. everything looked great. The gazebo already had white Christmas lights spiraling up the columns and around the perimeter of the scrollwork roof. Mara’s Great Aunt Lily had kept a lovely flower garden, and often hosted tea parties with her nieces and grandnieces. As a result, Mara maintained fond memories of the gazebo and ensured that she kept the yard up.

It was small, but very nice considering they were right in the middle of the ever-growing Seattle-Tacoma-Belleview megalopolis. Of course, Spring in Seattle is not really a time to be having outdoor parties with a great amount of success. Rain is to be expected at any given moment, but today had been sunny and the temperature was still seventy-one degrees, truly quite pleasant.

Even so the patio was covered with two oversized French doors connecting the outdoors with the dining hall, which was empty because Mara had sold the antique dining set to pay for this year’s tuition. It left a large area for gathering, should it become too cold. All in all the place was large enough to host thirty or so of their closest neighbors and friends. Which Jill would have done weekly if Mara had not put her foot down; two parties a month maximum.

“Now I’d better get cleaned up,” Mara remarked. “How about you Jill, are you done making all your goodies?”

“Almost, I have one last batch of mini quiches and then I’m done. Just don’t use up all the hot water!” Jill said with a semi scowl.

Quickly Mara ran for the stairs to avoid being hit with the sponge in Jill’s up-raised hand.

Each reveled in using up as much hot water as they could stand, it was really the only contention between them, and even at that they rarely ever ran out.

***

“And what is the dress standard for one of these block parties?” Aerrvin asked his servant Bronwyn, looking skeptically through his closet.

“Well Your Highness, it is not as though you have been invited to Princess Victoria’s birthday party,” Bronwyn replied with regret. “It has been sixty years since our last excursion among Humans, and I am sorry to say, party clothes have gone downhill. No formal wear; simple jeans and a silk shirt for appearances sake. This will have to do,” ending with a sniff Bronwyn retrieved an outfit from the closet.

“Ah. . . well these jeans, while not as comfortable as silk, they do tend to grow on body. Two weeks and they are hardly noticeable.” Aerrvin’s voice was muffled as he pulled on a grey muscle shirt to wear beneath his midnight blue silk shirt.

“Well, you can thank me little ‘uns for that. Each night they wash ‘em and wear ‘em to soften ‘em up for you. Next time have me wife Button make your jeans, rather than buying or acquiring them elsewise, then they will be perfect from the start!”

Aerrvin nodded at his most trusted adviser.

“Very well, we are all set. Jaera you look lovely as usual. What kind of shirt is that, Gareth?” Aerrvin exclaimed as he scrutinized his cousin, Gareth.

“It’s flannel! I’ve seen people all over town wearing it,” he grinned. Then opening it up he proclaimed, “I even got the perfect t-shirt to go with it!” He looked smug revealing a swamp green T-shirt with the Space Needle on it.

Aerrvin’s eyebrows rose, but he smiled and said, “Very well then. Are you sure you do not want to come along Bronwyn?”

“Oh, no ‘tis quite alright. I’ll stay home with Button and me lassies and reminisce about the time I did go to Princess Victoria’s birthday party, you were just babes then,” he said with a nod. “Besides I need young Seamus here to learn my trade, I am getting old and have need to pass on the quill eventually.”

Bronwyn’s middle child, Seamus, was born just one month after the Fairy Prince Aerrvin. Twenty years back he had been charged with looking after the Prince when Bronwyn was not around.

“Now, if you would just shrink him back to his proper five inches, and make him transparent so as not to cause the Humans alarm, Your Highness.”

Again, the portly Bronwyn nodded, as the Prince complied, and smiled as his invisible, shimmering son climb up to sit upon Aerrvin’s shoulder, using his shoulder length hair to keep from sliding off.

Humans cannot see the shimmer, unless their eyes have been touched with magic. Even without a magical invisibility spell, Brownies rarely get seen by people, because they are so adept at camouflage. They live in almost every home ever built, and truth be told they would offer so much help if only people knew they existed. Their main tasks being to keep pests at bay; rats and Goblins being their major enemies.

“Seamus, you might need to braid some of his hair to make a more secure hold for yerself.”

“Yes, Father,” Seamus replied, deftly weaving an intricate braid with a hank of hair from behind Aerrvin’s left ear. He finished by tying it up neatly with a strand of gold thread.

With the ever-present wind blowing his golden hair, Aerrvin and his companions set out to attend their first block party.

~



Clay noted the wind attending Aerrvin and decided to investigate. Not that it made a difference, but he was fairly certain that the young Fairy prince had an Aerie as a companion. A small twinge of jealousy surged through the Fair Elf. Gifts of magic and talents were random, sometimes a gift one is born with, other times gifts sought. Clay had spent years trying to entice an Aerie to speak with him, yet all they did was batter him with puffs of air or tangle his hair as he tried to read, in front of his eyes of course. He wanted Aerrvin’s history. He determined he would send a few local Brownies to investigate.