A Cambria Fairy Tale

Chapter 7

"What is the meaning of this?" King Adair bellowed as Raine flew through the castle gates. "You have been gone all day 'gathering' and you come home just now? And with nothing to show for it? Where have you been?"

For the first time in her life, Raine was actually afraid of her father's wrath, although he had never before shown it to his daughters. "Well ... I ... lost track of time."

"Where were you?" her father demanded, expecting an answer. "You obviously were not 'gathering'. Your sisters came home hours ago!"

Raine squirmed under the scrutiny of her father. She had never lied to him before-nor had cause to-but how could she tell him the truth? With his narrow view of humans, he could never believe that any of them could be good.

"Well, Daughter?" he asked as his eyes narrowed. "I demand an answer ... now!"

"I was with the human!" Raine blurted out. Her sisters, who were hiding on the stairwell, gasped.

"You, what?"

"Father, 'tis not what you think..."

"My daughter, with a human?"

"Father, they aren't all bad..."

"My daughter dared to defy me?!" King Adair bellowed as he glared at his daughter.

"Father, his name is Bryce and he is good..."

Her father began to pace. "You will not see him again! I forbid it!"

"But I'm in love with him!"

King Adair fell silent and took a step back as if he had been slapped. After a moment that seemed like hours, he shook his head. "You will not see this human again. I forbid it!" He thought for a moment as he paced back and forth, thinking. "I have arranged for you to meet some eligible suitors on the morrow. You are of marrying age now, and you will choose between them. They are the best men in my kingdom."

"But, Father..."

The king narrowed his eyes at his daughter. "I have spoken!" He took a deep breath. "Now, go to your room and stay there until the morrow. I have brought in some dresses for you to choose from for the event. I shall host a ball in your name. By this time tomorrow, you will have a proper suitor and you will be married within the week." His eyes narrowed as he took a step closer. "And you can forget about ever leaving this castle unattended again! Now, go to your room!" Then, he pointed toward the stairwell.

Silent tears fell onto her cheeks as she walked to the foot of the stairs. Raine placed a hand on the railing and turned to look at her father. "Father, I love him and I will see him again. There is nothing you can do to stop me. I will not marry anyone else."

"You dare to defy me?!" Kind Adair raged. "Go to your room now, before I forget that I am your father!"

Raine gasped. Never before had her father directed such anger toward her. Tears streamed down her face as she flew quickly up the stairs to her room, slamming the door behind her. She looked at the closed door, and then quickly locked it. She wasn't in the mood for company tonight, and she was sure that her sisters would sneak into her room as soon as they were sure that their father wasn't looking.

Feeling utterly and completely alone, she threw herself onto her bed and sobbed, letting the unabashed tears stream down her face. What was she going to do? She was a fairy and Bryce was a human, over twenty times larger than she. But she knew that fate did not bring them together without a reason. With renewed purpose, Raine sat up, knowing what she must do. She walked over to her window, and only a few faint rays of color remained in the kingdom. The moon was full, and pin pricks of stars were already making their appearance against the blanket of dark blue sky.

Raine flung her shutter doors open wide, climbed up into the window sill, and jumped. Her wings quickly caught her before she hit the ground. She fluttered them as quickly as she could over the castle courtyard where castle warriors were standing guard.

"Halt!" one of the guards yelled. "Stop right there!"

But Raine didn't stop, flying up over the castle walls and out of sight from the guards. Outside the castle walls, Raine never felt so free. But the farther she flew into the forest, the darker the forest became. The first thing she did was to fly straight to the meadow where she had always met Bryce, but he was long gone. She had to act quickly, for her father's men would be scouring the forest for her and would drag her back to the castle after they found her. She knew what she must do.