The Honoured Guest

by Destiny, Aurelia

  Chelsea was confused at his response, but she didn't say anything.

  “What are those creatures?” she whispered under her breath to Finvara, her green eyes following the hunched creature that had brought the food as he disappeared into the crowd.

  The Fae prince leaned in closer to her, his lips brushing her ear. “They are Bogles, our servants. I believe that they are referred to as Goblins in your realm.”

  “And the little Faeries flying around?”

  “Ah, they are known as Fir Darrig."

  Chelsea swallowed hard in remembered fear and looked up through the dark tree tops into the moonlit sky. “The giant isn't around I hope? He scared me.”

  “He and others of his kind are nearby, but unseen. They will not bother you.” The prince smiled at her gently. “Surely you would not deny one of our kind their celebrations on this most holy of our nights? There are many in the Unseelie court, such as the Gwragedd Annwn, Gwyllion, and Lauma.”

  “I'll never remember all these names when I get back home.” She looked into his amused golden eyes. “Will I?”

  “You will remember nothing after this night,” Prince Finvara assured her with a strange glint in his gaze.

  “You're going to take my memory.” She was dismayed as she remembered.

  They were all so beautiful and amazing and she had never had anything this exciting happen in her life. But maybe it'd be a good thing if she didn't remember. She probably wouldn't have been able to keep her mouth shut from telling her family and friends. “Not that anyone would believe me anyway.”

  “They rarely do. How fortunate for us,” The Lady on her left replied with a tinkling laugh.

  “You're a myth in our world.” Chelsea told her shyly. The Lady shrugged nonchalantly, resplendent in her yellow and white robes, and turned back to her companion.

  How rude.

  “It is perhaps for the better, Maiden. We would prefer to remain that way,” Finvara remarked, trailing a finger across the back of her hand. He smiled as she quickly looked down to follow the movement.

  “Why are you all so cold? Your touch burns me.”

  His expression became rather cool at her curious question. “It is the High Magic inside of us. You are part Fae - a very small part - but the mortal side of you has no immunity against creatures of magic.”

  Chelsea’s green eyes widened as something occurred to her. “Could I use magic too?”

  A faint look of disdain flashed in his gaze and then was gone. “No.”

  “Oh.” Well, that makes sense, she supposed.

  “You are too human, fair one,” the silver-haired prince went on rather condescendingly.

  And once again, that explained very little, but Chelsea nodded.

  Chapter 6

  Over the next hour, the mortal girl listened to the murmurs of conversation around her and her gaze kept finding something, or someone, new to watch in fascination.

  The prince allowed it and was silent, unless she addressed him, answering any questions that popped into her head. She couldn't believe that she was really in a Faery Court, at a feast, and sitting next to a gorgeous prince. It was like some beautiful dream and she didn’t want to wake up from it.

  Something inside Chelsea was still convinced that she was asleep and would wake up any moment.

  She was eating a lot too, unable to stop devouring the delicious fruits and nuts, nor the wine that made her mind buzz pleasantly. The trays of food were replaced as she emptied them and she knew that tomorrow her stomach was going to protest, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

  The thing that bothered Chelsea the most was that no-one else ate, or drank, a thing. Prince Finvara had mentioned that none of them were permitted to eat until later, but it didn’t make her feel any less embarrassed to feed her face. They watched her as she did so, with strangely rapt expressions that she could not get used to, as if she was some exotic creature.

  Chelsea sighed, and turned her head to stare at the beautifully garbed woman on the throne of carved wood and flowers. Her green eyes had gone over to queen Mab many times during the night and her companion had noticed.

  “Mab is most beloved by our people,” he murmured.

  “Why does she cover her face like that?” Chelsea whispered back curiously, trying not to be overheard and thought rude.

  “Our queen's beauty far surpasses that of any in the mortal realm. To gaze upon it would steal your sight.” Finvara warned her. “She covers her visage out of respect for you.”

  “My sight?”

  “Yes, it is unfortunate, but in the past our honoured guests have had their very eyes burned from their heads when introduced to Mab. Her power and visage are too much for mortals.”

  The queen was so beautiful that looking at her burned human eyes out of their skulls? Chelsea was suddenly supremely glad that the woman had worn that veil. She found herself straining to see more beneath the white filmy material, but a hand on her wrist stopped her.

  Finvara smiled at her, sensing her unease and awe. “Do not, Chelsea. It is best if you merely imagine what she looks to be, rather than the reality. I can tell you that she is the fairest in the land and many weep as she passes; falling to their knees in worship with voices raised in song of praise. The very forests come to life, with the most rare and delicate of flowers springing to existence at her feet, butterflies dance in the air, and the springs of water taste of such purity that you would think it had rained from the Gods themselves.”

  She felt awkward before such flowery prose, which she had been trying to mimic, but she found herself listening in wonder to each phrase. “I wish that I could see it.” The red-haired girl’s tone was wistful.

  Chelsea watched as a very pretty little child came towards her shyly, her eyes lowered. Her hair was long and flowing, with locks braided at her temple and flowers were wound about her head, here and there. Her robes were gold and white. She held something small in her hands and stopped next to her chair. Mutely, the object was held up and as the girl raised her wrist up, Chelsea she saw it was a small bracelet of flowers and stems braided tightly about each other.

  Finvara spoke to the child softly and then he reached up and tapped her fondly on the chin. She giggled at him and looked up at Chelsea with wide gold eyes. “Dia wishes to give you a gift,” his eyes narrowed. “Do you accept?”

  She blinked at him and looked to the little girl and nodded, not understanding the tension in the air.

  Dia grinned happily and slipped the flowers over the girl’s wrist, saying something that Chelsea couldn't make out. A sharp pain bit into her skin and she cried out, arm jerking away from the gift. She looked at the cuts in her skin and saw that she was bleeding. “Ouch.” She winced, cradling her injured limb.

  Finvara spoke sharply to Dia and the child’s grin widened. She turned, and fairly skipped away, clutching the bracelet in her hands and disappearing into the crowd again.

  She was loathe to think badly of any child, but she was certain that she hadn’t mistaken a faint glint of malice in Dia’s wide eyes.

  It’s like she meant to hurt me, but I can’t think why.

  “Are you harmed?” he asked her in concern. “Dia must have had thorns in with the flowers. Please forgive her.”

  He looked so apologetic and remorseful that she felt bad, hiding the wound in her lap. “It's nothing,” she lied. In reality she was feeling a sharp pain where the gift had penetrated her skin. Why didn’t Dia leave me the gift, even if it did hurt me? She wondered, staring into the crowd of Fae, where the child had vanished.

  The prince’s expression changed as he quickly reached down for her arm, fingers circling her wrist over the silvery silk dress and drawing it up. Chelsea watched with wide, wondering eyes as his hand glowed brightly gold and the wound began to heal before her eyes. She gasped in disbelief. Magic! Just like the water in the clearing that had healed her wounds from the giant. Many about her chuckled in amusement at her wonder and she looked away
from them, holding her unblemished skin up. Amazing! “Thank you,” she said shyly.

  “You are very welcome, Maiden.”

  “Why do you call me that?” Chelsea asked curiously.

  Finvara’s gaze flickered with something dark, but then he smiled charmingly. “You are a Maiden, are you not? Untouched by a man?” When she went red and stared at him in disbelief, his brows drew together and mouth tightened.

  She felt eyes on her and glanced up to see many at the table staring hard at her also, their expressions cold. That was weird. “Umm…yeah! My parents won't let me date.” The red-head replied awkwardly. Why did he ask me that? How embarrassing!

  The tension immediately broke and people turned away to resume their conversations, but Chelsea couldn't shake the feeling that something important had just happened and that she'd been in danger for a moment. But that couldn't be right; they were all so kind to her. Yet, why had it been so important that she was virgin? Was this like meeting a unicorn or something? Could she not be around magical creatures if she’d slept with some guy?

  “Then you are indeed a Maiden.”

  “Of course,” Chelsea sat up straighter, that uneasy feeling persisting. She felt as if eyes had been on her all night and abruptly recalled where exactly she was and that the sun would be rising soon back home. “I-I need to leave, Prince. I’m sorry.” It had dawned on her that she was there all alone in a strange land, completely helpless. She wanted to leave now.

  Finvara looked at her and shook his head. “The world moves differently here. You need not be concerned that your máthair will miss you. Your family have no idea that you are even gone.”

  She licked her lips, and toyed with a curl of her long red hair about one finger, nervously. “They don't? Magic again?”

  He nodded, head tilted rather arrogantly. “It would be nothing for us to erase their memories, should they discover your absence.”

  Chelsea decided to stay just a little longer. This was an opportunity of a lifetime. If this turned out not be a dream, then she really had visited the Faery Realm, and would remember this for the rest of her life. That is, if they didn't delete her memories. She really hoped not! Her friends would never believe her though.

  A little while later, she noticed again. “No-one is eating, but me.” Still. Why was there all of this food when only she was eating? What a waste. It was a feast too, wasn't it?

  Finvara looked at the others at the table and then at the platters piled with fruits, nuts, and flowers. “We are not permitted to sup till the moon rises into the sky at its apex,” he explained softly.

  She glanced up into the sky to see the position of the moon. “Midnight?” she guessed.

  “Yes.”

  Chelsea was confused. She had been eating. In fact, the prince, and the breathtaking woman sitting to her left, had often pressed food right into her hands and smiled as they watched her eat. “Why is that? I'm eating.”

  Finvara’s lips tightened and his eyes became a darker gold as they bored into her. “This food has been gathered for you. Please eat. It would please us greatly,” he urged, his tone hard.

  “I feel weird eating alone,” she protested boldly. If anything, the prince’s expression turned icier, and she shivered. Something wasn't quite right here. With him. With all these people. But she couldn't figure it out.

  He watched her, fingers toying with the base of his golden goblet. Although he had not eaten anything, he had drunk from it often. The goblets were all refilled by Bogles whenever the Fae had emptied them. “We will all eat soon enough.”

  Chapter 7

  Chelsea was gazing into the fire of the huge pit when she heard a commotion behind her. When she turned her face, she saw that the large doors at the base of the tree were open wide to show the Seelie Realm.

  She heard shouting then, and four Fae warriors in silver armour emerged from around the far side of the lake, dragging a girl between them. Her long white and red robes were being dragged through the dirt along with her slipper clad feet, her arms twisted up above her head painfully. One of the Fae soldiers had a painful hold of her long hair.

  “Prince Finvara, what are they doing to that girl?” Chelsea cried in disbelief. She watched the beautiful silver-haired Fae struggle fiercely against the men as they dragged her through the portal into the Unseelie Court.

  Once through, the prisoner abruptly fell silent, and tensed in fear. Her silver eyes darted around looking at all the creatures in the clearing, and at the Fae, who were staring at her from the great table. She sobbed as if in sudden realisation, and tears ran down her face.

  Finvara looked on impassively. “She is one of our kind who fled through the portal to the other Court. The girl fell in love with a man from there, and her father asked that she be retrieved for the feast,” he told Chelsea quietly.

  “If she’s in love, why can’t she stay with him?” she demanded. How cruel to drag her back like that! But where was the man she was in love with?

  As if answering her question, she saw warriors in blue and white and gold rushing around the lake with grim faces, weapons drawn.

  The warriors on the Unseelie side laughed and called out taunts, and others quickly pushed the doors shut. They clanged closed, right in the face of the other Fae, sealing them out.

  The girl began to sob and plead loudly, but they still held her arms as if afraid she’d try to escape.

  Chelsea’s upset gaze met that of the girl. Silver eyes went wide in pure horror and panic as she looked at the table, then back to the human girl. She screamed then, loudly and long, and sobbed even harder, throwing herself around wildly as she tried to get free. She begged in their language and was slapped over the face for her efforts.

  Oh my god.

  The warriors laughed at her and gripped her tighter, one man grasping the girl’s face and he snarled something. She shuddered and then went limp, all fight gone out of her.

  The men dragged her away into the crowd and out of sight. People around the clearing laughed uproariously, as if amused by the whole scene.

  Chelsea whirled back towards the prince in shock and disgust. “Why was she screaming?” she asked in distress. “They hit her!”

  And more importantly, why had the Fae girl screamed when she saw Chelsea?

  “Her father has decreed that she never see her lover again. She will be punished.” The Fae prince answered callously, face hard.

  “That is so cruel,” she whispered, gripping her hands tightly together. People weren’t allowed to be in love here? She was a little confused though. Hadn’t he told her that the Seelie people were cruel and dangerous? If that was the case, then why had the girl gone through the portal to be with her lover? Hadn’t she been worried that they might hurt or kill her?

  And why had the Fae given her a look of horror when she had seen Chelsea?

  Something just didn’t add up. Is Finvara lying to me? Chelsea studied his face for a long moment, her brows scrunched up. He gazed back, brows raised inquiringly, and she thought he was acting entirely too serene after having witnessed such a thing.

  No, not serene…undisturbed. He didn’t care what the fate of the girl was, nor that she had been treated so brutally, and that fact was absolutely chilling.

  Oh God, she really wanted to go home. It didn’t feel so magical here now, it was scaring her.

  She fell silent and ignored when the prince tried to speak to her, mind whirling over things.

  A few minutes later, Bogles came out with more golden pallets of food and set them down before Chelsea. She stared at the succulent food, but didn’t feel like eating. She was far too upset by what had happened with the girl.

  “Eat more food, Chelsea,” the prince prompted. He reached for more fruits and nuts and placed them onto her golden plate.

  “I’m pretty full, but thank you,” she replied in a disinterested tone, looking away. She wanted to go home.

  “You will offend me, and my people, if you do not,” Finvara re
plied icily, his expression hardening.

  Chelsea slowly reached for an apple and bit into it, her stomach protesting. Why was he making her eat so much? The taste hit her and she was suddenly ravenous, devouring the apple and then reaching for more food on the plate.

  “Is it delicious?”

  “It really is,” she told him, shoving more food into her mouth.

  His laugher was her reply, golden eyes watching darkly until she ate most of the platter.

  Finvara’s smile was strangely sinister.

  ***

  About a half hour later, a group of women and girls gathered near the table and began to dance. Somewhere, hidden musicians were playing drums and pipes and conversation ceased as all heads turned to listen to the music. Slender bodies dipped and swayed and there was the tinkle of jewels and gold, the swish of silks and other cloths.

  Chelsea was enthralled as she watched, feeling hypnotised, almost as if she wanted to dance herself.

  The tune was almost irresistible, her feet tapping on the ground under the table.

  One of the dancers approached and reached out a hand to her, quickly snagging the red-head’s own. She found herself drawn up and across the grass in her slippers, before she even knew what was happening. The wine made her head spin as she joined the circle of dancers and another girl took her free hand.

  I can’t dance to save my life! She thought in panic, knowing that she was going to fall on her face in front of these gorgeous, graceful people, or something similarly humiliating.

  She slowed her pace uncertainly, looking at the others to see what she was supposed to be doing, but they giggled and drew her in, hands showing her how she should move.

  Chelsea was drawn around with them, feet stumbling. She laughed, and others joined in amusement and she struggled to match their graceful steps as they moved over the forest floor. She moved her arms up when they did, fingers still joined to those on either side; the music beat going faster and faster until her head was spinning madly.

  She caught sight of the queen sitting on her throne, face still covered by the veil, yet the girl could feel the hidden eyes upon her. It was rather unnerving.