Chapter 12
Neverland housed a rather lovely and bustling town near the base of the treehouse.
Magical creatures occupied and ran the shops within it, along with some other creatures Maggie could hardly recognize.
She realized, rather quickly, that the people within the town would end up being her restaurant’s customers, at least while she was on the island.
For a moment, her heart skipped as she overlooked how many creatures roamed about.
Peter landed in a busy and chattering town center.
A round courtyard was in the middle with a tall fountain, spring water splashing through the top and sprinkling back into the lower basin.
Shops and perfectly quaint buildings circled around the fountain in a pattern, each housing a different color and its own theme.
Though Maggie spotted numerous shops, there wasn’t anything like what the Lost Boys had made for her.
Ignoring the pride and excitement that threatened to overtake her, Maggie kept following behind Peter, afraid of being caught in the crowd and whisked away.
The largest shop was where he headed, which doubled as a coffee shop, apparently the only thing the Neverland inhabitants had that didn’t come from the Everything Plant.
The building was already packed to the brim.
A line curved from out the door, striking through the town center as well.
Maggie could understand why. The smells that came from the building were entirely enticing on their own, the robust coffee even pulling her toward it.
At their outdoor seating, all of the tables were full, except for one.
A single woman lounged at it, an almost empty mug of coffee sitting on the table.
A book was lazily draped across her needs and she read at a relaxed pace, not minding the growing line leading out of the coffee shop.
“Peter,” Maggie called out before they got close enough. “What are we doing here? I don’t see any fairies!”
He laughed and looked around. “Why, they’re all around you, Magpie!”
“I-I don’t understand,” she snapped as she glanced about.
All she saw were people that looked sort of like her, minus a few things.
“I don’t -” The glimmer of wings trailing behind someone caught her attention.
And, just like that, she began to notice the wings upon some of the people around them, the light catching them and glimmering just enough to be seen.
“Powerful fairies can shrink and grow at will,” Peter explained with a smirk. “They need substance for their power, so most of them can be found at coffee shops.”
Maggie, who was beginning to get used to the idea of no longer being surprised at what lay within Neverland, simply nodded and shrugged her shoulders. “Makes total sense,” she murmured.
Peter jogged forward a few steps. “Sorry to intrude –”
But the woman sitting alone at the table couldn’t wait for him to finish.
Her head jerked up at the sound of his footsteps rather than his voice, her book snapping shut within the same instance.
When she stood from the table, Maggie noticed that the woman wasn’t tall at all, but had a very petite look about her, down to her pixie-short hair.
Besides the purple-tinted wings trailing out behind her, the woman looked entirely normal.
In fact, she even seemed to be around the same age as Maggie.
Running forward, the woman grasped onto Maggie quickly, wrapping her in a tight embrace without even sharing a greeting.
Maggie gasped but could not stop her, taking the thin and long arms with a gulp.
After a moment, Maggie couldn’t help but hug the woman back, entirely taken aback as to how comforting the hug was.
She didn’t know the woman at all, and yet, there was something familiar about their meeting, something like an inner voice, telling Maggie which path to take to go forward.
When the woman pulled away, Maggie already liked her very much.
“How rude of me,” the woman breathed, one hand pressed to her chest. “I didn’t even introduce myself!”
Maggie waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. My name is -”
“Maggie Hart,” the woman blurted.
“You know my name?”
“Of course!” The woman motioned toward Peter and punched him playfully in the side. “Everyone heard about Peter’s plan to kidnap a human cook for Neverland.”
“Oh,” Maggie drawled as she turned to look at Peter. “Everyone?”
Peter rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before clearing his throat. “You know, it’s very rude to not introduce yourself to strangers.”
“Darn it!” The woman grasped onto Maggie’s hands, almost panting but managing to regain her composure in a few quick moments. “My name is Vespera Dreamthron, Queen of the Fairies. Please excuse my rudeness! What a terrible first impression.”
Maggie was entirely bewildered. The creature in front of her was a perfectly normal-looking woman, not at all the flawless beauty she’d imagined the fairy queen to be. There was always something about Neverland to surprise her, no matter which corner she turned.
Regaining her thoughts, Maggie squeezed the woman’s hands.
Even though she was obviously a creature that was not human, Maggie couldn’t help but lean into her like she was the most familiar thing she’d seen in days.
It was hard not to like Vespera, and something in the back of her mind said that their friendship was meant to be.
“I’m no one special,” Maggie said. “Don’t fret about rudeness or anything.”
Vespera raised a slender brow. “But you are special, aren’t you?”
She blushed. “I wouldn’t say that at all.”
Hooking her arm around Maggie’s, Vespera held her close to her side and began to lead them both back to her table, with Peter following close behind.
“You aren’t human, are you?” Vespera suddenly asked, a twinkle in her eyes.
Maggie stumbled. “W-Well, I –”
“Or more like,” the Queen interjected, “Not all human.” She laughed lightly. “Don’t down yourself too quickly, Maggie. Anyone who comes to Neverland is special in their own right! Don’t you agree, Peter?”
The King of Neverland took a seat at the table and nodded, a smile slipping across his lips. “I believe it,” he replied.
As Maggie took her own seat, she fought to keep her attention focused on the Queen.
For some odd reason, Petter’s gaze seemed to say something other than what his words did, and she wanted to dive into whatever his looks meant, though she knew she shouldn’t.
Remembering the life she left behind, Maggie breathed in deeply and tried to hang onto why they came in the first place.
Vespera was quite the chatterbox, and Maggie was falling deep into her charming nature.
Vespera held onto Maggie’s hand gently. “I’ve heard many things about your cooking.”
“Have you?” Even though she had only heard praise so far from the Lost Boys and Peter, Maggie couldn’t help but let her confidence stagger for a moment. It was hard not to be frightened in the face of another’s opinion of her.
“Very good things, of course,” Vespera eagerly continued. “And I am patiently waiting my turn to try some!”
“More like impatiently,” Peter added under his breath.
Turning to push him out of the conversation playfully, Vespera eyed Maggie curiously. “I would love to hear about your human life,” she said.
“Oh,” Maggie murmured. “Whatever for? It isn't as exciting as living in Neverland, or being a fairy.”
“To you, maybe.” Vespera leaned back in her seat, obviously comfortable and awaiting her story. “But this is far more important to me.”
Chilled by the power of the Queen’s simple words and the meaning behind them.
Vespera wished to hear her story. Truly hear it.
Not skip over it or barely pay attention.
She wanted to know it all and understand it, as if it might help her understand Maggie better.
It was uncomfortable and vulnerable, but Maggie found herself strangely willing to open up to this woman she barely knew.
“Unfortunately,” Maggie began, “there isn’t much light at the beginning of my story. I don’t remember my parents, although I know they existed. Orphanages were my home for quite some time, and…peculiar instances forced me to jump between a few of them before I reached adulthood.”
“Peculiar instances?” Peter repeated.
It was Vespera who responded, her look knowing. “Magic.”
Maggie nodded. “Things I couldn’t explain,” she murmured.
“Things no one could understand. I moved around just before they had the opportunity to cast me out. Ever since then, I moved from town to town, leaving when people grew suspicious of me, but always hoping to stay in one place long enough to open my bakery and settle down.”
“Did you ever get the chance?” Vespera asked.
“Once,” Maggie whispered. Her last night in Dunhollow came rushing back to her.
Remembering the insults and shouts that hateful Regina threw her way almost brought a tear to Maggie’s eye.
She had nearly forgotten the pain of it all, but losing her home never became easier, no matter how many times she might’ve experienced it.
“It wasn’t rare for someone to find out about my magical abilities and find the local guard to take me into custody.
In fact, it happened more times than you might guess. ”
Vespera was silent as she watched her. The nimble creature sat up straight in her seat, no longer showing the laidback nature she had beforehand. The queen’s eyes narrowed and grew squinted the longer she watched.
“I pity those who were so wrong to you,” Vespera suddenly said.
Maggie frowned. “Why?”
“They probably won’t know true happiness for quite some time.”
“And how could you possibly know that?”
Vespera eyed her, the corner of her lip curling in a sort of mischievous way.
“Anywho,” she said, brushing the subject off, “I hate hearing that you were treated so poorly in the human world. For magic to be outlawed there is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!
” Reaching across the table, Vespera held onto both of Maggie’s hands tightly, her eyes wide and serious.
“Know that you are always welcome here, Maggie Hart. There is a whole world waiting to be discovered in Neverland, and I wouldn’t at all mind being your guide.
That is,” she paused, eyeing the King in a teasing way, “If Peter is willing to part with you for a day or two.”
Maggie laughed as a pink blush enveloped her cheeks.
“There are plenty of people to introduce you to,” Vespera continued. “Many more outside of the Lost Boys, you know.”
“Hey, now,” Peter warned.
Vespera waved him off as she carried on. “When was the last time I simply had a day out with a friend?” She shrugged her shoulders. “I can hardly remember, which is why you have to agree to come back some day!”
As the Queen continued to ramble about all the things they could do, Maggie was stuck fighting off the emotion rising in her throat.
She had never met the fairy before, and yet she couldn’t help but feel as though she was reuniting with an old friend.
The love that surrounded her was odd and misplaced, but Maggie was greedy and lonely and wanted to take it all for herself.
Besides, something felt entirely right about being alongside Vespera and listening to her talk.
Like she had always been meant to be there, to end up in that very spot, no matter what else happened in her life.
“Vespera,” Peter said in a serious tone. “We actually did come for a reason.”
The Queen piped up. “Oh, really? Sorry, I do get distracted sometimes. What is it?”
“I’m trying to get the Everything Plant to produce fruit again,” Maggie explained. “And a theory I have is that the fairies living within its leaves gave it enough magic to create the berries year round. Was there a reason why they all left?”
Vespera’s small, angular face grew as red as a tomato. “Oh,” she drawled angrily, “there sure is a reason, Maggie Hart!”
“Good lord,” Maggie flinched, biting back her laugh at the angry fairy.
“During the midst of spring,” Vespera began to explain, her irritation clear, “A Boglin decided to make the beach his home, and started trying to eat all of my fairies! He’d wait just outside the Everything Plant and attack when we weren’t expecting.
It got too much to handle, so we made an escape before it grew too dangerous. ”
Maggie turned to Peter with a raised brow. “A Boglin?”
“Imagine a cross between an imp and a nasty looking frog,” he explained.
With a shudder, Maggie moved her focus back to the Queen. “Vespera,” she began, “if we manage to get rid of the Boglin for you, would the fairies return to the Everything Plant?”
“Of course we would!” Vespera sighed and dreamily stared into the distance. “The mornings on the beach were out of this world. I’d do anything to get back to it.” Snapping out of her reverie, Vespera grabbed onto Maggie’s hand fervently. “But there’s something you should know!”
“What is it?”
“About the Boglin,” she explained. “He only showed up at night, so you two might have to stake out the Everything Plant to spot him. They sleep in nests all day long.”
“That’s very helpful. Thank you.”
The queen smiled. “Of course. And let me know if you need any more help.”
With a pair of firm nods, Peter and Maggie left the Fairy Queen behind and began to leave the town of Neverland once more, formulating a plan, determined to restore magic to the beloved Everything Plant.