Mistress of All Evil (Villains 4)

Merryweather looked stricken, and Tulip realized her mistake. “Oh! I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean…”

Fauna flew over to Tulip. “Oh, no, my dear. We just feel simply awful that your parents got caught up in all of this! You have nothing to apologize for. We are the ones who are here to beg your forgiveness.”

Tulip was confused. “I thought you were here to discuss the odd sisters.” She hadn’t intended for her words to come out so matter-of-factly, but they just tumbled out of her mouth. She quickly changed the subject. “Oh, please forgive me, let me introduce you to Prince Popinjay. He is visiting from our neighboring court across the Cyclopean Mountains.”

Flora smiled. “Oh, yes, we know all about Prince Popinjay. We’ve been keeping an eye on you, Tulip, since your…ah…encounter with the Beast Prince.”

Tulip flinched at the idea of fairies—albeit good fairies—keeping tabs on her. “I promise you, I am quite well, Flora. I appreciate your concern, but I’m not in need of a good fairy. I have Nanny and Circe for that.”

The good fairies’ eyes widened. “Circe? We didn’t know! Is she here?”

Tulip wondered if the fairies still disliked Circe.

Flora smiled. “We love the work she’s done with Belle, and with you, and we are considering asking her if she would like to be an honorary wish-granting fairy.”

Tulip was having a hard time connecting these fairies with the fairies from the story Nanny had shared with them. “You’re not concerned that she’s related to the odd sisters?”

“No, my dear, not one bit. Not since we’ve sent them to the realm of dreams,” Merryweather said.

Tulip was happy Circe was not there for that conversation. “I’m surprised you would admit your part in the odd sisters’ plight so freely, especially here in this house. Circe is a great friend to this family, and she is very distressed at her sisters’ state.”

Fauna smiled. “Well, dear, we didn’t put the odd sisters to sleep exactly. We just took advantage of the situation. They were already exhausted by the ordeal with Ursula, and we just thought it would be better if they stayed asleep for a while rather than waking when they regained their powers.”

Tulip shook her head. “Better for whom?”

“Well, better for Circe, of course. Better for everyone, really,” Merryweather answered.

“Merryweather, I see you are stepping out of your providence again!” Oberon’s stern voice bellowed from overhead.

“Oberon?” The Fairy Godmother took flight immediately. “Oberon, it’s you! I’m so happy to see you!” She motioned to the three fairies. “Girls, girls! Fly up here at once and meet Oberon!”

The good fairies were beyond excited. “We are so honored to meet you, King Oberon!”

The giant Tree Lord smiled at them. “Yes, yes, little ones, I am happy to meet you, as well! Calm down. Calm down. There are many matters to discuss, many problems for us to solve, but everything should be done in the proper order. First, we have to discuss the matter of the odd sisters. Why have you put them into the realm of dreams? That’s not allowed without my permission.”

The Fairy Godmother seemed to be thinking it over. “I didn’t know you had returned until just now, Great One.”

“True, true. You were never as observant as your sister. But you have other talents, which you have displayed remarkably with your charge, Cinderella,” Oberon said.

The Fairy Godmother beamed at his praise. “Thank you, Great One.”

“But, my dear, my ambassador, I must ask you again why you have taken it upon yourself to banish the odd sisters.”

The Fairy Godmother shook her head. “Not banished! Never banished! They are living a beautiful life, my king. They are happier than they have ever been, slumbering in a world of their own design. Tucked away safely where they can no longer hurt anyone.”

“Who gave you the right to do that?” Oberon insisted.

The Fairy Godmother thought for a moment. “Why, well, I suppose I did. They have been doing the most terrible things, Great One. They nearly killed Snow White, and drove her mother mad!”

Merryweather chimed in. “Then they almost killed Belle with a foul spell they put on the wolves in the Beast’s lands, not to mention how they conspired to kill Ariel and her father, King Triton! And the Fairy Godmother can tell you firsthand the part they played in Cinderella’s story!”

“Yes, yes, I know all of this. And something must be done,” Oberon agreed. “But my concern is with you, my dearest Fairy Godmother. Why do you feel it’s your job to protect all of these girls? To interfere, even with Tulip here. You’ve been watching her even though she has been with your sister all this time.”

“I didn’t know Tulip was her charge. I stopped feeling my sister in the world after she helped me repair the Fairylands. I had no idea it was because she had lost her memory. But once my sister started to remember who she was, I started to feel her in the world once again.” The Fairy Godmother stopped for a moment, considering what she was going to say next. “Excuse me, my lord, but when did it become a crime to protect young princesses from harm?”

Oberon thought there was logic in her question. Technically, she was correct. It was a wish-granting fairy’s right to look after those in need. And then it became clear to him what bothered him most.

“It’s not, my dear. It’s not. But let me ask you one thing. Why didn’t you find it in your heart to help Maleficent when she was just a tiny little thing, left alone in the crow tree?”