A Faery Tale - Finished

One Night With The Fae - Part Two

- Brathnach -

Brathnach could tell the Unseelie Queen had arrived even before he turned around. He was already feeling the bloodlust rise within him as it reacted to his own Queen’s charms. Licking his lips, his everlasting smile made the troll who had stepped in his way shake with fear. One swift slice of his sword beheaded the creature.

Brathnach felt better, he couldn’t bear the ugliness of trolls touching him. He debated whether to kill another, but the bloodlust was appeased for the moment, so he carefully cleaned his sword on another troll’s garments. The creature refused to look him in the eye, and that saved his life. Brathnach enjoyed this fearful respect. If he couldn’t kill any of the Unseelie Court then he would certainly make up for it with the solitaries and the hosting Irish fae.

But something made him turn and look across the room. Something small, but insistent. It didn’t concern him that he was compelled to do something. That was normal for him; he barely even noticed. It was the life he had chosen long ago, to lose his own will to fulfil another’s. He spied the human girl with pleasure. Her skin was draining of colour from dread by the time he caught her eye. She was afraid of him, but he could see his Queen’s lust working her magic in the human’s eyes. A pretty human, one who would make an excellent sacrifice. Her jet black hair would remind the Queen of her own father, always a plus.

He made his way back to his Queen, her auburn locks glistening under lights held by the smallest sprites who hovered behind her throne. They were there to highlight the Queen’s attributes, but as far as Brathnach was concerned, she didn’t need any help in this regard. She glanced back at him under her eyelashes as a reward when he knelt before her. Her fingertip stroked one drop of blood from his cheeks and wetted his lips with it instead. He licked eagerly despite the fact it was sour troll blood.

This pleased the Queen; she gave him a rare genuine smile. He savoured the sight, knowing it would get him through an otherwise dull evening. He loved his Queen. Idolised her, in fact. Mirela was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Even without her spell casting, he would have loved her completely. It was she who had cursed him with a smile that would last an eternity, but he forgave her for it because he was a devoted subject.

“My Lady,” he murmured so none would hear him apart from her. “There is a girl here. A human girl. She would make a most willing sacrifice tonight, would she not?”

His Queen jerked up her head and found the only non-fae in the room immediately. Her cruellest smile lit up her features, thrilling Brathnach to the bone. He would serve his Queen to the end. She ruled with love and lust and an innate cruelty that appealed to Brathnach’s nature. He saw how pleased she was and noted that this was an opportunity to step above the lesser Queen of the Unseelie Court. He despised that one with all of his heart. If he could break the treaty and destroy her, he would. But tonight was the one night in a century when the two courts came together and the rules were clear. Any unlawful bloodshed instigated by either Queen’s court would result in war and who knew what side the solitary fae would choose. It would be too dangerous to follow his heart’s desire because the solitaries were too stupid to be loyal to the One True Queen.

He had to quell his inner feelings and natural instincts for one evening. But he could make up for it by taunting the lesser Queen with a special sacrifice to his own Lady. She would be humiliated if he gifted the true Queen with a sacrifice on the one night it should be impossible. It would have major significance. It was forbidden for the courts to lure humans to the festival but if one should arrive uninvited, well, that was the perfect loophole. He had to take advantage. His Queen leaned over him and bit his earlobe sharply.

“Dearest slave. Your loyalty knows no bounds. I shall accept a human sacrifice in my name. Go, find one of the hosts and bade them to take the human and keep her safe from prying eyes until we are ready. You may guard her if you wish.”