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Queen Titania gave a small, pleased smile.
    â€œThat was beautiful, Vi,” she purred, combing the girl’s hair with her fingers. The small human blinked and gazed up at the faery queen with solemn eyes.
    â€œThe ending was flat,” she said regretfully. Her voice was reedy and breathless, as if the violin had taken all the volume from her. “And it was rushed in the beginning.” She sniffed and bit her bottom lip. “I’m sorry, I wanted to play it better.”
    â€œOh, my dear, it was perfect.” Titania smoothed the hair back from the girl’s face. “Wasn’t it?” she added, looking fiercely at the nobles, who tittered and nodded and made appropriate noises of agreement. Beside me, Ash muttered something inaudible and shot me a sideways glance.
    â€œA child,” he muttered. “Leanansidhe’s ‘toy’ is a child. How are we going to get her out, Goodfellow?”
    â€œI’m thinking.”
    â€œThink faster.”
    â€œNow,” the queen continued, tugging at the girl’s dress, straightening it, “would you like something to eat, my darling? Then, if you want, you can play for us again after you’ve eaten.”
    Vi sniffled. “Can I have cake?”
    â€œOf course, my dear.” The queen smiled indulgently. “Would you like that?”
    The girl nodded eagerly. Titania bent down and kissed her cheek. “Then I will have Cook bring you the sweetest cakes she can find.”
    The child beamed. Titania snapped her fingers, and a brownie appeared at her arm. “You heard her,” she told it. “Tell Cook we want her best and sweetest cakes, as quickly as possible.”
    â€œThe little strawberry ones,” Vi added, smiling up at the queen. Titania nodded at the brownie, who bowed and scampered off, fleeing into the hedge. The queen chuckled and patted the girl’s head like she would a favorite small dog.
    â€œIsn’t she darling?” she mused, and the nobles were quick to agree. “Such talent, and at such a young age. I don’t know how Leanansidhe could stand to give her up.”
    She laughed, and the gentry laughed with her. The girl sat there with her hands in her lap, gazing vacantly at the faeries surrounding her. As the chuckles died down, the queen finally spotted us at the edge of the clearing, and her blue eyes lit up with delight.
    â€œOh, but my dears, we are being very rude.” The queen sat up, raising a slender hand to us. “We have esteemed visitors, returned from yet another impossible quest. Sir Fagan, Sir Torin, please step forward.”
    I saw Ash draw in a quiet breath, steeling himself, and bit down my anticipation. “Here we go,” I whispered, throwing out my chest. “Just follow my lead.”
    Chin up, chest puffed out, I raised my head and swaggered toward the waiting queen.
    Titania laced her fingers together and watched us approach, a small smile on her perfect lips. But her gaze wasn’t fastened on me, but the “Summer knight” at my side. Ash, much to his credit, was playing his part, keeping his head up and a faint, proud smile on his face, his gaze only for the queen. Good, I thought as we reached the foot of the throne and bowed. Keep looking at ice-boy. Pay no attention to the buffoon next to him. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
    â€œSir Fagan.” Titania spared me a cursory glance. “Sir Torin.” She smiled widely at Ash. “Welcome back. I apologize for my husband—he is away from court at the moment and I am not sure when he will return.”
    â€œWe are sorry to have missed Lord Oberon,” Ash said, his voice confident and clear, and slightly pompous. He took the queen’s outstretched hand and brought it to his lips. “But to be in your presence, my lady—that is worth all the blessings of our good king.”
    I resisted the urge to stare at him, biting down a