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.
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?
Nancy
