THE FAERIE PALACE was a breathtaking wooden building with a shining red roof, and golden verandas and balconies. Gentle light glowed out of the windows in soft pink, warm yellow, and deep crimson. The palace was surrounded by lush gardens, each one overflowing with scented trees that filled the air with their dizzying aroma. Rare flowers and fruit, a pond teeming with fish whose wide tails moved like fabric in the wind, and many ornate gazebos dotted the royal grounds. The whole palace and its many adjacent buildings were surrounded by a wall, which was in turn encircled by a rushing river. Beyond the river on a sloping hill lay the rest of the city.
“Come, little human, come here,” urged a faerie in layers of fine red robes. “You can see the palace grounds later. We’ve got to get you ready to be presented.”
“Presented?” Penny questioned as she and Annette were led away from the rest of the group.
“What’s going on?” Annette whispered to her as they led inside the palace, guided down a hallway, and brought into a tiny room crammed with several chests of drawers, mirrors, and low tables. The room was lit by a glowing stone that hung from the ceiling in an ornately carved lantern. Penny was admiring the room when the faerie escorting her began removing her jacket and skirt.
“What are you doing?” Penny shouted, jumping away.
“Forgive her, miss,” Annette giggled to the affronted faerie. “They’re only getting us dressed, Penny.”
“Yes, miss. It is a rule of the court. You must dress in formal attire while you stay here. It is a sign of respect to the Emperor and Empress,” the faerie told Penny.
Penny allowed the faerie to resume undressing her, feeling quite uncomfortable at her level of exposure in front of a stranger. The faeries talked between themselves in Fae as they dressed the girls, commenting how cute Annette and Penny were and despairing their lack of wings and crystals.
“Just look at these dainty little hands—smaller than a faeli’s!”
Dressed in layers of silks and gossamer sashes and their hair knotted with ornaments, Penny and Annette were led to a large chamber where the rest of their group waited. Penny laughed when she saw Hector, Argent, and Simon sitting in a row wearing identical expressions of discomfort. The robes that seemed to fit faerie men’s grace so well looked awkward and silly on the three of them. Noct stood with Damari, Flynn, and Luke in the corner, his disdain for the outfit obvious.
Yrax, Feirne, and Entil stood around Noah, who had been adorned in the finest and most regal attire. Penny thought it rather suited him, but looked away as their gazes met. She could not face him yet.
“My friends, now that we are assembled, we shall be presented to Emperor Tharn and Empress Irunie. I implore you not to speak or make any noise whatsoever, for even the slightest mistake could ruin your chances of forming an alliance. Come now, follow me,” Entil said.
They followed Noah and Entil in a line, everyone keeping their heads low and their footsteps light. Penny wanted very much to look around the painted rooms with their grand decor, but kept moving forward. When they entered the throne room, Penny and the other humans were directed to sit as far back against the wall as possible while Noah continued with the court faeries.
Penny watched as he approached a raised platform flanked by guards with cruel spears made of a glasslike substance. A row of lattice windows sat behind the platform and the intense light streaming from behind it almost drowned out the view of the two faeries sitting side-by-side on a crystal bench.
The Emperor, who had a curtain of sleek, white hair that was so long it draped onto the floor. On top of his head was a glass crown that seemed to be made of icicles and was adorned with jewels that were carved to look like fruit and leaves. His eyes and frown were wary and sharp, and in his long, bony fingers he held a long dark staff. The Empress beside him had a beguiling smile on her bejeweled face and she was truly one of the loveliest and most intimidating creatures Penny had beheld. Her hair was just as long as the Emperor’s, but it was smooth, lustrous, and black. From the tips of her wide wings down to edge of her voluminous robes, the Empress glittered like snow in the sun.
“May I present King Noah Ontellos Vennioch Xander IV and his retinue? They have traveled from the Nation of Men, my Lord and Lady,” introduced Entil, bowing to the royal pair.
“You are well met, King of Men,” the Empress said, lifting her skeletal fingers in greeting.
“We have not had the pleasure of being introduced to you in the past, young king, but I remember your father when he was your age. He came here many years ago and was a dear friend to the Faerie Court, and because of him, you and your escort are welcome here.” The emperor’s voice was thin, like wind whispering through leaves, and gave the impression that he was centuries older than his youthful features suggested.
“How gracious you are to allow me into your magnificent palace,” Noah said, bowing low before them. “It is an honor. I also beg your kind patience in considering the matter for which I traveled here to discuss.”
“We will consider it, yes,” Emperor Tharn said. “But first, you must be tired from you travels, human friends. Come, let us dine side by side and talk of pleasant things before we become caught up by the seriousness of these matters.”
Noah moved aside as the Emperor escorted his Empress from the throne room. Penny and the others bowed as they passed, and Penny felt Empress Irunie’s eyes watching them. Once the court had exited the hallway, Noah and the other humans followed.
They assembled in a long hall with a smooth table that stretched from one end to the other. The Emperor and Empress sat at the head of the table and gestured to nearby faeries, and soon everyone was being served exotic foods and rose wine.
“We’ve arranged to have a very special dish prepared for today, King of Men,” the Empress said, looking at Noah just as Penny reached for the food on her plate. Her voice was soft, but she smiled coldly as the servant presented him, the Emperor, and the Empress with a beautifully painted plate each. Upon them was a pinkish bit of cooked meat drizzled with a dark sauce.
“What is that?” Penny whispered to Feirne.
“Unicorn meat,” Feirne answered, his lips hardly moving. “They’re testing him. Unicorns are an endangered species and it’s illegal to hunt them all over the world. They’re trying to see if he’ll eat it without speaking out against it, to confirm whether or not he’ll be the type who’s willing to submit. If he eats it, they’ll probably decide to consider his request to discuss alliances.”
All eyes were on Noah as the king considered his options, then took a small bite of the meat. Irunie’s grin widened yet again as the tension in the room decreased. She began to eat and the guests followed suit.
“I can’t believe he ate it,” Annette said as the conversation around the table picked up enough to drown her out.
“He did it for his Nation,” Noct told her, pushing the salad of strong-smelling pickled vegetables around his plate.
Dinner progressed at a painfully slow rate and the conversation was scattered and nervous. Penny could see Noct was struggling to keep his head angled away from everyone, shielding his strangely-colored eyes.
“Tell me, if you please, I am most curious,” the Empress said to Noah, her eyes glimmering. “Who are the members of this fascinating escort you’ve brought with you?”
“No one of interest, unfortunately, your Grace,” Noah said. “They are friends of mine, though I daresay you might have heard of Miss Annette Deveaux, that young lady there.”
“But of course! Your name is well-known to me. Long have I wanted to see one of the performances my well-traveled handmaidens have told me about, but alas I am needed here. Perhaps you will indulge me with a song before you leave?”
“But of course, Your Grace. It would be a delight to perform for you, though I am very unskilled indeed,” Annette said without enthusiasm, looking small under the hungry gaze of the Empress.
“Wonderful,” Irunie simpered, and then looked to Penny. “And here
is another interesting person, I think. You are Penelope Fairfax, are you not?” Irunie’s gaze was truly a fearsome thing; it was all Penny could do to mumble confirmation and bow her head. “Extraordinary. I should very much like to hear exactly how it was you were able to walk away from the Angelic Lord alive―”
Irunie’s words were cut off by the sound of the Emperor clearing his throat.
“―at a later date, of course. Much later,” she finished with a nervous laugh. The dining room became quiet except for the clinking of dishes. The thick silence was broken after several minutes by a handmaiden entering and creeping up to the Empress.
“My Lady, you told me to inform you the moment she arrived. She’s back in her room now,” the handmaiden said in Fae, then scurried out of the room as Irunie set down her two-pronged fork.
“Will you please excuse me? I am afraid I must attend to something urgent,” she said, standing abruptly. Several of the court faeries raised their eyebrows in shock at this apparent breach of decorum, and Tharn shut his eyes as if enduring a sudden flash of pain. The Empress shuffled out of the room gracefully, her pace seeming a touch quicker.
The Emperor sighed. “I beg you to forgive her rudeness, King of Men. She is still young, not yet sixty,” Tharn apologized.
“But of course, Your Imperial Majesty,” acquiesced Noah.
Silence ensued. Mercifully, Emperor Tharn did not hesitate long before announcing the meal was over.
“My servants will show you and your guests to your quarters, human King, and we shall send someone in the morning to bring you to court. I hope you find the palace accommodating and I look forward to speaking with you tomorrow,” Tharn told him graciously.
They left the palace’s main building and crossed the snow-dusted gardens to another fine hall situated amidst the greenery of the royal gardens. There were a great many chambers inside and faeries milled about everywhere, talking, drinking wine or singing mournful tunes. They climbed a staircase to a less crowded floor, where they were shown to their rooms.
“Here you are, Your Majesty. The finest room set aside for you and your friends. Here is another beside it for you, Faerie Lords,” their guide said. “The women and child will stay at the end of the Lesser Hall together.”
“Excuse me, but―” Noct bristled, but a look from Argent and he went silent. Annette looked uncomfortable about being separated from the others, but Penny was secretly relieved that she would not have to be anywhere near Noah. They said their goodnights and were led to a marginally less opulent room.
“We ask that you kindly observe our customs while you are a guest at the palace,” the maid said. “It would not do to leave the room after dark, nor would it be acceptable for a lady to be present inside a man’s chambers at any time during the day. If you need to speak with them, they can visit you here. We’ll be sending you some handmaidens to keep you comfortable during your stay. I hope you find it to your liking. Goodnight.” She exited, shutting them inside their beautiful prison.
Annette and Penny shared incredulous looks as Noct moaned about his misfortune and the grievous insult of being called a child. Penny performed a wide sweep of the room to see if there were any books or amusements, but found none. Penny and Annette were eager to change back into their clothes and found their luggage lying beside three very peculiar pieces of furniture that Penny realized must be their beds.
Stairs led up to the beds suspended from the ceiling, and white-blue curtains and heaps of silky pillows and embroidered blankets decorated each. Penny found the holes built into each bed to accommodate faerie wings highly amusing. The three of them prepared for bed and sat by a window together, watching the snow fall on the gardens until they grew sleepy and climbed into their hanging beds.
That night Penny fell asleep rather quickly; the veils that hung around the suspended bed had a rather protective feel to them. She drifted off thinking that all was well for now, a notion that was disturbed a little past midnight, when she was woken by footsteps creeping through the room.
Penny sat up as the bedroom door swung open. She caught a glimpse of a painted mask and was on her feet in a second, hurrying after the boy.
“Noct! What do you think you’re doing?” Penny hissed, catching his arm. Noct inhaled sharply, orange sparks bursting around his head and hands. Penny winced and held on as they both looked around the quiet hallway, waiting to see if the noise had gone unnoticed.
After all remained silent, Noct scowled at her. “Let go!” He wrenched his arm out of Penny’s grasp. “Go back to the room, big sister, I’ve got something I need to do.”
“Are you out of your mind? Did you not hear the faerie explicitly say we’re supposed to stay put? We could ruin everything for Noah if we’re caught snooping around,” Penny admonished.
“I came here to save Mia. I could care less about what happens to the rest of you,” he spat.
“You’ve got some gall, kid! We’ve gone to so many lengths to help you out and this is how you plan to repay us? I can’t believe I trusted you.” Penny tried to replicate the frown that her mother used to give that never failed to drive a nail of guilt into Penny’s heart. Noct’s glare faded, but he remained defiant.
“It’s not your sister in there. You have no idea what either of us are going through. I’ve got to help her.”
“We will help her; we just have to do it the right way. What were you even thinking of doing, hm? Wander around until you happen to bump into her?”
“I was going to go see if maybe Yrax and Feirne might know something. I just thought I might listen in…” Noct trailed off and shrugged.
“You can’t even speak Fae, kid. Come on, let’s go.” Penny tugged at his wrist, but Noct wouldn’t budge.
“No!”
“Noct, move it! I swear to you I’ll go wake up Annette and we’ll make you move.” Penny yanked his arm, and the tips of his hair and fingers began to smoke.
“Just go ahead and try,” he said, walking away from her.
“All right, let’s do this the hard way. I’ll see you in a few seconds.” Penny swiveled around and stalked back toward their room.
“Penny, please don’t,” Noct hissed, grabbing her hand.
Caught off guard by the vulnerability in his tone, Penny turned to face him. The boy’s tough exterior had cracked. “Big sis, I need to see if there’s even a clue, just a hint of where she might be. I don’t like to talk about this, but I’m all alone. I didn’t run away from home to come save her, I ran away from a stinking orphanage they put me in after my father was killed by the faeries who took Mia. And my mother, she—well, it doesn’t matter. What matters is my sister is the only person I have left in the whole world.” His eyes grew watery. “Without her, I have nothing left to live for. You can come with me if you don’t trust me to go alone, but you have to let me look. You just have to.”
Penny couldn’t say no to his plea. If she accompanied him, she could hopefully ensure his safety and maybe they would glean some information that would be helpful to Noah, thereby smoothing over the rift between them.
“All right, just tonight. But we’re doing things my way. And when I say it’s time to go, it’s time to go. Agreed?” Penny said, feeling very unsure. Noct wiped his eyes and gave her a stiff nod. “Okay, follow me.”
“Big sister?”
“What?” she whispered, creeping up to the stairwell.
“Don’t tell Argent that I was crying. Okay?”
“I won’t. Now, shut up,” she told him with affection, then led the way up the stairwell and into the wide hall where the faeries’ room were. They waited for a moment, hidden behind a huge ornamental vase, to ensure that no one would come by, and then they crept down the hall. A painted cloth screen door separated a faerie’s room from the hall and Penny could see four silhouettes sitting around a table.
“You go first,” she breathed to Noct, and tried to push him in front of her, but he shook his head.
“You said you wanted to
be the leader, you go first. Go on.” He pushed her back.
Penny stumbled, caught herself and crouched down, her ear to the screen.
“…all sorts of them hung on the wall, you see, and I decided on the one that was best suited to her hair color. So, I took it up to the shopkeeper…” Yrax was telling the other faeries.
Penny settled more comfortably onto the floor, listening to the clink of glasses as they talked, laughed and toasted wine. After fifteen minutes she looked at Noct and raised an eyebrow.
“What’re they talking about?” Noct hissed as the faeries began to laugh raucously at the punchline of a joke Entil had told.
“Noct, this was a bad idea, let’s get out of here,” Penny moaned, looking at the doorway across the hall that led to the men’s chamber. She could hear Noah’s voice mingling with Damari’s and Simon’s. Images of the door suddenly sliding open to reveal a wrathful Noah flashed through her mind.
“Just a bit longer,” Noct urged.
For the next half hour Penny listened to inane stories about faery women that the four had encountered throughout their lives.
“Speaking of silly females, Entil, what is the matter with this new Empress? Empress Kiara would never have acted with such impropriety,” Yrax commented and Entil scoffed.
“Yes, well, Kiara’s dead isn’t she? Irunie was nothing but a lowly priestess turned handmaiden twenty years ago. I still don’t know how she was able to win Tharn’s affections. If her attitude isn’t beastly enough, she failed to produce an heir, just like her predecessor. But I suppose it’s unattractive of me to speak ill of her, isn’t it? I’ve no right to question the Emperor’s judgment. I’ve only been his faithful servant for almost a century,” Entil drawled.
“What was so important that she had to leave during dinner?” Feirne asked.
“The same foolishness as always. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but do you know of that private teahouse on the pond that she always fluttering off to?” Entil sounded rather smug about his being in on the secret. The other three fell into rapt silence as they listened. “Well, she keeps a zoo of her little pets there. Something like a few goblin Crafters of revered skill, an elvin novelist everyone thinks is dead, several famous humans, a handful of rare beasts. Actually, I think one of them made it on the menu tonight!” Entil gave a whooping laugh and the others joined in. “Oh, the King’s face was priceless. I thought for certain he would be sick, did you see the way―”
Eden Undone (The Dawn Mirror Chronicles Book 2) Page 12