by Amy Sumida
I technically gained time on this trip; going back nineteen hours, but that meant that I arrived in Twilight around midnight. I shucked off my clothes and went straight to bed; where a delighted Cat was waiting for me. She yipped happily before circling the spot she'd been in and going back to sleep. I curled beneath the blankets beside her and passed out.
I didn't wake up until I heard someone come into my room in the morning. Sunlight was just making its way down through the dome of my crystal ceiling and then through my eyelids—doing its best to revive me—but I was still groggy. With the air of the undead, I sat up in bed and rubbed at my eyes.
“Oh, sweet Goddess!” Mairte screeched and tossed my gowns into the air.
My poor, brownie maid had been on the way to my closet with an armful of clean clothes. Most of the dresses had been of heavy material, so they just fell to the floor, but a few were made of lighter stuff and had gone airborne. They floated down over her annoyed face as I laughed my ass off.
“I'm sorry, Mairte.” I got out of bed and went over to help her pick up the clothes. “I didn't mean to laugh at you.”
“It's all right, Your Highness,” Mairte said as she took the clothes from me. “I was only startled. I can resume my duties.”
“I twilighted in late last night and didn't want to wake anyone,” I explained. “Next time, I'll lock my door, so you'll know I'm home.”
“I'd appreciate that, Princess,” Mairte said as she headed into my dressing room.
I followed her into the room to grab a few things before I went to shower. After the shower, I headed to the royal family's private dining room to see if I could catch breakfast with my father.
“Seren!” Keir exclaimed with delight. He got up to give me a quick hug. “How's the petrifaction situation?”
“The what-tion what-tion?” I asked as I sat down.
“The issue with people being turned to stone,” he tried again. “Petrifaction.”
“There's a term for it?” I asked in disbelief.
“It happens enough to warrant one,” Keir said.
“Well, I'll be,” I huffed. “It's currently at a standstill. We know we're being misdirected, and we assume it's by Lana Clach, but other than that, we got nothing.”
“Lana is Seelie,” he mused.
“Yeah.”
“Have you spoken to her family?”
“She has family?”
“I don't know, but you should probably check,” Dad said. “If she does have family in Fairy, they may have some insight for you. If she doesn't, you may want to investigate who she's close to on Earth.”
“Look into her friends,” I said. “Yes; that, we've done. Most of them are on the run. One just turned up as a statue.”
“So, she's not the most loyal woman,” Keir noted dryly.
“No, and this isn't the first friend she's killed.”
“Consider what a woman like that would do in her position,” he suggested. “Where would she go? Who would she rely on when she herself is unreliable?”
“All good questions,” I agreed. “For another day. Today, I'm going to have breakfast with my dad and best puka.” I leaned down to scratch Cat's head. “And then I'm going to the Elf Village to speak to the leaders about housing fairies.”
“Would you like more, Your Majesty?” Our maid, Ellen asked my father.
“Yes, thank you, Ellen.” Keir leaned back so that Ellen could refill his plate.
That was my dad; he knew everyone in his court by name. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew everyone in his kingdom as well. He was a truly good man. Except for the whole sleeping with a married woman thing. But I got over that. All's fair in love and...
“Holy shit,” I whispered. “Love. I think Lana had a consort. I seem to remember a guy with her when we were first introduced.”
“Do you remember his name?” My father asked before gracefully placing a forkful of food into his mouth.
“No, but I'll bet that Daxon does,” I said. “He was trying to make me jealous back then and had flirted with Lana a little. I remember the guy giving Daxon some furious looks, but I didn't think anything of it at the time.”
“Because you were too busy giving Daxon your own furious looks?” My dad smirked.
“Maybe.” I grimaced. “My point is; Dax is bound to remember the man, and as one of Lana's exes, he might know the guy's name.”
“Ah.” Keir nodded. “So, we aren't going to have breakfast together?”
“No; we absolutely are,” I protested. “I just need to make a quick scry.”
“No scry phones at the dining table, Seren,” my father said sternly.
I looked up at him in surprise, and Keir laughed.
“I'm jesting,” he said. “I saw a human film in which the parents said something similar to their children.”
“Yes; very funny.” I rolled my eyes as I pulled my scry phone out. “Daxon Tromlaighe,” I said to direct the call. “You're a hoot, Dad.”
The slice of crystal misted, and then Daxon's face began to take shape. When he was fully distinct, he smiled.
“Hey, love,” Daxon said. “You coming back to Earth soon?”
“Probably tomorrow,” I said. “But I'm calling about something I remembered; Lana's lover.”
“You remembered Lana's lover?” Dax asked with confusion.
“Yeah; I thought I saw a guy with her at the meeting we had,” I explained. “He looked upset when you were getting chummy with her.”
Daxon frowned and considered it. “Gareth,” he finally said. “Yes; I believe they were together. Gareth was among the fairies who fled with Lana.”
“How much do you know about him?” I asked.
“Not much,” he said. “But I can find out more. By the time you get here tomorrow, I should know something.”
“Okay, good,” I said. “Maybe we can use him to get to her.”
“Indeed.” Daxon nodded. “But since you're on the phone, perhaps we could use this opportunity to—”
“I'm having breakfast with my father,” I cut off Dax before he said something really embarrassing.
“Ah.” Dax chuckled. “Another time, then. Give your father my best.”
“Will do.”
“I love you, Seren.”
“I love you too, Dax.” I wiped the crystal clean and put my phone away.
“Do I want to know what he was about to suggest?” My father asked.
“No. It would be best for all involved if you pretended you never heard that.”
“I think I can feign ignorance this once,” my dad grinned and slid the juice carafe my way. “Have something cool to drink, Seren; you look a little flushed.”
Chapter Nineteen
After breakfast, I headed downstairs to tell my Guard to prepare for the journey to the Elf Village. Along the way, I passed the open doorway of a sitting room and caught a glance of someone I was surprised to see in Twilight Castle; Conn Dealan. I stopped short and made a sharp turn into the room.
Conn was my cousin Bress' father. He was a seelie sidhe but had been imprisoned by the Unseelie for awhile. During his imprisonment, Moire Thorn—my aunt—raped him and conceived Bress. Under such conditions I never would have thought that Conn would have any emotional attachment to Moire; nothing beyond hatred, at least. But Moire had a way of manipulating people—especially men—that was beyond magic. Conn adored her, and when Moire killed my grandmother Iseabal—Queen of Seelie—and became Queen of Seelie herself, Conn was right there beside her. In fact, he was the means Moire used to be able to challenge Iseabal for the crown; she married him, and as the wife of a seelie, she was within her rights to challenge the Queen.
Moire's reign was brief; a matter of minutes. I arrived shortly after my grandmother's death, and I challenged Moire in the same manner that she had my grandmother. I won, and Moire died. Conn had wept over her corpse; enough so that I had worried about possible acts of revenge originating from him. But then Conn had made himself sca
rce. He left the Seelie Court altogether, and I hadn't seen him until that very moment. But when I entered the room, I immediately knew why he was there, and I relaxed.
Bress was sitting in a chair near his father; listening to Conn with a hopeful expression on his face. My cousin and I hadn't started on the best terms, but Bress had reasons for his mental issues, and I had forgiven him for nearly raping me while he had forgiven me for star-crossing him. Bress had come a long way from the evil bastard his mother had made him into, and now I could see that his journey had opened old wounds. Moire had always been able to manipulate Bress because she had instilled in him a need for love and approval; especially from his mother. It looked as if a father was going to be an acceptable replacement.
I was fine with that; I had no quarrel with Conn. As far as I was concerned, Conn was as much a victim of Moire's malice as Bress was. If the men could find comfort together and form a new bond now that Moire was dead, then more power to them. I truly hoped that Bress could fill the empty hole in his heart that his mother left with the love of his father. Perhaps they could heal each other.
“Hey,” I said as I stepped over to them.
“Seren,” Bress said with a little flinch of guilt. “Um... my father came to visit. I hope you don't mind. King Keir said it was all right.”
“Of course, I don't mind.” I turned toward Conn. “I'm sure I'm not your favorite person, but I want you to know that you're welcome here anytime you wish to see your son, and you're welcome back at the Seelie Court if you ever feel up to returning.”
Conn's eyes widened. “You'd have me in your court? After what happened?”
“That was Moire's doing,” I said. “I don't hold you responsible. And I hope that someday you can forgive me for what I had to do as well.”
“There is nothing to forgive, Your Majesty.” Conn stood and bowed. “Thank you for being gracious.”
“Nonsense,” I said as I held out my hand. “We're family.”
Conn looked at my hand with even more surprise and then shook it.
“I appreciate that,” he said.
“As do I,” Bress added. “Thank you, Seren.”
“No biggie.” I waved Conn back into his seat. “I hope you enjoy your visit. I won't interrupt any more of it. Please stay as long as you like, Conn. We can have a room prepared for you.”
Conn's face went through some odd emotions before settling on gratitude. “I may take you up on your kind offer,” he said. “Good day to you, Queen Seren.”
“Good day,” I said as I left.
Cat whined at me as we walked down the hallway.
“What? Harboring a grudge only hurts you,” I said. “Bress needs his father, and I need Bress to be sane. A sane Bress is a good Bress and a safe Seren.”
Cat huffed but remained unconvinced.
“Come on, you pessimist,” I said. “Let's go find Conri and make him round up the others. We're going on an excursion.”
Cat yipped happily and ran ahead. Maybe it was a canine thing, but Cat loved Conri; no matter how annoying he got.
Chapter Twenty
My Star's Guard, Cat, and I made it to the Elf Village by late afternoon. Cat had transformed into her horse form to give me a ride, but she changed back to canine after we arrived. That was her favorite form; allowing her to get into more places than she would have been able to as a horse. We left her gear by the other puka horses while we went to speak with the Elves.
I didn't see Dagur or Hinrik right away, but they weren't the only ones I had to sway. The Elves believed in democracy, and every elf had a vote in what the race did as a whole. I needed to speak to all of them; it just would have been easier with the brothers to ease the way.
Still, I was quickly spotted and immediately recognized. The Elves came out of their homes and entrances to their underground; gathering around me with interest. A few of the larger elves—human-sized—came up to speak with me, and after learning that I had a question to pose to the entire tribe, they escorted me to the freshly-built meeting hall.
Along the way, I admired the beautiful homes they had built so rapidly. The Elves had only been in Twilight a few months, and yet their village was complete. Not only were there ethereal-looking homes lining the orderly streets, but there were also dining establishments, workshops, and a marketplace. Goods were generally traded for in Fairy. Items like gold and jewels were not as valued here as they were in the Human Realm, so even they couldn't be used as common currency. When the world gave up its riches to you without you having to dig for them, it could make gold and gems less valuable than say a bridle, which had to be crafted. I guess the law of supply and demand worked in any world, and it was the items that were necessary for survival that were worth more than pretty stones and shiny metal here.
In the center of the village, there was a domed hall; just like the last meeting hall, I'd seen in the Elven Enclave in Iceland. The rest of the village had a new look to it—especially since it was above ground—but the meeting hall was nearly an exact replica of the original. Grand, double doors opened for us as we approached, and I was led inside; straight to a round table set on the floor of the arena. We were just taking our seats when Hinrik walked in and approached the table. The other elves—from tall and willowy to tiny and slim—were filling the arena seats that swept up and around the circular floor.
“Princess Seren, what a lovely surprise,” Hinrik said; his sapphire eyes warming. “Welcome back.”
“Yes, indeed,” Dagur's voice was a lower timbre, and his ice-blue eyes were far hotter than his brother's when he looked at me. “Welcome, Princess Seren. What can we do for you?”
“Her Highness says that she has something to ask the village,” one of the elves who had greeted me reported.
Dagur looked up and around the hall; eyes flickering on every face. I knew he was making certain that every elf was there, and it impressed me that he was able to do so quickly. But that's how the Elves are; a close-knit community. Every elf is known and valued.
“They're all here,” Dagur finally announced. “Go ahead, Your Highness; pose your question.”
The Elves, although technically Seelie and Unseelie, now thought of themselves as Twilight Fey. As such, they couldn't give me the title of Queen anymore. To do so would be tantamount to treason; a statement that they supported me as their monarch instead of my father.
“I'm so excited to see you settled into our kingdom,” I began. “You have impressed me yet again with your skills and your speed with them. This village is a major accomplishment; not only in its structure but in its people. I'm honored to have your blended community be the first of its kind in Twilight, and my greatest hope is for all of Fairy to be like this someday.”
The Elves cheered; standing to applaud their own success and my acknowledgment of it. But Hinrik waved to them, and the applause died down as the Elves resumed their seats. He nodded to me to continue.
“Toward that aim,” I said, “I have come to ask if you would welcome more fairies into your community.”
The Elves went quiet and wary.
“You may have heard about the situation with the Fairy Undergrounds in the United States,” I went on. “Thousands of fairies who were living in horrible conditions have decided to give Fairy another chance. I promised to help them find temporary homes until they could get settled into permanent ones. Now, I could take all of them to Seelie and Unseelie, but I thought this was the perfect opportunity for you Elves to show other fairies what it truly means to be Children of Danu.”
“What are you asking of us, Princess?” Dagur asked. “You want us to take these refugees in?”
“They're not refugees,” I chided him. “These are fairies coming home. I'd like to bring some of them here; a mix of Seelie and Unseelie. These fairies have already been living as you are; intermingled. I don't think it will cause them any hardship to live that way a little longer.”
“But if they've already lived thus, what's the point of cont
inuing it?” One of the elves on a bottom row asked. “It's the ones who refuse to live that way who you need to change.”
“The point is that these returning fairies may have family or friends who will want to see them,” I explained. “They'll come here to visit, and those fairies shall see firsthand how it could be if our kingdoms intermingled.”
The Elves murmured among themselves for a bit before questions started being called out to me.
“One at a time,” Dagur said. “Trinell, go ahead.”
“Princess Seren, we have just rebuilt, and now you want us to house the fairies who tried to segregate us in the first place?”
I considered his question, and as I did, I felt the little trickle of energy that let me know Danu was listening. She would take over if I asked her to, but I had used Danu to sway the Elves before, and I didn't want to resort to her again. I wanted to appeal to them on my own. The flutter faded.
“Your question saddens and disappoints me,” I said gravely.
The Elves looked at me with wide eyes and gaping mouths.
“You—who I considered to be the epitome of what fairies should strive for—harbor hatred in your heart for the other races of fey. Just when I thought I had found a race of fairies who see no barriers between us, I am proved wrong. You've come together only to segregate yourselves again.”
The Elves looked at one another in horror and sudden realization. It's hard to take a good look at yourself, but when someone else holds up a figurative mirror and forces you to stare at your faults, it can be crippling. The Elves had thought as I did; that they were an elite race, above the petty squabbles of the rest of Fairy. When in actuality, they were no better than the others; they had simply formed their group on a smaller scale.
“You've shamed us,” Hinrik said softly. “But it was a sting we needed to feel. We have grown comfortable in this sanctuary you've provided and forgotten that there's a world of other fairies out there.”
“You're right, Princess,” Dagur added. “We have pulled away again. But in our defense, it's all we've ever known to do.”