The Keeper and the Dragons
Copyright© 2023 by Charly Young
Chapter 37
The Court of Queen Uonaidh, Alfheim
The Lady Iris’ summoning ring deposited Quinn and The Daoine in the center of the Royal Bower in Alfheim. The garden, sheltered by four impossible tall redwood trees that had their lower limbs draped with wisteria vines in full bloom, had a beauty that defied description.
Judging from the flowers and the decorations, it was Autumn Court. One of the four major celebrations of the nature loving Daoine Sidhe. He took a deep breath drawing in a breath of air as rich as wine. He had spent a lot of time in this realm and it never failed to take his breath away. Alfheim was like every fairy tale environment humans could dream up multiplied by a thousand. Utterly breathtaking in its beauty and peacefulness. It was no wonder the ancients clad in their animal furs straight out of the ice age regarded it as paradise.
The Sidhe had hundreds of thousands of years to create perfection—and as far as he could judge they succeeded. He smiled thinking what Elisabeth Van Horn, the harmonist, would make of its perfection.
Their appearance out of thin air caused the polite murmur of fluting voices to rise to a clamor. Quinn judged that the cream of the Daoine and Dökkálfar aristocracy were present.
The Queen’s bodyguards immediately surrounded the two of them.
Quinn regarded them silently. He decided to wait and see what developed. He had completed the tasks set before him except for acquiring the scroll that the Daoine held in his hand. If the troll women wanted the scroll they could damn well come and get it from Queen Uonaidh.
Predictably, the renegade took afront. He stood and glared arrogantly at the tall warriors surrounding him.
“Do you dare raise a hand to a royal,” he sputtered. “I am the Queen’s cousin.
“Venwraek, my cousin. Be silent.” Queen Uonaidh’s voice whip cracked. She waved her hand to the onlookers. “Leave us. We will continue the festivities later, after this bit of business is taken care of. Lyrandra and Iris stay if you would.”
“Singer and song bless you, Keeper and Walker of Shadows. What gift have you brought for me?
Quinn bowed and sang out in high alfar. “Your Majesty, I bring you a common criminal for your judgment along with a forbidden scroll that was stolen from my father. There is also the matter of the stolen mind ripper. The Vísdómur charged me with the scrolls recovery as did the Lady Iris.”
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