Last week I said Iâd talk more about the fairy Courts, right?
Theyâre dangerous places, and Courtiers - usually just called fairies - even more so. As much as there are differences in terms of aesthetics, and in terms of the level of malice generally held by those originating from each Court, itâs advised to stay wary of both. Just because a fairy is top to toe in sunshine colours doesnât mean theyâre one hundred percent trustworthy.
Itâs just that while Unseelie fae require no offense taken against them to be cruel to mortals for their own entertainment, and will directly, blatantly manipulate them, a Seelie will smile and laugh and generally mean no harm by their potentially dangerous pranks - unless you have in some way wronged them. In which case theyâre known to be just as vicious as their winter cousins.
It does tend to be easier to get on the good side of Seelie Courtiers; all it takes is a saucer of milk left out in the garden and a sense of humour in conversation, but they tend to be flighty and often forget individual mortals very quickly. On the other hand, Unseelie fae may develop a strong attachment to a mortal on a whim, or after hard work on the mortalâs end. Itâs said they view such âfriendsâ more like pets, though.
Within the Courts, and between the Courts - which have blurred, unsure borders, of course; as blurred and unsure as many things on that plane - politics are complex and petty and personal, and grudges can be held for centuries or dropped in seconds. Working through the ranks to gain as much favour from as many of oneâs peers as possible - not to mention the King of the Seelie Court, and the Queen of the Unseelie Court, whose names I shall not list for fear of their bright eyes landing upon me - tends to be the goal of many Courtiers, but the higher one gets, the more difficult this is, and the more unwelcome attention youâre likely to garner.Â
So there are certainly many of those fairies that choose not to chase such ambitions, comfortable with where they are in life. It might mean occasional worse treatment by those more well-favoured, but it reduces the chance of betrayal or scandal.Â
And the Courts really do run on rumour, after all. Anything that can be turned into a scandal absolutely will be. The land provides all the shelter and nutrition they could need: short of coming to this plane and messing around with mortals, fairy entertainment is for the most part each otherâs suffering.
I shouldnât have to tell you this, but should you find yourself there, in the colour and glitter and magic of the Courts, donât eat anything.
