Chronicles of Eden - Act V (58 page)

“Still going to lie to my face, huh?” Daniel dryly asked.

“If you’d like I can show you around personally,” Florence offered as she walked up to him and gently traced a finger up along his chest. “I’ll show you every nook and cranny, if it would make you happy.”

To her surprise Daniel swatted her hand away, with the butterflies around the room gasping as he stepped away from the monarch with a stern expression.

“I’m not interested in monsters that lie to me.”

“Well,” Florence huffed with discontent. “Your loss then. Now if you’ll excuse me I have matters to attend to, and I’d much like some alone time with my daughter. Thank you very much for bringing her back to me, now get out of my grove.” She started flapping her wings then took off into the air while looking up with a snooty scoff.

“Come, Complica. Let’s get you to your room and-”

She then stopped and looked down with wonder as Complica was still standing on the ground, the princess reaching up towards her mother with both hands and watery eyes. Florence fluttered in place for a moment before holding a hand to her mouth while tears welled up in her eyes.

“She’ll never fly again,” Falla called up to her, with the monarch looking to her with sorrow. “She’s grounded for life, all because she was told lying to humans was the right thing to do. Look at your daughter, Florence. This is what happens when we lie!”

Slowly Florence drifted down and landed on the ground, arms reaching out to hold her daughter who quickly clung to her while crying softly.

“My baby,” Florence softly said.

“You don’t have to lie, Florence,” Daniel gently said walking up to her. The monarch looked to him questionably as he shook his head with a small smile. “You don’t have to make up stories or tales of what you can do or what you can promise a human should they mate with you. You don’t have to tie them down to keep them with you, holding them against their will just so you can breed. You don’t have to do any of that.”

“And just how do you expect a giant butterfly to get a man if she doesn’t?” Florence scoffed at him. “Look at us, we’re monsters! I’m the most beautiful of all butterflies in Eden, of all women in Eden, and I’m still regarded as a monster to you humans. We eat insects, we have wings and antennae on our heads, we have no magic or physical strength to boast about. We have nothing but our beauty, and that’s overlooked by you humans because of what we are. What choice do we have rather than to say what you humans need to hear to be with us? What else are we supposed to do?”

“Be nice,” Luna pleaded as she stepped forth. “Be nice to humans.”

“You really are messed up in the head,” Florence scorned.

“No she isn’t,” Falla insisted as she stood by her sister. “She’s right. That’s why Daniel is here, that’s why we wanted to let him talk to you. We don’t have to lie to find somebody to love us.”

“
Love
us?” Florence laughed with derision. “Are you as mad as your sister? Humans just want to be with us for fame or power or whatever stupid thing they’re promised should they come here. They don’t
love
us, they’ll never
love
us. No human will ever love a giant butterfly!”

Falla and Luna showed stern expressions and walked over to either side of Daniel, with him then taking hold of their hands before they held onto his arms.

“I love them,” he declared, with the hall falling quiet as all the butterflies watched him with confusion. “Not because of any lie they told me, or anything they promised to give me for my seed, but because of who they are. They’re kindhearted girls, ones that make me smile when they’re near because they make me happy just being who they are.”

“Is this some sort of twisted joke?” Florence demanded. “You can’t possibly love those two. That one right there is a blithering idiot!”

“Don’t you dare talk about Luna like that!” Daniel shouted, with the monarch jumping back with surprise as he glared at her. “She is a wonderful girl with a pure heart, she only wants to be happy and enjoy life with those around her. She may have a few issues but I don’t care. I’d much rather be with her than a deceitful monster such as yourself.”

“How dare you,” Florence scorned with anger.

“And Falla has also earned my love. When we first met she was like every other giant butterfly out there, trying to lie and trick me just to get my seed. But I saw there was a real girl under her deceitful mask, one with a real heart. She’s learned the error of her ways and isn’t like you anymore, something that I’m thankful for.”

“You can’t love them!” Florence shouted out at him. “Humans don’t love monsters! That’s not possible!”

“Wanna bet?” Falla retorted. “Daniel saved my life from a swarm, he refused to let me die, wouldn’t let me go even though he could have been killed by that thing. He chose to save me for who I am, not because of some lie or false promise I made him. Name one other butterfly here who has someone like that!”

The monarch stared at her with disbelief while the butterflies around the hall started whispering to each other in question.

“I do!” Luna cheered as she raised a hand in the air.

“That’s true,” Falla agreed with a grin at the monarch. “Daniel’s stood up for Luna time and again, always being nice to her and treating her like a real girl, just like me. He loves her just as he does with me, we both mean that much to him.”

“That’s not… possible,” Florence stuttered shaking her head.

“Yes it is,” Triska said walking forward, with all eyes turning to her. “That’s why Daniel is out here, that’s why we’re traveling with him and helping him. To speak to monsters such as you and tell you that you don’t have to lie, rape, or kill to get a man in this world. You don’t have to be like Darker Ones.”

“Darker Ones?” Florence repeated with shock. “Are you comparing
us
to Darker Ones?”

“Only Darker Ones would be so cold and cruel,” Luna implored as she stepped towards the monarch. “Only they would want to do something as evil as rape someone. You don’t know how it feels, how much it hurts, how horrible it is to have that happen to you.”

“And you do?” Florence scoffed. To her surprise Luna nodded with a whimper.

“I do. A witch raped me. She did horrible things to me, saying she loved me and never wanted to let me go. But it wasn’t love, it was a nightmare. I couldn’t get away, I couldn’t stop it from happening, it was terrible.”

“Luna?” Complica worriedly said.

“Please,” Luna begged as she put her hands together. “Don’t let all our sisters become like Darker Ones. Don’t let them get hurt lying to humans. This all needs to stop.”

Florence stared at her with bewilderment then looked to Daniel as he walked towards her with a solemn expression.

“We don’t have to be enemies, Florence. It isn’t that you’re a monster that humans despise you so, it’s because you lie and rape our kind. If you would show the world you can be kindhearted girls and not lustful creatures then you wouldn’t be alone anymore. We could be allies.”

“Allies?” Florence questioned.

“The swarm near your home are gone,” Daniel assured her, with the butterflies around the hall watching him with wonder. “Another monster came and wiped them out, one that has left this land leaving behind only a smoldering crater where the swarm used to be. You got lucky, Florence. Your home and people are safe.” Florence started to smile to that before Daniel shook his head, with the monarch then showing concern again.

“But next time you may not be so lucky. If we were allies we could help defend you, if you had friends to call upon for help you wouldn’t be alone. But right now if another swarm comes your way nobody will help you. You could all die, alone.”

“Think of your daughter,” Triska said, with Florence looking back to Complica who was watching her with worried eyes. “What do you want her to grow up to be? A monster that lies and rapes others, that won’t truly be loved or cared for, or a kindhearted girl who wouldn’t be alone in this world.”

Florence gazed at her daughter for a while before lowering her head in silence, with the hall of butterflies watching her curiously and waiting to hear her verdict. Falla and Luna glanced to each other with worried eyes then to Daniel as he and Triska waited for the monarch to make her decision. After thinking about it Florence turned to Daniel with a careful eye, a finger being brought up to her chin in question as she tilted her head slightly.

“Why is it you want humans and monsters to be allies with one another?”

“Because I don’t believe we need to be enemies,” Daniel replied honestly. “There are some monsters such as Darker Ones who are a threat to us all. We should only be enemies with them, not each other. We can live with one another, we can help each other grow and survive. Or, if you prefer, we can all hate each other and slowly die off together. If that’s the future you want for your daughter then I’ll take my leave, I can’t force you to do anything after all.”

“And just how do you plan to make all this a reality?” Florence laughed with no amusement in her voice. “Even if you truly do feel something for a monster it doesn’t mean all humans do. In fact you’re the only one I’ve ever known to talk about such ideas as living together as allies.”

“I’m going to be traveling to Rockhelm soon,” Daniel explained.

“The human kingdom in this region,” Florence recalled.

“Yes, that’s the one. I’m going to speak to the queen about my idea of peace. Of course if I walk right up to her like this and tell her what I think she’s likely to have me thrown in jail for being a crazy person. So I need proof that monsters can control their nature, that they can resist from stooping to any level in order to get a man. That they can control themselves around us, that we could really be allies in this world.”

“Our nature?”

“Your desire to breed,” Daniel clarified. “It can be overwhelming for many monsters, some being unable to go against their own body’s desire to have sex.”

“We can get a little restless if we don’t have anyone to quell that need,” Florence agreed. “I dare say it would be impossible for monsters to live with humans without succumbing to the need to breed with them.”

“It’s possible,” Luna said with a nod. The monarch looked to her curiously as the girl walked over to Daniel’s side. “There’s a feeling that makes it so much easier for us to control ourselves. Love.”

“Love?” Florence mocked.

“I’ve never forced myself on Daniel, not once,” Luna explained with a smile. “He makes me so happy being around that I’m already content. And I know that if I do something bad with him I could lose him forever, I would lose his love for me forever. And that’s enough to make me want to be a good girl and not rape him.”

“You can’t be serious,” Florence said shaking her head.

“It’s true,” Falla insisted. “I’ve seen a witch, an ant girl, a nixie, and hell even a centaur fight their nature to breed. And that’s how they do it, they have someone to love and who loves them, it’s enough to give them the strength to not be rapists around humans.”

Florence looked at them questionably then to Daniel as he nodded in agreement.

“And those same monsters are ones that are helping me just as Falla and Luna are. We’re traveling the world in search of proof that monsters can be trustworthy, that they can control their nature and be real allies with us and each other. We have the support of an ant girl queen and an alpha witch of this region. Two rulers have agreed to give peace a chance, and we want you to stand with us as well.”

“They agreed to such a wild idea?” Florence asked skeptically.

“They did, but just them isn’t enough. So we also plan to visit the centaurs, the elves, the nixies, and any others we can find who will be willing to give peace a chance. If I can gather enough support to present to my queen then maybe she will listen.” He smiled a bit and nodded before looking up distantly, watching the sparkling waterfall glistening in the air near them.

“I know you don’t speak for all giant butterflies in Eden. None of the rulers I’ve talked to speak for all their kind worldwide, and I know even my queen doesn’t enforce the law everywhere, but it’s a start, it’s where we can be heard and seen to make a difference.”

“You’re serious about this,” Florence said with wonder. “You truly think giant butterflies and humans can exist in peace together? That your kind will accept us for how we are if we stop deceiving them?”

“They can,” Daniel answered looking back to her with a smirk. “So let’s try this again. Florence, how many men are here in Flairwood?”

Everyone watched as the monarch remained silent and showed an uneasy frown. Slowly she glanced back to Complica who was looking at Daniel with wonder then around at all the butterflies that were curiously watching them and remaining quiet. She hesitated then turned back to Daniel and opened her mouth to speak before pausing again.

“Don’t lie,” Luna worriedly said.

“Please, we need to be honest from now on,” Falla pleaded.

“How many, Florence?” Triska asked.

“Mother?” Complica softly said while stepping closer.

Florence closed her eyes and showed a conflicted frown before looking at Daniel with concern again, biting her lip slightly before glancing down and away from everyone.

“68 human men are here,” she softly admitted.

“And how many of them were deceived into coming here?” Daniel questioned.

Florence kept looking away while fidgeting slightly before turning back to him with remorse.

“All of them.”

“Where are they?” Triska inquired.

“They were taken to some of the higher homes in the trees surrounding the grove when we heard about the swarm. We were going to take them with us when we left Flairwood.” She then looked to Daniel with an uneasy frown. “You want us to tell them the truth, don’t you? They’ll all leave, every single one of them, they may even break our homes if they’re told the truth.”

Daniel looked down for a moment in thought then glanced to Falla, the girl smirking at him with a small shrug.

“A deal is a deal, Daniel,” she admitted. “You got through to my monarch. I’ll tell them all personally if you want.”