The Fairy King

Seelie Court

We had walked for a while in silence. Ariella was slightly ahead of Gerry and I. I didn’t see Bryant or Deriven, Awen was off to our left. Gerry stopped walking. We were standing on a slight rise. The others more or less below us.
“Raven?” he said. I turned to look at him. He had his hands on his hips, eyes scanning the area. It was still slightly weird to see the beard, but maybe I have changed too. It's not like I had a mirror with me.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“Does it seem to you we have had it a little too easy?” he asked. I looked at him open mouthed.
“Easy?” I nearly shouted. He turned to look at me.
“Oh right, you don't know the everwood. It is filled with dangerous plants, rocks and creatures. We haven't come across much other than the witch. Now we are maybe a day out from the Seelie court. Where are the scouts?” he asked. Now this had me scanning the area.
“Maybe another group is ahead of us, took them out?” I suggested.
“Or we are being herded.” I jumped as Bryant's voice came from behind me. I hadn't heard him come up. Gerry turned to look at him.
“Want me to scout?” he asked.
“No!” I shouted before Bryant said anything. “That is way too dangerous.” I cried.
“Easy, Rav. I am a leprechaun.” With that my friend vanished before my eyes. Spinning I tried to find him. I heard him call my name. He was already far across the meadow we were in. I could hardly see him as he waved, then winked out again.
“So, I’m the slowest member of the group. If you weren’t all coddling me you would have this journey done with by now. Is that it?” I asked. Turning I realized I was alone on the mound. Bryant had left as quietly as he had arrived. I threw my hands in the air and marched off in the direction of Ariella.
I walked alone. From time to time one of the fairies would make an appearance. Usually to correct my direction. Nothing jumped out at me. Nothing tried to eat me or steal me away somewhere. I thought maybe it was because of the others keeping them off of me. That changed when I walked through some hanging vines.
I shoved the curtain of green out of my face as I made my way through them. The last strands seemed to cling to my hair. It took me a second to get them out of my eyes. When I did, I was in the center of something I was pretty sure I didn’t want to be.
There was a small female fairy kneeling on the ground. She was naked hands bound behind her back. Her hair was as green as the vines I just got out of. Two male fairies stood on either side of her. They were holding long poles. Another fairy was off to my right he held some kind of multiple whip in his hand. The males had helmets on of rusty brown color. Sort of like the orange you see just before the sun set.
I was grabbed from behind and shoved to my knees. “Who are you?” a high pitched voice screamed from behind me.
“A traveler. I got lost in the everwood.” I said keeping my head down. Someone snagged my hair pulling it upward.
“You have a name traveler?” a soft female voice asked calmly.
“Raven.” I said. The female came around so I could see her face. She stood before me in a regal dress made of vines and flowers. She had a golden flower crown circling her head. Her sky-blue eyes flickered with power.
“Raven.” She purred. “An unusual name for a fairy.” She commented.
“Why is that? What is your name?” I asked. This must have been the wrong thing to say as a boot struck my side, a fist collided with my jaw. I fell to the ground.
“Enough!” she barked. It felt like lightening crackled around us. “set him back up.” She ordered. The guard that kicked me pulled me back to my knees.
“I am the princess of the Seelie court, Raven.” She bent to look at my face.
“Sorry, I'm not from around here. That doesn’t give me your name.” she giggled like a little girl. Her smooth finger traced the line of pain on the side of my face.
“I like you. Take him with us. He can watch to see what happens to those who defy me” she waved her hand. The others quickly righted the poles. Using magic, they buried the end into the earth. Vines snaked out to grab the naked girl. She cried out as they wrapped around her wrists and ankles. Pulling tight she was suspended about three feet above the ground. Her long hair covered her front, but a guest of wind came out of nowhere to blow it back. She was laid bare.
“Fifty lashes, this time.” The princess demanded. She stood at my side. I could see her cruel grin as the man with the whip stepped forward. I assumed they would whip her across the back. I mean I have seen so many movies like that. Then again, this wasn’t a movie.
The whip came down across her gentiles. She cried out. I flinched at every crack. I tried to close my eyes. Each time I did lightening would zap my arm. I was forced to watch as she was abused in the most intimate way possible.
It took several minutes, but finally it was done. The girl hung from her bindings screaming and crying. The vines released her all at once. She fell the few feet to the hard-packed ground. Crying out once more she curved herself into a ball.
“Take her to the dungeon. Bring the elfling with us.” I was yanked to my feet. My backpack pressed against my back because the idiots hadn’t taken it off before they bound my hands together. I walked in their wake. Hoping that this was all part of Bryant's messed up plan. Did he even know I had been captured?
I looked around as we walked a well-traveled path. A flash of gold in the sunlight caught my attention. Looking up I saw Gerry and Ariella standing on a tree branch together. They were hidden in the foliage. I assumed they ley me see them so I would know they were there
If that were the case, then where were the warriors? I thought. We moved up around a rocky tunnel. As the narrow passage opened up what greeted me had my breath gasp out. It was beautiful. We stood above a blessed land. The green of the trees was darker than anything I had ever seen. There were flowers of colors I had no name for. Water flowed from a falls separating the land with its sparkling beauty.
I was led around the rocky ledge. It was hardly wide enough for my foot. I had to be careful as we maneuvered the ledge.  It wound halfway around the mountain. There was a bridge of vines over a very deep gorge. I walked out over it. Looking down I couldn't see the ground. It fell away into darkness.
On the other side I searched for some type of palace that they may be taking me too. I saw nothing that would qualify. We reached a fork in the path. The naked girl was dragged off to the right which lead down into rocky terrain. The other path looked like it went right into the rocky wall.
This was where the princess went. She placed her hand on the wall. Spoke a language I had never heard. A door appeared under her hand. She tossed me a grin over her shoulder. We entered darkness. I was thrust forward a few feet. I heard some rustling. There was a scream, I was sure it was the princess. The hands of my captors left me. I turned around.
There were sounds of scuffling. Then an eerie stillness took over the world. A soft click was heard in the stillness. I counted four heartbeats before a golden green light lite up the chamber.
“Hey there, Rav. You ok?” Gerry asked as he held his glowing hands up. Ariella and Awen light torches from holders on each side of the chamber. Deriven cut the vines that bound me. The princess was held tightly to Bryant's side. Her hands bound behind her.
“Well I guess that went about as smooth as possible. Fancy that we met the princess though. Aren't you supposed to be in the North Castle this time of year, your highness.”  Bryant demanded.
“You filthy Unseelie bitch!” she spat at him. “Let me go or this will be an act of war!” she snarled.
Bryant held a finger before her face. She drew back. He booed her nose. “It is only an act of war if I remove you from Seelie lands. Since we are in the freaking palace, I don’t think this counts.” He tugged her forward. “Let's go.” He demanded.
“What is her name?” I asked Gerry.
“Princess Gardena.” He frowned at the name.
“Like the flower?” I asked. He nodded. I scowled.
“And you said my name was weird.” I hissed at her.
“No one is named after the bird of death in Seelie!”  she glared at me. “I should have known by the name alone you would be Unseelie scum!” She wrinkled her nose.
“Yet, you thought I was elfin, not fairy.” I pointed out. She spun her head around to ignore me. Another nod to a possible elfin heritage. I sighed this was going to drive me insane. Maybe in fairyland you had to be bat shit crazy to rule. I thought as the dark tunnel lead onward.
I watched the princess as we wondered onward. Bryant had tied up the guards and left them unconscious at the door we had come through. He led us without a look back at her. I had a feeling he was only following the tunnel.
She turned her head twice smiling at nothing but dark rock. I stopped walking. I was sure I wouldn't hear the footsteps of any fairy trailing us. My hand caught Deriven's arm as he came up beside me. I spoke as softly as I could, telling him what I saw.
A flick of his hand and Bryant spun to look at him. They used hand gestures. Then Deriven pushed me to Ariella. Her soft hand took ahold of mine. Gerry and Awen moved to the walls of the tunnel. They were looking for more doors. I knew they wouldn't find them.
I pulled free of Ariella. Moving forward I took the princess from Bryant. “I am Raven Stormweather, Prince to the Unseelie lands.” I told her. Her eyes flashed. She seemed quite pleased to hear this.
“Your men are trying to trap us.” I said. She gave nothing away. I smiled. Reaching down I lifted her hand up. Pulling a knife from my pack I cut a line across her palm. She hissed. The second her blood hit the ground lights erupted along the chamber. There were shouts behind us.
“Bryant!” Gerry yelled. The captain of the guard spun to face three attackers. The space was too small to fight in.
“Gerry, you're the smallest.” I cried. He leapt past me vanishing as he reached Bryant. I don’t know what he did but our path ahead was soon cleared.
“I got the princess.” I said dragging her forward. Gerry and Bryant lead us to the end of the tunnel. I placed her hand against the wall.
“Open it. You know there is an ambush waiting for us on the other side.” She looked at me. Her mouth became a thin line as she pressed it tightly closed. I laughed. I could feel something rolling inside me.
“Fine then. Move.” I said it looking into her eyes. Gerry pulled Bryant away. My hand flashed out. The wall exploded away from me.
“Their deaths are on you, your highness.” I thrust her after the warriors through the wall. I pushed her into the arms of a guard as I pulled out the pipe in one hand and a long-bladed sword in the other. I didn’t think. I spun with the motion of what felt right. Spinning across the open marble space, I followed Bryant.