Elegy for a Star

“Dame Gwendolyn Mirabenise,

“I hope this letter finds you in good health, and finds you swiftly. I am not concerned about your level of comfort at Kravana Hall, as I received word you were under a week’s probation. It seems to me that you must have grown especially comfortable in your new surroundings to have already defied its rules. That sounds great for you. It is heartening to hear that you do not suffer the burden of honor and duty; that you live your life freely and without care for your family.

“I worked the skin off of my bones to get you that squireship with Sir Cormyn Strand, and I’ll be damned if I let you ruin that. You were raised better than this, Gwendolyn.

“On top of all of that, I am told that you poisoned Jannette’s mind as to her upcoming marriage. She has it in her head that she doesn’t have to marry the prince of Wheldrake next month. You need to write to her immediately and correct that notion.

“It is time to grow up and do your duty. One would have-...”

Gwendolyn choked on her words, putting the letter down for a moment. She took a deep breath before lifting it up once more.

“One would have thought that you would have learned these lessons under Sir Strand, but I will need to notify him that you may be due for a review of your status as a knight.

“Do better.

“Your father, Sir Rhothomir Mirabenise.”

Gwendolyn placed the letter down, interlaced her fingers, and said, “That’s mine.” Tess reached out to place a hand on top of Gwen’s, but the knight drew them back, insisting, “I’m fine.”

The group sat in silence for a moment before Mairaela spoke up, “Rhothomir is a Courtish name. Are you half-Fey?”

Gwendolyn shook her head, “Step-father, technically. But I never knew my birth father.”

Mairaela nodded her head and gestured to the only remaining letter, “Is that yours too, Gwen?”

“Gwendolyn,” she corrected, looking back at the letter, “No. I thought it was yours.”

Joyona reached out and picked it up, looking it over before passing it to Tess, “It’s yours.”

Tess laughed and sarcastically said, “Sure.” Upon a quick inspection though, she realized that this wasn’t a joke. Sure enough, the letter was addressed simply: “Tess.” On the top right it showed an image of a black bird.

“What are you waiting for?” Mairaela asked, nudging Tess along. Tess was frozen, however, holding the letter tightly.

“Who-... why am I getting letters?” Tess asked, “Who would know that I’m here? Who would even know who I am?”

Gwendolyn frowned in thought, but Mairaela insisted, “Only way to find out is to open it. Come on, I’m so curious!”

Tess shook her head and held the letter out, “Someone else read it. I can’t.”

Mairaela snagged the letter, split it open and unfolded it.

The Fey’s eyes widened:

“Tess,

I hope that this letter reaches you and that you are doing well. I know that when we last spoke, tensions were high. I am sorry for the things that I said, but I am scared that you are going to do something extreme.

Please come home. I miss you. I love you.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Love, your mother.”

Tess’ lips parted. The whole group was sitting in silence for a moment, watching her. “Who sent it?” Tess asked, looking to Mairaela, then more forcefully, “Who sent it?”

Mairaela looked over the letter, then the back of it, then all over the envelope, “It doesn’t say, Tess. I’m sorry.”

“We need to go back to the post, then. Maybe Tealeaf knows,” Gwendolyn suggested.

Tess stood up from her seat, snagged the letter, and bolted out of the room without waiting for the others. She hurried down the hallways, narrowly avoiding a pair of Fey that gave her a curious look as she slipped past.

She had wondered this since her appearance from the ritual. So she did have parents. Or at least one parent. A mother, specifically. Who was she? Where was she?! What was the argument about? What had Tess done? Did it somehow lead to her being a part of this ritual? It seemed more likely than being something completely random. What if Tess did this to herself? 

She needed to find out where the letter came from, and being as organized as Tealeaf was, she’s sure to have all of that sorted out.

When she arrived to Tealeaf’s desk, the shutter for the Post had been closed. Tess turned her head on a swivel to look for any sign of the short Corporal. It wouldn’t be hard to make her out in the crowd, but Tess couldn’t find her anywhere. She searched around the postage desk to try and find any idea of where the Corporal might be, or where her room could be. There was nothing, only a sign stating when the post was open.

When Tess whirled around, she was met with the sight of an ashy blue-skinned Winter Fey, her butt-length hair painted in a purple to pink to white gradient. Though her hair would normally be a smooth change in color, with it braided and tied in a decorative fashion, the colors danced and shifted chaotically. She was tall. Tall and beautiful, with pink eyes ringed in dark, black make-up. Tess was startled at first, not expecting anyone to be so close behind her. The Winter Fey struck a hand upon the wall beside Tess’ head and leaned in close, face-to-face.

“Whaaaat is happening?” Tess murmured, glancing from side to side and avoiding eye contact with the very intense, sharp-eared Fey.

“Looking for the Corporal, little mouse?” She asked with a growl, “Late to pick up your mail?”

Tess could remember enough about Winter Fey. The Courts broke apart because of their disagreement on how to handle the appearance of humans on Auwra. The Summer Court planned a peaceful, cooperative existence. The Winter Court did not have such good intentions.

Tess nodded her head, holding up the letter in her hand, “I need to know where this ca-...”

The Fey snatched the letter from Tess’ fingers, leaned back, and looked it over. She wasn’t looking so closely as to read Tess’ letter, but just turned it end to end. She was still standing so close to Tess that it would be a struggle for Tess to wedge herself out from being pinned against the wall.

“Foolish, little mouse,” the Fey spoke with disappointment, smacking Tess lightly atop the head with the letter. She dipped down a little and pointed to the black bird on the corner of the letter, “It was sent with a raven spell. If they wanted you to know where it was sent from, they would’ve told you in the letter.”

She passed the letter back to Tess and shifted her wide hips to the side, looking expectantly at the shorter woman.

Tess spoke up, “But it’s from my mother and she didn’t tell me how to get word back to her.”

The Fey appeared unamused and in disbelief, “You don’t know where to send a letter to your own mother?”

Tess shook her head.

“I thought human children were dependent upon their mothers for sustenance and care.”

“I’m not a child.”

“How old are you?” The Fey asked.

“Um.. I don’t know, I think.. Twenty-two?”

“Like I said. Children.”

Tess’ brow furrowed, “Well, how could I figure out where the letter came from?”

“A capable person would invert it to see where it came from. Failing that, a resourceful person would find someone to do it for them,” she explained, “Are you either of those?”

“I’m-...” Well, she couldn’t really say capable. While she was supposed to be able to conduct sorcery, she hadn’t been very consistent. She thought for a moment about who she could ask. She didn’t have to think long before Scirocca came to mind, “Resourceful.”

“Good luck, then,” the Fey said, crossing her arms and taking a small step back from Tess so that she could comfortably escape from her place against the wall.

Tess began sliding to the side and asked, “What’s your name?”

“I’m-...”

“Get your cold ass away from her, you Navethyr bitch!” Mairaela shouted from across the hall, tearing through the crowd toward Tess and the Winter Fey. Gwendolyn was following in her wake and Joyona calmly strode behind them, others in the hall parting ways for the giant.

The Winter Fey stepped back from Tess, holding up her hands for a moment before crossing arms again and replying with an obnoxious calm, “I was only helping.”

“I know what you were doing!” Mairaela hissed, “And I won’t let you hurt Tess.”

“I have no idea what you mean,” the ash-skinned woman replied.

Mairaela took hold of Tess’ arm and turned to her, “Are you alright? Want to leave?” 

Tess nodded her head, murmuring, “Guess so. What’s the problem?” 

Mairaela pulled her aside and said loudly enough for them to hear, “She’s a manipulative spider. You can’t trust her.”

“Me?” The Winter Fey repeated, brow raising, “Why, because I’m from the Winter Court and you find us ‘suspicious?’ That is an awful generalization. You don’t even know me.”

Mairaela shot daggers with her eyes toward the Winter Fey, who looked content with the pacing of the conversation.

Tess followed Mairaela off to the side, where Gwen and Joyona met up with her. “Everything okay?” Gwen asked.

“Is now,” Mairaela replied, rubbing Tess’ back, “You alright?”

“I’m fine. Really, she was only helping,” Tess replied, looking down at the letter, “She was just… really weird.”