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“All right—but first can I have a drink of water?” I asked him. “My throat is so dry for some reason.”
“Of course, Princess,” Seldarin said. But I caught him and Krynn exchanging what appeared to be a worried look over my head as he got me a goblet and filled it from a silver pitcher of fresh, cold water.
There was no need for them to worry, I told myself. The water was refreshing and it quenched my thirst completely. Also, I still hadn’t developed a taste for blood and I was sure I wasn’t going to either. Just the thought of sinking my teeth into someone’s throat and sucking the rich red blood out of them…letting the salty waves run down my throat…feeling their life flow into me as I drank…all that was disgusting. Right?
Definitely. I shivered. I wasn’t going to do that—wasn’t going to bite anyone—so they didn’t need to look so worried just because I’d asked for some water.
Trying to put the thought behind me, I allowed Krynn and Sel to lead me out of the Cavern of Lolth and through another maze of tunnels. We came out in a whole different part of the Palace—one I hadn’t seen before. It seemed to be a kind of basement level and Krynn explained that this was where the Lesser Fae lived—those who were the servants to the High Fae and also the wait staff who did all the cooking and cleaning and serving.
“It’s just as important to have the Lesser Fae on your side as it is to have the High Fae—they wield a surprising amount of power, though you wouldn’t know it to look at them,” Krynn lectured, as we made our way down the twisted, cramped corridor. “Sel and I both lived here for many years before we worked our way up the ranks to more elevated positions,” he added.
“Brings back memories,” Sel said, nodding. “The Lesser Fae might not have flashy magic like the High Fae, but they do have power and they’re the bedrock of the Midnight Court—the solid ground it’s built on. Krynn is right—you’ll do well to win their favor.” Then he raised his voice and called down the long hallway, “People of the Midnight Court—Lesser Fae! Come out and meet your rightful Queen!”
Heads began popping out of doorways and before I knew it, the corridor was lined with Fae faces, all of them looking at me with interest and hope. I nodded at them as I walked slowly down the hall with Krynn on one side and Seldarin on the other.
Mostly they nodded and bowed their heads. I saw some of them touching their foreheads and then the side of their neck and then they murmured something, though I couldn’t tell what they were saying.
“What’s that they’re saying after they touch their foreheads and necks?” I asked Krynn in a low voice.
“Blessed is she whose Bite is Sweet,” he murmured back. “It’s a reference to you being a descendant of Lolth, the Spider Queen. The full saying goes, ‘Blessed is she whose Bite is Sweet—who gives Pleasure with Pain—who Fills us all even as she Drains us.”
It seemed like a weird and ominous saying to me, but before I could remark on it, a little Fae girl who looked to be about seven or eight left the ranks of the Lesser Fae and ran up to me.
“Begging your pardon, Miss, but these are for you,” she said, dropping a little half curtsy as she handed me a bouquet of beautiful purple blossoms that looked a little like irises crossed with lilies.
“Oh, well thank you!” I took the flowers from her, inhaling their sweet aroma. They smelled like Jasmine and honey with a hint of cinnamon and some other spice I couldn’t name. “They’re beautiful!” I said, smiling down at the little girl. She had a smudge of black on her cheek and her hair was messy and her dress stained, but she had bright, beautiful eyes and her shy smile tugged at my heart.
“Found them growing in our garden just this morning,” a new voice said. It seemed to be the little girl’s mother—a Fae woman with tired eyes. She smiled at me hopefully. “We took it as a sign that the Lost Princess has come home to us at last.”
“They’re Royal Lilies!” the little girl piped up. “Ma says they don’t grow unless a Royal of the Blood is near.”
“They don’t?” I asked, wondering if this could be true. Probably it was just a superstition—who ever heard of a plant that would only grow in the presence of someone with a particular kind of DNA?
“She’s right about that.” The woman nodded with assurance. “I’ve had that patch in the garden set aside just for Royal Lilies for centuries—our family was always the supplier to the Queen’s Table, you know,” she added proudly. “Those plants haven’t bloomed since the old Queen—your mother, my Lady—died in childbirth. And a sad day that was for all of us,” she added, looking mournful. “But now you come back and look—all in bloom again!” She gestured proudly at the flowers I held.
She and the little girl were beaming at me and I couldn’t help smiling back—their happiness was infectious. I still felt like an imposter, but since I also still halfway felt this must be a dream, I just went with it.
“Thank you so much, ah…” I waited for the woman’s name.
“Oh, Teelah, your Ladyship—Teelah’s my name. And this here is Leeza,” the woman said hastily, gesturing to herself and the child.
“Well, Teelah and Leeza, I’ll do my best to be a good Queen for you both,” I said, smiling. Because what else could I say? “I’m so glad I got to meet you,” I told them. I leaned down to get more on the little girl’s level. “Especially you, Leeza. Thank you for coming out to see me, but shouldn’t you be in school?”
A sad look crossed the little girl’s face.
“No more, Miss,” she said, scuffing one bare foot against the floor. “I used to like it but I can’t go now.”
“You can’t? Why not?” I asked, frowning.
“The Lord Regent Mordren says there’s no point in Lesser Fae females getting any education,” her mother answered, frowning. “Since they just end up in service anyway. He says you don’t need book learning to cook and clean and mend.”
“What?” I demanded. Straightening up, I turned to Krynn and Seldarin. “What kind of sexist crap is that?”
“It was one of Mordren’s first rulings as soon as he took over after King Valerin died,” Sel said. He raised his hands in a “don’t shoot” gesture. “Don’t look at me, Princess—I don’t agree with it either.”
“I tried to argue with him,” Krynn said. “If you look in the Records Archive, historically the Dark Fae are happier and more prosperous when all of the people are well educated.” He shook his head. “But Mordren wouldn’t listen. He, ah, doesn’t have a very high opinion of females,” he added.
“He says Lesser Fae don’t need meat either,” the little girl, Leeza, piped up. “He says we eat too much, so he cut our food. Now we only get scraps—if we’re lucky and old Keezer is working in the kitchens.”
