after their initial procession. Looking around, I realized I probably wouldn’t have been able to group the summer fae together anyway. The winter court boasted a wide range of fae, but from what I’d seen, they all dressed very formally in attire that fit some Renaissance or maybe Victorian-era ballroom. There was no unifying element to the wardrobes of the summer fae, except perhaps that there was a considerable amount of flesh on display. Some wore clothes crafted out of leaves and bark. Others appeared to be wearing nothing more than smoke or water vapor. A few wore handspun frocks and simple tunics. Leather and fur also made an appearance on many. And then there were some who were completely naked. It was far more chaotic than the winter court, but the fae also looked happier than at the winter ball I’d been compelled to attend.
As we wove around the tables and avoided the dancers, our presence, if noted at all, was met with mixed reactions. Some fae smiled widely, lifting goblets or beckoning us to join their dances. Others scowled, sneered, or even fingered weapons. None stopped us, though.
As Dugan predicted, it was the largest table we needed to find. We spotted it in the center of the field. I expected the king’s table to be set apart somehow. Perhaps on a hill or a throne on a platform. Instead his enormous table was in the very center of the most activity in the field. Dozens of fae sat at the table—more than could possibly be his inner circle of advisors—and more mingled around the edges. Many of the fae at the table were Sleagh Maith, but there were just as many or more who were not. Nymphs and dryads, satyrs and trolls, and many others I couldn’t name off the top of my head gathered at the table.
The king had added a deerskin vest to his wardrobe since we’d talked to him, but it left as much of his tanned chest bare as it covered. It was nice view, and I might have enjoyed it—after all, it’s always nice to look at a gorgeous body—except a green-skinned nymph balanced on one of his knees, her hands casually caressing the muscular abs visible above the king’s brown trousers. Another fae had her arms around his shoulders, her brilliantly pink hair falling down over one of his arms. Yet another fae was joyfully feeding him grapes, and either she wore only a rainbow-colored cloak and nothing else or she had rainbow wings folded down her back and was naked as the day she was born. The whole scene looked a little too much like the start to a very well-costumed pornographic movie. If this turned into an orgy, I was out of here.
The king looked at us and smiled broadly in welcome.
“Planeweaver, make merry with us,” he called out, picking up an enormous leather flagon that spilled over with amber liquid. He lifted it as if in a toast to me, and several other fae at the table lifted their cups as well. Then he drank an enormous gulp from the flagon. His eyes sparkled as he set the drink back on the table. “Unless, of course, you wish to examine the toilets first.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks as several fae shot curious glances in my direction.
“I’ll pass,” I muttered.
The king’s smile spread. “Sit.”
It was a command, regardless of how friendly it was delivered. Three seats were suddenly vacated in front of the king, and I found myself herded into one. Food was set in front of us, followed quickly by an array of drinks in goblets, flutes, and flagons. A few months ago, the feast that was spread in front of us would have astounded and terrified me. The first because there was just so much food. And the second because it was Faerie food. That time was past, and I had become rather accustomed to Faerie feasts. And I didn’t fear them. There was some mortal blood in my heritage, but I had “blooded true” as they said, and was in all discernible aspects fae. I opened my shields enough to scan for any spells on the food, and not finding any, selected a leg of something large and savory. It was delicious, and my acceptance of the food seemed to please the king. I’d skipped lunch, and I wasn’t sure where this investigation would lead us, so I gave myself a moment to eat.
“So what do you