The Meeting

Kaya had passed the test – unfortunately. She didn’t want to, but she was a competitive girl and couldn’t just fail; not when everyone had their eyes on her like that. Now, she had passed the test, which meant she will be betrothed to a total stranger.

She respected the idea of marriage – if you knew your partner beforehand.

His name was Marek – so she had been told. What difference did it make?

She stood at the gate that led to the Meeting Table that bound their two worlds.

She sighed and reluctantly began to turn the doorknob.

***

Marek sat at the Meeting Table thinking of his bride-to-be. It was common knowledge that Fairy-Women were beautiful, but he wondered what would ‘Kaya’ - that’s what they said her name was – be like. He was restless, shy and afraid. He didn’t like the way Elf-Wizards and Fairy-Women met. He felt embarrassed; what if she didn’t like him. They were practically stuck.

As he sat at the Meeting Table, the Ancient Gateway door before him suddenly erupted into a shining sheen of white. It opened and Kaya entered escorted by her Unicorn.

Marek rose and gave them a small bow, which Kaya returned.

They were silent.

‘Hi,’ said Kaya.

So she was as embarrassed as he was – not a good thing but not a bad one either.

‘Hi. I’m Marek. I – er – let’s sit down, shall we?’

They did.

‘The colours of your wings are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen! – Er not that I’ve seen many!’

She smiled, turning pink.

She was far more beautiful than he’d imagined.

They were silent again.

‘Erm, can I try your hat on? I’ve always wanted to try one,’ said Kaya. She realised that in order to break the silence, she had to be her fun-self.

Marek was a bit surprised but gave her the Wizard’s cone-shaped hat.

‘At home, we try to make ones like these out of cloth and leaves to see what it’s like,’ she explained, ‘but they don’t stand up pointy like yours.’ She said as she tried his Wizard’s hat.

He chuckled.

She’d broken the ice.