We'd planned to arrive about a half an hour before the members of the council and I was grateful for that bit of time. I showed Sergei around the house and he settled in the living room, pulling down one of the many books from Charlotte's considerable library to peruse while I went to my room.
I was still fresh from my shower last night so I just wanted to put on fresh clothes, spray a bit of perfume and apply some mascara--I was meeting the most important people in the world of the Fae and I didn't want to look a mess. As I pulled off my dirty sweater and jeans, replacing them with fresh ones, I heard the first arrival in the front of the house. The sound of the arriving council rocked me out of the chamomile-created euphoria I'd been enjoying and back into the nervous mess I'd been before.
"What am I even doing?" I questioned myself, "I barely know about this world and I'm already a marked woman simply for existing." I was getting myself back into a frenzy with my thoughts and I had to pause and take a deep breath to make sure I didn't have a panic attack. I'd never had panic attacks until I learned of my real parents' and the story of my adoption on my 18th birthday. I had managed to control them relatively well after my parents found me a therapist to speak with, but I was by no means completely free of them. "The last thing I need right now is to completely freak out," I reminded myself in my head.
Just then I heard another member of the council arrive. I checked myself out in the mirror again, brushed through my long, red hair with my fingers and decided it was now or never.
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The people in the room were not what I had expected from a high council of an entire people, even Fae people. When I entered the room, I was surprised to find that two of the members appeared to be average looking humans. The other members were another story altogether. Two of them were no bigger than cockatiels! Three of them, two men and a girl-- who looked no older than a teenager were very small people-- they reminded me of the fairy tale of the seven dwarves. I couldn't hide my surprise entirely, and then when I realized I had gasped audibly, I covered my mouth and the blush that reached my face was conspicuous.
Sergei had told me that there would be nine council members coming today, all under the utmost secrecy. I had a feeling, though, that with their conspicuous appearances, someone would notice that two literal fairies and three dwarves had walked into my home. But, I couldn't be too concerned with that right now, there were far more pressing things on my mind. Like not getting brutally bludgeoned to death as my mother and father had been in America. With the seven council members arrived, I did my best to be polite and not gawk at the absurd menagerie that was waiting in my living room. and offered tea, water, and biscuits to the waiting guests. For all of their odd appearances, they were all very polite and felt like kind people to me--people or er? I wasn't sure how to address them as a group, so I stuck with councilors.
Sergei announced to the room, "It seems we are waiting for the arrival of two more members, but in the meantime, please get to know Erin. She is very much her mother's daughter from what I have learned about her over the last day. Please be compassionate with her, as this whole world is an entirely new experience for her. She has been very open and receptive with all that she has learned and I have the sense that she will take on her formidable task competently."
With that, a bit of a raucous broke out and the various council members were clamoring for my attention. I tried to answer the many questions they were pelting me with simultaneously but quickly realized that having questions from seven different directions was not going to work.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if we could perhaps take turns, Miss Erin, our most honorable 13th Danu will be able to answer our questions more effectively," piped up one of the small fairy-creatures with a voice that boomed far louder than expected with her diminutive presence. I looked more closely at her, and she was wearing perfectly formed little purple glasses, her clothing immaculately tailored to fit her. She was wearing a sensible grey pantsuit and was clearly a leader and respected by all of those around her. Directly, the bombardment of questions paused. "Perhaps, we can, just this time, ask our questions in order of our rank," she finished her announcement smartly.
With that handled, she had taken control of the situation and when she was the first to pose her query, it was clear that she was the de facto leader of the council and they all held her in utmost respect. I was surprised that such a small creature was the commander of this strange little group but I suppose I don't know anything about the power of fairies or any of the other creatures.
Before asking her question, she cleared her tiny throat and told me her name was Esmerelda, and that she was the high councilor in Ireland. She smiled at me and began her question. "Is it true you knew nothing of your history, and our world until just yesterday?" she asked as politely as she could. With that question out of the way, I launched into my story of stumbling on the market. I even told them about the strange things that had happened to me since I had arrived in Ireland. They listened compassionately, and she even rubbed my shoulder with her tiny hands. It tickled, actually, but I didn't want to offend her so I just smiled at her benevolent gesture.
After explaining the trials and tribulations I'd experienced since I'd arrived, the younger-looking girl was getting ready to ask her question--which surprised me since they were asking in order of rank. At that moment I learned not to judge and of the Fae folk by their appearance. I also made a mental note to do some research on all of the different types of Fae folk that existed. I knew just a bit about the various powers that Danu had but I had yet to delve into the mysteries of the enormous variety of "creatures" (I also made a mental note to figure out what would be best to call them as well, I didn't want them to think I thought poorly of them simply because they appeared different to me).
The girl introduced herself simply as Ann, and did not give her rank or title and began to ask me something but just as she did, the final two council members arrived. If I had been surprised before, now I was completely flabbergasted by the appearance of the latest arrivals. One of them was entirely translucent and was undoubtedly some type of spirit. The other was what appeared to be a tree, but with human features. I wasn't quite understanding what I was looking at but as the tree-man made his way through the entry hall and into the living room, his features morphed into what appeared to be a fully human body. The man was still slightly the color and appearance of a tree but also fully appeared to look like an average person at the same time.
I tried to keep my jaw from hitting the floor but again I was stunned by their unusual appearances and couldn't help but look a bit awestruck and blushed fiercely again.