The children had made up songs about her. “Red eyes burning bright, stalking through the dead of night. ” Their high, sweet voices carried across the cobblestones, and their mothers hushed them with nervous glances in her direction. Poppy had been cursed for years now, and she kept to the edges of every village she passed through.
She moved like a shadow wrapped in a hooded cloak, trading her knowledge of herbs and roots for the basics she needed to survive. But she couldn’t hide entirely. Parents covered their children’s eyes when she passed. The herb seller refused to look at her directly.
“Just a loaf of bread for these mushrooms,” Poppy whispered. “They’re good ones. Morels, hard to find. ”
“Keep moving, red eyes,” the woman muttered.
“You’re scaring off my customers. ”
The market stall was empty. It always was when she appeared. Poppy pulled her hood lower, hiding the wolf ears that jutted from her skull, the patches of coarse brown fur growing across her cheeks, the burning red eyes of a predator.
She was caught between forms—not human, not wolf, but something sick and twisted that belonged to neither world. Her stepmother Cordelia had done this to her. Poppy’s mother was dead, and her father had remarried a golden-haired woman with a daughter made of sunlight. Luna was everything Poppy was not.
Lovely, graceful, adored. Cordelia’s love belonged to Luna, her father’s pride belonged to Luna, the pack’s praise always went to Luna. Poppy was left with scraps and a cold room beneath the eaves. She had clung to her mother’s words: *Beauty doesn’t matter.
It’s what’s inside that counts. * She threw herself into learning languages, numbers, history. She sharpened her mind like a blade. And at last, someone noticed.
A great beta came seeking not Luna’s beauty, but the clever girl. That night, Cordelia brought her warm milk and a smile sweet as poison. Poppy drank, dreaming of love and worth at last. When she woke the next morning, she had become a monster.
Cordelia had laughed when she discovered her. “Don’t pout, child. That beta needed to see that Luna was his only option. But your curse will break—when a man willingly takes you as his bride.
”
Then she dissolved into cackles, because they both knew the truth. No man would ever choose to bind himself to a creature like that. Now, Poppy was making her way toward the village outskirts when she heard the commotion near the well. A crowd had gathered, their voices tight with anger and fear.
“I tell you, it was her,” a woman’s voice rose. “Who else would do such a thing? Red eyes will be the death of us all if we don’t act. ”
Poppy’s blood went cold.
That was Goodwife Henley, who had been calling for her banishment since the day she’d first appeared. Henley’s youngest daughter had been born sickly, and she’d convinced herself that Poppy’s presence was to blame. “We should have run her off months ago,” Henley continued. “Now look what’s happened.
Poor Widow Ranley’s chickens. All of them slaughtered in the night, torn apart like they’d been mauled by some wild beast. ”
Poppy had heard nothing about chickens. Had been nowhere near the widow’s farm.
But she started to back away, and it was too late. Henley’s sharp eyes found her. “There! ” she shrieked, pointing.
“There’s Red Eyes herself. ”
Before Poppy could run, strong hands seized her arms. The village constable bound her wrists with iron shackles. “Sorry, red eyes,” he muttered.
“But there’s been a complaint made formal. Have to take you before the Alpha King for judgment. ”
“But I didn’t do anything,” she whispered. “Please, you know I wouldn’t.
”
“Do I? ” He glanced at her face. “Can’t say I know what you might do, looking like that. ”
As they dragged her toward the waiting cart, Poppy caught a glimpse of movement near Widow Ranley’s fence.
Chickens pecking peacefully at the ground. Alive, unharmed, every single one of them. But by then, it was too late for truth to matter. It always was when you looked like a monster.
The cart to the Alpha King’s castle was crammed with thieves, poachers, and debtors who whispered in their chains. Poppy shrank into a shadowed corner, listening. “Heard the king grows harsher,” muttered a gap-toothed man. “All on account of his sisters.
”
“Poor princesses,” sighed a milk seller. “Fading like they’re drained of life. Worn shoes every morning, though they never leave their chambers. ”
“Magic,” hissed a thief.
“What else? Remember the merchant’s son who tried to solve it? Vanished. The hedge wizard too.
People don’t dare anymore. ”
Poppy’s mind began to race. Six princesses growing weaker each day, people disappearing when they tried to help, and a king desperate enough to promise any reward. A plan began to form.
Desperate and dangerous. Perfectly suited to someone who had nothing left to lose. The great hall was shrouded in darkness, lit only by flickering candles. At its center grew a massive tree with golden bark and leaves that shimmered with their own inner light.
Fruit like captured sunlight hung heavy from its boughs. “The king’s treasure tree,” the milk seller whispered. “His riches flow from its fruit. He prizes it more than his crown.
”
Poppy was arranged before the throne where a man carved from war sat, broad-shouldered and scarred, gray threading his black hair. At his feet lay six princesses, pale and worn, like flowers left too long without water. “Tell me your name,” the Alpha King commanded. They call me red eyes, your majesty.
And I am no criminal. If words cannot save me, perhaps my actions will. I have heard of your sisters’ affliction. The hall grew still.
“Why do they call you red eyes? What hides beneath that hood? Show yourself. ”
With trembling hands, Poppy lowered her hood.
Gasps swept the hall. Courtiers shrank back in horror. Only the king remained unmoved. “A curse, then?
”
“Yes, your majesty. Which is why I have nothing left to lose. I offer myself to discover what afflicts your sisters. In exchange for freedom and the favor you promised the others.
”
His eyes flared. “Your freedom should be favor enough. Others vanished attempting this. Why should I trust you?
”
“With respect, I risk my life. Others dared because you promised rewards. None returned to claim them. ”
The Alpha King leaned forward, and for a moment Poppy thought he might order her execution on the spot.
“Very well. Three days, starting tonight. Solve the mystery, and you shall have freedom and any favor you desire. Fail, and I execute you as planned.
”
“I accept,” Poppy said, and her voice did not waver. Poppy was lodged in a small chamber beside the princesses’ rooms. A guard took up post. “I’ll be watching you.
One wrong move toward their highnesses, and curse or no curse, I’ll run you through. ”
But the princesses themselves seemed too weary to care. As midnight approached, one rose as if sleepwalking, drifting toward Poppy with a gentle smile, bearing a steaming cup. “A warm drink for our lady in waiting,” she murmured.
Poppy’s memory flared. Another cup. Another night. Cordelia’s poisoned milk and false maternal blessing.
When the princess turned away, she poured the liquid into her cloak and feigned sleep. The guard accepted his own cup and soon collapsed into snores. An hour passed. Then the princesses rose together, not in nightclothes now, but gowns of silk and starlight.
Wordless, they pressed upon an ordinary stretch of floor, which opened to reveal a hidden stair. Poppy shook the guard, but he was lost in drugged slumber. With no choice, she followed the sisters into the dark. The stairs spiraled endlessly until light blossomed ahead, an impossible radiance.
Poppy emerged onto a wide avenue lined with trees whose trunks were gold itself. The sky glowed in twilight, amber and rose, and music swelled—harps, flutes, voices in perfect harmony. Yet unease prickled her skin. The place was too flawless, too dreamlike.
The avenue ended at a crystalline lake where boats waited, each steered by radiant young men. The princesses stepped without hesitation into the boats. Poppy’s breath caught. How could she follow now?
“Does the lady need a ride? ”
She spun around. A man lounged in his own boat, arms crossed casually. His hair was dark as midnight, his features sharp and elegant, his eyes shifting between silver and deep blue.
“I have nothing to pay you with, sir. ”
“Then I shall require no payment,” he said, extending one graceful hand. “Come. ”
Every instinct screamed that this was dangerous, but the princesses were already halfway across the lake.
Poppy climbed in carefully, pointedly not taking his hand. She couldn’t bear the thought of him feeling her rough, clawed fingers. “Would the lady like me to take her to the ball? ”
“The ball?
”
“Well, what did you think the music was for? ” His smile widened. When they reached the far shore, he offered his hand again. She ignored it.
It made him laugh. “I do not care about your curse, human child. ”
Poppy gasped, ducking her face deeper into her hood. “Very well,” he said.
“Keep your secrets if you must. ”
The ball unfolded within a vast garden pavilion carved as though from a single crystal. Hundreds of radiant figures moved across the floor, and at the heart of it all danced the six princesses, whirling endlessly. “What is this place?
”
“The Fay Court, of course. The kingdom of the fairies. ”
As she looked around, she noticed the other fay pointing and laughing. “They find your princesses quite amusing,” her companion said, his tone light but edged with something darker.
“Why? ”
“Well, they do look rather silly, don’t they? Dancing themselves to death like windup toys. They won’t last very long at this rate.
”
Horror shot through Poppy. She started forward, but he stopped her. “They won’t hear a word you tell them. They’ve been compelled to come here.
”
“By what? By whom? ”
“They’re here for the Fay King’s amusement. ”
Poppy followed his gaze to where a figure sat, watching the dancers with an expression of profound boredom.
“I have to be going,” she said, stepping back. She had her answer. But a new fear crept in. Would this beautiful creature let her leave?
“Dance with me first? ” he asked, and for a moment his face showed something that looked almost like sincere hope. “I cannot. You’ve been most kind, but I need to report back.
”
“You should bring him proof,” he said. “Or he might not believe you. He didn’t believe the others. ”
“The others?
”
“Far from it. Others tried to warn your king. But who would believe such fantastical words? Your world has long forgotten ours.
”
Poppy looked around desperately for something to take as evidence. “Perhaps a branch from that tree,” her companion suggested, pointing to crystal branches that sparkled. “No one will miss it. ”
She reached for it, and the moment her fingers closed around it, something heavy settled over her, like chains made of air and shadow.
“Thank you,” the man said, his smile turning sharp, “for giving me such a good reason to keep you here. ”
“A reason? ”
“Well, yes. There are rules, you see.
We can’t keep humans here against their will—unless the human steal something from my realm. Which you did. ”
“You said I could take it! ”
“I said you *should*, not that you *could*.
I didn’t give it to you, did I? Which means you’ve stolen from me. ”
“You tricked me! I demand to speak to your king about this.
”
“Very well,” he said, executing a perfect mocking bow. “You’re looking at him. Valyrian, Fay King of the Silverwood Court, at your service. ”
Poppy stared at him, her mind reeling.
“You’re the king? Then what were you doing lounging in a boat? ”
“I happen to like boats,” he shrugged. He’d orchestrated this entire thing.
“Keep me here if you must,” she said. “But let the poor princesses go. You said yourself—they won’t last long. ”
“That’s hardly my problem, is it?
”
“They’ve done nothing wrong! ”
“Maybe not. But their eldest sister bargained with me and lost. This was the price agreed upon.
”
“You mean you lied to them, just like you lied to me. ”
“I’m no liar,” Valyrian snapped. “She accepted our terms. ”
“Then prove it.
Give me a chance to free them. I want to bargain. ”
The Fay King studied her with those shifting eyes, then turned to his court. “My lovely subjects, I find myself reluctant to bargain with someone who will not show themselves to me fully.
How can I judge the worth of a hidden player? ”
The assembled fay began to murmur. They wanted to see the cursed mortal. “Come now,” Valyrian encouraged.
“Show us your curse, human. ”
With trembling hands, Poppy pushed back her hood. To her surprise, the murmurs that followed didn’t sound horrified—merely curious. “I don’t understand,” one courtier said.
“She looks like a perfectly normal human, does she not? ”
“No, you fool,” another replied. “The normal ones have far less fur. ”
Poppy flushed but forced herself to stand straight.
“What is your name? ” Valyrian asked. “They call me red eyes, your majesty. ”
“And what do you call yourself?
” the king insisted. “I’ve long forgotten to call myself anything else. ”
The fa king frowned in strange displeasure. “Very well, red eyes.
Then name your bargain. ”
Poppy took a deep breath. “Give me a chance to earn your mercy and save the princesses. ”
“I will give you three trials,” Valyrian said.
“Complete them all, and both you and the princesses may return to your realm. But when you fail,” his eyes glittered with dark promise, “I will transform you into a tree to grace my gardens for all eternity. ”
“Well, I was going to be stuck here forever anyway,” Poppy replied with forced lightness. “Seems fair to me.
”
“But you could still move, still speak. As a tree, you would be trapped in silent immobility forever. ”
Poppy managed a bitter smile. “When I move, people quiver.
When I fear, they run. At least as an immobile tree, I won’t horrify others. ”
Something flickered across the fa king’s face. “All right.
Then it is a deal. Freedom if you win, a tree form if you lose. ”
Poppy nodded. “The bargain is struck.
”
“Should Poppy win, the princesses can go free,” Valyrian said. “Should she fail, I’ll transform them into trees. ”
Poppy gasped. “Now, wait a minute.
You never mentioned turning the princesses into trees! ”
“But I never said I wouldn’t, did I? And in my opinion, they’d make fine trees. I could perhaps make furniture from them.
Send a chair or two to your Alpha King as a gift. ”
Horror shot through Poppy. She’d made a terrible mistake. If the fay couldn’t lie, they’d become masters at bending the truth.
“You tricked me. ”
“Indeed,” the king smiled. “You see, you didn’t have to bargain with me to earn your freedom at all. You could have just given me back the branch.
” He winked as Poppy growled, turning to his court. “Now. Let’s begin. ”
The Crystal Pavilion dissolved and was replaced by a grand banquet hall with a long table groaning under sumptuous foods.
Two goblets sat elevated in the center—one crafted from gold that caught the light, the other a humble, battered wooden cup. “Your first trial,” Valyrian announced. “You must choose one goblet to drink from. Only one is safe and poison-free.
”
Poppy approached cautiously. “Can I ask for hints? ”
“You can ask me whatever you like,” Valyrian said, settling into a chair. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll answer.
”
“Because you might lie? ”
The Fay King’s expression shifted to genuine offense. “I told you, human, we fay do not lie. ”
“But you lied before—when you told me that other man was the Fay King.
”
“I did not. I said the princesses were here for the Fay King’s amusement. You assumed. ”
Poppy bit back a growl and studied the goblets.
She leaned closer, inhaling carefully. Both wines smelled identical. “Does this cup contain poison? ” she asked, pointing to the golden goblet.
“It very well could, couldn’t it? ” The king tilted his head. “Then again, perhaps it’s the other one that does. ”
She changed tactics.
“This poison you put into the cups—is it deadly? ”
“Yes. ”
“Would it kill you too, if you drank it? ”
“Yes, if I were to drink enough of it.
”
“Is there enough poison in the poisoned cups to kill even you? ”
“Yes, there is,” he said uncaringly. Then he caught on, and his eyes widened as Poppy grinned triumphantly. “Right.
So that means both cups are poisoned, since you just confirmed there’s enough poison in the poisoned cups—plural—to kill even a fa king. But you said only one goblet was safe. That means there has to be a safe option. There is a way for me to win this challenge, right?
”
“Yes,” the king admitted with visible reluctance. “So there must be a third cup—invisible, like your illusions. ” Poppy began running her hands across the table surface around the visible goblets, searching desperately. “You know,” Valyrian said conversationally, “for a human, you’re not a complete fool.
”
Then her fingers brushed against something cold and rough like stone, an invisible goblet right where she’d hoped it would be. She grabbed the unseen cup and drained it. “Well? ” she asked breathlessly.
Valyrian’s annoyed expression was answer enough. But as the colors around her began to shift and swirl, she felt giddy. Only when she hit the stone floor did she realize she might have been wrong after all. When Poppy woke, she was lying in a bower of living trees, and beside her lounged Valyrian.
“I don’t know if I’m impressed or annoyed, little human. ”
“Did I guess right? ”
“You did,” he confirmed. Seeing her questioning look, he added, “Drinking or eating anything from this realm will have effects when you are mortal, even when it isn’t poison.
”
He guided her through the gardens toward a hedge maze with walls formed of roses that bloomed in impossible colors. As they walked, he asked, “Tell me about your curse. ”
Poppy sighed. “A witch cursed me for stealing her corvettes.
”
“Really? ” Valyrian sounded genuinely surprised. Poppy snorted. “No.
That was a joke. ”
Valyrian’s entire posture stiffened. “You lied? Looking me in the eye, no less.
”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lie. I meant to joke. ”
“For us, sometimes a little lie is kinder than a harsh truth,” Poppy said defensively.
“It’s not easy to speak about my curse. You have no idea what it’s like being trapped in a form that isn’t truly yours. ”
Valyrian’s expression grew unexpectedly somber. “I have some idea.
But there is no such thing as a little lie. Falsehood corrupts everything it touches. ”
The depth of his revulsion made Poppy’s stomach twist with remorse. She told him the real story—her mother’s death, her father’s abandonment, Cordelia’s poisoned milk.
“When I woke up, I was caught between forms, and Luna screamed when she saw me. ”
“Because I look like this, obviously. Ugly. ”
“But all humans are ugly,” Valyrian replied matter-of-factly.
“None of you can cast glamour spells or shape your forms at will. ”
To him, all humans seemed as ugly as her. “To other humans, I’m particularly monstrous. People fear me, accuse me of crimes, try to hurt me.
”
“Then why didn’t you bargain for me to break your curse? ” Valyrian asked. “Surely that would solve your problems more completely than saving a handful of princesses. ”
The question caught her off guard.
“I didn’t want the princesses to die. ”
“And why not? All humans are the same. Deceitful, hateful, quick to turn on one another.
”
“Are the fay any better? ”
“Probably worse, actually. But at least we don’t lie. ”
“Why is truth so important to you?
”
Valyrian paused, his expression growing serious. “Because our words shape our world. When we speak, we don’t merely describe reality—we have the power to make it so. A carelessly spoken word can reshape the very fabric of existence.
Can bind or free, create or destroy. ”
The weight of that revelation settled over Poppy. No wonder the fay were so careful with their language. “Which is why you should make amends for lying to me,” Valyrian said, his tone returning to lightness.
“Tell me your name. Your true name, not what others call you. ”
Poppy opened her mouth, then stopped as understanding dawned. “If words have power, then names do too, don’t they?
”
Valyrian’s smirk was answer enough. “When does my next task begin? ” she asked, changing the subject. Valyrian’s smile widened with wicked delight.
“Your next task? Oh, but it’s already started. ”
Poppy froze. “What?
You never told me! ”
“I did tell you—I told you the tasks would begin when you entered the maze. ”
“No, you didn’t. ”
“Did I tell you while you were unconscious?
Yes. You should really pay more attention. ”
Poppy spun around, taking in the towering hedge walls with new eyes. This wasn’t a pleasant stroll.
This was the trial. “May I know the rules? ”
“I already told you those as well. How much time do I have left?
”
“Until the clock strikes twelve,” Valyrian said cheerfully, gesturing ahead. “I can’t see a clock,” Poppy protested. With a mocking little bow, Valyrian vanished, leaving her alone in the maze. Poppy forced herself to think logically.
Getting out must be the key. She walked, mapping the twisting pathways, but every turn led to a dead end. The walls stretched impossibly high, their rose-covered surfaces beautiful but impenetrable. After half an hour, desperation set in.
What if this was another illusion? She pressed her palms against the nearest hedge, pushing with all her strength. The thorns bit into her skin, and the branches felt solid. “What are you doing, child?
”
Poppy spun around to find a tiny old woman watching her with curious eyes. “I’m trying to get out of this maze. ”
“You’d need to find an exit for that. That’s generally how mazes work.
”
“But these walls could still be illusory. ”
“Can you feel them? ” The woman asked. Poppy pressed her hand to the wall again.
The thorns pricked her palm. “Well, there’s your answer then. ”
“Wait—do you know the way out? ”
“Oh, yes,” the woman replied without stopping.
“Can you show me, please? ”
“I would, but that sounds awfully tedious. ”
“Please, I really need to get out. ”
“Yes, yes, they always need to get out, don’t they?
It’s always the same. ”
“Who’s ‘they’? ”
“A sea of faces, all identical in their desperation. I’m bound to this place, you see.
”
“You’re stuck here? Has anyone ever gotten out? ”
“None,” the woman replied with crushing finality. “There has to be a way.
I can’t stay here. Why don’t you get out, if you know the way? ”
“I can’t. The fa king said I have to stay here.
”
“Why? ”
“Because he wants me to cry. ”
“He wants you to cry? ”
“Indeed he does.
He longs for my tears specifically. ”
“And you won’t just try to cry? ”
“Of course I tried. But you have to feel something to cry.
And I’ve long stopped feeling anything at all. ”
Poppy sighed. “Sometimes I wish I could feel nothing. ”
The old woman’s expression grew sharp.
“You have no idea the emptiness that requires. ”
“What’s the point of living if not for emotions? ”
“Well, if the emotions are pain and sorrow and shame… ”
“Pain and sorrow and shame at such a young age,” the woman said with genuine curiosity.
“How interesting. ”
Here was her chance, Poppy thought. If she could make this woman cry, maybe they could both get out. She took a shaky breath and poured her heart out—her mother’s death, her father’s abandonment, Cordelia’s cruelty, the poisoned milk, the years of solitude.
“Children run from me in terror. I’ve been accused of crimes I didn’t commit, hunted like the monster I’ve become. ”
By the time she finished, tears were streaming down her own cheeks. But the old woman’s expression was perfectly blank.
“That’s it? That’s your great tragedy? You’re not as pretty as your sister. ”
Poppy pushed back her hood, revealing her wolf ears, her red eyes, the patches of fur.
The old woman’s eyes widened. Then she began to laugh. She laughed and laughed, pointing at Poppy with one gnarled finger. “Oh, look at you.
Crying so pathetically over a little bit of fur. ”
“A little bit? I’m covered in it! ”
This only made the woman laugh harder.
She doubled over, tears of laughter streaming down her wrinkled cheeks. Then Valyrian materialized beside the bench, a crystal vial in his hand. With practiced efficiency, he caught the tears falling from the old woman’s cheeks. “Well,” he said with grudging admiration, “you did make her cry, I suppose.
Congratulations. ”
The maze dissolved, revealing the crystal pavilion and the assembled fay court, who burst into applause. “You mean I passed? ”
“You did.
”
The old woman continued laughing, then burst into smoke and transformed into a magnificent bird—feathers of gold and crimson, eyes like burning coals—and flew away. The next morning, the moment Valyrian materialized beside her bed, Poppy asked, “Has my third task started? ”
“No. I thought we could see the Hall of Whispers today.
The acoustics are quite remarkable. ”
Poppy asked again when he showed her the library where books wrote themselves, and again when he led her through gardens where flowers bloomed in response to her moods. She pressed him after he taught her to play a game with living crystal pieces. “Not yet,” Valyrian said, capturing her queen.
“Tell me, what do you think of our twilight sky? ”
As the days passed, Poppy found herself asking less frequently. The question would rise to her lips, then fade as Valyrian showed her some new wonder. Golden leaves began to fall, and she had yet to take her third trial.
She had her own chambers now, and a sprite attendant who brought meals that tasted like childhood memories. “You’re cheating,” she accused one evening as Valyrian’s crystal army surrounded her last pieces. “I am doing no such thing. It’s not my fault you failed to notice the enchantment on your commander piece—the one that makes him betray his own army if you move him to the seventh rank.
”
“That’s the most ridiculous rule I’ve ever heard. ”
“Yet you fell for it quite thoroughly. Perhaps you’re not as clever as I thought. ”
Before she could think better of it, Poppy reached across the table and flicked his crystal king off the board.
“I win by default. ”
Valyrian burst into genuine laughter. But one day, she overheard the pixies gossiping near the fountain. “Poor princesses, still dancing alone in those woods.
How much longer do you think they’ll last? ”
“Oh, not long now. No one’s coming to save them. ”
The words hit Poppy like ice water.
She pressed herself against a marble pillar, horrified that she couldn’t immediately recall their faces. How long had it been since she’d thought of them? She wandered the palace in a daze until she found herself in a part of the garden she’d never seen before. Golden trees lined a peaceful grove, their branches heavy with fruit that gleamed like captured sunlight.
She’d admired these trees on her first night here. “Lovely, aren’t they? ” The little sprite Dwrop had followed her. “The king’s collection of champions.
”
“Champions? ”
“Why, yes. You are looking at all the brave humans who came to save the dancing princesses before you. They make such lovely additions to the garden.
”
Poppy stared at the golden trees in shock. That evening, when Valyrian appeared with his usual chess set, she was ready. “I want to take my third trial. ”
He paused.
“And you will. When it pleases me. ”
“The princesses are dying. While I’ve been playing games and letting you distract me, they’re dancing themselves to death.
That was all part of your plan, wasn’t it? Why risk letting me take the trial and free them when you could just make me forget about them? ”
Valyrian kept silent. “And all those people—all those champions you turned into trees—they had families.
Lives. People who loved them. ”
“Are you quite finished? ” Valyrian interrupted, his gaze growing cold.
“Haven’t I given you everything you desired? Riches, safety? You are happy here, aren’t you? With me?
”
Poppy pursed her lips, avoiding his eyes. “What would it take,” she asked quietly, “for you to give me my trial? ”
“Tell me your name. Your true name.
”
She studied his face. He looked sad now, and she couldn’t understand why. “If I give you my name, you’ll let me take my trial? ”
“Yes.
”
“All right. But if I succeed, you’ll free the people in your grove. All of them. Turn them back from trees to their true forms.
”
Valyrian’s eyes narrowed. “Why bargain for strangers? Ones who would fear your appearance, reject you. ”
“Because no one deserves to be trapped forever.
”
He was quiet for a long moment. “Very well. Give me your name, and if you succeed in your final trial, I will restore them all. ”
She took a breath.
“Poppy. My name is Poppy. ”
Valyrian’s eyes widened, as if he hadn’t expected her to actually tell him. Then his expression grew solemn, and she saw something that looked almost like regret flicker across his features.
“Then your final trial begins now, Poppy. ” The world around them began to shift and change. The world reformed into the most magnificent ballroom Poppy had ever seen. Crystal pillars soared toward a ceiling painted with constellations that moved and danced.
The entire fa court was present, dressed in their finest regalia. “Your final trial,” Valyrian announced. “You must find what you need to go home before the last dance ends. ”
“What am I looking for?
”
“That is for you to discover. ”
The music swelled, and couples began to glide across the dance floor. “Surely you won’t refuse me one dance before you begin your search? ”
“I should focus on the trial.
”
“What harm could one dance do? Before you win and leave me forever. ”
Despite her better judgment, she found herself being led onto the floor. They moved together, a dance that required no touching, their bodies weaving around each other in perfect synchronization.
“I’ve taught you well,” Valyrian murmured, his eyes never leaving hers. “I should continue searching. ”
“For what, I wonder? What is it you truly need to return home?
”
Before she could answer, he waved his hand, and the world shimmered. The ballroom remained, but everything else changed. The harsh clanking of armor replaced the ethereal music. The Alpha King’s brutal court materialized around them.
“This is what awaits you,” Valyrian said. “Suspicion, hostility, a world that sees you as nothing but a monster. ”
The vision faded, returning them to the crystal ballroom. “But you don’t have to go.
You could stay here. ”
“As your prisoner? ”
“As my queen. Stay.
Rule beside me. Never again apologize for what you are. ”
“You don’t mean that. You barely know me.
”
“I know you’re clever enough to amuse my phoenix, brave enough to face impossible trials, kind enough to bargain for strangers’ freedom. I know that in centuries of existence, no one has ever made me wish I were… ”
“Wish you were what? ”
“Whole,” he said quietly.
Before she could respond, he waved his hand again. The world shimmered, and suddenly she was standing before an enormous mirror framed in silver and starlight. But the reflection staring back at her wasn’t the cursed creature she’d grown accustomed to. It was herself before the curse, but perfected—skin smooth and unmarked, glowing with health and vitality, wearing a gown of gold scattered with diamonds.
“This is how I see you. This is who you truly are. Beautiful. Regal.
Worthy of love. You could look like this always. Never again would someone you love choose another over you. ”
He stepped closer.
“Stay with me, Poppy. Be my queen and my equal. Let me give you everything your world denied you. ”
She turned from the mirror to face him directly.
The offer was everything she’d ever dreamed of. No more hiding. No more shame. No more loneliness.
“And the princesses? ” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “What of them? ”
“You barely knew them.
Does it truly matter? ”
“Of course it does. ”
“Why? Why sacrifice yourself for strangers?
Do they truly matter to you more than me? ”
She stared up at him, this impossibly beautiful creature who offered her everything she’d ever wanted. She reached for him with her hand. “Valyrian.
”
Her fingers passed through his cheek like mist. The shock hit her like cold water. He wasn’t even here. He was just another illusion.
“You’re not real,” she whispered, her hand falling to her side. “None of this is real. ”
Pain flashed across his features—genuine, devastating pain that made her chest ache. “Poppy, I…
”
“You tricked me. Even now, you’re trying to trick me. ”
“I wish I hadn’t had to. I wish things could be different.
But they’re not. ”
She looked around the ballroom, seeing it now for what it was. Another test. Another temptation designed to make her abandon her purpose.
“Are you even real? ” she asked, her voice breaking. “As real as I can be,” he said, reaching for her in vain. “This isn’t about finding an object, is it?
It’s about finding the will to leave. ”
Valyrian said nothing, but his silence was confirmation enough. “I won’t abandon the princesses,” she lifted her chin. “Not for beauty, not for power, not even for—” she swallowed hard.
She kept the last part to herself. Something shifted in the air around them. The ballroom began to fade, the music growing distant. “You have succeeded,” Valyrian said formally.
“You found what you needed to go home. ”
“My resolve. ”
“Yes. Your resolve.
You may return to your realm, Poppy of the mortal world. The princesses will accompany you, and those who were transformed into trees will be restored to their true forms, free to return to their own lives. ”
The fa court gathered around them, their expressions not mocking or cruel, but fascinated. “Will I see you again?
” The words escaped before she could stop them. Valyrian’s smile was beautiful and heartbreaking. “In a way,” he said. The world began to spin around her, colors blending and reality shifting.
The last thing she saw was his face, etched with longing and loss, before everything went white and she was falling, falling, falling back toward the mortal realm and the life she had chosen over him. Poppy found herself standing in the Alpha King’s castle once more. Around her stood the six princesses, no longer pale and exhausted, but radiant with health and vitality. Behind them crowded dozens of people she’d never seen before, all blinking in confusion.
The transformed champions. She should have felt triumph. Instead, a hollow ache filled her chest. “What happened?
” The Alpha King’s voice boomed. “We’ve been searching for you all morning. ”
“Morning? ” Poppy’s voice sounded hollow.
She’d spent weeks in the fa realm, but here it hadn’t even been a day. Mechanically, she told her story. The words tasted like ash in her mouth. What did any of it matter now?
“Fay magic,” the Alpha King snarled when she finished. “You expect me to believe this children’s story? ”
“It’s true,” Poppy said dully. “Prove it, then.
”
“They were trees. Now they’re not. That’s your proof. ”
“I see a group of vagrants and criminals, nothing more.
For all I know, you’ve made all this up. ”
The accusation should have stung, but Poppy found herself staring past the king’s shoulder. A great golden tree still stood in the center of the hall. “She’s not a sorceress,” the eldest princess stepped forward.
“She saved our lives. ”
More voices joined in support, but Poppy barely heard them. She was studying the tree, a frown creasing her brow. Everyone who had been transformed was supposed to be restored.
But the tree remained exactly as it had always been. She remembered admiring this very tree on her first night in the palace. She’d assumed it was one of the Alpha King’s decorations. But she now knew trees like this didn’t grow in the mortal realm.
She’d only seen their like in the fa court. “Poppy deserves the reward that was promised,” one of the princesses said. “You owe her. ”
“I am king.
I don’t owe anybody anything. ”
The rescued champions murmured angrily. “Fine,” the Alpha King said. “Name your reward, girl.
But don’t expect me to give you my treasure tree. ”
Poppy turned to face him. “Where did it come from? ”
“What?
”
“The tree. Where did you get it? ”
“It’s been in my family for generations. No one knows exactly since when.
”
“What about the fairy tales our nurses used to tell us? ” one of the princesses interrupted. “Some ancestor supposedly won it in a contest with a fa creature. ”
“That’s impossible,” the Alpha King snarled.
“The fay aren’t real. ”
Poppy’s blood turned to ice. “What kind of contest? ”
Something in her voice made the king pause.
“Riddles, I think, or some sort of wager. The family legend says the fa lost and had to send something to decorate my ancestor’s throne room. The creature supposedly said if he lost, the tree would stay forever. ”
“Forever?
” Poppy gasped. “Unless Altherra touched its leaves, or some such nonsense. ”
Poppy’s legs nearly gave out. She knew what Altherra meant.
She’d learned that word in Valyrian’s court. It meant sunlight. “I’ve made my choice,” she said. “For my reward, I want sunlight to shine directly on this tree.
Natural sunlight. Open the ceiling completely. ”
The king stared at her. “Sunlight?
Girl, you could ask for lands, titles, gold. ”
“You promised me any reward. You swore it before your court and your sisters. ”
The challenge hung in the air.
“Fine,” the king bit out. “Open the skylight above the tree. ”
Guards moved to the great chains and pulleys. Poppy held her breath.
Sunlight poured down like liquid fire, and the entire tree began to shimmer. Golden bark flowed like water. When the radiance finally faded, Valyrian stood where the tree had been, devastatingly beautiful. The entire court fell silent.
Several people dropped to their knees. Even the Alpha King had gone pale. Poppy’s heart hammered against her ribs. “It was you?
” she breathed. Valyrian’s eyes found hers across the hall. “Yes. After three centuries of imprisonment, you have given me back both freedom and form.
”
“Why didn’t you ask for help? ”
“Words have power among my kind, remember? To speak of my imprisonment directly could have made the binding permanent. Besides, I couldn’t trust my court with such knowledge.
Too many would have seen my vulnerability as an opportunity to claim my throne. ”
“You fool,” Poppy said, tears gathering in her eyes. “You were trapped as a tree for three hundred years. ”
“Not anymore.
Thanks to you. For centuries, I was forced to rule my realm as a projection, an illusion cast from this prison of bark and root. Every conversation we had, every moment we shared, I was speaking to you from this very spot, unable to be fully present. ”
“I would have helped you.
Surely you know that. ”
Valyrian’s expression grew pained. “At first, I didn’t trust you. You were just another mortal.
And later… later, we had made a bargain. If you succeeded in your trials, you had to leave. If you failed, you had to become a tree.
I couldn’t bear either outcome. ”
“You didn’t want me to win or lose. You wanted me to stay. ”
“I wanted to keep you with me, safe and whole and mine.
”
“Nonsense,” the Alpha King snarled. “You could have asked for anything, girl. Wealth, lands, titles. Instead, you’ll leave here poor and still cursed, having betrayed our kingdom.
”
“Your kingdom doesn’t deserve her,” Valyrian replied, his voice carrying a dangerous edge. “Poppy is worth more than all your gold and lands combined. ” His expression softened as he turned back to her. “Come back with me.
Be my queen in truth this time, not as part of some trial. ”
Poppy stared at him, searching his face for any sign of deception. “Is this another trick? ”
In answer, he reached out and gently cupped her face in his hands.
“No trick. Though I warn you, I may spend eternity making up for every moment I couldn’t truly hold you. ”
“Will I be your queen forever? ”
Valyrian’s eyes lit with approval and affection.
“Forever and always, until the stars burn out and beyond. ”
“And I shall not share you with others. You will be mine alone. ”
“Yours alone, in this life and whatever comes after.
”
“And you will love me. Only me above all. ”
“Only you, for all eternity,” Valyrian said, his voice growing warmer with each vow. Poppy smiled as she walked over to him, reaching for his hand.
“And we will be equals, partners in all things? ”
“In all things,” he promised solemnly, his smile radiant. “My equal in power, in rule, in love. ”
The moment their fingers intertwined, magic blazed through the hall.
Light surrounded her, and she felt her curse dissolving. When the light faded, gasps echoed through the hall. She stood transformed, glowing with confidence and power and the unmistakable aura of fa royalty. “I don’t understand,” she said wonderingly.
“My curse should only break if someone chose to marry me willingly while seeing me as I was. ”
Valyrian’s grin was radiant. “You just made me promise to love you alone forever, to be yours exclusively, and to treat you as an equal partner in all things. By fay law, those are marriage vows.
And the moment I agreed, we were wed. ”
Poppy gaped in shock. “You tricked me,” she accused, but she was laughing through her tears of joy. “Of course I did.
And I shall trick you many more times, just as you will undoubtedly trick me. After all, you are now my queen and equal. Deception is one of our greatest arts. ”
The princesses began to cheer, and the sound spread through the hall.
Then Valyrian kissed her—the kiss she’d dreamed of through all their impossible courtship, real and warm and full of promise. Around them, the hall erupted in joy. But Poppy heard none of it.
There was only Valyrian, solid and present and hers, and the sunlight streaming down to bless their union.
