9 - Don't Trust Fairies

"I don't want to give you a gift anymore!"

The fairy let go and laughed at her. Anemone was finally able to see his face. When he smiled, it was very pretty. When he laughed, it was very beautiful. She resented that his face could make her stare like an awestruck child. "Why are you laughing?" she demanded as she sat up.

"You looked funny being so scared. Did you really think I would chop your hair off?"

Even though he was still laughing, his cheeks flushed pink. She wanted to punch him. If she just views him as a painting, it would be easy to punch him. She could feel her cheeks burning from him laughing at her. Sometimes, she forgot he was a trickster. "I'm not going to wait for you now... or was that also a lie?"

He smiled back cheekily. "Would you miss me if I never came back?" he asked.

She thought about it, touching her chin with her forefinger. "Well you're not really a great play friend... maybe for a while I will miss you," she considered seriously.

He laughed again. holding his stomach. "You're not like other girls, Anemone."

His comment threw her off. She had always assumed he lived near her garden. "Other girls?"

His expression froze. "Uh... I mean from what I hear human girls are like."

Anemone brushed the dirt off her smock. "I'm going to take what you said as an insult. You know I have been training to be a noble Lady..."

An awkward silence stretched between them. "Well most girls like my looks... And they always try to come close to me."

"Oh..." So she was suppose to fawn over his looks? "Well, you do look very... handsome?"

He started laughing again. She watched him bend over, covering his mouth. Upset that he was going too far, she pushed him down hard. That only encouraged him to roll on his back, holding his stomach as peals of laughter escaped his lips.

"Stop laughing! What is so funny?"

"You think complimenting me makes you a proper Lady?" He sat up and wiped the tears from his eyes. "If I tell you they all try to marry me, will you also try to marry me?"

She frowned and looked at him scornfully. "Don't be silly. I'm too young to be married! I'm only seven! And you're a fairy! Fairies can't marry humans."

His smile showed a trace of deviousness. "Sure we can. I'm considered the prince of fairies! I get to choose which human girl I can marry. Be grateful I chose you."

Anemone grimaced at the thought. "Maybe I should've ran away to be a mercenary..."

His expression darkened also as he glowered. "You can't run away since you promised to be with me forever!" His tiny hands clenched into fists on his hips. "You also promised not to run away anymore!"

"I don't want to marry you..." Dread filled her. "I don't even remember this promise to be with you forever?"

He stood up and grabbed her small hands.As she tried to pull away, he smoothed her hands out and placed something on them. She looked down and saw a shiny delicate gold chain with a sapphire teardrop gem at the end.

"Wha... What is this?!" It looked very expensive. The sapphire was a deep blue and seemed to match his eyes.

"I thought humans call this a necklace. This is our symbol of promise."

Startled, she pushed it back into his hands. "I'm not going to promise to be with you forever! I don't know how to live as a fairy!"

"Sure you can!" His deep blue eyes gleamed with mischief. "You have to take it. Take it!" He shoved it back at her which she pushed it back.