by L. V Russell
Music filled the space, as did the soft sound of chatter, and laughter. I could sense the unease of the gathered fey, but also their excitement, their curiosity, their hope.
Gazing out at the seemingly endless line of faeries that Oonagh had directed at me, I noticed Nefina standing a little way from the crowd, out of place and alone. I beckoned her forward, and she curtsied graciously, ebony gown bathing her like a night’s sky. There was no light, however, no warmth behind her eyes. I very much doubted we would ever be close.
“This is for you, Nefina,” I said, handing her a small silver key, which she took with little enthusiasm. “It opens the door to the North Wing. There are four rooms in total with a balcony overlooking the forest and the White Rivers. Your ladies in waiting are Lara, Summer, and Rose.” I gestured to three young fey hovering nearby, still nervous at their new occupations. “You are a Princess of the Seelie Court, and you shall be treated as such.”
Nefina stared at me, her face softening as her eyes glistened, and then widened as the entire Court dropped to their knees in acknowledgment. She tightened her hand around the key, hands shaking while she fought to compose herself. Her parting curtsy was still elegant, and no one but me would have seen the slight tremor in it.
“What are you three standing there for?” Nefina snapped at her waiting ladies, causing the girls to jump, iridescent wings quivering at her tone. “We have much to do, are you meant to be serving me, or gawping?”
I gave a quick apologetic smile to Rose, the smallest girl as they flittered after Nefina, feeling a little sorry for inflicting Laphaniel’s sister upon them.
“You may have created a monster,” Oonagh whispered from her spot beside me. “Albeit a loyal one.”
“I hope so.”
“You have just given that faerie her dream, everything she has fought for since she was a little girl. She may not ever show it, Teya, but you’ve made a friend there.”
I took her hand, her smooth skin cold against mine, and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I reward my friends, Oonagh.”
“Hmm,” she smiled, eyes twinkling. “With everlasting work, it would seem. Now please continue to deal with your subjects, my Queen, if you ever want to get back to that ridiculously large bed of yours.”
Light began to dwindle through the enormous stained-glass windows, the sun sinking below the hills to bring dusk, and finally nightfall, to the castle. With a sweep of my hand, I ignited every unlit candle in the room. After hours and hours of talking and planning, I was nearly finished, and just a few patient fey still had to receive my attention.
I glanced up from the list Oonagh was creating when the doors swung open and smiled despite my weariness when Laphaniel walked in. He took up the throne beside mine, and the few lingering fey dropped to their knees. He was clean and had changed out of his sparring armour into a loose shirt, but a sword still hung from his belt. I wondered if it always would.
Laphaniel lowered his head to me, speaking so that no other could hear. “I’m sorry I stormed off.”
I turned, my forehead touching his. “I’m sorry, too, for the way I spoke to you. You are not mine to command.”
“But I am yours,” he said. “Always.”
He looked as exhausted as I felt, his hair still damp from the bath I envied him for. “You don’t have to stay; I’ll be finished soon.”
“I’m not leaving without you, Teya. Our first night here will be together, however long that may take.”
I turned back to the waiting faeries, all wanting a place within my court. Cooks and hunters and stable hands. Maids, and valets, blacksmiths, and so much more, all needed to keep the castle and the Court thriving. There was a place for all.
My voice was hoarse by the time the hall emptied, and I longed for nothing else but to curl up beside Laphaniel and close my eyes. To spend the first night together, the first night of the rest of forever.
We did not expect anyone else, no one else was announced, I was so, so close to being finished. Yet more came, two knights, I did not recognise strode up to the dais where we sat, followed swiftly by my knights, swords drawn, faces fearful.
Oonagh was instantly alert, the papers she was scanning forgotten as she stepped up close.
The two Raven knights remained calm, their black feather cloaks shimmering like oil around their shoulders. I did not know their faces.
“You are not welcome here,” I called out. Laphaniel rose beside me, his hand upon the hilt of his sword. “Your King knows the rules, he was the one to make them. What is it you want?”
The knight on the left bowed slightly, his eyes like flint. “We have come to collect payment.”
“Our castle is newly standing, and you demand payment now?” Laphaniel began, his voice hard and cold.
“What does your King demand?” I placed a hand on Laphaniel’s forearm, stopping him from drawing his blade.
The other knight stared back with black eyes, and I felt a shiver run through me. “Starshine, Queen of Seelie, as agreed by yourself.”
“Take the stars you want then, there are many more.”
“The King has no use for ordinary stars, your Majesty. Only yours.”
My hand went to my pendant, the cool silver a reassuring weight in my hand. “What does Phabian want with trinkets?”
“Oh, nothing at all, your Majesty,” he replied, a slow smile creeping across his face. “We are here for your own star, your starshine, that bright light within the darkness you desperately cling to.”
“I don’t understand…”
He cocked his head. “Don’t you?”
Everything went cold, as slowly, exactly, what I had signed crept over me like a ghost.
Who I had signed over.
I met those black eyes, unflinching. “No.”
The Unseelie knight handed a roll of parchment, and I didn’t have to read what it said to understand what it was. I recognised my signature.
“You signed the contract, your Majesty.”
“I said, no.”
Laphaniel looked at me, not understanding yet. The other fey in the room whispered to one another, hushed voices quick and worried. Oonagh stepped forward, taking the paper from my hands, eyes scanning it while all colour leached from her face.
“The contract is binding, Queen of Seelie,” the Raven knight said, baring teeth. “With your life as forfeit. Without its Queen, your court will crumble, and the Unseelie will destroy all that remains. All will die. He no longer belongs to you.”
I felt the realisation hit Laphaniel, heard the sudden thud of his heart, the quick intake of breath, the fear, as he finally understood.
I stepped down from the dais, snuffing out all the candles, calling up a wild wind that began to whirl around the throne room. “He is not yours to take!”
“But he was yours to give away,” the Raven knight replied, ignoring the whirlwind spiralling around him. “It is bound in blood.”
I glanced frantically at Oonagh, who stood dumb, her face a shocking shade of white.
“Did you sign?” she asked, her eyes pleading. “Is this your signature, Teya?”
“Yes…but I didn’t know.” I whirled back to Laphaniel, Glamour snatching at the heavy fabric of my gown, at my hair, at Laphaniel’s. “I didn’t know, I swear I didn’t know… Oonagh, do something.”
“It’s a legal document, Teya.” Oonagh stared back at me, her hands trembling. “There is nothing I can do.”
I grabbed Laphaniel’s hand, but he pulled away, staring dumbly at the two knights in front of him.
“Chains, Seelie whelp?”
“What does your King want with me?” Laphaniel asked, his voice surprisingly steady. The answering grin on the Raven knight’s lips was a terrible thing, a nightmare.
“Oh, you’ll see.”
They took a step toward him, binding his hands as they made to snatch him away from me. Laphaniel stood frozen, still not looking at me until I clutched his arm and wrenched him back.
&n
bsp; “Tell your king he can have anything else,” I implored, ready to get down on my knees and beg. “Name his price.”
“He already has.”
They began to tug him away but turned as one, feathers whipping around them in the flurry of Glamour that would not calm.
“We are expected back to the Unseelie Castle unharmed. The King will lay waste to your shining new home and all who dwell within if we dally.”
“Please…”
“Such manners, Queen of Seelie. Say your goodbyes.”
They thrust Laphaniel back to me, and he finally met my eyes. The chains around his wrists clanked against me.
“I will bring you home.”
He brushed a tiny kiss against my lips, touching his forehead to mine as he whispered to me, his voice lost. Defeated. “Do you ever stop to wonder why it is so hard for us to be together, to be happy? Why fate is so devoted to destroying us?"
Tears swam down my face, unchecked. “You once said fate doesn’t care about us.”
“I think I was wrong.”
They wrenched him back, the chains rattling as he gripped my fingers tight before he was ripped away. Terror flashed across his face, and I fought to hold on to him. Tendrils of Glamour surged forward, reaching for him, calling out to the echo lingering deep within him.
“I will bring you home.”
They dragged him away.
And I watched him go.
I watched him go.
My knees thudded upon the marble, my gown spilling around me. My too heavy gown with too many layers.
Our bed was waiting for us. Huge and warm and inviting. Because it was our first night, and we would go up together.
But I watched him go.
My star.
Mine.
Someone sank beside me. Oonagh. Cool arms held me close, so close, I could smell the salt from her own tears. She murmured something, barked orders at someone. I didn’t know what or to whom.
I was drowning, and there was nothing I could do.
I didn’t know how to save him.
“My Queen?” A whisper, soft and gentle. I lifted my head to meet the bronze eyes of Gabriel, all wicked humour had gone from his face, leaving it stark. “They left this at the gates.”
I took the letter from his hand, reading it with blurred eyes, scarcely daring to believe the whisper of hope behind the ink. A bleak hope.
Acknowledgments
I have so many people to thank, so buckle up my lovelies.
My first thank you goes to my readers. To those of you who picked up my first book and then this one, wanting to continue Teya and Laphaniel’s journey with me. There’s more to come.
Thank you to my wonderful Beta readers. Your comments, your wisdom and your guidance has been invaluable. You are superstars. You are all welcome in Faerie anytime.
To my critique partner and Unseelie fiend, Chesney Infalt, thank you for everything. For the guidance, the pointers, the notes. All of it. I would send you an entire herd of Garys’ if I could!
My best friend, Love Solman. You know what you did. Every step of the way…from the beginning, you’ve been there. You are awesome in every way and I love you more than words can say.
A massive thank you again to Jorge Wiles for the outstanding cover! I knew you were excited to start this…and you outdid yourself! It’s beautiful. Thank you for having the patience to work with me again. Can’t wait for book three…
I would like to thank my wonderful and oh, so patient editor Lynne Raddall, I have enjoyed our long faerie chats over a good cup of tea.
Thanks again to Leila, for not only taking the time to beta read for me again but for helping in some early formatting. You are wonderful.
Louise Elms, thank you for your keen proofreading eyes and for tracking down any wayward typos (Yes…I added extra kissing just for you.) Thank you!
The absolute gorgeous interior is all thanks to Nicole Scarano, you are pure magic. Thank you so much!
Thank you to Mum and Dad for all the support, for feeding me on constant fairy-tales and allowing me to run wild in the dark woods beyond our cottage. For all the haunted corners, the night-time trips to lock up the old church…the walks through the forgotten parts of Dorset.
Thanks again to my Matters, my Husband for supporting my writing journey, for not questioning why I need yet another notebook when I have six blank ones…Thank you for giving me the time to write, for more coffee…more snacks. Thank you for feeding me in books.
To my girls, my Imps…
This one is for you. They’re all for you.
About the Author
Lydia Russell grew up on a farm deep in the Dorset countryside alongside her three elder brothers, using the fields and woodland as their playground.
As an adult with two young children, she has used the memories of the wild woods of her youth to write The Wicked Woods Chronicles.
Stories of lost sisters, whispering oaks and dark romance.
Oh, the woods are dark and wicked.
intothewickedwoods.wordpress.com