Work Text:
1993
I paced with my fathers in the hall while my mother howled in pain inside the flooded room. Sometimes it was torture, being an airbreather under the sea, and we were united in it.
"It's going to be fine," Papa murmured. "She is strong, and we have a healer, there is no reason for anything to…"
"Simon, I love you, but you're making me more nervous," Daddy said.
"Breathe easily, my Pat," Mary said. "You'll see your son soon."
"He can't breathe!" Mom howled from inside. Before we even had time to panic, Mary warned us to grab hold of something, and water poured out of the room through the open door as Hydor drained it all in one go.
Then my brother, Dean, cried for the first time.
I suppose I must go back a bit before going forward. My name is October - Daye, Torquill or Lorden, as it suits you -, and I was born on dry land. I had other parents before calling a mermaid my Mom. I had a mother and a father, and one was human and the other was not, and when I was seven, I had to leave him, my first father, to never see him again. I stayed alone with my first mother in the tower, but she wasn't like she'd been before. It was like she stopped loving me when we were forced to leave my father.
I was eight when Papa showed up, found me hungry and alone in the tower, then bundled me up and kidnapped me to the sea. And I guess the rest is history.
2011
My parents, Helmi, and Mary were all together in the sitting room, and my brothers were gone. Dean, who had followed me around the knowe since he was old enough to walk, toddling in my wake and being enamored with me, his big sister. Peter, who was bright and fast and always making trouble, but nobody could be mad at him for long, especially me. They were stolen from their beds while all of us were home.
"We have to go to the surface, of course," Dad was saying.
"Why?" Helmi asked.
"Because no one from the sea took our children. If they had, we would have an army on our doorstep already."
Papa was pale, his hands shaking. "Do you think it might be…"
"We don't know that," Mom said firmly. "We don't know if it was her, and— It doesn't change anything, because I'll tear her apart."
I knew that we came to the sea to escape my father's Firstborn, though I wasn't sure why exactly she wanted him so much. But the idea that she would have taken my brothers…
"I'll come, too," I said. "I'm old enough, and I can fight."
Dad smiled. "Yes, but can you wear shoes and act like you're not screaming inside in front of racist nobles?"
"She can do it as well as I can," Mom said.
"Exactly what I'm afraid of, Di."
"I suppose it was too much to hope that we could hide away forever," Papa said. "October can come, of course."
This is the story of how I visited the land for the first time since I was eight.
"I hate dresses," I informed Connor. "And shoes."
Connor smiled. "But you look so good in them."
I gave him a withering look. Connor was one of the Selkies living at Roan Rathad, and we'd been friends for a long time. Dated for a while, too, until I realized it just wasn't doing it for me. He looked away, embarrassed that I had to remind him of that.
The meeting with the lander Queen was a disaster, where my father nearly got hit by an elfshot arrow. I barely knew what elfshot was, since it wasn't common in the Undersea, but it didn't sound pleasant. I didn't have time to sleep for a century - I had to find my brothers.
"Well, that was useless," Dad commented as we left, echoing my thoughts.
"It was to be expected," Mom said coolly. "We'll just have to make them swallow their words."
"Simon!" My father's mirror image rushed after us. I remembered Uncle Sylvester from when I was a child, though I only met him for a few months. "Please, don't do anything hasty."
My mother whirled. "Hasty," she echoed. "My sons have been kidnapped. Your Queen is no help. My husband was nearly assassinated. And you don't want us to do anything hasty?"
Sylvester flinched, but to his credit, he met my mother's eyes after that. "I feel your pain, and your frustration. But we both know the cost of war. I only ask that you give me and my knights a chance to find your sons, instead of having to prepare for a massacre."
"You have three days," Mom said. "The customary time."
Sylvester frowned. "I was hoping for more time."
Papa cleared his throat. "Sylvester, the announcement has been made. You know very well we cannot withdraw it now. But I'm sure Duchess Dianda could be convinced to delay, if we found trace of the boys at least."
My father raised Dean and Peter as he raised me, and he'd shared bed with my other two parents for decades. But legally, he was still married to the woman who bore me, and to people outside our knowe, we had to pretend their relationship was merely platonic. I hated that, as we all did, but there was nothing else to do.
Mom frowned. "If you found my sons, I could be convinced to call off the war. That's it."
Papa nodded. I knew he was just as upset, but he had more diplomatic training than any of us. "We'll do everything we can, Di, you know that. I… it would be best if I stayed on land for now. I still have some connections who might have information."
"What kind of connections?" Sylvester asked.
Papa looked uncomfortable. I knew that he was forced to do things he disagreed with in his Firstborn's service, work with assassins and the like. I didn't see how that would help us now. "There are those who know this city," Papa said finally. "And they won't talk to your knights, but maybe they'll talk to me, if only for an amusement. October, will you come with me?"
"Of course," I said. I didn't have to think about it, though I wasn't sure how much I could help. I wasn't used to being on land, and my shoes chafed already.
We left the knowe together, agreeing that Mom and Dad would swim back to Saltmist for now. It felt strange to be preparing for war when we should have been focused on finding my brothers, but knowing that Papa and I were going to do just that, I didn't argue.
"Well?" an unfamiliar voice asked. I looked and did a double take; a human teenager was sitting on the rocks and staring right at us, when she wasn't supposed to be able to see us at all.
Then, even more startingly, my mother bowed. "My lady."
My fathers also bowed, Simon the lowest.
The human girl - who probably wasn't human after all - waved them off. "Don't bother. Just tell me what happened inside."
"I nearly got shot," Dad said, offering her the arrow. She took it and examined it, then gave it back.
"It's just elfshot. I see it didn't actually hit you?"
"No, October pushed me out of the way."
And that's when she looked directly at me, eyes deep like the sea. I shivered. "October," she said, tasting my name in her mouth. "It's been a long time."
I blinked. "I'm sorry, my lady, I don't recall having met you."
"No, you wouldn't, would you? You were quite young." She looked at my father. "Well, failure? Will you introduce me?"
I bristled. Before Papa could say anything, I spoke. "Why would you call him that? You have no right."
"October, it's alright," Papa said quickly. "This is - my sister-in-law and your aunt, the sea witch."
My eyes widened. Of course I knew who the sea witch was, I simply didn't expect her to be waiting for us on our way home. I bowed as low as I could, the Undersea way. "My lady. I'm sorry."
She looked amused instead of angry, which was my luck. "So you still have some self-preservation left," she said.
"My lady," Mom said uncertainly. "We have declared war on the land."
"I figured," the sea witch said.
We all waited. Whatever Mom was waiting for didn't happen, so she prodded. "Will you stand with us?"
Now the sea witch looked sad. "This is your fight, not mine," she said. "I will not stand with you, but I will not stand against you, either. You have more than enough power without me."
Mom nodded, seemingly satisfied.
"You can come out now," the sea witch said.
I blinked, wondering who she was talking to. My parents seemed as confused as I was.
After a long moment, a tabby cat appeared from a shadow and shifted into a man. He was both feline and regal, and handsome in a way that was different from the perfection of the Daoine Sidhe.
Papa sucked in a breath. "Rand."
Rand himself didn't seem as happy to see him, but he gave a nod reluctantly. "Simon. I thought you were swimming with the fishes now."
Papa made a face. "Oh, very funny."
"Kittycat," the sea witch said. "You still owe me for last time."
Rand flinched and turned to look at her. "I am aware."
"You will go with them and help find the boys." It wasn't a request. "If I judge that you were helpful enough, I will consider it cleared."
Rand crossed his arms. "The Court of Cats is separate from the Queen in the Mists. I have no stake in this war."
"And you are deluded if you think that's true," the sea witch said. "Do you think none of your people have friends in the Divided Courts? Do you think you can simply shut your doors and ignore the fighting, and come out with no losses? It's war. There's always losses."
"Rand," Papa said quietly. "Please. We could really use your help."
Rand looked skeptically at him, then at the sea witch again. "If this will fulfill my debt, I'll help."
The sea witch nodded. "Well? What are you all still doing here? Get on with it."
The three of us walked on in silence. I couldn't help but sneak glances at Rand. I was used to sea fae, and Daoine Sidhe of course, but I had little experience with other land races. I remembered mortal cats from the time I was a child, and that I liked them, but I didn't think they'd like me. In the sea, everything was wet, even fur.
"Am I such a novelty to you?" Rand asked. I startled - perhaps my glances were not as subtle as I thought.
"I'd never met a Cait Sidhe before," I admitted. "I didn't mean to offend. Rand, was it?"
"It's Tybalt, King of Dreaming Cats."
I glanced at Papa, surprised. He gave an embarrassed shrug.
"Rand is what we used to call him, when we were growing up. I apologize, Tybalt."
Tybalt didn't respond, eyeing me instead. "And you are Amandine's stolen daughter."
I frowned, resenting that description. "You can't steal what one doesn't claim. She abandoned me first." I still remembered that, how she changed after I made my Choice - how cold she was. Later, after I learned I had a sister, I understood I was nothing but a replacement to her. Some days I feared I was the same for Papa, but he treated me kindly and with love. If his love was conditional, I wouldn't find out until August returned.
Tybalt nodded, seeming amused. "I never did like her. She'd thought I was a pest, even back in Londinium."
"She doesn't like animals," I agreed.
"Many nobles feel the same way about my kind. And what about you?"
I raised an eyebrow at him. "I live with a mermaid, and my closest friends turn into seals, or look like octopi from the waist down. It would be foolish of me to turn my nose up at shifters."
"I don't suppose they have many changelings in the Undersea?"
I shook my head. "Not really. But it's my home."
"October is a rather special young woman," Papa said.
I blushed and elbowed him, but he only laughed. "A special girl who can barely walk in these shoes."
Papa turned back to Rand, hesitating. "What in Titania's name did you do to get in debt with the sea witch?"
I was curious about that, too. Tybalt didn't respond at first, watching the cars pass by in distaste. We were on streets inhabited by humans now, wearing our disguises, and that was strange, too. The illusion made my skin itch - I'd never needed it before.
"When the Lord of the Moors took my Prince and my people's children, I asked for her aid to get them back."
"I see," Papa said. "I heard that there was a Ride, and that some of the children taken were reclaimed by their parents."
Tybalt nodded. "Not enough."
"But he couldn't have taken Peter and Dean, could he?" I asked.
"No," Papa said. "He only Rides once a century."
"But if his conquests were taken back the last time?"
"There are signs," Tybalt said. "If it had been him, you wouldn't be wondering."
He sounded grim, and I eyed him with more curiosity. This was a man who had bargained with a Firstborn to face another. What kind of strength did that take?
"We're here," Papa said, stopping in front of a rundown building.
I blinked. "And what is here, exactly?"
Tybalt looked similarly startled, though as I learned, not for the same reason. "You've brought us to Home?"
"Where else would we learn about kidnappers and assassins?" Papa asked. "Not that I think they're necessarily involved, but nothing of that sort happens in this city without Devin knowing." He glanced at me. "My dear, please try not to draw too much attention. It would do you nothing good."
"Are you calling me an attention-seeker?" I asked.
Papa smiled and squeezed my hand. "No. I'm calling you dangerously interesting."
Tybalt snorted, though I couldn't tell if it was in disagreement. Before I could ask, Papa rang the doorbell.
"That guy was kind of a creep," I observed as we left the rundown building behind.
Papa sighed. "And you've failed your task of not drawing his attention, as I expected. Did you have to sass back at him?"
"If you didn't want me to sass creepy people, you should have left me at home," I argued. "Our home."
He shook his head, fond. "You must have gotten this from Dianda."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Tybalt said. "Her father has always been good with his tongue, as well."
Papa blushed, and I frowned. "That sounded lewd."
Tybalt looked at me, and gave me a smile that made my knees shake a bit. "It says more about you and where your mind is, if you interpreted it that way."
Papa cleared his throat while I turned away, trying to hide my own blush. "So, rumour has it that a Daoine Sidhe has been hiring people for a kidnapping job. This doesn't really put us ahead without a description, but we do know he smells like cinnamon. Whether that's a perfume or a magic scent, that is to be revealed, but it should be something to go on."
I heard the strange whistling sound first, then Tybalt snarling. Sometime between the two, an arrow buried itself into my shoulder. I hissed in pain, though it was not a stranger to me - the Undersea had a brutal training regiment. I grit my teeth and pulled the arrow out in one motion, trusting my blood to heal the wound. I didn't have any time to waste on an injury when there were Goblin archers ambushing us from the balconies.
My father fought with blood and trickery, using his magic to confuse or transform. My magic didn't have many offensive uses, and I didn't have a proper weapon at hand, so I did what I did best - I made my body the weapon. I threw myself at the attackers, arms and thighs strong from wrestling Mother since I was young. It's not that being hit didn't hurt - it always hurt - but I knew that in the end, I would stay standing. That certainty does give you a boost.
All too soon, I threw the last Goblin over my shoulder and hit him in the head with his own crossbow. He went down, limp, though likely not dead.
"October!" Papa was at my side, examining my wounds. I leant against him, a bit dizzy, and anticipating his disapproval. "You know very well that healing fast doesn't mean you're allowed to be careless with yourself."
"I know, Papa." This was a familiar argument. We were lucky enough not to see war in the Undersea, but our trainings were serious, especially when it came to sparring with neighboring nobles. Mom might have been a pacifist compared to most of her kin, but she wasn't weak, and she didn't let us be. In the Undersea, weak got you eaten.
I glanced up at Tybalt, wondering how he was faring. I was startled to find him already staring at me. He had fewer wounds than I did, but he wasn't unscratched.
I'd seen some of his moves during the fight. He was quick and graceful, like a dancer. A dancer with many sharp knives that he wasn't afraid to use. I had to admit to myself that it was attractive, but there was no way he would share that feeling. A cat wouldn't like a wet thing like me.
"You don't fight like your father," Tybalt said, breaking the pause.
"I fight like my mother," I said. "Even on land."
Papa sighed. "You fight like a battering ram, perhaps."
We examined the fallen Goblins for any clues of their employer. As we left the scene, Tybalt bumped his shoulder to mine. "You fight more like a cat than a Daoine Sidhe."
I gave him a quick smile. "I never claimed to be one."
He watched me with his emerald eyes, then evidently decided this wasn't the time to ask questions. There would be time after we've found my boys.
We tracked the conspiracy to one of the land Queen's courtiers - though to our shock, the Queen herself didn't seem to be involved. We found Dean and Peter in an old, half-forgotten knowe, and I held them in my arms and didn't let go, not until our parents arrived to reclaim them.
"I am joyful that we've resolved this situation without further bloodshed," the Queen said in a sickly sweet voice once we returned to her Court to call off the war.
My mother nodded to her, guarded. "I can only hope that you will guide your people to be more open towards the Undersea." It was a pointed remark, given the Queen's own heritage, and from the flinch on her face, it found her target.
"I do not wish for any bad blood between us," the Queen said. "In fact, to show my sincerity, I have a gift for your family." She made a flourish with her hand, as emphasis or a call for attention, even though everyone was already looking at us. "Countess Evening Winterrose of Goldengreen has tragically stopped her dancing in the recent past, with her murderer still at large."
Papa winced. We knew what most people on land didn't, that Evening was Firstborn and she was unlikely to be dead, only biding her time. Why was the Queen bringing her up now?
"The knowe of Goldengreen has stood empty for equally long," she continued. "It is on the coast, with a lovely view of your… sea. As a peace offering, I would offer her knowe and title to you."
Mom looked startled. "I am already Duchess of Saltmist," she said. "I could hardly—"
The Queen laughed. "Oh, no, not you, of course! But you have a girl you claim as your ward, who is of age to receive the title. To show my endless goodwill towards your people, I would make her Countess October of Goldengreen."
There was a startled silence, then furious whisper from the courtiers surrounding us. I stared, equally baffled. I was a changeling, and an Undersea changeling at that, and she would give me a knowe and a title? And that knowe and title, of all the things?
Papa squeezed my hand. "We are honored by your offer, Your Majesty, however—"
"I accept," I said, almost without meaning to. Papa stared at me in horror, but I ignored him, doing my best curtsy. "Your Majesty."
The sea was my home, and I loved my family. But like my fathers, and like my brother Dean, I could never truly belong to it. Part of me would always yearn for land, and perhaps it was time to give that voice in my soul a chance. A chance to meet my Uncle and my cousin Rayseline, to grow closer to my cousin April. Maybe even a chance to continue Papa's quest to find my sister.
And this had absolutely nothing to do with a certain cat in leather pants.