“Come on, Titania. You’re so unfair. Why do you have to be so small? I knew we should’ve played a different game.” The eight year old girl with the long white-blonde locks whines as she ducks her glowing head under a bush beside that river by the meadow of the palace’ garden. Not at all caring if her pearly white dress gets scrunched up in the process, she started to crawl toward that line of bushes still looking for her tiny friend.

 

With an impatient huff, the little girl stands up and with her hands stubbornly on her waist, her light blue eyes squints as she start to scan her surroundings. “Titania~ You’re so unfair, come out already. I give up! I’ll never win hide and seek with you—“ She whined again, but she stops when she heard a shrilling tiny giggle coming from a trunk of the tree on her left.

 

She spots a squirrel’s hole in the trunk and with sneaky steps, walks toward it slowly. But then, the little girl pouted when she realizes that the hole in the trunk was so high, she was basically craning her head to look upward and there is no way she’ll be able to peak a boo into that hole. Suddenly, an idea creeps on her mind that made her thin pink lips curve up in a mischievous smile.

 

The little girl knew she didn’t need a spell to do this one, so she just closed her eyes, chanted the energy mantra with the idea she had in mind, before she shouts a “Boo!”

 

In an instant, something flew out of the hole in circles and gold dust—that were actually pixie dust—revealing her pixie Titania get wobbly by flying with her tiny wings in mid-air. The girl clapped her hands cheerfully and laughed. “Gotcha!”

 

Gaining balance and proper consciousness, her pixie friend stood straight in mid-air and placed her hands on her hips—sternly shook her head. Titania was a bit upset.

 

“I know it was against the rules, but I have to use it Titania. You were too high! You also broke the rule when you hid too high in that tree!” The girl was still smiling widely up her friend, that made her look like an angel in the middle of the meadow.

 

Titania just purses her lips, but eventually her face broke with a smile when she sees her young friend smiling beautifully at her. Not a single person in this kingdom matches the ethereal beauty of the young child. The only daughter of Queen Adalia and the only one who has the most enchanting hair in the whole kingdom that marks the future powerful ability of the child that only occurs after five generation in the Royal family of the kingdom of Akelarre. Her utmost peak ability in the future can protect the entirety of their kingdom and other good witches’ and creatures’ kingdom. So it was no wonder that the child was under strict protection and care in the palace and was reared closely as she ages—and as her powers gets stronger on its full level when she reaches the age of eighteen. But as the girl’s pixie, Titania saw how the princess wanted to play with the other children outside of the palace. How her friend would constantly ask the guards to bring whatever the little girl wanted to give to the children she sees from the palace’s window. Titania can see the longing of the child to be normal, even the Queen does, too. But it was the royal witch council’s decision to keep the child inside the palace for her own safety. There were still bad warlocks outside their kingdom that may mean harm to the royal family, and that’s what the council’s concern was.

 

So even when Titania was just a mere pixie bought in town by the child’d aunt—she was a grumpy and anything but friendly pixie before—but the lonely child just warmed her heart that she promised to be a good friend and companion of the princess despite in her low life  pixie form. Pixies were merely considered as pets, but the young child treated her like a sister and she was honored beyond her life.

 

Scrunching her nose, Titania playfully blows pixie dust on the child’s face making the girl sneeze—but she forgot that odd things happen when the princess releases instinct reflex energy—making the tree they were under shake along the girl’s sneeze. A twig falls and hits the pixie’s head accidentally making her lost her balance and fall, but the child was fast enough to catch her tiny friend.

 

“Gah! Titania!” the girl pokes the pixie’s tiny belly. Titania wasn’t really unconscious; she was just knocked out in the slightest bit and sits up on the girl’s palm before shaking to clear her head. “I’m sorry.” The girl says.

 

The pixie just smiled widely to ensure the child that she was fine and girl sighs in relief before smiling back. They both whip their heads when they hear a guard call.

 

“Princess Alena, your mother wishes to see and accompany you in getting ready for your party later. She is already in your room, your highness.” The guard in white coat and breeches bows. He was the princess’ personal guard, he’s a protector warlock.

 

“Okay, Caedmon.” The girl smiles happily as she lets her pixie friend fly on her own now. “Come on, Titania. There will be children in the palace later, right?” She asks her pixie as they trot toward the guard. Titania whimpers silently (pixies can’t talk), and shrugs.

 

The girl held Caedmon extended hand as he guides the princess inside the palace. The girl thinks Caedmon was a really nice protector, he was like an uncle to her. “Caedmon?”

 

“Yes, princess?”

 

“There will be children in my party later tonight, right?” The girl beams hopefully at the warlock. She really wanted to play with the children she sees almost every day from her window. They seem so happy and fun and nice. She wanted to have fun on her birthday. And that’s today.

 

“Why, yes, your highness. You requested that to your mother, remember?” The man smiles down at the young beauty in his hand. He was granted with a wider grin and the child’s hair just glowed with her emotion.

 

“Did you hear that, Tatiana? We’re going to play with other children later! Ooooh! I’m so excited! Aren’t you excited too, Caedmon?”

 

The good warlock chuckled lightly at the child’s innocence. It was warm like a glowing sun, and he was tended to protect this child by the council—and that’s what he just intends to do. “Of course. I’m excited for you, your highness. You’ve been requesting for this for almost a year now.”

 

The princess just beamed and eagerly tugged his hand toward her room. “Come on! Mother’s waiting. I wish it’s three o’clock already~”

 

Caedmon cannot help but continue smiling. “It’s just one hour away, princess. Patience, little one.” And the pixie flying beside her nods her head, agreeing.

 

The girl just made a face at the both of them. “You said it yourself, Caedmon. I’ve been waiting for this for almost a year. I know I’ve been patient enough.”

 

The elder cackles louder. The child was smart, too. “I know, your highness. I know.”

 

*

The Kingdom of Akelarre was in its festive ambiance. There was a feast for all the villager witches, white sorcerers, centaurs, satyrs and nymphs of the entire kingdom, nature fairies from the kingdom of Damania, elves and hobbits from the kingdom of Savin, and witches from the near kingdoms were all gathered outside the palace’ wide plaza in celebration of the Princess Alena’s birthday. The princess’ birthday was deemed important for all kingdoms since she is not just an ordinary witch royalty but she belonged to the witch goddesses like her great-great-great-grandmothers and so on. In her full ability when she reaches the age of eighteen, the powerful light of magic will be passed on to her by her ancestors and her ability will be just as great as the other witch goddesses that maintained the innermost peace and order in all kingdoms. A witch goddess cannot just do spells and magic, but has the capacity to control all elements of powers from nature down to the most forbidden spells of witchcraft, that only a very powerful witch can do. That’s why the princess was provided with utmost education inside the palace because her ability in the future cannot be just easily handed. It demands practice and control. The older she gets, the powerful her energy as a witch becomes, because that is the preparatory stage for her to handle the passing on of the great light or Vala.

 

 Pixies were flying around, nymphs laughing along with hobbits with drinks, a little pyro-show was being performed on the side which never failed to gather gasps and awes from different village witches because it was a pyro-show with spells that shapes fires into things and animals before it explodes into different sparkly hues. There were Pegasus  that were lined up and guarded by a few palace warlocks for the villagers to have a free minute ride. Bright singing and dancing can be heard and seen everywhere.

 

There were excited children running around in their best wardrobe today since they were all requested to enter the palace and play with the beautiful princess they seldom see. It was already in the mid-afternoon, and everyone’s doing halted when they hear a loud but a soft sound of horn. Everyone turned their head upward the palace overlooking balcony—there they saw the regal beauty of  Queen Adalia with a wide smile to greet her people.

 

“Greetings witches of Akelarre! Witches, warlocks and other good-hearted creatures of all kingdoms, I thank you all for gathering here today, for the celebration of my daughter Alena on her eighth year of life.” There were evident pride and happiness in the queen’s blue eyes, but unlike the princess—her hair was in the silkiest straight of black. “I couldn’t thank you enough for each and every one of your presence today because it means a lot to my daughter. You may not see her often but still, I thank you for caring this much for the royal family and the good in this kingdom. For a token, I want to bless all of your homes with bounty of graces and may our kingdom continue to do good and peace for as long as we all shall live!” The queen chanted a silent spell so strong yet so effortless for her, before she spreads her hands and white snowlike-dusts falls on the people in the entire plaza. It was a spell for bounty in every home.

 

All the people cheered, whistles and claps can be heard thereafter. There was once again silence when the queen raised her hand. “Now, let’s all welcome my daughter—the birthday girl… Princess Alena!”

 

The crowd cheered louder when a girl walks toward the balcony with her glowing hair and awe-striking beauty that waved her hands eagerly toward the people. “Wooowwww! It’s so good to see everyone here in such a long time!” The child blurts out excitedly that sent most of the people laughing with her endearing statement.

 

“Thank you, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the food?!” The child asks in her clear adorable voice, that made the people below coo with ‘awww’s’ and amused chuckles, because she was just being nothing but thoughtfully adorable. “Well, I hope you all liked it. I watched the palace people cook them all for you!” The child informs everyone so dearly, that sent the elders in pleased smiles with child’s attitude.

 

“The food is great, your highness!” some lad from the side shouted that made the child giggle happily. “Thank you!”

 

The crowd was chuckling in amusement because of the princess, that almost everybody there didn’t notice the vast expanse of black flying creatures that was approaching the kingdom.

 

*

“Mother, what is happening?” the eight year old princess’ voice tremble with fear as she was being dragged to her room by her mother who had the most worrisome expression she had ever seen from the her mother’s face. And there was pure fear in her eyes as she kneeled down infront of her daughter with tearful eyes.

 

This was supposed to be her birthday. The day where everybody in the palace would be celebrating and smiling, but the arrival of unexpected intruders ruined it all. The moment a powerful black magic hit the plaza’s fountain turning it into a pool of snakes—shrieks and chaos soon arose from everybody. Now, the princess can hear trembles and powerful exchange of energy from outside of the palace as her mother, her aunt Esme, Titania and Caedmon escaped her immediately to her room—and the princess was scared with the frantic expressions in their faces. She knew what was happening. The three kingdoms of black witches and warlocks had come together this time aro