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The Reign of Foxglove - Part 1

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In memory of David Presents

Who so enjoyed Bluebell’s whimsical world, as I enjoyed his many whimsical worlds


Foxglove licked his lips as he stepped up to the podium, savouring the moment as he analysed the massive crowd spread below. Seeing the banners and flags bearing his name and the huge crowd gathered in Central Daffoville Square underneath his position on the royal balcony added further fuel to his already swollen ego, pushing his anticipation to almost feverish levels. As the residents of Daffoville below fixed their gaze on him, he cast an enchantment to make his voice louder and more resonant, then grasped the podium sides with his spindly, cracked hands and began his speech.

   “They said it couldn’t be done!” He announced loudly and proudly. “They said that Daffoville wasn’t ready for a visionary like me. They said people weren’t ready for someone to take a stand and protect our people from the corrupt and the powerful. But now, look around us. That change has finally come. Daffoville now stands at the dawn of a new era, and as I stand here before you, I promise I will lead all Nymph-kind to glory once again!”

   Applause followed, along with some scattered whoops and cheers. Foxglove permitted a frown to cross his face. He’d have preferred his opening statement to have got a better response than that. Maybe his agents in the crowd needed to be more proactive in getting people to join in the chanting.

   He continued his speech unabated. “I know such change must be scary for many of you. But change can bring many great benefits. Think of all the bad events that happened under Queen Snowdrop. Think of all the attacks from creatures like the gremlins. Think of the criminal gnome gangs patrolling our streets. Already we have achieved a great success in signing peace treaties with these creatures. Could Queen Snowdrop manage that? No, she was too busy being all high and mighty in her castle to care what you all wanted!”

   Some more excited cheers happened at that point, though most of these seemed to be coming from the contingent of gremlins perched in the treetops over the square. Foxglove made a mental note to chide them later; their brutish behaviour was appreciated but was perhaps deterring others displaying their affections for him.

   “Daffoville was filled with chaos, with all sorts of bad people wanting to threaten our way of life. It needed a strong leader to take back control and restore peace through a firm hand and rule of law. Queen Snowdrop didn’t want that, so it was time for someone who did to take her place!”

   “But, I am aware that tradition is important to our people, and I have a great respect for the monarchy, even if Queen Snowdrop and her corrupt followers betrayed these principles for their own gains. Therefore, I aim to combine the old with the new as we lead Daffoville into the light, which is why I am thrilled to be with you here today to make a wonderful announcement. My dear, would you please step forward?”

   The crowd murmured in bemusement. Who was he talking about? What could he mean? The agitation grew when a young nymph woman stepped through the balcony door and moved to Foxglove’s side. She looked beautiful with her short cut golden hair emblazoned with a tiara of daisies and dandelions, wearing a bright blue dress with a long trail and long elbow length gloves.

   The crowd murmured fitfully. Princess Honeysuckle…but what for?

   A broad and happy smile now firmly stretching across the lips of Foxglove, he took Honeysuckle’s gloved hand in his own, deliberately holding it up for people to see for their own eyes. Ready for his moment of triumph, he announced with great relish, “I am delighted to announce that Princess Honeysuckle agrees with my vision for the future. She has listened to my very persuasive arguments and agrees the future for Daffoville is a bright and glorious one. And we ended up sharing much more than that. Which is why, it is my honour and pleasure to announce that, in three days time, Princess Honeysuckle and I are to be married!”

   You could have heard a leaf drop in the central square of Daffoville. In the initial moments after the announcement none of the thousands of fey creatures could quite believe his words. It seemed impossible to consider…and yet Princess Honeysuckle, despite looking stern and unemotional at this news, did not deny or move away from him. Her silence confirmed everything to the stunned onlookers.

   Some of Foxgloves cronies charged with whipping the crowd into a frenzy started to clap and hollor, eager to congratulate the happy couple. But at the same time others found their own voice. Boos and angry chants began to ring out among the nymphs and fey beings in attendance, some even beginning to point their fingers and gesticulate angrily at Foxglove. They could sense something was wrong. Disbelief gave way to dissatisfaction, and the chants just grew louder and louder, soon even drowning out those from Foxglove’s plants.

   Foxglove sensed the crowd turning, swallowed apprehensively and then hastily shortened his speech. “With Honeysuckle and I joined in marriage the new era for Daffoville will begin in earnest. My friends, a new dawn is breaking, and together we will lead nymph-kind to glory!” He waved to the crown and even blew a few kisses, but the situation below was rapidly turning ugly. The shouts and insults of defiant protestors now ringing in his ears, Foxglove angrily emitted a growl which only he and Honeysuckle could hear. Then he turned on his heel and stormed off the balcony, dragging the princess back inside with him.

   Waiting inside for him was his new chief of security, the Pixie criminal known as Nettle, dressed smartly in his new uniform with his previously scruffy dark hair now slicked back. He enthusiastically clapped as Foxglove re-entered the main palace hall, before exclaiming, “Simply stirring speech sir, truly riveting. Your loyal subjects could not fail to be moved by such incredible worAAARRGGHHHHPPPLLLGGHHH!”

   Nettle’s sycophantic exclamation was curtailed when Foxglove used his magic to control the red curtains on either side of the balcony doors, wrapping them tightly about the Pixie’s neck.

   “Oh a stirring speech was it?” Foxglove snarled over Nettle’s splutters. “In that case, why did they openly defy me in my moment of triumph? It was your job to ensure the crowds were full of those loyal to my cause!”

   “It was…hard to find…so many at…such short notice…!” Nettle wheezed as his pasty skin turned red from the pressure on his throat.

   “I am not concerned with what is hard or difficult!” Foxglove barked as Nettle was forced to his knees. “When I give you an order, you fulfil it to the letter. Either that, or I throw you straight back into that dark, smelly jail cell where I found you! Is that understood?”

   “…Crystal…!” Nettle spluttered, before Foxglove finally relinquished control of the curtains, removing the pressure on the Pixie’s windpipe and allowing him to breath normally once again.

    Foxglove was now in a foul mood, and began to actively search for another victim to lash out at. He quickly found one in the form of his betrothed, still standing at his side. “And the least you can do is smile!” he snarled, wagging his finger and Honeysuckle’s pretty face. “You’re to be my bride, not my hostage. So next time we’re in public I expect you to give the people a nice, big smile. Understand?”

   Honeysuckle let Foxglove know her thoughts on the matter by providing him with a slap against his cheek…a really hard one.

  “I’m going along with your demented scheme you filthy, disgusting cockroach, but don’t you dare expect me to smile about it!” Honeysuckle roared, her cheeks flushing red as her rage poured out of her like a raging torrent.

   The pixie and gnomes standing guard threatened to move in and apprehend her, but Foxglove held his arm up to tell them to halt. He rubbed his throbbing cheek, while allowing an amused grin to spread across his face. Still she resisted him. He’d have to see to that…

   He gave a flick of his wrist to once again summon the curtains he’d used on Nettle, and at his bidding they flew forward and completely enveloped Honeysuckle from head to toe. These curtains drew tighter and tighter, squeezing the trapped princess. She did her best to remain defiant, but the discomfort his attack was causing meant she couldn’t help but gasp in pain at the pressure constricting her body and golden wings.

   “Let me reiterate the terms of our deal, as you seem to have forgotten the exact wording,” Foxglove sneered as the chanted curtains continued to cocoon and crush the writhing Honeysuckle. “You are to do exactly what I say to the letter. You will not whine, you will not sigh, you will never reveal the truth to anyone. Then, and only then, will I keep my end of the bargain. Do you understand?”

   Honeysuckle said nothing, just gritted her teeth as the air was squeezed out of her.

   “I SAID, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

    “…YES!” Honeysuckle eventually roared in return. Only then did Foxglove end his enchantment and release her, allowing his bride to be to fall to her hands and knees, gasping for air.

    Foxglove looked like he was ready to chide her some more, when suddenly the door to the room was thrown open by an excitable gang of Gremlins, the tiny creatures with fanged teeth and yellow eyes dressed in dark shabby clothing. They practically fell over one another as they bundled into the room at speed, before their elected leader announced with an excited squawk, “Sir, I have great news, we have found one of the rebel leaders!”

   That improved Foxglove’s mood dramatically. “Well don’t just stand there you disgusting creatures, bring them over to me now!”

   “Sir, we already have!” a second Gremlin hooted.

    It was then Foxglove noted the angry but indecipherable grunts and screams from the corridor outside. He ordered Nettle to fetch him his staff before smoothing the crumples out of his red robes. He wanted to look his best for when his next victim arrived.

   She was soon hauled in by another gang of Gremlins each holding a rope which had been lassoed around her waist, upper body and wings at various points. The victim also had her hands bound behind her back and a length of cord wound about her ankles served to hobble her movements. She was still fighting hard though, writhing and wriggling against the cords binding her as she was dragged in, snorting and shouting obscenities through the wooden bit she was biting into tied off underneath her bright pink hair.

    Primrose’s eyes widened behind her acorn shell glasses as she was brought before the new ruler of Daffoville, while Foxglove watched her struggle in a mixture of amusement and confusion. Something about this girl seemed familiar to him. Eventually he realised where they had met, and snapping his fingers in realisation he announced, “I know you. You were among my niece’s meddling friends who conspired to ruin my plans on my previous attempt. I should have known it would be someone like you who would continue to oppose my new glorious regime.”

    “Yyyyrrr rrrgggmmm ssssnnnnttt gglllrrrsss!” Primrose growled through the wood she was forcibly biting into, preventing her from saying an enchantment that would free her from these bonds.

   Foxglove clearly didn’t feel threatened, as he looked to the Gremlins restraining her and ordered, “Release the girl from her bonds. I am a benevolent ruler and want all my guests to be comfortable.”

    The Gremlins and Pixie guards all looked on in surprise, and Nettle shuffled nervously behind Foxglove before saying, “Sir, is that strictly wise? She’s one of the most accomplished trainee sorcerers of Daffoville University.”

   Foxglove rolled his eyes to the ceiling in exasperation, and with a wave of his hands he made the ropes and gag restraining Primrose transform into a flurry of blue petals, allowing the prisoner to gasp for air and rub her chafed limbs. After this action Foxglove looked to his new crony and growled, “How many times must I repeat myself? When I issue an order, you fulfil it straight away with no hesitation. Besides, this girl is no threat to me.”

   “Want to test that?” Primrose hissed, a fresh surge of defiance filling her body.

    Foxglove just laughed, pointing his finger at her before asking, “Why do people like you hate me so much? Why do you show such allegiance to your old world? Your past leaders were weak traitors. They allowed Daffoville to rot and fester and placed your generation in countless dangers. Why would you want to return to those days?”

   “We were never in danger. You made all that stuff up to scare people,” Primrose retorted. “You don’t care about the people you claim you want to protect. You’re just pretending to give a damn, while you take away our freedom!”

    Foxglove’s smile did not diminish. Evidently, he was happy to let this debate continue. “I used to be like you my dear. So certain, so assured, so… desperate to believe those in power were on my side. But I learned the hard way that those who hold the power were not our friends. They were incompetent fools who conspired to keep those with true potential underfoot.”

   “No, Queen Snowdrop, Grand Mage Lupin and the Nymph Parliament always acted for the benefit of the people and valued the power of democracy,” Primrose argued. “Look what you’ve done Foxglove. You’ve released criminals from prison and used them to fill government and law enforcement positions. You’ve allied yourselves with foreign powers desperate to see Daffoville’s influence destroyed. And you’re bullying an innocent woman into becoming your wife just to suit your political agenda.”

   “Primrose, don’t,” Honeysuckle pleaded, but the pink haired Nymph was now in full rant.

    “You talk about restoring power to the people, but you’re just hoarding all that power for yourself and surrounding yourself with spineless yes men. And yet, you’re such an egomaniac you think these are the same thing. Your self-obsession means that you truly believe that if you’re happy, everyone else is happy. What you can’t grasp is that’s impossible for everyone to like you, so you’ll never be happy. You’ll trap Daffoville in a negative spiral until the day you die!”

    Silence fell after Primrose’s outburst. Her shoulders rose and fell as she took deep breaths, waiting for the crazed usurper to make his move. She expected him to be furious. Instead, his smile grew only wider.

    “Such a vivid imagination my dear,” Foxglove began. “But you continue to underestimate me. You see, I don’t think I’m better than anyone else… I know I’m better than anyone else. It’s my infallible right to lead all Nymph kind to a glorious future. Those protesting fools outside may not be happy now, but happiness will come for them when they see that I was right all along. You could be among them you know. You could just swallow your pride and admit I am a true visionary.”

    “I will never follow you!” Primrose defied angrily.

    “For buttercups sake stop being so stubborn,” Foxglove hissed. “Everyone who has ever defied me has been defeated. The Royal Family, the courts, the parliament, my father…even my own dear darling niece has finally met her untimely end.”

    Primrose’s anger faded as her eyes widened. “…What do you mean? Where’s Bluebell?”

    “Last I heard she was getting very well acquainted with that Pixie wench who’s always sniffing around after her. Suffice to say that I wouldn’t expect her or any of those meddling friends of hers to come to your rescue!”

    There was the sound of someone falling to the floor. Foxglove looked over his shoulder to see it was Honeysuckle, having fallen to her knees after they had given way due to the shock of his statement. “No…Marigold…” Honeysuckle murmured as the first waves of despair began to rise in the pit of her stomach. Foxglove cursed his outburst. He’d intended to wait until after the wedding to inform his bride that her little sister was likely frog food by now.

   Primrose, on the other hand, felt only fury. Blinking away the tears that were forming behind her glasses she let out a screech, and with the combestis enchantment she encased her fists in roaring magical flame and struck an offensive pose. “You are going to regret the day you stepped foot in this city!” the furious student roared as Foxglove’s men prepared to restrain her.

   Once again Foxglove held them off, secretly loving this turn of events. He’d been itching for a fight, to re-assert his superiority. “It doesn’t have to be this way my dear!” he said in a calm, icy tone. “You can still follow me and put those impressive abilities of yours towards a brighter future under my guidance. Or you can be like every other fool who has tried to stand in my way. What will it be? Will you believe in me?”

    Primrose hesitated, knowing full well that odds were stacked against her. She looked to the distraught Honeysuckle, who was shaking her head as if pleading the student to re-consider. Primrose however made up her mind, knowing it would likely cost her everything. She took a deep breath and gave Foxglove a simple, plain response.

   “Sorry, but if I believe in anyone, it’ll be in Bluebell. And not a vainglorious cockroach like you. COMBESTIS!”

   Summoning as much quintessence as she could muster Primrose threw multiple orbs of fire at Foxglove. The sorcerer parried them away with his staff without even mumbling a counter enchantment, before thrusting his hand forward and summoning a jet of green magical energy which his Primrose square in her chest before she could summon a single defensive spell.

   Instantly Primrose fell still. Her body seemed to lock up, frozen on the spot unable to move a single limb or utter a word. She just stood with her hands over her head and an expression of surprise on her face. The only part of her body she could move were her eyes, which darted frantically around behind her glasses.

   Then the silent onlookers watched on in shock as Primrose’s skin began to change colour, transforming into a sickly shade of light brown. The texture of her skin also began to change, becoming cracked and rugged. Even her clothes were affected as well, like a tide of rippling dark liquid was rushing up her body and transfiguring her body with it. Soon not only were her legs locked in position, but filled out and grew until both legs were conjoined into a single column.

   Primrose looked like she was trying to call out, but she could do nothing as her face was also consumed by the enchantment. Hair, skin, eyes, mouth, it was all soon coated with this bizarre layer of brown, jagged material, permanently freezing in place her expression of terror. Soon each part of her body had been fixed in place, from the tips of her raised fingers to her now immobile legs.

   Nettle had not seen this enchantment before, so it took him a while to realise Primrose’s entire body was now encased completely in tree bark.

  Yet the spell was not yet finished. Gradually Primrose’s bodily features were covered by increasing layers of tree back, practically cocooning her entire body like a tree stump was swallowing her. Then from the top of her head and her raised hands leaves started to bud and unfurl so that soon a canopy of bright green protruded from Primrose’s inert body.

    By the time Foxglove’s enchantment was complete, his victim had been transformed almost beyond all recognition, from a pretty young student into a small, budding tree; her body now nothing more than a single tree stump with her arms serving as branches leading to a canopy of leaves, from which simple pink primroses blossomed.

    The only indication that this tree had once been Primrose was the contorted outline of her frightened face etched into the bark of the newly formed tree stump.

    “No!” Honeysuckle murmured, her hands clasped over her moth as she freely let the tears roll down her cheeks. “No, not again, not again!”

    “Consider it a mercy,” Foxglove snarled as he examined the transformed body of his latest victim. “You clearly care for that girl, which is why I did this to her. She’s more valuable to me in this form than dead. Provided of course…that you DO AS YOU ARE TOLD!”

    Honeysuckle shrunk as Foxglove bore down on her, fury etched on his face as he stood over her as intimidatingly as possible. The once happy, proud and tenacious princess and one day queen lay dejected and beaten at his feet, her resistance now all but spent. She could barely lift her head as she said in a quiet, broken voice, “OK, I’ll do whatever you ask.”

    “Good girl,” Foxglove laughed, his mood now instantly changing. “Now I have an important meeting with the Grand Mage, so I am not to be disturbed. Go and get changed into something pretty my darling. We have a party this evening to be held in your honour among our allies, so make sure you look your best. And Nettle, you had better find out who started booing me during my announcement and make an example out of them. And if your incompetence means you can’t find them, just throw someone in jail to serve as a warning.”

   “At once sir!” Nettle whimpered as Foxglove strode past his bowing form with his cloak swishing around him.

   As Foxglove placed his hand on the door he hesitated, and turned his head to admire the other decorations found in this room. “You know, why not put our new tree with the others, and then move them all to the wedding venue. They will all make quite wonderful decorations, and I’m sure they’ll remind you to mind your manners my pretty princess. People always behave better in the presence of family.”

   Honeysuckle did nothing as Foxglove strode out of the room with Nettle and his Gremlin accomplices scuttling behind. When sure she was alone she looked again at the transformed body of Primrose. She was still alive, but her life was now that of a tree’s. Unable to see, hear or feel, incapable of processing conscious thoughts. Just basic instinct. Gather energy from the sun, suck up water from her roots, survive. That was her life now.

    Then with tears pouring down her cheeks she looked past Primrose to the rows of similar trees being kept in plant pots positioned all along the back of the room. There were many; some key political figures, some random staff members who had got on Foxglove’s bad side.

   One depicted the carved face of someone Honeysuckle knew too well. It was Moss, Primrose’s cousin and boyfriend to Fern. He had been caught early in the struggle against Foxglove and been made an example of. Now his cousin shared in his fate.

   But as much as seeing these two in this state upset Honeysuckle, nothing broke her heart more than the four trees taking centre stage among all the others.

   One bore the face of her younger brother Prince Ash.

   Two bore the faces of her mother and father.

   The last bore the face of Queen Snowdrop herself…

   And if she didn’t do exactly what Foxglove said, they would all be burned to a crisp  

   Honeysuckle dropped her head. It had all happened so fast. Free to pursue her career as a fashion designer one day; the next a prisoner, trapped in her palace by a madman who was holding her own family hostage. And if what he said was true, and help was no longer coming from her little sister…

   …the hope was truly gone forever.



  “Where’s my little smoochums?” Foxglove asked in a singsong voice as he opened the door to the bedroom softly and with eager trepidation.

  He didn’t anticipate that a teapot would be flung at him, forcing him to duck so the crockery smash against the far wall into tiny pieces.

  “Don’t you smoochums me!” Willow roared as she searched for another piece of crockery to fling, her long silver hair flying and red dress swishing about as she vainly searched while her pale face flushed red from anger.

   Foxglove was surprised by the recently reinstated Grand Mage’s angry turn. “Was it something I said sugarmouse?”

  “I am not your sugarmouse,” Willow screeched as, unable to find anything hard to throw, she had to make do with pillows from the bed.

  It was after one Foxglove batted away one of these approaching pillows that he twigged what it was that had upset her. “Is this about that princess wench?”

   “Shouldn’t that be the future Mrs Floxglove?” Willow screamed.

   Foxglove had to move fast, else people heard the commotion she was creating. He closed the door and then strode over to her with his cloak billowing. Willow searched for another item of furniture to fling, and had her hands on the back of the dressing table chair as she snarled, “Don’t you take a step close…”

  Foxglove grabbed her by the waist, pulled her body against his, and gave her a passionate kiss.

  Willow tried to hold out for as long as her anger allowed, but in the end she gave in, wrapping her arms about his neck and returning his romantic advances. Their kisses grew more passionate and frenzied, with Willow eventually pushing Foxglove onto the bed so she straddled his body, her long silver hair tumbling down the sides of her face as she bent her head to keep on kissing him, Foxglove allowing her to pin his hands above his head as they lost themselves in a fit of passion.

  Eventually the moment passed and the both pulled apart, panting for breath. Foxglove then lovingly reached up and caressed Willow’s cheek, upon which she grabbed his hand and caressed it in return. “I could never love anyone else like I love you,” Foxglove murmured. “You simply… understand me. During those years in exile I thought about you so much, wondering if you’d moved on or even forgot me.”

  “There was never anyone else,” Willow sighed. “It was so painful, waiting for you to return for so long. The day I learned you’d come back was the happiest moment of my life!”

  “Well then, do you doubt my affections?” Foxglove asked.

  “No I don’t…it’s just…seeing you with her makes me…so…AAAAARRRGGGHHH!” Willow emitted a frustrated scream of jealousy, sending uncontrollable sparks of quintessence flying from her silver hair as she struggled to contain the angry energy inside of her. After taking a few deep breaths she got up off Foxglove and sat on the bedside, rubbing her hands nervously.

  Foxglove slid himself over to her and put his arm over her shoulder. “We’ve been over this smoochums. This was always part of the plan. I need to marry Princess Honeysuckle to convince that rabble outside that I am a worthy leader. My mistake last time was to openly antagonise the Royal Family. This time I will eradicate them from the inside.”

  “But it’s not fair!” Willow sighed. “I’m your true love! You control the Royal Family and I control the mage council. And we have our allies in the Pixies, Gnomes, Gremlins and beyond. Why isn’t that enough? We could rule together in the open as we always planned. I don’t want to be your secret mistress.”

  “Patience,” Foxglove assured her as he stood up, walking over to the balcony window overlooking the great square below. “The princess is just a means to an end. She will appear at social gatherings and political events and will be made to comply else her family die with a snap of my fingers. Maybe one day we can arrange for ‘an accident,’ to befall her, and then once the public has finished mourning we can make our love public. We’ve been patient for so long, we must last a little longer.”

  Willow exhaled in frustration. “I suppose you’re right. Still…it is tempting to maybe do the girl in now. What do you think my love? Shall we throw her off the top of the palace, make it look like the death of her entire family sent her mad with grief? Then we wouldn’t have to hide…my love…?”

  Foxglove didn’t reply. He just stood perfectly still, almost as if he’d been turned to stone, his gaze fixed out the window at the angry and frenzied crowds still filling the streets below.

  Suddenly filled with apprehension, Willow asked softly, “Is everything OK my love?”

  “…They…will…burn…”

  “My sugarmouse, are you feeling well?”

  “THEY WILL BURN! ALL OF THEM!”

   Foxglove whirled around, allowing Willow to see that his eyes were now ablaze, literally. Magical energy poured from his eyes making it look like tongues of flame flickering wildly from them, his pupils seeming to glow a vicious shade of orange. Smoke billowed from his nostrils and his voice sounded deeper and more resonant than before as he continued to scream at full volume.

  “THE RECKONING IS NIGH. LIFE IS OUT OF BALANCE. ALL MUST BE CLEANSED BEFORE THE END TIMES. THE AGE OF STEEL SHALL GIVE RISE TO THE AGE OF FLAME. LIFE MUST BURN FOR LIFE TO FLOURISH! BURN! BURN! BURN!”

  “SSSSSSSHHHH!” Willow exclaimed as she rushed to the ranting Foxglove, wrapping her arms around his waist before muttering the enchantment, “Zenesta!”

  The spell caused her to emit a sickly-sweet smell from her silver hair which penetrated the smoke billowing from Foxglove’s nose. It induced a relaxing, zen-like state among the person who smelled it, and after the raging man got a good whiff he began to calm down, the fire from his eyes diminishing and the billowing smoke dissipating. It took him a few moments to calm down properly, his brow dripping with perspiration and his breathing laboured. Eventually he gathered the strength to utter, “I’m sorry my love.”

  “You are still having these episodes?” Willow asked in quiet alarm.

   Foxglove nodded. “They are getting worse. Every now and then I just lose control and overwhelming power takes over. It passes, it always does but…the rate at which they are happening is increasing.”

  “Once this is all over I’m going to search for a cure. There must be a magical reason for this and a counter spell I can try…”

  “NO!” Goxglove barked angrily, before composing himself at Willow’s alarm. “No, my sugarmouse. This…this has been a part of me since before I can remember. It is like…an inner voice guiding me, pushing me forward, driving me to greatness. Whatever this force is, it is our ally, and I can control it.”

  “Well…whatever you say,” Willow remarked, before she embraced him tightly. “Just promise me you won’t do anything rash.”

  “I promise. We have waited too long for this moment, I will not allow anyone to spoil our plans now!” Foxglove replied as he stroked her face.

  Willow smiled up at him, before she asked, “How long until your engagement party?”

  “I am ruler now, those blustering fools can wait as long as I want them to. Why do you ask?”

  Willow said nothing… but taking Foxglove by the hand she pulled him to the bed, and after sitting down on it she very slowly and deliberately slid the straps of her red dress from off her shoulders. Foxglove couldn’t contain his glee as he lay down on the bed beside her.

  Maybe being ruler wasn’t going to be as problematic as he’d feared.



  The angry hubbub and chatter of the packed meeting room in the basement underneath the Wallflower nightclub was intense. Everyone was using it as their chance to vent their fears, frustrations and plans to each other. There wasn’t a seat left to be found, with some having to hover in mid-air using their wings or hang from the candlelit chandeliers. Nymphs rubbed shoulder with all kinds of fey folk, all united in their desperation and anger.

  The noise was pierced by the sound of an ale tankard being bashed repeatedly against a tabletop. Everyone fell silent and looked to the top of the room, to where Conifer, previous leader of the Nymph Defence Force, stood at the top table gazing over the gathered crowd. He’d been stripped of his rank after refusing to swear unyielding allegiance to Foxglove and had been forced underground before the new ruler’s secret police had taken him away. Now he protected his beloved Daffoville as the leader of its newly formed resistance.

  At his side stood Hazelnut, the young man from the wealthy family on borders of Daffoville’s territory and star Handball player. Many had known him for his previous playboy exploits, yet to the surprise of everyone he had grown into a charismatic leader and a capable strategist, and was proving a capable tactician in the fight against Foxglove’s new rule. Even when his parents had tried to take him back to the safety of their residence, he’d refused to spearhead the fight against the tyrannical new leader of Daffoville.

  “Order, order everyone,” Conifer barked authoritatively. “Or do you want to bring every Gremlin in existence down on us?” It was an order more than a question, and everyone obediently fell silent as they waited for the meeting to begin.

  “Now I know everyone is agitated and angered by today’s news. I just wanted to reassure you that I have spoken with my contacts in the palace, and they state that this is not a decision the princess has made of her own free will, despite what the official line from Foxglove’s government is insisting upon. Rather I have been informed that she has been coerced into this through threats made against her family, who are regrettably still trapped by the dreaming tree enchantment.”

  The crowd murmured at his words. It was some relief to those that the popular princess Honeysuckle and future queen wasn’t truly on Foxglove’s side, although the thought of her being trapped by a forced marriage wasn’t much consolation.

  Conifer had more bad news to impart. “I must also regret to inform you that, yesterday, our ally in this fight Primrose was captured by the secret police in a raid at her hideout. And … it seems she too has now been cursed by the dreaming tree enchantment.”

  The crowd gasped in further agitation. Could it be true? One of the leading voices of the resistance, so strong in her assurance and belief that they could fight back against Foxglove… so sure one day her dear friend Bluebell would return… could it be true that she was now held prisoner by a spell which trapped her consciousness inside a body of a tree? They only needed to look at Reed, her close friend and fellow sorcerer, sat to the side cradling a half empty glass of satsuma wine with eyes red from the tears, for the terrible truth to be confirmed.

  Sensing the mood was shifting Hazelnut then banged the table with his fist. “We can’t give up now. Primrose wouldn’t want us to, neither would Bluebell or the Queen or…” he trailed off just before he said the name of the princess who he secretly missed more than anything in the world. After a few seconds to collect himself he continued. “We have to stay strong. Foxglove is trying to divide us, force us into making a mistake. Well the biggest mistake he made was forcing our hand like this.” His words drew sporadic applause from those gathered, once again impressed by how a seemingly spoiled and pampered nobleman could have ended up an impressive leader of the resistance.

  Conifer cleared his throat before saying, “Thank you for the… inspiring speech, but we must also bear in mind the gravity of the situation. Foxglove’s plan to marry Honeysuckle is directly calling us out. If he weds her, he will always have a legitimate claim to the throne, and his supporters will hold on to that forever. If we are to act, we must act now. I know it is far earlier than we’d intended, but we must fight for our freedom before we lose it forever.”

  Another roar of approval came from the rebels as their spirit returned. They knew what was at stake and what the risks were, and they were prepared to fight for it.

  After they settled down Conifer outlined his plan. “We need more troops if we are to storm the palace, so our best option would be to storm the prison in the old Sycamore on the city outskirts and liberate the captured members of the Royal Guard and my defence force. Security will be focused on the wedding and stretched thin elsewhere, so it is our best option of retaking key areas of the city. Maybe we can bring the wedding plans to a halt if we achieve success fast enough. I will lead the team into the prison using the secret tunnels created for such emergencies, and we will…”

  “That won’t work,” a new voice loudly interjected.

  The crowd grew agitated and spontaneously split apart, revealing a cloaked and hooded figure standing at the rear of the room. This newcomer started moving into the created space towards Conifer and his fellow rebels, then spoke in a calm, authoritative voice, “I scouted the secret passages, they’re now not only overgrown with enchanted nettles and thorns, but crawling with gremlins. I have no doubt that Pixie wench who escaped using them in the past told Foxglove of their existence.”

  “Wait just one thorny moment here,” Conifer barked, his expression a mixture of disbelief and delight. “…Ivy, is that you?”

  The hooded figure hesitated for a moment, before they pulled back their hood. Everyone gasped as they recognised her instantly as Captain Ivy, leader of the Royal Guard. In that moment everyone spontaneously cheered, their relief of seeing such a keen ally alive and well proving almost impossible to contain. Ivy didn’t share in their jubilations, even as nymphs moved to slap her  enthusiastically on the shoulders. Instead she kept walking towards Conifer with a stern expression on her face. Until she reached him, at which she allowed a smile to creep across her face before saying, “You look like you’ve been dragged through a bracken patch Conifer.”

  “Well fighting to save the very existence of Daffoville will do that to a man,” Conifer answered, before taking his comrade’s hand and shaking it in greeting enthusiastically. He then asked the one question that had been keeping him up all night more than anything. “Was the mission a success? …Is my daughter OK?”

  “And Marigold, is Marigold here?” Hazelnut asked as he rushed to her side with the enthusiasm of an affectionate butterfly.

  At first Ivy said nothing to either man, or to anyone. Instead she turned around, stared out over the gathered rebels. Everyone paid attention to her, as she emitted her unique air of strength and authority that had made her the chief protector of the Royal Family. Then, with her voice strong and defiant, she spoke.

  “We have precious little time. Foxglove is already moving to control the schools, the press and the parliament. Soon he will have enough power to reform our society and make himself untouchable. His marriage to Honeysuckle is just a massive propaganda piece intended to make himself seem a man of the people. Soon he will rewrite the truth into whatever suits his agenda.”

  “So, let me ask you, citizens of Daffoville; are you going to let a tyrant with absolute contempt for our traditions and opinions sit on the throne? Will you allow a madman who cares only for himself govern your families with an iron fist? Believe me when I say the very future of our nation is at stake, and we must take the fight to him now, before our way of life is lost forever. Who will stand with me?”

  “But why should we move now?” a buck toothed gnome near the front row barked, obviously sceptical of her plan. “Why should we trust this plan of yours will work?”

  “I know I am asking a lot, and I cannot guarantee this plan will succeed. Also, I cannot divulge much, in case our plans are not anticipated by our enemies. But if you want assurance that our plan has a chance of succeeding, of who we have fighting for our cause…”

  Ivy trailed off, aware all eyes were on her. Then, from within the confines of her robe, she withdrew two flowers and held them up for the meeting to see.

  At the sight of these flowers he spirits of the room lifted immeasurably. Conifer’s smile broadened underneath his green moustache. Reed’s spirits lifted as he threw his remaining wine into the air in celebration while Hazelnut whooped and punched to the ceiling in delight. His cheers were echoed by others in attendance, and like an approaching rumble of thunder soon everyone in the room was shouting and chanting in unison. Their confidence was now sky high, these flowers restoring their hope at the very moment all seemed lost.

  And these flowers Ivy held aloft?

  One…a purple lupin.

  The other…a lone bluebell.
Well it has been a while hasn't it? Far too long in fact. And I may keep you all in suspense as the story 'technically' isn't finished yet, but at long last I have returned to the world of Bluebell the Nymph...and yet our heroine is nowhere to be seen.

Instead Foxglove, her tyrannical uncle, has seized power and now rules of Daffoville in her absence. He now controls everything, and the people live in fear. What's more, he is now putting in place the final parts of his plan to assert his control. By coercing his way into becoming a part of the Royal Family. Will he succeed? Is there hope for Daffoville? Are other powers at work? What could the future hold when Golavus gets around to finishing it? The future parts will tell all, and maybe some other stories will come from this (knowing wink in certain directions).

As you can see at the top this story is dedicated to the memory of :icondavid-presents:, a true friend who greatly enjoyed Bluebell's adventures and always was on hand to offer his thoughts on her latest escapades, and ever wrote some wonderful tales featuring her. Be sure to check them out.
© 2019 - 2024 Golavus
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Lady-Distracto's avatar
Trumpglove? Fox-Mogg? Did he somehow become an even bigger tit? XD