Amaranta-2
Captive of Elf’s King
Natalie Yacobson

Natalie Lilienthal Translator

© Natalie Yacobson, 2021

© Natalie Lilienthal, translation, 2021

ISBN 978-5-0055-0571-2 (т. 2)

ISBN 978-5-0055-0572-9

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Visit of Fairies’ Queen

The feast of the evil spirits was nothing without her. Fiery demons danced in the magic ring, and he was not warm from their heat. It would be warm only from her arms.

«It’s hard to want someone else’s wife,«the evil spirit whispered, penetrated on the feast.

«Yes!» Dagda himself did not want, but responded. Never join conversations with stray spirits. There are some problems from them. So this spirit turned out to be obsessive.

«Want to pick it up for yourself forever so that you will never part with her.»

«Yes!» Why has he to hide the truth?

«But for this you have to take her away from the people,» the spirit said. «And this threatens a new agreement with people.»

«Sometimes the war is the only way to get something, without which you can’t live and what they will not give.»

«Who whatever you know it! Who fought against his own fellow for power?»

«Why do people believe that love needs to be kept under the lock, and someone else’s beloved can be kept next to themselves for marriage?»

– Well, marriage, if it is concluded, even without any love, is not so easy to terminate. You remember about the law about one century before the wedding. You start the war, kill Angus, and then you will have to say goodbye to Amaranta exactly per one century, and maybe forever. She is fragile and naive. In the transcendental fortress, where she will be locked from you, will certainly be a dark peri, who will told to her so that she herself violates all the conditions and extended your separation forever. We live in a cruel world, although we are magic creatures. And you remember perfectly that in heaven there was no better where your friend Lucifer once started the battle, and all of us, the former angels, and the current fairies were exiled on this mortal land, where people also appeared. Iy would be better they did not appear at all. Here and without them it was painfully.

But Dagda did not think so.

«There would be no human tribe, and Amaranta would not be born.»

«Right! You would have no problem. And now you suffer. You have a feeling that near the heart under the skin sprouted with spikes a blood-sucking rose. It is concerned, she, as a parasite, is embroidered to the hearts of all elves who fell in love with ordinary mortals. Although probably Amaranta a niece or a granddaughter of any stray fairies.»

«Unlikely! There are nothing from fairies. They are all contentious and sly. And she…»

:It is similar to those air angels who once fought against us.»

«Very accurate definition,» Dagda and himself thought about it, but he was afraid to pronounce it aloud.»

«Amaranta! Amaranta! Amaranta!» sang the spirit. «This gently girl will bring us something that the whole world will turn upside down, and people will not remain at all.»

«Stop it! I am so painful.»

«Sorry, Lord!»

It was clear on the tone that the spirit was not at all ashamed, but he flew too high, and Dagda was too lazy to catch him.

Typically, Pak disgusted all the other free spirits, who twisted over the kingdom of seven hills, but this time he had evaporated somewhere. Probably, the hissing boiler scared him. Dagda himself wanted no longer to sacrifice either the guilty elves, no more people caught on forest roads, but today Medea Shai generously sent victims – her own subjects. And the boiler from their blood came to life again. Miniature faces on it were cheerful it seemed that they would break out of the copper captivity, in which they stay. It was impossible, but even evil spirits were afraid of them.

«How strange you awarded all your friends and comrades!» said the spirit. «Will you do so with all your loved ones too? Does Amaranta also make a copper face on gates or boilers?»

Dagda was in a rage. Who did not know that his colleagues became his enemies during the war? The spirit was cunning. He flew in a black swirl around a boiler, considering all the troubles.

«I do not see here your best fighter.Is it for him not enough space? Where is Semildanah? Or did you cook him in the boiler, like Fomor or their mistress Domny?»

Duga felt as if he trode on his corns. It’s time to drive the spirit away, but he was burned from the boiler himself. Even an intangible creature it can burn. The thick of the boiler resembled a living being. Still a little bit, and the face of which he wants to forget will be seen. I knew about it.

Theevil spirit disappeared himself. It did not have to drive him. The guests slowly disperse, scattered and mowed in their own holes and hills. Inside each hill in the vicinity was located a palace. But some guests came from the black tract of Medea Shai. Even they were embarrassed at the sight of metamorphosis occurring with the boiler. Did you even condemn it to the monsters for putting a live copper monument to his victory on the bones of defeated? Persons in miniature whispered something, but he did not listen to them. All of them were the monument, erected on the battlefield from the souls of his rivals. And all the rivals once were his friends. Today, they all have got enaugh blood. In return there were on the bottom of the boiler something wonderful: gold, stone or some kind of magical object.

The blood of the victims overflowed through the edge of the boiler and flowed on copper persons. Only absorbing it all, they fell asleep.

Finally he remained alone. It was not here! Suddenly, after the feast, arrived a new guest and as usually entered without demand. No one dared to delay her.

What does she want this time? After all, he has already visited the celebration of New Moon, the solstice and disclosure of the gates of the underground world, which happens once in the century. Oh, yes on the nose is another holiday night of the afterlife, when all the dead rose to the night exactly at night, the bloodthirsty skeletons roam the world, catching travelers, and circle ditch above the ghosts. The king of the dead will be in question, and where is the partner of the beautiful Queen, who called him. Dagde will again have to play her partner, as he did at her request many times at every important holiday and event. May be time to say the stop. And let the king of the dead pulls Medea Shai to the kingdom of death. He will still shift himself on her fangs. During the century, Dagda understood that the Queen of fairies was the same black gift, like those evil spells that they gather a gloomy cloud near her.

«Dragon’s Love!» said the voices from the boiler. All knew about the love affairs of the fairies’ Queen with her scaly bodyguards. So they were consistent.

Often Dagda wondered why she needs someone else if she loves dragons so much to share her bed with them? The passion of Queen of fairies to the dragons was more than mutual. Nevertheless, Medea Shai more than once came to Dagde, to persuade so that he marry her. She did it quite skillfully, at the same time spread rumor. The magic people believed that the weddings would not be powerless, but Dagda himself decided otherwise.

So now the guest began a conversation with the old note.

«It’s time for you to make me your queen.» About us are already gossiped.

«You’re too beautiful to belong to someone alone.» In addition, your dragons are already waiting for you. By the way, how many of them are yours. On your bed, guarding the door, in the pools, in heaven…

«The dragons will be in the past, if you say «yes.»

«It is hardly an elf that does not know how and does not want to go to the dragon.»

«I will arrange the king of elves,» she insisted.

«Is it all about the title? Only?»

«The king is suitable for the queen. You are the ruler of the elves, I am the Governor of fairies and all sorts of ill spirits. We can rule the whole world together.»

«I do not want such great power.»

«Why?»

«To rule the whole world, you need to fight without the end, and the war is expensive.»

«When did you spend money on mercenaries?»

«I’m about moral value. When you kill someone, the black sites of their souls then do not lag behind you for centuries.

«It only happens with bright elves. If you enter into an alliance with the dark fairy, then your conscience will be neutralized. In addition, opposites should be attracted and formed into a happy marriage union. You like sunlight, I am a seductive darkness. We are made for each other.

«This is poetic, but unreliable.»

«All because of the man’s wife?»

«Do not call her so. And please leave.»

«She will die during the century, and I will still come back to seduce you.»

The queen of fairies’ lips were next to his, but Dagda easily opposed all her charm and tricks.

«Better to seduce another dragon,» he advised.

She was offended deadly. Now, for sure, she will take revenge. Dagda has already prepared for small dirty tricks, like rains from black mud over the hills or invasion of the black locust. But Medea Shai suddenly started another song.

«I am the queen of faries,» she began to beat on pity. «Do you imagine how much duties has the queen? I will right with my people alone. Without the help of a man. Dragons are only part of the Bestiary. There are no benefit.

«Is it only in bed?» Dagda heard what everyone said, «Medea Shai is not only a lady, but also a lover of dragons. Let her temptation for everyone in a row, but with dragons she is the rightmost. After all, such relationships can not be called mesallians.»

«Oh, you are jealous!» she was delighted. «I thought you were from a stone or from copper, as your boyfriend in the boiler. But you feel something, so accompany me when I ask. Somewhere deep under the gold and green leaves that they grow from the skin, the heart beats.»

She put her hand with black fingernails to his coat, but Dagda was removed.

«I also wanted to talk about… escort,» otherwise it was not called. «I would no longer wanted to play the role of your accompanying.»

«Because you yourself have a lady? Did you forget that she is busy? And here I am free. Dragons are only for the species. They will not fly for a holiday. Everyone will ask, and where is my king. Dragon is just a means of movement in the eyes of royal persons. Without a king-spent or at least Prince Consort, I am considered a lonely and unfortunate woman who is easy to take away the power.

«Other Queen of fairies did not complain about it.»

«All my predecessors have not been detained on the throne for a long time. So, behaved wrong.»

«And among your subjects there is no one who could be your prince consort? For example, one of the dragons or Thierry.»

«They are unworthy of such a high position. It can only be another ruler.»

Dagda felt herself trapped. So many arguments, and everything leads to one result – it’s easy for him not to harm her. Sometimes the queen uf fairies resembled a monstrous shadow, which crawled over the wall and fled everything with black darkness.

«I can not walk anywhere without a satellite,» Medea Chai insisted. «I am too seductive. Because of me, war will break.»

«You have dragons. In my opinion, they are quite enough.»

«Need a decent satellite.»

«What about Thierry and Quentin, which you seduced.

«Need a king, not an ordinary elf.»

«Seduce a mortal king.»

«This is such a boredom! He and a century will not last, as will be in a living skeleton in the crown.»

«To the joy of the king of the deads?»

«He was waiting for me many centuries.»

«So go with him. He has an extensive kingdom, which is all expanding due to the people who have moved to the world.»

«And who will rule the fairy in my absence?»

«There is someone!» It’s for sure. Other government replaced faster. Before it was a lot of them, all radiant and playful. And she came as night and shrouded in darkness everything.

«Think if I rule the kingdom of deads, then I’ll get what you wish.»

«In terms of?»

«All people are mortal! Amaranta too. When she dies, she will get to the servants, because it will be forced to go down to the kingdom of the deads, as it should be all.»

«So what?» Dagda tried to pretend that he did not care. Did not work. The queen of fairies knew perfectly who and to whom he was disseminated. For it she has an excellent sense. And the keys of the strange form, which were at her belt, allegedly unlocked the doors, followed by the stolen souls of all the magical beings that she did not please. The keys are ringing tightly, knocking on each other when she walked or flew above the floor. What if one of these keys she prohibits for him after thers wedding, as if they asked him.

Why did everyone consider their wedding inevitable fact? Because the black servants of Medea Shai trottered it to everyone. They knew how to introduce black couples in consciousness, changing the worldview not only people, but also of magical creatures. Thus, no one has denied the news of the wedding. In addition to Dagda himself, he did not believe well. It was believed that he was excessivly modest, while bidding about the degree of power and dowry.

«The people die like flies,» Medea Shai sighed theatrically. The keys with heads in the shape of the sun, month, elephant, the castle, the mountains and the dragons were wrung by copying her facial expressions. And they are all of the metal, but they look like alive. One key with the head in the form of an iron rose was exactly from the dungeon, where Medea Shai locked part of herself, embodied in a black living plant. Will her collection be happy once the key with his head in the form of wings from the dungeon, where does she ban the king of the elves? She plans it. Dagda could sometimes read her thoughts as one big black manuscript in which solid horrors are recorded.

«You will need an immortal companion.»

«Or the content? Your debts in front of the kings with whom you were friends, fed, like your magic abilities.»

«True, so all my lenders have long been sleeping in the form of crowned skeletons in the fortresses overgrown with spikes and bloodsowing plants.»

«Many people will envy your ability to repay loans.»

«I put the eyes on the king of Ilior.»

«So go to him. Or fly. The window is open for you. The door will open the servants, barely ask.»

«You are not happy at all? Do not miss me?»

«We saw each other recently.»

«You’re the first cavalier, who is tired of me.»

«Perhaps not the last.»

«Do not be rude!»

«Sorry, but you are extremely intrusive,» quite like a darkness, which is lipped to everything and takes the monstrous outlines for her back.

«Do not forget that I am a lady. The code of knights and elves do not allow cautiousness with the lady, even if the monstrous.»

An annoying one! And then he would immediately put her out. Maybe you should change the code? But it will affect and gentle ladies, such as Amaranta. There is a society once in relation to someone, and the elves will take care of all in a row. The love of his subjects to pranks is strong. Sometimes he barely restrains them. Although it is worth it to restrain? Is it not better to declare agaist Medei Shai war than regularly playing her cavalier and tolerate rumors about the wedding and that he himself the king of elves in the end will be under her heel, because she is an incomparable beauty, and he’s only a man. It can break and depict indifference how much will fit. And all the magic society is already confident that he will dry by the queen of fairies.

«You think about her!» Medea Shai sniffed to the air as if the thought of the interlocutor could have improving the fragrance of treason. «About the man’s wife! Do you think she is better than me?»

It is urgent to come up with an excuse, but Dagda is tired of playing these games. Pulled to tell the truth. Instead, he flashed the first thing that came to mind.

«She is less demanding than you. It is easier to make her happy. Do not have to keep the army of monsters with her so that she felt like a queen.»

«And she is very similar to angels and cloud fairies. You always fell weakness to them. It is a pity that earth girls are very prolific. You can have many monsters from her. Even if she lives only one human life, the black army of her bastards arise near the seven hills, which will certainly want to beat off your power and rule themselves. Bastards of people from elves are extremely ambitious.

«Nothing! In addition to the seven hills, there are still green hills, and inside each of them can be established on a separate kingdom for each of the descendants.»

|Yes, the palace inside every hill will fit, the royal retinue is enough for everyone, the squads from the elves too. But what if your sons from Amarants will be greedy?»

«And if this is her daughters?»

«Monstrous ladies with horns and hooves that will want to rape the pretty elves.»

«Remember, it did not reach violence when your monsters seduced my elves and lured to themselves. Take at least Thierry and his warriors. Roddy weapons, love from your creatures, he sought, and not the opposite.»

– I agree, there are unattractive ladies, gifted by force to choose the most beautiful elves and mortal men. But I could not take me to the number of unattractive ladies.

«But you also got born monster from the mortals that you kept in captivity. Do not remember?»

«I don’t even know these children from other warriors in my army. But in your sunny country, the monsters will be too in the public eye. The last of them you personally killed so that he does not confuse other people with his appearance.»

«He was not my son.»

«But was the best friend. Almost half: brother, comrades, lover.»

«Only not a lover. I prefer women.»

«And I prefer men. Unlike most of the magic rulers who went into oblivion.

She is seductive. Black darkness, magic couples emanating from her – solid temptation. He circled his head, but his thoughts on Amaranta scattered him.

Dagda found the strength to throw off the hands of the queen of fairies from the shoulders. Her hands have already begun to let black roots in his coat. Of the graceful claws of Medea Shai such a nasty thing grew. And it still can not be called a monster? She could turn into the bloodthirsty black tree, which is staggering travelers with dry roots, or into a giant black flower, drinking blood – a lungwort. Because of the often transformations in the last nickname, the Lungwort got to her.

The prefix to her name was already hinting that the queen comes from the genus of hellish creatures, once formed in black deserts of the Kingdom with such a name. In the fortresses of Shai, whole armies disappeared. The kingdom of black deserts delayed human troops and caravans like a monster.

«What do you want from me?» Dagda asked directly.

«Combining two great states: Dark and Light. For absolute strength, I need day and night. And elves, and fairies. And monsters, and excellent creatures. I want to become the queen of the universe.»

«Then the king you no longer need.»

«But Amaranta will not get him.»

It has already resembled a threat.

Dagda also wanted to answer something sharp, but Medea Shai seems to finally realized that he was not happy about her here. In the place where she stood, now was only a black smoke pillar.

Friends from fire

Spark played with Amaranta in chess, burning the figures.

«Well, enough,» she said, noticing how after the rook and the queen was covered with something burnibg in his fingers. «So you will burn all the figures. And this board is dear to me. It is a gift from Shah, who was with the Embassy Mission at the court of Aluar.

«He wanted to marry you?»

«Yes,» she answered.

«Like the king of Aluar?»

«Right!»

Amaranta frowned. Where does Spark know so much? Really the fiery elf flew over the sea to spy behind her.

«So why did you refuse? Is there a queen worse than a provincial countess?»

«You’re very arrogant!»

«It’s a compliment?»

She was embarrassed.

«In my company to be brazen it means to be the main one. Therefore, I am a leader. Thank you for praising me, the most beautiful!»

He wanted to kiss her hand, but Amaranta was already reassigned and so burned his breathing palm.

It was not too nice to be friends with a fiery elf. He could burn in any moment. In addition, Spark was not restrained with the tongue, and demanded without the end the details of her personal life.

«Why were you still not expelled from the castle?«said Amaranta.

«Can you drive away the fire from the hearth?» her opponent smiled disarmingly.

«Can! But without fire it will be difficult to survive in winter, cook food and light the evening room for guests.»

«That’s it – I will be indispensable!«smiled Spark. «Therefore, I will assume that you are all, the official owners of the castle, in fact, my debtors. After all, without me, you will not be able to survive the cold, cook dinners and dinners, and to arrange the ball without my fire on the candlelight it is impossible at all. People are not fair, your weak vision will not allow you to dance in the dark. If I will not shine you, you boost each other.»

How in vain she revealed her mouth! I did not know that he was so closed to her words.

«By the way, you started speech on the cold.» «Spark somehow strains, and he flashed brighter. «Unusual fit! The cold carries not winter, but the breath of the ice beings, which you let go from the gorge where they were sharpened.»

«I did not let anyone. They themselves crawled to meet my carriage.»

«That’s it! You drove on the bridge, for which no one has staped for centuries. It is in the fog and is not visible. It cost you to go on it, and thet felt you. You were for them as a white torch.»

«I didn’t know that there is another way to the county,» Amaranta was weakly justified. «That bridge seemed the only existing in the district. It was necessary to ask the road from someone, but when we arrived at the port, no one even wanted to communicate with us.

– This is because of the evil spirits, which fell on board. From one of your dresses, Morgen is still divided by the smell. So called the inhabitants of the sea kingdom. All navigaters and the inhabitants of the coast in front of them tremble. If the morgen knocked on your window at night, then you do not live – you are pulled to the bottom. Morgens love pretty young girls.

«One my girlfriend disappeared from the ship.»

«Does Stream her know.»

«From where? Did he ever settle in the county recently, and before that he lived in the ponds of Aluar?»

«He hears how she sings at the bottom. Morgens love when their captives sing, imitating sirens. But Uriella is not just a prisoner. She became the wife of that morgen, who kidnapped her.

«You fool my head!»

«Ask Stream. Or listen to, leaning toward the pond. Through the sources, everything is heard and visible.»

«Depending on who! I will not see anything except water.»

«In addition, Stream will try to drown you. He, like all the water spirit, loves beautiful girls.»

«But how didn’t drowned Uriella?»

«Some at the bottom not drown – the true brides of water. Since the abducted beauty did not sink under water, it means that she can be married. Here with ice creatures is more dangerous. Their leader has already kidnapped the niece of King of Ilior and completely frozen her. And since it does not come out with the royal family, he will most likely freeze all the kingdom. But we will save you: I and my guard,» Spark winked. «Or it is better to call us a detachment by a volunteer to save an excellent lady. We surround you and warm up, even when everything comes here.»

«What is it?» Amaranta scolded from the board the slide of the ash, remaining from the burned chess. «Only not asking kisses. I do not want to stay with a burnt face.»

«And for this you will help me open one door!» The elf took several chess figures from the board, obviously deciding that the game was won, and he has the right to keep himself something as a trophy.

«What else is the door?»

«Follow me!»

Spark fell out and flew forward as a torch, overclocking the darkness. From the curiosity Amaranta went after him.

«Where are we going?»

Rather, he flew, she walked, but Spark was not embarrassed. He hurried to the garden, and in the most rushing corner.

«In the crypt!» He responded, flew to the thickets. He was stolen from the board the queen, it had to be thrown into the bushes, because the figure in his fingers is hopelessly burned. «You need to unlock this door.»

The door was heavy and cast-iron, increasing moss and bind. This is definitely not the door of the surname crypt. It is located much to the left than the ever-locked entrance to the family tomb. Amaranta crashed from the door the stems of the bindweed. Under them was visible a key well in the form of some vensel.

Friends of Spark turned out to be here as here. They are really a whole team! They walked around a fiery round dance. The air heated from their presence. The breathing became more difficult.

«Let’s play!» One elf tried to burn her. Other giggle.

Amaranta tried to adopt them. As strange, what else, not to acquire children, she has already felt like a mother who cannot cope with the hooliganism of their own offspring. Fiery elves are not only in mind, but also in nature very much resembled risen children. They walked over her head like live fire pillars. And torches were not needed.

«Here is the key!» Spark handed her the key, dirty and rusty. It, probably, still resting at the bottom of the source or even in the quagmire.«Open!»

«And you yourself can not open?»

«If I could, I would not ask you to help me. This is nonsense – ask for the help of the lady.»

Did he believed himself that he is a knight who himself should serve the lady in all?

Mould remained from the key on her hands. Amaranta climbed into a garden well to rinse hands. The well bucket was full of water, and suddenly there was no water in a moment, and a water elf was leaned from the well. The one she has already seen. Only this time he was kinder. Even showed obsession.

«Do not communicate with fiery shoes, whatever they walked you. Better pay attention to me. I can greatly prove you on the day at the bottom. With my help, you could become a water queen. You know the story of Lilofey, which married the underwater king. At first she resisted, but then she was good at the bottom.

«Lilofey was a princess, and Amaranta is just a countess. She is suitable for beauty, but not suitable by origin,» Spark interrupted.»

«But the king of elves does not think so.»

Silence has come.

«Let him seek unmarried. Otherwise, the law on the same century will come into force before the wedding.»

«What?»

«Never mind! Open!»

The door succumbed. Spark kissed her. Lips burned. When he kissed the maid, he usually burned the face. She darted to the well. Reflection in the water comforted her. The lips turned red, but there is neither blister or burns. The skin has not burned down to the bone.

How it happened that the others he burned, but did not harm her? Ladies, burned by his kisses, were forced later to cover faces with veil. Amaranta managed to pay attention to the victims of his courting. Unfortunate ladies complained that they were a victim of the fireplace demon.

«There is a secret move to the hills,» a joyful voice of Spark came. «Thank you, babe, now we can fly to the hills.»

«Was it not easier to fly to them through the field at the castle?» Amaranta looked at the tightened cobweb. There was dark and damp.

«It is impossible through the field!» Spark flew in the darkness, burning the web. «This is the territory of Dagda. He will not let us down to the hills, because he remembers how we were fried the victims there. And through the underground we move easily! With underground spirits, I am easy to agree. By the way, you want to visit our hills. Inside, the whole workshop lies in them, where we are improving fiery magic on the received captured travelers.

It seems clear why Dagda drove them away. Spark was mentioned that he was driven away from all the magic courts.

«If the castle is precipitated, then through a secret move you can escape. You do not even need a torch, because we will shine!»

«Thank you! In case of siege, I will consider,» said Amaranta. Spark was right. Just in case you need to know what way to escape from the fortress. Another secret way is good in order to quietly leave the castle on dates with Dagda. Here and garden gate is no longer needed. Amaranta left the key for herself. She was not even noticed by Spark.

«Well, if the king of Ilior does not see you,» he talked. «And then the poor Angus will immediately have two rivals-kings. He and so from jealousy all got it. Luellin after all, likes flirting with the knights!

And you are not restrained in the language.

«And where did you decide that the King of Ilior is also a fall on the ladies like me, like the king of Aluar. Is he also a lustful old man?»

«No, it is even relatively young, but still not married. And do you know why?»

«How can I know? I am not familiar with him.»

«It should seem to know at least something about the customs and politics of the country in which you now live. And you are only after the elves and run.»

«So after you and yours?»

«After the elves from the seven hills,» Spark clarified. «You are not too courteous with me. I did not fit for the role of the hero-lover?»

«Okay, you stuck me. So what’s wrong with the king of Ilior?»

«So,» Spark is burning a chess figure and thrown it to his annoyance. It was a black queen. It is a pity that Medea Shai also will not be thrown. Otherwise, Amaranth woula put Spark a monument in the castle garden. Let people laugh, for her the fiery elf would be a hero.

«The king himself is a man, but captured by the songs of the stray minstrel about the beautiful fairies. That’s the same he craves to get to his wife. Count: Immortal Eternally Young Queen! You wouldn’t have it? Although, you are not. But I look from the point of view of men.»

«The king or a man, like you, it’s right. But it would hardly be interested in me with the same zeal as you. I’m still not a fairy, but he wants to put a real fairy on the throne next to him. With wings!»

«Oh, about the wings minstrel did not tell him anything. So you can be a fairy too. You look like a cloud fairy. Such only in heaven to float. We step into the throne hall of Ilior, and the poets of the king will vividly compound the poems about how you went to the parquet directly from the cloud that walked outside the window. Angus is convicted or sent to the hot zone of hostilities so that he does not survive there. It is necessary to destroy the opponent. And you will become a queen. It did not come out in Aluar, and your fate came on foot in Irior, it didn’t need even to go by the sea. You have written in your family that you will be the queen.»

She already heard something from ice creature.

«Sad perspectives. So I will not go to the court.»

«But you may be called on mandatory. Here, in the county, you are masters, but all the surrounding feudalles: both counts, dukes, and marquises, all of you, regardless of the title or size of possessions are the King’s vassals. Only I am in my own! True, for me privileges? Better would you come out for me than the Angus. I would remove you from everyone. In the case of siege, it would be pushing such a wife in the fireplace pipe.»

«Besides yourself. You will burn me!»

«But behind the wall of my fire, others will not get you, come at least a whole army.»

«You seem to expect a siege.»

«Rumors are regrettable,» Spark put the sharp flaming ears, «I hear over the walls more than you, therefore, and more concerned. The ignorance is a grace!»

She did not hear anything through the walls, but did not consider the ignorance as a grace. It’s better to be aware of news. It will be necessary to question Adelina. She is a gossip.

«And you are not afraid of Dagda, as a rival?» It first seemed to her that the situation was exactly different.

«But do not stick about him! I can’t endure Dagda and Medea Shai to the same degree.»

«Because both ruler expelled you, the elves of fire, from their lands for unacceptable pranks.»

«How do you know that?»

She herself could not say where she knows it.

It seemed that Spark was about to weep with fiery tears.

«Everyone is not good to me, do not bring, do not like, do not stroke the head, because they are afraid to burn. And what I did this! Just born fiery! Fire is not a shameful stigma! What to scare me?»

«I’m not afraid of you!» Amaranta boldly extended her hand to him, because she had already understood that he could no longer burn her. Previously, he could. But the more time she spent in the arms of the king of elves, the more invulnerable became.

«Truth?» Spark is hung under the ceiling of a narrow tunnel. «And my lady are you ready to become?»

«Your lady?» She was amazed.

«Lady of the heart!» He jokingly touched his burning chest. Inside it, except for fire and sparks there was nothing.

«Do you have a heart? It is from the fire, how are you all?»

«I do not know!» Spark frowned his orange eyebrows.:But I want the lady of the heart. Such is all the knights. Will you be it?»

«I can not! I’m already the lady of the heart of elf’s king.»

«True,» Spark became sad and began to shine not so bright. «I forget all the time that you are busy twice. Man and Elf! Who would you choose if you could only leave one?»

The elf, she wanted to say but kept silence. Spark will not to know about all her feelings.

«I’m still determined,» said she.

«Okay. We will fly to the hills,» the hot post of fire disappeared in a dark tunnel. All friends of Spark flew after him. Amaranta also decided to walk. The main thing, to have time to follow the orange sparks, remaining from the procession flying along the tunnel. Otherwise, she risks get lost here in complete darkness.

How not to lose your head

Stream shouted that she did not go, but he could not fly away from the well and rush behind her. Water elves are tied to water. Where there are no sources, there are no of them. And there was no water in the tunnel: neither underground sources, nor even puddles.

– It is impossible to lose your head because of the fiery elves and expose yourself danger!» came to Amaranta of the moraling of Stream left to float over the well.

Probably, she really lost her head from the secrets, once decided on a dangerous journey under the ground. Once, undoubtedly, it was a secret move from the fortress outside the case of siege. Now the fiery elves are travelling here. The radiance from their orange wings was enough to see the tiles in the walls, similar to the tombstone. Spark did not lie. He himself and his friends now played for her the role of living and moving torches. Lay from them and stay in the pitch darkness was scary. Fortunately, it was not necessary to wander around the tunnel. Soon they really went to the hills.

«Well, good bye, a beauty!» Spark with his fiery flock flew to the nearest hill.

Amaranta even rubbed her eyes to make sure that she does not dream that inside the hill opened the shining door. The flocks of the elves in a moment did not become, and on the site of a door was only a green surface. It comes out, the legends about the houses and palaces inside the hills are true! It is said that in the hills sometimes the whole magic states fit. Such hills seem to be called sits. If the mortal was part of them, he was no longer returned.

Amaranta even frightened. That if the elves were pulled her inside the hill.

Okay, the case is done. Now she knows the secret path from the castle. If you decide to take advantage of them without the help of Spark, it is better to take a torch or at least a candle. In addition, Spark is unreliable accompanying. You never know what makes him mind. Now he is next to you and illuminates the way to you, and in the moment he will be afraid and will fly on his affairs inside the closest hill. Yes, he also has a relationship with water elves such that a fight between water and fire can break out.

It is better to make friends with someone more reliable than fiery or water elves. Although she did not make friends with Dagha. If only such relationships can be called friendship, and not romantic hobbies. It sometimes seemed that Dagda could be simultaneously everyone: both, and the beloved, and the interlocutor, who knows all the secrets of the universe. It is a pity that he left her for a long time.

Amaranta walked around the meadow of the distance from suspicious hills, where firing fighters are found. Thoughts about the rival from the fairies again climbed into the head and overshadowed the coming morning. What if he is with her now?

In order not to break up, it is worth thinking about something pleasant. For example, about flower thickets behind the meadow. As the oppressive thoughts came to mind. What if the meadow flowers are about to cover with the invasion of ice armies. Can the King of Ilior cope with them? Unless with whose magic.

The king of Ilior dreams of a fairy. What would happen if it would bring him to that black fairy, which occupied Rhodolite and creates some kind of witchcraft with the mechanisms? Suddenly, two of them would have a great couple! From the king and fairies? Something doubtful, but the thought is tempting.

«Do you want to play?» Called her someone. «Catch!»

She caught the ball abandoned by someone. On time, otherwise he would have applied to her lips. It was not heavy, but still it’s unpleasant that rural children so loosely started the game. By the way, where are they themselves? Amaranta looked around a meadow. Nobody. So who threw her ball? On the ball, a face drawn by a cinnaber, like on hinged dolls from Rodolite. Only these features suddenly became movable. The face was widely revealed, giving it a risen smile. One eye winked.

«And now bring me to place!» asked the lips.

«Where to? «Amaranth almost dropped the ball, that is, someone’s head. It looks like a nightmare! She holds in the hands of someone’s severe head!

«Here!» Suddenly someone’s hands took away the head.

A static young man took it on the neck, as if a fashionable hat. At first, crooked, but the head immediately turned on the neck, like on the axis, and here the face of the naughty red elf looked at Amaranta no longer from her own hands, but with a wide shoulder in blue-red coat.

«I have long wanted to approach you, but there was no possibility.»

«Where are you from?»

«Sometimes it seems that right from the place of execution, where I was broken.»

Amaranta was afraid and backed up.

«I’m kidding! I am not a ghost. Just unsuccessful and rebellious servant of her gloomy majesty Queen of fairies.

«This fucking?

«Are you already familiar with her? So accurately described it. By the way, you will not shiver the word for me before Dagda so that he take me to his service. I have long wanted to run, but there is no convenient possibility. You are my chance.»

The red elf raised her bouquet lilies of the valley, which were bleeding.

«Sorry, the head smears,» he apologized, «but they say, the bleeding will pass, barely the Queen of Fairies will be defeated and someone will win. I hope you will be the winner.

How sincere he said it! And the smile is so sly. Is it not a trap, all this.

«I am Quentin,» an elf introduced himself, on a moment, removing his head as others remove the headdress as a sign of respect. It can be seen, he entered the habit of doing so. It thus shalls or shows his superiority over mortals, which are not capable of such a focus.

«You see, an immortal being to execute to death is very difficult,» he justified, noticing the fright in the eyes of Amararanta. «One can only cause pain than the queen of fairies did.»

«You’re an elf? How did you get to the service for the queen of fairies?»

«Furious. All because of the silly boyish love. Even the monster can love if it is beautiful outside. While you will figure it out that inside the darkness and rot, sometimes there are centuries. I figured out, sobbed, understood my mistake, but could not return back to Dagda. The oath of loyalty keeps me on the old place of service. Obligations are associated with even elves by hand and legs stronger as chains. While the queen of the fairies herself will not drive me away, I have no right to leave her.

«Would Dagda forgive you and take you back?

«He is generous. Recently! A couple of thousand few years ago he was also cruel. But one war was happened, in which he killed his creature expensive. Since then, the conscience has sharply appealed to his nobility.»

«What kind of war?»

«Ordinary distribution due to power.»

«And the way a woman was expensive to his heart? Isn’t it Goddess Danu?»

«No, not a woman. Do not be jealous.»

«What makes you think that I am jealous?» She was embarrassed.

«By ladies, it is always visible.»

«Only elves or people too?»

«Elfs always, people only when your cheeks fled the blush, as now,» he joked.

«So the king of elves is sad?»

«Other, who was almost like a brother, but then betrayed.»

«Can you betray again if he takes you back? Wise people would say that the defector is unreliable.»

«Wise elves will say the same way. But I’m not wise, otherwise the head would not be lost: not in direct, nor in the figurative sense. At first, the queen of fairies made fool of me, then beheaded. Suddenly, next time I will lose my head because of you and betray again my king.»

«A joke again?»

«I’m not kidding! What a normal guy or an elf will not go crazy because of a beautiful girl? Therefore, Medea Shai is trying to destroy all the beatiful rivals. Although sometimes looking at her, you think that it is more beautiful to be impossible.»

«So, the prediction of the rival still came true,» Amaranta thought.

«What are you about?»

«Nothing!» Amaranta felt a chilling cold, as if frost with jets, plenty of body and fell the skin like fingers. The ice elf told something about a lady with dragons. The queen of fairies can be so called that, because she tamed dragons traveled on them. Now she crushed over the fact that it is so simple to tame the king of elves. And Amaranta could get under the hot hand. Who, like a rival, you can blame for the fact that the desired object has not yet gotten.

Was it necessary to be the rivals to the Queen of fairies! Even the usual earth queen in this role is very dangerous. What can we talk about the magic?

Judging by the removed Quentin’s head, even communication with Medea Shai is very dangerous. He flew on the fact that he is her fan. And how does she come with enemies?

«I let go addicted jokes addressed to her gloomy majesty, hoping that she would drive me away. And she is still in any way!» said Quentin. «Remove the head – it is easy. But shet does not want to expel! She can also give me to someone. You would make friends with her and asking me as a gift.»

She has not resolutely agree. To be friends with the queen of fairies is pure suicide! Yes, and with the rival, only the tricky and immoral girl is capable of making friends, which is used to shifting others. Amaranta preferred to be honest.

«I’m afraid to be friends with the monster,» she admitted.

«So you are wiser than me,» Quentin recognized sadly. «I would be like you, I would not get my head for an ax.»

«I would be smart, would not get confused with elves,» thought Amaranta. And immediately she silenced. It is impossible to think with Quentin too much, otherwise he will read all her thoughts as in an open book. Never stand in dealing with magical creatures to forget that they have the ability to read thoughts.

«My name is Amaranta,» she presented herself.

«I know! In our kingdom only about you and interpret. You are more popular than the queen herself because of her jealousy towards you. She was aiming for centuries to the king of elves, and then sailed behind the sea some mortal and confused all her plans. Beware of Mega Shai!»

The last words Quentin said very seriously. His emerald eyes on a moment flashed with a red tint.

«And otherwise she will demolish me head like you? Only I am no longer coming,» said Amaranta. At least once she is joking on him, not he over her, but Quentin and to this reacted with all seriousness.

«With mortals in such a simple way, it does not frame. After all, they cannot ride after death, which means to torture before death they need to long. Medea Shai does not like to miss their capabilities. On you, she will try to indiscriminate all anger. And her dragons will help her.»

«Do not scare me prematurely!»

«I did not want to scare. Just warned,» Quentin intercepted her hand and kissed, copying the gallantry of mortal knights.

«I wish I would see you in the role of the queen and lose my head because of you every day in the figurative, and not in the literal sense, but, alas, I did not work out!»

He took off his head off his shoulders, threw it like a ball. And in the next moment he was no longer there. If it is not a bouquet of bloody lilies of the valley, then no evidence that Quentin was real would have left. Amaranta did not even immediately realize that at this time of the year and in this area lilies of the valley do not bloom. And the headless elf will usually not meet here. Today, everything is not like usual.

Ice invasion

Infanta moved multicolored berries and now behaved strangely. Or maybe this one of the fruits presented by Dagda is partially echoing to her mind. Although she had a little mind. What do you to take from the bird? But now she sang strange songs and became surprisingly courtesy with her mistress. Probably peckled one of the magic fruits.

Amaranta was glad with her bird now. I didn’t want to constantly conduct verbal battles with your own pet.

Enough the fact that Theobald was in rage, accusing the elves in the impending war. No one believed him. Ice creatures about which the ambassador has told, did not have anything in common with the monsters whom the peasants saw in the forests and fields. Amaranta could talk something about her meeting with the creations of ice, but preferred to be silent. About the meeting on the bridge now and she did not want to remember. And especially about the fact that betting with ice creatures is almost lost. She really has a rival, which could be called a lady with dragons. And the candidate for the second husband also loomed on the horizon. And he turned out to be concretely king, as the ice elf assured her.

Amaranta rode thoughtfully between the palms the hot Dragon apple. By the scales on his skin, burning sparkles ran. If you rumble such an apple in an ice creature, does it burn entirely?

She did not give rest to the idea that a year later, the Ice Speaker would come for the promised in case of losing. Unless he forgot about what it is in general. Suddenly forgot? Amaranta thought that she needs to hope for the best. Suddenly, the ice creatures and the head of ice, devoid of any emotions and the main memory. In addition, before the expiration of the year since the meeting on the bridge, are many months. For such a term, the King of Ilior may well defeat the ice armies. They are probably can be melt with fire. True, the ambassador muttered something about the fact that if you bring a torch to them, they first melt, and then from the puddles are to be reinstalled, they are still extinct and become more angry.

The picture is terrifying! After all, then there will be no fire for a long time. Unless to conclude an agreement with Spark and his company so that the fiery elves are constantly nearby. From regular fire, ice armies would have to retreat. After all, everything is glowing continuously! Spark is a live fire! Only the friendship with him is very dangerous.

Theobald also assured that it is dangerous to have a friendship with elfs of any type. He disapprovingly mowed a dagger donated Dagda. Angus all the time wore it with him. It seems that this dagger had some kind of special power. Theobald was surprised how at all the elf could bring the iron thing. After all, all the unacceptable cannot endure iron.

Only one king of the elves could touch it. His subject is no longer. This covered his special strength.

Girlfriends who came with Amanaran have not complained about anything. But immediately after the wedding, her nurse was sick and died. Amaranta herself learned about it only recently from Adelina’s gossip.

«It was not worth the old woman to disclose the mouth and warn about Guest from another world,» Infanta said. «With everyone who is trying to warn people from them, the trouble happens.»

Probably, so she herself did not pay any attention to the flow, unexpectedly arising over the jug, full of water. Blue silhouette has grown over the water like a genie, which threw out of a narrow tank. He had something in his hands. It seems, lily from the pond.

«I brought you a gift,» he smiled enchantingly.

And, probably, now he will begin to ask for a sign of friendship with her, she drove out of here fiery elves. She would drive away from the castle and water beings, and fiery. But just how to do it?

Fortunately, the flow of her thoughts he did not read. Otherwise, he would be offended.

«I picked it specifically for you. Usually I don’t pick lilies, but the gift for you is a special case.

Amaranta reluctantly took a flower. Did you never know what kind of readiness could be the water elf. It is necessary to take a gift extremely careful. Lily to the touch was cold and humid. Instead of a yellow core in the pile of petals suddenly, the features of a pleasant female face. The face lived! It winked and smiled.

«How wonderful! Is this a magic lily?»

«She was a lively real girl. I drowned her,» Stream admitted proudly.

From such a gift immediately became bad. Amaranta did not know where to put a lily and put her on a small malachite table. It would be wiser to put it into the water, but Stream was steamed over a jug with water.

«How could you drown a girl! It’s cruel!»

«And you see what evil are the girls themselves,» he raised the curtain and pointed to the lawn in the garden, where Angus was practically precipitated her own maids-in-honour in trying to flirt. «Want, I’ll drown them all.»

Amaranth squeezed his fingers so that the coarse covers. It is impossible to desire. And the elf was tempted by hiding it with the freshness of the spring.

«Girls are charming, like flowers, but how many tricks in them, cunning, desire to grow up rival. To become the first each one is ready for any cruelty. Then they will still find this beautiful excuse. Any rival will easily shoot you on the hunt to take your place and say that it was by chance that in fact she was aiming in deer, but missed. Lilies are clean, so let the girls become lilies. It is better than to find your poison on rivals, while pretending to be timidations. Weak, beautiful, cunning…» He squeezed the water fists. «Let it be better to be lilies in my pond.»

«What lady so cruelly did with you that you now hate them all? «Although the conclusion was suggested by itself, she was worth it to pronounce it out loud, an elf of water was so convincing.

Stream in rage squeezed his fists and splashing a whole fountain of water splashes on the carpet. She implied him!

«Smart, though mortal!» he muttered, as if the aqueous stream was unlikely, stumbled upon sharp stones. He disappeared.

Lily managed to let the roots directly in the table. Amaranta moved from her. The entire flower head suddenly became female. She was very awkward held on the multiple green stems. Even a little bit and the whole room will to be the lake!

«You’re right! It was not necessary to deceive him but I needed that he flooded one vessel.»

«Can he?»

But the lily did not hear her, but told her past.

«Then he lured me into a pond. He promised the largest pearl.»

The voice resembled the rust of the breeze on the water.

«I’m sorry!» Amaranta felt the door handle and left the room as soon as possible. It’s better not to go here! We will have to crawl into boudoir.

The boudoir near the bedroom was small, but cozy. Here everything was decorated in purple colors: sofa, armchairs on bent legs, silk upholstery on the walls. It was worth storming the pillows on the sofa, as from there was flew the luminous insect size with a little finger. Again the focus of Spark! Although no, the tiny fairy was not similar to the fiery, rather she was floral.

«Can not be more inactive!» she squeaked offended.

Well, here, she was still offended! Itself after all hid in other people’s things. Amaranta has already doubted that this castle belongs to her and Angus, and not the evil spirits, which settled here.

«Who are you?»

«Cannes,» presented herself the Fairy, who walked under the ceiling. On the flower of Cannes her skirts and were really similar. Interestingly, but the petals grow straight from her skin?

«I somehow saw Cannes in Aluar. These are exotic flowers. They were brought from behind the sea,» admitted Amaranta.

«In Tuatu de Danan, they grow everywhere. But not all of them are suitable to become my house,» the fairy has become a little more trusting to Amaranta, lowered the flight and sat down on the back of the sofa. Now it is possible to feel her with the tip of the nail. Clothes petals really grew from her right out of the skin.

«What is Tuatu de Danan? Some Paradise Garden or Meadow?»

«No,» the fairy laughed, imitating bells. «It is so called all the magic lands: and the kingdom of fairies, and the kingdom of elves, and the mountains where the gnomes live and underground states. Once there ruled the Goddess Danu. Then she did not, and the possessions were stripped.

«Ah, yes,» Amaranta remembered the walls in the forest.:And in what part of the former Tuatu de Danan do you live?»

«In any way! I now live here in your castle.»

«That’s how!» Amaranta was sure that Cannes was just a messenger.

«I moved here after the union was concluded. All who did not find a place at home slowly poured here to mortals. I decided not to lag behind the fashion. You really have a chic castle. Only flowers are not enough. Usually I will live inside the flowers. I prefer Cannes. Hence my name, as you understood. Or did not understand? Well, you are stupid.»

«And you are not too polite.»

«I am a fairy, I can do something that you mortal can not.»

«But the king of elves does not think so.»

«Do you know him personally?» Cannes alerted. It can be seen, she hid too long in boudoir and did not hear the last gossip. Amarantite did not want to retell them, but she had to. Cannes noticeably nailed. Let her not respected the mortal girls, but hardly it turned out that Dagda himself was carried away by Amaranta, she was somehow forgot about her morality.

Cannes long told about Tuatu de Danan and all its traditions, and by evening she flew after Amana. Spark returned from the hills. Her presence near the Countess did not please him. He even called the fairy a curious insect, but she did not pay attention to him.

Iskra cost to be swollen. He was hiding behind the tapestries in the most cheekly and lived holes in them. But Amarante did not want to join the debate with him.

«After some girl picked my last house for a joy, I mean Cannes’s flower, I decided to fly here,» Cannes said, flying ahead of the Countess as a colorful firefly. She herself with the butterfly’s wings, more resembling petals, was also very similar to the flower, and not on a curious insect, Spark responded about her.

«These earrings are so heavy, which is surprising how you didn’t break the ears,» Cannes noticed unceremoniously.

«Learn to keep your opinion with yourself.»

«And what are they hot!» Cannes flew to one earring and burned down. Spark giggled, hiding behind the tapestries.

There are so many tapestries in this castle! Amaranta wonder how many elves are hidden behind them? Spark, as well as other fiery elves, was immediately noticeable, since they burned the holes in everything, for what they were hiding. They are better not to play hide and seek, they will immediately get out. And other beings that fucked in the Count Castle after the conclusion of the Union… How many of them here and in what corners do they hide? Guests from the Magic world loved to appear suddenly and hide a long time, but did not leave anywhere. Why, because the union with Dagda contributes to their stay here. Amaranta saw the gnomes in the empty boilers in the kitchen, the fiery elves in the oven, goblins in alcoves, where they were before the statues, even strange spine-shaped fairies, wearing a gold cobweb on the ceiling.

«Want, I weave something for you,» offered one such a fairy, having flown on the golden thread from the ceiling, like a spider.

And wove! A golden handkerchief. It almost instantly arose in her hands and lit up in the darkness. Even Cannes became interested.

«Thank you!» Amaranta accepted a handkerchief from the fingers of the fairy. That immediately disappeared on the ceiling, tightening back, like a spider.

«Arahni,» Cannes squeaked, but Amaranta was more interested in her earrings. Is Spark did something, and they became fiery again? At first glance in the mirror it seemed. The earrings broke out orange, and this is again just flowers. Optical illusion! How then can Canna feel the heat?

Fairies-spiders turned out to be many. It was worth only to throw off her head and look at the ceilings, so there they were crawled by whole flocks. Subsecured bodies, although they were golden, and suspiciously resembled gigantic spiders.

Fairies-spiders worked and made a golden network. Amaranta hid behind the column and secretly watched their work. Although is it possible to spy behind the fairy? Can they see all? Are they not from the kingdom of Medea Shai? It seems that all the monsters nest in her kingdom, and such creatures, though beautiful, but remind monsters. One spider fairy said:

«Say hello, Dagde, when you will be with him…»

«But I… almost don’t know him.» Taking the fairy for the agent of Medea Shai, Amaranta attached a sharp. Did not work!

«Is it really?» a fairy spider grinned. What a poisonous and wide smile, full of sharp needles-teeth.

«Did the Queen of fairies send you here?» Amaranta surrendered. Pretend to be stupid is senseless.

«We have a queen no longer. The king of the elves allowed us to live on his borders. But we are not his subordinates. But in the castle, you can all live since Dagda and Angus entered into an alliance. Doors are open here to all wandering fairies. Э

The people of fairies seem to be called all the magical creatures. The fairies crawled up the column, which was immediately covered with a golden pattern of cobwebs.

«Arahni,» again repeated Cannes.

«Arahni,» Amaranta already heard about them when she drove into the castle from the coast past the forests.

«Golden!» explained Cannes, so that it was clearer. «They weave the web with golden threads.»

At the top gathered a whole flock of Arahni.

«We weave and sew dresses, and you, ladies, carry them,» they quietly sang. «And every dress has special qualities. But not everyone solve them before the outfit will take possession of them.» A circle of wonderful weavers began to seem sinister.

«And can we not drive they away from the castle?» asked Amaranta. Arahni seemed dangerous.

«While the Union is not terminated in any way.»

So she was pleased! Sometimes even an alliance with magic creatures can become burdensome.

«Even if they dissolve it, promise that I can stay here!» asked Cannes. «I can be useful, care for flowers in the garden, bring you news, that is, spying. I am a little and similar to the flower, no one will not even notice me, but I can be sprinkled into any keyhole.»

«Well, stay!» said Amaranta. The tiny fairy did not the same as a whole company of spiders.

«Just don’t put on the dresses that they fall, and advise everyone dear people to you not to wear and not even measure the woven with them, then there are no troubles,» Cannes said.

Probably, the handkerchief was better to throw out, but it is already adherence to the sleeve like a burdock. Do not take away!

«This is nothing!» Cannes cautiously touched it. «The main thing is that it does not touch the skin. Through the sleeve it does not work! But in the dress, woven of them, many lose the mind. They remain forever young, but brainless. A couple of such brainless ladies in gold already wanders in the mountains.

«There are such girls as they need to withdraw with poisonous solutions, «Amaranta said as quiet as possible, so that the arahni did not hear her.

«The poison does not work on them. The first lady at the court of the elves Ivein also dislikes them, but uses with the benefit of themselves. After all, she is in the dresses donated by them, the mind does not lose. They only actually act on mortal. I think if you are a favorite of Dagda, then he sent them here so that they decorate the castle. For example, they can make tapestries.

It would not be superfluous! After all, Spark and his friends walked holes in all existing tapestries. But the ability to enchant the castle a little frightened, because under it you can understand any cunning magic trap.

The golden cobweb above is slightly covered with ice. Arahni was excited about cold.

«Frost! In summer!» Even Cannes was worried.

«According to rumors, Ice Army comes to the king of Ilior,» Amaranta admitted reluctantly.

«Then hence it’s time to fly away!» Cannes was worried. «I do not want to hold the next millennium frozen in the block of ice.»

«Maybe still not so bad.»

«You can easily speak. You have an elf patron, and I have anyone.»

«And what about me? Do you not live in my boudoir?»

Amaranta wanted to console her, but Cannes have already bothered. As if the Firefly, she swayed in height and instantly lost in the labyrinth galleries and arches. Spark giggled over it. If the fairy was afraid of ice, then the spark feels himself as hero. After all, upon the occurrence of an ice horde, who, besides fiery elves, will be able to protect the county?

Golden Shield

In the beginning a hunter then a blacksmith brought an alarming rumors into the castle that strange mechanical beings crawl out of Rodolite. The peasants from the nearest villages planned to arrange a riot. Angus dismissed this news. The threat of war for the whole Ilion was much more considerable than the petty riot of farmers. A few knights is enough to disperse the rebels in the surrounding area. But the war is so easy not to win.

Angus tormented the thought whether he could enlist in the future war the help of the king of elves. Dagda himself did not visit him yet, but sent his servants to make the tapestry as a gift to newlyweds. Now the creatures, called the Arahni, were crawling around the hall for feasts and worked on a bizarre machine brought by elves.

The church, built by Finodirries, as a place for worships remained inactive. But the Finodirirries settled next to it and even built a wall so that none of the people would dare to go on their territory. What they did there, remained a mystery. It seems to be treated the fields. Once, passing by, instead of the seeded fields Angus saw only thickets of turf.

For him it became a bad omen. After all, this is the temple where they were married with Amaranta. If it is the truth, then the wedding seems to be terminated.

Their marriage gave a crack. Amaranta was constantly near, but the feeling was as if she was far away. What Angus did not ask her, everything received only mechanical answers. And Amaranta had very many fans. All his knights suddenly began to care for her alone, as if they had conspired.

«Men like only empty-headed dolls,» laughed Spark on this topic.

Angus did not think so. After all, the fiery elf determined very accurately. Amaranta has become similar to a mechanical doll. In her eyes there is no shadow of intelligence. She did everything, as if on whose will. Maybe some elves were guilty? Angus heard stories about people who physically remain in this world, although their consciousness is captive by elves. Only a physical shell sits at home.

Could this come out and in the case of Amaranta? It will be necessary to ask Dagda when he will apply a visit again.

Angus even tried to call him, pinning his blood to the peace agreement with elves. Instead of Dagda, a beautiful lady came in a wreath of golden leaves, which was called Ivein. She was accompanied by the page, or the younger brother named Ivor.

As far as Angus understood after a brief dialogue, Ivein was the first lady at the court of Dagda. To discuss with her whether Amaranta was winned, Angus did not dare. In addition, Ivein tried to seduce him. To keep the temptation was extremely difficult. After Amaranta she was the most beautiful woman, which Angus saw in his life.

Ivor looked at her attempt to flirt with a big condemnation. Golden leaves ranked in his hair, wings trembled in a short green cloak.

«Dangerous black creatures are sitting in cages in your poultry house,» he noticed gloomily. «You would like to burn them, until they broke out.»

Angus understood this as a hint. So, those monstrous birds, which once caught his grandfather, is to blame for Amaranta. Theobald also assured they tried to influence her when she walked around the birds. He was already warned that these creatures are very dangerous, and he left them from the vanity in the collection. All due to the fact that he was proud of his bird collection, the largest not only in Ilion, but also in all surrounding countries. Those black birds did not die almost a hundred years. To release them is a risk. It is better to burn them with their cages.

«You could profitably sell them or exchanged, if you turn to her majesty Medea Shai, the queen of black fairies,» tactically advised Ivein. «At the same time, it can help in hostilities, if those are expected.»

«It’s not necessary to contact her,» Ivor immediately said. «Her services are expensive than any benefit that she will give you.»

«He is a joker,» smiled Ivein.

Ivor showed a whole golden twisted tongue. Angus shuddered at the sight of it.

«And where is she to find?«Angus was interested.

«There are several ways,» Ivein has bent the fingers, crumpled gold leaves. «Send with a message someone who you would like to sacrifice, at the intersection of roads at midnight. Fill the bowler with the blood of your enemy, boil it on the fire and call her. The easiest way is to get up at night in front of the mirror, taking a large red gem and pronounce her name thirteen times. The stone will have to give her, barely she appears. Otherwise, she will take you yourself. In general, it is a risk to call her, but the risk is justified, because she is very powerful.

«I will take into account!» Angus said. Probably, from the very beginning it was necessary to call an ally-woman from the magic world, not an ally-man. Ivein gave a good advice. – And Dagda will not be against the fact that I will call her?»

«In no case! He does not know how to get rid of her society. You will not be in a burden. You have only one human life, but to endure the company of Medea Shai many centuries turned out to be very burdensome. Dagda will only be grateful that you distracted herit from him.»

Ivein picked up the train, ringing golden leaves, and was already preparing to leave, but suddenly remembered something.

«Oh yes! In no case do not meet Medea Shai with his wife, if you want to protect Amaranta from trouble. Medea Shai cannot tolerate beautiful mortal women.»

Probably, therefore Dagda and did not lead her to our wedding, Angus thought. Ivein has already come out, right in the window. Ivor followed her. Angus would have been frightened that both guests would break up to death if the wings did not flush behind both of them.

Arahni were making tapestry. Amaranta watched them, standing in the doorway of the Big Hall. They made tapestry as if from nothing. Where does the Golden Thread come from? The bizarre patterns are not finished tapestry in familiar places: the arch at the junction of worlds, the temple, built by Finodirries, forests, full elves, bridges from rainbow and a black tract, followed to the kingdom of Fairies. The last place Amaranta has not yet seen with her own eyes and hoped never to see. As Quentin said, if she once gets there, she will die by sophisticated methods of the queen of fairies. Therefore, it is better not to see.

The tapestry, woven by fairies (even if they are spides, but still fairies) made an impression. It has not yet been completed, but it was already possible to determine that it shows not only earthly kingdoms, but all the lands of Tuati de Danan. Even the black tract of Medea Shai has been born in the lower left corner of the tapestry. Next to it, the pink thread portrayed a red stone, like Corundum. Wrapped with green forest threads alternated with silver and gold groves. Next to the tiny figures of people were embroidered large silhouettes of dragons, giants, goblins and trolls. Does all this evil dwells somewhere outside the county. Amaranta was looking for white silhouettes of ice elves at the tapestry, when in the hall came Thobald and Ambrose. They whispered about something. And it seemed to her what they would say right at her ear. The rumor suddenly aggravated.

«The delegation of elves and fairies in the castle is too big,» Theobald insisted in a habit. «They behave very suspiciously. Why do we need some kind of tapestry from them?»

«They just want to make a gift,» Ambrose turned out to be not so suspicious as his interlocutor.

«Gifts from them are impregnated with magic. And magic is unacceptable for people. My head is spinning near this tapestry.»

«My isn’t. Only all these patterns on the tapestry are blurred, barely concentrate on them. It seems that all these disinanted figures begin to move.»

«It’s all the tricks of fairies!» Theobald clenched fists.

«Maybe no,» Ambrose suggested. «When I look at the candles in the candelabra, I sometimes have the impression that their flames forms fiery figures that dance.»

«And you too!»

«And you don’t have the impression that the Countess is not alone one,» Theobald spoke first. «Now she stands and watches the work of these terrible fairies, as if they were not able to hurt her. And I saw her in the garden, when I looked out of the window. She can not move so quickly, as if she had become the fairy with wings.»

Now Amaranth has already been alerted. They noticed her copy! It is necessary to be more careful in the future. Dagda did not call her on a date so long that she began to wander near the golden roses, waiting for him.

«No matter how bad things came out,» the sounds of the knights dialogue were still coming. «Magic folk at the court of people are dangerous guests.»

«We’re now seem to allies,» said Ambrose.

The procession of elegant ladies and cavaliers, which recently walked in the garden, was promoted to the hall. He headed her, of course, Angus and her own copy. That’s it! Amaranta did not know where to go. It is necessary to disappear until Angus noticed her. One of the Arahni shows with her paw to tapestry. There was nothing to do. Amaranta stepped to her, immediately confused in colored threads, and a miracle suddenly happened – it turned out that she was no longer in the hall with a tapestry, but in an empty poultry house. Blimey! It wondered through the door, and not through the tapestry.

The heart was still alarmed. Does Angus noticed? And what to keep a magic copy in the castle if she herself does not go from the castle? Although who makes she be in the castle? She can walk along the meadows and groves in the hope of meeting there again the king of elves. Or look for a bridge from a white rainbow to go to Belladonna for advice.

Instead, she approached the cage with the fire-bird. It needs to release it! To keep the magic bird in a cage in the castle of people isn’t right. The door latch at the bottom of the rods immediately succumbed. Fire-bird feathers slightly fell her fingers, but the burn on the skin was left. The bird squeezed gracefully from the cage and flew into a large window. Not even nodded as a sign of gratitude. Amaranta watched her anyway with delight. Magic birds are amazingly beautiful and majestic creatures. They are not intended to sit in cages.

But ordinary birds did not want to fly away. They are accustomed to dwell in the poultry house. There are more food here than in the wild.

«Come to us! We missed you!»

Nasty hoarse voices hurt ears. However, Amaranta moved to sounds. For some reason, there was no strength to resist the call. And now she again sat in front of the cage, in which a terrible creature was sitting.

A wonder in a cage! Otherwise, you won’t call it. And it is not one here. Dozens of these monstrous birds. All of them are a bit different, but equally ugly. Evil red eyes sparkle because of the rods. From their sight the goosebumps running through the skin.

«You know who we are?»

Amaranta shook her head.

«The bones of our fathers could contact the dust in the family crypt of this castle, but our mothers are nor more, no less than the fairies from the kingdom of Medea Shai.»

«Then why don’t they come for you?»

«Fairies always throw away their children from mortals.»

«It looks like nonsense.»

«When do you have something similar to us from an elf, you will put it in a cage too?»

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