14.  Wash Away Your Problems
Feeling quite certain that approaching the dangerous looking cobra would mean certain doom, Rosella
decided to take a more effective route, albeit a bit more childish.  Bending down, she cupped her hands and
dipped them into the murky waters.  Eying the snake mischievously, she splashed a wave of water toward the
unsuspecting serpent.  This tactic seemed to work just wonderfully.  The cobra did not like it one bit, and
slithered away as fast as it could.
Rosella smiled at her accomplishment, but then perked her ears when she heard what sounded like a tiny
gargle and cough coming from near the snake’s nest.  Creeping closer, she saw a faint glow emanating from
tall grass.  “Hello?” asked the princess mustering up a little bit of courage as she edged ever closer, arching
her neck to see.  The question was answered with a sneeze.  Rosella’s curiosity took over completely and she
crept dangerously close, standing atop the glowing patch of grass.  There at the princess’s feet was what
appeared to be a tiny fairy, and she didn’t look happy.  For all her glowing beauty, she was wiping swamp
water from her face, no thanks to Rosella!  “Oh dear!  I’m so sorry!” apologized the embarrassed princess.
“You should be!  Look at me!  I’m covered in mud!” squeaked the little lady followed by another sneeze.
“Here, let me help you,” said Rosella, offering the hem of her long red skirt.  The fairy took hold of it in a
tiny fist, and used it to wipe clean.  Rosella had secretly hoped she wouldn’t have.  But as lovely as her
dress was, it was her fault the fairy got soaked.  It only seemed fair.
“Who are you, anyway?” asked the cranky fairy, drying off.
“I’m Rosella, Rosella of Daventry,” replied the young princess while pinching her skirt in her fingers
and dipping for a bow.  “I’m here to help.”
“You’re the one here to help?”  Asked the fairy, raising an eyebrow.  “You look like a princess,” she
added skeptically.
“I AM a princess,” said Rosella, squaring her jaw, and placing her hands on her hips, “and I’ve been to
Tamir before.  And, well, not to brag, but, I helped save this land,” she added with a bit of sass.
Not to be outwitted by a smart mouth bratty princess, the fairy was quick point out, “then you’re also
aware that you are dressed completely inappropriately for the dangers of Tamir?”  The fairy in turn put
her hands on her own hips, tiny jaw squared.
“Oh, well,” Rosella felt her fair cheeks flush as she realized the haste in which she did jump through the
portal.  She had neglected to even think that it might not be wise to travel to Tamir in such formal dainty
clothing.  “Well, Genesta was able to change my clothes last time,” defended the proud princess.
“Well, Genesta will not be able to help you this time, your highness,” replied the sarcastic fairy.
“What has happened here?  I saw strange events in the magic mirror back home and…” Rosella’s voice
trailed off evident of her fears and concern.
The fairy’s mood became somber sensing their bickering introduction had run its course.  She
fluttered her butterfly wings, and floated up into Rosella’s slender hands to tell the brave young
princess what indeed had happened in Tamir.
“A short while ago, you had valiantly freed our land from the clutches of the evil witch, Lolotte,
saved Genesta’s life by returning her magic amulet, and broke the curse on Edgar, returning him to his
noble human form.  Genesta thanked you for your courage and sent returned you home to save your
own dying father.  Tamir was thought to be a safe place with Lolotte dead.  With Genesta’s health
back in full form, we fairies went about our gardening and cleaning, so full of joy.  We had planned a
grand celebration on the island, decorating the castle, and baking all matter of sweets.  The business
of the festivities kept everyone so busy, we hardly noticed that nobody had seen or heard from Edgar
since his marriage proposal to you.”
Rosella’s eyes dropped.
“He had returned to the mainland of Tamir, and to the castle, we assume to finish putting things in order as was
needed after Lolotte’s evil rule.  None of us suspected what was to come,” the fairies delicate voice trailed off.
“What?  What happened?  I don’t understand what any of this has to do with me?” Rosella blurted out, confused.
The fairy silenced her with a solemn look.  “My poor Rosella.  You truly are a naïve sheltered
young lady.  What you don’t understand, what none of us predicted, was how it was that Edgar
would take your rejection of his love.”
“Rejection!?  How could I marry him!?  I’m 17, I don’t know him, I know nothing!” blurted the
princess rapidly, wiping away at tears forming in the corners of her overwhelmed eyes.
Allowing Rosella her tirade, the fairy continued.  “Edgar returned to the castle devastated by the
rejection in his heart.”  Rosella wanted to scream again by the look in her eyes, but bit her ruby lips
and allowed the fairy her tale.  But that was not his only surprise.  Instead of returning to find the
wicked corpse of Lolotte in her wretched bed, he found her not dead.  For the arrow of love that
should have slain her, by some cruel turn of fate did not.  She was mortally wounded, but she willed
herself to survive.  There he found the pathetic Lolotte lying in her bed, weak and needy.  But he
himself was weak and needy in the heart, and she could see this in her wicked red eyes.  Lolotte
cooed and comforted her poor Edgar, lulling him into sedation.  She convinced him to nurse her back
to health while she continually reminded him of the harlot that was Rosella.”
Rosella put her hand to her mouth in shock.
“After several weeks, Lolotte had her strength back, and had filled Edgar’s head with so many lies,
and heart full equal doubt, he had reverted back to the despicable green creature he once was under
her care.  With her ghoulish minions, and a bitter Edgar at her side, Lolotte launched an attack on
Genesta’s island.  They stormed the castle, and took her captive, along with the fairies unfortunate
enough to be on the island at the time.  I had the strange circumstance of being on the mainland
collecting flowers to plant in our garden at the time of the attack.  The remaining fairies and I believe
that Lolotte has taken our sisters back to her evil fortress for an unknown purpose.  We can only
assume that Genesta’s very life is in grave peril.  That is why we contacted you.  You Rosella of
Daventry are our only hope.  The very fate of Tamir rests upon your shoulders.”
Rosella thought she might faint at the words.  It was all simply too much.  How could all of this have
happened!?  She had killed Lolotte with Cupid’s Arrow!  She was certain she had!  And there was no
way she could have married Edgar.  It was absurd.  She had needed to return to save her father.  She
wiped the last couple of tears out of her eyes when the fairy extended a large leather pouch (relative to
the tiny fairy) in her arms.
“Inside this leather sleeve is a key to the graveyard crypt.  There you will find Cupid’s bow.  Lolotte
had it removed there, under the ghastly watch of the mummy.  You must retrieve the bow and slay the
evil witch in order to save Genesta and all of us from certain doom.”
Rosella closed her hands around the leather sleeve, feeling the skeleton key inside with a shiver.  
“Now that we got that out of the way.  We need to travel through the troll’s cave in order to reach
Tamir, and it might be wise for us to find your shoes, princess, unless of course, those are ‘support
hose’ you’re wearing” said the fairy nodding to her stocking feet, with a wink, sarcasm reactivated.  
Rosella looked down, cheeks on fire, wiggling her toes, she nodded in agreement.
“I think they’re over there,” she indicated out into the center of the swamp water.  The fairy, fluttered
safely over the quagmire scooping up the lovely black heels from an untimely end, and returned them to
a very happy Rosella whom eagerly slipped them back on her feet.
“By the way, my name is Jenna,” said the fairy, extending a decidedly tiny hand to the princess.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jenna,” replied Rosella, extending a slender finger in return.  The two girls
shook, if only a bit awkwardly.
With that out the way, they headed toward the cave’s entrance, Jenna floating gracefully, and Rosella
once again wearing her favorite heels.