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Chapter 37

We were finishing lunch the next day when Taranis called back

I bolted the last of my fruit salad and fresh bread while Doyle spoke with hiic had quickened inside her Taranis couldn’t know that yet, but I feared what he would do when he found out It added one

I’d chosen a royal purple sundress with a scoop neck and one of those little ties in back It was very feue for a very long tith Soo slow into the twenty-first century

I sat on the freshly made bed, and it wasn’t accidental that the purple of undy bedspread and undy and black ones

I had refreshed the red lipstick and left the rest alone We were going for drah he couldn’t see them, and my hands folded in my lap It wasn’t formal, but it was about the best I could do without a for room

Doyle stood on one side and Frost on the other Doyle wore his usual black jeans, black T-shirt He’d added black boots that reached to his thighs, then folded them down to just above his knees He’d even pulled the spider necklace out of his shirt so that it gleaht on his black shirt The spider was part of his livery, his crest, and I’d once seen hiician’s body to split as the spiders depicted in the jewels poured out of themass of them The unfortunate victiht I had killed

Frost had gone th tunic of white, edged with silver, white, and gold embroidery Tiny flowers and vines were sewn in such detail that you could tell the vines were ivy and roses, with some harebells and violas embroidered around them A broad belt of white leather, with a silver buckle, fastened at the tunic’s waist His sword, Winter Kiss, Gea at his side He left the enchanted blade at home most days because it couldn’t stop ic But for an audience with the king, the sas perfect Its handle was carved bone, inset with silver The bone had a patina like old ivory, rich and war handled

They both did their best to stand to one side and not overwhelm me physically, but it was hard work Even if I’d been standing up, it would have been hard work; sitting down it was nearly i to have me seem friendly They would do the unfriendly parts if it needed doing It was a sort of good cop, bad cop, but for politics

Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, sat on a golden throne He was clothed in light His undertunic was the ht, with pinpoints of bright yellow sunlight, like tiny starbursts appearing through the light and shadow The overtunic was the bright, alht leaves It was both green and gold, and neither It was light, not cloth, and the color changed andht around a face that was so bright with light that only his eyes shone out of the dazzlement Those eyes were three circles of brilliant, livid blue, like three circles of three different oceans, each drowning in sunlight, each a different shade of blue; but like the water they were borrowed froed and shifted as if unseen currents boiled within

So much of hi at different kinds of light on different days in different parts of the world but having thee of illumination that flashed and flowed and fluttered, and never in the sa I felt I’d grow sick if I looked at it long enough I wondered if Doyle or Frost were feeling a little motion sick, or if it was justI could ask aloud in front of the king Aloud I said, "King Taranis, my part- quite overwhelht look upon you without growing faint"

His voice ca, but he was only speaking In my head, I kneasn’t the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard, but"Whatever you need to iven to you Behold, I am more easy upon mortal eyes"

I opened ht didn’t move and flow so rapidly It was as if he’d slowed down the play of light, and his face was not quite as dazzling I could see more of the outline of his jaw, but there was still no hint of the beard that I kneore His golden waves were more solid, less radiant I knehat color his hair was, and this wasn’t it But at least it didn’t make my head spin to look at him anymore

Well, except for the eyes He’d kept his eyes that swiht and water I sreen eyes that I reain Or has my memory deceived ht were yours? These eyes were the green of ereen of deep, still water in a shaded pool"

Thewith Taranis, fro the queen do it Tip nu Taranis; if it eet to the ears, he tended to believe it Especially if a woave a musical chuckle, and his eyes were suddenly just as lovely as I ree iris of his eye was a floith reen, soed hite, some with black Until I’d seen Maeve Reed’s true eyes, I’d thought that Taranis’s eyes were the prettiest sidhe eyes I’d ever seen

I was able to give him a true smile "Yes, your eyes are as beautiful as I reolden light with brighter gold hair in waves around his shoulders His green eyes see on water The eyes were real, as extraordinary as they were, but the rest was not If you had tried to take a photo of hiotten those eyes and just a blur Modern ca pointed in their direction

"Greetings, Princess Meredith, Princess of Flesh, or so I hear Congratulations It is a truly frightening power It will make the sidhe of the Unseelie Court thinkyou to a duel" His voice had calood to be protected at last"

I think he frowned It was difficult to tell through all the glory in his face "I sorrow that you had such a dangerous time of it in the dark court I assure you that at the Seelie Court you would not find life so difficult"

I blinked, and fought to keep my face pleasant I remembered what life at the Seelie Court had been for in to su said, "If you would couarantee that you will find it pleasant and most fair"

I took a deep breath, let it out, s Taranis A feast in my honor at the Seelie Court is a most unexpected surprise"

"A pleasant one, I hope," and he laughed, and the laugh was again that ringing joyous sound I had to sh frohness" I meant it when I said it Of course it was pleasant to be invited by this glowingthe beautiful, shining court Nothing could be better than that

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, then held it for a few heartbeats, while Taranis kept talking in a progressively , not his voice I felt my breath, the ebb and flow ofit out, on controlling it, feelingit until it was al the air trickle slowly out

I heard Doyle’s voice ht pieces of it as I perforan to be aware of as outside ain

"The princess is overawed by your presence, King Taranis She is, after all, a relative child It is difficult to face such power unaffected"

Doyle had been the one arned laainst other sidhe And no one told hi and most feared hi It had been Doyle’s warning that had preparedexercise rather than try to be brave and tough it out I’d spent lamour than I did, so I’d learned how to break free of it Sos that were noticeable, like the breathing Most sidhe would rather have been bespelled than show just how hard they found it to withstand another sidhe’s power I had never been able to afford that kind of pride

I openeduntil I felt myself slide ies, King Taranis, but Doyle is correct I a presence"

He sies, Meredith I do not mean to cause you discomfort"

He probably didn’t, but he wanted h to try to "persuade" ically

I wanted so badly to simply ask why it was so important that I come to his little soiree But Taranis knew exactly who had raisedless than polite Direct sonorant human, as I had with Maeve Reed He’d know better The problem ithout direct questions, I wasn’t sure how to learn what I needed to know

But it didn’tto bewitch lareatest illusionists the courts have ever birthed I tried truth first "I remember your hair like a sunset woven into waves So olden-yellow hair, but only you have the colors of the setting sun" I did a pretty little frown, an expression that woood effect "Or do I misremember? Most of lamour are from a child’s memory Perhaps I only dreamed of such color, such beauty"

I wouldn’t have fallen for it; none of uards would have believed it; Andais would have slapped me for such obviousthat Taranis had grown accusto to him just like that, or even sweeter If all you ever hear is hoondrous you are, how lovely, how perfect, is it really anyone’s fault that you begin to believe it? If you believe it, then it no longer seems silly or manipulative It seems like the truth The true secret was that I did think that his honest for honest, and flattering It could be a powerful coolden waves were twisted, carved into individual locks of hair, so that his true hair didn’t siht slowly into view, like a striptease His true color was that crimson that sunsets can have, as if the entire sky is filled with neon blood But woven through were locks of that red-orange that so below the horizon, as if the sun itself had been crushed across the sky A few strands of hair played throughout, like the yellow of the sun dran to threads that winked and shih the more solid waves of his hair

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding I had not lied when I’d said his natural color was more spectacular than the illusion had been

"Does this suit you better, Meredith?" His voice was rich enough to touch, as if I could have grabbed handfuls of it and clutched it to ure out what it would feel like inyourself in cotton candy, all air and spun sugar, sorow sticky

I jerked back toes the appearance of so it or not Glaht make a dry leaf appear to be a sweet bit of cake, and you are more likely to eat the cake illusion than the dry leaf of fact; but you es only the experience It doesn’t make your choice to accept it

What Taranis had just done would try to , Your Highness?"

"He did," Doyle said, and his voice res, like honeyed la to control ’s power

"I asked if you would doa feast in your honor"

"I ahness I would be more than happy to attend such a function in a ht now, Yule preparations and all, you know I do not have a cadre of servants to o as s at him How dare he try to manipulate me like I was some befuddled human or lesser fey This was not the way you treated an equal I shouldn’t have been surprised All along his treatment of me had been shabby, at best He didn’t see me as an equal Why should he treat me as one?

I could turn es to la that would keep me safe fro at me

What did I do better than Taranis? I had the hand of flesh, and he didn’t, but that was so that could only kill, and only by touch I didn’t want to kill him, just keep him at bay

His sweet voice continued "I would very htened on my shoulder I reached up to touch his hand, and the feel of his skin helped steady me What did I do better than Taranis?

I ers around mine His hand was very real, very solid It was as if the touch of his hand helped push back that heavy voice and shining beauty

"I would hate to say no to Your Highness, but surely the visit could wait until after Yule"

His power pushed at me in a nearly raave If it had been fire, I would have burst into flames; if it had been water, I would have drowned; but it was persuasion, aler reo to the Seelie Court Of course I would go

A suddenyes Doyle had sat down behind s on either side of ainst hiainst h The press of his skin against my hand was still ainst me

I reached out blindly, and Frost found my hand He squeezed it, and that helped, too

I looked back at the , beautiful like a work of art, but he was not the kind of beauty thattoo hard for me to take hi ain, like a warm slap in my face "Come to me, Meredith Come to me in three days, and I will show you a feast the likes of which you have never seen"

The opening door saved me that time It was Galen He stared at Doyle on the bed and Frost holding my hand "You called, Doyle?"

I hadn’t heard Doyle say anything I think I couldn’t hear anything but the king’s voice for a moment or two

I found my voice; it was thin and breathy "Send in Kitto Just as he is, please"

Galen raised his eyebrows at that but gave a quick bow, unseen frooblin I’d worded my request purposefully Kitto wore very few clothes when he curled in his hidey-hole I wanted skin touching uards to strip

Kitto ca but his short-shorts; from Taranis’s vieould probably look nude Let hi look at Doyle and me He was careful not to look in the ainst the side of my neck and held out my free hand to Kitto He came to me without question His small hand wrapped around mine, and I pulled hiainst s I had worn no hose, only purple open-toed sandals to s, and the warm brush of his skin on s underneath the skirt steadied an to realize a method behind the madness when Andais spoke to the Seelie Court covered in naked bodies I’d always assumed she did it as a sly insult to Taranis, but noasn’t so sure Maybe the insult began with the king, and not the queen

"I thank you for the honor you do ree to a feast before Yule I would be most honored to attend once the busy season of Yule is past" My voice came out very clear, very steady, alured out that I was after skin, because he kept his hands busy onthe parts of my shoulders and ar overto keeplashed atit into a whip that hurt even as it felt good It tore a gasp fro myself at the mirror, even cried yes, if I could have spoken, if I could have s happened: Doyle laid a gentle kiss on my neck, Kitto licked the back of my knee, and Frost sat down on the bed to raise my hand to his mouth

The touch of theiraway Frost slipped to the floor on the other side froer into his mouth, perhaps to hide his actions from Taranis I wasn’t sure, and I did not care The feel of his love around ain, a little Doyle ran his fingers fro my scalp undercleared my mind

"I have tried to be polite, Taranis, but you have been as blunt with your ic as I am about to be with my words Why is it so important that you see me at all, let alone before Yule?"

"You are my kinswoman I wish to renew our acquaintance Yule is a tied my existence most of my life Why do you care to renew our relationship now?"

His power see more solid than air I couldn’t breathe I couldn’t see The world was narrowing down to light; light was everywhere

A sharp pain broughtlike a dog trying to get my attention, but it had worked I reached down and stroked his face "This interview is over, Taranis You are being unaccountably rude No sidhe does this to another sidhe, only to the lesser fey"

Frost rose to his feet to blank the mirror, but Taranis said, "I have heard many rumors about you, Meredith I wish to see for myself what you have become"

"What do you see, Taranis?" I asked

"I see a woirl I see a sidhe where once there was a lesser fey I see o unanswered until I see you in person Come to me, Meredith, come and let us know one another"

"Truth between us, Taranis, I can barely function in the face of your power You know it, and I know it This is from a distance I would be a fool to let you try this in person"

"I give you my word that I will not vex you in this manner if you will but come to my court before Yule"

"Why before Yule?"

"Why after Yule?" he countered

"Because you seem to want it so badly, and that makestooof it"

"No It is because you want a thing too et it that I fear your wanting of it"

Even through the golden h it seehtened me, Taranis It is as sirasp, not until you take some very serious oaths that you will behave yourself around me and mine"

"If you will come before Yule, I will promise whatever you like"

"I will not come before Yule, and you will still proan to shine, his red hair glinting like hard blood "You would defy me?"

"I cannot defy you because you have no power over "

"No, Taranis, you are high king of the Seelie Court, as Andais is high queen of the Unseelie But you are not my Ard-Ri I am not of your court You er"

"You would hold old grudges, Meredith, when I extend my hand in peace"

"I will not be swayed by pretty words, Taranis, or pretty sights You nearly beat me to death once when I was a child You cannot bla you now, not when you went to such trouble to train me to fear you"

"That is not what Ithat he’d beaten me At least that part was honest

"What did you "

I sank into the feel of Doyle’s hands andacross"You are not "

"You seek a king, Meredith, or so rumor says"

"I seek a father forof the Unseelie Court"

"I have told Andais long that what is ill with her is lack of a king, a true king"

"And are you such a king, Taranis?"

"Yes," he said, and I think he believed it