Aislin didn’t know what to think. There were fairies in the human world and they were freely interacting with humans! The fact that they were getting paid to do it only made it worse. Fairy history was filled with stories of fairies dealing with humans, but the fairies had always used their magic to help them as a favor or reward, not for payment! It wasn’t even something that most normal fairies would consider!
Aislin drifted at Tomas’s side as the celebration continued, thinking about what it meant to have fairies living among the humans. So much for the humans thinking that fairies were a myth! She wondered for a moment if her parents or grandparents were aware that some fairies had been left behind, but immediately rejected the idea. If they knew, they never would have worked so hard to keep secret their presence in the land between the mountains. And they would surely have sought out the other fairies long ago.
Aislin needed to send word to the fey. Her fairy grandparents would have to decide what to do; Aislin was certain that this knowledge was going to change everything. She’d have to send another message by bird.
Aislin was looking around for Poppy when Craiger entered the hall. He went straight to the king and they stood together deep in conversation. After a few minutes, the king spoke to the queen, who snatched the baby from the cradle and ran from the room. Aislin watched as King Tyburr called for the pages. The young boys dashed up to the dais to receive their instructions, then one boy ran to Selene, and one ran to Rory. Aislin was surprised when a third searched the crowd until he found her and Tomas.
“You’re both to come with me,” he told them, and started for the door.
“Where are we going?” Tomas asked as he and Aislin hurried after the page.
“The courtyard,” the page said. “Don’t ask me anything else, because that’s all I know.”
When Aislin glanced at Tomas, he shrugged and shook his head. Something had happened, but they’d have to wait to find out what it was exactly. Curious, they followed the page as he raced through the corridor. When they finally reached the courtyard, they found two carriages waiting at the bottom of the steps. Mounted soldiers were lined up behind them, and other soldiers were positioned at the door to each carriage.
“You’re to go in this carriage, Your Highness,” a soldier told Aislin as he pointed at the one in front.
“Where are we going?” she asked, but he just reached for her hand to help her up the step.
When she turned to Tomas, a soldier was already directing him to the other carriage where she could see Rory peering out. Frowning, she climbed into hers. When she stepped inside, she was dismayed to see Selene and four of her ladies-in-waiting already taking up most of the space.
“I told you she was going to ride with us,” said Merrilee. “That’s why Natalie couldn’t come, too.”
The moment the door closed behind Aislin, the carriage began to move. Joselle and Laneece grudgingly moved to make room for her on the seat.
“What’s going on?” asked Aislin as she tried to wedge herself against the side of the vehicle. “Why did we have to leave so suddenly?”
“King Ozwalt’s troops have landed in the port and are advancing on the castle,” Selene announced, eager to share the news. “Father is sending Rory and me to safety at one of his estates.”
Aislin shifted around to look out the window. They had crossed through the gateway and were turning onto a street that headed away from the port. People were running down the street shouting, and more of King Tyburr’s soldiers were already trooping past. The girls looked at each other nervously as they rumbled through the city, not even slowing as they passed through one gate after another. It wasn’t until they had left the city behind them and could see farms and woodland ahead that they began to relax.
Selene was chatting with Merrilee when Aislin asked, “What about the others?”
“What others?” asked Selene. “Queen Tatya and the baby left before we did.”
“I meant the servants,” Aislin told her. “Aren’t they coming, too?”
Laneece and Merrilee laughed. “Are you that worried about finding someone to brush your hair and help you change your clothes?” asked Joselle. “I’m sure we’ll find someone to help you, even if it’s the scullery maid.”
“That isn’t it at all,” Aislin replied. “I just want to make sure that they’re all right.” She hated leaving Poppy and Twinket behind and wouldn’t have if she could have prevented it. She’d just have to hope that her friends would be fine without her.
Aislin glanced at Selene. The girl was beautiful, which made sense if a fairy had given her the gift of beauty as a christening gift. If her appearance had changed drastically, it would explain why she didn’t look like either of her parents.
When Merrilee leaned closer to Selene and whispered something, the princess looked at her sharply and said, “That wasn’t very nice. I told you before that I don’t want to hear you say things like that.”
Merrilee sat back in her seat, looking like a small child who had just been scolded.
Turning toward the window again, Aislin watched the scenery evolve from farmland into forest. At first the trees were well-spaced, evidence that a woodcutter had been busy, but as they continued on, the trees grew closer together and the shadows became deeper.
They rode through the day and into the night, trying to sleep as much as they could in the lurching, bouncing carriage. The sun was just starting to come up when suddenly the carriage stopped with a jolt, sending two of the girls tumbling to the floor. “What was that?” Selene cried as Merrilee and Laneece tried to untangle themselves and return to their seats.
Aislin was peering out the window, hoping to see what might have caused their sudden stop, when she heard shouting and the clash of swords. After a few minutes, soldiers wearing crossed-sword insignia approached the door. She sat back, not sure what to do, when the men yanked the door beside her open. “Get out!” one of them ordered.
“What is the meaning of this?” asked Selene in an imperious tone.
A soldier dressed like an officer appeared in the doorway. “Which one of you is the princess Selene?”
The girls froze and not one of them looked at Selene.
Aislin looked around for the other carriage, but it wasn’t behind them as she’d thought. She hoped Tomas had gotten away.
“Get them out of there so we can talk to them,” the officer told his men.
Aislin was closest to the door and didn’t balk when a soldier gestured to her. As she climbed down, she could hear the girls whispering. More than one of them mentioned her name. Selene was arguing with them in harsh whispers right until she started to get out. When they were standing there, huddled together, the officer asked again, “Which one of you is Princess Selene?”
Aislin gasped when the four ladies-in-waiting turned and pointed at her. “That’s her,” said Merrilee.
“That’s her, all right,” said Laneece. “Don’t believe her if she says she isn’t. She’s a liar.”
“That’s not Princess Selene,” said Selene. “I am.”
“Don’t try to give yourself up for the princess!” said Merrilee. “She doesn’t deserve your sacrifice.”
Aislin glanced at Selene. The princess was willing to betray herself even though the other girls were trying to protect her. Aislin was touched that the princess didn’t want to go along with their lies and endanger her. But, although she had no idea why these men wanted Selene, Aislin knew that she could handle whatever they had planned better than a human girl.
“I’m Selene,” she stated.
The other girls looked surprised. “No, she’s—” Selene began, until Laneece jabbed her with her elbow.
“Put her on the horse and tie her hands,” the officer said, pointing at Aislin.
Aislin followed the men without protest. One of the soldiers led her to a horse and boosted her into the saddle. When he tied her hands, he did it loosely enough that she could still manage the reins.
They left her there with her horse tied to the front of the carriage. The vehicle shifted and she heard the sound of pounding on wood. When it ended, the soldiers came for Aislin and led her horse past the carriage back the way they had come. She could see now what they’d been doing; they had removed a wheel and broken it, tossing the bigger pieces into the forest. When she saw Selene and her ladies-in-waiting sitting on the side of the road, the princess started to stand, but the girls on either side of her pulled her back down again.
Taking all the horses with them, the soldiers escorted Aislin down the road. She had no idea where they were taking her and was surprised to spot the second carriage with Tomas, Rory, and another group of soldiers beside it.
“We can go now,” said the officer who had taken Aislin. “We got the princess Selene.”
“Where?” said Rory, looking behind them. “I don’t see her.”
The soldiers looked at each other, confused.
Tomas shook his head. “This isn’t Selene,” he said, and started to undo Aislin’s hands. “This is my friend, Princess Aislin.”
“I didn’t know why they wanted Selene. I thought I could handle whatever came better than she could, so I told them that I was Selene,” Aislin said as he helped her down from the horse’s back. “Do you know these men?”
“I do,” said Tomas. “They’re my father’s men and I’d trust them with my life, but apparently they aren’t very good at discerning the truth.”
The soldiers looked embarrassed, but it was the officer who said, “We left the real Princess Selene back with the carriage. We can ride back there and fetch her.”
“There isn’t time,” said Tomas. “One of Tyburr’s children will be enough. Take Prince Rory and get going. The other carriages will be coming soon. I want to be long gone before they arrive.”
“What about me?” Rory asked as the soldiers led him to a horse. “I’m your friend, too!”
“You were never my friend, which you made plain every day I was in your castle,” Tomas told him before turning to the officer. “You might want to gag him. He has a very unpleasant personality.”
“What about Princess Aislin?” asked the officer.
“That’s for her to decide,” said Tomas.
Taking Aislin’s hand, he led her away from the others to a spot where Rory couldn’t hear them. “I couldn’t tell you about my mission before, but I can now,” said Tomas. “The men came for me so that I could do what I need to do. If you go with me, I’ll return you to your own kingdom afterward. I have no idea what dangers we might encounter, so it won’t be an easy trip. However, if you’d prefer, you could go back to Scarmander, which is where the men are taking Rory to hold just as his father held me. If you go with them, you’ll be safe, but it might be some time before I’ll be able to take you home. The choice is yours.”
Aislin needed to know more. “What is this mission?” she asked.
“I’m taking a gift to the fairy Baibre in the wildest part of these very woods,” Tomas told her. “The gift is from Baibre’s twin sister, who is hoping for a reconciliation. If Baibre accepts the gift, the fairies will stay out of the war and the kings will meet to settle their differences. If she doesn’t accept it, we might be in for a long and bloody war. So, which will it be? Do you want to go with me, or Rory?”
“I’m going with you,” said Aislin. “And I’ll help you if I can.”
Tomas laughed. “I’m not sure how much a princess could help me!”
“I’m not just a princess,” Aislin said. “There are things you don’t know about me, but before I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone else.”
Tomas looked perplexed. “I promise,” he replied.
“I’m part fairy …,” Aislin told him.
Tomas laughed. “You mean you can make yourself small and fly away?”
Aislin shook her head. “No, I can’t do that.”
“Then you can change people with magic! Why didn’t you turn Selene’s friends into insects or something when you had the chance?”
“I can’t do that either,” said Aislin. “But there are other things I can do that humans can’t.”
“This isn’t the time for jokes, Aislin,” Tomas told her. “This mission is important.”
“I understand that, and I’m not joking,” she told him. “You’ll see.”
Aislin would go with him, but it wasn’t that she wanted to help him with his mission as much as that she wanted to meet the fairy Baibre. It was time she learned all she could about the fairies her grandparents had left behind.