No, I will not be answering any questions. Put your hand down. Skies, we have not even started the tour yet!
Listen, I did not want to do this, but Penelope said, “Dair, as one of the only family members that has actually spent your life in this city, you have an obligation to show these humans around.” I will not mention the threat she made to my person if I did not do it. Something about plants in uncomfortable places. Honestly, she can be such a savage.
Well, since we are here, we will start with the palace. The Winter Palace has been home to every generation of the Winter Court’s ruling family since Danu left this world behind to Her children. Yes, yes, look around. As you can see, only the best faerie glass is used for the windows and the marble floor is from the very dwarf city under Crann Mòr. The Winter Court has been the ruling seat of the Night Court since it was founded, and the palace sports enough history in its halls that not even the most diligent human scholars could uncover it all. Not that there are really any humans willing to try. Getting up to the palace itself is a full-day trek up the mountain—unless you are smart and have a magic carpet handy or a friend that can portal you around. Oh, you do not have either of those? Pity.
Now, out through the palace gardens and into the city. Stay on the path. The ice can be slick, especially where Spot has left three-giant-head’s worth of dog drool. Ah, here are the front gates. Well, I say they are the front gates because these are probably the most used gates even though, technically, they are just the west gates. Anyway, Eagallach is made up of four mountain peaks, each connected by huge bridges to make the most awkward square of all time. Why someone did not move the mountains to be more symmetrical, I cannot say. Luckily, the bridges make up for it. The construction would have taken a millennium for humankind where it supposedly only took four years for the Tuatha Dè Dannan to get it done, praise Danu. Anyway, the palace sits on the eastern peak, taking up the whole of it and leaving the three other peaks to the rest of the Winter Court. The northern peak is home to Danu’s temple. Its construction happened during my grandfather’s time, nearly fifteen hundred years ago. We will not be touring that particular peak as you humans have decided to slap together your own version of our sacred history. No, I will not argue that you heathens. If you really must know more about it, I am sure there is a book in the palace library you can borrow, but I do not know what language it would be in. Aedon—pardon me, High King Aedon probably knows. We cannot seem to keep him out of the library.
All right, this way! Getting into the city proper, you will see snow-covered rocks, snow-covered trees, and snow-covered folk. There is maybe one week a year where the snow melts for a day. The worst day of the year if you ask me. Everything buried under the snow comes out to stink up the place. I avoid the city altogether for the entire week of summer solstice until the brownies make the mess disappear. Now where was I? Oh, yes. The southern peak is mostly residential. This is where the main populace of the city lives. Here, if we take the main road, you can see the house designated for the human ambassadors from Olympia. Yes, yes, take a good gawk. If anything untoward happens to you while you are here, make sure you know to go there instead of to the palace. Last time a bunch of you came, one man stuck his nose into a banshee’s house and was deaf for the rest of the visit.
The Western Peak, everyone! See, now this is the place everyone flocks to Eagallach for. The markets, the entertainment, the art! You will find an enchanted object in every shop and a street vendor on every corner. We also have the city library, Winter Gardens—which are in full bloom this late in the spring—and the city center. We will head there to finish our tour. That way I can safely say I have shown all of you the most important bits. Ah, look there! The city council building is nearly as old as the temple. I am sure there is some stuffy noble meeting happening if you all wish to gaze upon some prominent ellyllon when they file out. No, you will not find the Lòchran here. My brother would rather cut off his arm than be in one of those meetings.
This concludes the tour. All of you should try the saganaki cart in front of the metal artist’s shop just down the street. The things that trow family does with cheese will astound you. However, do not eat any of the toradh na beatha. Yes, the blue pomegranates. We do not want any of you tying your life to Faerie and trapping yourself here for the rest of your days. Penelope would have my pretty head. All right, well, I will leave you to it! Come visit Eagallach any time, but perhaps make sure to come when someone who actually wants to give a tour is around, hm?
The Cartographer’s War #5
Penny Barclay thought eating Faerie’s sacred fruit would keep the rebels from gaining the upper hand, but it all went sideways. Not only have the rebels found footing in Faerie and taken down the Mist, but Penny is under fire by the fae with their deep-rooted prejudices against mages. Even Aiden—or rather High King Aedon of Faerie—is rather put out with her. If she doesn’t prove herself quickly, she’ll find herself with more enemies in Faerie than just the rebellion.
With new attacks on every front, newly appointed High King Aedon is going to need a miracle to keep his kingdom together. Just as he was figuring out his new role, everything went awry. Now, not only must he get the warring Courts to see eye to eye, but he also has to convince his entire kingdom that Penelope is not the villain they paint her as. As the rebellion gains more and more traction, Aedon’s fight to keep the folk together is more imperative than ever.
As The Cartographer closes in, Penny and Aedon must unite the kingdom for good, or watch their people—mage and fae alike—perish at the brutal hands of the rebellion.
Romance Fantasy [Oliver-Heber Books, On Sale: January 14, 2025, Paperback / e-Book , ISBN: 9781648397912 / ]
Allison Anderson lives her best life as a wife, a mom, a dedicated member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and a fantasy writer. As a life long fantasy nerd, she finds it natural to create stories of her own and you can often find her jotting down new story ideas or talking about dragons. She’s spent most of her life across the southwestern United States.
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