The Fine Art of Conversation - Faye & Sheryl 04.03.2021

Faye and Sheryl talk about what happened in the Summer Court, amongst other things…



The familiar voice of Sheryl enters Faye’s mind.


“Hi Faye. Want to come over? Maybe make a blanket fort? Possibly talk about some things... I’ve some important news I want to tell you.”
It has been quite a week… Titania’s army has grown and Elchior was squashed by a squirrel… They stand up from the ritual to resummon Elchior.


“On my way.”


Faye hops up onto Elchior’s new form, a mighty white steed with 8 legs, each hoof glowing icy blue with magical energy. Elchior cumbersomely walks down the stairs from their suite to the courtyard of Fort Ettin then charges full speed and jumps, galloping through the air as they take off flying off towards the city.


––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


Sheryl waits outside with Astra, wrapped in a fluffy off-white shawl with grey fur trimming, ready to greet her guests on the terrace that exits out from her rooms at the Four Fair Winds. The garden surrounding it has started to give birth to little buds of leaves but nothing too prominent has made its move to bloom yet. She can still see her breath a little when she exhales, the weather just chilly enough for it, so spring still slumbers.

“Elechior, you look amazing! I love the cold blue of your hooves, they’re very beautiful,” Sheryl says to the icey white mount as both pegasus and rider land. She waits for her friend to dismount before holding her arms out tentatively in an offer for an embrace.


“Hi Faye, how are you?”


Faye looks down from Elchior’s new back with a warm smile and quickly dismounts to offer Sheryl as warm a hug as their wintery form can manage.


“He is very glad you like the new form. He felt it would be worth a change, what with all the fashion reinventions I have been going through recently. It has been quite the week… but I am glad to be with my head still and to have Elchior back. Flying is amazing but it is very chilly up there. A blanket fort is definitely needed and perhaps some martinis to go with it!” Faye responds.


“There are plenty of blankets to make a fort and many a drink to be had. Come!” Sheryl says, inviting Faye inside. “Elchior is welcome inside too. Astra has her favourite spot by the fireplace but there’s plenty of space in here.”
They pass through the ornate, stained glass double doors and Faye sees all the furniture in the lounge of her suite has been pushed to the side. A pile of pillows, blankets, and all manner of fluffy and soft linen await in a pile beside two chaise lounges and a small table with various bottles of beautiful gem-like colours.


“So you mentioned you had news? Hopefully good? Did Queen Titania consider my words in the end?” Elias’ eyes are hopeful but the rest of Faye’s face remains calm and composed.


“The news is good in that it relates to how we will be able to deal with Ulorian and his white knight,” Sheryl answers with a wicked grin. “But come, lets make our fort first and have some drinks!”


Faye smiles in response. “Well that is excellent news. How are we to deal with it? Is Titania going to condemn him and speak to the other Fey Courts to do the same? Perhaps through discussions with Morinn I could raise this with her too? Maybe uniting them against a common enemy is the way forward.”


“Drinks firrrrst,” Sheryl sing-songs as she starts mixing liquors together, music echoing in the air around her as she kneels beside the low table.


“Alright, let’s discuss in a more appropriate setting.” Faye gives their signature wink to Sheryl who giggles.


They begin a dance as Sheryl starts to sing, pulling at the magic of the weave. Their magic pours from their limbs as they move and it flows into the blankets and cushions which start to move and sway in response.
“This is a much nicer use of this spell than with my daggers,” Faye says as the blankets and pillows begin to climb on top of each other and form into the much needed blanket fort.


“‘Magic is neither good nor bad, that lies in the heart of its wielder,’” Merla recites in a low, hollow voice. Then she makes a face as the fluffy blankets and pillows settle around the two of them in a cozy but elegantly draped tent. “One of the first lessons I learned early on from a particularly ancient tree ent. Here you go!” She hands over a bubbling drink of shifting blue and green to Faye, a similar one in her own hand which she raises in a toast. “To blanket forts and the protective comfort they give us. May none enter whom we do not call arael’ebrath*.” She smiles warmly at Faye.


Faye smiles in response. “If we are to be in this Fort of arael’ebrath we should be honest with ourselves and each other. I know we have never really discussed this openly but I know you’re aware Faye is not my only name as Sheryl is not your only name. If you would prefer to call me Elias you may. Normally it is reserved for those who are arael’ebrath. But anyway enough for that as you said drinks!” and Faye raises a glass to cheers.

The two clink glasses and drink deeply.


“Ah, that tastes even better than I thought it would!” Merla exclaims delightedly. “They have some of the finest liquors in the Palace that I just had to take some bottles. Do you like it?”
Faye savours the drink for a moment before responding.

“It is very refreshing, like a summer’s breeze. It really would be wonderful on a Summer’s day if only we had better weather but at least it is nice and warm within the fort. I can see why the Summer Court values these cocktails.” They take another deep sip of the drink.


Merla smiles happily as she pulls out a small sphere of thick glass, covered in a semi opaque fabric from behind a cushion. She whispers a word in Sylvan and as it floats up it begins to glow softly with a mix of warm and cool shifting light, like an aurora. It’s a beautiful contrast to the light that softly emanates from the gem in her circlet.


“To answer your questions, Titania did agree to help us bring Ulorian to justice, but as for what she is going to do she has not told me yet,” the fae-bard explains. “But help us she will. I did suggest asking the other Courts to assist but she dismissed the idea. You could raise it with the Queen of Winter though.”


Faye takes a moment to absorb the words and formulate a response.
“Without any guarantee from Titania that she will not attack the Winter Court I don’t imagine Morinn will accept the terms.” Elias swirls the glass nervously but carefully ensuring the liquid never overflows. “There is the matter of this army. We have not had time to discuss it privately. As much as I wish for Ulorian to be punished I do not trust Titania.”


Elias takes another sip and looks up to meet Merla’s gaze. “I know she is your mother and you love her dearly but she happily manipulated me into providing her with an army and showed no sign of any regret or remorse when confronted. If you have any sway I would urge you to ask her not to attack Ulorian or anyone else. I risked my head to tell Titania… Morinn is smart and she will use any attack to her advantage and it will unite all the Courts against her.”


Elias looks away towards Astra and Elchior resting peacefully by the fire together. “I didn’t take that risk for her… I took it for you because I don’t want you to have to feel what it’s like to lose your mother or worse to see her do something you can’t forgive.”


Merla doesn’t know how to respond to that last part, though it does tickle her heart to know that Elias’ words were not just for their benefit but hers as well.
“To be fair, you absconded from the Winter Court many years ago” Merla says, raising an eyebrow but keeping her voice gentle. “The pretense of our visit to Summer was that Queen Titania viewed you as an ally and unless I’ve missed something, I thought you wanted nothing to do with Morinn and the Winter Court beyond freeing your mother.”


“I hold no loyalty to Morinn herself and I had considered myself an ally to Titania. I still consider the Winter Court my home as much as you do the Summer Court and I did not leave it by my own choice. I understand the pain you went through in your banishment period because I went through it too… I lost my mother, everyone thought I was a criminal and I couldn’t go back to my home without risking death.” Elias looks down again, thinking.


More composed Faye raises their gaze again to look at Sheryl, “We both know what she did was wrong. She was creating an army to take control of my home and at no point did she think that was worth mentioning to any of us. She made us raise an army that could kill thousands. Morinn and the Court itself may not be defenceless… but there are many regular civilians in the Winter Court who are innocent of no crime besides supporting their Queen.”


Elias’ frustration seeps out into their next words “They do not deserve war to be brought upon them because Titania believes she should be the ruler of the Feywild. Titania has made it very clear that the only choice for those people would be to bow to her or face that sword.”


They shudder thinking back on the blade and how close they were to facing it. They were sure not many Winter Eladrin got away with questioning the judgement of the Queen in front of their subjects. Faye fought back on the fear creeping in at the thought of the damage it could do in the hands of an angry Archfey.
“I am not sure that is a quality I would like to see in the next leader of the Feywild.”


Merla sighs a little, a sadness in her eyes as she looks at her friend.
“You misjudge her, though I do not think its a fault of either of you, rather a result of the circumstances of recent events,” she says. Her brow furrows a little and her own frustration creeps into her voice. “I will also point out that not once did my Mother say she was going to be attacking the Winter Court specifically, not even when I spoke to her within the following days. These conclusions and accusations based off of assumptions you are making Elias are born from fear, something that concerns me greatly.”


Elias takes in the frustration and looks apologetically to Sheryl. Without breaking eye contact they say, “You are correct. It is unfair of me to assume that Titania will attack the Winter Court and I am sorry for that. However, it does bring me concern that the army I helped to create will attack any Court… aggression of any kind could spark the war I saw.”


Merla presses her lips together before she exhales, letting out the anger that wants to build into a maelstrom. She takes another sip of her drink before setting it aside. Deciding on another way, the fae-bard folds her hands together in her lap, tilts her head and looks up at Elias.
Which Court would you see Rise Ascendant? Your own? You’ve made it clear you would not have Summer. Does that mean you’d support the Wandering or Witching Courts?”

Elias’ voice picks up, perhaps tapping into the charisma that Faye always seems to find with ease. “I feel that there must be a better way than a war. In Daring Heights we have achieved peace between the nations of the Dawnlands by forming an alliance. I would like to see the Courts form one too.”


They pause for a moment. “I would see none of them rise or all of them depending on how you look at it... I know that no Court would ever give up their monarchy and I would not expect them to. I believe that they could form a Council so that no one Archfey is in charge of the Feywild but they represent their own Courts interest in how it is run. Form a Council like in Daring Heights so that all the Courts are represented. If we look how far they have come imagine what creatures as powerful as the Archfey could achieve by working together instead of against one another. Not to mention a Council of Archfey condemning Ulorian would leave him with little choice but to surrender,” Elias looks hopefully toward Sheryl. Searching her face for signs of approval.


There is a long pause before she answers.
“I wish I could believe that possible, Elias, I really do,” Merla begins, “but what I have seen does not instill a belief in me that it is. There is no way Ulorian, ruler of one of the Courts who would be part of this Council, would agree to it, not when he knows one of his people has made an aggressive move against Queen Tiania’s daughter. I bet you anything he doesn’t even attend the meetings his own advisors organise. Probably falls asleep and pretends they’re not there.” She scowls.


“The Witching Court is all about bargains,” she continues. “Sure they may agree, but they would find a way to make any agreement so complex that they would come out on top. Twilight is without direction until someone takes up the mantle and it’s concerning no one has yet…” Merla trails off, thinking about that for a moment before her attention comes back to Elias.


“And what of Queen Morinn and her Keepers of Secrets? Those are powerful Elias.” Merla shakes her head, whether in refusal or astonishment at this outlandish idea it’s hard to tell. “You’re essentially asking these god-like beings to change who they are and how they have been doing things. It is a big ask, one that I do not see working.”


Her tiny hands ball into fists and again, the frustration rising once more. There is so much to think about, so many avenues, too many things that have gone wrong and could still get worse. No one road leads to victory but if there is no resolution soon, Darkness will catch them all in her Unseelie grasp and then it will be too late.
An even bigger sigh comes out of her and she gives Elias a small smile.
“Would you like another drink?” she points to their empty glass.


“We may need it for these heavy topics,” Elias chuckles. “I know it’s a long shot but we have seen less likely things happen…”


Merla takes their glass and starts mixing another concoction.


Elias smirks a little before waving their hand and creating the sound of a trumpet fanfare before saying in an official tone. “Sheryl the Fae-touched of the Summer Court, Daughter of Titania, sounds like she would be an optimist.” They wink again to indicate they’re joking.
They are rewarded with a small chuckle as Merla hands Elias their drink refilled. This time it is an opaque white that shimmers as it swirls in the glass.


“Surely two charasmatic and well connected bards such as ourselves can find a way to talk the Courts into something that really would be best for them,” Elias continues. “Ulorian may be a lost cause but it seems like he wouldn’t be in the Council of the Fey for long anyway. All we need to do is convince the rest of them to set aside their Ego for two moments and appreciate what they have… can’t be too hard right?” They offer up a smile to Merla hoping that they can inspire some support for the plan.


They look down at the fresh drink, sigh a little and take a sip. “I just don’t know what we can do otherwise. I think if we don’t try this my vision will come true.”


Merla’s voice is heavy as she says, “Two of my three visions from the Raven Queen have come to pass, despite my desire to see it be otherwise. Even then, they were not exactly as I saw them, something slightly different…” she trails off, staring into her own swirling, sparkling drink.
“Fate will not be denied, nor will She be controlled.”


Merla tips back her head and drinks. It feels more like smoke as it hits the back of her throat. Before she realizes it she has drained the contents of her glass.
“Hmm, that was surprisingly… light,” she muses, setting aside her empty glass.

Elias smiles warmly, “This drink was lovely but small…”


When Merla looks back to Faye her expression is serious, no trace of jovialness to be found across the panes of her face.


“I need you to know that what I said to you in the Summer Court was not a lie. You are arael’ebrath.” Merla reaches out and lays a warm hand on their chest, over their heart. She looks into Elias’ eyes, ice blue meeting oceans deep. “I want to help you save your mother. I will do all that I can to help make it so, Elias, I promise.”


“I trust you. I worry what Morinn will ask me to do. She holds all the cards in this situation… she has Artemis and my mother.” They look down at the hand in their chest. “I can almost guarantee whatever she does will be detrimental towards Titania or one of the other Courts... sabotage is after all what the Advent does best.” Their eyes rise again to meet Merla’s searching for a reaction.


She nods, unsurprised, empathy clear in her eyes.


“This is why… I will tell you the real reason I asked you to come. It may change things between us,” Merla withdraws her hand a little, casting her eyes down for a moment before looking back up, “but if you would listen to me I’ll do my best to explain everything.” She pulls her hand back, holding it close to her bosom.


Faye pauses, their face is calm as their tone is even, there is no hint of emotion. “This seems like you’re about to tell me something I do not want to hear.”


“I will let you determine that for yourself,” Merla says, a small smile on her lips. She feels like a diver about to jump from a cliff not knowing if there is clear, deep water below or deadly, jagged rocks. This is a leap of faith.

Merla takes a deep breath, and jumps.


“The groundwork for the Aegis Accords, the example you used for your idea of a Council of Courts, has taken years to build,” Merla says. “The Feywild does not have that kind of time. The longer things continue as they are, the easier it will be for another to come along and take control. I do not think your idea is impossible, but it is not probable right now.


“Condemning Ulorian is not enough, action has to be taken,” she continues. “The Archfey are not receptive to words alone, they only listen to power. Some of them even scoff at the gods. That is the kind of people you would be trying to convince to change how they do things.” Merla reaches a hand out and lays it on Elias’ knee, allowing them to feel her sincerity through touch as well as through her words. “I am not against this idea. I would love to see the Courts work together! It would be something unimaginable… But the game they are playing cannot be changed from without, it has to be changed from within.”


She takes her hand back, a noble bearing making Merla sit straighter. “That is why, in part, when Queen Titania offered me a legion of se’akhrua* to command I accepted.”


Faye’s eyes meet Merla’s but their face remains unchanged, expressionless whilst they weigh the pros and cons of this situation.


“Titania has no desire to wipe out the other Courts. Indeed, her goal is to restore Balance not to have Summer dominate over Winter. She has proven she will fight alongside the folk of this Plane when she sent the Glorious Company to help us during the Rift War. She even said,” Merla opens her arms to indicate more than just the two of them, a bright smile lighting her face, “that we are what a true alliance between the Feywild and the Mortal Realms can yield.”

Her arms slowly come back to rest as she studies’ Faye’s face. “Morrin has not shown any indication she thinks beyond her own desires. Would she honour the Aegis Accords if Winter was to Rise Ascendant?”


Faye feels Merla searching their face for answers as to how they feel about this, but they are not ready to give any. They are not sure they have any yet….


“Beyond Seelie Court politics there are the Cabals,” Merla says, her expression darkening. “They are not done with us yet, probably never will be. But with Sarastra’s death they have gained much ground where before they had hardly had a leg to stand on. They favour anarchy. We have already seen them strike at Summer and Witching, it’s only a matter of time before they strike at the others, if they haven’t already.”


A thought suddenly occurs to her. “Artemis said himself Cabalites have known to frequent in Winter but how would he know… unless he knows what to look for?”


A cold silence permeates the warmth of their blanket fort.


“I know you love him Elias,” Merla says softly, “and I am not one to judge someone on who they love.” She turns to look in the direction of her room where Kruxeral lies sleeping. They see a torrent of emotions dash across her eyes. “I hope for your happiness I am wrong…” She glances back to Faye.


Faye’s face is hard as ice. Unmoving. Cold eyes stare unblinking at Merla and cold almost seems to seep from them at the suggestion.


A storm cloud of anger rolls across Merla’s face as she continues. “I intend to meddle with their plans, stop them as best as I can. I hope you will be with me when I do.” She grins and it is sharp as cold steel. “They are but a branch, not the heart of the tree we will need to fell.”


“And who better to do it than Queen Titania? As Fey Paramount, she can with but a simple suggestion, turn all to face the threat that is greatest to all Seelie Fey and ruler of the Cabals: the Queen of Air and Darkness.”


Faye has been silent throughout Merla’s revelation, allowing the facts and opinions to flow into them and sort themselves. Their first words are spoken in an even tone but cold, perhaps reminiscent of the last time Merla saw Faye speak with Artemis.
“If you wish to suggest that my oldest friend and infer that he is a traitor to the Feywild, the Winter Court and myself, I would ask that you at least present me with evidence before doing so.”


Merla holds up her hands. “I have none.It was merely a thought in the moment, one I wished to share in honesty and good faith.”


At these words the tension freezing up Faye’s body immediately leaves them. “I am sorry for that. I know that was harsh… I know you were just speculating. It is difficult when you lose everyone to consider if one of the few people you have left may be an evil fey intent on starting a war between everyone you know… However, you raise an interesting point and it might be the case that a Cabal has been causing trouble in the Winter Court. I am certain Morinn would not let anyone know of it if she could help.”


Merla nods.


“As for the rest of the news…” they pause and take a moment, then resume. “I am going to raise a lot of concerns in order of the points you made and then finish with a heartwarming statement that will hopefully make you forgive how much of an arse I am about to be.”


Merla raises an eyebrow and Faye smiles at her hoping to convey that this isn’t personal, before unleashing a stream of their own consciousness, that has been pent up for months at an impressively rapid pace.


“I believe the Feywild has time and that change is possible. You make excuses for them as though they are immutable. If I can change myself into a 17 meter long dinosaur with the wave of a hand then Titania and Morinn can learn to compromise. I know you want Ulorian to pay, I do too, but rushing this helps nobody. I do not understand why you would attack at an inopportune moment besides rage at him for his crimes. If you are worried about his knight then I am sure together we can hunt them down. Ulorian is one of the strongest creatures in the Feywild and going at him half-cocked will backfire and you could die. We all could.”


Merla’s mouth twists but she stays silent. Faye takes a sharp inhale before resuming their rapid pace.


“You said that things can only be changed from inside the Courts, you are the Daughter of Summer and you have just been appointed… What was the official title? General of the Flower Warriors? I know this seems impossible and they are stubborn but it is possible. We can’t just say I don’t think it will work so I won’t do it. We accomplish impossible tasks every week this is just another one for the list…”


They pause for another breath and another sip of their drink. Merla waits, wanting to speak but holding the objectionable words back.


“I feel we must address this too,” Faye says. “I am critical of Titania and I accept that perhaps I judge her too harshly sometimes. But something doesn’t add up in her story to me. Titania says she wants balance. If that is true why does she not want all the Courts to work together and rule together? What would be more balanced than that? Has she made any attempt to make peace with the other Courts? Or to work out how to do the Ascension without violence? Can any of them really Ascend and still leave the Feywild balanced? Or will it just be slightly less balanced towards whoever Ascends?”


All good questions, ones Merla has asked herself. Thoughts swirl in her mind, reasons, more counterpoints, but she still keeps her own council on this.


“As for Morinn’s loyalty to the material plane… The alliance you spoke of was not an alliance between the Feywild and the Mortal Realms. It was an alliance between Titania and you. I doubt very much that Titania would have offered her soldiers if the life and home of her daughter was not at risk and as for Morinn, did anybody ask her for help?” Faye waits for a response.


“No one knew I asked until the Glorious Company arrived,” Merla says. “If Morinn was asked, I have no notion of it. But my point remains: Would she if someone had?” She gives a pointed look to Faye.


“I understand that perhaps nobody knew, but does that not highlight that it was you who brought the Glorious Company to help, not Titania who sent them. You give Titania the credit as though she sent her support out of the blue because she wanted to protect the Material Plane. You convinced her, Titania merely said yes. You united the Material Plane and the Summer Court Merla. If you can unite those why can’t we unite the rest of the Feywild? I do not know what Morrin would have done and neither does anyone besides Morinn, so we can hardly blame her for not helping when she was neither asked nor had any stake in the war at the time.” Faye takes another deep breath. “As you said, the Unseelie Fey are the threat. So if Titania really cares about restoring balance then she should focus on removing the source of the increasing levels of anarchy, which is the Unseelie. If she wants balance she will point her army at them, not at the other Fey Courts.”


Elias stops themselves from ranting further. Months of frustration pent up, they know it is unfair but Merla immediately notices they seem to relax a little before speaking again.
“I know you have probably asked yourself most of these questions… but it is the duty of a friend to question your actions… and… there is nobody I would rather see lead an army than you Merla. I will be at your side if I feel you make the right decision, and if I feel you make the wrong one I will tell you so in no uncertain terms how much of a fool I think you are… but that will require being by your side so I may as well help you anyway…” Faye pauses to wink again. “Because that is what friends should do.”


There’s a moment where she doesn’t do or say anything. Then Merla reaches out and takes Elias’ hand in hers gripping it tightly. It is difficult, what she is about to say, but she needs to say it, even if Elias will disagree.


“It is not certain the path I have chosen is the right one, I will admit that… But a war is coming sooner or later,” Merla says, voice low. Her ocean blue eyes are resolute but heartening in their honesty. “I choose to stand beside my Mother, the one I believe can unite the Courts together on a path of strength and glory that will see everyone, fey and mortals alike, through the Dark and into the Light.” Then she grins. “But I expect you, and the others, to tell me if or when I am being a fool. I would not consider you to be arael’ebrath otherwise,” she says, returning their wink.


Faye stands and heads over to the bar to refresh their drinks, “I trust you will make the decision you believe is right and even if I do not agree, I will not move to stop you. However, if Titania wishes to take even one fort or village from Winter by force, then I will likely have to help defend my home.” Elais carefully measures the various spirits, creating a classic Winter Court cocktail for Merla.


When the cocktail has been shaken and garnished to perfection, they walk back to the cosy blanket fort and hand one of the drinks to Merla. She can smell the lemon before she tastes it and the other blend of citrus liqueurs. It is tempered with a soothing salted caramel and was that hint of banana? Whatever it was, it calms the zest dancing across her tongue as she swallows her sip.


“Mmm,” she intones appreciatively.


They take a sip and smile, “I will only ask that if my plan does bear any fruition and there is any hope of peace being made without war between the Seelie Fey that I have your support? As leader of your own army I think it would go a long way.”

Merla thinks but in her heart she already knows her answer. She smiles up at her friend.


“If you can make it possible, then together we will make it so,” Merla says, standing and raising her glass to Elias.


They cheers and the conversation moves onto less political matters.


*arael’ebrath - lit. heart friend, someone you trust/value deeply.

*se’akhrua - flower warriors