Lina: Twisted Fairy Tales Book Two

5: A Faery Party

“My Lady, I really must insist.” My spicy jailer maid held the dress up.

“It’s pink.” I made a face.

“It’s a most fetching shade. It will match your complexion quite beautifully.” She sighed. I crossed my arms.

“Nope. Not a pink kind of girl. Just, no.” So I was purposefully sabotaging the dinner plans over a tiny detail. I didn’t know what to do with myself. Several days had passed since the Harvest, that one magical night that I was allowed a glimpse behind the Madness of the Fae to see the man within.. And now I was determinately avoiding him. Spicy crossed her own arms, tucking the dress up into the gesture.

“My Lady, do not play me for a fool. For several days now, you have done everything within your power to avoid Our Lord. But this latest ruse has to be the most ridiculous.” I winced at the harsh tone. The words were fair, even if they made me want to chuckle a bit that she’d caught on. I winced. The truth of it was, being out there in the Harvest, and seeing the way the King had acted amongst his people, and even towards me, had affected me. Left a small soft spot for him somewhere inside. And I couldn’t allow it. Not if I was planning to escape. I looked back to my Spicy Jailer, who was still scowling at me. Then again, I had been making a habit of being a minor nuisance even before this, so she should expect no less from me, regardless of how my feelings betrayed me.

“Fine.” I retorted, standing, “I’ll go to the dinner. I’ll see your King. I’ll even wear the damn dress.” I snatched the gown from her. “But I won’t behave.” I hissed. Spice’s eyes narrowed at me, but I turned my back on her, yanking the dress I was currently wearing off, so I could force the ridiculous pink monstrosity, and all its pins, ribbons and laces, on. My Spicy Jailer helped me get it all situated, readjusting pins here and there, straightening a ribbon or two, and then nodded. Leading the way to the door and escorting me all the way to the banquet hall, she dashed all hopes for a plan of escape. How could I ever do that if I was never unaccompanied? Especially since, as soon as I approached the door, the Fae King’s head shot up, and his gaze met mine, a radiant smile blossoming across his face. Damn, why did he have to look so happy to see me?

He hardly excused himself from the group of Fae men he was talking with, distractedly setting an elegant glass of some kind of mulled wine aside to nearly sprint across the room to me. His strange attitude shifts still threw me for a loop. It was obvious, though, that he still held onto some of the hope of connection from the night of the Harvest. I was going to have to shatter it if I planned to make him let me go home.

“Laoina, my love! Come meet the lesser Lords. Well, some of them anyway.” He took my hand gently in his and tugged me forward. Tucking my arm in his as we walked, he practically bounced with each step. He was so excited and happy it almost hurt me to do what I had planned next. Almost. He was still my abductor.

“Your love?” I shot at him under my breath. He looked at me strangely from the corner of his eye. “And my name’s Malina.” I repeated for what must have been the thousandth time.

“Lords, Good Sirs, may I introduce to you, my Betrothed.” The Fae King announced proudly as we approached the group of Fae the King had been talking to before I entered. “This is the one who is responsible for the extra boost in our latest Harvest, Gentle Sirs. Her very presence alone calls to my magic like nothing before her.” He gave me a little spin like I was an object to be admired. I would like to lie and say that at first I wasn’t flattered at his words. They were pretty and made me seem the most important thing in the Realm. But that was just the thing, the more he spoke, the less like a person I felt, and more like a possession. A pretty bauble to own and be shown about. I gritted my teeth as I came to a stop directly in front of him, his arms banded around my waist possessively, right under my ribs with my back to his front. He was showing me off. The other Fae Lords murmured and hummed, eyeing me appreciatively, and again I was struck by the feeling of being little more than the latest trinket he could flaunt.

“Imagine when she carries an heir of the line.” One Fae Lord mentioned in an aside to another. His companion hummed his agreement.

“The Realm will be saved.” The second Lord replied favorably, and my whole body tensed. I felt the Shift starting deep in my core, my body coming unraveled as my anger grew, and let it happen. Abruptly, the Fae King stiffened behind me, and my body screamed as it was thrown back together, the pieces forced back into human shape.

“If you’ll excuse us gentle Sirs, so many to talk with tonight..” The Fae King excused us and spun us away from the Lords like it was a dance, twirling me in his arms until I faced him again, panting with the pain of having my Shift thwarted and the control of my own body ripped from my hands. “What are you doing?” The Fae King’s tone was low and dangerous, his eyes flashing, the colors shifting as he bared too-sharp teeth at me. The Shift surged again, my body reacting before my mind could, registering the expression as a threat. I wanted to tear his face off for baring his teeth at me, and my body tried to respond. But once again, it was stifled. The painful explosion collapsing in on itself inside me as my form tried to pull apart and reform and was forced back together again and again until I slumped in his arms.

“I’m not..your..plaything..” I ground out through harsh breaths. The Fae King eyed me curiously. His head nearly tilted to the side, as if trying to figure me out like a curious animal. In fact, I was certain I’d seen that exact look on my father’s beast. The thought sent a pang of homesickness through me. “Oh nevermind. Take me to my room.” I demanded to cover my moment of weakness, but the Fae King’s grip tightened.

“No. The Lords and Ladies are here to celebrate the best Harvest we’ve seen in Centuries. There’s only one thing that changed during this Harvest. Any fool can see you are already impacting the Realm for the better. You will stay. You will greet and mingle and celebrate with them, and act as though you’re enjoying yourself here. After all, they are here to celebrate you. And afterward, we will return to your room where we will discuss your poor behavior.” The Fae King hissed under his breath.

“Poor behavior-” I sputtered. He was treating me like I was a child, and I hated it. Angered, I clenched my teeth together. Oh if he wanted poor behavior.. The Fae King raised a brow at me, pulling me tight against his chest, almost as if he could hear my thoughts.

“That wild look in your eyes wouldn’t be you hatching schemes would it?” He whispered beside my ear.

“Oh.. never..” I purred, already plotting. He set me back to look at me doubtfully, a frown marring his handsome face.

“Come then, we have many guests to greet.” He instructed, discarding the pretense of the dance and extending an arm for me to take. I took it with a sly smile, awaiting my first opportunity to cause mischief.

It came in the form of a Fae with a ridiculously long train on her dress. It took very little for me to distract one of the Lords to the point that I had forced him to back away from me until he was standing on the material of the train. My unabashed flirting made him uncomfortable, especially with the Fae King staring him down like he might tear out the poor Lord’s throat. Then the moment I’d been waiting for occurred as the Lady tried to take a step, only her gossamer thin dress was stuck. The satisfying rip of a seam, plus the outrage of herself and her escort had me coughing into my drink as I watched the mayhem, nearly resulting in a fight between the two Lords. To make matters worse, the Lady had spilled her drink down her front when she tried to step forward, and I would have dearly loved to dart forward to ‘help’, perhaps making the mess a little worse or adding fuel to the fire, but the Fae King had his eye on me. A suspicious glower was quickly taking over his face, so I merely shrugged helplessly as he ordered a new dress be fetched for the Lady, and then escorted me away from the hubbub before I could cause any more trouble.

After that, it was just a matter of waiting for my next opening. But the Fae King had other ideas. He ushered us to seating at the table and called for everyone to gather around. Fae carried in dishes laden with so much food it was almost a crime. Part of me recoiled at the thought of so much waste and wondered how much would be thrown out to rot. I sat silently as the Fae King made a speech, then everyone toasted him, me, and each other, and by that time I was so mad I wasn’t even thinking about causing a scene. My teeth and gums were aching as my teeth readjusted, lengthening and sharpening, and my fingertips split as the bones rearranged themselves into claws. The way my vision sharpened and the colors changed, I’d say my eyes had changed as well. Probably to that foxy amber I seemed to favor.

“What are you doing now? Say something.” The Fae King hissed, and I realized all eyes were on me. I turned my attention back to the Fae King with a sneer.

“You say your land is failing, and yet you sit here and feast. Tell me: how much of this food will go to waste? How many of your people are starving, right now? One good Harvest is no excuse for such frivolity.” I spat. The Lords and Ladies went silent, a few gasped or made disapproving noises. The Fae King’s frown pulled even further at his mouth.

“You do not know this Realm. It is not like your Human Realm. Things are not the same..” The King set his chalice down with a bang.

“Spoken like any dictator.” I scoffed. More sounds of outrage this time. The Fae King leaned towards me.

“We will discuss this later, wife.” He growled under his breath. “When our guests have left.”

“I have a better idea.” I retorted, tossing down my napkin as I stood, making sure my seat made as much noise as possible. I turned to face the Fae King and simply let my human body shred itself to pieces. The gown fell and pooled around me as I tumbled into my fox form. Shaking out my red fur, I darted out of the dress and under the table, leaping and running across feet with glee as the Fae Lords and Ladies shouted.

“Laoina!” I heard the Fae King bellow above me somewhere, but I was already dashing my way across the room towards the open door that led to a gorgeous stone balcony and the beautiful gardens. The sound of my squealing chatter nearly betrayed me as my tail shot out to balance me when I raced around the corner. Forgoing the stairs, I said a little prayer to the Shifter Gods and leapt.. Stretching my body wide, limbs extended, I sailed through the air to freedom, finally. Only to have to take the full weight of myself in a joint-numbing landing.

I stumbled a few steps, my legs protesting the movement, but the thing that got me going again was the sound of pursuit behind me. Damn. Couldn’t they just leave me alone? Let me go? I flicked an ear in irritation, baring my teeth as I ran. I just needed some place to hide..