Summer Garden

Ashwen

An older Fae, wings dull and eyes duller, sat by a fireplace, reading a series of dancing inscriptions in the air, or rather he was experiencing them. They were memory packets, crafted and sent by his various connections throughout the realm. This was a daily occurrence, a habit she'd never tried to break. She moved around him silently, preparing. Hot nectar, a saucer of peppermint leaves, and a small disc of amber. It wasn't an overtly courageous or outgoing meal, nor did appear at first glance to be even difficult to obtain, yet she always put her effort into it. To reward him for his diligent work on behalf of the Fae.

Lord Ashwith brushed aside the dust in the air, dismissing it, and grunted disapproval.

Ashwen quickly moved to his side, "Is there anything you desire, Father?"

"Sit." He waved dismissively, "I've been reading the memories of some of the council members. Yours were not among them, so I would have your words. The Right of Durian."

Ashwen shrugged, uncertain what kind of answer he wanted. "It is the Queen's right, as it is every Fae."

"Never before has a Fae been bound to... A non-Fae." He choked as he nearly said 'human'.

She nervously chewed on a strand of her brunette hair, "No, but if the Queen has said it, then I expect the Arbiter would have verified it. I can't see him accepting a lie from our queen, can you?"

Lord Ashwith frowned, "The Lord Arbiter is just, it is true, but he is not without fault, child. What was it, three lifetimes ago, when he promised you would be a member of his household, forever? Well it appears forever comes and goes in the eyes of the Arbiter a lot faster than it does in my own."

She felt her eyes water at the memory, threatening to burst open the floodgates. Janus had promised he would love her, and then basically ignored her for the rest of that lifetime. It had been a mistake. For both of them. One she would probably make again in a heartbeat, to the disappointment of the man in front of her. "Can it be verified, sir?"

Ashwith frowned, "I am not certain. It has been many lifetimes since any Fae claimed the right. We gave up on the mere idea of it a long time ago. Not everyone is fated to another."

Ashwen tapped her chin, "Is it possible for the Queen? I mean, she does have some differences in the eyes of the Fates. Would they dare to bind her?"

"A decent point of interest." Ashwith nodded slowly, picking up his nectar, "I wonder what this marriage will mean for Faen society. We will have a king, for the first time since the Lord Arbiter ruled when the queen was a child. He only ruled once, a very long time ago. I cannot imagine he would be happy to have a... A mortal on the throne. To be forced to allow a mortal to join us in council."

Ashwen blinked, "Will the king be granted lands? Realms? He can't sustain them. Mortals don't tend to have magic, do they? Will someone have to act as his steward?"

"The law does have rules and rights relating to the bride of our queen." Ashwith said slowly, "If I recall correctly, he will be granted nothing of his own, but rather become the steward of the queen. All rights and responsibilities that entails will be granted."

Ashwen scratched her head, "How could a mortal stand guard over the Channels of the Garden? I am not certain our laws are adequate to deal with this situation. I don't think the first council ever considered they would welcome a mortal into their embrace."

"We have not yet embraced him." Ashwith cautioned, "Yes, it seems accommodations must be made for the king to be. What they are will probably be decided by our council. It is worth thinking about. After all, you are Lady Ashwen, not merely a member of my household. You have your own responsibilities are peoples. Do you believe they will embrace this new bride?"

Ashwen shrugged, pulling her hair out of her mouth, "Where you lead, they will follow. My people are small, and do not believe they have significance. They will look to the larger realms, and older Fae, to give them advice. Our biggest trade is lumber. I don't think that will significantly change whether or not the Queen's consort is accepted."

"It might." Ashwith replied, "Lumber can be broken down and used for spears and arrows. War would profit your people, even as it brings the horror in its wake. Some of your people may realise this, and wish to continue the unrest."

Ashwen flinched, "I will do my best to prevent that."

"Indeed." Ashwith nodded, "We must always be on our guard. The heart is the most fickle of all. The most dangerous thing we must contend with. It is for that reason we must always show caution, a caution that our queen appears to be lacking. The mortal is unproven. We must devise a test."