The Dark and Hollow Places; Book Two

The King and the Sister

            We enter some room and I was surprised to find that it actually had a fireplace. The floor was shiny and an offset white. The table looked like it was made of crystal and the plates were definitely cast iron or something like that. I so needed a tetanus shot if I was eating off those plates. The chandelier above us had burning candles in the slots and the light reflected off the crystals making the room glow. It was a real beautiful room. My eyes then land on someone at the head of the table. An elder man—fey. He had silver hair and a very strong jawline. His beard was a little scruffy and he just gave off power and a scary vibe as well. He must be the Winter King. Master of the Unseelie.

            “Hello father.” Lilith says with a smile. She is holding onto me quite tightly and I wondered why. Also, Garth was nowhere to be seen. He is the one that arranged this dinner.

            “Daughter. Is this the one?” Lilith nods and pushes me forward slightly. I do the only thing I know how to. I just bow in front of him. I wasn’t afraid to push Garth’s buttons, but the King…yeah, not crossing that line. As much as I hated the King, I needed to bide my time.

            “You may rise.” I do and he gestures for me to take a seat. I do and Lilith sits across from me. Unlike Annith’s large table they had a small but gorgeous table meant for four people. I play with my hands under the table for a while and I try to hold back my anger for the King. I really wanted to just wring his neck then and there. The door then opens and Garth comes strolling into the room.

            “Good evening father, sister, Estelle.” I ignore Garth and out of the corner of my eye, the King shakes his head in disapproval. Garth sits at the other end of the table across from the King. It was so hard to be in this room with murderers. The people that turned my world upside down. 

            “So this is the woman that you are so infatuated with?” The King finally speaks and I look up. Garth nods. The King eyes me cautiously as if I was plotting something against him.

            “She is a beauty, but so disobedient and she is not fey. She also despises you and me as well.” The King didn’t miss a thing. He knew me and he knew that I hated his son. Did Garth tell him who I really was and why I was here?

            “That she is father. I will change the way she feels.” Were they really talking about me like I wasn’t in the room? How ludicrous!

            “Stop talking like I’m not here.” I say with a roll of my eyes. Garth just smirks and the King looks offended. It probably wasn’t in his custom to have teenage girls talk back. Lilith just seemed a little surprised by my comment.

            “That mouth will get you in trouble young lady.” The King says. He was surprisingly nonchalant about all this. In my dreams or my visions, he seemed really mean and pretentious at best. I don’t say anything.

            “I may have sent my son to kill one of your kindred and steal a valuable item, but that does not give you the right to disrespect me in my own kingdom!” The King booms. There is an echo. I jump slightly at his loud voice. I look at him.

            “That gives me every right your highness. Why do you think I am here?” I shout. I had no idea where I was getting this courage from. It felt odd to stand up to such a powerful man. Garth finally intervenes.

            “You do have quite the mouth. You really do seem like an Unseelie.” Lilith says. That was the first she said something like that to me and I was sure it would not be the last.  

            “Yes, perhaps we can take her tongue out so she cannot talk. You wouldn’t mind would you, my son?” My eyes dart over to Garth. Take my tongue? These people were crazy! Garth laughed and then shook his head.