Lyria had expected many things from her new "job" as the Unemployed Fairy Queen:
• paperwork,
• diplomacy,
• maybe babysitting overexcited baby fairies…
What she did not expect was waking up at 6 AM to the sound of Puff blowing a whistle in her face.
"WAKE UP, YOUR HIGHNESS! TRAINING TIME!" Puff shouted, voice unreasonably loud for someone the size of a mango.
Aria shot upright. "Training for what? My job is to look adorable and sign documents!"
Puff hovered with arms crossed. "Your fairy powers have been dormant since your exile. You need to reawaken them!"
Before Lyria could protest, Puff grabbed her by the hair—gently, but still—and dragged her outside to the abandoned construction site that had become her unofficial training ground.
Sparrow was already there, sitting on a concrete block, sipping tea like he was watching a Sunday morning cartoon instead of a potential magical catastrophe.
"Good morning," he waved lazily. "I brought snacks. You'll probably burn at least three calories today."
"Gee, thanks," Lyria muttered.
Puff clapped his tiny hands. "Okay! Today we begin with Basic Fairy Queen Skills. First: Levitation."
Aria blinked. "I can already levitate."
"Then do it without screaming," Puff said.
Lyria lifted off the ground.
She lasted exactly three seconds before spiraling sideways like a drunk butterfly and crashing into a half-broken cement pillar.
Sparrow applauded. "At least you were airborne."
Lyria groaned into the rubble.
Next came Magic Summoning.
"Summon a flower," Puff instructed.
Lyria concentrated. Sparkles gathered at her fingertips… swirling… glowing… majestic—
Pop!
A cactus materialized and immediately stabbed her in the fingertip.
"WHY A CACTUS?!" Lyria shrieked, shaking her hand.
"You're stressed," Puff said calmly. "Cacti happen."
Sparrow nodded. "Symbolic, too."
Lyria glared. "Not helping."
Finally, Puff announced, "And now, the final task of the day: Spirit Communication."
The air around them grew slightly colder.
Lyria felt a shiver crawl up her wings.
"Wait… those… spirits? The whispery ones?" she asked.
"Yes," Puff said cheerfully. "You need to learn to talk to them. They're your responsibility."
Sparrow leaned back. "I'll just… sit over here. Safely far away."
Lyria took a deep breath. She could do this. She was the Fairy Queen, even if she had been exiled, unemployed, and humiliated by a cactus.
"Okay," she whispered. "Show me the spirits."
Puff waved his hand.
The shadows around the site shifted, pooling like ink. Soft whispers rose — not threatening, but ancient and curious.
Lyria stepped forward.
Her heart pounded.
The spirits circled her gently, the air shimmering like moonlight.
For the first time since her exile… she felt like a queen again.
Until—
One spirit poked her forehead with a cold smoky finger.
She yelped and fell backward into the cactus.
Sparrow burst out laughing.
Puff sighed.
The cactus stood victorious.
Lyria glared at all of them.
"I HATE TRAINING."
But despite everything—
The bruises, the screaming, the cactus trauma—
She couldn't deny the small spark of warmth in her chest.
She was getting stronger.
Bit by bit.
Even if it hurt.
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