I was dreaming.

That was the first thing that entered my mind as I took in where I was standing. In the middle of an Arcadian meadow, a beautiful one at that, and one I'd never been to before. A trickling spring rested off nearby, the beautiful sound reached my ears easily. But something was off. I'd never been here before, not to this particular meadow so it couldn't be a dream like I'd first assumed.

"Bryn, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

I spun around, eyes darting every way until they landed on a woman standing near the small spring, her silver hair acting as a curtain to hide her face from my view. My brows furrowed in confusion, wondering how she knew me.

You're the Summer princess. Of course she knows you. I reminded myself.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Aine."

"Well tell me Aine. Am I dreaming?" I stepped closer to her, but I was careful to keep my distance just in case I wasn't dreaming.

"In a sense, yes. This is real in a sense though." She turned her head to look up at me, a sad smile decorating her lips. "I have something I need to tell you Bryn. I'm not sure how much time I have though."

"I don't even know who you are." I commented as I scanned her face which was purely fey. Her eyes were the color of silver, just like her hair.

"Who I am is not important." She absently said as she dipped her feet into the spring. "You are not who you think you are Bryn."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say that Titania is not your mother."

I stared at Aine in something along the lines of shock. She had the nerve to tell me that Titania wasn't my mother? Then again it made sense in a way. Titania had never directly said I was her daughter, just called me daughter as if it were a pet name. "You're not of Summer." The words fell from my mouth with a startling realization as I realized that I was right indeed. A different sort of glamour surrounded the beautiful fey woman, a darker, much more shadow-like glamour which was the complete opposite of the summer glamour I was used to.

"You are correct."

"Then what are you?"

Another smile curved Aine's lips as she turned around to full face me. "I am a part of the Shadow Court Bryn." The smile fell from her lips and her eyebrows drew together. "I'm losing connection with you…I must go." She turned on her heels and the illusion of the summer meadow fell away, leaving nothing but a black void and me all by myself.

I jolted straight up, my eyes scanning every single corner of the room and my hands curling tight into the blankets covering me. I was back in Chillsorrow manor, much to my relief. Not in the meadow with the strange faery Aine. I still wasn't sure who she was, my curiosity was running high though, as was my suspicion. I mean, why tell me that Titania isn't my mother. It just sounded ridiculous though, now that I was awake.

"Are you alright?"

I jumped in surprise and then I saw Sage sitting at the edge of the bed, watching me with carefully guarded ice green eyes. His long hair wasn't tied back like it had been at Elysium; instead it flowed down his back. A few shorter wisps of hair fell into his face, the few edgy strands framing his pale face.

"Yeah." I breathed out. "Someone…A fey woman…visited me…while I was asleep." I admitted rather reluctantly as I pushed the covers back some, taking quick notice that my black pants were rather torn up and wondering if there were any clothes I could change into here.

"She was a dream walker then." Sage's eyes met mine. "I've heard that the Shadow fey used to-"

"Wait." I stopped him before he could go on, my mind racing. "You said Shadow fey. Summer and Winter are the only courts though." Please. Tell me I'm right.

Sage blinked at me and tilted his head to the side with a hint of curiosity sparking in his eyes. "You mean…you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"The Shadow fey are an ancient race of fey that have been rumored to be extinct for years due to the war between Summer and Shadow." Sage looked surprised, like he couldn't believe I didn't already know this. "Although it's said they're in hiding, not really extinct."

I sat back, folding my hands in my lap as I stared down at them. I'd never even heard of the Shadow court until now, it had never been brought up to me while growing up in the Summer court; my tutors had never muttered a single word about them to me. Neither had Oberon.

My hands were suddenly pulled from my lap by Sage and he weaved his long, pale fingers through mine. I stared at our hands, stared at the sharp contrast of our skin tones. His pale complexion against my much tanner complexion. Summer and Winter didn't mix. Sage and I didn't mix.

But I held on. I tightened my fingers around his and let out a deep breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "She told me Titania's not my mother, which makes sense."

"That wouldn't be a surprise." Sage admitted. "Oberon has had many children, some by other fey, and some by human women. My brothers and I do not even share the same sire."

I bit my lip and rolled his words around in my head, knowing he was right but at the same time knowing something was off about the whole situation.

"I don't like it though." I admitted hesitantly, chewing on my bottom lip. I shook my head, because I didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"Your sister does not know what she's doing does she?"

"What'd she do?" I demanded, suddenly all business as my eyes snapped upwards to land on Sage's face. "She didn't do anything stupid did she?"

"She made a deal with Ash."

That was all I needed to know. I didn't need to know anything else, only that she'd done something possibly endangering to her life and impeccably stupid.

"Why would she do something so stupid?" I snarled under my breath, jerking my hand away from Sage's and jumping up from the bed. Aula, his wolf, lay at the foot of the bed, her big yellow eyes regarding me curiously. She knew me, perhaps she even trusted me at times.

I huffed as I strode to the wardrobe in the room, careful not to let my feet slip on the icy floors although I wasn't particularly worried about that. I pulled the wardrobe open, hoping there were clothes to fit me in there. Luck seemed to be on my side. There were a pair of black pants, and a deep blue shirt that I moved into the washroom connected to the bedroom and changed into them.

Fully dressed, I then slipped into my worn leather boots and grabbed my sword and dagger. After I had them secured into place I turned a half-angry gaze on Sage who was standing now, tall and proud. Really it was just another reminder how different, yet how alike the two of us were. He somehow managed to stay calm most of the time. I, however, could snap in an instant.

Another reminder that he was Winter and I Summer. I knew that emotions were a weakness in the Unseelie Court, so unlike the Seelie Court.

"I'm going out." I snarled, turning on my heels and throwing the door to the bedroom open. I started to stalk down the hall, and then headed on down the stairs. As I was going down Puck started to walk by the staircase, but paused when he saw me.

"Where are you going Bryny?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, momentarily stopping at the bottom of the stairs. "Out."

"Is that really safe? I mean…Won't it look a little odd if someone from the Winter Court finds the Summer princess wandering about in Tir Na Nog?" Puck questioned, cocking an eyebrow at me.

I met his eyes, knowing he was completely serious. It would look weird; there was no telling who or what would come after me if they caught me wandering around in Unseelie territory. "Fine then." I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest a little angrily before stepping off of the bottom step to where I was at my normal height, just a few inches shorter than Puck.

"Go in the dining hall Bryny, I'm going to find something to snack on." Puck ruffled my hair, smirking whenever I swatted his hands away in agitation. I gave him sulky look before heading on in the direction of the dining hall where Ash and Meghan were, chatting away. Or perhaps conversing awkwardly. I wasn't quite sure.

Meghan's blue eyes flickered my way, wavering slightly as I narrowed my own eyes at her. Emotion flickered in her eyes. Confusion. More than likely wondering why I was practically glaring at her.

I heaved a sigh, and Puck chose that moment to prance into the room with a bowl of Summer-pods. As he passed by me I plucked one from the bowl, sticking my tongue out at him when he quirked an eyebrow at me as if to say did-you-really-just-take-my-food.

"Mornin' princess." Puck bit into a summer-pod, grinning despite the fact that his mouth was full of food.

"Are you raiding the cellars Goodfellow?" Ash questioned, blinking his eyes.

"It is Robin Goodfellow you're talking to brother." Sage had slipped into the room at some point, as silent as ever which didn't necessarily come as a surprise. He had a way of sneaking up on everyone.

"Now your iceling…why would I of all people steal? Especially from the house of my ancient enemy? I mean…I would never." Puck slammed a hand over his chest, pretending his best to be shocked. He plucked a rip summer-pod from the bowl, and then tossed it to Meghan who barely managed to catch it in her hands. She examined it, curiously.

"You might now want to do that." Grim said as he leaped onto the table, eyeing the summer-pod. "Your human side might not handle it so well…"

"Go on Meghan." The words slipped from my mouth as I gestured a hand towards her. "Try it. One."

"Yeah, what Bryny said. You've been in Faery long enough…so it shouldn't affect you…or turn you into anything at least…"

Meghan, who looked dubious as she bit into the fruit. A look passed over her face as she slipped the quilt from around her shoulders, then gulped down the rest of the fruit. My eyebrows shot up, but I happily popped yet another summer-pod in my mouth before tuning into Puck and Ash's conversation.

I had, apparently, tuned in to the wrong part of the conversation because they were talking about dueling. Surprise, surprise.

At some point during their conversation Grim pointed out that they should be paying to Meghan…who had downed the entire bowl of summer-pods. I was quick to point out that they were both idiots, even as Ash scooped Ash into his arms and carried Meghan up to her room, announcing that we'd have to wait another day before leaving.

Whenever Ash disappeared upstairs I turned a thoughtful gaze on Puck. "Shame on you. You should have never let her try a summer-pod." I tsked, shaking my head in disappointment.

"Hey!" Puck objected, pointing an accusing finger at me. "You're the one that okayed it. Last I checked, you're the Summer Princess which means you get to boss me around."

"Whatever." I scoffed. "You don't listen to me anyway." I rolled my eyes at Puck, and then happily punched him in the arm.

"You do have a point…"

"Don't I always."

"Somebody's being a little conceited."

"Just truthful."

"Conceited."

"Shut up Puck."

"Why? You're not the boss of me, remember?"

"Are you two really arguing about this?" Sage questioned. He'd sat down in a chair at some point, and now he was watching Puck and I with amused green eyes.

Pucks stiffened. He turned his slitted emerald eyes on Sage. "Yeah we are ice-boy. Got a problem with it?"

"If I do?"

"Puck. Go. Bed. Now." I clamped a hand down on Puck's shoulders, taking note of how stiff her really was. Sage and Puck, they didn't get along. They never really had, or maybe they had once before, or at least gotten along as well as two enemies could get along. Now Puck couldn't stand Sage, sometimes I couldn't entirely blame him.

A/N~ I'm lame! I'd forgotten I hadn't posted chapter 10 and I was about to post chapter 11! I swear I'm losing my mind! But who is this mysterious faery Aine? Or the Shadow fey? Say what? Odd… Why does Puck not like Sage? O.O And why in Oberon's name does Bryn not know about the Shadow fey? Questions that will be answered in good time.

So anywho, if there's anything any of you would like to see happen in this story…well let me know because I'm open to all and any ideas. But for now I must say toodles until next update. :D