Wishes and Tears is a short story written for Seanan McGuire's Patreon supporters.
| “ | Then let us teach our trial patience, Because it is a customary cross, |
” |
Author's Summary[]
The continuation of Tybalt's adventures in Armorica as he tries to deal with exile, the politics of the Divided Courts, and too many other things to mention.
Plot []
Tybalt must learn to live with Rozenn after he has claimed the changeling girl as his servant to save her life. He questions Rozenn about why she chose Faerie during her own Changeling's Choice, and learns some intriguing facts about Rozenn's family. He also recalls a conversation with Septimius Torquill, where he learned that the Torquill twins were born as changelings, and their blood was shifted by the help of a hope chest. Tybalt feels sick at the thought of September Torquill being nourished by the milk of a human woman, which reveals the prejudices he still holds about humans and changelings.
Later, Tybalt visits Queen Privela, the Queen of Cats closest to Armorica to ask her about the lack of Cait Sidhe in the country. He learns from Privela that all the Cait Sidhe in Armorica were slaughtered by Morane's parents. Tybalt is unwilling to believe this at first, and even afterwards, he is convinced that there is no way Morane could have known about the slaughter and hid it from him. Tybalt also learns more about Rozenn's father, Duke Budoc, and now he has enough information to realize that Budoc has been using his changeling children to gain political power by gifting them to other nobles, who then used them to do their own dirty work, like King Alban tried with Rozenn. Tybalt is horrified to think about how many children he might have had before Rozenn herself.
Before returning to Armorica, Tybalt tells Privela that he himself will claim the crown of the Court of Cats in Armorica to keep the shadows open before they collapse without a Monarch to hold them.
Characters []
Mentioned only []
Court of Fogbound Cats
Royalty
Firstborn
- Erda - Queen of Cats who opened the Shadow Roads
- Jibvel
Others
Locations[]
| Tybalt Shorts |
|---|
| A King Without a Court |
| Remembering to Rule |
| Caring for Cailin |
| September |
| Hero's Quest |
| Court of Silver |