Fairy-Struck

by Amy Sumida

  “When humans are fairy-struck, they sit just like this,” Tiernan explained. “They will do nothing without being commanded by the fairy who struck them. Most will waste away because they won't even feed themselves.”

  “You're saying he hasn't eaten because I didn't tell him to?” I asked in a horrified voice.

  “Yes, precisely,” Keir nodded.

  “Son of a bean-sidhe,” I swore in a low tone. “Why didn't someone tell me?”

  “We assumed you knew your own magic but after that speech you just gave,” Tiernan shared a look with Keir, “we realized you may not.”

  “Oh really?” I gave him an irritated look. “What gave it away?” I transferred my gaze to Keir. “You knew I was in the dark about my magic.”

  “I thought I'd made your complete control clear to you earlier today,” Keir held up a hand to ward off my anger.

  “I didn't know that included basic needs such as eating,” I rolled my eyes and then widened them. “Do I need to tell him to use the bathroom?”

  “I believe relieving his body is something that happens automatically and as such, can't be prevented,” Keir assured me. “But if you don't want him to suffer, you may wish to compel him to eat. Not that I would mind his suffering. He's fey, so he can't starve to death.”

  “Watch it, Dad,” I grimaced at him. “Your unseelie blood is showing.”

  “Seren,” Keir said seriously. “You're an Extinguisher; you know that both courts have their wicked ways. The unseelie is just more honest about it.”

  “Yeah, I get that, but it wasn't the seelie who I had to watch torture other fairies.” I sighed and looked over to Bress. “Eat, Bress, eat whenever you're hungry and if you need to go to the bathroom to relieve yourself, do that too... in the toilet.”

  He looked over to me immediately, then smiled brightly and began to reach for the food in front of him. Damn, I had been torturing him; sitting him at a table full of food and not allowing him to have any of it. Did he deserve the treatment? Perhaps. But was it justice? I didn't think so.

  “Maybe I should remove the enchantment and let you imprison him,” I sighed.

  “I know I would rather have my senses and sit in a dungeon than live in luxury and remain like this,” Tiernan waved a hand towards Bress.

  “Fine,” I nodded. “But let him eat first.”

  “As Your Highness wishes,” Tiernan gave me a little smile.

  “Why does that make you happy?” I narrowed my eyes on him.

  “Because then he'll be able to interrogate our prisoner,” Keir stared out at the court, avoiding my gaze.

  “So you stopped me from torturing him so that you could torture him?” I lifted a brow at Tiernan.

  “My torture is more honorable than yours,” he said simply.

  “For who?” I frowned. “Him or you?”

  “Both of us.”

  Before I could say anymore, the door at the end of the room opened and Sir Ainsley came through with two fairies following after him. The unknown fey were sylphs, air fairies with delicate wings rising from their shoulders. One female and one male. The woman had bright gold hair while the male's tresses were slightly darker. The Twilight Court went silent as the sylphs made their way down the center aisle and then stopped before us.

  “Greetings King Keir and Princess Seren,” the female sylph said and I saw that her eyes were a familiar shade of green. “I am Lady Neala, mother to Nighean, and this is my son, Aodh.”

  “Welcome, Lady and Lord Silvereed,” Keir said warmly. “Nighean is resting upstairs but I'm sure she'd be pleased if you woke her. I am greatly relieved that you made it here so quickly and in good health.”

  “The benefits of wings, Your Majesty,” she smiled and then turned her gaze to me. “Thank you for saving my daughter, Princess Seren. Your father told me how you rescued her from the unseelie. We have mourned her for many years, believing her to be dead. To have her returned to us is a gift I can never repay.”

  “You're not supposed to repay gifts,” I gave her a smile. “It's enough for me to see Nighean reunited with her family.”

  “Sir Ainsley will take you up to your daughter,” Keir nodded to the knight and Ainsley led them out.

  “I'm going with them,” I whispered to Keir and started to rise.

  “No, Seren,” he held a hand out to me and I sat back down with a confused frown. “You have to finish the feast, then you may go.”

  “What?” I gave him a baffled look. “You want me to finish my brussels sprouts before I go outside to play, Dad?”

  “This is part of being a princess,” he said sternly. “You must see to your people first, then you can do as you please.”

  “It's just dinner,” I huffed.

  “And also a time when our fey may approach us if they wish to seek our help or guidance,” Keir gave me a look which clearly said I wasn't going to win this argument. “Besides, you have business to attend to before you can attend Nighean,” he waved a hand at Bress, who had finished gorging himself and was sitting back in his seat contentedly.

  “Yeah, alright,” I sighed and then turned to Tiernan. “Better get out your manacles, Lord of the Wild Hunt.”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Restraining Bress wasn't a problem since I kept him enchanted all the way down to the dungeon. It was two floors below the dining hall and was actually pretty nice for a dungeon, not that I'd seen a lot of them. It had clean cells equipped with sturdy beds, little private bathrooms, and small dining sets. They looked pretty damn comfortable... except for the bars and bare stone walls that is.

  I waited until Bress was locked away in one of the cells, the only one now occupied, before I released him from the enchantment. He immediately fell to his knees, his whole body shaking as he lost the contents of his stomach all over the stone floor.

  “Maybe I shouldn't have let him eat first,” I said dryly.

  “My Lord Bress, are you alright?” Tiernan called out tersely. “There is a washroom behind you if you need some water.”

  Bress spat, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and then rolled his eyes up to stare at me. His shoulders were tense and his expression was enraged. I caught myself just before I took a step back. He got to his feet and approached the bars slowly, like he was stalking prey.

  “So, Cousin,” he growled low. “You have quite a useful magic. I guess you aren't as defenseless as we'd thought.”

  “I'm an Extinguisher, I was never defenseless,” I said calmly.

  “Yes, yes,” he waved a hand, his elegance returning quickly, like a cloak he could just swing over his shoulders. “But in Fairy, magic is far more important than your human psychic abilities.”

  “And so is blood,” Tiernan added. “You've attacked a princess, my lord and you will be held accountable. Take some time to recover but know that I will return and then we will have a conversation about what you've done and what else you had planned to do with your uncle's help.”

  “You've made me betray my own family,” Bress ignored Tiernan and set his eyes on me. “I will have vengeance for that.”

  “I am your family, you psychotic, perverted, sadist,” I snarled, then turned on my heel and left.

  Tiernan followed me, leaving Bress sputtering in his cell with the smell of his own vomit as his only company. We went up the stairs in silence and then continued up to the third floor, where Nighean was staying. We were almost to her room when Tiernan spoke.

  “Now are you okay with me torturing him?”

  “No,” I stopped and looked at him in shock. “Torture is not okay. It will never be okay. It may become necessary or even enjoyable if you are wronged enough, but it's never okay.”

  “It is necessary, Your Highness,” his face went cool.

  “Don't get all stuffy with me just because I disagree with you,” I huffed. “I know it's necessary, I get that, but I'm still not okay with it.”

  “I understand,” his eyes softened. “You don't have to be a part of
it. I will shoulder the burden for you.”

  “Well that hardly seems fair,” I exhaled roughly.

  “There are responsibilities that come with being royalty,” he began and I started to give him a dark look but he held up his hand. “Let me finish. There are responsibilities but there are also benefits. Not having to torture your own enemies is one of the perks.”

  “Wow, I have the strangest urge to laugh but I know it's totally inappropriate.”

  “As if that's ever stopped you before,” he rolled his eyes.

  “You know, you are one of the most human fairies I've ever met,” I nudged his shoulder with my own.

  “I could take offense to that but I don't want to be angry with you, so I choose not to,” he grimaced.

  “I just meant you speak more like a modern human than some medieval knight,” I grinned.

  “I've spent a lot of time among the humans,” he shrugged. “It's kind of my job.”

  “Right, you patrol us and I patrol the fey,” I grinned.

  “Except now you're a fairy too,” he said gently.

  “Yeah, there's that,” I pushed the door open and went in to find Nighean's mother and brother sitting on the bed with her.

  They were stunningly beautiful, with their shivering wings spread out around them like the petals of an alien flower. They looked up at us and all three gave us brilliant smiles. It was like a painting; Nighean in that huge, four poster bed with drapes of gauzy white fabric pulled back behind her. There was a large window to the right, showcasing the starlit sky and outlining Neala so that she seemed to glow. Aodh, on the left, somehow managed to look extremely masculine despite his delicate wings and was a perfect foil to the fragile femininity of the women beside him.

  “Princess Seren,” Nighean motioned me in. “Come meet my family.”

  “I've met them,” I walked up to the bed. “Well, sort of,” I stuck my hand out to her mother first. “I'm Seren.”

  “Nice to meet you, Your Highness,” Neala smiled.

  I repeated the handshake with Aodh and then sat in the chair Tiernan brought forward for me.

  “This is Count Tiernan,” I waved to Tiernan, who nodded to both of Nighean's relatives. “Nighean, now that you're doing better, I wanted to ask you about the Unseelie Court.”

  “Yes, Your Highness?” Her eyes went wide and she glanced at her family apprehensively.

  “Not about what happened,” I assured her and saw her relax a little. “I want to know how many prisoners they have. I saw around six tortured that night, including yourself. Do you know how many more there are?”

  “Perhaps thirty-five or forty,” she whispered. “They've been taking seelie prisoners for as long as I can remember.”

  “There are hundreds of seelie missing, Your Highness,” Aodh said, casting his mother a grim look. “Most are presumed dead which, if Nighean's numbers are correct, is a fair assumption.”

  “Only seelie?” I lifted a brow. “Weren't there any twilight fey there?”

  “Twilight fey are never taken,” Tiernan answered before she could. “They are neutral, like the court and the kingdom, and to take one would be to risk losing this barrier between the Light and Dark.”

  “Except for their princess,” I huffed.

  “Hatred can cloud a man's judgment as easily as love can,” Tiernan said softly. “King Uisdean made a big mistake when he took you and he's very lucky that you escaped. If you hadn't, we'd have gone to war. It was what we were preparing for when you arrived.”

  “War?” I lifted my brows.

  “Princess Seren, you must know the type of man your father is by now,” Tiernan frowned. “He would never have allowed a single one of his fairies to be held prisoner by either court. He would have gone immediately to negotiate their release but for you, there would have been no negotiation. He would have demanded your release and if they didn't instantly comply, it would have been war.”

  “And my uncle was willing to risk that,” I said quietly.

  “I think King Uisdean believes your father to be the sort of king who would do anything for his people,” Tiernan said slowly. “That King Keir wouldn't risk upsetting the balance, even for you.”

  “Uisdean insinuated that my father is weak,” I nodded.

  “Hmph,” Tiernan gave a light snort. “All people see is the kind king who keeps the peace and takes in the strays. King Uisdean has let that color his image of your father. He hasn't seen King Keir fight, much less face him on the battlefield, so he has no idea how strong your father actually is.”

  “Battlefield?” I glanced at the sylphs, who were listening avidly to our conversation. “I thought royals couldn't be killed? Isn't that an unfair advantage in a battle?”

  “Battle is the only time that rule doesn't apply,” Tiernan said grimly. “So if King Keir had declared war on the unseelie, he could have lawfully killed King Uisdean.”

  “Whoa,” I whispered and then something occurred to me. I looked back to the sylphs. “Why doesn't the Seelie Court negotiate for their prisoners?”

  “Our monarchs are unwilling to deal with the unseelie,” Neala's eyes darted away.

  “What if they didn't have to deal with them directly?” I asked. “Or negotiate at all?”

  “What are you thinking?” Tiernan looked at me sharply.

  “Bress led us out through some secret passages beneath the unseelie castle,” I said to Tiernan. “I believe I can find my way back in.”

  “Absolutely not,” Tiernan said.

  “You're not the boss of me,” I growled back.

  “Seren,” he sighed and then corrected himself when he saw the surprised looks the sylphs were giving us. “Princess Seren, you cannot endanger yourself in this manner.”

  “Well I'm the only one who knows the way,” I lifted a brow at him.

  “Then it can't be done,” he shot back.

  “I will do what I feel is right,” I stood and glowered at him.

  “Your Highness,” Aodh interrupted. “If you go back, I will go with you.”

  “Aodh!” Nighean cried. “No, you can't! Don't go there.”

  “A princess of another court is willing to risk her life to save members of ours and you would have me remain behind?” He shook his head. “No, Sister. She saved you and if she is willing to help us save more, then I will help her in any way I can. You have my sword, Princess Seren,” he said to me. “And I may be able to call in a few more.”

  “Wonderful,” I smiled at Aodh, “but we don't need a lot fey with us. This will not be a fight but a stealthy rescue. Hopefully we won't have to engage the unseelie at all.”

  “You will not engage them because you will not be leaving this castle,” Tiernan snapped. “I'll tell the King.”

  “You're going to tattle on me?” I gaped at him. “What are you, three?”

  “I...” he stammered and then crossed his arms across his chest. “I am a member of the Star's Guard and I will protect my princess in any way necessary.”

  “You're a horrible pain in the ass is what you are,” I huffed. “When did you turn into Torquil?”

  “You did not just...” his jaw dropped and then he recovered. “This is not a good idea.”

  “I can't just leave them there, Tiernan,” I swallowed hard. “You don't know what I saw.”

  “Oh, I can imagine,” his jaw flexed and he glanced at the other fey in the room. “There are prisoners in the Seelie Court too, you realize.”

  “What?” I went still and the sylphs shifted guiltily.

  “You thought the unseelie were the only ones who enjoyed torturing their enemies?” He lifted a brow at me. “You, an Extinguisher? You should know better than that.”

  “I do. I know that all fey have the potential to be evil, just as all humans do,” I shook my head. “But after spending the night with the unseelie, I'm feeling a little biased.”

  “The Light Court can be just as cruel as the Dark,” Tiernan declared. “And you rescuing the seelie pr
isoners while you do nothing for the unseelie, will be seen as an act of war.”

  “Excuse me?” A horrible cold ache began to work its way into my gut.

  “You are the Twilight Princess,” he growled. “You are supposed to be neutral, which means you don't interfere. There are laws!”

  “I am the law,” I growled, then frowned, jerked, and blinked rapidly. “And evidently I'm also Judge Dredd,” I shook my head and continued. “I've already told you, I won't stop being an Extinguisher just because I'm...” I waved a hand at my stupid frilly dress.

  “A fairy princess?” He asked dryly.

  “Whatever,” I rolled my eyes. “You said the Fairy Council wants me to continue as an Extinguisher and an Extinguisher would never leave people to be tortured. I will do what I feel is right, being a princess is not going to change that.”

  “If you care anything for your people it will!” Tiernan's eyes were starting to glow. “You think you're being noble, rescuing the seelie? This is the opposite of nobility. This is reckless and very, very stupid, Seren. Your actions will endanger us all!”

  The sylphs gasped and Cat started to growl at Tiernan. I put my hand out to her and she whined, then nudged my fingers.

  “What do I do then, T?” I whispered.

  “First of all, never call me T again,” he sighed heavily. “Second, I have no idea. This has been the way of things for thousands of years.”

  “Could I barter the seelie prisoners in exchange for the unseelie?” I offered and Tiernan's brows lifted.

  “Your Highness?” Aodh asked hesitantly.

  “You got an idea?” I asked him.

  “We also have secret ways into our court,” Aodh glanced at his mother and sister. They both wore horrified expressions but he went on despite them. “If you would free the seelie, I will help you sneak them into our court and also help you free the unseelie for you to secret away back to their court. No one will have any proof of how it was done or who it was done by and although they may have their suspicions, I believe both courts will be so happy to have their fairies returned to them, that they will not delve too far into the matter. Would that satisfy you, my Lord Shadowcall?”