CHAPTER 15
My arm remained firmly in Arenn’s grasp as he guided me towards the throne room. The faery palace was so different from how I’d expected it to be. The walls were made from a mixture of quartz and what appeared to be some kind of clay, while thick willow tree roots weaved throughout the walls and occasionally streamed across the floor. To my relief, the lingering dizziness from the spell was fading, leaving only the odd wave of unsteadiness to roll over my body, though the random tree roots were not helping. Quite a few times, Arenn had to catch me mid-fall when a root unexpectedly jutted out of the marble ground.
The clothing here was also very different from the human world. Faery women wore much shorter gowns that exposed the multicoloured skin of their lower legs and ankles, while some of them even wore flowing breeches. The fabrics were different, too. Some gowns were almost translucent and others shimmered in different colours depending on the angle of the light, like the wings of a beetle.
Arenn continued to guide me until, eventually, we reached a large, round set of doors with guards posted on either side. When they saw the prince approaching, they dipped their heads and rushed to heave the doors apart. With a soft, elegant creak, the doors swung open to reveal a stunningly grand throne room.
The air in the hall was heavy with what must’ve been magic. It radiated warmth through my body and once again left my fingertips tingling. Along the edges of the room, tall quartz pillars stretched up to support the vast, shimmering ceiling. Many formally dressed faeries stood around the pillars, socialising and flitting between different groups.
We stopped near the centre of the room, and Arenn bowed deeply. Before us were two thrones that appeared to be carved from giant blush pink crystal formations. Seated on the thrones were a man and a woman, both finely dressed faeries. They paused their conversation as we approached, but the moment the woman’s gaze met mine, she gasped, dropping her golden goblet. It clattered against the marble floor, sending a wave of silence through the hall as everyone turned towards the Queen.
“Elowen?” she called out, rising from her seat and stepping closer. Unlike the other fae, she wore a long, elaborate gown, with a skirt that resembled rose petals trailing behind her.
“Dearest Naria,” Arenn began, addressing me, “please allow me to introduce my parents, King Bevan and Queen Amabel.”
He then turned to them, sweeping his arm towards where I stood. “And Mother, Father, it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you, the very human, Princess Naria of Corlixir.”
Shocked noises echoed throughout the hall as suddenly, I could feel the wide-eyed stares of almost every faery in the room burning onto my skin. With a thick swallow, I prayed they couldn’t somehow smell fear. In that moment, I would’ve reeked of it.
“Great Spirits of the Quartz…” The man, who must have been King Bevan, stood as well. “You look just like your mother.” Like the Queen, he too wore an extravagant outfit. A glittering flower crown sat above his dark but greying hair, while midnight blue overcoat embroidered with gold leaf patterns covered his large torso.
With a slow curtsy, I replied in a way that tried to mask my shaking voice. I’d practised this speech so many times on the journey through the forest. Why did the words now stick to my tongue now? “Thank you for agreeing to speak with me, Your Majesties. I’m very glad to be here. Your kingdom is so incredibly beautiful.” Their warm smiles steadied my nerves slightly as I carried on, “And it is wonderful to finally meet you both. I… I was told that my parents were good friends of yours?”
“More than good friends, dear,” Queen Amabel answered, her voice tinged with sadness.
The Faery King stepped over to his wife’s side to take her hand. “Indeed… It was a dark time when we were informed of your parents’ passing. They were so young and full of life. Nobody expected it… The realm lost so much more than just a kingdom that day.” He passed her a comforting smile before his gaze slowly returned to me. “But alas, as delightful as it is to finally meet you, I’m sure you have not just come here to listen to us reminisce. So please, my dear, you must tell us what brings you to our palace?”
My teeth scraped against my lower lip. This was it, the moment I’d been losing sleep over.
Gripping the fabric of my rumpled skirts, I took a deep breath before announcing, “I have come to propose the idea of an alliance.”
Quiet murmurs buzzed around the hall. Some faeries seemed to laugh while others sounded perplexed.
“An alliance?” the King repeated with a curious grin. Stepping backwards, he let his large body sink into his crystal throne as his thick hands gripped the armrests. “Forgive me for being so bold, but isn’t your kingdom still lying in ruins? You may be a princess, but without your land, or many people for that matter, what could you possibly offer us?”
Swallowing, I continued, “There might not be many of us left. But those of us who survived are thriving, living together in a small village hidden deep within the forests of Drothmore.” I chewed my lip, choosing my next words carefully. “While my people are grateful for the support that King Ikelos has provided, they are desperate to go home – to return to a rebuilt kingdom. And I believed, with Drothmore’s support, that this would someday be a possibility… but unfortunately it has been made clear to me that their future king has no intention of helping our cause.” I took a breath, casting aside the frustrating glimpses of steel that flooded my vision. “If you can help us by providing the necessary funding, materials, and support, not only will myself and my people be eternally grateful, but we would also happily trade enough medicine for all of your subjects and share our advanced healing knowledge with all of your kingdom’s healers. Perhaps we could even help to rekindle the relationship between humans and the fae? Faeries could walk freely through the human kingdoms once again, as friends.”
Shocked gasps rippled through the crowds of fae, and a few of them scoffed.
“My dear…” This time it was the Faery Queen who spoke. She too had returned to her crystal throne, letting her rose skirt flare out beneath her. “I admire your confidence, but it would take much more than the desire of a single naive human princess to restore the trust that was lost after your parents’ deaths. Not to mention, there are a fair number of fae who are quite happy living underground here and avoiding the – no offence to you, dear – but the trials and tribulations of dealing with humans. Some have even left the realm entirely and are living quite contently above ground elsewhere. If the human rulers do not wish to include us in their petty games and wars… then so be it! We are quite content with not getting involved.”
At her response, our audience clapped and cheered, while my stomach took a dive to my feet. I hadn’t even considered that they might not want to form relationships with the human kingdoms. If only there was a spell that could make the floor open up and swallow me whole – I would beg Arenn to cast it this instant.
Their deafening cheers continued until the King finally lifted a hand to silence them.
“Calm yourselves!” he ordered, his mouth curling into a frown. “We must remember to be respectful when in the presence of foreign royalty.” He swept his hand towards where I stood. “After all, I still remember a time when both our nation and Corlixir thrived together. Many a fae were saved in Corlixin hospitals, and together we discovered many of the life-altering potions that we all still use today.” He tilted his chin to meet my gaze, his eyes washed with sorrow. “I must express how truly sorry I am for the loss of your kingdom. Corlixir was one of the few human kingdoms where we fae were not seen as outsiders, but welcomed with open arms. I will forever mourn the loss of both the kingdom and your parents.”
A heavy silence fell over the throne room.
I let it sit for a few moments before breaking it with my reply. “Thank you for your understanding,” I started, my words measured. “Of course, I never knew my parents, nor did I ever walk the streets of my own kingdom, but I grew up surrounded by other Corlixins.” My knees trembled. “Though I must admit, to merely have each other is not enough. We need a real home. We need Corlixir back to what it once was.” My gaze glided from the Queen and then to the King. “So now I stand before you to ask, no… to beg for your help. Please… Please help me rebuild my kingdom, and in return, I will do anything you desire.”
Beside me, a soft sound escaped Arenn, a quiet laughter that only I seemed to catch. The entire time, he’d remained still as a statue with his gaze fixed between the two thrones. Around us, the other faeries whispered, but there were too many hushed voices to distinguish what any of them were saying.
“Did your human friends not warn you that it is unwise to attempt to make deals with the fae?” The King’s aged features seemed to burn with mischief. “We are renowned for always coming out on top, or so they say.”
“I care only that my kingdom gets rebuilt,” I stated, all traces of fear vanishing from my voice. “Whatever happens to me is meaningless; I only care that my people get to return to their rightful home.”
“Brave girl,” the King mused. “I must admit, when you first came in here, I saw only the sweet and cautious Elowen. But now, I see your father in you too.”
A knot formed in my throat, but I swallowed it down. I’d deal with those tears later.
“This is certainly a lot to think about,” the King sighed, tapping his fingers against his bearded chin. “But I’m sure we can work out some sort of alliance, as you so eloquently put it.” He leaned against the tall crystal back of his throne. “For now, you should enjoy the wonders of our kingdom. Please, stay as long as you’d like.” His hand gestured gracefully. “Has my son already informed you of the ball we call Luminessia?”
“Not yet, Father,” Arenn responded for me.
“Luminessia,” the King explained, “is a grand ball where my son will choose his bride and thus declare the future Queen of Faelanna. I remember your parents once expressed that you and my son should marry when you were both of age, but I am not the sort of king who favours the old-fashioned forced engagements.”
My eyebrows shot up. If only King Ikelos were so progressive.
No.
If only Lukas were not such a brat.
I forced myself to take a slow breath to calm the anger that now rocked in my stomach.
“My son will marry whomever he wishes, but still, you should attend the ball. After all, a marriage between royalty is certainly one kind of alliance,” the King chuckled to himself.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” I dipped my head in respect, trying to ignore the queasy feeling that settled in my chest. If I could not stand to marry Lukas, could I bring myself to marry Prince Arenn? Deep down, I didn’t think I wanted to marry anyone, but if marriage was the only way to save my kingdom then, as I said before, I would happily marry a goblin.
The Faery Queen opened her mouth to announce something to the court but was abruptly cut off by a loud, shrieking giggle coming from just outside the hall. When another even louder, more piercing giggle followed the first, both the King and Queen’s heads jerked up to stare over me and towards the open throne room doors.
“Is that… another human?” the Queen muttered to herself. “It’s like an invasion.”
I thought I recognised that giggle…
Whirling to face the doorway, I watched as Raena half stumbled, half walked through the quartz corridor. She was laughing away, hand in hand with a young green-skinned faery guard. The very same guard who’d handled her so roughly in the faery streets, just hours ago.
Beside me, the prince must’ve spotted her too, as he leaned in close to whisper, “Perhaps we should go and fetch your friend?”
I nodded before both Arenn and I thanked the King and Queen for their time, and promptly exited the throne room.
Outside, Raena and the guard had stopped by a crystal-framed painting. She was leaning into him, playfully swatting at his arm and chuckling as though he had just told her the funniest joke in the realm.
“Raena!” I called over to her as soon as the huge throne room doors thudded shut behind us. Her bubbling laughter faded as she turned slowly, still leaning against the faery guard. When she noticed me, a smile wider than I’d ever seen before spread across her rosy face.
“Naria,” she beamed, “I’m so glad to see you! Dearest Valen here was just giving me a tour of the palace. Isn’t he magical?” she sighed, gazing dreamily up at the guard’s face.
A crease formed in my brow as she continued to giggle and mutter mindlessly to herself. The words were definitely Raena’s, but this behaviour was just bizarre. Something wasn’t right.
“Are you alright?” Cautiously, I brought a hand to Raena’s arm, rubbing it gently, but she ignored my touch, her glazed-over eyes remaining fixed on the guard.
With clenched fists, I whipped my chin up to address the faery. “What did you do to her?”
“Just a simple charm,” he mumbled, his feet shifting in place.
The thought of anyone tampering with Raena’s mind made me feel ill, but still, I swallowed down the urge to lunge at him. “I don’t know what that means, but whatever you’ve done, you need to remove it. Now.”
The guard glanced up at the prince. “I had no choice, sire. She was hysterical! I had to do something, else she was going to break through the bars!”
A shadow passed over Arenn’s lips. Then he smiled, a little too sweetly for my liking. “You should know better, Valen. This is no way to treat our guests.” Calmly, he lifted a pale hand and pressed his index finger against Raena’s forehead. With a sigh, she nuzzled further into the guard’s chest, completely ignoring the prince’s touch.
“That should clear the charm,” he said, lowering his hand.
After a few moments, the glaze that covered her vision seemed to fade as she blinked frantically. Lifting her body away from the guard, she stood swaying until I steadied her.
“Are you alright, Raena?” I asked quietly.
“I… I feel confused,” she replied in a tired voice. “I don’t know where…” Her brown skin paled, and for a moment, I thought she might faint. “I think I want to go home and sleep for a bit.”
“Of course, we’ll go home now,” I assured her. Biting back my anger, I shot a glare at the guard. Instead of responding, he just avoided my gaze, keeping his hands in his pockets and staring at the floor.
“Leave us, Valen,” the prince commanded, and without needing to be told twice, the guard scurried off down the corridor. Arenn then shifted his attention back to me. With a sincere, apologetic look, he said, “I’m so very sorry for what happened with your friend today. If there was a ritual that could turn back time, I would gladly start this whole night over again.”
I shook my head. “It’s not your fault. Like you said before, our arrival wasn’t exactly peaceful.”
He nodded, then glanced at Raena, who was struggling to hold her dozing head up with her hand. “Still, there are ways we could’ve handled it better.”
Guilt gnawed at my insides. I should’ve never, ever brought her here. The Raena I knew wouldn’t squash a fly for fear of it staining her gown, yet just a few hours ago, she was prepared to stab a living, breathing faery to protect me. And only the Ancients know what went on in her cell while I was fast asleep. My chest tightened as dark thoughts crept into my mind. I would never forgive myself if something happened to her.
“We should be leaving now. I need to take her home to Drothmore,” I decided, taking Raena’s limp arm in mine.
The prince nodded, although his jaw seemed to tense at my words. “That is understandable. I’ll escort you both to the gates.”
We walked mostly in silence back through the palace and then through the streets of the underground faery kingdom. Even though it was night up above, there were so many different faeries wandering down the winding cobbled roads. I wanted to ask Prince Arenn if perhaps faery magic was more active at night, but instead, I spent most of the walk consoling Raena, who wobbled and groaned with every step. Still, the fact that we were walking rather than frantically sprinting to escape angry guards allowed me to finally appreciate more of the wonder of this place. The gigantic domed ceiling must’ve been at least 50 metres into the air, and to add to the illusion, the same violet orbs from the hallways were scattered across the muddy sky like stars. The terraced faery houses all seemed to be made of different unusual materials, too. Metals and crystals that I had never seen before were packed together with dirt to form bricks that glistened and sparkled under the light of the violet stars.
When we finally reached the same round gates that Raena and I had crashed through just hours before, Arenn stopped and bowed respectfully towards me.
“It’s been an enchanting night meeting you, Princess Naria. And not one I will forget any time soon.” He lifted his head to present me with a charming smile.
“Likewise, Prince Arenn.” I tilted my chin back at him, hoping that Raena – who was still latched onto my arm – couldn’t feel how much my traitorous heart had leapt. When he looked at me like that, it was very easy to forget that our initial introduction had been anything but enchanting.
“Promise me you will return soon? There is so much of our kingdom that I would love to share with you.” A flicker of something danced across his amber eyes. It made my knees feel weak.
“I can’t say how soon I will return.” I steadied my voice. “But I will certainly try to visit here again before your ball in two weeks.”
“Ah, I trust you will be busy with your foolish prince?”
“Prince Lukas does not own me,” I laughed. “But I have already been avoiding him long enough, and he will certainly start to grow suspicious if my room is empty every night.”
Arenn propped himself against the wooden door as his voice slipped into a darker tone. “Do you not fear what he will do if he finds out that you’re sneaking away to spend the night with a faery?”
A shudder slipped over me. In truth, I hadn’t let myself think about what might happen if Lukas learnt about my secret midnight visit to Faelenna. Then again, considering how he seemed to have no issues tormenting or humiliating me, perhaps I would be doing him a favour by finding a more suitable future husband. Clearly, he was under the impression that there was nothing Corlixir could ever do for Drothmore. And he certainly didn’t seem to have any romantic interest in me, unless he had a very funny way of showing it…
“I couldn’t care less how he might feel about my visit here tonight,” I huffed. “I have already made it clear to him that if he cannot help my kingdom then I will have to seek help elsewhere.”
“And how did he take that?” Arenn prompted with a grin, folding his arms across his chest.
“Not very well,” I admitted, as visions of roses, furious princes, and copper-haired beauties flooded my mind. “As I said though, he does not own me. I am an orphaned princess of a fallen kingdom, so technically, nobody can tell me what to do.”
“Such determination,” the prince mused, his smile widening. “But you should still be careful… Even if you believe he cannot force you to do anything, you should never underestimate what jealousy can do to a man, especially a prince.” Another shadow flickered across his lips.
I opened my mouth to reply, but was interrupted when Raena groaned loudly into my shoulder. Wincing, I gave Arenn an apologetic look. “We should be going. I fear if we don’t leave now, then Lady Raena might not make it back through the forest.”
“She will be fine in the morning,” Arenn assured me before he knocked twice on the huge gates. Slowly, they creaked open to reveal the familiar dirt tunnel on the other side.
“Farewell, Prince Arenn.” I dipped my head before steering Raena back towards the narrow steps that led to the outside world.
“Until we meet again, little human,” the prince replied. Then, with a parting smile, he disappeared into the crowd of faeries I hadn’t even noticed had gathered around us.