The night of the visit to the Vale, Sevé, who had been out of sight out of mind for Emmeline, appeared. She looked despondent and went to a branch of a nearby tree and sat with a ‘hrumpf’.
“Sevé?” Emmeline prodded, “Is something wrong?” She turned to face the tiny fey spirit.
“Seve tried to help the Nephew-Cousin. Not work the way Seve planned.” she said in a sorrowful tone. “Nothing turns out right for Seve.”
“She did?” Emmeline looked intrigued. “What did you do?”
In a rapid-fire response Seve said, “so Seve was following Lady Mir and Lady Ami on their do-somethings and be learning the things the do and saw them and did learnings but then saw sad sad Lady Ami’s mommy cause daddy is not around any more though Lady Ami does not know this and daddy does not know this but old daddy is not happy because he not like ladies like Mister Nephew Cousin who is sad sad too cause he want white-haired mean lady but she not want him and he want happy River-girl but she confused and he want shadow lady but he not notice until TOO LATE!. Hahaha. But, sorry, so Mister’s face hurt and he can’t find diamonds so I see I can make everyone happy as Lady Ami’s mommy is a healer of sorts I think, so I suggest to Lady Ami but she don’t know it me to ask Mister to have him have place to stay cause no room in castle now, so she ask Lady Ami mommy who say yes. Now Ami mommy sad sad for many many things but very pretty pretty. Mister is ug ug ugly now but soon handsome happy man with no girl which is sad so he goes to visit and I give potion to her and him but screw up and only give some to her and not enough to him and so Ami mommy want to make baby baby with Mister like Emme do with Mibaron, who she like anyway from before so Seve thought YAY! two happys, but no just two sads. Mister run run. Mommy sad sad. Seve did a bad thing.”
Emmeline smiled and held out a finger to comfort Seve. “You really tried, didn’t you? I think you tried to do something good. But love has to happen on its own or strange, sad things happen. If the love is already there, then it’s okay for potions and… wait. What potion did you use?”
“Pink one,” she said sheepishly. “Not all of it, but a lot. Seve can only carry so much.”
“Perhaps next time ask me before you do something like that? I might be able to help,” Emmeline said.
“Seve do. Seve afraid for Mister. Shadow do lady has many faces. Too many for Seve so just looked hat happy face with RayNay. She no sad sad any more with Mister, well most of the time. Sometimes yes, but then she shoot Mister and she feel bad for a bit. Wait! You help Seve make Mister and Lady Ami Mommy happy?” Seve asked.
“I think they need to find happiness each in their own way, but I’ll watch and see if they seem like they should be together.” Emmeline paused. “Seve, which one is the shadow lady?”
Seve replied, “the one who smiles and took little RayNay back home to Mibaron, Lady Ami and Lady Mir.”
Emmeline shook her head. She still had no idea who Seve was talking about. “Who took Renee back to Uzec? Have I met this person before?”
Seve laughed, “Yes Emme. You silly! She met you and me and Mister and Tiffychew and Rivergirl after you met nana at Port Row. Mister said he no want RayNay – I think I’ll call her Blondie now. So Blondie went back with one of the Shadow Lady’s faces. The ourdoorsy one. I think they called her Gazelle. Yep, that was it.”
“Oh, I see.” Emmeline said. “But this is really interesting to me! Why do you call Gazelle Shadow Lady. Does she use glamours to give herself many faces?”
“Something like that. Seve don’t know.” she said
“Okay. Well, let’s not give people that love potion anymore. It’s a little unpredictable.” Emmeline said with a smile. “I do have something that enhances libido, something really strong. But that’s meant to only be used between people who already love each other. I’ve been curious as to what the Baron might do with it if I got it into his hands somehow…” Emmeline looked sly. She liked surprises, if they were nice ones. But she didn’t think the Baron was quite as adventurous and so didn’t consider slipping him a drop of Khaia’s little concoction. “I’ll have to figure that out some time.”
“Okayvee Emme,” she said, “so, Seve forgiven?”
“Of course, Seve!” Emmeline said cheerily. “Seve what is mating like for pixies? Is there courting? Gift giving? How do you go about getting the attention of male pixies?”
“Silly. I’m not really a pixie. I’m a little fey spirit. You wanted me to look and act like a pixie, so I do. Seve not girl or boy. Seve is Seve.” she said. “Real pixies are spirits like me that have crossed into the dying place from the living place. They have boys and girls but they live until swatted.”
“You were never a pixie?” Emmeline said, intrigued. “Were you always a fey spirit? How do fey spirits fit in with the fey as a whole?”
“It is another way of being for Seve. Mara said you needed a friend and would use people-made magic to send a hello to Seve. So, Seve listened for Mara and came. In the Living Place we run and jump and have fun every day. In the Dying Place you have to hunt and eat and clean and eventually go bye-bye for evertime. Unless you are Seve. But even Seve, if here long enough, will become like pixies here.” she said.
“Won’t fey who die here be reborn to the fey otherworld?” Em asked.
“Part of them yes. Leave dead part behind, but spirit goes home, like Seve – but Seve not leave bits behind. Hard to come back. Elvey People have hard time coming back. Need powerful magics, powerful magics, to do that. Seve can go back and forth without ouch from swatting, but Seve can’t stay and live in same way.” she responded.
“Do some fey souls eventually leave the fey otherworld to be reborn in this, the dying world again?” Em wondered.
“Seve do not know for certain. Some magics do that though.” Seve said.
“Thank you Seve. I know I ask hard questions,” Emmeline smiled.