4: You Must Be From The Mortal Realms

Silk enveloped me. I had once coveted its fluid yardage at our village's haberdashery. I remember that my mother grabbed my hand from its slippery drape and told me not to touch anything else. We had no use for silks in our humble home. I adjusted a bit and pushed my sleepy body into the mattress, the feeling of the summer sun still touching every part of me. I awoke and was surrounded once again by golds. I was no longer in the grand foyer of the manor. Above me, a canopy of beautifully woven fabric, blue and metallic threads turned into scenes of some great hunt. A figure resembled Orthus, the man who had calmed my mind with his summer sun. I laid in a comfortable bed, wrapped in blue sheets and a comforter made of thick down. My head no longer throbbed, and my limbs felt light and fresh. I pulled the bedding from my body and sat up in the canopy bed to survey my surroundings. On my body was a nightgown of such finely woven fabric it was nearly transparent. The neckline slung low, much like Nelo's own shift. I instinctively grabbed the blue silky top sheet of the bed and wrapped it around my body.

I felt incredibly exposed. It seemed pretty evident that this land had wildly different ideas on modesty than Aylesbury did. I stepped from the bed and caught a glimpse of my reflection in a full-length mirror, its golden frame swirling with etchings of flowers and depictions of the sun. The blue sheet, held by one of my hands, draped gracefully over the revealing shift I now wore. The gossamer fabric hugged every curve of my strong body. I had never disliked my form but had never felt particularly fond of it. My Mother's body was much more graceful than mine, and I felt bulky as a woman in her presence through no fault of her own. The feminine mystic often felt lost to me. But here, bathed in this golden light, my dark hairs waves loose and following over my practical braid, I felt quite pretty.

I blushed to realize someone had bathed and dressed me in these foreign clothes. Was it Orthus himself? I, uncomfortable in what appeared to be an ordinary garment of his court, filled with shame at the idea of my naked body being on display. I broke my focus from my reflection and tried to the sheet more tightly to give me as much coverage as I could muster. Satisfied, I padded my feet softly on the gleaming marble floors towards the door. Once past the poster bed, I took note of another fireplace, not as large as the entryway but still grander than I had seen in my own life. An armchair and hassock was placed at an angle to the warmth of the fire. A leather-bound tome faced down with its readers placed marked and held open by the arm of that emerald velvet chair.

Had someone been watching me while I slept? I wonder if the healer had. The healer! I ran back towards the mirror and surveyed my face. My body had been scrubbed clean, and the wound on my head was now just a neatly pink scar. It was amazing that it had healed so quickly. I wondered what magic they had used. Magic- that's what this place was, the only thing that could explain anything. Orthus had said he was King of Summer. I didn't understand how you could be the king of a season? Did that mean that here summer was a place? The estate felt like summer, and so did its king. I don't know how else I could explain the warmth and abundance this place radiated.

I remembered Orthus words about protection, and how he would protect me until he "ascertained why I was here." Why was I here? Even I couldn't answer that. Had my wish in that cave brought me here for a reason? I needed to find out. Maybe they could help me get home. I needed to be smart about this. I needed to be more like my father. Could I be cunning enough to prevent any further danger from befalling me? God, what would my father do? I would hold back some parts of my story. I wasn't sure I could trust anyone here. I wanted to, but I knew these new people, and I must build trust. Feeling safe wasn't going to cut it- I needed to be sure. I gritted my teeth, realizing I had no plan. So step one in my great revenge against that beast had zero plan? I was truly useless.

"You need to look where you place your feet before committing to a step; you'd be fine if you slowed down a bit." My father's memory echoed in my mind. So maybe, if I didn't have a plan yet or wasn't sure whom I could trust, should I withhold my story? That seemed wise, brighter than something I would come up with on my own. Maybe Father was here with me, sighing and rolling his eyes at my impatience.

Could I feign some memory loss? After all, that hit on my head was bad enough to cause something like that, wasn't it? A village boy had been rocked by a kick from their plow horse and couldn't remember his family. My mother couldn't even help him.

"Injuries of the mind are not as easily healed." She said, shaking her head as she turned his family away. "Focus on creating new memories with your boy. Maybe it's a second chance to be the best parents you can be." They left our house disappointed but not scorned. Their child was still there, but love would need to be learned again. Although my Mother was not some magical healer in this beautiful new world I found myself in, I felt sure that injuries of the mind remained something that couldn't be healed quickly. I would feign ignorance. I wouldn't have to worry about what story to tell if there wasn't one I could remember. That is, unless could they read minds? I mean the King, Orthus said he "calmed my mind." Did he have some way into it? I would have to test that theory later. My stomach gurgled loudly. How long had it been since I last ate? It must have been days at this point.

"I can hear your stomach from out in the hall," Nelo said, only slightly annoyed as she flung the door open- She looked at me with a feigned wariness. "As long as you don't hit me," She winked, "I've got some clothing and could have some food brought up." She gingerly picked up a leather-bound book from its perch on the side of the armchair opposite my bed and placed it under her arm.

"I... I'm sorry." I told her. "I was scared; that man was huge," I said, and Nelo laughed.

"I can assure you he is a perfectly normal size for a Fae- he is no man. I wish I could get a punch in on him everyone in awhile myself." Fae. The words stuck in my mind. Fae, fairy, magic. How could that be possible? This was the fodder for children’s stories. I thought back to the cave, the magic that had transported me here. I was wrong. Magic had shown its face to me, and I couldn’t deny it. I realized I sat there, mouth agape. I diverted the attention away from my shock with another question.

"Is he all right?" I asked, "I think I was confused. I don't remember much after that. My fear got the better of me." I mused as if I wasn't scared now.

"I promise you that the great King of Summer, Orthus," She said, making a grand gesture with her arms and rolling her eyes, "Is fine. The healer gave him a quick mend right after she took care of you."

With my makeshift dress secured tightly around my body, I looked towards the dress she held. Nelo took note of my turn as a fashion designer and laughed with her whole chest. Then, she pointed one of those damaged fingertips towards me and said, "Don't worry, I've got proper clothing for you. I figured you were," she paused, searching for the right word, as though she didn't want to offend me. "More modest than us here." I nodded.

"That might be an understatement, but I am truly grateful for your help." I looked towards this creature, a bit taller than me, but not as imposing as the man, I suppose fae male, that I had hit. "Everything is so strange here. I might still be in shock."

"You must be from the mortal realms." Her eyes widened in surprise. Knitting her brows together in thought, she sighed and brushed one of her tight curls behind her ear. Her ear, I just now noticed, came to a point. The olive skin stretched to that apex, thinning at the tips so that slight blue veining peaked beneath her skin's surface. Nelo caught my gaze. "Have you met any fae before?" I opened and closed my mouth without answering her. "How did you get here, Cordelia?" God, I felt like I could trust her. She had saved me after all. But the more I took in Nelo's form, the more I realized she was indeed a stranger, this Fae. I wanted to trust her, but trust needed to be built. I decided that my plan of not having a story at all would be the correct path to take. Father, this is me thinking before I step. Maybe I would finally learn his lessons in his death when I hadn't during his life.

"I don't remember," I said, motioning towards the welt that remained from my injury. "The last thing I can remember is waking up in that field where you found me."

"Not uncommon with injuries to the head." She tapped her forehead and sat down on the hassock in front of me. "You'll stay here in Summer, the other courts aren't as kind to mortals." Nelo narrowed her hazel eyes towards me, "In this realm, there's more that can hurt you, in ways you never knew you could be hurt, than in that world of yours." She gestured to the spot on my chest where that glowing fiber had appeared. "I take it you don't remember how that cloak came to be around you either, then?" I didn't need to lie, and I had no idea that a magical protection was even on me.

"I didn't even know such things existed," I said. "At least I don't think I did...." I quickly tacked on. Shit, I was terrible at lying. Nelo caught the hastiness of my attempted save but kindly ignored it.

"Once you are settled a bit, I can help you understand my world." Looking down at the dress, she noticed something. "I forgot the lacing cord for this. I'll be right back." She turned heel quickly out of the room. I wanted to ask more questions but decided to sit down again on the side of my bed and await her return. Through the bedroom's open door, I could see curious house staff of all shapes and sizes do their best to peek into my room without actually looking at me. Then, a creature about one foot tall, covered in dark blue skin, with honest to god wings, wings like a dragonfly, dropped a candlestick they carried. When they leaned down to retrieve it, they glanced the quickest of looks at me. Our eyes met, and it vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. The creature's wings picked it up and flew out of the door frame and down the hall. Nelo arrived back, visually checking the creature as it buzzed by her head, looking annoyed.

"Pixies are never great at minding their own business. The staff has been told to leave you be, but sometimes I think that grows their curiosity." She enveloped the most beautiful blue fabric I had ever seen in her arms. It reminded me of the eyes of the summer king: deep and shifting. I gasped aloud.

"That is stunning; where do you get such textiles?" I had only seen the wools, lines, and the occasional silk I had lusted after. Never something this sumptuous.

"I'm a weaver." She said as though it should have been obvious. "It's made of the last light at dusk. I was harvesting when I found you." She rolled the fabric between her index and forefinger. "The final piece can take on a different color depending on what I will it to, regardless of the color of its source fibers. Sometimes, if I know whom I weave for, it takes on a color of its own." She looked up at me, smiling. "Blue must be you. A small bit of protection magic is woven in, but nothing compared to your damaged cloak before. That was old magic, and love magic at that." She mused, holding up the dress. A bit of sadness tipped her voice, "Somone must have loved you very deeply." I thought of my parents but of course, knew they couldn't weave these magical protection spells. I pushed their memory down and viewed the gown. It was floor length with gathered sections at the hips. My waist nipped in, giving way to a high neckline that stopped just near my collar bones and came to a shallow vee. The dress was sleeveless, but I could see how the gossamer shift I wore would provide some coverage on my capably muscled arms. I reached my hand towards a small embroidered flower on the apex of the neckline.

"Nelo, how could you have woven this for me? Surely it would have taken more than just a few hours." She laughed.

"Weavers, well, we don't do everything by hand as you humans do. Our time doesn't work quite the same in this realm as the mortal one." I could see how easy it would be to trust her, and it pained me to lie to her, pretending not to remember.

"No one's ever given me something this beautiful," I honestly said to her. This fabric was better than the silk I had lusted after at home, so finely woven that it was nearly impossible to pick out the warps and wefts of the fabric. She attempted to brush off the compliment, but I could tell it warmed her heart a bit.

"It's a pleasure, Cordelia. Let's get you dressed and fed, shall we?" My stomach, as if sentient, answered in response for me. "I think a pretty face around the estate will brighten everyone's spirits." Pretty. I'd been called many things, but I don't think many had called me pretty—sweet, honest, strong maybe. Pretty seemed like something unusable in my former home. It felt soft and comfortable, though. I will try my best. Hopefully, I did Nelo's gown justice. "There hasn't been a human in this realm for quite some time now." Her eyes darkened a bit, "I, for one, have missed them. Maybe we can call each other friends soon?"

"I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't helped me— Thank you," I said. Nelo smiled and just turned me around to face the mirror. Raising my arms, she slid the dress over my shoulders, dropping my makeshift sheet on the floor in the process. She quickly buttoned the back and went to work on my hair. Adding two small braids to either side of my head, leaving most of my hair trailing down my back. She studied me, biting her lip and looking for my ensemble's missing piece. Inspiration sparked as she put her pointer finger in the air. "I'll be right back!" She said as she ran from my room. She returned not two seconds later, holding small cut flowers that were white and pink. Their shape and form led me to believe they were a distant cousin of the orchid. Using small golden hairpins, she added them to the crown of my head. With a flourish of her fingers, that same silken fabric my shift was made of started flowing softly downs the side of my hair and became a veil. It felt bridal, and I was unsure. Biting my lip, looking in the mirror, I asked,

Illustration by Ana Kajaia

"Is this too much?" She rolled her eyes at me for the second time today.

"Cordelia, not to be unkind, but I saw the clothing you arrived in. Our tastes here in Aidor are a bit more ornamental. It will be nice to meet everyone in something beautiful, would it not?" Meet everyone? I didn't want to meet anyone else, and I wanted to go home. The dark seed of pain grew in my stomach as I thought of the death of my loved ones, of the murderous beast; I didn't have time for niceties. My eyes darted down and bit back tears that threatened to flow as they have in the cave. "Are you okay?" She asked, putting her delicate hands on my shoulders, looking at us in that beautiful golden mirror. I had to control myself; I needed to stuff that grief deep down where I could use it as fuel. It could be the fuel to find and destroy that beast.

"I'm fine, just a bit overwhelmed." Again, not a lie. "I don't know how good of company I can be," I said, putting my hand over Nelo's on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, and you can always excuse yourself if it gets to be too much, retire to your room. I know that the journey must have been hard, but can you blame our curiosity? There hasn't been a human in Summer for many years- and certainly not one who bloodied a great Fae king's nose on first meeting." She raised her eyebrow. Punching royalty in the face usually didn't lead to a warm welcome- so what was this female Fae's anterior motive?

"Why are you all being so kind to me?" What gain did these strangers stand to make? Nelo looked at me thoughtfully again.

"We fought for your kind here. I didn't...at first, but someone I loved convinced me that you all were worth it. Her name was Circe, and she helped fight for your people— the humans. When Circe first arrived, she was so injured. I saw you yesterday, looking beaten to a bloody pulp, and her face was right there again..." Her eyes were pained as she shook the thought from her head. "I know she would have wanted me to help you, to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" I asked. She placed a hand on my knee.

"From us, girl, not all fae value your short time in our world. Some see you as expendable entirely, whether for labor or pleasure. Easily replaced and easily bred." She saw my eyes widen. "But not here," She tried to reassure me, "Summer cares about all of its subjects." I wanted to believe her so much. To be able to let my guard down, to grieve my family. I tried to hold it together. I changed the subject.

"You loved a woman?" I inclined, raising my brows in surprise. I had heard whispers about such things in the mortal realm, but never a public declaration as this.

"I'd have loved Circe in any form she took." She strained through a smile, but her eyes were caring. "What about you, anyone special?" I stared at back the back of my hands and thought of Caleb. The focus of my eyes narrowed to the empty spot on my left ring finger, and a feeling of sickness ran through my core.

My eyes drifted back up to the tanned Fae's face. Although her features were twisting and blurring— I could see the concern that now flashed across her face. A familiar feeling of the magic that transported me here crept quickly up my spine. Thousands of nerves were misfiring, seizing my body straight in the process. The zapping of my skin and muscles intensified until I wasn't in the room anymore- but sitting on a desk staring at Caleb's green eyes and face, transported back to Aylesbury. Cool air hit my face, shocking my already overloaded senses, as Caleb leaned in to kiss me.