Evie didn't know how to tell Niels. Whatever she wanted. Whatever she needed to say. There are millions of teenage couples out there who do nothing more than spend all their evenings in cinemas or fast food restaurants. Well, they might kiss each other when they meet to tease their classmates, especially the smart girls in the front of the class. Evie hadn't even decided what she really wanted: dating, kissing, or twirling around at the prom?

Niels was a redhead and rather odd. Sometimes moody, sometimes mysterious. But he looked so cool. Perfect.

"If Roxy becomes High Minister, Thea and I will be her princesses. And I have to have a prince! Of course, Roxy will be together with Edol – as king and queen. But I won't be left out, either," Evie decided to herself.

"In general, I'm always in the shadows. But it's for the best – I don't go for leading roles. We're so different. But when I start dating, everyone will be jealous. That someone needs me. I'll never be lonely…"

– Already back? " Galya asked Louise in surprise as she untied the strap on her sandals. "It would be good to buy sneakers".

– Yes. I was hungry," the girl replied.

– I put some lentil patties in the oven. But I know that's not the only reason.

– Everything has gone wrong. Niels is a military man. He knows my face. The pimple face. He won't kill me? " Louise asked with a note of fear in her voice.

– Are you serious? Where did you see him? " wondered the old woman.

– At the Glade. A whole troop of soldiers came there.

– Really? That can't be true! And what were they doing there?

– Well. running, doing push-ups, drinking something out of tin cans.

– Hmm, weird. Didn't they have any weapons? Swords or guns?

– Nothing.

– Then you shouldn't worry. They wouldn't kill anyone even if they wanted to. I think they're just practicing. Learning.

– But why here? Who invited them to our world? Niels?

– Do you miss him?

– What?

– The spark was real. Like all Butterflies, future or present. Your mom had it too.

– Did what?" the girl didn't understand. Galya almost never told details about her parents. The girl only knew that she would have wings. Because that's the way it's supposed to be.

– Whether you like it or not, your souls were linked at that moment. For eternity," Galya began to explain, but Louise had to interrupt her, as she usually did:

– You mean the moment we met?

– Yeah, that's what I mean. You looked into each other's eyes, didn't you?

– We did, Galya. So bottomless, but empty. And clear, like crystal. No, not empty, not empty at all!

– You're a Butterfly, Louise. And the love of a Butterfly is not an easy thing. It's the second time in my life, though it's been a long time. What a miracle!

– Are you saying Butterflies can't love human boys? Where would they find someone to love?

– Nowhere, dear. I used to be a butterfly myself. And I live alone. As you can see, I still do," Galina said, probably trying to emphasize a certain sense of pride.

– Alone? But, Galya, you are not alone. To be more precise, you… we live together!

– You realize that I'm talking about something another, " said Galya slyly.

– W… well, yes, okay. So what about the Butterflies? What will happen to me?

– I'm not forbidding you to love, Louise. The heart can't forbid it. And I don't want you to suffer. At least not for the next six years.

– What will happen in six years? " Louise asked insistently. She hadn't even gotten off the hallway rug yet.

– You're not ready for this conversation yet, baby. Grow up a little more, please.

– But I'm a teenager now! How…" she objected.

– I don't disagree that your body is changing. But please, talk to your mind. Make it serious.

– You said that at eighteen I would become a butterfly. I'll fly and do a little magic. Eat nectar. Travel the skies. Isn't that all?

– No, that's not all.

– Will I get wings on my birthday?

– What? " Galya was surprised by this change of subject.

– Well, I mean, how is the transformation? Is it painful or…

– My little bunny, let's calm down. Go to your room and take a nap. I'll wake you up when the cutlets are ready.

– Galya, I… I want to see my mom.

– I'm sure she's already read your letter.

– So soon? " objected the girl. Even the best mail in the world does not deliver mail so quickly. Unless it's pigeon mail. But Louise hadn't seen any pigeons lately.

– Maybe you're right. I need to calm down. I'll put things in order," she said softly and went to her room. What she missed now was a mother's simple love! … Any mother can tell you whether Niels is good or bad.

It's she. She's definitely she. What the is this? What is she even doing in his life? She just barged in by accident, that's all. Oh, she walked in quietly. Little Louise and almost grown-up Niels. Has a silly name and is finishing his service. Definitely no university next, only Latin. Mom doesn't mind that.

Louise is lucky – her parents probably don't control her every move, so she can walk and wander wherever she wants. I wonder where she lives? What school does she go to? And how old is she? Is she human?

Niels arrived home completely exhausted and immediately collapsed on the bed. The teaching had gone by rather quickly, but he still ran out of energy. It was good that tomorrow was Sunday. They'll be able to meet. They'll see each other.

– Are you here?" Mom came into the room. She was wearing slippers and a pink robe – typical "mom" clothes. But Louise had never seen Galya like that.

– No, Mom, I crawled in. Can't you see I'm here? Or should I have answered that I'm not here? " Niels grinned back. And really, what kind of ridiculous questions are these?

– Don't yell at your mother, rude boy!" she exclaimed and slammed the door. Niels remained in the room, as if scalded by boiling water. What a load of crap! …

"Tomorrow I'll have to get Louise's phone number. Well, no way to chase her out of my heart! …"

Niels still gathered all his boyish strength into a fist and went to the window – to take a breath of fresh air and look at the stars. They were so bright! Like eyes.

In her native hut, sitting on her bed, Louise did the same thing. The stars were beautiful. In fairy tales, loving hearts often reach upwards, towards the sky. Into the vast cosmos. However, Louise and Niels hadn't heard much about it. Why read stories written by someone else when you can create your own?

You may ask: why does it all happen so strangely? They see each other's eyes and fall in love – is that how it happens? Louise was a young girl who had hardly ever known any love. Parents were far away, and for what – unclear. Why hide from the world, if Louise is still a human being? Previously, the girl always thought that it would be better for her to first live in a big city, and then hide her wings from prying eyes. But she had always been grateful to Galya, because small children, and even more so teenagers, could be obnoxious at times.

Elizabeth hadn't realized that her daughter had met a boy. She and Edward decided to leave the girl in Steppes and Fields with Galya. Galina is a proven person, because she was also a Butterfly in the past. Louise will grow up to be a real princess. At the age of eighteen she will get what she never dreamed of – power, wealth and servants. And most importantly, magic. The girl will master it perfectly – Galya will take care of it. Everything was going to be all right. The big day was still six years away, but Mom and Dad often thought about how they would come and get Louise and take her away. Tell her who she was. But how will the girl take it all? Of course, the girl knows that she will become a Butterfly – Galya told her long ago. But the daughter does not know everything. The reins will fall into her hands. The reins of power. To command and control people. That's the way it's decided. That's not to say the parents want it that way – yet for every father and mother, it would always be better for their child to be perfectly ordinary. Lived among peers, went to school and had friends. What else is needed? And mom and dad would go to work, and on weekends would get out all together to the movies or the bike park. But in the magical story everything is different: Louise "languishes" in a shack at the Glade, and Elizabeth and her husband live in a high-rise, trying on the roles of office workers. It will be like this for another six years – until the year two thousand twenty-eight, life will go on as usual. Then they will see her – their daughter, all grown up and ready for anything.