.
I surveyed the fairy ‘jury’ arrayed before me and shook my head. Looks like Grandmother had guessed correctly. She had given me instructions for any case where someone tried to hold any legal proceeding involving me.
With my head tipped slightly, I gave the apparent leader of this kangaroo court a friendly smile. “Is that so? I have introduced myself already. May I know your name?”
“Rebe Norle Domerà ro!” she declared with her chin lifted. I really wanted to know what in the world a ‘Water Forest’ might be, but it wasn’t the time to ask what her clan name described.
“Well, Lady Domerà,” I answered, keeping my expression civil as I repeated what my grandmother had instructed me to say. “I am the daughter of Deharé of the High Forest and a princess in my own right, and I believe that if anyone other than my grandfather the Fairy King should pass judgement over me, then both my grandfather and my mother will react. Are you prepared for the repercussion when you stand before them?”
While speaking, I had given my attention not just to Domerà, but to the Legate and the rest of the women gathered in front of me. It was quite an array of fairies. Some were clearly lesser fairies working as attendants, but the true fairies in front of me numbered a dozen in total. One Legate and eleven ‘representatives’.
Did they work here at the Reladorian capitol, or had they gathered specifically for me? I understand that few fairies are willing to remain for extended time in close quarters with humans, so I strongly suspected the latter. I was surprised that this reception had been organized so quickly.
Fate magic at work? Other wizardry at work? Should I start suspecting the invisible and supernatural in every shadow I see? It seemed an awful lot like a quick trip to paranoia if I did, but the way things had been going lately…
Domerà pursed her lips, then answered, “You can style yourself ‘princess’ all you like, but you must still have our permission to remain in this country. We do not want an abomination such as you in our beloved mountains. We have long since made that clear.”
I kept my smile civil and answered, “What you want or don’t want will not affect my grandfather’s judgement. Hold your trial noble’s trial of royalty at your own risk.”
The Legate frowned and looked at Serera. “I understand you intend to bring these two before the King?”
She nodded. “That is my intention, Lord. I agree with Her Highness. Nobody but the King or the Prince are qualified to pass judgement over her. Should you proceed, I shall travel to His Majesty and report the situation.”
The Legate’s face went blank as Serera held something up. It was on the opposite side from me, so I couldn’t see clearly.
“You hold a permanent seal?” Domerà asked.
“I believe I already said I am His Majesty’s knight, My Lady. Would I not own a permanent travel seal?”
Before I could voice my next question, Feraen asked it for me. “If you had that, why did we come here?”
“With the authority of this seal, I can bring myself, my daughters and criminals I have arrested. I refuse to adopt either of you. Shall I arrest you both?”
I saw a couple smiles try to quirk.
The Legate scowled at her. “The Lords are united in agreement that she should not sully our land. You would bring her to our most sacred nest?”
She grew a sweet smile. “The Lords are united? My father voted against her exile, Lord. As did a number of others. Do not presume to put words to the contrary into my clan’s mouth, or I might be forced to take exception.”
I felt like the temperature had dropped a bit. Serera’s hand had just rested on the pommel of her sword.
Domerà cleared her throat. “We shall withdraw and consult. Seek lodging in the town and do not leave it. I am issuing that order as the chair of this noble court.”
# # #
We flew out the same way we flew in, and found that we had an escort of the same soldiers who greeted us on our way in. I guessed they were symbolic, or witnesses at best. A group of lesser fairies was no match for three fairy knights.
Of course, Feraen would probably be on the other side, if by some strange circumstance a fight were to break out.
Serera already knew where she was going, it turned out. I had wondered what sort of place a true fairy would consider ‘lodging’, given my grandmother’s ‘house’ and the ‘camp’ of Serera’s patrol, but, to my surprise, we landed at a normal inn.
“They will have to argue for a while, so I expect to stay the night,” Serera declared as we settled in the street before the structure. It was an impressive building. It reminded me of pictures of Venice, except without the canals.
She gave us an amiable smile. “Shall we share a suite, My Ladies?”
Feraen gave me a dark look and answered, “I shall take my own lodging.”
“Only if it is in this inn, My Lady,” Serera replied. “I’m afraid I must insist.”
“Are you implying I would run off?”
“I have to confirm your locations,” Serera noted with a tip of the head. “Won’t you avoid making it difficult, Lady Feraen? It would be best if you remain within the range of my senses.”
Feraen’s eyes narrowed. “You speak as though I need to be watched. I’m not the monster, here. I am a knight and I serve a noble lord.”
“My Lady, do not dismiss my concerns so lightly,” Serera told her, her eyes losing the friendly tone they had kept until now. “I have strong reasons to be wary of you. Stay in this inn. That is the order of a royal knight of Fairie.”
Those words confirmed what I was understanding, earlier. Serera was a direct employee of my grandfather. It helped explain why she seemed to be somewhat out of character for a true fairy.
Tiana had heard many times growing up that her mother was unusual in many ways for a fairy. Not only about how much more powerful she was than even the strongest fairy knights, but about how seriously she pursued responsibilities like her duchy. Fairies were supposed to be more self-involved, and just a little bit allergic to serious work. If it involved demonstrations of their strength and bettering that strength, such as the pursuits of fairy knights or the exploits of the various players of folklore, taking on bizarre challenges or unlikely foes, then fairies would pursue the hobby that had caught their interest to a monomaniacal degree. But attempt to hold them to a task for too long, and they would lose interest the moment it ceased to be fun.
Mother had been Duchess for fifteen years. She still pursued it with diligence. Was Serera something like that? A person who took the role of the king’s sword seriously? It seemed to me as if she would have to be, just to hold that title.
Feraen gave her a dour look, then brushed past us and entered the building.
As I followed Serera in, I was a little surprised at how modern the lobby appeared. I don’t mean Orestanian modern, but more up-to-date than that. There weren’t any anachronisms like telephones or anything like that, but there was a wall clock indoors when normally one only saw such things on clock towers in this world, and the lobby was lit as brightly as if they had electricity (although my fairy sight immediately identified the magic lanterns providing the light). The floors were clean marble and a spiraling staircase of brass and marble ascended to the floors above, beyond a front desk that wouldn’t have been out of place in early Twentieth Century Manhattan.
It left me wondering for a moment if another transmigrator might be in the area. But Serera seemed to see the place as perfectly normal, so I had no choice but to act the same way.
The front desk was attended by a dignified elven gentleman in a suit that wasn’t too different than upper class clothing in Atius. He was speaking with Feraen, who was standing with her hand on her hip and her chin tilted up. We held back a polite distance to let her finish her business.
I was dying to ask Serera what she had meant by ‘reasons to be wary of’ Feraen, but if the knight in question had hearing anything like mine, she would hear every word. I decided to wait for a better opportunity.
Serera asked, “Will you be taking me up on my offer, Your Highness?”
Remembering my close calls of the previous night, and not being sure how to interpret that offer– was she handing out free lodging or coming on to me? I simply couldn’t tell– I said, “If the money I’m carrying is good here, I should take my own room.”
“What are you carrying?” she wondered.
“Orestanian currency… and a few miscellaneous other coins,” I answered. The ‘miscellaneous other coins’ were items of antiquity whose value I had no idea how to interpret, but Grandmother had forced me to take them too.
“They mostly use Orestanian money around here,” she said. “Relador as a whole strikes no coinage of its own, although some of the cantons do. Must you really sleep by yourself?”
I cleared my throat. “It would be better, My Lady. You’re supposed to be neutral, aren’t you?”
Her fingertips brushed my arm lightly, “This and that are different things.”
Am I fated to always be the target of predatory females? I’m starting to wonder.
Fortunately, the welcome interruption of the desk clerk calling for the next guest (me) allowed me to slip out of Lady Serera’s clutches. No, really, she wasn’t being too aggressive, but her hands weren’t entirely staying to herself either. She stopped once the clerk’s eyes were on us.
He made no comment about it, thank goodness. I don’t know if he didn’t notice the surreptitious molestation going on in his lobby, or was simply too much of a gentleman to notice. I suspect the latter.
I was able to secure a decent suite– Serera intervened to insure it was on the same hall as Feraen and herself– although it would cost me a full two sovereigns per night. It turned out Serera’s preferred lodging was the best inn in Royses. I suppose I should consider myself lucky. The best inn in Atius costs more than four times as much.
It was okay. Grandmother had been generous.
