All The King's Men - On HOLD

Ever After Never Came

He had taken a different approach with me. He let me choose whether or not I wanted to feel my suffering, offering me the opportunity to forget all that had come before. I had fiercely rejected him, snarling that I would rather be dead than forget Michael. I could still recall the uncontrollable shaking that had rattled through my bones as I glared at him, terrified that he would steal the only thing I had left—my memories. Unaffected by my anger, he had simply replied, "As you wish," before continuing quietly, "but if in the future, you find yourself rethinking your decision, the offer remains."

Since then I had come close, many times, to seeking his brand of relief; fearing that if I didn't, the pain of my loss would leave me irrevocably broken. It was in those devastated moments, I found myself wishing that I actually did have a choice, but there was simply no option. Michael remembered, so I would remember.

I pushed away my rambling thoughts.

"You look beautiful," I said, forcing more life into my tone. By any standards, she was exquisitely striking. Her long blonde hair curled haphazardly and untamed around her face. It was a few shades lighter than Michael's, and seemed to glow almost white in the moonlight.

Her growth rate had been double that of a human, so it had only taken ten years for her to reach her full maturity, and now she actually stood a few inches taller than me. By human standards, she was twenty years old.

And she would stay like that until the end of time.

Her destiny did not include death. She was an Immortal.

She flushed, pleased with my assessment and spoke excitedly, "Gwion is taking me to the Louvre tonight!" My heart twisted. I knew she was falling for the man I hated. I could see it in her eyes.

When he first took us, I worried became Gwion would try to take Michael's place—become a father figure to her. But it quickly became apparent that he had no intention of physically engraining himself into her life. While he coordinated every aspect of her expensive and elite education, he left everything else up to me. She hadn't even seen him more than a handful of times in passing, and never once spoken with him. I sighed. I enjoyed many years of relief at his distance.

However, she reached her full maturity six months ago, and three months later was the first time Gwion had shown any interest in spending time with her. Of course, I had expected it, because her maturity represented the turning point in relationship to her education. During her formative years, her schooling had been unlimited in regards to her mind. However, once she became of age, she would learn how to use her gifts.

And the only man with enough skill to teach her was Gwion.

I forced my expression into enthusiasm, but couldn't help my repeated warnings, "Faeryn, please be careful with him. You know his age and experience is vastly different than yours." I wasn't able to say anything specifically negative about him to her—again due to his compulsion.

"Mama, you worry too much. He won't hurt me," she sighed.

She was right on that note. Indeed, she was his most prized possession. All who came into contact with her, feared for their life if they took any misstep, or treated her with less than the exceptional quality and care that Gwion demanded. He had killed more than one vampire, in proof of his point. Faeryn never knew, but I did.

I remembered the first time it happened. Gwion had restricted her educators to only an elite level of scholars. Doctors and scientists taught her how to read and write. Of course, her level of accelerated learning meant she had transitioned from reading and writing, into complex mathematical theory and scientific study, within a matter of months. Not satisfied with just teaching her established principles, Gwion often sought out leading-edged researchers, and had been pleased to find a professor successful in the field of micro-biologic healing. He acquired the professor to share and explain his thesis to Faeryn.

She had been quite small at the time. In human years, she was eight. I knew right away that I did not like the new professor. He looked at her too closely, hungrily examining her features from head to toe.

I had never bothered to use the phone Gwion had given me before.

Why would I?

It only contacted him.

He answered on the first ring, his voice subtly panicked by my out of character call. I murmured my desire to have the professor removed from her course of studies. His tone was lethal when he demanded, "What has he done?!"

The hairs on my arms rose, and I hurriedly explained, "Nothing! But he looks at her...wrong."

"I will take care of it," Gwion growled as he hung up.

In under a minute, four of the largest vampires I had ever seen, appeared and physically withdrew the too-curious researcher. It wasn't until later that I overheard he had been tortured and killed. I shivered, regret for his death washing over me, because I knew that it had been my words that had condemned him. It was the first time I realized the severity of the punishment Gwion would inflict, if anyone even had so much as a wayward thought toward her. I had been careful since that day, not to call him, unless I had no other option.

Hisstanding rule of protection and excellence included me as well...Because I washer mother. If something happened to me, it would cause Faeryn distress, and hesimply would not allow that. Gwion had provided me unlimited resources toobtain anything that either of us desired, and ensured that every vampire whocrossed my path, catered to my every need. Frankly, their attention had beenrevolting as they fawned over me, overtly willing to fulfill even my slightestwhim. I didn't want their help or their attention. I just wanted to be leftalone to raise my daughter. My feelings on the matter had quickly beenaccommodated. They never approached me unless it was out of necessity. But Iwas always present whenever there was a vampire attending to or instructingFaeryn. I think Gwion relied on my watchful eye, because her well-being was theone thing we agreed upon.