by Riana Lucas
“You think you're funny, do you?” Reed teases.
“Umm hmm,” I murmur as I stare at his lips. I want him to kiss me again.
“Excuse me. I did come in here for a reason,” Willow says from beside us. I forgot that quickly that she was even here.
Reed laughs again as he releases me. This time he lets go of my hand, only to place his arm around my waist and pull me to his side. I stare up at him in awe. It is so natural for him to hold me close. I like it but if he were not the one doing it, I know that I would not. I would be missing out on all of this.
My thoughts are interrupted by Reed’s question.
“What was it you needed, Willow?” he asks her politely. I can still hear the smile in his voice.
“Well, I hate to be the one to break up a happy moment, but I didn’t have a choice. I was picked.” She shrugs helplessly. “They are waiting for orders from Poppy on what to do now. There are prisoners to be sorted and bodies to be disposed of.” Willow shivers at the thought but remains composed. “Poppy, you are now the queen of the Unseelie court. This is your court to rule and run. Your people need your direction.”
11
At Willow’s words, the reality of what is ahead of me begins to set in once again. Thoughts of what I would have to do have crossed my mind once or twice, but the reality was never there. The time to actually do something was not there. Now it is. Now I have to step in and figure out how to rule an entire court or find someone capable and trustworthy enough to do it for me. I have even more responsibilities now than I did before.
As the princess of the Seelie court and commander of my warriors, I need to instruct them on what do now as well. Like Willow just said, there are prisoners to be dealt with, bodies to dispose of, and Unseelie faeries that need to be instructed. Not only that, but because King Foxglove was my father and I am the one that killed Damien, the self-appointed new king of the Unseelie court, I am also now, by default, the queen of the Unseelie court. I am now responsible for two courts. Two courts full of fae that are completely different and hate each other. It is now my responsibility to make sure these fae are treated fairly and ruled correctly.
Before I can address any of those issues though, I turn to Reed. At hearing Willow’s words, I felt Reed’s confusion and worry over what she had just pointed out. There had been no time to explain to Reed what would happen and what my feeling were about it. Truthfully, I do not even really know what those feelings are.
“What does this mean? Do you have to stay here now to rule this court?” I can hear the anxiety behind his question, even though he is trying to hide it.
I look at him helplessly, then at Willow. I shrug. “I do not really know. I never spent the time to familiarize myself with fae politics. There was never any need for me to know that sort of thing. The only thing I know for sure is that Willow is right that it is my responsibility to make sure they are taken care of. Whatever that means, I am not sure.”
Willow looks at me compassionately. “I think Gideon and Thorne can help with that, as well as the queen. They will know what to do, Poppy. Don’t worry.”
I nod knowing she is right. I have friends and family that will help me figure out what I need to do. For now, I will just stick to what I know. “Let’s go talk to everyone else, then.” I mentally brace myself for their looks of pity or disappointment that I am sure are coming after my earlier display of such weakness.
“Don’t worry. There won’t be any because no one is disappointed in you,” Reed whispers in my mind. I give him a skeptical look. “Trust me.”
“Okay. I just hope you're right,” I whisper back, wanting to believe him but afraid to do so.
We walk out of the stall together and into the main area of the stables where everyone is gathered together. I am immediately aware of every single fae standing around the room. I am also aware when their focus shifts to me as I make my way toward them. Although I am aware of them, my focus is not on them. My shame and fear of their disapproving looks is momentarily forgotten. My eyes are locked on the ground at the entrance to the stable where Damien’s dead body is still lying.
Without even being conscious of it I walk past everyone, moving closer to Damien’s body. I am not sure why, but my body begins to shake slightly once again. I clench my fists tight at my sides to keep the others from seeing, but Reed feels it. He moves closer to me. Close enough that his body is just touching mine. He moves his hand to the base of my spine in an offer of silent support. Just the feel of him there makes me calmer and stronger.
“You don’t—“ He begins to whisper in my head.
I stop him by shaking my head. “Yes, I do.”
Reed does not say anything else as I come to stand right beside the body. I look down to see that he is lying exactly as I left him. Damien is flat on his back, arms at his sides. From a distance, one might think he was sleeping. Standing this close though, it is obvious he is not. His eyes are wide open, and there is a gaping hole in his chest. His clothing is saturated with his own blood. It has also pooled around his lifeless body onto the ground but is no longer flowing from his wound. The smell is strong and metallic. I wrinkle my nose to try and keep from gagging.
I crouch down so that I can peer into his face. I look into what was once his most intimidating feature, his eyes. What were once bottomless black pits of menace and cruelty are now finally clear of the evil that consumed them. They are now just cloudy, gray features in a hollow shell of nothingness. Seeing this again finally calms my nerves completely and is replaced with nothing but joy and relief.
“What would you like us to do with the body, Princess?” I look up to see Skye standing near, ready and willing to help with whatever I ask of him.
I think for a moment then offer up a wicked smile to him before I give him my orders. “The King has a pit somewhere on the land. I am not sure exactly where it is located, but I am sure one of the Unseelie that surrendered will be able to lead you to its location. I have never seen it myself but have heard horror stories of its existence and its purpose. Most would probably believe it only a tale, but I know better. I am sure it exists and is probably much worse than the stories. The stories say that the king would throw the bodies of the fae he tortured and tormented into it when he was finished with them. It is spelled with the king's magic and will prevent the fae from uniting with nature in their death. It is a true horror for any fae to be dealt that final blow.”
Skye nods his understanding. He smiles evilly at me, the unclaimed blood in him shining through.
I look back to Damien. “Find it and throw him in. I want no peace for him, ever.”
No one objects to or questions my decision. I know that they not only understand, but agree with it. Damien does not deserve any sort of peaceful afterlife. He has caused heartache and destruction since the beginning of his time. He has been the king’s right-hand man in the torment and torture of countless fae. He has betrayed everyone he has ever known, and because of him countless fae have suffered for no reason other than the pure joy he and the king found in it. A fae like him deserves to suffer for eternity. This is as close as I can come to seeing that happen. I just wish I could have done the same to the king.
“As you wish, my princess." Skye moves closer to Damien’s body. “We will remove him from your presence for now. Once I locate this pit, we will happily carry out your orders." Skye motions with his hand and suddenly three other unclaimed fae move into the stable from the dark shadows of the night. They move toward the body, each fae positioning himself around Damien. Two fae are at his head, each grabbing under a shoulder. Two fae are at his legs, each grabbing one. They lift him together and begin to carry him away.
Watching as they remove Damien from my sight causes an unexpected feeling of anxiety. Part of me is relieved that it is over and that he is out of my sight forever. The other part of me is afraid that if I do not keep an eye on him, assuring that he is truly dead, then it will not be true. My fear is irrational. Thankful
ly I know this because it is the only thing that is keeping me from calling them back here so I can check one more time that he is indeed dead.
“He is definitely dead. Trust me. We checked a few times while we were waiting for you to wake up.” Reed is standing at my side, having once again read my thoughts and emotions. His hand is still resting on my lower back as he says and does exactly the right thing once again to make me feel better. I feel my shoulders sag just a fraction at the relief I feel over his statement. Having the others check and confirm this takes a great weight off my shoulders. I turn to those friends now.
Willow, Gideon, Thorne, and Holly. They stand near, close together, showing their support as always. “Thank you, all of you. I could not have done any of this without each and every one of you by my side and at my back.” They place their fists over their hearts and bow their heads slightly. This causes me to get emotional. I hate it when fae do this to me, but right now it makes me feel so loved. I can feel the water begin to pool in my eyes as I look at each one of them standing there, until my eyes fall upon Holly.
My tears are immediately gone, and I am laughing. It is an almost hysterical laugh, which causes each of my friends to lift his or her head in concern. Reed leans forward to get a better look at my face, but there is a smile on his as well. He saw Holly too.
As my friends were bowing to show their loyalty and respect, Holly was standing there with her hands on her hips, sneering at each one of their bowed heads. It was so funny because for once that sneer was not focused on me.
Hearing my laughter, Holly does turn that sneer toward me quickly before returning her focus to the group. “What is the matter with all of you? Poppy already knows how much we respect her and trust her and love her and blah blah blah. For faery’s sake! Can we cut the emotional crap and get on with what needs to be done around here?”
“I love you too Holly,” I say quickly between giggles.
“I didn’t…I mean…” She throws her hands up in exasperation as she turns from the group. “Oh, whatever! Can we just figure out what we need to do now? This court is going to be in complete chaos in a few hours if we don’t get moving. These fae are crazy. They have no idea what to do without a leader. They’ll be killing each other and themselves if we don’t step in before it begins. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m pretty tired after that first battle. I would really prefer not to have to do it all over again.”
She is standing back in the little circle we have created, her hands on her hips and eyebrow raised in question.
Although her little snit was humorous, it also brings me back to the tasks that are awaiting me. I look at Gideon and Thorne. I am not sure how to proceed from here. I was barely able to command the Seelie army; I do not even know where to begin when it comes to ruling an entire court of fae. So that is exactly what I tell them.
Gideon steps up immediately, just as I suspected he would. Being the second-in- command for the Seelie court, even though he is newly appointed to this position, has given him a lot of experience in leading over an entire Court. The queen has always had the final say, but Gideon has been expected to make smaller decisions on his own. He is also expected to bring ideas of improvement and recommendations to my mother. So for Gideon, leading an entire court would be second nature, even if it is Unseelie. With that being said, his opinion is the one I am seeking the most at this time.
“I think the first thing would be to have our healers not only assist our own warriors but those Unseelie fae as well. It will show that we do not wish them dead and hopefully instill some trust into a few of them.”
I hear a snort but do not look because I am sure it came from Holly.
I respond instead to Gideon’s suggestion. “I do not want you to kid yourself, Gideon. These fae will not trust that easily. I am afraid it will probably take years for something like that to happen. King Foxglove has spent a lot of time torturing and brainwashing these fae. He has taught them to trust no one, ever. His philosophy was always to kill or be killed. If you survive, then you can ask questions.” He begins to speak, but I stop him with a raised hand. “However, I do agree that it is a step in the right direction. We did not come here to wipe out the entire Unseelie race. Helping them will at least prove that much.”
He nods his head. “Agreed. I am aware that there will be some that are more resistant than others. I think for now they should be locked in the dungeon. We do not have the time to deal with that right now. The rest will be sent home. I think it would be wise to ask the unclaimed to assist our warriors in patrolling the grounds regularly to keep everyone in order.”
This time I nod my agreement. “Yes. I think that would be wise. Until I can name a king…or queen, the Unseelie will need constant monitoring. Even then, whoever I pick, assuming they agree, will have their work cut out for them. These fae are not going to be an easy group to change.”
“You’re not going to do it?” Willow finally speaks up. Her voice is anxious, and I can see the worry in her eyes. I am sure they are thinking the same as her. I am the obvious choice. I am the rightful princess to both courts, but only one of them is in need of a ruler. Most would jump at this chance, but not me.
“No way. After we have finished everything here and I get back home, I do not think I will ever have the desire to return here again. I definitely do not wish to live here and be the queen.”
“Oh, thank the faeries!” Willow breathes. She runs over and hugs me quickly. “I don’t know what I would do if you left the Seelie court. You’re my best friend.”
“And you are mine. Do not worry. I have no intentions of leaving the Seelie court. It is my home.”
Thorne clears his throat as Willow and I release each other. “If I may make a suggestion, Poppy?” His voice is serious and hesitant, rare for Thorne. Whatever he has to say must be important.
“Of course.”
He glances nervously at Reed before speaking. “What about Rowan, Reed’s father? I know we just met him, but he is very old and wise. He has the disease of the unclaimed in him, which would make him fearful enough to the Unseelie, but he has it under control so he would never be cruel like their precious king. He is honorable and noble. Being king would also put him in a position to continue to help the unclaimed and offer another refuge for those seeking help and then a home once cured.”
The suggestion is perfect. I glance over at Reed to see what he thinks of the idea. He just shrugs. “I don’t really know him that well so I don’t know if he’ll go for it, but I agree with everything Thorne said. I think he has just the right amount of everything going for him to make him the perfect king here.”
I look at Gideon, Willow, and Holly for their input. They nod in agreement.
“Okay. Well, that is settled. Let’s get to work here so we can go home. I have a feeling it may be a little harder to convince Rowan that he would be the perfect ruler for the Unseelie court.
12
We make our way back to the throne room, taking the normal route instead of the secret passage. The scene that we see around us is not a surprising one. The Unseelie grounds are a disaster. There is no mistaking that they have been at war. There are bodies lying randomly along the walkway and to the side, pools of blood around them or in streaks from where the bodies have been dragged and moved. There are lost or broken weapons scattered about. There are also Seelie and unclaimed fae milling about the grounds, cleaning up the mess as much as possible and gathering the Unseelie fae that have made the wise decision to choose to surrender over their death. As I walk by these fae, each of them stops to bow their heads, even the Unseelie. I am surprised by the gesture of the Unseelie, but not fooled. They have not suddenly grown a heart or a conscience. They are only doing what they think they need to do in order to stay alive. I cannot blame them but at the same time, I will not trust them either. My group remains focused and quiet as we make our way through this. I nod occasionally to the fae I know but otherwise stay silent. Everyone knows what t
o do, and they are doing a good job; there is no need for me to interfere.
The scenery and the mood around us remain the same for the remainder of the walk to the castle doors. There it becomes much different. There are now two Seelie guards at the castle doors, alert and ready. They bow their heads as I pass them but remain alert for any possible threats. The halls of the castle are still dark and cold, but now they are not so quiet. There are Seelie and unclaimed fae moving about as if they have always been here. They are not loud, but there is a soft murmur from their conversations and greetings as we walk past, giving the halls a completely different feel. The halls are already cleaned up as well; there are no dead bodies or injured fae around. This area has already been taken care of and made secure. It is odd to walk these halls for the first time without fearing being stabbed in the back or feeling unsure of what lies ahead in the darkness.
As we approach the throne room, I can see that we are yet again in for another change of scenery.
This room is still a bloody, gory mess. The dead bodies are gone, but the white marble floor is almost entirely covered in blood. Pools of deep red blood dot the room where a fae not only was injured but probably bleed to death. There are also large streaks of blood from where bodies were dragged across the floor as well as footprints of blood from where several fae stepped in another’s blood and tracked it across the floor. Blood is splattered all over the walls and even on the ceiling. The room that lacked color is now covered in it. The color is not the only obvious change, however. The smell is almost worse than the sight. The metallic odor is so overwhelming that this time I do gag. The room looks like a human horror film, gruesome and ghastly. I do not see how the fae here are able to appear so unaffected. I actually have to take a step back and turn my head to get some fresh air before I can enter the room, breathing only through my mouth now. The quiet intakes of breath let me know that the others are doing the same.