Sugar Apple Fairytale - Volume 7 - Chapter 7.1

Chapter 7

AN OATH BETWEEN FAIRY AND HUMAN

“Mr. Eddie?”

Standing there alongside the queen and the Earl of Downing was the queen’s attendant Eddie, whom Anne had encountered several times in the castle keep at night. But he was standing in front of both the queen and the earl, as though he was of higher status than them. And there was only one person who ought to stand in front of them like that.

His Royal Highness, the king of Highland, Edmond II.

“Mr. Eddie… Wait, Eddie? Don’t tell me…”

It finally dawned on Anne. Eddie was Edmond’s nickname. In Anne’s mind, the king had no other name but His Royal Highness. It hadn’t even occurred to her that the king would have a regular name.

Edmond II had given Anne her royal medal at the Royal Candy Fair. She must have seen his face on that occasion. But his presence in everyday clothing was completely different from how he came across when dressed in the official attire of the king. The formal garb made him look a decade older than he actually was.

Plus, she had only ever met Eddie at night, in the dim hallway of the castle.

She had never connected the man standing in the darkness, dressed in modest clothing, with the figure of the king, resplendent and full of majesty.

Even so, if Anne had just given it a little more thought, she might have realized it sooner. Eddie knew about the existence of the silver sugar fairy, and he had been the first to know that she didn’t have long to live. There was no way that a normal retainer could have known about the silver sugar fairy, whose existence was a royal family secret, even if he was one of the queen’s servants.

King Edmond II seemed to notice Anne’s surprise, and a tender look appeared in his blue eyes.

“I’m sorry for startling you, Halford. I thought it wouldn’t be an issue, since I never planned to appear before you as king, but it seems we find ourselves in a situation that demands otherwise.”

Anne raced to get down on her knee. She couldn’t stand upright in front of the king.

Edmond II frowned and looked past Anne, at the bed behind her.

“I knew that she didn’t have much time left, but I wasn’t expecting her to go so quickly. Is there nothing that we can do? Someone my family has protected for five hundred years is vanishing before my very eyes…”

Edmond II took a step toward the bed. Challe moved swiftly and elegantly into his path, blocking the way.

Anne was alarmed. Challe wasn’t kneeling before the king. Not only that, he was blocking the king’s path. She wondered what he was trying to do. Fear surged within her, the feeling so powerful it seemed like it would crush her chest.

“What do you think you’re doing…Challe…?” Anne heard Hugh grumble the question through his teeth.

“Who are you?” Edmond II looked puzzled.

The Earl of Downing answered swiftly. “He’s a fairy that the silver sugar fairy summoned. The bodyguard of that candy crafter, Halford. Step aside, fairy. Know your place.”

Challe’s wing glistened like tempered steel, and his expression remained calm, like the surface of a lake in winter. As if he hadn’t even heard the order from the Earl of Downing, he parted his lips to speak.

“The silver sugar fairy’s life is nearly at an end. But she has yet to finish teaching everything to her successors. The candy crafters will have no option but to learn her techniques on their own, through trial and error. When that happens, will you really be able to say that the fairies’ skills have been passed down to the five of them, without anything lost?

“With nothing lost, you say?”

Edmond II looked back questioningly at Hugh, who made a bitter face.

“Even I am but a novice compared to the silver sugar fairy,” Hugh said. “I doubt I would be able to convey everything to the five candy crafters accurately.”

“It is possible to prolong the silver sugar fairy’s life,” Challe said, “and give her time to actually teach the five of them her skills.”

At Challe’s words, the Earl of Downing took a step forward.

“Fairy! If you’d been listening earlier, you would never speak so rudely to His…”

Edmond II put up his hand to silence the Earl of Downing. “Enough, Downing! That’s enough. How can we extend the life of the silver sugar fairy?” he asked Challe.

“By crafting an exceptional piece of sugar candy in a form that is meaningful to Lulu and getting her to eat it.”

“Well then, it is fortunate that we have five candy crafters here, is it not? Have them make the piece at once.”

“Only the silver sugar fairy herself knows the shape that will be most meaningful to her. And she’ll only eat the candy if she wants to. Right now, she doesn’t seem inclined to tell us what form will be meaningful, nor does she seem inclined to eat any candy.”

“Why not?”

“She despairs at the thought that no matter how long she lives, she will only pass the fairies’ techniques on to humans.”

At those words, Hugh and the queen both made pained expressions.

“If you can give her hope, she will live. To do so, you must grant permission for the five crafters and the Silver Sugar Viscount to teach the knowledge and skills that she possesses to fairies as well. Command this and make certain that it is done. You must also return the silver sugar fairy’s wing to her. If you promise to do that, I will command her. I will order her to inform the crafters of the shape of candy she desires, to eat the sugar candy, and to continue living. And I will command her to teach her skills to the candy crafters. If the orders come from me, she ought to follow them.”

“Command her, you say?” the Earl of Downing asked quietly, a severe expression on his face. “Who…are you? You can’t fool me any longer. At that fort in the wilderness, the other fairies looked at you like you were something special. In the last five hundred years, the silver sugar fairy has never once requested that we summon one of her fellows. And yet she called for you. Why is that? It must be because you are important to the fairies!”

“I was born from an obsidian stone prepared by the last fairy king, Riselva Cyril Sash, to be his successor.”

The king and queen gasped. Even Hugh’s eyes went wide.

The Earl of Downing mumbled in astonishment, “It can’t be… But that shouldn’t be possible. The sword, along with the chapel, five hundred years ago, it was…”

“The structure formerly known as the Saint Hyde Castle stands on the eastern side of the Birseth mountain range. The castle was built to safeguard a single sword that was kept in the shrine there—the fairy king’s sword. And into that sword were fitted three stones, meant to birth the next fairy king. The three sons of the human king Cedric feared that the next fairy king would be born from one of the stones and hid the sword. They then ordained that the second daughter born to each generation of the Lowell family should live there, as protector of Saint Hyde Castle.”

The Earl of Downing, Edmond II, and the queen were growing paler by the minute. Everything that Challe was saying was a closely guarded royal family secret. It proved his identity.

Anne’s eyes were wide with shock as she heard the story for the first time.

The royal family hid the fairy king’s sword for safekeeping?

The fairy king’s sword. And the silver sugar fairies. It sounded like the royal family had stolen the fairies’ most valuable things and hidden them away for themselves. Ancestor King Cedric had considered the fairy king a friend and had wished for peaceful coexistence with the fairies. But Cedric’s wishes had not been honored. Instead, humanity’s relationship with the fairies had become warped, even as the fate of the royal family was entangled with that of the fairies.

“One hundred years ago, the person sent to live in that castle was the second daughter of the Lowell family at the time, Elizabeth Lowell.”

“The sin…of Elizabeth Lowell…!” The one who said those words, overcome as he was with surprise, was Edmond II. “The story goes that a century ago, the young lady charged with protecting the shrine housing the fairy king’s sword committed a grave crime and was burned at the stake for it. The particulars of her misdeed were buried and forgotten. Could it be that her sin was—?”

“I was born into this world because of Elizabeth Lowell.”

“So the sin of Elizabeth Lowell was the creation of the fairy king, who was not supposed to be allowed to come into this world?”

“Mercury!” Suddenly, the Earl of Downing shouted loudly. “Summon the royal guard to surround the Cocoon Tower! Under my authority! This is the fairy king! We can’t let him get away!”

“But I’ve encountered this fairy many times before. He’s no danger!” Hugh argued.

“Obey me, Mercury!”

Hugh glanced at Challe and Anne but ran down the spiral staircase anyway.

Challe. Challe. Run.

Anne couldn’t stop trembling. Challe was going to be surrounded by soldiers, captured, and killed.

“Don’t make a fuss. I’m not going anywhere.”

Challe was calm.

“If you accept the conditions I just gave you, that will be the end of it. But if you don’t accept my conditions, the last of the silver sugar fairies will die before our eyes. And I will stop trying to negotiate with humans like I am doing now. I will gather the fairies and wage war against humanity. I don’t know how far I will get, but I won’t let things end as easily as they did with my brother stone, who was rallying fairies at a fort in the wilderness.”

Challe smiled, a sharp glint in his eyes.

The Earl of Downing said threateningly, “We can capture you right here and now. The royal guard is coming to surround the tower.”

“Do you really think you can capture me? Even if I was captured and killed, the silver sugar fairy would still die. That’s all. And even if I lose my life, there’s still a chance that another fairy king will be born. One of my brother stones remains. Will you take that risk? Or will you take this opportunity to respond to my proposal, which benefits us both? This is a negotiation. My conditions are not unfavorable to humans, and neither do they disadvantage fairies. They give both sides something. And they are not impactful enough to shake the foundations of your kingdom.”

“But if we release the formula for making such powerful sugar candy, those techniques will fall into the hands of the royal family’s enemies,” the Earl of Downing replied. “If we allow that, then the same good fortune that blesses us will bless the royal family’s enemies! A dark threat will loom over the Millsland royal family, which I have fought to protect!”

“You’re wrong!” Still kneeling, Anne raised her voice to the Earl of Downing. “You’re underestimating the skills of the candy crafters!”

All eyes fell on Anne.

Around the tower came the sound of footfalls and of armor clanking together. There was also the sound of crackling torches. The royal guard had begun to gather.

He’s wrong! It’s not that simple!

Anne, bolstered by her confidence as a candy crafter, felt a surge of pride pouring out from her chest.

“The techniques of the fairies are the finest there are for making sugar candy. But they are simply methods of making candy! The way that someone uses those techniques is what determines if their sugar candy is good or bad and if it will bring great fortune! Even if those skills are widely known, using them to make wonderful sugar candy still comes down to the skill of the candy crafter. It all depends on someone’s expertise! If the royal family wants sugar candy that can promise the greatest fortune, they should employ the greatest crafters who have mastered the finest techniques. Human or fairy, it shouldn’t matter. And they should make the candy crafter with the greatest skill into the Silver Sugar Viscount! That way they have the best chance to employ the candy crafter with the very best techniques! They’ll be blessed with even greater fortune than they are now!”

She wasn’t afraid to raise her voice anymore.

“That’s—” The Earl of Downing tried to interrupt Anne, but she refused to be cut off and kept talking.

“You’re afraid of what you don’t know! But if you were a candy crafter, you would understand. We know! Even if everyone studies the same techniques, the difference in skill will be plain to see! If someone doesn’t have what it takes, learning some new techniques won’t do them any good! Releasing these techniques into the world is completely different from handing out weapons.”

Anne felt dizzy. She had said all of that in a single breath. Panting for air, she nevertheless raised her head firmly and looked up at Edmond II and the Earl of Downing.

“Please, don’t be afraid of the unknown. If you face it head-on, it’s not so scary.”

The room fell silent. For a few moments, the only sound they could hear was the chafing of the armor of the soldiers surrounding the tower.

Then the sound of quiet laughter broke the silence. It belonged to the queen.

“Just like ghosts, isn’t that right, Anne Halford?”

The queen slowly stepped forward to stand beside Edmond II.

“Majesty, we’ve been afraid for five hundred years. Don’t you think it’s about time we stop being afraid of ghosts?”

“But my queen, what we’ve been protecting for five hundred years—”

The Earl of Downing started speaking, but the queen shook her head slightly.

“What has become of all that we’ve been protecting these past five centuries? Ultimately, it’s dwindled, and now it could be wiped out completely. We have to do something drastic to right this wretched situation. For example…making a resolution to reveal the techniques that have been kept secret for five hundred years. If we do that, we may relight the flame that is about to expire.”

The Earl of Downing seemed to be at a loss for words, and he pressed his lips tightly together.

Without a word, Edmond II took several steps forward.

“Majesty?”

With a look, Edmond II checked the Earl of Downing’s attempt to stop him. He moved to stand before Challe.

“I can understand what the queen is saying, to a certain extent,” he said. “But the problem is this fairy king.”

The cold glint of a ruler appeared in his eyes. These weren’t the eyes of Eddie, the queen’s gentle attendant, whom Anne knew.

Anne felt like the noise of the soldiers’ footsteps and the clanking of their armor as they surrounded the tower was pressing in on her. She couldn’t help but be afraid. But she kept her eyes raised. If anything happened, she wanted to be ready to break into a sprint and protect Challe.

“He’s a danger that could shake the very foundations of the Kingdom of Highland. This is something I cannot ignore. I doubt that the fairy king’s demands will end with the conditions that we’ve just heard. If we accept these terms, then what will he demand next? The liberation of all fairies? But the enslavement of fairies is a custom that has continued unbroken for five hundred years. We are not prepared to uproot and overturn such a popular institution. Our society is built upon the foundation of that institution, after all. Consider, too, that the fairy king cannot say with certainty he will never turn his sword on humanity. The existence of someone who can unite the fairies is a danger to us all.”

Despite having been declared a danger, Challe responded to Edmond II’s forceful words with a smile. Edmond II looked puzzled by his beautiful smile.

“I loved Elizabeth Lowell,” Challe said. “And I know some good-natured humans. I have no intention whatsoever of turning my sword against them. It is not the case that I hate all humans. And I have no intention of throwing your kingdom into disarray. All I desire is to grant the wishes of my fellow fairies, little by little. Right now, I want to make the wishes of the last silver sugar fairy come true. That is all. I’m not telling you to overturn the world of the humans, who hold fairies in bondage. We can do it gradually. We can bring about change little by little. That is all I ask. If the foundation of your society was built up over the course of five hundred years, it will probably take another five hundred to change.”

“So you’re telling me to take you at your word?”

“I’ve revealed myself as the fairy king, entrusted by Riselva with the future of the fairies. So as a king, I will make a vow. To you, the human king. I pledge to have respect for you. In return, I want the human king to swear a vow to me as well. I want you to pledge that you will abide by the conditions I have laid out.”

Even the Earl of Downing was staring into Challe’s earnest black eyes, as if momentarily entranced.

Anne was shaken to the core. Challe was so beautiful and noble and so full of dignity. She felt like she was hallucinating, as if a phantom from the world of legends were standing there before her. Everything about him, from his deep black eyes to his strands of black hair to his long white fingers, was elegant and alluring.

“You have my pledge, human king,” Challe said.

Edmond II slowly opened his mouth to speak. He, too, looked entirely captivated.

“…And you mine, fairy king.”

“Majesty?! You swear a vow?!”

The Earl of Downing raised his voice, but Edmond II silenced him with a stern look.

“It’s fine, Downing. I made this decision to give him my word. So I vow this to you, fairy king.”

“I thank you, human king,” Challe murmured quietly.

The Earl of Downing let out a deep sigh. Then, with a dark, gloomy expression on his face, he slowly approached Challe.

Anne was stiff with tension, but Challe turned to face the Earl of Downing calmly.

“Fairy king. His Majesty is certain to keep the vow he made. Will you keep yours as well?”

“Of course.”

“In that case, I have one more request. I would ask that you conceal your existence. It would throw the world into chaos and cause mayhem among the fairies.”

“So long as the vows are kept, I have no intention of announcing myself.”

Brushing back the white hair that hung over his forehead, the Earl of Downing returned to his position behind Edmond II, looking exhausted.

“Your Majesty, what shall I do about the royal guard?”

“Order them to return to their usual duties. Tell them there was no emergency after all and that your orders were a mistake.”

The Earl of Downing answered that he understood, and Edmond II breathed a sigh of relief.

“My queen, we will be able to extend the life of the silver sugar fairy. For now, we should be able to rest easy. Let’s return to our chambers.”

Edmond II took the queen’s hand and smiled at Challe.

“Excuse us, fairy king… No, if your existence is to be kept secret, I mustn’t call you that, I suppose?”

“Call me whatever you like. So long as you keep your vow, I don’t expect we will ever meet again.”

“I should hope not. Now I will have the queen bring the silver sugar fairy’s wing to her. And I promise to allow the fairies’ techniques to be revealed to the world. As far as my orders for the Silver Sugar Viscount and the five candy crafters, I shall inform you of them later.”

Holding the queen’s hand, Edmond II disappeared down the stairs. The Earl of Downing turned on his heel to follow his king. He looked over at Challe before descending the stairs but left without saying anything else.

Anne’s whole body went weak, and she slumped down on the floor right where she was.

Challe chuckled, knelt down right in front of her, and peered into her face.

“What happened? Where is all that bravery you had earlier?”

“It’s gone…off somewhere… I never imagined you would do something like that, Challe…”

Now that the king and the others had left, Anne couldn’t believe she had shown such reckless courage earlier. She didn’t know how she’d done it. It was as if something had just suddenly flown out of her, straight from her heart.

“I wanted input from a candy crafter. And you told them what you think. Now I’ll still be able to stay by your side… I thank you.”

Challe placed his hand against Anne’s right cheek and kissed her left cheek. The surprising gesture sent a shock through her body. Her spine tingled.

“Ah…”

The cold lips on Anne’s cheek moved slowly across her skin. Challe’s slightly warm breath tickled her cheek enticingly.

…This is my thanks?

“You’re a fine candy crafter, Anne.”

Challe whispered this with his lips still close to her cheek. Anne went weak, and her body swayed. Challe caught her in his arms.

Sitting on the floor with Challe’s arms around her waist, Anne was captivated by his long eyelashes, which were so close. She gazed vacantly up at him. Everything about him was so lovely, from the lustrous, translucent light-blue wing that hung down his back to his sleek, flowing black hair to his obsidian eyes.

“…Challe…you’re beautiful.”

The words rose from her heart and slipped straight out of her mouth. She’d suddenly been released from the tension she’d been feeling, and nothing really seemed real yet.

Then Challe smiled wryly and put his hand on Anne’s waist.

“I’ve done my job. Now you do yours.”

“Oh…right, that’s right.”

The moment she heard the word job, she straightened back up. She had to ask Lulu right away. She had to ask her what shape would be most meaningful to her. And then the five crafters would have to make the best sugar candy sculpture possible.

The determination returned to Anne’s eyes. She stood up and rushed over to the bed.

“Lulu, did you hear all that? His Majesty the King made a promise. Lulu, you’re going to get your wing back. And the techniques for making sugar candy are going to be released to everyone. He said he will allow them to be taught to humans and fairies alike.”

Lulu smiled, albeit feebly.

“Yeah. I heard,” she replied. “After five hundred years, I never thought I would hold my own wing in my hands again.”

“Please tell me, Lulu. Tell me the thing you love, the thing you feel is most precious. Tell me what it is.”

“I guess I’ve got no choice, if it’s an order from the fairy king… Something special to me, huh? Let me see.”

As if she was thinking it over, Lulu gazed up into the air. The tips of her hair, which were slowly but steadily dissolving into light, looked even brighter. Wearing a smile on her lips, Lulu said, “A garland…a flower garland. When King Riselva looked at me and gave me life, he celebrated my birth by crowning me with a flower garland that he made out of wildflowers. I was so happy.”

“What kind of flowers were they?”

“Star lilies.”

Star lilies bloomed in bunches of cute yellow flowers in the spring fields. They had long, neat stems and leaves with small white splotches. They were cheerful, adorable flowers that swayed in the breeze, as if the spring sunshine made them exuberant. Six hundred years in the past, the newly born Lulu must have been so animated and adorable, just like those flowers.

“Please hold on, Lulu. Challe, stay with her.”

Anne squeezed her hand firmly and looked back at Challe.

Once he nodded at her, Anne seemed reassured, and she dashed down to the workspace downstairs. Challe watched her go, then took a seat on Lulu’s bed. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Looks like I have to continue living, eh?” Lulu asked.

“That’s right. We need you to keep going on, even if you don’t want to. I made a vow to the human king.”

“I have no objection. I’m also curious to see how things will shake out. And since it’s an order from my own king, I’ll obey. But…I wonder whether you value my life because I’m one of your own kind or because of what I can do for Anne? That girl has set you on a new course. She is the first silver sugar.”

Challe stared at her in wonderment.

“The first silver sugar?”

“Don’t you know what the first silver sugar is? Maybe you don’t.”

“I’m aware it’s something that brings about change. I heard that it was a term passed down in the Paige Workshop, the oldest of the humans’ candy making factions.”

“It’s a term that comes from the silver sugar fairies. It spread to the old human workshops. Just one little handful will change everything in the barrel, little by little. You’ve come far since meeting Anne. And it seems you’ve changed my circumstances, too, which stayed the same for five hundred years. Your love is part of your fate, fairy king.”

Lulu smiled and let out a long sigh.

“But I am tired… I am…”

She folded both hands over her chest and closed her eyes. All the strength had gone out of her hands.

“Lulu?”

Challe called her name, but there was no answer. He peered into her face and touched her neck. She still had a little bit of strength remaining. But—

“Hold on, Lulu. Just a little longer,” Challe whispered encouragingly.

As soon as Anne went down to the workspace, the other four candy crafters rushed up to her.

Blanching, Keith asked, “Anne, what happened?! The king and the others came, and the royal guard surrounded the tower!”

“It’s all right. It was nothing. Just know that Lulu now feels like eating some sugar candy. And she told me the shape she wants it to be in.”

“What kind of thing is it?!” Stella asked with excitement.

“A garland of star lilies.”

As soon as he heard that, Stella dashed off to his workbench. Keith looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but when Stella moved, he seemed to realize that he ought to do the same. He followed Stella.

Just as Anne was about to head off to get started working, Elliott grabbed her arm.

“Anne, there’s no way that it was nothing. What really happened?”

Elliott whispered to her in a thin voice. Killean was standing beside him, looking down at Anne with a similarly bewildered expression.

“I can’t tell you. I think we’ll hear the details from the Silver Sugar Viscount after everything calms down.”

“Must be something major.”

Killean nodded gravely. Elliott and Killean both were close to becoming the maestros of their respective factions. Even if they didn’t know the particulars of the events that had just taken place, they seemed to have sensed something in the air.

“Probably, yes. But right now, we have to make sugar candy for Lulu.”

“Well, you’re right there.”

Elliott shrugged in acceptance and let her go.

“We’d better get crafting, huh? I wonder how close our skills have come to the fairies’? It’s time to find out.”

In response to Killean’s words, Anne nodded firmly.

Over the past twenty days, they’d searched through the workspace and found a stash of colored silver sugar. It was much too beautiful to use simply for practice, so they’d hesitated to touch it.

For the first time, the crafters pulled out the barrels filled with blue, red, and yellow silver sugar.

The blue silver sugar was bluer than a clear summer sky, and the yellow color was bright enough to lift one’s spirits just by looking at it. The red color was deeper than the most richly colored ruby yet had a transparent quality. And the white was whiter than snow—the true color of sugar candy.

Elliott opened the lid of a barrel and flashed a smile.

“Okay. We’re doing this work to preserve the life of our lovely teacher. We can’t cut any corners, but we don’t have much time.”

As he rolled up his sleeves, Killean picked up a stone bowl. “Let’s get started. We’re wasting time.”

Stella sounded irritated as he asked, “What colors? Green for the leaves and yellow for the flowers, just the two?”

Keith answered him. “Let’s mix several shades of each color, both the yellow and the green. The green is a more complicated color, so let’s three of us work on that. The yellow can take two people.”

“That sounds good. I’ll work on the green.”

Stella walked off, so Anne also put her hand up.

“Me too, I’m on green.”

“All right, me too, then,” said Keith.

Elliott and Killean looked at each other, silently agreeing to make the yellow flowers together.

Anne scooped up blue, yellow, and white silver sugar into stone bowls.

The colored silver sugar looked like vibrant minerals that someone had ground up into a fine powder. When Anne spread it smoothly across the top of her workbench, she could see its luster. It was like the bench was covered in grains of light.

She mixed the silver sugars, and the colors changed like they were melting into one another. Anne focused on making a soft yellow-green hue, almost chartreuse. Stella also added a little bit of red to make a dark green. Keith made a color in between Anne’s and Stella’s.

Anne glanced over at the colors that Killean and Elliott were making together and saw them quickly mixing up every shade that it seemed like they might need. They had their minds set on their respective hues and were working in silent harmony. Their movements were swift.

The crafters mixed their colors and kneaded their silver sugar dough. Over and over again they kneaded, until the sugar dough showed fine, glossy striations.

Then they took up their spindles and began spinning threads of silver sugar.

Smoothly they traced their fingertips along the thread, feeling the texture of the silver sugar strands that flowed easily onto their spindles. They had gotten quite used to that texture over the past twenty days.

It was pleasant work. It felt like Anne’s very thoughts were flowing out of her fingers and turning into thread.

The thread was glossy, like a spider’s silk with light shining through it, and it very quickly twined around her spindle.

“Honestly, Lulu really spared us. If she had asked for something bigger, there’s no telling how much time we would have needed. Though I’m still not sure we’ll be able to make it with our novice skills. But it also helps that the colors are simple,” Killean said as he spun his thread.

He was certainly right. The only thing they’d learned from Lulu was the technique for making silver sugar thread. And the five of them were still fumbling their way through it.

Lulu didn’t really teach. Hugh was the same way. They seemed to want the candy crafters to learn on their own.

Anne had the feeling that Lulu was testing them. She had showed them the most basic of fundamentals and had then stepped aside to watch how far the human crafters could take it. She didn’t have very high expectations for humans. But that was all the more reason for them to use all their skills to help her. They wouldn’t want to make her any more disappointed in humans than she already was.

They were holding on to the life of a fairy who had been held captive to make sugar candy for five hundred years, and they were using sugar candy thread.

If they couldn’t pull it off, it would impugn their honor as candy crafters. Visible in the crafters’ expressions were their stubbornness and pride as artists.

Once the thread was spun, the crafters set about using the loom.

Anne quickly looked over the green thread they had spun and decided which color to use for the warp and which for the weft. For the warp, she would use a vivid dark green and a subdued pale green. She laid the two varieties of green out in an irregular pattern. Then the weft thread would be the yellowish chartreuse. By weaving the three colors together, she hoped to produce a complex shade that appeared to glow.

The crafters carefully carried over their selected threads and set them into the loom as the warp threads.

“How many varieties of each color are we making?” Elliott asked restlessly as he loaded the threads.

They really had no time. If they didn’t finish weaving the silver sugar threads and immediately form them into the shapes they needed, they would easily crumble.

“These are the leaves of the star lily, right? We need subtle coloring in the leaves, so I’d say five or six varieties. Maybe three for the yellow that we’re using for the flower petals. How’s that sound? Let’s at least make a good variety of colors. We might be able to keep adding more if time allows.”

The other crafters nodded in agreement with Keith’s briskly devised plan. They were totally in sync with one another.

Whenever one of them made a suggestion, it was basically in accordance with everyone else’s opinion. There was almost no disagreement among them, even when it came to the shapes of the pieces they were making. They had been well trained.

When Killean and Elliott were finished loading the threads into the loom, they picked up their spindles again and continued spinning more silver sugar threads.

Anne, Keith, and Stella contended with the loom. They divided the duties up among the three of them.

Stepping on the pedal that raised and lowered the warp threads of silver sugar was Keith’s job. Anne assumed the task of passing the weft threads of silver sugar between the raised and lowered warp threads by hand. Stella was the one using a presser bar to slowly press the threaded weft threads down and reduce any gaps between them.

It was the same principle as weaving anything else. But while weaving with cloth was a one-person job, it took the three of them working in sync to do the same with sugar. Each had their position.

Whenever Keith stepped on his pedal, the hundreds of silver sugar threads lined up in the machine would move up or down. The way the silver sugar threads moved together was elegant and beautiful, like the ripple of a tiny wave. If he stepped on the pedal too forcefully or too quickly, however, the sugar threads would break from the vibrations. So he stepped carefully, with just the right amount of speed and force.

Anne passed the weft threads through slowly. Then Stella pushed them down with the presser bar to perfectly close up any gaps between the threads. Again, Keith carefully stepped on the pedal. The threads of silver sugar all moved simultaneously. They rippled and shone.

All three of them were holding their breath. They couldn’t even blink. If a single one of them was out of sync, the silver sugar threads would snap.

Carefully. No rushing. No cutting corners.

Anne could sense the words that were passing silently among the three of them.

Step on the pedal. Pass the weft threads through. Press down.

Repeat.

Sweat began beading on her forehead, but she didn’t have a chance to wipe it away. She held her breath, repeating all her movements one by one. Joy flooded her chest as she looked at the material they were producing. Since they were using different colors for the warp and the weft, the shades looked a little bit different depending on what angle she viewed it from. She wondered how much of an effect the variation would have once they shaped the material into something.

Thread by thread, they made the green material. And then the yellow.

Once a piece of material was woven, Elliott took it from the loom and started to work on it. Holding a paring knife, he cut out small leaf shapes. He used green thread to add veins to the leaves he had cut.

After he finished spinning all the thread they needed, Killean also took hold of his knife and positioned himself at a workbench with a swath of yellow material. He began carefully cutting out small flower petals.

It had taken quite a long time, but they had woven all the material they needed.

The moment Anne stepped away from the loom, she felt dizzy. But there was no time to rest. If they didn’t make this sugar candy sculpture quickly, it would break apart.

“You make the stems, Anne,” Killean instructed.

Anne picked up some of the green silver sugar threads. There were several varieties of green in front of her, so she gave it careful thought. She decided it would be good if she could combine all the shades together, just as they had done with the colored threads to make the material.

She placed three strands of green thread together and squeezed them tightly to merge them into a single stalk. It did form a stem, but the lines where the colors connected in an unnatural way caught her eye. It wouldn’t work unless she could intertwine the threads more fully.

The threads have to entwine. Entwine.

Then she suddenly had a thought.

Entwine—in other words, crochet?

She looked down at the threads. If she could loop the bundle of silver sugar threads she’d made together like a piece of crochet, their colors would intertwine in a complex way.

But where to get a crochet hook? Especially one small enough for such fine threads?

After a moment’s thought, something suddenly occurred to Anne. She opened her own tool case and picked up the tool that Emma had given her a long time ago, which she had never used even once before. The tool with a metal fixture on the end of it like a needle with a bent tip. It resembled a crochet hook. Gripping it tightly in her hand, she turned back to the candy threads.

She bundled up a bunch of different-colored threads and held them tightly, with the tip of her tool against the collected threads. She hooked them, passed them through, and pulled. She knotted them together using a crochet chain stitch. In doing so, she produced a small loop. When she tightened the threads, that loop disappeared. Then the colors in that spot blended in a complex way.

This tool, whose purpose she had never understood, was evidently meant for crocheting threads of silver sugar.

Anne didn’t know why Emma had been given such a tool by her teacher. After all, this technique was supposed to have been a closely guarded secret, kept away from the public for five hundred years. So what was that lonely little tool doing in Anne’s collection?

But she didn’t have time to wonder about it.

The threads would dry out quickly. Frantically, she crocheted the slender stems. Vivid yet complex in its coloration and able to let light pass cleanly through it, the thin stem in her hand grew longer and longer.

Killean noticed how Anne was doing her work and raised his head as he wiped his sweat away. His eyes went wide.

“Anne, are you crocheting? Crocheting the threads?” Killean looked amazed. “I never would have expected… I thought you’d just twist the threads together into a single stalk…”

“I tried that. But it made unnatural streaks of color that stood out too much.”

Elliott burst out laughing.

“I’d also like to watch her closely, but we don’t have time to be impressed. We’ve got to hurry up and put everything together.”

The slender stems. The leaves. The petals. They put each piece together.

They gathered the small petals to make round flowers about the size of the tip of someone’s thumb. Then they stuck a stalk on each flower and leaves on each stalk. And they bundled those together, weaving them just like they would to make a flower crown.

If they made a mistake in the amount of force to use, the flowers, stalks, and leaves could all be crushed, or come apart, or shatter.

It was Anne’s duty to braid the many flowers together into a flower crown. A girl with slender fingers and less strength was best suited for that work.

Paying careful attention as she worked, Anne wove together the flowers that the boys made.

I have to hurry. It’s all going to dry out.

She bit her lip to keep her impatience in check.

But I have to work carefully. It would take too much time to remake it. I mustn’t even imagine that we can remake it.

Bundle the flowers…weave them together…make sure it’s neat…

As she wove in the final bunch, Anne set the leaves in place and adjusted the way the flowers were facing.

She heard someone breathe a sigh of relief.

Anne gazed down at the sculpture in her hands, looking at the placement of the leaves and flowers. Checking that the balance was all right. Examining the colors. She thoroughly inspected every last blossom, then looked over the whole thing again from a distance.

The flower crown in her hands didn’t feel like it had any weight to it at all. It was as light as a wing.

Before anyone noticed, the morning sun came streaming in through the windows of the workspace.

The light passed through the glass panes of the windows and landed on the flower crown. The light then went through the flower crown, illuminating the sculpture with a translucent radiance.

Both the green leaves and the yellow flowers were gently colored with blends of many shades, and it looked like they were wrapped in light. The flower crown seemed like it might break into beads of light and dissolve in the morning sun at any moment. Like the sword that Challe had conjured, this sugar candy sculpture itself was glowing.

Anne understood why fairies had sought out this kind of sculpture. They loved the light that it produced. It was the divine light that shone when a fairy was born. That was why they wanted this kind of radiance in their sugar candy.

The flower crown beamed, as if blessed by the morning sun. A garland made of adorable, sparkling, happy little flowers.

The crafters stood there staring at the sugar candy garland for a few moments.

“We have to…give this to Lulu.”

Anne had spaced out, as if enchanted by the candy, but after a moment, she snapped out of it and rose to her feet.

When she did, the other crafters also looked toward the upper floor.

“Will we make it in time?”

Looking sick with exhaustion, Stella mustered all his energy to mumble the question.

“We’re okay still. Let’s go.”

She didn’t have much confidence herself, but Anne nevertheless put all her hope into her answer. With Anne at the front holding the garland reverently in both hands, the candy crafters ascended the spiral staircase.

Challe was there in the bright room. He was looking down at the bed.

“How’s Lulu, Challe?”

He turned around with a grim look on his face. The crafters could tell from his expression that Lulu might be beyond saving. Anne nearly stopped, but Challe encouraged her in a way that sounded like scolding.

“Hurry. You might still make it.”

Anne walked quickly over to the bed and knelt near Lulu’s pillow. Lulu’s eyes were closed, and her face was pure white. Both of her hands were folded over her chest, and she didn’t move. Anne couldn’t even tell whether she was breathing.

Holding back her tears, Anne placed the candy flower garland onto Lulu’s chest.

“This is for you, Lulu. We’re your pupils, so we made it together. So…”

Please.

Anne interlaced her fingers, hung her head, and prayed.

Please open your eyes, Lulu.

Only silence filled the bright room illuminated by the morning sun.

You can’t die, not when something important is about to happen for the fairies.

“…Ah.”

Keith let out a little noise.