Monday, February 15, 2016

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

24 comments:

Denise Covey said...

Nancy, you always delight your readers with your beautiful, fanciful faeri love stories. It was particularly delightful to have the inclusion of the flower colours and how they changed. And what lovely names you choose for your faerie characters--Wondrous is particularly wondrous! Love the ending with the blossoming romance between Raindrop and Wondrous.

Thank you for participating in the WEP February bloghop. Your entries always add a special lustre.

Denise :-)

Yolanda Renée said...

So very lovely! The descriptive work amazing. The names and the colors appearance so beautifully done! A Valentine for all!

Thank you, Nancy, a true work of art for the WEP!

Elephant's Child said...

How I love the names. And would welcome Wondrous and Raindrop to my garden any time they chose to drop in.
This is lovely.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Nancy - I totally agree with the others ... I can see the faeries dancing round, enjoying their time and making everyone happy .. while the happy ending is great - reminds me slightly of Tinkerbell .. I thought she was good - as she was a fairy and delicate ...!! and I loved Peter Pan as a story in those 'ancient day's of medieval 1950s'!!!

Congratulations and Cheers Hilary

N. R. Williams said...

Thanks everyone, so glad you enjoyed it.
Nancy

Olga Godim said...

Charming and so very expressive. I wish I was a fairy too.

N. R. Williams said...

Thanks Olga
Nancy

Nilanjana Bose said...

A delightful love story! Loved the descriptions of the Colouring the Flowers contest and the rich imagery. Enjoyed your post very much indeed. Great take on the prompt!

N. R. Williams said...

Thanks Nil
Nancy

Pat Garcia said...

Very nice fairy story. I really liked the names and how they related to nature.
Shalom,
Pat

River said...

Thank you for your comment on my story.
I love this one of yours! The happy little faeries, the wonderful flower colours appearing, it's so magical.

N. R. Williams said...

Thank you Pat

You're welcome River and thanks for your comment as well.
Nancy

Crystal Collier said...

Very sweet and lovely imagery. The sadist in me wanted things to turn for the worst right at the end, but hey, I'm good with a happy ending too. ;)

N. R. Williams said...

Haha Crystal, it's a Valentine post.
Nancy

Unknown said...

All those vibrant colors colliding across the canvas of your story was a delight! Vividly, fabulously told!!

N. R. Williams said...

Thanks Samantha.
Nancy

Unknown said...

This definitely wasn't my kind of story and I have to say I found the names to be a bit twee, but I loved the description of the faerie world, and the use of color in the story. Painting a picture with words indeed!

N. R. Williams said...

Thank you Arpan
Nancy

Sally said...

This is a wonderful story, beautifully written. I love all your faerie stories, your descriptions take me right there enhanced by the great names you give your characters. Loved it.

N. R. Williams said...

Thanks Sally
Nancy

Deborah Drucker said...

Rainbow and Wondrous sound like they are meant for each other. :)

N. R. Williams said...

Thanks Deborah. But you mean Raindrop.
Nancy

Anonymous said...

Really love all the pretty descriptions of the flowers being "painting". Such a quick and whirling romance. Cute!

N. R. Williams said...

Thank you Madilyn.
Nancy