Page 94 of Queen of Ever

Queen Sylara had suggested we put trusted members of each court in the cities as ambassadors to ensure my new laws were adhered to.I wasn’t sure how well the High Fae would take to having their slaves removed and given rights.I doubted this was going to be an easy transition.And I doubted many of the aristocrats of the former courts were going to be happy living in the capital city where lesser fae and humans were their equals, entitled to the same housing and the same work.We certainly had a long road ahead of us.

But there was somewhere I wanted to start.

The huge double doors opened with the groan of heavy wood.I spun around in time to see Sarah peaking her head in uncertainly.

‘Sarah!I’m so glad you’re here,’ I said, a smile stretching my lips.

Her approach was timid as she walked the carpet, her head bowed.When she reached me, she dropped into a curtsey.‘Your Majesty.’

‘Oh, please don’t do that,’ I said, taking her arm and lifting her from her stooped position.‘Besides, it’s not technically official yet.’

‘I mean, it kind of is,’ Ethan chimed in.I shot him a glare and he raised his hands in surrender.

It had been so long since I’d seen Sarah, I wasn’t entirely sure where to start.But she was an important part of what I planned for the human changelings.I wanted to start with her because she had been stolen from her family so I could be placed in the Human Realm.I wanted to make amends for that.

‘I need your help with something,’ I said, turning my attention back to Sarah.‘I want to give you and all the other human changelings a choice.’

‘What choice?’she asked, finally lifting her head to look at me as curiosity took hold of her.

‘I will set you up here in the capital—or somewhere else of your choosing.A house of your own, and a change of employment, if you wish it.Or I can help you set up in the Human Realm.’

‘You’d send the changelings home?’she asked.‘All of them?’

‘If that’s what they want, then yes.It’s an abominable practice and it’s been going on for far too long.It’s time to set things right.’

‘But what about the fae young that need to be in the Human Realm to survive?’she asked, reminding me of what had drawn me to her when I’d first arrived in this realm.She was kind, she always thought about others before she thought about herself.

‘They’ll still go to the Human Realm, but they won’t be replacing human children.They’ll be raised by fae.Ones appointed to the role or their parents, if they wish to relocate with their child.’

Sarah only stared at me in stunned silence.

‘What?You don’t think it’s a good idea?’I asked, running it through my mind again, trying to find a flaw in my plan.

‘No, it’s a great idea.It’s just… I never thought anything like this could happen.May I have some time to think about it?’

‘Yes, of course.I hope you’ll stay in the castle in the meantime.I’m afraid construction is yet to begin on the city.’

She smiled at me.‘Who would have thought the stubborn woman Prince Tarian locked in a tower would end up changing the world?’

A blush warmed my cheeks.‘Yes, well, let’s hope the world is ready for change or this is going to be really difficult,’ I said.And I suspected it was going to be the latter.There was still a lot of hatred between the Seelie and Unseelie, a lot of resistance to change.And I was asking for a heck of a lot of change.

A side door suddenly burst open and Eochaid hurried into the room, his face twisted with anxiety as he held a box in front of him that looked ancient.‘I found it!’he said triumphantly as he bustled over, almost tripping over his robes in his haste.

He opened the box and inside was a crown.It was white gold, solid, with spikes of sorts that pointed upwards.Looking at it closely, they looked like leaves in their shape.Shallow swirls and lines patterned its surface, but other than that, the only decoration was a stone in the centre that seemed to change its colour the longer you stared at it, moving from clear to purple, to blue, to white.I could feel the slight hum of magic on it.

‘Thiswas the very crown Oberon himself wore,’ Eochaid said proudly.‘It seems only fitting that you should wear it now.’

‘Oooh, let’s see, then,’ Ethan said, leaning forward in his chair.I wasn’t sure he was ever going to get out of it.

Eochaid nodded as if he was just as excited as Ethan.He placed the box on the ground as I tried to stop him.

‘That’s really not necessary,’ I said.I wasn’t sure I was ready to wear a crown just yet, especially Oberon’s crown.

‘It’s not a problem at all,’ Eochaid said, clearly not picking up on what I was feeling.He looked at me so happily as he held the crown in his hands and I didn’t see a way of getting out of it.I waited patiently as he put the crown on my head.When he stepped back to admire his handiwork, it slipped down over my forehead, hitting the bridge of my nose.

‘Uh… it’s a little big,’ I said.

Eochaid looked horrified, panic setting into his features again.‘We can get it resized!’he said.‘Yes, I’ll take it to the silver smith right away!’

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