24. Lily

It felt strange, wearing a dress that showed my nipples. But apparently they had turned purple because my blood was now purple too—at least, according to Krynn. So they were yet another sign that I was the Lost Princess, returned to claim her rightful place on the Throne of the Midnight Court.

Not that I really wanted to claim the throne, mind you. I've never lusted for power—I turned down the position of PTA President when the other moms offered it to me. And obviously, that wasn't nearly as big a promotion as being made Queen of the Dark Fae. I much preferred to work behind the scenes to be sure everyone got what they needed.

Still, I seemed to have been thrust into a position I couldn't easily get out of. Krynn and Seldarin were determined to see me crowned and now that the three of us had gotten close, I hated to disappoint them.

Also, everything felt unreal at the moment. I kept putting my fingers up to touch my face and feel the tips of my pointed ears. Maybe this was all a dream and I would wake up, cramped and hungry and shivering, in my minivan at any minute. Since it was much nicer to be dreaming I was somehow now a Fae princess, I decided to just let things ride.

So I let myself be all dressed up and let Krynn do my hair—which he was surprisingly good at. I would have asked for make-up, because I didn't usually go out without at least a little blush and lipstick (and honestly a lot more than that since I'd been getting older.) But when I looked at myself in the mirror, I realized I no longer needed any kind of make-up. Remember the flawless no-pore skin? And my cheeks and eyelids had a natural tint that made my new Royal Purple eyes sparkle.

I'll admit I spent a long minute staring at myself. Now that I was all dressed up with my hair done, I looked even more beautiful. And I'm not saying that with any kind of pride or vanity—to be honest, it felt like I was looking at someone else. Or else like I was wearing a really good Halloween costume—one that kind of looked like me but mostly looked like an actress who was about to star in some kind of High Fantasy movie.

My hair looked amazing, pulled back to show the pointed tips of my ears and the tiny spider birthmark on my forehead—which had now turned purple like my eyes, I saw. And the gown I was wearing was long and split up the middle to show my naturally smooth legs. Nice.

The incredibly soft material of the gown—which Krynn had told me was spider silk—clung to my full curves and shimmered from Royal Purple to gold when the light hit it just right. It was mesmerizing and surprisingly comfortable considering that I'd never liked fancy clothes much before. The soft purple shoes that went with it were comfortable too, even though they had a bit of a heel on them to give me some height, which I needed since all the Dark Fae were so tall.

The only thing that didn't make me look like an Elf Princess out of Lord of the Rings was the fact that my fangs seemed to have grown some. They were no longer baby vampire fangs—they looked substantially longer than they had earlier, I thought. I was careful to keep the tip of my tongue away from them, since they looked sharper too. Also, why was my throat so dry? When I swallowed, it felt like sandpaper.

"Come, my Lady—we must go," Krynn told me, tugging me gently away from the tall oval mirror. "You have your new subjects to meet."

"All right—but first can I have a drink of water?" I asked him. "My throat is so dry for some reason."

"Of course, Princess," Seldarin said. But I caught him and Krynn exchanging what appeared to be a worried look over my head as he got me a goblet and filled it from a silver pitcher of fresh, cold water.

There was no need for them to worry, I told myself. The water was refreshing and it quenched my thirst completely. Also, I still hadn't developed a taste for blood and I was sure I wasn't going to either. Just the thought of sinking my teeth into someone's throat and sucking the rich red blood out of them…letting the salty waves run down my throat…feeling their life flow into me as I drank…all that was disgusting. Right?

Definitely. I shivered. I wasn't going to do that—wasn't going to bite anyone—so they didn't need to look so worried just because I'd asked for some water.

Trying to put the thought behind me, I allowed Krynn and Sel to lead me out of the Cavern of Lolth and through another maze of tunnels. We came out in a whole different part of the Palace—one I hadn't seen before. It seemed to be a kind of basement level and Krynn explained that this was where the Lesser Fae lived—those who were the servants to the High Fae and also the wait staff who did all the cooking and cleaning and serving.

"It's just as important to have the Lesser Fae on your side as it is to have the High Fae—they wield a surprising amount of power, though you wouldn't know it to look at them," Krynn lectured, as we made our way down the twisted, cramped corridor. "Sel and I both lived here for many years before we worked our way up the ranks to more elevated positions," he added.

"Brings back memories," Sel said, nodding. "The Lesser Fae might not have flashy magic like the High Fae, but they do have power and they're the bedrock of the Midnight Court—the solid ground it's built on. Krynn is right—you'll do well to win their favor." Then he raised his voice and called down the long hallway, "People of the Midnight Court—Lesser Fae! Come out and meet your rightful Queen!"

Heads began popping out of doorways and before I knew it, the corridor was lined with Fae faces, all of them looking at me with interest and hope. I nodded at them as I walked slowly down the hall with Krynn on one side and Seldarin on the other.

Mostly they nodded and bowed their heads. I saw some of them touching their foreheads and then the side of their neck and then they murmured something, though I couldn't tell what they were saying.

"What's that they're saying after they touch their foreheads and necks?" I asked Krynn in a low voice.

"Blessed is she whose Bite is Sweet," he murmured back. "It's a reference to you being a descendant of Lolth, the Spider Queen. The full saying goes, ‘Blessed is she whose Bite is Sweet—who gives Pleasure with Pain—who Fills us all even as she Drains us."

It seemed like a weird and ominous saying to me, but before I could remark on it, a little Fae girl who looked to be about seven or eight left the ranks of the Lesser Fae and ran up to me.

"Begging your pardon, Miss, but these are for you," she said, dropping a little half curtsy as she handed me a bouquet of beautiful purple blossoms that looked a little like irises crossed with lilies.

"Oh, well thank you!" I took the flowers from her, inhaling their sweet aroma. They smelled like Jasmine and honey with a hint of cinnamon and some other spice I couldn't name. "They're beautiful!" I said, smiling down at the little girl. She had a smudge of black on her cheek and her hair was messy and her dress stained, but she had bright, beautiful eyes and her shy smile tugged at my heart.

"Found them growing in our garden just this morning," a new voice said. It seemed to be the little girl's mother—a Fae woman with tired eyes. She smiled at me hopefully. "We took it as a sign that the Lost Princess has come home to us at last."

"They're Royal Lilies!" the little girl piped up. "Ma says they don't grow unless a Royal of the Blood is near."

"They don't?" I asked, wondering if this could be true. Probably it was just a superstition—who ever heard of a plant that would only grow in the presence of someone with a particular kind of DNA?

"She's right about that." The woman nodded with assurance. "I've had that patch in the garden set aside just for Royal Lilies for centuries—our family was always the supplier to the Queen's Table, you know," she added proudly. "Those plants haven't bloomed since the old Queen—your mother, my Lady—died in childbirth. And a sad day that was for all of us," she added, looking mournful. "But now you come back and look—all in bloom again!" She gestured proudly at the flowers I held.

She and the little girl were beaming at me and I couldn't help smiling back—their happiness was infectious. I still felt like an imposter, but since I also still halfway felt this must be a dream, I just went with it.

"Thank you so much, ah…" I waited for the woman's name.

"Oh, Teelah, your Ladyship—Teelah's my name. And this here is Leeza," the woman said hastily, gesturing to herself and the child.

"Well, Teelah and Leeza, I'll do my best to be a good Queen for you both," I said, smiling. Because what else could I say? "I'm so glad I got to meet you," I told them. I leaned down to get more on the little girl's level. "Especially you, Leeza. Thank you for coming out to see me, but shouldn't you be in school?"

A sad look crossed the little girl's face.

"No more, Miss," she said, scuffing one bare foot against the floor. "I used to like it but I can't go now."

"You can't? Why not?" I asked, frowning.

"The Lord Regent Mordren says there's no point in Lesser Fae females getting any education," her mother answered, frowning. "Since they just end up in service anyway. He says you don't need book learning to cook and clean and mend."

"What?" I demanded. Straightening up, I turned to Krynn and Seldarin. "What kind of sexist crap is that?"

"It was one of Mordren's first rulings as soon as he took over after King Valerin died," Sel said. He raised his hands in a "don't shoot" gesture. "Don't look at me, Princess—I don't agree with it either."

"I tried to argue with him," Krynn said. "If you look in the Records Archive, historically the Dark Fae are happier and more prosperous when all of the people are well educated." He shook his head. "But Mordren wouldn't listen. He, ah, doesn't have a very high opinion of females," he added.

"He says Lesser Fae don't need meat either," the little girl, Leeza, piped up. "He says we eat too much, so he cut our food. Now we only get scraps—if we're lucky and old Keezer is working in the kitchens."

"Hush, Leeza—don't complain to the Princess," her mother said quickly. "We still have plenty of vegetables that we grow in our own gardens, my Lady," she said to me. "We'll not starve for the lack of a little meat."

But her words didn't do anything to make me less upset.

"Mordren really took away your food?" I demanded. None of the people I saw before me looked overfed. In fact, many of them looked too lean—at least to me. I turned to Krynn and Seldarin, who were both frowning. "Did Mordren do that too? Did he cut their food supply?" I asked them.

"This is the first I've heard of it, so I don't know," Krynn said, shaking his head.

"I hadn't heard either," Sel confessed. He frowned. "Perhaps we should have been paying better attention. Fucking Mordren…"

"Begging your pardon, my Lady Princess…" It was an older Lesser Fae—he must be very old indeed, considering how slowly these people aged, I thought. He came hobbling forward, holding onto a gnarled stick he was using as a cane. His hair was almost all gone, leaving just a long white fringe around his bald head and his face was a nest of wrinkles.

"Yes, do you know anything about this?" I asked him. "About Mordren cutting your food supply?"

"It's just the meat," the old man confirmed. "I'm Keezer—I work in the kitchens, so sometimes I can get a few scraps to send around, so people can bulk up their potato stew and the like. But the Lord Regent wouldn't be happy if he knew it, I fear," he added, looking worried. "So please don't tell him!"

"I won't tell on you, Keezer—don't worry," I said quickly. "But this isn't right! Everyone deserves a good education and nutritious food."

Of course, there's nothing wrong with being vegetarian but I got the sense that these people—the Lesser Fae—didn't have the variety of foods to choose from that a modern vegetarian or vegan in the human world would. They were living in a kind of feudal system where the Lord at the top dictated every aspect of their lives. And right now, the system was definitely detrimental to their health and happiness.

"It wasn't like this back when Kind Queen Lorelin was alive," Keezer said mournfully. "She used to give feasts for the Lesser Fae sometimes! A good Queen, she was. I hope your Ladyship will follow in her footsteps."

"I certainly will try," I promised him. I was still angry though—I knew what it felt like to be cold and hungry and to feel like I didn't have enough education to make a place for myself in the world. I turned to Krynn and Seldarin again. "What can we do about this? How much power do I have?"

Sel shrugged expansively.

"You're the Princess. Technically you should have more power than anyone in the Kingdom."

"However, just about any decision you make will have to be approved by the Lord Regent—Mordren," Krynn warned me. "He's supposed to be your advisor and lend you his wisdom until you come of age."

"That's ridiculous," I snapped. "I'm perfectly able to make decisions without his input! Especially when his ‘wisdom' is ‘don't educate girls' and ‘poor people don't really need to eat!'"

"He never would have dared to do such a thing when your mother was alive, Princess." Seldarin's face was like a thundercloud. "I grew up here as a Lesser Fae under her rule and there was always plenty to eat and everyone had an opportunity to learn."

"So the kingdom of the Dark Fae is actually going backwards since Mordren took over," I said, still frowning.

"You could say that." Krynn nodded. "I'm sorry, my Lady. I would have tried to dissuade him from cutting the rations of the Lesser Fae if he had consulted me—but he didn't."

"He didn't listen to you about education, so why would he listen about this?" Sel pointed out.

"We need to change this right now!" I said. "These people deserve to be fed and educated too—they should have the same rights as the High Fae!"

I must have been speaking loudly enough for the crowd to hear me because a cheer went up as the words left my mouth.

"Careful, my Lady," Krynn murmured. "You have the power to make changes in name, but you have yet to come into your magic. You have nothing to back up your words."

"Surely there must be something we can do," I said, thinking hard. "I know—Keezer said that the old Queen used to throw feasts for the Lesser Fae. What if we ordered the Palace Kitchens to cook a feast for them tonight?"

Krynn looked thoughtful.

"I'm fairly certain you could pull that off. You could announce it as a feast of gratitude to all those who have waited for your return and welcomed you back."

"Let's do it then," I said decisively. "Let's go to the kitchens right now!"

"I'll take you, your Ladyship!" old Keezer, who had apparently been listening on the sidelines, piped up. "I'll introduce you to the head cook too. Goztel is his name. He don't like the Lord Regent's orders either. He's the one who slips me the scraps," he added, giving me an exaggerated wink.

I suppressed a smile.

"All right—take us to the kitchens, Keezer. Thank you."

"You're more than welcome, your Ladyship!" He beamed at me, showing a grin that was nearly toothless. Then he shouted out, "Long live the Princess—Blessed is she whose Bite is Sweet!"

"Blessed is she whose Bite is Sweet!" the Lesser Fae roared back, returning his chant and touching their foreheads and their necks as they did so. Then all of us headed down the hallway for the kitchens.

This might still be a dream, I told myself as we marched along. But I was going to try and make a positive change here if I could. And if I woke up in an hour, cold and alone in my minivan, oh well. I wanted to do whatever I could to make the Palace a better place for as long as the dream lasted.