I smiled back as warmly as I could.
The Pope's expression wavered.
Oh, crap. Too warm. Too warm! I reeled it in.
“I didn't expect it to be so cold here,” President Lopez finally whispered to Prime Minister Hallibrand.
“Didn't they warn you?” I asked, eyeing the group. Most of them were wearing coats. “You look prepared for the weather.”
“Yes, they did,” he said a little louder. “But we came through Texas. So . . .” He shrugged.
“Ah, well winter is an interesting time in Faerie,” I lifted my voice so the other tour guides would know to pass on the information. “Some faeries and fey animals shift with the cold, turning into winter versions of themselves. It affects their magic too. This knight, for example.” I waved at an Air-Sidhe who stood at attention at the entrance to the Air Garden, helping to direct the flow and prevent wandering. “Do you see how pale his wings are and the blue tint to his skin? He's a Frost Faerie. That makes him very special.” I winked at the knight, and he inclined his head to me. “There aren't a lot of Sidhe who transform in winter.”
“Like Jack Frost?” The Prime Minister asked.
I blinked. “Huh. I've never thought of that. A faerie could indeed be the origin of that story.”
“Jack Frost?” Arach asked.
“A boy who brings the frost,” I said.
He grunted.
“Are there no children here?” someone asked, emboldened by our conversation.
“Not in the Castle of Eight,” Prince Lugh said, then grinned at his wife. “Not yet, at least.”
Isleen lifted a brow at her husband which had him grinning wider.
I almost squealed in excitement but held it in. Isleen as a mommy? Oh, yes. I would like to see that. So would Lugh evidently.
“None of your, er, courtiers have children?” another world leader asked.
“No, our court and guards are formed of faeries from the other houses,” High King Cian said as he continued to walk. Pausing at this point might cause a pile-up. “We believe children should be raised in an environment of their own element, so noble parents don't request to attend us and knights who are parents aren't conscripted into duty.”
“Conscripted?”
“Each kingdom sends a selection of knights to serve the High Court for a few years,” Lugh took over. “It's similar to military service on Earth. The knights are chosen by their monarchs, and it's considered a great honor to serve the High Court.”
Children. The questions reminded me that out of the six royal families, four of us had children. Well, technically, theHigh King had Lugh, but he was grown. That left only Earth childless.
Huh. Hold on. Is that important? Could this be about children? Damn it, do I still suspect the Earth Royals? What happened to that certainty in my bones? I guess my bones aren't as steely as I thought.
More questions came from the humans after that; the dam had burst. Azrael and I answered many of them since we were the most familiar with the modern human world, but Lugh stepped in a few times as well. At last, we entered one of the seven outer trees and it got a little warmer. It hadn't snowed yet, but it would soon. The Castle of Eight had shed its leaves—a clear sign that winter was upon us. For a second, I wondered about the clean-up. Those leaves were huge. The castle staff would have to carry them out of the courtyard one by one. Or use magic. Duh.
“Here are the classrooms,” Azrael called out in a booming voice. “You will be taken to the appropriate room by your assigned guide and shown the curriculum pertaining to your country.”
The echo of translators murmuring followed Azrael's words.
“Please, note any concerns in the booklets we've provided you,” he went on. “If there are any changes that need to be made, be as precise as possible in your descriptions, and we will make adjustments. When you're finished with your inspections, we will have lunch in the main tree.”
Faeries were waiting in doorways that we had passed. They stepped out one by one to call out the names of theirassigned heads of state, then showed them into the classrooms. And yes, there were that many classrooms. Granted, some were much larger than others, with certain countries attracting more fey interest. But every country had a room and a curriculum just in case.
“You're over here, President Lopez,” Azrael waved the American President toward a room.
“Sir.” An Earth-Sidhe bowed to the President. Her skin was a few shades darker than his, which went well with her violet hair.
President Lopez stared at the faerie for a second, entranced, then cleared his throat and held out his hand. “I'm Jacob Lopez.”
