FATESWORN

4 ~ all dressed up

"White hair, silver eyes, freckles on her pale white skin..." Maude hums, playing with my hair as she dries it. She just scrubbed me down in a brutal, and somewhat painful bath. She adjusts the way my wings are laying, spread out behind me, and she continues to brush my hair and play with it.

"Does Thorn bring a lot of ... people like me here?"

"Prince Thorn. And .... well, not really. You are the first in a long time, but not the first he's brought here."

"So, um, I'm to meet the King and Queen of the Courts?"

"The High King and Queen are indeed going to meet you in an hour and a half, but.... I am to give you some new
clothes and prepare you for the meeting. So, Kesh, you may ask me any questions you want."

"Why am I here? Other than the fact that I am suddenly a faerie."

"You aren't suddenly a faerie, you were born as such. You just were not aware until recently, I assume. You are a Changeling, and as such, you were placed with mortals to grow up. But now, you are different than you have been. But do you know that your sisters are likely also similar to you? I don't think they are fae, but they are likely.... something else. But your parents were mortal."

"My parents, they're dead," I say.

"Your birth parents are not dead," she says softly. "I am not sure who they are, but ... I know they are likely within one of the Courts. Maybe they're a House, with a title. I don't know, but perhaps we can help you find out who your parents are?"

Maude finishes up, and steps back, placing a crown of crystallized snowflakes and flowers upon my head. I stare at my reflection, my white hair tucked back behind my long, pointed ears. My silver eyes, they seem to glow from within. My pale skin is dusted with makeup, shiny, silver glitter. And the dress she puts me in is long, silky, and a deep magenta color that reminds me of velvet. But no. The dress itself is silky instead.

"You look gorgeous," she says, smiling widely.

"Only because of your hard work," I say. I look at her reflection. "Thank you, Maude."

She nods once and snaps her fingers. As though that was his cue, in comes Cal, that guard from before. He sees us, bowing low.

Maude scoffs.  "Come on, Cal."

"She looks amazing, Maude. Great job."

"I did nothing too big," Maude says, shaking her head, causing her brown hair to sway. She pats me on the shoulder. "Now, your silver wings. Perhaps I should add some glitter to them, too? Or, no .... "

"Leave her wings alone," Cal says. "Prince Thorn wants her to learn how to fly. They're going to start lessons after dinner."

"Um, I'm right here, you know," I snap.

Cal looks at me, and nods. "Yes, I understand. I'm sorry. Well, Kesh, follow me."

I glance at Maude, who smiles and waves. I return her smile, and follow Cal from the room. Cal leads me back up to that massive corridor, and once we reach it, we walk right. He takes me down a new, smaller hall, this one filled with statues and paintings. The art is so lifelike, it's a bit unsettling, if I'm being honest.

We walk down the hall in silence, and I look out the windows, past the thin, white curtains. The cliff outside is perilously close to the castle. And I wonder how the place does not sink into the churning sea below.

I'm about to ask Cal, but then, as we pass a slightly ajar door, I stop. I hear a gruff voice, his tone sharp but quiet.

"You were told to not interfere," he snaps.

"Oh, like you've never done anything like this before," hisses another male fae.

"No, I haven't, not when I knew not to mess up such a mission. You fool! How could you.... you've sabotaged the whole mission upon doing this!"

"Oh, come now, Ismar. I am not a fool, and I didn't sabotage anything!"

Ismar snarls, the sound more animal than anything else. I glance into the room, and see the two fae men, the massive one with dark skin, and bright, blue eyes has the second one pinned to the wall. The second fae man, he growls. He has green skin, but his back is to me.

"You are a fool," Ismar growls at the man. "And if you fuck up the mission once more, I will gladly gut you like a fucking fish!"

"There you are," Cal says, jogging up to me. "Stay beside me. Okay?" His gaze flicks to the door, and he grabs my wrist and pulls me along. "Here's a free tip for life in the fae palace, Kesh. Do not eavesdrop without being careful about it. If you are just standing out in the open like that, then you are likely to be caught. And trust me, no one likes it when they catch a spy."

"Who were they?" I ask.

He sighs. "Ismar, my Third. He's one of the guards. The second male was his lover."

"Wait, so, he talks to his boyfriend like that?"

"They are mates, Kesh. Not boyfriends."

"Um, okay?"

"Just .... be more careful, okay? And stay close to me for now, okay? I do not want you getting hurt."

"Alright," I say. "Sorry."

"Do not apologize, girl. You're alright."