Qilynn watched the procession from behind her mother’s voluminous skirts. At sixteen summers, she was barely of an age to be let out of the nursery. She had begged Mama to let her finally see the Summer Queen in all her radiant glory. She’d been listening to the servants rave about the unparalleled beauty of the Eladrin queen, and wanted to see for herself.

As she watched her Lady Great-GrandMama approach, Qilynn felt the silver eyes, so like her own, bore into hers. She ducked behind Mama, suddenly shy, hoping she hadn’t attracted the attention of the Lady Queen. Her Esteemed Lady Mother had cautioned her to pay the proper respects to the Queen of the Seelie Court, and do nothing to catch her attention. Qilynn hoped she had dropped her eyes before Great-GrandMama noticed.

She peeked around the chiffon of Mama’s outer skirt, keeping her eyes low as she sought the opalescent fabric of the queen’s regalia. Qilynn stood, mesmerized by the glimmering cloth, until Mama nudged her to curtsy with the rest of the onlookers as Titania glided past where they stood. She dipped as low as she could without touching the floor, waiting for the Lady to pass.

Her cousin, Vermillyon, had coached her on the proper etiquette before the Queen of the Summer Seelie Court. In fact, Qilynn had spent the last several months preparing for this moment and she was glad now for her cousin’s instruction.

Vermillyon was the only of her kin who paid the least amount of attention to her outside the immediate family. She was also the one who, just the year before, recognized Qilynn had absolutely none of the sorcerous talent that blessed the rest of the family; and she was the one who had suggested the solution—wizardry.

Qilynn wasn’t sure she would fool the rest of the family, but somehow she did. Until Dark Samiris of the Unseelie Court blasted her out of the Feywild and into gods knew where. But, that is a story for another day.

Next: Qilynn: Welcome to Southport