What did you do to my child?

Aria: "....." She was rarely rendered speechless when talking to people, but she did not know what to reply to this little boy.

The two spent the next few minutes chatting together. Hayden asked Aria about the fairy land and Aria repeatedly told him that she wasn't a fairy from a fairy land, which he refused to believe.

Finally, exasperated, Aria said, "We really should be getting back. Your parents will start looking for you."

Hayden nodded and said, "Say, Aria? Can you lift me?"

Aria tilted her head, "You mean make you fly?"

Hayden shook his head and said, "No. Carry me."

Aria smiled, knelt down and picked the little boy in her arms. Hyden wrapped his arms around Aria's neck and spoke with a huge smile, "Yayyyy!!! I've always wanted a big sister."

Aria rolled her eyes as she walked back towards the ballroom, "And you think I'm the perfect candidate for the job?"

Hayden nodded, "Of course. You are a fairy, you are so beautiful!! And also. . . . . ."

Aria never got to know what she also was as Hayden was suddenly snatched from her arms.

Aria's arms felt strangely empty as she looked at them for a second before letting them dangle at her sides. She then lifted her face to look at a woman staring at her with a horrified expression. Judging by the likeness of her and Hayden's face, Aria could easily guess this woman was his mother.

"Hello. I'm guessing you're Mrs. Carl. Hayden was. . . . ." Aria began, but she didn't get very far as Mrs. Carl suddenly pointed a finger at Aria and spoke, "Who are you? And what were you doing with my son?"

Aria frowned, "I'm Aria. And like I was telling you, Hayden here was. . . ." she was again interrupted as Mrs. Carl saw leftovers of the food Hayden had eaten on his lips and she shrieked, "Hayden!!!!!!! How many times have I told you not to accept things from strangers???!!! She could have mixed something in your food!!!!! And I'm going to have to complain to your father about your habit to wander off!"

Aria crossed her arms as Hayden tried to explain, "Mother, Aria isn't a stranger, she's. . . ."

But Mrs. Carl interrupted her own son as she pointed a finger at Aria and spoke, her face turning red in anger, "What did you do to my child?!! What did you feed him!?!? Oh Hayden! It's okay. It's all right! Mother is here."

Saying this she hugged Hayden more tightly.

Aria just watched, she didn't even try to speak now, she knew Mrs. Carl wouldn't listen.

A crowd was gathering around as Mrs. Carl looked Aria up and down and said, "That is the problem with Mrs. Scott. She always wants to see the good in people. I recognise you! I'm sure you befriended both Helen and Joseph just because they are nobility. And now you were trying to do away with my Hayden."

Aria very badly wanted to show this lady her place and would have done so, had her eyes not fallen on Helen, who looked positively horrified with tears streaming down her face, and Joseph, shaking from head to toe with anger and being restrained by a friend of his from rushing to Aria's aid.