8: A Fading King
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Mercurial.
That’s how I’d describe the Fae King.
His temper and personality changing at the slightest breeze.
After a short stint of being confined to my room, I won my freedom on nothing more than the Fae King’s Bargain with me. My word that I’d stop trying to escape if I lost our duel, which I obviously did, was to hold me here, and I was shocked there was not more done to ensure I kept it. However, most of the Fae tended to ignore me, as if I was unimportant. Unless I was accompanied by the King, and then it was as though I was the last great hope for their people. I got the impression that I just wasn't noteworthy otherwise, and it was a very strange feeling to be dismissed by such beautiful and ethereal people.
I mentioned the way I felt invisible in passing to my spicy jailer once, and she laughed.
“They probably just think you are one of the others drawn into the Realm through Bargains or other Dealings. Don’t forget, there are numerous ways to be spirited away by the Folk, and there are many more humans here than you’d think. Look closer.” She tilted her head to the side, and I set down my book, looking around the gardens where she indicated. A stunning, dark complected woman paced in front of a churlish looking man. Occasionally, her hands would fly, making gestures or movements that the other would answer tersely with gestures of his own.
“Are they..speaking?” I questioned, and then with a gasp, I realized I recognized the two from stories I had heard. There was still a price on Ives’ head.
“Ah those two. Yes. During the last Hunt, besides the one after her Ladyship of course, it’s said that his life was in danger from the Hunt itself. Apparently, she tore free of the Hunt’s influence enough to make a Bargain. Gave up her freedom, offered herself as servant to the Fae King himself to spare that gentleman’s life. Supposedly, he still resents her intrusion in the matter. Says he’d rather be dead. She keeps trying though.” My jailer sighed. “The things we do for love.” She sounded almost wistful, but I shuddered and tore my eyes from the arguing couple, instead looking around to see another human in fancy attire strolling through the gardens. My jailer followed my gaze and giggled.
“Stepped into a Fairy Ring, that one.” She whispered conspiratorially, and I twitched.
“That actually works?” I hissed. My jailer looked almost affronted.
“Of course it does.” She answered primly. “You were just being saved for a greater purpose.” She sniffed.
“You mean, there was already a contract on my head.” I responded dryly.
“Half a dozen of one, six of another.” She waved a hand in the air. I shook my head. Either way, these things were worth examining later. Did Fair Rings work both ways? I wondered. Did Ives pose a threat to me? Did Thema know more about the Fae King? Or maybe a way out? My mind raced as I pretended to go back to reading my book.
Still roaming free, the Fae King became a constant topic of discussion, and annoyance, in my life. For some reason, he started to spend more time around me. He invited me to little outings, or dinners. He was more careful with me now, though, keeping me away from large crowds and under constant supervision so that I couldn’t cause problems. He may have thought I didn’t notice, but I did. I also didn’t see any other humans again for quite some time, and I was pretty sure my spicy guardian had something to do with that.
Each visit with the Fae King left me more confused, and sometimes angry. A magical picnic would be followed by a disastrous, foul-tempered dinner. A quiet evening in which I discovered he had a wicked sense of humor I could appreciate, was followed by a stroll through the grounds that ended in an argument and me stomping off to my room.
The most frequent source of our quarreling?
He refused to let me go home.
In no uncertain terms, he reminded me of our Bargain, and the fact that I had given my word, to stop trying to escape should I lose our duel.
To my mind, it was not fair. The original Bargain was not struck with me. One simply couldn’t sell another’s future. But even as I argued this point, I knew it wasn’t true.
Humanity had a long history of slavery. People born into servitute or shouldering their parents debts in one way or another. Even if he insisted it wasn’t me that was sold, but a future in which I was involved.
“Is that how you truly view yourself here? As my slave?” His voice from my doorway startled me, and my hand stopped in its exploration of the stitches on the quilt up on my bed.
“How else am I supposed to feel? My life was sold before I was even born.” I murmured. “My life and my future. Everything that I am.” My gaze fell from teh window to watch my fingers trace the stitching again.
“Do you know.. Part of my madness stems from being locked out of time?” The Fae King approached slowly and sat on the foot of the bed on the opposite side of me. My hand froze again.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I tried to keep the curiosity out of my voice.
“Well not my body, obviously.” He gestured at himself with a weak laugh, “But my mind.” This time he waved a hand at his head. I didn’t move, waiting for him to continue. He sighed.
“You see.. I got lost in the flow.. Time.. There are so many outcomes, branches, possibilities. Even now. This conversation has the possibility of bringing us closer, or driving you away.” He blew out a breath and ran his hand through his hair.
“I want more than anything for it to bring us together. I want that future where the Realm is safe, and my mind is clear, and you and I..” He offered me a brief, mournful look, then his gaze skittered away again. He resettled himself, hands falling between his well toned thighs, fingertips touching.
“I cannot always navigate the pathways between our Realms anymore.” There was a layer of moisture glistening in his eyes. “Even if I could send you back, I could not guarantee it would be to the right time, or the right continent, or even the right Realm.” He looked down at his steepled hands. “My power is near depleted. I used most of what was left to bring you here.” I choked back a gasp.
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