Seeking the

Flaming Spear

Ray McCarthy

Sample Version

Four Full Chapters

Books by Ray McCarthy

Talents Universe

The Apprentice’s Talent

The Journeyman’s Talent

The Solar Alliance

Starship Chief

The Master’s Talent

The Legal Talent

The Mission’s Talent

Tellus’s Last Talents

Celtic Otherworld

Under the Stone of Destiny

Carrying the Shining Sword

Seeking the Flaming Spear

Hero Genesis

No Silver Lining

Exiles and Rooks

Fairy Godmothers

Conspiracies and Rooks

The Fay Child

Artists and Rooks

Dwarves and Rooks

Goths and Rooks

Jewels and Rooks

Tom Óg and the Firebirds

The Wooing of Marion

The Ending of Marion

The Ensorcelled Maid

Four Kids, one Foxe

Geena and the Prince

Trader’s Isle

Restoring the Talismans

The White Fire Stones

Seeking the Flaming Spear

Ray McCarthy

Celtic Otherworld III

Megra must decide how to deal with Morien, who is Fay, so she contacts Queen Oonagh of the Aés Sidhe for help by throwing a Ball. Alice (Eilis) decides it’s time to do more matchmaking. Alice (Eilis) meets her adoptive grandmother (Queen Oonagh) and makes some friends in the Otherworld of the true Elves.

Alice gets to show off some warrior training that Neamhain formerly of the Morrígna has taught her. She figures how to finally stop Kevin having a crush on her.

The cover is edited from Morgan Le Fay by Frederick Sandys.

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Copyright © 2016, 2021 by Ray McCarthy, M. Watterson

All rights reserved. This text is not free.

Formatted by Corvids Press.

Revision 1.17

Smashwords, Inc ISBN: 9781370324712

Amazon ASIN: B06XPNFBXT

Title: Seeking the Flaming Spear

Author: Ray McCarthy

Also published by Corvids Press

Corvids Press epub ISBN: 9781801020725

Large Print ISBN: 9781801020169

Hardback ISBN: 9781801020022

Large paperback ISBN: 9781801020305

Medium paperback ISBN: 9781801020442

Pocketbook ISBN: 9781801020589

CC Audiobook ISBN: 9781801021401

BISAC: Fiction / Fantasy / Action & Adventure

About 88,300 words

Celtic Otherworld

Unlike Greek and Roman myth, there are many Celtic ‘Otherworlds’ that appear to be magical and often inhabited by the Fair Folk (Fay, Fairy, Elves, Sióg) or sometimes the Tuath Dé (later called Tuatha De Danann). They are not realms of the dead. The oldest Norse legends have many similar aspects to the oldest Celtic myths.

In some legends it’s told that Manannán Mac Lir led the Tuath Dé away to an Otherworld via the mounds over 2500 years ago at the end of war with the incoming Milesian Celts.

The Celtic Otherworld series has this not as world belonging to the Sióg also called the Fay, the Good Neighbours, the Fair Folk, the People of the Woods, the Elves, the Lords and Ladies and the Sidhe, but a world with Aliens that remind the humans of old stories.

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Notes

Extensive use is made of older sources rather than more modern ones. In many cases modern and old Irish has been used to simulate Teanga Sióg or the language of the Tuath Dé. The Tuath Dé spoke a proto-Celtic language, likely related to the oldest Q-Gaelic or pre-Fifth Century Old Irish. There is no assurance any usage of any language is correct.

Pronunciations of common names in the text

Badb. Might be from Badhbh with the dots lost, see below, so would be like Beeve

Eilis = Ailish

Eithne Eid-ne, intended here, not Enya which is likely from Áine.

Étaín = AY-teen

Neamhain is an archaic female name, possibly pronounced Neevean. Nevin is close modern, male version. Many Irish (Gaelic) speakers don’t know how names that have fallen out of use are pronounced. Some common names today might be over 1,500 years old, such as Donal.

Micheal is the correct Irish spelling.

Sorcha = Shor-ka here, though some claim Circa and Sore-ha.

Sidhe = Shee

Tuath Dé, Teanga Sióg, Irish/Gaelic

C is hard, like k, ck or q almost never like ceiling.

Caoimhín is modern spelling for Caoimhghín = Kevin

S is mostly sh, almost never like sailing or sister.

An accent (fada) usually lengthens a vowel. Originally i had no dot to avoid confusion with í.

The lenited consonants are bh, ch, dh, fh, gh, mh, ph, sh and th are all modifications to the initial consonant and the h was originally a dot above the letter. Originally Celtic languages had no h. The dh is either silent or like a whispered y in modern Irish. The fh and gh is usually silent today, thus Maghnus is pronounced Man-us. Sometimes bh and mh are both pronounced like v, sometimes more like f and w.

There were no j, q, v, w, x, y or z letters originally, though modernised Gaelic spellings may have them and some of the sounds existed.

Today you spell and pronounce an Irish name according to the wishes of the person. Thus Medb, Medhbh, Méabh, Maedhbh, Maebh are all pronounced Maeve. The db was probably dotted thus dhbh.

Names of other species that are not human or Fay (Sióg) are written for English speakers.

Contents

Chapter 1: Meetings

Chapter 2: Elfland

Chapter 3: A demonstration

Chapter 4: The King’s Court

Chapter 5: Friends

Chapter 6: Letters

Chapter 7: The Ball

Chapter 8: Alice Explores

Chapter 9: Betrothal

Chapter 10: Task Force

Chapter 11: Flinn

Chapter 12: Auditions

Chapter 13: Assistants

Chapter 14: The Shortcut

Chapter 15: The Palace

Chapter 16: Gilinata

Chapter 17: The Twins

Chapter 18: Emergency HQ

Chapter 19: Morien

Other Books

The Celtic Otherworld Series

The Talent Universe Series

The Trader’s Isle Series

Chapter 1: Meetings

Alice heard the front door slam. She’d been told to stay in her room and study. She looked at what had been written, at least it wasn’t too bad. As she’d been warned by everyone, the quill took patience to cut and trim with the penknife but was far easier to write with than the steel nib instant pen. She capped the ink and rinsed the quill. Then she lifted the rug and prized out a knot. Next she put in a tube she’d made from paper. Carefully she lay down and put her ear to the open end and concentrated, but without any magic. Neamhain might detect it.

“… Maaricule by reputation,” said Empress Megra.

Bingo, thought Alice, Megra is here as well as Librarian Bran and Chancellor Eithne. What can Donal and Neamhain be up to?

“Surely, Megra,” said Donal, “you have records? She’s been the Royal magician for over forty years. Where was she before?”

“In theory I’m over all the Lorinokin, but in practice only High House Hulredrinani. Or even Empress over the Kranokin,” she laughed. “It’s not the sort of thing we would concern ourselves with. I have the lineage of Princess Silorthin and her husband. I even know who Lady Seilia’s suitors were. Princess Silorthin is pretty annoyed that Seilia was poisoned in our prison, so not much inclined to co-operate, Seilia was her daughter after all. Her House are pretty annoyed that Princess Silorthin was a puppet ruler controlled by Maaricule, they are now suspicious of everyone, especially I think of Princess Silorthin. She thinks Maaricule has taken ship and is with her allies on the continent of Leerthmokineer that you humorously call Tír na hÓige.”

“How do you know?”

“Scrying based communication,” said Megra. “Princess Silorthin herself isn’t a very powerful magus, but nevertheless is able to communicate via the scrying. She won’t let any magi near her tower. Several people are banned from it purely because they are magi. I’ve spoken with her via my Court magician, Florien. Maaricule fled when it was obvious that she couldn’t recapture Ghiloric, Kevin, Anrhi and Eilis. The voice of command, or whatever it was, wore off after a couple of days and Princess Silorthin contacted Florien by scrying just after I recovered. Mainly to warn us rather than look for help or offer it. She’s gone totally paranoid, she doesn’t really trust Florien and only contacted him because I’d been poisoned. She was pleased to hear of my recovery.”

“I agree,” said Bran. “I think the Portal ambush was meant to take Seilia as well as Neamhain and you, Donal. It wasn’t an accident. I presume I don’t need to call you two Naomi and David here privately? She assumed you’d all be trapped in the Old World, Seilia hadn’t explained who you two are in her note, though we have only Eilis’s report of what Princess Silorthin said. Seilia had become a liability. I suspect the Skand Sorceress Nani, really a Seidhr practitioner, a Vísendakona, and her Seith may have been acting on Maaricule’s orders to attack the Ocean Mist.”

“Eilis certainly didn’t really believe much of what Nani told her,” said Neamhain. “She’s probably not a truth seeker, but has better than average sense of when people are lying. Eilis is reasonably a reliable reporter, she tends to only mislead by omission or misdirection and only outright lies when it’s something regarding herself. She’s not a gossip either. I’m satisfied that her reports agree with the others and are reasonably complete about their adventures there.”

“She’s written it all in English and Lárnian to me to help with my learning for the Artistic Progress Committee,” said Megra.

“It seems it was a waste of your time coming tonight, Megra,” said Donal. “I’m sorry.”

“There is something else that Princess Silorthin told Florien. Part of the near paranoia. The regular pack trains from the north near Horgath had weapons. She’s not giving them up and has commenced training.”

“The question is Maaricule a Fay, or something else?” mused Neamhain. “From Anrhi, Alice and as best I can figure from Faolchú, who being completely wolf is hard to follow, I think she can’t be distinguished from a Lorinok like you Megra. So that leaves Demigod or an actual real Fay Elf, or some half breed. I’ve met them, Donal hasn’t. One might pass, I don’t think I can tell unless magic is used. It’s significant that Maaricule absolutely avoided using magic till the voice of command was attempted, I’m sure she thought Eilis was probably Sidhe from her extravagant display. The voice of command will work on most Fay, so the failure of that on Eilis will have seriously shaken her. So I need to visit the King of Elfland.”

“I agree it’s not a Lárnian or Tuath Dé civil matter,” said Eithne. “A Lorinok is Megra’s jurisdiction and if she’s a Fay Elf then partly High Queen Oonagh of the Sidhe, and partly King Reileanthos of the Elves.”

“I’m rather afraid the Fay will decide it’s entirely Megra’s problem,” said Neamhain. “They will only intervene if there is an issue with Demigods from the Old World, I’m sure that was in the agreement. Queen Oonagh isn’t responsible for the Elves anywhere.”

“I know that Queen Oonagh is your mother, Naomi and you are really Neamhain as that’s the name you used when we met,” said Megra, “but why else is she involved?”

“Because it was her idea to create the Portals from the Old World and exile the Tuath Dé here!” said Neamhain. “There is politics too, the Faerie and the Elves are Fay, as are the five courts of the Sidhe. Queen Oonagh’s second husband is the Elf heir or regent. Anything happens to her, he is Regent for her Court. I’m supposed to be heir of her court of the Aés Sidhe, or I was. I quit. I think he was also supposed to be Elf regent if the Elf King dies.”

“Then I have a bone to pick with your mother!” insisted Megra.

“I guess you do!” Neamhain laughed.

“You didn’t waste my time after all,” said Megra. “When do we need to go?”

“How can you go?” exclaimed Bran.

“Who else represents all the natives of this world? Who else should demand an explanation from Queen Oonagh? I must also see the people you named us after. Perhaps we are from common stock?”

“I doubt that you are connected at all,” said Neamhain. “The other points are enough. I’d promised or threatened Alice last year that around now she’d need to visit Queen Oonagh. We can combine the visits.”

“There is more,” said Donal. “Why did she steal and break the Shining Sword and want it repaired? Also the Slég, or Lugh’s Spear, or the Crimall is a fake. Swapped at some stage, probably before the treasures were put in the mountain cave. It’s a good one and has some enchantment, but not the original functionality. We discovered trying to use it at the battle. That place is emptied now and all the Portals in the mountains are closed. A letter we found showed the Evil Enchanter, the so called Ard Draíodóir, Elcamar and his twin Ealcmhar were in charge, not Maaricule’s allies, though it was hedged in generalities and had no names other than the signature Maaricule. So the twins probably brought the Skands—”

“Neither Elcamar or Ealcmhar can create Portals,” argued Neamhain. “Someone else brought them. Likely a Norse Demigod, no Fay would do it.”

“Certainly much later Elcamar must have persuaded Maaricule to help with the recent plan,” continued Donal. “We still don’t know when they and the Fomorians arrived, but it was after we were put to sleep by the Demigoddesses and after all of the Tuath Dé that crossed from the Old World were dead and the original Magi college closed. The buildings in the White Mountains have been destroyed now for safety. It was too far from civilisation to be reused.”

The conversation drifted to more ordinary things, so Alice retrieved her tube, plugged the hole and put back the rug.

She quickly did another exercise, cleaned the pen again, poked the fire, banked it, closed the hatch at the front, trimmed the lamp again and got a book. She curled into her big leather armchair and started reading Northanger Abbey in Lárnian. Maybe next she’d read a local author instead of a translated import by the Muirí sisters. Neamhain would certainly be checking by soon.

Sure enough she’d only read a few chapters when there was a knock.

“Come in!”

Neamhain had a small tray with two mugs and what locally passed for biscuits. She wasn’t that fond of this hot sweet heavily malted milky concoction, even though she was inordinately fond of milk and cream she hated warm milk. She knew she’d be wakened with pains before dawn without it.

Neamhain set it on the corner of the table and pulled over her work chair.

“You didn’t ask who it was?”

“I know your step,” insisted Alice.

“I know you don’t like personal questions—”

“I’m in an answering mood,” said Alice.

“Friends in college, um, boys, Kevin in particular, study, sharing in college and being fully adopted?”

“You have been saving them up.”

“I’ve been patient and given you space.”

“You have, Mum,” said Alice. She smiled.

“Kevin and friends?” Neamhain waited patiently and sipped the malted drink.

“I think the boys find you and I a little scary, apart from Kevin. I suspect him of listening to Ghiloric, he’s picking up Dwarf mannerisms, I’ve made an effort like you suggested. Only Ghiloric, Anrhi, Kevin and Sorcha are proper friends. Kevin, as far as I’m concerned is just a friend. I think intellectually he accepted that on the sea voyage, but emotionally still has a bit of a crush. I told him we could never be more than friends. Anrhi used to have no friends. I was surprised. I didn’t realise she was such an untypical Dryad, I mean Baltie, they do sort of flock. Actually I’ve hardly seen Kevin since last autumn. I avoid him as he’s not good on hints. Perhaps he fools himself I was playing hard to get? Mostly I see Anrhi and a bit of Sorcha.”

“That’s fine,” said Neamhain. “A few special friends is more important than simple popularity. I don’t suppose bullying is a problem? Sometimes the teachers don’t see it and I take few classes. I don’t mean if you are bullied.”

“Maybe, not against me anyway.”

“You don’t have some silly idea you can’t tell-tale on bullies?”

“I’ll pay more attention, I’m sometimes not much aware of the social activity in College.”

“Study?”

“Think I’m getting on fine. Once I’d mastered the reading and writing, then the work isn’t hard. I still have difficulty with a lot of words. So many have no relationship to the spoken version, I have to learn them.”

“I think you are still a bit behind on some mundane subjects, you also are not very involved socially, as you remarked. It’s too easy for you to come here. Sorcha and Anrhi both have no study mates. Pick one to share with?”

“I guess Anrhi,” said Alice. “I’m not sure I could cope with Sorcha more than I do at the moment. I can come home days when there are no classes?”

“Yes, also some other nights too, if you have no study to do and Anrhi wants to be alone. You really think Anrhi will agree, no Baltie shares with a human?”

“I think she accepts I’m not a human. I know too what the Baltie really are, they could not be less like Old World Dryads, though nymph is a biologically correct description.”

“Your so called second sight, a skill only some Fay and Demigods have. What about Kevin, are there no other girls he likes?”

“No-one, either they are too young, or the wrong species, or really unsuitable, at least till recently. Though actually I’m unsuitable and he doesn’t accept it at an emotional level. I was talking to Barry about it, people write to him for advice.”

“Ah, Lugh’s Column. You aren’t fighting me on this? About sharing a study bedroom with Anrhi?”

“I already felt a bit guilty and feel I get special treatment. I’m not bullied, but some people have made the odd nasty comment.”

“Has anyone made any comment about your background too then?”

“Not really,” said Alice. “No-one apart from Kevin, Ghiloric or Anrhi, and I suppose some very senior Magi in the College, even know that the Sidhe are more than myth and the real Fair Folk. Not counting some government people and the Artistic Progress Committee.”

“What do you mean by asking Barry for advice? Aren’t Donal and I good enough?”

“I wasn’t asking him for advice, other people do. He knows Kevin well and they meet often. So we planned ages ago to put any suitable girls across Kevin’s path. Now there is a couple worried about their daughter who is a Magus but didn’t want to come to College. I made a suggestion. Chancellor Eithne takes me over to use Barry’s Library and sometimes Barry and I talk about his newspaper column and sometimes his books. He’d like to know more about Ireland today, as you know most people’s knowledge of the Old World is only up to about the 1830s due to the time slip. I don’t tell him anything not in the Artistic Progress Committee papers, he works for Eithne part time on that. So that’s the new girl in your class, Órlaith ni Cormac. She can’t have a study mate as she brought most of her research stuff from home. That was my suggestion otherwise I think she might not have come. She actually might be an interesting person to share with. Don’t dare tell her though, in case she’d move her stuff out. I’ve reasons why I’d not share with her, mostly Kevin related.”

“I suppose that’s fine. I didn’t realise you were involved. She’s odd, she tries to understate her magic. It’s unusual too to be certified as a Samhildánach in more mundane skills at only sixteen, though I suppose she’s nearly seventeen. It’s not long till you are sixteen. They are going to put her on the Artistic Progress Council due to her already competent level of mathematics, science and alchemy and being an Enchantress. Perhaps you can help her with English a little?”

“Perhaps she really isn’t very good at any particular magic, but able to do most kinds,” mused Alice. “There doesn’t seem to be any kind of magic she can’t do, though weakly. She is just about an Enchanter, but not very powerful, she can probably only operate a Portal designed for the Tuath Dé by Manannán, and with a tune. A bit accident prone too, she only just passed on each of her ordinary skills and arts.”

“Anyway, Alice, never mind Órlaith, I’ll decide how good an Enchanter she is, she is actually modest about her magic and mundane skills. I think now that you are nearly sixteen the time has come to meet your Queen and discuss the future. I did warn you last year. Likely you can stay here as long as you want. The Fay are not hasty.”

“OK.”

“OK?” said Neamhain. “No arguments?”

“I’m curious,” said Alice. “It’s not possible she’d take you or me away from here?”

“No, true, not in a hurry anyway,” said Neamhain. “I suspect that also after over 2,500 years there is a new heir or at least acceptance I’m not the heir, certainly I have the sense from my mum that she’s chosen a new heir. It’s not very important, because the Council has to agree any appointment, and if there is no appointed heir they pick another.”

“A bit like Megra’s Elves then.”

“I never thought of it. Curiously there are some similar traditions. Megra wants to meet the real Elves that the Lorinokin are named from by the Tuath Dé. She also wants to ask my mum why she exiled the Tuath Dé here.”

“I’ve wondered about that too,” said Alice. “Perhaps they couldn’t find anywhere better and the locals agreed. The agreements about where the Tuath Dé can settle are not typical of the Old World’s colonisation!”

“I’ve kept track, you are right. I’m sure Queen Oonagh will have the reason written down. If Manannán knows, he never said. I don’t remember any negotiations.”

“So is Queen Oonagh my granny now?”

“Technically,” Neamhain laughed. “She’ll find that amusing.”

“She can’t be too bad then.”

“She’s not bad at all,” said Neamhain. “We were the bad ones. Don’t forget it. She saved the Milesian Celts! The Tuath Dé were winning.”

* * *

“I’m worried, Donal,” said Neamhain.

“Why?”

“Alice didn’t object to anything. She didn’t make a fuss about our wedding last autumn either, I thought she’d want to come.”

“We agreed to have no-one except the witnesses, no religious ceremony either,” said Donal. “Besides she said it’s embarrassing to be at your parents wedding. She does sometimes call you mum.”

“Only when she wants something, or is trying to be endearing. I checked with Lahro, he thinks she’s fine, though unusual, you know because of the growth.”

“You didn’t tell him that’s she’s probably Aés Sidhe?”

“I think he just assumes the modern Irish are a bit different,” said Neamhain. “He does think she must have some rare condition or inheritance to be growing so much, but as she is well proportioned and healthy, it’s fine. Kevin seems to be a problem she’s working on. Fortunately she’s decided herself that any romantic attachment between a human and a Sidhe isn’t sensible. I think she’s stopped fretting about it since the autumn, she was very upset then, and assumes she must be entirely Aés Sidhe. It’s happened before.”

“Is Megra settled in OK?”

“Yes, though having no maid or groom isn’t much like an Empress,” said Neamhain. “She got the road train to Carrigbawn town and hired the coach like a private citizen! Though you are cleverly changing the subject. She thought I was mad suggesting she couldn’t see Alice till breakfast.”

“I heard she’s ordered a personal steam powered coach.” Donal laughed.

“You know then why she hates horses?”

“I do, so does Lahro!” said Donal. “Never mind that. There is a serious issue, I suspect Alice spies on us.”

“Not with magic,” insisted Neamhain. “I suppose it would be a bad idea to search her room?”

“She’d take that very badly,” agreed Donal. “Ask directly seeing she is being so sensible and honest lately. You seem to have mostly cured her of lying, though probably not of other forms of deception that she regards as acceptable. She’s really very Fay apart from that she’s not arrogant toward humans and demi-humans. Even though many of your attempts at punishments seemed failures at the time, obviously she took to heart the reason for them.”

“I’ll ask her in the morning then, goodnight.” Neamhain rolled over.

Donal trimmed and blew out the lamp.

* * *

“Great to have you for breakfast, Megra,” said Alice brightly.

“It’s good to see you again,” said Megra.

“You don’t seem very surprised, Alice,” said Neamhain. “Have you been listening at keyholes?”

“I heard the carriage and the door slamming last night,” said Alice. “Has the reception room got a keyhole?”

“You know it hasn’t,” said Donal.

“Are you spying on people, Alice?”

“Mmm,” said Alice as she chewed some bread and cheese.

“I’ll take that as yes,” said Neamhain, “seeing as your mouth is full. You need to take more lady-like bites even if you are starving. I’m a little curious as to how you do it without magic. You didn’t smuggle back some Old World technology from Ireland, Sweden or Denmark last year?”

“Never considered it,” said Alice. “I do learn my lessons and also I’m not sure what I would have bought. I didn’t understand much more than Ghiloric of the gadgets in the shops. A lot changes in forty years. If you told me more about what is going on, I’d not be spying. Satisfying my natural healthy curiosity keeps me out of worse trouble. Also from imagining terrible things about what you or anyone else thinks of me.”

“Show me and we will conclude this in a more lady-like fashion. We don’t want to scandalise the Empress Megra.”

Megra almost choked on her tea.

“Fine,” said Alice. “Megra, don’t you dare go till we talk!”

Alice led up to her room and unlocked the door.

“You lock it?”

“Just in case, anyone could wander into the lodge,” said Alice. “I’m impressed you didn’t know, it’s not to keep out you or Donal.”

“Alice,” sighed Neamhain. “I might ask other teachers how you are doing, that’s a normal teacher and parental kind of thing. Much as I might be tempted at times, I’d not spy on you or search your room.”

“Oh!” exclaimed Alice. “I’ve not been fair then. You know I’m a little insecure?”

“I can understand that as for ten years you thought your real mum hated you, your dad died under mysterious circumstances when you were about seven or eight I think, you are only a half sister to the elder six girls and you were only thirteen when you came here on your own.”

“I didn’t come on my own,” said Alice. “I was pursued by a criminal, well sort of. Also you didn’t mention my dad wasn’t human and it might even have been his more evil twin that conceived me. I’m not even human at all, probably due to magic and too much Aés Sidhe parentage and stuff.”

“I’ll try and include you more in our discussions. You are older now, nearly sixteen, though you can’t be told everything yet. You promise not to spy any more, on anyone?”

There was silence apart from the ticking of the large clock on her bookshelf.

“Yes, unless it’s a matter of life and death,” she said. “What is my penalty this time? Banned from riding Cara again?”

“No, Alice,” said Neamhain. “Just as you were too big to spank at thirteen, you are now too old for such penalties, I think. Banning Cara didn’t work, you bought Síle and pretended she was Anrhi’s. She was mortified. So we will try another approach. Perhaps I’m wrong. I never took any interest in other people parenting and never did it before. My memories of my parents and the nursery governess, are biased and it was long ago. Perhaps too, I was a bit spoiled being the third princess. I’m not sure.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” murmured Alice and she hugged Neamhain. “I can’t be sure though I won’t think up something else that seems a good idea and turns out to be really bad or not lady-like.”

“The lady-like stuff is just for your own benefit,” said Neamhain. “I know you hate to think people are sniggering at you or thinking you are stupid, though that’s less often than you imagine. Now, how did you do it?”

“That’s really it?” exclaimed Alice letting go. “No punishment?”

“Isn’t getting caught and my distaste enough? I think it was despicable in case you misunderstood.”

“Yes. Watch.” Alice folded back the rug, wiggled out the knot from the plank with her penknife and inserted the home made tube from her drawer, which was also locked.

“Go down and talk.” Neamhain heard Alice dash down the stairs in a totally unladylike way. Then the door slamming.

“You hear me?”

Yes, Alice. Neamhain sent. She then inserted the knot and used magic to seal it back to the plank, which wasn’t hard. She’d no doubt that Alice had made it loose in the first place with magic. She put the straw back in the drawer. Well, this was the worst escapade that she’d been caught at for more than three months which was a record. She was tempted to close the locks magically, but really Alice knew about her skill with locks, so the locking probably really was aimed at the casual thief. She wondered what Alice had of real value here apart from the clock, clothes and books. Time she had some jewellery apart from the two necklaces. She even wore the enchanted fake copy in the bath! Alice’s concept of a bathroom was good though. The plumber had thought so too.

Alice bounded back in.

“I have a confession too,” said Neamhain. “You changed your attitude a lot when you came back from seeing your mum, the funeral and all. Has enough time passed that I can talk about it?”

“I don’t want to know what my mum wrote, unless she said you were to tell?” Alice sat in her armchair and Neamhain sat on the bed.

“Right,” said Neamhain, “no, not that. You remember how Donal and Manannán knew you were coming?”

“I did wonder, I forgot about that.”

“He was worried, my sisters and I took turn watching you and the Enchanter, two on duty and one of us resting. We could still telepathically communicate even across worlds, though poorly and with great effort before the triad was sundered by me leaving it. The time slip made it very awkward. I was on duty that day. I confess I’d already coveted you for adoption. I did even meet your mother that fateful day. She knew at once who I was. You were never at risk that day. I came through the same Portal when Badb told me you’d me you’d soon meet the others. Did you notice the bats? Those were me. Badb told Manannán who told Donal to tell Corbie.”

“I was very shaken later after the day in the tower. I’d killed two guards. I’ve never talked about that. Donal was pleased to see me, but I felt you really cared. I awfully needed that hug. I couldn’t believe my luck when you told everyone you’d be my foster mother. I didn’t even know till later that it was adoption for all practical purposes.”

“Your natural mother did really love you, more than the others I think.”

“I know that now. I needed to leave Ireland and come here anyway.” Alice flung herself at Neamhain, which knocked her head against the wall. “I don’t see why you kept that secret. A belated thanks for helping watch over me!”

“Yes. Perhaps someday for a similar reason we may have to leave here. We better go down.” Neamhain disentangled herself and they both got up.

“Is your head hurt?”

“I’ll be fine,” insisted Neamhain.

* * *

Later they took Megra to the wine cellar. They stopped at an empty but deep alcove.

“I can’t come,” insisted Donal. “Exile definitely applies to me.”

“Not if you are fully Aés Sidhe,” said Neamhain. “That would help to explain Alice. Anyway, stay close to the Portal and come through at once if invited!”

“Now what?” said Megra.

“If you are really sure, then hold my hand,” said Neamhain. “You have food and water in your pack. You mustn’t eat or drink anything, accept any object, make any agreement or bring anything back.”

“But how is there a Portal here?” muttered Alice. “It doesn’t lead to the Old World either.”

“I made it,” said Neamhain. “I know where my mother’s castle is, though I can’t make a Portal to just anywhere without a token to scry. If you can open it, Alice? I promised you last year we would visit this spring or summer.”

Alice examined the closed Portal and opened it without a gesture, word or tune.

“You’ve opened it,” said Neamhain. “Since that was fine, now sense the time slip.”

A rectangle of shimmering light had replaced the stone wall of the rear of the alcove.

“That’s odd,” said Alice after studying the Portal. “There is none. Does that mean if someone went from Ireland to here and back after a week, only a week would have passed instead of months or a year or whatever?”

“It is very odd. I thought that myself when I scryed places I could reach in the castle. Which turned out to be very few, it’s changed a lot. Mostly rebuilt! I have put it my mum’s study for now, we’ll destroy it and make new one later. She gave me this ring there. They seem to have added magical protection against Portals within many leagues, but being a High Lady and family I got round it. I’m guessing they have discovered more about Portals and inter-world travel. I suspect that’s what the massive Aurora like lights in the sky signified, not long after you returned from Sweden via Ireland.”

“What if she is away or in the study?”

Alice thought Neamhain couldn’t have got the ring 2,500 years ago as the study wasn’t that old. So she wondered exactly when Neamhain had last met Queen Oonagh.

“She was there earlier this morning, which is late afternoon there.”

Alice stepped through to the shimmering light, which was the a view of a full length plate glass window with a net curtain and the late afternoon sun. She stepped forward and turned around to see Megra and Neamhain in the dimly lit cellar with Donal clearly visible behind them.

Neamhain took Megra’s hand and stepped through. “Close it, Alice.”

The Portal closed with a faint click.

One of the two doors opened and Neamhain smiled.

“Mother,” she said in Teanga Sióg, “you expected me?”

“I spotted your Portal signature, though neatly done, dear Neamhain,” said Queen Oonagh. “You know your scrying and the Portal creation set off alarms?”

“I’d surmised from the perimeter defences that there would be,” said Neamhain. “I thought you’d not mind a visit. Just to get the unpleasant bits over, I still don’t want to be the heir.”

“So you have brought a candidate? Your daughter?”

Alice was fairly sure the Queen thought nothing of the sort as Neamhain knew there was a proposed new heir.

“Careful,” urged Neamhain. “Cousin Manannán interfered with her education. She will have heard enough and be fluent in Teanga Sióg. The sky should fall on me, the sea wash me away and the earth swallow me should I offer Eilis as a candidate. I know that smile, I see it in the mirror some days.”

“Yes, I have chosen a new heir, though the Council hasn’t accepted her yet. It’s still secret, especially from the candidate. She’s rather unusual.”

Alice thought that almost everything to do with the Aés Sidhe seemed to be unusual, so rather unusual must be really odd.

Neamhain changed to the High Lorinok that Megra spoke.

“My mother, High Queen Oonagh of the Five Courts of the Sidhe, Empress Megra of all her world, the Inamok, Queen of the Hulredrinani Lorinokin, that the Tuath Dé miss-call Elves. My adopted daughter, Eilis, who surely can’t be less unusual than your heir.”

Megra inclined her head and Alice curtsied. She had worn her best gown and cloak. Queen Oonagh gave a proper bow.

Neamhain got down and kneeled. “May we be reconciled?”

Oonagh sighed and helped her up and hugged her. “We disagreed, I was never going to make you do it,” she said in an archaic style of Megra’s High Lorinok, which answered Neamhain’s unasked but implied question. “I was more upset about Manannán, you and your sisters supporting the other idiots. Let’s sit. Eilis, that glass thing on my desk won’t bite you! For a moment, Neamhain, I thought you’d married Donal and Eilis was your natural daughter. She looks it.”

“I have married Donal. Eilis is related and I think she’s pure Aés Sidhe, but can someone make sure?”

“I know what it is, your Highness,” said Alice in Teanga Sióg. “My older half-sister has a laptop. I don’t recognise the operating system or the make.” She switched to High Lorinok. “Sorry, Megra but there are no words for it in any language you know.”

“Just call me Oonagh,” said the Queen. “After all you are addressing the Empress in the familiar if the language hasn’t changed too much. Empress Megra and I have the same rank.”

They all sat down.

“I ought to be confused,” said Oonagh in Teanga Sióg. “If she’s not your natural daughter, have you abducted and adopted one of my own people?”

“She was born in Ireland,” said Neamhain in High Lorinok. “She figured out how to work a Portal and deliberately opened one to the White Mountains in Magh Meall when she was thirteen. I gather you know the area seeing as that’s where you sent Manannán, the Warband and almost all the Tuath Dé. Empress Megra has been very keen to know why, ever since I let slip the real story of the Tuath Dé. I had to explain a lot to Eilis. She thought she was part Irish and part Tuath Dé. I confess at first I thought she was somewhat Irish and Tuath Dé. I did realise she had to be Aés Sidhe. I don’t know what Manannán or any of the Warband or my sisters think.”

“Why?” said Oonagh sharply.

“Only Donal and I, using the identities of David and Naomi remain,” said Neamhain. “So Manannán and the others haven’t met with you yet?”

“We’ll discuss that privately later. Assume I know nothing.”

“We had huge trouble fomented by an Evil Enchanter. The Tuath Dé thought a one of a long line of them, but in reality the same self styled Ard Draíodóir. So eventually the Magi and the Druids decided to wake Manannán and he woke Donal, my sisters and I. The Evil Enchanter was Elcamar and his twin brother Ealcmhar was Eilis’s father, well her mother’s second husband, in Ireland. Though Elcamar might have been her father, difficult to know with evil identical twins. Eilis’s natural mother wasn’t sure when we discussed it. So she is related to us by blood, I’m just not quite sure how closely. Donal is definitely her grandfather, thus Manannán is her great grandfather. Donal is waiting at the Portal.”

“Oh dear,” sighed Oonagh.

“They had Fomorians, the original Nephilim kind of Jötnar from before the Tuath Dé – not the Norse or Viking pirates of the later Celtic era – helping and modern military technology via Portals,” explained Neamhain. “Also they had Skand mercenaries, the Skands though were mostly no problem since the initial battles, when the Tuath Dé helped Megra’s people. We have destroyed all the Portals, leaving them just one in Dublin and one in Limerick; they are responsible about it. So I sundered with the Morrígna, it’s gone. Badb and Macha made a triad with Manannán. Fand is with him. Also Éthur Mac Cuill, Téthur Mac Cecht, Céthur Mac Gréine with their warrior wives Banba, Fodla and Ériu are the Warband now and went to the Old World to hunt for Fomorians or Fay renegades and Portals. Manannán said he would meet you and sort it out with you. I’m guessing he hasn’t yet?”

Oonagh seemed lost in thought. “The Portals to the five courts, Elves and Faerie are not any longer at the traditional places, They are all physically secured and magically hidden. Elcamar was supposed to have been killed by Angus Og. Their father was daft naming them nearly identically just because they were identical twins. I suppose it satisfies his sense of humour and he has a reputation for it. I wondered where they were. What happened to them?”

“Neamhain thinks Elcamar killed Ealcmhar when I was seven,” said Alice, “though neither my birth mother or I viewed the body. The Garda said there was no need unless we wanted to and advised against it. Megra and I swapped identities, I shape changed us and gave Megra some English. So we tricked Elcamar.”

“Alice loaned me her enchanted necklace which behaved as if I was Alice,” said Megra. “Ghiloric, my Kranok friend, took this knife, which our Tuath Dé friend Kevin grabbed from my boot and killed Elcamar. The blade shattered, being only bronze it was easy to repair, but it’s not everlastingly sharp now, the magic is gone. Actually can I lie down? I feel quite ill. Sick and a headache.”

“It’s the Portal,” explained Queen Oonagh. “It’s only really suitable for the Fay. You’ll be better in a while, just sit upright and don’t move suddenly. May I see the knife?”

Oonagh examined the knife. She seemed to go into a trance for a couple of minutes.

“Yes, I remember it. My prince’s family smith made it. I enchanted it as protection as I’d lost a husband already. It was lost. He must have dropped it in Magh Meall. I gave a similar one to the Milesian king, but this one was for my Prince. Fortuitous. I can’t imagine you’d have killed Elcamar easily otherwise. I’m sure you can keep it. It was 2,500 years ago for us! We will eat and drink now. I trust you brought some food and drink Empress Megra?”

“You will explain why you inflicted the Tuath Dé, Elcamar, Ealcmhar the other Aés Sidhe, Fomorians, Skands and Jötnar on us?” said Megra.

“I don’t think the Demigod kind of Jötnar,” interrupted Neamhain, “probably the Nephilim or original Fomorians. The giants and ogres are all lumped together as Jötnar by the Norse. I’m sure the ones in Magh Meall are all dead now, whatever they were.”

“Only the Tuath Dé, the agreement should be in your archives,” insisted Queen Oonagh. “Your ancestors, the Lorinokin, Kranokin and leaders of Baltie agreed. What the Tuath Dé call Elves, Dwarves and Dryads. The others are news to me. So we have illegally Elcamar, Ealcmhar, some of his pet Nephilim and Skands. Manannán and the other Aés Sidhe were supposed to keep in the background and ensure the agreements were kept.”

“The Demigoddesses of the Boyne and Shannon rivers, Bóinne and Sionna, told us to take the Druid’s sleep till an emergency would come,” said Neamhain, “so with the help of Freyja and Danu they prepared the so-called Druid’s sleep for us all and Donal. There was magic to wake Manannán if there was trouble. One of the current Tuath Dé, Enchantress Eithne with the Chief Druid of Ollathair woke Manannán anyway, I’m not sure how the automatic waking was supposed to work. He woke Donal, Badb, Macha and I. We were surprised nearly 600 years had passed and that Donal was still alive as his mother was human. Though Bóinne had assured him he’d be fine. He’s waiting at the other side of the Portal. I told him the exile only applied if he is Tuath Dé, obviously he can’t come here anyway if he’s human. Also what about Eilis, you seem sure, you know she can lie easily?”

“It hardly applies to Donal if he apologises. I’ll get an expert now to check, you always were soft on him. You should have said. I think there is no need for a DNA test for Eilis. Certainly lying is rare, Manannán or one of her parents may be the explanation. Elcamar and Ealcmhar could lie. We all can be so devious it seems like lies, Megra.”

“We decided to share a house with Eilis. She said she wouldn’t if we were going to live in sin. So we had a very minimal civil wedding just before last Samhain. We wouldn’t even let Alice come, though actually she didn’t want to. There is more. There is another renegade Fay, we don’t know who or exactly what she really is.”

Oonagh laughed and then stared at Alice.

“So are you a good Catholic girl?” she said in English with a trace of an Irish accent. “I assume Eilis is your Irish name and Alice your everyday English name. I do know modern Irish and how Ireland works today. We watch.”

“The Tuath Dé claim their religion is old Christian,” said Alice, obstinately in Teanga Sióg. “I go sometimes. They don’t have mass, at least not recognisably, nor confession.”

“No, they wouldn’t,” said Oonagh slowly in English. “The Roman run church changed later. It’s unusual for an Aés Sidhe, but I’ve made no law against it. So you have my permission to continue.”

“Sorry, what do you mean? Since when did I need your permission for anything, madam high and mighty?” Alice said rather loudly in Teanga Sióg.

“Neamhain, this is your problem.” Queen Oonagh took a polished hazel baton from her bag and spoke softly in to it. “An expert will be here and check out Donal. We can do DNA tests now if there is any doubt, that’s the pattern that defines the kind of living thing. I presume anyone able to open any Portal can open the Portal you made?”

“Probably, because Eilis opened and closed it. She noticed at once there is no time slip now.”

“Correct,” said Oonagh. “We fixed it for you. We have learnt more in the last 100 years.”

The door opened.

“Prince Nemaron,” said Neamhain rising. Megra and Alice stood too. “The Prince Consort, my daughter Alice, also called Eilis and the Empress Megra of all the Lorinokin. Is Eilis one of us or Tuath Dé?”

“At least one of us.” He switched to Common Inamok. “Honoured to meet you Empress Megra.” Then he reverted to Teanga Sióg. “Welcome home Eilis, you too Princess Neamhain.”

“Honoured,” said Neamhain.

He opened the Portal without stepping through and stared at Donal.

“You also are completely Aés Sidhe.” He beckoned Donal, who came across.

“That was a speedy check-up,” muttered Alice in Lárnian.

“My Queen,” said Donal. He bowed. “I unreservedly apologise for previously opposing you and your will.”

“Accepted. Let’s eat. Please don’t talk to any of the children,” said Queen Oonagh in Teanga Sióg. “I don’t want them confused.”

“Remember, Megra,” urged Neamhain, “you must not even drink water from here nor ask or accept any favour.”

* * *

They all sat at the Queen’s Table.

“It’s only family, senior people in the court and visiting royals, Alice,” whispered Neamhain in Lárnian, “so Donal is accepted as my husband, well he is actually, and you as my daughter, you are really now that your mother has passed, from the point of view of protocol, legally and practically. I should have warned you that they are expert at Twenty-first Century science and tech, more than the humans probably. I’d forgotten that they were always a bit ahead, but the protocols probably have hardly changed in 5,000 years. There may be close family not at the Queen’s table. As you are evidently completely Aés Sidhe as far Queen Oonagh is concerned, confirmed by Prince Nemaron’s Elf magic, she is your Queen. She’s very used to being an absolute ruler, over 4,500 years as High Queen and some time previously Queen of this court. She’s over 11,000 years old.”

“Small bites,” replied Alice softly. She raised her voice slightly. “I was wrong earlier, my Queen. I didn’t quite realise the full implications of being Aés Sidhe of this court.”

The Queen nodded. Alice guessed that was an acceptance of her apology. She didn’t see any children as such, so the foster children might be really teenagers, or anyone under thirty-three. She knew Aés Sidhe children were rare. There was a group of five older teenagers, nearly young adults, chatting softly at the next nearest table. Occasionally one or other would flicker a glance, except the very pretty golden haired girl. She realised the golden one felt like a were-beast. One girl looked African and one boy looked Chinese. Yet they had the sort of look and magic of the Sidhe or some Tuath Dé, though not so tall. Certainly all magi apart from the golden haired one, who was very strange. Alice stared trying to figure her out.

The Queen leaned over and spoke softly, “Please Princess Eilis, don’t stare at the werewolf, or my foster children. I’d rather not try and explain you. They do have a vague notion that the Tuath Dé were exiled to another world. They also know about Manannán and the Morrígna. I’ve told the Privy Council that I’m reconciled to Neamhain and that you and Donal are her daughter and husband. Which is true. Neamhain didn’t have to say you are adopted. I’ve said Megra is a friend. Now, it might seem strange, but take this piece of meat from my hand slowly and eat it carefully. Remember you are a princess.”

Alice was baffled for a moment, but did as she was bidden, realising the significance. There was whispering then silence. She waited till the normal susurration of soft conversation resumed and the Queen had wiped her fingers.

“Your consort isn’t quite as pale as Megra,” said Alice, “yet Neamhain says there is no connection? They look so similar.”

“There is none, you know Australia and the marsupials that look like mammals?”

“Yes,” Alice agreed.

“Megra’s people and my Prince’s are both mammals, but otherwise only the appearance is similar. A little like us and humans. The Prince is almost the same as you and I. You do understand you are not at all human?”

“I’d reluctantly come to that conclusion last autumn, before Samhain. I’d suspected it not long after I discovered that Neamhain wasn’t human. How could I look so like her and have magic like hers and not much like the Tuath Dé and be human? I can do things no Tuath Dé magus can possibly do, though I can directly lie, not just by omission.”

“Oh, we can lie, though it only comes easily to very powerful Fay lords and is inadvisable,” explained Oonagh. “It’s better to misdirect in other ways.”

~

“Donal, the Prince and Megra will meet with my advisors, my inner council, immediately,” said the Queen. “I’ll join you shortly.” She waited until they and a few other people left.

Alice surmised it was prearranged.

The Queen stood and clapped. At once there was silence. Everyone rose.

“Be seated, except the foster children, my daughter Neamhain formerly of the Morrígna, her daughter Eilis who is my granddaughter.”

A few people gasped. Alice thought they obviously hadn’t paid proper attention earlier.

“Lord Duncan, Lady Shoshanna, Lord Raghnall and Lady Caitrin,” said the Queen pointing to each, “meet my youngest daughter, Princess Neamhain, sometimes known as Lady Naomi ni Midhir in the Inamok world as she has caused the Morrígna to be disbanded. She says my elder daughters Badb and Macha are fine and in agreement, they are with Manannán Mac Lir and his Warband. This young enchantress of already great power is her daughter, my first granddaughter, the Princess Eilis, known commonly as the Lady Eilis Ni Midhir. Sadly Midhir is not with us to meet Eilis, however his death has been avenged now by Eilis and her friends.”

Alice wondered at this, a blood feud over ten thousand years old?

“May I speak, your Highness, my Queen, and offer Lady Caitrin a small gift?” said Alice in perfect Teanga Sióg, accented like a native.

“Certainly Eilis.” Oonagh smiled at her. “Don’t make gifts to anyone outside the immediate family.”

“I understand about obligations, your highness. Unfortunately I have only one gift with me.”

Alice sure that Caitrin must be the proposed heir from Oonagh’s reaction and she had guessed correctly. Alice took off her enchanted necklace and walked over to Caitrin, she put a hand on her and held the necklace in the other. Caitrin looked a little alarmed.

“Not enough,” she muttered in Lárnian. She produced her hazel stick and put Caitrin’s hand on it.

“It’s getting hot!” said Caitrin in curiously accented Teanga Sióg. “What are you doing? Is it safe?”

Alice struck the necklace with the hazel. It glowed brightly and Alice hurriedly let go.

“Put it on,” she said. “It will protect you from any personal assault and attack or burn anyone trying to take it off. Sleep and wash with it. Some day if you want I’ll pass it to your daughter, if you don’t have the way of it. It will hurt or kill anyone else.”

“You know if I will have a daughter?” said Caitrin. “I hear it’s very rare for Aés Sidhe to have children at all.”

“No, I’m not a seer, I’ve no prophecy,” Alice considered for a moment. “I might match my mother and Manannán on most things eventually. I’ve not done Manannán’s boat or weather stuff yet. So, sorry, I’m not suggesting anything about children.”

“Why are you giving me this?” said Caitrin.

“Because you are nearly grown up and very beautiful, yet you are only a fair Magus. You are not a great Enchanter. I suppose that’s one reason my mum turned down the job. She is too powerful. Can you imagine one of the Morrígna ruling? I better say no more.”

“Yes, Neamhain and yourself seem a little daunting, your magic roared like a storm when you did that. I suppose you are hundreds of years old? It’s so hard to tell.”

“I’ll be sixteen shortly, I’m still growing. I’m surprised you can’t tell.”

They gave each other a little hug and kiss on the cheek. Caitrin fastened on the necklace.

“Are you sure?”

Alice laughed. “It’s only paste, glass, I have the real original. I didn’t enchant this one, only transfer it. This is a quality piece of costume jewellery though I think the settings and chain are real electrum. I know who can enchant the original, if I can’t myself. I was meaning to have a go, even though I don’t need one any longer.”

Alice walked back to the Queen.

“You may sit,” said the Queen. She sat and took a drink of her wine, then passed it to Alice.

Alice took a sip and passed it back, presuming as she had her own glass, it was another symbolic act.

What possessed you? sent Neamhain.

I realised I was nasty to the queen. As I’m Aés Sidhe, truly, I do have to do what she says. She wasn’t very diplomatic?

“I’ll take that as a second apology,” said Queen Oonagh softly. “You’re good, but not focused enough, Eilis, I can’t pickup Neamhain, but she’s had a lot more practice. Who did enchant the necklace?”

“Manannán and Donal, since Donal became Dean David,” explained Neamhain. “I’m a little taken aback at Alice being able to pass it on. Though you did need the hazel.”

“I think I have the way of it now,” said Alice. “I’d not be needing the stick next time. I guess you are allowed personal secrets, but if Caitrin grew up here and is really Caitrin I’m a monkey. I had to try a whole bunch of names. The necklace needs the common use name, I’ve no idea why, maybe to make it harder to pass on or steal.” Alice whispered. “She’s Kate and if I imagined what an English girl who is learning Teanga Sióg sounded like? I did behave. I told her nothing and resisted the temptation to speak English in a soft Limerick County accent. She thought I might be hundreds of years old, so I told her my age.”

“I’d say you are fifteen to sixteen,” said the Queen. “Everyone in the court knows all about my foster children, I just didn’t want you visitors to know. Or get involved in anything happening right now. Time enough to get involved here in a few years time. I want them to do University in the human world.”

“I’ll be 16 soon, by the Inamok dates,” agreed Alice. “I told her nearly 16.”

“I’m not sure how that was going to work?” said Neamhain. “Or even why you’d worry, we aren’t staying and even Alice, I should say especially Alice, keeps her own council.”

“I’m more worried about them. I have other problems too that make a few rogue Fomorians, if they really were, and renegade Aés Sidhe, supposedly dead anyway, that certainly have kept out of my way for the last 2,500 years insignificant. I will find Manannán and his Warband and give them full licence as long as they don’t poke the regular humans. We don’t exist now as far as humans are concerned. Anyone human doing magic must now be exiled as if they are a Tuath Dé. There certainly shouldn’t be any Fomorians of the original kind on the human world. Don’t talk to my foster children or Lady Jenny, who is Caitrin’s vassal, about this.”

“She really is a werewolf?” whispered Alice.

“A sort of slightly enhanced werewolf,” said Queen Oonagh. “Are you educating this girl at all, Neamhain?”

“The priority so far was the Tuath Dé and Magh Meall,” said Neamhain. “Also enchanter stuff so she doesn’t happen to someone. We weren’t sure if she was human or Aés Sidhe or even something else. I’ve only had her just under two years. We weren’t planning a holiday in the Old World ever.”

“You can come here for holidays when the others are away, and generally any time once I explain more to them. Do you think Prince Nemaron will have convinced Empress Megra? She seems very young.”

“Just twenty,” explained Neamhain. “Someone poisoned her father. We think perhaps a renegade Fay Elf, a real Elf pretending to be a Lorinokin. That’s the real reason we are here. Except I’ve no idea how to get to Elfland.”

“Much the age I thought. We’ll go to my study, more wine or some beer?”

“We are not long after breakfast,” said Neamhain.

“That explains how little Donal ate,” said Oonagh. “You and Alice though, of course you’ve both been doing magic today since you rose.”

“I’m growing too,” insisted Alice. “I’d take a very malty beer, for medicinal purposes. I hate the hot malted milk.”

“So did your mum, but you take it anyway?”

“I wake before dawn with fierce tummy pains otherwise.”

“I’d bet you really like creamy milk and cream though, if it’s not warmed?”

“Well, yes of course I do. I wish the Tuath Dé would have fridges.”

Oonagh laughed.

“They do have some gas powered fridges in the cities and larger towns,” explained Neamhain. “There is no gas where we live.”

~

They joined the others in a small meeting room. Lord Stefan and Lady Deirdre of the inner council were introduced. The other people left.

Donal, Alice, Neamhain and Megra explained about the female Court magician, Maaricule who had been controlling Princess Silorthin. Also about Silorthin’s poisoned daughter Lady Seilia. Alice told what she knew about the Skand Seidhr practitioners, the Seith with its leader Grandmother Nani the Vísendakona.

“I will take them to the court of Elfland,” said Prince Nemaron.

“I’ll see you all when you pass back home,” said Queen Oonagh. “Did they explain, Megra, that it could kill to pass a second Portal within six hours or back on same one just exited within two hours? Certainly being like a vegetable is likely.”

“No, also they forgot to warn me about sickness. I was warned about eating, drinking or taking anything.”

“Likely that was deliberate, Megra,” said Oonagh. “the sickness is worse on first transit if you are warned. After the first they say it’s not so bad anyway. Fay aren’t usually affected, though the time limits apply. Donal, I’d like you to stay and talk to me. Neamhain and Nemaron are a sufficient escort. I’m in half a mind to only send Megra, but I think Eilis needs to go to help identify Maaricule. So Neamhain must go too. I’ll get to know you later, Eilis, or perhaps I must call you Alice?”

“I suppose there is no need for me to go to Elfland,” agreed Donal.

“I’m happy with Alice or Eilis,” suggested Alice. “Alice is more appropriate for English and Eilis for Irish and similar sounding languages. I guess Alice is my more intimate name.”

They gathered their bags and Prince Nemaron led them to a Portal in the basement.

Chapter 2: Elfland

They stood on a brightly lit mosaic tiled octagon.

There was a soft but incessant pattern of five notes on what sounded a little like a wind chimes to Alice.

“We wait,” explained Prince Nemaron in Megra’s High Lorinok, “but move outside of the octagon.”

“So this isn’t one of the five courts of the Sidhe?” asked Megra.

“We and the Faerie folk are also Fay but not Sidhe,” said Nemaron. “We are distantly related to the Sidhe. The five courts are Aés Sidhe proper, the court of the current High Queen, Daoine Maithe or Daoine Sidhe, Sluagh Sidhe, An Siabhra and the Alba Sìth. An Siabhra is also called Tylwyth Teg. Any of the five can provide the High Queen or High King. Caitrin or Kate for short in English, is only the heir of the Aés Sidhe proper, Queen Oonagh’s own court, as was Neamhain previously, any of the five could provide the next high Queen or High King. They will not choose Caitrin. Certainly not initially, maybe not ever. She’s too… Well I’m not to explain. Eilis guessed that Oonagh wants the Privy Council to approve Caitrin.”

Neamhain grinned at Alice.

“I won’t tell anyone,” said Alice. “Can we sit?”

“No,” said Nemaron and Neamhain simultaneously.

A few moments later an Elf with an ornate head piece arrived. She seemed much taller than Megra due to high heeled sandals.

“Prince Nemaron,” she said, “we were not expecting you today?”

“Something urgent came up. We must see the King and the records keepers.”

“Follow me then.” She unhooked what looked like a TV remote from her belt and whispered on it after pressing buttons. Alice realised it must be a mobile phone. Perhaps Queen Oonagh’s hazel baton had been a phone too.

The marble paved passage way with mosaic panels of what looked like historical scenes was illuminated by large floor to ceiling plate glass windows overlooking a beautiful formal garden. It looked like it was near noon in the spring.

They entered a door into what looked like an industrial open plan office. Complete with workstations and Elves dressed in something like sports shell suits in different colours and patterns. The women wore the same as the men. Everyone had various styles of head gear, mostly variations of their guide’s head wear. Alice noticed the Elves varied in height with some as short as Megra (who was taller than the average Tuath Dé) and some the height of Neamhain. Unlike college, but like Oonagh’s Court, she didn’t feel out of place or unusually tall. One difference was that Sidhe women were on average taller than the men, but the Elven woman were on average slightly less tall than their men and didn’t have as broad hips as the Sidhe, none had freckles either. The men were very similar to the Sidhe, except with pointed ears. The guide led them through to a larger room with a small table and a larger table. It looked like a conference room.

“King Reileanthos, Keeper Milaniran,” said the woman in Teanga Sióg. “Prince Nemaron and companions from the Court of High Queen Oonagh.” She bowed and left.

“Good to see you, Nemaron,” said the King. “You are not here to socialise? Neamhain, I believe I met you a few times long ago. I thought you’d not return ever? Or did word of the new heir reach you which ever rabbit hole you bolted down?”

Megra, sent Alice, he knows Neamhain from over 2,500 years ago! I’ll try and give a commentary.

“You have a long and good memory,” said Neamhain. “The heir was a surprise, though the Privy Council will likely take months or years to approve! This is my daughter, Princess Eilis. I’ve given up the Morrígna, I doubt that news has run ahead of me. I married Manannán’s last son, Donal. Megra is Empress of all the Lorinokin, whom the Tuath Dé call Elves, for obvious reasons.”

“Princess Eilis, you are telepathically translating?” asked the King. “The Empress is not Fay, not an Elf and doesn’t know Teanga Sióg?”

“All correct, your Highness,” said Neamhain. “Though Eilis is focusing very well for a beginner.”

“We welcome you to our world, our Kingdom of Elfland, Empress Megra. Perhaps you can explain what a Lorinokin is?”

Megra bowed and then after raising an eyebrow at Alice, spoke normally in her own High Lorinok.

“Thank you, your highness. I hope you can shed some light on our little problem. I trust my friend Alice to explain, with the help of Donal and Neamhain. The Tuath Dé name us as Elves, we ourselves are the Inamok, which literally means the people, sundered as the Lorinokin and the Kranokin, which means light and dark people. I am a Lorinok. The humans say a Kranok is like the stature of Old World Dwarves, so Tuath Dé call Kranokin the Dwarves. They have darker skin from living in the Tropics and we are exceeding pale as you see. We are the original natives of the world the Tuath Dé are exiled to.”

“Um… She thanks you and hopes you will help her,” said Alice in Teanga Sióg. “The Inamok means people, they are the natives of the world the Tuath Dé are exiled on. The Lorinokin look like her, she is a Lorinok, they are pale and never short, you can see why Tuath Dé call them Elves. The Kranokin have always very dark skin because they lived in the tropics. A Kranok is always short and swarthy so Tuath Dé call them Dwarves. Unfortunately, I’m not good at this. I can’t remember Megra’s exact words. I can telepathically send as I listen, but not translate, talk and listen all at once.”

“It’s close enough,” said Neamhain. “Actually she understands and speaks Megra’s High House Lorinok better than I. Technically Megra is Empress of them all, but for practical purposes only Queen of the High House of the Hulredrinani, the most prestigious, though only third wealthiest of the Lorinokin. The problem is a Court magician who was controlling a Princess, in practice equivalent to a Queen of the second most important and the wealthiest high house. The magician seems not to have aged in forty years, arranged the poisoning of the Emperor, can open Portals and do the voice of command. She was allied to a pair of renegade Aés Sidhe and probably stole or was given two of the Tuath Dé treasures, though Eilis recovered one. Megra’s species isn’t Fay, they live about 200 years at most. Some are Magi, no Enchanters. None can do things like Portals or shape-changing or Glamour.”

“Have you a name and photograph?”

Alice watched the King study her. She wondered why Neamhain had dropped the adopted bit and not mentioned Donal. Oonagh had mentioned that she didn’t need to be described as adopted. There was obviously strange Fay politics as the King knew about the new heir even though it was generally secret.

“I don’t have a photo or a real name,” said Alice. “I’d recognise a photo, she is called Maaricule, probably an alias. She also has employed or controlled Seidhr practitioners, a Skand Seith. She tried word of command on us once, that really set me thinking as it’s an unknown magic on that world. Fortunately Neamhain had explained it though I’d not known how to do it. Other than that she carefully avoided any use of magic. I thought at the time that was suspicious. Later I remembered she mentioned the feather cloak for training and I’m the only person on that world ever to use that. She had to have seen such an aid elsewhere. Till recently the world was slipping in time compared to the Old World so the 600 years there since the Tuath Dé arrived is about 2,500 on Earth or here, I suppose.”

“All the Fay worlds are synchronous with Earth’s Universe,” said the King. “Only the Tuath Dé exile world was slipping. Queen Oonagh’s people fixed it last year, though we don’t know if each world is in a separate universe or different galaxies. No stars or galaxies are observably the same.”

“I wondered about that,” said Alice, “but I know very little about stars.”

“We will try a photo fit,” said the King. “Keeper Milaniran, do a run on missing people able to work Portals, that’s certainly a small though inaccurate list. Also women able to work Portals and names at all like Maaricule. Often people use related aliases as Neamhain uses Naomi.”

Milaniran was typing madly fast. Alice realised the keyboard wasn’t remotely like any she had seen. The writing reminded her of chicken scratches or crows feet.

“I’ve put people on to that,” said Milaniran. “Now Princess Eilis, you can do the photo fit. The instructions are simple, it’s most productive if you do it. I’m sure this is just like the computers the Aés Sidhe have.”

“I’ve never used a computer, also I can’t read or write Teanga Sióg!” exclaimed Alice. “I only learnt it a few hours ago. My magic only extends to spoken language. I can read and write English, Irish, Lárnian, a little Common and some Latin. I can’t read Megra’s language either. It takes ages to learn to read even when you can speak the language. I can speak quite a few languages naturally, some I learnt the ordinary way.”

“But you are Aés Sidhe, Neamhain’s daughter?”

“I’ve not really been brought up exactly as an Aés Sidhe,” explained Alice, suspecting that Neamhain didn’t want her to mention adoption. “I’ve only been down Neamhain’s rabbit hole just about two years. I grew up in Ireland.”

“I thought changelings were banned long ago?”

“She’s not a changeling,” insisted Neamhain, “though the situation was unusual, but never mind that. I can read your machine and I’ve never used one either, nor an Aés Sidhe model. Eilis can sit, point, talk and you can read and type, that will work?”

“Yes, it will,” he admitted. “You lot go down the other end of the table, talk quietly. The other people will send someone to report if they find anything. Order coffee.”

“Megra, they are ordering drinks,” explained Alice. “You must not take any. Use your own supplies.”

“She’s right,” said Neamhain. “Easy to forget! How long might this take?”

“Oh, one to three days.”

“Empress Megra certainly can’t stay here that long. Nor can I, I’d hoped to speak with my mother and I have classes to give. We have been apart for a long while.”

“Perhaps,” suggested Prince Nemaron, “I can stay with Eilis and the rest of you can go back home via Queen Oonagh’s study. Then I’ll bring Eilis. They can sort her with night things and clothes. You need to stay nearly two hours more though, Megra, then wait for at least six hours in Queen Oonagh’s court. Someone explain to Megra about Portal damage.”

“I think we did explain,” said Alice.

“How do you feel about it, Eilis?” said Neamhain.

“Do I need a chaperone or anything? I certainly need someone to explain things.”

“I’ll call my niece Lady Gilinata,” said the King.

“Perfect, she will take care of Eilis,” said Prince Nemaron. “I then can catch up with my own affairs, I’ve barely met Eilis and there is much I might inadvertently tell her that Oonagh would wish to share in her own time. Things likely unknown to Lady Gilinata, as she isn’t in politics or government?”

“Yes, I can imagine what you mean,” said the King. “Lady Gilinata isn’t involved at all. Quite safe.”

Alice presumed then that at least senior people knew of the mysterious foster children and whatever trouble that was taxing Queen Oonagh’s court. She wondered why Oonagh didn’t want them to know. What harm could they be tucked away on Megra’s world?

The king made a couple of calls. The original guide came with Gilinata who only had a silver band with violet stone on her head. The king had just a golden rope shaped band as his crown. Alice presumed there was a sort of reverse significance for rank to hair adornment of Elves here in the palace offices.

“Lady Gilinata, Princess Eilis,” said the Prince. “Gilinata will call me if I’m needed. Meanwhile we can admire the gardens.”

“Megra,” said Alice, “there is a problem with living things and Portals, you can’t use a new one for about six hours, though you can make a return trip in as little as two hours. The Prince is going to take you all to see the gardens till it’s time to go. I’ll see you when I’m back at Carrigbawn. I may be here a day or two and likely with my grandmother for a day or two also.”

“I’ll warn people that you might be on holiday with your grandmother for a week,” said Neamhain.

“I’ll be fine Neamhain,” said Alice. “Bye Megra.”

“Bye,” said Megra.

“Bye and be good,” said Neamhain. “Try to keep a low profile and just concentrate on Maaricule?”

“Yes, Mum.”

Gilinata drew up a chair and sat beside Alice. “Will I order coffee?”

“Is it coffee like in Ireland?” said Alice with some suspicion.

“I don’t know I’ve never been in Ireland,” Gilinata smiled and leaned over as if a conspirator. “I think it’s like Italian, but it’s grown here and some people swear it’s better. I have an idea the Italians don’t actually grow their coffee.”

“I’d love some,” Alice thought about it. “I don’t like black, though I’m sick of malted hot milk. I’ll need something like that at bed time or I have cramps by dawn. We’ll worry about that later. I’ve had no coffee for well over a year. Even the tea isn’t proper tea, it’s disgusting. I don’t know what they make it out of.”

Gilinata pulled out a display from the side of her TV remote like phone and scribbled with her finger.

“Fresh cream?” said Gilinata.

“Oh, that’s nice.”

“Can we start?” said Keeper Milaniran. “You can discuss hot drinks later.”

~

“No more,” gasped Alice, “we still aren’t even close. The nose is fuller. Eyes wider and slightly more tilted, the lips and chin isn’t right at all. I’ll try a sketch in the morning if you have pencil, paper and charcoal?”

“You can draw?” exclaimed Milaniran.

“Not so you’d get excited about it. However I do have a good memory for faces. My sketch might be a better start point than this even though it will be very poor.”

“We’ll try in the morning,” said Milaniran.

“Also why would an Elf want the four treasures of the Tuath Dé?” asked Alice.

“I’m not familiar with them, though I have heard of such.”

“We can look them up,” said Gilinata.

“Yes I can.”

“Come with me,” said Gilinata, “we need to eat.”

She followed Gilinata outside. It was chilly and dark so she put her full length hooded cloak back on. They had hardly moved from the door when electric street lights came on. There was a row of small cars, Gilinata opened the first one and pointed. She got in on the road side. The lights went out again. Gilinata docked her phone and the headlights came on. “My home. Priority.”

“Enter code,” said the car.

Gilinata typed on a keypad that Alice couldn’t see. The car moved off when Gilinata put her hands on the wheel. However the car steered without Gilinata turning the wheel.

“It’s electric and stops if you take your hands off?” said Alice.

“Yes.”

After about fifteen minutes they reached a parking lot. Lights came on. Alice followed Gilinata to her single storey dwelling, set a discreet distance from its neighbours.

She set out some bread, fruit, cheese, honey, butter, cream and made filter coffee.

“Is this fine for you? It’s all I have. I’ve no meat.”

“It’s fine,” Alice hesitated as the fruit was a bit wrinkled and the pre-sliced bread looked a little dry. “More coffee might keep me awake, though it’s been a very long day. I’m supposed to take a heavily malted milk drink going to bed, though I don’t like it.”

“Sorry,” said Gilinata, “I forgot.”

“Is that honey?”

“Yes, real bee honey, not tree honey, which we have too.”

“I can eat extra bread, honey and cream then,” suggested Alice. “that will be nicer.” She took a slice of bread. At least it wasn’t mouldy.

“I have some malted bread in the fridge,” said Gilinata. “It’s a little heavy, though.”

“Can I try some?” said Alice. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of such a thing.”

Gilinata sliced some of the dark sticky loaf. Alice liberally coated it with butter which obviously was kept in some sort of cooler as it wasn’t hard like refrigerated butter, nor as soft as the warm room would have suggested.

“Mmm, good,” mumbled Alice after trying a bite. She added a liberal slice of cheese. At least it wasn’t dried out and stale.

“The strange Empress Megra looks just like a very pale Elf,” said Gilinata after eating part of a cheese sandwich made with the stale slices of bread. “Everyone is fascinated. Presumably all the Fay leaders knew, I never heard of such a thing. They really aren’t Elves at all?” She sliced some of the malted bread, picked out the cheese from the stale bread and took a bite.

“Apparently they just look a lot like you,” said Alice, “most have no magic, and their magi don’t have every kind of magic. They do seem similar to you to my mage senses, though I’m only good at regular mage stuff, not healing others. My own healing is innate?”

“Yes, that’s a Fay thing, very few Fay are healers, and often only good at healing non-fay. What else?”

“A powerful mage friend couldn’t sense any difference to Maaricule either. I thought she couldn’t be an Elf like Megra, a Lorinok when she tried the voice of command, I blocked it. I can see how to copy magic generally when it’s used, so now I can probably do that sort of magic. I’m not supposed to experiment on my own. The Lorinokin are mostly wizards, some have scrying and telepathy but no Glamour, none are enchanters. Empress Megra has no magic at all. So how many Elves can open Portals?”

“Oh, about one in ten thousand, maybe less, not all Portals are the same either. We all have some magic, as do all Fay. That’s about fifty thousand people as there are about five hundred million Elves and almost all live here*. There aren’t very many children, so our world doesn’t have a huge population. Hardly anyone can create Portals either. That usually needs an expert team.”

“Hmm, so about twenty-five thousand women,” mused Alice. “A bit of a needle in a haystack.”

“Which is why you are doing the photo fit. One of us is pretending to be one of them.”

[* Earth in 2020 has about 7800 millions]

“Yes,” agreed Alice. “I’m not quite clear why the plan isn’t to simply grab her and lock her up till she talks. There is incidental evidence she ordered killing of two Elves, the Lorinokin, not you people. She also imprisoned and maybe tried to kill my friends and I. Though I think evidence for a court on that might be tricky. It’s not Aés Sidhe or Tuath Dé jurisdiction, but Princess Silorthin’s who is maybe Maaricule’s puppet. Megra is technically Empress, but in practice only Queen over her own group of people.”

“I’ve just remembered, though I’ve no malt for putting in milk, I have strong black malt drink, it’s not fermented. Will you try it?”

Alice found it a little sweet. “I’ve never had anything like it. It’s better than the hot malted milk, I suppose. I’ll have some more of the malted bread with cream. It’s gorgeous thick fresh cream, is it whipped? It’s hardly runny.”

“It’s has something done to make it stay nice in the fridge a couple of days longer. I don’t know, it’s not as fresh as it might seem. It’s sort of like cream cheese, but still tasting like fresh cream.”

“Now where do I sleep?”

“Is a two piece night wear outfit acceptable? Like the suits the workers had except thin?”

“Fine.”

“It will only be a little too large on you.”

~

Alice was awakened by the noise of the door opening. Someone came over and kissed her on the lips and started to move closer. Instantly she was wide awake and flung the person back. She leapt up and as he seemed intent on moving toward her again, she slapped him on the chest with her left palm, adding some repulse magic. She prepared to blast him with her right hand using more magic if he came again. The slap spun him round slightly as he cannoned backwards, smashing against the door which came off its hinges. The man and the door landed in the kitchen-dinette with a crash. She stood panting with shock rather than exertion, a little dumbstruck at the destruction she had caused. There was the slam of a door.

“What on earth, ye gods!” exclaimed Gilinata. “What has happened?”

“This Elf assaulted me in bed,” gasped Alice. “Well, he started by kissing me. I thought he was going to do something more intimate. I was attacked once that way before, though my virtue survived intact as the assailant burnt his hands.”

Gilinata kneeled down and examined the Elf. Then rushed off and got her phone.

“Medical Emergency,” she insisted. “A healing mage, not just a doctor.” There was a pause. “Yes I’m at home, security too.”

Gilinata came back.

“Do something,” she cried. “I think he’s very badly injured, maybe dying.”

“I’ve no idea how,” said Alice. “I was asleep and I thought he was attacking me. I don’t really know much about first aid or healing, my mage skills don’t work that way. You better call Prince Nemaron.”

Gilinata put her bed cover over the man. She seemed wary of approaching Alice.

“Who is he?”

“Ealrnian, I suppose he’s my boyfriend,” said Gilinata. She called the prince and talked softly so Alice couldn’t hear.

“The King is my uncle. The Prince is the King’s cousin, so he’s more distantly related to me, a second cousin, once removed. You are really, really so much in trouble. Prince Nemaron will deal with you!” Gilinata sat holding Ealrnian’s hand.

Alice saw that at least he was still breathing. Gilinata had sounded extremely angry. Obviously Gilinata didn’t quite grasp who she was and her relationship to Ard Rígan Oonagh of all the Sidhe.

~

Security people, medics, a Mage and the Prince arrived almost simultaneously. The Prince stood in Alice’s doorway, watching. Soon the Mage was finished and they carried Ealrnian to Gilinata’s room and they left. The two security men sat on the dining table chairs watching her doorway.

Gilinata came back in a robe and the two security men took her to the living room.

“They will get her version first as she made the call,” explained Nemaron. “They will question you, but you can tell me first. If you want me to be your advocate?”

“Like a defence lawyer?” squeaked Alice.

“No one is yet charged with anything,” said Nemaron. “It’s not impossible given the obvious circumstances for everyone to be charged. Tell me what happened and I will advise you. I will remember you are my consort’s granddaughter.”

So Alice did.

“Maybe you over-reacted,” said Nemaron. “You might conceivably be fined and have to compensate him, but not get a criminal record. Your previous experience and age can be mitigating factors. Unless Ealrnian has a very good story and advocate, he is in much more serious trouble. No doubt he will claim that he thought you were Gilinata, if he can satisfy that, then he will have to compensate you and be fined. As he is a mature adult, and you are a child, he may find it very expensive. If he suspected it wasn’t Gilinata, or Gilinata hasn’t a physical relationship, then he is facing serious criminal prosecution. In any case Gilinata will be prosecuted unless Ealrnian broke in. It’s not reasonable that there should be an unexpected visitor to the home without warning and especially to your room in the middle of the night. Why too if he is a regular visitor was he in your room? I know them both, though that would only disqualify me as a judge. The King can judge, because he is king, despite knowing all the people in the case.”

“Can I get dressed?”

“No, best if the security see you as you are. Get into bed as you were at the time.”

“You seemed surprised when you came?”

“Yes, it’s good you told Gilinata to call me. It was one request she couldn’t refuse. I think she is rather angry and not thinking clearly.”

Alice realised that was all he would say. Soon the two security people came.

“You are competent and well enough to answer us?” said one. He presented a laminated ID card about the size of a passport.

“I can’t read,” explained Alice. “Otherwise, yes. Prince Nemaron is my host and advocate. He can tell me what your card says?”

“It’s just his security authorisation,” explained Nemaron.

“I’m puzzled as to your claim you can’t read. Your ID?”

Alice got her Tuath Dé papers from her reticule on the bedside table.

“This is gibberish, who are you and where are you from?” he insisted.

“Can Prince Nemaron vouch for me and explain?” said Alice. “I’m Alice O’Brien, also called Eilis ni Midhir, daughter of Lady Naomi Ni Midhir who is really Princess Neamhain daughter of High Queen Oonagh of the Aés Sidhe, formerly one of the Morrígna. I live normally on the exile world of the Tuath Dé. I have right of residence in Queen Oonagh’s court of the Aés Sidhe as Princess Eilis ni Neamhain, but I can’t prove it.” Alice thought again of what Oonagh had said about her adoption.

“Prince Nemaron,” said the security man, “can you vouch for this?”

“Yes,” he said, “my consort, High Queen Oonagh has fed Princess Eilis by her hand at the Queen’s table and publicly acknowledged her as granddaughter of her own flesh, in my presence.”

“I guess that’s better than any ID,” the security man muttered. “Why hasn’t she got a princess’s insignia then?”

“Borrowed pyjamas,” explained Nemaron.

He turned back to Alice and raised his voice. “So what happened, Princess Eilis?”

Alice realised that Neamhain had on numerous occasions claimed that she was a princess, even apart from Donal’s connection, fosterage or adoption. The twins must have been Aés Sidhe princes. But acknowledged as High Queen Oonagh’s only granddaughter, she obviously was a princess anyway.

“I was lying here, like this, but in the dark with the door closed. I thought I had the privacy latch set, but obviously not, or else it is easily defeated. I was wakened by the noise of the door opening and the light from behind the person coming in. Before I could react, as it takes a moment to be fully awake, he kissed me on the lips and started to get intimate, he moved against me, on top, on the bed as he kissed again. I flung him back and got out of bed. He got up and moved toward me. An adult attempted to assault me a couple of years ago, I thought this was the same, so I hit him with my left hand open, on his chest, using a repulsion spell. I held back my right hand, preparing as best a lightning and thunder strike as I could without a storm cell, I have similar powers to the Morrígna and some of Manannán, but not full weather magic, boat magic or sea magic, at least not yet. Manannán is my true great grandfather, not just of law. If he had continued to attack, I feel I would have been justified in attempting destruction. As it was I only tried to repel him. I’m only fifteen, well sixteen shortly, and only doing enchanting lessons for about two years, so I misjudged the power of my strike.”

“Is this the story she told you, Prince Nemaron?”

“Yes, essentially. She does have the claimed connection to Manannán Mac Lir and very little tuition, some inadvisedly from Manannán, but that is hearsay from Neamhain, Eilis’s teacher and mother. Neamhain is now reconciled to her mother. Hence the Queen’s actions.”

“We will have to put it to the Judges. Meanwhile she is under your recognizance. We will question Ealrnian.”

“May I dress now?”

“Yes you may.”

Prince Nemaron followed them and stood in the doorway facing the dinette. Alice realised she was shaking. Slowly she dressed.

“What now?” she said. “You can turn, I’m decent.”

Prince Nemaron sat on the bed and she sat beside him.

“You have not known a man?” he said.

“You mean sex?” exclaimed Alice. “No, I’m only fifteen.”

“Some Irish girls have at that age. Tuath Dé may often marry at fourteen, though not so often as in the past, it’s not long since in Europe that people married even younger. Some Fay may too, though it’s not so common before thirty three. The judges may ask questions like that. It depends what Gilinata and Ealrnian claim. They are foolish talking to security without an advocate to advise them. It’s good you told the same story to security as to me. It rings of truth. It wouldn’t do for the court to question Neamhain or look too closely at your past behaviour? I’m sure the quiet security man was a truthsayer. So it’s good you only spoke simple truth.”

“Would Gilinata or Ealrnian lie?”

“Certainly it’s news to me that they have a relationship. I’d wonder why it’s secret, their families wouldn’t object, besides they are both of no political significance and hundreds of years old. Anything is possible. We Elves might lie more directly than you Aés Sidhe. Your people more misdirect or omit important details and can rarely lie outright. It’s not a lie that you are Neamhain’s daughter now, even though another was your birth mother. It’s best not to mention anything people don’t need to know.”

“I understand that clearly. I asked Gilinata who he was and she said, ‘Ealrnian, I suppose he’s my boyfriend’, I thought that was odd, surely she should know?”

“Yes, it is.” He went out.

“Officer Smithrin!” he called. “Look at this child!”

The two officers came in and peered at Alice. She was shivering occasionally, she realised she was quite upset.

“She can’t be made to stay here, especially if Ealrnian is here,” insisted the Prince. “I think she is suffering shock from the unexpectedness of the assault.”

“I said she is under your recognizance.” He wrote a chit on headed notepaper. “There, it’s official. We were about to go. Ealrnian claims he tripped and broke the door, backing out when he realised it wasn’t Gilinata, I’m bending the rules telling you that much before the official report. You take the young lady some place safe and warm. You’re not to leave the realm, Princess Eilis. We have read the apartment access records too. You’ll get all the official transcripts tomorrow.”

Alice didn’t see Gilinata. Prince Nemaron led her to a more conventional manually driven car that also sounded electric, though it was like something luxurious from the 1930s in styling.

“I think Ealrnian has more sense than Gilinata and would not have called security. He obviously doesn’t want to mention how forcibly you repulsed him. Perhaps wise. I think now that I have considered, that you would be completely exonerated even if he claimed assault, or been killed. I think if it had been Oonagh or Neamhain he’d be dead. Really one can’t be treating even adult women like that, unless it’s by arrangement. You are but a child.”

~

She woke to the sound of birds. The window was open. She was in bed with a light woollen throw covering her. Only her boots and cloak had been removed. An Elven woman came in almost as soon as she sat up.

“Lady Jamailie, at your service, your Highness,” she said. “Would you like to come down to breakfast or eat here on your own?”

“It depends on who else is downstairs and where I am?”

“Prince Nemaron and Princess Lizrial, the King’s daughter. I’m her chief lady’s maid and secretary. It’s quite private, it’s Princess Lizrial’s palace, with a small staff.”

“Why, what did you hear?”

“Only that Prince Nemaron felt the security and privacy was unsuitable at Gilinata’s. He also thought it was inadequate hospitality. Do you need help with your boots?”

“No, but I’ve not washed, nor have I fresh clothes,” insisted Alice.

“If you wash the food will spoil. You can do that later, the food is hot. No-one will mind. Milady Lizrial has been in a similar clothing crisis in the past.”

“Prince Nemaron didn’t say anything to anyone about me?”

“Only what I said.”

Alice wondered what breakfast could be.

Jamailie led Alice to the dining room. Alice was amazed to see that there was a huge flat TV on the wall. The woman turned it off and got up, as did Prince Nemaron. Alice was amazed too by the woman. The fattest and shortest Elf she’d seen.

“Princess Lizrial, Princess Eilis,” said Nemaron.

Alice curtsied. “Your highnesses.”

They both smiled.

“Please don’t turn the TV off on my account, I’d be interested. I’ve not seen TV for quite a while.”

“Only if you absolutely insist,” said Lizrial. “As it was extremely rude having it on at all while we were eating. I don’t understand why Prince Nemaron was so impatient.”

“We will finish eating then,” said Alice. She smelled fried meat of some sort!

“Is there anything you especially don’t like or you are allergic to, Princess Eilis?” said Jamailie.

“I’m not fond of fish, but I’ll eat it if there isn’t anything else. I get a little hungry overnight.” Her tummy rumbled.

“Please sit beside me, if you would,” said Lizrial. “You seem unwell, you are pale… Perhaps agitated?”

“I’ll be fine,” Alice lied.

Jamailie set down a warmed plate with steaming food. She relaxed a little and ate what seemed like fried white pudding, fried mushrooms and heaven! Fried slices of potato with something looking like fried bacon, though it was dark and had no streaks of fat. It wasn’t beef. Even though it had looked like spring time yesterday and today with blossom, there were blackberries, blackcurrants and an apple.

“Um…” Alice hesitated. “I’ve missed potato, can I have some more? What are the dark slices?”

“Venison,” said Lizrial, “surely you’ve eaten deer?”

“Not this style,” said Alice. “It’s very tasty though!” She supposed it was some sort of differently cured venison to what the Tuath Dé produced.

Jamailie fetched some from what Alice realised was a restaurant sized Bain Marie along one wall.

“I’m baffled,” said Alice after a while. The others had finished. “Everything seems more modern than Ireland. Queen Oonagh had some sort of laptop, disguised phone and electricity too, though I didn’t see any TVs, you seem even more futuristic with self driving electric cars and that madly skinny giant flat TV. Is the autumn fruit frozen or fresh imports? Surely you should be like the Tuath Dé, though maybe I’m confused?”

Princess Lizrial laughed outright, but Prince Nemaron just smiled a little, which Alice suspected was unusual, he seemed a very quiet and solemn person.

“I don’t mean to ridicule you,” said Lizrial. “In mitigation, I have never heard something so humorous.”

“We Elves have different aesthetics and different tastes to the Aés Sidhe,” explained Nemaron. “They make their more advanced phones fit inside hazel batons or rods. They don’t bother with as much automation and they go for very archaic dark architecture as well as dense cities. They have TV too. Only the Tuath Dé exile world had time slip, even so they have progressed as much in 600 years as Ireland did in 2,300 years! The Fay worlds share science and technology and we are not exiled, we just keep our presence secret. America and Germany have prototype self driving vehicles, the Aés Sidhe have no interest in them. Ireland has now electric cars and TVs much like this. As the time slip was only recently stopped, and you have been two years away on Empress Megra’s world, you are probably a bit out of date about Ireland’s technology. Lizrial is amused because we Elves feel out of date compared to our Aés Sidhe cousins! They wrote the most popular computer operating system used by all the Fay.”

“I guess I didn’t understand. I was thinking of all the old stories of Elfland, Fairyland, the Otherworld. I did actually find even the Tuath Dé more modern than I expected. I guess they have achieved a lot. Their local Elves, Dwarves and Dryads help I suppose.”

Jamailie brought coffee and cream.

“Can both you leave us?” asked Lizrial. “I need to talk privately with Eilis about her search for a possible renegade Elf. I have an ideal that will help.”

“Ah, I forgot you are a healer and a good artist,” said Nemaron. “Also I’m no use talking to young girls.”

“I will see that you are not disturbed my Lady,” said Jamailie.

“I have business to attend to,” said Nemaron. “I will endeavour to ensure you are not bothered, Eilis.”

Lizrial waited till the door was closed and then locked it. She handed Alice the key. Alice was mystified.

“Do you want to tell me about last night?” she said softly. “I can help. Prince Nemaron carried you in. He would say nothing other than it was a privacy issue. Yet Gilinata lives in an exclusive, secure area, she lives alone, the apartments are quite private and she has three bedrooms.”

“No, I’d rather not right now, maybe later, it was certainly upsetting and unexpected.”

“Prince Nemaron has postponed the meeting with Keeper Milaniran. You wanted paper, pencils, charcoal. I sketch and paint, I’ve had nearly 2,000 years practice.”

She got a couple of pads and a box from a cupboard.

She sat across from Alice and sketched. The chair had creaked alarmingly as she had sat down quickly. Alice thought Princess Lizrial was quite the fattest Elf she’d seen, possibly the fattest person she’d ever had a conversation with.

“Now, how’s that?”

“It’s breathtaking,” said Alice. “Can many Elves draw so well?”

“Well, I suppose plenty draw well enough. As a people we enjoy drawing, painting, poetry, song, music, sculpture, mosaic work, glass animals, embroidery and other worked clothes and pottery, perhaps more than the other Fay. The Aés Sidhe delight in masonry, metalwork, mechanisms, science, programming, magic, games, music, poems and sport. Can you draw your prey?”

“I thought I might try, out of desperation. I got nowhere with the photo fit system.”

“I heal minds,” said Lizrial. I’m a very powerful telepath. Glamour doesn’t even begin to describe my powers. I can choose or not to see Glamour as the Magus intends it. Can you use Glamour or shape change to be Maaricule?

“I never thought of it.” Alice concentrated. She changed. “No, I’m sure that’s Megra.”

“I saw her at a distance yesterday,” agreed Lizrial. “A common difficulty.”

Alice became herself. “I’ll try Glamour while I sketch… Though I can’t really draw it will help me focus.”

“Give me your left hand, you are right handed.”

Alice put on the Glamour.

Lizrial took Alice’s hand and as Alice sketched, Lizrial sketched too. Alice stopped disgusted with her pencil drawing. She tried some charcoal shading and then gave up.

“I can’t do it,” she admitted. Alice closed her eyes and concentrated on Maaricule talking to her, with the winter sunlight streaming in the study window.

“I’ve finished now,” said Lizrial. “I think I saw in my mind’s eye some of your intention. You can release the Glamour. I suspect my drawing is a little more accurate as I know the Elf anatomy for a woman more perfectly than your memory. You didn’t quite have the perfect bone structure in your Glamour.” She turned round the sketch.

“That’s it!” said Alice and she wrote Maaricule in Roman lettering. Then in Lárnian script.

“I can’t write Teanga Sióg at all.”

“I and the keeper can read the Western script, we call it.” She added Maaricule using Teanga Sióg printed letters and cursive script.

“I must get some books to learn to read and write Teanga Sióg before I visit Queen Oonagh on my holidays!”

“I’ll send it to Keeper Milaniran.” She stood on the chair and photographed it square with her phone. Alice could hardly watch. The chair creaked ominously with Lizrial’s considerable bulk. “I’d be delighted to teach you the two common sets of Teanga Sióg letters. It’s not completely unrelated to Western alphabets, it just looks a bit like cuneiform.”

“I suppose phones in Ireland can do that now too. Is it safe?”

Lizrial didn’t say anything till she was sitting again.

“Now, You don’t wish healing for your mind?”

“That sounds creepy,” said Alice. “I’m OK about last night. If you must know, Gilinata’s boyfriend Ealrnian came in during the night and thought I was Gilinata. I over reacted a bit because a creepy guy at my half sister’s friend’s party tried to do something, I’ve no real idea exactly how far he intended to go. My enchanted necklace burnt his hands a bit. So my virtue was quite intact. But I was very upset, I didn’t know much about stuff like that then.”

“A quaint phrase,” said Lizrial, “surely people in Ireland don’t talk like that.”

“I learnt it in a book. I read a lot. A historical romance. I was really upset when I discovered that though I could speak Lárnian fluently that I didn’t even know the letters. I sat up all night learning the letters. Then I discovered there is worse relationship between the written word and spoken pronunciation than old Irish today. I had to learn about 5,000 words to be able to read adult books. Crazy people.”

“So your virtue is still intact.”

“Quite likely to remain so.” Alice stared at Lizrial.

“Ah, more coffee then?”

“Yes please.” Alice got up, unlocked the door and handed Lizrial the key.

Lizrial simply pressed a few buttons on her phone. “Short codes for common things.”

“How do servants feel about being servants?”

“It’s more interesting and paid the same as an office or factory. People have to do those, it’s our equivalent of national service. They are servants for as short or as long as they desire, it’s a job, not a life imposition.”

Lizrial was showing Alice the Teanga Sióg letters and they were on a second cup of coffee when a worried looking Jamailie re-appeared.

“Lady Gilinata is here. She is extremely distraught and wants to talk to Princess Eilis.”

“It’s fine with me if both of you are here,” said Alice. Jamailie went to fetch her.

“What did you do with the necklace, was it involved?” said Lizrial.

“I gave it to Lady Caitrin or Kate, or whatever Queen Oonagh’s heir is really called.”

“Kate I think, Caitrin is her formal name, as Kate is really short for Catherine, her given name, I’m not sure of the English spelling. I’m not supposed to tell you about them.”

“Your Highness,” said Gilinata, “Princess Eilis, I hoped to speak to you alone.”

“I’m recovered now,” said Alice. “Princess Lizrial is aware of last night’s event. They may stay. I’m sure the Prince would advise me against being alone with you. You were very upset last night.”

“Oh dear.”

“Sit, Lady Gilinata,” insisted Lizrial. “You can sit too, Jamailie. I’ll record if you don’t mind?” She fiddled with her phone.

“Oh dear. This is difficult.”

“Well, I don’t see why,” said Alice callously. “I’m prepared to accept it was a case of mistaken identity and forget about it if the security people are doing nothing. I admit I over reacted. But that’s not unreasonable for a 15 year old virgin foreign guest being wakened in the middle of the night by some strange old bloke she’d never met, trying to make love to her? I burnt the hands to the bone of the man that tried to assault me once. Your boyfriend Ealrnian is fine today? Or are you still not sure if he is your boyfriend, though your private life is none of my business, I’m only High Queen Oonagh’s granddaughter and Manannán’s great granddaughter, the daughter of Neamhain, formerly of the Morrígna, here on a spot of business to help the Empress Megra of all the Lorinokin, maybe figure why an Elf is wanting to pretend to be a Lorinok and steal the four treasures of the Tuath Dé.”

“I hope you are finished, Princess Eilis,” said Lizrial. “That’s quite enough! Really Lady Gilinata, words fail me.”

There was silence for a moment. Gilinata was fiddling with her rings.

“I’m sorry,” said Gilinata. “Ealrnian is obligated too. We have no reasonable explanation for our behaviour. I thought you killed him. So, um, I didn’t behave properly. The medics and the healer said he was just a bit stunned. The three cracked ribs were nothing really. He didn’t even notice, but the healer spotted them. They were healed naturally by this morning anyway. So the healer did nothing actually. I thought you’d like to know. It might not be in the security transcript. You seemed a little stunned. I thought maybe you were worried how much you hurt him. He only kissed you.”

“Twice!” Alice struggled to avoid shouting. “I’ve only ever been kissed by one person before and only I think three times. That was invited, I’d not expect to be even touched by a man I don’t know, nor by most of the ones I do know. No Tuath Dé would dream of such a thing! Anyway, I’m sorry. I just wanted to keep him away, he came back after I knocked him down the first time! I did think I’d killed him and for a horrible moment I was glad. I hated myself.”

“Oh, he thought it was a game. Usually I sleep there. I gave the room to you because I’d just changed the bed. The other rooms are smaller and the beds not aired. He really thought you were me.”

“He must be blind and have no nose. You are prettier and smell far nicer. I don’t wear scent. If I don’t wash, I end up smelling of Essence of Alice. Like now. I still haven’t washed properly since yesterday morning and with travelling three worlds, a very long day. My clothes must be dreadful.” Alice laughed. “Tell him I’m sorry for hitting him so hard and I’ll pay for the broken door.”

“Well I guess he’s not really my boyfriend then,” said Gilinata. “Don’t worry about the door. I’m responsible for all the foolishness. He’s been removed from my access list. I won’t invite him home again as he obviously doesn’t understand when a lady says no, she isn’t playing hard to get.”

“What about security?”

“I’m sorry I called them. I thought you’d killed him. Prince Nemaron will probably sort them.”

“You were right to call security, though Prince Nemaron thought it was wrong.” Alice resisted giggling, she suddenly felt very light headed. “I would really have killed him if he had attacked me again.”

“I think I better go. I’ll explain to him a last time about the meaning of no.”

Jamailie showed Gilinata out.

“I see now I misunderstood the source of your agitation,” said Lizrial. “You were not worried about yourself, but the thought of killing someone. Yet Ealrnian is strong, physically and in magic.”

“I’m strong and getting stronger, physically and with magic. Neamhain found it a heavy thing. So she has resolved to give up being almost a goddess of war and train me so I don’t, well, kill thousands of people as if they are ants. It was effortless to fling him off me on to the floor. I slapped him on the chest with my left hand augmented with a small touch of repulse magic and he hit the door hard enough to tear it from the hinges. If he’d been any less than Fay, he would have been dead? Every time I use magic I’m stronger.”

“I see,” Lizrial stared at Alice. “Have a bath, I’ll make you a present of new clothes and get those express laundered, no obligation as we are close enough family by marriage and at the same rank. Though I’m the King’s daughter, I’m not in government or in the succession. I guess you put on your best to meet your Queen. I don’t think Gilinata is prettier, you’d be quite an attraction in that outfit in any Elf ball. Looks like Gilinata’s are two a penny here. You worry about killing a Tuath Dé friend by accident?”

“I do, very much.”

“Don’t, you can’t live like that. Neamhain will teach you fine control. Explain to her. She’s quite an expert.”

~

“She’s really called Morien,” explained Keeper Milaniran, “a rare half breed, her mother is an Elf and her father was of the Faerie. All the Fay are distantly connected. Sometimes there is intermarriage and occasionally children. That would explain why she isn’t so tall as is typical for us Elves. She was in trouble before in a manner of speaking, often really, though the human legends are very inaccurate. Her background means she’s a better healer than is usual, especially of humans and animals, because of her Faerie father enhanced by mixed parentage. She started of well enough in the human affairs as a healer. I’ll print all we have.”

“Are Elves shorter than the Sidhe and the Faerie shortest then?”

“None of the Fay vary as much in height as humans, Elf and Sidhe men are about the same height range or a little taller than Elf women, the Sidhe women are on average 4” taller. That’s why our women like high heels. The Faerie vary more, but are typically smaller. Humans are more genetically diverse, though actually there is nearly no difference in the DNA between a tall Dutchman and a small African bushman.”

Alice followed him to the photocopier like printer. Well, there are pictures, coloured too, she thought glumly. Neamhain will have to translate it. She wondered why the Queen had said testing her own DNA wasn’t needed and how Nemaron could tell so quickly about Donal.

~

“Prince Nemaron,” said Alice. “Can you explain about my little mishap to Neamhain and Queen Oonagh?”

“I’ll back you up, but you need to explain,” said Nemaron, “though say nothing unless asked. You understand about Portals, about not passing again too soon?”

“Yes, Neamhain taught me and I explained it to Megra yesterday. I have to stay in Queen Oonagh’s court at least 6 hours. That’s not a problem as she wants to talk to me and get to know me a bit so I’ll be staying a few days. You don’t have time to visit the Manor Lodge when I do return?”

“No, Eilis,” explained the Prince, “I do have a job. I did stay with you here, which was fortunate.”

“Um,” whispered Alice, “Princess Lizrial seems quite unlike anyone else I’ve met here.”

“You mean she’s overweight?”

“She is that too, I was thinking how approachable she is.”

“She is a mind healer, a trained and experienced councillor,” said Nemaron.

“I imagine that Gilinata will be making an appointment,” said Alice. “She was very agitated. I’ve never seen someone so agitated.”

“You didn’t ask me about the security report?”

“I assume since we are on our way to the Portal, that it’s all sorted. Gilinata’s story to me this morning wasn’t very convincing and seriously odd, but I imagine security have lost interest when they discovered that Ealrnian was only stunned, and that I was in Lady Gilinata’s bed. With her being the King’s niece and all. I spoke to security myself and said I was fine and it was all a misunderstanding. What sort of games did they play? Was Gilinata serious?”

“How did you talk to security?” said Nemaron. “That sounds unwise.”

“Princess Lizrial’s phone. Gilinata did apologise. I was only upset so much because I thought I had nearly killed him. He was only a little more than stunned. Gilinata obviously knows nothing about first aid. Lizrial told me what to say.”

“I rather suspect Gilinata told you exactly the truth, but without details. I’m certainly not going to explain their games to you. I’m not your mother or husband.”

They stepped on the Portal pattern and were in Caherknock, Queen Oonagh’s town like palace styled like a castle.

“You can’t travel back to your home straight away,” said Prince Nemaron. “Come, meet Queen Oonagh again, snack and rest. Perhaps change from the Elven clothes and put your own on.”

“Can I keep them?”

“Certainly, though you are in danger of tripping unless you have higher heels and additionally you are not yet filling the bust. You can get them altered.”

“It was hitched up at the waist under the bodice, it must be slipping out. I’ll grow into them. Meanwhile if I have to go to a ball, I’ll wear taller heels and some padding. Girls often do you know. I’d not tell anyone, but I think now you count as a grandfather. I think it would spoil them to let my dressmaker at them, though he’s very good.”

“I’m well aware of both strategies.” He shook his head. “You have a male dressmaker?”

“A Dwarf that my friend Ghiloric knows. I have a regular female one too, who did clothes for the mother of my friend Kevin. Everyone Neamhain knows seems to be either dead or living on an other world, she’s not very expert on fashions or dresses. Can you or Queen Oonagh do a spell or magic to help me read Teanga Sióg as well as I speak it? I have learnt the letters.” She fingered the printout in her bag.

He turned and smiled at her. “Fashions and dresses? I’ll see what we can do about reading, your gift, your age and learning of the letters might make it possible, it’s quite phonetic which will help. Now, our Queen.” He knocked the door they had arrived at.

“Ah, Lady Sally!”

“I’ll tell the Queen you are back,” said Sally. “Just wait.” She went out.

“Sally,” whispered Alice, “really?”

“Her parents were in England a long time,” said Nemaron, “the Aés Sidhe particularly have used many names from the Middle East, Mediterranean, Europe and Ireland in particular. The foremost Triad is Oonagh, myself, and Stefan, who is Lady Deirdre’s husband, you met her. The second triad is Lady Deirdre, Lady Sally and her husband Lord Fergus. Another triad of power is Lady Niamh, not the one who is Manannán’s daughter but the one working with Sally and Deirdre, and the couple Finn and Morwenna, living in Cornwall. Morwenna is Stefan’s cousin.”

“Good to see you back,” said Queen Oonagh, “so any progress?”

“Maaricule is really Morien, who has an Elf mother and a Faerie father.” Alice set the printout on the desk.

“I know her,” explained the Queen. “I may read that?”

“Yes,” agreed Alice. “I’m annoyed I can’t easily read it, though I have learnt the alphabet now.”

“I had wanted to keep you a few days, but your room isn’t ready. Would you mind a guest room?”

“I’d be glad to stay! I’ve stayed in some very primitive places in the last two years, though the Dowager’s lodge that we live in is fine.”

“I’ll assign someone to look after you,” insisted the Queen. “Chrissie is very discreet and really you want to avoid getting lost or creating any kind of incident because most people don’t know who you are.”

“I’m sure she won’t have much to do, thank you your Highness.”

“So tell me something about your visit to Elfland. Then I have unfortunately other things to do and you can eat. Soon you will come and stay longer.”

* * *

Alice thought the guest room was pretty posh, much fancier than the hotel in Denmark. It had a small entrance alcove with both a cloakroom and a toilet marked with a cloak and a bush on the doors. Then the large bedroom with a settee, two armchairs, big flat screen TV, a table with four chairs and a big double bed. There was a toilet room and a bathroom on either side of the bed. Double French windows opened to a small balcony with another table and four more chairs.

There was chime. The doorbell? Alice opened the door. There was a woman in the regular palace staff uniform with the white ribbon in her hair and a large name badge. She knew the letters now, so could slowly read some Teanga Sióg.

“Chrissie?”

“Your Highness,” said Chrissie. “May I come in and discuss what you would like to eat? Only supper is in the great hall and only mandatory for special occasions.”

Alice couldn’t tell her age. She was youngish looking like Neamhain, Queen Oonagh and most of the Sidhe or Elves.

“Come in.” Alice sat at the table and pointed.

“You really understand my speech?” asked Chrissie as she sat.

“Yes, I can’t really read easily, though I’ve learnt to read and write both common kinds of letters. Princess Lizrial taught me. So are you just babysitting me on this visit or is it a permanent arrangement? Really I don’t need anyone to look after me. Perhaps I might not understand the politics and etiquette. Can you help with that?”

“You don’t have a nanny or governess at home?”

“Not even when I was a child. I’ve been officially an adult on the Inamok world for nearly two years. I’m used to travelling on my own, doing my own cooking and laundry. Neamhain is still my official guardian, along with Donal, though I’m not sure when that expires as I seem to be subject to different rules here and there?”

“Thirty three years old here.”

“You know who Neamhain and Donal are?”

“Yes. Queen Oonagh said you are their child, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I told her I wouldn’t work as a nanny or governess. I’m a little relieved that you look older than I thought.”

“I’m nearly 16, even in Ireland where I grew up that is practically a young woman. I’d be quite appalled to have a nanny or governess. I’d not even want a maid like Princess Lizrial has. I suppose you can help me figure stuff out?”

“I can advise you?”

“Certainly I don’t want to embarrass Neamhain or Donal.”

“May I show you meal menus on the laptop?” asked Chrissie. “It’s time to eat.”

“I can’t just go to a restaurant?”

“I suppose we could, but people might feel you are refusing the Queen’s hospitality. Also this small town is really just a palace. There is a shopping mall, some cafes and a couple of restaurants in the mall.”

“It might look very bad for me to refuse the hospitality?”

“The plan is that the royal kitchen will feed you. You can self cater occasionally when you get your own apartment.”

“There is no coffee or tea making here?”

“Unfortunately this is just a guest room. I can get you any hot drink practically as quickly as you’d make it here.”

“Only if you drink one with me. I’d like a strong milky coffee with cream. Maybe a snack. Do you have crisps? You have the word anyway.”

“No problem.” Chrissie got a small slim laptop out of her satchel and quickly ordered coffee on her wooden baton style phone. Then she opened the laptop which lit up at once.

“What would you like for lunch?”

“Something with potatoes, I’ve missed them. Even mashed, though I’d love big fat chips. They don’t have them on the Inamok world. Apple pie and ice cream. No fish.”

“You want a dinner and desert?” she exclaimed.

“I’m still growing,” explained Alice. “I suppose you don’t meet many growing people?”

“I only know one. Brendan. He is really a child. I’ve no idea what he eats. He’s always wanting me to let him see the horses.”

“There are horses? Real ones?”

“Yes, actually I’m trained as a horse Vet. I did do the veterinary work for the royal stables.”

“You better order the food. Can we go and look at horses later? I have two on the Inamok world. Though their horses are not brilliant. I’d love a big stallion, with lots of spirit. I’ve no Aés Sidhe money.”

“I suspect the Queen will buy you a horse if you can ride.”

“Maybe I can show you if there is a large lively horse I can borrow. Can you eat something with me? I hate eating on my own. Maybe though you have other duties?”

“Not unless a royal horse is sick or injured.”

~

“I spoke to Lady Sally, Queen Oonagh says I may help you choose a suitable horse, if I’m satisfied you can ride.”

Alice smiled. “Bring the biggest meanest stallion.” She looked at her hat, patted her jeans and wiggled a leg.

“We’ll ride on something quieter first,” insisted Chrissie. “You’re sure everything fits? Later we will get made to measure.”

“I’m fine.”

“We’ll go to the stables now,” said Chrissie. “I’ll see first how well you ride.”

“Well?” asked Alice after they dismounted. “Do I get to pick or are you under orders to get me something safe and placid?”

“I have full discretion,” explained Chrissie. “I will offer you my opinion and use my mage sense to verify the horse’s condition. I’ve not met Grian, also known as Macha of the horses, but certainly you seem as good a rider as anyone I’ve met.”

“I’ve never tried a wild horse.”

“You won’t forget,” sighed Chrissie. “Oh god, I said didn’t want to be a nanny!”

“I won’t forget to wash and change before supper. Neamhain loves riding too and taught me how to use the long bow from horseback while galloping. She doesn’t allow horse stuff in the house.”

“That sounds impossible,” mused Chrissie. “I suppose special boots and stirrups?”

“Also a lot of practice.”

Alice thought Chrissie had pronounced her name somewhat between Eilis and Alice. She thought again about Chrissie’s unusual Teanga Sióg accent. Of course it was a whole world. Perhaps Chrissie was even from one of the other four Sidhe worlds.

Chrissie didn’t hurry. She was in plenty of time for her appointment with Stefan. She tried to think what she’d say to the head of security. Her boss for the last forty years. Deirdre opened the door.

“You’ve to report direct to the Queen,” she explained.

“Well?” said Queen Oonagh.

Chrissie was silent for a moment.

“Surely you can tell me something?” insisted Oonagh. “I know you’ve never reported to me before, but I do know your work, and we have met from time to time. You can speak frankly.”

“My veterinary work or agent work in the field, your Highness?”

“Both.”

“I was reticent about taking on the job as it’s long term and no way can I be a nanny or a governess. Brendan is my only experience of children in hundreds of years and I only see him when he comes to see the horses—”

“Never mind Brendan. Eilis.”

“Even for a Fay high lady she is incredible about horses. How could someone like her have been missed for so many years? Why was she in Ireland?”

“She didn’t explain?”

“No, it seems strange too that I wasn’t briefed, except to be accepted as Lady’s Maid to Princess Neamhain’s child. Except she’s just adopted?”

“I’ll explain more later. Has she accepted you?”

“I’ve not suggested it. I’ve suggested I’m just ordinary palace staff assigned to help her find her way around. She’s not exactly a child, though obviously not an adult. She did tell me she is nearly 16 and that I can call her Alice privately but Eilis in public. I helped her get a stallion. It’s an evil brute of a monster. However he’s like a kitten with Alice. She’s delighted I’m a horse vet. So I agreed to mind her horse. It has bitten me once before. The only tie she has to Magh Meall is a few friends, though I don’t know much. She’s a little bossy and arrogant for only sixteen, yet quiet and doesn’t volunteer much. Clams up on direct questioning. Rarely hides her magic. I can’t tell you much more. It seems lucky she is mad into horses and I’m a horse expert. So what am I supposed to be doing?”

“Neamhain told me about the horses and her friends,” explained Queen Oonagh. “Just keep close, keep her out of trouble and insulate her from the real staff. Don’t forget, the Tuath Dé treat a sixteen year old as adult and in Ireland it’s only eighteen. Not like our thirty-three. I don’t imagine it will be a very onerous assignment. So she’s quite obviously a Fay high lady even if my Prince hadn’t confirmed it?”

“I think no need for DNA tests. I may not be able to open a Portal, but I’m as powerful a mage as any high Elf Lord. No-one will doubt her, unlike the fosterlings. She’s far more tuned into our culture than they are. People might just think she’s unfamiliar with court.”

“Why did you pick such a nasty horse for her?”

“I didn’t. I tried her on an average sort of mare to see could she ride. She wanted a big stallion with stamina and spirit. She wondered was a púca real. I said you were only offering actual horses. I think though she was just curious.”

“You’ll report to me only, my door will be always open to you. Eventually I or Neamhain will tell her she has to have you as a maid or companion or something, so just continue as you have started. It’s positive that she insists on being Eilis in public and suggests you call her Alice in private. Neamhain says only friends are invited to call her Alice.”

“You expect them to be living here soon, Donal and Neamhain, not just Eilis?”

“Possibly, we need to sort out Morien. I’ll meet Manannán and his Warband soon. I don’t know if it will be months or years.”

“I’m glad anyway I don’t have a child like that and you don’t expect me to ever be a nanny or governess?”

“Just be friendly. She doesn’t know anyone and may have to leave the friends she has. Later she and the fosterlings can get to know each other.”

Chapter 3: A demonstration

“Thank you, your Highnesses, for everything,” said Alice. “I can’t decide which is better, the big stallion or being able to read and write Teanga Sióg.”

“There is no obligation. It’s only your share. Thank you again for the present you gave Kate,” said Oonagh. “Take care, I know Morien, I’m sure Princess Lizrial must have recognised her, but she maybe wasn’t sure. Some of the Welsh tales of Morien and French tales of Morgan Le Fay have little truth, though she was a healer at the start. Really the Elves and Faeries should be dealing with this, but they only would if she was on Earth or a Fay World. I sense you understand, she has not yet broken a Fay law as the Inamok world isn’t Earth. You have a letter for Empress Megra from me explaining really very little. I expect though she’ll understand. My letter is in her own high Lorinok, but you will have to translate and bring any reply for me, the Elves and Faerie in Teanga Sióg.”

“Yes, I have it safe, goodbye.” Alice curtsied, turned and activated the Portal. She was surprised to see Kevin sitting on a chair with a small table and lamp, reading. The draft of the Portal opening flickered the oil lamp, despite its frosted glass globe. He looked up and smiled. She stepped through and closed the Portal.

“Are you guarding or waiting for me?” she said.

“I just thought it was a quiet place to read,” said Kevin. “Yes, you ninny, I’m waiting for you. Donal and Neamhain had to go. I was available to make sure you got the letter. You went visiting in your best ball gown?”

“What else have I good enough to wear to meet the High Queen and the King of Elfland? Actually, the High Queen of the Aés Sidhe is officially my Grandmother and I’m related by marriage to the King of Elfland! Who’d have thought?”

“It’s certainly nicer than anything you got last year before our voyage.”

“Are the others here? What time is it? Is there any food? Did Megra stay or go back to her court?”

“Slow down and come to the kitchen. There is a letter for you.” He handed Alice a folded page sealed with Donal’s sigil. “You are always hungry and eating yet never get fat. Don’t explain, I know.”

She put it in her bag and followed him up the stairs out of the wine cellar.

“I’ll rustle up a meal for you,” said Kevin as Alice sat and took off her boots.

Then she dashed upstairs with the letter.

“Read the letter!” he shouted after her.

~

“I read the letter,” said Alice when she returned. “We have a little time.”

Kevin made a pot of tea and set two mugs on the table beside the bread, salami and pickles. He was tempted to look at her bags. They were unfamiliar. He was sure they must have been brought from the Fay worlds. He wondered about it considering the embargo on anything unauthorised from Ireland or anywhere else in the Old World.

“I hope you are not peeking!” said Alice.

He blinked. She was in labourer’s clothes, workers trousers, sheepskin boots and a shapeless worker’s smock.

“Why?” he exclaimed, “you were so pretty before. Even your hair now looks severe tied like that.”

“Cloak of invisibility. We have no chaperone, only you to deflect unwanted attention. You eating?”

“Not long ago,” he said. “I’ll have a cup of tea.”

“Hmm, you made it already. Never mind.” She sat and started eating very carefully and neatly.

“You’ve only been away a few days and you are changed,” complained Kevin.

Alice finished what was in her mouth. “I’m meant to be a lady, not talk and eat simultaneously. They do it by taking very small mouthfuls.”

“I told you that,” exclaimed Kevin, “after all I have years of experience of being a noble.”

“I’m only learning,” said Alice. “I missed that before. Besides I often ignore good advice. Like telling the truth. I would have been in serious difficulty if people in Elfland knew my past behaviour.”

“You’ve been pretty good this last six months.”

“It only seemed that way, Kevin,” said Alice. “I was caught spying on the reception room. Well, not exactly caught. I admitted it before I was actually caught.”

“You’ve something else on your mind,” said Kevin. “I know that look now.”

Alice laughed. “Yes, you know the chaperone thing?”

“You’ve not needed one for nearly two years by our customs. Donal said it’s unheard of in Ireland. It’s baffled me. You know I’d not try anything.”

“Perhaps. Look the necklace is gone.” She loosened the neck of her smock and bent forward. Kevin blushed. “I see. Yet I heard you even slept with it on.”

“I’ve not needed its protection for some time. I had a discussion with Princess Lizrial, I realised you may have misunderstood about me and boys. Or men generally, or you. The desire for a chaperone was so as I wouldn’t have to hurt someone. I’m dangerous. I’ve worried about the necklace or myself hurting you. Come. I’ve not needed one for my virtue for ages. That’s why you made me nervous and big scary things didn’t.”

Alice grabbed the big long handled axe and went out the back. She set a big log flat on the chopping stump. “Split it in one blow.”

“I don’t think I can,” said Kevin. “It needs a bit cut off with the big two people saw, then the cut bit split. It must be about four and a half feet long.”

“Try it. Humour me.”

Kevin eyed it and suspected that Alice had something in mind. Kevin hacked at it for a while, then set it at an angle and gave it a heavy blow. The end broke off. He then tried splitting the broken end. The axe stuck and he couldn’t get it out.

“I guess it’s your turn,” he said. “Are you are going to cheat with some magic like enchantment?”

Alice looked at the sky. “Not right now. No magic, at least nothing conscious. Just my innate nature.”

Kevin looked at the sky. It was clear. Why did the sky matter?

She stood on the piece of log and easily pulled out the jammed axe and then stepping off, swung it. Her feet lifted, or she threw herself into the blow, at any rate the axe blow was true and the hacked off lump split in two as Alice landed full length on the ground on her face.

He resisted laughing at her.

“It’s not easy,” she remarked. She got up unharmed then brushed the sawdust and wood chips off her smock. He knew it wasn’t easy. She’d managed though to put her entire considerable weight into the blow. He didn’t know what she weighed, but while she wasn’t even plump, she and Neamhain looked a little more solidly built than a typical tall Tuath Dé, particularly the hips.

“Now just a little magic, the sort that would be an automatic reaction if I was attacked.”

She heaved up the rest of the log with the hacked off end on the top. Again, Kevin thought it barely taxed her and it was a heavy amount of log.

“It won’t stand on its own,” she said. “Stand to the side and just lightly put your hand over the top you hacked to stop it falling. Don’t actually grip it unless you want a broken wrist.”

She moved forward and appeared to slap it, but the instant her right palm connected the entire log shot backwards about twenty feet shattering noisily and landing in a clatter. No piece was much fatter than a broom stick. Most were the full length, but quite a few were broken were she had slapped it. Obviously a blend of real physical strength and some sort of magic he’d never seen.

“Ye gods!” exclaimed Kevin. “What was the spell? I couldn’t sense it.” He looked at her. “You seem surprised.”

“Not a spell or enchantment,” said Alice, “just a word of command, simply repulse, a variation on the magic I learnt from Maaricule’s voice of command. Not even out loud. I slapped an Elf noble, not Megra’s kind, a real Fay with that word.”

“I’m guessing he survived or you’d not be so amused.”

“He smashed a door off its hinges, he was unconscious a little while and had three cracked ribs. The Fay are tough. He was fine, even the ribs were OK the next day. I’m completely Fay, as I suggested. Neamhain told me the truth ages ago, that I probably wasn’t human. You know I was sure the time we were eagles. I’m not human at all, I’m as Aés Sidhe as much as any of them. The good news is that Queen Oonagh was publicly was reconciled to Neamhain and called me her granddaughter.”

“Donal, Megra and Neamhain wouldn’t tell me anything,” said Kevin. “How do you feel about it?”

“I’m fine. I didn’t like the idea at the start when I suspected it. Eventually Donal, Neamhain and I will live in the Aés Sidhe court. Meanwhile I’ll be visiting it often. Maybe when everyone today is dead, there isn’t any pressure on us, I suspect it’s up to Megra to permit us to stay. Let’s tidy these up as firewood to light the stove.”

Kevin used the axe and Alice simply broke the sticks to shorter lengths across her knee.

“Want to try some Old World tea imported via Elfland?” said Alice.

“Are we allowed?” said Kevin.

“Don’t be telling anyone,” said Alice and laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell Neamhain. Different rules apply.”

“It’s very different,” said Kevin. “I don’t know if I like it.”

“It’s the same sort of tea as in Ireland, though it doesn’t grow in Ireland. I’ve no idea what sort of plants are used here for ordinary teas. I think it’s horrible in comparison. Did you come on your pony?”

“Yes,” said Kevin.

“Then it’s time to go. I have a change of clothes in my bag already. I’ll just grab some stuff from my room and we will go.”

“Where?”

“Your dad’s town house, or an inn,” said Alice. “We are invited to a meeting at court this evening.”

“I’m sure the town house will be fine.”

“Just so you know, Kevin,” said Alice, “don’t give your dad the wrong ideas, I’m not your girlfriend, just a friend that’s a girl. No wooing or marriage plans. I’m not stupid.”

“It’s because you don’t want to hurt me?” said Kevin. “I’m prepared to take the risk.”

“Originally it was,” admitted Alice. “I’ve had a change of perspective. I’m a little selfish. I don’t even want to think about marriage for another few hundred years. Or would you rather I went back to be evasive, uncommunicative and at times being a downright liar? Besides, Kevin, while you will be wonderful for someone, you are not my cup of tea. You know how I like quite different tea?”

“Honesty is a little better. I did tell dad that you are only a good friend, he wondered. I did really give up on the idea when we were on the island. Finally your hints got through. Notice I wasn’t chasing after you last winter.”

“Neamhain wondered too. I appreciated the space to concentrate on my own new family, Anrhi and Sorcha. Come and help me pack and carry.”

In the hall she stopped and grabbed him, hugged very tightly and kissed hard.

“I told you I’m selfish,” she laughed. “I hope you can forgive me. If someone tried that on me, they at the least would have cracked ribs and might be dead! I need to learn more self control!”

“I’d say you do!”

“But I knew you wanted another kiss, for nearly two years. Ever since the last one in the mountains?”

“I did then, but that one was so painful that along with the log splitting demonstration, I’m not sure I want another. I don’t think you broke anything.”

“Good, I was hoping to cure you,” said Alice. “Imagine if we got a bit carried away and had sex.”

“I’ve been trying not to think of it.”

“Think of the sticks any time you are having difficulty, that did hurt you a lot and I wasn’t a bit excited. Do you know how excited people can get? Don’t answer.”

“How do Aés Sidhe people take human partners?” said Kevin.

“They are very self controlled mature Aés Sidhe, a lot more than ten times my age. Even so there have been deaths. There are ballads and stories about it in Ireland and Scotland. Possibly Neamhain has been working up to explaining this stuff. But Princess Lizrial was quite explicit. I think a lot of magic is involved.”

“She’s the King of Elfland’s daughter, I think you said?”

“Absolutely. Practically my aunt or cousin or something by marriage. We better get moving to be in the city before dark. My little demonstration took longer than I thought.”

Kevin resolved to avoid startling Alice, ever. He was glad he’d realised last year that she was something to be kept at arms length.

Chapter 4: The King’s Court

They left the horses in the stable at the back of the town house, washed, changed and hired a cab to the Palace of King Patrick IV. Dalrinath City was still busy and bustling with traffic. Pedestrian, mounted, horse drawn and steam powered.

“You look fabulous, though curiously taller and um, you have more—”

“Bust is the word Kevin, or maybe chest or something,” said Alice. “I’m trying and probably failing to look more than fifteen, more sophisticated at any rate. I have my tallest heels, I’d trip on this dress otherwise. It was made for someone else. A taller Elf with bigger breasts. It’s more suitable for court otherwise than my ball gown.”

Kevin blushed. “Hence the make-up. I never knew you to wear it. Neamhain never does. You don’t look silly, though perhaps daunting.”

“She is well over six foot tall, over a thousand years old, even by Tuath Dé time, and might possibly be able to incapacitate weaker people by looking at them, she’s caught her husband too. She may not even have noticed it’s been invented. If the make-up is bad I can wipe it off?”

“I think it’s not too obvious or bad. You must be close on six foot six in whatever you have on your feet, you are over six foot now anyway. No Tuath Dé woman would want to look so tall. You really are a little intimidating.”

“That reminds me, there is no time slip now. A month here is now a month in Ireland. Queen Oonagh’s experts figured how to stop it.”

“I bet it was the night of the amazing Aurora not long after we came back from our Portal journey,” said Kevin.

“It was.”

“I see you are wearing the real necklace my grandfather made. You do know only married women wear that design?”

“No fooling a jewellery expert,” said Alice. “I gave the enchanted imitation to Queen Oonagh’s foster daughter. Don’t be grabbing this one, I enchanted it last night, though it’s not the same as the other. It’s better if some people think I’m married, after all I’m not too young and it may save them a broken rib or arm.”

“Yes, Freyja,” said Kevin. They both laughed about the escapade in the dockland last year.

“I don’t imagine Freyja wears make-up, but curiously Neamhain says she does have ginger hair.”

They had no difficulty at the palace with Alice’s or Kevin’s papers. They were expected.

The crier at the throne room announced: “Lady Eilis Ni Midhir, Enchantress and companion Kevin Aldiare, Magus.”

“I’m just the companion?” muttered Kevin.

“Isn’t Aldiare a title rather than surname?” whispered Alice.

Neamhain took Alice’s hand. “You wait here with Donal, Kevin. Protocol,” she muttered.

They walked on up to the throne.

“His Majesty, King Patrick IV, my daughter, Lady Eilis,” said Neamhain.

Alice curtsied and Neamhain groaned slightly.

“Pleased to meet you. I do know who your mother and grandmother really is, so a slight nod would suffice, a Princess doesn’t bow or curtsy to a King, especially a vassal King. Still, prettily done. I can hardly remember the last time I saw a curtsy, very old fashioned. Now we shall meet Empress Megra, my liege lord, not that most of my subjects know it. I presume someone has sent some sort of correspondence to someone here.”

“Yes, your Majesty,” said Alice trying to sound formal. “I expect you are concerned because of the Crimall? There is only a letter for Empress Megra from High Queen Oonagh, though I expect she writes somewhat of whatever King Reileanthos may have communicated via Prince Nemaron. You know who those people are?”

“Yes, I do. The leaders of the Magi keep me informed. I must say anyone would think Neamhain is your birth mother.” He got up and led them to an antechamber or study behind the throne.

Megra, a Dwarf and a Dryad stood and bowed slightly. Then Megra smiled at Alice and looked her up and down.

“Chief Herrinagh of the Dwarves in Dalrinath,” said the King, “and Lord Janneth of the Dryads nearest to us. Princess Eilis, or Alice, daughter of Neamhain daughter of High Queen Oonagh of the Aés Sidhe who officially don’t exist, so officially Lady Eilis Ni Midhir. Enough protocol, we now have representatives of all the peoples. I’m representing all the Tuath Dé as Chancellor Eithne is really the leader of the Magi, who are not predominately Tuath Dé. She should be here, but claims Donal or Neamhain, sorry, I mean Dean David and Enchantress Lady Naomi can represent the Magi. Sit everyone.”

Alice gave the letter to Megra. Megra opened it. “It’s in my own language, well, she spoke it well enough, she writes it very well.”

After a while she set it down.

“I don’t quite understand,” said Megra. “The Fay have their own strange rules? The not eating and drinking anything in either Fay world, that has to have been some symbolic thing, yet didn’t apply to Donal, Neamhain or Alice? No-one explained, or perhaps you did and I wasn’t paying attention. Mostly I had no idea what people were talking about.”

“I think Donal, Neamhain and Alice might only explain if asked the right way,” said the King. “It’s mostly symbolic. I think there is also some issue with consuming stuff not from your own world and then using a Portal when you are not Fay. Two things, for them, if you feed someone at your table, then you are under a geas to do them no harm for a certain time. It’s like a magically enforced obligation. Also if you accept food or other assistance, then you are under geas to return the first favour they ask. This could be a magically enforced obligation. It could just be tradition, purely symbolic, Neamhain?”

“A bit of both probably. Donal, Alice and I are the Queen’s subjects already, as well as family and high lords, so we may be offered almost anything and ask for almost anything. Certain exchanges can result in a geas, which might be an ordinary kind of obligation, all the way up to fatally magically enforced. The Portal thing is a big issue. Megra was quite ill on every Portal crossing.”

“I rather think that though Maaricule is Fay,” said Alice, “that only Empress Megra can ask for help, they regard her as responsible for the whole world. Empress of the Inamok, not just Lorinokin but Kranokin. Elves and Dwarves are only the Tuath Dé names. As is Dryad. The Dryads have some contract or agreement with the Elves here. There is some other agreement about the Tuath Dé.”

“Technically all that is true,” admitted Megra, “about the peoples here. The Baltie, whom you call Dryads, only rule their own settlements, they regard the House where they are as the Government, never the Tuath Dé.”

“Yes,” agreed Lord Janneth, “I represent the Dryad communities here to Empress Megra as our ruler.”

“The Tuath Dé may only concern themselves with people from the Old World, Eilis?” said Neamhain.

“Maaricule is really Morien, half Fay Elf and half Faerie and probably was brought here by the renegade Aés Sidhe twins, Elcamar and Ealcmhar,” explained Alice. “Likely they offered her the four treasures, and something else. We don’t know what they really wanted. Queen Oonagh is going to talk to Odin about the Skands, they shouldn’t have come here at all. Elcamar and Ealcmhar are probably responsible as Morien was in Britain then France. I think you are stuck with the Skands.”

We always wondered about the Skands,” said Megra. “There is no record of any agreement. We found the agreement with Queen Oonagh about the Tuath Dé, my scribe copied it for you, King Patrick. I have to write a letter or letters to the King and Queen of Faerie and the King of Elfland to get help to deal with this Morien. It has to be in Teanga Sióg whatever that is?”

“I suspect that simply means Fay Language,” said Alice. “You heard it spoken. Donal, Neamhain and I can translate for you, Megra. We all understand your language, though I can’t read it, but I can write Teanga Sióg.”

“Donal and I can’t translate for you Megra, not now that we are part of the Ard Rígan’s court,” explained Neamhain. “Can I see Alice privately, we haven’t met since she returned. Don’t you want Donal and Kevin?”

“Yes.” King Patrick rang a bell, and a servant entered from a far door opposite the throne room door.

“Get refreshments after you fetch Donal and Kevin from the hall and show these two ladies somewhere nearby private to chat?”

“Your robing room, Sire?” He opened a door on the left.

“Yes, fine.”

~

Kevin looked around the intimate meeting room that seemed small in comparison to the public audience chamber or throne room.

“Chief Herrinagh of the Dwarves in Dalrinath,” said King Patrick, “and Lord Janneth of the Dryads hereabouts. Kevin, son of Lord Aldiare of the Privy Council, a Magus. Well, Empress Megra, where do you think Maaricule, or I suppose we should call her Morien, has bolted to?”

“Almost certainly allies on Leerthmokineer,” said Megra, “that the Dwarves name Lerthimok, and you call Tír na hÓige. No humans there, no human visitors except a human Magus with a Dwarf Magus or Elf Magus in charge. The Baltie may enter freely. We have increased the frequency of scrying between all the main centres on the three continents. Is there a date for the transoceanic cables?”

“No,” said Chief Herrinagh. “We are still making the cables and the cable laying ship. The first land based network is working, we can send messages from southern Deas Ceat to northern Tuas without repeaters. The voltage needed is very high, so repeaters are normally in use. We can’t use repeaters on the transoceanic cables, that’s why we tested it. The first undersea cable to Inis Thiar failed, but the second one is fine. Glass cables are the future, but we are a long way from being able to copy it, even though the idea is simpler.”

“Do the Leerthmokineer rulers know about the Fay or Aés Sidhe, Lady Megra?” asked Neamhain.

“I doubt it. My records have the fiction that the Aés Sidhe are Tuath Dé legend. Manannán, his Warband and the Morrígna were all presumed to be Tuath Dé, not Aés Sidhe or Fay. We thought that the Tuath Dé named Elves, Dwarves and Dryads in your language after supposedly mythical creatures, not real ones. We presumed Queen Oonagh was a great Human Enchanter of the Milesian Celts. I was rather surprised to be able to meet her in person and real Elves out of Tuath Dé legend. I’m still amazed at how like us they are, but taller generally, though I’d easily pass for one indefinitely if I knew the language. Many are about as tall as Eilis is normally, though the women seem taller due to high heels. Perhaps because the Aés Sidhe women do seem to be taller than their men. I can’t imagine how Eilis is walking in whatever she is wearing, but she’s somewhat over six foot normally now, anyway she’s still growing.”

They had tea and biscuits.

Kevin wondered just how frank Alice was being with Neamhain. It must have been amazing visiting the Fay worlds, yet Alice had told him nothing.

“Megra,” said King Patrick after a pause, “obviously we and probably the other Tuath Dé nations will give you what ever help you desire as this Morien is believed to have stolen two of our treasures, though Alice and your other friends recovered the sword. The evidence is that she was involved with the Evil Enchanter Elcamar and his twin brother Ealcmhar. So we need you to be in charge as now an expedition is needed to Leerthmokineer.”

“Lerthimok,” muttered Chief Herrinagh.

“Either is better than the facetious Tír na hÓige,” agreed Megra. “Donal, is there a real Tír na hÓige? I was surprised that Queen Oonagh’s entire world is called Hy Brasil.”

“It’s a sort of nickname of a real Fay World, there are seven Fay worlds as well as the Old World. Though some or all of them are as old or maybe—”

The robing room door opened. Neamhain gave a set of stapled pages to Donal. “Morien’s biography up to the point she vanished in France, sometime just after the time of Joan of Arc, about 1431. She was in Britain for a while long before that doing healing. Known to be friendly with Elcamar and Ealcmhar as well as the Keeper long before Manannán gave the treasures to the four northern Tuath Dé cities, before they came to Ireland, before even the trouble when Angus Og was supposed to have killed Elcamar. Lugh really had the real spear. It had to have been swapped about the time of the Crossing, the Exile, so probably Elcamar stole it then.”

Alice and Neamhain sat and took some tea.

Donal read the reports. The king peered at them.

“So that’s what written Teanga Sióg looks like?” he said.

Megra came and peered at them too.

“It’s what typed or printed Teanga Sióg is,” said Alice, “the written version is quite different. It’s like two different alphabets. The spelling is the same.”

“Show off,” said Neamhain. “The other day you couldn’t read it.”

“I need advice,” said Megra. “I’ll need to consult with my advisers, the Dwarves and Dryads. Possibly Donal, Neamhain and Alice. So Maaricule is responsible for the Skands, Fomorians, Elcamar and Ealcmhar and the two worst wars in history, and she’s really Morien, a Fay offspring of two Fay worlds?”

“No, Oddly not,” insisted Neamhain. “It’s more likely that Elcamar and Ealcmhar persuaded her to join them long after they had arrived with the Fomorians and later brought the Skands. She’s half Elf, half Faerie and very arrogant about non-Fay people. The document from Elfland proves it. She was the last to come. We don’t know if she ordered poisoning you and your father, or if it was Princess Seilia’s idea. I doubt the Skand Seith members know. We still don’t know who poisoned Princess Seilia.”

“What are these Faerie?”

“Not me, Megra,” said Donal. “I’ve never known Elves or Faerie, nor lived in the Fay worlds. Only Ireland and here.”

“I’ve hardly been in Elfland more than Eilis,” said Neamhain. “I met the Fay Elves I know at my mother’s court. Unbelievably they are under a geas to Eilis as well as a much older one to Queen Oonagh. I don’t know the details of either. Neither Donal nor I would be up to writing modern Teanga Sióg as well as Eilis, we are 2,500 years out of date. Eilis has the modern nuances better, Queen Oonagh is satisfied with her writing ability, which was somehow magically achieved once Alice learned the two alphabets. Neither of us can represent the Tuath Dé properly either, as we are really both Aés Sidhe, as is Alice. Librarian Bran, Chancellor Eithne and Magus Kevin are the only Tuath Dé that know Megra well and most of the truth of the Aés Sidhe. The Faerie are only much known at all to the Elves, and little to them. They are secretive.”

“What are you saying?” said Megra.

“Eilis needs to translate your request to Elfland and the Faerie world,” said Neamhain. “She then has to deliver it. The Aés Sidhe or the Fay Elves will enable Eilis to travel to the Faerie court, probably merely to deliver your letter. The Elves are under a geas, an obligation to her. Frankly the Faerie will do nothing. I’d imagine at best if Morien was in their court they might send her to Elfland, I don’t really know.”

“I think we can end this meeting and have another one after I’ve consulted my advisers,” said Megra. “I’ll decide what to do next about Morien when I get a reply to my letters. Perhaps, your Majesty you can talk to the other Tuath Dé Kings. I also suggest that now that it’s more than 600 years since your coming here via the Portals and you are well established that you shouldn’t worry about hiding the involvement of the Aés Sidhe any longer, perhaps also more strongly hint you are exiles, permitted to stay by the natives, the Inamok.”

“Empress Megra,” said Neamhain. “I can’t agree to that. It’s purely up to the Fay to decide if they reveal themselves. Policy is to be only myth and legend to humans. That may not apply to your people, Baltie or humans here. You might count as demi-humans. The demi-humans on the Old World do know the Fay. You saw a demi-human at Queen Oonagh’s court, though that itself is rare, other than Dwarves.”

“So I can’t even tell my own people about the Fay?” said Megra.

“Only an inner circle of trusted advisers. You can ask Queen Oonagh, and for the Tuath Dé as from the point of view of the High Queen, they are your vassals. You’ll need to write the three letters about Morien separately to asking about revealing the existence of the Fay. The five Sidhe courts, Elfland and Faerie will accept the Ard Rígan’s edict on that.”

“Yes it’s true,” said King Patrick. “I’ve got a parchment that claims it, it’s not something we like to be reminded of. I’ll call a meeting with the other three Tuath Dé leaders. We’ve never, in private, denied that you Elves and Dwarves have precedence. I admit we have shamelessly exploited the fragmented nature of the Inamok leadership.”

“That’s surprising, though I don’t know the details of our own agreement,” said Lord Janneth. “It’s never been an issue with us as we always have acknowledged the local native leadership. I suppose when there are three sentient species someone has to be ultimately a final arbiter. So Empress Megra and not High Queen Oonagh?”

“The Inamok, the people are sundered,” insisted Chief Herrinagh, “we are now Kranokin and Lorinokin, the dark and light people. We don’t accept the authority of Queen Megra as Empress of all Inamok. Then again in practice most Elves don’t either, the Lorinokin. No-one can speak for all the Dwarves, I mean the Kranokin. However as Dalrinath has Dwarves from all over the world, I have a fair idea of what a single Dwarf leader would say, if such existed. I can speak for my people here. Queen Megra has started well. If I can be a partner with her in composing the letters and formulation of policy, I can do my best to have the Kranokin support it. We have a year’s experience working together.”

Kevin thought that King Patrick, Neamhain and Megra seemed very amused.

“It depends on the nature of the partnership and what you would try and block,” responded Megra.

“I have many years experience and you are but just twenty, Empress and Queen less than a year.”

“Actually, though I’m twenty,” admitted Megra. “I’m really still under the regency for a little while longer. It’s just the Council decided to authorise me to act as Queen and Empress, providing I tell the Regent what I’m doing. In practice even if there wasn’t a Regent, I couldn’t just do anything, my father certainly had to do things he didn’t want to do. What are you suggesting?”

“I think it’s something for us to work out privately, not in front of Lord Janneth, Tuath Dé and these Fay that have been masquerading as Tuath Dé, though they had good reason I suppose. More in the line of advice to avoid you making any beginner’s mistakes in statecraft. I always thought the exploits of the original Kings, the Morrígna and Manannán were either imaginary or proof they were not really Tuath Dé. The recent war proved that they are more powerful than any Enchanters, so I accept all this Fay malarkey. To be honest I think the only Dwarf that trusts you is Ghiloric. He persuaded me to join the Artistic Progress Council and to accept King Patrick’s invitation. Well, I was inclined to anyway. We can work towards a partnership of equals. Some day there might be a King or Queen of all the Dwarves.”

~

Donal, Neamhain and Alice accepted Kevin’s invitation to come back to his dad’s town house. They were under way in the cab and Neamhain started laughing.

“Oh Alice,” she gasped, “where ever did you get the dress and the make-up?”

“Is it bad, which, the make-up or the dress, or both?”

“Don’t fret,” she said. “You didn’t make the mistake of being too vivid. I don’t mind now if you wear make-up like that, it’s subdued, not like a doxie. The dress is obviously for someone taller and somewhat larger breasts. It’s perfect everywhere else on your figure. Anyone that hadn’t met you wouldn’t guess you’d cheated. I guess you have on your four inch heels, though those high heel boots are only for horse back archery, not really for walking in.”

“I borrowed something of yours to help with the fitting. I asked Lord Aldiare where to get make-up. He brought a big box of it with trays. One of the maid servants advised, and did most of it. I’ve seen girls at parties in the magi college that didn’t have a clue so I didn’t want to do it myself.”

“Must have been my mother’s stuff,” said Kevin.

“The dress?” asked Donal.

“I bent the rules, the Tuath Dé laws specifically mention the Old World and items not in current circulation. You could get a dress like this here, nor is it from the Old World. It was a present from Princess Lizrial, though it can’t have been hers, she is short and fat for an Elf, she is a lot shorter and twice as wide at least. I suspect it was made for Lady Jamailie, her sort of maid and secretary. I didn’t ask, as I thought it might embarrass them. I ran out of clothes as Lady Gilinata, the King’s niece, who I was staying with neglected to organise the overnight express laundry, I didn’t pack sensibly. I thought it was better than anything else I have for court. Queen Oonagh explained about Fay stuff to the Old World and expects me to use my own judgement about bringing things here. I expect she’ll approve people here knowing about the Fay because of the native magic.”

“It’s fine, just a bit of a surprise. Don’t try dancing, riding or actually doing anything other than walking and talking carefully in the dress and no running in those boots!”

“I was amazed that Prince Nemaron mentioned that it was loose on the chest and I was in danger of tripping on it. He’s not normally very chatty. He suggested getting it altered. Queen Oonagh agreed with me that it would be a shame. We both thought I’d grow into it soon. She suggested how to make it fit when Nemaron went out, but I’d figured that anyway.” Alice smiled.

Kevin turned and looked out the window. He needed to try and avoid emotional involvement with Alice. She’d made it clear that it wasn’t wanted and Neamhain seemed to accept that different rules applied to Alice than any Tuath Dé girl. Besides in a couple of thousand years she would merely look twenty-five to thirty-five depending on her emotional state, or something. He’d not figured out why Donal and Neamhain seem to vary in age as you watched them.

“I’m to go and stay in court in my holidays if you agree, Mum,” said Alice.

Kevin realised that Alice quite deliberately switched between Naomi, Neamhain and mum depending on circumstances and subject.

“What do you want, dear?” said Neamhain.

Kevin realised that Neamhain also used different names for Alice too according to circumstances.

Donal laughed. That reminded Kevin of earlier shared humour.

“It seems it this is the sort of thing where what I want doesn’t count till I’m thirty-three,” muttered Alice. “It’s up to you.”

“I’m asking you, rather than being arbitrary, I’ve a long history of saying no to my mother.”

“I’m curious,” said Alice. “I might not want to go every holidays.”

“She might not want you every holidays, I might not want you to go and I might go by what you want,” said Neamhain.

“Fine then.”

“Why was King Patrick, Megra and you, Neamhain so amused by Chief Herrinagh of the Dalrinath Dwarves?” said Kevin, thinking it was best to change the subject. Obviously Neamhain and Alice were equally tricky.

Neamhain just smiled.

“He’s almost declaring himself King of all the Dwarves, the Kranokin,” said Donal. “Possibly preparing the ground for his successor. Likely he knows he can’t unify them. Megra was well trained, I suspect her father assumed that Megra as Empress was always a viable plan B. Even if she had married Doontrat, she would have been the real Queen of her people. I heard that Doontrat can’t run a tap reliably.”

Chapter 5: Friends

Conn Brodie and Alice were walking toward the refectory, they had stayed after in class to try the enchantment they had just learnt one last time.

Chapter 6: Letters

Megra puzzled about the letters. The letter to Queen Oonagh regarding knowledge of the Fay in the world was easy and done. Alice had translated it and had delivered it, though certainly hadn’t returned the same day. Alice was confident that would give a positive answer. It was very strange to be told to be responsible for a whole world where hardly anyone was going to take much notice of her edicts. It was bizarre that as long as it didn’t interfere with their internal decisions and laws that the Tuath Dé in theory accepted her authority. But then again all her own people had the same view.

Chapter 7: The Ball

Alice scryed the driveway in the bowl of water. It was hard to hold it so long and so close. Yes! she thought, the carriage and four to take Donal and Neamhain to the city. She waited till they left and opened the Portal letting Flinn mac Haggan step through. He was tall, but not as tall as some Aés Sidhe, though on average the men were not as tall as the women and had much slimmer hips. His nearly orange hair was cut in the local Magh Meall male style and he had a neatly trimmed beard, which these days seemed rare for Tuath Dé, but some had them. He was in a typical nobleman’s formal dress for a ball. He was really very handsome.

Chapter 8: Alice Explores

Alice woke in the unfamiliar room. It had a flat screen TV on the wall facing the bed, smaller than the one in the guest room. She got up and investigated the nearest doors. An en-suite bathroom with a shower, bath, wash basin and other things she wasn’t sure of. The other door had a toilet, wash basin, some other kind of thing and a hot air dryer. No towel, though the bathroom had had towels. It was like a deluxe apartment suite in a magazine. It was all more modern and posher looking than even Princess Lizrial’s home. Someone had mentioned the royal wing. She had been exhausted. The last thing she remembered was Queen Oonagh’s study. She put on the soft robe and sheepskin slippers laid at the chair near the bed. She explored. A living room or lounge with a huge flat screen, much larger than she’d seen so far. What looked like hi-fi speakers on either side. A cloak room with her cloak. A vestibule. Certainly incredible compared to the guest room she’d had on her previous visits. She opened the outer door and stared at the ornate style Teanga Sióg gilt lettering. It was a markedly different font to what she’d seen before.

Chapter 9: Betrothal

Kevin was awakened by something. When he got a kiss, more a peck on the cheek, he realised it was Órlaith.

“This is now really uncomfortable,” he said. “I didn’t mean to go to sleep here. This big armchair seemed very comfy last night!”

“Neither did I,” said Órlaith, “even though it’s only been three hours we are late for breakfast. You are scratchy and smelly. I think noisy people woke me, or maybe lack of food. We hardly ate last night.”

Chapter 10: Task Force

Megra read the letter about the next assembly of the Artistic Progress Council.

She locked the letter in her desk and went back out to meet Chief Herrinagh, the most influential Kranok or Dwarf on the continent.

Chapter 11: Flinn

The Portal opened and illuminated the cell. Then Flinn stepped through and closed the Portal.

“Well, fancy meeting you here!” exclaimed Alice, sounding a little sarcastic. “It’s ages till our date.”

Chapter 12: Auditions

“Mum, you know about triads?” said Alice.

“Only much about one of them,” said Neamhain, “why?”

“Queen Oonagh says I have to form a triad.”

Chapter 13: Assistants

Bernie the tween crept out to see the stable boy Nat. She went to the hay loft as that’s where he would be waiting.

“Really it’s weird,” she said to Nat as they snuggled in the hay.

“The magic today?” said Nat. “Eilis, Sorcha and the Elf woman, Kaltra were birds just before the freak storm.”

“Lady Eilis did the storm,” said Bernie. “I heared them talking about it, Biddy thinks I’m to be Órlaith’s occasional maid or something when she’s married. We are much older than the Master and Mistress yet you’re a Stable Boy.”

Chapter 14: The Shortcut

Kevin watched Alice open the Portal in the small room set aside at the college. He wondered would Flinn go home or follow her again. Certainly there was no sign of him.

“It’s dark?” said Kevin.

Chapter 15: The Palace

“Nilrem!” exclaimed Velurak, the court magician. “Such a surprise! Where is your good wife?”

“At the inn,” said Nilrem. “Megra says firebirds have been seen in Kiranithiaen.”

“Rare and beautiful,” said Velurak, “it would be criminal to hunt them for the tail feathers.”

Chapter 16: Gilinata

Gilinata looked at the letter in surprise. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d got a physical letter. She wondered who could have sent it?

It was strange, it seemed to be a folded page tied round the four edges with string. She closed the door and sat in her favourite chair. She read it and laughed.

Chapter 17: The Twins

Alice walked toward the palace with her entourage. People hurriedly got out of her way. Princess Filerna was captivated with the teenage twin ladies in waiting, or whatever they were and insisted on getting them matching dresses from her own staff.

Chapter 18: Emergency HQ

Megra had set up an Emergency HQ in the Dwarf meeting halls in the Dwarves’ quarter of Dalrinath City as a reaction to the hand written note from Alice, apparently from a Portal. It was cryptic, no doubt because anyone might read it. It was neither dated nor had a time.

Chapter 19: Morien

Alice, as a flock, dispersed and dodged the blasts of flame from the spear. She felt sharp blasts of pain as some of the birds died.

* * *

Lots of text deleted

* * *

The End

The Celtic Otherworld

Contemporary travel to Otherworlds are mentioned in Celtic myth and legend. Meet the Tuath Dé, Sióg, Aés Sidhe, Elves and Faerie. Also set in Limerick, Ireland and Wychavon, England.

Court Grave, Lough Gur, Co. Limerick

Unlike Greek and Roman myth, there are many Celtic Otherworlds that appear to be magical and often inhabited by the Fair Folk (Fay, Fairy, Elves, Sióg) or sometimes the Tuath Dé (later called Tuatha De Danann). They are not realms of the dead.

Manannán Mac Lir led the Tuath Dé away to the Otherworld over 2500 years ago. Except for them it’s been more like 600 due to the time-slip. The Portals were often at Court Graves, Raths and other ancient Irish sites. Today Tuath Dé culture is a crazy mix of Mediaeval to Nineteenth Century styles. Now the Magi Council and the Druids of Ollathair have wakened the Sleepers, the Morrígna, (Badb, Macha and Neamhain) and the rest of Manannán Mac Lir’s Aés Sidhe Warband.

The Talents Universe

The Talents Universe series are all stories connected by characters with the mysterious Talent, of which there are seven kinds, or with some involvement of the Caemorian Empire, a world 80,000 light years away from Earth (Tellus) on the other side of the Milky Way. Apart from Jump Drive for the starships and the psychic like Talent, the Science Fiction attempts to be compatible with known science.

Circle College campus, Caemoria.

Mostly involving the activities of the Caemorian Empire, a single planet 80,000 light years from Earth. They are about 5000 years more advanced. Their culture dominates nearly a third of the Milky Way. Anyone developing Talent, always at puberty, must be trained in the Circle College on Caemoria.

Many of the stories involve Maisie Kelly from Ireland the only person from Earth with the special Talent. The time scale is contemporary, and as we didn’t notice any giant starship visiting, it must be an alternate reality?

Trader’s Isle

The Trader’s Isle series is set in mediaeval like world without Black Powder. The massive world wars and loss of much technology a thousand years earlier was bad, but the rise of the Sorcerers called the Silver Wolf Heads using the Arinopean Barons as puppet leaders was a disaster for the Isle of Amrat and the people curiously called Traveller Folk, even though they are not nomadic.

The painting is a detail from Le Jardin de Maubuisson by Camille Pissarro (1830-1903).

Contents

Chapter 1: Meetings

Chapter 2: Elfland

Chapter 3: A Demonstration

Chapter 4: The King’s Court

Chapter 5: Friends

Chapter 6: Letters

Chapter 7: The Ball

Chapter 8: Alice Explores

Chapter 9: Betrothal

Chapter 10: Task Force

Chapter 11: Flinn

Chapter 12: Auditions

Chapter 13: Assistants

Chapter 14: The Shortcut

Chapter 15: The Palace

Chapter 16: Gilinata

Chapter 17: The Twins

Chapter 18: Emergency HQ

Chapter 19: Morien

The Celtic Otherworld Series

The Talent Universe Series

The Trader’s Isle Series