Challenge Accepted!
I'm still busy plugging away at my Camp NaNoWriMo novel, the fourth book in the Charming Academy series. Having a busy weekend put me behind in my word count, so I'm spending today getting caught up. The prompt for today was "low-angle" (remember this started off as a photography challenge) and I've tried to use the effect of low-angle in parts of this scene. It's not always easy translating these photography challenges into writing, but I enjoy a good challenge. And just for some fun, I brought back a character we haven't seen since the first book. Enjoy this little clip from "Becoming Prince Charming". Next week you'll get an Easter story. I'll warn you now, bring tissues!
One day after the first snowfall, a familiar, hot pink fairy stopped at the manor. Gelasia embraced her in a warm hug. “Laria, dear, it is so very good to see you.”
“And you, Gelasia,” Laria replied, shaking snow out of her short-cropped hair. “When I saw that there was mail addressed to you and to Kaelen, I asked if I could come and deliver it myself. How’s he doing?”
Gelasia frowned. “This is very hard on him. It might be good for him to see a familiar face. I believe he’s in the office right now. Follow me.”
The two walked together down the hall, chatting about the school and how things were going. Laria told Gelasia about the students and said, “Calista really misses you right now. The new etiquette teacher is good, but she doesn’t quite have your touch.”
“Who do they have?”
“Pomona Appleblossom. She’s really sweet and knows her stuff, but she’s…”
“Young,” Gelasia finished for her. “Yes, I remember Pomona. She’ll be an excellent teacher. Within a few years I’m sure she’ll be settled and she will find that special touch. It’s not something unique to me. It’s something that comes to you with experience.”
Laria smiled, “I’ll let her know. She gets discouraged sometimes because she knows she isn’t you. And let’s see, oh, Theodora is becoming a little spitfire these days. It’s all Raphael and Honoria can do to keep her out of mischief.”
Gelasia laughed as she thought of the young fairy who had been born during Kaelen’s second year in school. “Yes, she would be reaching that age. I’m sure things will only become more interesting. What has she been doing?”
“Well, her magic is starting to blossom, so they find her in the most unusual places. She’s been found in the library pulling all the books out of order, in the kitchen making the fruits and vegetables fly, out with Diana’s hunting hounds playing fetch, just a bunch of different things. It seems, though, that she has a knack for animal magic; she’s always going out to the stables. Phillipa told me the other day that they had to search for her nearly all night when she took one of the stable ponies and disappeared. They finally found her in the middle of a pasture just talking to the pony and jabbering away.”
“How interesting, neither of her parents are particularly gifted with animals. But on the other hand, I do seem to remember that her great-grandmother was able to speak with dogs and taught hunting for several years focusing on building unity with your hound. It will certainly be interesting to see how this talent develops.”
They reached the study and Gelasia knocked on the closed door. Soon Kaelen came out with a scowl. “What?” he demanded.
Laria was surprised to see him that way. He towered over them, making her feel small and powerless. His head nearly reached the top of the door frame and he glowered down at them, his fur bristling, which only added to his fearsome size. As he looked at her his eyes flickered, as though he were having trouble remembering who she was and whether or not she was an enemy.
“Kaelen, dear, we have a visitor. Laria has very graciously brought our mail to us from Charming Academy. Won’t you say hello to her?”
He bent down to look closer at her. She tried not to allow her fear to show. This is Kaelen, she told herself. He’s just not acting like himself.
“Hello, Laria,” he growled at last, recognition showing in his face. “I hope that your travels were safe.”
“Quite safe, thank you. I’ve missed seeing you at school, so I jumped at the opportunity to bring these letters to you.”
“Letters for me?” His voice softened and he looked at the bundle she had in her hand. He seemed to shrink a little, as though the letters had somehow made him remember the prince he was on the inside.
“Yes, they’re from your friends at Charming Academy. They’ve missed you and Lucian asked me to say hi for him.”
He bristled again, turning the bundle of letters over in his paws. “Why, all of a sudden, did they think they needed to write?”
“Dear, your friends are gentlemen. I’m sure they’ve missed you,” Gelasia said.
“Then why not write sooner?” he demanded, growing once again to fill the doorway.
“I’m sure they’re quite busy with school and have been meaning to for some time. Why not just be glad that they were able to spare a few moments for you?”
“You had something to do with this, didn’t you?” he snarled.
“Kaelen, I do unfortunately have other deliveries I need to make,” Laria interrupted. “Why don’t you take the letters and see what your friends are up to? Shall I say hello to them for you when I am next there?”
She watched as there seemed to be an internal struggle. His emotions ranged from anger and hatred to bitter sorrow and pain. “Yes,” he said at length. “Tell them hi for me.” Then he hesitated. “Tell them I miss them.”
“I’ll do that, Kaelen. Have a good afternoon.”
He growled.
“Kaelen,” Gelasia warned.
“You too,” he told her. Then he slammed the door of the office behind him, leaving the two fairies outside.
Laria frowned and looked at Gelasia, tears in her eyes. “Will he be all right?”
“Of course he will,” Gelasia said with confidence. “He just needs something to tie him down to who he really is.”
“You asked the boys to write, didn’t you?”
Gelasia nodded. “Kaelen needs support in all this. He can’t get it just from me or the few servants that haven’t left him.”
“Well I won’t abandon him. Anytime there is mail for either of you, I’ll bring it around myself. That way there will be some connection for him. I’ll do whatever I can to help you with this, Gelasia. I daresay this will be the hardest thing you’ve ever required of yourself.”
“Probably,” Gelasia admitted. “Well, I’m sure you must be busy. I’ll see you to the door.”
They walked in silence and just as Laria was about to leave, she suddenly turned around again. “I almost forgot. This letter came for you with instructions that you be the only one to see it.” She handed Gelasia an envelope with familiar handwriting.
“Lucian,” Gelasia beamed. “I knew he wouldn’t let me down.”
“I’ll give the boys your love when next I see them. Take care of Kaelen and of yourself. Hopefully you’ll see me again soon.”
“And you, my dear.” Gelasia said, hugging Laria again. “Safe travels.”
Laria waved and then flittered away as Gelasia went to her room to read Lucian’s response.
One day after the first snowfall, a familiar, hot pink fairy stopped at the manor. Gelasia embraced her in a warm hug. “Laria, dear, it is so very good to see you.”
“And you, Gelasia,” Laria replied, shaking snow out of her short-cropped hair. “When I saw that there was mail addressed to you and to Kaelen, I asked if I could come and deliver it myself. How’s he doing?”
Gelasia frowned. “This is very hard on him. It might be good for him to see a familiar face. I believe he’s in the office right now. Follow me.”
The two walked together down the hall, chatting about the school and how things were going. Laria told Gelasia about the students and said, “Calista really misses you right now. The new etiquette teacher is good, but she doesn’t quite have your touch.”
“Who do they have?”
“Pomona Appleblossom. She’s really sweet and knows her stuff, but she’s…”
“Young,” Gelasia finished for her. “Yes, I remember Pomona. She’ll be an excellent teacher. Within a few years I’m sure she’ll be settled and she will find that special touch. It’s not something unique to me. It’s something that comes to you with experience.”
Laria smiled, “I’ll let her know. She gets discouraged sometimes because she knows she isn’t you. And let’s see, oh, Theodora is becoming a little spitfire these days. It’s all Raphael and Honoria can do to keep her out of mischief.”
Gelasia laughed as she thought of the young fairy who had been born during Kaelen’s second year in school. “Yes, she would be reaching that age. I’m sure things will only become more interesting. What has she been doing?”
“Well, her magic is starting to blossom, so they find her in the most unusual places. She’s been found in the library pulling all the books out of order, in the kitchen making the fruits and vegetables fly, out with Diana’s hunting hounds playing fetch, just a bunch of different things. It seems, though, that she has a knack for animal magic; she’s always going out to the stables. Phillipa told me the other day that they had to search for her nearly all night when she took one of the stable ponies and disappeared. They finally found her in the middle of a pasture just talking to the pony and jabbering away.”
“How interesting, neither of her parents are particularly gifted with animals. But on the other hand, I do seem to remember that her great-grandmother was able to speak with dogs and taught hunting for several years focusing on building unity with your hound. It will certainly be interesting to see how this talent develops.”
They reached the study and Gelasia knocked on the closed door. Soon Kaelen came out with a scowl. “What?” he demanded.
Laria was surprised to see him that way. He towered over them, making her feel small and powerless. His head nearly reached the top of the door frame and he glowered down at them, his fur bristling, which only added to his fearsome size. As he looked at her his eyes flickered, as though he were having trouble remembering who she was and whether or not she was an enemy.
“Kaelen, dear, we have a visitor. Laria has very graciously brought our mail to us from Charming Academy. Won’t you say hello to her?”
He bent down to look closer at her. She tried not to allow her fear to show. This is Kaelen, she told herself. He’s just not acting like himself.
“Hello, Laria,” he growled at last, recognition showing in his face. “I hope that your travels were safe.”
“Quite safe, thank you. I’ve missed seeing you at school, so I jumped at the opportunity to bring these letters to you.”
“Letters for me?” His voice softened and he looked at the bundle she had in her hand. He seemed to shrink a little, as though the letters had somehow made him remember the prince he was on the inside.
“Yes, they’re from your friends at Charming Academy. They’ve missed you and Lucian asked me to say hi for him.”
He bristled again, turning the bundle of letters over in his paws. “Why, all of a sudden, did they think they needed to write?”
“Dear, your friends are gentlemen. I’m sure they’ve missed you,” Gelasia said.
“Then why not write sooner?” he demanded, growing once again to fill the doorway.
“I’m sure they’re quite busy with school and have been meaning to for some time. Why not just be glad that they were able to spare a few moments for you?”
“You had something to do with this, didn’t you?” he snarled.
“Kaelen, I do unfortunately have other deliveries I need to make,” Laria interrupted. “Why don’t you take the letters and see what your friends are up to? Shall I say hello to them for you when I am next there?”
She watched as there seemed to be an internal struggle. His emotions ranged from anger and hatred to bitter sorrow and pain. “Yes,” he said at length. “Tell them hi for me.” Then he hesitated. “Tell them I miss them.”
“I’ll do that, Kaelen. Have a good afternoon.”
He growled.
“Kaelen,” Gelasia warned.
“You too,” he told her. Then he slammed the door of the office behind him, leaving the two fairies outside.
Laria frowned and looked at Gelasia, tears in her eyes. “Will he be all right?”
“Of course he will,” Gelasia said with confidence. “He just needs something to tie him down to who he really is.”
“You asked the boys to write, didn’t you?”
Gelasia nodded. “Kaelen needs support in all this. He can’t get it just from me or the few servants that haven’t left him.”
“Well I won’t abandon him. Anytime there is mail for either of you, I’ll bring it around myself. That way there will be some connection for him. I’ll do whatever I can to help you with this, Gelasia. I daresay this will be the hardest thing you’ve ever required of yourself.”
“Probably,” Gelasia admitted. “Well, I’m sure you must be busy. I’ll see you to the door.”
They walked in silence and just as Laria was about to leave, she suddenly turned around again. “I almost forgot. This letter came for you with instructions that you be the only one to see it.” She handed Gelasia an envelope with familiar handwriting.
“Lucian,” Gelasia beamed. “I knew he wouldn’t let me down.”
“I’ll give the boys your love when next I see them. Take care of Kaelen and of yourself. Hopefully you’ll see me again soon.”
“And you, my dear.” Gelasia said, hugging Laria again. “Safe travels.”
Laria waved and then flittered away as Gelasia went to her room to read Lucian’s response.
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