Status Updates From To Catch a Queen (Fairy Tal...

“So you’ll be around?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Good.”

That single word was enough to make her warm with hope, no matter how chilly the morning was.

“If you believe you won that crown fairly enough that it and the Realm will accept your rule, feel free to put it on,” Sophie said, still with that honeyed tone that implied she was seriously pissed-off, but was too much of a Southern belle to let it show. The “bless your heart” was implied.

^ maybe Nana will stay in the Realm to keep an eye on the land?

Eventually, Nana’s eyes came back into focus. It might have been Sophie’s imagination, but she was pretty sure she looked even younger. Her hair was darker and redder, almost Emily’s color, her eyes were brighter, her skin smoother, and her posture straighter. Sophie had never realized that her grandmother was actually taller than she was. “Your majesty,” she said with a smile, dipping a slight curtsy.

“Oh, you’re a plain-spoken lady, I see,” he said with a patronizing smile that made her want to introduce his teeth to her toes. Too bad she’d already taken off her pointe shoes.

“And you’re clearly an aspiring politician.”

^ *thinking of DJT*

But, strangely, Sophie felt utterly confident that she could prevail, with Nana’s help. She knew in her heart that she was meant to have this throne. In the real world, that wouldn’t mean much. Unworthy people were always inheriting or being elected to positions of power. But the Realm was the setting of fairy tales, the place where good won, evil was vanquished, and the most worthy would always win the crown.

All the riders and horses were transformed to match their leader. The dogs became sleek hounds that looked much healthier and less mean. They approached Beau and went through the universal canine sniffing ritual, then Beau turned back to Sophie, seemingly reporting that the dogs were on board with the changes, too. “There, that’s better,” Sophie said with some satisfaction.

^ hahaha what.

“This is what you could be if you served me. Or, rather, if you chose to offer your arms in my service.”

He couldn’t see himself well, but she could already tell he was carrying himself differently, and the other members of the Hunt were looking at him the way women side-eyed another woman who’d just had a spectacular makeover.

She knew from the gasps behind her that she’d succeeded. The Huntsman looked like something on the cover of a paranormal romance novel—the kind of hot, not-entirely-human guy who’d fall madly in love with an ordinary human woman. If he had any self-esteem issues at all, maybe this makeover would change his perspective.

What happens to the fae without belief?” She felt like she was at a production of Peter Pan, but instead of asking the audience to believe in fairies and clap their hands, she was saying, “Don’t believe, and Tinkerbell’s toast.”

“And you know that because?”

“I’m the queen. Didn’t you get the memo?”

Beau waddled over and plopped down against Michael’s legs, nudging him with his nose. Emily figured he’d make a good plan B. She was sure the dog was awfully fond of Michael. His wife was probably a better candidate for a loving kiss, though. Emily had to admit that it would also be interesting to see if Sophie could save him. She certainly loved him enough, but that would open up a whole can of worms and maybe inspi

Emily wasn’t sure what it looked like when a fairy died. They were essentially immortal, so they didn’t age or get sick, but supposedly they could be killed. Niall just vanished, along with the sword sticking through his body. Was that a fairy death, or had something else happened?

Emily, Jen, and Sophie all cried out at once, and Emily thought she heard other voices. Jen caught Michael as he fell, and Emily saw a flash of metal as Sophie picked up a sword from the ground and ran it through Niall in one fluid movement. Orla lunged toward her husband, but was tackled by the other fairy rulers.

Emily glanced at her sister. No one else would have noticed anything was wrong, but Emily knew Sophie well enough to know that her heart was breaking in two. Emily shook her head fondly. Only Sophie would be so noble as to put herself at risk to help the man she loved get back together with his long-lost wife. No wonder she was still single.

She kept riding forward, the stunned attendees clearing the way, and she had to fight not to wince when she saw Sophie standing at the foot of the dais in full queen mode, with Jen on the dais and still in her regalia. And not too far away was Nana, looking like a redheaded Queen Elizabeth II in her suit and hat. Oops. Now everyone was going to wonder which queen she meant was the impostor.

Jen gasped and put a hand to her mouth, Tallulah smiled wickedly, Niall and Orla glared daggers, and the other rulers looked relieved. The crowd close to the dais reacted with a rumble of noise that was difficult to judge, but Sophie was most focused on Michael’s face. His relief at seeing that she really was alive was almost palpable, and he gave every sign of rushing to hug her.

Sophie had to wipe tears from her eyes. She knew she’d lost him, but seeing him this happy made it worth it. This was what she’d set out to achieve, undoing the wrong that had been done because of her. It was amazing that she could hurt so badly and yet be so dizzyingly happy at the same time. So, this was what it was to love, what she’d been missing out on with her oh-so-busy life.

“It’s okay, I know,” he replied, putting his arms around her and drawing her against his body. With a strangled sob, she buried her face against his shoulder. He dropped his sword, letting it clatter onto the floor, as he held her like he would never let her go. It looked like the happy ending of a romantic movie with the hero and heroine happily reunited and together forevermore.

The crowd roared, and Michael slowly turned to face them, his sword hanging by his side. Sophie quickly added a glamour of blood to his blade so his victory would look authentic. He acknowledged the audience, then returned his attention to Jen, who had risen from the throne, beaming. She held her hands out to him, and his smile brought tears to Sophie’s eyes as he moved toward his wife.

She built the glamour in her mind as the sword came toward her. At the last second, she ducked and rolled out of the way as she brought up the illusion that would show the old hag falling to the floor under her cloak. Meanwhile, she threw up another glamour around herself, making herself invisible as she lay on the floor. Michael should be able to see what really happened, but it was hard to tell, the distress on his