The Cuckoo's Eye

by Holly Campbell

  “Have a seat Blair,” he told me, leaning against the bed frame. “How much have you been told?”

  I perched awkwardly on the end of the bed, looking down at my feet.

  “Very little… I know that my family aren’t actually my family… at least I think… it’s a lot and very confusing…”

  “I can understand that. To start with, allow me to officially introduce myself. I am Lyr, crown prince of the fae. This place has many names but for simplicity’s sake, it is known as the Otherworld.” He crossed the room to a set of shelves built into the wall, extracting a bottle and glass. “Are you familiar with changelings? I think that would be the best place to start.”

  “I know of them…”

  “It was started as a practice in order to boost our falling numbers and strengthen our bloodlines. We have been declining for some time now. It is difficult for us to conceive, unlike the mortals who have no such difficulty. However, it was proven to be more trouble than it was worth so we outlawed it.” He fixed me with his intense silver eyes. “You are a changeling. Your mother was a fae called Cliona. You were her second child.”

  “Is she… are they…?”

  Lyr sighed and uncorked the bottle, filling the class with clear liquid.

  “Both Cliona and her first born are dead. As is the human child that she took in your place. I’m sorry.”

  I knotted my fingers together, looking at the ground. I wasn’t really sure how to feel. It was hard to mourn people I’d never met.

  “I… kind of expected it… after what I was told…”

  “I know how it feels to lose family. My mother, the former queen, had three children. Myself and my sisters, Neala and Liadan. At this time we were flourishing. My mother had forged a great kingdom and even relationships with some of the mortals, mutually beneficial arrangements. In our kind, the line of succession follows the female path. I knew it was unlikely I would ever rule, so instead I left to seek out… adventure. I married a mortal woman. I knew it would not be long term but… it was an experience. Liadan had wanted to leave at the same time I did but was expecting her first child. Once the infant was born, a healthy young girl, and old enough, she set out to adventure. She always was… spirited. Much like I did, she sort out humans. I do not know every detail of her travels, but I know that she eventually met a young man. When I spoke to her, she told me she was very much in love… it was her downfall in the end.”

  Lyr drained his glass and set it down.

  “Unfortunately the man she fell for had already caught the eye of another. I don’t know the exact details, everyone has their own version. But, this woman felt scorned when the man chose my sister. This woman also happened to be part of a family of powerful witches. Witches and fae have… bad blood between us. We always have. The witch was angry and cursed the man, placing him in the form of a beast. All magic has a way to undo it but this particular spell required a great sacrifice. Liadan and each of her descendants had to fall for this man to return to his human form. So for centuries, the beast hunted. And in turn, their blood was spilled.”

  “Cliona was…”

  “A descendant, yes. She was Liadan’s great great granddaughter. In fact your lineage was the reason I sent Rhydian to you. I did not want you to fall victim to the same fate. And the beast was getting troublingly close.” He came over to me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “And now you’re home. Where you belong.”

  “This is… I’m a princess?”

  “Yes. And, as the next female heir, should anything happen to my sister… you would become queen.”

  “What? No… no.” I jumped up from the bed, stumbling back.

  “I appreciate this is a great deal to understand. But as I said, our line of succession follows the women. After Neala, comes the next female descendant. And Neala has never had children, so that delight falls to you. But this is can wait. Let me show you to your room. You can get cleaned up and then we can welcome you to the court.”

  He took my hand and gently guided me from the room. I struggled to keep track of the endless maze of corridors, all of which looked identical. They snaked around one another with no discernible pattern.

  “I thought Liadan’s room would serve you,” Lyr told me as we reached a door clung with spiralling ivy. “It’s gone unused for too long.”

  I placed a hand on the door uncertainly. The ivy recoiled from me, parting to reveal a small ornate handle. Lyr nodded encouragingly. I opened the door.

  Unlike Lyr’s room, Liadan’s room was made of a white shell like substance. It felt open and airy, lit by that same unseen luminescence that pervaded the caves.

  “This is… this is beautiful...”

  “I am glad you like it. There is bathing facilities though there and there are clothes in the trunk which should fit you. You have much the same physique as Liadan did. I’ll send someone to collect you a little later… I should go and… forewarn my sister. To ensure she behaves herself.”

  He gave me a parting smile and left, closing the door.

  I looked around the room, marvelling at the beauty of it while also suppressing the terror of what I’d gotten myself into.

  Relax, think logically, one thing at a time.

  First, I needed to change out of my wet clothes. I opened up the trunk that Lyr had indicated and began to sort through. There were layers of beautiful dresses, cloaks, skirts, all folded neatly inside. Beneath them was a tidy row of shoes, some belts and other accessories. Tucked in the corner of the trunk was a large flat box. My curiosity rose and I reached in, pulling up the lid. Inside were garments that appeared to have been made of toughened leather along with some sort of harness. I examined it, wondering what I’d stumbled across, and quickly realized it was a thigh sheath. The knife that matched with it was buried under the clothing in the box.

  I set the knife and sheath aside. Perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to stay on my guard. Lyr had been nothing but nice so far but there was something… off about him. And of course, I couldn’t forget the last person who’d been nice to me. I’d keep the knife nearby, just in case.

  Feeling a little safer, I selected a dark blue dress and headed into the area Lyr had pointed out as the bathroom. There was a large pool with water cascading into it, a natural fall in place of a shower. Smart.

  Washing helped me feel a little more like myself. I dressed and braided my hair. As I was doing so, I noticed that some of the strands appeared lighter. I frowned and ran my fingers through a clump of my hair, watching as the colours rippled from my own fierce red to a pale gold. I quickly let go of my hair, unwilling to examine it further. My eyes were probably playing tricks on me. The strange luminescence of the chambers were distorting my sight or something.

  I went back into the main room and perched on the bed to put on the thigh sheath. I fumbled with the multiple straps and buckles, muttering curses to myself as I struggled.

  “You’re doing that wrong.”

  I lifted my head to see Rhydian loitering in the doorway.

  “What?”

  “That’s not how you do it. You’re putting it on incorrectly.”

  He came over and knelt, taking my leg in his hand.

  “Hey! Stop that!”

  “Shush. I’ve enough experience with these, I know what I’m doing.” His hand slipped under the hem of my dress, pushing it up until my thigh was exposed. “Are you angry with me?”

  “For pushing me into a lake? Or for the lies?”

  “I didn’t lie.”

  “You did.”

  “I’m a fae. We are incapable of lying.”

  “Deceiving. Omitting. Whatever you want to call it.”

  His fingers skimmed across my leg as he worked at the buckles of the sheath. I pulled back instinctively, the action making him look up at me.

  “I am sorry if your feelings got hurt Blair. I was sent to make sure that you stayed alive and that seemed like the easiest route to do so. You were in a very precarious position.
I’ve never seen a fae have the beast snuggle up in bed with her before.”

  “Wh…what?”

  “The beast. The one who slayed pretty much your entire family? Who you had living in your bedroom?”

  “You mean my dog…?”

  A horrible realization settled on me and I felt bile rising in my throat. I had to fight the urge not to vomit. Rhydian chuckled.

  “You’re thinking about all the things you did in front of that creature aren’t you?”

  “Yes. Oh god… I knew he was smart but I never thought… you’re telling me that he was a man?”

  “Kind of. I’m not sure how much of his human mind remains but probably enough to take note of what he saw.”

  “I was naked in front of him!”

  “You’ve been naked in front of me. It’s not a high bar.” I kicked him in the chest. “You’re really more concerned about your nudity than the fact you had a murderer sharing your bed?”

  “Don’t make this worse… I already want to be sick.”

  Rhydian ducked his head, hiding an amused smirk, and focused on the harness. With deft fingers, he secured it to my thigh.

  “There. That wasn’t so difficult, was it? I’d recommend you keep that on you whenever possible. Better to be safe than sorry after all.”

  “Thank you,” I muttered, unwilling to look at him. I tugged down my dress, covering my bare legs. Rhydian straightened up and swept his eyes across the chamber.

  “I shouldn’t be in here… but I just wanted to return this.” He extracted my sketchbook from inside his jacket. “I couldn’t find the rest of your bag I’m afraid. And I, err, wanted to warn you…”

  “Is it a warning about trusting dark haired strangers who appear out of nowhere to mess with your life?”

  “Blair, come on, are you going to keep sulking about that? I was doing what I had to, and it’s not like you made it particularly difficult.”

  I got to my feet.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded.

  “If you weren’t so desperate for anyone to love you, I never would have gotten so close.”

  I glared at him.

  “Rhydian, I am armed. Is it really a good idea to annoy me?”

  His eyes flickered down to my legs where the knife was concealed, and he made a face.

  “Fair point, well made. Look, I’m sorry. But I just wanted to tell you that… the prince and the queen are… slippery. You need to be careful. We may not be able to lie but we are experts at deceiving.”

  Rhydian turned and swept over to the door, faltering as he reached for the handle.

  “Oh, and don’t eat the food.”

  And with that, he was gone.

  *****

  Not long after Rhydian’s visit, I was collected from the room by a severe looking woman. She wore clothes of brown leather in a similar style to the ones that had been hidden with the knife in Liadan’s trunk. I was curious as to if it was some kind of uniform, but was too intimidated to ask.

  The woman led me to an enormous room with a domed roof. Flowers and plant life grew wild across the walls. Most of the room was taken up with long tables, many already filled but at one end was a throne, furnished from elegant silver branches. There was a large balcony that extended out over the room where a smaller table had been placed. I noticed that the plants seemed to have been arranged to form a curtain, currently pulled back, that could hide the upper area from view.

  As we crossed the throne room, the occupants paused in their conversations to examine me. I could feel their eyes burning into my back with every step and I tried not to let my fear show.

  The woman reached a set of stairs that I had failed to notice before. Two men in the same uniform as her were positioned at the bottom. I noted a large sword strapped to each of their waists.

  “Her majesty and his royal highness will join you shortly in the upper mezzanine,” the woman said. She bowed once and walked off.

  I glanced at the guards nervously. One stared straight ahead as though I wasn’t there, but the other gave me a brief encouraging smile and inclined his head, silently indicating for me to go up the stairs.

  I climbed swiftly, still feeling like I was being watched by the entire assembly. The balcony was tastefully decorated, and despite being exposed to the rest of the room it was oddly quiet. The table in the centre was set with seats for five, three along one side and the remaining two at either end. This meant that no one was facing away from the room below and I wondered if that was some kind of royal etiquette. I wasn’t sure which seat was mine, so I decided to just stand nearby until someone came.

  I was surprised by how remarkably calm I was. Yes there were some nerves but I had anticipated a breakdown considering everything that had happened and everything I had been told. But no, my breathing was even and my heart was steady.

  While I waited I examined the roof, which had been decorated to resemble a night sky. There were constellations dotted around and in the centre the phases of the moon formed a loose ring.

  “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” a voice came from behind me, making me jump.

  I turned to see a woman standing a few feet away. She wore a gown of deep purple and had long inky black hair that hung down to her waist. Her eyes were rimmed with dark make up emphasizing her eyes which were a brilliant silver. Atop her head was a band of gold.

  “You must be Blair,” the woman said with a kind smile. “I’m Neala.”

  If the crown hadn’t been enough, the name confirmed it. I dropped into a hurried and clumsy curtsey.

  “Your m…m…majesty,” I stammered out, eyes to the ground.

  She laughed and placed a hand under my chin, lifting it to look at her. The action startled me further as she had moved so silently and quickly I’d not noticed her close the gap between us.

  “There is no need for such formalities. We are family after all. Stand up straight, let me see you.” I did as she asked and the queen ran her eyes over me. “Hmm… you’re quite pretty. I can see why my brother has developed such an infatuation with you.”

  “He… he…”

  “Come now, no need to be bashful. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable at the table?” She glided over to the table and seated herself in the centre chair.

  “Where do I sit?”

  “You sit to my right. The head of the royal household takes the middle chair, the crown princess to the right and the crown prince to the left.”

  “What about those seats at the end?”

  “Those are reserved for the wards of the court. When one of our community loses their family, they are placed into our care. Usually they eat with the others but on special occasions they join us at the high table.”

  I dutifully sat to her right, folding my hand in my lap. Neala was watching me intently, making me shift uncomfortably. She reminded me of a predatory bird, eyeing a mouse it was about to eat. I was relieved to hear footsteps approaching and a moment later we were joined by Lyr and two young looking girls who I assumed were the wards of the court.

  “Neala, my dear,” Lyr kissed her on the cheek and took his seat. “And Blair, you look beautiful.”

  “Thank you,” I said, trying not to blush.

  Neala rose from her seat and approached the edge of the balcony. She cleared her throat and the hall below instantly fell silent.

  “Tonight is an auspicious occasion. We welcome one who was lost back to our community and raise our glasses to our new crown princess.”

  The assembly lifted their glasses in my direction before taking a deep drink. I ducked my head, unused and uncomfortable with the attention I was receiving. Lyr leant over to me and touched my hand lightly.

  “Relax,” he whispered. “No one expect anything on your first night. Just smile.”

  Neala returned to her chair and clapped her hands. Servants began to emerge from unseen entrances bearing plates of food and crystal glasses filled with what looked like red wine.

  “Y
ou may want to go easy with the drink tonight Blair,” Lyr warned me. “If I recall you had quite a strong reaction to it last time.”

  “I appreciate the warning.”

  A plate and a glass were placed before me. It looked and smelled delicious but Rhydian’s warning stirred in my brain. Don’t eat the food he had said. Did I want to trust him again?

  Lyr and Neala were talking together and I tuned into their conversation, keen to learn whatever I could about my new home. It was a little hard to follow what they were saying but it involved something to do with a kelpie and leprechaun.

  “Blair you’re not eating,” Lyr noted.

  “I don’t have much of an appetite,” I replied with a shrug.

  “That can happen when you switch from the mortal world to this one. You may also struggle with your sleep for a little while, it can be difficult to adjust to the lake of perceivable time down here. It will get easier,” Neala explained. “How do you like our little kingdom?”

  “It’s not what I expected.”

  “Were you expecting us to live in flowers and such?” Neala laughed.

  “I hadn’t given it much thought. My Nan used to tell me stories but I never really… thought of them as more than stories. Can I ask, are the eyes a fae thing?”

  “Yes. There are many species who inhabit the otherworld with us and each possesses unique eyes. In time you’ll have to learn to the qualities of each and every one,” Lyr told me. Neala rolled her eyes.

  “My brother, always the teacher’s pet. Blair there is only one thing that matters.” She pointed to her eyes. “Those with eyes like these possess royal blood. That’s the only important thing.”

  “But that’s just the three of us right? Because neither of you have kids?”

  “Brother, what have I told you about discussing my reproduction?” Neala asked, glaring at Lyr.

  “Categorically not to. But I was just explaining to Blair about our little family. I hardly think that’s unfair,” he drawled.