Parry was toddling ahead of Rikive, on the alert for fairies, nixies and pixies with every step. He was not about to argue with the big lady wielding the sword, but he kept close to her every step of the way, always within arm's reach.

The hedge was a magical and dangerous place, but the lack of any up front attackers or guards, with not even a "Hello, how do you do?" for them had Parry doubly on edge and afraid of his own shadow. Which was probably bad, considering his current potty skills.

"It's not like I go out of my way to antagonize her," Parry said, moving a thorn branch out of Rikive's way so her hair wouldn't get tangled. "We have a... rivalry. I'm the best dressed and she throws the best parties. We keep trying to beat the other in the social scenes."

In Parry's opinion the fairy queen was the most pompous, posturing and vain individual to ever walk the face of the earth, and no one could tell him otherwise.

Pot, meet kettle.

"I just threw that one party last night for- HIC!" Parry's fell back again on his diapered butt, the thorn branch swinging into Rikive's hair. He shook himself off again, stood up on wobbly legs and reached for the branch- only to feel his arms not quite reach as high. His overall sleeves extended further up his arms and he could feel his diaper starting to droop a little bit.

[i]Potion's wearing off![/i]

Fingers moving delicately, he untangled Rikive's hair from the branch and let her pass.

After Rikive's hair was well away of the thorn branch, Parry let the branch go and toddled back ahead of Rikive as fast as he could.

On and on they went, deeper into the hedge. Parry could swear they'd made a few twists and turns, and he was getting more and more nervous with every passing minute. He was absolutely terrified that another hiccup would leave him too small to walk, or too dumb to talk. Time passed differently in the Hedge, but not completely out of walk.

[i]Hell, if we were a few minutes later getting to the park, I might already be sucking on my thumb![/i]

He paused in his walk when the tunnel ahead seemed to grow wider and brighter. At first Parry couldn't believe his eyes, thinking it was a mirage or a trick. But as he toddled closer he could see more clearly the outlines of the Queen's Hall.

It wasn't a building in the traditional sense. Even from a distance Parry could see the raised tree, its roots and trunk not sunk directly into the ground but raised up, providing a kind of open-air court. The Queen favored Springtime, so aside from the occasional rainfall it was suitable to have an open air court. At any time a hundred fairy knights were in attendance, with fauns, nixies, pixies and others entertaining the Queen herself at the dais of her throne. 

Red-Haired, clad in white silk and with a pair of her own colorful wings, she presided over an eternal party in her honor.

"We're almost there Riki! [b][i]HIC![/i][/b]"

Parry landed square on his backside again. When he tried to stand back up, Parry's legs wobbled like jello and he nearly fell over again until he found his balance.

"Hurry up!"