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The moment I made it back to the seelie palace, I sought out Nua and Gillie. When I found them in their private sitting room, they were lounging on the sofa together, Nua’s feet in Gillie’s lap as he wrote something in a notebook while Gillie read a thick tome with The Many Soils of Seelie embossed on its cover.
I grinned, beyond happy to see them.
“Ash.” Nua immediately stood and pulled me into a tight hug. “How are you? How is Lonan?”
“I’m good.” I grinned at him as he stepped back. “Lonan is really good. He’s great. He’s… Being king suits him.”
Nua beamed. “That’s wonderful. And the forest is already righting itself. Morrin came yesterday to tell us.”
“Yeah, I noticed on my way back.”
I couldn’t contain my relieved sigh. As I’d made my way back through the forest, I’d almost teared up at the sight of tiny young shoots sprouting from the soil. The canopy looked full and lush again, leaves a healthy green and vibrant flowers blooming, filling the air with sweetness alongside the natural earthy aroma of the woods I already loved so much.
I’d stopped to have a drink and some food at the edge of a sprawling patch of enchanter’s nightshade, the tiny white flowers blanketing the sun-dappled forest floor, smelling faintly like honeysuckle. A solitary fae who’d appeared to pick them, filling a small trug, hadn’t noticed me at first until they’d finally looked up and jumped out of their skin.
The rest of the journey had been quick and otherwise uneventful, and I’d been surprised to feel a hint of relief at the sight of the seelie palace, not dread.
I looked expectantly at Nua and Gillie. “So how have things been? I missed you both.”
Gillie chuckled, stepping forward to clap me on the shoulder. “Even me, lad?”
“Yes, even you.” I rolled my eyes, giving his arm a weak shove.
“Everything has been fine, Ash,” Nua told me. “Completely fine. In fact… well, Gillie and I have been talking…”
He fidgeted, tugging on the hem of his shirt as he glanced at Gillie. Then he squared his shoulders and faced me directly. “I have made a decision. I am… I am pulling rank as the older brother. And that’s that.”
Gillie’s mouth twitched as we briefly locked eyes. Then he looked down at Nua with amused affection, pressing a kiss to his hair.
“Okay,” I said, trying not to smile. “What’s your decision?”
“Open court will only be held once a month. No more than that.” Before I could say anything, he quickly added, “The final decision is yours of course, as king, but… I’m older, so I get to tell you what to do every now and then.”
I laughed. “That’s fair. And yes, it’s a good idea.” Flushing, I admitted, “I definitely bit off more than I could chew.”
“Not necessarily,” Nua said diplomatically. “But now that we know what you have been dealing with…”
“Not your fault your power came from a bloodthirsty witch who didn’t give a shit about her subjects, lad,” Gillie piped up. “But you’ve both been slogging through what needs to be done, haven’t you? And things are already changing. You can see it. The seelie Folk are happier.”
I nodded, giving Nua a grateful smile. “I couldn’t have done any of it without you, Nua. You’re the one with all the good ideas.”
“That’s not true,” he protested. “And anyway, I was able to spend years watching how the Brid ran her court and thinking of the ways I would have done things differently.”
I flushed, looking down. I often felt the urge to apologise to Nua for becoming king. Like I’d taken something from him.
“I still think you would’ve been the better king,” I mumbled.
“Nonsense.” Nua stepped closer and rested his hands on my shoulders. “You’ve been working so hard, Ash. Please don’t think that way.”
I nodded quickly. “Sorry. I’m not… trying to be a martyr or anything.”
“We know.” Nua squeezed my shoulders before letting go. “I know it hasn’t felt like it, but things really will get easier, Ash, especially now that Lonan is king.” He offered me a tentative smile. “No more Carlin to worry about.”
“Or Balor,” I added grimly. “I found him in the forest.”
Nua and Gillie exchanged a look.
“By found, lad,” Gillie cautiously began, “do you mean you…”
