“If Titania chooses a new king, will he choose the new queen when she goes into her decline?”
“No, but I cannot tell you who does. If you ask any fay, they will tell you the moon chooses the new queen, but if you ask what that means,they simply seem perplexed at such an odd question. It is most frustrating.”
“But how could we influence Titania’s choice of the new king? Surely she would have decided that long ago,” said Frederica.
Elizabeth shook her head. “They do not think that way. They make decisions when they need to be made, with little forethought, and they rarely reconsider them.”
Eversleigh nodded. “I have rarely been so frustrated as the time I attempted to explain what an engagement was to my father and a few other Sidhe. It is inconceivable to them that a man would decide to marry a woman and then dawdle for weeks or months before actually doing it. They would likely flag down the nearest clergyman and be married within minutes of the proposal. As for the calling of the banns, that makes no sense to them at all.”
Elizabeth giggled. “You explain their point of view too well. Now I will always see engagements as foolish dawdling!”
Frederica said suddenly, “I will remain here, Lord Eversleigh, if you are willing to explain to my mother why I am doing so when she expressly told me not to. It might help if you offered to bear any needed messages. With the revel coming up so quickly, she will wish to discuss plans with me.”
“For this cause, I will even brave Lady Matlock’s displeasure. How much harder can it be than telling the King of Faerie that his time has come?” Eversleigh said lightly.
Even if she had not been hisshurinn, Elizabeth would have seen the pain underneath Eversleigh’s words. There was nothing she could say that was not a foolish platitude. But he was hershurinnand they were in Faerie where the rules of propriety did not apply. She embraced him. It felt odd, and quite unlike embracing Darcy, but it also felt right.
He returned the embrace and held her for a long minute. “I must go and make ready to speak to Oberon. No dawdling for weeks about thiskind of thing either.”
“Godspeed,” said Elizabeth, and Frederica echoed her. They both watched after him as he walked away.
“I cannot believe it is real,” said Frederica in a small voice. “I cannot imagine a world where Oberon is not king of Faerie.”
“Nor I,” said Elizabeth. “But everything is so confusing here. Sometimes I feel as if I have double vision. With one eye I see the shocking sight of a country miss boldly embracing a peer of the realm, and with the other I see her providing natural comfort to her grievingshurinn. It makes me feel as if my head is spinning like a top.”
“It does not matter. I assume you will be marrying him.”
Elizabeth turned and stared at her. “Where did you get that astonishingly incorrect idea?”
Frederica lifted her chin. “Perhaps because you embrace him, and you are so often together. He is so protective of you, and then there is thisshurinnthing.”
“I have no romantic interest in him, none at all,” Elizabeth declared with exasperation. “Shurinnare close to each other, but it is the closeness of brother and sister, only intensified. I could embrace him precisely because I knew he would not take it the wrong way. Did you not hear what Titania said about the two of you? He would do almost anything to protect me from harm, but I am not the one he desires.”
“Oh.” Frederica looked away. “Who is the man you are always thinking of? Is it Darcy?”
“That does not matter, except that it is obviously not Eversleigh! And what is more, Eversleigh would have found a great deal more comfort if you had been the one to embrace him.”
The dryads were starting to drift back in, bringing a halt to the discussion, but Frederica looked thoughtful for some time afterwards.
TITANIA RETURNED AFTERa short time, looking somber and seeming to want little more than to stroke Elizabeth’s hair. When a sprite announced Eversleigh and Aelfric, Titania stood, rising to her full height. Silence descended on the bower.
Aelfric and Eversleigh stopped in the middle of the bower and remained there, as if they were actors awaiting their entrance. The fay around them began to whisper as they realized something was amiss.
Titania said in a clear voice, “Princes, have you news for us?”
Eversleigh bowed his head. “Prince Aelfric and I have spoken with Oberon. He has left, and there is no king in Faerie tonight.”
Gasps and sobs came from around the bower, but Titania looked utterly calm. “Had he any final words?”
“Great lady, Oberon in his wisdom knew why we were there before we said a word. He told us it was his time, and he gave each of us his blessing. Then he left King’s Hall and walked away without looking back. His name will be sung through the ages as one of the greatest of the Sidhe.”
“You have performed your duty with honor, Prince Evlan and Prince Aelfric. You are fortunate to have had such a father. Now I must be alone with the moon.” Her head held proudly high, Titania glided out of the bower.
Elizabeth whispered to Frederica, “I should go to Aelfric. I will return when I can.”
“YOU LOOK EXHAUSTED,” Elizabeth told Eversleigh the following day when he came to the bower.
“Too many trips through the rings in a short time, and too many worries,” he said. “I hope you are not becoming ill. You sound hoarse.”
