Page 3 of Till Kingdom Come

These Fairy soldiers weren’t exactly hostile now as they stood ringed around me in the forest, but they were quite obviously suspicious and unwelcoming. They didn’t say much as they bound my hands behind my back to take me before their lord. I decided it would be in my best interests to do the same.

Seeing as how the Fairy lord had seemed to be so impressed with my tournament skills, I was hopeful that when his soldiers brought me before him that he would remember meeting me at the tournament my father had sponsored the year before.

And he had—he was gracious and understanding and even offered to send word to my family as to my welfare. He brought in one of his physicians to treat my twisted ankle and asked me to stay and have luncheon with him. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.

It was said that if a mortal should ever eat or drink anything in the Liminal, they would never be satisfied by any other mortal food ever again because the food was too delicious. The mortal would then wither away and die. However, my father had said that if the food was freely offered and freely accepted, and it was made clear that the offer of food didn’t lead to any obligation on the part of the mortal, then it was relatively safe to eat—or more than likely anyway.

I decided to risk it, because I was so hungry by that time, and I’d missed my own midday meal altogether. I’d accepted Ellien’s invitation and followed him to his dining room. And indeed, the food was the best and most delicious I’d ever eaten by far. The roast venison was perfectly cooked and tender. The bread was light as the air and slathered with pale, creamy butter. There were all kinds of delicious roasted vegetables grown in the Fairy lord’s own gardens, and golden-brown pies that were filled with goblin fruit, universally acknowledged as the best in the entire world. It was supposed to be so good that it ruined you from ever eating any other fruit. That seemed to be a theme with their food, actually.

I tried to eat sparingly, just in case, but it was no use. I still devoured a huge slice of blueberry pie and had to stop myself from asking for more. All of the meal was washed down by strawberry wine, again made from goblin fruit, and I drank way too much. Enough to be feel a little drunk and dizzy that evening when I finally pushed away from the table and sat down by the fire to have the final glass of port that Lord Ellien insisted on.

It was then that Ellien told me he thought it would be best for me to stay the night in Solaria, because it was too dark to find my way home that night. He said he’d provide someone to show me the way in the morning. He told me he was so glad he’d met me again, because he’d been most impressed by my skills the time he’d seen me fighting with my friends. He flattered me and cajoled me into not worrying about a thing, and he assured me I could go home soon—very soon.

Lord Ellien gave me a bedchamber in the palace to sleep in, and it was more luxurious than any I had ever slept in before. I fell asleep on the soft feather mattress, thinking I’d go home that next morning and telling myself not to worry. When I woke up, it was three days later, and I was feeling ill. Lord Ellien sent his physician to see me again, and he said I needed to rest another day before trying to make the trip back home. Ellien told me he had sent word to my family, and that no one was worried. He’d send me home just as soon as he could free up a few men to take me. But I saw soldiers lounging around the city gate every day. And every time I brought that up to Ellien, he assured me I was mistaken, and they had plenty of important tasks to do there in Solaria. He told me not to worry. He seemed to say that a lot.

And though I enjoyed staying in the palace, I had to admit that I was feeling uneasy—a few days had passed since my ill-fated hunting trip, and I was still there in Solaria, mostly confined to my room.

Lord Ellien was cordial to me—sometimes even seemed to be on the verge of confiding in me—but he maintained a distance between us. And I only saw him at dinner each night.

The Fairy lord had, however, lavished me with clothing, jewelry and anything else my heart could ever desire. I truly couldn’t have wished for more, except perhaps for companionship—I suppose I could have wished for that. I felt very much alone, and I had a feeling like we were all waiting for someone or something—though I couldn’t have said what that was.

And then on the fifth day since I’d come to Solaria, Ellien told me the prince of the Dark Fairies was coming for a visit in the morning. He seemed almost sad about it, which I didn’t understand. When I questioned him, he only shook his head and said, “You’re a nice boy for a mortal, Killian. Much more polite and well-mannered than I’d expected.”

Well, what the hell did that mean? He’d refused to say more.

Did this Dark Fairy prince dislike mortals? Would he disapprove of my being here? I tried to tell myself I probably wouldn’t even meet the prince at all. And there was absolutely no reason for me to feel nervous. That sense of foreboding that I remembered having just before my hunting mishap had probably just been my imagination. Surely it had been. And I was no doubt worried for nothing—for no good reason at all.

Chapter Two

As I dressed that next morning, I pulled on my warm velvet leggings with the matching waistcoat and then pulled out my new rabbit fur coat that Ellien had gifted me with. It was a chilly morning, and the coat was beautiful and warm, especially when paired with the matching boots and hat. Most of my things at home were handed down by my older brothers. It wasn’t really cold enough for the furs, but there was a bit of a chill in the air, and Ellien had sent for me to come down to the courtyard to meet Prince Bracca, so I wanted to look nice.

I was nervous, in case this mysterious prince had questions for me, or was unhappy that I was there inside Solarian territory. I knew Lord Ellien had been nervous about his visit for some reason as well.

There was a loud knock on my door and one of Ellien’s servants came in and bowed to me.

“Killian Honeywood,” he said. The servants had annoyingly taken to calling me by my full name if they called me at all, as I didn’t have a title.

“Lord Ellien has need of you,” he said. “He bids you to come to the courtyard right away to attend him. The prince is about to arrive.”

“Yes. I’m coming.”

“He wants you to bring your sword.”

My sword? Why on earth did Lord Ellien want me to bring my sword with me to meet the royal prince? Surely Lord Ellien didn’t expect trouble. Bracca the Bloodstained was his name, though, (which was just a terrible name, I thought). Was that why Ellien had been so nervous and on edge about his arrival?

I glanced out the window on my way out of the room and saw dark clouds literally hanging over Solaria, which seemed oddly appropriate. Perhaps that was the reason I’d felt so much unease, and even the air itself had felt heavy and oppressive. And now Ellien had called for me and my sword.

I hurried down to the courtyard where Lord Ellien said he would be. He was pacing around the yard, looking agitated. When I came over to him, he took my hand in his.

“I’ve become fond of you over the past few days,” he told me. “If I were to need your help, for anything while the prince is here…I was wondering…would you give it to me?”

“Of course, my lord, but why are you saying this? Is there something wrong?” I asked, feeling confused as to how I was a part of this. “Do you think the prince will be upset by my presence here? Perhaps I should go back inside. Out of sight, out of mind, they say.”

That’s when he gave me an odd look and shook his head. “No, no. I just want to make sure you’ll help me in case Prince Bracca tries to go back on my agreement with him. You have to stay here.”

I had to? I began to get a feeling that something much greater than I knew was going on, and I was the only one unaware of what it was. Everyone else in the courtyard seemed to be giving me sidelong looks. In fact, I seemed to be the center of attention.

“What kind of an agreement did you have with him? I don’t understand.”

---