by J B Forest
They met during the pre-dawn hours when the inhabitants of the capital city were sound asleep or otherwise engaged. The agents provided the Queen with all the details of their discoveries. She thanked them for their information and departed for the castle through the passage ways.
Ionoe could not rest when she returned from the meeting with her spies. Their findings confirmed her suspicions that Mogran was at the center of the disturbances. Although none of the Unseelie princes were innocent, most of them had no desire to feel the wrath of the Seelie Queen again. She spent the next few hours outlining a plan that she could take to her Council for action.
She was relieved that she would not have to embark upon a full-scale engagement with the Unseelie. Her challenge was to determine the best plan to enlist the assistance of one or two Unseelie princes who did not walk in Mogran’s shadow. She missed having Tristen at her side to help develop a solid strategy. She was unaware of the passage of time until she heard a gentle knock at her door.
Her chief personal assistant greeted her when she opened the door. She instructed the assistant to schedule a series of private meetings with selected Council members and then schedule a meeting of the entire Council the following day. Ionoe hoped to be able to have a plan of action finalized to discuss at the meeting of the entire Council.
She was working on fumes by the end of the second day. She and her closest advisors on the Council developed a feasible plan to present to the Council. After hours of discussions, raised voices, and intense negotiations, the Council agreed to support the plan. Ionoe looked forward to finally disposing of Mogran and his followers. She hoped that Tristen was successful in enlisting the assistance of his progeny to assist with their plans to approach the Elves.
Chapter 21 – Present Day Southwest Louisiana
Taylor realized that a significant amount of time elapsed while Tristen relayed this fantastic tale. She still wasn’t sure what role she or her grandfather would play, but she knew that Tristen was leading up to the big ‘reveal’. She looked around the lawn and noticed that almost all the other residents were no longer outside. “I need to take Granddad inside soon, if we don’t want to raise suspicions,” she nodded to both men as she scanned the area.
James nodded his head in agreement. “We may need to continue this conversation at another time. Tristen, I’m afraid that it will raise suspicions if we bring you inside with us.”
Tristen looked at the two, the information that he shared would have been overwhelming to the humans that he interacted with in the past. However, James and Taylor handled the news better than expected. The real test was yet to come and he needed their assistance immediately, too much time had already elapsed just getting to this point.
“I thought that Taylor registered me earlier.” “I did,” she replied. Checking the time, she added, “official visiting hours are now over and only the closest of relatives may remain past that time. I’m afraid that someone on staff may call Mom if we walk in with you.”
“We can’t have that.” Looking directly at Tristen, James added, “my daughter does not believe in the tales passed down through the ages that told of the family’s ties with ‘fairy tale’ characters as she describes it. She would have us locked in a psych ward and you arrested for entertaining such ideas.
“That is incredible! How is it that your daughter does not believe and yet her daughter, a child of a more modern and skeptical age, believes?” James smiled at him, “we all have different talents and affinities. I found that Taylor is the only one of my children or grandchildren that was truly listening to my stories. The others just tolerated my musings. I was the only one of my siblings to truly listen to my father and grandmother as they passed on the secrets to us. It seems that only one in the family in each generation or so has an affinity to be touched by your influence.”
Tristen thought about James’ statement, that may be the reason that I could only identify small pockets of attraction he thought to himself. Taylor stood up, “we really need to go inside now. Can you come back on another day to finish the conversation. I’m afraid that if you come back tomorrow, that too, could cause the staff to question your presence.”
“We need to finish the conversation now.” Taylor started to object but Tristen held out his hand so that he could continue. “Tell me where you are going and I will join you shortly. I can distort the perception of most humans. I will retrieve my vehicle and move it to a location where it will remain unobserved. Then, I will return and join you. It would be helpful if you could arrange for the door that faces us now to be left slightly ajar. Returning through this back entrance will minimize the number of people that I will need to influence before I join you.”
Taylor had more and more questions. Wow, distort perception. She was momentarily lost in thought until her grandfather handed her a folded paper towel. “Use this to jam the lock on the door sweetheart.” When she looked up, Tristen nodded slightly and turned to leave. He was already walking away when she raised her hand in a limp wave.
She felt her grandfather urging her towards the doorway. “We need to hurry up and get to the room. Although I’m stronger and can move more quickly, I think that we should still pretend that I need assistance walking. We don’t want to keep Tristen waiting!” Taylor laughed as she linked her arm around her grandfather’s, “Granddad, you sound more excited than a little kid on Christmas morning.” They proceeded slowly into the facility and to James’ assigned room.
Sandy was on duty at the nurse’s station when they walked down the hall. James trusted her most of all the staff at the facility. She seemed to understand his plight a little better and he felt that when the fogginess of Alzheimer’s had him in its grips, that she watched over him more closely than the others. James couldn’t share the family secrets with her, especially not anything about Tristen, but he knew that she could be counted on to run interference if his nosey daughter called or showed up unexpectedly.
James signaled for Taylor to slow down when they reached the nurse’s station. “Sandy, it’s good to see you this evening, how are things?” James inquired. She smiled broadly when she saw James and his granddaughter. “It looks like you’re doing well James. I heard that you spent the entire afternoon outside. I’m so happy that you are feeling better these last few days.”
James smiled and looked at Taylor. “I think having Taylor here to pamper and indulge an old man it just what the doctor ordered. We all know that as much as Marion loves and cares about me, she doesn’t have time for what she calls my ‘foolishness’”. He leaned over and whispered to Sandy, “Taylor is going to stay a little longer than usual tonight, we were in the middle of a great family tale when we had to come inside. I would like to finish the story while my head is still clear if that’s okay with you.”
She patted his arm softly, “you and Taylor spend all the time you need together. Just remember to get some sleep. Taylor, do you need a pillow and blanket? I’ll get them and make sure that the staff is aware that everything is you may spend the night.” Taylor hadn’t decided whether she would spend the night, but if Tristen had a lot more to share, it would make more sense for her to remain rather than tipping out in the wee hours of the morning.
They left Sandy at the nurse’s station and continued along gingerly until they entered James’ room. Almost immediately, James let go of Taylor’s arm and danced a small jig across the floor. Taylor could do nothing but stare. “Granddad, be careful, I know that you’re feeling stronger but you don’t want to overdo things.” “Sweetheart, I haven’t felt this strong in years! I feel almost fit enough to run one of your marathons,” teased James as he settled into his chair.
“Let’s not get carried away, Granddad. I must admit that you much stronger than you did when I first came to Lake Charles. You haven’t lapsed into that terrible ‘fog’ in the last few days either. Do you think it has anything to do with the arrival of our ‘visitor’?” Taylor said as she mimed air quotation marks. “I have a
feeling that it is all related, sweetheart. I can’t wait to hear the rest of Tristen’s story.” “I don’t know, Granddad, he must want something from us. He wouldn’t have returned here after all these centuries just to share a story. I just can’t figure out how we factor into this plan to save the Fae Dominion.”
Tristen parked his motorcycle in a subdivision several blocks from the away and folded space to return to the facility without notice. The door on the lake side of the facility was slightly ajar as planned. He activated a glamour so that anyone he passed would either not notice him at all or think that he was part of the staff. He found the room and entered quickly. Taylor turned to the door when she heard it open and let out a sigh as Tristen walked in. “Did you have any trouble getting in without notice?”
“Not at all, everything went as planned.” He pulled up a chair next them and looked them both in the eye. “I gave you as much background as I could during our earlier conversation.” He turned towards the door, waved his hand in the same direction while whispering words that neither James nor Taylor could understand. “Just a little something to make sure that no one else hears our conversation.”
He asked if they had questions and provided as much detail as possible in his responses. Taylor shrugged, “this is all very interesting, and I enjoyed the history lesson. But, what is it that you want from us? And why us and not some other part of your family line?” “Those are very good questions, and I plan to answer them.” He stood, and took a deep breath before he began.
“I told you of the problems between the Fae and the other worlds. These tensions make it difficult for us to directly approach the Elves without being accused of complicity in any of the strange occurrences. My sister, Ionoe and I decided that it would be best to approach the Elves through an intermediary. Humans are not necessarily considered equals among the entities within Inner Space, but if they were approached by a human from your century with your advanced technology who also possessed Fae ancestry, the proposition might be intriguing enough for the Elves to at least hear your arguments.”
“So, you want my grandfather to just walk out of this facility and go traipsing off to Neverland with you on the off chance that the elves who are your sworn enemies would listen to this far-fetched tale?” Taylor was pacing the floor by the time she finished her statement. James walked over and hugged his granddaughter, “calm down honey, let’s hear him out and see if we can help.” He looked beseechingly at Tristen.
“Actually, Taylor,” Tristen paused to make sure he had her undivided attention. “After our conversation this afternoon and learning about your professional background, I think that you would be a more effective emissary.” She was flabbergasted. Taylor opened and closed her mouth three times before she could get out a coherent word. “What?” She stood up and began pacing the room again. Finally, she looked at her grandfather and Tristen, took a deep breath and sat down again.
She took another lungful of air, “first, I have no idea how I can help you. Second, I can’t go anywhere right now, I have commitments at the university. Third, how would I explain my absence? I’m not the sort who just leaves without reason.” She started to continue to but Tristen held up his hand for her to stop. “I agree that many more details need to be addressed than a few centuries ago where humans were less educated and did not have access to the technological tools that you do. However, we can work through the details with mundane solutions and utilize a little Fae magic. You will travel with me through the portal back to the Fae Dominion and my sister and I will give you the insights you need to become the best emissary possible. From there we will devise a plan to get you to the most strategic location in the Elven Domain to ensure success of our mission.”
Neither Taylor nor James looked completely convinced. Tristen continued, “make a list of everything and everyone that will be impacted by a short absence. We will develop a plan to address these issues. Time in the other worlds moves differently than it does on Earth. One earth day is equivalent to just over a month in our world. That is why time is of the essence. I have been on in your time almost five days, much has occurred in my world since I left. Things could become much more critical if I must find others in my line and garner their assistance. I believe that I was drawn to you for a reason.”
Tristen agreed to return early the next morning to get their agreement and finalize plans. Taylor and James talked into the wee hours of the morning. James only wished that he could serve as emissary. However, he knew that it was Taylor’s fate to be chosen. Taylor had trouble focusing, the whole situation was more fantastic than any of the legends she taught about in her classes. It was difficult to grasp that this was happening to her. James found a notepad and pen in the desk drawer. He started a list as Tristen instructed. The first item on the list was a name, underlined and circled: “Marion. Taylor laughed when she saw her grandfather’s list. “You certainly got that right Granddad.”
They tried to cover every possible angle on the list: family, friends (although Taylor only had David), the university, her students, etc. Tristen told her to plan to be away for at least two weeks. Taylor thought about that as she added to the list. “I could be in their time for over a year, if his estimate is correct.” That’s a long time in a strange place she thought to herself. “I wonder if I would be able to use anything that I learn in my classes.” She smiled at her grandfather, by this time he started dozing off but he reached over and covered her hand with his. “I knew that you would find a way to reconcile all of this. Before you leave, you will have to make things right with your Mother. We can’t share any of this, but I want you to let her know how well I’ve been doing lately. I don’t know if my mind will be as clear when you leave.” She helped her grandfather get into bed and quickly finished the list before stretching out on the sofa to get a few hours of sleep.
Before dawn the next morning, Tristen quietly entered the room. He looked proudly at the two ‘children of his line’. He thought to himself that a better choice could not have been made. James opened his eyes and saw Tristen smiling. It was smile of a proud parent, one that he had bestowed upon his children and grandchildren through the years. Tristen gently nudged Taylor awake. The trio quickly got to work and only took a break so that James could join the fellow residents for breakfast and lunch. They all agreed that he should not alter his routine.
Taylor arranged to have dinner with her parents that evening to discuss her need to leave on urgent business for a couple of weeks. She also called David and solicited his assistance. She couldn’t give him all the details but he promised that he would provide an alibi for her absence if anyone contacted him. Tristen and Taylor made plans to visit her dean at the university just before his office hours ended. Taylor would request emergency leave and provide her excuse as planned. Tristen would accompany her in an invisible glamour and provide some Fae incentive if it was necessary. She paid all her bills two months in advance. They agreed that she should drive her car to the airport in Houston to avoid any questions from her parents or others.
Dinner with her parents was the most difficult of all the tasks. Tristen remained ‘hidden’ with James while Taylor had dinner with her Mom and Dad. Her mother could not understand why Taylor had to ‘run off in the middle of her new job, to help out a grown man’. Taylor told them that David called with a personal crisis and needed her there to help him through it. They deliberately kept things a vague as possible to avoid any possible mix ups. David was a true friend and played along. Although Taylor had to promise to give him as many details as she could when she returned.
Taylor finally had to call Tristen from a bathroom in her parents’ home to ask for some Fae assistance in convincing her Mom. He told her to wait a few minutes and then walk out to her car to retrieve something. He was waiting outside the garage door by the time she opened it. Taylor had a coughing fit when Tristen waltzed into her parents’ home and sat next to her mother on the sofa. Neither of her parents were aware of the Fae’s pre
sence. When her mother began arguing again, Tristen gently ran his fingers across her forehead. Her only reaction was to swipe the hair out of her eyes. She continued to protest a few minutes longer and then went into the kitchen for a glass of water.
After she returned to her seat, she sighed and agreed that Taylor was doing the right thing by helping a friend during his time of need. Taylor told her parents about her grandfather’s recent improvements. Her mother cautioned her not to be too optimistic. Taylor didn’t pursue the conversation any further. Her dad offered to drive her to the airport but she told him that she had already arranged to fly directly out of Houston first thing in the morning since there were no flights out of Lake Charles to accommodate her schedule. Her mother started to argue the point but suddenly sighed and didn’t say anything else.
Sandy was on duty again, when Taylor returned to see her grandfather. She informed the nurse that she had to leave due to an emergency but wanted to see her grandfather before she left. Sandy walked with Taylor to James’ room and hugged her before leaving. “Your grandfather looks so healthy. I don’t know what caused the change in his condition, but your visits seem to have a positive impact on his state of mind. Please hurry back.”
Taylor and Tristen (in invisible glamour) entered the room. James wanted a word for word recap of the conversation with his daughter and son-in-law. He laughed until he cried at Taylor’s description of her mother’s reactions. He thanked Tristen for smoothing the way. “My daughter can be as stubborn as they come. She means well, but she definitely has a sense for the dramatic.”
