“It would be fun,” Atworth explained. “You would get to take apart as many demons as you want, and see what’s inside them.”
Queen Vilotta smiled back at them. As always, when she smiled she seemed entertained, as though Atworth were a clown performing for her.
“That does sound fun. There are so many different types of demons. It would be interesting to see if they’re as varied on the inside as they are on the outside.” It was impossible to tell whether or not she was being condescending.
Atworth stood before her in her throne room. Although in truth it was as much a grove as a throne room. In accordance with the strange logic of the Fae Realms, this room, which was somewhere near the center of the castle’s first floor, was somehow outdoors despite the fact that Atworth had been in rooms that should sit directly above it. The queen’s throne was two flowering trees that had twined together, forming the shape of a chair. All around were other trees which, while not symmetrical or in even rows, seemed somehow too perfect, too picturesque. The same was true for the queen’s gathered entourage, made up of musicians, maids, and lesser nobles, all impossibly beautiful. Though none were as beautiful as the queen herself.
“And you would have an entire country in your debt,” Atworth continued.
The queen frowned. Atworth felt near panic grip them. “Just one country? Aren’t several fighting in this war?”
“Unfortunately I can only speak on behalf of Rampart,” Atworth explained hastily. “But that is still the largest country on the northern continent.”
“I suppose that’s enough,” Vilotta said. “Even just one country would give us plenty of humans to choose from.”
“That’s—” Atworth paused. What exactly were they agreeing to? “I’m sure something along those lines can be arranged.”
“Hmm. That’s a vague promise from someone asking me to risk the lives of my subjects.”
“I…” Atworth began, but found that they couldn’t think of a response. Atworth wasn’t a diplomat. They didn’t know how to arrange alliances or convince countries to join a war that had nothing to do with them. The only reason they had been given this job was because they were more resistant to glamours than most humans. They had visited more than two dozen fairy courts so far during this tour and had failed to convince a single one of them to join the war. Early on, they had tried appealing to their audience’s sense of morality, arguing that helping the northern continent fight off invaders was the right thing to do. When that failed to garner any interest, they had switched to arguing that the demons would come after the Fae Realms once the northern continent was under their control. This, too, had earned little more than yawns. After that, Atworth had changed their approach again, taking into consideration the fact that what interested fairy royalty the most was fun and games. Now, twenty-seven attempts in, they were arguing that slaughtering demons would be good entertainment. It was not an approach they were entirely comfortable with, but with Andra counting on them, they had little other choice. But actually promising human lives to the fairies was a step farther than Atworth was willing to consider.
The queen grew tired of waiting for Atworth’s response. “You present an interesting offer. Even your vague promises are very tempting. I shall take the night to consider it and discuss it with you again tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” Atworth said, bowing. Uncertain of what else to say, they turned and left without another word.
They made their way out of the grove and back into the castle’s more ordinary halls. Though even this area had an unsettling feeling about it. The stone was somehow too smooth. The light seemed to come from nowhere and cast no shadows.
They made their way up several flights of stairs to a particular room that they had scouted out the day before. It was a lounge of some sort, full of comfortable-looking chairs and ornate tables. However, the thick layer of dust that covered everything demonstrated that this room hadn’t been used in some time. Here, unlike in the quarters that had been provided for them, Atworth would be safe from prying eyes.
A few minutes later, two ferrets, Mu and Nu, slipped in through a hole in the wall. They scampered up to Atworth, who carefully picked them up and set them on a table. There, they gave their report in the form of a sound that resembled someone rubbing two pieces of rubber together.
Atworth couldn’t explain how they understood animals. It was simply that when animals tried to communicate, Atworth was able to figure out what they were trying to say and communicate back. Their power wasn’t magic, faerie or otherwise, nor was it divine or demonic in nature. It was a rare occurrence, but some people gained unique skills that seemed to develop from their childhood passions. A child who spent all day playing a flute might find themself able to play impossibly loud noises and produce the concussive blasts of a bard. A child who became obsessed with reading might find themself able to memorize every piece of information they read. In Atworth’s case, a love of animals developed during their mountain village childhood had become an ability to communicate with them.
This communication didn’t come in the form of words, more of an impression. And animals who lived with Atworth longer seemed to develop greater intelligence. Such was the case with Mu and Nu, who were able to follow very specific and detailed instructions.
Unfortunately, their news was bad. Vilotta was not interested in joining the war. She simply found Atworth’s pleading entertaining and wanted to see how long she could keep them around by feigning interest. The ferrets had overheard a group of nobles taking bets over how many days Atworth would stay.
Atworth sighed. “Too bad. I suppose I’ll have to come up with an excuse to take my leave tomorrow.”
The two ferrets indicated their understanding. Atworth wasn’t sure how they indicated that, as there was no obvious verbal or nonverbal cue, but somehow Atworth knew they were communicating that they understood. Atworth wondered where they would travel next. Doubtless some other court where another fairy royal with another long list of titles would pretend to be interested in Atworth’s arguments.
They had just reached down to pick up Mu and Nu when suddenly the two ferrets turned as one, looking at a large jewelry box on the table. Atworth hadn’t taken any particular note of it, but now the ferrets scampered over to it, sniffing at it. Mu climbed halfway onto the lid to take a look at the top.
“Someone,” Mu seemed to say, “is inside.”
Atworth lifted Mu off the lid and then, carefully, removed the lid from the box. Inside, was a tiny person. A gnome, or perhaps a brownie. Atworth wasn’t an expert on the varieties of fairies. She was dressed in brightly-colored, mismatched clothes and looked up at Atworth with excitement.
“My queen, you’ve returned!” the tiny person said. A moment later, her face fell and she looked crushed. “Oh, it’s just you. Hey, Atworth.”
“Uh, have we met?” Atworth asked.
“Yeah, Riven Circe. With Andra von Ekko’s team.”
Atworth leaned forward for a closer look. It was hard to tell, since the tiny figure wasn’t wearing Riven’s customary black clothing and makeup, but they did sense something familiar about her face.
“Riven? Why are you tiny? And in a box?”
“This is where my queen keeps me when she’s not playing with me,” Riven explained.
Atworth frowned. “Wait, were you abducted by fairies?”
Riven laughed and Atworth noticed that her eyes had an unsettling distant look in them. “Of course not. I serve my queen willingly. Why would she need to abduct me?”
She was completely disoriented from glamour. Maxine had mentioned Riven’s proclivities before, but there was no way they extended this far. Atworth held out a hand for Riven to climb on. “Come on, we’re getting you out of here.”
Riven stared at the hand, confused. “Why would I leave? I need to wait for my queen.”
“Riven, how long have you been here?” Atworth asked, sternly.
“A while.”
Atworth glanced at the dust-covered room around them. This wasn’t going to be easy. They tried to keep their tone soft, as if that would somehow make Riven’s heart break less. “Darling, she’s not coming back.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Riven hesitated. “But I’m supposed to wait here for her.”
“Take a look around you,” Atworth replied.
Looking a little suspicious, Riven carefully climbed onto Atworth’s hand and peeked over the edge of the box, blinking as she finally saw the neglected room. Something in her eyes seemed to break.
“She’s not coming back,” she whispered.
Atworth carefully lifted Riven out of the box, then picked up each of the ferrets with their free hand and placed them on their shoulders. Riven sat in Atworth’s palm, stunned. Atworth decided to take her to their room. There was a risk of being caught stealing the queen’s property, but they couldn’t exactly leave Riven behind. There was no convenient way to keep Riven hidden without hurting her, so Atworth carried her openly. None of the fairies they passed seemed to take any note of the tiny person Atworth was carrying, and they made it to their room safely.
Atworth’s room was what they would describe as a “typical rich person room.” More room than necessary, furniture that looked like it wasn’t meant to be touched, and a bed that was far too large and soft. As they arrived they breathed a sigh of relief, though they knew they were only marginally safer here than in the halls. They would have to hope that the queen really had forgotten Riven entirely.
Carefully, they set Riven down on a table.
“I should probably eat something,” Riven said, quietly.
Atworth found their pack leaning against the bed and fished out a piece of baguette, which they placed on the table for Riven. They were running low on food and would have to find someone trustworthy to trade with soon. The queen would be happy to offer Atworth as much food as they wanted, but Atworth knew better than to accept.
“How long has it been since you’ve eaten?” Atworth asked.
With some effort, Riven tore off a piece of the bread. “I’m not sure. How long have I been gone?”
“Last time I saw you was at the tournament. That was about a year ago.”
“It’s easy to lose track of time here, since all that matters is making my queen happy, but I must have been in that box at least a few months,” Riven replied, her mouth full. “I guess I should have some water, too.”
Atworth found their canteen and poured some water into the cap for Riven. “That makes sense.”
The two sat in silence for a couple of minutes while Riven ate and drank ravenously.
“Wait, you haven’t eaten in months? How are you even alive?” Atworth asked suddenly.
Riven shrugged her tiny shoulders. “Time is weird in this world. That’s probably why I’m not completely traumatized by being in a box for that long. Well, that and whatever my queen did to my head.”
Atworth nodded. They didn’t completely understand, but Riven seemed to know what she was talking about. “So where did you pee?”
“I didn’t have to pee,” Riven replied.
“You went several months without peeing?”
Riven stared up at Atworth incredulously. “This is a world where the lines between illusion and reality are blurred. A person can get lost here for a night only get home and discover that a hundred years have passed. Why are you so hung up on pee?”
“I don’t know. I guess because I take care of animals and I have to clean up after them,” Atworth said.
Once Riven had eaten, Atworth made her a small bed out of spare clothing. Then they ate and read for a while before going to bed.
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The next morning, Atworth awoke to the sound of Mu and Nu wrestling on the floor. They got up to check on Riven only to discover to their horror that she was missing. In her place was a rat. Atworth felt panic rise within them. They had only just rescued Riven and they’d lost her already? And what was a rat doing in her place?
Atworth was about to ask the rat when it rolled over suddenly and somehow, so smoothly that Atworth didn’t even realize what was happening, it became Riven, looking up at them, neither smiling nor frowning.
“The big one keeps dragging the little one around by the neck,” she said. “But I think the little one likes it.”
It took Atworth a moment to realize that Riven was talking about the ferrets.
“Yeah, that sounds like Nu,” they replied.
“I didn’t know there were animals like that,” Riven said.
Atworth stared down at the ferrets. Nu jumped onto Mu, then hopped to the side and stood there, waiting for Mu to retaliate. “I think animals are more like us than most of us care to admit. Were you a rat just now?”
“Was I?” Riven asked. “I guess my body’s all malleable from having been altered so much.” Her voice took on a distant, blissful tone. “She would twist me up into all sorts of strange forms. My confusion delighted her.”
Once again, there was something unsettling about the way Riven talked about Vilotta. Atworth tried to dismiss the feeling, saying that it was just their own discomfort with Riven’s kink, but the feeling remained.
“Anyway, I have to get dressed and take my leave of the queen. Then we’ll get out of this castle and find someone who can remove all those enchantments from you,” Atworth said.
Riven gasped with excitement. “You’re going to see my queen? Can you take me with you?”
Atworth cringed inwardly. “Riven, honey, I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
“No, no, I think I figured out what happened,” Riven explained. “She just got distracted. She has a whole castle to run, you know. And probably a bunch of other places, too. She definitely still wants me. She adores me.”
Atworth paused for several seconds, trying to figure out which path to take. Finally, they decided to be direct. “Listen, I think you know what actually happened. She got bored with you and then forgot about you. If you go to see her again, you’ll just end up hurting yourself.”
Riven’s face sank. “Yeah, you’re right. Of course you’re right. If she wanted me, she would have come and found me.”
It pained Atworth to hurt Riven like that, but it was a relief to see that she was finally accepting the reality of the situation. Still, they whispered instructions to Mu to keep an eye on Riven before they stepped out.
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The visit with the queen went much as Atworth expected. She hinted that she was on the verge of joining the war but that she would be forced to decline if Atworth left now. Her uncanny charm and beauty made thoughts of leaving fill Atworth with guilt and they had to repeat the ferrets’ report to themselves like a mantra. Queen Vilotta was never going to join the war. She just kept Atworth around as entertainment.
Eventually, they were able to pull themselves away and make their way back to their room where they discovered that neither Riven nor the ferrets were present. Frightened, Atworth checked the pile of clothing that had formed Riven’s bed. She wasn’t buried in it, so where had she gone?
With little other choice, Atworth quickly packed their bags and returned to the castle’s twisting halls to search for Riven. They knew they were in trouble. Because of the nature of this world, seeking out something lost was a dangerous prospect. Stories said that once you found what you were looking for, you would be so lost yourself that you might never find your way back. Returning to this room would likely become impossible, so once Riven was found, there would be nowhere to go but forward.
Unexpectedly, within a few minutes they found a goblin maid holding a tiny woman in her hand. Their luck was so great that they briefly wondered if they had been wrong about the dangers of finding lost things. There was so little that they understood about this world.
The goblin was hopping and kicking to avoid Mu and Nu, who were hissing and nipping at her calves, their tails bristled.
“Atworth,” the goblin said frantically, “put a stop to those friends of yours or I’ll eat them.”
Atworth didn’t have to say anything. When the ferrets noticed their presence they calmed themselves and stopped attacking the goblin.
“Thank you,” the goblin sighed once the attack had subsided. “I wouldn’t have eaten them, of course. I shouldn’t have said that. It just reinforces negative stereotypes.”
“I think they thought you were going to hurt my friend, there,” Atworth explained, gesturing to Riven. “Thanks for finding her.”
“What? I’m not giving her back. This is my lunch,” said the goblin, clutching Riven close protectively.
“You said you’d take me to my queen,” Riven protested.
“Wait, so you won’t eat animals, but you will eat humans?” Atworth asked.
The goblin rolled her eyes. “Yes, obviously. Animals are innocent. Humans tell lies.”
Atworth paused for a moment while they tried to process this. Finally, they said, “The ability to tell lies is a really weird way to measure whether it’s ethical to eat something. Plus, lots of animals make use of deceit.”
“Also, you lied to me like five minutes ago,” Riven added.
“I don’t have to justify my choices to you,” the goblin said indignantly. “I found her, I get to eat her. Now, if you’ll leave me alone…” She began to step around Atworth.
Atworth moved to intercept her. “Unfortunately, I really do need her back. Maybe we can…” they cringed inwardly. “...make a deal.”
The goblin eyed Atworth suspiciously. “I’m listening.”
Atworth reached into their bag and pulled out the last of their food, another piece of baguette and an apple. “You said you’re hungry, right? This is what I’ve got.”
The goblin examined the food appraisingly. “Not much different from what I can find in the kitchen, but I suppose it’s better to have a meal that doesn’t scream when you eat it.”
“Plus you’ll have me and the ferrets out of your hair,” Atworth added.
“Fine. I’ll take the apple and the bread,” the goblin said.
They made the exchange and the goblin wandered off.
With Riven in hand, Atworth frowned down at her. “Why did you go looking for the queen?”
“I finally figured it out,” Riven said, excitedly, that distant tone returning to her voice. “She forgot where she put me. It makes perfect sense.”
Atworth raised their voice “She doesn’t—” They paused. This wasn’t going to help. Riven was too heavily enchanted to understand that she’d been abandoned. Until Atworth could find a way to sort out her head, shouting at her wouldn’t do any good. “We’d better get going. We’re going to have a busy day. I just gave away the last of my food.”
“Oh no, why’d you do that?” Riven asked.
Atworth sighed. They had a pair of specially made pockets in their coat for the ferrets to sit comfortably. With some shuffling they placed Riven and Nu in the pockets. Mu would have to ride on their shoulder for now.
“Now, how do we get out of this castle?” they asked.