The Queen's Riddle: A Faery Story

The Queen Has Eyes Everywhere

Chapter 8- The Queen Has Eyes Everywhere

“We have to distrust each other. It is our only defense against betrayal.”

–Tennesee Williams

“What do you mean? Poppy would never hide anything from me,” Nora said, not wanting to believe that her best friend would ever keep a secret from her. They told each other everything.

“She’s a Fae. Don’t forget that,” Lord Ardan said. “We are not known for honesty, but the easy way we can stretch and bend the truth until it is so far from where it began that it snaps like a limb laden with ice.”

Nora took a step back, wanting to distance herself from the way he described her best friend. Poppy would never intentionally hurt her, she told herself. No, Poppy had protected her all through her childhood. But Nora could not ignore how Poppy shook and practically ran away after she heard that she wasn’t human.

“Why would she hide something from me?”

“I don’t know. But your friend’s loyalty is with the Queen. And like all those who serve the Queen, it takes extraordinary circumstances for anyone to carry out an act that would go against her wishes.”

“Like how you brought me here tonight?”

“Yes. If my sister hadn’t asked me to repay you, I would not be here.”

“Why are you going to continue to help me then? You repaid your debt to me. You are free. I want to go back and see Poppy,” Nora turned and started to walk in the direction of the Court, when she felt Lord Ardan reach out and gently grab her wrist. The unexpected contact sent a chill up her spine.

“Wait,” he said, releasing her. “I want to do something that is just for myself. Too often I have to do what others want. What the Queen wants,” Lord Ardan glanced off towards the Court walls, as if remembering some far-gone, gruesome scene. “And if my sister had been made into a changeling, I would hope someone would have helped her when she returned.”

Nora shivered, looking up at him. The pain that crossed his face made her wonder what atrocious tasks he had been made to do in the name of the Queen. He looked trapped, a grown man at the whim of a Queen who he had no choice but to serve. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been made to do...”

“The human world has made you empathetic.” Lord Ardan smiled at Nora before continuing. “But you shouldn’t be sorry. It’s the cost of being a royal. I should be grateful for the Queen’s favor.”

“Just because you are royal doesn’t make it right the way she treats you.”

A sad expression crossed his face. “You sound like my sister. Come on, let’s take you back to your quarters.”

The two walked in silence as they approached the Seely Court gate and found their way back to Nora’s rooms.

“I’ll find you tomorrow,” he said, stopping outside of her door. “Don’t bring Poppy and I’ll show you what you really look like.”

Nora nodded her head and opened the door to her room. Sitting on her bed was Poppy, her face blank and her wings folded down against her back like they did when she was sad.

“What did he tell you?”

“He said I was a changeling. Switched at birth or something like that. That I’m really like you.” Nora ran a hand through her hair, trying to gather her thoughts before continuing. “Tell me you didn’t know about this...”

“I can tell you that ... if you prefer it.”

“The truth, Pops. Just tell me the truth. Did you know I was a changeling this whole time?”

“I knew the Queen asked me to watch over you ever since Dee left you. That’s it. I had my suspicions about whether you were human or not. Sure. You were so clever ... much too clever for a human girl. They’re slow and dumb. And look at you ... answering riddles created by the Queen herself!”

Nora remembered back to when she was young and Poppy would put sap from trees in her friends’ hair at sleepovers or put rolly-polly bugs in their drinks. She never had friends long thanks to Poppy and her tricks. But Nora had never really minded, she was always moving around too fast to make real friends anyway.

“This means that everything that I thought was a lie ... Dee was never really my mom. And I’m a ... a ... Fae. I have a mother somewhere and maybe brothers or sisters.” Nora paused and thought. “I want to find them.”

“Whoa,” Poppy said, snapping out of her depressed state. “You can’t do that. Queen Aine is protecting you because she doesn’t want the Unseely Court to spill human blood.”

“Can’t I just say I’m a Fae and stay? The Woman In The Woods said the Queen was protecting me to get back at her sister or something. She probably knows what I am already!”

“Whoa. Don’t say that too loud! All changelings are property of the Queen. She owns them. Who knows what she would do with you if you came bouncing in saying you found out you were a Fae. If she recognized you as a Fae, she obviously doesn’t want you to know, or she would have told you. That’s a dangerous plan to tell her that you’re one of us.”

“I at least want to find out what I look like. Really look like, underneath all of this,” Nora said, pulling on the skin on her arm.

“You can’t take off your human skin! The magic that makes you look human must stay on. Who knows if we could get the magic back to make you look human again?”

“Lord Ardan said he’d help. He seems to know what he’s talking about.”

“You are seeing him again?” Poppy shrieked.

“He said he wants to help and I’m going alone this time.”

Nora wanted to believe Poppy, but she had known her for a long time and something about the way Poppy spoke told her she was holding back. Nora was starting to not know who to believe or trust in the Seely Court.

“Go alone then. But he’s trouble, Nora so be careful. The Queen has eyes everywhere.”