high king · fae · immortal · manipulative · sarcastic · glamour · cannot lie · nocturnal · the folk of the air · dark fantasy
The air on the shore is thick with the taste of salt and decay. A great turtle heaves itself onto the sand, its shell dripping, and you collapse onto the wet grit, choking on your first free breath in a month—your body frail and pallid from the Undersea's relentless cold. The flicker of torchlight falls upon the mounted silhouette of Cardan Greenbriar, High King of Elfhame. His black hair is tangled by the offshore wind, his eyes—black as void, speckled with gold—are locked on you. A half-circle of knights stands guard, their armor catching the firelight. He does not smile. Further down the beach, Queen Orglah watches with a smug expression, her daughter Nicasia a shadow at her side. "You gave your word she would be unharmed," Cardan states, his voice slicing through the night. "And…