Page 118 of The Realm That Falls to Her

At least it better not, if we’re going to keep our heads. I’m not under any illusions that I’m a beloved queen, but as long as I don’t mess up too spectacularly, I believe that the Seelie Court will eventually come to accept me. Still, I have to fix their stone first.

That part is actually easier than I expect. The ore warms to the touch of my magic, eager to be reunited with its source as I use it to begin resealing the crack. The metal flows through the break I’ve created, binding the two pieces of rock back together again. And all the while I communicate with the ancient presence of the stone, guiding it, altering its purpose and reshaping it into something new.

It was only a few days ago that the idea came to me. Fresh off the battlefield, I was wondering how I might tame some of the brutality in this world and change it for the better. The thought had reminded me of Jorna’s prophecy and how it hadn’t come true. The foundation of Seelie hadn’t been broken—yet. And I realized that perhaps rather than fearing that break as a disaster…maybe I should use it as an opportunity. Maybe the stone needed to be broken.

The stone didn’t always serve the monarch; it was shaped by the magic of those who dug it up. Millennia later, I didn’t see why we couldn’t change that again, creating a new stone for a new age. Now, as I manipulate the ore, I ask the stone to shift and expand the scope of its magic, to open itself up to fae High and Low. I think it’s receptive as it seals itself closed before growing cool and solid once more.

I surreptitiously wipe a bead of sweat from my neck and step back, admiring my work.

“What did you do?” asks Destan, looking fascinated.

“I asked it to reshape itself to serve not just as a test for potential monarchs, but for everyone who wishes to be part of the Seelie Court. I asked it to only reward those who it considers worthy with its magic.”

“Is that safe?” asks Lord Zastel.

“How do you know you wouldn’t break it for good?” demands a blue-haired fae before I can answer the first question.

“Because this is as it’s meant to be,” announces Ephor Jorna, freshly returned from her stay in Unseelie. She’s carrying a large scroll with her, which she taps for emphasis now. “Ephor Novan foretold it. The founding stone had to be broken. It was inevitable.”

This seems to go some way to setting more of the fae at ease. Like it or not, they put stock in Jorna’s words. I give her a grateful nod.

“Times are changing,” Ruskin announces, his commanding voice filling the room, and silencing the crowd. “The Low Fae fought against Evanthe Dawnsong when other members of this court wouldn’t, and they rode into battle to save their kingdom. Gone are the days when we let blood alone dictate someone’s place in this kingdom. From now on, both Low and High Fae may be admitted to the Seelie Court.”

A rumble goes through the crowd. I knew this would be controversial, but Ruskin and I aren’t afraid of trouble, and we both stand confidently now, ignoring the occasional expressions of anger in the crowd.

“To be admitted to the Seelie Court you must pledge allegiance to the founding stone, rather than to the monarch,” Ruskin says. “We have seen how individual rulers can be fallible and dangerous. Though I hope I will always honor my duty as monarch to Seelie, most of all it is the people of this kingdom that make it strong.”

My eyes fall on the Sunshards. Halima’s mother stands wearing Halima’s sword. Protecting the court over the king was Halima’s philosophy too, and I don’t think it will steer us wrong now.

“The stone will then test you to see if you are worthy. If you are, it will accept your allegiance,” Ruskin continues.

“But what does ‘worthy’ mean?” asks Lady Naniva nervously.

“In the Unseelie Kingdom they also hold trials for membership to their court. They test their fae for their core tenets of honor and strength.” He pauses. “We are not the Unseelie, but the Seelie Court must also have a strong set of values to guide us. The absence of them has made us vulnerable to being undermined from inside and out. So the stone will test for two traits: wisdom and loyalty.”

Ruskin and I discussed this the longest, finding the values that we thought the existing court most often overlooked. But with these at the center of the new Seelie Kingdom, our hope is that the infighting and injustice that has plagued the court can finally be curbed. Evanthe had been right about some things. The Seelie Court needed to change, but together Ruskin and I are going to do it our way.

“Everyone, even those who did not choose to fight with me against Evanthe, even those who currently languish in our cells, will be allowed to make the pledge and take the stone’s test.”

“We already have our first candidate for the pledge,” I announce, searching the crowd for a familiar wisp of white hair. “Tesha, would you please come forward?”

She’s been almost glued to the Sunshards since she arrived in Faerie, but the changeling now steps out from between the two warriors. She stares, wide-eyed, at the crowd around her. I hold out my hand encouragingly.

“Tesha thanks her,” she says, as she takes my hand and I draw her close to the founding stone.

“No need for thanks, Tesha,” I smile, warmed by the look of excitement and hope on the changeling’s face. “I’m simply repaying the favor of a friend.”

The changeling kneels in front of the stone, her hands ghosting the surface with reverence.

“Go ahead,” I say, and she lays her long fingers on its black surface. She closes her eyes, and though she doesn’t need to speak any words aloud, I can see her lips moving. Eventually, they still and there’s a moment of silence, in which I pray to the stars that stone has understood what we’re asking of it.

Flowers, bright and blousy, spring up around Tesha where she kneels on the floor, a small meadow of reds, yellows, and blues. Tesha opens her eyes, gently touching one of the blooms with a look of wonder, and some of the court spontaneously clap, moved by the stone’s gift to her. I suspect Tesha will not be the only fae it decides to bestow some magic on, though who and what form that will take remains a mystery I look forward to solving.

Tesha returns to the Sunshards, and we invite the rest of those gathered to make their pledge. Some of the High Fae fight their way to the front, as if afraid the stone might run out of energy by the time it’s their turn, but I’m pleased to see the Low Fae stepping up too.

As the fae form a long line in front of the stone, I move back against an empty patch of wall, releasing a long exhale. My work is done, at least for now. There’s still a lengthy, daunting road ahead, but I’ll have one person beside me for it all.

Ruskin’s arm brushes against mine, and I lean lightly into him, soaking up his warmth.

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