Wing and Bone

Nothing is What it Seems

"You're doing what?!?" Siobhan's screeching question rattled the crystal chandelier in Caoimhe's dressing room. She clapped a hand over the mouth of her best friend and lady-in-waiting.

"Quiet! You'll bring the guards!" Caoimhe slowly took her hand away, eyeing the monarch winged Pixie pointedly. "I've always done everything my parents have told me to, only voicing my displeasure in private to them, or you. My whole life I've done as they said, letting duty rule me. Just this once I'm going to do something I know they wouldn't approve of. How can I not? it's Gwyndion!"

Groaning, Siobhan unceremoniously plopped down into a chair at the acorn-shell vanity. The mother-of-pearl mirror wobbled, but thankfully stayed in place. "Why couldn't you have fallen for a Pixie?!?" she wondered aloud for what must have been the millionth time in their lives. She had been brought to the palace when Caoimhe was an infant to look after her. Siobhan's role in Caoimhe's life had morphed over the years, from nanny to confidant, to lady-in-waiting and best friend. As the next youngest Pixie in all of Faery, the king and queen felt it was only appropriate that Caoimhe have her around. And even though Siobhan was a century older, she and Caoimhe looked the same age now.

"You know the answer to that," Caoimhe replied, packing a basket with treats for the picnic. "There has never been any other male for me. He stole my heart when he-"

Siobhan cut her off, finishing the sentence and mimicking Caoimhe's voice, "'made the snow dance in the sky out in the forest when no one was watching.' I know, I know. And I've been trying to convince you since then that you let your heart go too easily, too."

"You're probably right. If only I could shift like the Pixies in the stories, then things would be different. But now I have a chance to at least become his friend! Would you really deny me that?" Caoimhe looked at her with eyes like saucers and just enough glamour to make them sparkle. Her lower lip jutted out just enough to add the perfect amount of pout.

"You know I can't resist that face!" Siobhan threw her hands up in exasperation. She shoved her fingers into her short, spiky black hair, then wiped her hands down her buttercup toned face. "Fine, you win. What do I tell their royal highnesses when they come looking for you? You know I'm the first person they'll ask."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something. Just don't send them in the direction of Mirror Lake."

"Alright. Just be careful. You know he'll never love you the way you love him. I don't relish the idea of picking up the pieces when he decides the entertainment factor is gone and he rejects your company." Siobhan wiggled her fingers over her shoulder as she sauntered out the door and the guards closed it behind her.

Caoimhe pulled a pumpkin-leaf blanket from a trunk which doubled as a window seat. She carefully stuffed it into a small sack that she tossed over a shoulder before grabbing the basket. She knew that Gwyndion wouldn't think to bring things small enough for her to be practical. As much as she would like to, she also wasn't strong enough to bring items that were the proper size for him, either. She hoped he wouldn't find her bringing her own picnic things too presumptuous.

It was lucky she had wings. She had never tried to sneak out before, so the guards were only posted at the door. Plus, she was the princess, so they wouldn't stop her. However, if the guards saw her leave, then her parents would ask them which direction she had gone, and that wouldn't do.

Instead, she opened the double doors to the balcony. The doors were made from twigs lashed together in intricate knots and droplets of water stretched thin with magic to create windows which let in the light. Spider silk drapes could be pulled into place should she want to nap during the day. The balcony looked out on the Pixie kingdom. Her room was near the top of the palace tree, so she could view the whole of the kingdom from there. Humans who had been lured to Faery before the doors were closed hadn't been able to tell when they were standing in the middle of the city because of how their homes and businesses were part of the forest. Toadstools, trees, bushes, and flowers all made perfect dwellings for Pixies.

Caoimhe had looked out at this view everyday of her life, and yet it still took her breath away. She paused a moment to enjoy the beauty of the city before taking to the sky. She flew as quickly as she could, using her magic to avoid being seen. Once she had broken through the canopy, she headed for Mirror Lake. They had agreed it was the best place to meet, since Sidhe and Pixie spending time together in such a way would definitely draw attention, and neither wanted to have to answer any questions. Mirror Lake was a serene, tranquil place that the fey rarely visited. As vain as most fey were, the reflective surface of the lake disturbed nearly everyone who looked at it. The mirror didn't just show what you looked like on the outside. It reflected the quality of your character, which was something almost every fey did not like to think about. So there was little risk anyone would stumble upon them.

As the lake came into view, Caoimhe had a moment of panic. She couldn't see Gwyndion, and feared he had been toying with her. While she was confident he wasn't that kind of male, she couldn't help but doubt his intentions to get to know her. After all, a Sidhe showing interest in a Pixie was unheard of. But then she saw him, sitting a fair distance away from the lake. Even from this far away he took her breath away.

He sat on a fur pelt, likely that of a snow tiger. It looked too soft to be zebra, yet it had black and white stripes. He had one knee up, an elbow resting comfortably on it. The other leg was half outstretched and lying on the fur. In his hands he held a daisy that he seemed to be peering into as though it had some great insight. Caoimhe could make out the bulges of muscles under his silken grey shirt, and his black breeches left little to the imagination as well. He had tied his hair back with a leather cord, but a few locks threatened to break free with the slightest breeze.

She fluttered down to where he sat, doing her best not to interrupt his thoughts. He looked up as her wings caught the light and sprinkled rainbow colors all around him like glitter. He didn't smile, exactly, when she arrived. However there was a sparkle of something in his eyes that told her he was pleased to see her.

When she finally took her eyes from his gorgeous form, she noticed that he had, in fact, thought of her size in his preparations. In front of him he had laid a slice of tree as a sort of dias. This gave him a solid surface to place a Pixie-sized table and chair. These appeared to be identical to some illustrations in her history books about humans and their "dolls" and "dollhouses." The concept had made little sense to her, however the furniture was the perfect size for her. There was even a cushion on the chair, and dishes on the table. Not the bark and shell dishes Pixies made and used, but versions of the fancy dishware that the larger fey races used scaled down to her size.

The gesture showed a level of care that she had not expected. For a moment she stood on the dias, stunned into silence, taking in everything he had prepared. When he cleared his throat, she shook her head to clear the cobwebs from her mind and turned to face him.

"Why would you do this for me? I don't understand."

Gwyndion was silent for several moments, long enough that she feared she had upset him. When he finally spoke, his voice sent a familiar shiver down her spine.

"I am of the Unseelie Court. Queen Mabhe will destroy anything and anyone who shows weakness, and she sees acts of kindness like this as weakness. However my magic is not only harsh and deadly. It is also soft and gentle. Therefore a piece of my true nature is unwelcome in the Unseelie Court, and without access to the human realm it has begun to wither and die as those that humans no longer believe in will do. While the Seelie are just as ruthless and crafty as the Unseelie, your Court values softness and kind gestures, if only to manipulate each other. I hoped that you might appreciate the gentleness that I have had to suppress for the last century or more. Was I wrong?"

Caoimhe was speechless. This one confession explained the answer to every question she had ever had about him. This was why she had been drawn to him. She had known since the first time she had laid eyes on him that there was a sadness deep within him, and she feared she would never be able to ease his pain. The more she thought about his words, and what it all meant, the larger her feelings for him grew. Her desire to soothe his aching heart seemed to fill her entirely until she feared she might burst. Her skin began to tingle with it, and tears made her vision shimmer.

She closed her eyes and wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. When she opened them, she was disoriented. How had he shrunk to her size? And why did he look so startled? She was about to ask Gwyndion these questions when she noticed that the "dias" was now the size of a dinner plate.

The realization of what had just happened was beginning to dawn on her when Gwyndion's voice broke through her thoughts. "I haven't seen a Pixie shift so beautifully in a millenia! None have shifted at all since before you were born. How did you do that?!?"

"I have no idea!" Caoimhe exclaimed in a strained whisper. She looked down at herself, grateful that her clothing had shifted with her. The spider silk dress she had chosen to wear now looked like the lacey gowns that the larger fey would wear at Court. Eyes wide, she slowly looked back up at Gwyndion. "What are you going to do? You won't turn me in, will you?" It was impossible to keep the panic from her voice.

"Why would I do that?" he asked, clearly confused. "Did you even know you were capable of the shift?"

"No, not at all. To be honest, I tried to recreate the magic my ancestors used for the first shift, but I failed. Several times. I gave up trying 10 years ago."

"I just got done telling you that I am not like the others in the Unseelie Court. Do you trust that I am kinder than they, and would not betray you?"

Caoimhe studied his face. She had loved him her entire life, hadn't she? Didn't she lie awake at

night, wishing she could shift and be his size? She knew he would never betray her, not after the kindness he had shown in preparing such a lovely place for her to dine with him.

A new thought suddenly shook her to the core. 'I have no idea how I shifted. I didn't even mean to. What if I shift back, and can never figure out how to do it again? I may never get another chance to be his size.'

In an instant she made a decision that would change everything. She leaned forward, placed a hand on his cheek, and kissed him.

His lips were cold. Their touch felt like a zap of static electricity. She didn't dare let the kiss linger; he was probably unsettled by her forwardness and would be angry with her. Just this one moment of contact was all she needed and she could go on with her life as it has been, should she not be able to repeat the shift.

But as she began to pull back, yet another impossible thing happened. He put his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her in! He was not only not upset about her kissing him, he was kissing her back! And with all the passion she had fantasized about. Her head spun, and she lost track of where her lips and tongue ended and his began.

When they finally separated, she saw that amazing smile from under her thinking tree stretch across his face once more. "That was definitely not the kiss of a child," he chuckled.

She wanted to be upset by his reference to their earlier meeting, but she couldn't. Her insides felt like warm mush, and her face was stretched into a ridiculous grin. 'This is probably a dream,' she told herself, 'but I hope I never wake up.'

"Well, it seems my gesture has been rendered unnecessary," Gwyndion said, indicating with a wave of his hand the now-tiny table and chairs. "I didn't bring much for myself to eat, as winter doesn't require much fuel. But you are welcome to share what little I brought."

"Thank you, Lord-"

"Just Gwyndion. Please. I only insist on titles from those I dislike."

"Then thank you, Gwyndion. It seems the shift does require fuel, as I wasn't very hungry before but now I'm famished."

She ate like someone who hadn't had access to food in days. When she had eaten everything he had brought, she lifted her face to the sky, closed her eyes, and sighed contentedly. She remembered where she was and what had just happened when he chuckled again.

"I've never seen a princess eat like that. I've rarely even seen a human peasant eat like that!"

Caoimhe would have been offended if his eyes hadn't been shining and his face hadn't been so radiant. She lowered her head again, embarrassed by her lack of manners, when he gently placed a finger under her chin and raised her face back up so he could look into her eyes.

"That kiss was not the kiss of a stranger on a first date," Gwyndion began in a gentle, intimate voice. "I should know. I've existed for eons and... well, let's just say I know what that kind of kiss is like. You kissed me with a passion that our budding friendship has not earned. I bared a piece of my soul to you earlier. Would you repay the kindness and tell me: what did that kiss mean to you?"

Caoimhe looked away, towards the forest that surrounded the lake. How do you tell someone that you have loved them from a distance your entire life? How does one keep from sounding pathetic? Or worse: crazy? She knew he was watching her, trying to read her reaction. She scanned the forest, trying to gather strength from the energy of the plants all around her. When he began to speak and tell her that she didn't have to explain, she turned back to him. Her emerald green eyes held a pain and sorrow beyond her years as she began to tell the story.

"When I was little, I was doted upon by the entire Pixie kingdom. Everyone was so overjoyed that a child had finally been born, they all treated me as their own. It sounds lovely, and it was, until I couldn't get a moment to myself. The first time I flew off to my Thinking Tree, where you found me the other day, I sat there at the top brooding about how smothered I felt. I was probably 20 at the time, so I was truly still a child. I sat there, grumbling to myself, when my eyes caught lights in the distance.

"I looked up, and out in the forest I could see rainbow lights coming from under the canopy, lighting up the night sky. Pixies are curious by nature, so I flew in the direction of the lights to investigate. As I drew closer, I was surprised to feel the air grow colder. I knew I wasn't anywhere near the winter realm of the Unseelie Court, so the drop in temperature confused me.

"At least, it did until I got close enough to see through the branches of the trees. That's when I saw you, dancing in a clearing, gentle flurries of snow floating around you. The tiny snow flakes were acting as prisms, causing the light from your lantern to break into a million tiny rainbows.

"I had never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life. I knew then that no Pixie make could ever make me feel the way this Sidhe had done when he didn't even know I was there. Then you finished your dance, let the snow melt away, and picked up your lantern to head back home. When the light touched your face, I did not see the joy I had expected from such a dance of freedom and beauty. Instead, there was a single tear that slid down your cheek and a sadness so deep within your eyes, my heart broke with you.

"Two more things I knew in that moment. First: I was not meant to have seen such a private moment. And second: I was hopelessly in love with someone who could never love me back because he barely knew I existed.

"Since that day, I have loved you from afar, doing my best to keep it a secret. I have only ever told my lady-in-waiting, my best friend, of my feelings for you."

Caoimhe waited for what felt like an eternity before Gwyndion said anything. She began to fear that he was in the verge of exploding in rage at her tresspass. When she felt she couldn't stand the silence any longer, he said simply, "I have waited a thousand lifetimes for you."