Shadow, who'd come in to pick up oxberry wine for Grey House, was gazing speculatively at the dress, too. He snickered and nodded at my chandelier comment.
"Will you settle for white satin, then?" Erland was being patient with me.
"I think I'll need to see it, first," I offered dryly.
"Very well," Erland sighed dramatically. "I had no idea I had such a demanding mate."
That caused me to blink at him in shock. He turned his smile on me. "I was merely teasing you, my beautiful Queen." He came to kiss me, waving one hand while he did so. When he pulled away, a second dress was on the bed. It was white satin, just as he said, and much more suitable than the other.
"I'll wear that," I sighed in resignation. The second dress was still going to draw moths, it was so bright, but not as many as the first one.
"You'll be beautiful," Erland kissed me again.
"Not as beautiful as you," I poked at him when he let me go.
"Few are," he tossed back his black hair and laughed.
"And he's not insufferable or anything," I smiled at Shadow. "I'll wear my Tiralian crystal with this." Shadow had made a complete set of Tiralian crystal jewelry for me, and all of it held protection spells. He was a real honey, all right.
"When is this blow-up?" Shadow grinned at Erland.
"The Ball is tomorrow evening. My mate had best not be late. The King of Karathia is not noted for his patience."
"What will Toff wear?" I asked. We had to take him; Wylend had requested it.
"I have provided the outfit already," Erland sniffed. I’d hired two comesuli nannies to care for Toff when Grant, Davan, Giff and I weren’t available. "How well do you dance, my love?" Erland gave me a skeptical look.
"Merrill and Franklin taught me the foxtrot and the waltz. Anything outside that and you may get your toes stepped on."
"Just follow my lead," Erland was trying not to laugh.
"You're leading? In this century?" I went after him. Few ever realized that the Karathian Witches and Warlocks switched attraction from males to females and vice-versa every hundred years or so. Erland was on the downside of a female cycle; anyway, that's what he called it.
"Isn't this rather undignified?" Gavin walked in while I was chasing Erland around the bedroom.
"I can chase you," I offered, stopping by the padded bench at the end of my bed.
"I will not run, I prefer to be caught," he smiled. I stepped up on the bench and Gavin came to get me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, my legs around his waist and started kissing him.
"Don't wrinkle the dress," Erland herded everybody else from the bedroom and shut the door.
"I hope it's not after Labor Day," I said as I slipped into white heels.
"Are you going over those human holidays again?" Erland was already dressed in a white tux with a red rose on his lapel.
"Are you knocking my holidays?" I teased.
"Of course. Belittling them. Ridiculing them."
"Honey, was tact not part of your lessons at court?" I smiled as sweetly at him as I could.
"I passed all those tests and promptly forgot everything I learned."
"I can see that. Let's get Toff; his nanny should have him ready now." I placed the Tiralian crystal bracelet on my wrist.
"Look at our little man," I laughed when the nanny handed Toff over—he wore a tiny blue suit.
"Mmmm-mmm," Toff grinned at me. Erland took him from my arms and folded us to Karathia.
The children were placed in a nursery when their parents arrived—Wylend and members of his Council would test them once all the guests were there. Pronouncements would be made over which children held exceptional talent and would be taught at court. The babies couldn't be brought past the age of four. If they hadn't been selected by that age, they wouldn't be.
Several babysitters were there to care for the children, and each child was given a wristband to identify them. Each wristband was fastened on with power, so the child couldn't slip it off. Toff had a small green band with Erland's rune placed on it. The fathers' runes identified the children at court.
"Just a formality," Erland took my hand. I waved at Toff while being led away.
Griffin and Amara caught up with us a few minutes later, and both kissed me on the cheek. "How's Wyatt?" I asked.
"A bundle of energy," Amara smiled. "Wylend says he already shows promise."
"That's great," I said, and gave Amara a hug. Wyatt would likely be King of Karathia, one day. That day was probably a long way off—Karathians were nearly immortal. Servants were passing out wine, sparkling wine and other drinks, and Erland pulled two glasses off a tray and handed one to me. We were sipping sparkling wine and making small talk until Wylend chose to make his entrance, and that meant I wasn't expecting what happened. In fact, it was the last thing I'd thought might come to pass, given where we were and whose palace this was.
Every light in the place went dark. The darkness was so thick; even I had a hard time seeing through it, which worried me. Many there thought Wylend had done this as a way to make a grand entrance, because the lights shone again after bare seconds. It wasn't until the screaming began that we knew something was wrong. One of the babysitters ran into the ballroom, shouting in terror. "A child is missing!" she shrieked. "A child is missing!"
The shouted announcement caused a general stampede, with every parent inside the ballroom rushing toward the nursery. Erland and I, followed by Griffin and Amara, joined the crowd. Toff wouldn't be a target—he wasn't Karathian. While we struggled to get near the nursery, however, the mystery of who might accomplish something like this ran through my mind—who could get past what I was sure were shields placed by the strongest Warlocks?
Guards had been stationed around the nursery and children were being handed off as runes were announced, one by one. Crying toddlers were given to frightened parents as each father's name was called. The crowd thinned before us and I was beginning to feel frightened. Wyatt, the King's heir, hadn't been handed over, yet. If someone had an ax to grind or wanted something from Wylend, this might be the way to do it.
The guards were down to the last four children when Erland's name was called. He and I stepped forward, half-breathing a relieved sigh, to take Toff. Amara was in tears by that time. The child was handed over, but he was much too small and wore a tiny, green jumpsuit. Wyatt had been handed to me.
"This isn't Toff," I stared at Erland in alarm. He examined the bracelet carefully—it was his rune. "Amara," I turned to hand Wyatt to her. She blinked at me in shock before pulling Wyatt against her and weeping tears of joy. "Where's Toff?" I demanded, misting past the guards to examine three remaining children. None of them was Toff. That's when I started screaming.
"Lissa, we have this." Wylend had come and was now handing a note to me. Erland took it; I was too numb to move. He read it aloud so I would know what it said.
King Warlock, the letter read, we have your grandchild and heir. We are in desperate need of the services of one of your kind, and have not the money to pay. A battle comes our way and as you know, we do not engage in violence. Nevertheless, our own children will die if we do not receive assistance. According to our divinations, we will need the presence of one of yours in one month's time. Fail to come and your child will die as one of us—those who come for us intend to kill us all. The note was signed Tiearan of the Briar, Chief of the Green Birth.
"How the fuck did this happen?" I muttered. Amara sat nearby, soothing Wyatt. He'd been fed earlier and was a bit fussy, refusing sleep. Griffin was looking at his son, more than likely thanking whatever mistake had spared him. I wasn't thankful. Not in the least. Somebody had Toff. Somebody who would likely not understand what he was, or what his needs were.
"The Green Birth are peaceful Fae; they must truly be desperate," Wylend paced. We were all inside my grandfather's private study—had been ushered there as soon as I'd realized Toff was the child taken. "The only way they could accomplish this is if every member of their clan, which could include thousands, pooled their talent and drained the sun crystals they use. They couldn't have gotten past our shields, otherwise."
Wylend was angry. I couldn't tell if he were angrier that Green Birth had gotten past the spells around his palace or that a comesuli child had been taken. He certainly wasn't angry that Wyatt had been spared. I could see the relief he and the others felt concerning that bit of salvation. Erland was trying to soothe me, but that wasn't a possibility.
"And what will they do, if they discover that they do not hold my heir?" Wylend asked, turning his eyes on me. That question made my blood run cold. Everyone was saying Green Birth Fae didn't kill, but nothing stopped them from handing Toff to the ones who would.
"Lissa, this is complicated," Belen folded in. "None of mine can interfere with this."
"If I send any of mine, I have no idea what will happen," Wylend ran a hand through his hair. "My Warlocks have a tendency to kill first and then request an explanation. And if the Green Birth discover the child is not my heir, he could still die in any number of ways."
"Don't you worry, I'll go myself," I stood up angrily. It was clear to me that nobody else was worried about a tiny comesula. "I'll go to Vionn and figure out what's going on. I'm warning you now, if I don't find anyone worth saving there, I'll take the planet apart. I don't care who it is. And if they've hurt Toff, well, so much the worse for them."
I jerked the skirt of my dress away—Erland had stepped on a part of it. Erland tried to stop me, but he had no hold over me. Nobody did, when I went to mist and then to energy and pulled even more power from the planet itself before rocketing toward the world its inhabitants called Vionn.
