The Fae Princess

 I sat in a large room covered mostly in white. There were several beds with white, silk bedding. Even the curtains that were pulled back, that divided the beds, were white. I sat on one of the beds with Madeline at the end. She looked around and messed with everything she could. She gave me the feeling that while her mind was young, she was older than me. I wanted to ask so many questions, but I was afraid to. A person came to me, wearing a deep blue dress with a white apron. Her skin looked like a mixture of bark and scales. Was there more than one kind of faerie? Her black eyes looked over me as if she could see my injuries without an x-ray or even lifting my shirt. She motioned for me to lie down and I did. She lifted my shirt and took a moment to study it. It was obviously strange to her. My shirt was thinner than her dress looked and probably made of a different material as well. She only pulled my shirt up to show my ribs, not exposing my bra. When I looked, I could see bruises lacing my skin. 

 "Ooo. What happened to you?" Madeline leaned against the bed frame at the foot of the bed while the faerie's fingers pressed lightly on my ribs. 

 "I fell… out of a tree," I grunted.

 "Why were you in a tree?"

 "I was hunting." I was relieved when the faerie removed her bony fingers.

 "How did you fall?" She questioned. 

 "A bunch of crows attacked me." I watched the being hover her hands above me. A green light came from her dark hands and touched my bruised skin. Slowly, the discoloration began to fade. The most that I felt was the coldness. When my skin returned to normal, she moved to my head.

 "Are you from the human realm?" Madeline straightened. The faerie paused. Should I be honest? "You smell like a human. You dress like a human, but…." She tilted her head.

 "Have you come across many humans?" I sat up once the faerie was done. I felt great. I was no longer in pain.

 "Father took me to the human realm once. I got to see their world." She shrugged.

 "So, humans don't come here?"

 "Not unless they accidently fall through a portal or they are brought by a faerie. Both ways are rare, though."

 "Why is it rare?" I studied her.

 "Finding a portal is very hard and very few faeries have the magic to open one." She took a few steps away and I stood. I thanked the bark skinned faerie then followed Madeline. "You must've found a portal."

 "When I fell?"

 "It doesn't seem likely, does it…." She frowned slightly. We were walking down a long, earthy looking hall. The walls were brown and covered in framed pictures. It was like this place was made out of a huge tree.

 "How do you know that I'm not human?" I looked at her. She was about my height.

 "Well…. Look at you." She motioned to a random mirror in the hall. I felt like it came out of nowhere. I looked into the full body mirror and the first thing that I saw was my hair. Blood red with magnificent curls that stopped at my bottom. When did my hair get this long and this red? I pulled it over my shoulder, looking at it. My hair had been dull before. Now it was vibrant. When I looked in the mirror again, I saw my eyes. Emerald green and clear. Like I had used eye drops. My skin practically glowed, fair and clear.

 "You look like a high fae. Not a human." She said. When did my appearance change? When I entered this world? "Are you a high fae?" My eyes fluttered at the question. 

 "I-I don't know what that is." I admitted.

 "Oh, right. Because you lived in the human realm." She smiled. "Only a few humans believe that faeries still exist so I wouldn't be mad if you aren't one of them." I studied myself in the mirror. I never thought of myself as beautiful until now. 

 "Come. Let me show you to your room." She glided across the dark green rug with brown patterns. I followed her to the foyer where there were wide stairs that led up and either to the left or right. "I'm surprised that you do not fear the faeries here."

 "What do you mean?" I looked at a bark skinned faerie in a brown dress and white apron. She almost looked like the one in the infirmary.

 "Not all faeries look like humans and you show no signs of being afraid of them." She explained. 

 "I guess… I've come to terms with being in a different world..?"I shrugged, following her down the hall. Honestly, I believed that I wasn't afraid because I used to have dreams as a child of beings that looked like these here. Scales, bark, reptilian, and so much more. When we neared the end, we stopped.

 "This is my room in case you need something the servants can't give." She informed me. I nodded and we continued to the end of the hall where she opened a door with an arched top. The door was a deep blue with what looked like brown vines used as decoration. Inside, the room was a fair size. There was a large bed, a changing curtain, a full length mirror, and a stone tub. It was pretty bare, but it had double doors on the right wall that led out to a small balcony. "Will this satisfy you?" I nodded. This room was magnificent.

 "There is a wardrobe here with a few basic gowns. The staff will fill it with more soon." She motioned to a large wooden wardrobe against the left wall. "You may want to change your human clothes soon to avoid more starting."

 "Do I have to wear a gown?" I cringed at the thought. I'd worn dresses on special occasions, but I lived my life in jeans.

 "Uh…. I'm sure the staff can find you some tunics and pants." She gave a strange expression. Like wearing a gown was the social norm. "You can hang your weapons on the wall here for when you aren't wearing them." I looked at the hooks on the same wall as the door. 

 "You can wear your daggers around the manor, but I suggest you place your bow here." She motioned. Taking the hint, I placed my bow on the wall and then hung my quiver next to it. "I will inform the servants that you need clothes. Dinner is at sunset. Please take this time to relax." She gave the room one last look before leaving and closing the door. I looked around the earthy themed room, my thoughts turning to my family. When will they notice that I am gone? Will I ever be able to get back? I went to the balcony doors and opened them. I stepped out onto the small balcony, looking out over the land. The air was warm and smelled of spring. There was meadow after meadow before there was a tree line far in the distance. Little hills blocked a few parts of the meadows. Under me was a garden full of flowers in shades that I had never seen. It was so beautiful. I stared at the landscape for what felt like forever.