.
As promised, Miröen’s launch was floating in the moat of the Fairy King’s castle, that hill with the fighting arena at its peak where I had fought, not long ago. My elder sister Amana waited for us on deck when Dilorè and I arrived. She was in a somewhat conservative raiment. At her young age, of course she couldn’t create anything spectacular, but her ‘attire’ would normally be more revealing.
She greeted me warmly as the others emerged from the cabin. Pasrue nodded and proceeded up to the quarterdeck while the rest walked toward us.
“Mother warned me you are planning to leave without visiting,” she noted with dimpled cheeks. “Your maids are going to be upset with you if you don’t stay overnight.”
I managed to avoid rolling my eyes. I had a pretty good idea what the elven girls had in mind.
With a shake of my head, I said, “We can’t loiter here. The allied forces in Gado Valley need us to return as soon as possible. I must take care of my tasks here right away.”
Amana tipped her head and smiled, giving a slight shake of the head. “I have to hold you up at least a little while. Grandfather wants to see you and your companions.”
I cringed inside, glancing at the trio joining us. “You want to bring mortals into the Fairy King’s Castle?”
Ryuu and Chiara both reacted to my question with looks of uncertainty. Dilorè dimpled in the exact same way Amana had.
My sister let out a slight chuckle. “It’s not a den of beasts, Tiana. They won’t come to harm.”
Seeing me still hesitant, she explained, “He’s ordered that you and yours are to be given diplomatic hospitality. In case you don’t know, that means their boundaries will be respected, and some leniency will be given for any minor transgressions they commit by accident. They can’t get into trouble as easily as you are fearing.”
The fish-fin-shaped oars had begun rowing quietly, propelling the boat toward the shore of the castle mound, where a dock waited. A group of half-fair guards had appeared there, ready to escort us.
“Mother also mentioned that your task seems to involve heading out into the mountains. Are you sure you can make it to your destination without Grandfather’s help?”
At first, I was ready to respond, Of course! I know exactly where it is!
Then I remembered my difficulty navigating in Relador, outside Tëan Tír, before Kiki came to my rescue, and my confidence faded.
I sighed and raised my hand in surrender. “Fine. Will this be overnight?”
“It’s already afternoon, so your meeting with Grandfather will be dinner. It will surely be too late to set out once you’re done.”
“We’re leaving in the morning,” I stated firmly. Amana smiled and gave a half-noncommittal nod.
# # #
My maids were indeed quite happy to see me. While Dilorè went to her mother’s suite and other staff whisked Ryuu and Chiara away to wait elsewhere, the elven trio joyfully stripped and bathed me, then gave my hair and nails some badly-needed attention while peppering me with questions about my adventures since my first visit.
It turned out news of my demon-slaying had preceded me. Which explained why Oberon wanted to see me.
“I can’t imagine it!” Austrydhur, the youngest, gushed as she worked on my right hand. “Facing an archdemon by yourself!”
I corrected her. “I wasn’t by myself, and my allies had already battled him for some time when I faced him, so he was weakened. And I received some huge assists from them even after I was facing him.”
“But even so!” Pirkitta pressed as she painted my toenails. “They say only the strongest fairy knights can battle one! Your Highness, doesn’t that mean that you are one?”
“It means I’m strong,” I agreed, “but I refuse to call myself one of the strongest. At my age, it’s already a bit arrogant to claim myself a fairy knight at all. I need to show respect my seniors”
Khortys, the senior maid, let out a dismissive puff and chided me. “They would find false modesty more disrespectful, Your Highness. You’ve already defeated Lady Mára, who is among the strongest.”
I sighed, and concluded it was foolish to argue with fangirls.
My senior maid put down her scissors. She picked up her brush for a final go, but first leaned in a bit to say near my ear, “Hasn’t it been more than enough time since we last fed you, Your Highness?”
I raised an eyebrow. “When I made the mistake of feeding before going to see the king, I had to get Lady Serera to help me with my dress. Feeding comes after royal visits from now on, is that clear?”
She straightened and began brushing as her juniors giggled. As she worked, she noted, “Your Highness, you do understand that Pirkitta and Austrydhur heard that as a promise, yes?”
Which elicited more giggles and shy glances.
Well, as long as I was spending the night…
# # #
Just before my half-fairy escorts delivered me to the king, Mother intercepted us, forcing me to do a full turn in the old fashioned Dorian formal wear (a kimono with long sleeves that draped gracefully, displaying a beautiful floral pattern as I held my fan.)
“I knew it would look lovely on you,” she declared in triumph. “Your maids were scared to take responsibility for it when they learned how old it was, but if they burdened you with their worries, you can ignore them. The enchantments on the silk will keep it safe from any casualty.”
“Exactly how old is it?” I asked, growing concerned.
“I had it made for myself about four hundred years ago,” she answered. “The maker’s family once served the Dorian emperor, so it has a good pedigree.”
Despite that impressive number, I was relieved. I wasn’t certain exactly when Japanese-like fashions took over Dorian culture, and I feared I was going to hear a number in the thousands.
“It’s bomber moth silk, too,” I noted. “Expensive stuff. Mortals would surely be troubled with the responsibility for something so valuable. Try not to burden them too much, Mother.”
With a laugh, she responded, “Expensive, yes, but I’m sure your mithril sword costs more.”
She’d said that with a glance down at the scabbard and sword that the girls had tied to my waist with a swordsman’s obi. I was carrying the mithril longsword instead of Durandal.
“My older brother has the evening off, I see,” she said with a smirk.
So she knew about Durandal?
“You call him that? Can you talk to him?”
She gave a smile and a nod. “We chatted earlier, while I was talking with you.”
I decided I had no reason to be surprised that Mother could hold simultaneous conversations or that she could talk to Durandal, then noted, “The King is waiting, so…”
“Certainly,” she agreed and began walking toward a nearby door.
This was a private dinner rather than an official audience, and the hostess was someone I had met before, the concubine Lady Molore. Their granddaughter Princess Anare was pouring sake for Oberon as we entered.
He told her, “You should move to your seat now. My daughter will sit there.”
“No need, Lagan,” Mother stated firmly. “I can sit in her place.”
A momentary frown passed over his face, but he said nothing as a serving girl led Mother to the seat beside Molore. Another girl showed me to the seat beside my sister Amana, who sat between my place and Anare’s. As fellow royal granddaughters and my seniors, there was nothing wrong with this arrangement, but on the other side, concubine and daughter might have been more properly seated in reverse. It depended upon their relative prestige, and I lacked the information to know whether Molore had sufficient prestige to outrank Mother. I suspected not, since Molore looked a little uneasy about it.
Dilorè, Chiara and Ryuu had all arrived before us. Ryuu looked comfortable enough on a sitting cushion, but Chiara didn’t look comfortable at all. They use neither sitting cushions nor low tables in Brosia.
I was comfortable also. In Tiana’s childhood, two rooms of her suite in the Palace had been outfitted in Dorian style, both for the comfort of the Pendorian maids and so that she would grow up accustomed to their culture. Likewise, many of the rooms in Mother’s mansion in Atius were done in the same way. But I delayed taking my seat.
Instead, I crossed behind my sister and Princess Anare and knelt facing Grandfather. After bowing once, I pulled out the mithril sword, placing it crosswise on the floor in front of me, and gave him a second bow.
“Lagan, this is your sword, which you passed to Mother to lend to me. In my hand, it has slain demons and demonic beasts, even including a dragon. I am deeply grateful that you have permitted me to carry it, but I feel it is time to return it.”
Mother let out a sigh. “Tiana, His Majesty loaned you that sword to provide you prestige before other fairy knights.”
I dimpled, “So, you admit that the story that he gave you this sword as compensation for exiling me was a fib?”
Since I had long since figured out that this was another story that didn’t add up. Many of the tales I had learned as a child were turning out to be white lies. I had yet to broach the biggest fib of them all, but that was because I didn’t want to, just yet.
Mother pursed her lips and lowered her head slightly, although her ‘contrition’ including a smirk she was failing to hide in both cheeks and eyes.
Oberon smiled at me. “Is this your statement that you no longer need a prop for prestige?”
“Well, it’s also the case that I found an awfully good replacement after circumstances forced me to leave this sword behind in Copen. I believe the other sword to be a better partner for me.”
The Fairy King chuckled. “Well, he is at least equal to this blade. You slew a dragon with this blade and an archdemon with him. I believe the mortals classify those equally, as SS class threats.”
I nodded. “That is correct.”
His eyes looked down at the blade on the floor, then looked back up and nodded. Reaching down and taking the sword by the hilt, he picked it up and contemplated.
Then, to my shock, he laid the flat of the blade on my right shoulder and then my left.
“Dâ ëanvo, Fele Vesirle Enoraydd ëi cyralinëo, (I dub thee Lady Royal Knight of Faerie).”
I sucked in a breath upon hearing those words, and my brow wrinkled.
Before I could say anything, Mother cautioned, “Tiana…”
I shut up and looked at Oberon, waiting for the explanation.
He nodded. “There are many who want to call your knighthood false. Or claim that, as a half monster, you cannot be a true Fairy Knight. That is my first concern. My second concern is that you are not the Tiana whom the Ostish king knighted. With this act, I wash away all disputes.”
Mother already knew, as did Amana, but he had just said that in front of Ryuu, Chiara, and others who didn’t necessarily know, so I was slightly mortified.
Lady Molore added, “I am here as a non-related noble to bear witness to your accolade. Any who dispute your claim must now answer not only to the crown but to my Clan of the Arctic Sea.”
Mother turned a slightly surprised look toward her. I could guess why: the woman shown me considerable disfavor, the first time I met her. But Molore simply fanned herself and declared, “I watched her stand side by side with the King against Lâsin. Her strength and valor are indisputable.”
Oberon raised an eyebrow as he told me, “You might also object that I dubbed you my Royal Knight. I demand no service, as you currently have a lord to serve. But he is mortal. Once his life reaches its end, I ask that you consider taking your place in my court.”
With nothing left that I could object to, I relented. “Thank you, Lagan. I shall give your request due consideration when that time comes.”
“I used this sword to dub you because it was not a loan,” he then noted. “I gifted it to you, so it is yours. If you do not wish to carry it on your journeys, your maids can keep it safe in your suite.”
“What did you mean, she’s not the Tiana who was knighted?” Ryuu demanded.
“Ryuu!” Chiara scolded, her color having drained from her face. She turned toward Oberon. “Please forgive him, Your Majesty! He is not well-educated!”
She dipped her head and turned it toward Ryuu, hissing, “Call him ‘Your Majesty!”
Oberon’s lips twisted in wry humor. He reversed the sword and told me, “Sheathe it and carry it back with you.”
As I returned it to the scabbard, Oberon turned toward Ryuu, his eyes turning dark.
“You. You are the one who caused my granddaughter’s death.”
