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WE SPENT THE DAY TREKKING through the forests and glens and glades of Feyland to make it to the Pixie Castle. It was not the distance that took up the time, but the trouble of trying to be led by two pixies who lacked the use of their hands or wings; they stumbled and complained, but we both knew it would be too dangerous to untie them. It was a strange feeling – holding the lives of two creatures in our hands – and when Dogspaw began to complain of an ache in his foot or Starfeather began to bleed from his soles I could not believe my own cruelty in forcing them to carry on. I had always been kind before Feyland – shy, meek – and the idea that I could be in control of these two pixies was at once thrilling and unnerving. I had seen the cold cruelty of the Summer Queen, heard talk of the Winter Queen. Was I becoming like them, too – so concerned with finding Logan, with winning the war, that I neglected my own basic kindness? Or was I becoming stronger, willing to do what needed to be done in order to achieve my aims?
Shasta had no such compunctions. She whipped the Pixies when they lagged behind and threatened to disembowel them at the slightest provocation. She had been sweet and romantic when the two of us were alone, when she spoke of Rodney, but now it was time for her to behave like a warrior princess – regal, without passion, without regret, without guilt.
We continued onwards towards the bone-like castle – its skeletal towers, its skull-shaped ramparts. It reared up before us like some dead creature floating over the murky waters of its moat; we stared it down, fear rising in our throats like bile.
“Almost there now, Your Highness,” said one of the men, with mocking deference. “Almost at the Castle.”
“Carry on then, you foul pig's-breath troll!” said Shasta, concealing her nervousness with another well-aimed insult.
“Not long.”
We put our swords to the necks of the Pixies, dragging them roughly as the chain bridge was laid down.
The moment we entered the keep we knew that we had made a mistake. We were outnumbered – pixies swarmed the staircases and the corridors and the courtyards like so many rampant bees – and it would be impossible to outrun them all. We would not be able to make any military advance. And yet the thought of Logan within these towers – so close, still breathing, perhaps still howling in pain from the tortures to which those horrible men had subjected him! - tormented me; my heart stung.
Last time, my only negotiating tactic had been the promise of marriage to Delano – allying his kingdom with mine in order to save myself from the humiliating fate of being one of Delano's concubines. I steeled myself to breach the subject once more.
“I wish to see the King himself,” I said, more bravely than I felt.
“You see him already,” said an eerie, high-pitched voice.
I whirled around; Delano was standing behind me.
“I am a Princess,” I said. “And you will afford me respect.”
He smiled cruelly. “Of course,” he said, with a mocking bow that belied his intent. “Two princesses. Two – beautiful – princesses.”
“I wish to negotiate for the life of the Wolf,” I said.
He laughed. “Negotiate? Two pretty young girls in a den of pixies think they have something to negotiate with?” He shrugged. “Kill Dogspaw and Starfeather if you will. I don't mind.”
My dagger tightened around Dogspaw's neck; he had called my bluff. Shasta seemed less bothered – she struck Starfeather heavily with the butt of her sword and he fell to the ground, unconscious but not dead.
“I have something you want,” I said, shakily.
“Yes,” he said, eyeing me up and down. “Indeed you do. You both do, as a matter of a fact. I know the Winter Fairies cannot bear children – but I am sure I will find...some other use for the dark one.”
“You have a choice, my King,” I said, with a deep curtsey, echoing his earlier bow. “You could indeed have two concubines.”
Shasta whirled on me, her face hot with anger.
“Or,” I swallowed deeply. “You can have one wife.”
Delano had not expected this.
“I wish to speak to you in private,” I said. I knew Delano would try to seduce me; I knew I would have to lead him on as long as I could. I, at least, could not stand Shasta seeing me do this. But it was the only way – as long as I cared for Logan, I had to promise myself to him. If I could get out of it later – and I would, I willed myself that much – then so much the better. If not – but I couldn't bear to think about the alternative.
“Treat the Princess Shasta with respect,” I said. “Or the deal is off.”
“You amuse me, Princess,” said Delano wryly. “Treat her with the utmost respect, my men.” He looked them over. “Or I shall kill each of you personally, tearing out the bones of your neck with my fingers and your vertebrae with my teeth.” He looked up at me and it occurred to me that he thought the threat would impress me. As it happened, I only felt rather sick.
He led me into that familiar antechamber where we had once held our audience upon first meeting.
“You wish to marry me?”
I kept my face stony – in a deadpan expression. “I've grown to fall desperately in love with you,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I'm not an easy creature to resist, Princess,” he said, with equally withering disdain.
“Indeed,” I said. “But I can swallow my repulsion. I want the life of the Wolf. I do not love you, nor will I ever. And I will not sign over my kingdom to your control. However – however – I wish to destroy the Winter Kingdom as much as you do. And the power of the Pixies allied to one of the Courts, rather than a threat to both, is a shrewd political move. My people have grown to hate their fairy kin in the Winter lands, far more even than they hate the Pixies who threaten their borders with border raids and banditry. A marriage to you would help me defeat the Winter Court and stop the Pixie raids on fairy people – beneficial to me. And I would bear us the strongest sons in the land.” This part sickened me. “Beneficial to you.”
“In many ways, Princess,” he said. He was impressed; I could see it in his eyes. “But that is not why you wish to marry me, is it?”
“It's not your beauty,” I said hotly, and I could see that beneath his regal hauteur Delano was stung. He was not monstrous, to be sure – but his face had the eerie glow of decadence, of dissipation. It was not a human face; it was too cruel for that. “I love Logan,” I said, and the moment I said it I knew it was true. I did not love him the way I loved Kian – with that mad, passionate longing that came only out of magic – but I trusted him; I felt bound to him. I had known Kian for weeks; I had loved Logan all of my life. “And I am willing to take whatever measures necessary. I ask also that you allow me to return Shasta home. We may well destroy the Winter Court yet,” I said, “but we will do so under fairy rules of honor – not pixie laws of chaos.”
“You judge me harshly, Princess,” said Delano. “You fairies have taken the land that belongs by birthright to us pixies. We conduct border raids on you, our oppressors. We are the lone rebels of the ancient creatures who existed here before you fairies took over – with your harmony, your geometry, your laws. Our magic is not your magic. It is darker, more mysterious. We believe in love, in the arts of the bedroom – yes, Princess, I see you blush, but our pixies are fertile – and yes, in pain, in death. We feel the way you fairies do not feel.” He drew himself up and I could see pride flashing across his face, replacing his cruelty. “So do not accuse pixies of chaos. We own this land. It is ours by right! You, my dear princess, are the invader – not us!”
I let my eyes fall to the floor. “What do I care?” I said at last, giving way to anger. “Whether this land belongs to pixies – to fairies? Summer or Winter or pixie or fairy – well, Delano, Your Highness, I don't give a damn!”
He looked surprised.
“I grew up as a child in the Land Beyond the Crystal River. I had a mother, and I had friends – friends like Logan, whom you have captured. I have no part in these wars. I want no part in these wars. I do not want to bear your children – or anyone else's – I'm sixteen, and where I come from that makes me a child and you a pervert! So don't you blame me for this! I don't care if you're a pixie or a fairy – I'm not kindly disposed towards anyone who wants to hurt or imprison those I care about. I just want to go home!”
Tears stung my eyes; I tried to blink them back and act like a princess.
But something I had said had struck Delano. I saw in his face a new expression – something I had never seen before! His anger and pride had gone; instead he only looked abashed, surprised. In his eyes I saw something not unlike compassion – something not unlike humanity.
“Very well,” he said quietly. “I shall think this over. I will have a servant direct you to an antechamber. I need to think.”
“Delano,” I said softly. His change in demeanor had surprised me.
“I need to think!” he repeated, shouting louder. “Now get out of here before I decide to have you executed.”
He took one last look at me and then stormed off to the window, staring out at the storm gathering around the castle.
I gave him a deep curtsey, my face red with shock, before the guard escorted me out.