Such arrangements hadn’t been made since King Warworth’s coronation—but public interest in the Fairy Council was gravely underestimated.
On the eve of Dam Day, hundreds of thousands of citizens from all corners of the kingdom traveled to Fort Longsworth. By dawn, the risers were overflowing, and crowds formed in every part of the city with a view of the dam. Families stood on the roofs of their homes, shopkeepers stood on the roofs of their shops, and monks straddled the spires of their churches for a glimpse of the festivities. The spewing dam soaked all the spectators throughout the city; they shivered in the morning air, but their hearts were kept warm by the promise of magic.
The Western Kingdom had never hosted such a tremendous celebration. It was being called “the event of the decade,” “a celebration of the century,” and “a Dam Day for the history books.”
But even with those expectations, no one could have predicted just how memorable the day would be.…
On the morning of Dam Day, Fort Longsworth was so busy it took King Warworth three hours to travel the short distance between the Western Castle and the Western Dam. His carriage squeezed through the crowded streets and arrived at the dam with only minutes to spare. Once the king was seated in a private section of the risers, an energetic presenter took to the stage and greeted the hundreds of thousands of people surrounding the landmark.
“Hellooooooo, Western Kingdom!” he called out. “It is my great honor to welcome you to what will surely be remembered as the best Dam Day of our lifetime!”
The presenter’s boisterous voice echoed through the congested city, and all the citizens cheered. Their enthusiastic roar was so strong it almost knocked the presenter off his feet.
“In just a few minutes, the Fairy Council will arrive in Fort Longsworth to repair the damages on the Western Dam. Such an endeavor would normally take several years to complete, but with the help of a little magic, the dam will be fixed instantaneously before our eyes! Of course, none of this would be happening without the swift negotiations led by our bold and brilliant King Warworth—go ahead, Your Excellency, give the crowd a wave!”
The sovereign stood and waved to his adoring citizens. Their polite praise eventually died down, but King Warworth remained on his feet, basking in his own glory.
“Now prepare yourselves,” the presenter went on. “At any moment, you’ll be treated to a spectacle that’s guaranteed to stimulate all your senses! But how will the Fairy Council repair the Western Dam, you ask? Perhaps they’ll mend it with the fire of a thousand torches! Perhaps they’ll seal it with a sheet of glittering diamonds! Or perhaps they’ll stitch it together with strands of invincible ivy! We won’t know until it happens! But punctuality must be part of their process, because here they come now!”
In the distance, traveling above the surface of the Great Western Lake, were six colorful young people who approached the city like a moving rainbow.
The group was led by an eleven-year-old girl with a beehive of bright orange hair and a dress made from dripping patches of honeycomb. She was carried through the air by a swarm of live bumblebees. The swarm dropped her off on top of the Western Dam and then took refuge inside her hair. She was followed by another eleven-year-old girl, who surfed across the Great Western Lake on a lone wave. The surfer wore a sapphire bathing suit, and instead of hair, a stream of water flowed down her body and evaporated at her feet. As her wave reached the edge of the dam, the surfer hopped out of the lake and landed beside the girl in the honeycomb dress.
“One is sassy with a stinger, and the other is the only person wetter than Fort Longsworth—please put your hands together for Tangerina Turkin and Skylene Lavenders!” the presenter said.
All of Fort Longsworth burst into applause for the first members of the Fairy Council.
Tangerina and Skylene couldn’t believe their eyes—they had never seen such a massive gathering.
“Is there some sort of sale happening?” Skylene asked her friend.
“No, I think they’re here to see us,” Tangerina said.
The crowds cheered even louder as the next two members of the Fairy Council arrived. A thirteen-year-old girl with beautiful brown skin and curly black hair sailed across the Great Western Lake in a bejeweled sailboat. She wore a robe made from beaded emeralds, diamond-studded sandals, and a shimmering tiara. The girl docked her sailboat at the edge of the lake and joined Tangerina and Skylene on top of the Western Dam. She was followed by a twelve-year-old boy who shot through the sky like a rocket. The boy wore a shiny gold suit, flames covered his head and shoulders, and he was propelled through the air by two fiery blasts expelling from his feet. The blasts faded as he reached the Western Dam and landed beside the girl covered in emeralds.
“She’s beautiful and tough as diamonds, and he’s never afraid to play with fire—it’s Emerelda Stone and Xanthous Hayfield!” the presenter announced.
Just like Tangerina and Skylene, Emerelda and Xanthous were amazed by the sea of people surrounding the dam. The flames on Xanthous’s head and shoulders flickered with anxiety and he hid behind Emerelda.
“Look at all the protesters!” the boy cried. “Should we leave?”
“They seem a little happy for protesters,” Skylene said.
“That’s because they’re not,” Tangerina said. “Read their signs!”
The Fairy Council had grown accustomed to seeing groups of protesters whenever they made a public appearance. Usually, the demonstrators chanted degrading things at them and held signs with messages like GOD HATES FAIRIES, MAGIC EQUALS MAYHEM, and THE END IS NEAR. However, their visit to Fort Longsworth hadn’t attracted the sort of protest they were used to. On the contrary, as the fairies looked around the crowd, they saw only positive messages like THANK GOD FOR FAIRIES, MAGIC IS BEAUTIFUL, and DON’T BE TRAGIC, THEY’RE JUST MAGIC.
“Oh,” Xanthous said, and his nerves calmed down. “Sorry, I keep forgetting people actually like us now. Old habits die hard.”
Emerelda grunted and folded her arms. “King Warworth should have mentioned there’d be an audience,” she grumbled. “I should have known better—monarchs make a meal out of everything.”
The sound of squawking filled the air as a rowdy flock of geese carried the fifth member of the Fairy Council to the Western Dam. She was a chubby fourteen-year-old who wore a bowler hat, a black jumpsuit, a pair of oversize boots, and a bottle-cap necklace. The geese dropped her next to the other fairies and she landed with a thump on her behind.
“Ouch!” she yelled at the birds. “You call that a landing? Meteors have softer impacts!”
“You don’t want to ruffle her feathers—say hello to Lucy Goose!” the presenter announced.
“That’s pronounced GOO-SAY!” she shouted as she climbed to her feet. “Next time do some research before you—” Lucy’s mouth fell open, and she lost her train of thought when she spotted all the observers. “Holy full house! Look at the size of that crowd! It’s even bigger than the one that watched us build the bridge in the Eastern Kingdom!”
“I’d say the entire Western Kingdom is here,” Emerelda said. “Maybe more.”
Lucy grinned from ear to ear as she took in the gathering. A group of children caught her eye and she became very excited. Each child was snuggling a doll that resembled a member of the Fairy Council.