“No worries,” Conner said. He couldn’t care in the slightest, he was just happy to see her.
“I’ve been so busy with magic lessons and preparing for this silly Fairy Inaugural Ball,” Alex said. She rubbed her eyes. “I even forgot about our birthday! Isn’t that crazy? Grandma and Mother Goose made a cake and I had to ask them what it was for!”
It was Conner’s turn to scrunch his forehead. “Fairy Inaugural Ball? What is that?”
“It’s this big party the Fairy Council is throwing to celebrate me joining the Fairy Council,” Alex said, as if it were just any old fact.
“That’s amazing, Alex!” Conner said. “You’re joining the Fairy Council already? You must be the youngest fairy that’s ever joined!”
A proud and eager smile grew on her face. “Yes,” she said. “Grandma thinks I’m ready. I’m not sure I agree with her, though; I still have so much to learn—”
“You know how protective Grandma is. She would protect the ocean from a raindrop,” Conner said. “If she thinks you’re ready then you must be!”
“I suppose,” Alex said, still very unsure of herself. “It’s just a lot of responsibility. Being part of the council means I’m automatically part of the Happily Ever After Assembly—which means having to give my input on so many decisions—which means so many people and creatures will look up to me for guidance—”
“There wouldn’t still be a Happily Ever After Assembly if it wasn’t for you,” Conner reminded her. “That whole world is in your debt forever after defeating the Enchantress. I wouldn’t worry.”
Alex looked into his eyes and smiled. “Thanks, Conner.” His reassurance always meant more to her than anyone else’s.
“How is Grandma, by the way?” Conner asked.
“She’s good,” Alex said. “She misses you and Mom terribly—almost as much as I do. She’s taught me so much over the past couple months. Really, Conner, you would be so impressed with some of the things I can do now.”
Conner laughed. “Alex, I’ve been impressed by you since the womb. I’m sure your part of the uterus was much neater and more organized than mine.”
Alex laughed out loud against her will—she missed her brother’s sense of humor but she still didn’t want to encourage it. “Really, Conner? A uterus joke? Come on. You’re lucky Mom isn’t awake to hear you,” she said. “Is Mom doing all right? She’s always very happy when she talks to me but we both know what a great front she can put up.”
Conner nodded. “She’s doing good, actually. She misses you but I’ve only caught her crying over an old photo of us together once or twice since we got back. Bob makes her really happy. I had almost forgotten what it was like to see her so happy all the time—it’s like Dad is around again.”
“That’s great to hear,” Alex said. “Dad would have been so excited about your Germany trip. He’d probably be going with you if he was still alive—I wish I could go.”
Conner looked at the clock. “Speaking of which, I better get to bed soon. I leave for the airport in, like, three hours.”
Alex’s face fell. “Aw, that’s too bad. I’ve missed you so much—it’s been great to catch up,” she said. “I’ve just been so busy. Sometimes a whole week will pass and I’ll feel like it was only a day or two.”
“You’re still happy, though, right?” He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. He would know if she was lying to him.
“Um…” Alex thought about all her lessons, all her tasks, and despite how overwhelmed and tired she was, she told him the truth. “Honestly… I’ve never been happier! I get up every morning with a smile on my face because living here is like waking up to a dream that never ends!”
The twins shared a smile, each knowing this was the truth. As hard as it was to be without her, Conner knew Alex was where she belonged and was having the time of her life.
“I wish there was a way I could take you to Germany with me,” Conner said.
“Me too!” Alex said. “But I doubt there’s a story the Brothers Grimm wrote that we haven’t heard from Grandma or Dad or—wait a second…” Her eyes fell to the bottom of the mirror. “Is the right side of your mirror’s frame loose?”
Conner inspected the corner of his mirror. “Nope—but wait, I think the left side is.”
“Can you gently pull it back and uncover the corner of the glass?” Alex asked as she did the same on her side.
“Check!” Conner said.
“Oh, good!” Alex said. “Now, can you gently chip off a piece without cracking—”
Clink! Conner held up a piece of glass bigger than the palm of his hand. “Like this?”
Clink! Alex broke off a piece of her own mirror—it was a smaller and neater piece than her brother’s but neither commented on that.
“Perfect! Now look into it!” Alex looked down into hers.
Conner looked into the small piece of mirror in his hand and saw his sister’s face staring up at him. “Amazing!” he said with a laugh. “Now I can keep you in my pocket the whole time! It’s like video chat!”
“Terrific!” Alex said. “I’ve always wanted to see Europe! Now go get some rest; you don’t want to be exhausted before you get to Germany.”
“Okay. Good night, Alex,” Conner said. “I’ll call you—or, um, reflect you rather—as soon as I get off the plane!”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Alex said, so pleased she would be a part of his trip. “I love you, Conner!”
“I love you, too, Alex,” Conner said. And with that, the twins faded from each other’s mirrors and returned to their separate lives.
Conner climbed the stairs and placed his piece of mirror gently into his sticker-covered suitcase. He lay in bed and closed his eyes tightly but couldn’t fall asleep—seeing his sister had rejuvenated him completely, causing all the excitement about the following day to come rushing back.
He laughed at himself as he lay there. “I’ve ridden a magical goose, climbed a giant beanstalk, swum to an enchanted underwater cave on a sea turtle’s back, and sailed on a flying ship across the skies of another dimension.…,” Conner listed to himself. “But I’m excited about getting on a plane tomorrow! Oh, brother…”
CHAPTER TWO
THE HALL OF DREAMS
Alex woke up the next day wearing a big smile. She had woken up with a smile every day since she began living in the Land of Stories, but her smile was especially big today because she had talked to her brother the night before. And although her new home had brought her huge amounts of happiness, spending time with her family made her feel better.
The Fairy Palace was the most beautiful place Alex had ever lived. She marveled at its beautiful golden pillars, archways, staircases, towers, and vast tropical gardens. However, one downside was that there were very few walls and ceilings in the Fairy Palace—it was always so pleasant outside the fairies had no need for them. So every morning when the sun rose over the Fairy Kingdom, Alex had no choice but to rise with it.
Luckily she had been able to enchant a magnolia tree to grow its branches and blossoms around her room like drapes. This gave her an extra few minutes of rest each morning before she forced herself out of bed and started her day. Other than the enchanted drapes, Alex kept her chambers quite simple. She had a large comfy bed with white rose-petal sheets, a few shelves filled to over-capacity with her favorite books, and a small wardrobe in the corner, which was practically unused thanks to a few magical tricks her grandmother had taught her.
Alex stepped out of bed, picked up her crystal wand from her nightstand, and waved it around her body. Her plain nightgown was instantly turned into a long, sparkling dress the color of the sky and a headband of white carnations appeared on her head—it was her standard fairy uniform and resembled her grandmother’s.
“Good morning, Mom, Conner, and Bob,” Alex said to a framed photo on her nightstand. “Good morning, Dad,” she said to another framed photo, this one of her late father.
Alex took a deep breath an
d closed her eyes. “All right, three wishes by noon, three wishes by noon,” she said to herself. “You can do this, you can do this.”
Every day at noon Alex met her grandma in her grandma’s chambers for a new lesson. Sometimes the lessons were magical, sometimes historical, sometimes philosophical, but whatever it was, the lesson was always highly enjoyable.
And although it wasn’t expected, Alex had recently taken it upon herself to grant at least three wishes every day to the villagers nearby using the little magic she knew. It was very ambitious of the fourteen-year-old fairy-in-training, but Alex didn’t feel like herself unless she was overachieving. Alex also found that the busier she kept, the less homesick she felt—and the less she thought about her home in the Otherworld, the better her training went.
She briskly walked out of her chambers, through the palace, and down its front steps. The shimmering golden walls and floor had taken some getting used to but they didn’t make her nearly as dizzy as they had the first week she lived in the palace.
Alex passed Rosette, who was trimming a luscious rose garden just outside the palace. The roses and thorns were as big as her head.
“Good morning, Rosette!” Alex said.
“Good morning, dear!” Rosette waved at her as she walked by. “Another early morning, I see?”
“Yes, ma’am!” Alex said. “Three wishes by noon, that’s my daily goal! I haven’t missed a day in two months!”
“Good for you, dear! Keep up the good work!”
Alex continued through the gardens until loud snoring to her left startled her. She looked at the ground and saw Mother Goose sleeping against a large boulder, clutching a silver flask. Lester was passed out beside her—obviously the two had had a late night in the gardens.
“Good morning, Mother Goose!” Alex said loudly enough to wake them both.
Mother Goose snorted as she came to life. “Is it?” she said with one eye open. Lester yawned and stretched his long neck.
“Did you sleep outside all night?” Alex asked.
“Well, the last thing I remember was taking a walk with Lester after dinner and we stopped to sit for a moment,” Mother Goose said. “It looks like we’ve been here ever since. Lester, you mattress filler! You were supposed to wake me up! I’m getting a bad reputation.”
Lester rolled his eyes as if to say, “That ship has sailed.”
“Why do we have to live in a morning kingdom?” Mother Goose said to the goose. “I swear I’m going to move to the Eastern Kingdom. At least people know how to sleep there!” Mother Goose climbed on top of Lester and took his reins, and together they flew toward the Fairy Palace.
Alex chuckled as she watched them fly away. Then she reminded herself of her schedule and proceeded with her walk. She reached the edge of the gardens and found herself in a large meadow.
“Cornelius!” Alex called out. She smacked the side of her leg loudly. “Here, boy! Where are you? Cornelius?”
Across the meadow, sipping from a stream, was a unicorn—but he was unlike any other unicorn in the kingdom. Cornelius was frumpy with a big tummy that swung underneath him when he walked. A silver horn grew out of his head but had broken in half during an accident when he was a baby.
“There you are, Cornelius!” Alex said.
Cornelius was glad to see her and trotted over so she could pet his large nose.
“Good morning, boy.” Alex sensed something off about her horned friend today. He didn’t have as much of a bounce in his step. “What’s wrong, Cornelius? You seem sad.”
Cornelius lowered his massive head and looked gloomily across the stream. Alex looked, too, and saw a herd of magnificent unicorns in the distance. Each was more beautiful than the next, with their long, lean bodies and perfect horns that glistened in the sunlight.
“Oh, Cornelius,” Alex said, and stroked his mane. “You’ve got to stop comparing yourself to the other unicorns.”
Cornelius nodded but Alex could see the self-consciousness in his eyes. He was never good at keeping any emotion to himself—he wore his heart on his hoof.
“Do you know why I chose you to be my unicorn, Cornelius?” she asked him.
The troubled unicorn opened his lips and showed off his large pearly white teeth.
“Yes, I know you have a good smile, but that’s not the only reason,” Alex said.
Cornelius stood on his back legs and moved his front legs in tiny circles.
“Yes, you’re a good dancer, too, but those aren’t what I’m talking about,” Alex said. “I chose you because you are different from all the other unicorns in the Fairy Kingdom. Your horn may be broken and small, but your heart is big and strong.”
Cornelius exhaled a gust of air and turned the other way. Alex had made him blush, the pink showing through his white hide.
“Are you ready to help me grant some wishes today?” Alex asked him. He neighed excitedly. “Good, then let’s get going!” Cornelius bent down and Alex hopped aboard his back. She waved her wand over his head and whispered into his ear, “Take us to someone who needs us, Cornelius.”
Cornelius’s broken horn began to glow, his head jerked northwest, and he started galloping at full speed to wherever it was the magic was leading him. Unicorns ran much faster than normal horses and Alex had to hold on to her headband as they went.
They zoomed through the trees, over a river and two streams, and eventually found a path that led them into the Charming Kingdom. A small and simple village came into view in the distance and Cornelius slowed down. He took Alex into the heart of the village—his horn was guiding him like a hound’s nose. Many of the villagers stopped in their tracks as Alex and the unicorn strode by them.
“Hello, good people of the Charming Kingdom!” Alex said. She awkwardly waved at them. “Don’t mind us, we’re just granting wishes!”
The villagers weren’t as excited as she was hoping they’d be, and went back to their daily errands. Cornelius came to a halt right in front of a tiny cottage with stick walls and a hay roof.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Alex asked. Cornelius nodded confidently and his horn stopped glowing.
Alex hopped down from her unicorn and walked to the door. She knocked lightly but the sticks broke under her knuckles, leaving a small hole in the door.
“Oh dear,” Alex said. She wasn’t off to a good start.
“Who’s there?” a faint voice asked from behind the door. Alex looked through the hole she had just made and saw a pair of eyes staring out at her.
“Hello,” Alex said. “My name is Alex and I’m a fairy! Well—technically I’m a fairy-in-training—but I’ve come here today to grant wishes. My unicorn has led me to this location. Does someone inside this cottage have a wish they’d like granted?”
The wrinkled eyes looked her up and down. Alex knew her introduction was as much of a work in progress as her magic, but to her surprise, the door opened and an elderly woman appeared before her.
“Come in,” the woman said, although she didn’t seem thrilled to have company.
“Thank you,” Alex said. She took a step inside and looked around the small home. It was dirty and dim, as frail on the inside as it was on the outside. “You have a lovely home,” Alex said politely. “What can I help you with?”
“These are my granddaughters. I’m assuming you’ve come to help them,” the woman said. Had she not addressed them, Alex wouldn’t even have seen the identical triplet girls standing against the wall. They were so dirty they blended into the rest of the house.
“Nice to meet you,” Alex said but they wouldn’t shake her hand.
“They need nice clothes for school,” the woman said. She sat down at a table covered in thread and fabric. “We can’t afford to buy new dresses so I tried making them myself, but my hands aren’t what they used to be.” She raised two hands that shook with arthritis.
“Say no more!” Alex said. “I’ll turn their tattered clothes into beautiful dresses they’ll be proud to we
ar at school!”
The triplets looked at one another with wide eyes—could she actually do it? Alex was asking herself the same question. She raised her wand and flicked it at each of the girls like she was conducting a symphony. One by one, a bright sparkly light circled each girl, transforming her dirty clothes into a vibrant pink dress with a white collar.
The girls looked down at their new dresses in total silence. Alex figured they were shocked from witnessing magic—but she was very wrong.
“Gross, they’re pink!” one of the girls said.
“I hate pink!” another said.
“Can you make them another color?” the third asked.
Alex was taken aback by their ungrateful remarks. She looked at their grandmother, expecting them to be reprimanded.
“Don’t look at me. You never asked them what color they wanted,” the woman said.
“Oh, sorry! My mistake,” Alex said. She raised her wand and flicked it three more times at the girls, transforming the dresses into yellow, purple, and blue.
“Better?” Alex asked.
“I don’t like my collar,” one of the girls said.
“I want green,” another said.
“I liked the pink one better,” the third said.
Alex’s nostrils flared and she bit her tongue. “Fine,” she said with a tight jaw. She flicked her wand to grant their requests. “Are we all happy?”
“Sure,” one of the girls said unenthusiastically.
“It’s fine,” another said.
“Can I have my old clothes back?” the third said.
Alex was floored. She wanted to tell them that beggars can’t be choosers, but as a fairy she couldn’t bring herself to say it. After all, she wasn’t helping them because they were poor; she was helping them because that’s what she was supposed to do.
“Girls, I want you to thank the nice fairy lady for the new dresses even though she doesn’t know what she’s doing,” the old woman said.
The triplets frowned. “Thank you,” they said in unison, not meaning a word of it.