“You all are the first,” Challe replied. “I’ve heard the crafters will be gathering fairies here every week from now on, but I am not involved in that. Besides me, there are two other fairies here: a water droplet and a pebble.”
The other fairy nodded like he wasn’t surprised to hear this.
“I can tell by your appearance that you’re no laborer. I’m Allele Cil May. Good to meet you. What do you do? I bet you’re a fighter. Are you the humans’ bodyguard?”
“Something like that. I’m Challe Fenn Challe.”
One of the other fairies spoke up timidly from behind Allele. “Allele, what do we do?”
“They told us to check our beds, so I guess we can go do that first.”
Although the fairies seemed curious about Challe, they split up and headed for their assigned quarters.
The rooms on the second and third floors of the west and east wings had been outfitted with bunk beds wherever possible. Each of the fairies had been given one of those beds.
After making sure all his comrades had dispersed, Allele lowered his voice. “You look like a capable fellow, Challe.”
“And?”
“I’ve got a request.”
Challe frowned intently, and Allele lowered his voice even more.
“It looks like surveillance is pretty lax here. We’ve been ordered to work for seven days. This is the perfect chance. The man who represents the Lewiston fairy market is holding our wings. If you get even a little freedom of movement, you can take advantage of it to go to Lewiston and take them back. That would free us from bondage. And then we could attack whoever has your wing. The bunch who came here with me aren’t all that strong, but if we act as a group, we can make it work.”
Challe sighed. Allele’s proposal wasn’t surprising. He was not here of his own free will, after all. So long as there were slaves and slavers, fairies and humans could never see eye to eye.
While this was true, the reality was that Challe could not make such a promise. Anne and the other humans were only borrowing them from the fairy dealers.
“I understand your feelings, but I can’t entertain that request.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t you have any interest in working with these humans?”
Challe glanced up, trying to gauge Allele’s attitude. Just as he’d expected, the other fairy had furrowed his brows.
“By ‘these humans,’ do you mean the ones here? What are you talking about, pal?”
“Learning candy making techniques developed by fairies will allow you to improve our kind’s future. If you trust these humans and put in the work, things could change for us. You could become a candy crafter…a silver sugar fairy.”
“And what happens then? One of the humans told us that we might get our wings back once we become candy crafters, but can we really trust them? In the end, we’ll just be slaves who make sugar candy. Nothing will change. Listen to yourself—how can you be so naive?”
Challe smiled bitterly. “It sounds far-fetched, to be sure. Even I don’t quite believe what I’m saying.”
The men Hugh had sent passed through the lesser hall and appeared in the corridor. They stood in the doorways of the fairies’ quarters and shouted, “Once you’ve found your beds, assemble in the front hall on the first floor. It’s time to start working.”
Allele spoke quietly and quickly. “Whatever else happens, our first priority should be freeing ourselves. Think my request over, would you?”
With those words, he departed.
Right now, these fairies still aren’t capable of understanding our intentions—those of Anne and the humans, and those of Lulu and myself.
The silver sugar fairy’s techniques were no longer secret, and the human king had decreed that more silver sugar fairies would be trained. A door had opened to them. Yet the fairies were still cowering at the entrance.
But that was because the very humans who had opened the door still held the fairies’ wings. They were willing to use force to keep these fairies in bondage. Anne and the others weren’t holding their wings by choice, of course. But given the risk of the fairies deserting, there was nothing else they could do.
Though both sides wished for change, they were still frozen in place, unable to move.
After familiarizing the fairies with their sleeping arrangements, Anne and the others had them assemble in the workshop on the first floor.
“Looks like they’re all here,” said Keith. “Well, for now anyway.” He looked both relieved and apprehensive.
Anne frowned. “It really does feel…tentative, huh?”
“The actual work starts now.” Kat crossed his arms and grunted sullenly as Benjamin, sitting on his shoulder, idly dozed away.
The three of them, standing face-to-face in the entrance hall, looked toward the workroom almost simultaneously. They knew there were fifteen fairies inside, but the space was as quiet as if it was deserted.
“We’d better get started.”
As Kat unfolded his arms and started to walk off, the front doors creaked open behind him.
“There was a big wagon outside. Does that mean the fairies are here?” someone asked.
The three crafters turned around to find the Silver Sugar Viscount, Hugh Mercury, stepping leisurely into the hall. He was wearing a plain brown jacket, which meant he wasn’t there on official business. As always, a young man with tanned skin stood behind him—his bodyguard, Salim.
“It’s awfully quiet, though. Where are they?”
Looking around, Hugh approached the three crafters.
Kat furrowed his brow. “The hell’d you come here for?”
“To say hello, Kat. This whole enterprise with the silver sugar fairies is financed with money set aside by His Majesty’s decree, and I’m in charge of managing it. It only makes sense for me to come see how things are starting out, yes?”
“Ah, I forgot. Yer the one holdin’ our reins, huh?”
Paying no attention to Kat’s disagreeable attitude, Hugh smiled at Anne and Keith.
“How are things going?” he asked. “Is everything all right?”
“The arrangements are proceeding as planned,” Keith answered.
Hugh’s eyes flashed at the obvious implication. “Oh, are they now?”
He didn’t question Keith any further, however.
“Well, make sure you do everything properly,” he said, grinning. “We don’t want to put on a poor show. The plan right now is for some fellows from the Mercury Workshop and the Radcliffe Workshop to come and observe the fairies’ progress after two months.”
“Observe?”
Anne repeated the word without thinking, and Hugh shrugged.
“Killean came crying to me, and Master Radcliffe turned to threats. Right now, the Paige Workshop is the only one following the king’s order. In the other two factions, the crafters are still strongly opposed to allowing fairies. The leaders of both requested that we let their principle crafters see how the fairies handle the work.”
“Why do they want that?” Anne’s eyes were wide.
Kat answered, “Probably ’cause the crafters don’t think fairies are fit for making sugar candy.”
“Exactly,” said Hugh. “In order to convince the other crafters, we have to show them that the fairies are capable. Even a stubborn crafter is still an artist. If we show them what the fairies can do, it will force them to recognize their potential for making sugar candy.” Hugh brushed back his wild brown hair with both hands, sounding annoyed. Then his lips curled into a sadistic smile. “Of course, if the fairies are incompetent, it will give the crafters a reason to oppose their inclusion.”
Anne was startled.
Hugh had said all that like it was nothing, but if true, then the observation day would be very important indeed.
Anne and the others had gathered the fairies in the hopes that they would each join one of the workshops, train there, and start careers as candy crafters. She couldn’t bear to think about what might happen if the fairies couldn’t join those workshops.
“Don’t you worry. Any fairy with talent should suffice. All you guys have to do is teach them enough to impress those crafters when they visit in two months.”
Both Keith and Kat grimaced, but that was to be expected. Hugh had basically told them that the fairies’ futures depended on how well the three of them did their jobs. It was cruel of Hugh to break the news so casually, given the seriousness of the situation.
“We only have two months?” asked Anne.
“I think you mean you have two whole months. That’s more than enough time, right?” Unruffled, Hugh gave his answer, then jerked his chin in Kat’s direction. “Now then, I need to perform a detailed inspection. Show me the records for all the fairies you’ve borrowed and the schedule you’ve made for them. Oh, and I’ll need to see all the documents related to your contracts with the fairy dealers.”
“You really know how to piss me off. C’mon, jerk. The papers are upstairs.” As Kat spoke, he gave Anne and Keith a stern look. “You heard the man. I’ve gotta show this dim-witted bastard our books. Don’t just stand there daydreamin’!”
Startled, Anne answered in a panic, “Ah, right!”
Keith’s face stiffened. “Understood. We’ll get started now.”
Kat went upstairs, and Hugh followed. But Salim, who always trailed after Hugh like his shadow, paused when he passed in front of Anne.
“Anne, have there been any signs of Lafalle and the other one after what happened?”
Salim was expressionless as always, but Anne could tell he was concerned.
“No, but thanks for asking. There hasn’t been anything. And Challe’s with me, so I’m all right.”
“Is that so? I’m glad to know he’s with you, but be careful… Is he…treating you kindly?”
“He’s the same as always. He pokes me in the head and calls me scarecrow-brained.”
“That’s a relief to hear.”
As Anne wondered what was so relieving about that, Salim broke into a smile and followed Hugh up the stairs.
Watching them go, Keith placed a hand on Anne’s shoulder. “We should get going, too, Anne. Kat’s right—we don’t have time to stand around daydreaming.”
She bit her lip, raised her head, and headed toward the workroom.
As soon as she and Keith entered, all fifteen fairies turned toward them at once.
Their eyes…are so cold.