“I always thought it was something all Fae could do,” I confessed.
King Filvendor met my gaze. “Then let me be the first to tell you how special you are.”
I fidgeted at his words. “I don’t know about that, but I appreciate your kindness. To be honest, there’s a lot I don’t know. About my Fae heritage. About what it means to be the Midnight Sovereign—” I opened my mouth to ask him what he knew about my position, but fell silent when a bell rang out, interrupting me. “Look at that!” King Filvendor said cheerfully. “The feast must be ready! Please follow Nithroel into the dining room. She’ll be taking care of you during your visit.” He pivotedon his heel, heading toward the door. A Fae servant woman came to stand by my side with a welcoming smile. She had a beige complexion and startling blue eyes. Her expression was bright and cheerful, like the sunflower tucked into the low bun of her chestnut-brown hair.
My mind was fuzzy, my thoughts jumbled, from all the new information the king just imparted. It was overwhelming, learning so much in such a short span of time. Still, the cautious part of me managed to cut through the haze. King Filvendor had promised I would come to no harm, but he hadn’t promised to let me leave the palace. And he’d just made it clear he thought my powers were useful.
If I were going to stay here even longer, then I wanted to ensure my well-beingandmy freedom. “Wait,” I said, causing him to halt his stride, spinning back around to face me. “A Fae court has been targeting me. I don’t know which one or toward what end. But, if I’m going to dine with you, I’d like your word that I can depart from your palace when I choose to leave. That you don’t intend to keep me here.” It was perhaps ungrateful to ask for such a promise after the kindness he’d already shown me, but I’d have to hope he’d think me overly cautious, and not unpardonably rude.
His response was calm and measured. “Of course, Elvira. I promise you that nobody under my rule has been targeting you. That’s absolutely terrible to hear. I think you’ll come to find I am quite different than those who hunt you. In fact, I’d like for us to be friends. To offer you all the comforts and privileges of my household even. But we can talk about that in further detail tomorrow. For now, I promise you this—you are allowed to leave my domain of your own free will.”
The magic permeating the air told me it was a promise he intended to keep.
I followed Nithroel throughout the palace until we arrived at a wide set of double doors. As we approached the dining room, she gestured with her hand and they swung open at her command. The interior of the room was even more ornate than Rogam’s dining space had been, which was saying something, because everything about his mansion had screamedwealth.Somehow, this was still a step above.
The plates and cutlery were crafted not of crystal, but of solid gold. Summer floral arrangements were interspersed along the width of a rich mahogany table in the room’s center, which looked long enough to seat at least eight people on either side. The food, already spread across the table, suggested they’d spared no expense. Soft candlelight illuminated the room, creating an intimate atmosphere.
The room was empty except for one woman, who sat waiting, perched at the edge of her chair. When we stepped inside, she tilted her chin upward and I immediately recognized her—Agatha Somners, a woman I used to spend time with in Dewwick Village. No longer a teenager, but still recognizable to me with the same heart-shaped face and soft smile. She swept her straight ink-black hair over her shoulder. She had an olive complexion and beautiful brown eyes. I shuffled my feet awkwardly, waiting to see how she would react to my presence.
When she noticed my arrival, she immediately rushed over to say hello, capturing me in a tight embrace. I patted her back clumsily, my body stiff, glad to see her again after so many years, but also slightly puzzled by her exuberant greeting. “It’s so great to see you!” she squealed, taking my hand and dragging me into the seat next to hers at the dining table.
“This food—it’s all for us?” I asked Nithroel, my eyes widening at the size of the feast they’d provided.
“Can I bring you anything else to enjoy?” she asked, pausing on her way out of the dining room.
“Oh, no, it looks perfect. Thank you very much.”
“I’ll leave you to dine with your friend then,” Nithroel said with a smile, closing the doors behind herself.
“So, how have you been?” Agatha asked enthusiastically, positively beaming at me. “It’s been far too long!”
I twisted in my chair to answer my old friend, returning her smile. “I’ve been alright. Kaylin passed away a few moons ago. A lot has happened since then. I’ve been busy trying to figure out more about who I am and, well, what I want my life to look like, I suppose.”
“Oh, Elvira. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. About Kaylin, I mean.”
“Thank you. How about you? How have you been? Edwin mentioned you’d found a patron for your pottery?!Congratulations.I’ve thought a lot about you over the years, hoping you were doing well.”
Agatha’s smile was unrestrained. “I’ve thought about you too. It’s so great to see you. I can’t even tell you how much everything has changed in my life since Ivaran discovered my pottery. That’s my patron, Ivaran. He saw a vase I crafted at the market while passing through and said it moved him to actual tears. Can you believe that? He whisked me away to the palace and I’ve been working on my pottery here ever since, with access to all the tools and materials I could possibly want. I’ve even started to get into sculpture. I work withmarblenow. I’ve learned so much. And the house! Have you been to Dewwick Village lately? Ivaran paid to have a brand-new house built for my family. It’s one of the largest in town!”
“No, I can’t say I’ve seen the house. But that all sounds wonderful.” I smiled at her, still finding it hard to believe I was actually here, speaking with her again. “I’m really happy for you. It’s great to hear that things are going so well.”
“Don’t you worry—you’re going to find your place too. Do you still help deliver babies? Children are rare among the Fae. A talented midwife would be highly valued here. Although I guess you were always a bit distracted…” She giggled to herself. “Remember how you used to bully the men into teaching you to fight?” I laughed along with her at the memory.
Agatha ran a hand down the arm of my cloak. “Look how beautiful!” she complimented. “Did you do the embroidery yourself?” I shook my head. “No, I wish I was that talented with a needle. It was a gift from King Filvendor actually.” Agatha leaned closer, speaking in a whisper. “He is so generous—and handsome!” We erupted into a fit of laughter at her boldness, clutching each other for support.
“Tell me more about your sculptures,” I said when I caught my breath. “What are you working on right now?”
“Did you see the butterfly sculpture near the entrance to the gardens…” We chatted happily all throughout dinner, falling back into an easy rhythm. My heart was almost as full as my stomach when Nithroel returned to the dining room to collect me. I gave Agatha another hug, this one relaxed and warm, hoping I would be able to seek her out again during my visit.
“What did you think of the meal?” Nithroel asked.
“It was delicious. And it was wonderful to see Agatha again. It’s been far too long.”
“King Filvendor will be glad to hear you enjoyed your dinner. He noticed you were limping in the throne room. Is your hip bothering you? Would you care for a relaxing bath and a visit from one of our healers? I would be happy to help wash your hair for you as well.”
“Really? That would be lovely. Thank you. I did take a bad fall onto my hip recently.”
Nithroel guided me into a large, private bathing chamber. She attended to the bath first, adding something to the water that caused it to froth and bubble before leaving me alone to undress. I slipped into the water with pleasure, grateful there were enough bubbles to maintain some semblance of modesty. The water was warm, which called to mind the last person to draw me a bath. I smiled, the memory tinged with sadness, as I thought about Kaylin reading to me when I was a child, encouraging me to stay in the bathtub until I was completely clean.
