Guardian of the Hills

The Seelie King

The minute I stepped through that portal, I felt my heart clench. I knew it was the bond trying to hold onto her. I had to focus. I had told myself Skeeter would be ok for a few days. I had plans to come report what I had found and then immediately return to the Earthside. I did not, however, anticipate what was waiting for me at the Royal Seelie Court.

I had barely made it twenty feet past the ring when I was met and encircled by an entire company of Seelie warriors. Many of which were on horseback with arrows knocked and pointed right at me. I recognized the commanding officer immediately as Alvar. He was one of the greatest swordsmen I had ever met. He had his long brown hair braided on top. His green eyes bore into me at first and then softened as he saw who I was.

"Stand down!" he commanded. "It's the prince." Every one of them bowed to me, but I paid them no attention.

"What has happened?" I asked as I waved for them all to stand.

"I'm afraid your highness, that while you were out on mission, the kingdom was under attack. Seven hundred Unseelie brought a full attack against your Majesty's kingdom last night. Many of our own were lost. I'm sorry to be the bearer of such news, but your father was horribly wounded, and his condition is very grave. The Queen has ordered all portals locked after your return. We were sent on patrol to await your arrival. If you had not returned by morning, I would have had to send a scout to find you."

"Take me to my mother," I said. He handed me the reigns to a horse, and as I turned to go, I watched as the portal was sealed. The clutch in my heart was now constant as I knew I had no way to get back to Skeeter or what was about to happen next.

We took off down the path in a dead sprint. As we entered the court, I could smell the stench of old blood and death. Pools of blood still lay in the street, and smoke was still smoldering from areas that looked like they had been torched.

As I entered the court, I was greeted by several of my mother's servants, and they ushered me quickly to my father's bedside. My mother sat next to him, holding his hand with dark circles under her eyes, and I could tell she had been crying.

"Thank the heavens you're back from your mission. Have you any news?"

I took her place by my father's side.

"I do, but it can wait. I need to see Father first," I said as I sat next to him and took his hand. She nodded solemnly and took her leave. I watched her as she closed the door and then bent over him.

"Your Majesty," I said calmly. Inside, I was shaking.

He opened his eyes slowly as if the lids were too heavy to hold.

"My son," he whispered. His voice was hoarse, and he seemed strained at every breath. "You are the joy of all my long days. Soon, very soon, you will be the new King of the Seelie."

"I'm not ready, Father. I can't ever be the king you are."

"You will find your way," he said. I felt the hot tears sting my eyes, and I closed them and let the tears fall. "I'm not worthy," I said to him as I felt shame for the first time in my life. "I've something I need to tell you." He squeezed my hand, and I forced my eyes to look at him. I wanted to confess myself as a man to a man.

"I have fallen in love with a human, and I'm bonded to her," I spit out hurriedly as I choked back a sob. "I can not be the king."

He looked at me then with his kind face and half a smile.

"Send for the mage you will need her. But, my son, you will be the key that unites us all. I love you, Your Majesty," he said, and then he sighed deeply with a smile still on his face and died. I fell into sobs as I held his hand. The guards at the door heard me and came into the room. My mother ran to my side, and after that, everything was a blur.

It was if everything had happened at the speed of light and in slow motion at the same time. I was pulled from my father's grasp and wisked away down the hall. I could hear my mother's wails behind me as I was lead not to my old room, but straight to the court and into a side room where the magistrate took my wrist and with sharp atheme, cut across it and put it over a bowl. As the blood poured, I realized I was getting lightheaded. He immediately put pressure on my arm and healed the wound with magic. My right hand was placed palm down in the bowl and lifted and placed down on the bottom of a long parchment scroll. I was then undressed all the way to my nakedness and re-dressed in a pair of soft brown buckskin pants. He placed my hand back in the bowl and placed my palm over my heart. He then took his own fingers and drew lines over my face with my blood. I felt someone tugging on my hair but didn't realize small braids were being placed. I barely had a thought or even a notion of my surroundings. I was numb inside and out. Finally, he washed my hand, and I was taken out of the room and into the court. I heard the flutes play somewhere in the distance, but it sounded as if I was under water. As I arrived at the throne room, I was ushered in, and my mother awaited me at the throne. Her eyes were red and swollen, but she held her chin up high, and I looked down at her, not sure of anything. I was led to the Kings throne, and a golden scepter was placed in my hand. I turned to look at my mother, and she reached up and placed the golden crown of thorns and roses upon my head. The cold metal was like a slap to the face. I suddenly became aware of my surroundings, and I turned to face the court, which was crammed full of all the subjects that could fit inside. My mother knelt beside me, and they followed suit. I was suddenly wide awake to what all had transpired in the last thirty minutes or so.

"Long live the King!" they all shouted, and I took a deep breath and nodded to them.

My coronation was quick, and I was thankful for it. My mind had started working properly, and a plan began to devise itself without effort. As soon as the Royal decree was announced that I was the new Seelie King, the rest was just pomp and circumstance. Afterward, I walked quietly with my mother down the hall to be cleaned up and prepared for the royal funeral. We were both quiet as a mouse until I was dressed and descent. Finally, she spoke.

"You will need to meet with your royal counselors first thing."

"Mother, I honestly don't think I'm ready for this."

"Your father was one hundred years younger than you are now when he took the throne. He was nervous. I remember he didn't think he was ready either, but he made a fine king, and you will too," she said as she got a little misty eyed but still managed to give me a small smile.

"We haven't had a chance to talk. Everything happened so fast. Did you find out anything while you were gone?"

"I did, actually. I think somehow humans are involved in this. I met with a goblin named Gryh. Nasty little piece of work. I got ruffed up pretty bad by his human colleagues. Big guys. He said to me that we were all in danger. Do you have any idea what he meant by that?" I asked.

"Well, you didn't really find out any more than we did. Helga got us some info. She found out that humans were somehow involved. She was getting close to something dangerous. She burst into the court in just enough time to warn us about the Unseelie. She was by the Kings side when they attacked. When he went down , they took her. I have no idea where she is now."

I didn't think I could take much more. within just a few hours, I had lost my father, the only way to get back to the girl that I loved and my longest friend. I sat down on a stool and put my hands over my face.

My mother came over to me and put her hand on my shoulder.

"We're going to make them all pay for this," she said in the most spiteful tone I had ever heard her use. I looked up at her, and the look of ice-cold malice had replaced the look of a grieving widow.

"Tomorrow morning, Mother, I promise you as soon as the funeral is over, we will avenge him. We are going to war." As I said the words, I felt the anger bubble up inside of me. It felt much better to be angry than to hurt and grieve. I meant it to. I was going to personally make them pay.