asked, not meeting her aunt’s eyes.
“Where else would he be? Bring something to eat as well.
Some sugared plums, and some fairy cakes if there are any left.” Her aunt
fluttered her hands, her round face pink with emotion. “Oh, I forgot, we haven’t
had sugared plums in ages.”
Kyla almost asked if elves liked fairy cakes, and shut her
mouth just in time. She had to be careful. Her aunt would be vexed if she found
out Kyla was spying on her. The secret passages were known to her aunt, of
course, but she didn’t know the extent of Kyla’s knowledge, and Kyla meant to
keep it like that.
“Of course there are fairy cakes left. I made some extra
ones today. What kind of fairy castle would lack fairy cakes?” Kyla managed to
keep the bitterness out of her voice. After all, it wasn’t her aunt’s fault
they were at war and her father had dumped her in the southernmost land in this
crumbling castle to stay with her elderly aunt. She loved her aunt. She hated
staying here. There was nothing to do but cook fairy cakes, shake rugs and go
for endless walks along the empty beaches.
Her aunt sighed. “I know you’re bored here all alone with no
other young people around. When you bring the refreshments, I’ll introduce you
to our guest.”
“Who is it?” Kyla couldn’t suppress the eagerness in her
voice.
“Merlin. He is Queen Melflouise’s brother.”
Prince Branagh had married an elf woman, and now that he was
king she was queen, the first elf woman to sit on the throne of Hivernia. It
hadn’t pleased Kyla’s father, a staunch royalist and conservative too. He’d
bellowed for weeks about change and the downfall of Hivernia. But he had met
Queen Melflouise, the one they called Melle, and had fallen under her charms.
He’d come back from court and had stopped blustering about the ruination of the
royal family. But he hadn’t mentioned the fact that she had a brother.
Kyla wished she’d taken more care of her appearance, but she
was too anxious to go meet the elf to really care. Besides, everyone knew elves
didn’t care about appearances. They were rough and wild, like King Branagh’s
legendary one-eyed captain and his d’ark t’uath bride. Now there was a race of
elves that Kyla would never be able to fathom. A whole tribe comprised only of
women. No men! Imagine that! No pleasure! And at the thought of pleasure a
little shiver of heat ran through her. Elves were bigger than fairies…in every
way.
Her aunt was bustling around the kitchen and didn’t seem to
notice Kyla’s sudden silence. Kyla wondered if she should ask permission to
turn her charms on the elf, but then she shrugged. Her aunt would probably just
laugh and say, “Go ahead!” She was old enough to do what she pleased with men,
and elves were men… Just slightly different. Her heart beat hard at the thought
of meeting him though. She carried the tray carefully, following her aunt, who
hadn’t stopped talking.
“I have to ask him for news of the family. Maybe he has news
of your brothers,” she said, holding her skirts up as she trotted quickly down
the hallway.
Kyla hoped so. Not knowing where they were or how they fared
was torture. Every night she prayed that they would be home soon, safe and
sound, and that the war would soon be won.
They arrived in the reception room and the elf stood up. He
was so tall! Kyla cast her eyes down modestly as she put the tray on the table.
She was just acting though. There was not a modest bone in her body. But her
mother had reared her to observe proprieties. Her mother had been the royal
nanny for many years, and had reared princesses, so she reared her own daughter
the same way. She always said, “You can get away with almost anything if you do
it acting like a lady.”
“Merlin, this is my niece, Kyla. Her mother is Lady
Bluebell, and her father is Lord Flandres. Kyla, this is Merlin Winterhelm, Her
Majesty Melflouise’s brother.”
“Pleased to meet you, Lady Kyla.” His voice
“Where else would he be? Bring something to eat as well.
Some sugared plums, and some fairy cakes if there are any left.” Her aunt
fluttered her hands, her round face pink with emotion. “Oh, I forgot, we haven’t
had sugared plums in ages.”
Kyla almost asked if elves liked fairy cakes, and shut her
mouth just in time. She had to be careful. Her aunt would be vexed if she found
out Kyla was spying on her. The secret passages were known to her aunt, of
course, but she didn’t know the extent of Kyla’s knowledge, and Kyla meant to
keep it like that.
“Of course there are fairy cakes left. I made some extra
ones today. What kind of fairy castle would lack fairy cakes?” Kyla managed to
keep the bitterness out of her voice. After all, it wasn’t her aunt’s fault
they were at war and her father had dumped her in the southernmost land in this
crumbling castle to stay with her elderly aunt. She loved her aunt. She hated
staying here. There was nothing to do but cook fairy cakes, shake rugs and go
for endless walks along the empty beaches.
Her aunt sighed. “I know you’re bored here all alone with no
other young people around. When you bring the refreshments, I’ll introduce you
to our guest.”
“Who is it?” Kyla couldn’t suppress the eagerness in her
voice.
“Merlin. He is Queen Melflouise’s brother.”
Prince Branagh had married an elf woman, and now that he was
king she was queen, the first elf woman to sit on the throne of Hivernia. It
hadn’t pleased Kyla’s father, a staunch royalist and conservative too. He’d
bellowed for weeks about change and the downfall of Hivernia. But he had met
Queen Melflouise, the one they called Melle, and had fallen under her charms.
He’d come back from court and had stopped blustering about the ruination of the
royal family. But he hadn’t mentioned the fact that she had a brother.
Kyla wished she’d taken more care of her appearance, but she
was too anxious to go meet the elf to really care. Besides, everyone knew elves
didn’t care about appearances. They were rough and wild, like King Branagh’s
legendary one-eyed captain and his d’ark t’uath bride. Now there was a race of
elves that Kyla would never be able to fathom. A whole tribe comprised only of
women. No men! Imagine that! No pleasure! And at the thought of pleasure a
little shiver of heat ran through her. Elves were bigger than fairies…in every
way.
Her aunt was bustling around the kitchen and didn’t seem to
notice Kyla’s sudden silence. Kyla wondered if she should ask permission to
turn her charms on the elf, but then she shrugged. Her aunt would probably just
laugh and say, “Go ahead!” She was old enough to do what she pleased with men,
and elves were men… Just slightly different. Her heart beat hard at the thought
of meeting him though. She carried the tray carefully, following her aunt, who
hadn’t stopped talking.
“I have to ask him for news of the family. Maybe he has news
of your brothers,” she said, holding her skirts up as she trotted quickly down
the hallway.
Kyla hoped so. Not knowing where they were or how they fared
was torture. Every night she prayed that they would be home soon, safe and
sound, and that the war would soon be won.
They arrived in the reception room and the elf stood up. He
was so tall! Kyla cast her eyes down modestly as she put the tray on the table.
She was just acting though. There was not a modest bone in her body. But her
mother had reared her to observe proprieties. Her mother had been the royal
nanny for many years, and had reared princesses, so she reared her own daughter
the same way. She always said, “You can get away with almost anything if you do
it acting like a lady.”
“Merlin, this is my niece, Kyla. Her mother is Lady
Bluebell, and her father is Lord Flandres. Kyla, this is Merlin Winterhelm, Her
Majesty Melflouise’s brother.”
“Pleased to meet you, Lady Kyla.” His voice
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