The Silver Sea is a short story written for Seanan McGuire's Patreon subscribers. It contains spoilers for the novels Sleep No More and The Innocent Sleep.
“ | Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, |
” |
–William Shakespeare, Richard II |
Author's Summary[]
And we're back to the Undersea, as Simon tries to cope with returning home after Titania's spell, adjusting, and snapping out of a post-traumatic fugue. Poor buddy.
Best read after Sleep No More and The Innocent Sleep.
Plot[]
Titania's Ride has just broken, and the present allies retreat to the Luidaeg's home. Simon passes out from iron poisoning. When he awakens, revived by the Luidaeg's treatment, he reunites with his daughters. Luidaeg gives Simon and August a direct doorway to Saltmist to go home.
They are greeted by Helmi, and soon after by Patrick and Dianda. He reassures them that Amandine never touched him during the curse. Back in their bedroom, Dianda tells Simon she is/was pregnant and gave the pregnancy to Amphitrite for safekeeping.
The three adults travel to the Duchy of Ships, Dianda by her own fins and the Daoine Sidhe by Cetace-pulled boats. Simon finally lets himself get excited about the pregnancy. When they arrive in the Duchy, they encounter Aldridge before finding their way to Captain Pete. Pete has secretly been carrying the pregnancy herself, and bargains with Dianda to give it back: The child will be raised as Pete's heir and go into her teaching beginning at age seventeen. Pete wanted it to be fourteen, but Simon negotiated.
Pete sends the men away and when Dianda returns to them, she appears 6-7 months pregnant. The group celebrates with belated wedding cake.
Characters[]
- Simon Lorden
- Dianda Lorden
- August Lorden
- October Daye
- Luidaeg
- Poppy
- Helmi
- Peter Lorden
- Maritza
- Anceline
- Aldridge
- Rayseline Torquill
- Tybalt
- Quentin Sollys
- Garm
Mentioned
- Titania
- Amandine
- Dean Lorden
- Blind Michael
- Raj
- April O'Leary
- Amphitrite
- Evening Winterrose
- Sylvester Torquill
- Oleander de Merelands
- Aster
- Diva Ryan (unnamed, Aldridge's daughter)
- Elizabeth Ryan (unnamed, Aldridge's wife)
- Oberon
- Maeve
Locations[]
- Summerlands
- Luidaeg's home
- Duchy of Saltmist
- Duchy of Ships
Mentioned
Continuity[]
- Direct continuation of Sleep No More and The Innocent Sleep
- Aldridge's story takes place in Drown the Lamenting
Trivia[]
- Toby is going to ask April to get August a cell phone.
- Aldridge has Seen Simon married to Dianda, but could not differentiate him from Sylvester in the visions. He approves of Dianda marrying the diplomat brother.
- Cephali are pregnant for about six months, and Cetace's are "considerably longer" than that of Merrow or Daoine Sidhe, who both approximate human gestation.