True Love

Unseelie Guest

Demelza asked Ross to set the fox on the floor beside the kitchen fire. Maggy came over to her and said what have we here, looking closer she said, "aw but it's a little one. Where is your Momma babe?" The fox spoke, "my mother was captured and taken away. I tried to follow but they didn't want me, they say I was too scrawny." Ross did a double take. Meza told him not to look so confused he was the future King of the fairies. The little fox looked at Demelza, "then it was you my mother was coming to see if you be the Princess." He hissed as Maggy took the bullet out of his leg. Maggy said, "it best if you do not shift for a while since the bullet was deep." The fox nodded, then finished telling Demelza why they were coming to see her. "We live over the glen from here. Our people are struggling just to eat. We were wondering if it is true that there is work enough here that our families can strive to improve our futures." As just realizing what Maggy said he turned to her and said, "here whom are you calling a babe? I am near twenty-seven." Maggy and Melza laughed a drop in the bucket for the likes of we." The fox huffed.

Demelza said, "why do you ask when the king has made it known all are welcome?" The fox looked at Maggy and Melza to see if they would answer the Princess. Seeing they were not going to intervene he said, "we are a tribe of Unseelie we don't want wars and whatnot that seems to emanate from our king. We would be put to death if we asked permission not that either King would agree." "Well, as long as you don't cause mischief, I have no issues with you living in this area," Demelza said. Ross said, "Demelza may I speak to you?" Demelza got up from the floor leaving Maggy and Melza to learn more about the Unseelie living on the other side of the Glen. Ross confronted Demelza, "why would you ask him to bring them here? I thought your grandfather said, they are untrustful." Demelza said, "they want what we all strive for a good warm home, a clean house, warm clothing, and food in our bellies." Ross said, "can we at least consult the king?" Demelza said, "we have our counselor here in the house." Ross raised his eyebrow, "Melza and Maggy they know what is in people's hearts before they do. Ross conceded to his wife, determined he would ask Melza if they can vet them before they let them move in."

It took the fox two weeks before Maggy determined he could shift back to human form. Ross was astounded by how much he resembled the fox. Long pointy nose, and a sharp chin and he was quick when he ran. He had shaggy red hair and the starting of a red beard. His name was Roka Fox, Demelza laughed when she learned that Roka was Fox in another language. Melza and Maggy had agreed with Ross that each family is to be vetted so there would be no battles between the Unseelie newcomers and the Seelie living there now. They told Roka this and he said he would relay the information to the rest who wanted to come. He said, he would also make sure only the ones who wanted to live in harmony come to Cornwall.

Roka had left two weeks ago and Demelza was still feeling much illness with the babe. Maggy would give her countless herbal remedies, but it seemed the babe would not settle. Ross would sit behind his wife while she threw up rubbing circles on her back. Joshua kept telling them Grace used fennel all the while Melza said she had never heard of it. Joshua said, "it is an herb from India." Maggy said, "then let the Indians take it. Chamomile Tea or Peppermint Tea is what will fix her right up." After trying everything that Maggy could think of she asked Joshua if he could prepare the fennel for Demelza since nothing she tried worked. Joshua brewed Demelza a cup of tea. It took a couple of doses, but it worked she started putting a little fennel in all her meals. Willie and Drake could not understand why they needed to eat it. They said they did not need any seeds they did not want to be with a child.

It had been a month since Roka. Demelza and Ross would walk about the area every night answering questions that the people of the hamlet had for them. They would tell them gossip if they thought Ross and Demelza needed to know to keep undesirables out. The next day they heard tell of a large caravan of people coming from the east from the Glenn. Ross was worried once he heard how large the group was. Ross decided it may be better if Melza, Maggy, and himself would go and vet them farther from the little mining villages. Demelza had a small bump of their growing child, he did not believe it would be in her best interest to be out there where things could turn violent. Demelza had other ideas, "Am I not Princess of the fairies destined to be Queen? How would it look for me not fulfilling my duties?" Ross realizing, he was stressing his wife out by arguing relented to her wish to come and greet and test the new arrivals.