The following days, Ferry managed to avoid the shame of being the talk of the Fortress. Now everyone was talking about Stot. And about the fact that a MAN had managed to fool everyone and pass himself off as a fairy for so long.

An emergency meeting was called in the great hall in the wing of the castle that belonged to Lord Stephan. Stot's fate was soon to be decided.

When he entered, all his guards were there, along with Lord Stephan and Leomh, the Second in Command. It was cold, colder than usual. And the light of the star, ever paler, barely crept behind the tall, cold columns.

In the middle of the room, with his hands tied tightly behind his back with wild ivy stalks that Ferry knew could only be broken by the magic of a fairy, there stood Stot. He kept his head to the ground and no longer wore his shining armor, but only linen garments woven by the Amalgham women. His long, silvery hair fell in curls, covering his face. And yet his posture was as impressive as any warrior elf's.

"Alright, let's end this meeting. I'm sure, it doesn't please any of us," echoed Lord Stephan's thunderous voice, causing the lights of the flames in the corners to tremble. "We have gathered here to decide the fate of Stot who is accused of treason at the highest level!" cried the Pan, hitting the cold slabs with his staff. The sound of the staff broke into dozens of echoes, making the room seem larger and colder than before. "Stot is accused of taking advantage of the trust the Amalghams Army gave him and betraying this trust by hiding the fact that he was human all this time. Well, more than that, he became the right hand of the Second Commander of our army!" the Lord's voice thundered.

Ferry observed the faces of those present at probably the most important gathering he had ever attended. His guards were also sitting, just like Stot, with his eyes on the ground or fixating on a dot in the room. Only Leomh stared straight ahead, beyond Stot and beyond anyone in the room, his gaze colder than the coldest winter night.

"But because we live in a rightful community, Stot has the right to justify himself... To defend himself. So Stot," said Lord Stephan, "what do you have to say in your defense?"

For the first time, Stot looked up. He looked Lord Stephan straight in the eye. But his gaze was not angry. Not even accusatory. He looked incredibly sad.

"Nothing..." he finally said, dropping his gaze to the ground again.

"Nothing?" the Lord wondered.

"What do you mean nothing?" cried Leomh, approaching, but remaining at some distance. "What are you waiting for? Defend yourself!" he shouted.

Stot looked at him and for a moment, Ferry thought he saw a tear in the corner of his eye. But only for a moment. "Why would I need to defend myself when I did nothing wrong?" he said calmly.

"What do you mean you didn't do anything wrong? You are human! Human blood runs through your veins!" Leomh continued to shout.

"And why do I have to apologize for the blood running through my veins?" said Stot, this time stressing out the words. "Don't I breathe the same air as you? Am I not fighting with you? Don't I have the same beliefs as you? Wouldn't I give my life for that?" he said, clenching his fists.

"That's not what it's about, Stot," added Lord Stephan, this time without his voice echoing throughout the castle. "Your betrayal lies in the fact that you hid that you are human..."

"But don't you see?" added Stot, and a glimpse of hope could be read in his voice. "It doesn't matter that I'm human. If we believe in the same things and fight for them, we are the same. A man can become anything he wants, if that's what he really wants. And I became a fairy. I'm a Solacer, just like you..."

Leomh's mouth twisted in disgust, "You're not a Solacer... How could you be? Humans do not become fairies. They are too petty, too selfish, too simple for that..."

"But I did it!" Stot insisted. "I managed to become as disciplined, passionate and dedicated to our goal as a fairy. I am living proof of this..."

"You are living proof of lies and deceit," Leomh spat out the words.

Stot took a step towards him. His voice softened as he said, "You know it's not true...Leomh..." he said slowly, "you know me... the real me..."

He tried to take a step closer to Leomh, but the elf took a step back and put his hand on the sword at his waist. "One more step and I'll cut your throat," he said between his teeth. "I wish I had never met you... You betrayed my trust, you betrayed my--"

Stot tried to add something, but he didn't. Instead, he lowered his head again. There was silence in his anger. Only the wind howled, creeping between the solitary columns, as a sign that did not bring anything good.

Lord Stephan raised his voice, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen, "I think every creature in this room agrees with me when I say that treason cannot go unpunished. But because this place is one of justice, Stot can defend himself by a--". And the Pan stopped, a sign that he wanted to choose his words well.

He got from the round table in the middle and approached Stot. He began to walk back and forth in front of him, the sound of his staff resounding like the jerky rhythm of a military march.

Suddenly, he stopped. Even if the distance between them had decreased, Stot did not dare to look at him. "For some time, there have been rumors," he said in a calm voice, "that several of the soldiers of our army are plotting against us, those in charge... Against the Amalghams, to be more precise..."

Stot remained motionless, without moving a muscle.

"Now... I think we can think of a lighter punishment if, if you know these facts of the plot against us, and you could reveal them..."

Ferry remembered the discussions between Stot and Leomh. He saw Stot's breathing quickened. His fists were clenched. But he didn't say a word. Instead, Leomh looked agitated, tapping his well-polished boot.

"Think carefully, Stot... Do you have any idea about this plot? Any idea who set it up? We would appreciate this little piece of... information. You could you make me forget about your gesture and accept that you stay in the Fortress of the Clouds as before? What do you say?" asked the Pan in an almost soft voice, which Ferry had never heard before.

This time, Stot looked looked him straight in the eye. "I know nothing of any plot, my lord," he said loud and clear.

The Pan's gaze darkened. "Very well then!" he said loudly. "The punishment for high treason means you will be locked in the black box until the Long Night."

Ferry saw the panic in Stot's eyes. "Milord, don't put me in the box, I beg of you. Anything, but that. I can't be away from the light for so long," he begged him.

"Well, if you have become a fairy, as you say, it means that you also have the powers of a fairy. It means you can free yourself from the black box."

"Milord, you'd better kill me. It would be much easier..." Stot begged him, trembling.

"My proposal is still valid," said the Pan. "Tell me who plotted and you will be free of this punishment."

But Stot shook his head.

"Then let's vote," the Pan's voice thundered. "Who is against punishment?"

Ferry hurried to raise his hand. He had heard from Raghnall about the black box. He had seen the terror in his eyes when he had talked about it. Parsley and Rosemary joined him. But Thyme hesitated.

"I see you still have a weakness for humans," Lord Stephan muttered seeing Ferry's choice. "Someday, this will bring you destruction, I tell you... Now let's see who is for the punishment."

Lords Stephan and Sage raised their hands, followed shortly by Thyme.

"Well, it looks like your vote is decisive, Second Commander," Pan addressed Leomh. "How will you vote?"

Stot looked up from the ground and, for a moment, his eyes met Leomh's. For a moment, a spark of hope appeared again in his gaze. But only for a moment.

"I vote for punishment," Leomh said calmly, as if choosing what to eat for dinner.

Lord Stephan tapped the stone slabs with his staff and two guards entered, grabbed Stot by each arm and led him out of the room.

Suddenly, the meeting room, so imposing, seemed to shrink and the air disappeared little by little. Ferry left the room first, slamming the heavy doors behind him.

***

"Matilda wants to see you," Ragh told him when they met at training.

"Well, I don't want to see her," Ferry said sullenly, suddenly preoccupied with polishing his sword.

After the humiliation at the Tournment, he had tried his best not to meet Matilda. And even though now the entire Citadel was preoccupied with Stot and his punishment (which had been implemented immediately), Ferry still kept the bitter taste of defeat in front of everyone in such a humiliating manner.

Meanwhile, the box in which Stot was locked was firmly guarded by Solacers who were changed every three hours. And the question that was on everyone's lips was how a man would survive in such conditions.

Ferry shuddered at the idea of being locked in such a tight space, far from air and starlight. He was trying to find out more from Raghnall. But the young elf shuddered every time Ferry brought up the terrible torture he had been subjected to. And Ferry could only hope that if Ragh had survived the attempt, so would Stot. But doubt crept into his heart every moment, keeping him from concentrating on training or school.

He tried several times to sneak to the place where Stot was imprisoned. He knew that he was well guarded and his presence there was at least suspicious. But every time he had the strange feeling that someone was following him from the shadows.

And despite that, the feeling of humiliation of having been defeated in the Tournament in front of everyone, did not leave him. Every time he retired to rest, it was enough to close his eyes, as the scenes of his defeat came back again and again. How could Matida humiliate him like this? What had he done to her?

Ferry continued to do his best to avoid her. He even refused to participate in the history classes that he knew Matilda was taking under the pretext that he wanted to train more.

And when he thought the girl wouldn't bother him for a long time (although, sometimes, when he was alone, her absence pierced his heart), Matilda got in his way when he least expected it. He was just sneaking towards his room, without passing by the kitchen, when he bumped into her at the corner of the west wing of the castle.

Behind her, Raghnall said, catching his breath, "Forgive me, Prince Garrett... I tried to stop her..."

"Are you going to avoid me much longer?" she asked him the moment she saw him.

"I-- I'm not avoiding you..." he stammered.

"Oh yes? I've been trying to find you for days... or speckles of light... or whatever you call time in this bloody place," she said and her chin tensed.

"The fairy-boy doesn't have to answer to you," Oona said, appearing as if out of nowhere to his right.

Matilda rolled her eyes, "I didn't know he needed a nanny..." she said.

Oona took a step towards her, "He doesn't, but if he did, I'd be happy to offer," she said raising her chin and Ferry realized that Matilda was taller than Oona. When did that happen?

"Oh, I'm sure you'd offer yourself for that and more," Matilda returned.

Ferry decided he had better intervene, especially since they weren't exactly in the most secluded place, "Now you've found me, Matt," he sighed. "What do you want from me?"

"Well, I can't believe you're so calm, considering the situation..." she said, blinking rapidly.

"What situation?" wondered Ferry.

"What do you mean what situation? Stot is locked only because he is human," she almost shouted. "I can't believe you agreed to this!" she added and Ferry saw a trace of disappointment in her eyes.

"I didn't agree to that," said Ferry, trying not to speak too loudly, "but there was nothing I could do about it..."

"And you're going to let him die?" continued Matilda, louder this time. "Because you know that eventually, it's going to happen."

"Shhh, keep your voice down," he tried to placate her, at the same time trying not to attract too much attention.

"Don't tell me to shut up!" she shouted. "You can't tell me what to do!"

"Look," intervened Oona, placatory, "this is not the place to talk about another. Let's all meet somewhere else," she whispered.

"Where?" asked Raghnall who until then had been helplessly witnessing the whole scene.

Oona looked at him with her big, green eyes like forest in the spring. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, "In my room."

***

Ferry had never been to Oona's room. It was located somewhere in the southern part, the brightest part of the castle, at one of the last levels of the twisted castle.

As he entered, he was greeted by the smell of wildflowers and summer rain. All the corners of the room were decorated with garlands of small flowers that sparkled in the starlight in soft colors of pink, yellow and blue. There was no furniture in the room. Oona's bed was actually a pile of dried plants over which she had spread a blanket made of a thick braid with summer flowers sewn on. A larger log stood in place of the table on which was placed a wicker basket full of wild, juicy fruits. From place to place, in niches dug into the stone walls, shone the blue light of the fairy fire that Oona mastered so well. In a darker corner, where the starlight was dim, Cub, Oona's fox cub, slept curled up, startling from time to time.

Oona was waiting for them by the window. Her long hair danced in the wind that crept into the room, and the thin dress, the color of the fog, rippled with her. When she saw them, she clapped  in delight and began to stomp around them.

"Come in, come in," she giggled, pulling each of them in by the hand, hesitating for a moment to touch Ragh's hand.

"Are you sure it's safe to talk here?" asked Matilda looking at her in doubt. "What iIf someone sees or hears us. The walls have ears in this place..."

Out of the corner of his eye, Ferry examined her as she passed him by. She wore the whitest shirt he had ever seen and trousers of a rough, brown canvas, with boots of the same color that went up to her knees. Her hair had grown a lot and was now braided in a ponytail that went past her shoulders. Her bangs, always uneven, had also grown and now her hair hung behind her ears. Ferry felt the fresh smell of clean clothes and for a moment, he felt a flutter in his stomach again. But he forced himself to chase it away quickly: he still hadn't forgiven her for the humiliation she had caused him.

"Well, we won't stay here. I mean we'll be here and yet we won't be here," Oona giggled again.

"Oona, stop playing," said Ferry.

Oona pouted, "Oh, you're always ruining everyone's mood, fairy boy. All right. I tell you. We will enter my bubble and no one will see us or hear us."

Matilda frowned. "What are you talking about? What bubble?"

Oona didn't answer. Instead, she clapped her hands and a thin film like a soap bubble began to form from her fingers that grew and grew until it surrounded all four of them, occupying the room almost entirely. Ferry marveled and shuddered at the same time. The bubble was just another proof of the power that Oona possessed.

"Done," she said, "now we can talk about anything."

For a few moments, no one said anything. Then Matilda's voice was heard, loud and clear, "I think we have to save Stot."

Raghnall shook his head and turned paler than he was, "I don't think that's a very good idea..." he said hoarsely.

Ferry turned to her and looked her straight in the eyes, and the girl held his gaze. "Matt, the place where Stot is kept is always guarded... We wouldn't even get close to that place... We'd be caught in a blink of an eye. Ragh can tell you better. Tell her, Ragh," said Ferry, turning to Raghnall and seeking his gaze for support.

But the elf avoided his gaze as he said, "It's the most terrible place you could be..." Then he shook his head, "I-- I wouldn't want to be there anymore... That would be the punishment for disobedience..."

"But we can't sit and wait for him to die," cried Matilda. "You know very well that he will die there, Ferry. You know that... Because that place is nothing but a grave..." she said and her voice cracked.

"Matilda is right," said Raghnall in a faint voice. "He will die anyway. If he's human, he won't be able to use magic to get out. And if he really became a Solacer, although it seems hard to believe, without the light of the star, without Solace, magic no longer has a purpose..."

"That's why we have to save him," said Matilda, trying to sound confident. "He doesn't have much time left. Come on, Ferry... Where is your spirit of justice? Before, you would have fought with all your strength for the slightest injustice. And now--"

Ferry frowned. He knew Matilda was right, but what could he do?

"The human girl is right," he heard Oona's voice, but this time without even a hint of sweetness. And with all that, her voice was not harsh.

They all turned to her. Out of all of them, Oona seemed the least affected by the whole situation. And about everything that happened around her, actually.

"No one should die for who they are," she continued, "not if their soul is pure and their intentions are good. What does it matter what you are? Fairy, half-fay, human... The rules of this place are strange and someone must oppose them..."

Ferry took a deep breath. "Okay, let's say we're trying to save him. How are we going to do it?"

"I have a plan," Matilda said with twinkling eyes. "First, we have to drive away the guard guar-–"

"I could trade for the guard of the west tower," suggested Raghnall.

Matilda continued enthusiastically, "And I could keep watch while you and Oona turn invisible and—"

But Raghnall shook his head, "I'm afraid that's not possible. There is an unbounding charm in that place..."

"What is an unbounding charm?" wondered Ferry.

"Well, sometimes, in certain places, a fairy with great powers can cast a spell so that other fairies can't use their magic."

"Something like that exists?" wondered Ferry. He had never heard of such charms before. "And who would do such a charm here?"

"Lord Stephan. Who else?"

"Then that means we have to change the plan," suggested Oona. "I will make it rain. But not just any kind of rain. It will be the most terrible storm these places have ever seen," she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"And me and Ferry can get shovels," added Matilda.

"For what?" Ferry asked.

"To dig, of course."

"How much do we have to dig?" he asked.

"It depends on the punishment. The more serious the deed, the deeper the pit..." said Raghnall slowly.

"That means Stot has no chance of going out without us..." Matilda added just as slowly.

"It's settled then," said Oona. "We will save him during the next rest break. We all meet in the place in the grove as soon as the lights go out."

"It's settled," agreed Matilda and the two girls smiled to each other, perhaps for the first time.

"And now?" Oona asked.

"Now what?" Ferry wondered.

"I'm bored... Why don't we play something?" she asked with that playful twinkle in her eyes.

"What shall we play?" Ferry asked.

"Well... For example, I know a game. It's called Tell as it is."

"And how does it play?" asked Ragnall.

"Well, for starters, we all sit in a circle," Oona said and was the first to sit on the floor covered by a soft carpet of moss. The others followed her. Ferry was now seated between Matilda and Oona, and in front of him was Raghnal. 

"Now, each of you choose a stone," she said and began rummaging in the pockets of her dress. From among the hundreds of rustling folds, she pulled out a handful of colored pebbles. "And now, the one who chose the smallest pebble, will tell a dream they have. The most precious dream," she added with a small grin in the corner of her mouth.

They all looked at their palms and discovered the smallest stone, the color of ivory, in Raghnall's palm.

"Well, you're going to break the ice," Oona giggled.

"What ice?" Ragh wondered.

"It's just a saying of human," Oona explained. "It means that you will be the first of us to tell you about your biggest dream."

The young elf gasped at the sight of Oona's big green eyes fixed on him and her being so close to him. "Well... my biggest dream is to become a commander in the Amalghans Army," he stammered.

"Bo-ring," Oona snapped. "That's what every soldier in this place wants." Then she slowly approached him, which made Ragh frown even harder and move his gaze to the ground. "What would you really, really want?" she said in a voice as soft and sweet as honey.

Raghnall swallowed before saying, in a low voice, "Well... I think I'd like to be a father."

"Father?" it was Ferry's turn to wonder. "So you want to get married and have a family?"

Raghnall shook his head. "No... There are no families here as you know them from the human world. Children do not come into this world in a family. When the man is of the right age, he is chosen by a nymph to become the father of her child. There are certain places, beyond the Fortress of the Clouds, where, when the time comes, the nymphs gather and each one chooses the father of her child... Then I plant my seed and from that seed will grow an offspring  who may become a fighter as fearless as  me. And the time to be a father will come soon..."

All the others remained speechless.

"So it's sort of a mating season," concluded Matilda.

"Mating season?" cried Oona. "But this is so wrong... To never know your child... To take a child away from their mother..."

"It's for the good of the child," Ragh said softly. "The nannies know what is best for the child and what is his purpose in life..."

"How? How could they know? I also grew up in the nursery. They tell us that this is the best for us. They raise us with love and care. They comfort us when we need it. But they don't really know us," she said, her cheeks burning. "Not as a parent would know us. Nothing compares to the caress of a parent. A child must grow up with his mother and father..." she said, and her voice became softer when she said the word mother.

"That's why I don't want to have children," Ferry said.

Matilda turned to him and looked at him with a frown, but said nothing.

"I'm afraid it's different in your case," said Raghnall. "Your blood must not be lost. You are the descendant of the Great Fairies. Your seed must last..."

"What does it mean?" Ferry asked, feeling a wave of heat wash over him slightly.

Raghnall swallowed, "It means that you must... plant your seed in a... nobler garden," he said and looked away quickly.

Oona thought she must bring clarifications, "That is, a bride of noble blood will be found for him to bear his children and carry on the blood of the Great Fairies."

It wasn't the first time that Ferry heard about how his life was being planned, but this time he felt that he needed to clarify, "How do you mean find a bride for me? Shouldn't I choose her myself?"

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Oona shook her head. "I heard the women from the kitchen talking about how the first daughter of the Western Ruler is beautiful, gentle and has a good command of the powers she was given... I think she is a little older than you... But she can still carry your child..."

"But I don't want to marry someone I don't know or love..." said Ferry, outraged.

Oona shrugged, "I'm afraid that won't happen in your case... Sometimes, duty is more important than love or happiness..."

Ferry shook his head, "I don't want that. I want to live my life with the person I love..."

"Perhaps, in time, you will come to love the being that was chosen for you by others," said Oona lost in thought. "And maybe she will love you in return."

For a few moments, silence filled the invisible bubble, which had become too small for so many young feelings.

Oona was the one who broke the silence, "So? How would you like to be the nymph who will choose you as a father?" she asked Raghnall, looking deep into his eyes, which made the young elf scowl. "Brunette? Blonde?... Redhead?" she asked in an meaningful tone.

"Well... It doesn't really matter... I've never been with a--"

"With a girl?" Oona asked without looking at him, which made Ragh even more agitated... "Does this mean you've never kissed a girl?" she asked, getting closer to him.

Ragh slowly pulled away from her and looked down.

"But how can you make love to someone without kissing?" she wondered,  her eyes growing even bigger. "It's like eating a cake without enjoying the cream," said Oona. "Does that mean you've never been with a girl?" she continued to question him.

Matilda fussed in her place, then put her light hand on the shoulder of the young elf who did not look up from the ground. "Don't worry, Ragh," she said in the most natural way possible, "Ferry's a virgin too."

Ferry couldn't believe it, "Matt!" he shouted, feeling the invisible bubble getting smaller and smaller.

"What does virgin mean?" asked Ragnall.

"Virgin means you haven't planted your seed anywhere," Matilda said just as calmly.

"Matt!"  Ferry shouted again. How could she say something like that in front of everyone?

"Better," said Raghnall. "Your seed is precious. You can't plant it anywhere..."

"Can we stop talking about my seed?" shouted Ferry, barely breathing, pulling back so as not to have everyone's eyes fixed on him.

Oona giggled. "Let's play something else," she said. "Something more... interesting," she added and a small smile emerged in the corner of her mouth. Then she stepped out of the invisible bubble that made the air tremble slightly when she disappeared like a ghost. She returned just as quickly with a long, pink, dagger-shaped crystal. It seemed cold to the touch and the fairy fire  reflected in its depths.

"Let me tell you how it plays," she said with a giggle. "Each of us twists the crystal, and the people to whom the tips of the crystal point must... you know... Kiss."

For a moment, the atmosphere in the bubble seemed even hotter. Apart from Oona, who was waiting with twinkling eyes, no one dared to take part in the game.

"In the human world, this game is called Spin the Bottle," Matilda said slowly.

"Have you played this game before, human-girl?" Oona asked.

Matilda slowly nodded.

Ferry felt his breathing quicken.

"Who did you play this game with?" he asked without even realizing it.

Matilda raised her nose in the wind, "With more... Billy, Mary, Danny..."

"Danny Stevens?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, Danny Stevens," she replied.

For a moment, the old oak tree in the middle of the tall grass on the hill appeared in his mind, and the feeling of the first kiss brought fluttering in his stomach again. But Ferry quickly dismissed the thought.

"Fine, let's play then," he said rather spitefully.

Matilda and Raghnall didn't seem thrilled with the idea. But Oona clapped her hands, then placed the crystal in the middle. With a light movement, she twisted one of the ends of the crystal, which began to move slightly. Everyone held their breath. When the crystal finally stopped, the two heads pointed towards Ferry and... Oona.

The fairy smiled at him with all her being, but Ferry was no longer lost in her eyes as before. The simple presence of Matilda, so close to him, changed everything. But something inside him urged him to hurt the girl. She deserved it for how she had humiliated him. And without thinking about it, he leaned towards Oona, right under Matilda's nose and planted a small kiss on the fairy's rosy lips. Everything lasted less than a blink of an eye, but enough to see Matilda's eyes widen in disbelief.

Oona blushed. "Oh, fairy boy, I didn't even get to kiss you properly..."

Ferry shrugged and Oona snorted. "Let's try again," she said and touched the crystal again. And again the crystal slowly twisted, making everyone gasp. And again the ends of the crystal pointed at him and Oona.

Matilda snorted, loudly this time, but Ferry pretended not to hear her. It was worth it! Then he leaned towards Oona again and kissed her quickly, barely touching her lips.

Oona frowned. "Oh, come on, fairy-boy, you can do better than that. Last time you weren't so shy," she said and this time, her thin arm reachead out the back of his head, and the fairy pressed her lips to his. Ferry forgot to breathe, while he felt her lips  kissing his lips one by one.

When he withdrew from her kiss, he saw Raghnall's sad eyes in passing, and he was no longer so eager for the sweet revenge against Matilda.

Oona wanted to twist the crystal again, but Matilda grabbed her hand. "Let me do it this time," she said calmly. And without waiting, she spinned the crystal. This time all the heads came closer to each other and the eyes fixed on the stone in the middle.

But this time too, the ends of the crystal pointed towards Ferry and Oona.

"It's not fair!" Matilda jumped to her feet and her cheeks flushed. "There's no way it only pointes to yu two. She's casting a spell or something!" she said pointing at Oona.

"I'm not doing anything!" cried Oona, raising her hands in defense. "And what if fairy-boy and I kiss? Are you jealous?" she added, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"Me? Jealous?" snorted Matilda, standing up. "Of who? Of someone who forgot where he came from? Who thinks he's more important than he is? Who no longer has compassion and only cares about himself and how he looks in front of people?"

Ferry also jumped to his feet. They were now face to face. "Oh yeah! Look who's talking. Saint Matilda! Did you forget when you told May's secret in front of the whole class?" he shouted, feeling the space become much too small.

"Yes," she cried, "and I was sorry. And I apologized to May, and she accepted them."

"What about when you made me steal Billy's feather? Where was the sense of justice then?"

"WE WERW NINE YEARS OLD!" cried Matilda, barely breathing.

Ferry shook his head. Then, he took a long breath. "Why are you here, Matt?" he asked.

"Why?" she replied with a frown.

"Yeah, why are you here? Why did you come here? Because all you've done so far was to hurt and humiliate me," he said, his voice breaking.

The girl looked at him and her chin started to tremble. "That means you don't know me at all if you don't know why I came here..." she said softly.

Ferry shook his head. "I think... I think we should stop seeing each other for a while... After we get Stot out of the box, that is," he said just as softly.

Matilda swallowed, and the tears that filled her eyes disappeared. "I think you're right..." she said coldly. Then, they both left the bubble and Oona's room, heading in different directions with a quick step and without looking back.

Behind them, Oona and Raghnall looked at each other for a moment as if they were seeing each other for the first time. Then they kissed.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This one was published on the night of June 23rd which is also Ferry's birthday. This one is a special night in Romanian folklore -- it is the night when summer is at its peak and if we look really, really carefully, we could catch a glimpse of the fairyworld. Thank you for being such amazing fans! As always, love lots!