Gilbert casually paced around the parlour, with nowhere to go and nothing to do until he heard back from his brother. There was no need for nerves, even if he was about to meet his prospective sister-in-law for the first time.
As expected, both jewellers in Tivalon and Aegaimore completed their golden rings today, and turned them in with the iron prototypes. Madeline had arranged to meet with Ludwig tonight to hand over the second iron ring, but made a last-minute request for Gilbert to come along for the handover.
A thrum from the gemstone in his hand made Gilbert stop walking, as his brother's voice echoed in his mind to deliver a message.
We're ready for you.
Gilbert nodded to himself, before using the gemstone's magic to trace the location of Ludwig's in the human realm. With his destination chosen, Gilbert cast the teleportation spell, a haze of blood red magic surrounding him and taking him to his destination. The haze faded away to reveal the balcony he was standing on, overlooking a luscious garden. The night sky above was filled with stars, and the waning crescent moon on the horizon was too thin for its light to burn the fae tonight.
He turned around and found himself looking into a darkened bedroom. Ludwig stood by a dresser, looking at something by the light of two candles, accompanied by a woman with long wavy golden blonde hair. The woman turned to face Gilbert, before stepping forward and nodding her head respectfully.
"Welcome to Thagia, Your Majesty," she greeted with a smile on her face, "I am pleased to finally meet you."
"And I am pleased to meet you as well, Your Highness," Gilbert hailed, "That is, I assume you are Princess Madeline?"
"That is indeed me," Madeline verified, "Please forgive both myself and Ludwig for not informing you of our relationship earlier. My marriage prospects are a popular topic here in the human realm, we've had to make our plans secretly."
"Of course, I completely understand," Gilbert forgave, "Although, as Ludwig's brother and only remaining family, I would've loved to have known about this much earlier in the twelve years you have known each other."
"My own twin brother will likely say the same," Madeline informed, "I haven't even been able to tell him yet."
"Speaking of brothers," Gilbert redirected, "What is mine doing over there?"
"The final fitting for his golden ring," Madeline described, "My jeweller did excellent work with the design, we just need to make sure it fits your brother's finger."
"It's a perfect fit," Ludwig declared, turning to face them, "It's exactly as I expected and wanted."
"May I see it?" Gilbert requested.
"Of course," Ludwig allowed as he stepped forward and removed the ring from his finger.
"The iron ring is on the dresser," Madeline spoke as she walked back and took Ludwig's place at the dresser, "I have a padded silk pouch for you to put it in for safe travel."
Gilbert stepped forward and held out his hand, just in time for Ludwig to reach it and put the golden band in his palm. Gilbert used his fingers to tilt it around and inspect it, feeling the weight of the metal in his hand and inspecting the design.
"This is very well made, for a human at least," Gilbert assessed, "I see you copied each other with the laurels as the design feature?"
"We both liked the laurels best out of the test designs," Ludwig told him, "And as you saw from before, I found an excellent Yuvalon gem for the centerpiece of her ring."
"Yes, you did indeed pick an excellent gem," Gilbert recalled, "And you weren't kidding about the gem colour you chose -"
"The gem is a surprise," Madeline interrupted as she walked back over, "Please don't spoil it for me."
"Of course," Gilbert chuckled as he handed the ring back to his brother, "This ring will do just fine."
"I am pleased to hear it," Madeline acknowledged as she stepped around Ludwig to stand at the side by the brothers, "If it weren't, I'd have to take it back to the jeweller, and this would have to go with it."
She immediately held out her right hand and opened it to reveal the iron ring prototype sitting on her palm. Gilbert took a step back out of precaution, as did Ludwig, while Madeline simply smirked.
"Please do be careful, Madeline," Ludwig warned.
"Don't worry, darling," Madeline assured, "I was only teasing."
She brought her hands back together, the left holding open a small red pouch while the right hand slipped the iron ring inside. Content that the iron ring would not harm him, Gilbert stepped forward and outstretched his hand to receive the pouch. Madeline pulled on the strings to shut it, and moved her hand forward to pass it over.
At the last moment, she stepped back and pulled her hands behind her back instead, keeping the pouch away.
"Before you take this, however, I have a few questions for you," Madeline diverted, suddenly frowning and turning stern, "And if you expect to get this iron ring, you will have to cooperate and answer honestly."
"Madeline, what are you doing?" Ludwig groaned.
"My fae cousin has informed me that I need to join my brother in Niba," Madeline brought forward, "He tells me that my brother's true love, a young lady named Natalya, is already betrothed to a fae king and has been stolen away to Yuvalon. The two of you wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?"
"So you've heard about Natalya after all," Gilbert elaborated, "Francis promised me her hand in marriage several years ago, in exchange for his safety when I complete the ritual. I merely claimed what Francis had set aside for me."
"At the expense of my brother's happiness?" Madeline denounced, "As I just said, Natalya is supposed to be Alfred's true love. It does neither of them any good if you have her trapped as your bride in Tivalon."
"I'm only following the rules of fate here," Gilbert justified, "The prophecy says our late mother would be succeeded as Unseelie Queen by a human-born daughter-in-law. That is clearly fulfilled by me taking Natalya as a wife."
"Does this prophecy explicitly state that Natalya is your foreseen Unseelie Queen?" Madeline interrogated, "Or are you just taking care of business and accepting the first human bride offered?"
"It does not explicitly state it's her," Ludwig answered, "Just a human-born daughter-in-law is what the soothsayers told us."
"Thank you, darling, that's what I thought," Madeline spoke, giving Ludwig a smile before facing Gilbert and frowning once again, "It just so happens that Alfred and I relied on Arthur for the soothsaying to determine that Natalya was his true love. It seems contradictory that Natalya could be both Alfred's true love as well as being your wife and Unseelie Queen, does it not?"
"You clearly have a point to make," Gilbert urged, "Get on with it then."
"I insist you release Natalya," Madeline demanded, "Return her to the human realm so she can be with Alfred. Once you've completed the ritual, you can search for the human lady who should actually be your Unseelie Queen."
Ludwig chuckled to the side, while Gilbert looked her in the eyes. Where she had been sweet before, now there was the glint of steel in her direct gaze as she stood firm and resolute.
"You'd make a good Unseelie Queen yourself," Gilbert commended, "If you weren't already promised to my brother, that is."
"I've already trained to be a human queen all these years," Madeline asserted, "It shouldn't be that difficult to find my way in the Unseelie Court after I marry Ludwig."
"If you've already trained to be Queen of Aegaimore, then why not take power?" Gilbert proposed, "Who says that Alfred has to be King?"
"As Queen of Aegaimore, I would not be free to marry your brother," Madeline protested, "These humans are already circling around like vultures, hoping to marry me and take power should Alfred leave me the crown. They will not be pleased if I suddenly declare an Unseelie Prince to be Aegaimore's new King Consort. And if there's already chaos after you complete the ritual, their rejection of Ludwig could be even more catastrophic. That path is simply not possible. I can only be free to marry Ludwig if Alfred successfully marries and takes the crown of Aegaimore."
"So you want me to just release Natalya and return her to Alfred?" Gilbert objected, "Francis will not be pleased that I'm just giving away his offering like that."
"It should not matter to Francis what you do with her," Madeline countered, "If he's been loyal and helpful as you prepare the ritual, then you can still make sure he is not harmed when the ritual is complete."
"The fae do not have a way to just send a trapped human back to the human realm," Gilbert scrutinized, "The only way we can do that is to create an exchange portal, where another human must volunteer to take her place in Yuvalon permanently."
"I will volunteer," Madeline offered.
"No you won't," Ludwig immediately refused.
"Why not, Ludwig?" Gilbert challenged, "Why do you insist on keeping her human?"
"Madeline shouldn't have to choose between her humanity and her love for me," Ludwig declared, "If you successfully complete the ritual, it will allow her to have both."
"I never knew you were such a romantic," Gilbert continued, "In that case, the ritual also happens to be Natalya's only remaining chance at freedom. Once we've accomplished that, not only will you and Ludwig be able to cross to and from Yuvalon with ease, but so will she. As assurance that I get what I want, she will stay in Tivalon until you help me find a human lady who can take her place as my wife and Unseelie Queen. All you have to do to start that process is to give me the iron ring."
Madeline did not answer him right away, only squinting a bit as she contemplated his offer. Gilbert smirked, that was surely a sign he found a way through to her.
"Humans age faster than fae," Madeline pointed out, "What if your rightful queen has not yet been born?"
"Then you and Natalya will both possibly die of old age before you see me get married," Gilbert disclaimed, "Unless you both choose to become fae, of course. Regardless, Natalya would have to wait a long time in Tivalon, and that's a risk you'll just have to accept."
Madeline remained quiet a little longer, before finally stretching out her hand with the ring pouch once again.
"I will accept that risk," Madeline relented, "And I will see to it that Natalya's wait for freedom is minimal."
"That's more like it," Gilbert accepted, taking the pouch from her hand.
"You said you are sailing to Niba," Ludwig checked, "To join your brother?"
"Yes, my ship sails in the morning," Madeline reported, "I should arrive in three days' time."
"We are aware they are setting up a rescue attempt," Gilbert revealed, "They have a couple Seelie fae who are going to help them get into Tivalon and try to bring Natalya back to Niba. It is my hope that I can complete the ritual before they do so, but there's a chance they might attempt this rescue and cause havoc just as the planets align."
"My cousin Arthur is definitely one of the Seelie fae helping them," Madeline added, "The fates don't let anything be easy, do they?"
"Will you be bringing the gemstone, so we can contact each other?" Ludwig requested, "Perhaps you can warn us when they're ready to strike."
"You want me to spoil my brother's rescue attempt?" Madeline opposed, "He is not going to be happy about that."
"If you want the ritual to be completed, you'll have to do it," Gilbert insisted, "If you are discreet about it, he'll never need to know you warned us. After all, it's the only way you'll be able to get Natalya back to him."
"Very well," Madeline gave in, "I'll do it."
"That's a good girl," Gilbert said, "Now, if there's nothing else to discuss, I will take my leave and let the two of you enjoy each other's company."
"I can fill her in on our plans for the next few days," Ludwig offered, "She will need to be ready for what happens here in the human realm when the ritual is completed."
"It was a pleasure to finally meet you, Your Majesty," Madeline spoke.
"Likewise, Your Highness," Gilbert agreed, "I'm certain Ludwig will arrange for us to meet again after the ritual. Until then, farewell and good night."
Gilbert took a step back, thought of his quarters in Tivalon, and summoned his magic for the teleportation spell. The blood red magical haze obscured his view of Ludwig and Madeline on her balcony, and faded away to reveal his own private parlour moments later. Once the spell was complete, Gilbert walked over to a side table, tossed the ring pouch onto it, and poured some faewine out of the pitcher into a glass. He then took the glass and began sipping at it as he sat down on the couch.
Princess Madeline seemed like an excellent match for Ludwig. She was indeed quite pretty, polite and kind, so she will be well-liked in Tivalon. And yet, she clearly was no fool, she was smart and clever enough to negotiate with him, which will help her stand firm when the Court tries to manipulate her. Ludwig seemed enamoured by her too, which was a very good sign too. Gilbert had never seen him act romantically in any way, and now Madeline's golden ring had a gem that specifically matched her indigo eyes.
And yet, Gilbert had this nagging feeling at the back of his mind. Are Ludwig and Madeline really meant to be together? Is it really not possible for Ludwig to be a fae King Consort in Aegaimore? Is Alfred becoming King of Aegaimore, with Natalya as his bride and not Gilbert's, really the only path forward?
Gilbert pulled the gemstone out of his pocket, and sent off a message.
Are you still awake, Yao? I am in need of a soothsayer.
Gilbert pocketed the gem and took another sip of the faewine, swallowing it down just as Yao appeared in front of him.
"Your Majesty," Yao greeted, "Is it not a bit late in the evening for soothsaying?"
"I have questions about the future," Gilbert addressed, "I also have an iron ring to turn over after."
"Of course," Yao acquiesced, "The visit went well, I presume?"
"Princess Madeline was quite lovely," Gilbert detailed, "And now I'm wondering what the future has in store for her and Ludwig. Can you please look and see if they are meant to be together?"
Yao quietly went straight to work, summoning his magic to form a crimson red haze in the air in which to project visions. After a few moments, Yao paused the swirling of his fingers and observed what the haze was showing him.
"It is indeed true love," Yao ratified, "Ludwig and Madeline are meant to be together."
"That's reassuring," Gilbert remarked, "Can you see what will become of them?"
Yao swirled the magic again, only for the haze to suddenly burst and spark, prompting him to step back on alert.
"What was that?" Gilbert asked.
"The fates don't like that question," Yao reported, "They refuse to show what exactly will happen to Ludwig and Madeline."
"That is not so reassuring," Gilbert commented as he leaned forward in his seat, "Can you check if this has anything to do with the ritual?"
Yao swirled the magic again, and the haze pulsed back this time without a burst or sparks.
"Their fate is tied to the ritual," Yao confirmed, "It won't say how."
"And will the fates reveal the outcome of the ritual?" Gilbert prodded, "Will we complete it successfully?"
Yao swirled the magic once more, and the haze bursted and sparked more intensely than before.
"It seems the fates refuse to talk about the ritual's completion," Yao relayed, "There must be something unforeseeable about the ritual that will affect the fates of many, including Ludwig and Madeline."
"Which must mean there's a chance we fail," Gilbert concluded.
"Your Majesty, it is perhaps best we don't dwell on those thoughts -"
"No, we cannot have failure," Gilbert interrupted, "We have a few days left to double-check every detail of the ritual. We need to verify everything and address any possible variable we can find. We cannot risk having anything go wrong."
"Lukas and I will check everything in the morning, Your Majesty."
Before they could say anything else, a blast echoed from outside the windows, and they both looked over to see some burning lights shooting around outside the tower.
"What was that?" Gilbert asked as he rose from the couch and walked over to the window, just in time for another swoosh of burning lights to go by the window.
"Those look like fireworks," Yao described as he followed to observe, "From the human realm, to light up the night sky in a fiery display. Why are they going off here though?"
Gilbert reached the window and looked out, sipping his wine as he did so. Down below them, fireworks were going off while some fae flew around the spires of the palace.
What in the realm was going on down there?