The Fallen Princess

Avilasa and Faith walked through the streets of New York. It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining, and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. The two girls had been best friends since sixth grade, and they were going into their freshman year in high school. They were practically inseparable. They stopped at their usual snack stand, Mark’s Ice Cream. Faith stepped up. “The usual, please.” 

“Right away.” Mark got to scooping their ice cream. One scoop of vanilla and chocolate each for Faith, and one scoop of strawberry and a scoop of vanilla for Avilasa. Mark handed their ice creams to the girl. Avi took out her wallet and held out the money. “Today your ice cream is free.” Mark said. 

“Thanks.” Avi said quietly. She put the money back in her wallet. Mark, who was used to her quietness, smiled and nodded. 

“Come on!” Faith said. She hooked her arm through Avi’s. “Sadie texted me! She’s having a party at her place! We need to be there in time, and we still have to change!” She flipped her long blonde hair out of her face and started dragging Avi down the sidewalk. “Thanks Mark!” She called back.

“Anytime!” He replied.

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Avi sat on Faith’s bed, waiting. When Faith came out of the closet, she smiled and nodded. “That one looks really good on you.” She said. The dress was a dark purple, and came down just below her knees. It fell slightly off her shoulder, and had short sleeves. The back of the skirt was slightly longer than the front. Purple flowers covered the top and fell down the dress. To finish it all off, a dark purple ribbon was tied in a bow around the waist. Faith walked in front of the mirror and twirled around. 

“I’m going with this dress.” She decided. “Your turn!” Avi’s eyes widened and she started to shake her head, but Faith was too busy pushing her into the closet. She tried on three different dresses, but she didn’t like any of them. She put on the fourth dress and walked out. Faith gasped. “You look beautiful.” She gestured towards the mirror.

Avi was wearing a light blue dress that ended at her shins. The dress fell off her shoulder and had ruffles around the top. The very top was a silvery white, and it faded to a gorgeous ice blue. There was a sparkly gold ribbon around the waist, and a slit that came up just above her knee. The bottom of the dress was detailed with intricately placed swirls of silver. Avi couldn’t believe it. She looked...beautiful. 

“Now we just need to curl your hair.” Faith said from behind her. She picked up a strand of her dark brown hair.

“That’s not happening.” Avi said. “You may straighten it, but no curls.”

“Got it.” Faith set to work.

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Avi and Faith walked up to Sadie’s house. “Ready?” Faith asked.

“Do we have to do this?” Avi asked.

“And in we go!” Faith pushed open the door and the two girls walked in. There were tons of people inside. The music was blasting; some song Avi had never heard. “Come on!” Faith pulled Avi through the crowd until they found Sadie. “Thanks for inviting us!”

“Of course!” Sadie replied. “Can I take your bags?”

“Sure, thanks!” Faith handed over her purse. 

“I’ll hold on to mine. Thanks though.” Avi said quietly. 

“Sorry, can you say that again?” Sadie asked. 

“She would like to hold on to her purse.” Faith replied. Avi shot her a grateful look. “She never goes anywhere without it.” 

“Okay then.” Sadie said. “I’m going to greet more guests, enjoy the party!” She walked off. 

“Come on, Avi. Let’s go dance!” Faith said. 

“I’m going to stay here.” Avi gestured to the corner she was standing in. “I don’t really want to party.”

“You sure?” Avi nodded. “Okay, let me know if you change your mind.” Faith walked over to where everyone was dancing. Avi poured herself a cup of punch and smelled it to check if it had been spiked. Not yet. She sipped her drink and watched the party, making sure Faith was safe and okay. An hour passed, and nothing had happened. Avi refilled her cup and smelled it, as she had done every time she refilled it. This time it smelled different. Sometime after she had last refilled her drink, someone had spiked the punch. Faith came over to Avi. “Are you sure you don't want to dance?”

“Yes Faith.” Avi pulled her aside. “Whatever you do, don’t drink any more punch. Somebody spiked it. I don’t want you drinking that.”

“Got it. No drinking the punch. Will you please come dance?”

“Sorry Faith. You got me to come, but I’m going to stay here. I can keep an eye on everyone from here. Mainly, I can keep an eye on you. I want to make sure you stay safe.”

“That’s sweet, but I’ll be fine. You really should come over. I’ll be waiting if you want to.” She gave Avi a quick hug, then went back to dancing. 

A boy came over to the punch bowl and picked up the ladle. “I wouldn’t do that.” Avi said. He looked up at her. “Someone spiked the punch. I smelled it in the drink.”

“Oh. Thanks.” He said, dropping the ladle. “Why are you standing over here and not over there?” He gestured to the people dancing. 

“Not my thing. My friend convinced me to come here, but I’m not going over there.” She replied. 

“But someone as pretty as you shouldn’t be alone.” The boy smiled.

“Don’t. If you’re trying to flirt with me, complimenting my appearance isn’t going to do anything. I’m Avilasa, but you can call me Avi.” She said,

“Okay then.” The boy looked sheepish. “I’m Liam. Nice to meet you. Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it. You didn’t know any better.” She replied.

“I’m going to head over to the dance floor. You’re welcome to join me.” Liam held out his hand. 

“I’m going to stay over here. It’s safer, and I can keep an eye on my friend.” 

“Okay. See you later.” He walked off. Avi looked over at Faith. She was dancing with some boy. She’d have to talk with Faith later. She checked her phone. It was getting late. They should head home. Avi walked over to Faith and pulled her aside. 

“Faith, it’s getting late. We should go home.”

“Avi, we’re at a party! We should at least stay a little longer.” Faith insisted.

“Fine. Only a little longer.” Avi relented. 

“Thanks!” Faith went back to dancing. 

A few minutes later, a knock sounded at the door. Sadie walked over and opened it. Standing on the porch were three tall men. They walked inside. “Who are you? Get out of my house!” Sadie exclaimed.

“No, I don’t think we will.” The man in the center said. He held up a gun. The other two did the same. The party guests immediately backed away. Avi opened up her purse and felt around, grabbing on to two objects and hiding them behind her back. She set down her purse. “We want all the valuables in this house.” The man in the middle, presumably the leader, said. When no one moved, he walked forward and grabbed the nearest person, holding his gun to their head. Avi’s vision clouded with pure white rage. They had grabbed Faith. The room froze.

Avi unbuttoned her skirt, leaving her pants that she had worn underneath. Pants were much more maneuverable than a skirt. She checked, making sure what she had grabbed from her purse were extended as far as they could go. She wrapped them up in her skirt and walked forward. Avi stopped in front of the men. 

“I have something very valuable for you.” She said quietly. “Please, just let her go.” She made her voice quiver, to sound as if she was scared. The leader chuckled and shoved Faith away. She ran to the crowd. Avi watched to make sure she was okay.

“Now, little girl, what do you have for us?” The leader watched expectantly. Avi set down the bundle and reached her hands in. She grasped the objects and pulled them out. The partiers gasped. In her hands were two double-edged swords, the handle intricately carved with swirling patterns. The blades were a shining silver that looked brand new.

“Well, little girl. That’s quite a gift you have for us.” The leader held out his hand that didn’t have the gun. “Why don’t you just hand them over.”

Avi grinned, and everyone there saw something in that smile. Something cold and dark. Something...evil. Avi slashed the sword up, cutting off the leader’s thumb. “Everyone, run or take cover!” She yelled back. She kicked the leader in the stomach, then the hand, knocking out his gun. She kicked the gun away. The man on the left ran at her. She ducked out of the way, punching him in the jaw. The man to the right now charged. She took her swords and crossed them, holding them in front of her. She let the man push her backward, until she was nearing the wall. She ran up the wall, flipping over him and slicing a line up the side of his face. The leader rose from the floor and picked up his gun. He started shooting at her, but he couldn’t hit her. She dodged most of the bullets, and the one she didn’t dodge she deflected off her swords. She sliced through the air so fast that her blades were just a silver streak through the air. The other two men rose, and started to fight her.

 Avi twirled and slashed and kicked and sliced and punched. The men never touched her, but she was leaving her mark on them. They all had bloodied lips and noses, and they were covered in cuts and had slices all over them. Some were missing fingers. The most noticeable thing, though, was that Avi could have killed them easily. They were still breathing, however heavily. She was taking great care to not kill them. “Had enough?” Avi smirked. She stepped to the side to dodge a halfhearted punch. 

“Men, let’s go.” The leader stumbled out the doorway, his two goons right behind him. 

Avi looked around the room. Some had left, but most had hidden behind the furniture or in the kitchen. “Someone give me a phone.” She said. A phone was tossed to her. She pressed the emergency call. “With that many injuries, they’re bound to head to the hospital. If I just give the police a quick call...” The phone stopped ringing.

“911 what’s your emergency?” came the voice of the operator. 

“Hi. My name is Avilasa Einar. I am at a party with some school friends, and these men showed up and tried to rob this house, while holding a gun to my friend’s head. They just left.” She listened. “No, they didn’t take anything. I believe they are heading to the nearest hospital. They aren’t in the best condition.” Avi gave them the address and the name of the nearest hospital. “Yes, everyone here is okay. Thank you ma’am.” The call ended. Avi tossed the phone back. 

“Would you guys mind putting everything back how it was? I’m going to go clean up.” Avi never got so much as a scratch, but she did have the blood of the men on her. She picked up her swords and walked to the bathroom. The partiers got to work putting the room back to how it was. Faith followed Avi.

“Avilasa Einar, what was that?!” Faith exclaimed. “How did you learn to fight like that? How long have you been able to do that? And why were you carrying swords?”

Avi shrunk her swords back down into daggers, then put them away in her purse. “Faith, it’s a long story. Everyone else drank the punch, so I’m counting on that to make them either forget it by tomorrow or think they were hallucinating. I’ll tell you more once we’re out of here.” Avi cleaned herself up, helped the others put the house back to normal, then slipped out with Faith. 

“Okay you better start talking-” Avi cut Faith off. 

“Wait. We’re going over to my place. Let’s get a little farther and then we’ll talk.” 

“Your place? But we never go to your place. You never allowed me over.”

“One, nobody said my place was a house. Two, I never let you over because you didn’t know anything then. It was too dangerous. Now I have to take you there because it’s the only place that’s safe. Now please, no more talking for five minutes. I need to work this out.” Faith looked confused but nodded.

Five minutes later, Avi spoke. “Okay. The truth is, I’ve been taught to fight like that since I was a year old. I was holding a small dagger before I could walk.”

“Why were you taught to fight at such a young age? Or at all?” Faith sounded concerned and curious at the same time.

“Because,” Avi took a breath. “In Merania, if you’re royal and can’t fight, you’re dead.”

“Royal? You’re royal? And what the heck is Merania?” 

“Merania is the kingdom I was born in. It’s the hidden land of the Fae. And I was born Princess Avilasa Einar, Crown Princess of Merania.” Avi released a breath. It felt good to finally tell someone. 

“What is Fae?”

“We’ve also been known as faeries, but Fae is our true and original name. We don’t look like what people think faeries look like. No wings, regular size, canines, and pointed ears.”

“Where are your canines and pointed ears?” Faith asked, noticing Avi didn’t have them.

“When I came to the human world, I had to hide my true identity. I cast a spell over myself every morning to make me human in appearance.. I can also take off the spell.” Avi looked around, and when seeing no one, closed her eyes and waved her hand over her face and around her head, silently mouthing words. 

A few moments later, her teeth elongated into canines, and her ears sharpened into points. “My senses are better as a Fae, as is my agility. If you think what you saw back there was impressive, wait until you see me fight in Fae form.” 

“Avi?” A question appeared to Faith.

“Yes?”

“Why are you here? In the human world, I mean. Shouldn’t you be in Merania?”

Avi’s face fell. “It’s a long story that I don’t care to talk about. In summary, there was a misunderstanding, I took the fall for something that I didn’t do, and I was banished. I would only be allowed back if I was accepted back by the king and queen, my parents; or if I was the queen. The only way I’d become queen is if my parents didn’t have another heir, and I assume they did. That’s why it was okay for me to be banished. They assumed they could have another child. They probably have by now.” 

“Avi I’m so sorry.” Faith felt awful for her. Avi just gave her a small, grim smile.

They walked in silence the rest of the way. Avi and Faith turned into a park. Avi walked over to one of the biggest trees. “Um, Avi? What are we doing here? I thought we were going to your house?” Faith was confused.

“No, I said we were going to my place. Not my house. Here’s my place.” Avi gestured to the tree. She snapped her fingers. A ladder appeared going up the trunk. Avi grabbed onto the rungs and started climbing. “Come on.”

They climbed higher and higher, until they reached the leaves. The ladder appeared to stop there. “Avi?” Faith didn’t know what they were doing. Avi didn’t stop. She climbed up and up, and once she passed the end of the ladder she disappeared. Faith froze. Avi stuck her head down. 

“Come on!” She whispered. Faith kept climbing up and once she passed the leaves she saw where they were headed. Above the tree was a huge house that she had just climbed into. 

“This is where you live?!” Faith was jealous.

“Marvel at it later.” Avi started climbing the stairs that wrapped around the rest of the trunk. Faith followed. They entered a bedroom that was very clearly Avi’s. The walls were lined with filled bookshelves. Twinkling lights hung from the ceiling, giving the room a warm glow. The bed had a light blue comforter, was made of white wood, and had a bookshelf built into the headboard. Above the bed hung a strand of looping wire with lights on it, and clipped to it were pictures of Faith and Avi. Faith sat on the bed. 

“This place is beautiful.” Faith admired.

“Thanks. Built it myself. Using magic, of course.”

A circle of spinning white light appeared in front of them. A tall man stepped out. He had pointed ears-just like Avi. Fae. Faith thought. The male kneeled down. 

“General Armani.” Avi was surprised, to say the least. “It’s been four years. It’s good to see you again.”

“You as well, your highness. You have been severely missed in Merania. The entire kingdom has been affected without you around.” General Armani had a smile on his face, but there was something sad behind it.

“What brings you here?” Avi asked.

“Princess Avilasa Einar, Crown Princess of Merania, you have been summoned by the High Court.”

“Why?” 

Armani took a breath. “Because your parents, the king and queen, have passed away.”  Avi gasped. “And with no other heir, you have been asked to come back to Merania to rule as Queen.”