Page 85 of The Iron Vow

“And they’re no less real than we are,” Puck added. “If you don’t believe me, look any one of them in the eyes—” he nodded to the quartet of Evenfey beside us “—and tell me they’re not real. Be careful, though,” he cautioned, and smiled at Nyx. “You’re likely to take a very real knife to the ribs if you do.”

The Wolf rumbled a growl, but it was more thoughtful than aggressive. “You speak for these Evenfey,” he said, eyeing the three faeries behind us. “But do they have their own voice? Will they speak for themselves?”

“We do have a voice.” Gilleas stepped forward, bowing his head respectfully. “Rulers of the Nevernever,” he said, as their narrowed gazes turned on him. “I am Gilleas, historian of Evenfall and once advisor to the Nightmare King. Allow me to alleviate your concerns about us. We the Evenfey are born of darker dreams, of mortal nightmares and their deepest fears. The Nightmare King was our monarch, and we served him in the same way that the fey of Summer or Winter serve the courts. For many eons, we existed alongside the Nevernever. Until the Lady. The Lady thought we were a threat. She was afraid of us and our king, because we were not like her. She convinced the rest of her kin that we were somehow Other. Not fey, but monsters. Alien and different.

“But we are not different. We still require glamour to live, and if we are forgotten, we Fade away. Our appearance might be strange, frightening, even dangerous, but in the end, we are all still fey.”

“That remains to be seen.” Oberon turned to me, his back stiff and his expression blank. “Are you proposing,” he began slowly, “that we allow the Evenfey into the Nevernever, to roam at will wherever they please?”

“Not just the Evenfey,” I answered. “Everyone. Evenfey, Forgotten, Exiles, half fey.” I ignored the instant exclamation of horror from Titania and met the eyes of Oberon and Mab. “Lift the banishment from the Exiles,” I said. “Let the Forgotten out of the Between, and give everyone a chance to come home.”

A faint noise came from Leanansidhe, the slow intake of breath. I realized that lifting the banishment from all exiles meant the Dark Muse could return to the Nevernever, as well. She didn’t say anything, however, perhaps afraid that any reaction on her part would cause Titania toreallydig in her heels. I couldn’t blame her, but the sudden flash of hope in the eyes of the Dark Muse made my stomach clench and only strengthened my resolve.

“That is a massive undertaking, Iron Queen,” Mab said. “Allow all banished fey to return? Such a course would shift the balance of the Nevernever and cause disruptions you could not imagine.”

“Maybe,” I said. “And maybe there will be problems, and we’ll have to deal with them as they arise. But I know that we are stronger together. This division has only weakened us and has been the source of every war and misunderstanding from the time the first Iron King rose to power.”

“According to whom?” Titania demanded. “You have been queen only a few short years, mortal. What do you know of what Faery was like before?”

Grimalkin, who had been silent until now, gave a very loud sigh. “If we must argue the past,” he said, “you are all being shortsighted. In case you have forgotten, Faery existed without the courts before. Before the First Queen, before Summer and Winter and Iron, there was only the Nevernever. None of you were realized then, but the splitting into different territories caused a rift in Faery and began separating magic and fey alike. I do not believe it will ever return to the way it was, but long ago, Faery was just that. One singular world, shared by all.”

“Yes.” The Wolf gave a single nod. “The cat is correct. I remember this world, before it became too civilized for my liking. There were no courts. There was only Faery.”

“I’m not suggesting that we dissolve the courts,” I said into the begrudging silence. “I know there will always be fey who call Arcadia and Tir Na Nog their home. But it’s time for us to stand as one. No more exiles, no more shunning our own. From now on, any who are fey will be welcome in Faery. That is how it should have always been.”

The three rulers were silent, pondering our words. My heart raced, but I kept my expression steady. This decision between the kings and queens of Faery had to be universal. Or at least, as close to universal as we could get. I doubted Titania would ever accept such a proposal, but hopefully, she would be the only one to object. Because I wasn’t asking. This was going to happen, whether the other the rulers liked it or not. Asking for their permission was a formality, and deep down, I suspected they knew as much. Still, even in this, I had to play the game. If I was too aggressive in my approach, the proud rulers of Faery would refuse, just to prove that they could not be commanded.

And then, in the most shocking of twists, Titania let out a small chuckle. “Why not?” she said, to the complete amazement of us all. “More fey in the Nevernever means more subjects to serve and worship me. I am not afraid of them, oranyfaery.” She shot a look of pure poison at Leanansidhe, who gave her a viciously sweet smile in return. “Besides,” the Summer Queen went on, “I will admit, the current stock of Seelie fey prancing around the court has become rather dull. Perhaps these Evenfey will prove more interesting.” She smiled and waved an airy hand. “Very well. Let them come. I look forward to seeing what they can do.”

“I...” For the first time since I had known him, perhaps the first time in centuries, King Oberon appeared speechless. Quickly, he composed himself, straightening and schooling his expression into a blank mask again. “Agreed,” he said at last. “The Evenfey and the Forgotten will be welcome in the Nevernever. As are any who have been exiled to the mortal realm. Let us begin a new chapter in Faery, where we are stronger and can withstand anything that threatens our world.”

Queen Mab gave a small, slightly predatory smile. “I sense interesting times indeed,” she mused. “If these Evenfey are born from human nightmares, I wonder how my own Unseelie will fare against them. Very well, we shall see what the future holds for Faery and the Winter Court. You also have my blessing, Iron Queen. I am eager to see what becomes of this.”

I drew in a slow breath, careful not to reveal my nerves or excitement. “Then let us make it official,” I said, and the rulers nodded gravely. Raising my voice, I spoke the words that would bring this into law. “From this day forth,” I announced, the words rising up to echo through the ruins, “all fey are welcome in the Nevernever, no matter their background or where they were born. The Evenfey are now full residents of Faery and may choose their courts or the wyld as they please. All exiles and fey banished to the mortal realm may return, and the trods that were closed to them will be open once more. And the Forgotten are no longer relegated to the Between but may enter the Nevernever freely. If this is acceptable, let all the rulers be in accord, and it shall come to pass.”

“Agreed,” said Oberon.

“Agreed,” Mab and Titania echoed.

“Agreed,” I whispered, and suddenly had to take a quick breath to keep the tears from my eyes. It was done. After so long, everyone could start over at last. The Evenfey had a new world. The Forgotten didn’t have to stay in the Between any longer. And all those banished from Faery could finally come home.

I trembled, biting my cheek to keep my emotions in check. Even now, I could not afford to show weakness to the other rulers. “It’s done, then,” I said, keeping my voice steady, when all I wanted to do was shout in triumph. “A new beginning, for everyone.”

Leanansidhe threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, Meghan my dove, you have no idea how proud I am right now.” She beamed at me, her face alight with triumph. “To think, that shy, naive, lovesick human girl I first saw that day in my home has become a true queen. I knew that helping you would change everything in Faery. Somehow, I knew.”

“Yes,” Oberon muttered. “And let us hope Faery does not tear itself apart because of it.”

I didn’t have time to answer, because at that moment, all the rulers straightened, looking past me into the darkness. I turned with Ash, Puck, and the others, as Keirran stepped out of the mists. He paused, his gaze meeting each ruler one by one, then looked back and gave a tiny nod. His lips moved, and though I couldn’t hear the words, I saw the phrase on his lips, and it brought a fresh stinging sensation to my eyes.

Welcome home.

And the Evenfey appeared, walking past him out of the mist, out of the Between, and into Faery.

Epilogue

Now, you might be wondering: what happened to the queen and her companions after the final meeting with the Nightmare King? After the Evenfey were allowed back into Faery again? Where did everyone go? What are they doing now?

Well, the queen and her husband returned to their Iron Realm, which, thankfully, had not fallen down or exploded during the time they were away. Their kingdom was stable and secure, but they knew there was still much to be done. For the Evenfey were back in the world again, and faeries are nothing if not consistent. The Iron rulers knew there would be squabbles and fighting, as the Nevernever adjusted to the sudden influx of another race of fey. But they were confident that, with time and some minor intervention, all faeries could live together, if not peacefully, then at least in harmony. For now, they were content. Though they did get a surprise visit from none other than Leanansidhe, who appeared at the Iron Court with a protective amulet and an entire entourage of human Charleses, claiming she was on a tour of the Nevernever and visiting the rulers of the courts to see what she had missed. She did seem a bit “miffed” at the Iron rulers; now that the banished fey could return to Faery, she was no longer the Exile Queen. However, now that she was allowed back into the Nevernever, it didn’t seem to bother herthatmuch.

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