Wendy knew that if she put her mind to something, she could get it done. Mastered. Completed. Solved. Success rate 99%. Not only was she gold, she could get it done fast. Damn fast if she allowed herself to brag. However, when it came to things concerning her eldest sister…Well, she could say that figuring out Irene was the one percent that always got away from her.

Pulling herself out from deep thought, Wendy realised the dinner table had been cleared of all the dishes and replaced with a tiered platter of fruits. Hot tea on the side. She could barely remember what appetisers was offered, what main course she ate and the conversation they had over dinner.

She narrowed her eyes. Pleasantries were rushed when they entered the dining room of Seulgi’s Void. Her eccentric yellow draped spaces were a maze to get through and the youngest fairy of the five wasn’t pleased that her three older sisters were late.

Hugs, teases, jokes and laughs followed. Eating, she guessed, was automatic.

Wendy felt the cold hand on her thigh slip and she glanced at Irene who sat beside her at the table, hiding her wide smile with her hands, laughing at something Joy was telling her. Her hearty laughter put Wendy’s mind at ease momentarily, before snapping the Fall fairy back as to why she was so disengaged with the reunion in the first place.

For the last few hours, she had been fixed on trying to figure out what exactly was causing Irene the slightest bit of distress. A fragment of uneasiness she wasn’t able to pick up…even after all these years.

Was it another bout of abnormal weather patterns? Was it too hot that the ice couldn’t set? Was there a new invasive species that she couldn’t handle? Was her house not warm enough? Does she not have enough food to eat? Or perhaps it wasn't the correct Christmas wreath Irene wanted?

That’s a little petty… But! There were so many things going through Wendy’s head. Too many! Though her eldest sister said it was nothing to worry about, Wendy knew the lengths the prideful Winter fairy would go to to handle things by herself.

Selfless? No, sometimes she was just downright stubborn to the bone.

As Irene was never one to wear her emotions on her sleeves, asking her again would most likely lead them to the same conversation before dinner. Wendy knew the best way to get her answers would lie with Seulgi, but the sentinel had excused herself just minutes ago to tend to an urgent call. So that left her with Yeri.

The youngest of the five. Fairy of the Summer.

Feisty, witty Yeri.

Brutal like the Summer sun.

Wendy made a face at the realisation that figuring out what was making Irene uneasy was going to make her work. And work hard for it. She looked over the three-tiered dessert stand to the Summer fairy on the other side of the table, busy picking the calyx off her strawberry. Wendy coughed softly.

Just loud enough for brown eyes to look up.

Wendy caught Yeri’s gaze as she leaned forward a bit too quickly, chest pressing up awkwardly against the table. Glad that Irene and Joy were still deep in conversation, Wendy craned forward with an awkward smile. The youngest raised her brow and held her head high, her ornate diamond necklace blinding the Fall fairy briefly,

‘Wendy.’

‘Yeri.’

‘Oh, did you want this strawberry?’

‘What? No.’

‘Then? More tea?’

The Fall fairy clenched her jaw and leaned in further, whispering across the table,

‘No Yeri, I need to talk to you.’

‘Okay,’ the Summer fairy popped the strawberry in , chewing, ‘I’m all ears.’

‘Privately.’ Wendy hissed through a smile.

‘Oh, what? You could have just said that in the first place.’

Yeri stood up immediately, causing her sisters to turn questioningly at her sudden stand. Wendy held her breath as she mouthed silently to the youngest, ‘Discreetly!’

‘Right. Sorry.’ She made a weird gesture to the doors with her hands, ‘I need to use the ladies.’

The Summer fairy motioned her way out as Irene stared curiously while Joy nonchalantly watched their youngest sister walk out of the dining room. Wendy exhaled, a bit too loudly, which she immediately mentally scolded herself. For it caused Irene to turn to her, worry flickering across her electric blue eyes. Quick on her feet, she leaned over,

‘I’ll check up on her.’

The Winter fairy gave a small nod as Wendy excused herself, Irene’s cold touch lingering on her arm as she made her way out. Closing the heavy doors behind her quietly, the Fall fairy breathed out in relief. First step done.

‘If you and Irene are fighting again, I’m not taking anyone’s side this time round.’

Wendy gasped incredulously, ‘Fighting? Yeri, why would you even think of that?’

Leaning against one of the tall windows that lined the yellow corridors, away from the dining room doors, the Summer fairy dressed elegantly in all black simply shrugged her shoulders,

‘Well, you only talk to me in private when it’s something to do with Irene. And that only, and always happens, when she’s not talking to you.’

The Fall fairy tensed up slightly at her words. Yeri was not wrong and Wendy could not deny any part of that. Despite being the youngest, the Winter fairy found her Summer counterpart as someone she could confide in when it came to things she really didn’t want anyone else to know. Wendy had initially found it strange, but realised that there were certain things she kept secret from Irene and entrusted it to others too.

Yeri was a vault, her loyalty to her eldest sister unbreakable. However, Wendy knew if she navigated her way through the conversation without revealing her true intentions, Yeri would generously slip out a piece or two of information. Then again, to begin with, the Fall fairy was not one to lie. Being honest was clearly a disadvantage in this situation.

This was the tricky part….

‘We’re not fighting, Yeri.’ Wendy walked over to her sister standing underneath the moonlight, warmth of a summer’s sun slowly enveloping around her,

‘Everything would have frozen over if we were.’

‘True.’ Yeri nodded in agreement and then pulled a face, hands on her hips,

‘Weird. Then what do you want from me?’

Wendy scratched the back of her neck, hesitant. But the Fall fairy knew, it’s do or die. No shortcuts. Taking a deep a breath, she-

‘SoIrenesaidtherewassomethingstrangehappeningtoherlands. But, shedoesn’twanttotellJoyorIanythingaboutit. I’mworriedit’ssomethingnasty. SoIwaswonderingifIrenehasmentionedanythingtoyou.’

Wendy breathed, smiling her brightest. It wasn’t exactly what she had in mind but it was the best her honest self could come up with without stuttering. Yeri looked blankly at her, mouth slightly agape,

‘Wendy. Really. Seriously. Did you expect me to understand what you just said?’, the Summer fairy dead-panned,

‘All I heard was Irene something blah blah. You’re worried about her doing something nasty to you.’, there was a pregnant pause,

‘Ew, that itself sounds terrible.’

Wendy tightened her jaw, rolled her eyes, and sighed,

‘You know how I become when it comes to Irene.’

‘You become a blubbering mess.’ The youngest folded her arms, big brown eyes returning the eye roll,

‘So breathe Wendy. What is happening to our dearest eldest?’

Second wind! The spark reignited within the cool gray eyes and Wendy took a step closer to her sister. This time she held her chest and breathed, her Summer counterpart listening understandingly as she repeated herself. Wendy caught onto brown eyes widening slightly as she finished. She bravely took another step closer, the smell of a fresh summer’s breeze tickling her nose. She nodded eagerly at her sister, hoping that will coax something out of Yeri.

‘No.’

‘No?’ Wendy jerked back, puzzled, ‘As in, she hasn’t told you anything?’

‘Yes?’ Hearing the rising lilt in her own voice, Yeri knew that emotion and her older sister beat her to it.

‘Why are you questioning yourself?’

‘I’m not.’ Yeri said flatly, and Wendy instantly felt the shift in her sister’s mood. It happened so fast and disappeared just as quickly. She saw the apprehension surface in Yeri’s face but it was immediately suppressed by a summer’s breeze. The youngest was just as stubborn as the eldest. Wendy sighed inwardly as the Summer fairy continued pointedly,

‘Irene hasn’t told me anything. Zilch. And if she did, and it was something truly, extremely, serious,’ Wendy noted the emphasis Yeri placed on the last few words,

‘I would have already told everyone.’

Wendy puffed a cheek and blew out a breath. She really wanted to ask again to ease her suspicion, but she held herself. Having seen that flash of worry on Yeri’s face, Wendy knew this was all she was going to get out from the youngest. This outcome was not what she had expected. The Fall fairy clasped her hands together and rocked on her heels…If Yeri wasn’t informed then hopefully Seulgi was where she would get her answers from. She had to wait and that only frustrated her further.

‘Joy noticed something was off about Irene…’ Wendy admitted.

‘If Joy noticed then you… Oh! No wonder why you’re acting all cranky!’

A loud snicker reverberated in the corridor as Yeri clapped her sister’s back, amused. Wendy forced a smile, lurching forward,

‘I’m not cranky.’

‘Yea yea, Ms. I’m-just-worried.’ Yeri dusted her sister’s shoulder, brown eyes twinkling in amusement, ‘You should be more concerned about the ridiculous fancy-dress ball we have to attend!’

‘We attend the Harvest Ball every year, Yeri.’

This time it was the Summer fairy’s turn to sigh,

‘Yes and you know what happens to our dear sister when they announce her presence to the court’, The summer fairy fiddled with her dress as she trailed off, picking at her long sleeves, clearly getting restless.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter