Circe found Nanny and the Fairy Godmother sitting down to a pot of tea in the beautiful sunlit morning room. The large glass double doors were open to the garden, which was in full bloom. Nanny looked up from her conversation with her sister when Circe walked in.

“Circe, did you speak to Snow? Has her mother tried contacting her?”

“No, I don’t think she can. I enchanted the house so no one can come in—even through the mirrors. Except for me.” Circe sat down and helped herself to the tea and cakes that sat there, untouched. Both fairies looked distressed, their brows furrowed in exactly the same fashion, and for the first time, Circe noticed the similarities between the sisters. They didn’t look like sisters, really, but they acted like sisters, and they shared some of the same mannerisms. But there was something more. Circe couldn’t explain it. There was a bond between them Circe hadn’t noticed before. A bond surely formed in the wake of Maleficent’s death.

“Did you tell her she should go back to her own kingdom?” asked Nanny as Circe poured tea into the delicate rose-patterned teacups. Circe shook her head. The truth was that Circe had been tempted to, but she just couldn’t bring herself to send Snow back to her old life. Not until Snow was ready. She wanted her to face her possessive mother a stronger woman. And now more than ever she wanted to keep her close, since she knew her mothers’ hatred had originally been directed at Snow before Grimhilde diverted their attentions.

“I knew it was a terrible idea, bringing that girl here,” said Nanny, her hand shaking, spilling her tea all over the tablecloth.

“She isn’t a girl, she’s a grown woman! And what would you have me do? Ship her off to her horrible mother? Doom her to spending her days endlessly consoling her mother for trying to kill her as a child? That is not a life!” Circe could see Nanny was upset, so she reined in her anger. “Nanny, I’m sorry, I couldn’t bring myself to tell Snow her mother threatened us. She would have insisted on leaving right away,” she said, looking at Nanny and realizing she was more than upset. “Nanny, are you all right? When was the last time you slept or ate something? Your hands are shaking.”

Nanny patted Circe’s hand tenderly. Her powdery soft skin felt like thin vellum to Circe. She seemed much more delicate to Circe now, almost fragile, and it made Circe worry to see Nanny so exhausted. She wanted to bundle her up right then and there, tuck her into a cozy bed, and surround her with soft pillows. She was tempted to put a sleeping spell on her, just so the old woman could get some rest. So she could dream and be at peace.

“The last thing I need is to be trapped in the land of dreams with your mothers, Circe. The queen Grimhilde will move heaven and earth to get her daughter back, and if your mothers do manage to bring Maleficent back, you need my help,” said Nanny wearily.

“What do you mean trapped with the odd sisters? Who said anything about sending you there?” The Fairy Godmother was beside herself.

“No, dear. I’m sorry. I forget you can’t read minds. Circe thinks I could do with an enchanted sleep.”

The Fairy Godmother yawned. “Well, I think we all could, what with dragons attacking the castle, and the ghost of Grimhilde threatening us! You know who we have to blame for this, don’t you?” The Fairy Godmother gave Circe an apologetic smile and continued. “I’m sorry to say it, dear, but this is all your mothers’ fault! I daresay they won’t ever be getting out of the dreamscape, not if we can help it!” The Fairy Godmother stood up on wobbly legs and tottered over to Circe, then snatched the enchanted mirror from her hands and muttered apologies. “I’m sorry, my dear. Now, please, if you don’t mind, we should try to find your mothers before they raise everyone they’ve murdered from the dead and turn them against us!”

Circe rolled her eyes. “That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think? My mothers don’t have the power to raise the dead! Certainly not Ursula. Maleficent, maybe, since she just passed.” Circe doubted her own words but found it hard to entertain anything the Fairy Godmother said, because she was so histrionic and set in antiquated ways.

“They trapped Grimhilde’s soul in one of their magic mirrors! Who knows what other dark powers they possess? Ursula and Maleficent may swoop upon us at any moment!” Circe sighed but said nothing as she glared at the Fairy Godmother. “What? Share your thoughts!” snapped the Fairy Godmother, giving Circe a dirty look, which had until that moment been out of character for her.

“Well, if those women had had fairies to protect them, perhaps they wouldn’t be dead and now at the whim of my mothers!”

The Fairy Godmother looked like she might faint at the prospect. “What in the Fairylands are you suggesting, young lady?”

Circe tried to make her voice sweet. “I’m suggesting we rethink who benefits from fairy magic. Shouldn’t it be our duty to help all those in need?”

“If I recall,” the Fairy Godmother said shrewdly, “you haven’t yet accepted our offer to make you an honorary wish-granting fairy. And if this is the way you intend to conduct yourself in the name of the Fairylands, giving help to the likes of those horrible creatures, then I think I may reconsider the offer!” The Fairy Godmother eyed Circe reproachfully.

Just then, Tulip bounded into the morning room, all smiles. “Well, I don’t know what Oberon will think of that!” she said. The Fairy Godmother flinched at Oberon’s name, remembering his rebukes when he first arrived at Morningstar. Circe snickered, and then smiled at Tulip’s outfit, taking delight in her suspicion that it likely scandalized the Fairy Godmother. And she was right.

“What in the Fairylands are you wearing, young lady?” Fairy Godmother was shaking with disapproval, but Tulip just laughed it off. Circe tried not to laugh, herself.

“Oh, Circe, I am so happy to see you!” The ladies kissed each other on the cheeks, laughing in their joy of reuniting—and at the Fairy Godmother’s reaction, though it made them feel slightly guilty to do so.

“Tulip! Look at you. You’ve become quite the lady since I saw you last!” Tulip looked radiantly happy.

“I wouldn’t say she looks like a lady at all!” the Fairy Godmother huffed. “Wearing trousers! It’s a scandal!” Tulip just laughed again at the Fairy Godmother’s fussing.

“And what would you have me wear while romping with the Tree Lords? Oberon agrees it’s very sensible.”

The Fairy Godmother wrinkled her nose at Tulip. “What does your young prince think of you romping around, as you put it, with the Tree Lords—in trousers, no less! Shouldn’t you be planning a wedding, my dear?”

Tulip gave the Fairy Godmother one of her flashing smiles, which meant she was trying not to become impatient with the meddling old woman. “Well, if you really must know, my dear sweet Popinjay also thinks my outfit is very sensible! And I have no intention of marrying him or anyone. Who has time for wedding planning when I have so much work to do with Oberon, restoring the land after it was devastated in the battle? Seriously, Fairy Godmother, don’t be so old-fashioned.”

Nanny smiled. “Well, don’t let your mother hear you talking like that. I think she’d share my sister’s opinion.”

“I know she would!” snapped the Fairy Godmother.

Circe chimed in. “Oh, stop it, the both of you. I think Tulip looks beautiful. More importantly, she looks happy! And she’s living her life as she chooses. As I always wanted for her. And I think she’s right: Oberon would approve of extending the fairies’ reach beyond the princesses.”

“Now look here! I won’t have you all ganging up on me!” said the Fairy Godmother, looking to Nanny. “Sister, I suppose you side with your blond beauties?” she squealed.

“I’m afraid I do, Sister. You know I do! This is something I’ve wanted for our kind for a long time.”

Circe was proud of Nanny. “I think it’s time to make the decision now to help all those in need if it’s within our power,” she said, beaming at being supported by Nanny and Tulip.

“Something like this has to be brought to the fairy council first, Circe. But I wouldn’t do anything to upset them, not right now,” the Fairy Godmother said.

“And why not?” Circe asked. Nanny and the Fairy Godmother shared a look. “What? What aren’t you telling me?” Circe’s smile diminished.

“Circe,” Nanny said gently, “there’s something we have to tell you. The Council—”

“Your mothers are about to be put on trial!” the Fairy Godmother blurted, almost happily. “The fairies are building a case against them.”

“A trial? What do you mean? Shouldn’t we be focusing on stopping them from escaping? Keeping them from dredging up the dead to help them in their cause?” Circe’s voice rose in frustration.

“We must go about things properly, Circe! The council must weigh in. There has to be a trial before we take any further action against them. Oberon is already angry that we put your mothers to sleep without taking everything into account, and with this trial, we will,” said the Fairy Godmother.

“When were you going to tell me? Was I even going to be asked to attend?”

The Fairy Godmother eyed Circe carefully. “I might have asked you, but after your remarks today, I’m not sure it’s a good idea. I don’t think you are impartial when it comes to your mothers.”

“Now, wait, Sister. Circe is the one who took away her mothers’ powers and locked them in the dreamscape. She may not be impartial, but she wants to see justice just as much as we do. We are all on the same side. And nothing will be solved if we’re divided.” Nanny turned to Circe. “And, my dear, as much as I don’t like it, this really should go to trial. We all have to decide together what should be done about your mothers.”

The Fairy Godmother grinned smugly. “Then it’s all decided. The matter of the odd sisters will go before the fairy council.”

“But someone has to find out what my mothers are really up to! Someone has to stop them! We can’t waste time on this ridiculous trial when there are more immediate dangers. We all know they’ve done reprehensible things, we don’t have to prove it.” Circe was becoming even more impatient.

“You’re right, my dear, we don’t need to prove it. But we do need to decide what the consequences should be for the damage they’ve done. We must decide what should be done about them, once and for all—and keep them from ever causing this kind of destruction again.” Malice twinkled in the Fairy Godmother’s eye. “I’m sure the three good fairies will want to weigh in.”

“Oh, I’m sure they would!” Circe was about to say something unkind. She was out of patience with the Fairy Godmother. Surely it was up to her to decide what to do about her own mothers. She didn’t want the fairies to make that decision.

Nanny, who could read Circe’s thoughts, took her by the hand. “Circe, my darling, please don’t worry. Let me go to the Fairylands in your name while you find a way to stop your mothers. You trust me, do you not?”

Circe smiled. “Of course I trust you.”

“Well, then, let me do this for you. Besides, it’s been far too long since I visited the place of my birth. I might find that I feel differently about it now.”