The Rose Court

The Rose Court is most northern Seelie court, located up near the mountains that divide the Seelie and Unseelie kingdoms. Kilinaire, it's castle, is surrounded by fields to the north and forest all around. There is also a nearby village.

Soon after Leith's parents were killed and he became the Rose Prince, Moriath cursed the court when Leith broke a vow to her by refusing to join her. Kilinaire castle was encased by magic bubble that shrank over the decades and its residents were turned into forest animals.

After nearly a hundred years, Isobel broke the curse on Leith and the court. She later married Leith, becoming the Rose Princess, and co-rules the court with him.

From the Books
The castle looked even more impressive now that I wasn’t fleeing for my life. It didn’t seem terribly big as far as castles went. More like Downton Abbey size than Windsor Castle size. But it was beautiful, all built of light gray stone with small graceful towers on the corners and a taller tower rising up from behind, all capped in roofs of bluey green.

Up a riser of stone steps, columns flanked the entrance. The raccoon was anxiously waiting for us by the carved oak doors, still open from my abrupt departure.

***

It was like something out of a storybook. My bare feet sank into the dark blue plush rug that covered most of the cool stone floor. A huge fireplace—unlit on this sunny day—dominated one corner, flanked by a blue-velvet, stuffed chair and a chaise lounge, making a cozy spot for reading or conversation—but, let’s be real, reading. I trailed my fingers along a polished wood end table on my way to the windows on the opposite wall. Bright afternoon light shone through diamond-shaped panes of glass. Sinking onto the velvet-padded window seat, I looked out at pink roses climbing around the window. Sections of the glass were turned open to let the scent of blossoms drift in. I poked my head out and saw the rose garden I had run through earlier down below, the green hedges making a maze around gravel paths. Turning back to the room, I admired the huge four-poster bed of warm carved wood. Gauzy curtains hung from its canopy and stirred gently in the breeze from the windows. It was covered with so many soft blue pillows and throws, it looked like you might risk drowning to sleep in it.

***

The courtyard seemed to be spelled to keep the snow out, but I could still see my breath in the chilly afternoon air.

***

The top of the stairs opened onto a wide balcony that ran around the last bit of the tower. The top of the tower was more like a gazebo with wide arched doorways on each side and a tall pointed roof above. Between the doorways, curved stone benches wrapped around the outer walls of the tower. Small trees, barely leafing out, stood in pots, and unsurprisingly, climbing roses covered half of the walls. It must be amazing up here when they bloomed.

***

We went up the stairs to the library, dimly lit by candles that burst into flames a few steps ahead of us—I had to learn to do that!— and then up another flight of spiral stairs past a doorway that must lead to his living area. He paused, but instead of going in, he let me go past him through an arched doorway that led to the outside of the tower. I stepped through hesitantly, wondering how far off the ground we were now, and found more stairs. These wound around the outside of the tower, happily with a waist-high stone wall between me and the empty air. No candles lit the steps out here, but the stars gave enough light to see by.

***

It’s so close to the Unseelie court that it’s hard for Moriath to keep her claws away from it.

***

I climbed carefully, my hand trailing on the smooth top of the carved stone wall. I couldn’t make out the designs on it. The swirling carved shapes kept their secrets in the shadows.

***

I followed the prince around to the back of the castle and through an apple orchard—I wondered what variety they grew here—to a low stone wall. Past the wall, vast snowy fields stretched out, edged by an evergreen forest.

***

“The sitting room is down the hall, second door on the left.” The little woman, a brownie if I remembered correctly from my book, hung my gear on low hooks by the door.

I followed her instructions and found Isobel lounging on a blue velvet sofa, wearing furry slippers and wrapped up in the most atrocious knitted afghan I had ever seen.

“I know, right?” Isobel laughed at my expression as I took in the blanket. “Ena has been trying to find a way to quietly burn it.”

“I can't imagine why.” I aimed for politeness and failed, perching awkwardly on a chair across from the princess.

***

Fun facts

The castle pond has three koi fish from the human world, provided by Isobel as a thank-you gift.

Rulers: Leith and Isobel
Residents: Ena, Deirdre, Tait, Geanan, Neala
Castle: Kilinaire
Gate: The Rose Gate

Appears in: The Rose Gate, A Christmas Engagement, The Faerie Tale Wedding, The Frost Gate