Unseelie Queen

by J. C. Diem

  “I would very much like to meet this Jake Everett that Irindal has told me so much about,” Efrene murmured.

  They settled onto a log next to a fire that magically burned without fuel. Asha told her mother and the pixie everything that had happened to her since she’d arrived in the Unseelie realm. Hexam lay beside her and had fallen asleep almost instantly, bored with all the talking and occasional bouts of weeping.

  Drying her eyes again when she finally finished her tale, Asha felt drained. Irindal looked angry and was glowing more brightly than usual. “Men!” she declared, throwing her hands up. “They’re all idiots. It doesn’t matter what species they come from, they’re all the same.”

  “Agreed,” Efrene said with a fond smile at the tiny female. “I’ve not taken a mate, yet I assume that when I do, he will be just as annoying as the others.”

  Asha’s spine stiffened when she realized something. “Wasn’t Lod the first male you slept with?” she asked.

  “He was,” Efrene said, expression becoming sad.

  “Doesn’t that mean you’re bonded to him for life?” Asha was horrified by the idea.

  “Normally, that would be true, but my circumstances are different to the rest of the royals who preceded me,” Efrene explained. “My mother had only recently perished from the death of her chosen mate when I became the Queen. That is why I was wandering alone in the borderlands when the goblin came across me. He used magic to disguise himself and led me to belief he was a handsome and powerful fairy.

  “Grief stricken by my loss, I allowed him to bond with me, or so I thought. Instead of becoming tied to him, I felt no attachment form at all. He dropped his illusion, revealing his true form and grinned at me nastily, informing me that he’d just impregnated me. I was shocked and appalled, but it turned out to be true. The Seer found me a few weeks later and explained why I’d been chosen to bear a daughter. She also explained that a bond didn’t form between myself and the disgusting creature who stole my virtue due to the spell he used. It negated the magic that would have bound us together forever.”

  “That was a stroke of luck,” Irindal said with a shudder. “He’s an awful little monster. I’m glad he pretended to be a handsome fairy, though. Thinking you were bonding with a hot guy had to be better than being forced to have a tryst with a goblin.”

  Asha and Efrene shared a rueful, slightly amused look at the pixie’s blunt assessment. “That is true, I suppose,” the Dryad Queen agreed. “It doesn’t lessen the feeling that I was violated, though.”

  “I’m so sorry that happened to you, Mom,” Asha said.

  Tears filled Efrene’s eyes at the title she’d never thought she would hear from the daughter she’d been forced to give up. “Can you ever forgive me for abandoning you?” she asked, lips trembling from her emotions.

  “Of course I forgive you,” Asha said, taking her hands. “It wasn’t your fault this is my destiny. We were all chosen and we have to fulfil our roles. None of us have a choice.”

  Hexam opened one eye when the pair began to weep again, then closed it. Irindal was sniffing back tears of her own at the long-awaited reunion. She’d only gotten back here a few days ago and was exhausted from all the flying. That reminded her of why Efrene had sent her to the Unseelie palace. “Are you going to give Asha the gift?” she asked in an unsubtle hint.

  “What gift?” Asha asked as she and her mother pulled apart.

  “Do you know a gnome called Norg?” Efrene asked.

  “I never met him personally, but I know Jake rescued him from the goblin dungeon.”

  “He sent a brownie called Tomlin to me,” her mother explained and held her hand out. “Norg crafted a ring and asked me to give it to you. He says it will help you to distinguish the truth from a lie.” A small gold ring appeared on her palm and she held it out to her daughter.

  Asha picked it up and examined it. A spell was carved into the surface in flowery gnome script. “‘The truth will warm you and a lie will leave you cold’,” she read out loud.

  “What does that mean?” Irindal asked, fluttering over to sit on the dryad’s shoulder.

  “Put it on and see,” Efrene suggested.

  Asha cautiously slid the ring onto the middle finger of her right hand. She braced herself for something to happen, but nothing did. “I think it’s broken,” she said in disappointment.

  “Gnomes are powerful, clever beings,” Efrene said with a hint of a smile. “I believe I know what Norg’s intentions are. The ring is enchanted to warn you whenever you’re being lied to.”

  “Ooh, that sneaky little gnome,” Irindal said with a smirk. “Let’s test it!” Thinking hard, she came up with something. “You’re the ugliest person I’ve ever seen,” she declared.

  Asha flinched when the ring turned cold for a couple of seconds. “It worked!” she said in surprise. “Say something true,” she urged.

  “I love you, daughter,” Efrene said and warmth emanated from the ring.

  Unable to stop them, more tears filled Asha’s eyes. “I love you, too,” she said, then they began crying again.

  “I’m so glad I didn’t miss this,” Irindal wailed, then couldn’t hold back her own emotions any longer. Pixie dust fell from her as she sobbed. It landed on Asha’s shoulder, infusing her with magic.

  “You’re glowing,” Efrene said in wonder sometime later to the daughter she’d thought was lost to her forever.

  Asha looked down at herself to see her skin was glowing faintly. “You’re shedding pixie dust on me,” she said to Irindal with a watery grin.

  “It’s your fault for making me cry,” the pixie said in self-defense, then fluttered over to sit on the end of the log again.

  “Now that we’ve gotten that out of our systems, what are we going to do about your intended husband?” Efrene asked.

  “I don’t know,” Asha said, momentary amusement fading away. “I have to become bonded to Dacrith or the Unseelie realm will fall apart.”

  “The chaos is already beginning to spread here,” Irindal pointed out. “Storms have been reported in several areas and the borderlands are beginning to fade.”

  “When that buffer fails, both realms will know true pandemonium,” Efrene added grimly. As much as she hated to lose her daughter already, they couldn’t remain together for much longer.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  DACRITH FOUND THE ADVISORS sequestered in the same sitting room his father had always held his meetings in. He walked in unannounced and received affronted stares from them all. “Yes?” Lord Nicolaia asked pointedly. “Was there something we can do for you, your highness?”

  “I’m embarking on a quest in the morning,” Dacrith announced and held his hand out expectantly. A glass appeared a moment later, magically filled with wine by an invisible brownie.

  “What quest might this be?” Lord Vanse asked, yellow eyes glittering at the thought that the unwanted heir might disappear forever if he failed.

  “I’m going to free the brownies from their imprisonment.”

  Lady Mildra stifled a snort of laughter as their glasses were refilled as well. “Good luck, young man,” she said. “Your father made sure they are well hidden. Not even we know where they reside.”

  She cut her eyes to the side and he picked up on her lie. “Really?” Dacrith drawled, eyeing them all in disbelief. “You were Sindarian’s closest sycophants. Surely, one of you must know something of their whereabouts?”

  Uncomfortably sipping their beverages, none of them would meet his eyes. King Lod slurped down the black gunk that he found so tasty, then shook his head groggily. “Even if you could find the mound the brownies were taken to, you’ll never be able to free them without the use of strong magic.”

  The others looked at him sharply, then he shook off the momentary effects of whatever had been added to his drink. From the way he was looking around blankly, he had no idea what he’d just said.

  “Why would you choose to embark on a quest to free the bro
wnies?” Lord Nicolaia asked. “What possible gain could you have from this? Holding them hostage is the only way we can force the rest of the brownies that are within our realm to do our bidding.”

  “Asha plans to free them once she is Queen,” Dacrith said. “I will show her my support by making her wish a reality.”

  “Why?” Lord Vanse asked bluntly. “Who cares about the dryad’s silly wishes?”

  “I do,” the prince said quietly, then turned on his heel and left. The glass vanished from his hand before he’d taken three steps. He fought to hide his triumphant smile as he headed back to his room. Bindel, Olsa and Unwin appeared on a side table as he strode inside. “Did you hear?” he asked the trio.

  “We heard,” Unwin replied with a smirk.

  “Our kin are being held in a troll mound,” Olsa added.

  “Now we just have to figure out which one they’re hidden in,” Bindel said. She’d added a truth spell to the goblin’s drink. Normally, he would have been able to resist it. Thanks to his diminished magic, her ploy had worked. For the first time ever, a brownie spell had broken through a goblin’s innate defenses.

  “All troll mounds are connected,” Dacrith reminded them. “I simply have to find one, enter it and allow the quest to guide my steps. It will take me where I need to go.”

  “Most of the trolls were driven away by your father eons ago,” Unwin told him.

  That was news to Dacrith. “How?” he asked.

  “With the aid of the goblin army,” Bindel said sourly. “As far as we know, only a fraction of their number remains. They’re sequestered deep within their catacombs.”

  “They won’t be happy with a fairy intruding into their domain,” Olsa predicted. “If you’re in luck, their magic will be fading just like the rest of ours is.”

  Trolls had strong magic and they’d honed it to create all sorts of deadly traps to keep unwanted visitors out. It would take all of Dacrith’s cunning and skill to avoid them.

  “We can’t let him go alone,” Unwin said unhappily and exchanged a look with his wife.

  “I guess not,” Olsa said with a grimace. “I suppose we’d better go with him.”

  “I don’t need your help,” Dacrith said stiffly.

  They all looked at him incredulously. “You might have been able to make your wings manifest, but you can’t even scrounge up a meal for yourself,” Bindel pointed out bluntly.

  Dacrith opened his mouth to argue, then thought better of it. They might be tiny and useless in battle, but they could definitely be handy in other areas. “You’re right,” he admitted. “It’s doubtful I’ll be able to accomplish this alone. I would appreciate any assistance you can give me during this quest.”

  “It hurt you to say that, didn’t it?” Bindel said in pity.

  “I’m not accustomed to asking for help,” Dacrith said ruefully. “I’m doing this to please Asha.”

  “Is that the only reason?” Olsa prodded.

  Running a hand through his hair, the prince thought hard before responding. He’d learned his lesson about blurting out what was on his mind after Asha had run from him. “It was wrong of my father to imprison your kin and to force you into bondage. It is long past time the brownies were freed.”

  All three brownies goggled at that admission. “Maybe Asha was right,” Unwin said to his wife and friend. “Maybe Dacrith is different from the other fairies.”

  “He’d better be,” Bindel said darkly as thunder shook the palace and made the windows rattle alarmingly. “This realm will never be healed unless some drastic changes are made.”

  “We’d best be on our way,” Dacrith said.

  “We’re leaving now?” Olsa asked in dismay. “You told the advisors you’d be leaving in the morning.”

  “I lied,” he said with a shrug. “Unseelie fairies have been known to do that.”

  “We’re well aware of that,” the brownie replied dryly. “Most of you are very accomplished at it.”

  “I’ll wait here for Asha to return,” Bindel said. “Hopefully, her spirits will rise once she learns about your quest.”

  “You can feel her emotions?” Dacrith asked in surprise.

  “We can all feel her,” Olsa replied. “We’ve all chosen her to be our mistress and she has our unquestioned loyalty.”

  Only the most dedicated brownies could link strongly enough to those they served that they could pick up on their emotions. “Do you know where she is?” he asked.

  “It isn’t precise enough for us to know her exact location,” Unwin told him. “We can sense her distantly and we know she isn’t anywhere near us.” He hesitated and the warrior gave him an impatient frown. “The dryad has been crying,” he added.

  “A lot,” Olsa said succinctly with a glower. “She’s in pain and it’s all your fault.”

  Guilt wasn’t an emotion Dacrith was used to feeling, but it filled him now. “I will make this right,” he vowed and the bonds of his quest tightened even further.

  He opened the door and his hand went to his sword in reflex when he found someone standing in his way. “Yes?” he said curtly.

  “I heard you’re embarking on a quest, my lord,” the guard who was standing before him said.

  “Word travels fast,” he said dryly. “So?”

  “I wish to accompany you.”

  “Exactly who are you and why would you want to join me?” Dacrith asked suspiciously.

  “His name is Kurtus,” Olsa said helpfully from her perch on his shoulder.

  “He’s Asha’s personal guard,” Unwin added from his other shoulder.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” Kurtus said when the prince narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “I don’t harbor any lust for the dryad.”

  “Then why would you wish to endanger yourself by coming with me on my quest?”

  Kurtus looked almost pained for a moment before he replied. “I don’t know what you intend to do, but I know it’s for Asha. She isn’t like us. She deserves better than to be surrounded by malicious, spiteful, hateful fairies.”

  “It’s her destiny to rule us,” Olsa said, bottom lip quivering in distress.

  “I know,” the guard said. “That’s why I’m offering my services to the Prince. If his quest will ease the burden that our Queen must bear, then I wish to be a part of it.”

  “You have given your loyalty to Asha?” Dacrith asked in astonishment. Unseelie warriors fought for their ruler out of fear of punishment if they refused, not out of the will to serve.

  “I have,” Kurtus said with quiet dignity.

  Dacrith wasn’t sure he could trust the warrior and looked at the brownies for their opinion. They both nodded, so he gave in. “We’re leaving immediately,” he said. “There’s no time to say your goodbyes to anyone.”

  “Who would I say goodbye to?” Kurtus asked wryly, then fell in beside the man who would soon rule their realm.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  ASHA HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS for her mother. The first thing she wanted to know was what her life would have been like if she’d been kept instead of being given away. She was told a tale about nomadic dryads who traveled all over the Seelie realm, living in hundreds of different groves. All trees welcomed them and formed shelters to keep them safe from the elements. Not that the weather had ever been much of a problem before. Usually, the rains were gentle and only fell when they were needed. Everything had changed when the balance in the Unseelie realm had shifted.

  “Where are the other dryads?” Asha asked when Efrene was finished.

  “They are waiting at a grove a few hours from here.”

  “Can I meet them?” Asha was keen to meet her kin, but she wondered whether they could accept her since she was half goblin. They were all half dryad and half something else, but she was the only one who would be half monster.

  “I don’t think it would be wise for you to leave the borderlands,” Efrene replied sadly. “You are tied to the Unseelie realm through your quest. I fear things w
ould become even more dire if you were to try to step foot in the Seelie realm.”

  Strong magic was involved in the undertaking of a quest. Asha had learned that from Jake. She’d almost forgotten that she was bound to her own task. She’d become so distracted at the idea of becoming tied to a man for life that it had overshadowed her true mission. She knew she had to return to the palace and accept Dacrith, even though he was a manipulative liar. It would have to be better than bonding with someone like Corvine or Tartor.

  Seeing how upset her daughter was, Efrene offered her some hope. “Once your realm has been restored, I’m sure we’ll be able to meet again. Your kin would love to see you.”

  “Would they?” Asha asked in a small voice. “Even though I’m half goblin?”

  “They won’t care,” the Dryad Queen said, waving away her concern. “You are our family and they’ll love you regardless of your origins.”

  Asha smiled at the thought of having a real family. The dryads were all female, so she would have cousins and aunts. “Once I’m Queen, I’m going to try to form a truce between the Seelie fairies,” she said. “I’ve met Queen Wysterial and King Theodorlan. They seemed nice.”

  Blinking at her daughter’s casual plan to completely set the entire realm she would soon rule on its head, Efrene grinned. “They are nice and I’m sure they would welcome a truce. I would also like to be a part of that, and I’m sure the rulers of the other fae species would agree. It is long past time for our land to become whole again.”

  For a moment, the unceasing storms that lashed the Unseelie realm quieted before resuming their destruction. Hexam’s heads rose to contemplate the momentary silence before coming to rest on the ground again.

  “You’re going to succeed,” Irindal predicted sleepily. “You’re already making a difference.”

  “What do you mean?” Asha asked.

  “The trees in the Unseelie realm have accepted you even though you’re half dryad,” the pixie explained. “One of them used magic we didn’t even know existed and helped you travel here.”