Golden Crown: The Fey Lands Saga book 2

Festival of the Autumnal Equinox: Castle of Light

    For the next few days we hosted many kings and queens from the dryads, to ocean nymphs to Sylphs, to delegations of the Emeronde courts. All these people wanted to hear how I had talked Lian into forgoing the tributes for twelve years. Courtiers from all three of the other courts filed in to celebrate the autumnal equinox filling the lawns and gardens with their music and games, food drink and fancy garb.
    I came down to the fields where the festival tents and booths were set up in a gown of autumn gold and red. My hair had been braided and kept beneath a cap of soft red silk. Lian had dressed in a similar outfit and was holding court with several of the gentlemen from the court of Joys. He waved to me as i floated toward him. The music was already having an affect on me and I felt ready to dance. One young Fae dressed in a patchwork cloak of red and yellow grabbed my hands. His breath stank of wine and his body was dirty I could tell. His bony hands clasped mine and he whirled me into the dance.
    "Pray tell me." He said spraying spittle onto my cheek, "What's a pretty little thing like you doing hhee?" "I'm here to celebrate the festival." I said as he whirled me about hands painful on mine. As the music changed he pulled me tooward himself so that our bodies touched. I started to withdraw but he held me fast, "I've not seen you here before?" "Fae from a distant village?" "I'm Phaydra High Fae and Princess of the court." I said. He chuckled and said, "Then I am Prince Lian." "Now tell me, are you full Fae or part Emeronde?" "Makes no difference to me."
    "I am a High Fae." I said, "Now unhand me at once." "Sassy little thing aren't you?" He asked, "i like a girl with fire in her." "Please." I said breathing fast.
    Suddenly I felt as the man was pulled from my grasp by an ice white haired Fae with blue eyes and grey wings, "I believe the Lady said to let her go." He growled, "Its none of your business." "Now go away." Said the man grabbing my sleeve. the grey winged Faerie drew his blade and pressed it to the man's throat, "Leave her be." He said, "or i will duel you for her honour."
    "What is going on here?" Asked another voice, this one familiar. the man who'd rudely grabbed me bowed, "nothing at all your highness." "Then move along." "Not till I get my pretty back." He nodded to me, "You are speaking of the Princess." Said Lian. the man goggled, "You was telling the truth then." "I'll go highness." at that he fled.
    "Thank you Lutarian." Said Lian as he looked at me, "Are you all right?" "I'm fine." I said, "It was my pleasure to help my Lord Prince." Said Lutarian with a bow. I nodded and glanced at him and suddenly felt myself falling into his eyes. I felt his magic, his mind, his emotions. He lifted a hand to bat me away, "Highness its rude to look so deeply at someone." I bowed my head, "What did you see?" Asked Lian, "Regret remorse, sadness and grief." "Remorse?" Asked Lian, "Yes remorse for what he, I mean, I didn't know what he did, but whatever he did to be dismissed from the court of light." Lutarian stared, "You can tell all that?"
    "I can." I said, "Lian, my Lord Prince." Said Lutarian bowing, "I made several mistakes, I admit them." "I was scared after the curse was on the land." Lian sighed, "If I reinstate you as my right hand man, will you remain?" Lutarian bowed, "I hope we can be friends again?" "I never stopped." Said Lian, "I suppose that's why it hurt so much when you." He swallowed, "Went to the courts of darkness."
"then present yourself tomorrow at the high rites of the autumnal equinox and we'll talk." "For now, its festival time, I suggest you enjoy yourself." He turned to me as Lutarian bowed deeply and went to one of the booths nearby, "I'm sorry." I said, "That man, he." Lian grasped my hand, "He was a Nufard, half Bolog, half Fae." "What?" I squeaked, "His tail, claws, and poisonous breath did not cross to him when he was born, but he had magic that would have made your magic drain." "Good thing he wasn't a Sulomarge, half Fae half Vedrani." I shuddered.
The next morning Lutarian was there, along with Lian's other favoured men of the court in his box at the high temple, in the grove. I had to sit in my box. When we'd been to the grove we'd not seen the risers that had been enchanted to lie flush with the walls. When pulled out hundreds of people could sit facing the altar in a circle that rose nearly to the canopy when closed. It was open to the four winds. In Pendalon, southern kingdom of Moreniece where I came from most people who were common got the lower seats, the royals sat above. Here since Fae sight was so good the royals sat closer to the altar. In Oak-hollow my village in Pendalen our festivals were the same. Though there were no royals in southern moreniece.
I sat dressed in a gown of silvery grey silk with a cap of same. In the Fey lands people dressed more sombrely for religious rites. In Moreniece people dressed in bright colours and the nobles and wealthy people dripped in jewels. Most here wore a pin or two, a simple engraved pendant, or a set of cufflinks or bracelets. These were often made as plain as possible. After all lian had explained, "the Gods were to be glorified, not the people who worshipped them."
the altar was decorated with autumn leaves and pine cones, fruit and corn in baskets, carnelian tiger's eye, and bloodstones. The priests dressed in clothing just as severe as most of the people walked between the risers toward the altar and bowed. Karthena my companion explained in a soft whisper, "Now they'll purify the temple itself, then the altar." "They'll use asperging, smudging, fire, and salt." I watched as a Priest lifted a bowl of salt and said, "By the powers of the gods, by the earth I now call for their powers to enter this salt." He set the bowl down as a Priestess lifted a censer of incense unlit and said, "By the powers of the gods, and by the powers of the air, i now ask their powers to enter this incense." Another Priest lifted a bowl of ashes as he called, "By the Gods and the powers of fire, I ask that their energies might be poured into these ashes." A priestess nodded and lifted a bowl of water and some branch and said, "By the powers of the gods and the powers of water, I ask that their energies be in this water."
The priest holding the salt walked around the entire temple casting handfuls of salt on the ground. Next went the priestess who'd lit the censer, swinging the golden chain so the smoke billowed around her as she walked near the salt, creating a second circle. The priest with the ashes did the same. Next came the Priestess with the water. She dipped the branch of flowers into the water and sprinkled it around the temple. The four of them went to the center of the temple by the altar and repeated the rituals around the altar. "Next they'll strike the gong and invite the gods." "Most of the time they don't." Said Karthena as the four placed their bowls on a table nearby while another priestess Began sweeping the air above the sprinkled ashes, water, and salt. She replaced the broom, called a Besom by Karthena as a priest struck the gong saying, "Holy Gods on high, your children gather to celebrate the Esbat of the autumnal equinox." "We call you from your realms and extend our hearts that you might take the offerings we give, and enter our temple."
The crowd gasped as a golden light filled the temple. Priests knelt and everyone whispered as several beings detached themselves from the light. They all lifted hands and conjured for themselves golden chairs and arranged themselves in mid air above the altar, near the choir loft above.
The lords and ladies clad in brilliant colours stunned everyone, but they sat midair and folded hands to watch. One Priestess began poking the others who rose and bowed. She knelt to the gods kissing her hands, "My Lords and my Ladies, we are pleased to have you with us." the gods only nodded and she went back to the altar and began to light the candles of red and gold.
The ritual lasted several hours with chants and songs, prayers, and talks. But finally it ended. As the priests began to clean up the gods vanished from before all. Instantly there was a whisper from the crowd of, "Never in all my days." "Never thought they'd come." "They are gods but, I always assumed."
Lian and I rose and bowed to the altar and were escorted back to the castle for the afternoon of feasting before another ritual at sunset to thank the Gods for the harvest would take place.