Markis—A title of male royalty in Trylle and Vittra society. Similar to that of a Duke, it’s given to trolls with superior abilities. They have a higher ranking than the average Trylle, but are beneath the King and Queen. The hierarchy of Trylle society is as follows:
King/Queen
Prince/Princess
Markis/Marksinna
Trylle citizens
Trackers
Mänsklig
Host families
Humans (not raised in troll society)
Marksinna—A title of female royalty in Trylle and Vittra society. The female equivalent of the Markis.
Omte—Only slightly more populous than the Skojare, the Omte tribe of trolls are known to be rude and somewhat ill-tempered. They still follow the practice of using changelings but pick lower-class families than the Trylle. Unlike the other tribes, Omte tend to be less attractive in appearance.
Ondarike—The capital city of the Vittra, and site of the royal palace. It is located in northern Colorado.
persuasion—A mild form of mind control. The ability to cause another person to act a certain way based on thoughts.
precognition—Knowledge of something before its occurrence, especially by extrasensory perception.
psychokinesis—Blanket term for the production or control of motion, especially in inanimate and remote objects, purportedly by the exercise of psychic powers. This can include mind control, precognition, telekinesis, biological healing, teleportation, and transmutation.
Skojare—A more aquatic tribe of trolls that is nearly extinct. They require large amounts of fresh water to survive, and one-third of their population possess gills so they are able to breathe underwater. Once plentiful, only about five thousand Skojare are left on the entire planet.
stork—Slang term for tracker; derogatory. “Humans tell little kids that storks bring the babies, but trackers bring the babies here.”
tracker—A member of Trylle society who is specifically trained to track down changelings and bring them home. Trackers have no paranormal abilities, other than the affinity to tune in to one particular troll. They are able to sense danger to their charge and can determine the distance between them. The lowest form of Trylle society, other than mänsklig.
Trylle (pronounced trill)—Beautiful trolls with powers of psychokinesis for whom the practice of using changelings is a cornerstone of their society. Like all trolls, they are ill-tempered and cunning, and often selfish. Once plentiful, their numbers and abilities are fading, but they are still one of the largest tribes of trolls. They are considered peaceful.
Tryllic—An old language that Trylle wrote in to disguise their important documents from humans. Its symbols are different from those of the standard Greek alphabet, and are similar to Arabic or Cyrillic in appearance.
Vittra—A more violent faction of trolls whose powers lie in physical strength and longevity, although some mild psychokinesis is not unheard of. They also suffer from frequent infertility. While Vittra are generally beautiful in appearance, more than fifty percent of their offspring are born as hobgoblins. They are one of the only troll tribes to have hobgoblins in their population.
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Ever After
ONE
Arrivals
But you liked it when I made it for you,” Matt insisted, dumbfounded.
He stood on the other side of the kitchen island from me with a chiffon cake covered in white frosting, a solitary blue candle standing in the middle. I actually kind of hated telling him the truth, since he looked so heartbroken about it, but I wanted today to be perfect.
“Wendy was lying, honey,” Willa told him. She was walking by him with a bowl full of blueberries, and she stopped to give him a quick kiss on the cheek as if to compensate for the recent disclosure.
“But . . .” Matt still couldn’t seem to grasp the idea and shook his head. “Why?”
“She didn’t want to hurt your feelings,” Willa explained. “And now she wants everything to be just right, so the truth has to come out.” She turned to face him, looking as apologetic as she could. “We all hate the way your birthday cake tastes.”
“But you’ve all been eating it!” Matt went from dubious to indignant and looked between Willa and me. “I made you both cakes! I even made one for Loki, and he ate it!”
“Matt, I love you,” Willa said, touching his shoulder. “And later on we can argue about the cake. But right now, we do not have time for it. People will be arriving any minute.”
As if on cue, the doorbell rang in the front hall.
“I’ll get it,” Willa offered, grabbing a bunch of bananas to go along with the blueberries.
“I’ll be right there,” I told her, but I walked over to my brother first. “Sorry, Matt. I should’ve told you sooner, but I always appreciated all the effort you put into it. I didn’t want to spoil it for you.”
“It’s okay.” He stared down at the cake and stuck his finger in the frosting, then grudgingly licked it off. “I’m just more disappointed because I wanted to make the cake special for him.”
“He doesn’t need a special cake.” I smiled at Matt. “He just needs to spend time with his favorite uncle.”
Matt smiled then, apparently feeling better about it. I heard voices coming from the front hall, and a familiar panic took me over. I’d been frazzled all week, trying to plan a special birthday party for my son, and of course, at the last minute, everything felt like it was going wrong.
“But I have to go now,” I said, already starting to walk away from Matt. “Can you grab the yogurt before you come up?”
“Sure.” Matt nodded.
I grabbed the sippy cup and a bottle of grape juice from off the counter, what I’d actually come down to the kitchen for. Willa had been getting fruit to serve at the party, and we’d discovered Matt making a surprise birthday cake, so we’d had to break the news to him that no Trylle or Vittra anywhere liked his cake.
By the time I made it to the rotunda, Willa had already let Rhys and Rhiannon in. Rhys had dropped his duffel bag on the floor, but Rhiannon still had a bag slung over her shoulder.
“You guys came!” I beamed and hurried over to them. “I’m so glad you made it. Last time I talked to you, you didn’t sound sure if you could make it.”
Rhys grinned. “Come on, it’s my nephew’s birthday. Like I would miss that.”
I hugged him, awkwardly because I had a bottle of juice in one hand, but he didn’t care and hugged me fiercely anyway. When he let me go, I gave Rhiannon a quick hug.
“Here, let me help you with that,” Rhys said, taking the bottle from me.
“I didn’t realize this was so formal,” Rhiannon said as she looked me over. She ran her hand through her red hair, freeing an orange maple leaf that had gotten tangled in it. “You look so beautiful.”
“What?” I glanced down at myself. I was wearing a dress, but it was less formal than my normal gowns. But compared to the jeans that Rhys and Rhiannon were wearing, I probably did look dressed up. “Sorry. It’s from being Queen, I guess. I’ve gotten used to wearing dresses, and I actually feel a bit weird when I’m not in one.”
I’d been Queen for over a year and a half now, and I’d become accustomed to all the formalities that had seemed so foreign when I first came here. I was certain I had nowhere near the grace and class that Elora had, but I was getting closer to the kind of woman my mother would’ve been proud of.
“No, there’s no need to apologize.” Rhiannon waved it off. “You look lovely.”
“So do you,” I said, making her laugh. “But I should head up to the party. Do you guys want to get settled in first? Your old room is all ready for you.”
“We should probably drop off our stuff,” Rhys said and picked up his bag. “Where is the party at?”
“Your old playroom,” I said as we climbed the curving staircase. “We did a little bit of redecorating, and it’s worked out perfect for him.”
“How is college going?” I looked back over my shoulder since he was following a step behind me. “Were you okay to miss a few classes to come here?”
“Yeah, college is going great.” Rhys nodded. “I can’t miss too many classes so I have to leave the day after tomorrow.”
I frowned. “That’s such a short visit. But I’m glad you could make it. I’m sure you’re both busy.”
“Probably not as busy as you,” Rhys pointed out, and I laughed at that.
“Oh, you have no idea.”
Being a new wife and a new mother and a new queen could get rather exhausting at times. I’d been running the kingdom on less than five hours of sleep a night pretty much since I was crowned. Even though we were heading into a new era of peace, there was so much uncharted territory, and that meant a lot more work on the part of the Queen.
Not that I didn’t have a great support team. With Tove, Willa, Garrett, and Chancellor Bain working as my advisors, we were able to make real changes for the Trylle. I’ll admit that Loki spent a great deal of time playing stay-at-home dad while I took care of business, but Willa and Matt were happy to babysit every chance they got.
I stopped at Rhys’s old playroom to head into the party while Rhys and Rhiannon continued down the hall to his room to drop off their stuff. He handed me the juice back, and I thanked him.
Before I even pushed open the door, I could hear my son giggling. He had to be one of the happiest babies on the planet. He had an infectious smile and chubby cheeks. He’d gotten his father’s golden eyes, and my dark unruly hair.
I went into the playroom and instantly saw what had sent him on a laughing jag this time. Using his abilities, Tove had my son floating in the air above him, wiggling him a little bit. His arms and legs danced in the air, and he laughed so hard, his tanned skin turned red.
“Tove!” I exclaimed. I set the juice down and went over to pluck my son from the air. “What have I told you about that?”
“Sorry, Wendy,” Tove said, smiling sheepishly. “He just likes it so much.”
“Come on, Wendy,” Loki chimed in.
He stood at the side of the room, helping Bain decorate the gift table. Bain was twisting blue and green ribbons around it, and Loki was handing him tape. A number of boxes were already on the table, covered in shiny wrapping paper. I assumed they were gifts from Bain, Tove, Willa, and Matt, since they were the only ones here so far—and of course, a few gifts from Loki and me.
“You know Tove would never let anything happen to Oliver,” Loki said.
“And they entertain each other for hours,” Bain added.
I looked down at the baby in my arms, and instantly Oliver started babbling. He could only say a few words, like mama and da-da, but I think his favorite word was Dodo—his attempt at pronouncing Tove. In fact, at this point, I’d say Tove was probably his favorite person, since Oliver liked nothing more than flying about the room. I could do the same thing, of course, but I always got too nervous to do it myself.
“You want to play with Uncle Tove, don’t you?” I asked Oliver, and I tried to sound exasperated. But it was hard to even pretend when he looked so happy. I sighed and handed my son over to Tove. “But be careful with him, and only for a few minutes. If Maggie catches you, she’ll go bananas.”
Tove complied with a smile. “Understood.” I swear he liked playing with Oliver just as much as Oliver liked playing with him.
Loki came over to me and slid his arm around my waist. Kissing my cheek, he told me, “Don’t look so worried.”
“I’m not worried,” I lied and turned away from Oliver to face my husband. “I just can’t believe it’s already been a year. How did that happen?”
“Time flies when you’re having fun.” Loki grinned.
I kissed him quickly on the mouth. “I have to finish getting the party ready. Rhys and Rhiannon are already here.”
I grabbed the juice from where I’d left it on the floor and went over to the food table to pour it in the punchbowl. Willa was already there, arranging the fruit she’d brought up as well as the other snacks on the table.
On Saturday, in the main ballroom, we were having a huge birthday party for Oliver. The whole kingdom was invited. Since Oliver was the first royal to not be a changeling in centuries, the Trylle had become infatuated with him.
When I first told the kingdom that I wasn’t going to let him be a changeling, some were irate. Even after all this time, some still refuse to accept it. But I was adamant that we needed to do things differently, that in order to grow as a kingdom, we needed to raise our children, teach them our ways so they would be less likely to abandon us than they have been in recent years.
Eventually the Trylle conceded, I think in large part because they had come to trust me. After I defeated the Vittra King and united the two kingdoms peaceably, they’d begun to realize that I might actually be able to help them.
Of course, there had been a bit of an uproar when I announced my pregnancy in the first place, only a month after I’d married Loki, when I was already five months along. Tove’s mother had initially been suspicious that the child might be his, but Tove told her in no uncertain terms that it wasn’t.
For most of the Trylle, any reservations they’d had about Oliver had changed when they saw him. We had his christening ceremony when he was a few weeks old, and the kingdom turned out in droves. They all fell in love with him, the same way I had. It was hard not to.
I swear, no child in Trylle history had ever been as loved as Oliver.
While I was pleased with how the Trylle had taken to him, I wanted to have a small party with the people closest to me before his huge party on Saturday. Since I was simultaneously planning two parties, a lot of the preparation for this one had gone to Willa and Bain, who had gladly taken on the task.
After Rhys left for college last year, we’d redone the playroom for the baby. We hadn’t had to change that much, but we’d filled it with all kinds of toys and touched up the cloud mural on the ceiling. Willa and Bain had decorated it this morning, draping everything with brightly colored streamers and dotting every corner with balloons.
The door to the playroom swung open, and I immediately turned around to glare at Tove, who gently dropped Oliver to the floor. It was only Matt, carrying the yogurt I’d asked for, with Rhys and Rhiannon following behind him.
As soon as Tove set Oliver down, he squealed, then toddled over to Loki. He nearly fell in his hurry, but Loki caught him and scooped him up in his arms.
“There’s my boy,” Loki said and kissed him on his chubby cheeks.
Matt was asking Rhys very seriously about his studies at college, so Willa went over and took the yogurt from him. She set it down on the table behind me, then stood next to me, surveying the room.
“Well, I think the decorating is as done as it’s ever going to be,” Willa said.
Bain had finished with the gift table, so it appeared he felt the same. He stood next to Tove, who slid his arm around Bain’s shoulders. Tove hadn’t come out yet—not officially—but he wasn’t exactly hiding it either. Anyone who spent any amount of time with Bain and Tove knew how much they loved each other.
“You did a great job.” I smiled over at Willa. “Thank you.”
“Anytime,” Willa said. “When is it supposed to start anyway?”
I glanced up at the clock made of moons and stars. “Um, now, actually.”
“Who’s left to come?” Willa asked.
I opened my mouth to answer when Maggie burst through the playroom door with her usual zeal. Garrett came in behind her, carrying several large birthday presents.
“Where’s the birthday boy?” she asked, and before Loki even had a chance to answer, she went over and stole Oliver from him. “Oh, you’ve gotten so big!”
“Thank you, I’ve been working out.” Loki grinned at her, and she swatted him on the shoulder.
After spending some time here at the palace, Maggie had gone back to traveling. She’d spent the last several months painting in France, which was something she’d always wanted to do but never had the chance to before. That was why she kept telling Oliver he was all sorts of things in French.
Garrett started lugging the gifts over to the table, but Bain and Tove stepped in, taking them from him. I’d asked Garrett to pick up Maggie from the airport, since the rest of us were so busy here. Also because Garrett and Maggie seemed to enjoy each other’s company, and he’d been rather lonely since my mother passed away.
As soon as he’d been freed of his gifts, he went over to Rhiannon and hugged her. He’d raised her, and even though she was a mänks, she’d always felt like a daughter to him.
Willa went over to talk with her father and catch up with Rhiannon. They hadn’t been close, but since Willa had started dating Matt, they had become closer. They’d never be like sisters, but they were friends.
Maggie appeared to be content speaking to my son in French the entire afternoon, but I decided to see how she was doing. She hugged me when I came over, nearly squishing Oliver between us.
“You look so beautiful!” Maggie gushed when she finally released me. “Motherhood must be sitting well with you. You’re positively glowing!”
“Thank you.” I gestured to her. “You look really good yourself. France suits you.”
“Oh, it’s marvelous,” Maggie said dramatically. “You and your family really must visit sometime.”
Duncan came in a few moments later, carrying the special cake I’d had made for Oliver at a bakery in Förening. It was filled with things he’d actually enjoy and lacking all sorts of processed things he’d spit up.
“Here.” Matt took it from Duncan. “I’ll put this over with the other food, but I’m telling you all right now that there is no way this cake is better than mine.”
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