Maeve
Maeve is the missing Unseelie princess, Niamh's younger sister. She was sent as a child to the Aziza as part of a political marriage alliance, but disapeared before she arrived.
“Maeve,” confirmed my godmother. “She was two years younger than you.”
My heart fell. “Was?”
“Time goes more quickly in Faerie." Amber bit into an apple. “Mostly.”
“What does that mean?” My head spun with all the things I didn’t understand as I dumped the baking powder into the bowl.
“You’ll see when you go back to the human realm,” Amber said. “A week in Faerie might be an hour there. Or five minutes. Or a day. It’s hard to keep track, but on average, time moves maybe . . . ten times as fast? So your sister might be older than you now, if she’s been living in Faerie. She’s not dead though, right?”
“She’s missing,” said Gavin.
***
“No, it wasn’t about international politics for Moriath.” He shook his head. “She only cared about the crown. She didn't dare kill Maeve, not while your father still lived, but if your sister joined another kingdom—and was bound into their royal family with a betrothal agreement—then she would no longer be Unseelie and the crown wouldn't pass to her. So, Moriath arranged a trade with my parents, the rulers of the Aziza fae, and sent Maeve as far away as possible. After all, Maeve was the second child. A political marriage wouldn’t raise any eyebrows.”
“Shhh . . .” I gripped his arm and leaned over the basin. The water grew black again before clearing to show a stone tower in a misty forest. A fae girl who looked about my age—so, she could be eighteen or eight hundred—picked mushrooms and placed them in a basket, her long braid of bright auburn hair topped with a headscarf. Suddenly, she looked up as if startled. When her blue eyes connected with mine, a memory struck me of a pudgy little hand in mine. I had helped her learn to walk in a huge stone hallway with a soft green carpet under our bare feet. I had felt so grown up, only two years older than my baby sister. The memory came and went in a flash before the image in the mirror cut off abruptly.
My heart was full, but there was still one person I wished could be with us. “You won’t stop looking for Maeve, will you?” I asked Aunt Chloe.
“Never.” My godmother gave me a hug. “Although, I will admit I’m a bit frustrated. I’ve been all across Tír na nÓg, and there’s been no hint of a red-headed fae girl in a tower in the woods like your vision showed.”
“What did you say?” Declan, who had been deep in conversation with Saoirse and Kylian, turned sharply towards us.
“Which part?” I squinted at the fianna captain. “Maeve? Red-headed girl?”
He stepped over to me. “Describe your vision.”
“Um, well, I saw my sister. She had long red hair under a scarf, and she was picking mushrooms by a tower in the woods. That’s all the mirror could show me, and no one can figure out where she is.” I saw Kylian and Saoirse exchange a look. “Why?”
Declan examined my face. “She has blue eyes, just like you.”
“How did you—?”
“Of course she’s your sister.” Declan ran a hand through his messy dark hair. “The girl in the tower. I met her in the forest, and then she vanished. I’ve been looking for her for eight years now.”
“You never said anything.” Saoirse nudged her friend, but he didn’t even register it, lost in his thoughts.
“I have to go. I need to talk to Tiernan about this.”
Introduction to Maeve in the books
“Wait." I paused, a spoon of baking powder forgotten in my hand. “I have a sister? Where is she? Can I meet her?” In all my wonderings about my birth parents, I had never thought about having a sibling.“Maeve,” confirmed my godmother. “She was two years younger than you.”
My heart fell. “Was?”
“Time goes more quickly in Faerie." Amber bit into an apple. “Mostly.”
“What does that mean?” My head spun with all the things I didn’t understand as I dumped the baking powder into the bowl.
“You’ll see when you go back to the human realm,” Amber said. “A week in Faerie might be an hour there. Or five minutes. Or a day. It’s hard to keep track, but on average, time moves maybe . . . ten times as fast? So your sister might be older than you now, if she’s been living in Faerie. She’s not dead though, right?”
“She’s missing,” said Gavin.
***
“No, it wasn’t about international politics for Moriath.” He shook his head. “She only cared about the crown. She didn't dare kill Maeve, not while your father still lived, but if your sister joined another kingdom—and was bound into their royal family with a betrothal agreement—then she would no longer be Unseelie and the crown wouldn't pass to her. So, Moriath arranged a trade with my parents, the rulers of the Aziza fae, and sent Maeve as far away as possible. After all, Maeve was the second child. A political marriage wouldn’t raise any eyebrows.”
***
“Shhh . . .” I gripped his arm and leaned over the basin. The water grew black again before clearing to show a stone tower in a misty forest. A fae girl who looked about my age—so, she could be eighteen or eight hundred—picked mushrooms and placed them in a basket, her long braid of bright auburn hair topped with a headscarf. Suddenly, she looked up as if startled. When her blue eyes connected with mine, a memory struck me of a pudgy little hand in mine. I had helped her learn to walk in a huge stone hallway with a soft green carpet under our bare feet. I had felt so grown up, only two years older than my baby sister. The memory came and went in a flash before the image in the mirror cut off abruptly.
***
My heart was full, but there was still one person I wished could be with us. “You won’t stop looking for Maeve, will you?” I asked Aunt Chloe.
“Never.” My godmother gave me a hug. “Although, I will admit I’m a bit frustrated. I’ve been all across Tír na nÓg, and there’s been no hint of a red-headed fae girl in a tower in the woods like your vision showed.”
“What did you say?” Declan, who had been deep in conversation with Saoirse and Kylian, turned sharply towards us.
“Which part?” I squinted at the fianna captain. “Maeve? Red-headed girl?”
He stepped over to me. “Describe your vision.”
“Um, well, I saw my sister. She had long red hair under a scarf, and she was picking mushrooms by a tower in the woods. That’s all the mirror could show me, and no one can figure out where she is.” I saw Kylian and Saoirse exchange a look. “Why?”
Declan examined my face. “She has blue eyes, just like you.”
“How did you—?”
“Of course she’s your sister.” Declan ran a hand through his messy dark hair. “The girl in the tower. I met her in the forest, and then she vanished. I’ve been looking for her for eight years now.”
“You never said anything.” Saoirse nudged her friend, but he didn’t even register it, lost in his thoughts.
“I have to go. I need to talk to Tiernan about this.”
Fun Facts
Basics
Full name: MaeveTitle: Lost Unseelie princess
Age: 200+
Race: Tuatha Dé Danann
Affiliation: Unseelie
Original Home: Skyretaine Castle
Current Home: A stone tower somewhere in Tír na nÓg
Relationships
Parents: Fionnbharr and Oonagh, Moriath (step-mother/aunt)Siblings: Neve
Appearance
Hair: Bright auburnEyes: Blue
Accessories: A headscarf
Children
Appears in: The Frost Gate Article by Channon and Hanna