The Iron Seer

(Bonus) Chapter 22 - Searching for Answers

"Would you care to sit down?" Rowan asked, gesturing to the chairs. When I only stood there, he said, "Tiaothin?"

With a giggle, she danced forward and sat in the chair next to him before helping herself to a meat pie from a plate in front of her. Indeed, the table was heaped with plates of all kinds of food, as if the meal had been prepared for more than a single person.

"Ti," I said. I still didn't understand. Why had she led us here...?

"Not hungry? That's all right. We have tea; do you like tea?" said Rowan conversationally to me, taking another bite of that white apple. "Or perhaps an apple? They're quite good." He gestured to a bowl overflowing with the same apples - pure white, with a silvery sheen. I glimpsed the core of the apple Rowan was eating from where I stood, the crisp, bluish-white fruit hidden beneath the silverish skin.

Briskie hovered hesitantly, halfway between the table and where I stood. "Miss Ari?" he chirped, small face twisted in confusion.

I recalled what Ti had said earlier, when I'd asked her where she'd disappeared to. You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I locked eyes with Rowan, registering his gleaming eyes and smirk, and groaned inwardly. Leave it to Tiaothin to become involved with the Winter Realm's most notorious player on her first night in the castle.

What Ti did on her own time was her business, as long as I wasn't forced to be around him as well. He'd proven himself to be just as detestable as the rest of the members of the Unseelie Court.

"Excuse me, Your Highness," I said, gritting my teeth. "I'll find breakfast somewhere else." I turned on my heel and began to walk back through the archway. Briskie paused for a moment before flitting after me and alighting on my shoulder.

"Looking for Ash, aren't you?" Rowan called after me.

It was true that I had no idea where Ash was. Was Rowan only teasing or did he actually know? That was the question. Of course, he wanted me to ask. But I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

I continued walking, away from the courtyard. I would find Ash myself.

***

Finding Ash proved a harder task than I'd thought. I wandered through the castle's countless corridors, unable to get my bearings. I'd twice passed the same group of goblins playing a dice game that I'd seen on the way to breakfast with Ti, before I admitted to myself that I was lost.

I growled in frustration, wondering what I would give to have a map.

"Briskie," I said, biting my lip as I turned to my friend, who had followed silently the entire time. He cocked his head at me, blinking at me with his entirely black eyes that were proportionately oversized for such a small face. "Let's return to my room and wait for Ash there. I'm sure he'll turn up. And he can finish showing us around."

Briskie nodded, and zipped along beside me as we found our way back to my room. I collapsed on the settee, hungrier than ever. Ash hadn't been waiting outside my door, but I expected to hear his knock any moment.

A while passed, and I drifted off into a doze. A tremendous crash and shattering noise sent me jolting upright, and I located the source of the sound as coming from the bathing room.

When I went to investigate, I discovered that the irksome piskie had removed the oval mirror from the wall, and it was now in shining pieces upon the white marble floor.

"Oops!" Briskie buzzed, sticking tiny fingers in his mouth and nibbling at his nails with razor sharp teeth. "I didn't mean to, Miss!"

I sighed. "How do you accidentally remove a mirror that is attached to a wall?"