The guard tried to tell me more about who had come and what news they'd brought on the stone, but every time he tried to speak, he seemed to almost forget what he was talking about. Then he would remember, only a little, and wave us on toward the castle.
We rode into the green, and I hopped off my horse, throwing the reins at the stableboy with a hasty apology. He, too, seemed to be unable to tell me what was waiting in the castle.
"Do you think it's Eoghan?" Ayla asked me as fear flashed across her face.
I didn't want to spook her, but it was certainly a possibility. I stepped forward and forced a confident smile onto my face. "If it is, we will handle him."
She glanced down at the stone hanging from her neck, as if she'd forgotten it was there. I let her go first as a show of support, but my hand gripped my hilt tightly as we hurried through the hallway. Every maid and guard we passed just pointed, unable to say what was waiting for us. My heartbeat was in my throat as we came into the great hall.
A creature stood there, a fae I'd never seen before—which was saying something, considering I'd spent weeks among them. His skin was even paler than Ayla's, a milky white that was almost transparent, matching his stark white hair. His eyes were the fae gold, but so light they were nearly white, punctuated by a dark black pupil that seemed even larger than normal. When he smiled, long incisors appeared on either side, giving him a wild, feral look.
"Your Majesty," he said, his voice deep and velvety. "I'm Lynton. From the kingdom of Gwyllion."
I was speechless, staring openly and perhaps a little rudely. "W-welcome, Lynton," Ayla stammered before collecting herself. "You've brought news of the seod croí?"
He cracked another smile, one that wasn't all that friendly. "Indeed."
"I'm sorry," I said, glancing at Ayla. "I'm unfamiliar with the kingdom of Gwyllion. Where…exactly is it?"
"In the mountains where you sent your scouts," he said. "I wouldn't expect the humans to know the name. Our society has been hidden from the world for the past thousand years."
It was then that I realized what he was—and my pulse quickened with hope. "You're a troll," I said, after a moment.
"A…" Ayla turned to him then to me. "A troll?"
"The Erlking had told us he thought the trolls had taken a piece, but he wasn't even sure they still existed," I said. "Clearly, you do."
"As I said, we've been concealed from the rest of the world," he said stiffly. "And there are many enchantments that keep us that way."
"Fascinating," Ayla breathed.
But I cleared my throat. "You said you had news of the stone?"
"I do," he said, his voice even. "But it is for the queen's ears only."
"Ward is my captain," Ayla said. "Or will be soon. Whatever you have to say to me, you can say to him, too."
The troll made a face but nodded. "Then at least offer a weary traveler food and drink. The conversation may be long."
"Of course," I said with a nod. "Would wine suffice?"
"That would be lovely."
⤖⤖⤖⤖
Bronwen moved quickly, and within minutes, Ayla, Lynton, and I were ensconced in her small library. Lynton sipped the wine slowly, making a face as he tasted it. Then he spoke again.
"Our king became aware of your scouts when they came to a border town. He keeps ears in the human villages in case of trouble, and when word reached him that the Pennlan stone had been returned to you—and that you'd been able to use it—he was eager to send his fastest rider to seek an audience with you."
I sipped my wine slowly, watching the troll with suspicion. The creature was unlike anything I'd encountered in the fae realm, and there was something about his story that didn't sit right with me.
Ayla was oblivious to my concerns, clearly itching to pepper the troll with questions. But she seemed to settle on platitudes. "How long was your journey?"
"Over a month. It was quite difficult," Lynton said as he sipped slowly. "The sun is harsh, you know, for those who never see it."
Another curiosity. "If the journey was so long and arduous, why not send a letter?" I asked.
"I was clear that this news was for the queen's ears only," he said.
"Can't you enchant a letter for the queen's eyes only?" I asked.
He smiled, looking me over. "Are you a study in the limits and nuances of troll magic, captain?"
"I have spent time in the fae realm, yes," I said.
His eyes flashed dangerously. "Then you know nothing of my kind."
"But aren't you…fae?" I asked, noting his pointed ears and golden eyes.
"There are different kinds, of course. We trolls have never been… We are of the same cloth as the daoine maithe, sidheog, even the forest fae. But they never felt that way about us. So when I say the fae, clearly I don't include our kind because they never included us in their numbers."
"Makes sense," Ayla said, even though I was sure it didn't to her. I took another sip of my wine to keep my mouth occupied instead of responding.
"If my king deemed this message important enough to send a messenger, then it was so," he finished.
"And what is this message?" Ayla asked.
"First, a question," he said. "Namely, if you have a stone of your own, and it is functional, why are you seeking the one in the troll's care?
"Not seeking, per se," Ayla said. "There's a wizard named Eoghan—"
"We are familiar with Eoghan," he said. "The wizard who lived here for twenty years."
"Under false pretenses," Ayla added with a grimace. "He had a long-term plan to take the stone for himself—one that changed after the fae Leandra escaped his clutches."
Lynton tilted his head to the side; this was new information to him. "How would he take the stone? And what does the greater fae have to do with it?"
"Eoghan has a devious spell, one that can take control of a fae's mind and magic. His initial plan was to use Leandra, who had married my father and could use the stone, but she managed to break free of his control." She swallowed. "He then thought he might…manipulate and marry me, when I came of age."
"Surely, you were too smart to be fooled."
"He had us all fooled," I said with a look.
"We've banished him, but banishment isn't permanent." She licked her lips and thumbed the stone. "Especially since there are three more pieces out there. The last thing we want is for Eoghan to get his hands on that power. So we were seeking the other three pieces to ensure that…well, he doesn't."
Lynton took another long sip of his wine, as if drawing the moment out. "The second part of my message is to relay an invitation for Her Majesty to visit Gwyllion. King Edric thought it would be better received if the request was delivered in person."
My eyebrows shot up, and Ayla's lips parted in surprise. "He wants me to…visit?"
Lynton nodded. "Your scouts told us of this wizard, and the king was similarly concerned. He believes an alliance between our kingdoms would be a show of force against him. Even if he were to find the other two—"
"It would be two against two," Ayla said with a nod. "I think that—"
"An alliance is fine," I said. "But the queen can't travel halfway across the continent. I'd be happy to make the journey for her."
"Does this…man speak for you?" Lynton asked.
"Absolutely not," Ayla said, glaring at me. "I'm perfectly capable of answering the invitation—and I'm going. After all, I'm the queen."
I cleared my throat, wondering how much we could argue in front of the troll. "It is precisely because you're the queen that I don't think you should go. It took him a whole month to travel here—"
"So?"
"Then it's a month to get there," I said patiently. "And a month to return. That's a long time to be away from Pennlan."
"I can rule from anywhere. This is an important visit," Ayla said, her green eyes boring into mine.
"Besides that," Lynton said with a dirty look at me. "King Edric specifically asked for the queen. After all, it's the Pennlan line that controls the stone. There are specifics that can only be negotiated between the owners of the respective stones."
"Then how about the king travel here?" I asked, a little more heatedly than intended.
"Ward," Ayla said with a steely look as she rose. "I would be honored to accept your invitation."
"There is more."
"Of course," I scoffed.
"King Edric asked me to extend the invitation to your sister as well."
"My sister…" Ayla looked taken aback. "Why her?"
"King Edric would like to offer an olive branch to the Erlking and resume peaceful relations. Assuming, of course, we get to retain ownership over the stone."
That seemed in sharp contrast to the angry way Lynton had just been describing the fae, but perhaps his personal opinion was being overruled by his monarch.
"So why not invite the Erlking, or one of his other…other envoys?" Ayla asked.
"Because while King Edric is eager to reopen lines, he's not eager to invite a full-blooded fae into the kingdom until he can be sure of the current Erlking's intentions. The human blood in her veins makes her less of a…threat."
"She's not a threat at all," I said.
"I wouldn't expect a human to understand," Lynton replied with a sneer.
"I don't know if the Erlking will allow Riona to come," Ayla said after a moment.
Lynton started. "She's not here?"
"No, she's…" Ayla considered her words. I doubted she wanted to share the entire sordid history. "As I said, I don't know if the Erlking can spare her. But he may be able to send someone else."
He shook his head. "It must be the half-fae. Those are my orders from Edric himself."
"I'll see what I can do," Ayla said with a solemn nod.
"Are you sure this is wise?" I interjected. "Seems fishy that they want Riona to come. She's a kid. She can't speak for—"
"Ward," she said, glaring fire at me, "why don't you start preparations for my departure? I'll pen a letter to Cade to discuss Riona. Lynton, I'll have a room readied for you."
He seemed uncomfortable. "How long until you hear? King Edric is eager for my return."
"Cade and I have a special way to communicate with each other," she said. "Hopefully, I'll have my answer within the day."
⤖⤖⤖⤖
I followed her out of the room and waited until we were just out of earshot. "Ayla, you can't be serious."
"No, you can't be serious," she said, whirling on me with fire in her green eyes. "Speaking over me like that—"
"I'm sorry," I said, waving my hand. "But I just find this whole thing suspicious. He shows up out of nowhere for the first time in a thousand years and wants you and the stone to travel? And Riona?"
"What, exactly, would you have me do? Decline their offer?"
"Yes," I said. "You told me yourself that you're in a delicate dance with the other human kingdoms. You can't just up and leave for a few months to journey to the troll kingdom. Not to mention it's dangerous. As your captain—"
"You aren't captain yet," she said. "And maybe I'm second-guessing my blessing on that promotion if you're going to be like Eoghan and keep me locked up in this castle for the rest of my life."
The words echoed between us, and my heart dropped into my stomach. She'd spoken so surely, as if she had no doubts in her mind. But her words cut me deep.
"Is that what you think I'm doing?" I asked, my voice quiet.
She licked her lips, hesitantly, then lifted her chin. "I'm queen, Ward. And if I say I'm going then I'm going. I don't want to hear another word about it."