Chapter 18 #2
Miss Darcy was waiting for her brother. Eversleigh frowned and whispered to her but she shook her head. “I want to,” she said.
Darcy looked reluctant to hand the dagger to his younger sister, but she reached up to take it from him, and he did not resist.
Miss Darcy’s voice was so quiet Elizabeth could not make out her words. She flinched when she cut her finger.
Titania took back the dagger from her. “Are any other kin present today?”
Anne de Bourgh shook her head firmly. Apparently she believed Lady Catherine’s story and did not consider herself related to Lord Matlock.
When no one responded, Cathael strode forward, a new knife in his hand. Instead of approaching the mist, he shed blood at the compass points: north, east, south and west. “I am Cathael, King of Faerie, and I ward this spell. Let no creature intending harm pass these wards.” The lines between his wards glowed softly golden .
Titania followed the same path and added her blood at the four points. “I am Titania, Queen of Faerie, and I ward this spell.” The lines brightened.
Eversleigh agitatedly whispered to Mr. FitzClarence, who was shaking his head. Eversleigh gave him a firm push forward. “The fay do not care about illegitimacy. They care about royal blood,” he hissed.
Nervously FitzClarence came forward, his hands shaking. He had to cut a second finger to get enough blood for the final ward. “I am Henry, grandson to King George, and I ward this spell.” The glowing lines flared. FitzClarence staggered as he walked away.
Cathael raised his arms. “The Great Spell is bound and warded. Let the names of Oberon and Matlock live forever in blessed memory.” His words echoed and re-echoed.
A chill went down Elizabeth’s spine.
AN ODD PRESSURE HAD begun to weigh on Darcy’s shoulders. “Elizabeth, will you stay with Georgiana for a few minutes?”
“Of course. Is something the matter?”
“No, simply something I had forgotten to tell Eversleigh and Aelfric. I will return shortly.”
He found Eversleigh and Aelfric standing with Cathael. “Pardon me for interrupting. There is something I need to tell Oberon’s sons. Just before casting the Great Spell, Oberon came to me. I did not know what he intended to do, but he commanded me to bear witness and to tell his sons what I had seen.” The weight vanished. Oberon must have put magic into his command.
“You witnessed the spell?” asked Eversleigh in surprise.
Darcy had forgotten none of the others had been there at the time. “Yes. The sorcerers and some of the servants did as well, but I was the closest. Biggins had brought me there because Oberon demanded proof that I was unharmed.”
Aelfric’s gaze turned towards the tree. “I wish to hear it, but this tale does not belong only to us.”
“You are correct,” said Cathael. He strode to the edge of the circle and clapped his hands for attention. “I have just learned that Diarcey, nephew to Matlock and named by Oberon, stood witness to the Great Spell. Would you hear his tale?”
An affirmative chorus arose from the gathered fay.
“Damn it,” muttered Darcy.
“Sorry, my friend,” said Eversleigh. “It is expected. Tell everything, every detail you can remember, no matter how irrelevant. The color of the grass. The clouds in the sky. What the servants were wearing. Paint a picture.” He took Darcy’s elbow and led him to Cathael.
Darcy raked his hand through his hair. He hated speaking to a crowd. “Must I?”
“Yes.”
A bright glow appeared over his head as he stood next to Cathael, illuminating Darcy’s face. Good God, how was he supposed to do this? He cleared his throat. “I am new to bearing witness, so I hope you will permit Prince Evlan and King Cathael to remind me of what is necessary to tell you.” His voice sounded strange to him. One of the Sidhe must be amplifying it to make it carry.
There was murmur of assent.
Cathael said, “Start by telling us who you are.”
That should not be too hard. “I am Diarcey, nephew to Matlock and named by Oberon, and I am an elemental mage. I was captured by the dark magicians –”
Cathael made a hissing noise. “Who is your father? Where were you born? How did you come to Faerie?”
Good God. This was not going to be quick. “I am the son of George Darcy, also an elemental mage, and Lady Anne Darcy, sister to Matlock. I was born in the north of England.” What else? Surely they did not wish to know where he went to school. “My first lessons in magic came from my father, and later from Lord Matlock.”
“Tell them what you told me, about learning to manage your elemental magic,” said Eversleigh.
“What does that have to do with it?” Darcy whispered to him in annoyance. Did he really have to expose his most embarrassing childhood moments?
“It is part of your story,” said Cathael firmly. “We need to know who is telling us this tale.”
Darcy sighed in defeat. “It is not easy to grow up as an elemental mage in the mortal world. In Faerie I do not struggle with the elements, but in the mortal world, until I learned control of my skills, water would jump out at me, and I would start fires without intending to....” At least it became easier as he told it.
It was nearly a quarter of an hour before he reached his university years. Eversleigh gave him a brief reprieve, speaking in his place about the training of mages and the work of the Collegium, but he insisted Darcy tell the tale of Wickham’s expulsion from the Collegium. Darcy managed to jump straight from that to the Board of Investigation. He was not going to tell the world about Georgiana and Wickham. That was not part of his story, but Elizabeth was, so he told of meeting her in Hertfordshire, his attraction to her and his rejected proposal, the boy bitten by the redcap, and the fear of fay attacks. It took another quarter hour to reach his first journey to Faerie.
He could not complain of an unappreciative audience. The fay, even the Sidhe, were listening with rapt attention. They murmured sympathetically at the tale of his proposal and laughed when he told the story of the gnome who made them ride to Cathael’s keep, but it was a friendly laugh. Someone put a glass of faerie wine in his hand when his mouth became dry, and that helped, too.
Cathael told of Darcy and Elizabeth’s appearance in his keep and learning the mortals knew nothing of the Great Treaty. The listeners reflected his surprise, and suddenly Darcy understood that the new king intended his story to educate the fay about the lives and beliefs of mortals. Somehow that made it easier, even though it seemed as if he would be talking half the night.
AFTER IT WAS FINALLY over, Darcy collapsed beside Elizabeth and lay back in the grass.
“You must be exhausted,” Elizabeth said softly. “You did very well, my love.”
“I hope I never have to do that again. I feel singularly inobservant because I could not tell them the precise angle of the sun at the time of the Great Spell.”
“For what it is worth, I feel as if I know you much better now.” Elizabeth leaned down and kissed his forehead.
Georgiana’s quiet voice seemed to come out of nowhere. “So do I, and I am glad.”
At least some good had come of it.
Eversleigh squatted down next to him. “You have my deepest thanks. You did more tonight to help the fay understand mortals than I have managed in all these years.”
“What happens now?” asked Elizabeth.
“The Sidhe and the lesser fay will keep vigil until sunrise, but they will not expect us to do so. They understand mortal strength is limited.”
“Especially after the binding ritual. I can feel my magic shifting again.” Elizabeth rubbed her arms. “I am worried about Mr. FitzClarence. It is hitting him hard. ”
“I am perfectly fine,” said the young mage bravely, even though sweat poured off his forehead, his hands shook, and his face was ashen in the twilight. “Nothing wrong with me except that Prinny is going to murder me when he discovers I accepted a royal role.”
“Unlikely, as he has no magic of his own, so he would have been unable to do it even if he had been here. It was sheer good luck that we had you.” Eversleigh reached past Elizabeth to touch the back of FitzClarence’s hand. “You are burning up with magic.”
“You told me this would be the easiest assignment I would ever have, and look at me now,” grumbled Mr. FitzClarence.
“How much easier can an assignment be than to flirt with Titania? I did not realize there would be sorcerers, a Great Spell, and blood bindings thrown into the mixture. You will have some interesting powers when this is over. If you were planning to be a minor mage, you may be in for a disappointment.”
“Why is it so much worse for him?” asked Elizabeth.
“We merely shared blood to bind a spell, even if it was a Great Spell. FitzClarence created a shared blood ward with two Sidhe, and Sidhe magic is moving within him,” said Eversleigh. “FitzClarence, I think you would be wise to remain in Titania’s company for the next few days. She will be able to help you through this transition. I will speak to her about it.”
“I certainly have no objection to that,” said Mr. FitzClarence.
Elizabeth asked, “Lord Eversleigh, how did you know what to tell us to do in the binding ceremony? I cannot imagine you were aware of what happened at the last Great Spell.”
“Hardly,” said Eversleigh. “Fay ceremonies tend to follow a pattern, so I could guess what was coming once Titania began it. It was similar to what is done when one of the Sidhe is accidentally killed.”
“Your years in Faerie have proved quite useful.”
“It seems so,” said Eversleigh. “And now, FitzClarence, let us go to Titania together. You can lean on me if you need the support.”
FitzClarence nodded, clearly too exhausted to argue as he struggled to his feet.
“And then, shurinn , you will oblige me by sitting down next to Frederica or Aelfric and quieting that nervous mind of yours,” said Elizabeth tartly. “You have been even more affected by the last two days than I have been, and you need to rest. It will do none of us any good if you collapse from weariness.”
Eversleigh’s mouth twisted. “Did Frederica ask you to say that?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “I fear it is simply obvious that you will not stop of your own free will, even when you should.”
“Very well, shurinn . I will do so, since you insist.”
After Eversleigh left, Darcy asked, “Does he have to obey you when you call him shurinn ?”
Elizabeth considered. “No, but it is a reminder of the obligations we owe each other. If he had a compelling reason to disobey, he could do so. But if he simply does not wish to do what I ask, yes, he would be expected to listen to me.”
“I used to wonder why you did whatever he asked. I thought it might bespeak an understanding between you, and I did not like it one bit.”
“Oh, no. Simply shurinn .” With an arch look, she added, “The same rules apply for eliarinn , but employ that power at your own risk.”
Darcy whispered in her ear, “I would far rather have you willing than compelled.”
Heat suffused Elizabeth’s body. Tomorrow they would become one flesh, yet it seemed wrong to have such feelings when the bodies of Oberon and Lord Matlock lay yet unburied under the mist. Suddenly she stiffened.
“What is wrong, Elizabeth?” Darcy asked.
“Nothing.” She did not want to be the one to point out the obvious.
“It is not nothing. I can feel it.”
Of course he could. It would take time to get used to this bond. “Nothing of import. I realized we cannot be married tomorrow after all, since you are in mourning for your uncle.”
Darcy frowned. “There must be a way. My aunt insisted it must be done as soon as possible, and I am in complete agreement with her.”
“It can still be soon,” she said slowly, trying to bury her own disappointment. “But it cannot be the day after your uncle’s death.”
Darcy’s nostrils flared. “I will speak to my aunt tomorrow.” His tone indicated he did not intend to tolerate much delay.
A SUBDUED GROUP GATHERED for breakfast the next morning. No one appeared well rested. Although there had been no time to obtain mourning clothes, everyone had chosen to wear dull colors, greys and browns. Even the food seemed to be in mourning. Instead of the usual platters heaped with pastries, fruit, and meat, a paltry plate of toast and rolls sat on the sideboard.
Anne said, “I hope you will understand if service is somewhat lacking today. The staff are struggling to keep food out for the fay, and a few servants have fled out of fear of them. My housekeeper has recruited replacements in the village, but their inexperience shows.”
That explained the limited array of breakfast foods. “Perhaps the servants will return after everything goes back to normal.” Elizabeth helped herself to toast and jam.
“If they are frightened by Sidhe, it is better they leave,” said Anne coolly. “Aelfric should not have to disguise himself when he is here.”
It was definitely too early in the morning to discuss Anne’s relationship with Aelfric, so Elizabeth said, “Did you see the tree this morning? The mist is gone, and the tree looks at least double the height it was last night.” She did not mention that Lord Matlock’s and Oberon’s bodies had apparently disappeared along with the mist. She would rather have the Fitzwilliam family discover that on their own.
Anne buttered a slice of toast. “It will be a pleasant change. I never liked that view, anyway.”
Lady Matlock swept into the room. “Good morning. I hope all of you slept well.” She wore a dress of green striped muslin with gold trim and looked like a tropical bird alighting among a flock of sparrows.
Frederica looked accusingly at her mother’s dress.
“That is a most unattractive expression, Frederica,” said Lady Matlock. “You may wear mourning if you choose, but I will not. My husband had three great passions: spellcraft, a love of Faerie, and an absolute hatred of sorcery. Yesterday was the culmination of his life, not the end of it. I will grieve the personal loss I have suffered, but I will celebrate what he and King Oberon have done and be forever grateful my husband was given this extraordinary opportunity to create a living legacy.”
“I am glad of it,” said Anne. “I hate wearing black.”
“I believe he would have agreed with you,” said Darcy. “His final expression was one of triumph.”
Lady Matlock nodded. “Thank you, Darcy. I am glad to know that. In the meantime, I have sent word to my eldest son of his father’s death. Frederica, you will oblige me by beginning the study of defensive magic. I do not wish you ever to be in the position I was of knowing my magic might have helped to defend us, had I but chosen to learn to use it.”
Frederica’s eyes betrayed her shock. “Yes, Mama. As soon as I can find someone to teach me.”
“Lord Eversleigh can teach you as soon as he has disbanded the Collegium.”
Eversleigh choked on his coffee. “Well, I suppose that saves me the difficulty of breaking the news to you.”
“It is hardly a difficult conclusion to draw. The Collegium’s charter states its purpose as the prevention of sorcery, and that is no longer necessary.”
Elizabeth was still trying to take in the radical idea of a world without the Collegium when Aelfric strolled in, sat down beside Anne and took her hand. “I just spoke to my father about you, and he was pleased to learn of our connection.”
Anne tilted her head dubiously. “Your father?”
“Yes. Oberon is pleased.”
A sudden silence descended upon the room. Elizabeth stared at Aelfric. What fay madness was this?
Eversleigh swallowed his last bite of food. “They can speak already? Excellent. There are several things I must ask Lord Matlock. Excuse me.” He stood, tossed his napkin on the back of his chair, and left the room.
Frederica and Lady Matlock turned matching baleful looks on Elizabeth, as if somehow she ought to have an answer.
“Aelfric,” Elizabeth said carefully, “I was under the impression that Oberon and Lord Matlock were, well, no longer alive.”
“Of course they are alive,” said Aelfric. “If they were dead, the spell would have died with them.”
Elizabeth moistened her dry lips. “How can they be alive when they spilt their heart’s blood?”
“Oak and ash, has no one taught you anything about Great Spells? Their blood and flesh have changed into the sacred tree, and they live within it.”
It sounded impossible, but Eversleigh had not appeared surprised by the news. If Aelfric and Eversleigh both agreed on something, it most likely was true. “How can you speak to them if they are, um, within a tree? A tree has no mouth. ”
Aelfric shook his head, as if unable to comprehend her ignorance. “They can speak in our minds when we touch the tree.”
Frederica said sharply, “They can recognize us?”
“Certainly.” Aelfric reached for a roll. “They cannot focus on a conversation for long, but otherwise it is no different.”
Darcy said slowly, “Eversleigh took us to the Great Spell in Faerie, and Lord Matlock talked to the tree there.”
Frederica’s chair scraped against the floor as she pushed it back. Without a word she ran from the room. Lady Matlock looked thoughtful.
Aelfric seemed unaware that his news had shocked anyone. “I am very glad to have my father’s approval,” he said to Anne. “That means he has no concerns about your parentage.”
It might be true, but Elizabeth suspected Oberon’s true concern was that his son should begin trying to sire another Sidhe as soon as possible. She took a sip of her coffee and eyed her remaining breakfast with regret. Frederica might well need a friend now. “If you will be so kind as to excuse me, I believe I should follow Frederica.”
Anne shrugged. “If you wish.”
How similar Anne’s manners were to Aelfric’s! Neither would ever learn the ways of polite society at this rate. Then again, Elizabeth herself might struggle with that now, given how readily she had accepted the notion of Lord Matlock and Oberon being transformed into a sentient tree capable of communication. Perhaps so many impossible things had happened of late that even this outrageously impossible thing seemed reasonable.
The oak tree seemed to have grown even since she had seen it out her window an hour ago. A carpet of poppies bloomed where they had spilled their blood to bind the spell. Elizabeth absently rubbed her thumb against the sore spot where she had cut her fingertip.
Frederica leaned against the tree trunk, her hands splayed against the bark and her eyes shut. Outside the wards, Eversleigh shook his head vigorously at something Titania was telling him. Cathael stood a short distance away, his posture soldier-like with his hands resting on the hilt of the silver sword, but without any threat in his stance.
More Sidhe and lesser fay had arrived during the night. How unfair it was that the Sidhe could remain so beautiful and flawless even after keeping watch all night! Elizabeth had slept in a bed, but even so, the weight of fatigue dragged at her.
Titania waved to her to join them. When Elizabeth reached her, the Faerie Queen said, “Libbet, you must help me convince this stubborn young shurinn of mine. I say he should claim blood right to Marigold Meadowsweet, and he will not oblige me.”
Eversleigh said wryly, “I told her I have no objection to having blood right with her, but that the lady must be the one to make that decision, not I.”
Titania pouted. “You are my shurinn , Prince Evlan, so you should follow my advice.”
Which was more inexplicable, that Eversleigh was refusing a shurinn request from the Queen, or that Titania was involving herself in a personal matter of this sort in front of the spot where Oberon had slit his throat the day before? “Great queen, might I suggest a different approach? Marigold Meadowsweet can be stubborn and does not like it when any man claims something from her. She might deny Prince Evlan simply for making the claim. Perhaps you might suggest claiming blood right to her instead.”
“A mere mortal cannot claim blood right to a prince of Faerie!” exclaimed Titania.
Elizabeth hid a smile. “Cannot or would not dare? In the mortal world, Marigold Meadowsweet is of high rank, and Prince Evlan is not a prince. If it is forbidden, there is nothing to be done for it, but if it is a matter of daring, I assure you that if she is agreeable to the blood right, she will certainly dare to claim it.”
“I agree,” said Eversleigh. “Nothing would delight her more than to flout custom.”
Titania’s tip-tilted eyes narrowed.
Elizabeth said hastily, “If nothing else, I pray you to allow Prince Evlan a chance to speak to her privately before taking such a step. It is his only chance at success.”
The Faerie queen’s anger seemed to dissipate as quickly as it had appeared. “Very well, but do not take too long about it.” She turned away to speak to Cathael.
Eversleigh offered Elizabeth his arm and led her to the other side of the lawn where blankets had been spread on the ground for the comfort of mortals. She sat, and he sank down beside her.
He mopped his forehead with his handkerchief. “Good God! I have never resisted a shurinn request from a powerful Sidhe before. It was physically painful.”
Elizabeth hid a smile. “I hope Frederica appreciates your sacrifice.”
“As do I! But our understanding is still so fragile, and I dare not risk it, even to please Titania. I hope Lady Frederica agrees, though, since I do not know how much longer I can hold out.”
“I am surprised Titania would be so insistent. My claim of blood right with Darcy must have put the idea in her head.”
“It might have given her the idea, but this is a different matter. She knows we plan to marry, and she wants desperately to seal a blood bond between us before we conceive any children.”
“My children with Darcy will not be enough?” How odd it felt to claim that as her future!
“Your children will carry her blood, but my children would carry both her blood and Oberon’s. That is something she has never thought possible before. ”
And with Oberon dead, or at least turned into a tree, that desire would be powerful indeed. Titania did not like to wait. “I see.”
“If she convinces Oberon to ask me as his tiarinn , I will not be able to refuse,” he said gloomily. “May I depend upon you to explain to Frederica if that should happen?”
“I would have done so even without your request. And I will speak further to Titania on your behalf if necessary.”
“You are the best of shurinn s.” Apparently the nearby presence of fay kept Eversleigh from expressing his thanks.
Darcy came up from behind them and sat on Elizabeth’s other side. “Good morning.”
How much more alive his presence made her feel! It was as if a spark passed between them when she met his intent gaze. “Good morning,” she said, suddenly breathless. “We are waiting for Frederica, who is speaking to the tree.”
“It does work, then?”
“It does,” said Eversleigh. “I spoke briefly to Lord Matlock, and he agrees about disbanding the Collegium. We did not get much further before Lady Frederica arrived.”
Just then Frederica stepped away from the tree. She spotted them and came to sit beside Eversleigh, the tracks of dried tears still showing on her face.
“Were you able to speak to him?” asked Eversleigh gently.
Frederica nodded.
Elizabeth asked, “Did he seem like himself?”
Frederica gave a quavering laugh. “Unmistakably. Who else could possibly be so smug?”
“Smug?” Elizabeth asked in surprise.
“Unbearably so. He says Oberon gave him no warning that he planned a Great Spell, and yet he still managed to compose a spell on the spot which sufficed. In English, no less, even though he had only ever written spells in Latin. He said he also made the boundary between our world and Faerie somewhat more permeable. He was smug about that, too.”
“I wonder what that means,” said Eversleigh.
“I do not know. He became distracted after that.” Her expression became more somber. “I have the impression we will be finding more dead sorcerers.”
“I fear so,” Eversleigh said.
Across the lawn, Titania eyed them assessingly.
Elizabeth said, “Titania is very eager to speak to you, Frederica.”
“To me?”
“Yes. See, she is looking at you.”
“Well, then, I suppose I must go to her.”
Eversleigh stood and helped Frederica to her feet. He watched after her as she walked away before sitting again. “Definitely the best of shurinns ,” he said.
She laughed. “If my children and your children are both tiarinn to Titania, will that make them shurinn to each other?”
He groaned. “I have not even figured out how the new blood tie between Oberon and Lord Matlock affects all the kinship, much less that.”
“Performing a Great Spell together creates a blood tie?”
“A very strong one, apparently, as if they were now one person. I am more conscious of Colonel Fitzwilliam than I would expect.” With a self-deprecating smile, he added, “I am always conscious of Lady Frederica.”
Titania clapped her hands for silence. “My Marigold Meadowsweet has something to say,” she announced.
Eversleigh’s eyes widened. “Already?”
Frederica’s voice rang out clearly. “As Matlock and Oberon have been joined in blood, let Matlock’s daughter and Oberon’s son be bound. Prince Evlan, I claim blood right.” She held out her hand towards him.
Eversleigh did not move, seeming frozen in place. Elizabeth pushed his shoulder. “Go to her, shurinn .”
Finally he seemed to rediscover the ability to move, although it was without his usual fluid grace. He took Frederica’s hand without hesitation, though.
Cathael said solemnly, “You do great honor to your fathers.”
“Hold out your hands,” said Titania. Once again she slashed her palm and let her blood drip onto their hands. “Palms together and turn twice widdershins.”
As Frederica and Eversleigh began to move, Darcy’s hand closed around Elizabeth’s.