Ille Liber de Perdita Praedictas

“I know it’s here somewhere,” said Linda the Librarian, and yes, she is aware that is an example of alliteration, which if you are under thirteen, she will find very impressive, but if you are over thirteen, she would really prefer if you’d just keep your trap shut.

Anyways, Linda continued hurrying through the castle library’s long, dark, and frankly musty rows filled with a voluminous number of ancient texts until young Princess Alice who had been following close behind her this entire time asked, “Are you sure there was a children’s section?”

“Yes, I’m sure. This library used to be filled with children. And, I could’ve sworn the door was somewhere along this back wall,” said Linda as she came to a stop and threw up her hands in despair.

Then, Princess Alice gently tugged on the edge of Linda’s lavender librarian robe, which, yes, she knows is more alliteration. But, she didn’t pick lavender for the robes. And, honestly, she thinks they are more of a violet, so it’s probably best that you don’t bring it up.

But I digress, Princess Alice tugged on Linda’s robe and asked, “Were these two bookshelves always right next to each other? All, these other bookshelves along this wall have some space between.”

After giving the bookshelves a good look over, Linda said, “You are absolutely correct. Some cruel soul must have pushed this book shelf over in front of the door to the children’s section.”

“Do you think we can move it?”

“I think we can if you help me.”

I can see from that looks on your face that you are a little confused, and I most apologize that is my fault. I kind of started right in the middle of the story without giving you any context, so let me back up a bit.

A long, long time ago, this castle and kingdom were filled with children. There were the Princesses, Laura, Lana, and Leah, the Princes Leopold, Luke, Levi, and Hank, and all of their friends, but then, a mysterious plague hit the kingdom and all the princesses, and princes, and lesser children died, except for of course Hank.

As the plague swept through the kingdom, all the neighboring kingdoms closed their borders, merchants stopped coming to its ports, and eventually the other kingdoms instituted a blockade all in hopes to protect their children, which it did. But, the lack of trade and assistance from their neighbors caused the kingdom to whither and weaken.

So, many years later, when its neighbors attacked, the kingdom could barely mount a defense. In one large battle, the King and most of his remaining knights were vanquished making Hank king of the now broken kingdom.

But, Hank was not weak. He gathered his remaining men and took to the seas. After many years of piracy, He had gathered a mighty fleet and the hand of a beguiling Princess from a distant land who blessed him with a daughter. Feeling strong and seeking vengeance King Hank returned home, retook his land, and his castle.

However, King Hank only brought his lovely wife and his daughter the aforementioned Princess Alice. No other children had arrived at the time the princess was looking for the children's section in the library.

Hopefully, that has cleared up any of your confusion.

Getting back to our tale, Linda and Alice were able to push aside the bookshelf revealing an old dark wooden door with black metal hinges and a circular handle. Linda grabbed the handle and after a fair amount of strain, the door groaned open with a load squeak.

Linda said, “I’m going to have to get someone to oil those hinges,” as a wave of brilliant sunlight poured out the door.

Alice stepped to the doorway in awe and saw a gorgeous circular room ringed with enormous windows, a low circular bookshelf running the length of the room, and scattering of pillows and over stuffed chairs surrounding a cozy but large furnace that sprouted from right in its middle obscuring a back section of the room.

Linda asked, “Will you be ok here by yourself, while I go look after other matters?”

Alice nodded her head to amazed to talk.

After Linda left, Alice carefully entered the room feeling a sense that the room required her respect. She made her away around the right side of the room until she was behind the furnace. Once there obscured from the doorway, she saw lying on the floor next to a large blue chair a very old, very large book.

She bent down and saw that the cover read “Ille Liber de Perdita Praedictas.” She like all of you who do not read Latin, did not know that it said, “The Book of Lost Fairies,” but there was something about the book that drew her to it.

Without knowing why or really thinking about it, Alice rubbed her hand over the cover feeling some form of warmth or vibration. Then, as if she was compelled, she opened it.

Immediately, a bright sparkling little fairy with shiny, gossamer wings, bright blue eyes, beautiful short painfully blond hair, wearing a gorgeous pink dress flew out of it in an array of sparkles.

It stopped right in front of Alice’s wonderstruck face and said, “Hello, I don’t think we’ve met before. My name is Alette. What’s yours?”

“A-A-Alice.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, and I really appreciate you letting me out. I’ve been stuck in there for ages.”

“Wh-Wh-What are you?”

“I’m a fairy.”

“What’s that?”

“Fairies are immortal, magical creatures, but really all you need to know is that because you rescued my from that book, I am going to make your life a whole lot better.”

“How?”

“By fulfilling all your wishes and making you laugh,” said Alette as she stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes, which as she predicted made Alice laugh.

“So, what else can I do for you to make you happy? I can get you some cookies or hot chocolate, or lemonade because it’s actually kind of hot…”

As Alette continued to list of the various things she could get or do for Alice, King Hank walked into the library and found Linda sorting some books at her desk.

Linda quickly put her books down and said, “Your majesty,” as she executed a deep curtsy.

King Hank waived her up and said, “I am looking for my daughter.”

“Of course, your majesty. She is in the children’s room.”

“What children’s room?”

Linda said, “You don’t remember our children’s room. You spent so much of your time in there when you were a child."

King Hank shook his head but felt an odd tickling feeling at the back of his neck.

Linda said, “Not a problem. I know you have a lot on your mind I can show you the way,” and stepped around her desk.

As she walked towards the stacks, she said, “It did take me a while to find it because someone had pushed a bookshelf in front of its door.”

Suddenly, a memory long since forgotten or more accurately twisted and tied and buried deep within the King’s subconscious came roaring back.

The King gasped, “Oh no,” and raced ahead.

With his heart pounding and sweat pouring from his forehead, he crashed into the Children’s room.

After frantically searching around the room for Alice, he heard her sweet, soft, giggle coming from behind the furnace and fear gripped his heart.

Carefully, he crept around the side of the room until he spotted Alice who was now sitting in the chair munching from a plate of macaroons smiling at whatever joke Alette was telling her. Then, he hissed, “Alice, get over here now!” scaring her nearly half to death and causing her to flip the tray out of her hands.

Shaken and scared, Alice asked, “What’s wrong Daddy?”

King Hank said, “Come here now! She is not to be trusted,” as he narrowed his eyes threateningly at Alette.

As Alice scrambled out of the chair, Alette turned to King Hank and said, “Hey, what’s with the tone?”

“You know what you did!” roared King Hank.

The force of the King’s roar physically pushed Alette back, but it also spiritually knocked her back because she couldn’t think of anything bad that she had done.

King Hank began to back out of the room while holding Alice safely behind him when recognition sprang across Alette’s face, and she asked tentatively, “Hank, is that you?”

“You know it’s me!”

Alette said, “Yes, I do now,” as she flew towards the King. But, he quickly raised his first, and she stopped.

“Why are you being like this?” asked Alette. “I thought we were friends. Didn’t I give you everything you asked for?”

“No, you took advantage of me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I was just a kid! You had to know I wasn’t being serious.”

After a moment of silence, Alette said quietly, “But, you wished for it.”

“But, I didn’t mean it.”

“So, you would have me take it back?”

“Yes, a thousand times, yes.”

“Very well.”

The King waited for a moment but nothing looked or felt different. So, he asked “Did you do it?”

Alette nodded solemnly.

Something about Alette’s nod felt off to King Hank. Then, as a cannon ball sized pit slammed into his stomach, the King turned around, but Alice was not there.

King Hank sprinted out into the main library where he slammed into some librarian he didn’t know. He grabbed the librarian by his lavender robed shoulders and asked frantically, “Have you seen my daughter?”

“Your daughter, your royal highness?” asked the librarian with confusion written clearly across his face.

Then, Hank wailed, “No,” and sank to the floor as the sound of little feet slapping against the hard stone floors and giggling drifted in out of the castle’s halls.