The Faerie Blade

Chapter 17

He stood in the shadows of the forest, watching the castle in the last light of dusk. Soldiers paced the wall, alert for any sign of danger. Some of those were females, which he greatly disapproved of. Rora had insisted that their glamour was as strong, if not stronger, as the males'. He had pointed out that physically, they would always be weaker, but Rora had made up her mind and would not be swayed.

When his spell had found the daughter of King Othur's half human daughter, he had thought her easy to manipulate, to control as all female Fae were. Almost all. He should have known that her human nature would have made her more stubborn, as he had found out in the two years he had spent training her.

In fact, she had the strongest will out of any Fae he had ever met. It was as hard as iron. Poisonous iron.

She reminded him of his brother Cai, who could be just as stubborn about what he thought was right. Equality for all Fae, regardless of class. Myrddin had killed both him and his father when he...

Dark memories rose of the day he had found out that Cai was not his blood brother. He had chosen to stay with them because even if they were not blood, they were his family by choice. Cai's ideals, his father's hearty laughs and encouragement...when they were taken away, he descended into a place where he just. Did not. Care.

He had let his brother's values and dreams fade. Let the memories of him fade. It was like killing him for the second time, he realised that now.

"What would you make of me now, fy mrawd?" he whispered. If he closed his eyes, he might just remember his face, stern with disappointment. Rora had resurrected him with her words today. Cai would have approved of Rora. Turned his back on the atrocity that he had become. As he remembered the injustices he had committed, a heavy guilt began to plague him. He turned and paced heavily away, deeper into the woods. He was not using his brain when he created an opportunity for the Fate's Hand: Gwen had left the safety of Camelot, pregnant with his child. Somehow, he had to rectify or mitigate that, to allow Rora the chance to be the King all of Avalon needed.

Damn the female for somehow reaching into his soul and awakening this part of him that he had buried long ago when he was an idealistic young Fae, idolising his brother Cai.

Damn her for bringing his conscience back to life.