The Lonely Ones

Q&A

Will there be a sequel?

Nope. Honestly, I don't usually write sequels. I just write long stories then move on to the next lol

Will there be an epilogue for Artemis and Wren or Maggie and Dust?

I'm just gonna say no lol I'm excited to write The Secrets of Lore Seymour and just wanna move on to that. If I ever get the urge to write one, I will, but I'm not making any promises.

Are Dust and Maggie a thing?

They will be eventually, yeah. I just left hints that Dust was paying more attention to her and hoped that clued y'all in that they would get together in time.

Was the High King human once?

No. He has always been fae. He's simply the oldest, having existed before humans.

Why were the firelits so weak?

They aren't. They just weren't prepared or expecting what was about to happen since it had never been done or considered before. The High King never allowed a mass assault against the firelits or any other fae. Since Wren and his siblings are offspring of the High King, the most powerful fae in existence, they also had way more power on their side. They merely had the upper hand.

Shouldn't the same rule apply to Ignit; that whoever killed her will become the queen?

Nope. There is no High Queen or a ruler that is anywhere near the power of the High King. The High King is the oldest fae, the strongest, far more powerful than Ignit could ever dream of. His rules are the only ones applying to him because he is the only being like him. Ignit was merely a strong and old fae who lived in the Ashen Plains and took the title of Queen, no different than if a mortal took over a land. The High King, technically, rules over all fae, including the firelits, but they were just trying to rule over themselves. If the High King wanted to, he could have simply wiped them out because they piss him off. He would have once, a long time ago.

Do fae rules now affect Artemis? Can he still lie?

To an extent. He can still lie, but things that harm fae can now harm him, like iron. He can no longer wield the iron sword that killed the previous High King so it's just going to be locked away.

Will Artemis change in the future due to the influence of his new powers or will he maintain the same aversion to violence?

Artemis won't change because of his new powers, but he will change because of his position. Something I struggled to express was that fae are not human therefore they do not have our same morals, care, desires, needs, etc. If Artemis treats them kindly, that will make them even more violent because kind simply isn't of their interest. They don't want a "kind king." They want mayhem, chaos, and death. Artemis will have to show some forms of violence to maintain order and prevent himself and the people he cares about from being seen as easier targets. He won't take enjoyment out of it, but it will eventually become something that he accepts as inevitable. And honestly, Wren will probably be the one to execute Artemis' demands since he's still fae and also wants that chaos.

So the High King's powers are passed to the one who slays the High King. So what happens if the High King slays themselves?

The High King cannot take his own life. They are physically and mentally incapable of it. Even though the High King was obviously bored and depressed from a long life, taking his own life didn't even cross his mind. The same will happen to Artemis should he ever reach such a state. Someone always has to kill the High King to get their power, so if Artemis ever gets in that state, basically Wren and Artemis will have to choose someone to be the next High King. Artemis will have to be killed and Wren would follow him, if that ever happened.