The Lost Daughter

Chapter One

(Keirran's Point of View)

(Spoiler Alert! Takes place after the Lost Prince, and will begin as soon as the Lost Prince ends! Thus you see the ending!)

After getting back from the cave in New York with Father, he had made good on his promise to freeze my feet to the floor. I knew the confrontation with my mother was yet to come. Mother was a fair and just Queen, but I didn't need an Oracle to tell me I was in deep shit when my mother made the time to have our confrontation.

I did not regret any of the decisions that had led to my adventures in the Mortal Realm, and to the discovery of the Forgotten. I would never regret a decision that had saved Annwyl's life. Just thinking of the summer beauty sent a flush through my whole body. I'd never felt this way about any girl before, and now more than ever I was determined to find a way to save her life.

After being banished from Arcadia, Court of the Summer Fey, she was stuck in the Mortal Realm. Annwyl was doomed to slowly fade away. Doomed to slowly die. To delay the inevitable, I had secured a spot for her with Lenansidhe. She couldn't stay there forever, however. Queen Titania wasn't likely to allow her back in the Nevernever anytime soon either. I found myself sympathizing with the Forgotten, doomed to the same fate. The Forgotten Queen had challenged me to find a way to save them all, taunting me with the knowledge I would also save Annwyl.

I am quickly discovering it is something that I am determined to do. I knew that sneaking back out of Mag Tuiredh wasn't going to be easy, but I couldn't leave the problem to the largely indifferent courts. My mother would sympathize with their position, but with the ability to eat other fey's glamour, her sympathy would only extend so far.

The Forgotten had found a way to survive, while stuck in the Between, a realm between the Mortal Realm and the Nevernever. They were losing their glamour, and they found they could eat other's glamour to recover what they had lost. The fey that lost their glamour died. The half fey that lost their glamour became full-fledged mortals. Not just full-fledged mortals, they had absolutely no knowledge of who and what they were. Their hollow eyes still haunted me.

I was sorry that those fey and half fey that were in the Mortal Realm had to die, but I understood that the Forgotten had no other choice. I can't say what I would do after watching Annwyl begin to fade. I was determined to not leave her stuck there long enough for to happen. My father had found a way to survive the Iron Realm. I would find a way for Annwyl to eventually be my princess.

The door to my room swung open, and my father swept through. The temperature suddenly dropped several degrees. I didn't need a weather report to see Father was livid.

"Keirran, I cannot believe you put not only yourself, but your nephew in an incredibly dangerous situation. You could have gotten both of you killed! I have never been so disappointed."

That struck low, but I still met my father's steely gaze with one of my own. I was determined to show my Father no fear. I guess because he never showed fear, or really hardly any emotion for that matter.

"Keirran, I know your Mother will have more to say, but you are not to leave the palace until this matter is solved. Do you understand me? You are not to get involved."

I nodded. I couldn't lie, and to say I agreed would be a lie…

"Keirran, I want your word you will not get involved."

Well, shit.

"Not get involved with what?"

"Keirran…"

Judging from the look on my father's face, I was probably lucky that my feet were the only things frozen to the floor.

"I promise to not get involved with the Forgotten…"

That was true enough. I wasn't getting involved with the Forgotten, just how to save them. I had to save Annwyl.

My father nodded, not taking the situation further. For that, I would be eternally grateful. He swept out of the room, the door swinging after him. To my relief, the air seemed to heat as soon as he left.

I reached deep inside my summer glamour, and lifted vines from the floor, allowing them to twist inside the ice. I felt the vines begin to twist up my legs, and then allowed the thorns to spring out of the bottom. I had begun to get adept at using all three of my glamours, and now more than ever I was proud of myself.

I still had ice boots, but the thorns from the vines made them more like ice boots instead of ice shackles. I slowly marched my way to the window, being careful to land on the thorns, and not the slippery parts.

I was especially glad there was no one around to see me flailing around like a new born fawn.

After a slow march that was certainly not one of my most grateful, I eventually made it to the floor to ceiling windows on the other side of the room. Razor appeared at my shoulder, buzzing around like crazy.

"Help master. Razor help Master!"

As he flew out the window, I watched jealously. How was I going to get out of the window now?

I could hear a commotion outside the door, and knew Mother had finally made time for the confrontation. Hell, now I'd have to hurry up.

I began wracking my brain, knowing I couldn't just jump. Razor spun by my eyes, and suddenly I had a brilliant idea. One I wish I had had in the first place, before all that work "walking" across the room. I could only hope the glamour would work right.

The door to my rooms swung open once more, this time admitting both my parents. My Father was leading my Mother in. It was priceless to see his look of confusion when I wasn't where he'd frozen me.

"What? Keirran!" Father turned furious ice blue eyes my way. I don't think I've ever seen him so mad.

Mother was already moving forward, the heavy Iron panels beginning to close over the window. "Don't even think about it, Keirran. We have to discuss this…."

I simply smirked, knowing that I'd finally managed to outwit them. Then, my form shifted, and became smaller. My feet slipped right out of the ice shackles turned boots, and finally my transformation was complete. My form managed to slip through the panels right as they were closing. I could only imagine the look on Mothers face as she watched the crow I'd become rising to the skies. Thanks for the inspiration, Puck.

"KEIRRAN!"

My mother would certainly not be forgetting my defiance anytime soon. Knowing staying in the Iron Realm wasn't a good idea, I headed for the nearest trod to the Mortal Realm. I was going to need my nephew's help, and I needed to get there before Mother managed to send the Iron Fey to stop me….