\u201cWhat a pathetic little province. Aunt, are you sure an [Emperor] lives here of all places?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lord Rael of Veniford twisted in his saddle to speak to the older lady riding next to him. He stared down the dirt road, at the shabby signpost at the crossroads and the houses in the distance. He could see small shapes working as the evening light turned the world orange. Peasants building more houses, by the looks of it. He wrinkled his nose in distaste.<\/p>\n
The woman riding next to him gave Rael a sharp look. Like him, she was dressed in fine riding clothes, attired as befit her station. Her dress was impeccable, but it stung Lord Rael\u2019s pride that it was the same dress she\u2019d owned a year ago. His family, the Venifords, could not afford to dress in the latest fashions, so they repaired their clothing rather than replace them at year\u2019s end. Rael was acutely aware of the stitching down the left side of his pant leg\u2014practically unnoticeable, unless you cared for good cloth.<\/p>\n
And it was presumable that everyone in the small procession cared about such matters. They were all members of the nobility of Izril. The Human nobility, that was. Rael wouldn\u2019t have ridden with a Drake\u2014if they did know how to ride at all\u2014for any amount of money. He was a [Lord], an owner of a large province of land bordering Invrisil. Unfortunately, said land was not nearly as profitable as, say, Lady Magnolia Reinhart\u2019s holdings, and their family had fallen on harder times since his birth.<\/p>\n
If the Venifords had one treasure, it was their matriarch and Rael\u2019s aunt, Lady Bevia Veniford. She was an old warhammer of a woman in Rael\u2019s opinion. She\u2019d survived two husbands and both Antinium Wars, and she was a high-level [Lady], adept at social graces. Her ties had brought income to Veniford in the form of trade and so on, but it made Rael angry thinking of how his aunt lowered herself to make deals with [Merchants].<\/p>\n
He had been raised to be proud of his class by his father, Lord Willam Veniford, until his demise during a hunting session at the horn of an angry Corusdeer. It was just another item in the litany of Veniford\u2019s woes. And this\u2014being forced to attend a social gathering in the middle of nowhere at Lady Magnolia Reinhart\u2019s request\u2014was just another injustice Rael intended to correct when he assumed control of the family. Unfortunately, his indignation did not seem to impress his aunt. She leaned over and quietly spoke in a cutting tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will keep your remarks to yourself, Rael. We are in the lands of Emperor Laken, and while we are here, you will behave properly, or I will put you over my saddle and spank you myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rael jerked, and his cheeks flamed. His head swiveled quickly, but none of the other riders were close enough to have heard. He glared at his aunt.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is beneath us! We are nobility\u2014why is there no escort? And look at that village! It can\u2019t hold more than a thousand peasants!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can. Riverfarm has expanded of late. And they are putting up new houses quite quickly. I had heard they were in the middle of rebuilding not a week ago, with barely more than half a dozen homes standing. There must be four times as many houses. Quite impressive of this young [Emperor].\u201d<\/p>\n
Lady Bevia straightened in her saddle, giving the town an appraising look. Rael fumed, trying to see what she did in this rundown countryside. Bevia shook her head slightly as she regarded her nephew with disapproval.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have too much of your father in you, Rael. Look beyond appearances. Lady Reinhart herself has taken the time to organize this gathering\u2014at a time when the Goblin Lord is marching through her lands! This [Emperor] is the first of his kind to appear on Izril in over a thousand years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe might not be a true [Emperor]. Why would one appear here?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Rael muttered sulkily as he brushed at his hair. It was wet, conditioned with an [Alchemist]\u2019s tonic he\u2019d bought at half-price while in Invrisil a month ago. It felt too slick\u2014perhaps the mixture was going bad? He cursed to himself as he impatiently adjusted his posture on his mare. He should have been riding a stallion at the head of this band of nobles!<\/p>\n Laughter came from the fore of their procession. Rael scowled at the young [Lords] and [Ladies] pressing their mounts ahead. Not everyone invited to the gathering was as old and tiresome as his aunt. A number of young nobles had come with their families. Rael itched to join them, but he was worried about his hair. And the stitches on his pant leg. He tried to tell himself that no one would care.<\/p>\n Bevia eyed Rael as she drew her mount around a fresh pile of horse dung dropped by a rider in front. She cast her eyes back to the wagons filled with foods following their group at a good pace.<\/p>\n \u201cI do not believe Magnolia Reinhart would make mistakes. Nor do I believe Lady Rie Valerund would pledge her loyalty to a charlatan. This Laken Godart is an [Emperor], I have no doubt. So if he appears before us in rags, you will<\/em> bow and address him with respect.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n Rael grumbled. Bevia sighed through her nose.<\/p>\n \u201cRael, you are beginning to test my patience. I brought you on this outing because Lady Magnolia requested I bring you, and I agreed against my better judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLady Magnolia asked for me specifically?\u201d<\/p>\n Rael\u2019s heart jumped in his chest. Bevia shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cShe had a list. Do not let it get to your head. Now, if you wish to ride with the younger men and women, do not let me stop you. But remember\u2014respect. <\/em>Hold your tongue, Rael.\u201d<\/p>\n She raised a finger. Rael nodded absently. Magnolia Reinhart knew his name! He kicked his mare forwards eagerly, riding past the other older nobles.<\/p>\n \u201cRael! It\u2019s about time! What, were you going to hang back with your aunt until we got to the village?\u201d<\/p>\n A young man called out as Rael trotted his mount forwards. Lord Andres of Lelk turned his stallion and rode back as Rael slowed. A group of six young nobles turned to him and Rael recognized all of them. Three were young men and three young women. They were all local nobles, none from exceptionally large houses. Of the six, Lord Andres probably had the wealthiest lands, although Lady Cimeca of House Tellis probably had more holdings.<\/p>\n Rael would have been placed at the lower rung in terms of both wealth and size of his lands, right above Lord Pattin of Vaunt. Rael was glad to see him and smiled arrogantly at Pattin. The young [Lordling] was heir to a small city and a few villages that produced cheese<\/em> and little else.<\/p>\n \u201cI decided to keep my aunt company. She\u2019s getting on in years, and I didn\u2019t want to abandon her until I was certain she could do without me, Andres. Cimeca, you look well.\u201d<\/p>\n Andres laughed as the young woman with red hair turned her head to look back at him. Rael\u2019s heart skipped a beat as Cimeca politely smiled his way. He urged his mare forwards, and he was soon part of the group. The young nobles laughed as their older counterparts hung back, talking quietly. Soon, Rael was repeating his comments about the landscape to the laughing crowd, heedless of his aunt\u2019s warnings.<\/p>\n \u201cAye, it\u2019s a poor province. Riverfarm and the surrounding area earn a pittance compared to lands managed by proper [Lords]. I heard all of this was once Valerund land until the family lost all of its members during the Second Antinium War.\u201d<\/p>\n Andres nodded around the countryside, shaking his head at evidence of unused cropland long abandoned. Rael nodded, but Lord Pattin cut in.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst Antinium War, actually, Andres.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? The Antinium didn\u2019t invade our lands during the First Antinium War! Pattin, are you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n Haviet Meliope turned her head, her emerald earrings sparkling as she looked at Pattin. She was dressed well, although she was no beauty in Rael\u2019s eyes. Still, her clothing was a far cry from Pattin\u2019s worn riding clothes and sad mare. Pattin nodded, undeterred by her skepticism and his poor fortunes. He twisted a ring on his finger as he talked absently.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were never invaded, it\u2019s true, but Lord Quail Valerund was one of the first to pledge his forces to Lady Magnolia when she led our armies to fight the Antinium at Liscor. He perished in the battle\u2014one of the only nobles who fell. He was Lady Rie\u2019s grandfather, and a powerful [Lord]\u2014he was succeeded by his daughter and her husband, of course, but the loss of such a high-level [Lord] hurt the family, and they never quite recovered. Then, of course, the Second Antinium War happened, and they lost control of almost all the rest of their lands along with their garrisons. That was why Riverfarm and the surrounding areas are so poor\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cArgh, enough talk of history!\u201d<\/p>\n Rael burst out, annoyed by Pattin\u2019s lecturing tone. He spurred his mare, and his horse trotted forwards a few steps as Rael raised his voice.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one cares why this place is so poor, Pattin. But why an [Emperor]<\/em> of all people would deign to live here is beyond me. I wouldn\u2019t let a Drake [Lord] live here\u2014if they\u2019d ever come out of hiding behind their Walled Cities, that is!\u201d<\/p>\n He smirked as one of the young women laughed and Andres chuckled. However, Haviet smiled nastily at Rael. She and he had hated each other ever since he\u2019d made an ill-advised comment about her appearance to a few of his male friends a year back. She\u2019d heard and never forgiven him for it.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t speak so loudly, Rael. If your aunt Bevia hears of it, she\u2019ll put you over the saddle right here and now.\u201d<\/p>\n Rael turned beet red as Andres, Pattin, and Oswalt howled with laughter. The other ladies laughed too. He glared at her.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHaviet just learned the [Long Ear] Skill, Rael. Haven\u2019t you heard?\u201d<\/p>\n Andres grinned as the others kept chuckling. Haviet smiled at Rael, and he glared at her. He was a low-level [Lord], as was she and the rest of their company. He didn\u2019t know their exact levels, but they couldn\u2019t be much higher than he was, a Level 13 [Lord] and Level 4 [Warrior]. He glared at Haviet and came up with the most cutting response he could.<\/p>\n \u201c[Long Ears], eh? Well, it can\u2019t hurt Haviet\u2019s looks even if she started looking like a half-Elf. Who knows? It might even be an improvement!\u201d<\/p>\n His words made Haviet flush beet red and provoked another laugh from Oswalt and an unwilling one from Andres. Pattin didn\u2019t laugh though, giving Rael a troubled glance. Rael cared not one whit for his opinion. Cimeca gave him a frosty look, however, which wasn\u2019t part of his plan.<\/p>\n \u201cI think any<\/em> Skill is to be commended, Lord Rael. Besides which, Emperor Laken Godart has invited us into his domain and that merits a certain degree of respect from all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n She swept her gaze past Andres and Oswalt who immediately stopped laughing and cleared their throats awkwardly. Rael turned his head away, face flushed with anger and shame. After a pause in which all seven nobles trotted forwards, it was Oswalt who spoke.<\/p>\n \u201cI say, there are a number of nobles I don\u2019t quite recognize. I know all of our families, but who\u2019s the woman riding with that man in the doublet with the rapier behind us? Is he her bodyguard, or is she single?\u201d<\/p>\n He nodded covertly, and everyone turned in their saddle to look. Ellia Cantras, third daughter of the Cantras family, known for their beekeeping, peach orchards, and small population of [Mages], glared at Oswalt. She and he had been in an unofficial relationship for two years until it came out that Oswalt had been cheating on her with local peasant girls and visiting brothels.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s Lady Bethal Walcha\u00eds, Oswalt. And if you have half a brain, you\u2019ll keep away from her if you don\u2019t want her husband to run you through. Sir Thomast is a [Chevalier] and ten times better with a rapier than anyone here.\u201d<\/p>\n All the young men turned to stare at Sir Thomast. Andres whistled.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s him? I thought he\u2019d be bigger! And that\u2019s Lady Bethal? I heard she\u2019s a firebrand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn bed or out of it?\u201d<\/p>\n Haviet and Ellia rolled their eyes at Oswalt\u2019s joke. Cimeca frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t offend her, whatever you do, Oswalt. And don\u2019t touch<\/em> her without her consent.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you could lose your hand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Rael stared at Cimeca. She hesitated and lowered her voice. The other nobles moved their horses closer to hear.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s got a Skill that makes anyone who raises a hand against her suffer. She learned it during the Second Antinium War. The rumor is that she provoked Lord Elmha at a ball six years ago, and he slapped her. Apparently, he tore half the flesh off his hand and that was before<\/em> Lady Bethal demanded he duel her husband for the insult. Lord Elmha took three cuts to his right shoulder and apparently hasn\u2019t been able to move his arm or hand since.\u201d<\/p>\n Andres shuddered, and Rael found himself glancing backward in alarm. That <\/em>was Lady Bethal? He knew she was a very influential [Lady] with a powerful estate, but that? Lady Bethal was laughing as she turned in her saddle to talk to Bevia, who\u2019d ridden up behind them.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re quite lucky, Rael.\u201d<\/p>\n Pattin was the first to break the thoughtful silence. Rael jumped and stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n The impoverished young lord gestured to his aunt.<\/p>\n \u201cLady Bevia is quite good at making deals. She\u2019s made connections with everyone in this party except Lady Bethal, and if anyone might negotiate a favorable deal with this Emperor, it\u2019s her. I don\u2019t expect Vaunt to come away with much, but if Laken Godart is offering anything, I\u2019m sure Lady Bevia will secure a piece of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Andres sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cIf he has anything to offer. I still don\u2019t know why Magnolia Reinhart herself went to the trouble of arranging the meeting. I\u2019m just here for the outing, but I\u2019ll be damned if I know why my father sent both me and my elder sister all the way here at her request. Why would she want to help him?\u201d<\/p>\n Oswalt snorted.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not? He\u2019s an [Emperor], and she\u2019s the highest-level [Lady] in the realm.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not a good reason! She\u2019s hardly pledged herself to him. And this isn\u2019t exactly helpful\u2014it could be a ploy to embarrass him, my mother says.\u201d<\/p>\n Haviet leaned forwards. Andres rolled his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWith a social gathering?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf his village really is poor\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought he owned the lands around here? Anyone know if he owns the local cities?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know much. Only that he calls himself ruler of the Unseen Empire.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnseen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s blind.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Rael turned to stare at Haviet. She nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cHadn\u2019t you heard? He\u2019s blind, but apparently he sees everything. Somehow. Don\u2019t ask me, but apparently his army has slain every Goblin, [Bandit], and monster in the area for the last few months! The roads are completely safe, which is why my father wants a trade deal with him.\u201d<\/p>\n Andres leaned forwards conspiratorially.<\/p>\n \u201cI also hear he commands beasts. He\u2019s got a half-Giant for a bodyguard and a [Witch] for a [General].\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, and\u2014get this\u2014he\u2019s also able to protect his people from harm. He can magically sense when they\u2019re in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat has to be false. Unless there\u2019s really a Skill like that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just reporting on what\u2019s said! But apparently there\u2019s a rumor that when he first appeared, he went to Invrisil and bought supplies for his village with gems and gold! People say he\u2019s an exile from Chandrar\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI heard it was Terandria!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTerandria? Are you mad? They don\u2019t have [Emperors] there. Unless he\u2019s of some old lineage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, what\u2019s that? Someone\u2019s coming this way!\u201d<\/p>\n The noisy gossip broke off as Lady Ellia pointed. Rael looked ahead and saw a group of mounted warriors galloping towards them. He stared in fascination as they slowed, and then jerked in surprise as the mounted [Guards] and [Warriors] escorting the party moved forwards, protectively encircling the young nobles. Rael gripped at his new longsword, irritated. He wanted to declare that he could handle himself, but he never got the chance.<\/p>\n Cimeca stared as the lead rider approached the group. The head of the [Guards] rode forwards to meet them, and they conversed. The rider nodded and then kicked his mount forwards. Rael stared at him in appreciation. He was wearing heavy mail armor, and his horse was covered in scale barding. He looked like a seasoned veteran, and the [Guard Captain] was clearly wary of him.<\/p>\n \u201cMy Lords and Ladies of Izril, I am Beniar, a [Cataphract] and [Captain] in service to His Majesty, Laken Godart. I have been tasked with escorting you safely through his lands. I bear you my liege\u2019s compliments and his gratitude for your long journey.\u201d<\/p>\n Beniar bowed in his saddle to the older nobles and then flashed the young women a smile that made Haviet and Ellia blush and fan at their faces. Rael saw Cimeca\u2019s cheeks were slightly red as well and scowled at Beniar. There was a pause as the nobles conferred, then Bevia raised her voice.<\/p>\n \u201cSir Beniar, we are grateful for your escort. We eagerly await meeting His Majesty soon. Tell me, are we close to Riverfarm?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed, my lady. We are less than an hour\u2019s ride away.\u201d<\/p>\n Beniar bowed again, and the procession, heartened by the news, began moving again. Beniar and his escort fell in line with the nobles and their guards. Soon he was the center of attention as nobles\u2014not just the young women\u2014surrounded him. Rael had to grudgingly admit that Beniar was a good emissary. Not only was he a former Silver-rank adventurer, but he was a [Cataphract], a class unknown to everyone in the group. Rael tried not to be impressed as Beniar described fighting for Laken Godart against Hobgoblins.<\/p>\n \u201cYou said the village is just up ahead? Can we ride to it safely? I\u2019d bet my mount could give yours a run for its money with or without armor!\u201d<\/p>\n Andres looked eager to race his horse against Beniar. The former adventurer only smiled politely.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is up ahead. I\u2019m afraid I must stay with the procession, but if you wish to go ahead, feel free. My Emperor has assured me the roads are clear.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd does that mean they are?\u201d<\/p>\n Rael challenged Beniar and was infuriated when the other young man chuckled in reply.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Emperor Laken says the roads are safe, then they undoubtedly are, Lord Rael. Nothing moves in or enters his domain without his knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n There was an impressed pause as everyone considered Beniar\u2019s words. Rael considered scoffing, but he didn\u2019t quite dare. Andres laughed at last.<\/p>\n \u201cGood enough for me! Anyone coming? Pattin? Andres? Cimeca?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I!\u201d<\/p>\n The young nobles hurriedly chimed in, all save for Emile and Haviet who were asking Beniar about a scar on his cheek. The five nobles raced ahead, laughing, and Rael spurred his mare hard, trying to catch Andres\u2019 stallion. He lost, much to his disgust. Though he managed to make his mare beat Oswalt, he was outdone by Andres, Cimeca, and to his absolute disgust, Pattin<\/em>. The poor lord might have had an old horse, but she was quick, and he rode flawlessly in the saddle, nearly catching Andres as they raced into the village.<\/p>\n \u201cGood sport!\u201d<\/p>\n Oswalt laughed, not at all put out by his loss. Rael stared dismissively around the village. Now that he was up close, he could see the houses under construction and the milling people at work. It looked just as pathetic as he\u2019d thought! Still, he held his tongue and turned his panting mount as he heard a woman\u2019s voice calling out.<\/p>\n \u201cLord Andres, Lady Cimeca, Lord Pattin, welcome to Riverfarm!\u201d<\/p>\n A [Lady] was standing in the center of the street, dressed as if she were ready to go to a ball. The laughing young nobles straightened and tried to wipe sweat off their foreheads as Lady Rie Valerund swept forwards. She was a beautiful woman, and Rael couldn\u2019t keep his eyes off her neckline. That was, until he saw the giant bear walking down the street.<\/p>\n \u201cMossbear!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Pattin cried out in alarm, and Andres and Oswalt paled. Rael fumbled for his sword, but before anyone could act, they realized the bear had a saddle. And someone was riding <\/em>it.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease do not be alarmed. My young Lords and Ladies of Izril, may I present His Majesty, Emperor Laken Godart.\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie bowed slightly as the bear stepped forwards. Rael gaped. There was a young man riding the bear! He was only a few years older than Rael, and his eyes were closed. He turned his head to the nobles as their horses shied away, smiling.<\/p>\n \u201cGood evening. I am Laken Godart, Emperor of Riverfarm. I thank you for coming all this way. Please, be at ease. Bismarck is not dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n He gently patted the green bear\u2019s head, and it made a whuffing <\/em>sound. Rael\u2019s heart raced. He stared at the [Emperor] as the young man turned his head unerringly to look straight at him.<\/em> His eyes were closed, but somehow he knew where Rael was!<\/p>\n \u201cLady Rie, will you introduce me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. This is Rael Veniford. His lands are a good bit southeast of Invrisil, and he is the sole male heir of his family. Lord Rael, may I presume Lady Bevia is riding with you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAunt? Ah, yes\u2014she\u2019s on her way here. Greetings, Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n Fumbling, Rael bowed in his saddle and saw the [Emperor] nod in return. He felt off-guard and unsure what to do but was relieved to see his companions were little better off. Lady Rie smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are no doubt exhausted from the trip. Please, allow our [Handlers] to care for your mounts. We have refreshments ready, and I am sure you would enjoy touring Riverfarm on foot while we wait for the rest of the nobles to arrive.\u201d<\/p>\n She whisked the young nobles away as Laken Godart remained seated on his bear, patiently awaiting the arrival of the other nobles. Soon, Rael found himself greeting Laken Godart all over again as the other nobles arrived. He was relieved to see they were equally dumbfounded to be greeted by the [Emperor] riding a bear, but they concealed their surprise well. His aunt only blinked once before gracefully bowing in her saddle.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken, I am Lady Bevia Veniford. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. You do live up to the rumors, Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh? There are rumors about me?\u201d<\/p>\n Laken Godart smiled as if he was unaware of the speculation and gossip that had followed his every move for the last two months. Lady Bevia smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cMerely a handful, Your Majesty. And please, allow me to be the first to apologize for intruding on you at this busy time. I understand Riverfarm is undergoing extensive construction and Lady Reinhart\u2019s gathering was something of a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, well, I am told Lady Magnolia Reinhart enjoys such surprises. And it would hardly do for an [Emperor] to refuse an audience, would it not? I am delighted by your presence, Lady Bevia. I only trust that my hospitality shall not disappoint.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI cannot imagine that it would.\u201d<\/p>\n Bevia nudged Rael, and he bowed, stammering another greeting. They withdrew as another noble drew forwards to greet the Emperor. As they moved away, Bevia whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cUnexpected.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is?\u201d<\/p>\n Rael looked at her uncertainly. His aunt blinked, and he realized the comment must not have been aimed at him.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a true [Emperor], Rael. He has poise\u2014and a sense for drama! Greeting us on a bear of all things. And he called this an audience? Lady Magnolia was right to draw attention to him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n Bevia squinted at Rael as if to tell whether he was trying to be deliberately obtuse.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause it will benefit her to be the one to introduce Emperor Laken to Izril\u2019s high society, of course! And because he is a true<\/em> [Emperor]. Leaving him alone would be dangerous and risky. Acknowledging him is a safe maneuver.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut she hasn\u2019t come herself. Isn\u2019t that a slight?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe sent Lady Bethal, a close friend, and her maid.\u201d<\/p>\n Bevia pointed back to where a maid was standing politely on the outskirts. She was attracting glances from the local peasants, who\u2019d probably never seen anyone wearing a maid\u2019s uniform before. Rael shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cA maid?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHer spy. Don\u2019t try and woo her. Keep up, and try not to fall over yourself bowing next time!\u201d<\/p>\n Soon, all the nobles were dismounted and led to a small clearing out in the open. Rael wrinkled his nose at the outdoor setting, but he had to admit that the banquet was certainly impressive. Each noble had brought a variety of foods, and as such, the tables were heaped with delights. Bevia nodded appreciatively.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd without spending a copper coin he has us host ourselves. Clever.\u201d<\/p>\n Rael stared at the [Emperor] as he slowly walked forwards to the head of the table. He needed no guide despite walking without opening his eyes. He was flanked by a giant half-Troll\u2026female, in a suit, and Lady Rie on his other side. Rael wrinkled his nose as he eyed the half-Troll.<\/p>\n \u201cClever or not, he\u2019s made us come all the way here. And he only controls this village, Aunt. This is the least he should do for nobles of Izril.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019d gotten over his shock of meeting Laken Godart on the bear and was determined to treat this outsider with more scorn than the other nobles fawning over him. Bevia gave him an irritated glance, and Rael saw Cimeca look over. He smiled to himself as he realized the other nobles around him were giving him speculative looks. Cimeca leaned over, keeping her voice low.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not impressed, Rael?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, by the bear? That was a trick. What else has this [Emperor] got besides a monster for a pet? We are still [Lords] and [Ladies] when all is said and done. We come from powerful houses\u2014this [Emperor] is wise to greet us as equals. He must win our respect.\u201d<\/p>\n Rael saw a few other nobles nodding in agreement, older men and women. He puffed up with pride as Bevia stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cBe quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded to Laken Godart. The young man waited for silence and began to speak.<\/p>\n \u201c[Lords] and [Ladies] of Izril, I greet you. I am Laken Godart.\u201d<\/p>\n Rael sensed a stir among the crowd. He nodded to himself. The [Emperor] wasn\u2019t using his title. He was<\/em> being humble. He shot his aunt a triumphant look, but her focus wasn\u2019t on him. Laken Godart continued.<\/p>\n \u201cI am aware that you are here at Lady Magnolia Reinhart\u2019s request. I was unaware of this gathering until she arranged it in my honor, and I am grateful for her aid in doing so. For your enjoyment, my people have created a small setting in which we may mingle and talk. I look forwards to meeting each one of you in person. But before that\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He paused for a second, and Rael frowned. He was already hungry. What did he want, an official greeting? Entertainment?<\/p>\n \u201c\u2014But before that, I believe there are a few more guests I have yet to invite.\u201d<\/p>\n There was murmuring. Rael frowned. Someone else<\/em> was coming to the gathering? Who? It had better not be the staring peasants. He leaned over.<\/p>\n \u201cAunt, who is he talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQuiet!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI greet the nobility of this land before me. I offer them the warmth of my hearths and the bounty of my lands. I would be remiss if I did not extend the same invitation to my own vassals.\u201d<\/p>\n Laken Godart looked up towards the darkening sky, his eyes still closed. He gestured as if inviting someone from above.<\/p>\n \u201cMy lords and ladies of the court? I invite you to share this banquet at your discretion. My lands are open to all those of my empire on this day. Come, if thou would.\u201d<\/p>\n For a few seconds there was stunned silence. Rael looked around and then couldn\u2019t help it. He laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Bevia\u2019s head whipped around. She glared at her nephew, but Rael was busy watching Cimeca and the other young nobles. He saw her giggle, covering the motion, and heard chuckles around him. Bevia\u2019s fingers dug into his arm, and Rael suppressed a yelp. His aunt gave him a look that deflated Rael\u2019s good spirits. It promised trouble.<\/p>\n The [Emperor] seemed not to have noticed Rael\u2019s comment. He looked towards an older man standing to one side, dressed in a suit.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Prost? We may have visitors this night. Keep a place at the tables open should guests arrive. Now, I believe we are ready to be seated?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n The man bowed and began leading nobles to the tables. Rael was about to walk forwards and find himself a seat away from his angry aunt when he paused. He heard something. A laugh from high above. It was faint, but unmistakable. It cut through the voices, the sound of wind, the chirping of insects\u2014a giggling laughter. You couldn\u2019t not hear it. It was as if it was the one true sound in the world and everything else Rael had heard over his lifetime was fake noise. He looked up in bewilderment and felt a breeze blow.<\/p>\n It was fresh and warm, filled with life. It stirred his hair and heart. Rael inhaled and caught a scent in the air, like morning dew, like the fresh air of forests, like spring. <\/em>He heard more laughter and looked around. The breeze blew. The forest around the meadow stirred. And then he saw a glow of green, a figure dancing among the trees. By his side, Cimeca gasped, and Rael heard someone inhale sharply.<\/p>\n A woman stepped out of the forests, laughing. She was dressed in wild green and red clothing, and her skin was tinted green. Her eyes danced, and the air brightened around her. She walked forwards, spinning, her steps light on the ground. Rael stared at her. She was the most incredible thing he had ever seen in his life. It wasn\u2019t her appearance that caught him like a fish on the hook, but her otherworldly nature, the depths of her eyes, the way she moved.<\/p>\n And then the forest rustled. The air opened. Green figures began descending, walking out of the darkness, dancing down like birds from above. Wild folk, dressed in wild clothing with eyes that shone. Proud folk, that put the assembled company of nobles from Izril to shame. Fair folk, the fairest and most beautiful folk Rael had ever seen.<\/p>\n Fae folk.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This is how they came. I stand, stunned, as the fae come out of the skies and shadows of dusk. They weren\u2019t so large before! And these fae are full of life and motion, bearing the aspect, the very essence of spring itself. The Frost Faeries I knew were small winged creatures full of mischief and laughter.<\/p>\n At least the laughter is the same here. The fae come forwards, laughing, showing off. Yes, that\u2019s what they\u2019re doing. Showing off. Each one is the center of attention, a one-person performance that demands all the attention in the world. They dance into the meadow, shining stars that glow in my mind\u2019s eye.<\/p>\n The fae.<\/p>\n Dancing and laughing, appearing out of the air like spirits. Called by my voice. The fae descend on my gathering, brightening the dusk with their presence. They walk or run or leap about, dressed in wild clothing that\u2019s both rich and free. Their garments shimmer with beauty, almost as much as the fae themselves.<\/p>\n Or so I imagine. I, Laken Godart, can\u2019t see. But I can listen. I heard the nobles and people of Riverfarm around me gasp with the beauty of the fae. I can only sense them as shapes in my mind for all their voices are like magic to my ears. But there is a difference. And what I sense is that difference without the allure of their physical forms.<\/p>\n The fae are tall. Thin and lithe, their bodies are different than Human ones. Their arms and legs are actually a bit too long for normal. And their faces are more angular than Human ones. I can\u2019t sense what their eyes look like, but I can tell their ears are pointed. Each fae is different, but I sense some with wings.<\/p>\n Insect\u2019s wings. Perhaps I\u2019m the only one who notices them at first. The others are spellbound. I am too, to be honest. But I can\u2019t see the fae, so their effect is muted on me. The fae come out of the forest, at least thirty of them. Perhaps more. I can\u2019t tell\u2014they don\u2019t seem to stand still in my mind. But they stop on the opposite side of the banquet table, laughing, and then fall silent as one speaks.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSo you call us, Emperor of Men! You invite us to your feast, you who gave us the titles of your empire. Do you offer us the hospitality of your lands? Do you open your doors to us?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I start, surprised to be addressed. The magic of the moment breaks, and I remember who I am. Laken Godart, [Emperor]. And I have a job to do. I have to remember. I planned<\/em> for this. I wasn\u2019t sure they would come, but now they\u2019re here. So I choose my words carefully.<\/p>\n The fae. The fair folk from my world. Not all legends about them are wonderful. In fact, the further back you go, the more sinister they appear. I remember reading of Wechselkind <\/em>or Changelings, children replaced by faeries. So I answer carefully.<\/p>\n \u201cI offer you the hospitality of this banquet, lords and ladies of my realm. Food I offer you, and company within this meadow. Feast and revel to your heart\u2019s content here, but nowhere else I ask of you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAh, a wise host!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The speaker laughs at me. Which of the fae is it? I can\u2019t tell. None of them step forwards. And the voice isn\u2019t distinctly male or female. Neither are the fae.<\/p>\n Strange. I could have sworn the Frost Faeries were female, all of them. But these fae\u2014I can\u2019t tell exactly, but some give me the impression of masculinity. Others are clearly feminine\u2014but the lines are blurred. I can\u2019t tell what they are, only that they\u2019re here. The fae mill about.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere is iron here! Cold metal in the tables! Does he give offense, this leader of men?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn the tables, the nails! Is it a slight or oversight?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNot much iron. And we are outdoors. Food is offered. A feast in our honor! We have not seen such in millennia. Sisters, brothers, do we accept?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWithin the meadow, aye! For a night, aye! Such are the terms!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThen we accept! The deal is struck!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n They speak all at once, in a rush. And then they move all at once, making the Humans in the meadow start. The fae descend on the table and snatch up the filled glasses and plates, filling their plates, beginning to eat without so much as waiting for anyone else. They call out to my diners.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSo then, mortals! Join us!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, come and revel! Come, sit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cJoin us!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Every eye is on me. By my side Lady Rie is trembling. I hear Durene\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n \u201cLaken, who are <\/em>they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe nobles of my court.\u201d<\/p>\n I turn from Durene and address the stunned nobility.<\/p>\n \u201c[Lords] and [Ladies] of Izril, I present to you my guests. Those you see here are the nobles of my court. The fair folk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe fair folk?\u201d<\/p>\n One of the [Ladies] speaks. Bevia, the older noblewoman. She stares at the fae and at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI have never heard of their kind, Emperor Laken. These guests of yours, are they Human or\u2014or something else? Please tell me. From what land do they hail?\u201d<\/p>\n To her credit, Lady Bevia\u2019s voice barely trembles although I know she must be as shaken as I am to be in the presence of the fae. At her words, a few of the shining folk laugh and call out.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAvalon, mortal woman! That land beyond lands! The eternal realm!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShh! They don\u2019t know where that is!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHark, the Emperor speaks! Let him explain!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I nod. How can<\/em> I explain them?<\/p>\n \u201cAs they say Lady Bevia. They come from lands far distant. And they are not Human. They are the fair folk. They have come here in honor of the banquet you have brought with you. They will dine with you. But before we sit, I have a few words of caution.\u201d<\/p>\n I hold up my hand and speak loudly, over the laughter in the table in front of me. I can see the nobles staring at the fae, entranced. But this has to be said. Caution hums in my veins now that the first moment of wonder is gone. Remember the legends.<\/p>\n \u201cI caution you.<\/em> The fair folk are neither enemies nor friends. Make them no promises, and speak no untruths to them. Stay within the meadow, and if they ask you to leave with them, politely refuse. They are nobles, but they are not<\/em> mine. I was honored to give them titles. But they do not answer to me.\u201d<\/p>\n I hear laughter from the fae.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWell said!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Emperor understands!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo man, no gods! No ruler save for ourselves!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n They cheer and raise glasses, already drinking their third refill, some of them. I gesture towards the table.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease sit or stand and eat at your leisure. Tonight is a night for talk and entertainment. We will have a magical display, and I believe, a demonstration later. But for now, enjoy yourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s abrupt, and not that refined, but it\u2019s all I can do. Lady Rie isn\u2019t helping\u2014she\u2019s staring like the rest. I have to nudge her before she starts and begins ordering people about.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Prost, let us break out more wine for our\u2014our guests. And please, let us find a seat for you, Lady Bevia. Lady Bethal, will you sit or stand? Emperor Laken, may I offer you a seat?\u201d<\/p>\n I shake my head. Bethal hurries off, and Durene steps over to me. I sense her bending down as the confused nobles hesitantly approach the table with the merry diners. It feels like a dream.<\/p>\n \u201cLaken? I didn\u2019t understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d be surprised if you did. Durene, remember the Frost Faeries?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThem? I remember. What about them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese are the Frost Faeries. Or some version of them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s something from my world, Durene. There are\u2026legends about them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat legends?\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie is coming up behind me. I turn.<\/p>\n \u201cLady Rie?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken, the nobles are dining with your other guests. Hesitantly. Would you explain to me exactly what<\/em> they are?\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s a note of panic and fear in her voice. I understand. The fae are brilliant, magical\u2014clearly otherworldly. They entrance just by existing<\/em>, and unlike the limited magic I\u2019ve experienced in this world, there is something off<\/em> about them.<\/p>\n They touch this world lightly. <\/em>I shiver. Awe and wonder can easily become terror at the unknown. I turn to Lady Rie and realize I haven\u2019t prepared her at all for the fae. I didn\u2019t know if they\u2019d come. It felt like a long shot. But now they\u2019re here. <\/em>I sense Prost approaching, and Wiskeria.<\/p>\n \u201cI should explain. All of you\u2014step over here.\u201d<\/p>\n We move back a few steps so we\u2019re still in the meadow. The sunlight is fading, and I can tell the illumination in the meadow comes mainly from the magelights and braziers now. We stand near one, and I speak as clearly as I can to Durene, Prost, Rie, and Wiskeria.<\/p>\n \u201cThose are fae. Fair folk. I don\u2019t know if there are legends about them where you all come from, but in my homeland, we have tales of them. They are\u2026well, I suppose the best word for them is spirits.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGhosts?\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie\u2019s voice trembles. I smile, hearing the fae\u2019s unearthly laughter.<\/p>\n \u201cNot quite. They\u2019re more like magical beings. Very powerful, very mysterious. They\u2019re spirits of nature. They play pranks on mortals, they live deep in forests and in mounds. It\u2019s said there are portals to their world scattered in ours.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDead gods. This sounds like a children\u2019s tale! And they\u2019re real?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReality is stranger than fiction, Lady Rie. Much stranger, apparently. But what you need to know is that the fair folk have rules. After a fashion. They obey bargains, and they don\u2019t lie\u2014but they twist the truth. If you don\u2019t try to deceive them and don\u2019t try to make deals or follow them, they\u2019re harmless. Probably. And don\u2019t threaten them either.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow would you hurt one of them? Hypothetically speaking.\u201d<\/p>\n Wiskeria turns her head to stare at the fae. I hesitate.<\/p>\n \u201cCold iron. That means pure iron. Or horseshoes. I think they don\u2019t like bells either. I don\u2019t know\u2014I\u2019m not an expert on the folklore. But they\u2019re masters of illusion. If they offer you gold\u2014don\u2019t take it. It\u2019s probably just flowers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFlowers?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie\u2019s voice is high-pitched. I can sense the nobles looking at us uncertainly. I turn to her.<\/p>\n \u201cLady Rie, please calm down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t tell me anything about this! Where did you meet these\u2014these fair folk? Am I to believe they\u2019ve been hiding here all this time? What do they mean, calling us \u2018mortals\u2019? Are they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLady Rie, calm down.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She quiets. I take a deep breath and then another for good measure.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry I didn\u2019t warn you. I didn\u2019t know if they\u2019d come. I didn\u2019t expect this. But they are here. And the danger is\u2026acceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo long as we don\u2019t make deals or follow them. What about the village?\u201d<\/p>\n I turn my head to Wiskeria.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re supposed to stay in the meadow. That\u2019s the deal. But\u2026it might be best if you keep an eye on the children, Mister Prost. And you, Wiskeria. Don\u2019t ride patrols. Just make sure everything\u2019s lit and keep an eye on everyone. If you see anything moving\u2014tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n To my relief, Prost sounds far more stable than Lady Rie. He turns to Wiskeria.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll head into the village and tell everyone not to stray. We\u2019ve food set out, and we can make an early night of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll tell everyone else. And find some horseshoes and iron weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n They hurry out of the meadow. I look at Lady Rie. She\u2019s breathing hard, but she does seem to have calmed down a bit.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Lady Rie. Are you feeling alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. But I suppose this is what an [Emperor] does, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n She looks at me, and I half-smile. Lady Rie shakes her head. She turns back towards the nobility sitting and standing around the banquet table.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been speaking too long. We are worrying our guests. Emperor Laken, I believe it is time to socialize. I can only hope that you know what you have summoned to this gathering, Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I knew. Durene?\u201d<\/p>\n I reach out and touch her. Durene stares at the fae.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re beautiful. Frightening and beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. I can only hear them. But\u2026I know. Do you want to go to the village?\u201d<\/p>\n She pauses. One of her hands finds mine.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I want to meet them. But stay by me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n We walk forwards, following Lady Rie. And at some point I find myself dreaming, or something close to it. I hear a humming as I walk towards the fae. Their laughter engulfs me, and there\u2019s a buzzing in the air, just below the surface. And I feel color.<\/p>\n Color<\/em>. I have never seen color before in my life. I have no idea what it might be. But the fae represent more than just the idea of spring. They are spring incarnate, and when they speak, when I feel them moving about the meadow, I am struck by flashes of\u2014of something that I can\u2019t explain.<\/p>\n Vision. Is this what it\u2019s like? The experience is disorienting. Frightening, even. But I think it\u2019s a color. It can\u2019t be anything else. It speaks to me, I, who know no color. They speak, and I hear <\/em>green.<\/p>\n The fae laugh and eat merrily, talking amongst themselves while we mortals move like we\u2019re underwater, watching, listening, talking more quietly. At first I\u2019m overwhelmed, and then I find myself back in the world. And then I\u2019m dreaming again.<\/p>\n The young nobles are clustered around the fae, trying to keep up, staring in awe at these wondrous guests. The fae are caught between genders, some of them. I know<\/em> they\u2019re the same Frost Faeries I met, but some are decidedly masculine. They flirt with both genders unashamedly, attracting the young nobles\u2014and the young men and women on serving duty\u2014around them like flies. I don\u2019t focus on them for the moment and instead turn my attention to the older nobility.<\/p>\n The wiser ones are nervous as well as entranced. The rest are just awestruck. I sense Lady Bethal chatting to one of the fae while her husband, Thomast, keeps a wary hand near his rapier. Sacra sits far back, her eyes wide in her face.<\/p>\n \u201cYour Majesty?\u201d<\/p>\n A voice interrupts me as Durene stares at a male-ish fae laughing and eating a slice of roast beef with his fingers. I turn and sense Lady Bevia.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken? I was wondering if I might have a word. I am Lady Bevia\u2014we spoke briefly when we first met.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI recall. Greetings, Lady Bevia. Let us sit. There are some private tables. Durene? Would you care to join us with some food?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh! Right!\u201d<\/p>\n I move back with Lady Bevia to one of the newly-made tables made for intimate diners. Each one is decorated with a fine tablecloth and candles\u2014a necessary expense according to Lady Rie. She spent lavishly on the banquet even without the need for food. I don\u2019t know if it was worth it, but I\u2019m at least grateful for the silver cutlery. Would the fae have come if we had spoons and forks made of iron instead?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m grateful that you accepted the presence of my other guests so readily, Lady Bevia. I do apologize for their sudden arrival, but my court is\u2026fickle at best.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see. I was unaware of the presence of so many nobles. Tell me, do they live on Izril? Are they part of your new empire, Your Majesty?\u201d<\/p>\n Awestruck or not, Bevia\u2019s voice is sharp as she sits, and Durene hurries over with plates heaped with food. She hovers around the table timidly. I cough and realize that Lady Bevia is eying Durene with some surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cLady Bevia? May I introduce my consort, Durene?\u201d<\/p>\n Durene squeaks when she realizes I\u2019m talking about her. I sense Bevia blink, but once again she reacts with nothing but grace.<\/p>\n \u201cMy word, I had no idea Your Majesty was married. Do forgive me. Lady Durene, was it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHello. I\u2019m\u2014I\u2019m not a lady! I\u2019m not married. Laken and I are just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Durene stammers as Bevia gets up. She actually retreats a step. I interject again.<\/p>\n \u201cDurene saved my life when we first met, Lady Bevia. I was quite lost and helpless. Blind as I was, I met Durene and we quickly grew close.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see. I am charmed to meet such a forthright young woman. Tell me, Miss Durene, are you the famed warrior I have heard so much about? I have heard of an imposing hero who slew a score of Hobs by himself in service to Emperor Laken, but the rumors neglected to mention your lovely appearance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n I can sense Durene is blushing even if I can\u2019t see it. Lady Bevia smiles, and I\u2019m grateful for her extreme tact.<\/p>\n \u201cI would be honored if you would sit with us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Okay\u2014I\u2019ll just sit on the ground\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Durene sits down awkwardly. I smile at her and pat her arm underneath the table. Then I turn back to Lady Bevia.<\/p>\n \u201cI thank you, Lady Bevia. Where were we? Ah, yes. To answer your question\u2014no. The fair folk do not live on Izril. Nor are they part of my empire in truth. My gift of titles was just that\u2014a gift in exchange for a service they rendered to me. They owe me nothing, and in truth, I believe they would not come at my behest no matter the situation. This is a\u2026special occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA feast. I understand. Do pardon me if I admit to some relief. Your court is intimidating, to say the least.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI imagine so. But so are Izril\u2019s nobility.\u201d<\/p>\n I sense Bevia smiling.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, yes. This little gathering was organized by Lady Reinhart. I understand it was something of a surprise. I apologize if we have caused you any inconvenience.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery little.\u201d<\/p>\n I lie through my teeth and sense Bevia knows it. She delicately spears a saut\u00e9ed mushroom on a fork and nibbles at it as Durene tries to eat as much meat as possible while appearing polite. The rich food is a treat to her and the villagers, I have no doubt. I can barely touch my plate for nerves.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, this food is quite well done if I might say so myself. I believe Lord Imral provided the mushrooms, and Lady Fel the beef Miss Durene is enjoying so much. Tell me, Emperor Laken, have you ever met Magnolia Reinhart in person?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I would like to at some point. However, I have interacted with her servants.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see. Well, I would hate to color your impression of her before you two meet in person. She is an impressive [Lady], and a credit to my class. If difficult to work with on occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n I raise my eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cBy all means, Lady Bevia. Color my impression as much as you would like\u2014sight is hardly an issue when it comes to meeting new people for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Bevia\u2019s startled laughter makes a few heads turn, and Durene nearly drops her drink.<\/p>\n \u201cHah! You are quick, aren\u2019t you, young man? Well, I don\u2019t think I can say anything Lady Rie has not. However, I would ask that you think of her kindly. She has held together the squabbling nobility for far too long. This is her being kind, if you can imagine that. She was far more direct in her youth.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? And may I ask if you were more direct when you were younger, Lady Bevia?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, slightly.\u201d<\/p>\n She twinkles at me. I smile back and find the appetite to have a roll of mustard and beef. It\u2019s actually quite good, and I find I have an appetite after all.<\/p>\n \u201cLady Bevia, I am an unsophisticated [Emperor] with little in the way of subterfuge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI appreciate the lie, Your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, truly. I prefer straightforward conversation. That\u2019s why I fell in love with Durene, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n I hear a choking noise to my right and ignore it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou may well imagine this gathering was somewhat difficult to set up, but now that you are here, I would be delighted to talk openly and frankly about the possibility of friendship between my empire and yours.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed? Well, well. It is refreshing to be straightforward. I did come here in hopes of making friendships, Your Majesty. However, I have some slight reservations\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Bevia delicately pats a cloth napkin to her lips. She pauses, and I sense her bite her lip ever so slightly. She might not know I can sense her movements. Or is she doing that on purpose? I remind myself to be careful\u2014Bevia seems a lot more intelligent than her nephew. What\u2019s his name? Rael?<\/p>\n After a pause, Lady Bevia cuts to the heart of the conversation I was expecting.<\/p>\n \u201cForging friendships is all very well, Emperor Laken, but I would imagine any noble would be concerned about your empire. Monarchy is an alien concept to Izril. We have done without [Kings] and [Emperors]. It is why our ancestors fled Terandria. To have an [Emperor] appear so suddenly would panic some of the nobility. They might fear you would annex their lands in time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQuite understandable. What if I told you I had no intentions to govern more than Riverfarm? That other towns and cities came to me asking for protection?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI would not be surprised. The question is what would occur if a city under the domain of, say, Magnolia Reinhart were to ask you for similar protections?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose I would decline. I have no intentions of taking land or making war, Lady Bevia. I realize that\u2019s a poor reassurance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, from an [Emperor]? I would not doubt your word, Your Majesty. When a monarch speaks, I would assume it was true.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if I could swear it was true? On a truth gem? That I have no intention of taking over your lands or any other? That I am willing to work peacefully in hand with the nobles of Izril?\u201d<\/p>\n Bevia pauses. She narrows her eyes slightly. Then she smiles.<\/p>\n \u201cWell now, I believe that I might assume a bit more if that were the case. Tell me Emperor, where were you raised? And may I offer you a stuffed egg? They are quite excellent and come from my [Chef]\u2019s kitchens, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI should be delighted, Lady Bevia. Now, Lady Rie tells me your estates import a good deal of food crops. I don\u2019t know if I can interest you, but I do expect to expand Riverfarm\u2019s farms twenty-fold, and I was wondering if you were interested at all in produce\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n My conversation with Lady Bevia is short. Short, for a wide-ranging discussion on everything from agriculture, to trade, to monster incursions and the need for security across Izril. We part after Durene\u2019s finished her third plate, and I get up, feeling as though someone\u2019s hit me with a few footballs in the face. For an old [Lady], Bevia is sharp.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHow did it go?\u201d<\/p>\n Lady Rie appears at my side as Lady Bevia moves back to a small cluster of nobles, laughing lightly. I nod and lower my voice. One of the things Lady Rie warned me about was the Skills of [Ladies] and sometimes [Lords]. They can listen to a conversation across a noisy banquet hall if not guarded against. Still, all that I\u2019m saying should be fine to hear.<\/p>\n \u201cGood. You were right\u2014she sought me out straight away. Do you think she\u2019ll relay my words to the others?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWithout a doubt. Lady Bevia could be considered an emissary of sorts. The others will probably approach you after considering what she tells them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll meet them as they come, then. How are the fae doing?\u201d<\/p>\n I sense the laughing folk at my tables. By now, the fae have eaten a good portion of the food the nobles brought\u2014and they brought enough for four times our number! At this point they\u2019re drinking and talking with the nobles. Most of the older ones continue to stay back, but the young ones are completely engaged.<\/p>\n I sense some of them clustered around a young man with a cup in one hand. Laughing, they surround the young [Lord], laying hands on his body, touching him, flitting away. They provoke him and lead the young man on like a game, and I sense his face flush. He reaches for a female fae, and she spins away, laughing. The young man pursues her and nearly lunges until he\u2019s caught by another young man. The second [Lord] says something to the drunk one, and I hear a loud, slurred voice.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep off, Pattin! No one wants your opinion. Damn you and your poor house!\u201d<\/p>\n His voice is a bit too loud. Not that the fae care. They ooh<\/em> and laugh as the young [Lord] named Pattin flushes. He replies as I slowly move closer, on the pretext of asking Gamel if he\u2019s got enough wine to go around.<\/p>\n \u201cThey outrank you, Lord Rael. It\u2019s not seemly to pursue them like that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRank? We\u2019re all [Lords] here, you daft idiot!\u201d<\/p>\n The young lord Rael shakes Pattin\u2019s grip off. I remember him now. He\u2019s the one who laughed after I invited the fae. He doesn\u2019t strike me as hugely bright. Pattin, on the other hand, interests me. Lady Rie appears like a fae herself and whispers in my ear.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you want me to stop them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, let them talk. Remind me where Lord Pattin comes from?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVaunt. A small city with a few villages. Very small holding, but they make excellent cheese. Unfortunately, they can\u2019t produce a large amount owing to sickness among their cattle six years back. They have yet to replenish their herds and have fallen on hard times. Young Lord Pattin is considered a very intelligent [Lord] though, and I believe that when he replaces his father, Vaunt will prosper.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see.\u201d<\/p>\n I sense Rael staggering forwards until he\u2019s intercepted by his aunt. I can\u2019t hear what she whispers to him, but it sobers him up fast. She bows to the fae lady that Rael was pursuing.<\/p>\n \u201cI do apologize for my nephew\u2019s rudeness. May I inquire as to your name, Lady\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n The fae woman draws herself up, and I don\u2019t have to see the mischief in her eyes. I can hear it in her voice.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI am a <\/span>Baron, <\/em><\/span>foolish mortal! Kneel before me!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cA Baron? Do you mean a Baroness?\u201d<\/p>\n Bevia sounds startled. The fae woman laughs at her.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would I be a Baroness? I asked to be Baron and so I am! Will ye not kneel?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid [Ladies] do not kneel to [Barons].\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cTruly? Pity!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The fae woman loses interest instantly. She dances away, and I hear her begin to bother someone else. The fae call out to me as I pass by their table.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCome sit, Emperor!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDrink with us!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEat with us!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDance! Dance with our kind! Come!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I decline as best I can as they whirl around me, laughing, snatching at my robe. Durene moves forwards protectively.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, keep away! You can\u2019t just\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOoh, the half-child is angry!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCome, daughter of Trolls! Dance with us!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWalk the woodlands with us!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEat and drink, half-child! It has been too long since we have eaten with your kind!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWait, what? I\u2019m not\u2014I should\u2014hey, Laken!\u201d<\/p>\n Durene yelps as the fae press drinks and food into her hands. I turn back, but Durene\u2019s objections are quickly muted as the fae cheer her on. She sits with them and begins a drinking contest with one fae. I don\u2019t think she\u2019s in danger, so I move on.<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor Laken? A pleasure to meet you. I am Lord Tourant\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour Majesty? Might I have a word? I am, humbly, Lady Fel of\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you have a moment, sire? I was hoping to have a quick conversation about\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The nobles of Izril converge on me, the one person they understand in the sea of strange folk around them. I fend off invitations to sit as best I can and greet everyone I can remember by name. But I move on, breaking out into the edge of the gathering as the fae begin luring more and more [Lords] and [Ladies] to sit and dine with them. They eat and drink with the nobles, talking quietly, listening to the Humans, and laughing.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know what\u2019s said but I have a feeling those who sit with the fae would tell them anything and everything. Ah, well. I walk on, until I\u2019m standing by a brazier that\u2019s gone out, on the far side of the meadow. I stand there and concentrate. It was just a dim feeling before, but now that I\u2019m closer, I\u2019m certain.<\/p>\n There\u2019s someone here. I have another guest, one I\u2019ve overlooked. She stands at the far end of the meadow with another silent figure. Another fae. Only these two are different from all the rest. They\u2019re nearly invisible to my [Emperor] senses\u2014more like vague shapes than anything specific. I don\u2019t know if they\u2019re visible to anyone else. I walk forwards slowly.<\/p>\n It\u2019s colder here. The heat of the other braziers doesn\u2019t reach this far. And as I move forwards I sense one of my guests is eating something. The other is quite, quite still.<\/p>\n And armed. My hazy impression of the two changes. One is female, standing alone, greedily devouring a plate full of food. The other is silent. A tall, armored warrior standing by the side of the fae woman. He\u2014and it is definitely a he\u2014makes no move as I approach, but I can tell he watches me. So does she. And as I draw closer, she speaks.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEmperor of the Unseen. I was not invited to your banquet. I am not one of your court, nor do I wish to be. Yet my kin come, and I was permitted to join them. Will ye cast me out or give me the hospitality of your hearth?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I start as I hear her voice. Blue!<\/em> The word springs to mind along with the color. This fae is different from her kin. The air around her is cold, and I feel like her body is different from the other fae. This fae seems surly, almost annoyed at being spotted.<\/p>\n She stands out from the rest of her lively kin. They shine with life and laughter, the embodiment of spring itself. But she stands alone, dour and silent, eating while the silent warrior stands to one side. Watching her.<\/p>\n \u201cI would be only too glad to offer you the hospitality of the banquet. But not of my hearth. What lies in the meadow\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYes, yes. Well then, I shall eat and drink. \u2018Twould be uncharitable if I did not offer you my gratitude. So. There.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I wait until I realize that was it. I cough.<\/p>\n \u201cMay I ask why you\u2019re standing here alone? And why I didn\u2019t notice you before? Who is your companion?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYon silent statue? Take no notice. He is here for me, not you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n There\u2019s a grimace in the fae woman\u2019s voice. She picks up an egg and eats it carefully. Again, that\u2019s surprising\u2014her kin eat and drink with reckless abandon, but this fae is deliberate, mannered. I wonder\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve met before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe have?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBriefly. You might not recall. You met many of my sisters and gave them titles they rejoice over. But I met you alone. In the city.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Memory strikes me. I gasp.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re Ivolethe!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The fae woman nods.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAye.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBut I thought\u2014where\u2019s Ryoka? And why are you still blue?<\/em> Is this your true form?\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe pauses.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cTrue? Form? What would you like me to say? As for where Ryoka Griffin is\u2014you would know better than I. I have not seen her since my punishment began. This is the first time I have come to this world since. I know naught.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPunishment?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Punishment. I am forbidden from returning to this world. Yon guardian is proof of my King\u2019s ire with me. He is here to ensure I do not flee.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Ivolethe flicked a bit of food at the silent warrior standing behind her. He doesn\u2019t move. But I don\u2019t see the specks of food land on his armor. I observe Ivolethe, unsure of what to say.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I ask why you were punished?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou can.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I pause.<\/p>\n \u201cWill you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n She grins for the first time.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNae.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019m starting to remember her more now. Ivolethe pauses as she drinks from a wine glass she was not<\/em> holding a second ago.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Tis not my decision to withhold the truth. You need not know what happened, save that I broke the rules of my kind. I interfered with what would be and for that, was punished.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBy exile from this world?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAye. A harsh punishment. I may go where I please, do what I please. But of this world I am banned from returning save for this one moment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat doesn\u2019t seem harsh.\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe\u2019s glare is palpable on my skin, like a blast of winter air.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou think so? Here is where my friend lives, mortal. Here she lives and here she will die. I am <\/span>banned<\/em><\/span> from entering this world until her death. Understand? That is my punishment. To know my friend lives and to not see her triumphs and failures. To live until she is gone and chase memories. That is pain! That is how I suffer!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Her voice rises. I feel the air chill further, and for a second, a cold wind blows through the meadow, cutting off conversation and turning heads. Then the chill fades. Someone laughs, and the moment is lost. The warm magic of the spring fae overwhelms Ivolethe\u2019s cold fury. I stand with her, silent.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what to say. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSorry. Hah!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Bitterly, Ivolethe drinks deeply. Then she shakes her head.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSave your tears, mortal. \u2018Twas a fitting punishment by my King. How else would you punish the fae? Our hearts are hurt only by those we give them to. I broke the rules and so, I suffer. No more, no less.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIs there anything I can do?\u201d<\/p>\n She looks at me blankly then grins.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDo? What arrogance of mortals! There is nothing to do, Laken Godart. Nothing you could say would change the fae. Do not mistake your influence.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n She stares at me. Then hesitates.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWell, there is something.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCould you\u2014could you tell Ryoka Griffin that I live? That I did not die when my form was broken? Tell her I am punished, nothing more. And\u2014\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n For the first time the armored warrior stirs behind Ivolethe. She breaks off sharply and huffs. I warily face the armored figure. His armor is dark in my mind. His figure hazy. I don\u2019t know what he is\u2014another kind of the fae?\u2014only that he scares me. Ivolethe says nothing for a moment.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNaught else. Tell her that if you meet her again, Laken Godart.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf I meet her? Do you know if I will?\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe shakes her head.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI see perhapses and maybes and what could be. I see the lines of if and when. But the future changes. If you meet her, Laken Godart. Remember me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cGood. Then we have little else to discuss. Yon food is quite good. I would tell you to eat as much of it as possible, before my kin devour the rest.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Ivolethe returns to eating from her plate. I inhale, surprised by the sudden change in conversation. The frost fae regards me.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI have a thousand questions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDo ye? I have a thousand answers: no. I am not permitted to speak. Go back to your dream, mortal child. Enjoy the presence of my kind, for thou shalt soon wake from the dream. And be wary, lest it become nightmare.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Ivolethe glares at me. She gestures to the spring fae again, and I turn my head.<\/p>\n \u201cNightmare?\u201d<\/p>\n I start as I sense Ivolethe baring her teeth behind me. They\u2019re pointed. She grins at me.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAye. Or did you <\/span>really<\/em><\/span> think you could invite the fae to dine with you without dangers?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I turn back to her. Then I hear the buzzing begin. The night has taken over the meadow, and the braziers are burning low. I see shadows shifting across the table. And then I see the fae shapes beginning to move.<\/p>\n They creep across the ground, laughing, dragging the Human nobles into shadows, eating, growing more and more excited as they drink further. The fae enter a frenzy as the pitch of their laughter changes. They seem to grow as the shadows deepen. I see Oswalt, enthralled, follow three giggling fae into a shadow. He disappears.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Ivolethe grins at me as my heart begins to race. I see Durene surrounded by fae, Lady Rie speaking in a trance to one who smiles at her. I can\u2019t tell how many there are, only that they\u2019re moving faster<\/em>, and\u2026humming.<\/em><\/p>\n There\u2019s a buzzing, a thrum<\/em> in the air. It was a distant sound when I first met the fae. Now it\u2019s growing louder, like the thundering of insect wings. Where did Oswalt go? Where\u2019s Gamel?<\/p>\n \u201cIvolethe, what are your kin doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we always do. You know the legends, don\u2019t you? You summoned the Spring Court, Laken Godart. What did you <\/span>think<\/em><\/span> they would do?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I turn to her, desperately.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do I do?\u201d<\/p>\n She tilts her head towards me.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHave you any bells?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBells? I don\u2019t know!\u201d<\/p>\n She nods.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThen I would find out. Quickly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Rael knew he was dreaming. He didn\u2019t care. He reached out to one of the beautiful women as the buzzing grew louder. She laughed and let him try to touch her breasts, her face, her arms, always ducking back or stepping just out of reach. He followed her, grateful that Pattin wasn\u2019t anywhere to stop him. But some part of Rael wanted<\/em> Pattin to stop him.<\/p>\n The fae woman was beckoning to him, telling him to follow her where the lights weren\u2019t so bright in the meadow. Rael stumbled after her. He saw movement in the shadows. Frenzied, urgent, violent. He didn\u2019t know if it was what he thought or\u2014<\/p>\n There was a humming in his ears. Rael stared at the fae woman. She was beautiful. He couldn\u2019t say how<\/em> or why<\/em> she was beautiful, only that she was. More beautiful than Cimeca could ever be. Rael was dimly aware of grabbing for the laughing woman\u2019s hands, of telling her something.<\/p>\n Everything.<\/p>\n There was something wrong. He was drawing further away from the meadow and he recalled that being unwise. But he couldn\u2019t stop. The fae woman\u2019s face seemed to change the further she got from the light. Her features melted until her eyes were dark. They looked almost insectile. But she was still beautiful. Staggering, Rael saw other young men and women following him. He saw Cimeca leaning into a handsome man\u2014or was it a woman?\u2014and heard the distant buzzing grow louder.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCome. Touch me. You want to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The woman taunted him. Rael reached out and touched her. She felt\u2014<\/p>\n Quick as a flash, the woman tilted her head down and bit.<\/em> Rael cried out in pain and pulled his hand back. Part of the flesh on his forearm was missing.<\/em> The fae woman laughed as blood dripped from her mouth. She beckoned him.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCome. Join me. Just a bit further.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n She shifted her dress. Rael stared. His body flushed, and he took a step after her. Just a few more steps and they\u2019d be out of the meadow. He saw someone lying on the ground just a little bit away, being dragged onwards. Oswalt? Rael heard buzzing in his ears\u2014<\/p>\n And then he heard a bell ringing. It was faint, but the hum<\/em> faltered as it rang, clear and piercing through the night. Rael stopped stumbling forwards and looked around. The fae woman looked up.<\/p>\n Again the bell rang. And again. It was chiming loudly. It was a hand bell, and the humming sounded as if it might overwhelm the noise. Then another bell chimed, and another.<\/p>\n The humming faded, grew less urgent. The flush in Rael\u2019s body continued, but he could think around the tightness of his pants. He became aware of the blood leaking from his arm and stared at the fae woman.<\/p>\n \u201cYou bit<\/em> me.\u201d<\/p>\n She shrugged. The frenzied light in her eyes had dimmed. The bells continued to ring, and Rael turned to see the [Emperor] ringing a bell with a number of his servants. They spread out around the meadow, and the dim braziers and faded [Light] spells brightened. The world came back into focus. Rael backed away from the fae woman as she smiled.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLeaving? You will never know what waits beyond yon boundary.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n She indicated a space just past the meadow. Rael stared and smelled spring, the scent of pollen in the air. And blood. He backed away. He would never forget the sight of the fae woman stepping back and the urgency in his blood. And the fear. He turned and ran back towards the banquet as the bells continued to ring.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I ring the bell as loudly as I can in my hands. The sound it makes is loud and high\u2014it\u2019s a sheep bell, designed to be heard by shepherding dogs. I ring it again and see Gamel ringing a cowbell. He looks disoriented, but as the sounds of the bells carry, the confusion fades.<\/p>\n The humming from the fae dies down. I see the excitement fade from the spring fae around me, and the Humans in the meadow start and shake their heads as if waking from a dream. Those who left the banquet table, the young men and women mainly, stumble back. Not all of them are the same as the ones who left.<\/p>\n I sense Rael returning, covering his arm. One of the young women\u2019s clothing is mussed. Another has a sprained wrist. But the worst is Oswalt. Three of the fae were standing around him. I sense him get up, make an incoherent sound, and stumble away.<\/p>\n Bloody. As he approaches, I hear Rie gasp<\/em>. I keep my voice steady.<\/p>\n \u201cGamel, get a healing potion.\u201d<\/p>\n Oswalt is in one piece. He\u2019s alive. But he\u2019s covered in blood. His arms, his neck, and places hidden by his tunic are dark with blood. He\u2019s been bitten or\u2026scratched. Part of his ear <\/em>is missing.<\/p>\n \u201cOswalt!\u201d<\/p>\n A [Lady] runs over to him, pale-faced. His mother. She pushes a fae woman back, and the fae retreats, laughing softly. I sense the fae draw back, and the buzzing grows softer as the bells continue to ring.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWell done.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A voice speaks in my ear. I whirl and sense Ivolethe standing in front of me. Her silent warrior guardian is right behind her. She nods to Oswalt as Gamel rushes over with a healing potion.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAlmost too slow. But not quite. Yon fool will live, although he will remember.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n She grins at me, and I shudder. The memory of the fae creeping about, pulling their victims out of the meadow\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cWhat would have happened if he\u2019d left the meadow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOh, he would have been outside the laws of hospitality. Perhaps he would have gone for a trip and come back older. Or perhaps he would have woken up naked a few miles yonder. Or perhaps\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Ivolethe shrugged. There are a thousand things her shrugs hints at. I turn my head away.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was a mistake. I thought your kind would obey the rules of hospitality!\u201d<\/p>\n Ivolethe\u2019s eyes glint.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAnd why would you think that would make you <\/span>safe? <\/em><\/span>The summer court is not like the winter. You were lucky that you only invited my kin, not\u2026others.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAnd are we safe now? What if others come?\u201d<\/p>\n The frost fae considers my question. She nods.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI would draw a circle of salt around your village or, at the very least, the houses. Put an iron horseshoe on each door if ye must. But do not fear; those of us who would play mischief are fewer now than we were.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNot reassuring.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIs it? You know the myths. You invited us anyways. Will you complain and say you weren\u2019t warned?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n