A is for Always

A is for Always
Prologue




I, Alexa Faith Hanson, was born on September the twenty-first, to Antonio Raymond Hanson and Amy Padma Hanson. I was one of five girls. We all look very much alike, from our glittering crystal blue eyes down to our pale golden hair. My sisters are Asha Marika Hanson, Tabitha Renee Hanson, Victoria Sheila Hanson, and Emma Andrea Hanson. Asha is the oldest, then Victoria, then me, then Tabitha, then Emma. We were all born exactly one year after each other.

My sisters and I were always closer than most. We spent our nights creeping around the old and mysterious mansion we lived in and eventually, when Asha was nine, Victoria was eight, I was seven, Tabitha was six, and Emma was five, we found a secret way out of the house and began sneaking out every night to go play in the woods out back. Dressed in soft purple, blue, pink, periwinkle, and marigold gowns and matching flats, we ran silently through the trees with joy, our golden hair whipping beside our faces, our eyes filled with mischief. We played little games, where we were fairy princesses in a magical land. We were young and foolish, but ultimately it was a good thing. We became closer and eventually, a year after we had found the secret passage out of the mansion, we found the place we had always known was there: Fairyland.





CHAPTER ONE


“Alexa,” hissed Asha’s voice in my ear. I woke with a start. “Alexa, get up! It’s nearly midnight!”

“Oh, crap!” I exclaimed, and jumped out of bed. I changed as quickly as I could, pulling off my nightgown and putting on my long pink gown. The material felt wonderful around my thin waist and womanly hips. My busty chest was tight in the material. I twirled in front of the full length mirror, and then turned to let the others look over my choice of clothing. Asha was dressed in a blue gown, identical to my own, and was padding around in blue flats. Emma wore a beautiful pale purple dress with matching flats. Victoria wore periwinkle and Tabitha wore marigold.

“You two look lovely,” I murmured, taking in the full effect. We all looked quite alike, with the same larger sized bust, womanly hips, and hourglass shape.

“You as well, Alexa,” said Asha, sitting at the vanity and rouging her thinly parted lips. When they looked nicely plumped, she picked up a thin tube of liner and lined her crystal blue eyes. “There, that looks nice, right?”

“Yes, I think I’ll use some of that too,” said Emma thoughtfully, sitting down next to Asha.

I joined them after a moment and smeared lipstick onto my lips until they were plump. When my face looked okay, I got up and went over to the dresser, where our necklaces and rings were hidden. After removing the bottom-most drawer, I gently pulled out the jewelry box. I opened it and slipped on my dark jeweled star pendant and my ring. They were given to us by the fairy King and Queen, Freya and Cronos, and they allowed us to enter Fairyland. While only the three eldest of us had them, we could take the younger two with us as long as we wore the pendants and rings.

“Here are your necklaces,” I said, setting the jewelry box down on the vanity. Victoria pulled out her moon shaped pendant and matching ring. Asha followed suit, putting on her star pendant and ring. We were now ready to leave.

“Let’s go,” said Asha, pulling out the loose floorboards and brushing dust off her dress. One at a time we carefully dropped down into the hidden room. The staircase led down to the secret entrance out. Victoria replaced the boards above us and we ran down the stairs. When we reached the secret exit, a blast of cool air filled my lungs. We pushed the door opened and filed out into the night.

“Yes,” whispered Anna from behind me. We glided through the woods with an air of intense anticipation. Soon I began to spot tiny lights ahead. Soon we found the pond where we would meet our fairy guardians, who would fly us across. They were sitting on the shore, their silver gowns gleaming like wispy moonlight. Their pale white skin was glowing unnaturally and their lily pad green eyes glittering. Their names were Guinevere, Chantelle, Helena, Marianna, Fiona, Alice, Lyrick, Anastasia, Story, and Flora. 

“Good evening,” said Flora and Chantelle in unison. They stepped forward and all dipped into a low curtsy. The others followed suit, murmuring their welcomes. They were all the daughters of Freya and Cronos.

“Good evening, Flora and Chantelle,” replied Asha. Flora and was specifically her fairy guardians and she held her in high respects. Anastasia and Marianna were mine, Story and Helena were Emma’s, Lyrick and Fiona were Victoria’s, and Guinevere and Alice were Tabitha’s. We all gave a curtsy and each of our fairies grasped an arm and flew us across the lake to the island in the middle. We landed on the shore of Fairyland.

“Goodness the lights are bright tonight,” commented Emma. “I can see everyone clearly.”

“Freya has blessed this night,” replied Story, as she and the other Fairy guardians led us to the outdoor ball room, where we would dance all night and leave only at dawn.

“We will indeed have a beautiful ceremony,” said Guinevere. My sisters and I stared at her, completely nonplussed.

“Don’t you know?” asked Alice, dropping her skirts to the ground and letting them trail behind her.

“No,” replied Asha, her eyebrows rose with confusion. I realized we were almost to the ballroom, but I kept quiet. “What ceremony are you speaking of?”

“The coming of age ceremony,” exclaimed Anastasia, her eyes wide. “We are becoming adults and moving on. The younger fairies will become your new guardians. We must either move on into the world to create the magic of the seasons, or stay and work for the Queen as a mother. I wish to move on.”

“You’re leaving us?” gasped Emma, her blue eyes wide with hurt. She was taking it personally.

“It is tradition,” said Lyrick reprovingly, her eyes narrowed. “We must keep with tradition.”

“But the younger fairies will be wonderful,” murmured Anastasia. “Their names are Wednesday, Mica, Kindle, Tamara, Sophia, Harmony, Shay, Breeze, Willow, and Zamora.”

“It won’t be the same,” grumbled Emma, but she was cut off from saying any more, because we had arrived. The moon was high in the sky. It was time.





CHAPTER TWO


We stood and waited for Queen Freya and King Cronos to address us, to welcome us. The Queen wore a beautiful pink gown and her golden wings fluttered behind her long and wavy red hair.

“Good evening, humans and fairies alike,” she said, looking down at us from her throne. Her purple eyes were narrowed in concentration. “Welcome to Fairyland, where all who are like us are welcome, and some who are different, yet only those who are kind. You may begin with your dancing and frolicking, but soon I will address you again, for the ceremony must take place.