Chapter 11

Chapter

Eleven

K aralyn forced herself to eat, although she truly did miss honey and butter, and she greatly preferred to drink sweet nectar than what the sea raiders preferred.

Oh, how she wanted hot buttered bread, pixie pears, mallow fruits, honey cakes…

"I understand that fairies find all animals to be sacred," Maggie said, "but if an animal is dead, why not eat it?"

"That dead animal nourishes the soil and can be broken down and consumed by the plants," Karalyn explained. "Why should we not give those nutrients to the soil so that we can satisfied?"

"A few fish is not remiss," Dover said. "One time, Harald fished so much that his longship nearly collapsed beneath the weight."

"That is not true," Harald protested.

"It was," Dover said. "I was there. I had to jump overboard to help with the weight."

"No, you were merely truly to get the one fish that jumped overboard," Maggie said. "It was a competition. Each day, one sea raider would go out and fish all day and return with as many fishes as they could."

"Day after day? That would have stripped so much of the water of the fishes!" Karalyn tried not to be scandalized.

"None of the fish were eaten until the last day," Harald cut in dryly. "The fish were returned, and most of them were captured again and again."

"And you gathered the most, I take it."

"Does that displease you?" he asked.

"I suppose I should want my husband to win if he wishes to win. I am… I am trying," she said. "We are so different, and I do not mind at all that you eat fish in front of me, but to hunt them for sport…"

"As I said, they were released back into the waters," Harald said.

"I know. I know." She closed her eyes. Why did she feel like this? She could not expect them to change their way of life just because she lived differently. They were sea raiders. They lived on the sea and took from the sea. To them, that was natural.

For all she knew, the elves ate animals. The wyverns and all of those from the Kingdom of the Skies consumed animals. Those underground certainly had to. Did plants even grow underground? Perhaps some did, but that did not necessarily mean they were suitable for consumption.

The shapeshifters surely did not eat animals, did they? Or maybe they did, especially if they shifted into the shape of an animal. Animals did eat other animals, after all, and if that wasn't nature doing its course, then she did not know what was.

So maybe eating animals was not altogether wrong? She would not judge others for it even if she did not consume animals herself.

Karalyn and Harald and his friends were all eating at a table near the castle, and when Karalyn noticed a shadow above in the shape of a fairy, she immediately raised her hand and motioned the fairy to join them. To her delight, it was Eliana.

"Join us," Karalyn urged.

"I am on patrol duty," Elian protested.

"Would a moment be remiss?" Harald asked. "We do not normally have aerial guards, after all."

"I suppose," Eliana said, but she did not smile.

Karalyn shifted over on the split tree log bench for Eliana to sit beside her. "How does it?" she asked.

"The water seems a bit more violent than when I first came down here, but maybe that's normal for this time of day?" Eliana glanced at the others.

Karalyn had noted once they first gathered that Maggie and Bernal still did not look at each other. Rosella sat between them, but the other two seemed to want nothing to do with one another.

"Something is stirring up the water, yes," Maggie finally said.

Rosella glanced from Maggie to Bernal and rolled her eyes. "That's not the only thing."

Maggie scowled, and Bernal huffed.

Karalyn glanced at Harald. Her husband had noticed the interaction too.

"I haven't seen any mermaids or sirens, but it's hard to see below to the depths," Eliana continued.

Maggie snorted. "Bernal, why don't you give her your looking glass?"

"Why mine and not yours?"

"I didn't almost lose a longship because I was too stubborn to wait for permission."

"We can sail once we wish after we complete the trials and have our staves?—"

"And because of you, Rosella no longer has a staff," Maggie said. "If she has been beached, so should you."

"Maybe if you had come with us, her staff would not have broken."

"Or perhaps mine would have been instead," she snapped.

Harald placed his hands on the table. "Enough. There are more looking glasses in the castle. I will fetch one for you. How many fairies have come down to help us?"

"Five others," Eliana said.

"I will give you half a dozen. Would you please see to it that they are passed around?"

"Certainly. Thank you. They will help us see beneath the waves?"

He nodded.

"Wonderful!"

"I do not know how far a fairy can see, but they might help you look off toward Ashelin as well."

"Thank you," Eliana said. Her wings fluttered about even as she remained sitting, and Karalyn was certain her friend wished she could return to her patrol.

Karalyn reached over and patted her hand. "Please," she murmured. "You can know peace for a moment."

Eliana ducked her head. "A moment?" she murmured.

The Fairy Princess nodded and caught Harald's gaze. "We'll be back in a moment."

"I have to fetch the looking glasses anyhow." Harald kissed her forehead and hurried off. He probably did not wish to be stuck behind with his friends fighting.

Karalyn and Eliana took to the skies and hovered a slight distance away from the others, far enough that they should not be overheard.

"What is it?" Karalyn whispered, her voice low, her tone urgent. "Is there something going on that you do not feel comfortable telling the others?"

"I am worried," Eliana confessed.

"We all are."

"No. I mean, yes, everyone is worried, but… I cannot help but worry that… I see how you two look at each other, and I am so happy that you found love, but…"

Karalyn's heart sank.

"Our options for finding peace are limited now that you have married," Eliana said slowly. "Likewise, the same can be said for the sea raiders. If he had married one of the others from Tridor… or maybe an elf?—"

"The elves have a prince, not a princess," Karalyn said.

"Yes, I know, but…" Eliana's wings fluttered faster than they needed for her to hover in place. "I've been thinking. I know I'm not royalty, but if it would help, I would marry a sylph. Not their prince, obviously, but maybe another one."

"I would never ask that of you."

"I know, and that is why I am offering. If an opportunity arises, I will do whatever is necessary."

"I would not trade peace for your chance at love," Karalyn protested.

"You did not care for the prince at first," Eliana pointed out. "Maybe in time…"

"You are so sweet and dear and good and kind, but, Eliana…" Karalyn closed her eyes deeply and tried to focus on her breathing to distract herself from her desire to cry. She felt as if her friend was changing too much. The war had only just started, and her friend had already lost so much of her fun-loving personality. What had happened to the fairy who had convinced her to fly down to Tridor to see mermaids or sirens?

"I love Fae Falls," Eliana said softly. "I know you do too. You did what you thought was best, but this war involves all of Evermore."

"For how many years have the fairies only kept to the fairies? The sea raiders to the sea raiders? And so on and so forth? Normally, talk about marrying across species isn't had."

"Yet there's been talk about you and Harald since you were kids. It's almost as if your parents knew something like this would happen."

Karalyn gulped. Was that possible? Had the seers told them about the curse all the way back then?

Curses.

"I spoke with Elmer," Eliana said.

Karalyn's eyebrow rose at the change of topic. "I sought him out previously to talk to him, but I could not find him. How is he?"

"He is not the happiest about not being allowed to become a Guardian of the Air. He has been rather… He has at least been allowed to spy on Skyemoor."

"Do you know if he has seen anything of note?"

"No."

"I should go and?—"

"I mean that he told me he hasn't seen anything."

"The Kingdom of the Skies seems quiet?" Karalyn made a face. This made her very nervous. Most likely, they were trying to plan something, and it all stemmed from the sylphs.

"I asked him to seek you out if he finds anything interesting," Eliana said. "He should probably tell the Guardians of the Air first, but…"

Karalyn swallowed hard. "Thank you."

"However I can help," Eliana said sincerely. "In any and all ways."

Out of the corner of her eyes, Karalyn spied Harald approaching beneath them. "The looking glasses have arrived."

"Good. I should return to my duties." Eliana descended rapidly.

Karalyn followed.

"Here you?—"

"Thank you," Eliana said, gathering them into her arms and flying off.

"She is certainly in a hurry," Harald remarked, watching her flight.

"She is nervous and worried. As am I."

"As are we all."

Karalyn wished to bury her friend's remarks, but her desire to hide nothing from her husband had her admitting, "She thinks that maybe… She is willing… I don't want it to have to come to this, but…"

"You can tell me whatever she said. I will not judge. There have already been some growing pains, trying to unite the fairies and the sea raiders as it is, and with war brewing…"

"She offered to marry a sylph to see if that will help matters, but…" Karalyn waved her hand.

She didn't need to say more. Harald knew as well as she did that the only marriage that would have potentially helped matters was if Karalyn had married their prince.

She had a visit with the elven prince shortly before everything had been arranged with Harald. What might have occurred if she had married Morlok Taldrul instead? The elves seemed to be mobilizing with the shapeshifters, which was worrisome given what the shapeshifters had attempted, but did the elves know about that? What if the elves planned on backstabbing the elves?

"Are you having regrets?" Harald murmured. "I would understand?—"

Karalyn opened her mouth, but to her horror, no words came out. Yes, despite everything, she had developed feelings for the sea raider, true and honest and deep feelings, love of all things, but for the sake of her kingdom, was it possible she had made the wrong choice?

Harald nodded a few times. "I can understand that you might have certain regrets?—"

"Harald, it's not?—"

"I know how much you care for my people?—"

"And I care for you just as much," she said urgently, seizing his hand and squeezing it, holding their clasped hands close to her heart.

His smile was wide, but there was a hint of sorrow in his eyes. Did he feel the same way as she did? Had he married a mermaid or a siren, his kingdom would certainly not be in flux so much.

"You are one of my people too. You are my person," she added.

Now, his dark eyes brightened, his entire face shining with happiness. "I love you. No matter what. We'll figure things out."

Karalyn just wished she believed him.