“I think my bookshelf likes you,” the bemused queen noted.
Jess nodded solemnly. “Most plants do. And I them, as well.”
The queen only smiled in response, though her eyes hinted at an understanding so profound that Jess had to look away, lest she find her own secrets laid bare, truths she knew she was not yet ready to face.
"Come, Jessica de Calenbry," the queen beckoned moments later, now seated at a grand table made of what at first glance appeared to be exquisitely brilliant crystal in the heart of her personal chambers, though with growing sense of awe Jess realized that the magnificent table was, in fact, carved out of a single perfect diamond of unimaginable size and value.
“Sit by my side, attended by your counselor to bear witness to accords we forge upon this day, as I shall be attended by my own.” And with that the queen waved her hand, all the brilliant stained glass windows within her vast chamber opening wide at once, the chamber instantly filling with the refreshing scents of a fine autumn day, even as the northernmost window, more a patio door really, was filled with the presence of a magnificent winged unicorn, golden horn glowing brightly as he bowed low before the queen of Faerie.
“My queen. You have at last returned to us.”
Aurelia smiled. "I have indeed, my beloved Peliagorai, thanks to our champion, come to our aid once more. Be welcome within, and witness the accords forged and renewed this day between our two worlds."
The noble creature solemnly entered the great chamber, dipping his head a second time to Jess, clad as she still was in mithril mail, now seated by the queen’s side, as well as to her feline companion, gazing forward with such brilliant sapphire eyes. “Queen of the Moonlit Realm, ally of the Tree of Life, and Champion of Faerie, I greet you. Midnight of the Moonlit Realm, counselor to the great Jezabelle, and beloved ally of David, I greet you as well.”
Twilight grinned. "Peliagorai. It has been some time, has it not? And please. Twilight will do."
Peliagorai nodded. “Ages since our last counsel, dear Twilight. Though I sense one of our players does not recall the scene from which all acts consequently followed?”
Twilight nodded. “This is correct. And hence accords must be forged anew. For even if memory is lost to the cycles of rebirth and renewal, the Rites of Domain and Primacy are eternal, her Claimance absolute.”
"Why do I get the feeling much is being said underneath the words?" Jess murmured softly to her familiar. "I don't follow half his designations."
"Fret not, my beloved mistress. Consider it a formal greeting between old acquaintances," Twilight soothed with a soft rumble, even as the exquisitely formed winged unicorn nodded in acknowledgment of her familiar's earlier declaration.
“Well said, wise counselor to the champion who rescued our fallen prince, and indeed, our realm entire, with the virtue of her spirit and the purity of her love. And begrudge not your familiar for sharing so little of his knowledge of this realm, Paladin of Truth, for he too swore an oath to reveal nothing of the time before, indeed to lock away ancient memories of his own free will until the final act did unfold. For you see, dearest Jezabelle, your choices, made of your own free will, were paramount to our salvation. Should your choices have spun in darker directions, had your familiar invoked his true form after being mortally wounded, Faerie itself might well have been extinguished for eternity. And had your Twilight allowed himself to remember that which had already come to pass, before your choices had been made in this turning of the great wheel, our entire realm would have equally been placed in peril.”
Jess shivered, chilled as if lost in the howling gales of an endless winter storm, at last appreciating how truly perilous their quest had been. She bowed her head to the majestic creature before her. “I am sorry to say I was unable to save my beloved Talvi. It broke my heart to let him go. And I greet you as well, wise and noble Peliagorai, counselor to the great queen of Faerie.”
The pristine white unicorn favored her in turn with the graceful dipping of his golden horn. "May your heart know peace, dear Jessica de Calenbry, beloved of the Tree of Life, living sacrifice to her realm. In awakening Talvi's heart to the love he felt for you, you gave him the courage to let go of his anger, bitterness, and fear, sacrificing his own life to cleanse your wounds in the healing Light of Truth, even as it burned away the terrible taint that had so infected him, allowing his spirit to at last become one with our realm." Jess swallowed, transfixed by the unicorn's gaze as the noble creature spoke on. "In doing so, in your noble surrender of the Mirror of Truth to the queen who blesses us all, you allowed for the healing of our beloved Talvi's soul, and our entire world. For this, dear Jessica de Calenbry, you have my eternal gratitude, as well as that of all of Faerie."
Jess gazed with no small awe the noble countenance of a creature that somehow knew each and every detail of the story that had cost her nothing less than her heart's most secret desire, a love neverending, a dream it seemed not even Faerie could grant her.
“Quite correct, my beloved Peliagorai,” Aurelia affirmed. “Without our champion’s steadfast courage and virtuous spirit, she never would have chosen to find the difficult path hidden from her. And without the love she had for her peers, for our Talvi, for a realm in peril, all would have been lost.”
The Faerie Queen’s words were gentle, and her gratitude touched Jess’s heart, yet still the tears flowed, a brilliant rain of shimmering diamonds falling gracefully from the queen's cheeks. Tears so like Jess's own. Bravely, Jess smiled, wondering if her heart would ever be free of the terrible pain she now felt.
“Yours is a wondrous realm, great queen of Faerie. As pristine and beautiful a land as any I have ever seen. Yet for all that, I know you paid a terrible price, having to sacrifice that which was closest to your heart, in order to save and preserve your home. What accord would you seek, my queen, between our two realms? What is the entirety of the sacrifice, and what is the nature of the gain?”
The queen bowed her head solemnly in deference to Jess’s words. “You come to the heart of it, plain and forthright, as always, my champion. The accord I would seek involves permission for doorways to be forged between our realms. Pathways accessible by any who would dare the journey, their brilliant souls alight with a passion for adventure and wonder, by light of full moon and equinox, should they but find the path, discovered by song, tale, or their own inner muse, their most secret and precious dreams come to fruition as they embrace the majesty of an entire world to explore and revel within.
"To allow such souls hungry for adventure admittance to this land of magic and wonder that is Faerie. Here they may find inspiration, exhilaration, and joy; forging stories of their own to liven their days, discovering secrets within themselves, both bitter and sweet. Their tales will spread the magic of Faerie to all who would hear the call, to all those who yearn to embrace a living story as real as truth itself." The queen smiled. "Indeed, for some lucky few, they may find within these lands the greatest prize of all, love to warm their hearts and homes for as long as they embrace the great dance of life.”
For all that Aurelia's aura intimidated Jess, awed as she was by the queen's incomparable beauty and majesty, Jess gazed upon the faerie woman with fearless resolve. “I would know, before all else, that never again will the souls of the children of my realm be placed in jeopardy. Never shall their corporal forms and their spirit selves be split asunder in a false pursuit of perfection.”
“A very good point indeed, my mistress,” the great cat by her side approved.
For all her terrible power and potency, the queen bowed her head as would a humble supplicant. “Truly it grieves my heart beyond words, the unspeakable mockery of our laws that my son’s counselor manifested. You may rest assured, dearest Jessica, that such was the work of foulest abyssal magics only. The realm of Faerie would never split body and spirit, as for us, they are but reflections of the same being. Rare is the faerie able to cloak his inner nature from his outward appearance, such occurring
only in the depths of the tales that mortals who visit our realms explore and discover, at their own choosing.”
Her smile was reassuring and heartfelt. "Rest assured, beloved Champion of Faerie, such will never occur within my realm with my consent, and should any child of Faerie be found to be tainted with diabolic foulness, that rotten core shall be purged utterly, even should such mean their demise."
Aurelia smiled. "Faerie is a land of adventure, wonder, and infinite possibility. A place where a walker of mortal realms can find his own path, forge his own destiny, taste the sweet fruits of victory or the bitter seeds of folly, yet ultimately, fair or foul, the choices would always be theirs. Adventure, wisdom, and wondrous experience awaits. Such things, I think, would nurture and inspire the souls of countless mortals, should they have the will and courage to take the moonlit path to the realm you see before you, dearest Jessica.”
Jess grinned happily, relishing the thought of beautiful tales of discovery and wonder enriching the lives of so many who ached for the siren call of adventure, a feeling she knew all too well. "On the surface, it sounds truly wonderful. A light question, though, before we plunge to the roots of the matter. Should a lucky lass or lad find love within this magical realm, would their unions prove fruitful?"
The queen laughed gently. “Of course, my champion. Those fae who choose to love a mortal would indeed be blessed with fertility and know the awe and wonder of giving birth, or siring a child of their own. Yet they too would have to accept the bitter with the sweet, knowing that their mate and child would both be beholden to the turning of the seasons. For the same cycle that sparked life in all its beauty and potential from a single act of love where there was no life before, would eventually claim it once more. The cycle of birth, death, and renewal being as inevitable as the turning of the seasons.”
Jess nodded. “And where would the souls of these children go when they had finished this turn upon the great wheel of existence?”
The queen smiled sadly. "On this, I am afraid I cannot say. My wisdom may be vast and deep, but in regards to matters beyond the mortal coil, there are few indeed who know the answers better than the founder of your realm or, indeed, the counselor by your side."
Jess blinked, turning her gaze to meet Twilight’s own, once again surprised by how large her familiar appeared, like sketches of great cats from far off lands, which struck Jess as odd, having somehow remembered him as being a tad bit smaller.
“Fret not. The souls blessed by such a union would be protected by the Edicts of Redemption, accords forged by Jezabelle and David, eons before you first toddled upon the Calenbry gardens, my Jess,” Twilight assured, and Jess smiled, satisfied, even as her hand instinctively rose to scratch her beloved kitty under his chin and ears, rewarded by a great purr that reverberated throughout the chamber.
Jess nodded. “Very well. Love, adventure, the sweet fruit of triumph, a boon indeed to those who emerge from their trials victorious. But what of those prone to folly?”
"A question worthy of one who shapes the fate of her realm entire," the queen acknowledged with a nod. "In truth, once they are here, they will still be prone to folly and mishap, grievous chance as well as wondrous fortune. All such paths are possible. But this I will say: In this realm, they will have that which they will find in few other places. The freedom of Choice. Though they will not know the exact nature of the adventure before them, should a path lead to possible fortune or peril, they will know to avoid or embrace that fork, as they choose. Indeed, a cautious man could avoid all choices of consequence, embarking upon what amounts to the most peaceful of explorations, a relaxing sojourn espying sights of endless majesty and beauty, to find themselves gently led to the moonlit path back to their realm after but a single turning of the moon, without engaging in a single act of consequence, or risk."
Jess nodded her approval as the great queen spoke on.
"Just as easily, they could embrace paths that led to gambles of fortune or folly, or paths that led to easy decadence, or harder choices that led to virtue, and perhaps the greatest gift and treasure of all, one's true love. Alternatively, one bent on embracing their own grief or self-destruction may search long and hard to find dark paths wreaking of bleak despair, fulfilling their grieving heart's desire. Truly a sorrowful path, as solace and love can also be discovered by those with the courage and fortitude and yes, the luck as well to find it."
Aurelia sighed, gazing out the grand windows of her study, gazing upon a perfect realm of endless forest and field, majestic mountains and ivory white castles, even now embracing the turning of the seasons. “Many such journeys are possible in the land of Faerie, as much a living dream as a waking realm. As you yourself should know, my dear Jessica de Calenbry, for as real and vital as your actions have been to the restoration of my realm, so too it is true that you never did waken fully from the dream in which my son had attempted to sway your heart, and in the end, your virtue and love had the power to sway his, and restore our lands to wholeness once more.”
Jess blinked in surprised. “So all this, all this that is occurring, our meeting even now, is but a dream?”
The queen chuckled gently. “My dear Jessica, fear not. For in this world, the barrier between the realms of daylight and dream is less a rule of existence than one of perception. And rest assured, for all that your mind resonates in realms both vital and somnolent, the accords we would forge this day shall be as real as if you were here entirely in the flesh, and as vital to our welfare as the deeds of virtue you have already performed, to our eternal gratitude.”
Jess nodded. "I think I understand. And as to your declaration of free will being the deciding factor, that all men and women who brave the journey can embark upon adventures gentle or wondrous, bold or safe as they choose, this would indeed open a path of opportunity for the lives of many who may otherwise have little say in deciding their fates. Perhaps to enrich their fortunes, to find a happier path through life, or mayhap, just to embrace an adventure to reminisce fondly upon, years later, to while away many a long winter's night, enticing many a youngster with tales of glory and derring-do."
The great Peliagorai nodded his approval of Jess's summation, his luminescent horn glowing with pride. "Well said, Champion of Faerie. Yours is the heart of a bard, I sense, one who appreciates the power and beauty, the inspiration to be found in a well-crafted tale. Whether a figment of imagination, whimsy, or recounting of past adventure, tales of all sorts lighten the realms of mundus, bringing a sense of magic and wonder to all."
Twilight quirked an eyebrow. "A tone-deaf bard, perhaps," he quipped, earning a bemused huff from his master, who quickly relented when he rubbed his great head against her chest, almost knocking her off her chair.
Peliagorai and Twilight exchanged a prolonged glance. “The word I’m looking for is storyteller, I see,” the unicorn amended, earning a solemn nod from the great feline he addressed. “In any event, esteemed Champion of Faerie, you understand the gift of adventure and possibility that we would offer the denizens of your sacred and ancient realm, those who have the courage and desire to visit Faerie, should the forging of gates between our two worlds be acceptable to you.”
Jess dipped her head in deference to Peliagorai's words. “There is much to be said for such a union of the realms, though I fear that an excess of gateways would cause chaos and confusion among the peoples of my realm. Far better, I think, if it were a rare thing, though still attainable, for the lad or lass willing to make the journey to the town or valley holding such a gate. This way it is a thing that would be actively sought by the few with the motivation to find it, as opposed to an occurrence so common that people have only fear of it, or worse, people of either realm feeling it can be used as a means of invasion.”
“You pierce the heart of the matter, as always, my dear Jess,” Twilight allowed. “It would be wise as well, I think, if people could reach it by dream as well as in the flesh, at least if they are close by, to avoid being preyed up
on those in power that would seek to block entrance, or otherwise manipulate those who would pass through.”
The Faerie Queen smiled in approval. “Indeed. As Faerie resonates as vitally in dreams as it does within the waking world, such is well within the edicts of our reality.”
Jess nodded. “Of course, there is also the issue of children or other innocents being swept up by powers they don’t fully understand, and this risk must be averted as well, I think.”
The queen dipped her head in accord. “I agree to this. Great guardians will be placed at those paths to Faerie we would come to an accord on opening. Wise and gentle as well as powerful, able to take many forms, they would serve as gentle warders for those who have come to our lands as innocent dreamers, children unawares, or those who, whether as a result of horrors endured or fled, have come to our realm out of desperation, and not desire.” The queen’s smile bespoke a mother’s gentle compassion. “Indeed, in such cases, it is well within the edicts of our realm to create a safe haven for those lost souls, a place of peaceful dreams and recuperation, hinted at in one’s most desperate dreams that can give succor to those who stumble upon our realm in dire need, to return to their own lands months, even years later, when the storms of sorrow have passed, and the spring of possibility has blossomed forth for them once more.”
"That would be most wonderful, my queen." Jess's voice was solemn, touched by Aurelia's concern for the lowest, most vulnerable of peoples, not even of her own realm. "And you have answered the vital questions I have regarding the wellbeing of the sons and daughters of Dawn. But I must ask, what benefit do these gates provide Faerie? And how does such benefit or risk harm to my own world?"
The Faerie Queen’s features turned thoughtful, reflecting upon wonders and realities beyond anything Jess could comprehend, she thought, gazing upon the great lady’s exquisite form, overwhelmed with awe at being treated as an equal by a creature so majestic and powerful as the impossibly elegant flower of beauty even now gazing so thoughtfully at her.
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