by Amy Sumida
“Yes, Your Highness,” they bowed again.
“Alright, I want a couple of you to let the others know and then gather supplies,” I looked to the one knight on duty. “Sir Reginald, could you work out the watch schedule?”
“Yes, Princess,” he agreed immediately. “I'll get to it now. Don't worry, we'll handle any threat that dares to approach Castle Twilight.”
“Thank you all,” I laid a hand on Cat's neck and relaxed just a little. “I'm going to check on our food stores now. Alert me as soon as you see anyone approaching.”
I left with Cat in tow and headed towards the kitchens. Twilight Castle had its own gardens for vegetables, fruits, and herbs as well as a small farm for livestock such as mirtens (a type of fluffy fey chicken) and haigrels (a sort of sleek pig). But the bulk of our meat came from wild game and I needed to know how much preserved meat we had in our larder.
There was a type of preservation magic, similar to what Raza had used on Craos-Teine, which would preserve fresh meat. This did away with curing or any other process of preservation. The fey also had their magical versions of refrigerators, though they called them something in Gaelic which was impossible to pronounce; gea-something or other. It basically meant wintering chest. They didn't use it for food preservation either, due to that spell I just mentioned. It was only for keeping ice solid and freezing things which needed to be frozen, such as ice cream. And yes, fairies loved ice cream. In fact, it's supposedly a fey invention, created by a fairy cook with a freezing mór magic.
I discovered that we were low on supplies because my father had taken a lot with him to both feed our army and provide some relief to Raza's people who were just beginning to get Craos-Teine stocked. So I sent out a heavily armed hunting party to replenish our meat and had the kitchen workers start refilling the pantry items they couldn't get directly from the garden. There were quite a few items which needed to be foraged, so some of the workers went along with the hunting party.
When I returned to my bedroom at last, it was to find Tiernan sitting on the edge of the bed, stretching his shoulders.
“Have I slept excessively late?” He frowned as he stood.
“No, I got up early,” I reassured him. “I had a premonition this morning.”
“A premonition of what?”
I told him what I'd felt and what I'd been doing all morning. He got serious, got dressed, and went out to do his own preparations with the knights my father had left behind. I rang a fey chime (basically a magic bell that echoes in a different location than where it physically resides) to request some breakfast. Then I sat down to wait.
It turns out that I'd be waiting for two days.
Not for my breakfast of course but for our visitors. We went about our normal routine for the next two days but the whole castle was essentially on high alert. We'd stocked up on food and weapons, trained, and kept a watchful eye on the expanse of meadow which surrounded the low hill Castle Twilight was built upon. But it wasn't till well past dusk on that second day that our guests were finally sighted.
When I woke up that morning, I had put on a pair of my old human jeans and a T-shirt without even realizing what I'd been doing. It was an odd choice for me, I never wore human clothes in Fairy. Mainly because I had a duty as a princess to try and fit in with my own people. So when I noticed what I'd chosen, I stared at myself in the mirror with a sense of confused dread.
I knew this would be the day when we finally learned who was coming to Twilight and I decided to take my outfit a step further and strap on my iron sword. Iron poisons the fey, they can't even touch the stuff without being burned, and a cut from an iron sword will prove lethal, no matter how minor, if the fairy doesn't get some magical assistance to heal it.
Generally, I didn't wear iron in Fairy. It made my people uneasy and their comfort was more important to me than the security which my sword brought. Being half-human, I was one of the few fairies (possibly the only) in Fairy who could even hold iron, much less wield an iron weapon. But I had a feeling that I would need the intimidation factor which my extinguisher sword provided.
So when our visitors arrived that evening, we were more than prepared to meet them. The knights were armored and in the courtyard within minutes of hearing the horns announcing an unknown arrival. On the castle walls, the archers who were on duty were already notching their arrows and the knights stood ready with magical projectiles. I nodded to them as Tiernan and I passed by them on the ramparts, but they kept their eyes firmly on their targets and barely moved a muscle, arms as frozen as their stares. I hurried into the one of the towers which bordered our main gate and leaned cautiously out the window to get a look at our visitors.
“What in all the worlds are you doing here?” I huffed at the man who stood within the glow of our fey lanterns.
Behind him trailed an army which was better suited to the sea but which nonetheless looked formidable on land. They were all armed, some with swords and some with their own claws, and they were also armored in an assortment of unusual looking pieces. Chest plates were formed to represent the bodies beneath them, pauldrons were molded to swirl like seashells, and greaves curved over shins like seaweed. They were colorful too, all the jewel tones which can get muddled beneath the water were bright and vibrant up on land.
“I came to speak with you, Princess Seren,” King Zhayu smiled serenely up at me.
Around him were, King Chaofeng, Suanmi, Haoxian, and Yazi. The last of whom was smirking up at me like he was imagining eating my heart as it pumped its last beats. But I barely spared him a glance after I noticed that Queen Daiyu was there as well. Her sweet smile was ten times more intimidating than Yazi's smirk.
“I'm listening,” I peered back into the darkness and tried to see the end of the line of undersea warriors but I couldn't. They seemed to extend forever.
“Perhaps you could invite us inside?” Zhayu said reasonably.
“The last time I saw you, your man Iku-Turso tried to kill me,” I called down gaily. “I think we can talk as we are.”
“Coward,” spat Yazi.
“I think it's wisdom but whatever,” I smiled at him. “I'm not going to give you an advantage just because you call me chicken.”
The twilight fey near me snickered. All except for Tiernan, who joined me at the window.
“You have the gall to call my princess a coward when you manipulated things so that she would enter your kingdom alone and unprotected,” Tiernan sneered. “Who's really the coward; the princess who won't give up her advantage or the dragon court who didn't think they could handle her and her Guard of twelve fairies?”
The dragons glared at Tiernan. Except Daiyu, she smiled brighter.
“If we weren't here to help you, I'd rip you to shreds,” Yazi growled.
“You could try,” Tiernan smirked.
“Here to help, are you?” I leaned onto the ledge casually. “How's that?
“Princess,” Zhayu said earnestly. “I like you. I had no wish to see you dead but when you're a king, or a princess,” he waved a hand to me, “you cannot let your affections sway you. We did try to have you killed but it was for the good of our kingdom.”
“So that Twilight would go to war with the Court of the Dragon Kings?” I lifted a brow and saw his surprise. “That's a bit underhanded for a monarch and in my opinion, it doesn't make you the least bit honorable. If you want to kill the other sea dragons, do it yourself.”
“I'll allow that your opinion is valid,” he nodded. “But we dragons are a practical lot and if we can get someone else to do a job for us, why waste our own energies on it?”
I just laughed.
“But our past has no bearing here,” Zhayu went on. “We come for vengeance and from what we've heard, you are pursuing the very same thing.”
“Against King Uisdean?” I smirked. “I can get my own satisfaction, thank you.”
“Princess, we were told you are seeking to replace the Unseelie King,” Zhayu said blandly. “A
nd we've come to offer our assistance. We want to add our army to that of Twilight's.”
“Wow, I'm impressed with your skills at espionage,” I nodded. “But why are you so hot to kill Uisdean that you would bring your army onto land to confront him?”
“He deceived us,” Zhayu ground out from between clenched teeth. “He struck a bargain with us, when all he intended was to use us as a diversion.”
“And you would have used my death to start a war,” I shrugged. “What's the difference?”
“We made no agreement with you first,” Zhayu shook his head. “It's very different.”
“Honor among thieves? No such thing,” I lifted a brow when they started to deny that they were thieves. “You stole from Earth and when you discovered that Uisdean was merely setting you up to be caught, you got mad. But mad enough to pursue him onto dry soil with your undersea army? That's still surprising.”
“You do not deceive the dragon kings without paying a price,” Yazi spat.
“I just want to meet this new queen,” Queen Daiyu purred. “I've heard she's fascinating.”
“Saving face then,” I ignored Daiyu. “He made you look like fools, so now you want Uisdean to pay. But why would I accept your assistance and trust you at my back?”
“The enemy of your enemy is your friend,” Zhayu shrugged. “Shall we not be friends, Princess Seren? If only for a short time?”
“Nope.”
“Nope?” He blinked wide eyes at me.
“You want to attack Uisdean, then do it,” I grimaced. “I won't fight beside men who once tried to murder me and who might attempt it again as soon as we win the war.”
The dragons gathered together. As they did so, another one of them sauntered forward from out of the darkness, shedding large crates as he came. He shifted from a wide dragon with the body of a turtle, into the form of a man. King Baxia. He didn't seem at all concerned with his nudity, just joined in the king huddle.
I sent Tiernan an amused look and he shook his head in wonder.
“So be it, Princess,” Zhayu finally came forward. “We will offer you friendship past the battle. A truce between our courts but also between us and the Unseelie Court, once Lord Raza is installed as king. Will you accept us under these conditions?”
“How can I trust you?” I cocked my head at him and the soldiers around us gasped. All the soldiers, including my own.
“You will have the word of dragon kings,” Zhayu hissed.
“And a queen,” Daiyu had lost her smile.
“I meant no offense,” I smiled and waved out towards the army. “But you are only six of the dragon kings and one queen,” I nodded to Daiyu, “of your court. How can I count that the others will hold to your word?”
Zhayu's face shifted into an impressed smile as his fellow kings muttered angrily behind him.
“Very wise, Princess,” Zhayu bowed. “So I offer you this; allow me entrance to your castle, under safety of truce, and we shall scry the other dragons of my court together. If they add their vows to mine, will you be satisfied?”
I took a deep breath and considered it. Raza wouldn't have to take on the headache of protecting the coast. He'd have a truce with the Court of the Nine Sons immediately, and so would Twilight. Something that hadn't been accomplished in... well, ever.
I looked to Tiernan with a question in my eyes. Could we trust them?
“A king doesn't give his word lightly,” Tiernan noted. “Any king of Fairy, that is.”
“Open the gate!” I called down to my knights. “King Zhayu,” I looked back to the dragon king. “Only you may come in. If your army attempts to follow, I will burn them all. Are we clear?” I held up a glowing hand and the soldiers behind Zhayu muttered uneasily.
“We are very clear, Your Highness,” Zhayu bowed and strode forward to the vanishing gate.
The shining portcullis of polished amethyst which served to guard the entrance to Castle Twilight, was pure magic. It hid all within the courtyard, offering a view of an empty castle to any who tried to look within. If you touched it, it would feel solid and nothing would be able to cut or smash the fragile looking stone. Only the ruling House of Twilight could break the spell with a touch. In fact, it had been proof of my lineage when I first came to Twilight. But guards on portcullis duty could also disperse the magic using a special key. Once dispersed, the gate and its illusion would disappear.
It was very convenient and very quick. There was no waiting for the gate to be lifted or lowered again. It simply disappeared and then reappeared as soon as Zhayu was through. But during those few tense moments, the sea army got a glimpse of my army, waiting patiently in the courtyard for my word to attack.
I strode down the stairs into the courtyard and found Zhayu surrounded by knights. He was smiling amiably.
“If you will follow me, Your Majesty?” I waved a hand towards the castle.
“I'd be delighted,” his striking blue eyes trailed over my T-shirt and then widened in delight. “I've never seen a mermaid who looks like that.”
I glanced down at my shirt and realized that I was wearing my Little Mermaid T-shirt, the Disney version with Ariel smiling next to Sebastian the crab. It made me stop and chuckle. Evidently, I needed to pay closer attention to my psychic gifts. Even my choice of clothing had been trying to tell me something.
“I knew you were coming,” I said flippantly to him, making his smile fade.
“How?” He asked in a low voice as he followed me up the main staircase to the royal rooms.
“The Princess has psychic gifts from her human side,” Tiernan said smugly. “She has been preparing us for your visit for the last two days.”
“Two days ago, we were just reaching the shores of Básmhor,” Zhayu whispered in awe. “You're more formidable than I thought, Princess Seren. Was that how you survived Iku-Turso; you were warned of his attack?”
“No,” I glanced at him over my shoulder. “Danu sent me help.”
Zhayu's jaw clenched.
“What did she do to your people that earned your hatred?” I asked casually.
“Do?” Zhayu asked just as casually. “Nothing, and that is precisely why we do not worship the Goddess.”
“She has never spoken to any of you?” I asked and led him into my father's study. I pulled a chair over to the crystal ball and waved Zhayu forward.
“Once, long ago, she spoke to us,” he scowled and laid a hand to the ball. “But Danu has since deserted us.”
Have I? A hazy image filled the crystal and all of us gaped at Danu. Even Cat looked shocked. What? Have you nothing to say to me, Zhayu? You're the one who called me through the crystal and here I am. So tell me, how did I desert you?
“Danu?” Zhayu whispered, his eyes wide with wonder. But then his gaze hardened. “When the Court of Dragons split in two, you abandoned us. You could have saved us, kept us united, but instead, you let us kill each other and then you went silent.”
Sound familiar, Seren? My own eyes gazed out at me from the hazy face within the crystal ball.
I knew Zhayu and Tiernan would see her differently. Danu always took on the eyes of the viewer when she appeared. It was her way of making us feel like we were a part of her. It made me wonder what she looked like to Cat.
“It does,” I grimaced, feeling embarrassed now for my disloyalty. “I felt the same way when Uisdean killed my men, King Zhayu. I thought Danu had abandoned me but she hadn't. She had been with me all along, guiding me and my people down a path which may be rocky but which promised us the most contentment in the end.”
“We are not content,” Zhayu hissed. “We still fight. There are oceans between us but the Dragon Courts know no peace.”
And you never shall until you accept that you were meant to be split.
“Why?” Zhayu shook his head in astonishment.
Because one court cannot rule all the seas of Fairy, Danu said sadly. How can you not see this? Part of your responsibilities as kings of the sea include clear
ing the ocean raths for safe passage. As it is, the Court of the Dragon Kings guards the rath in Seudachan and you guard the rath of Básmhor. Neither of you are able to travel to upper Seudachan and monitor the rath there with any consistency and so the sea monsters have free reign and passage to Earth. Yet you think your courts would have done a better job together?
Zhayu gaped at the crystal.
You are all my children, whether you are born of land or sea, and I have never deserted any of you. You deserted me.
A tear slipped down Zhayu's cheek.
“Perhaps now would be a good time for a family reunion,” I laid a hand gently on Zhayu's shoulder and he looked up at me in shock.
“Perhaps,” he whispered. “But such deep rooted anger as ours is not easily overcome.”
“You look like you're overcoming it just fine,” I noted.
I am always with you. No matter what you decide, Zhayu. I love you regardless. Danu faded away.
Zhayu swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and squared his shoulders.
“King Bixi of the Court of the Nine Sons,” he intoned and when Bixi's face appeared in the crystal, he said, “Gather the others, Bix, we have important issues to discuss.”
As Zhayu spoke to the dragon kings he'd left behind, I turned to Tiernan.
“Did you know we could contact Danu by scrying for her?”
“No, I had no idea,” he whispered with wide eyes.
“It makes sense though. She appeared through the crystal in her temple.”
“This may have been an exception,” Tiernan mused. “She needed to make Zhayu hear her and saw an opportunity when he placed his hand on the crystal ball and spoke her name.”
“You're probably right,” I grinned. “If speaking to Danu was that simple, the fey never would have lost contact to begin with.”
“And we would all own crystal balls,” Tiernan added.
Chapter Forty-Two
King Zhayu got the other dragons to agree to the terms and I finally accepted their aid. Which meant that I would have to lead them to join my father and Raza. I admit that this pleased me to no end but it also posed several problems.
