It was a miracle, getting her fey form out. It’d taken plenty of talking to herself and ridiculous mind games--at one point trying to force herself to jump off Dee’s balcony--but she’d done it. And the suit, actually, fit pretty well when you were the seven-foot-tall entity it’d been designed for.

Come to think of it, Cami realized, this is the best I've felt in this body.

The suit was a slinky thing with silvery chains across the chest and two embroidered slits in the back. Cami’s wings were grateful for the latter, stretched out in all their glory. the suit also had three silver clasps holding it in place: one at her neck, and one for each shoulder--the sleeves were detached, and ended in a long, bell shape. The rings matched the built-in belt, a shining band on her waist. The deep green fabric had initially bored her, but Cami soon realized that whenever she moved, it shimmered, as though dipped in stardust.

“Oh, finally!” Dee exclaimed. “I never thought it’d happen.”

Cami whirled around to see the girl stroll in, Trintio looming behind her. Side by side like that, they both looked ridiculous: Dee barely reached Trintio’s knees.

“Thank goodness you were found,” Trintio remarked, ruffling her hair. Cami’s antennae--which she’d almost forgotten she’d had--twitched at the contact. “Sorry for getting split up like that. At least we’re together now, right?”

“Guess so,” Cami said, shrugging. Her gaze slid to the floor. She didn’t feel together with either of them, really. More like an obstruction.

Trintio’s head cocked to the side. “Are you still bitter that I tried to put this off?”

“And then left me for dead, yeah.”

“That was an accident, Cami. You think I wanted to lose track of you somewhere like this?”

“Way to make it sound welcoming,” Dee muttered.

“It can be, but not the first time you visit. It usually takes until the second time around to feel… you know…” Trintio paused, groping for a word. “Safe. I mean, we're not even at the courts yet."

Again, Cami’s eyes scanned the room. This place definitely had a way of its own, didn’t it? “Is this that magical sanctuary I’ve heard so much about? The witchlands?”

“Heavens, no. It’s just a fey realm, like the one I showed you that first day.” Trintio’s arms stretched out in a grand, sweeping gesture. One hit the wall, only for Trintio’s fingers to seep through as if the silver wood were made of mist. “And the Witchlands, well, they're great and all--excellent if you never want to see a human again--but we like humans.”

“We like using them,” Dee corrected.

Cami thought about everything Rainbow had said. Everything Helena had said. Maybe they’d been onto something, as strange as it was to admit it. “So, this whole thing with me and the vampires and the others is so you can take advantage of humans.”

“Take advantage is such a filthy phrase!” Trintio exclaimed. His hands flew up all affronted, like she’d cussed him out. “I thought I told you it’s mutually beneficial. I mean, there’s a reason we’ve had some systems in place so long. Some families have worked with us for generations!”

“Generations,” Cami echoed. “Hey, do I have a fairy family? Because I’m from here, and not… actually… my mom's kid.” As she said it, the magnitude of the fact hit her: she was adopted, and even her own mother didn’t know that.

Trintio snickered. “Oh, if only we reproduced as simply as humans do."

“And speaking of biology, what’s up with Dee?” Cami asked. “She said she was, like, made of stone or something.”

“I’m a verrai,” Dee said, as matter-of-factly as if it were her star sign. “Trintio, have you taught her anything?”

“We’ve been a little busy,” he conceded, before meeting Cami’s eye. “Verrai are a sentient race built from plants and gemstones. They were created by a fey king a while back to be servants, but they turned out a bit more sentient than expected, so now they're our equals.”

“Oh,” Cami said, and she chose to leave it at that.

“A lot of us still work with or for the fey,” Dee added. “I mean, they have to pay us now, and they pay well.” She played with her sleeve, almost absentmindedly. “Most of the time, we just look pretty or tidy things up. Of course, we’re also great messengers, because unlike the fey, we can lie.”

“Great.”

“Anyways, enough history," Trintio said. "You look great, which you should, because we’re about to meet the queen.”

Cami gulped, suddenly all the more conscious of herself. The strange little--well, not-so-little-anymore--newcomer. “Should I know how to curtsy?”

“Absolutely,” Dee said with a grin. Trintio scoffed.

“You don’t need to know anything,” he said. “Which is great, because really, you don’t know anything.”

“Which is his fault,” Dee pointed out.

Trintio ignored her. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure this goes well. Which is only so much, but I digress. Her chambers are just a bridge away.”

“Great,” Cami breathed. She got the sudden sense the walls were closing in. “Just you, me, and royalty.”

“Hey, that rhymes!” Dee remarked, beaming. "They’re gonna love you. Still wet behind the wings.”

“Huh?”

“That’s not something we actually say,” Trintio interjected. “Dee just likes coming up with random sayings to confuse people, because she's the only one here who can lie.”

Dee raised her hands in surrender. “Guilty as charged."

“It's best to just ignore her," he said, shooting Dee a look. “Just focus on setting a good example."

“Fey can smell fear,” Dee added.

“They absolutely cannot.”

Despite it all, Cami laughed. “So, what’s the queen like?”

“Depends on who you are,” Trintio conceded. “To outsiders, she’s cold and calculating, with a taste for only the finest things in life.”

“Like human flesh,” Dee cut in.

“No, not like human flesh.” Trintio glared down at her. “We don’t do that anymore.”

“Anymore?” Cami repeated, raising a brow.

“Way before my time,” Trintio assured her. “Anyways, to someone of your status, she’ll probably still be a little… out there. But she’s well-meaning. She’ll probably only have her personal knight with her for this, too. I forget who that is now, though.”

Dee cleared her throat. “It’s Gardenia.”

“Gardenia!” Trintio exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “What a jump! When we last crossed paths, she was just a court guard.”

“What’s Gardenia like?” Cami asked.

Trintio opened his mouth to answer, but Dee beat him to the punch: “Headless, but delightful.”

As had become routine, Cami looked to Trintio for his corrections, but he just shrugged and said, “No, she’s not lying. For once. Gardenia’s headless, and more than happy to talk about it.”

“Can we go now?” Dee whined. “I bet there’s a whole banquet waiting in the royal dining room.”

Cami’s stomach growled. Food, she decided, was enough of a motivator. “I’m ready to go, if it means we can eat.”

“Ah-ah-ah!” Trintio took her by the arm. “You don’t eat until after your Vow. Else there’ll be trouble in store. But I think that’s the last of our warnings.” Dee looked ready to object, but he silenced her with a glare. “Come on, down the stairs and out the door.”

~

Out the door they went, and down dropped Cami’s jaw.

She’d caught a glimpse of this world, the night she'd met Trintio. But this was something else entirely. Everything glowed, from the silvery soil beneath their feet to the gargantuan trees towering over them. Homes had been built into their mighty trunks, so smoothly and effortlessly Cami almost wondered if they’d grown that way. The sky shimmered like the surface of a lake at noon, where it poked through the canopy of leaves.

And then there was the castle.

It floated on a landmass of its own, framed by skyscraper-sized mushrooms it dwarfed in its size and decadence. As they approached, a ribbon of pure white light burst from the earth and lurched up, up, up, to the castle’s island.

“Why don’t we fly?” Cami asked. “We have wings, don’t we?”

“Accessibility,” Trintio said with a shrug. “Plus, who doesn’t love a sparkly bridge? Just avoid looking down.”

“Not to mention these bridges are the only way in,” Dee added. “If you try going in there without an invite, the shrooms’ll smite ya.”

Cami looked to Trintio, who could only sigh and say, “One time. People learned their lesson after that.”

As they stepped on, the bridge’s light rippled, like a lake in rainfall. Every movement was accompanied by a soft, musical twinkle.

“You sure do travel in style,” Cami murmured.

“Of course we do,” Trintio said. "What's a fey without their fancy?"

The castle was even bigger up close, the size of a mountain and then some. Its walls were iridescent, and brought to mind a dragonfly’s wings. The doors opened on their own, and Cami shivered at the entry hall’s coolness.

“You guys have air conditioning?” she joked. Trintio chuckled, but said nothing.

Inside, they were greeted by a fog so thick Cami couldn’t make out her own hand in front of her face, let alone the walls or corridors before her.

“This’ll clear,” Trintio said. “Castle’s just getting used to us.”

Sure enough, some of the mist dissipated to form a path straight ahead. Squinting, Cami saw a door at the end. It was open, but only darkness awaited on the other side.

“The queen really loves theatrics, huh?” Cami muttered.

“Oh, you should see the parties!” Dee exclaimed. “Anyways, on we go, right? Enough sitting around.”

Cami nodded, and took a tentative step forward. Nothing happened: the mist didn’t swallow her up, the walls didn’t come crumbling down, she was still alive and standing.

“Don’t be nervous,” Trintio murmured. “She’s been looking forward to this.”

“If anyone should be nervous, it’s you,” Dee said. “What with all your procrastination.”

The shadows hit Cami suddenly, with all the warmth of a summer day. It, like everything else, was manufactured, a curtain more than anything else. In two steps, she was on the other side, in the throne room.

Which, somehow, put the rest of the castle to shame.

The walls and floor were stark white marble, though they showed up only in glimpses, mostly covered by carpets and banners. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, glimmering like morning dew as they swayed in an unfelt breeze. It was like a treasure trove: vases overflowing with flowers, statues huddled together as if in conversation, flowing fountains a soundtrack to it all.

At the other side of the room lay a tall, luminous throne built of precious stones in every colour, and in it sat a woman.

She couldn’t have been older than forty, at least on the outside. Her hair fell past her shoulders in loose scarlet waves, streaked with stark white. Her skin was pale, with an unearthly silver tint. Her lithe arms and sharp face were freckled, and maybe it was the lighting, but Cami swore the spots glittered ever so slightly. Two long, feathered antennae perked up as she noticed the three of them, and she smiled, revealing fangs. As she stood, her wings spread out behind her like a peacock’s tail, a rainbow of greens and blues that wouldn’t have been out of place in the Northern Lights.

Before she could even think, Cami was bowing. Out of sheer instinct.

“About time,” said the queen. Her voice was low, yet carried a distinct warmth. “You know, I’ve been waiting for this day, Camilla.”

Cami looked up at her, and she was still smiling. “Really?”

“Of course. Second time’s the charm, I hope.” She looked to the throne room entrance, and the doors swung shut. “Gardenia, reveal yourself and escort her.”

Cami turned her head just in time. From the shadows rose a figure, that of a woman, tall and muscular.

And distinctly headless.

“I did warn you,” Trintio whispered. “Just don’t overreact.”

The headless woman waved. “Hey, Trintio. Been a while.” There was a smile to her voice, one that almost made up for the lack of a face.

“Indeed it has,” Trintio said. She strode forward, and the two joined hands. “Look at you, climbing up the ranks.”

“Don’t act surprised,” Gardenia teased. “I worked my head off while you ran around playing with boys.”

Trintio blushed, a deep violet against his bluish skin. “This isn’t about me, you know.”

Gardenia let go of him, turning to Cami. “Right. The changeling. We really fucked that one up, didn’t we?”

“I mean, I’m still in one piece,” Cami offered.

“Oh, that’s not what I’m--”

Trintio shushed her. “She doesn’t know about last time.”

“Last time?” Cami looked up at him, frowning. “Was there a last time?”

Trintio opened his mouth to answer, but the queen clapped her hands together and he dropped it.

“High time she remembered,” said the fey queen. “Take her to the cocoon. When she comes out, she’ll be knighted and know everything.”