The Autumn Queen
In my forthcoming novel, Black Powder, White Magic, Queen Bloodrose is mentioned in the chapter where Sam Smith and his companions enter the Garden of Forever and encounter the disturbing statues that are all that remain of both Lord Carnelian and Lord Serpentine as well as their goblin armies--statues of carnelian and serpentine marble who are faerie knights and warriors forever frozen in stone by sorcery.
In the final chapter to the novel, after Sam rescues Alice Liddell from the Origami Garden, we meet Queen Bloodrose in person... and discover that Alice is not so innocent as she appears.
Seated upon a massive throne intricately carved from ancient oak and inlaid with gold and precious stones was a Faerie Queen of breathtaking beauty. Were she to rise from the throne, the Faerie Queen would be just over six feet in height; lean and athletic in build like a jungle cat, she had the shapely and buxom figure of a classical fertility goddess with a flawless golden complexion the color of fine honey, a leonine mane of bright reddish-copper hair that hung in gleaming curls past her waist, and the beautiful features of a fallen angel. But without a disguise, the Faerie Queen could not be mistaken for human: born of the Goblin Folk and the Daoine Sidhe, her eyes were a brilliant emerald green and resembled those of a cat more than a human, for they were too large for a human face and had no visible whites, while her ears were long and delicately pointed. Her teeth were also like those of a cat, having small fangs and sharp canines, while her beautiful hair had highlights of metallic red, brass, and copper, and her angelic features were almost too perfect to be human. She wore the colors of Autumn, while from her shoulders hung a peculiar patchwork cloak in an elaborate diamond pattern; the individual patches were the color of autumn leaves and made from all manner of different fabrics and colors, and appeared to waver and shimmer, shifting and changing like the very nature of Faerie itself. Her name was Queen Bloodrose, the Queen of Form and Substance, Master of Alchemy and Transformation Magic, and was one of the Four Queens of the Seasons, making her one of the most powerful sorcerers in all of Faerie... and at this moment, she was quite angry.
Before her was a magic mirror whose ebony frame was carved with eldritch runes of power, and reflected within the glass were images of Sam Smith escaping the enchanted maze with his new companion, Alice Liddell.
The Autumn Queen clutched the arms of her throne and clenched her teeth, attempting to control her anger. Unfortunately for everyone concerned, Queen Bloodrose was infamous for fits of rage that could destroy entire towns and villages--and possibly whole kingdoms. The rage passed, only to be replaced by slowly burning anger and frustration.
"So, Miss Alice has escaped from the Origami Garden." The Autumn Queen turned to her minions.
Standing before her was a beautiful and seductive Faerie of the Daoine Sidhe. Although quite capable of breaking the hearts of mortal men, her stunning beauty paled before that of the Autumn Queen. Slender and shapely in build, her complexion was like flawless porcelain while her large eyes were jade green in color and like the Queen lacked visible whites; her raven-black hair was styled to resemble the petals of a poppy flower and hung past her shoulders, while her expensive clothes in shades of green and black were in the style of the Victorian Era. Curiously enough, she wore elbow-length gloves of black silk, and her delicate hands remained clutched in front of her at all times while in the presence of the Queen.
"Miss Poppy?"
"Yes, Your Majesty?" Poppy Nightshade replied, bowing before the Queen with inhuman grace.
"Miss Alice has escaped the Origami Garden. She has stolen something very precious to me, and I want it back. I want Miss Alice returned as well--and not one hair on that child's head is to be harmed--do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the Unseelie Sidhe gasped, shuddering in terror.
"Excellent." The Autumn Queen turned to her remaining minions.
Behind Poppy Nightshade were two mismatched Goblins, both wearing finely-tailored Victorian clothes which somehow did not quite look right on them. Looking like someone had attempted to turn a rat and a wolf into goblins and did not complete the transformation, the shorter of the two stood a few inches over five feet in height and was lean and muscular in build, with an unpleasant feral demeanor, sharp teeth like a malformed rat, long pointed ears, an unhealthy pale complexion, and spiky black hair that protruded in all directions while his eyes were a ghastly crimson. His partner was no less disturbing, standing nearly seven feet in height with the massive and powerful build of an ogre and a ruddy complexion like a perpetual sunburn as well as lupine features, sharp canine fangs, prominent pointed ears, a coarse mane of steel-gray hair that extended down both sides of his face into muttonchops sideburns, and bloodshot yellow eyes.
"Mister Flint? Mister Steel?"
"Yes, Your Majesty?" both chorused at once, immediately dropping to one knee and trembling in fear.
"Make sure that Miss Poppy completes her quest by any means necessary. Bring back Miss Alice as well as that which she stole from me--and if you harm so much as one hair on that child's head, you'll be leaving this castle on more than four legs.
Do I make myself clear?"
"YES, YOUR MAJESTY!" both Goblins shouted at once.
"Excellent. You will leave at once. I have other business to attend to."
As Poppy Nightshade swiftly departed the throne room followed by Flint and Steel, Queen Bloodrose once again turned toward her magic mirror.
"So Miss Alice has escaped the Origami Garden. I shall have to devise a far worse punishment for her..."
In the final chapter to the novel, after Sam rescues Alice Liddell from the Origami Garden, we meet Queen Bloodrose in person... and discover that Alice is not so innocent as she appears.
Seated upon a massive throne intricately carved from ancient oak and inlaid with gold and precious stones was a Faerie Queen of breathtaking beauty. Were she to rise from the throne, the Faerie Queen would be just over six feet in height; lean and athletic in build like a jungle cat, she had the shapely and buxom figure of a classical fertility goddess with a flawless golden complexion the color of fine honey, a leonine mane of bright reddish-copper hair that hung in gleaming curls past her waist, and the beautiful features of a fallen angel. But without a disguise, the Faerie Queen could not be mistaken for human: born of the Goblin Folk and the Daoine Sidhe, her eyes were a brilliant emerald green and resembled those of a cat more than a human, for they were too large for a human face and had no visible whites, while her ears were long and delicately pointed. Her teeth were also like those of a cat, having small fangs and sharp canines, while her beautiful hair had highlights of metallic red, brass, and copper, and her angelic features were almost too perfect to be human. She wore the colors of Autumn, while from her shoulders hung a peculiar patchwork cloak in an elaborate diamond pattern; the individual patches were the color of autumn leaves and made from all manner of different fabrics and colors, and appeared to waver and shimmer, shifting and changing like the very nature of Faerie itself. Her name was Queen Bloodrose, the Queen of Form and Substance, Master of Alchemy and Transformation Magic, and was one of the Four Queens of the Seasons, making her one of the most powerful sorcerers in all of Faerie... and at this moment, she was quite angry.
Before her was a magic mirror whose ebony frame was carved with eldritch runes of power, and reflected within the glass were images of Sam Smith escaping the enchanted maze with his new companion, Alice Liddell.
The Autumn Queen clutched the arms of her throne and clenched her teeth, attempting to control her anger. Unfortunately for everyone concerned, Queen Bloodrose was infamous for fits of rage that could destroy entire towns and villages--and possibly whole kingdoms. The rage passed, only to be replaced by slowly burning anger and frustration.
"So, Miss Alice has escaped from the Origami Garden." The Autumn Queen turned to her minions.
Standing before her was a beautiful and seductive Faerie of the Daoine Sidhe. Although quite capable of breaking the hearts of mortal men, her stunning beauty paled before that of the Autumn Queen. Slender and shapely in build, her complexion was like flawless porcelain while her large eyes were jade green in color and like the Queen lacked visible whites; her raven-black hair was styled to resemble the petals of a poppy flower and hung past her shoulders, while her expensive clothes in shades of green and black were in the style of the Victorian Era. Curiously enough, she wore elbow-length gloves of black silk, and her delicate hands remained clutched in front of her at all times while in the presence of the Queen.
"Miss Poppy?"
"Yes, Your Majesty?" Poppy Nightshade replied, bowing before the Queen with inhuman grace.
"Miss Alice has escaped the Origami Garden. She has stolen something very precious to me, and I want it back. I want Miss Alice returned as well--and not one hair on that child's head is to be harmed--do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the Unseelie Sidhe gasped, shuddering in terror.
"Excellent." The Autumn Queen turned to her remaining minions.
Behind Poppy Nightshade were two mismatched Goblins, both wearing finely-tailored Victorian clothes which somehow did not quite look right on them. Looking like someone had attempted to turn a rat and a wolf into goblins and did not complete the transformation, the shorter of the two stood a few inches over five feet in height and was lean and muscular in build, with an unpleasant feral demeanor, sharp teeth like a malformed rat, long pointed ears, an unhealthy pale complexion, and spiky black hair that protruded in all directions while his eyes were a ghastly crimson. His partner was no less disturbing, standing nearly seven feet in height with the massive and powerful build of an ogre and a ruddy complexion like a perpetual sunburn as well as lupine features, sharp canine fangs, prominent pointed ears, a coarse mane of steel-gray hair that extended down both sides of his face into muttonchops sideburns, and bloodshot yellow eyes.
"Mister Flint? Mister Steel?"
"Yes, Your Majesty?" both chorused at once, immediately dropping to one knee and trembling in fear.
"Make sure that Miss Poppy completes her quest by any means necessary. Bring back Miss Alice as well as that which she stole from me--and if you harm so much as one hair on that child's head, you'll be leaving this castle on more than four legs.
Do I make myself clear?"
"YES, YOUR MAJESTY!" both Goblins shouted at once.
"Excellent. You will leave at once. I have other business to attend to."
As Poppy Nightshade swiftly departed the throne room followed by Flint and Steel, Queen Bloodrose once again turned toward her magic mirror.
"So Miss Alice has escaped the Origami Garden. I shall have to devise a far worse punishment for her..."