by Amy Sumida
“No, I'm happy to have them there,” I nodded and concentrated on walking in the bejeweled heels Mairte had insisted I wear.
“Excellent,” he led me down the main stairs and towards a door on our right.
“Who are they?” I waved a hand back towards the statues at the foot of the stairs.
“My parents,” he said. “Your grandparents. King Dhoire Thorn of the Unseelie and Queen Iseabal Bloodburn of the Seelie.”
“Wait,” I blinked as I processed it. “So you were the first royal child of mixed heritage?”
“Yes, I'm the first Twilight King and you, its first Princess,” he nodded serenely.
“So Uisdean is your half-brother,” I worked it through.
“Yes,” he stopped before the door and turned to speak with me, “I have three half-brothers and a half-sister. My sister and two of my brothers are unseelie while the last brother is seelie. My father and his queen were killed during one of the fey wars but my mother still rules the Seelie Court with her husband.”
“She had a child with another man while she was married?” My eyes went wide.
“It was the call of Danu,” he shrugged. “Her husband could not fault her for it, especially since the child became a king.”
“Wow, that's an understanding man,” I huffed.
“Because he's also a fairy,” Keir smiled. “We have different views on such things.”
“So you have open marriages?”
“Not exactly. We are children of nature and as such, we follow our instincts. If you love your wife, you'll trust hers,” he smiled.
“So whose name did you take?” I decided to get off the subject of marital indiscretions.
“Both,” he looked at me as if it were obvious. “Our family name was created for me and you will be the first I'll share it with. Bloodthorn, a combination of both seelie and unseelie.”
“Oh, right,” I hadn't even thought of taking Keir's name, much less being only the second person to have it. I tried to process it through while he opened the large, intricately carved door and led me into a massive dining room.
We strolled down a center aisle, between two lengths of tables set with dark purple cloth, stunning silver candelabras, huge vases overflowing with flowers, and sparkling crystal glasses. Above us, the air was populated with pixies, little winged fairies like the ones we'd met on the way to the castle, and even some winged sidhe. They hovered lower as we approached, the sidhe gracefully landing so they could bow as we passed.
The walls were covered in a tapestry of flowering vines which wove its way up to trail across the ceiling. The scent of those multicolored blooms wafted over to me along with that of ripe fruit and exotic perfume. Leaves rustled and pixies peered out of the foliage at me, along with other tiny creatures I didn't recognize. Large, glowing, crystal stars hung from the ceiling at varying heights, shining light down over the court like captured constellations.
The fairies stared at me as we passed, even as they bowed, and some of the looks I got were not in the least bit welcoming. I stumbled a little under one particularly nasty sneer but Keir gracefully supported me so I didn't fall, giving no sign that anything had happened.
My heartbeat sped in response to the unexpected threat and my limbs filled with nervous energy. I hadn't even considered that the fey in my own court might be a part of the plot to kill me but those icy, insolent looks had been a revelation. I hadn't expected to be warmly received by all of the fey but I'd thought myself safe behind the warded walls of the twilight castle. Now I knew better. I would never be safe, not in Fairy or the Human Realm, and I had to start acting accordingly.
I began to look over the twilight fey with the calculating eyes of an Extinguisher, noting those who displayed obvious disdain as well as those who were more subtle in their dislike. The subtle ones were far more dangerous and those were the fairies I paid particular attention to. I slid into the threat assessment and survival modes I'd been trained to follow, instantly determining where the exits were, what or who would be the most flammable, what objects would make the best weapons, and who were the most lethal fighters in the room. I examined every possible way to defend myself using both my psychic and physical abilities and I did it all within moments.
Once I had a feel for the room, I returned to gawking. There were so many types of fairy there, a lot of whom I didn't recognize right away, and I found myself fascinated by the diversity, despite the possibility of an attack. Then I realized that what I was seeing were combinations of seelie and unseelie fairies. There were women with flower petals for hair and horse-like legs. Possibly children of anthousai, the Greek flower nymphs, and hedley-kow, who were horse-shifters. I also saw squat, hairy fairies, maybe two feet tall with long rat tails, who must have been a blend of the fir darrig, also known as rat boys, and duergars, who are a type of dwarf.
A woman with five, fluffy tails hanging out of a discreet hole in her dress, pondered me with fiery snake eyes which, strangely enough, seemed kind. She was obviously part kitsune, a Japanese fox shifter, and a powerful one judging from the number of her tails, but I wasn't sure if her other half was naga, a Hindu snake shifter, or djinn, an Arab fire fairy. The djinn had three classes, one of which resembled either snakes or dogs, so those eyes could be a gift from either fey. Then there were brownies like Mairte but I noticed that some of them had hag features or even kelpie hair. There were so many combinations of fairy, from so many different cultures, that it was mind-boggling.
My eyes darted over tufted ears and animal stares, jewel toned hair and multi-colored skin, scales and fur, living stone and twitching leaves. A huge, long-haired dog startled me but then I realized that it wasn't an unseelie puka but a bargest, as evidenced by the little horns curving back behind his ears. Everything else about it resembled a puka, from its fiery eyes to its massive size, though the bargest was just a touch bigger. They were known to be mild-tempered creatures who often saved the lives of humans. They especially liked the ladies and, unlike the pukas, they could shift into human form to woo said ladies. I smiled as the bargest I'd been watching bowed his head and gave a low bark. Cat barked back happily.
We finally made our way through the throng and walked up three short steps onto a dais, where the high table was placed horizontally. It was set like the other tables but this one had two thrones behind it and then two more modest chairs, one to either side of the thrones. Behind those thrones, hanging on the vine covered wall, was a banner with a device embroidered onto it. The shield outline was filled with a grayish lavender color, like the stones of the castle, and over that lavender field, directly in the center of the shield, was a large, silver star. The symbol of the Twilight Court appeared to be a star, which explained all the star decor... and my name evidently. Talk about being obsessive.
Keir led me to the thrones and seated me on his left. Cat sat calmly on the floor between us, like she'd been doing so her entire life. After we sat, the rest of the room returned to their socializing and the murmur of voices rose around us to a comfortable din. Tiernan strode up onto the dais and took the seat on my left as Aideen took the one next to Keir. Tiernan gave me a wicked smile as he sat and pointedly looked me over.
“I hardly recognize you,” he whispered, his eyes trailing down to my shameful display of cleavage.
“I hardly recognize myself... or these fairies.” I whispered back as I hid my smile. Maybe Mairte was right, if you got it, flaunt it. “There are so many combinations, it's hard for me to figure out who is what”
“There are a few who are purely twilight, their parents' blood combined in a way that produced a new race, with unique features,” Tiernan waved a hand over to a woman with large, slanted, chartreuse eyes and thick, ebony hair. “The cat-sidhe were born in that manner and so were the bargests and the buguls,” he indicated the large shaggy dog I'd seen earlier and then an ugly little man who I knew from my lessons to be a very kind-hearted fairy. “The rest though, are blends which have left clear markings
of both parents,” he nodded to a man with golden hair, like spun metal, and super pale skin. The fairy smiled and nodded back as Tiernan explained, “Seelie hair and unseelie skin.”
“The seelie don't have pale skin?” I lifted a brow at his own fair complexion.
“Not that pale,” he nudged his nose in the man's direction again. “That's moonlight skin, fairest of the fair.”
“Like Snow White?” I laughed but I did see the difference. Tiernan's skin was human pale while the twilight fairy had skin that was pure white.
“Please don't ever call Iain that,” he shook his head. “He will not take kindly to your teasing and he's one of the few fairies I consider to be a friend.”
“Okay,” I held up my hands in surrender. “I won't call your friend Snow White.”
“Thank you.”
“How about Shaun White?” I giggled.
“Shaun...” Tiernan frowned. “Isn't he a human athlete?”
“A snowboarder actually,” I laughed. “Kind of a funny coincidence that his name is so close to Snow White.”
“It's not close to Snow White, it's another name entirely,” Tiernan rolled his eyes. “A name which should only be used in reference to him, not Iain.”
“It's funny,” I protested.
“It's not,” Tiernan declared with finality. “You've drawn a connection where there is none.”
Then trumpets sounded, cutting off my response, and fairies began to bring food out to us on large, silver carts. There was quite a bit of it and it all looked delicious. Steaming platters were set on our table with great panache. I wasn't sure what it all was but it smelled good enough that I didn't care. Then Tiernan began to dish things out onto my plate and I raised a brow at him. I glanced to my right and saw Keir doing the same thing for Aideen.
“And now I'm in the Middle Ages,” I chuckled and sat back as I gestured to the pitcher of wine and brought it forward to fill my glass, using apportation so I didn't get in his way.
“Chivalry is important to us,” Tiernan grinned at me but his eyes strayed to my breasts.
“Try saying that again to my face,” I laughed.
“Goddess, but I don't know if I can,” he laid the serving spoon down and laughed at himself. “Did you choose that dress yourself?”
“No, Mairte helped me pick it,” I admitted. “She said that fairy women showed off their assets and evidently, these are mine.”
“That they are,” he agreed, still keeping his gaze averted.
“You're not going to offend me by looking,” I nudged his shoulder with mine. “I was just teasing you.”
“Oh, thank Danu,” he sighed and immediately looked back at my display of flesh. “They are magnificent. I had no idea how I was going to get through this meal without staring again.”
“Are you speaking about my daughter's breasts?” Keir leaned over into our conversation and Tiernan paled... almost as white as his friend Iain, aka Not Snow White.
“It would be insulting if he didn't notice,” I gave Keir a wink.
“Very true,” Keir glanced down at my cleavage and shook his head. “Even I am having trouble with it and it has nothing to do with attraction, I assure you.”
“Well, I'd hope not,” I gave him a horrified look.
“Fey think differently about things like incest,” Tiernan gave me a sly look.
“Shut up,” I transferred my horrified look to him.
“My Lord Shadowcall is teasing you,” Keir gave Tiernan an affectionately chiding look before clarifying. “There is no censure for cousins marrying but a father would never feel such things for his daughter.”
“At least not normally,” Tiernan said cryptically and I felt my eyes widen again. “Don't act as if that doesn't happen with humans.”
“Yeah, okay,” my face fell into a grimace. “Gross but yes, you're right.”
“Good, we can move on from discussing my daughter's breasts now,” Keir made an aggrieved face and I saw myself in the expression. I couldn't help smiling. Maybe I'd inherited something more than his eyes and a stripe of hair.
“You can move on,” Tiernan waved a hand out to the rest of the court, “but I have a feeling it's going to be the topic of a lot of conversations tonight.”
I looked up and sure enough, several fey gazes seemed to be fastened on my cleavage. Okay, so this might be a bit more attention than I'd bargained for. My hand went to cover my decolletage but Tiernan grabbed it before I did.
“Do not ever appear uncomfortable,” he advised in a low voice. “No matter what happens, you're a princess and a fairy princess is always confident. You should be able to stand here naked and feel no shame. To do anything else would be an insult to your people. They count on you to lead them without any sign of weakness.”
“Wait a second,” I glanced at Keir. “I don't know how to lead people, much less fairy people.”
“You will learn,” Keir said gently. “For now, my Lord Tiernan has given you good advice. Look as if you are born to be here until you feel it for yourself.”
“Fake it till I make it?” I smirked at Keir.
Cat huffed and slid her head into my lap. She had to lower her body to do so since her head was level with my shoulder but she didn't seem to mind. She just sort of tucked herself partially beneath my chair.
“Yes,” Keir chuckled, casting a quick, delighted glance at Cat. “That's perfect, I like it. But know this, Seren, you are my daughter and you have more right to be here than any of them. This is your home, the only one which has ever truly been yours. Every stone, every dish, every flower belongs to you. They are simply your guests and they remain here only at your pleasure. If someone or something offends you, you have the authority to cast it out.”
“Thank you,” I whispered and sat a little straighter.
His words had rung a chord within me. Even when my mother was alive, the houses we'd lived in had never truly felt like homes. Everything had felt transitory, like it could all disappear by morning, and after she died, it all did. Dad and I lived out of boxes for our first year in Hawaii and even after I'd unpacked, I'd felt that it wasn't where I belonged, so why should I get comfortable?
There, in that amazing castle, I could feel the weight of permanence. Maybe I wasn't a part of that permanence just yet but I could feel the age of the place and if I did find a way to make it my home, it would be a lasting one. It would take root in me and go with me everywhere. I would carry it inside me. Every stone and every flower, just as he'd said.
I frowned and thought of my dad. My human dad. No, I couldn't get attached to this place because I still needed to return to him. I couldn't abandon him, not even for this. Whether or not he was my father by blood, Ewan had raised me and I loved him. He would always be my father and no amount of fairy castles could change that.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Princess Seren,” a sidhe man slid between me and my escape route. He was tall and thin, very prim looking, with his long corn husk hair pulled back in a braid. I tried to smile at him but my face was getting tired of smiling and my gaze drifted past him to the safety of the high table.
As soon as the dancing had begun, the offers of partners had started arriving. Man after man had approached the high table and asked to dance with me with varying degrees of poetic pleasantries. The first few had been flattering but after the twentieth, it had simply become exhausting and this newest prospect didn't even look like he was worth the weariness.
“I've already claimed the next dance with the Princess,” a gruff voice interrupted before the sidhe could finish sonnet-like spiel.
“Conri, I didn't see you ask,” the sidhe's voice was stiff.
“Oh, but I did, didn't I, Your Highness?” His voice rolled over me like mist at midnight, a thick, mysterious heaviness, and it fit the man perfectly.
He was built like a bull, corded muscles creating distinctive shadows in his green tunic and showing clearly through his fitted leather pants. Linebacker massive and ye
t there was a sleekness to him that made him appear almost elegant. I looked up into a strikingly masculine face with a wide jaw, thick nose, and sharply angled cheeks. His lips were surprisingly sensuous amid all the rough features, almost as full as a woman's. Pitch-black hair hung in tousled disarray, barely reaching his shoulders, and just above his ears, a pair of small black horns curved back, discretely sweeping behind them, to end just beneath his earlobes. Savage elegance, that's what he was.
“Yes,” I gave a breathless answer, “he did.”
“Shall we?” Conri bowed and held a hand up to me.
I took it as the sidhe sputtered indignantly behind me and Conri smiled wickedly as he led me back onto the open bit of stone floor just in front of the high table. A quick movement of his wrist and I was pressed up against him, staring up into eyes of fire. I'd seen those eyes before... and those horns actually.
“You're the bargest who barked at me, aren't you?” I asked him and he smiled wider.
“You noticed, how sweet,” he swung me out and pulled me back in, even closer this time.
“It was the horns that gave you away,” I admired the sleek black curves, partially hidden by his hair.
“Do you like men with horns?” He asked with a devilish smile, making me laugh out loud.
“Are you trying to get me to call you horny?” I asked after the laughter died out.
“No,” he whispered as he leaned closer. “I'm trying to get you to say that you like me horny.”
“You know,” I laughed again, “I was wondering when I'd meet a fairy playa but I'd thought it was going to be a gancanagh.”
“Too obvious,” he scoffed, “seduction is their job.”
“So what? They don't like to do it in their free time?” I lifted a brow.
“They do, it's just too obvious,” he shrugged. “You can see them coming a mile away. Not literally of course,” he winked.
“And a large dog isn't obvious?” I shot back, ignoring his bawdy humor.