Sevael couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder every two seconds. Mother is going to kill me, she thought, but at the same time, she didn’t try to stop the grin that tugged at her lips. When she had gotten the letter from her father, Sevael couldn’t believe it.
Kid,
If you’re reading this, I finally snuck this past those annoying angels. Do you know how hard that was?! They always act so prim and proper, but they’re all assholes underneath those pretty robes and feathers.
Right, anyway, I want you to come here. To Aurora, I mean. I want you to see how beautiful it is here, you know, get your head out of the clouds. Literally. I can’t imagine you spending all your life stuck in some heaven filled with dusty books and cranky angels and who knows what.
Go down to our tree – the willow by the river, remember? When I brought the phoenix to you. I’ve put up a windchime. It doesn’t sound with the wind though. It’ll only work if a faerie is approaching. I can’t come get you personally – pesky humans want me to get some sort of license or whatever (you know, a waste of time) – so I’m sending a couple of servants to collect you.
I want to see you.
Love, Dad
The sound of windchimes drew Sevael’s attention away from the piece of parchment in her hands. Windchimes! Her heart skipped a beat and she stood straighter. I hope… I hope they like me.
“H-hello…?” Sevael called out. “Did my father send you?”
“ That’s Fendril’s daughter?” A snide voice said and Sevael’s heart sank.
A fair woman with eyes the color of fresh lavender seemed to appear out of nowhere. Her slim body and delicate features were enough to draw the eye, but her clothing was what set her apart from any human. It was a dress made of pale blue gauzy material that shimmered in the moonlight, wrapped snuggly around her body and fastened with lilac-colored gemstones. Her pale blonde hair was pulled into lovely ringlets secured by the same gems that adored her dress.
The most startling beautiful thing, however, wasn’t the woman’s looks or dress or hair – it was the emerald-colored wings that seemed to flicker in and out of existence. Sevael was so entranced that she almost didn’t see the second faerie approach.
This one was also fair and blonde, though it was a man, and his eyes were a vibrant orange. The clothes he wore were drastically different – he looked more like a hunter dressed in black furs than a storybook faerie. His face, however, had the same look of contempt as the woman’s face did.
“I guess.” The male faerie said. “She’s not much to look at.” He walked over and pinched Sevael’s arm. “You’re muscled. Honestly, don’t you have any respect for your appearance?”
Sevael fought back the tears that were burning in her eyes. This was her big reception? She had thought maybe she would be friends with the faeries who were picking her up, or at least they’d treat her civilly. Now she was doubting going to Aurora at all. She liked Earth, and her mother wasn’t all that bad.
No. Biting her lip, Sevael steeled her will. I can do this. She stared at the two faeries, trying her best not to tremble or cry. “I’m Sevael. Who are you?” Maybe if she was nice, they’d be nice too.
“Why should we tell you?” The man scoffed, but the woman shrugged.
“I’m Edmee, and this is Florian. What kind of name is Sevael ? It sounds stupid.”
So much for being nice.
Sevael went silent as the two began talking as if she wasn’t there. They walked off, not even bothering to make sure Sevael was following behind. She had to practically jog to keep up with their long strides.
“We’re here,” Florian said, stopping suddenly. Sevael nearly careened into him and stammered out an apology, but he just glared back at her until she went quiet. “Stand over here and stay quiet.”
Sevael slowly walked to where Florian was pointing, feeling small under his critical orange gaze. Do I really want to-
Before she could even finish her thought, Sevael was surrounded by dancing, shimmering colors. She gasped at the radiance of the light. It’s like… what did Mother call it? The Northern Lights! Do the faeries have something to do with that…?
Even though Sevael knew the idea was silly, she couldn’t help but think it. It was just so beautiful. When she looked at the ground, she realized the lights were originating from a strange, swirling pattern. A faerie gate.
Then, with no warning, Sevael found herself standing in a strange corridor. It was solid and liquid all at once, like everything was made of some sort of disorienting syrup. Wha- Everything was flickering between the forest she had just come from and a dream-like haze.
Sevael wanted to fall asleep then and there, but she could see Edmee beckon her. It took every bit of willpower in her body to step forward. But she finally took a step after what seemed forever. Then another step. Every time she moved, the flickering became less common, showing the forest less and less. Instead, the image of a brightly-lit ballroom surrounded her. It doesn’t feel real, though.
Swallowing hard, Sevael tried to refocus on the faeries. They seemed to be watching her impatiently. Is it real? Knowing them… probably. She continued to walk the agonizingly slow pace, but eventually, she was standing beside Florian and Edmee.
Like someone shutting off a light, the haziness that surrounded Sevael disappeared without a trace. She fell to her knees, feeling a wave of nausea come over her.
“Don’t hurl.” Edmee’s voice broke through the nauseous haze and made Sevael look up. Instead of the forest she had just been in, she was in a beautiful room that appeared to be made of… tree bark?! However, upon closer inspection, Sevael realized the walls were a tree. A living tree. What appeared to be thread-thin ropes of silver laced the walls, creating designs that – quite literally – glowed.
“We haven’t got all day,” Florian said impatiently. “Let’s go already.”
Sevael hastily nodded and followed the faeries. She couldn’t help but watch her surroundings with awe. Floating orbs of lavender-colored mist provided enough light to see all the beautiful silver designs on the walls. Here and there, animals and other faeries milled about.
Many of them turned to Sevael and watched her with curious gazes. After a couple of moments, she realized their wings were permanently visible, even without moonlight.
“Your wings.” Sevael couldn’t help but say. “They’re… there.”
“Of course,” Edmee rolled her eyes. “We’re not on Terra anymore. We don’t need moonlight.”
“Didn’t you learn anything? ” Florian sniffed. “Honestly, I don’t understand why we had to go out of our way to pick you up. You’re not pretty, or smart, and-”
“And she’s not a servant, unlike you!” A cheer voice interrupted Florian. Both he and Edmee froze, their faces paling slightly, but Sevael felt her smile return.
Fendril was leaning casually against a wall, glaring at the two servants. His wings, unlike their monocolored ones, started as a sapphire color at the top and slowly turned into a pale pink, and they were fluttering with obvious irritation.
“Oh, speechless?” Fendril stepped forward, looking more and more annoyed every second. “Honestly, you act all high and mighty, then when you face someone like me your tail goes between your legs like a common mutt! Why don’t you scurry on to your master before I have to drag you by your collars?”
Sevael watched as Florian and Edmee bowed, stammering their apologies, before practically bolting away. Fendril turned to her and smiled, but the nausea that had been boiling up in Sevael’s body this entire time finally bubbled over. She knelt, pressing her hand against her mouth in a desperate attempt not to puke.
“Hey, hey.” Sevael felt her father hold her shoulders. “It’s okay. You’ve got gate sickness. Just breathe.”
Sevael tried to do as Fendril said, but it was hard. Everything felt fuzzy around her, as if she had a fever. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and then she passed out.
When Sevael woke, she was on a bed of soft silk. The luminous orbs of mist around her had a pale blue color, rather than the lavender from earlier.
“You’re awake.” Fendril’s face appeared in Sevael’s line of vision, his features slowly becoming less fuzzy. He smiled down at her. “You’ve been asleep for hours.” He helped her sit up gently as she tried to refocus. The room was similar to the hallways, with a tree for walls, but it had the sharp smell of herbs. The only furniture was the bed she was on, a small bedside table with a pitcher of water, and a small basin.
“Hours? Really?” Sevael’s head felt like it was pounding. “Wh-what’s wrong? You said… you said… uh…”
“Gate sickness.” Fendril supplied, grabbing a wet rag out of the basin and putting it on Sevael’s forehead. It was mercifully cold. “It happens to most people when they go through the gates for the first time. You’re not used to the magic in this dimension and it’s making you sick.”
Sevael couldn’t quite grasp what her father was saying, but she nodded anyway. “Okay. I-” her eyes fluttered shut. “It hurts.”
“I know,” Fendril said soothingly. “Just sleep for now. Once twilight comes, you need to see Narcisse.”
Before she could respond, Sevael was unconscious again.
When Sevael awoke this time, the glowing lights were a lovely dark violet. She struggled to sit up, which drew the attention of Fendril, who was reading a book while perched on a chair that hadn’t been in the room before. They must have brought it in… wait. How long have I been asleep?!
“Wh… I… hi Dad.” Sevael found that even trying to talk was exhausting, but her father didn’t seem to mind.
“Hey, kid.” Fendril ruffled Sevael’s hair affectionately. “It’s time to go see King Narcisse.”
Panic flashed through Sevael, though she could only manage a discontented squeak. Fendril seemed to understand anyway and he gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, but that’s how it has to be. He’s the only one who can stop your sickness. Otherwise, it could take weeks or months, even years , for you to get used to it.”
Sevael briefly contemplated just asking to return to Earth, but ignored the thought. I’m here now. I just have to man up. Or woman up. Faerie up? She gave her father a small nod and he smiled again.
“Good. Let’s go. He’s waiting for us.”
Fendril’s words made Sevael panic even more, but she couldn’t do anything other than slowly stumble out of bed. Her father supported her as best as he could, but even so, it was still a slow, painful process.
After close to twenty minutes of stumbling, Sevael and her father finally made it.
Taking a deep breath, Fendril turned to his daughter. “Sevael.” He said sternly. “I don’t mean to scare you, but Narcisse is… well, like his name implies. You must show the utmost respect to him, okay?”
Sevael nodded mutely, her heart pounding. Respect?! She could barely walk or talk, let alone bow and praise someone! Before she could protest, her father was pushing her through an archway.
The light increased tenfold, and Sevael squinted as her eyes refocused. When they did, she was absolutely awestruck.
The room appeared to be the top of some massive tree, the roof made of branches open to the starlit sky. Orbs of various colors – pink, blue, green, too many to count – floated across the room, mostly swirling around a large… throne?
It wasn’t like anything Sevael had expected. She had been expecting something extravagant, made of silver and gold and fine gemstones. Instead, it was a tree. Or rather, branches of a tree woven together to form an intricate throne-like structure. Flowers seemed to bloom all over it – lily, iris, poppy, and more that Sevael had never seen before. A pile of white feathers was curled around the throne, seeming almost out of place.
A handsome man – faerie, if the beautiful wings curling around him meant anything – was casually sitting on the throne, one leg folded across his knee. Like most other faeries, he was fair and blonde-haired, though his eyes were a beautiful fuchsia color. Unlike other faeries, however, his wings seemed to shimmer and change color, going from the color of a sunset to a swirl of purples and blues in an instant.
Still, despite the beauty, the man had an aura of power and cruelty, like a rose hiding poisonous thorns.
“Fendril,” the man – King Narcisse? – said, his voice tinkling like wind chimes, “is this your daughter?”
“Yes, your majesty.” Fendril knelt, bowing his head.
If Dad is kneeling… this must really be the king. Sevael slowly attempted to do the same, though her fatigued body was struggling against her.
“Stop.” King Narcisse raised a hand. “Your body is still exhausted from the gate. Come here.”
Sevael tried to walk forward but stumbled more, and her father had to help her again. If she wasn’t so tired, she’d probably feel extremely embarrassed at needing this much help, especially in front of a king.
Up close, King Narcisse was even more intimidating. Sevael’s legs were shaking, and she wasn’t sure it was because of her exhaustion. He watched her with piercing eyes like he was trying to pin her to the spot.
After a long minute of silence, King Narcisse glanced down. “What do you think of her, love?”
To Sevael’s shock, the haphazard pile of feathers began to move. A head slowly rose up, impossibly huge, and her heart stopped.
A graceful creature stared down at Sevael with luminous pale red eyes. It was so large that her immediate thought was a dragon, though it was covered in feathers rather than scales. Its head alone was bigger than her body, and when it leaned forward to sniff her, Sevael realized that it could probably eat her in one gulp.
Still, Sevael felt no fear. Just pure veneration. It had an aura of wildness, like a summer thunderstorm, and when it looked into her eyes, she could sense great intelligence.
Sevael was so entranced that she didn’t see its tail move until it was too late, not that she could have avoided it anyway in her weakened state. A long, scorpion-like tail ending with a deadly-looking barb wrapped around her waist, lifting her like a toy. It had been hidden behind the throne, so Sevael hadn’t expected it in the slightest.
Repressing a shriek, Sevael squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the inevitable chomp.
It never came.
When she opened her eyes, the creature’s muzzle was almost touching Sevael’s face. Before she could scream, the creature’s tongue flicked out and licked her as a dog might. It was rough and scratchy, covered in soft barbs, and almost as long as Sevael’s whole body.
Not knowing whether to feel offended or honored, Sevael just stared at the creature until she heard King Narcisse laugh. “She likes you.” He called. “Set her down, my love. I need to cure her sickness.” At his command, the creature set Sevael right in front of the throne.
Sevael lost her footing almost immediately, but King Narcisse caught her with one hand. “Stay still.” He warned, putting his palm over her sternum. “This will hurt, but only for a minute.”
Then the worst pain Sevael had ever experienced wracked through her body. White-hot fire seemed to burn under her skin, burning her alive, and she screamed. Her body wildly twitched involuntarily and somewhere in the back of her mind Sevael worried that she was looking like an absolute fool.
Without warning, everything suddenly became better. Sevael felt as if she had been plunged into the coolest, most refreshing water in the world. When she opened her eyes, everything was clearer and the exhaustion that had plagued her body was gone.
“You’re okay.” King Narcisse said, sounding plesantly surprised. “I’m glad. Now, Fendril, I’d love to catch up, but I’ve spent enough time here already.”
As Sevael climbed to her feet, she saw her father bow and hastily copied him. “Thank you.” She whispered quietly as Fendril practically dragged her out by her arm. When they were in the hallway, he sighed and let go of her.
“Well,” Fendril said with a smile, “at least he likes you. As much as he can, that is.” He ran a hand through his hair, his old self seeming to return already. “As he should. You’re my daughter, after all.”
Sevael nodded slowly. “Um. So… what now?” She asked quietly. “I’m sorry. I don’t really know what goes on here. Those… those two from earlier weren’t very descriptive. They really only wanted to insult me, I think.”
Fendril laughed and patted Sevael’s head. “Don’t worry.” He said gently. “They’re just stuck up and annoyed that they’re low class. Never listen to them. Lots of people are eager to meet you.”
Sevael let a smile rise to her face. “Really?” Her father nodded and she felt her excitement begin to return. I think… I think I’m going to like it here. “I’m thrilled.”
Fendril smiled back. “Is there anything you want to do first?”
Sevael paused and glanced back towards where they had come. “Can you tell me… about that creature?” Her father’s smile faltered slightly.
“The White Beast. I don’t know very much about her, only that she’s some rare creature that Narcisse tamed. Or so he says.” Fendril glanced down at her. “She must have sensed something good in you.”
Sevael blinked. “How do you know?”
Fendril cleared his throat, looking a bit awkward. “She… well, you weren’t eaten.”
“What!?” Sevael yelped, her hands covering her mouth. “Are you serious?”
“Yes,” Fendril flinched, “but… she likes you. I’ve never seen such a positive reaction from her. I think you’ve made a friend.”
Sevael laughed lightly, feeling like she had just dodged a bullet of some sort. “I see.” A friend, huh? Aurora sure is a weird place.
But Sevael couldn’t help but grin. But I think I like it.