Fae Lord's Betrothed - Book One

15. The Numerous Facades

He had been trying to help, I got it.

"But you could've used your..," I made hand gestures in the air, trying to explain the powers he possessed, "magic. You put an invisible leash on him. And waited for what?"

The fae lord joined his hands behind his back and stepped forward, closing the distance between us. His emotion-less eyes gazed mine as he spoke with slow clear tone, "For you to take action."

I waited for him to explain more. But his vague words crashed upon me.

What I wanted was for him to step in and finish the work, which contradicted my desire to fight my own battles. It was stupid to ask him to do that. Despite not having any chance against that fae, I should have at least tried. If I could put him off for a few minutes before his blood coated Miza's steel blade, I might have been able to do more.

It was worthless to argue with him when I was wrong. So I changed the subject of the argument.

"What about my sisters? What are you trying to accomplish by calling them at the castle?" I knew his answer. They were the pawns. He called him there to use them to manipulate me, to control me.

That was the truth. Faes were heartless, selfish creatures who were hungry for nothing but power and control. The kings who ruled before him and the ones that will follow- they had one purpose: keep their arses on the throne and everyone else at their feet.

Lord Cayold stood in complete calmness, his pulse not matching with my anxious heart. "I assumed your meeting with Q'ara wouldn't be as futile."

He took lazy steps towards the gate and the darkness beyond while motioning me to stand beside him.

"When you're up against greedy rulers and an impending war, Allura, you cannot afford to make a rash decision. Especially like doing something for unworthy revenge."

Q'ara's disease was contagious. Cayold too loved to speak in riddles.

He leaned against the gate by resting his hands on the top and chose to look at me with serious eyes, "Didn't you notice? There's more than just suspicious attacks going on around here. The stakes are too high and I couldn't just wait for people's body to turn up at our doorstep. I had to do something." He opened the gate and I was no longer able to see his face in the darkness. "I evacuated the humanlands."

It was not a joke. Not even the remains of the people were found there. The street, once filled with curious people interested in other's lives, was silent. And dark. Completely vacant. The food stalls, the cheap jewellery display along the unpaved road- all of it was missing.

My legs retreated backwards, "When?" I asked with hoarse voice.

Cayold faced me. "When I saw you for the first time, you reminded me of myself. You were the human that I was looking for - not for marrying, but the one that would start the revolution I was planning.

"I tried to test your bravery by putting you in the slave chambers. You weren't ready for your battles. However, you did find your way out and I was hoping you would do something."

He shook his head and walked around in lazy gait. "But you failed me. You were too tired to bear the torture but too coward to do anything about it."

Yes. That was me - a coward. All feathers, no flight.

"I told you about the vicious attacks, the depraved order; even the roots that linked to your father. But you cannot go past your hatred for me."

I argued, "You should've explained me. Revealed these plans before. And I would have-"

"You might think that I am free because I am a lord but you're mistaken. I'm just a prisoner who is shackled to the throne. My every move and every word is reported to the capital. No one is to be trusted, not even the guard of the lowest order." He stopped moving and fixed his gaze on me before saying, "Except for people who don't bow to cruel authority, brave enough to hold their heads high even in times of death. I want to trust them with a calamity I'm planning."

I knew who he meant. "Why do you want me to fight your battles? Why a human?"

His intense stare didn't waver as he said, "I want the help of those who've suffered the most - who wants nothing but peace. If we don't fight this war, we are not in a position to complain. We are all doomed."

My head was heavy with all the details. Getting involved with a fae lord was one thing - starting a war among the most powerful creatures was another. And there wasn't much I could do, on a battlefield specifically.

"Do I even have a choice in this matter?" It seemed as if he had thought about everything. How he will use me and how to manipulate me when I don't want to help him.

He let out a sharp breath. "You always have a choice. I will not force you to do something you're not willing to do."

His silver hair shone under the burning torch. His blue eyes were sharp as he dared me to trust his words. A glint of a smile on his face was ready to mock me.

I shouldn't trust anyone. His raw words tickled under my skin and woke something inside of me. But we both knew he shouldn't be trusted. He needed me.

And for the time being, I needed him.

So, that's what we're going to do, help each other a little to fulfil our goals and find a way to finish the rest of it.

Not everything he spoke was a lie. I had to make the best out of my circumstances.

I nodded as I matched his stare. We could agree upon something if we wanted to achieve results. There were many questions but it seemed as if our conversation had ended.

So I said, "Thank you for my sisters." Regardless of his motives, my sisters were safer in the castle than out in the wild. I never thought I'd say that.

A mischievous smile covered his face and replied. "It's the least I could do for my betrothed."

I wondered if I made a mistake agreeing with him.