Page 50 of Finding Love with the Fae King

“Um, yes! I am just traveling. I’m visiting my friend in the Cerulean Moon Kingdom and thought I would sightsee.” It wasn’t a lie, so I hope he bought it. “I asked the boy to get me some bread because I am not familiar with your city and forgot to give him money.”

The boy grabbed hold of my cloak and didn’t let go.

“Let us see your face!” one of them bellowed. “We don’t allow many strangers here.”

My heart was beating in my chest until Finley showed up. “Ah, Fargus!” The guard turned around. Finley waved his hand for me to go, and the little boy grabbed my hand and nodded his head to the alley.

Following the boy, several kids in the alleyway stared attentively at the bread. They quickly divided the bread and ate. The little fae children were so small and dirty, and I was sure they were homeless. I could hear Finley still speaking with the guard, and Everett and Braxton showed up.

“Melina, ya sure do know how to get in trouble quickly. What were ya thinkin’?” Everett scolded.

“I couldn’t let him get in trouble. It isn’t his fault he was hungry! Why are the children like this? Are there more of them?” Everett cleared his throat, looking at them sadly.

“Ya, there are more. There is an orphanage just outside the capital that houses them. I’m not sure why they are here.” The little boy grabbed my hand and pulled me down to talk to him.

“There is no more food, and the women who take care of us don’t have any money. They work during the day so they can come home and feed us, but we were just so hungry.” The little boy’s eyes welled up with tears.

I grabbed him and held him to my chest. I pulled him from me and moved his hair away from his face. “What’s your name?”

“Cricket,” he sniffed.

“Well, Cricket”—I stood up and dusted off my dress—“we are going to get some food to take back to the orphanage.”

The kids looked up excitedly.

Braxton walked toward me with a suspicious look. “Your Majesty,” he whispered, “you are to keep a low profile.” I glared back at him.

“And we shall.” I smirked. “We will split the money three ways and meet at the city’s edge. Finley can come with me while you and Everett gather the rest. The children will take us to the orphanage once finished.” Braxton scratched the back of his head, questioning my decision.

“It’s an order, Braxton.” He looked down into my eyes and gave a tight-lipped smile. “Aight, let’s get to it then.” Finley agreed to my demands. We gathered as much food as we possibly could with the coins Osirus gave me, which was a substantial amount, and headed to the orphanage.

Once we left the main part of the city, the homes were more dispersed. Some homes were shacks, while others were well-maintained. Each home had a garden, a few hen-like creatures, and maybe a cow. The orphanage was the furthest house from the initial break away from the fancier homes in the city.

It was a modest building that saidHer Love of Light. It reminded me of a smaller packhouse and older, way older. Bricks were misplaced, and steps were broken, but the roof, walls, and doors were intact to keep out the weather and animals. Walking in, a large living space with rugs, couches, and books lay in the room.

Children ran up to us, wondering what we were doing in the home. Many children called out the name Nana,and Cricket quickly told us she took care of the household. During the day, she and three other women worked to earn money so the children could eat, but they could only bring back so much a day. They run errands and send messages to nearby towns of the Golden Light Kingdom, which doesn’t pay much. The women needed a flexible schedule to come back during the day if needed.

The guards, being big burly men, did not know what to do with the food or with all the extra little eyes watching them, so I motioned for them to put the food on the counter. Taking off my cloak and hanging it on the hook, many children gasped while the guards groaned.

Right, I wasn’t supposed to take that off.

“What are you!?” Cricket came up to me and held my hand again. The children, equally absorbed with excitement, began pulling and poking my skin while I laughed or gasped as they pinched me.

“I’m human.” A noticeable gasp left their lips again.

“I thought they were fairy tales, like the ones that get eaten by witches!” A wide toothless grin smiled from across the room. The fae children snickered as I snorted back a laugh.

“No, we are real. Where I come from, we all think you are not real!” They all stood in shock as they took the new information.

“No way!” Cricket yelped.

I nodded my head. “Yes, way!”

After introductions were concluded and they could touch my ears and check my back for any wings, I got to work stocking the kitchen and making them a warm pot of chili with the meat that Finley had picked out.

“Your Majesty, all these children know who you are now,” Everett hissed at me.

I waved my hand and continued to chop the onion. “If you keep saying, ‘Your Majesty,’ then they are really going to know. They just think I’m passing through. Don’t worry about it.” I continued to chop while the infamous brothers bickered in the corner.

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