Fairy Born

Chapter 3

 Her father calmed his voice and started again. “He left because, wait, do you know of your brother’s father?

“I know nothing. I know that my mother’s husband, our father, left. What do you mean his father?”

“He was a king as well. We are the twin kings of the fairy courts. I rule the Unseelie court while he rules the Seelie. Your mother was beautiful so she was pursued by him, for in his court, they seek beauty over all else. We seek love and passion. Neither of us is more right than the other, it is just how we are.” Maille tried to follow her father’s words but she could not understand. She was half-fey? Was she a princess?

“Does that mean my brother and I are rivals now?”

“In a way. We will speak of that later. For now, come.” He helped her onto a horse and climbed back onto his own.

“Where are we going?”

“To our home. The Unseelie court. You will be welcomed.”

“Will I?” Disbelief lived and breathed inside of her. She knew none of this was real. If he did not resemble her she would not have believed that he was her father. 

“You are my daughter. Highborn. You will be protected, but be warned, my court is not filled with the beautiful folk. There are monsters in my court.” His voice dropped octaves to add effect to his words. Maille became worried. Would she be safe? Would she be protected? What was she doing? If they were fairies, where were their wings?

“Umm…”

“Yes, Maille?”

“Do fairies not have, er, wings?” She had to question his story, make him tell her the truth. Morpheal threw his head back and laughed at her question.

“Yes, we have wings, you just can not see them. You can not see past our glamour. That is easy to fix.” He tuned in his saddle and threw something in her face. It looked like a powder but when she inhaled she felt nothing hit her. She choked in shock and wiped at her eyes but when she opened them she gasped. She saw everything. Her father had large wings, the tips rose far above his head and they were clear, but she could see the black veins running through the membrane. They were elegant. The others around him had wings as well, but none like her father’s.

“Oh.” he smiled at her outburst and chuckled as she stared. She felt foolish, stupid somehow for not seeing through the glamour. What was life going to be like? Will she have to have dust thrown at her everyday? She stayed silent as they rode on, not wanting to disturb the peace of the forest. 

“We are getting close. You will start to see some of my subjects come to greet us.” Her father’s voice broke the silence.

“Father, do I say anything?” Should I speak or remain silent?”

“You should probably remain silent until such a time that I can speak to my subjects. I will give you time to bathe and change. I would rather you wear our clothes, not to insult you but if you shall live among us, you must look like us.”

“What does being half-fey mean?”

“In what way?”

“For me, what will I be expected to do? To be?”

“What do you know about our culture?”

“Nothing.”

“I will hire you a tutor and we will continue from there.”

“Yes, father.” She bowed her head and fell back into silence. 

They arrived in a city and dismounted to walk the rest of the way, leading the parade. She listened to the hooves clop against the cobblestones and she looked at the city.  The houses were made of wood, some had wood roofs while some had thatched roofs. There were some women who stood outside the doors sweeping the porch. They dressed in clothing, not unlike her own. Some of the women had wings, others did not. Molly stared as different creatures wandered up to look at them. Their skin was leathery and pockmarked. Some had ears that stuck out the tops of their heads like a fox. Maille stared as she watched a family gathering who had tails. What were these people? What was happening? 

They reached a palace, a castle made of grey stone. The front doors were made of dark wood, oak, and there were metal spikes sticking out of the wood. The door was opened for them and they marched down the entrance hall and they turned left to go through another door to find themselves in a very large room. There was a table on the far side of the room that faced the room and then there were three long tables situated in front of them. Chairs were placed at the head table but at the three long tables were benches made of the same wood as the tables. There were candles on the tables, their wax dripping down onto the wood, but there were also floating lights above the tables, lighting the room. 

Maille was swarmed with creatures. Some were dark and some carried sharp jagged weapons. Some had wrinkly skin while others had skin so tight she feared it would tear. One or two wore hats that were soaked in a red fluid. Some of the citizens were pretty, like her father and his friends.

“This is the great hall after you bathe, you will meet us back here.” He led her back out of the room and they continued on, up a flight of stairs and he paused just outside a room. The door was open and when Maille looked inside she saw it was a bed-chamber. 

“Bathe and dress. I will send for you when we are ready.” Maille nodded and entered the room. What had her life become? What was life like as a princess? Were her subjects cruel? They looked as if they might be as if they would devour her if given the chance. 

Maille almost leaped into the tub filled with warm water and as she soaked she thought of her mother. What was her mother doing right now? Was she safe? Happy? Maille sighed and grabbed a glass bottle and pulled out the stopper. 

It smelled of flowers and when rubbed in her hands, created bubbles. She rubbed the lather into her skin. The soap was pink, but it shimmered and made her skin glow. Was it glamour? She rinsed quickly and made her way to the adjacent bed-chamber. There was a green gown laid out for her. It looked like satin but was much lighter. She put it on to find most of her back was exposed, it was probably made for a fairy with wings. 

Maille looked around the room and happened across a painting on the wall by the door. It caused her to pause. It was a painting of her mother, and she had wings! Her mother’s red hair was black, like her own...

“Momma?” Maille brushed her fingertips across the painting but felt nothing more than the coarse texture of dried paint. She felt tears well up but quickly wiped them away when the door opened. 

“Ma’am? I am here to fix your hair.” A young girl entered. She had no wings but she was very pretty. 

“Are you a fairy?” Maille asked curiosity ate at her. The girl smiled. 

“That is a vague statement. The fairy could mean anything from redcaps to winged ones, to elves. I am an elf, I was born with no wings. My parents were both elves as well, though they live in the Seelie court.”

“Why do you not live there?”

“That is a difficult question. I may look young but I am well over fifty years old. I saw what it was like there, it may look nice but they are cruel. There are monsters here but they are nice, or at least as nice as they can be. In the Seelie court they punish harshly. They value beauty and honor. Here we value true feelings.”

“You chose to live here?”

“Did not you?”

“Yes but that is…” how different as it? It was not. She chose to live here the same way Maille chose to live there. Maille smiled at the girl and went to hug her. The girl was surprised at first but returned the embrace. 

Maille was sitting in a chair in front of a piece of reflective glass and she watched as the elf girl combed and braided her hair into a beautiful updo. 

“There, now you just need a little shimmer here.’ the girl brushed on a glittery powder onto Maille’s eyelids and applied rouge to her lips before leaving her to admire herself. Maille stood and twirled when someone knocked on her door. 

It was her father. He escorted his daughter back downstairs to the great hall. The tables were filled with food and every bench was packed. Maille gulped down air and hoped she would survive this. 

“My subjects, the Unseelie court. The unblessed ones, your king addresses you now. Many of you know I had taken a woman of my own and she birthed me a daughter.” Some hissed at the mention of her mother and she looked to her father for an explanation but he would not meet her gaze. “The woman took the child and ran, hoping for safety and support and she left me without my child. I have found my daughter after years of searching and I bring her before you now. Appraise her and I beg that you accept her as your princess.” Some looked upon Maille with happiness, others with disdain or jealousy. She wondered what would happen should they not accept her. She was about to ask when she saw several stand. Maille felt fear rise inside her. Was this it? Would she die here? The ones who stood moved as if to sit back down but bowed or kneeled instead. More and more followed suit until most of the creatures were on their knees. There were a few who refused but it looked, as a whole, the court would accept her. Relief flashed across her father’s face and with shock, she understood the severity of the situation. Even he knew he could not force them to accept her and if they did not, he could not stop them. The elf girl from before approached and held a circlet of silver above her head. Cheers went out across the crowded room and the girl handed the ring to Morphael who, in turn, placed the crown on Maille's head. It was silver vines interwoven with gems caught in each twist and turn. Maille beamed, she was accepted. She wondered about her mother though and knew she would ask her father later. She sat next to her father at the head table and they were served loaves of bread and cheeses, wines, and waters. There were no meats here. 

“I am sorry that we do not serve flesh here, though if you truly wanted some I could get some for you.” The elf offered. 

“No, thank you. You may call me Maille if you wish.”

“Ivy” the girl offered. She smiled at her new princess who would be a greater ruler than her mother ever was. 

“Please eat.” her father said as he piled food upon his own plate. Maille reached out to spoon some fruit onto her plate and froze.

“If I eat this, will I be trapped here forever?” Maille saw Ivy’s hand shoot up to her mouth and was afraid she had offended them when she saw her father start to laugh. 

“No dear, that is a fairy tale humans make up.” People come here wanting to be here. They like it here, and if we like them, we let them stay.”

“Like me?” Maille’s appetite was suddenly gone. She was not full-blooded fey and did not belong there.

“No, you have my blood in you. You belong here. You are not human.” Her father would say no more on the matter so Maille was left to eat in silence. Ivy poured wine into a goblet for her and she drank greedily. It was sweet and fruity. Perhaps this would not be so bad, living there. Maille gazed over the room and smiled. She was home. They had accepted her as one of their own and did not blame her for the actions of her mother. She had received the best gift anyone had ever given her. A real home.