The Seven Realms

Once upon a time I conceived an idea for a book. It was about three women, friends, who have a run-in with a fairy godmother who grants them a wish. Treating it as a joke, they decide to wish to meet their dream men and end up in the magickal world of the Seven Realms. Each of them land in a different realm where they have many adventures and, yes, end up with the men of their dreams.

While I did make a healthy start to each of the three stories, I realized that the story should span a trilogy, not just a three-in-one story, and if I was doing that I might as well go the whole hog and do a book for each of the Seven Realms.

So I did a bit of back story on the fairy godmother and the prologue that will be included in each of the three books. Then I did some background on the men of the Seven Realms and a brief rundown of the realms themselves. Unfortunately, I had a lot of other stuff going on at the same time so I kind of abandoned them.

Today’s excerpt is from the prologue.

"Pull over!" Fiona ordered.

They'd been passing through the small town at a leisurely pace, looking for somewhere to pick up some supplies, when she made her demand.

"What? What is it?" Taylor asked, even as she pulled the battered Honda Civic alongside the curb.

"You expect to see this kind of thing in the city . . ." Fiona muttered, already opening the door.

"What's going on? Are we there?” The sleepy question came from the back seat.

"I don't know what's going on, Eva, Fiona just -- oh, I see what her problem is. C'mon, I think she's going to need some help."

The two young women exited the car to follow in their friend's wake as she confronted a group of teenagers who were hassling a little old lady.

"What's the matter with you kids?" Fiona was yelling. "Go white wash a fence or something."

They were stereotypical teens, shaggy hair ranging from dirty blond to dark brown, wearing long sleeved tee-shirts despite the summer heat, jeans sagging loosely from their hips. They'd surrounded the elderly woman and were taking turns plucking at her shawl, causing her to drop the bag of groceries she was carrying.

Coke bottle glasses sliding down her nose, Fiona waded into the thick of them, pulling them away from their victim.

"Oh, just chill, would you? We're just having a little fun."

"I think you've had enough fun for one day. Now get out of here before I call the cops. And pull up your pants!" she yelled after them as the threat of the police sent them running.

Taylor and Eva were already picking up the woman's groceries that had spilled. By a miracle the bag itself had survived.

"Are you all right ma'am?" Fiona asked gently.

"Hoodlums, the lot of them," the old woman said, shaking her head. "But no matter, what goes around comes around."

"I think we found everything," Taylor said, holding the bag of groceries. "Do you live nearby? Can I carry these for you?"

"Such nice young ladies," the woman said, beaming. "I live just over there." She pointed towards a side street and without another word, headed in that direction.

Taylor looked at her two friends, then shrugged and followed, Fiona and Eva trailing behind.

The woman stopped at a neatly kept, white frame house. Lush rose bushes grew on either side of the covered porch that was just wide enough for a pair of rocking chairs on one side and a porch swing on the other.

"Wait here," they were instructed. Taking the bag of groceries from Taylor, the woman disappeared inside the house.

"What should we do?" Eva asked in a quiet voice.

"I guess we should wait," Fiona said. "Maybe she wants our help filling out a police report."

They didn't wait long, the woman returned carrying a tray with three glasses and a pitcher of lemonade, so cold it was already beaded with moisture. "Sit," she ordered.

Exchanging somewhat amused glances, they sat - Taylor and Eva on the porch swing, Fiona in one of the rocking chairs. The old woman poured the lemonade and passed them each a glass before sitting down herself in the other rocking chair.

"It's not just anyone who'd help out a stranger," she said. "Such kindness in today's world deserves a reward."

Fiona was already shaking her head. "We didn't help for a reward, we did it because it was the right thing to do."

"Nonetheless, I'm bound to even the scales. It's one of my duties as a fairy godmother."

Taylor and Eva looked at each other, then back at the woman. "Fairy godmother?" Eva asked.

"That's right." She nodded vigorously, her grey curls bobbing wildly. "Esmeralda Wicks, fairy godmother. Though not many believe in such things any more, more's the pity."

Fiona cleared her throat. "Truly, Esmeralda, there's nothing to balance."

Esmeralda eyed her shrewdly. "You think I'm a dotty old woman, don't you?" When they made a half-hearted protest she waved her hand to stop them. "That's all right. You'll learn different soon enough. Now listen carefully." She leaned forward in her chair.

You don't believe in my magic now, but you will. Tonight, you will gather around a fire. And when you look up into the sky you will see a very special star, the wishing star. To reward your kindness I promise you this. Whatever wish you make tonight upon that star will come true. But mind it's a personal wish, something frivolous that will benefit only you. None of that world peace nonsense. You will be touched by magic.

Fiona blinked and looked at the empty glass in her hand.

"A glass of lemonade seems a poor repayment for your kindness, but if you're sure I can do nothing else . . ."

"No . . . I . . ." Giving her head a little shake, Fiona smiled and set her glass on the tray. "The lemonade really hit the spot. I wish we could stay, but we have a bit of a drive ahead of us and we still have to pick up a few groceries."

Taylor and Eva both also smiled and thanked the woman for the lemonade and then the trio walked back to the car.

"I have the strangest feeling I'm forgetting something," Eva said, once they were underway again.

"That's so weird," Taylor said. "I was just going to say the exact same thing."

"Well hopefully it's not anything that should be on our list," Fiona said, waving a piece of paper in the air. "We're only going to be at the cottage for three days, and I'm not wasting any of it making runs back into town."

The others made noises of agreement. They'd been planning this girls' weekend for months and finally their schedules aligned to make it a reality. With their busy schedules they were finding it harder and harder to connect and they were determined to make the most of their long weekend.