Faerie's Champion

by M. H. Johnson

  Jess felt her heart lighten inexplicably, its terrible burden soothed by a curious solace when the Faerie Queen at last pulled away, smiling at Jess in such tender affection as she did so.

  “The children of your realm are lucky beyond words to have a champion so great as you fighting on their behalf. Thank you again, Jessica de Calenbry, for coming to our aid as well.”

  Twilight gave their royal hostess an approving nod. “You have excellent taste in allies, Queen Aurelia," he complimented, rubbing his great head against his master's side. "There is one issue that troubles me, however, considering our, shall we say, shared origins? How is it that you were unable to feel the original strings of discord that might otherwise have alerted you that Talvi's counselor Soren was compromised, possessed by a lord of Hell, in fact, and that abyssal magics were in play?"

  Aurelia sighed, tilting her head in deference to the question even as she took comfort stroking her own great familiar's long equine nose, getting a contented nicker in turn. "It is a fair question, noble Twilight. Simply put, in becoming the dream of who in my heart I yearned to be, in embracing the magic that is intrinsic to the realm of Faerie, I divested myself entirely of other arts. In truth I wanted to forget them, as I did all the foulness I once was a part of, before the wonder of possibility opened my eyes to the dream you see alive and well before you now. A realm that flourishes even as we speak, in no small part because of the noble actions of the hero before us, one I would call friend, if she would accept such."

  Touched, Jess nodded her head. “I am honored beyond words to you my friend, Queen Aurelia.”

  The queen’s smile warmed Jess’s heart, her impossibly silky hair shimmering in the golden light as if living silver touched with all the colors of the rainbow. Jess could not get over how impossibly beautiful she was. Dizzy and overwhelmed with emotion, Jess focused on stroking her contented cat, rumbling happily at the attention.

  “Your familiar recalls a time long before the momentous events of this day, dearest Jessica, but I do not think even he knows of the origins of my name.” The queen gazed off in reverie, a warm smile upon her rosebud lips, eyes alight with fond memories that only she could see.

  "Once, long ago, the first time I visited a realm of mundus, I found myself amidst a great festival. The peoples of that time were celebrating their summer harvest, and it seemed that I had surprised more than a few, having emerged from the final rays of the setting sun. Amidst the festivities and pageantry, whilst I was enjoying the warm welcome with cheerful dances by drum and pipe, savoring tasty fare freely given to all their guests, there was one man there that caught my eye. Tall and strong, possessing a regal air, his gaze was that of a man who knew the bitter struggles of hardship and war, yet his gentle smile made it clear that he also knew what it was to laugh and love." Aurelia smiled, a gentle flush brightening her cheeks. "My heart began to race for a reason other than battles long forgotten in the annals of a former life, for the first time that I could recall. That man who strode forth to meet me like a king had asked for my name. The name I gave him was Aurelia Sandheden. He had smiled and asked me to dance. I accepted."

  Tears touched the great queen's eyes as reminiscence claimed a forlorn sigh, even as her sweet smile stood firm. As if she were embracing the weight of eons, and accepting the bitter with the sweet. Jess could only imagine the burden eternity would be to one with the heart and soul to feel its sorrows, sorrows a creature who cared for nothing save its own whims couldn't hope to fathom.

  “He became my first husband, that man who was the chieftain of his clan, humble tribe that it was, and every summer we celebrated our love upon his lands, bringing wisdom, insight, and revelry to his people, even as every winter we retreated to my palace, the very one we reside within at this moment, where I showed him my world in all its splendor, savoring his awe and wonder as if it were my own."

  She smiled in sweet memory, even as tears sparkled from her cheeks. "I bore him many strong sons and beautiful daughters, as was his dream to have, and together we reveled in and savored their innocence, their growing wisdom, their youthful triumphs as they grew to adulthood, rich in the knowledge, lore, and lessons of both our realms, and the power of our union left my realm as rich and vibrant as the day I had first pulled it free of the chains of chaos, his own lands undergoing a time of growth and transformation as our children taught a virgin world new methods of agriculture, architecture, art and literature."

  She stroked her sympathetic Peliagorai's flank, lost still in bittersweet reminiscence. “I loved and cherished every one of our sons and daughters with all my heart, and their eventual deaths broke it anew, every time.” She laughed gently. “My husband did his best to comfort me even as his own time approached, having always thought me an angel or a god, strangely protective of my gazing upon the darker elements of mortal life, having no idea of how dark my origins were, in truth. Yet for all that, for all his comfort and mortal wisdom, it devastated me when he passed on. No less so for each of my children.” Aurelia sighed bitterly. “And yes, before you ask, I was tempted, bitterly tempted to tread upon paths treacherous to mortal souls, but I sensed even then the terrible folly of extending a mortal's span of years beyond that which supernaturally good health and vigor would allow for.”

  Wordlessly, Jess took the grieving queen's hand in her own, clasping it with heartfelt sympathy, receiving a gentle smile in return. “At least I take solace that my heart's love and our children never knew the agonies of disease or decrepitude, that their passage from this life to the next was as solemn and peaceful as a great oak dropping its leaves for deepest slumber, as winter claimed it once more.”

  Queen Aurelia paused then, taking a sip from a crystal chalice Jess was quite certain had not been there but a moment before. "My grandchildren as well knew me and embraced me, and I loved them and cared for them also with all my heart, taking strength and joy in the innocence and wonder with which they embraced their lives. And as rich and vibrant and blessed as their journeys through the years happened to be, it wounded me anew as each of them eventually passed on. And that is why, my dear Jessica, I retreated once again to the realm of Faerie, taking a mortal husband only when my solitude becomes a torment. For having learned to love, I could never again be perfectly happy alone before my heart eventually yearns for the joy of another's smile. And when I do find the prince of my adoration, rare it is that we would have other than a single blessed fruit from the love of our union. For to lose more than one husband and child per turning of the seasons is a greater burden than my poor heart could bear."

  Jess nodded her commiseration. “Perhaps there is a reason why those of us who know what it means to love also know what it means to pass on. I can only imagine how hard a burden it must be, to survive an eternity of love and loss.” Jess’s words, though soft, were nonetheless perfectly audible to the queen’s gently pointed ears, as evidenced by Aurelia's tearful nod. “By the gods I am sorry, Your Majesty,” an apologetic Jess confessed. “Sometimes my mouth runs on without my thinking.”

  The queen shook her head in gentle bemusement. “You spoke only the truth, and I prefer to hear the thoughts and musings of my friends, rare as they are. And Jessica, please feel free to call me Aurelia, free of any titles, if it pleases you to do so.”

  “Thank you, Aurelia.” Jess bowed her head, touched again by the queen’s overtures of friendship.

  The queen nodded. "You now know me as well as any mortal I had not sworn my heart in marriage to ever has. You know how a union between our realms would benefit both are peoples. It is up to you, representative of your own realm, whether or not we proceed with forging an accord between our worlds. I would, of course, delight in the opportunity to make such a union, but please know that my gratitude, and indeed, the warmth and camaraderie I feel towards you will not be lessened should you decline it, though I must confess that I would indeed feel a great sense of relief if you said yes."

  Smiling, Jess gave the regal queen of Faer
ie gazing at her with such hopeful expectation a fierce hug, grinning at her friend's look of sudden surprise, impulsively kissing Aurelia's cheek and laughing. "Of course, Aurelia. Let's help strengthen this realm of dream which you so valiantly pulled free of darkness, enriching the lives of all the souls who dare to venture within. Let their adventures resonate within the tales of bards. Let their glory, rewards, and passions inflame my world's psyche with all the possibilities that life has to offer, inspiring a new renaissance, a flourishing of culture and creativity the likes of which my world has never seen before! It will be wonderful!”

  Hugging Jess fiercely in turn, Aurelia’s smile left Jess breathless. “Thank you, dearest Jessica de Calenbry, Paladin of Truth, Champion of Faerie. I thank you with all my heart, she who was once known as Jezabelle, queen of the Moonlit Realm, Champion of Dawn. Peliagorai? Please witness. The Accords have been offered and accepted. The bond is forged.

  "The Queen of Faerie has offered the Accords of Faerie to the Eternal Sacrifice, queen and guardian of the lowest of all mortal planes. The Accords have been measured, found worthy, and accepted. So noted." Peliagorai's sonorous voice seemed to resonate throughout the chamber, even the entire palace of the Faerie Queen. Jess was bemusedly certain it rung throughout her entire realm.

  “Del Jessica de Calenbry, representative of Dawn, has renewed the ages old accord forged between Jezabelle, Queen of the Moonlit Realm, and Aurelia Sandheden, Queen of Faerie.” Twilight's voice was quiet, yet Jess could feel a symbolic power roaring from his declaration that seemed to envelop and wash over her, leaving her breathless with a sense of obligation, and wonder.

  Gently, Aurelia stroked Jess’s cheek, a look of purest gratitude and joy upon her features. “Dear Jessica, I am truly, truly grateful to you this day. Thank you, as always, for being a friend to my realm.”

  “Please don’t look at me like that, unless you want me to fall in love with you,” Jess quipped, blushing furiously as soon as she said it, turning away even as Peliagorai’s gentle laughter resonated quietly forth.

  “You know you have that effect on her, my queen. You need to have a care when you speak to her,” her winged unicorn gently counseled.

  Aurelia's smile was apologetic. "Would that we could lose ourselves in love, after all that we both have lost. I am sorry, my dear Jessica, that I was never able to bond with you in quite that way."

  Jess scrunched her eyes shut. Laughing at herself. “By the gods, I feel like such a fool! And after all that has happened…”

  Her familiar butted his great head against her sympathetically, purring as he did so. “Fret not, beloved one. The Accords of old that bound our realms in symbiotic communion have been reforged by your actions, even as you resisted dark lures that would have doomed our realm to the Void. In doing so, you unearthed a plot that would have devastated this world and all the souls within, saving Faerie entire from abyssal destruction. Your actions have been worthy of the greatest of paladins, the noblest knights. Rest easy, my Jess. You have acted with virtue and honor. I have no doubt the bards themselves shall sing praises in honor of your deeds upon this day, long after you and I have returned to the Eternal Garden to begin life anew. And soon, my master, it shall be time for you to rest once more.”

  Jess nodded solemnly. "You are right, my Twilight. For all that we have been through upon this day, whether waking or lost in dream, for all that my heart still aches beyond words, should I not constantly distract myself from it, we have acted as the heroes we dreamed of becoming, noble and true.

  Twilight grinned. "You can be the hero, my dear Jess. I am quite content serving as your companion and counselor, as always. Preferably a well-fed one."

  Peliagorai whinnied his amusement. “Same old Midnight.”

  “Indeed.” The great cat flashed a toothy smile. “It's been at least a glass since our dear Aurelia favored me with tuna fresh from the sea. Now about those fishies...”

  Plates of exquisite fare appearing before them as if by magic, Twilight was soon purring contentedly as he devoured each and every exquisitely prepared plate of perfectly poached, fried, grilled, and sautéed fish placed before him. Jess happily nibbled on the most exquisite crepes, dipped in honey, of course, and rolled up and filled with berries so fresh it was as if they had come straight from her very own garden.

  With an everflowing pitcher of ice cold milk and a side of clotted cream and perfectly ripened strawberries, Jess's gustatory passions were soon utterly satiated. Yet a clear head she kept, abstaining from wine and brandy both as she read over the Accords that had appeared as if out of the very ether, the moment Peliagorai and Twilight had finished their sonorous declarations. The mystical contract itself being made whole cloth of exquisitely sewn gold thread, every word an explosion of shimmering gems perfectly set within the priceless document. She and her counterpart then formally went over each and every point presented therein. Jess took it as a matter of pride that she would carefully peruse the document, and was both exceedingly pleased and more than slightly awed to find that all was exactly transcribed as per their agreements, intent and meaning somehow resonating perfectly with one another, as a contentedly purring Twilight languidly assured her would indeed be the case.

  "The document is a product of the very planes, my dear Jess. You are reading Celestial as we speak. The moment you and Aurelia agreed to the communion without reservation, the Mandate was forged of the ether of both your realms. The moment you felt your heart swell with adoration for the brave woman before you, who overcame trials both momentous and terrible to redefine herself and her realm, to choose a noble path so like your own, your hearts resonated in kinship and affection."

  Twilight grinned as he butted his head gently against Jess's chest. "Indeed, it surprised me not at all to hear the confession of your heart, and it pleases me, in fact. For there is no other way our realms would willingly forge a link with one another, were it not bound as well with the genuine love of each queen for the other. And rest assured, my Jess, in her own way, in the gentle way of sisters, Queen Aurelia loves you as well. In gratitude for your timely intervention, in admiration for the wonderful woman you are, and simply because Aurelia has always possessed exquisite taste."

  “Why thank you, dear Twilight,” the Faerie Queen’s gentle laughter was like music to Jess’s ears, which sent her heart racing with awe. Save for time lost in Talvi's enchantments, she had never understood even the most basic nuance of harmony before that single pristine moment of wonder. She shuddered, even as Aurelia gazed at Jess with the tenderest of expressions, shimmering with a beauty and warmth that left Jess breathless.

  “Would that I could give you more than a moment of clarity, so that you may listen with wonder to the Great Song that your mother's terrible Fall has denied you. A song I too abjured from my frightened heart, lifetimes ago, before finding the courage to face it once more, in the turning of the seasons, in the sacrifices I have made for the souls of my realm. Your loyal and beloved companion is right, you know. I adore you with all my heart, dear Jessica. Please know that were it feasible, you would be welcome to visit me whenever your heart yearns for the company of your sister spirit.”

  “You know such cannot occur too often, if at all, my queen,” Peliagorai cautioned softly, sparing Jessica a sympathetic glance.

  The queen nodded, her gentle smile touched with a hint of sadness. "Yes, I know, my beloved Peliagorai. For all that my heart would yearn for a steadfast companion to accompany me through the ages, I know well the edicts and limitations that our realms place upon us."

  “Twilight?” Jess gave her familiar a curious look, savvy as he often was in matters that she did not fully comprehend, and wasn't entirely certain that she wanted to.

  Her familiar patted her hand reassuringly with one massive paw. "Unfortunately, my dear mistress, it would not be good for the stability of either of our realms if the queen of one spends too much time in the other. Thus these visits must, of necessity, be few and far between.
No more than once in a lifetime, my Jess. Furthermore, the Accords we have just now reforged possess such a weight, resonating between both queens and worlds, that traveling between the two realms once we leave will be next to impossible for either queen, once we return to Dawn. But do not fret, my Jess. This one visit has been of fruitful value to the well-being of both our worlds. We have quite possibly saved Faerie entirely, and perhaps our own realm as well. And that, ultimately, matters far more than our personal whims."

  Jess sighed. "So whereas I, Delver that I am, may have the power to cross into the Dreamrealms that are all too often realms of darkest nightmare; beautiful Faerie, a place of wonder and endless possibility, is the one place of wonder and majesty that I am forbidden ever to set foot upon again. Even as the bridges between our realms shall allow all those desperate for a better world to enter Faerie freely, provided they have the courage to step upon that moonlit path, whether in flesh or dream."

  Peliagorai gave a solemn nod. “That is correct, my dear champion, for this turn upon the great wheel, at least, though you may Delve and explore darker dreams still. For those Shadowrealms, dark and twisted as they often but not always are, adjoin the bulwark that is Dawn, or echo old roads of power and conquest you could, I sense, travel once more. Yet a flimsy path of moonlight would have no hope of bearing the burden you now carry, lest your role within the story was so vital that Faerie itself cried out for your return.”

  Jess frowned. “That must be why I had such difficulty finding the path here in the first place, whereas other girls from my academy seemed to be fading from our reality so easily. Because of my nature, I needed not only to be dreaming, but the aid of that tome we found as well. I am guessing that was no ordinary tome.”

  Aurelia laughed gently. “Not ordinary at all, my dear Jessica. For that artifact was the physical manifestation of an Accord signed long ago between our realm and yours by another who wore the mantle of queen that day. It was also Faerie's plea to her champion, to come to our aid once more.” Aurelia's gaze, for all its tender affection, held an intensity so great Jess couldn’t help but squirm and look away in sudden discomfort, unable to meet that terrible gaze even a moment longer. “It was Faerie's call to you, my Jess, in our hour of greatest need. You look just like her, you know. Your souls, one and the same.”