An Enchantment of Iron

Prologue

PROLOGUE

THE ALDER KING STOOD STILL, in a forest of his own making eons ago.

    Trees glittered with rich, vast splendor. They gleamed of hues beyond Mortal comprehension, a predilection, a limitation he had never known even once in his centuries of living. Leaves were aflutter in showers of copper, amber, and ruby, flame-like as they fell in whorls. Rowan and elder trees knitted together, pale arms interlocked, leafy and lush in virulent green majesty. Branches of ash and birch trees protruded like swords, forgin bowers of slender, intricate, wickerlike build. Blackthorn trees grew sharply and intermittently, thorns ebony and long, yet to flower, cruel as the Fey King who had envisaged them. Branches hung heavy, burdened with the gleaming pearls of sloe.

   Magic throbbed here, burrowed beneath this cathedral of thorns. A violent, ageless enchantment that had spawned and crowned Fey Kings innumerous. The erstwhile magic came and went, like a candle flame being snuffed before brightening once more.

   "Tearlach," it crooned, a voice ageless and silken, only to be heard by him.

   The Alder King's back bowed, and a flicker of something implacable beat in the cavity his chest. His memory was vast. Yet, he had lived so long, he had forgotten the name he had been born with. It was of another language, of olden Fey tongue, long since lost to the lands. Tearlach was the name he knew now, though he rarely, if ever, heard it.

   Many a thing had been lost to him long ago, and in the years that slipped by unmarked, they grew more innumerable. Once, he had been the Prince of the Springlands. Once, he had fought wars and battles, lived amongst humans in the Mortal world. Once, he had been revered as a God. Once, he'd had a sister, and a brother. Once, once, once. Now, he was a king of ancient lands, keeper of timeless magic that came and went. He had lived so long he was weary, tired, ready to take a seat upon his throne and morph into stone, for death had never been a fellow companion of his. But his mind was not so encumbered as to forget the important details--the fragments of time and words that forever altered him path.

   He gave pause, thorny cloak sliding from a mountainous shoulder, thoughts drifting.

   Were he Mortal, he would have been furious--anger carved into his every breath, at the cunning Iron faery that sat in his dungeons. But as it were, he was faery, ancient at that, and no longer roused to such emotional proclivities. Such spirit, such wit had been etched into the very bones of a creature he had favored and loved long before he had encountered her, long before he had conceived of her, long before he had heard wind of a prophecy, long before he had been beguiled. 

   Something akin to a grin curled the seams of his mouth as he found what he searched for. Etched into the tapestry of the wind stood something he had seen only once in his life, but endeavored never to forget. An image that had weathered the test of eons, had remained unmoved through countless Alder Kings.

   Tearlach, the present Alder King, gazed upon it. Something stormy festered in his heart, and his features, carved like rock as they were, ever so slowly, morphed into something inscrutable yet pronouncedly bitter. He said nothing. For, here, even the wind had eyes and ears and a penchant for gossiping.

   His little Iron Faery, Nymph that she was, had plans upon plans percolating in her flame-haired head. Thus, It was most unfortunate, The Alder King canted his head, that she refused to notice the plans he had inlaid upon the fabric of time for eons and eons--inescapable plans that would trap her, hurt her, and heal her.

   He grinned a grin that was more tooth and cunning than mirth.

   It was most unfortunate indeed.

***
hi friends!

welcome to "An Enchantment of Iron"!

firstly, thank you so much to ESJohnson for this amazing cover, as well as the matching one for AVoT! they're truly spectacular!

secondly, what did you think of this prologue? if you were left confused by The Alder King's thoughts, don't worry, so was i haha. he's a very secretive, very layered character. do you think his thoughts were really ominous? what do you think he has planned? are you nervous for saoirse? what do you think about his name—at least the one we were given for him? it took a whole book to learn his name!

i hope this leaves you intrigued and ready for more! i doubt i even have to ask this of you guys but if you could, it would be so wonderful if you voted and commented! i'd love to hear your thoughts and theories! xoxo

- KissesofInk