Amaranta. Rival of Fairies’ Queen. Natalie Yacobson

hmm…» The boy who met the carriage, clearly felt a little embarrassing. «Mrs. Iveina is not entirely the satellite.»

      «But still let him come. Will be a guest. Or even a girlfriend of the bride. One of my maids fell ill and died during marine voyage. Now I miss the bridesmaids for an even number. They should be even quantity.»

      «Uriella did not die. One of the sons of the sea called her with him from the ship, and she jumped into the bunch behind him. He can let her go to the wedding. I can transfer him a message from you, written on the shell. Only in this case the son of the sea, who kidnapped her, will come to a wedding with her, and wet traces will remain everywhere. So I don’t really advise you to invite Uriella and him, if you do not want the lock partially flooded. You see, since the Queen of Lilofey (she was a terrestrial princess before it became the wife of the sea king) tried to escape back to the father, the sons of the sea no longer trust their sweethearts who ask to visit their relatives on the Earth. These girls, even if they love their kidnappers, sometimes have a strong nostalgia. It is worth them to step back to the ground, and they can hate the underwater kingdom, where they lived comfortably among the wonders and treasures.

      But this speech of the boys has already resembled a draw or nonsense.

      «Did you decide to tell me fairy tales?»

      He crashes as if he was struck.

      «No, sorry, I just thought that your friend Uriella, for sure, did not leave you a farewell inscription on deck with blood and water. And if she left, then you did not understand it. The language of the underwater inhabitants is too complicated, and if they want people to understand them, they are came themselves, and everything becomes bad from their manners. Therefore, I decided to explain to you, where your maid disappeared. She did not show any disrespect for you, that she left, she was just lured under the water. When the water pop up from the waves and play on the swirls, mortal girls are hypnotized by their music. Even love Sonata is no longer needed.

      It seems that he did not understand that the girls who jumped from the ship to the open sea are most likely becoming drunk. The fact that their corpse did not come to the surface, does not mean that they became princess in the underwater kingdom. Amaranta frowned, remembering that symbols drawn by blood and water on the deck really appeared. Sailors were baptized for a long time, finding them a bad omen. And Uriella before disappeared, she was sick for a long time and complained that she hears some kind of melody straight from the waves. Others did not hear it, but Uriella had blood from it from ears.

      Sorry for Uriella. She was the most beautiful of the girlfriends of the bride, but she began to talk to the waves and rushed overboard. Only its veil then swam on the water.

      The sea is a terrible place. Amaranta would not be able to transfer a long voyage a second time. When you are in the open sea in cloudy weather, really you start thinking that thousands of monsters are watching you out of depths, scratching the bottom of the ship, and fiercely whisper about people who accidentally found themselves in their possessions.

      Once Amaranta had a nightmare dream about the underwater inhabitants who keep the advice: heat their ship or not. The vessel really threw out of the side to the side and almost listed on the reefs. Someone one of the sea creatures said that it was not worth it, because one of the girls on board was too valuable. Which they meant? Uriella, which was kidnapped. Here, she is already starting to think like a boy. Under the influence of anthracite eyes under deciduous mask slots. The lady for his back his eyes were aquamarine, like two gems. She was silent all the time. Iveina, so it was called. Curious name. Sounds like rustling foliage.

      «What is your name?»

      The boy even embarrassed from the fact that she was interested in his humble person.

      «I am Ivor,» he retreated a step back instead of wing, as it should be.

      «What is the name of that wizard who made you such a mask?»

      Here he was no longer answered, and Iveina laughed in the woolly. Her lips under the golden leaves were not visible. Laughter proceeded, as if from the inside of the statue. Amaranta satellites even did not wake up from it. It seems that they hit the sleepy kingdom.

      Or maybe all this dream? And she just sleeps? Amaranta reached for Ivour. He was completely real. And his clothes from soft velvet. And on the palms of the same leaves like at Iveina. And they grew up with the back of the palm, and with outdoor. Grew? Amaranta didn’t believe it too much, but failed to touch them. Ivor snatched his hand.

      «I had to tell you something,» said he.

      Amaranta looked at him closely from the window of the carriage.

      «We welcome you! And… Ivor accurately frowned under the mask, because gold leafs were trembling in eyebrows. He could not remember something important.

      «And?» Amaranta suggested.

      «Dagda ordered me to tell me something, but I do not remember…»

      Dagda? What is the name? Like an ancient pagan god or the ruler of wild tribes. From the politeness Amaranta nodded.

      «Do not remember, then do not remember. I’m not angry with you.»

      «Oh, you are very generous. Looking at you, I begin to respect mortal girls.»

      Well, here he is again for his jokes. He repels about people as if he does not apply to them, but to the race of the gods. For him, this is normal, he, after all, the child could also go. But the adult lady for his back would have to interrupt the draw. If only it is not included in some local traditions of receiving the bride from other people’s edges. There are a variety of wedding rituals in different countries. And in small island kingdoms on holidays, there are even strange rituals. Suddenly, here the masks from leaves are something ritual. It is worth checking out.

      «Can you remove the mask?» She asked for Ivor.

      «Not now!»

      «Why?»

      He looked at Iveina

      «Why can’t you take it right now? I want to see your face, not a mask.»

      Ivor bent to the window of the carriage and whispering a conspiratorial tone.

      «It grows into the skin with the sunset.»

      So it, however, grows out of skin. Or is he joking? Amaranth managed to tear off one leaf.

      «Ouch, it hurts!» Ivor straight screamed.

      «Sorry!»

      She turns a sparkling leaf in the fingers. He was made of pure gold.

      It seems that Ivor really was hurt. His companions at once were alerted and began to remind ready to rush into the battle. Ivor said something to them in an incomprehensible language, and then he turned back to Amaranta. He did not go blood from his chin, although it was from there and a golden leaf was revealed. So, he still did not grow out of the skin, since there is no blood. And pain can be depicted.

      «All the mortals are the same jokers,» Ivor’s voice suddenly became no childish but evil and cruel. «There are many troubles from them. They ruin the fields, and the forests are damaged, our flowers are torn, they expel our vassals from all holes. Therefore, we fought. You do not want a new war?»

      His words were angry. It seems that from the underground kingdom, the whole rail of terrible monsters warriors is breaking, which to bear numbers. It is standing to pass out, and they will reach the human world in one fell.

      Ivor did not talk about anything, but it seemed that he said, and showed.

      «Don’t make me angry,» he bounced offended and suddenly disappeared, as if he was not. His companions are no longer visible. The road is empty.

      «In vain, you did it,» Infanta said, greedily looking at the golden leaf, which Amaranth spit in her hands.

      The grooms began to wake up, her maids too. Amaranta barely managed to prevent