Arach chuckled. “I think I drew their attention with my roaring. We really should let them know everything is all right.”
“You mean, we really should let them know that their king is an amazing lover.” I smirked at him.
“Your words, not mine,” he said before he dipped his head and silenced the rest of my protests.
Silenced until I screamed for him, that is.
Chapter Forty-Seven
The next day, the other royals of Faerie arrived, including the High King and Queen and their son, High Prince Lugh. The Prince was dating Isleen and immediately gravitated toward her after greeting us. The rest of the royals were shown to their rooms to freshen up before the activities began.
First came the hunt, and it wasn't at all what I'd expected. Instead of an animal, we rode through the Forgetful Forest in pursuit of a golden apple. The Fey considered apples to be sacred fruit, and Arach had fashioned one from solid gold and then enchanted it. He hung his masterpiece in an apple tree in the Forgetful Forest and challenged our guests to bring it down with their arrows. The task would have been easy for anyone competent with a bow, except for the apple's enchantment. Once it was spotted, it remained for only a few moments before it would disappear to take up residence in another tree. The goal was to shoot it from its branch before it made a run for it.
I had more fun than I've had in ages. Outside of the bedroom, at least. Thirty minutes into the hunt, laughter rang through the Forgetful as our guests entertained each other with their magical and physical antics. They climbed trees and crept through the undergrowth like predators, trying to sneak up on the golden apple. The hunt became about more than treasure, it was the win they were after; the pride of being the smartest, quickest faeries in the forest.
The prize was finally brought down by the Earth Queen and her deadly aim. Her husband kissed her soundly for her triumph, and she proudly held the golden apple above head as she galloped back to the castle with the rest of our company cheering.
We provided other activities for the children as well. They had their own apple hunt, but it was a bit easier than ours and didn't involve weapons. We held it in the Weeping Woods inside the borders of our kingdom instead of in the more dangerous Forgetful Forest. Not that any of those kids were defenseless; they came equipped with their own weapons. The Hidden-Ones kids alone could have probably have defended themselves and the others as well as a full-grown Sidhe.
Later that afternoon, the adults gathered under a massive pavilion behind Castle Aithinne, in the Fire Kingdom, and watched the children play as we lounged about and enjoyed refreshments. That's when Arach announced the second game. Thankfully, it wasn't as strenuous as the first. What it was, was brilliant. It forced people to socialize. Not that faeries were antisocial, but there had been some strain between the kingdoms that was still in the process of being repaired. His game would help form some good memories between us.
“There is still another treasure to be found!” Arach stood to announce.
Every head swiveled to stare at him eagerly.
“Someone here is carrying a ruby the size of an egg,” he went on.
“A Pilger's egg or a Joster's egg?” the High King asked, and everyone laughed.
A Pilger is a small, faerie bird, and a Joster is a large one. It was akin to asking if the ruby was the size of a robin's egg or an ostrich's.
“A pilger, you greedy king,” Arach said good-naturedly. “But that's not all. Our pixies will create a setting for the ruby to the specifications of the winner. Whether you wish a pendant or a dagger, they will make it for you.”
The crowd cheered. It was a huge prize indeed. The Pixies crafted amazing pieces of jewelry, accouterments, and weaponry from precious metals and jewels. Pieces that Arach sold for a high price. My dragon happened to be a fine businessman.
“How do we find this ruby egg?” King Fionn of Air asked, his monarch butterfly wings shivering with excitement.
“You must deduce who its bearer is,” Arach said simply. “I have enlisted the help of several people from each court to play roles in this game. Each one will hold a piece of the puzzle; lines of a riddle. After you collect all the lines, you'll be able to figure out who is holding the ruby. Now, you cannot just go about to every person here and ask if they have a line of the riddle. You must hunt for them as well. They will each have something on their person that identifies them as a riddle bearer; something relating to the prize. You must locate these items and secretly notify the individual of your guess. If you have guessed correctly, they will provide you with their portion of the riddle.”
“Devious!” Lugh declared. “I love it!”
“Be as thorough in your search as you like, but stay away from my wife; she's not a bearer and I will not put up with any searching of her person,” Arach advised them with a wicked grin.
The faeries laughed, some groaning in feigned disappointment.
“The game begins; good luck to you all!” Arach declared.
The game lasted long into the night, overlapping other activities. The Twins' were lavished with presents, had their birthday feast, and blew out the candles on their cake all before the ruby was found. It wasn't until late that evening, after the children had exhausted themselves by playing with the Twin's new toys and were tucked into their beds, and the adults were dancing beneath dim faerie
