Fairy-Struck

by Amy Sumida

  “His physical body wasn't here,” Tiernan said simply. “It was literally all in your head. He was in your head.”

  “Well that's going to make family reunions awkward,” I grimaced. “Who knows what else he saw in there.”

  “There will be no reunion with King Uisdean, Princess,” Torquil said and both Tiernan and Keir stifled their laughter. “What did I say?” Torquil looked to Keir.

  “She was making a jest,” Keir said gently and the knight stiffened.

  “Sorry,” I gave him a smile. “I guess it's human nature to make light of tense situations.”

  “Fairies appreciate levity as well,” Tiernan protested. “It's just Torquil who has no sense of humor.”

  “My Lord Shadowcall, may I remind you who is truly a member of this court?” Torquil spat and the whole table went silent.

  “And may I remind you that he saved my life twice already,” I spoke before Tiernan could but instead of being grateful, he shot me an angry look.

  “I can speak for myself, Your Highness,” he glared at me.

  “Wow,” I blinked and shook my head. “Go on then, Legolas. Speak up.”

  “Do my ears look pointed to you, Twilight Princess?” He asked.

  “No,” I said slowly.

  “Because I am not an elf!” He snapped.

  “I thought elves were fairies,” I mused casually, totally unperturbed by his show of temper.

  “Yes, like a puka is a fairy,” Tiernan waved to Cat. “That does not make all of us furry, does it?”

  “Valid,” I grimaced. “But Tolkien-”

  “Tolkien was wrong!” Legolas, I mean Tiernan, flung his hands out in exasperation.

  “Enough!” Keir sliced his hand through the air, leaving a trail of stardust behind it. Everyone froze. I had no idea something so sparkly could be so intimidating “Tiernan has long been accepted into this court and I will not be disgraced by listening to him defend his place here. He is a twilight fey, Torquil. You know that and have embraced it up until the moment you saw him embracing my daughter.”

  “Don't you think she should be with a true twilight fey?” Torquil asked instead of conceding.

  “You mean like Conri?” I smirked, earning a nasty look from both Torquil and Tiernan. “What? He's a bargest, right? That's one of the few true twilight races.”

  “A lesser race,” Torquil frowned, completely confused and completely ignorant of his elitist attitude. “He's not a twilight sidhe.”

  “But Tiernan is,” Keir growled and Torquil sat back, finally cowed enough to nod. “Good. Now if you two curs would stop fighting over my long lost daughter like a bloody bone, we could get on with the discussion of what to do about my murdering brother!” His last words echoed through the room and Cat let out a little whine. I reached out automatically to soothe her.

  “I think an afternoon coronation would be lovely, Your Majesty,” Ainsley, one of the other knights, said cheerfully.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  I felt ridiculous but I guess that was getting to be the norm for me. My coronation gown was not about showing off my assets, it was about showing off my lineage and so the neckline went all the way up to my throat. Then it flowed out in sleeves which got wider as they went, till they belled around my wrists like they'd forgotten they were sleeves entirely and believed themselves to be skirts. The real skirt was even more full, with a train so long, I had no idea how I'd get down the stairs without catching it on something.

  The gown was made of layers upon layers of silky gauze in colors deepening from pale lavender to black. The black fabric was laid closest to my skin, so although the gown gave the illusion that it was transparent, with all its shifting sheer layers, it was completely modest. The top layer was dusted with diamonds, sparkling like stars across the celestial sphere of my dress. Beneath the hem, the toes of my black silk shoes poked out, revealing yet more diamonds.

  Over this frothy monstrosity of femininity, was a silver necklace that was more like a collar; a wide thing with amethysts and diamonds set into it with wild abandon. I wore matching earrings, as well as a huge ring on my finger which was silver with an amethyst the size of my thumb surrounded by little diamonds. Over all of this was a plum velvet cape edged in black fur. It was affixed to my shoulders with two star shaped pins, one on each side, with a silver chain crossing my chest to connect them. My hair was pulled back sleekly over the cape, nearly blending in with the dark material.

  “I just hope I don't have to hold a ball and wand,” I grumbled.

  “An orb and scepter,” Mairte corrected, as my other attendants, several sidhe ladies, giggled.

  “Am I going to have to hold an orb and a scepter?” I clarified.

  “No, this isn't England,” Mairte rolled her eyes.

  “Well thank god for that,” I huffed and the sidhe women gasped. “What did I say now?”

  “God,” laughed Mairte. “Here, we usually say Goddess or Danu if we want to get specific. To imply that a male deity could birth a race is slightly offensive to us.”

  “Oh, sorry,” I said over my shoulder to the women.

  “It's of no consequence, Your Highness,” Elena, a fairy with bright orange hair, said sweetly. “You'll learn our ways soon enough.”

  “Thanks, Elena,” I sighed and looked over to Cat, who had been groomed and adorned as well since we were pretty sure she wouldn't sit meekly on the sidelines while I was crowned. “I'm glad you have to suffer this humiliation with me,” I said to her and she whined. “Misery loves company, my friend.”

  Cat was wearing a thick collar of silver set with amethysts, similar to my necklace, and a bright purple ribbon was tied onto the base of her tail. She kept wagging it across the floor but the ribbon had been knotted so it wouldn't come undone and none of her efforts paid off. She gave a violent body shake, causing the collar to twist around.

  “I know just how you feel,” I laughed.

  “It's time, Your Highness,” Tiernan poked his head into the room and his eyes widened when he saw me.

  “Don't say it,” I pointed a finger at him and he bit his lip as he blinked innocently. “Don't you say it.”

  “You look...” he started to grin.

  “Tiernan,” I growled.

  “You look lovely, Your Highness,” he softened his smile and held out his hand. “Your father is waiting.”

  “I look like I'm my own galaxy,” I muttered as I stomped over to him. “In a galaxy-dress far, far away, a woman is crowned princess.”

  I took his arm and let him lead me out of the room even though he was laughing at me. The ladies and Cat followed after us. We paraded through the halls and down the main stairway like a bunch of Shakespearean actors at a Renn Fair. My ladies-in-waiting carried the end of my train so it wouldn't get snagged on anything, thank god... I mean goddess. I shook my head and tried to get into a more serious frame of mind. This was not a play, this was my coronation. I was about to truly become a twilight, non-vampire, fairy, star princess. I glanced down at Cat and rolled my eyes. Ridiculous.

  We went through a door on our left and then wound our way through a long hallway until we approached a tall, arched doorway, bordered in silver. All sense of the ridiculous faded as I peered into the room and saw the long length of purple runner waiting for me to walk down. There was a dais at its end with two very impressive thrones and one very impressive king standing on it.

  My father.

  I stopped at the door and my fey attendants, including Tiernan, drifted to the sides, into the mass of fairies who were gathered to see me crowned. I'd have to walk the rest of the way on my own. Well not entirely, I looked down at Cat and smiled.

  “You ready to do this?” I whispered to her and she nudged her head beneath my hand.

  I gave her an absent scratch but before I could step forward, Cat changed, shifting from dog into horse. The collar creaked and burst apart, sending silver and stones shooting into the walls like shrapnel, but the ribbon remained on her
long tail. She was kneeling on the ground, looking up at me with her soft, horse eyes and I just gaped at her. She nickered and nudged me again with her pale pink nose.

  “Alright then,” I huffed a little laugh. “I guess I won't be walking after all.”

  I slid over her bare back and spread my train and cape behind us, praying she wouldn't step on them as she stood. I shouldn't have worried. Cat was graceful in this form and she stood effortlessly, bowing her head as we entered the room to the sudden silence of intense fairy attention.

  I clenched my fingers in her silky mane, unlike any horse hair I'd ever felt, and lifted my head to see my fairy father's smiling face. He was dressed in colors to match mine, a similar collar at his throat and on his head was a crown which was even more elaborate than the one he'd worn the night before. This one had spikes all the way around it, and each spike was topped with a diamond star. I focused on him, telling myself over and over that I wouldn't glance behind me to see how my train was doing.

  Nope, wouldn't do it. Not going to do it. The train is fine, Seren, this is your damn coronation, ignore the train. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the train in a perfect fall of fabric stretching out behind me... and Tiernan standing at the back of the hall, watching me with a gentle expression. I gave him a little smile and he returned it before I turned back towards the dais.

  This dais was higher than the one in the dining hall. It had ten steps of lavender stone leading up to a circular space which the thrones were set upon. The throne on the left was larger than the one on the right but other than that, they were identical. Made from intricately carved pieces of wood, their blackened feet faded up into purple and then lightened to lavender near the top. The peaks at center back were both adorned with a silver star and the attached cushions were deep purple velvet. Between the thrones was a small table holding a purple cushion, which in turn held a feminine version of Keir's crown. Then, beneath it all; the thrones, the table, and the fairy king, was a round, silver rug. The purple runner led up the stairs straight to it.

  When I reached the bottom step, Keir came down to help me from Cat's back. His hands went to my waist and he lifted me easily, placing me gently on the floor. The stars in his eyes were shining, sending twinkling light over his cheekbones, as he lowered his face to kiss my cheek.

  “Well done, Seren,” he whispered and then gave Cat's neck a pat. “And well done, Cat.” Cat gave a happy huff before Keir stood back and held his arm out to me.

  I took it with a nervous smile and ascended the steps with him. There was no priest to crown me, no one up there but me and Keir. He led me to stand in front of the smaller throne and then released my hand. I twisted a little, trying to pull my train up the stairs, but it was so long, it draped over the top three steps no matter what I did. I gave up on it and looked up to see that Keir had turned to address the crowd.

  “As all of you know,” he began, “this is a day I've long been awaiting. Our star has finally come home and I am delighted to stand here before you and crown your princess.”

  A cheer rose from the fey as he reached for the crown set out between the thrones. He lifted it high for everyone to see and then turned and placed it gently on my head.

  “Before Danu and all of you, my twilight fey, I crown the daughter of my blood, Seren Bloodthorn, as Princess of the Twilight Court,” he spoke with a steady, serious tone. “Let all of Fairy know her to be my heir and may the goddess smile upon her.”

  I shivered as the crown sank onto my head and a wave of magic rushed through me. I felt it move outward, into the ground and the fey around us. A low sigh flowed from them and I sighed myself as the magic seemed to settle in my bones. Seren Bloodthorn. Not Sloane. It felt good and right but also like a horrible betrayal. Couldn't I be both? I looked up at Keir and found myself blinking back tears. He smiled gently and framed my face with his hands.

  “You're safe now,” he whispered. “The court has recognized you as my heir. Let go of the past I see shimmering in your eyes and embrace us, your true family.”

  “I'll try,” I swallowed hard.

  “Good,” he kissed my cheek and then turned to face the room with my hand held in his. “Your new princess!” He shouted. “Princess Seren, our Twilight Star!”

  My eyes sought out Tiernan as his nickname for me was made public and he gave a happy shrug. I guess he didn't mind, although I didn't like the idea that others would be using his name for me. It had seemed private and sweet before but now it was just another silly title. I sighed. If that was the worst of what I'd have to deal with as a princess, then I'd be supremely grateful for it.

  Keir sat us in our thrones as the fey cheered and then Cat shifted back into her canine form and raced up the stairs to sit between us, knocking the table aside like it had offended her by trying to take her place. Keir laughed and scratched her head as the twilight fey began to move forward, forming a line before the dais. At a wave from Keir's hand, they made their way up the steps, one by one, and knelt before me to pledge their fealty. I stumbled my way through my responses with Keir's help but when it was Tiernan's turn, I nearly lost my composure.

  I was an Extinguisher. I wasn't a princess to be knelt to or protected. I was the one who did the protecting. I was supposed to be dressed in jeans and heavy boots not silks and high heels. This was not my life. I felt like an imposter or even worse, a traitor.

  Tiernan must have seen the panic in my eyes because he increased the pressure on my hand and gave it a lingering kiss before he said “I vow fealty to the Twilight Star, daughter of my King, heir to the twilight throne, and Extinguisher of those who would stand against us.”

  Applause came from the fey behind him and I gave him a grateful smile. Although the others didn't realize it, he'd just secretly told me that I was still a Sloane, still the woman I was raised to be. I may have just been crowned the Twilight Princess but I was an Extinguisher long before I had ever set foot in Fairy and I would be one until my own light went out.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Now that I'm safe,” I said slowly to Keir, “I'd like to go back to San Francisco and make sure my Dad is alright.”

  It was late at night, my coronal celebration had finally wound down and Keir had escorted me to my bedroom. He followed me in, helping me gather my long train before he shut the door behind us. Cat went straight to the bed and did her usual three circles before she curled into a fur-ball and went to sleep. Keir frowned and waved us over to the couches before the fireplace. He glanced pointedly at the piled logs and then over to me. I lit them with a thought and he smiled delightedly as he took a seat. I sat beside him, my elaborate dress foaming around us and over the side of the couch. I punched my arms down into my lap, flattening the puffiness like risen dough.

  “I can send someone to check on Ewan,” Keir said reasonably. “There's no call for you to risk the trip.”

  “I thought you said I was safe now,” I shot back.

  “As safe as I can make you,” he nodded. “That doesn't mean my brother will cease his efforts to stop you from sitting on the twilight throne. He's not so easily swayed.”

  “So my life is still in danger,” I stated calmly.

  “Not exactly,” he frowned. “He can't kill you anymore but there are other ways to prevent you from ruling.”

  “What? Lock me in a dungeon?” I huffed and then froze when Keir stared at me intently. “He could, couldn't he?”

  “That would be an option,” Keir sighed. “Now that you have awakened your fairy magic, you will stop aging, Seren. You have claimed your sidhe immortality.”

  “What?” I gaped. I wasn't sure if I wanted to live forever. “No one told me that was part of the deal.”

  “This isn't a deal, Daughter,” he said sternly, “these are the facts of your life. You are a sidhe and that makes you immortal... unless someone were to kill you, that is. I too am immortal, so hopefully you will never have to rule alone but still, the threat of you becoming Queen is enough to make
my brother desperate to prevent it.”

  “So not only would I be imprisoned but I'd be imprisoned forever?” I whispered.

  “It's a possibility,” he nodded. “Similar things have been done to circumvent the Sluagh.”

  “Well, at least he can't kill me,” I said dryly.

  “Now, you see why I don't want you to take the risk,” he offered.

  “But I have to,” I sighed. “I can't just disappear from Dad's life. I owe him more than that. He raised me and trained me. He loves me, he's my father.”

  “Yes, I know you think of him as such,” Keir looked stricken.

  “Look I realize that this is hard for you too and I want to have a relationship with you but I can't just turn off my feelings for the man who I've known to be my father since I first knew what that word meant.”

  “I understand,” he sighed. “And I understand why you need to see him. Perhaps in a couple of months we can send an army with you into the Human Realm-”

  “Months?” I interrupted. “Army? No, I need to see him now. Tomorrow or the next day. I can't let him stew and wonder what's happening to me. That's not fair to him... and I'm not taking a fairy army into the Human Realm. That could be disastrous.”

  Keir was silent for a long moment and then he nodded. “Alright but Tiernan will go with you and so will Torquil.”

  “Aw, Dad, not Torquil too,” I whined like a teenager and then gaped at him in shock. Had I just called him that?

  He laughed loud and vibrantly and then pulled me into a hug. “Those careless words have made me so happy.”

  I grimaced against his chest but then felt it shift into a smile.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  What my fairy father forgot to mention was that he would still be sending an army with me. Okay, maybe not an army, ten knights, not including Tiernan and Torquil, but still, I hadn't been expecting so many. They were going to wait outside the entrance to the Human Realm until I returned. This way they could guard me on my journey through Fairy, to the fairy mound and back. Torquil and Tiernan would be my guards for the rest of my trip.