They mold my face with layers of paint. I close my eyes as stars dance across my skin with every brush stroke. It burns—the gold glitter applied over and over until it shines as bright as the stars on my cheeks. It is an art, every line, every color until the face before me is unrecognizable.
"Remarkable." Father circles my chair. "Truly. She looks full Fae."
The artist nods appreciatively. She's worked with him long enough to know he doesn't want a reply. Still, the compliment is something to be proud of. Father doesn't give credence when it's not due.
"Tonight will be an evening to remember, Amelia, and you will be its shining star."
I take his hand and risk a glance around the room. I say a silent goodbye and pray it finds its way to the ones I leave behind.
The soft fabric of the carriage seat envelopes me as the smells of passing farms, wheat, and apples caress my nose. This is home, not the manor, nor the place we are going.
I say another silent goodbye to every field and keep searching for familiar faces among the tall stalks. When none are found, I try to spot a few behind the trees. Most Fae will celebrate this eve, but it is bittersweet for the ones tasked with my upbringing.
A raven shrieks above the carriage. I stick my head out the window and smile as the bird dives near. He's close enough to stroke the feathers on his head, so I do. It shrieks again, looping in a circle before shooting up to the sky and out of sight. A single black feather floats down to my lap. I pick it up and rub it between my fingers.
"You're quieter than your sister," Father says. "She had many questions as we made this journey." A smile touches his lips but fades almost as soon as it appears.
A sharp pain blossoms in my chest. She left and never came back. None of them do.
"I had hoped—" Father began, pausing briefly before shaking his head. "I want you to understand. I thought she would make it."
I tear my gaze from the window and look into his eyes. "She had hoped to survive, too."
Emotion—perhaps sadness, flickers across his face. "I can assure you, the Fae are grateful for her sacrifice. And we are always hopeful, Amelia. It is not death that we seek, but the prophecy fulfilled. This is the reason we try, why you and your sisters make the journey."
I've heard the stories from the moment I was born: the lost queen and the moons who seek her. I used to love the tales, but of course, I didn't understand. Our entwined human and Fae bloodline are simultaneously a curse and a gift.
No one asks what happens if you aren't the queen. But I knew. It would be like it was for my sister and those before her. Behind this ritual is a prosperous land, always better after each celebration. It is an honor to take this path, but I find no joy in it. I find no choice either.
I wasn't a lost queen, I was a sacrifice.
I didn't want to be worshiped.
I didn't want to be seen.
I only wanted to live.
The carriage slows to a stop.
An ornate gate stands before us. There is no going back, not now. The gate brightens, its blinding light winding around every spire until each one shines like the stars in our sky. Only then does it open.
I wince as the carriage passes through, not daring a closer glance with my half-fae eyes.
"We’re past it now," Father says.
I blink, ignoring the bright spots in my vision. They will fade in time.
Dozens of Fae run alongside our carriage.
"If you please," one child says, thrusting flowers through the open window.
Another, "The stars shine upon you today. Upon us all!"
Sweets, flowers, and ribbons make their way inside. The carriage slows to let more people approach.
Father smiles. It’s the first time I’ve seen his face so relaxed…so proud. "It is an honor what you do. The people are grateful."
I want to be angry, but I can’t find the passion. There’s something else too. Something inside me.
It scares me.
A hand finds its way to mine. "Miss, please. A blessing."
I startle and stare into the woman’s ruby-colored eyes. Her grip is desperate, and I feel something more—pain as if it’s my own. I take in the Fae woman's tattered coat and the dirt on her hand. I feel something familiar—despair. It clings to her as tightly as it clings to me. In this, she is like family, like one of my sisters.
Father frowns and motions at a nearby guard.
I give her hand a gentle squeeze, and before I can stop myself, a blessing falls from my lips. "Do not despair, for light will find you."
Tears roll down her cheeks, and then she is gone, replaced by a new throng of Fae.
No one else reaches for my hand.
Inside the castle walls hang starlit banners. Diamond-crested chandeliers shaped like our moons sway from the ceiling. Like the gate, they shine with a beautiful light. I shield my eyes, but not without a glance to admire the beauty.
Father stands behind me. He is always near. "Drink this." He holds a glass filled with amber liquid that shimmers as he swirls it.
I take the drink from his hand and lift it to my lips. I drink it sip by sip. It’s smooth and warm. Familiar meals and favorite sweets dance on my tongue. I close my eyes and breathe. I feel it again, the strangeness. Something calls to me, something makes me almost forget the reason I’m here.
When I open my eyes, the moon chandeliers are no longer blinding. They spin in spirals around each other, little twinkling jewels between them.
Music fills the ballroom, and Father ushers me forward, past the crowd.
"It helps."
I look at him quizzically.
"The drink brings out your Fae side." His eyes soften. "Now you can enjoy the beauty without the pain."
I look away. Isn’t that what being half-fae is? Beauty and pain? He seems to be waiting for my response, so I nod.
My eyes find a pool of water in the center of the ballroom. The Fae dance around it effortlessly. There is a tug, inside me, that longs to caress the water. I can hear whispering the closer we get. I pause, looking into the black waters, searching for the source. What magic lies within?
"Come." Father pulls my hand. "It is not time, dear one. Please, enjoy the celebration first. It is in your honor."
I walk past the pool with a lingering loss. I want to dip my fingers into it, no—I want to dive right in. It is an undeniable primal urge. No one prepared me for this. Was it all a spell, a deep-rooted magic? Did all my sisters have the same sensation? I thought I would meet my end with heavy footsteps and dread. Instead, I long to face death like an old friend welcoming me in a warm embrace.
"May I have this dance?" A uniformed guard holds out his hand. The green tunic complements the dark hues of his skin, and his handsome face holds kind eyes.
Father frowns, but I smile, taking his hand.
We spin, my gown rustling with every step. I can feel a warmth bursting from my skin, working its way through my pores. I let go of every worry, closing my eyes, surrendering to the music.
Joy fills me from head to toe. I am a star, dancing among other stars in the night.
Abruptly the dance ends, my revelry cut short.
I open my eyes.
My partner smiles. "It seems you have left the people in awe."
I feel every eye as I search the room. Everyone has stopped, even the musicians. I meet Father's gaze and see tears rolling down his cheeks. This is new, for there is no love between us.
It’s so bright, I almost wonder if I need another drink of the amber elixir.
I try to shift my gaze, but there is nowhere I can look that shields my eyes.
I lift my hand and find the source of the light. It burst from my skin. I touch it, this light, and feel it within me.
"It's like our moons,” someone says.
The waters whisper louder, beckoning. I follow their voices until I reach the edge of the pool.
I do not hesitate.
I dive in.
The waters welcome me, their caresses like a warm blanket. The waves take me somewhere distant, yet familiar.
The whispering turns to laughter. I look up.
My sisters dance, their arms sprouting dark feathers until they all bare wings and fly. So many ravens, each one I know. They caw and laugh and shout, “Welcome home! Welcome home!”
A face appears before me, dark and beautiful. He glows with a light so bright it should blind me, but I glow just as brightly, too. Another face, milky pale and mischievous.
I smile.
"Oh, how we waited," the young moon cries. "Look, your sisters. They dance for your return."
The ravens funnel higher and higher, shifting into the night's stars.
I laugh, reaching my hand up, spiraling after them. The world around me is so much smaller than I remember.
I join my sisters in a glorious dance upon the stars and through the night sky. When the dance is complete, I find my home between the moons, a crown upon my head.
I am home.
I hope you enjoyed this tale—thanks for reading!