![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa911795f-a847-45ff-a578-a2a6ac4a9925_1280x864.jpeg)
Deep in her forest, the ancient dryad dreams of flying. She meets them at its edge, these luminous beings. Fluttering bits of brightly hued gossamer delight her with aerial antics.
A butterfly princess alights on her outstretched hand, acknowledging her queen, then takes flight, joining her sisters in the sky.
This story comes from another Laura prompt: forest, sky, butterfly. I found the picture before I found the story. Initially, I didn’t see anything deeper than an encounter at a forest’s edge. However, I’m reading a fantasy series in which I am reminded of the constraints of leadership, and it leaked into the story, with a queen tied to her duty, while her court enjoys a freedom she does not.
So beautiful!!