My Name Is Prince Albert

I wanted to live “happily ever after!”
     Why couldn’t I? Why shouldn’t I? I decided to try.
     One sunny afternoon, as I waited by the path, the Princess and her hand maiden came walking down the path.  When they were close, I stepped into their path. The hand maiden saw me first, picked me up, and with mischief in her voice, said, “Here your highness, the Frog Prince!”
    With a giggle, she dropped to a knee and, I within her open hands, offered me to the Princess in jest. The Princess gave the hand maiden a mock appreciative smile, pulled the maidens hands toward her lips, and gave me a kiss on the top of my head. With the silliness over, the hand maiden gently put me down along side the path, and the two disappeared down the path toward the castle, chirping and laughing.
       I lay by the side of the path for a long time, limp and exhausted. When I partially recovered and could hop again, I slowly jumped to my home in the root of the tree. I was trembling, and the ground beneath me was spinning! I could feel my frog body beginning to change. Here we go!  HERE WE GO! Then, there was nothing. NOTHING! I did not turn into a prince. I slept.
     There are two faerie clans that live in the faerie tree that Jaimai lives in. These two small groups of faeries were left behind when the other faerie clans moved to the outer edges of the humans as the humans slowly took over the countryside.

     In this part of the world, faeries can belong to the Earth, Air, Water, or Forest clans.  Jaimai is of the Forest clan. These faeries can be seen by humans when they are hovering, moving slowly or, want to be seen! Sometimes, if you blink just at the right moment, you can catch their movement out of the corner of your eye. You may not know what it was, but you know there was something! It is usually what has happened when you see someone duck unexpectedly for no particular reason.

     The Forest Faeries are famous for their legendary “faerie dust”, and are known to be most clever. They are friendly toward humans. They love blueberry pie, and will loyally protect those that bake it for them.  

     The other faerie clan, that share this faerie tree with the Forest Faeries, is the Air Faeries. These faeries are slightly more mischievous and only tolerate humans. They are only visible at dawn and dusk or when they eat blueberry pie. When they eat the pies, their transparent bodies turn blue. It makes them happily goofy, and it causes them to fly around like sun flies until the blue wears off.
 
     Another major difference between Forest and Air Faeries’ is: although Air Faeries don’t have “faerie dust”, they do have a sting at the tip of each finger. This is why there are never birds around an Air Faerie tree. Air Faeries are not vicious, but will deliver a one to ten finger sting, depending on the amount of threat. The sting is serious enough to permanently disable if two faeries deliver all available digits. This almost never happens because a one finger sting is enough to discourage most birds and animals forever.
         
    
    “My kingdom is under attack by a witch. Bring help!” It was signed, “King Max.”

     King Max didn’t have a guardian witch in his kingdom. The story is the Witch from the South and his witch had vaporized each other years ago in a battle over possession Prince Dax, the first heir to the throne of Max. There are those that say second in line Prince Jax had something to do with the battle, but it was never proven.

     Everyone knew that a good witch was needed to fight a bad witch, and King Max needed to borrow a good witch in a hurry.