Coni Pinop

“So… what happens now?” The pixie asked as Bryson finally set her down on one of his coffee tables.

After having a bit of time to gather themselves, the group decided to hold a quick meeting in Bryson’s room.

“Why do we have to do this in my room?” Bryson grumbled.

“Because it was convenient.” Viola answered.

“Hmph. Father said that Viola and I are going to have a conversation with him in the morning. Everyone else returns to their regular duties while you stay here and do not leave.” Bryson said, changing his focus to the pixie.

“What’s going to happen to me?”

“No idea.”

“Nothing horrible.” Viola assured her, before stopping for a moment to think, “I think.”

“Uh.” The pixie began before being cut-off.

“So what happened?” Viola asked Bryson blowing past the pixie’s concern.

“How much did you hear?”

“That apparently Florence is now a master of curses.”

“It’s not entirely inaccurate. She did manage to figure out how to remove the curse. Just the details on how it came about was changed.” Bryson said.

“Any specific details?” Viola asked eyes narrowing.

“We figured out a way use the pixie’s divine power to remove the curse. It required me to do it because of my weird glowing eye thing.” Bryson.

“Aside from your concerning relation with these things is there anything else?” Viola asked looking over to Florence.

“No.” Florence said before glancing over to Bryson for the briefest of moments, giving him a look that said that she would keep quiet about the more alarming details. I owe her. Bryson thought.

“So you gave up your divinity?” Primrose asked the pixie.

“Yeah, it’s a lot easier for a being like me to lose it, so I’m alright. Tired but alright.” The pixie replied. Turning to Bryson she asked, “So where am I supposed to stay?”

“Hmm, good point. Frost, you watch over her.” Bryson ordered.

“Me? Uh, okay… I can come up with something.” Lila said before adding, “You sure not telling your parents about the whole goddess thing was a good idea?”

“Pretty sure that would only add to the chaos.”

“Good point.”

“Father say anything more to you?” Viola asked.

“No, you?”

“Nope, looks like we’ll find out tomorrow.”

“Great.” Bryson said not very happy with the prospect of having a talk with his father for his recent actions. Viola’s face showed that she shared her younger brother’s sentiment.

“Well right now everyone needs their rest.” Primrose said, “So why don’t we all return back to our rooms and let Lord Bryson rest. We’ll deal with the aftermath tomorrow.”

“Have a good night rest then.” Florence said as people began to exit out of Bryson’s room.

“Where’s your sister?” Bryson asked Lila.

“In my room. She wanted to stay the night here.”

“As long as she doesn’t run into Gilles.”

“Don’t worry, she knows what she’s doing. You’ve seen firsthand already.”

“Hmm.”

Viola raised an eyebrow at Bryson, “What’s wrong with Gilles?”

“Um. Nothing important.” Bryson said.

“Well, alright then.” Viola said deciding not to pursue the matter any further and leaving the room.

“Frost.” Bryson said before Lila left.

“Yes?” She asked turning back to him.

“After everything you’ve heard, are you still going to work here?”

Lila took a moment to pause and look at Bryson. Bryson kept his face neutral as Lila seemed to ponder for a couple seconds, before coming with a conclusion, “I don’t have a good reason not to. Besides Lottie likes it here.” She said as she shut the door behind her.

Once Bryson was completely alone, he gave a tired sigh before he collapsed onto his bed. Overcome with exhaustion he fell asleep.

***

The next morning as he woke and walked down the halls and towards one of his father’s many offices. Couldn’t I have breakfast first? Bryson thought as he moved.

“Bryson.” A voice called out to him.

Turning around, he was surprised to see standing in front of him was Sable. She stood there simply staring at Bryson.

“Sable, you’re awake!” Bryson said in elated surprise.

“Yes. I heard that you went behind father’s back to procure a divine pixie for me?” She said sounding conserved as always, yet a bit different.

“Uh, yeah. Something like that.” Bryson said.

“Thank you.” Sable said quietly, barely audible.

“Huh? What did you say?” Bryson asked not quite hearing her.

“Don’t you have to see father?” She said quickly.

“Yeah.” Bryson said as he looked down the hall where his father’s office laid further beyond, “I do, it’s not going-” Bryson stopped as when he turned back around he saw Sable already moving very quickly away from him.

“Good talk I guess.” Bryson muttered before heading towards his father’s office.

***

“So you two decided to disobey my orders and take the pixie yourselves?” Duke Coldwater asked Bryson and Viola, his voice deep and rumbling shaking them to their cores, “Might I ask why you did not tell me?”

Bryson swallowed, his mouth felt as if it was filled with ash, “We were afraid that you might not find interest in the theory that Marsh came up with.” Bryson said, trying to keep his voice even.

“Why?”

Bryson paused. He had no idea what to say. He was scared to say the wrong thing. He was scared for the consequence of speaking. Fortunately for him, Viola was less so.

“Because father, if you had the pixie, you would have immediately snuffed it out.” Viola said brazenly.

Bryson’s eyes widened at her sister’s response but looking at his father he saw him simply stroke his chin. It seemed as though he did not disagree with her assertion.

“How did this Marsh come up with this theory?”

“She asked of me a few questions regarding magic to test out her theory and once the pixie was obtained she was able to divulge more information from it and test it out. She thought there was more of a connection between the two.” Bryson said.

“Bryson told me about it and we decided that it would be worth a shot to try. We would have immediately contacted you if it didn’t work. As mentioned last night, I was afraid that Bryson would not have the chance if you were informed immediately.” Viola added.

Duke Coldwater simply looked at the two in silence, “You two still went behind my back.” His voice cold and harsh. The two stood like statues as he spoke.

“I don’t enjoy being looked over and disrespected.” He said sitting straight up, “However, you did keep your sister safe. It seems the Goddess of Heroes smiles upon you two.” He said as his hand reached down from under the desk and pulled out a cage containing the pixie.

The pixie looked up at them and gave a sheepish wave as Duke Coldwater opened the latch and let her free.

“You get to keep her.”

The pixie then all too eagerly flew her way towards the Coldwater children and away from the Coldwater father.

“I’ll forgive you two. But do not try anything like this again.” Duke Coldwater said eyes unblinking, “Now leave.”

With quick bows the three quickly scampered out of the office and into the hallway. Only to find Florence standing awaiting them not far away.

“It seems like that went smoothly for you two.” She observed.

“Seems like it.” Bryson said with a nod, “What about you? Got your share of praise?"

“Too much of it.” Florence said making an unpleasant face, before adding, “But now at least I’m allowed full access to the medical records and library archives.”

“So you’re telling me your reward is studying and you’re happy?”

“Yes.”

“That’s horrible.”

“Still better than having to lie to father.” Viola said.

“Wasn’t as if father would have believed us if we told him the truth.”

“True. Considering the divine message she sent him and whatever you were supposed to be.”

“So what now?” Florence asked.

“Now we have a new pet.” Viola said indicating the pixie.

“Hey! I’m not a pet!” She complained.

“Wait, do you even have a name?” Bryson asked, “We’ve just been calling you pixie the whole time.”

“I don’t have a name, I’m the only divine pixie up in the Divine Realm. The other divine pixies all exist in the Fairy Realm.” She said.

“That’s pretty sad.” Viola said.

“Hey!”

“Well, I suppose we should give you a name. A bit strange to call you pixie, since there are other pixies in this world.” Bryson said.

“Oh.” The pixie said blinking in surprise, “Okay.” She began to flutter around in excitement.

“You really that excited?” Viola asked.

“Of course! I never got a name before, everyone else around me always did!”

“Hmm.” Bryson thought, “What should we call you?”

“Has to be something vaguely fairy like. So nature related.” Viola said.

“Pinopsida.” Florence offered.

“What?” The other three said in unison.

“We found her in a spruce tree that type of conifer tree is known as pinopsida.”

“Why is it called conifer?” Bryson asked.

“Because it produced cone shaped seeds.”

“You are such a dork.” Viola said.

Florence ignored her comment and looked to the pixie, “Would that work?”

“Well that’s… a bit too… scientific.”

“What about Coni Pinop then?” Bryson offered, “Still got those dumb scientific names.”

Florence looked slightly offended when Bryson added that last part. But the pixie looked happy.

“Works for me!” She sang as she flew through the hallway, “My name is Coni Pinop, please to meet you all!”

“Okay let’s get out of here before we start to bother father too much.” Viola recommended.

“Good idea.” Bryson said as they chased after the newly named Coni Pinop.