The Seelie Queen

Chapter 6

    I was awoken by a knock on the door. Honestly, I was surprised I was able to fall asleep, to begin with. It was still morning in the human realm when we entered the fairy realm, so despite the few hours of the meeting, I wasn’t really awake for very long. Even still, the meeting itself was taxing on me, and I found myself wearily sinking into the soft bed, and falling asleep instantly last night. I would have to get used to the difference in the time change. Was it the same here as it was there? I had heard rumors that the Fairy realm worked differently. Moving faster. One could be in here for hours, but gone for minutes to the humans. A few months here was a week or two to humans. It was common to be startled by a human disappearing one week, and coming back with hair down to their waist, a haunted look on their faces. Though as I sat up and called to the one at the door to give me a minute, I realized I wasn’t so sure about the rumors. Meeting Zahra, I couldn’t believe she’d take humans from the human realm and play with them like that. She was too nice, and I doubted she’d allow her fairies to do it either. Maybe it was all just human rumors after all. 

    I was still wearing the commoners dress from yesterday, my hair a mess, but as I sat up on the bed the door opened and I was startled to be looking into the eyes of a young lady. She was eighteen or nineteen, small for her age and a bright smile on her face. “Good morning, Princess Jaelyn. Queen Zahra has assigned me to you.” She said, walking into the room with a tray in her hands. I nodded, feeling shy. Was this like a personal servant? I didn’t think the fairies forced it, but maybe they wanted it? 

    “Are you forced to be a servant?” I asked her as she placed the tray on the coffee table. She turned to look at me, her light blue eyes shining as she c****d her head to the side. 

    “Of course not. We love our Queen and princesses. We rotate out every week, with different families volunteering for the opportunity to take care of our beloved Queen. There is one that is employed, her name is Shayla. She stays in the castle, overseeing the volunteers, and places them to work. If we do good, the Queen keeps requesting us. My mother has been serving Queen Zahra for three months now, because they have such a close relationship. I hope...I hope you feel the same about me. I’d love to stay working with you, Princess Jaelyn. It’s an honor to be chosen, and I’d love to be your friend.” She said with a soft smile. “My name is Bree.” She finished with a smile. 

    I nodded at her, smiling as she came to me. “Come sit down and eat breakfast while I get you a bath ready.” She said to me. I placed my hand in hers and she smiled, leading me to the table. I sunk down into the soft couch and started to eat, my mouth watering over the delicious food. Different sweet cakes, beautifully designed. Bread of different ryes and shapes along with water and tea to drink. 

    Bree was humming in the bathroom that was joined to my elaborate room. I was still in awe of it, the beauty of it. The complete right side of the room was made of glass, and because I was up high in the castle I had an amazing view of the forest. From far away I could see the dark spirals of the black kingdom, but it was very hard to see, unless I squinted. There were soft gossamer purple curtains that fell down from the ceiling, where I could push them closed or hold them open if I’d like. The bed was unlike what I’ve seen before. It was shaped like an oval, as if someone had enlarged a nut and cut it in half, placing the softest bedding material I've ever slept on inside. The nut was propped open, and the top half of it hung in the air, with a soft clear veil that hung down around it, covering me inside the bed for privacy while I slept. I loved the softness of the material they used, and I wondered how anyone could ever sleep in the human world, after having slept here on these sheets. I had a couch and a coffee table, a nightstand on either side of the bed, and a vanity covered with different bottles and containers, most likely makeup and perfumes. I wasn’t the type of girl to use them much, and I hoped I wasn’t made to. I didn’t mind a little color on my cheeks and lips, maybe my eyelashes to lengthen them, but all in all I was a natural-faced type of girl. 

    Bree was in the bathroom with the water running, and I noted that it was to the left of the room. Because the right side was made of glass, and the door was to the front, the wall behind the nut bed had a door in it as well. I didn’t know what was back there, but before I could explore it Bree came back with a smile on her face. “Are you ready for your bath, Princess Jaelyn?” She asked me. I nodded and she led me into the bathroom. It was strange, getting undressed in front of another person. I’ve only ever gotten naked in front of my mother and Falyn, who was Aislyn’s daughter. But that was when Falyn was younger and mother would babysit her. I was ten years older than Falyn, so I would help bathe her when she was at our house. My heart clenched thinking about the young girl, but I knew I could go back to the human realm and visit her again. I’d have to go soon anyway, to get my belongings from my room. I didn’t have much, but I had special books I loved, and my journal. I didn’t want to leave that behind, in case Jareth or Sage decided to snoop into my room and read it. They were intrusive like that. Even being twenty, Jareth had a childish side, and Sage was only fifteen, so the two of them together caused more havoc than anything else. I could only hope that they’d grow up, one day. 

    After the bath, Bree handed me a towel so soft that I just stood there folded in it for a few minutes, in awe of the feel of it. The bathtub was glorious, beautifully made of a material I didn’t recognize. The twist of the knobs for the water flow was smooth and flawless, no hiccups or dark water, just pristine and heavenly warm. I followed Bree to the bedroom and she opened the door behind the bed, revealing a large room filled with clothes and shoes. I followed her inside, my eyes wide as she touched a large sphere on the wall, making a light come from it. “It’s a light sphere. It doesn’t last for long, but fairies have their own power in them, the magic that flows from their touch. You can do it too. I can tell, even though you’re half-werewolf, that you have more magic in you and fairy blood in you than werewolf. I can feel it.” Bree said. The light started to fade and I touched it, amazed at the feel. It was a soft pulling feel, not painful in any way as the light sprang to life, brighter than ever. Bree looked at me in wonder, smiling as she grabbed a soft light blue dress, and a pair of blue flats to go with it. I would talk to her about wanting to pick my own clothes from now on later, I was too in awe of everything. The moment we closed the door the light turned off, and I followed Bree to the vanity.

    She proceeded to help me dress and as I sat down in the chair, she started to gently detangle my long pure white hair. “You know, your hair is so beautiful. You look just like Queen Zahra’s mother. I’ve seen pictures of her, the previous queen. Long white hair, dark blue eyes. You have Queen Zahra’s father’s cheekbones as well, I can see it.” She said with a smile. I nodded, happy to know this. I was always curious as to where my hair and eyes came from. She left my hair long, braiding a few strands, a normal hairstyle I’d probably have to get used to. Honestly, when I was a girl I loved having my hair free and down, but ever since I was five, when that happened, I always pulled it back. Having it floating around me like a curtain made me feel like it was dancing, and the pull of the music would call to me, begging me to return. 

    She touched my necklace and I nearly jerked away from her, now knowing how precious it was, but she simply was fixing the clasp of it, a smile on her face as she turned me to look at her. “You’re so beautiful, it would be a shame to put makeup on your face. Would you like me to? Or do you want to stay natural?” She asked me. 

    I stood, looking at myself in the mirror. I already felt I was more than I usually was, the soft silky dress hugging my curves and exposing my body more than I usually did, my arms bare and the neckline of the dress low, showing the curve of my breasts. My hair floating softly around me, braids and beads braided in. All I could do for a while was stare at myself in the mirror. “I think this is good enough, Bree, thank you,” I said softly, still in awe of myself. I looked so different, but the same at the same time. I was afraid with makeup on, I’d be someone completely different. I wasn’t ready for that, not yet. 

    After she was finished she gathered the plates and cups onto the tray once more, opening the door and waiting for me to follow her. She placed the tray on a cart in the hall with a few dirty trays, most likely the others who lived up here’s breakfast. “Who all stays in the castle?” I asked her as I followed her. 

    “On this floor, it’s the children’s rooms. Your room, Prince Rhett is next door to you on this side,” She said, pointing to the door to the left, “Princess Naya is in the room to your right,” She said, pointing to the other room. There were other doors, and she explained in case there were more children, empty bedrooms for future generations. To the side was a staircase, going up and going down. “The top floor is just for the Queen and King. There is one other room upstairs for the fairy that takes care of the Queen, and my mother has been staying in it.” She said. I nodded, wondering just how large the Queen’s room was, since mine was already so very large on a floor with multiple rooms. Down the stairs was another set of doors, and she explained they were for those who took care of the royalty to sleep in. She informed me of how beautiful and grand the rooms are, with their own bathrooms as well, so I wasn’t upset or felt like they were mistreated in any way. In all actuality, I was considering taking notes to give to Queen Aislyn when I visited, because of how grand and beautiful everything was. But I knew this had a lot to do with Fairy magic, and I wasn’t sure if her witch magic could produce the same things. 

    Finally, we arrived at the bottom floor, and I was once again greeted by the large bookshelves filled with books. My fingers were twitching to them, and Bree seemed to notice, letting out a soft laugh. “I understand, Princess Jaelyn, but Queen Zahra has requested you to meet with her for lunch in the forest.” She said. I nodded, following her with a frown. In the forest? Normally meetings of lunch with royals were in gardens, or on the shores of beaches, but surrounded by trees? This was a new one for me. I followed her out the doors, wondering if she could hear my stomach grumbling. The small and dainty cakes from this morning were delicious but not really filling, and I was looking forward to whatever else they were serving for lunch. I wondered if they ate meat here, since the animals were so soft and docile, and contemplated if I was able to live the rest of my life on nuts and bread, fruits and sweets. 

    “Ah, Princess Jaelyn, good morning, or should I say afternoon now, since it’s lunchtime?” I turned around, a small blush on my face, hearing the sound of his voice. Rhett was coming up behind us, and immediately Bree bowed to him. He smiled, lifting his hand for mine, and when I handed it to him he kissed it as he did last night. He held it for slightly longer than I would have deemed necessary, but I didn’t say anything as he squeezed it, before letting it go. “Little one, might I escort the princess the rest of the way? We’re going to the same place, after all.” Rhett said, smiling at Bree. She nodded, saying goodbye to me and racing back to the castle. He smiled at me, holding out his elbow for me to once again grasp. “Here we are again,” He said with a smile. 

    I looked up at him, taking in his beautiful straight black hair, short and hanging in his eyes. His green eyes were shining in the sunlight that was sparking down in patches through the long trees. “Yes, I guess so. You seem to escort me a lot, Prince Rhett.” I said to him, raising my eyebrow. It didn’t escape me that Bree had called him a prince, and I remembered last night that Zahra said she raised him. “When did you come to live with Zahra?” I asked him, curious. 

    He chuckled, walking slower with me. It made my heart speed up a beat, as if he wanted to spend more time with me. “Queen Zahra found me after she came back to the others. She had created the realm of the Fairies and drew everyone inside. There were some that weren’t pulled in, and they staggered in afterward, for years afterward. Those ones were the ones that all sided with Queen Zahra, instead of Queen Wren. Anyway, I was about seven when Queen Zahra found me lost in the fairy realm. I was crying, alone, and I couldn’t remember my past. I was covered in blood, and Zahra decided I was an orphan. She used her sphere to pull the last remaining fairies inside the realm, those with full fairy blood, not half, and even after that, no one claimed I was their child. Zahra came to the conclusion that my parents must have been killed in the human realm, and she took me in. At that time, Naya was already slipping. She’d look at me and scream and cry, it was hard being around her but Zahra still kept me anyway, saying she promised she’d raise me. It was hard, acting like a little brother to a woman twice my age that acted younger than me. But I still tried my best to get Naya to accept me.” He said with a sigh. 

    That was so sad, growing up not knowing about your past, who your parents were, or how they died. Trying to befriend the older girl that was horrified. “Why would she scream when she saw you?” I asked him, confused. 

    He sighed, smiling softly at me. “Rumors have it that Naya says she saw the face of the boy who killed her husband and children, and then she started to spiral after that. When I first met her, she did have the vision beforehand, but hadn’t met her future husband yet. She said to everyone she remembers the face of the boy who killed them, but she really doesn’t, I don’t think. She screams for all men, all of them besides King Ronald. It’s why only the female fairies or Ronald can take care of her, and she tends to be kept in her room most of the time. She can’t come to events or meetings, because if there is a male present she screams and throws a fit.” He said. 

    I frowned, saddened. “That means as a young boy, you had no memory of anything, and the one person you tried to befriend would scream at you. How sad that must have been for you. I feel sorry for Naya, I really do, but that must have been hard on you as well.” I said softly. 

    He blinked at me, a smile on his face. “Thank you for your kindness, princess, but I had a good life still. Your grandmother was the kindest, I was honored to be raised by her.” He said with a smile. I nodded, accepting his words. Finally, we arrived at a small little clearing in the middle of the woods, large enough for a big table and chairs. Zahra was already seated there, and when she saw us she waved, smiling. I took a deep breath, smiling at her, trying to calm my nerves. I expected this would be an interesting conversation.