Write, Edit, Publish. Valentine, Be Mine. The Annual Coloring of Flowers Day

The Write, Edit, Publish challenge for February 2016 is all about love to honor Valentine's Day. Write, Edit, Publish is a multi-year round blog hop with writing challenges. Started by Denise Covey and now, Denise is joined by Yolanda Renee to help oversee our submissions. This Valentines post will be judged by the honorable and brilliant Regency Romance Author, Francine Howarth. We are all published, yeah. Go here to read what others have written or to add your name and write something too. 

No idea how the underlined blue words got there. Don't click on them they will take you to an add. I downloaded Windows 10 and I've been having weird stuff happen. I also don't know how to get rid of them. Arrrgh. 

The Annual Coloring of Flowers Day

Raindrop slipped between worlds and entered the festivities. Faerieland held the annual coloring of flowers today. Laughter and chattering filled the air. Faeries came from all over to this special spot. A lake took center position and all around it were pockets of flowers in full bloom. Tulips, lilies, lilacs, iris, and many more. None had color, not even their stems nor the lake.

            Raindrop’s faerie cousins sat on blankets, or dangled from tree limbs. He joined his parents who had brought enchanted chairs that floated between the ground and trees.

            “Good to see you son. How are you finding your job?” His father’s midnight blue brows were bushy and took up much of his forehead. Raindrop kept his brows trimmed.

            “I oversee the shadows of Frisco.”

            “Do you enjoy the work?”

            “Thunderclap,” Raindrops mother said. “Let him relax and enjoy our time together.” She turned to him and smiled making her cheeks puffy like a chipmunk with too many nuts in its mouth. “Have you found a faerie maiden yet?”

            Raindrop sighed. “No Mother.” He knew it wasn’t for lack of trying, but every female faerie in Frisco was spoken for.

            A trumpet blast. The faeries around the lake grew quiet. “Today our annual flower coloring contest is very special.” The male announcer said. “We celebrate 3,000 years. Allow me to introduce the contestants.” He proceeded to rattle off both male and female faerie names and as he did the faeries flew out from a tree trunk.

            Raindrop couldn’t concentrate. The most beautiful faerie he’d ever seen had gracefully fluttered into view. Her golden hair was decorated with tiny purple coral bells. Leaves entwined among her hair and curled down the strands of hair like ribbons. Her purple dress sculpted her tiny body and was sewn in the same shape as a purple coral bell.

            “This is Wondrous,” the announcer said indicating her.

            Wondrous…Raindrop admired the purple stones that sparkled beside pearls on her cheeks to climb green markings up to her forehead. Wondrous…what an appropriate name.

            The trumpet sounded once more. The competing faeries swooped into the air. Wondrous flew to the other side of the lake. Without a word, Raindrop followed and settled on a tree branch. The competition began.

            Wondrous flew over the lake and tapped her wand. Blue sparks flew out followed by green. Instantly the lake took on multiple hues of blue and leafing plants sprang from the water. Another flick of her wand and lily pond leaves grew thick, each sprouting water lilies. They opened petals and changed from white to yellow tipped in purple. In the center an enormous pink lily opened. On the bank Wondrous flew from flower to flower. Flick and flick. Color ran up the stems turning variegated shades of green and yellow. Iris had blue, purple, yellow and pink color spread across each petal and blend together, bleeding spikes of riotous color over all.

Day lilies swayed when Wondrous fluttered over them. Tap, they changed from white to orange with spots and grew darker, the edges turning red. Flick, flick, flick. Lilacs became a rainbow of green, yellow, purple and blue. Magnolia’s turned pink and red. Daffodils changed into sea green petals. When the trumpet blew again to end the competition, Wondrous presented the judges with a kaleidoscope of varying degrees and shades. Raindrop had never seen anything so marvelous in all his life.

Raindrop flew between hundreds of faeries to congratulate Wondrous on her winning display. Other male faeries presented her with tokens. Raindrop glanced around. He didn’t have a token. What to do?

Then he saw a tiny coral bell peeking through from among the other flowers Wondrous had colored. He swooped down and picked the sweet blossom and flew quickly to the side of Wondrous. Still he worried, was it enough? Taking the petals of the coral bell, he ran it beneath the raindrops that hung from his hairline. When he gazed again at the flower, the raindrop enhanced its color and broke it into fractions in the light.

Wondrous turned. Raindrop held out the flower and she took it. Her golden eyes studied the petals before gazing at Raindrop and smiling.

“Will you join me at our table?” Raindrop asked.

“I will.” Her smile made his wings stop fluttering and he fell. She swooped down and caught his hand. Their touch ignited sparks that flew into the darkening sky and lit it up followed by a loud bang.

Raindrop couldn’t stop gazing at her. They joined his parents. The night was filled with scrumptious food and laughter. When the faerie orchestra began to play, Raindrop led Wondrous in a faerie dance, floating beneath the bows of a weeping willow.

The dance ended. He held her close. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

She giggled and flew around him, pointing her toes like a faerie ballerina. Raindrop caught her hand and swung her close. Suspended in air he kissed her. As the moon rose behind them, the faeries gathered beneath them, clapped.

“We will have a lifetime of joy,” Raindrop said.

“I shall paint our joy along the mountain paths of Frisco,” Wondrous said and kissed him again.

Word Count 871

Happy Valentine’s Day. How did you enjoy my faerie love story?

Be sure to visit the other writer’s to read more Valentine post here.

Nancy