Sleeping Fairy

The next morning, Derek awakens, his arm still draped over Rose's waist. Now, she's facing him, her head curled into his chest. Pressing his lips lightly against Rose's, she awakens. Smiling, she starts to sit up, but then loses her balance. Clutching Derek for support, she wavers slightly and then keeps standing. Sensing what she's trying to do, Derek sweeps his arms under her knees and around her shoulders. Frustrated at her weakness, Rose grudgingly allows Derek to carry her down to the ground. Once she has her feet on the ground, Rose immediately tries to stand, but can't, and ends up collapsing on the ground. Growling her frustration, she tries again, but her body simply can't handle her weight. Wearily, Rose pulls food from the earth. Setting her down on the ground, Derek sits down too, and helps Rose stay upright with an arm around her waist. Bringing the food to her lips, Rose takes it and smiles.

"I want to stand." Rose tells Derek.

"Are you sure?" Derek asks, concerned.

"Yes."

"Okay." Wrapping his muscled arms around her waist, Derek lifts Rose up onto her feet. Feeling his arms loosen, Rose takes the second-long advantage and flaps her wings, unsteadily taking flight. She hovers for a second, then collapses to the ground, breathing heavily. "Rose!" Derek exclaims in concern, moving towards her. Turning her onto her back, he finds her eyes closed. Pressing his head against her chest, Derek breathes a huge sigh of relief when he hears her heart beating steadily. Ta-ta, ta-ta, ta-ta.

When Rose awakens, she is greeted by Derek glaring at her with contempt.

"What. Were. You. Thinking?!?!" Derek seethes. "You. Could. Have. KILLED YOURSELF!!!!"

"I am a herah." Rose states simply. "I must always be in motion, even if it's the tiniest of movements, and sitting on the ground with your arm wrapped around my waist wasn't letting me move at all! When you're like me, you can't not move. It's like you can't breathe. Like you're suffocating." Derek stares at Rose, looking like he doubts her. "Don't look at me like that! You don't know what it's like to be deprived of what your body depends on to even exist. You don't know what it is to have your spirit stolen from you, to not have a soul. You don't know what it is to not have your source of life around you. Why do you think I sleep in trees? Why do you think that I hold myself in the air for hours at a time? Why do you think I always have some sort of water near me? Why do you think that I always insist on lighting the fire? All of that is so I can have the elements with me, so I can survive. If I secluded myself away from the outside world, I would be dead within a week and a half, even if I ate like a pig. My spirit, everything about me, a part of that is held by the elements. Without them, I am literally nothing. Nothing!" Rose stares at Derek, willing him to see that this is true.

"I'm sorry." Derek apologizes, bowing his head.

"Never bow to me. You are my equal." Rose states, raising Derek's head up.

"Rose?" Derek asks, watching her.

"Yes?" Rose asks, rolling her head.

"Will you marry me, Rosalianna Maria Katarina Gisela Odette Adelina Faylinn?" Derek stutters.

"What?" Rose asks, startled.

"I understand if it is too sudden, and if you say no, then it's-it's okay." Obvious pain threads its way through Derek's words, even as he tries to hide it.

"No, I wasn't going to say no, I was just startled, because it's not every day that I get to say yes to a marriage proposal from the man who saved me from an evil witch who wants me dead." Derek ponders this for a second, turning it over in his head. Suddenly, he understands, and sweeps Rose into his arms, pulling her lips to his. "Yes." Rose sighs, "Yes, yes, yes!"

"Will you go back to Faylinn, and have me ruling by your side as prince regent?"

"I-"

"Don't you dare start saying 'I can't'. That phrase has been erased from your vocabulary." Derek interrupts.

"Yes. I will."

"You will?" Derek questions.

"Yes." Rose says, smiling up at Derek. "But the first thing you do when we get back to Faylinn is buy me a new nightgown. You ruined my only one with your tears."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Derek says, grinning.

"Majesty." Rose says, "I'm going to have to get used to that." Majesty. "But I won't return like this. Not in this shape, not looking like this. No." Rose ends firmly, heading off Derek's protest.

The next few weeks are a routine of pain and struggle for Rose, who is trying to get her flight back. "Ugh!" Rose exclaims, "Why can't I fly up yet?! What do I do?"

"Stop being so hard on yourself, for one thing." Derek replies

"I won't stop until I can fly like I'm meant to." she retorts.

"No, you're going to stop now."

"You can't order me around."

"As your fiancé, I can." Derek says

"As your queen, you can't." Rose shoots back, frustrated, taking to the air.

"No, Rose, you already have had your flight time for now." Derek says, blocking her from going any higher. Rose rolls her eyes and zips around him, going higher. Annoyed, Derek flies up faster, grabs Rose's waist, and carries her down.