Six months later
I swirled across the stone-paved courtyard in Naven’s arms. I had chosen a deep pink dress for our engagement ball, with full skirts and a bodice with gauzy pale-pink petals like an upturned water lily.
Naven wore a dark green suit with a pond green cravat. We both laughed when we saw each other. It was like a picture of how we met that first day of the trials. Unlike that day, I had managed to get my towering golden croquembouche to this party without falling in the pond.
“Are you happy, Tuala?” murmured Naven in my ear. “You can still back out before the engagement ceremony tonight.”
I put a finger to my cheek and pretended to think about it. The ceremony tonight wasn’t as official as a wedding, but hand-fasting in Tír na nÓg was still a vow. It started the magical bond between us that would grow stronger after we married.
Naven looked at me nervously and faltered a step in the dance.
“Of course, I’m sure,” I said with a laugh. “You’re the one I want to spend my life with. Even as a frog, you were better company than anyone else I’ve known.”
Naven still officially lived at the Juniper Court, but in the past six months he had spent more and more time here with me and my parents. And while we learned together about the ins and outs of ruling a faerie court, that spark between us had flamed into love. True love, you might even say, if you wanted to be technical about it.
Naven dropped his arm from around me but kept his other hand grasping mine. He led me through the twirling crowd of dancers, past my mother who was nursing my baby brother on the sidelines, and out of the tent of twinkling lights to stand by the pond with the Lily Gate.
“Much better,” I said, tilting my head up for a kiss.
My prince happily obliged, one hand settling on my waist, the other tangling in my hair.
My lips parted and he deepened the kiss, drawing me even closer to his chest.
“I just think we should say something,” whispered a female voice.
I jumped, abruptly breaking the kiss. There, a few feet away on a stone bench, sat a couple. He was dark-haired and pale with an eyepatch covering his left eye. She was very short and obviously very human in a yellow silk ballgown. A small lantern glowed on the back of the bench and both of them had books in their laps.
“I apologize for my fiancée,” said the fae man, rising and giving a polite bow. He helped the girl up from the bench. “I told you, Àlainn, we should have just crept out. We disturbed them.”
“How, Leith? They were blocking the exit. Or do you think we should have jumped the hedge and landed in yet another pond on the other side? That would have been sooo inconspicuous.”
The man, Leith, sighed, but he looked at her with a twinkle in his eye.
“Um, and you are?” asked Naven, still blushing from the interruption.
“Oh, sorry.” The girl laughed. “I’m Isobel, and this is Leith.”
“Prince of the Rose Court, at your service.” The man bowed again, still holding Isobel’s hand. When we had sent out invitations to the challenge, the reply from the Rose Court had simply read “unavailable.” That much was clearly true.
“And you’re Tuala and Naven,” said Isobel, reaching out to shake our hands. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
“Leith, you have to help me!” Prince Declan burst into the little alcove.
“I clearly need more practice at finding private spots,” sighed Naven.
“It’s Tiernan.” The shaggy-haired prince glanced back in the direction of the party.
“Again?” Prince Leith rolled his eye and followed Declan. “How many hearts can he break in one evening?”
“It was nice to meet you,” I called after them. “I think...”
“Oh! Before we go, I have something for you.” Isobel patted the hips of her full golden skirts.
“Oh, gifts aren’t necessary,” I assured her.
“It’s not a gift exactly.” She pulled a folded piece of paper out of a pocket. “It’s a message.”
“From who?” I accepted the paper.
“We have a mutual acquaintance. She gave this to me last spring and told me to pass it along when I saw you.” She winked and turned to go. “Congratulations on your engagement!”
“What does it say?” Naven leaned over to peek but I led him by the hand to the bench where the lantern still sat.
I unfolded the paper. It felt smooth and thin, clearly from the human world.
Dear Tuala and Naven,
I do hope you’ll forgive me for not making it to your engagement party. So long as the Unseelie Queen hunts me, it’s best if I don’t draw trouble by spending much time in Faerie.
I know your courtship seemed a bit unusual, to say the least, but I also know it has forged a bond between you that will stand the tests of time. And think of the stories you’ll tell your children!
Sometimes the path to true love is unconventional, but I know in my heart that you two will truly live happily ever after.
Save me a spot at your wedding!
Your loving Godmother,
Clíodhna
“If Isobel got this note in the spring, that’s before the trials even began,” mused Naven.
“I’m sure there’s a lot to wonder about.” I refolded the note and tucked it into my pocket. “But I don’t have any doubts about one part.”
“Which part?” Naven kissed my cheek.
I leaned in and whispered in his ear, “That we’ll live happily ever after.”
He kissed me again, with the twinkling sheerie dancing around us on the water, and I smiled against his lips. Never had there been a girl as lucky to fall into a pond as me.