The Fixed Stars is a short story written by Seanan McGuire originally published in the anthology Shattered Shields. It is also available on Baen's website. It details the Luidaeg's role in the merlins' rebellion against their pureblooded kin.
The bay trees in our country are all wither’d
And meteors fright the fixed stars of heaven.
—William Shakespeare, King Richard II
Synopsis[]
Long, long ago, when the worlds of Faerie and Man had not yet fully separated, a battle was fought to determine the shapes those two worlds would take. Firstborn against merlin; strongest against least. And between those two stood Antigone of Albany, who would later be known as the Luidaeg, and whose loyalty would inevitably sway the fortunes of war...
There was a time when things were different. This is the story of the battlefield where it all began to change.[1]
Plot []
Antigone of Albany, later known as Luidaeg, prepares for the coming battle between merlins and Firstborn. She and Michael discuss Oberon's inevitable absence, Michael feeling more charitable toward their father's love.
The gift of Sight has told Antigone how the battle can go and must go. She has been coordinating with the merlin Emrys, who knows her as Nimue to ensure his people win the day. She sneaks to his camp and describes the consequences if the merlins should fail. This battle will decide their fate in faerie, and if they lose the purebloods will forever murder their changeling offspring before they have the chance to rebel again. She tells him her plan to take control of the castle from her siblings.
The morning of the battle, Antigone helps Emyrs and a band of his men sneak into the castle. She allows Emrys to hold an iron dagger to her throat to make the Firstborn surrender. Afterward, she tells Michael outright--for she cannot lie--that she betrayed them. He says that Oberon has arrived and they go to greet him.
Characters []
- Blind Michael: Firstborn, Antigone's youngest brother at the time
- Antigone: the Luidaeg, Firstborn
- Emrys: a Roane merlin
- Aoife: A Firstborn
Mentioned only []
- Oberon: father of the Firstborn
- Eira: Firstborn, cursed Luidaeg to only tell the truth
- Titania: mother of the Firstborn
- Maeve: mother of the Firstborn
Places[]
- Albion
- The Castle Brocéliande
Mentioned only
Continuity[]
- This battle will lead to Oberon creating the hope chests
Quotes[]
- "No one wants a fortune teller who will not pretend that tomorrow will always be better than today."
- "But my brothers and sisters couldn’t resist the mortal world—the candle that burns the briefest often gives the brightest flame, and they were drawn to touch the fire."