CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
The roses were in full bloom.
A tall wooden archway, completely overtaken by flowers, beckoned us into the garden.
As we stepped onto the marble pathway, King Filvendor offered me the crook of his arm so that we could stroll side by side.
While the roses near the entrance were a classic deep red, the garden offered an impressive number of unique varieties; there were white, pink, yellow, and orange roses to admire as well.
Even some varieties I’d never seen before—roses blooming in a pretty lavender hue or pigmented with multiple hues at once.
The flowers weren’t the only attraction placed within the garden. Every now and then, we strolled by some new marble sculpture, intricately pruned hedge, or tranquil water feature to marvel at alongside the roses. The entire garden was a work of art.
We paused near a fountain, a steady stream of water spurting from a marble lion’s mouth.
King Filvendor stared with concern at a rosebush with withering flower petals.
He passed his hand slowly over the bush, and the petals perked into a healthy bloom.
His magic, his connection to the land, was obviously powerful.
I imagined this small display of power was just a fraction of what he could accomplish.
Carefully, he pinched off one of the roses, offering it to me with a smile.
I reached to accept the flower from his hand, but he stopped me.
“Here, let me.” A blush rose unbidden to my cheeks as he softly brushed aside a strand of my hair before tucking the rosebud into my braid.
“Thank you,” I stuttered, feeling flustered by his attention.
“Of course,” King Filvendor said. “It’s a small magic.
The real wonder is that this land responds to my touch at all.
It’s my greatest achievement—uniting the Summer Court and the human populace into one territory.
Solaris—home to my Summer Palace. It was quite remarkable really, the speed with which my magic settled upon the new land.
The other Fae courts did not possess the same foresight.
They felt the land begin to grow but chose to ignore that growth, closing off their borders and concerning themselves little with the humans who came to live there.
Not me. As the land expanded, I always knew I intended to expand my rule right along with it.
Magic is too chaotic, too unbridled, for it to never change.
The Spring, Autumn, and Winter Courts failed to learn an important lesson—those who resist change will always be at a disadvantage.
Now they find themselves limited to their ancestral lands. I had grander ambitions.”
I found myself at a loss for words. Luckily, King Filvendor didn’t seem to expect much of me conversation-wise, continuing on with his solemn reflections.
“Look at the Kingdom of Solaris now. We’re thriving—Faekind and humankind alike.
The only place in the realm where we live in harmony and reap the rewards.
You know, Solaris is your home too. Your birthright.
There is a place for you here. I know you must be wondering why I invited you to visit.
It’s because I believe you have a future in my household.
Perhaps as a member of my guard. After some additional training, of course.
Together, we could find your grandmother.
Then, I could teach you to perfect your abilities.
I know Agatha would love to have you living here as well.
What do you think about that?” His arm was still linked with mine, and his eyes burned bright with passion.
If I’d been at a loss for words before, now it felt like I’d lost the capacity for speech altogether.
Leave the island? Build a new home in Solaris?
Was that something I could really do, even if I wanted to?
Who would maintain the island? Who would care for Nix?
Not that the cantankerous cat really required that much looking after.
Still, the gravity of what King Filvendor was offering me hit me like a ton of bricks.
“You’ve certainly given me a lot to think about,” I began.
“It’s just that…I don’t fully understand what the Midnight Sovereign used to mean to the realm.
Which means I don’t fully understand what I would be giving up if I decided to join your household. And the idea of abandoning my island—”
Filvendor’s expression was unreadable as he cut me off.
“I shouldn’t have rushed you. Forgive me.
Please take some time to think about my offer and explore the Summer Palace before you make a decision.
I only ask that you consider what we discussed—all things change, all things eventually come to an end.
It takes a certain strength of character to accept when that change is inevitable, and to build a new life, a better life, for yourself. ”
I mulled his words over in my head as we continued our slow stroll through the gardens.
We rounded a corner and I heard running water, realizing a river flowed right through the palace gardens.
I looked at my reflection in the water, staring at my pointed ears.
“Do you—do you truly think the Midnight Sovereign should come to an end?” I vocalized, my voice stricken.
“And you would offer me a place here to live instead?”
He looked down at me, his expression kind.
“I only wish to see you living to your full potential. As custom dictates, I sent my men to attend Kaylin’s funeral, and they reported back that you were completely alone on that island.
They said you seemed uncertain and afraid.
That broke my heart—knowing that the essence of the Summer Court resides within you.
Knowing you were born within the borders of my land.
Knowing I could offer you a place to belong, a family. ”
I could barely make out Filvendor’s voice over the hammering of my own heart. Alone and afraid—yes, that was how I’d felt that day. But did I feel that way now? Still, he’d given me a lot to think about, and I walked in a daze as he guided me out of the garden and back into the palace.
King Filvendor led me through the hallway, everyone around us dropping into a deep bow or curtsy the moment they caught sight of his approach. I realized belatedly that I had neglected to bow to him earlier in the throne room when we were first introduced.
Then again, I was pretty sure the Midnight Sovereign wasn’t supposed to bow to royalty. I was supposed to be a politically neutral entity. I was supposed to help anyone who came to my door, with no regard for their power or title.
“I have something else I’d like to show you,” he said, gesturing for me to follow him up one of the grand staircases onto the second level of the palace.
We walked until we came to a large oak door, which he promptly opened with a wave of his hand.
“You said you wanted to understand. I figure there is nowhere better to gain a little understanding than my personal library. You’re welcome to spend the rest of the day here.
Stay as long as you’d like. Read anything you want.
All of the knowledge contained within my library is now at your fingertips.
I do not wish to keep you from learning anything you want to know. ”
His gaze bore into mine. “Please think about my offer. Just ring when you grow hungry, and somebody will bring you your dinner. Nithroel will return to show you to your bedchamber once you’ve finished reading.
And please don’t hesitate to ask for anything you need.
Perhaps tomorrow, we will dine together, just the two of us.
” The thought of dining alone with him made me start sweating, but I did my best to hide my reaction, acknowledging his words with a demure smile.
He opened the door, and we stepped into a library so massive, it made me question whether I could even call myself educated—so many books, shelves and shelves of them.
Natural light streamed in through ornate glass windows.
I strained my neck upward, marveling at the lofted ceilings.
Winding staircases spiraled upward to the library’s second level.
Multiple reading nooks were visible, tucked between the bookshelves, furnished with leather armchairs.
My eyes widened as I took in all the books, thinking about everything I might be able to learn within their pages. As soon as King Filvendor left, I grabbed the most promising option and began to read.
Hours later, I surfaced to order some dinner, which was promptly delivered by a servant I didn’t recognize. I scarfed the meal down as quickly as possible so that I could resume my reading. I had a book on my chest, a book wedged under my arm, and a book balanced on the side of the armchair.
No mention of a Fae woman called the “All-Seeing,” though finding any information about my grandmother had been a long shot to begin with.
No mention of the Midnight Sovereign either, in any of the tomes I grabbed thus far, though I learned a fair bit about the early history of the witch queens, the medicinal benefits of night-blooming plants, and an assortment of other interesting but ultimately irrelevant facts.
When evening fell, the lamps in the library magically sprung to life, making up for the loss of natural light streaming into the library.
My eyes were starting to drift closed when Nithroel found me later that night, covered in books.
“That’s quite the number of books you’ve got there,” she remarked, laughing at the state in which she’d found me.
“I was trying to find a book discussing the Midnight Sovereign, but no such luck. Did you know the Kingdom of Sivell had some of theirs destroyed? A phoenix told me that, and I wonder if something similar has happened here. At least, I couldn’t find anything tonight.
I would do anything to understand more about my position.
To serve this realm like the Midnight Sovereign should. ”
I smiled warmly up at Nithroel, expecting to find polite disinterest on her face, but that wasn’t the emotion I encountered at all.
She stared back at me with startling intensity, her mouth pressed into a tight line.
“Is that the truth?” she questioned. “That you would do anything?” Her eyes never left mine as she waited on my response.
“That’s the truth,” I vowed, despite my confusion.
“Time for bed,” she declared cheerfully as she helped me stack the books around me, acting like our conversation and the strangely intense last few minutes between us had never happened.
I let her lead me back to the same bedchamber, jumping at the soft click of the locked door as she departed, deciding it sounded rather more ominous than it had just the night before.
I dressed for bed, leaving my moonstone necklace against my chest, taking comfort from its presence, even though the moon outside my window was just beginning to wane, decreased in size after the latest full moon.
“I’ll be back home soon,” I whispered into my empty bedchamber before closing my eyes and rolling over to go to sleep.