XXIII

"Before you begin, please take this net," and Elanor passed a soft parcel wrapped in fabric to the witch. "I serve as a housemaid to Lady Mira, and she asked me to bring it."

"Yes, this is for Queen Violet's daughter. The princess is a sickly baby. A palace courier should pass by sometime this week and pick it up, along with my potions. You can tell Lady Mira it is taken care of. She is too kind for her own good; half the customers are sent to me by her, and she covers their treatment most times." 

"She truly is. We hope the princess gets better."

"Jade, let me hold your shoulders," and Yara grabbed Talvi's shoulders tightly on each side, closing her eyes. She sat there for a while, concentrated, looking like she was asleep. Her face was eerie, devoid of any movement. 

Is she diagnosing him like this? Her focus is so admirable; I wish I knew this technique for when I try meditation. Her face is so still and stoic, I doubt she would move even if a storm were passing through. 

Yara let go of Talvi and rose to her feet.

"I will prepare some herbs for you to drink and light a censer to have the smoke bring your mind to loosen. Then I can try plucking it out," explained the witch.

The smell of the boiling decoction already filled the space with a sweet, flowery note, so when the healer was done and handed Talvi a small wooden bowl, both he and Elanor could barely keep their eyes open. Elanor was clutching her penny inside the pocket of her faery dress, but the calm was sinking in her head, spreading like water poured on one's crown. Talvi drank the offered liquid in one gulp and passed the bowl back. Yara added different dried bits into the censer and lit it. It was a brass cup on four legs, with a lid featuring ornate carvings as orifices, and the smoke rose from them in thick clouds. 

Elanor could see through the fumes how the witch approached Talvi, picked up his palm and placed a hand onto his chest, when she felt that she was feeling funny. She fell unconscious a moment after that, dropping onto her side and causing the ceremony to be interrupted. Talvi rushed to her side. He looked at her pale face and blue lips and held the girl's limp body to his chest, while slapping her on the cheeks as gently as he could. He had no time to keep the alias and called to Yara:

"The fumes! Put them out!" he cried, rubbing Elanor on the sternum. The witch's eyes widened in realization, but before dealing with their deception, she grabbed the censer, threw it in the barrel with water and closed the lid on top of it. Then she swiftly opened the door and the window frames, waving the smoke away with the kitchen towel. Then she left Talvi to tend to Lara, while she reached into one of the cupboards and got busy with some new potion. 

Elanor squinted and moved her head, keeping her eyes closed, like when someone tries to wake one up on an early morning, but Talvi kept calling her name, and eventually she had to. His concerned face was right above her. She realized she was lying on the floor and sat up. Yara approached her with a cup of coffee. The smell reached her even before the healer kneeled at her side. 

"Now, drink this and let your "husband", who can't speak, explain everything," said the woman politely, but noticeably enraged. "At least I can be sure I'm told the truth when he is talking."

"Forgive us, Yara. As you have guessed by now, Lara is a human. I asked her to help me through a bargain-"

"What are you waiting for? It's getting cold," the witch suddenly told Elanor.

"Excuse me. I'm still hoping to return home, so I don't eat in Faery..." the girl explained awkwardly. She felt weak, and the cup in her hands made her salivate. 

"It is a contradictory rule, but since I offered it to you, it would be impolite to refuse in the law of Fae; therefore, you are safe to drink it."

Elanor immediately obliged, feeling her head lose the fuzziness with every sip.

This whole time, I was surviving on random scraps and energy bars, when I could have had those fluffy Mira's pastries. At least this coffee makes up for everything. How I missed it!

Yara turned back to Talvi, and he continued:

"You would not have helped me if I came as I am. You know why I need that-" the curse made him pause, and he thought of other words to express himself. "You could probably help me, you know it. If Lara was not discovered, no fault could ever be laid on you-"

"By justice, maybe not, but those who would come know no justice. After all the crimes they committed, you assumed no danger would follow me if I helped? You cannot afford to be so naive and assume everyone will be fair just because you are."

Talvi looked like a kid that is being scolded; his shoulders sagged with guilt. 

"You will not help me?"

"You know I won't. But I will forget you almost brought ruin to my hut, "Jade", and almost killed your human with belladonna smoke."

Talvi sighed and ran his hand through his hair when sounds of movement reached them from the door. A fae man climbed up the ladder and knocked on the doorframe. Talvi, who now looked devastated, stood up and pulled Elanor to her feet with him. With a short deft movement, he pulled her belt off her waist, and it disappeared in the folds of his pants. Immediately, her glamour disappeared, and Yara glanced at them both, remaining silent.

What is he doing? 

The fae, athletic, well-dressed in a peach suit and with voluminous pastel curls to match it, only looked at Talvi once, recognition spreading on his face with a wide smile. 

"Hello, Yara! If it isn't the most renowned merchant with you today... And with his?-"

"Human friend," clarified the elf fast, cutting the newcomer off.

"With his human friend? How original," his tone made Elanor uncomfortable; he was speaking with a kind of forced positivity that never signaled anything genuine or kind. "I am here to pick up Her Majesty's potions. How about you? No! Don't tell me you are so gravely ill that you need Yara's services?" he put on a show of pretend concern, and it made Elanor sick to her stomach.

"How convenient, I was dropping off Lady Mira's commission. You can take both to your Queen with our salutes," replied Talvi, and she never heard so much chill in his voice.

Blessed be Mira and her net! If we did not have it, how would Talvi get out of this question?

Yara approached the visitor and offered him both parcels. He packed those in one of the enchanted fae pockets at his chest and turned to Elanor. It took her all the nerve to look casual and avoid his eye contact, but she felt that Talvi was trying to quietly move past any interaction with this person. 

"My greetings to Her Majesty," said the witch, trying to hint at the peach-haired fae that he may leave. 

Unfortunately, he stepped towards Talvi instead and produced from his suit a small scroll, tied with golden ribbon. Talvi was looking at it with resentment, but took the paper and nodded.

"So glad I met you here, you have been impossible to reach. The business must be growing... Her Majesty invites you to a ball, and please feel welcome to stay at the castle until the event. Your human can accompany you-"

"Don't worry, she was just lost, and I promised to show her the way home when we met. It's time for her to return," refused her companion, but the Queen's servant would not let him off the hook, it seemed.

"I see, then come with me, girl. As a Lord of this land, it is my duty to help you. We can head to the castle together with you, Trader, after she returns to Humanlands. There is a door just at the lake west of here," he suggested sweetly. 

Elanor shivered and could not remain silent at that: "I'm afraid to seem rude to the noble fae if I refuse a Royal invitation. I would love to accompany my saviour to the ball, if I am still allowed."

Something is not right here. This invitation feels like there is no possibility of refusing it; if his words were not so syrupy, it would seem like I'm witnessing a detention. I can't just leave Talvi at this time; I already screwed up his only chance at getting help from Yara. 

Talvi pursed his lips and looked at the courtier.