Page 30 of Knowing Trust

The large metal mugs were even color-coordinated and started with the commander at the farthest end. Fairies weren’t bothered by things like sharing spoons or even double-dipping. We didn’t share or have germs in the way of humans, and while it used to bug me, I was over it and stuck my fork into a serving platter too often to lecture anyone else.

We were starting with what we thought went best with fruit combinations, but it seemed silly until the third one. Whatever brand or kind of protein powder it was should not be with strawberries. It gave the drink a weird aftertaste and it was grainy. Total ick mouthfeel.

And I wasn’t the only one who felt that way from the faces we were making.

Next was blueberry and then cherry.

“What about some sort of combination,” I interjected when things got too heated.

The councilman who had been yelling snorted. “Do you even know what we were talking about while having your comedy show over there?”

I zapped him. I zapped him with electricity strong enough that he fucking convulsed and it was incredibly clear what I’d done to him.

“If you ever mock my people like that again, I will send enough voltage to cripple your animal,” I told him, my voice deadly. “Yes, we can focus and drink. Are you so dense it’s too much for you? You can’t walk and chew gum either?” I gestured to all the fairies there. “As I’ve had to explain to others, we run a whole world.

“We are busier than you are.” I sighed when even our allies bristled at that. I stared them down. “Do you handle the currency in your area? No, humans do that. We handle the roads. You don’t. We are the entire police for our world. Yes, you have to duck the human authorities and protect your people in another way. That is absolutely complicated and difficult.

“I didn’t say that your jobs were easy or you have nothing going on. But everything the human governments provide for your people we have to handle in Faerie. It’s on my damn shoulders. As I have repeatedly reminded people, I’m the godsdamn IRS, Department of Defense, Post Service, DMV—all of it. We handle all of it. So yeah, we double and triple up our meetings.”

“Of all the petty things to pick on,” Neldor grumbled before taking a gulp of the shake he was holding. “Yes, this is such a huge imposition.” He made a face. “I think this type won’t work with anything.”

“The grainer ones work well with bananas or nut butters,” one of the fairies told us. “Those are coming up.”

We thanked her and focused back on everyone.

“This is who we are,” I said firmly. “If we needed to take a break so your animals could shift or provide something meaty for the meeting we would be understanding. I have been understanding of that in the past. Grow up and be good allies. Seriously.”

It was huge progress when most of the people there gave that guy a disgusted look. Even a lot of them that had said crap about me in the past.

Good. Seriously, just enough with the crap.

And that fairy had been correct. I couldn’t even tell that protein powder was in the chocolate, peanut butter, and banana shake.

I also didn’t want to give it up.

“What combination were you thinking of, Princess?” Sasha asked, bringing the conversation back around to what I’d said.

“Right,” I sighed as I handed off the shake. “All of the areas are intermingled. So when there’s another fire ravaging California or somewhere it won’t just be your dragons. It will be others.”

Xavier caught on first. “Two or more leaders have to approach the designated fairy who will be in charge of this project. That’s where your head is.”

“Yes, something like that,” I agreed, noting the shock in the room. I sighed and gestured around. “This is part of it. You are shocked that I would suggest it. You’re all too divided. It’s always wolf stuff or vampire issues. It’s not, and you all share this world. The only time you seemed to agree on much or band together is when you tried to screw me or fight against fairies.

“That didn’t work out for you and never will, but you should actually work together for good, productive things and do better by your people. It’s also alliances and help for people besides councils they can’t get access to. Like the herd who was attacked and their leader ordered not to ask for help because he had stolen fairy magic.

“Luckily, my classmate found me and we helped. That won’t always be the case, but if there is more cooperation, someone can get a message to someone. There are more options to keep people safe and make friends. I never have cared what species or race people are. Humans fight hard to make that a reality. Should we not do the same?”

“Forcing us to won’t make it happen,” someone countered. “You will have the same discourse and pushback that humans have.”

“A lot of that is because they stay in their own ignorant corners. People born in cities have never spent time on a farm or vice versa,” I argued. “People believing lies about America—good and bad—and spouting they know all about it when they’ve never been there. Same with other countries. I cannot force you to get along. No.”

“But you can force us to work together, and that will address a lot of the misconceptions and attitudes,” someone else muttered. “And in a time of distress.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “Which hopefully won’t be often. I’m not praying for forest fires to bring unity. I don’t even make enough weather crystals for it to be people using them all of the time or for summer parties. I’m saying the isolationist mentality has to stop. The world is too big and too much of a threat to us not to be better friends.”

“I would suggest three leaders and one council member or royal of one of the groups,” King Fergus suggested, growling when a few people objected. “These are miracles, and we need to show our people we respect them. I refuse for this to be another embarrassing debacle where people bother the leader of Faerie to bless dresses or their anatomy!”

“Agreed,” Xavier said firmly. “We are the leaders and set the example. And we were at fault for how we handled the situation with the crowns, so excited for such a rare and precious gift that we were so busy bragging and gushing about them, we didn’t realize the ripples of our behavior.” He gave me a sad look. “We truly regret that.”

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