I took Silas’s hand, and he led me down from the castle. There’d be plenty of time to explore the rest of it later, once it felt right. At the moment, I felt like an intruder in someone else’s home. A brief glance inside told me that it wasn’t furnished and complete—the bones of the structure were in place, but it seemed like the castle was waiting for the touch of its queen.
“Legend has it that the Fae Queens were obligated to hold court hours to entertain the concerns of the people under her rule.” A male voice spoke the second we stepped off the castle bridge and onto the lush grass of the East side of The Isle. “Will you be following up on the tradition? When will you start holding court hours?”
“That’s enough, Fenlon,” Silas said. “Leave her alone.”
I rested a hand on Silas’s wrist. “Court hours? Is this something you’d like to see happen?”
“Yes.” Fenlon looked at me, his brows knitted together. “There are plenty of folks who have issues we want to discuss with you. And this one”—the man by the name of Fenlon nodded at Silas—“isn’t letting anyone get close to you.”
“I will have something set up this week,” I said. “Thanks for letting me know.”
Fenlon looked like he didn’t have a reply to this, like he’d been ready to argue. All he could do was nod. He tipped his head toward Silas, then backed away, disappearing down a path toward town.
“Who was that?” I asked.
“Fenlon. A member of the local town council. He tried to become a Ranger twice and never made the cut. He makes up for his failures by pretending to be in charge of everything else. He’s on a bit of a power trip.”
“I’m guessing he’s not thrilled about my arrival?”
“Fenlon’s loud and obnoxious, but he’s not your real enemy. He’s not the one I’d worry about convincing. That man just wants to be liked. He’s insecure and panders to the people around him. If you can convince the others, you’ll have him too. He’ll follow the flock.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
Silas gave me a tight smile. “You’re up for the challenge.”
“There you guys are.” Millie appeared before us on the same path that Fenlon had just walked down minutes before. In her arms was a huge basket of fresh produce, as if she’d come straight from the market. “I was just in town, and I have a great idea.”
Silas and I waited for Millie to expand on her great idea.
“You know how there are some people on the island that are”—Millie’s eyes flicked toward Silas for approval—“still getting used to the idea that Alessia is the full-blooded Fae Queen?”
“I saw the threats,” I said. “I’m well aware that some people are angry about it.”
“Yeah. That.” Millie expelled a huge breath, like she was relieved she didn’t have to tiptoe around my feelings. “Well, I was just in town, and it dawned on me that a lot of the negative chatter is coming from a place of fear.”
“That’s totally understandable,” I said. “Not only am I new here, but I’m new to magic in general. Not to mention, everyone thought full-blooded Fae were extinct for centuries, and yet here I am. Their entire lives have turned on a dime to a certain degree.”
“Yes! Exactly!” Millie pointed at me in agreement, and bobbled a handful of gigantic carrots. “Well, tonight’s the Wish Festival. It hasn’t been held for a long, long time. I think you should attend, not as a queen, but as a regular islander.”
“What’s the Wish Festival?”
“It’s held after a period of darkness,” Silas said. “It’s a chance for people to express wishes and hope for a brighter future after going through something difficult.”
“It’s an incredible ceremony,” Millie gushed. “It brings everyone together, and there’s just this energy in the air. I can’t describe it. But it’s really important to islanders, and I think you should be there.”
“I’d love to go.” I glanced up at Silas. “If you think it’s a good idea? Maybe we could go together?”
“Yes,” he said at length. “I think Millie’s right. And I’d love to take you.”
There was hesitation in his voice, and I could only imagine what was going through his head.
“Then it’s settled,” Millie said. “I’ll have your dress ready to go in a few hours. It wouldn’t hurt you to get some rest, Alessia. The Wish Festival is an all-night ordeal, and you’re still recovering.”
“I agree,” Silas said. “Rest, and I’ll come collect you tonight at seven.”
As it turned out, I had no problem falling asleep. I’d woken in the middle of the night, and the trip to the castle had been a little stressful, realizing there were so many people unhappy with my sheer presence. To Millie’s point about recovery, indeed my body still felt run down, like I’d suffered a bad cold, and my body was still fighting to get back to its normal equilibrium.
When I woke, I found that Millie had left out a beautiful, breezy red dress. It was decorated with golden threads and little starbursts of sparkles, and it was unlike anything I’d ever worn before. My life in New York had been plagued by a sleek black wardrobe, and I’d never had this much color on my body in my entire life.
