It usually doesn't come up, because I don't trust people enough to tell them. ( Sylvan names were well kept secrets. Everyone that had ever known hers back home had been dead for centuries, and she had never told anyone when she was in Faerie. There was, of course, Red Son now, who had learned when her fears had manifested months ago and she unconsciously let him hear it. But she trusted him, knew he could keep it secret, wanted him to know it.

And she felt all of that with Meryl, too.

Night Sky laced their fingers together and ran her thumb absently across the other woman's knuckles. )

So. Sylvan Elves have two names. Our public names are like the one you know - Night Sky, Frost Hand, Fletcher, things like that. But we also have private names. It's an old tradition, back when fey were even more of a problem, and it's less about not having it stolen so much as it is a symbol of who we trust the most. Only family and close friends and partners know our private names. People we love and know they won't hurt us with it.

( she felt herself shaking. No doubt Meryl did, then.) I want to tell you mine. I don't know what's going to happen here- if one day one of us wakes up and we're gone, or, I don't know- I just want you to know it. But if it's too much, if it's too soon- I understand.