Seelie Princess (The Crown of Tír na nÓg Book 1)

by Sarah Tanzmann

  “I cannot bear this anymore!” the woman yelled. “You are not a knight, Maeve. You are a merchant. Act as one! Oh, hello, Fay.”

  “Hello, Aine,” Fay said.

  Maeve glared at her.

  “How are the preparations going?” Fay asked Aine.

  “They would go even better,” she said, “if someone was not being so stubborn.”

  “I should be practicing.” Maeve puffed out her cheeks, kicking the ground with her bare feet. Kayla noticed they were webbed like a frog’s; her hands were too. Her skin shone with green and gold undertones.

  “If your father finds out you have stolen that bow from the armory—”

  “I didn’t steal it. I borrowed it!”

  Aine sighed but said nothing more. She turned on her heels and vanished between the houses.

  “Maeve, you stole from the armory again?” Fay asked.

  “What do you care?” Maeve asked. She spun at Kayla. “You! What are you still doing here?”

  Kayla flinched. The other girl was at least a head taller and broader than her too. Her arms were strong enough to knock Kayla out in a second.

  Fay stepped between her and Maeve. “We’ve talked about this.”

  “What’s your problem?” Kayla asked, glaring back at Maeve.

  “Bah!” Maeve swatted the air. “Don’t you dare talk to me like that, you—”

  “You will not swear now, will you?” interrupted a faerie boy approaching the group.

  Kayla tore her eyes away from Maeve. The newcomer differed from all the fair-skinned faeries Kayla had seen so far. He had slightly darker skin, hair the color of charcoal, and he was taller than most faerie men Kayla had encountered.

  But Kayla still knew little about the faerie world.

  “Warmest welcome,” the faerie boy said. He put his right hand to the chest, bowed his head, and dropped his hand again, sweeping it from left to right with the palm facing up. “My name is Nooa. And you must be Kayla, if I am not mistaken.”

  Kayla blinked at him. “You know my name?”

  “Who here does not know it?” Nooa said. “I am starving. Should we go to the market?”

  Before Kayla could put in another word, they were moving again. Nooa went first, and Maeve last, pouting. Kayla made sure not to get too close to her.

  A path led them to a wide meadow, which was surrounded by even more tiny huts. In its center stood a large skeletal building, with vines and ivy creeping up the wooden walls and the domed roof. As if it had grown out of the ground as it was. People were streaming in and out of the opening in the front. The meadow itself was crowded with faeries, children and adults alike, though Kayla counted at least twice as many adults than children.

  Fay pointed at the vaulted building. “They are preparing Lysdôn Hall for the revel,” she said. “I’ll take you there later.”

  “I’m not the partying type,” Kayla said. It was Abby who loved all kinds of parties. She’d agree to something like that in a heartbeat.

  “It is because you have never danced with faeries,” Nooa said.

  “I’ve heard of those dances. My father told me stories about them.”

  Nooa grinned. “Then it is time to experience one yourself.”

  The ones in her father’s stories had always sounded like fun, but they usually came with a price. What more could the Seelie Queen want than for Kayla to stay away from her family?

  They walked on, away from Lysdôn Hall. More faeries were coming from the direction in which they were heading, all carrying something—a basket of fruits, some flowers, musical instruments carved from wood. They were all barefoot.

  Kayla couldn’t spot a single faerie that wasn’t inhumanly perfect. No one was overweight or too skinny, had bowlegs or a bent back. Their fair faces didn’t have any too-big noses, lips that were too thin, or pimples or moles that were distracting. Shimmering eyes in all kinds of colors brightened their appearances even more.

  It was surreal and caused Kayla to be acutely aware of her own imperfections. She straightened her back, but that only gave her an inch or two.

  She glanced up at the Citadel sparkling in the sunlight like a rare diamond. The way the glass construct caught the sunlight and reflected it reminded Kayla of her mother’s vase collection on their windowsill. It had always magnified the light, causing tiny spots to dance on the walls.

  Their love for flowers was the one topic she and her mother could ever agree on.

  The group continued down the path, and the river came back into view. It wound its way around the hill on which the Citadel stood, continued to part the houses of the court, and then vanished somewhere in the distance.

  A wooden bridge connected the two parts of the Seelie Court, its railings adorned with colorful ribbons of flowers. As they crossed it, Kayla gazed down at the water, which flowed like a band of liquid silver. Kayla could make out some fish with shimmering green and red scales, and some tiny crustaceans crawling between the stones on the bottom.

  Fay and Nooa waited for her on the other side, while Maeve kept walking.

  “The Silver Ribbon,” Nooa said. “Is it not beautiful?”

  Kayla answered with a smile.

  In front of them, the path widened into a clearing. Dozens of wooden market stands crowded the field, overflowing with various fruits, mushrooms, and herbs, steeping the clearing with a mouthwatering sweet-and-spicy aroma. The narrow space between stands was filled with faeries, picking out food or talking to others.

  Somewhere in the crowd Kayla spotted Maeve’s green hair. Nooa was about to follow his friend when Fay stopped him.

  “I almost forgot,” she said. “Your mother has asked to see you.”

  “Now?” Nooa said. “I suppose I should leave… but I will get a snack first.” He winked at Fay and Kayla before he vanished into the crowd.

  Kayla watched him leave. “Nooa and Maeve, they’re your friends?”

  Nodding, Fay walked up to one stand and Kayla followed.

  “They look so… I mean, they’re…”

  “Different from me?”

  “Yeah.” Kayla’s cheeks flushed.

  “Not everyone is pure-blooded,” Fay said, inspecting some goods at the stand. “Nooa’s father is a pooka.”

  “And what is a pooka?”

  “They’re the Horned Ones, a part of the Fair Folk that does not share our blood,” Fay said. “The pookas live in Blackpond, which is a good distance away from here. We’ve always been at odds with them.”

  “Why?”

  “Guess the pookas never enjoyed being inferior,” she said with a shrug.

  “What about Maeve?”

  Fay picked up a fruit, twisted it around, and dropped it again. “She’s got some merrow blood in her family. And before you ask, they are merpeople who live on and around the Isle of Llyr.” She took a handful of nuts from the stand and shoved some into Kayla’s hand while popping a few into her mouth.

  Kayla lifted one nut to her lips and licked at it with her tongue. It was salty, like roasted peanuts, but it was round and had a dark brown shell.

  “If I wanted to poison you,” Fay said, “I’ve had plenty of opportunities so far.”

  Kayla narrowed her eyes on Fay. “You did that odd thing with the flower… so I was making sure.”

  “The flower was nothing but a sedative,” Fay said.

  “You drugged me.”

  “I was helping you.” Fay’s lips twitched into a brief smile. “And I won’t do it again.”

  “This had better be good.” Kayla put the mysterious nut into her mouth and chewed. Her taste buds exploded at once, sweet and sour and salty.

  The girl behind the stand giggled. “How would you like to try a honey plum?” she asked, holding out a round purple fruit. Her eyes were blue and had no pupils.

  “Yes, we will take some,” Fay said. Within no time, she had picked out three other fruits and a couple more nuts.

  Kayla waved goodbye to the girl, who smiled back at
her.

  Fay continued leading Kayla through the market. Faeries were standing around in clusters, talking and laughing, and somewhere a flute was playing. As they passed one stand, an enticing scent that reminded Kayla of cotton candy and green apples dazed her. They walked until they found a quiet spot near the river and sat down to eat.

  Kayla gazed at all the food. “You don’t need to pay for any of this?”

  Fay handed her a honey plum. “Faeries never deal with currency like humans do,” she said. “We pay with hard work.”

  “What work?”

  Kayla took a bite of the plum. It did its name justice: it had the flesh of the plums she was used to and was as sweet as honey. Back in her world, something so sweet would give you diabetes, but the slender faeries wouldn’t have to worry about that.

  Fay chewed on a nut, swallowed, and picked up another one. “There are many ways to keep one busy here,” she said. “Most of us work in the fields, others at the market. Also, there are the Hunters, who gather supplies in the Whispering Woods, as well as the knights, and the Healers.”

  Her gaze wandered off. The sunlight turned her blond hair into a halo and heightened the dark-green edges of her irises, which were the same color as her dress.

  A flutter tickled the pit of Kayla’s stomach. She lowered her plum. “And what do you do?”

  Fay shifted. “Well, I’m the Seelie Princess. It keeps me occupied most of the time.” She took another nut between her fingers, twisting it. Her eyes were locked onto something distant, and the sadness in them startled Kayla.

  “I didn’t mean to—” Kayla began.

  “It’s fine,” Fay said curtly. “We should get going. The revel is about to start.”

  A large group of faeries was crossing the bridge, hurrying toward Lysdôn Hall. Kayla scrambled to her feet and followed Fay in silence.

  She wasn’t sure which stupid faerie rule she’d violated now.

  8

  FAERIE REVEL

  Night fell over the Seelie Court like a blanket had been thrown over it. Despite the glimmer of the stars, the sky was much darker than it had ever been in Chicago, dense enough to put a dampener on the world.

  But Lysdôn Hall and the meadow out front were buzzing with energy. Faeries were laughing and dancing, harp music played in the distance, and tiny green lights hovered through the air, bathing everything in a pale glow.

  Kayla approached one of the floating lights.

  “Those are the only Faery Lights you can trust,” Fay told her.

  Without another word, Fay guided Kayla through the crowd and into the massive hall where everything smelled like primrose and faeries were spinning. The music here was an enticing mixture of several instruments, some playing a low, slow melody, others a faster, higher one. It all became an infectious rhythm. Even a few children stomped their bare feet in the dirt.

  Kayla noticed several couples dancing with each other, like in the clubs that Abby had dragged her to. But many of these couples were two women or two men and no one so much as glanced at them. A grin spread on Kayla’s lips.

  They were all so damn gorgeous.

  Kayla watched as Fay greeted some revelers and they all bowed their head to her in a quiet welcome. Maybe it was the magnificent dress and floral crown, but Fay’s radiant appearance drew all eyes on her—including Kayla’s.

  Fay stopped in her tracks when a girl with long dark-blue hair waved at her. The girl broke away from the group she’d been dancing with and ran toward Fay and Kayla.

  “Fay!” she called. “Where have you been?”

  Instead of responding, Fay grabbed the girl by the hands, pulled her close, and kissed her.

  Kayla gaped at them. She didn’t mean to. It was nothing out of the ordinary, not in this world at least, but it had somehow surprised her. Fay had almost kissed her back in that alley.

  Now Kayla knew Fay hadn’t faked being into girls, which was some comfort.

  “I went to the mortal world, Isobel,” Fay said. “And I brought you a present.”

  Isobel beamed. Kayla noticed she had beautiful brown eyes that shimmered like topaz and were framed by thick lashes. She was short, even shorter than Kayla, and looked thin and lithe in her silky green dress.

  “What did you get me?” Isobel asked. “Why did you not take me with you?” Her eyes followed Fay’s hands as they retrieved a small bottle with blue liquid from the pouch slung over her shoulder. “Is that nail polish?”

  “Yes, and this time I got one that is the color of your hair.” Fay handed the bottle to Isobel, who examined it.

  “It is so pretty.” Isobel leaned in and they kissed again.

  Kayla averted her gaze, cheeks burning. They were among the dancing crowd now and the music was even louder here. It pulled her in on invisible strings. Her feet were itching to dance to its rhythm, slow and fast at the same time, and her heart lightened with the melody.

  She wandered off, humming along to the beat. With her arms stretched wide, she rotated, trying to imitate the quick yet graceful movements of the faeries. She’d never danced to such music before, but somehow her feet followed the beat, moving faster and faster as they drew nearer to the final crescendo.

  But that never came. The music carried on and on. It filled the entire hall—no, it filled the entire night, along with the laughter of faeries, like tiny bells chiming in the wind. Kayla found herself singing along to the tune. She tossed her head back and a laugh escaped her throat.

  If her father could see her now, dancing with the faeries, would he be proud or terrified?

  Above her, high in the vine-covered ceiling, was a circular hole that offered a glimpse at the glistening stars painted on a black canvas. The moon cast its silver light upon the revelers.

  Head held high, Kayla stumbled into the arms of somebody tall. “Aargh, I’m so sorry.”

  “That was not very elegant.”

  Kayla peered at Nooa. He held out something flat and green.

  “Want a drink?” he asked. He didn’t wait for an answer and shoved the cup into Kayla’s hand.

  Drink clasped in her hands, Kayla took a step back. Nooa was now wearing a green jacket over his bare chest and a red hat, and they both were made of leaves. Kayla realized that every faerie man was wearing the same jacket and every faerie woman a long green dress. Most of them were wearing red hats too.

  Kayla was the odd one out. “What’s up with the jackets and the hats?” she asked.

  “It is our revel garments,” Nooa said. He lifted his hat off his head and placed it onto Kayla’s. “There. Much better.”

  Kayla grinned into her cup.

  The music picked up again and Nooa was dancing with his eyes closed. His black hair was tousled and his green jacket slightly rumpled, giving him the look of someone who just crawled out of bed. He wore it with so much confidence that Kayla thought he could wear anything and still look dashing.

  Kayla watched him, trying to imitate his movements, but she failed. Next to him, she was like a puppet tossing around her limbs.

  Nooa opened his eyes again, downed his drink in one big gulp, and tossed the empty cup to the ground. “You should drink yours,” he said. He reached into his pants pocket, pulled out a small wooden pipe, placed it between his lips, and took a puff. A tiny cloud rose from it. “Do you want to try?”

  “No, th—I mean, just no.”

  Kayla emptied her own drink. She wasn’t an expert on alcohol, having only tried the shots that Abby had forced her to drink so she would be ‘more fun,’ as Abby had put it. This drink was nothing like the ones she had in Chicago. It tasted as sweet as honey, like the extract of a flower, maybe a marigold. Abby would have loved it.

  The crowd around them surged and swayed along with the music. Kayla spotted Maeve’s mop of seaweed hair amid the revelers.

  “Maeve doesn’t seem to like me very much,” Kayla said.

  “She is not too fond of humans, I guess,” Nooa said. “Only if we put them under proper
enchantments.”

  “Enchantments?”

  “Like them over there.” Nooa gave a nudge to the right.

  Kayla turned and saw a group of people, who were clearly human, dancing with some faeries. They all had an empty expression plastered on their faces.

  “Why haven’t I been… enchanted?”

  Nooa was swaying to the music, pulling at his pipe and puffing out some smoke. “But you are and have been, ever since you dined with the queen,” he said. “It does not have the same effect on you. Fay said that you could even see through her Glamor. That is uncommon in humans…”

  “How? I mean, I didn’t notice I was being enchanted…”

  “Oh, it is the food and drinks.” Nooa gestured toward the group of humans again and Kayla saw they were all holding cups. “As soon as it touches your lips, you are bound to our lands for the night.”

  Kayla tripped over her own feet. “What? That’s not very nice.”

  “It is the way it is. We mean them no harm. Should I get us more drinks?” Nooa asked.

  “After what you just told me? I think I’ll pass.”

  “Just one for myself then.” With a wink, Nooa vanished in the crowd.

  He left Kayla alone, standing there like a fool. What had she been thinking? She couldn’t stay with the faeries! A memory of her father tucking her in at night struck her at that moment.

  “Faeries are beautiful, magical beings,” he’d said. “But they’re cunning too. There’s always a price. You have to remember that.”

  Kayla swayed. Maybe she needed some fresh air. Before she even took one step, Fay materialized from the crowd, an indignant Maeve at her side.

  “I won’t revel with her,” Maeve said. She turned on her heels the second she saw Kayla, but Fay gripped her arm tight.

  “You’re staying,” she said.

  “No, I’m leaving.” Maeve tore her arm free from Fay’s grasp, but Nooa was blocking her way, holding out two green cups.

  “Do not dare to leave me,” he said. “Here, take this.” He shoved one cup into Maeve’s hand and offered the second one to Kayla.