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Chapter Forty-Six
Ash
We spent a lazy day in the palace, with a constant stream of Folk arriving to bring me gifts. It made me uncomfortable, but Nua furtively told me that it would be seen as an insult to not accept them. Still, I didn’t like the thought of all these Folk giving me stuff just because I had a crown. The Brid had already been taxing them extortionate rates, which I planned to change.
The sun was still bright when we went to the meadow where the Summer Solstice festivities would be held. It was warm, and I glanced anxiously at Lonan to make sure he was alright. He seemed fine, but if I was already growing warm in my lighter clothes, surely he had to be hot in his black ones. Maybe I’d get him some different clothes—try and get him to wear something other than black.
Though, I doubted I’d be able to. My mouth tipping into a smile, I squeezed his hand and leaned over to kiss his cheek.
“So, what do the seelie Folk do on the Summer Solstice?” I asked Nua.
The sun was low in the sky, but it was the longest day of the year, so it would be a while before it set completely. The long tables had been laid out in the meadow again, and server Folk had started ferrying food from the palace kitchens to cover them. I could see a patch of land where the long meadow grass had been cut lower in a wide ring, but before I could ask what it was for, I saw Fioda and Mol approaching.
Fioda was wearing a white linen shirt with billowing sleeves, tucked into sleek brown leather trousers with light-soled boots. Her golden hair had been tied back into thick braids and piled on top of her head, and her solid gold eyes flashed in the late afternoon sun.
“King Ash. Prince Lonan. Prince Nua and his delightful consort Gillie the Solitary Fae.” She greeted each of us with a slight bow, her lips curving up into a smile. “Happy birthday to you, king. And happy Solstice.”
Mol let out a snort.
“Happy Solstice.” I smiled at her, clutching Lonan’s hand tighter because Fioda made me kind of nervous. She was just so… otherworldly, despite looking fairly human.
“Would you like to do the honours of choosing our fighters for the battle of the kings?” She flipped open a long brown satchel slung over Mol’s back, producing two swords that looked familiar.
“Are those the swords from unseelie?” They looked exactly the same as the ones Lonan and I had used on the Winter Solstice. Not that I’d really used mine properly—just fended off his half-hearted attacks.
“They are,” Fioda said airily, swinging one in an easy, practised grip. “Sloga and I meet often to catch up. We exchange the swords when the Solstices are approaching.”
I frowned. “Sloga?”
“The fae of the unseelie land.”
“The big beast with the deer head,” Lonan told me quietly.
“Oh.” I suppressed a shudder at the thought of that creepy, lumbering creature.
I remembered its deep, grating voice when it had scooped me up, stopping me from escaping the trooping procession that had stolen me from my home.You can’t escape, little one. You will fulfil your role for all of us.
I shivered, wondering what he’d meant. Had he known the Carlin’s plan for me? Or had he known I would become Seelie King?
I pushed it from my mind. I was here now. He couldn’t touch me from here—not that he’d ever done anything to me, except stop me from escaping. And I still doubted that I’d have been able to find my way back home anyway.
I wondered if I’d be able to find my way now. Would I even want to go there? To my childhood home?
Realising Fioda was waiting for my answer, I turned to shoot Lonan a smirk. “Want a rematch, Holly King?”
Something sparked in his dark eyes. A hunger. He flashed me a brief, sharp grin before inclining his head in a nod.
“How delightful!” Fioda stepped forward and held out the two swords. I remembered how heavy they were, but the weight didn’t seem to bother her.
Lonan took his, the hilt decorated with a holly leaf pattern, but I eyed the oak sword.
“Do I have to use the sword?” I gestured at the bow on my back. “I actually have a weapon I’m good with now.”
Fioda laughed, a deep throaty sound. “Well, itistradition, but you can make new ones. You’ve already begun, haven’t you?”
“Think you can beat me with your bow, seelie?” Lonan’s husky voice made my gut clench with want.
I grinned over at him, taking my new bow off my back. “Worried I might actually do some damage?”
