The Einherjar 1, page 26
Never one to enjoy getting up early, James nonetheless dragged himself out of bed. Glancing down at the still sleeping fairy, he admitted that he was glad he’d met her. That thought brought a smile to his face, and so he went about his morning ablutions as quietly as he could, trying not to wake her.
His efforts were all for naught however, since a few minutes later there was a solid knock at the door. “Coming.” James called out, seeing Acrasia stir.
“Sir James.” Peaseblossom curtsied, as she addressed him upon his opening of the door.
“Good morning, Peaseblossom.” James welcomed her with a smile. “What can I do for you on this fine day?”
The mature fairy returned his smile. “The Queen would like you to join her for breakfast in her private garden.”
“Okay, uh…” James turned to look at Acrasia, who was slipping on her dress.
“Just you, if that would be all right. We will provide a suitable breakfast for Lady Acrasia.” the handmaiden explained.
James nodded. He couldn’t very well turn down the queen’s invitation. Perhaps later he could explain that he didn’t like to be separated from his fairy. “Take care, and I’ll see you later, okay?” he directed his words at Acrasia.
“Of course, Master. I’ll see you when you get back.” She gave him a gentle smile to let him know she would be okay.
“After you.” the knight said, holding his hand out to the handmaiden, then quickly cast Lucky Charm on himself before they left. He felt it was a good idea to always have that particular spell active.
Peaseblossom curtsied, then slowly flew down the hall, leading him to the queen’s private garden. Unsurprisingly, it was off the same wing of the palace as her chambers.
Her balcony must overlook her garden. James thought to himself.
“Ah. Sir James. So good of you to join me.” Titania greeted him with a smile.
“Your Majesty.” he replied with a bow. “That title is definitely going to take some getting used to.”
The Fairy Queen giggled, and waved for him to take a seat. “If it would make you more comfortable, we could dispense with formality and titles when we are in private like this.”
“I’m not sure if that would make me more comfortable or not.” James admitted with a frown.
“Oh come now, James. You saved my life. I had hoped we could be friends.” the beautiful queen pouted.
James couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head. “If it pleases you, Your Majesty.” he said, taking a seat.
“Excellent!” the queen chirped happily, clapping her hands. It seemed her clap was both an expression of joy, and also the signal to bring the food, since servants began flying over with plates laden with an assortment of colourful dishes. “I’d offer you wine to drink, but you made your thoughts on it clear last night.” Titania stated, her lips forming a moue.
“Well then, perhaps I can make it up to you. Would it be all right if I provided the beverages?” he offered.
“Is it more of that Cream Soda?” she asked, her excitement clear in her bright eyes.
James chuckled. “I’m sorry, but no. I gave away all I had of that last night.”
“Oh.” the queen said, slumping in her seat and looking a little dejected.
“It’s something else entirely, but just as good in my opinion.” James stated before she could get too disappointed.
“Oh?” she said again. “You have my curiosity piqued. What is it?”
“You’ll see.” he said with a grin. “Could your maids prepare us a kettle of hot water? And possibly bring us some milk or cream, along with a pair of cups?”
“Of course.” Titania nodded to one of the fairy maids standing by, who rushed off with the order. “Are we going to have some manner of tea?”
“Not exactly. It is customary to drink it hot, like tea, but it is also quite different.” James explained. “I think you’ll like it.”
“I look forward to finding out.” she replied with a smile. “Let us enjoy our breakfast while we wait for the water to boil.”
“Sounds good.” James agreed with a nod. The spread did look delicious, but not particularly filling or healthy. Most of the dishes were desserts of one kind of another, with the majority of them being cakes or cookies, with a few sliced fruits in the mix. While they were sweet, they weren’t overly so, seemingly sweetened with honey or fruit juices. They probably don’t have access to processed sugar. James figured.
“We need to discuss your new knighthood, James.” Titania began after they had each filled their plates and had a few bites of breakfast.
“Yeah. That is definitely something we should discuss.” the einherjar agreed.
Titania tilted her head. “Somehow I get the feeling that we are not speaking of the same issue. Are you somehow displeased with your appointment?”
“I wouldn’t say displeased. Not at all, Your Majesty. Rather, worried would be a more correct way of putting it.” James said, popping a slice of apple into his mouth.
“Why should it worry you?” Titania asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
“Conflict of interest.” he stated simply. “I am Hel’s Champion. I don’t want to find myself in a position where her interests contradict yours.”
“Ah.” the Fairy Queen nodded. “Yes, that could be a valid concern. I’m glad you take your duties so seriously.”
James just nodded and waited for her to continue.
“I do not think it will be an issue, though. First, I will grant you the status of Knight Errant, thereby allowing you to venture where you will on your quest to find the artifact you seek. That will at least temporarily alleviate the issue which I was concerned with.” she posited.
“Which issue was that?” James inquired.
“As a knight in my court, I must grant you land upon which to live and rule. The problem is, I don’t currently have any free estates to give. It will take time, and likely victory in our war before I can grant you your fiefdom.” she explained.
“Is this war related to how you were injured?” he asked.
“Yes. I’ll explain more on that in a bit.” the fae nodded. “First, let me further put your mind to rest on the topic of divided loyalties.”
“I’d appreciate that.” James conceded.
“From the way you described Hel’s beliefs and goals, I do not foresee any conflict with my own. She seems entirely concerned with the afterlife of her followers, whereas I am concerned only with the living state of my queendom. Further, I presume she makes a distinction between killing in battle and outright murder, else you wouldn’t be here. As such, you need never worry about me asking you to break her rules.” Queen Titania assured him.
“Okay. I guess everything should be all right then.” James concurred.
“Furthermore, I will allow you to build a temple to Hel here in Elphyne. I see no reason to forbid it, and to be frank, it would put my mind at ease to know a goddess was looking out for any of my people who die.” Titania added.
“I’m sure Lady Hel would be most pleased with that.” James agreed with a warm smile.
“I suggest talking to the gnomes about its construction. They are the hardest workers among my people, and they are gifted craftsmen when it comes to stone.” she suggested.
“I’ll look into it when I get the chance.” he promised.
“Ah! The hot water is here. Now, what is your surprise, James?” the queen asked, giving him a playful grin.
“First we take the water, and half fill the cups.” he demonstrated by performing the actions as he spoke. “Next, we add two heaping tablespoons of this.” James summoned the flavouring from his inventory, along with a tablespoon, and measured out the correct amount. “We stir, to ensure the powder is completely dissolved.” the gentle tinkling of his stirring rang through the garden. “Then lastly, we fill the remainder of the cups with cream and stir again.” When he was finished, he carefully placed a cup and saucer in front of the queen. Realizing his spoon was stainless steel, he immediately sent it back to his inventory, without ever letting on that it was dangerous. Going to have to get some real silverware. he told himself.
The Queen of the Seelie Court eyed the drink warily. He hadn’t added any honey to it, and she didn’t like her tea unsweetened. She supposed it would be edible at least, since it was practically half cream. Daintily lifting the cup to her face, she took a gentle sniff. She was immediately astonished by the full and rich aroma of the beverage. Taking a tentative sip, she was again amazed for the second time in as many seconds. The flavour was wonderful, and unlike anything she had ever tasted before. Sweet and velvety smooth, she knew it would be addictive if she had a regular supply of it. “What is this!?” she cried.
James laughed out loud, and then took a sip from his own cup. “Mmm. It’s called Hot Chocolate. It’s one of my favourite drinks, especially on a cold winter’s night.”
“I can understand why!” the queen exclaimed. “Tell me you have more of it?”
“Only what is in this can, sadly.” he said with a frown. “I’ll portion some out and leave it with your maids, if you like.” he offered.
“Yes, please!” she agreed immediately.
James smiled as the two took another sip of their drinks. “By the way, do you know the location of any artifacts I could acquire for Odin?”
Titania shook her head. “Sadly, no. I was forced to leave most of such treasures behind when my court split from my husband’s.”
“I understand. Is that split related to the war you mentioned earlier?” he probed. James didn’t want to delve too deeply if it was a painful topic for her, but as a knight of the realm, he felt he need to know about their enemies.
Titania shook her head again, while holding her cup and saucer. “No. Not at all.”
“I see. I’m sorry for asking if it was personal or painful to talk about.” he apologized.
“No. This too is something that you should know about. As our stalwart defender, it makes sense that you would ask.” she waved away his concerns.
“Well, if you’re all right with it, I would like any information on our people and their enemies that you are willing to share.” he prodded her gently with his words.
Titania smiled warmly. “I like the way you phrased that. Would you like to hear of our history, then?”
“Yes, please.” he confirmed with a smile.
“Well then, are you familiar with Álfheimr?” Queen Titania asked.
“A little.” James answered. “It’s where the Ljósálfar live, right?”
“That is correct.” she nodded, sipping her hot chocolate. “It is a realm of incredible beauty and magic. Far more so than Earth, and even more than Terra.”
“Is that where you’re from?” he asked
The queen nodded again. “It’s where I was born. But since you asked about our history, let me start at the beginning.” she smiled warmly at her new knight. “Long, long ago, around when mankind was discovering fire, the Álfar lived in Álfheimr, along with the nature spirits which inhabited the world.”
“Nature spirits? Like nymphs?” James asked, folding his hands on the table.
“No, not quite. These nature spirits were much closer to what you would think of as souls today. But souls of the plants, water, and land itself. Sentient beings whom you would only perceive as balls of light.” she explained.
“Ah. Okay.” James nodded in understanding.
“The spirits loved to dance and play, spending their entire existence floating about and enjoying the natural growth and changes in nature. Eventually, the Álfar learned magic. And with this knowledge, they became aware of just how important the nature spirits were to its function.” she went on.
“I’ve never met one, to my knowledge, but I’d love to learn about them.” James said, hoping she would be willing to teach him even more.
Titania laughed. “We’d be here all night if I let your curious mind side track us every time you found something interesting! Perhaps another time.” she said with a smile.
James chuckled. “Very well, your Majesty.”
“Oh hush with the ‘Your Majesty’ bit. We’re in a private setting, and you promised.” she said with a pout, lightly slapping his hands.
“Okay, Titania.” James chuckled.
“Good. Now where was I? Ah yes, the nature spirits. As the Álfar learned more magic and studied the spirits, they eventually learned how to communicate. This brought about an era of great growth for the Álfar, especially in the arts of magic. Meanwhile, the spirits longed to learn and grow like the Álfar did, but even more, they wished to experience more of the world in ways that they could not. While the Álfar did their best to describe senses like taste, smell and touch, the poor spirits couldn’t comprehend them.” The queen leaned back in her chair, taking a larger sip of her hot chocolate. “I can’t get over how delicious this is…” she murmured.
James gave her a big smile. “I’ll try to figure out where and how we can source the beans to make it. If I succeed, you’ll be the first to know. I promise.”
“Excellent! I might have to promote you to Baron if you succeed.” the queen exclaimed, setting down her teacup and clapping her hands in excitement.
“Haha! That’s a big if, Titania.” James tried not to get her hopes up too much.
Titania nodded. “I understand. Now, back to our story. As a solution to their problem, the spirits asked the Álfar to help them gain bodies for themselves. They achieved this by entering a lady’s womb and causing them to conceive, thus becoming immaculate births. These offspring were the first faeries.”
James raised his eyebrows. “That’s very interesting.”
“I’m glad you think so.” the queen smiled, taking another sip from her cup. “Now, the faeries differed from their parents in many ways. Though they looked similar to the Álfar, they possessed even greater talent for magic, but had little patience for books or study. They had entered the world to play and experience all that was pleasurable in life. The greatest difference though, was their aversion to iron.”
“I’ve always found that a little strange.” said James, leaning forward with a serious look on his face.
“I suppose you would. Being a mortal, your body requires minute amounts of iron to even function. The Álfar were like that as well. But our bodies use copper in place of iron, which is why our blood is blue instead of red.” the queen informed him.
“So you can’t even tolerate it in such small amounts?” he asked.
“If you are asking if I would die from eating a bowl of spinach or from being splashed by your blood, the answer is no. But as you are very well aware, our bodies cannot handle large amounts of the metal, thus we were born to not require it in the first place. You see, iron interferes with the magic inside us, and we faeries are just as much made up of magic as we are the physical. That is why our wings constantly shed Fairy Dust.” Titania clarified.
“Wait. How does this relate to Fairy Dust?” James inquired.
“Fairy Dust is essentially minute particles of crystallized magic, or Qi as you call it. Our bodies convert magic energy into a physical form, thereby allowing us to exist in this realm as we are. Our wings are even more magical than the rest of us, and thus they cast off small amounts of Qi more readily.” The queen gave him a surprisingly in depth explanation of a faerie’s biology.
“I see. That makes a lot of sense.” James said. He really appreciated knowledge like this.
“I’m happy to tell you about my people.” she said with a smile. “Now, before I get off topic again, let me tell you more of our history.”
“Please do.” James said with a nod.
“It was a series of truly terrible accidents that taught our people just how poisonous iron was to our new bodies. The Álfar had been working iron into tools and weapons for only a few decades when we faeries joined them in physical society. The accidents caused an uproar among the populous, as you might imagine. As a metal that was prized for its much greater strength than copper or bronze, those that loved crafting and working with their hands were loathe to give it up, as were the warriors who defended our lands from the Jötunn. On the other hand, the scholars and mages felt that our safety should take precedence, and that such poisonous materials should not be allowed in common society. I’m sure many of the mages were more worried about the loss of our help in studying magic than our comforts, of course.” The queen paused her tale to take a bite from one of the cookies on her plate, and another sip of her hot chocolate.
“Then what happened?” James asked, wanting to hear more.
“Well, thankfully the citizenry didn’t come to blows. It did create a schism in the Álfar, however. The more erudite leaders of the Álfar banned the forging and mining of iron in Álfheimr. Instead, they insisted that such dangerous work be completed in another realm, which their people had recently discovered. This other realm was much darker than Álfheimr on the surface, and had little in the way of vegetation, being a mostly barren land under a red sun. Great mountains studded much of the world, and huge networks of caves delved deep into its heart. To the delight of many Álfar however, for all it was poor in natural wonder, it was rich beyond measure in ores and minerals. Most especially iron.” Taking a deep breath, the queen looked up at the ceiling.
“Is something wrong?” James asked, concerned that this point in the story might be hard for her to tell for some reason.
“I just don’t like that the birth of my people caused the split of the Álfar.” she replied
“I understand, but you do know it’s not your people’s fault, right?” James reminded her.
“Of course. But yes, split the Álfar it did. Though they were initially reluctant, it eventually became quite popular to move to the new world and explore it. Great works of art were being created there, and many master smiths made names for themselves with access to such cheap and plentiful materials. Over the next thousand millennia, the people who lived there changed. Living under the red sun, and missing the magic of Álfheimr, darkened their skin. A culture based on craftsmanship and strength of arms arose, in contrast to the study of magic and pursuit of knowledge back on Álfheimr. And so, they became known as the Svartálfar, or Dark Elves as the people of Arthur call them. To distinguish themselves from their less high minded cousins, the Álfar of Álfheimr dubbed themselves Ljósálfar, or Light Elves.” Savouring her hot chocolate, Titania took a moment before continuing.
