ma’am,» the elf immediately changed to a pleading tone. «It must stay here. It was assigned to the castle as a lookout from the magic kingdom, but it’s a garden secret.»
The elf winked slyly at Flora.
«An important person took a great liking to you, so you are being watched.»
«So I won’t run away from my own castle?» Flora snickered.
«Nothing bad may happen to you.»
«Could the fairies attack me again? Then they’d have to trespass on my domain.»
«There are many dangers besides fairies.»
«I’ve only encountered fairies!»
It was better not to have encountered them! Flora recalled with horror the aggression of the winged beauties that had swooped down on her. These are not fairies, but savages! They should have aristocratic manners.
«Why doesn’t anyone educate them!»
«It is because the empress of the magical empire has run away,» the elf explained dignifiedly. «This is a great tragedy for all of us. Without her supervision, all the fairies have disbanded.»
«Damn that bastard!» Flora cursed. «She had the misfortune to leave this wild pack unattended.»
«Without her, all the fairies are homeless,» the elf nodded. «It is except for the garden ones.»
«Why is it? Does she visit them?»
«The garden fairies have a mistress – you!»
«Why is it me?»
«Probably it is because they fly in your territory,» the elf squinted slyly. There was something he wasn’t telling me.
«I don’t think they obey me.»
«If they haven’t attacked the guest, i.e. me, they must be trained by you.»
«You’re logical!» Flora walked through the garden past the blooming acacia trees, and the elf soared after her. Soon the gardeners would notice that the mistress had a new admirer. The main thing is that they should not notice that this admirer is hovering over the path, not treading on it.
However, the elf disappeared into the hazel thicket as soon as Drusilla appeared on the road. It was daytime, but she looked like a lady, and she was reprimanding her broom for something.
«Oh, you are idle broom!» She wailed, plucking twigs from her broom. «You fly where you’re not asked! You’ve got a nerve! You don’t listen to me!»
The elegant lady with the broom would have looked ridiculous if it weren’t for her pointy hat. A hat like that always identifies a witch. And the black cat sitting next to her only adds points to her witchy reputation.
«The broom was helping me!» Flora stepped towards Drusilla. «She was covering the dragon’s tracks.»
«Ah, so that’s it!» Drusilla crouched in a curtsy.
Today, a necklace with a large sapphire glittered around the witch’s graceful neck. Had the Marquis given it to her? Flora didn’t think her father could have an affair with a witch living in the castle, but suddenly Drusilla was aiming for the Marquise’s seat.
The old decrepit housekeeper’s appearance slept like a mask. Drusilla in her younger guise turned out to be a very attractive woman. Her extravagant black attire aside, she could be called a refined lady. It was no surprise if her father had a crush. He’s always been into alchemists and astrologers. So the witch is quite his type.
«Why did you take off the old woman’s disguise?» Flora asked her directly.
«I was tired of looking decrepit and toothless.»
«It’s better than looking dead like the last Marquise,» Flora hinted. «I think anyone who tries to take her place will be dead too. Rumor has it that the local marquises are cursed.»
Drusilla giggled.
«What’s so funny?»
«It is nothing, my lady. I was just thinking that secrets to mortals are no longer secrets to you and me.»
The witch must know everything. She could fly over the towers at night on her broom and overhear any secret conversation. Flora couldn’t resist asking:
«Do you know where my mother has gone?»
«You mean Flora’s mother?» Drusilla squinted suspiciously.
It was necessary not to misspell things from now on. The witch was beginning to suspect her. It wouldn’t be far from trouble.
«Let’s call everything and everyone by their official names,» Flora said.
«You mean human?»
«And in turn, we call the human ones the common ones. Do you understand the terms?»
«You amaze me, madam!» Drusilla even whistled, and Blackie meowed and twisted her paw at her temple. «I don’t want you to take rules and terms for granted! Apparently, running away from the dragon, you lost respect for yourself.»
«What do you mean?»
«I’m sorry,» Drusilla was immediately startled and bounced behind a pillar of the garden gazebo. Only her pointy hat now peeked out. «I didn’t mean to be impertinent. I didn’t mean it!»
Who did the witch think she was, to be so flattering to her? Flora was too shy to ask directly. She’d give herself away with questions. If she’s so powerful that witches are afraid of her, then she’s supposed to be all-knowing.
«Would you pick me some blue roses?» Flora didn’t know where to send Drusilla. «I want to make a wreath of them.»
«Do you want to summon the midnight spirits?» Drusilla wondered. «It’s not worth it; your skin will turn blue before you start weaving the wreath.»
«I’ll take my chances anyway.»
Drusilla didn’t like it, but she obediently went to the rosebush by the gate and had a long argument with the creepy creature living in the roots.
«The roses should have been torn at midnight,» she protested. «But the mistress had lost her mind!»
The blue roses were difficult to pluck, even for a witch. It wasn’t until the evening that Flora got a dozen blue roses and noticed that they really turned her fingers blue. It was better to throw them away, but Drusilla stood with a broom like a guard and waited for Flora to weave the promised wreath. To tame the witch’s suspicion, she had to weave it.
A round dance of fairies
Flora wove the wreath and hummed. The thorns hurt her fingers. The roses were predators. They wanted to dig into the skin until it bled. By the way, the blood that dripped on them immediately dissolved in the petals. Are they vampires?
«Don’t
