by Lucy Fear
“Things were gonna eat me. Had to take a chance,” she mumbled, her head swimming as she blinked owlishly up at her rescuer.
“You’re lucky I was already looking for you,” the man said, the ire fading from his voice somewhat. “Niall said you ran off. I’ll take you back there.”
She was shaking her head in denial before she had even really processed the statement. “No, not there, not him, please,” she said, just as her brain finally placed the face looking down on her, the dark eyes and long black hair.
“Prince Aidan?” she questioned, too exhausted and confused to understand what had happened. His arms tightened around her so briefly she might have imagined it.
“It’s fine. You’re safe,” he said, and it was like that was all she needed to hear. Sleep claimed her in an unwavering grip.
She woke up with her head pounding, her mouth dry and fuzzy like a damp sock. “Ugh,” she groaned, sitting up and finding herself in yet another unfamiliar bedroom. This one was open, airy even in the dark, a wall of windows overlooking a balcony on her right, and on her left, a candle on the bedside table illuminated a polished wooden floor, a plush rug dyed deep blue, and little else. Long, sheer curtains on the bed and the windows stirred in a warm night breeze that smelled faintly of flowers.
The door opened, flooding the room with light, and Rowan squinted, drawing the blankets closer around herself by instinct. “Oh, my Lady, you’re finally awake.”
“Fenella?!” The feeling of relief at seeing her handmaiden was almost stronger than her confusion. “How did you get here? Where are we?”
Fenella smiled as she brought over a tray with some fruit juice and a bowl of simple porridge. “We’re in Prince Aidan’s domain. He brought me here as soon as you arrived, to help care for you while you were recovering from overusing your magic.”
“How long have I been asleep?” Rowan asked, feeling somewhat alarmed. Surely, Aidan now thought she was an idiot. In fact, she had a vague memory of him saying that very thing. And Prince Niall was likely furious. What sort of mess had she gotten herself into?
“Almost three days,” Fenella replied, raising her eyebrows. “The Prince said you were quite brave to face down three iagrafanc on your own.”
“What?” It was not a word Rowan had ever heard before. Certainly not English. Now that she thought of it, it was a little surprising that the fae all seemed to speak her language so well. More magic?
“Ice claws,” Fenella translated. “Predators native to Prince Niall’s domain. I think he keeps them there for sport hunting and to discourage poachers.” Poachers. That reminded Rowan of the fae pinned to the tree, and she shivered.
She didn’t know why she was so surprised; her father had always told her that the Aos Si were dangerous and cruel. But she had begun to think that maybe he’d been wrong. She had started to trust Prince Niall, and now…
“You should eat your porridge before it gets cold. I promised to tell Prince Aidan the moment you were awake, so I need to send him a message.”
“You’re leaving?” Rowan winced at how pathetic she sounded, but she felt uneasy being alone in yet another strange place. No matter how grateful she was to Aidan for rescuing her and not taking her back to his brother, she hadn’t entirely forgotten what Gwenael had said about the rumors surrounding him. Plus, she had wanted to talk to Fenella about what happened with Prince Niall.
But the pale young fae only laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back. And I’ll bring you more substantial food later, if you want it,” she said, waving cheerfully as she exited the room. Rowan sighed and picked up her spoon.
It was unclear whether the porridge was good simply because all food in the Otherworld was delicious or because it had been days since she had eaten, but she finished it with relish, and then was seized by restlessness. After sleeping for days at a time, more rest was the opposite of what she needed.
She threw a dressing gown over her shoulders, took the candle from the bedside table, and padded across the room. Her original thought had been to go out onto the balcony, but halfway there, the candlelight shining on the opposite wall provided a pleasant surprise: a small, built-in bookcase, which was full.
The balcony was completely forgotten. Rowan strode to the bookshelf, candle held high, and started pulling out a few interesting looking titles.
“I guess you really are feeling better,” said a voice from the doorway, startling her so much that she nearly dropped the candle. Prince Aidan took two steps into the room and stopped, his dark eyes flicking over her.
“Prince Aidan, I-Yes. Much better, thank you. I hope you don’t mind me reading these,” she added. After the unpleasant surprise Niall had given her, she didn’t want to take anything for granted. But Aidan shrugged.
“Your handmaiden said you like to read. I told her to pick out some things from the library, but if there’s any particular subject you’re interested in, you’re welcome to go there yourself.” He paused and then, for the first time in her presence, he smiled. “Perhaps you should do some reading on offensive spells.”
Rowan scowled, feeling her face get hot, though she knew he was right. “My College doesn’t allow women to study battle magic, and my specialty is ritual magic. I did the best I could.”
“And you did a fantastic job, all things considered,” he said, raising his hands as if to ward off her censure. “But this is a dangerous place, as you have seen, and you will not have time to draw a magic circle to stop an assassin.”
“I suppose you’re right,” she said with a sigh. “And thank you for rescuing me. I can’t imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t come along.”
“You would have died,” he said matter-of-factly. “But, you didn’t, and we can put the incident behind us. I only came to tell you that I won’t be here for the next several days, but you’ll have the freedom of this house and grounds, at least. I’ll send someone to give you a tour in the morning.”
“I appreciate the hospitality, but wouldn’t it be better for me just to go back to your father’s court?” It felt safer, somehow, to retreat to neutral territory for a while. But Aidan shook his head.
“This is the safest place for you, for the time being. If you insist on going back there, I’m certainly not going to stop you, but my brother is in a temper at the moment, especially after you refused to return. I’ve blocked him from accessing my domain, but I can’t do the same for my father’s palace.”
Rowan shuddered involuntarily. “Is he really that angry? I suppose I’m making a lot of trouble for you with your brother. I’m sorry.”
Aidan took another two steps forward, and he was almost close enough to touch. His gaze was piercing. “I don’t blame you for what you did. Even I find that kind of treatment of weaker fae abhorrent.”
He paused, looking upward as if choosing his words carefully, and then met her gaze again. “I know that, for you, this is a deeply personal matter, but for the Court, your choice will influence our entire world, for possibly millennia to come. With so much on the line, well…it may bring out the worst in us. I will do my best to protect you, but from now on, you will have to be more cautious.”
This was the most she had ever heard Aidan speak at one time, but more than that, his entire tone had changed. No longer cold and dispassionate, he sounded worried for her, and even apologetic.
Almost without thinking, she reached out, touching him lightly on the forearm. “I will be more careful. Thank you.”
He looked down at her hand, looking for all the world as if he’d never seen such a strange thing in his life, but then he laid his hand over hers briefly. Rowan felt her heart give an erratic lurch. “I’m glad to hear it. I will see you when I return. Have a pleasant evening.”
“Good night,” she said to his retreating back, her emotions so conflicted she couldn’t put them into words even in her own mind. She turned back to the bookshelf, and luckily, the lure of knowledge was enough to allow her to set aside her worries for
the time being. When her arms were too full to carry another volume, she relocated to a settee and spent several enjoyable hours reading about the history of human magicians in the Otherworld, until Fenella arrived with the promised tea and cakes.
*******************
Rowan rose late the next morning, her schedule having been somewhat disturbed by three days of sleeping, but Fenella appeared right away, asking if she wanted to eat out on the balcony with her guest.
“Guest?” she asked, automatically on her guard. She couldn’t think of anyone in the Otherworld that she’d like to eat breakfast with, unless by some miracle she was to see her father, and she was sure Lord Kennet wouldn’t allow that to happen.
“Didn’t Prince Aidan tell you that he was sending a member of his court to escort you while he was away?” Fenella inquired, a slight frown furrowing her brow.
“Oh, yes. I nearly forgot. Breakfast on the balcony sounds lovely,” Rowan said with a sigh of relief. “Who is it? Do you know them?”
“A bard named Teague, one of the lesser fae like myself. I only know him by reputation. He was quite the rascal in his youth, I hear, charming his way into half the bedchambers in the Court, but now he’s more known as a source of information than for skirt chasing.”
“That’s only because I am more discreet now than I was in my younger days,” said a voice from the half-open door.
Rowan spun around from her seat at the vanity, hastily covering her bare shoulders with a shawl, and saw a rather strange-looking creature leaning against the doorframe with casual confidence.
He was perhaps a bit shorter than she, standing gracefully upright on long hind legs, but all his other features, golden eyes set over a pointed muzzle, a coat of reddish fur, and a long busy tail, were that of a red fox.
“The Lady is not ready to see visitors,” Fenella scolded, brandishing the hairbrush like a weapon. “Could you not wait for me to come and fetch you?”
“You’re the one who left the door open. I was only strolling by on my way to the kitchen,” the vulpine fae said with a twinkle in his eye. “I am sorry to disturb you, Lady Rowan, but you needn’t worry. Unlike you mortals, the fae aren’t particularly scandalized by the mere sight of bare skin.”
That didn’t comfort her very much. He might not be embarrassed, but she certainly was. “Er…you must be Teague?”
“Teague the bard, at your service, my Lady,” he said, bowing with an exaggerated flourish. When he rose again, he smiled. “Now, I can see that I’m interrupting, so I will continue on my way to the kitchens and return with breakfast.”
“No, I can’t let you…!” Fenella called after him, but he kept going as if he didn’t hear her. “That one’s a troublemaker. Who knows what he thinks humans eat for breakfast?”
Rowan laughed. “Go on, I can at least dress myself.”
***************
An hour later, after a very pleasant breakfast of fruit, cheese, and something rather like a croissant, Rowan found herself walking alongside Teague in a lovely open courtyard. “So,” the bard said, pausing in his steps. “Prince Aidan mentioned that you were interested in the library, but I thought we should leave that for last, since I doubt you will want to leave.” His grin was knowing, but not, she thought, disdainful. “Is there anywhere in particular you want to see?”
“What are my choices? Is there anywhere I’m not supposed to go?” she asked, trying to maintain an innocently curious expression. But Teague only laughed.
“Clever, if somewhat transparent, my Lady. But if the Prince had any secrets to hide, I assure you that he wouldn’t keep them somewhere I would know about.
As it happens, he gave me no instruction, except that he would prefer that I not take you to the town or out into the mountains until he returned, as he has some concerns about your safety.
I imagine he wouldn’t want you digging around in his underthings or reading his journal, if he keeps such a thing, but otherwise, I am to guide you wherever you wish to go.”
Rowan couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I have no desire to view his underthings, I assure you. But tell me about the town.” Teague frowned. “I don’t intend to force you to accompany me there, don’t worry. It’s only that I never expected there to be anything like a town here. Is it like London?”
“I’ve never been to London,” Teague admitted, “But as far as I can guess, Serenalis is more beautiful and less crowded.”
“Everyone says that about their own home,” she replied with a cheerful chuckle.
“In this case, I am sure it is true. In Serenalis, the sky is enchanted to always show a clear night sky, and there, under the starlight, every kind of fae lives together in peace. Music plays in every courtyard, the air is filled with the aroma of delicious food and exotic spices, artisans sell their wares in shops and on the street corners. It is a lively place, an eternal night that never sleeps, but I have never felt so at peace anywhere else.”
“It sounds amazing. Almost too good to be true,” she said, a little wistfully. But Rowan was beginning to feel that all of the Otherworld was like that, beautiful and magical on the surface but concealing a heart of cruelty. If she wanted to know the truth of things, perhaps it would be best to ask outright. “You can lead me around the gardens if you wish, sir Teague, but no amount of sight-seeing is going to tell me what I really want to know. “
The bard grinned at her as if she’d scored a point. “You want to know about Prince Aidan, about what kind of person he is. You’re trying to figure out if you can trust him, but you’re not even sure you can trust me to give you an honest answer.”
“You’re quite right,” she said, impressed despite herself.
“I’ll answer you as best as I can, but you’ll have to judge my truthfulness for yourself.” Teague gestured for her to have a seat on a bench, and as she did so, he leaned on a tree nearby. “Did your charming maidservant tell you anything about the Princes?”
“She said that Aidan is the firstborn, but his mother was from the Court of Bones, and that angered some members of Lord Kennet’s court. He was raised in the Court of the Heavens until Niall was born, and then he lived with his mother’s relatives.”
“Indeed. Lord Kennet called him back here after Niall’s mother ran off. rumor has it that she got tangled up with some ice spirits from the Orient, but that’s neither here nor there. Whatever you think about Lord Kennet’s suitability as a father, he is much kinder to his children than anyone at the Court of Bones. An upbringing like that has an effect.”
“I suppose it would,” Rowan though, feeling a sudden cloud of gloominess descend for reasons she couldn’t quite put into words. Maybe it was only that she was remembering her own father, but she also couldn’t help but feel sorry for whatever horribleness Aidan had gone through.
Teague nodded. “You see how Prince Niall is, always himself, upfront about his opinions and beliefs, confident and forceful. You can’t expect the same thing from Prince Aidan. He learned early that when he allowed his true feelings to show, they would only be used against him. It’s made him cautious and secretive.”
Rowan shivered, the memory of Gwenael’s words rising to the surface. Blood sacrifice and worse. Could Prince Aidan really be involved in such horrible things? She didn’t want to believe it, but after being so thoroughly fooled by Niall…
“I didn’t mean anything like what you’re thinking,” Teague interjected. “I’ve heard the same rumors that you have, but I don’t believe that Prince Aidan is hiding any dark secrets. I only meant that if you wish to know him, you’ll have to work at earning his trust. The way he acts in public, I don’t think that’s who he truly is.”
“Does that mean you know him well?” she asked, now even more curious.
“Not really,” the bard said, shrugging. “I’ve got enough to do without trying to befriend someone as difficult as him. I’m just good at reading people. It’s an important skill for a bard.” He pushed himself up from the tree and held o
ut his hand.
She took it, her eyebrow slightly raised. “Where are we going?” Teague pulled her to her feet with a wry grin.
“You may not be interested in the estate, but the prince would probably be annoyed if I did not at least familiarize you with the most important rooms. Besides, I assume you’d rather be able to get around without a guide.”
It was a good point. Maybe she hadn’t entirely believed that she would be allowed to wander freely, but now that she knew it was true, she couldn’t pass up this opportunity to learn the layout. “Yes, of course. Let’s be off.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Rowan spent the rest of the week pleasantly, whiling away the hours in the library, which was truly magnificent. There were books on magic that she’d only read about as mythical sources, and others she’d never even heard of. She’d already filled an entire notebook with ideas and observations, and Fenella had been good about giving her opinions on what would actually work. In truth, she was getting a bit anxious to try some things out, but she wanted to speak with Aidan first.
After her last disastrous attempts at casting in the Otherworld, she felt like she ought to at least ask his permission before endangering his house. And, though she wouldn’t let herself admit it, their brief encounter before his departure, coupled with what she had learned from Teague, had made her eager to speak to him again.
Finally, the week was coming to an end. She had spent the majority of the morning out in the main courtyard with Teague and Fenella, and they were just having a nice lunch out in the sunshine when she heard a sentry call out.
Rowan turned her face to see the dark spot against the horizon that was growing steadily larger, and she felt a thrill of fear in her heart. But Teague and Fenella were smiling, so she looked back to the sky just as a gust of cool wind rushed over the gate and hit her in the face.
She couldn’t help but gasp in awe. Perhaps a part of her had wanted to forget the details of her first encounter with Lord Kennet and his sons because of the terror and confusion of it, but now that she could see the sinuous form of the dragon approaching, it all came back in a rush.
