Emmeralde Verthaven was surprisingly accommodating towards its human inhabitant. Queen Kiridian was the size of a human (a trait of the fairies of nobility, apparently), thus the only place in the city that could allow a human to stay was the royal palace. Under the pretense of accepting Anya as a disciple, the human would be permitted to live in the palace. It was the best way, according to the queen, to assuage her citizens. Though the feeling most fairies had towards humans was curiosity, the feelings of the rest could be succinctly be described in a single word: hatred. These fairies were relying on the story of the past to fuel their feelings, and they felt that they couldn't trust the humans, even if it was a human that was able to see them. Therefore, accepting the human as a personal disciple of the fairy queen would at least keep them from voicing their hatred.

Anya was stunned when she first heard this proposition though. Her face could only convey how shocked she was, and she was not the only one who felt so. The queen's attendants were utterly stunned. One of the maids even dropped what she was holding, though the queen paid it no mind.

It was Rau who broke the silence. "My queen, humans must chant to use magic, and Anya cannot speak. How do you plan to teach her magic?"

"So what if she cannot speak? We of the fae clans need no voice to use our magic, and by accepting this child as my disciple, she will be recognized as a fairy," Queen Kiridian explained.

"That isn't how magic works!" Rau exclaimed. Then, realizing that she had been disrespectful in her outburst, she hastily added, "my queen."

"I am the queen of fairies. The fairies of nobility are not just in charge of other fairies. We oversee the magic in the world, ensuring that there is neither too much or too little. If such a being cannot enable a human child to use magic without speaking, then there is no point in our existence."

"Can't you just make it so that she's able to speak?"

Anya's pupils dilated and she stared at the queen with undisguised curiosity. She hadn't considered this, but yes, it should certainly be possible.

...

Right?

The queen shook her head. "If this child's mutism were a result of some injury, then it would certainly possible. But her condition is innate, and to enable her to speak would require me to reconstruct her body. I may be powerful, but I know nothing of human anatomy. I might allow her to speak, but I might just as easily destroy her. I cannot take that risk."

The child's eyes appeared to be burning with excitement.

The queen lifted an eyebrow curiously. "I wonder, human child Anya; does your expression mean that you would still like me to try, even at the risk of your own life?"

The girl nodded, a determined expression on her face.

The queen stroked her chin thoughtfully. "I understand your desire, but I cannot fulfill it at this point. I will at least need to encounter another human first, so that I can understand your kind's physique. Otherwise, there is honestly nothing I can do."

Anya lowered her head and cast her eyes down in disappointment.

Rau sighed and shook her head. "I don't know if I was really expecting anything anyway. So what is the difference between enabling her to use magic and enabling her to speak? Don't both require an understanding of human anatomy that we don't possess? Humans are fleshy, after all."

The queen chuckled delicately. "Humans may, indeed be formed from flesh. This is why I cannot enable her to speak. Enabling her to utilize magic is another matter. Magic is incorporeal. In the days before the war, the humans would call upon magic because they had none of their own. I plan to plant a seed in this child that will enable her to use magic without having to call upon it."

The queen flicked her wrist, and a shining green object appeared. She extended her palm to Anya to look at it.

It was smaller than she had thought, about the size of a pearl, or a pea, perhaps. It was the color of grass and it smelled like freshly-tilled earth. It was a pleasant scent, gentle and fresh. It had a lustrous, glossy surface that was completely smooth, like a stone from a river.

"Human child Anya," the queen spoke, "this is a seed that will allow you to use magic. We call it the Siol Draiochta. We fairies traditionally only grant this seed to fairies who were born with poor magical capabilities. It will also prevent you from being unable to see us in the future, as it cleanses the heart. I believe it will work for you just as well, but I am not certain. The possibility exists that it will be too much for your body to handle. Fairies are spiritual beings, while humans are of the flesh. If your body cannot bear it, then the possibility of death or mental incapacitation is the most likely outcome. Even knowing the risks, would you like it?"

Anya had listened very intently, and her expression now was difficult to read. She wanted to use magic, but if she were to die, then what would have been the point? She knew she could not return to her old village; there was nothing for her there but misery. Living among the fairies had become something of a dream to her now, she realized, a dream she had never realized she had had. If the desire for magic clouded her heart, then she would become unable to see the only ones who cared for her. The thought of this happening, even just hypothetically, made Anya feel like her heart was being torn apart.

Her decision was made.

With a resolute fire in her eyes, Anya nodded, grabbed the seed, and swallowed it whole.

"No!" the queen uncharacteristically shouted, her expression becoming unlike that of the gentle visage she'd had mere moments prior.

"What's wrong?" asked Rau of the Starry River, confused and panicked.

"The Siol Draiochta is not meant to be consumed! It is meant to be carried, or worn!" Queen Kiridian hurriedly explained.

Anya tumbled to the ground and collapsed, a bloody foam appearing at her mouth. Blood trickled from her eyes, ears, and nose. Even though she could not speak, Anya was moaning in pain.

It felt as though she were being burned, frozen, buried, and drowned, all at the same time. It was torture of a variety that Anya had never experienced before.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it vanished. The pain vanished, and in its place was a warm feeling that made Anya more comfortable than she had ever felt in her entire life.

She opened her eyes, wiping away the blood, and looked around for the fairies. Queen Kiridian and Rau of the Starry River were staring at her with astonishment.

"Come to think of it, the lore did mention this, didn't it?" the queen murmured to herself.

"The lore mentioned this?!" Rau exclaimed in disbelief.

Anya tilted her head in curiosity. It was at this moment that she realized her body felt better than ever. She felt as though she could shimmy up trees and hop through the branches like a monkey.

"Anya, do not be too startled. I remembered as soon as you looked at me: there were humans who could tolerate the Siol Draiochta, and the humans who survived consuming it... Well, they weren't quite humans anymore," the queen explained, her queenly facade having worn off in the midst of genuine concern.

Anya furrowed her eyebrows. Not human?

"You see, the first forms of intelligent life created by the gods were us fairies. We were created to tend the myriad creations that came before us. Then the gods made humans, with whom we shared that purpose. The majority of humanity had deviated from their duty, but those who stayed to tend the creations of the gods became more intimate with our fairy race. To reward them, we granted them the Siol Draiochta, and they transformed, as you have... into elves." The queen sighed regretfully. "You've become an elf, human child Anya."

She waved her hand, and a mirror appeared. Anya felt trepidation at this change, and her heart felt uneasy. She looked into the mirror, and staring back was a wild-eyed child with eyes the color of grass. Subtly poking out of her frazzled hair on either side of her head were long, tapered ears.