"Oh shoot, we left Trost and Freunde in the Gingerbread Kingdom. Will they be okay with Mother Gingerbread?"
The pockets of my coat fluttered about and out popped my pixie friends. They buzzed around my face, flailing their arms, and making all kinds of sounds as if telling me all about their own adventure surviving the last hour in my pockets.
I laughed and held out my hands for them to land on. "When did you two hide in there and why didn't you come out before now?"
"They come when you call them, lass." Leb patted Trost on the head. "Those are your Marzipan pixies. They've formed their own sort of bond with you."
"Mine? Like I own them?" They weren't pets, more like small people. "I don't like the thought of that. I don't want to own a person."
"No, no, yours in the same way we too belong to you. It's your magic and spirit that have them being loyal to you. They're as free as any other being in the Winter Realm to come and go as they please. Their pleasure is to serve you."
Aww. That had me feeling all gushy and mushy inside. "That I can do."
Zucker gave Trost a little twirl and they giggled. Then Freunde jumped onto my finger and swung back and forth like they were doing gymnastics. "Thank you for your friendship, little ones. I promise to cherish it always."
"You are such a sap, ClaraMarie. They're fricking servant fairies. You don't have to say thank you."
How was I even related to this schmoe? "Somebody punch him for me."
Both Zucker and Tau did exactly as I asked, and I enjoyed every one of Fritz's groans. "Thank you."
"Lass, we need to get a move on. The Mouse Queen's army will likely soon figure out you're not in the stronghold. I'd rather we had you safe in another Land where we have support before that happens."
Now to decide whether to go to the Fae Queens to find out about the Vivandiere stories or to the Land of Snowflakes to dig into Nuss's secrets. But if I had to find the Snowflake crown and the stories weren't true, it didn't do us any good to go there. I didn't like either choice.
BIG ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN
ZUCKER
Ablack line of mice snaked its way down the side of the mountain. I thought we'd have more time, but Konig was a crafty bastard at best and a ruthless general at worst. We were getting his worst today. I pulled one of my daggers from the sheath and pointed it up the quagmire of snow. "Nuss, can you do your magic trick again to bring another avalanche down on them?"
"Not without hurting Clara or the Prince."
Tau drew his bow and let off three arrows in one shot. They flew straight and far and struck the head of the column of mouse soldiers. "If we hurry, we can get to the edge of the Sweet Fae lands. We can hide in the border's glamour."
"I don't know what that means, but if it means not being eaten alive by mice again, I'm in." Princess Clara ran back toward her horse and Leb had to sprint to keep up with her. We took off in a dead run for the border of the Gingerbread Kingdom and the Land of Sweets. But we would be exposed until we hit the Fae magic that the uninitiated got lost in. Konig would have a tough time getting through, but he'd know exactly where we went.
I directed us toward the nearby line of trees. "If we skirt the edge of the Christmas Tree Forest the army won’t attack the pixies and won't know which land we've headed for."
Clara looked horrified at the idea. "You're sure? Won't or can't."
Nuss glanced behind us and gave his horse a nudge to put on some speed. "No one has issue with the Land of Comfort and Joy. They are and have always been neutral and the Christmas Tree Forest neutral ground."
"How many wars have you guys had?" The Princess was getting a fast initiation into the politics of the Winter Realm.
"A few." Most were long since forgotten, but not the schism between the Fae lands. That caused generations of discord between our people. I never thought I'd get to introduce Tau to my family. Clara was making that possible. Probably.
I had to keep the hope alive that her presence would keep him safe from any angry Sweet Fae who had long memories and weren't quick to forgive the past. Like my mother.
We slipped into the cover of the forest and made a quick turn toward the border with my homeland.
The magic of anticipation danced across my skin and into my blood. We were headed to the Land of Sweets, and I'd been gone for far too long. I could hardly wait to show off the Prince and Princess of my heart. My mother always said I fell in love too fast. She wasn't entirely correct. Lust, sure, but love?
No. I'd only ever been in love with one person until Princess Clara. But to the Queen of Sweets' point, I'd fallen in love with both her and Tau at first sight. Tau had taken me far too long to seduce. But sweet Clara was as sensual as any Sugar Fae, and half the anticipation running through me was hers.
The rest was from a preternatural sense that I'd developed over the years. We were finally going to find the broken piece of the seven crowns that represented the Land of the Sweets. I'd already had a taste of Clara's magic last night and knew it would be all the more sweeter once I could bond with her.
The only thing that would make it even better was if Tau and I could bond with her together. Then perhaps I'd find out what he was holding back from me. He wanted love. I loved him. But he wasn't wrong when he said it would fill in something missing when Clara was between us.
