by Lucy Tempest
Theseus clapped excitedly as he turned to beckon us closer. “Dip into the purifying pool, so we can start discussing our bargain.”
Will beat me to asking, “Bargain? What bargain?”
The king cocked his head at him. “You’re here to ask favors of me, are you not? You will bargain for them.”
Robin turned to us with a hurrying gesture, and my heart practically galloped. At seeing his face again, and how pleased he looked to see me.
No. Not me—us. Probably not me at all, and only his friends.
The men went into the pool first, Jon’s shoulders remaining above water where Will became submerged. Soon, he too was fully underwater where the pool deepened, before they both emerged on the other side and climbed beside Robin.
I followed them, setting my foot down on the sparkling waves they left behind. Expecting to sink through the water, I just glided along, as if on rippling sheets of malleable glass.
I was literally walking on water.
A delighted laugh broke the spell of fascination as I looked up, and met Robin’s amused eyes head on.
This time he was certainly grinning at me. Then he spread his hands towards my feet. “Now that isn’t something I was expecting to see, ever.”
Smiling nervously, I glided closer. “And here I thought you’d seen it all.”
“I’m afraid you are just a unique occurrence,” he teased. “I wish you could see what I’m seeing.”
And I wished I could continue seeing him, and the way he looked at me now.
Breaking eye contact as I reached his side, I checked behind me, found the girls right where I left them. I waved them over.
“I can’t swim,” Agnë said, blue eyes huge with dread.
“And I’m, uh…” Meira glanced around as if for a way out. “…allergic to water.”
Before I could respond to that weird claim, Will stopped wringing water out of his clothes. “What are you, a cat?”
“If that makes you a rat, then yes,” Meira snapped at him.
“Want me to carry you across, Miss Agnë?” Jon offered.
“No,” the king said firmly. “You all cleanse yourselves, or you don’t get an audience with me.”
“We’re not here for anything ourselves,” Meira said, before cowering under Theseus’s gaze.
Cowering? When I’d never known her to show any sign of weakness?
“Then leave the palace,” the king said. “Head back to the Folkshore.”
“What? No! We can’t leave her!” Agnë moved towards the water.
Meira caught her back, hissing, “Don’t be an idiot!”
“Just wash yourselves off, already!” I ordered, a tone I hadn’t used with them in a while. “You won’t drown with everyone around!”
“We can’t,” Meira almost whimpered.
“Then you can’t follow your friends wherever they go from here,” said Princess Erytheia. “It’s as simple as that.”
Continuing on this journey without them was not an option. Even if it ended here for me, I couldn’t have them walk home by themselves. Who knew what else roamed this land that could gobble them up. I needed them to stay with Robin and the others.
“I don’t blame you for being suspicious, but as you can see…” Robin pointed to himself and his sopping-wet friends. “…there’s nothing harmful in the water.”
Meira’s grip on Agnë turned white-knuckled as they both shook. “It’s different for us, and like we said, we’re only asking to accompany her.”
This was getting ridiculous. I’d never known them to be so difficult.
Unless…
“Is the myth about witches melting in water true?” I asked.
“We–we told you we’re not witches,” Agnë stammered.
“The more you resist, the more suspicious of your presence I become. Very well.” Theseus flicked a hand, and both my handmaidens flew forwards and splashed into the pool.
Meira thrashed in the water, screaming. Agnë sank like a stone.
Before anyone could move, Jon flung himself into the pool, creating waves as he dove after Agnë.
In seconds, he surfaced with her in his arm, and caught Meira, too, kicking powerfully towards the platform.
I hovered above them, torn between fear for Agnë, who’d gone totally still, and irritation at Meira, who kept struggling and yelling, “Let me go!”
Jon heaved up from the pool with them in his arms, grunting, “You two are far heavier than you look—”
His words were cut off as he stared down at their hunched forms. I stared, too.
They had their backs to me, and their arms pressed over their heads. And they looked—bigger. Much bigger.
“Wh–what happened to you two?” I choked.
Neither responded.
“Answer me!” I ordered shakily. “Face me—now!”
Reluctantly, they rose to their feet and turned to me, and I gasped.
In the space of a minute, they’d grown taller than me, with larger skeletons overall, their skin shining with more than wetness. Then they lowered their arms down to reveal pointed ears. Longer than Robin’s, and on par with the king’s and everyone else in the palace.
It was unmistakable. They were fairies.
Chapter Eighteen
Coldness gripped me like I was the one drenched and dripping, as two terrible thoughts gripped my mind. I groped for the less hurtful one.
These fairies couldn’t be Agnë and Meira. I should have known from their unfounded presence outside the castle. What could have my handmaidens been doing so far away from the capital and the palace, anyway? They would have never been able to reach Briarfell alone!
Those two were imposters. And they’d known the waters would expose them.
My voice shook with barely restrained fear and fury. “Who are you, and what have you done with Agnë and Meira?”
The one who used to masquerade as Agnë rushed towards me. “It’s us, Fa—Briar, I swear it.”
I floated away from her, not wanting to let the other thought take hold.
But it did anyway. This wasn’t a totally different creature. This fairy had Agnë’s face, just with larger, more accentuated features.
“You–you were fairies all along?” I whispered.
“Yes,” Agnë said guiltily, sadness shimmering in her blue eyes, not as big now in comparison to her larger head and distracting ears. “We just couldn’t show that to your family, or they would have never let us near you.”
“Why did you want to be near me to begin with?” I choked. “Who sent you? The Spring Queen? What have you done to me?”
“Nothing! We came to watch over you and help you!”
I swatted at Agnë’s outstretched hand, forgetting that I couldn’t touch her. “You expect me to believe that? You’ve been lying to me for years!”
“We never really lied. Anything anyone believed about us was just their own assumption,” Agnë said in a breathless rush. “We didn’t even give false names. Your governess mispronounced ours, and we just didn’t correct her.”
“It’s the truth,” Meira said somberly, examining her feet, ears sticking out of her wet curls. “We have no allegiance to the Spring Queen, because Agnë is from Winter, and I’m from here.”
The Summer King laughed behind us, reminding me we were not alone, and of why I was here in the first place.
“Now this proves to be an entertaining start to what should be a fun day.” He pointed at Meira. “I knew you looked familiar, Merope! Welcome back! Last I heard of you was when I sent you as my proxy, to bless some human newborn.”
They were sent to bless—me?
All my thoughts tangled until I cried out, “Just tell me who you really are, no more evasions!”
Agnë looked hurt, but curtseyed to me. “I am Lady Agnessa, sister to the Duke of Hardreim of the Winter Court. I gave you the Gift of Song.”
“And I’m Merope of Summer, a courtier here in the palace,” Meira mumbled. “We’re
your fairy godmothers, and I…I…” She finally faced me, tears in her dark eyes. “I’m the reason you’re a ghost.”
If I could faint, I would have by now. But all I could do was stare at them, my last years being wiped away and rewritten.
They’d been deceiving me for so long. But why was I surprised when my own parents had hidden the truth from Leander and I for longer, claiming they had no role in our curses?
Robin advanced on Meira, his expression thunderous. “You’re the one who cursed her, not the Spring Queen?”
“No! Never!” Meira exclaimed. “I made the amendment to the queen’s curse, that she should sleep instead of die. I just couldn’t change the terms of breaking the original curse, and it remains how she can be awakened.” Meira looked at me urgently. “The other fairy godmothers who were sent to bless you as a newborn left, but Agnë and I chose to stay and watch over you, and help ensure the breaking of your curse.”
I shook my head, my bewilderment deepening. “But I never saw you before I was ten!”
“We changed our appearances and took jobs around the castle, until you were old enough to have handmaidens,” a tearful Agnë explained. “We came forward then to offer our service. But it was all to care for you, to make sure you survived the queen’s cruel act of vengeance.”
Meira approached with pleading eyes. “I never meant for you to end up this way. I was about to bless you with a gift when the queen arrived, and issued her curse. I–I acted hastily before the curse solidified and wouldn’t be amended, so didn’t have time to word it carefully, guarding against developments like this. But I never worried about it since your parents soon made that arrangement for you, and we thought…we thought…”
“You thought I’d never succumb to the sleep anyway, because I had a foolproof method of breaking the curse?”
They both nodded vigorously, and Meira rushed to add, “But when it fell apart, and we couldn’t find a replacement, I never thought you wouldn’t completely sleep, body and spirit. Then you were taken away, and we had to find where you were being kept, and Briarfell was our last place to look. That was when we met the others, and you know the rest.”
I looked between them, wonder replacing betrayal and suspicion, as I at last breathed, “You really are my fairy godmothers!”
“Two of them at least,” Agnë mumbled, voice thick with tears.
“We’re the only ones doing our jobs, so we’re the only two that count,” Meira sneered, sounding more like her old self. The self I knew, anyway.
Agnë poked her. “That’s not fair to the others.”
“Well, life isn’t fair, as evidenced by my mess-up.”
Before that starter spat developed, I raised my hands. “Is there anything else you’ve neglected to tell me?”
“Nothing I can think of,” Meira said, her attempt at appearing sweet making me grimace.
Agnë raised her hand. “I’m almost certain that Amabel can read minds! And if this doesn’t work—” She pointed at the king. “—the King of Winter is another possibility! He’s unattached and very nice, and I can arrange the meeting myself, since my brother Simeon is his closest friend.”
I frowned at her. “Someone should have dunked you in a magical pond months ago, when I needed to be privy to this information—and was awake!”
They both hung their heads, before we all swung around in alarm when King Theseus’s voice crackled over our heads like a whip. “As entertaining as these revelations are, you are wasting a king’s time.”
When we all faced him, Robin was so close, my shoulder went through his. I caught Will giving Meira an amazed if alarmed look. Jon, on the other hand, seemed delighted at Agnë’s seismic growth spurt, whispering to her, “It’s a relief to feel I won’t crush you by mistake anymore.”
“Your Majesty,” Robin said, drawing all our attention back to the moment we’d almost died to obtain. “We are two parties here, with requests that lives depend on.”
“And the first one is?” the king prompted.
Will took a hasty step forward. “My sister, Marian, was taken by the Wild Hunt last spring. We haven’t been able to enter Faerie to track them, since the war closed the borders to us. When they were opened, Nexia wouldn’t let us cross. We’ve only been able to come since Robin discovered a new fairy path in Briarfell. If you could tell us where the Wild Hunt are and if they have her, and if Marian is well, we’d greatly appreciate it.”
“And the second request?” Princess Erytheia addressed us—me and my fairy godmothers.
That fact was going to take some getting used to.
I approached the king and princess, projecting the confidence I’d been trained to display since childhood, addressing them with the graciousness I always greeted visiting royals with. “Your Majesty, Your Highness, I have come here seeking freedom from an unjust curse, and I believe only His Majesty can help me.”
“I was wondering what you are.” Theseus chuckled, resting his square jaw in his palm, watching me with smarmy, golden-green eyes, lounging in his seat like a big cat in a tree. “How can I help you?”
Here I was, right before the only remaining possibility to rid myself of this lifelong burden and its life-ending manifestation—since I doubted I’d have time to seek Agnë’s king—and I couldn’t phrase my request. Standing before him, pinned by his expectant gaze, I had lost all power over my voice.
What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I say it?
“Hey,” Robin whispered softly, “Look at me.”
I did, and found his singular face very close, and already very dear.
“Tell me what you’re here for.”
“You know,” I whispered.
“Not really.” His gaze grew intense and encouraging. “How can he break the curse? Tell me.”
“If the king agrees to declare his love for me, and to say he would make me his queen,” I wheezed, barely audible.
King Theseus burst out in bellowing laughter, making my conflicted mood sink even lower. “Of all the things humans have come bursting in here for, this is the first time one has asked for my hand.”
“Is it available?” Robin asked, the snap of worry in his voice cutting off the king’s mirth.
The king regarded him shrewdly. “It is, but the question is, why should I give it to her?”
“Yes, what does she have that’s worth a fairy king?” Erytheia added.
But reluctance to expose myself struck me mute again. The moment I did, Robin would no longer be my—my…
What was he? My champion? My…friend?
Whatever he was, I’d lose his goodwill, and he’d never look at me like this again.
“You had a plan to negotiate this, right?” Robin urged
“I do, but I can’t tell you…”
“Now’s not the time to persist in your secrecy.” When I still didn’t say anything, he pinned me with a grim stare, and added, “Fairuza.”
Chapter Nineteen
Whether I was tied to my body’s breathing or not, I let out a startled, painful hiccup. “How did you—”
“Not important now,” Robin dismissed, urgency written all over him. “But you are, Fairuza, Princess of Arbore. That’s your bargain.”
I knew that. It was my only hope here. But I had been willing not to use my title to entice the king, just so Robin wouldn’t know.
But he did, so I had nothing to lose.
Forcing myself to face Theseus again, I said, “I am Princess Fairuza of Arbore, and in marrying me you secure a bountiful alliance with your closest neighbor on the Folkshore, and one of its most powerful kingdoms.”
Theseus looked mildly impressed. “You ladies are full of surprises today. But since both parties are asking me to impart valuable information and make a difficult decision, rather than hand them a magic sword or a griffin or the like, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to win my favor in exchange for my help.”
There was always a catch with these creatures, wasn’t there?<
br />
I nodded curtly. “Name your price.”
“Would it be objects or actions?” Robin asked. “Because if you want me to steal something for you, that could take a while.”
Amusement danced in the king’s cat-like eyes, as blindingly white teeth emerged between thin lips in a devious smile. “Since there are six of you, I’ll be splitting you up in pairs, and giving you tasks to fulfill. One for my entertainment, one to spare my sister from a bargain I want to break, and the last for my own benefit.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Robin and I spoke in unison, “Agreed.”
“And—begin!” Theseus clapped his hands, and ropes of pulsing yellow light tore between us, separating Robin and me from Agnë and Jon, and them from Will and Meira.
Meira backed away from Will. “I am not partnering with him!”
The king grinned at her. “Yes, you are. That’s your penance for leaving my court for hers without my permission.” A thunderous clap of his hands elicited a blinding flash. When it faded, Meira was tied spreadeagled to a red-and-white wheel of fortune, and Will was blindfolded. “You both seem to be very tense, and killjoys. So, your task is to unwind enough to play this game.”
“What game is this? Making me spin until I puke?” Meira screamed, her voice vibrating as the wheel started to rotate.
“Why am I blindfolded?” Will cried out, tugging on the red cloth on his eyes to no avail.
“You will test your aim by throwing knives at the wheel before you,” the king said, sounding disgustingly pleased with himself. “If you hit Merope, you don’t get the location of the Wild Hunt.”
A hiccup of fright escaped me, echoed by Agnë’s.
Will shouted in horror, “Absolutely not! I need to see to throw!”
“If you want to execute me, why don’t you just say so?” Meira wailed mid-spin. “What’s the point of this game?”
Theseus shrugged, draping himself over one side of his throne. “That I find it funny. You’re entertaining me, remember?” He gestured again, and a table full of throwing knives appeared at Will’s hip, as he taunted, “Don’t you want to test your skills? See if they are enough to find—Marina, was it?”
