Happily Ever After: A Contemporary Romance Boxed Set

by Piper Rayne

  “Chamberlain? Your opinion?”

  “It is a relatively obscure law, Sire. I would have to refresh myself on its finer points at any rate, but as with his hand, I’m also not sure how his mortality would figure into things. Such fragile creatures, humans... Picture the first match alone. Say they each score five or so cuts, and by some miracle the fairy yields. The next match starts, and there’s the human, already with five cuts, still bleeding. Unimaginable, but so.”

  Trial by combat. I had seen one once, so long ago I could barely remember. I was still a child and my mother was still in Peabody. It took weeks to complete. I could not remember what the man’s crime was and I don’t think I knew then either. I just saw him fight for around an hour a day. He and a member of the army would face off in the arena cutting each other until one yelled “yield.” Each day he had to face as many soldiers as would fight him; the soldiers being rewarded with extra food, or a special consort for the night. The arena was always offering entertainment, but it was usually those soldiers who were picked as performing poorest during drills that fought for our amusement. It kept the troops training hard, for though we healed instantly, getting cut still hurt all the same. How many years must it have been since a criminal was in the arena?

  Chamberlain was right. With even every small cut counting against the stranger, he was at an enormous disadvantage. How could he be expected to stand up to the whole army one after another? I wanted to cry out but Simon’s greedy eyes on my body told me not to.

  “I’ll hack him to pieces myself just to have done with all this,” he said, egging me on.

  “Enough, Simon,” my father said. “Trial by combat. We’d have to come up with some sort of explanation as to why he’s being treated differently. Can you do that, Chamberlain?”

  “I believe so, Sire. I’ve a basic idea already, in fact.”

  “One less human in the world,” Father said as he sipped some wine. “I like it. Even being nearly our size they’re filthy animals, they’re just... Filthy. That cut on his arm! Bleeding and bleeding.”

  “He can’t bleed forever. He’ll run out of blood,” Simon said.

  “Father,” I begged. “You gave up the idea of taking his hand, agreeing it would only be a facade of justice. Yet, you admit to knowing this idea is also killing him outright. All he did was take food when he was hungry. He doesn’t deserve—”

  He backhanded me so fast I didn’t have time to blink, sending my half-sisters into another fit of giggling. “I said I wanted to hear nothing more from you! This is a court matter. It doesn’t concern a woman at all. I said to know your place. Clearly, you don’t. I will show it to you. Guards! Put her in the stocks for a full turn of the earth!”

  I made sure not to look at Simon or Lily as I was taken away. Their eyes would be filled with a gleeful malice. I did not want it to be the last thing I saw before being locked up. I was sure I would see Simon later, anyway. Yet, even that was not what troubled me the most. I realized that being locked up for a day would prevent me from keeping my promise to visit the stranger that morning. He was the only reason I cried as they led me away.

  Sebastian

  * * *

  The sun had been up for a while when, to my relief, they brought breakfast to my cell. I sat against the section of wall taking stock of my situation: I had escaped Regina, the witch who imprisoned me, costing me a gash on my arm. She had planned to starve me until she got what she wanted or until I died. I wandered lost for several days, growing hungry and weak. For now, I was thankful for the cell. It was dry and I had food. I had been apprehended by fairies just about the moment I found food. That was pretty terrible. I didn’t resist them in any way, yet they kept handling me as roughly as possible. One of them, Simon, kept hitting my wounded arm and making it bleed again. I was thrown on the ground in front of the king, stood back up, stripped, gawked at, insulted, and thrown in this cell. It was frustrating and humiliating, but I had been through worse.

  The worst was probably wondering what was going to happen to me all that first night. For all I knew they were going to execute me or let me starve. At one point, Simon came to show someone else “that neat thing” that happened when he struck my arm. Then, she visited me. And somehow, it changed everything.

  I looked up wearily, and to my surprise I saw a girl. She wore a light blue dress, her hair tied back with a matching ribbon. By her eyes, I recognized her as the one who was next to the king at that parade.

  Everyone else had looked at me with a certain contempt or disgust. This girl just looked at me. In her eyes I saw empathy and curiosity. To the others, I was nothing more than an odious novelty, worth no further consideration. I remembered her promise to visit me. She said “in the morning.” Hopefully soon, I thought as I finished eating. Maybe she’ll know what’s going to happen to me too.

  Finally, I heard someone coming. I must have been more excited to see her than I’d realized, for I found myself on my feet instantly. But it wasn’t her and she wasn’t alone. Three girls, none of them Darian, arrived at my cell and peered in at me. I was happy to see them until I saw the one in the middle who the others seemed to look to. There was a directness to her gaze that made me uneasy, especially given our positions. I felt like a piece of meat being sized up. They fell silent as they stood in front of my cell.

  “Hi,” I said, unable to hide my nervousness.

  They said nothing to me. “He talked to us!” one of them giggled to the one in the middle.

  So that was it. They were just gawking. I went and sat back by the wall, to wait until they were gone.

  “What should we do?” the tallest whispered.

  “You, come here,” the one in the middle said.

  “What for?”

  “I am the king’s daughter.”

  “Okay.”

  When she realized I didn’t plan to say any more than that, or to obey, she grew furious. It wasn’t the fury of a spoiled girl, though. There was no tantrum, not even a raised voice. “If you do not do as I say, I will have you tortured for dishonoring me.”

  It was a simple statement of fact. She may have even wanted me to defy her so she could make good on her threat. I wasn’t willing to risk it and walked to the bars trying to hide my fear.

  “Look at his arms,” one said. “All hairy, just like Braxon said, Lily. …I told you.”

  So that was the middle one’s name. Lily. She looked at me and unfurled her wings a little, studying me for a reaction. They were clear, only visible because they refracted the light, much like soap bubbles would. I didn’t respond and she snorted and closed her wings again. “Do you really have that hair all over your body?” she asked quietly, as if she were trying to get me to admit to some dark, guilty secret.

  “I don’t know. Kind of,” I said.

  “Show me.”

  “What?”

  “Strip!”

  The other two girls looked at each other in surprise, giggling nervously with bulging eyes. If this was some plan of Lily’s, they clearly weren’t in on it.

  Slowly, I removed my coat and shirt. Their laughter grew less stifled at the sight of my chest hair.

  “Take that off,” one said, pointing at my bandage. It’s like a game to this one, she’s laughing.

  “Well?” Lily said. I looked at her, not comprehending. “I said, strip!”

  She wanted me to take off everything. Okay, you’ve been seen naked before. Sure, never in such circumstances though. Never as a...specimen. Still, my unexplained fear of her outweighed any sudden embarrassment I felt over my body. I took off my shoes, then my pants.

  Now they laughed openly. “Oh my... Between his legs! Do you see?”

  I moved to cover myself.

  “No, put your hands down. By your sides,” Lily ordered.

  I grew even more uncomfortable when she again showed me some of her wings, this time not subtle at all about looking for a reaction from me. I wondered what effect clear wings were supposed to have on fa
iry men. Would a fairy in my position now be sporting an erection, in spite of the situation?

  “Does your skin really pour out foul water?” one of the other girls asked.

  “What, sweat?” I asked.

  “Sweat,” they repeated more to themselves than me.

  “You smell terrible,” Lily said, looking me in the eyes.

  “I haven’t been able to bathe in over a week,” I said.

  “What nonsense is that?” she asked.

  “Bathing, where I wash away that bad smell.”

  “Oh, Piper, let’s get him a ‘bathe.’ I want to watch!”

  “No,” Lily said. “Let him die in filth, like the animal he is.”

  “What?” I asked. “Die?”

  Lily smirked. “Yes. You’re going to die tomorrow. You’re going to fight Simon and you don’t stand a chance. He’s immortal. He won’t stop until he’s laid you open.”

  “Fight? I don’t want to fight anyone. Why can’t I just go?”

  “Because you’re a criminal.”

  “I was just hungry.”

  “We get hungry. We don’t go taking what isn’t ours.”

  I felt weak. My legs began to tremble, and flashes of light came in globs between black spots in my line of vision. I moved to sit. “No, stand here,” Lily said. “I’m still taking in how hideous you are.”

  “Bella,” she finally said to the other girl. “Touch it.” She pointed between my legs.

  Bella shrieked in mock terror. “What?”

  Lily turned that same glare on her. “I’m not kidding. Do it.”

  “All that hair, it’s gross...”

  I had unintentionally taken a couple steps back. Lily snapped back to face me and said, “If you do not get back over here and let her do it, I will have the guards lop it off. Come here.”

  I moved forward and closed my eyes. I heard them argue more. “Please, Lily. Don’t make me touch an animal’s privates!”

  “Make it hard,” Lily commanded her.

  Then I felt the touch of a cool hand on my flesh. It began stroking me. “Eww...” I heard Bella say under her breath.

  “Well?” Lily asked, and I knew she was talking to me.

  “Sorry, I’m just not in the mood,” I pleaded, hoping she could at least understand that much.

  I opened my eyes. Bella had her eyes closed and her head turned away. Piper, apparently the other of the three visitors, and Lily were watching without a hint of shame. Finally, Lily laughed out loud. “Well, I sure feel sorry for human females, if this is all they ever get to deal with. Limp, useless, smelly, vile. And a complete coward. I will enjoy watching a real man slice you up tomorrow. Bella? Stop doing that. Just squeeze tight.”

  “What, like this?” Bella asked, holding me.

  Lily kicked her arm, causing her to give me a very painful tug.

  I cried out and fell backward.

  “By the way,” Lily said over my gasps of pain, “I know a girl named Darian came to visit you last night. Don’t expect her to come back. She was as disgusted by you as I am when she finally sobered up. She’s been hiding in shame all day.” She laughed and walked away, the other two following behind her. Bella looked back, possibly feeling guilty. I laid on my side, trying to catch my breath. Eventually, I crawled over to my clothes and dressed myself.

  I sat against the wall and drew my knees to my chest. Tears ran down my face. I wondered where Darian was, wishing she would visit. I wondered if she would come at all. I didn’t believe what Lily said about her being disgusted by me, but I could believe she’d lose interest in me. It wasn’t the first time that had happened.

  Darian

  * * *

  I had been locked in the stocks for several hours. Usually, the stocks and flogging were the most severe punishments for women and men respectively. Each had their lighter points, I supposed. The men’s punishment was over faster, but it was done in public, where anyone who wished could see. The men would be tied to a rack and whipped however many times they were sentenced to. Then, any others who held a grudge against them for anything were allowed to take as many strikes as they felt were deserved. Then it was over, just like that.

  Women were taken to a private room, where the pillory was located, and locked in. This could be for anywhere from a few hours to several days, but a day or less was standard. Once locked in, others could go in one at a time, officially for the purpose of speaking with the prisoner. However, it was widely known that anything went. This usually resulted in the girls being visited by several of their past consorts for what amounted to playful or even forced sex.

  Of course, with me, things were different. There were no past consorts. I would marry that hateful prince who didn’t even view me as a real princess. At least, here, I could escape that awful mattress.

  Footsteps approached.

  “You visited him last night, didn’t you?”

  It was Lily! My stomach knotted. This could be ugly and quick.

  “Who?” I asked, feigning ignorance.

  “Dear sister...” She walked and stood in front of me, looking down. She reached out and cupped my cheek, then raked her nails across my face.

  I screamed.

  “If you’re going to play dumb with me, this is going to take longer than even I want it to.”

  What does she care if I visited him? “Ow...” I cried, stalling. “What does it matter?”

  “No, you don’t get to ask questions.” She grabbed my hair and pulled down, choking me on the stocks. “You did, didn’t you?” she repeated when she finally let go.

  Gasping for breath, I could only nod.

  “You did always get along with the animals so well... Why were you so concerned about him at breakfast today? Did you fuck him or something?”

  “Lily! No!”

  She snorted. “Alright, alright. I’m glad to hear not even you would get that desperate. I can’t say I’d be that surprised, though. I’m thinking back, Darian... You haven’t ever had a consort, have you? I can’t imagine what that’s like.”

  “Well, I didn’t...”

  “You must be desperate for some attention, though. Father warned you and you got yourself thrown in here anyway. Don’t worry, Simon will be in to give it to you soon enough.”

  My face reddened. “What do you know about that?”

  Lily laughed. “I know that it was my idea, from the very first time.”

  I didn’t get locked up often, but it happened on occasion. For ages, Simon had come in and tormented me whenever I did. Even knowing Lily as well as I did, to hear that she was behind it shocked me.

  “So, let me ask you this,” she said, kneeling and getting close so I could feel her breath on my face. “Do you want to fuck him?”

  “No...”

  “See, I just don’t believe that.” Before I could clench my fist, she grabbed my pinky finger in hers. She bent it back, making me grimace. “Why else would you go see him, alone, on the night of a big dance?”

  “I always go off alone when there’s a dance!” I screamed in pain. She knew that... “I felt sorry for him, okay? That was it!”

  “That was it? Really?” She bent my finger farther back.

  “I was curious about him!” I cried. “That’s it, I swear!”

  “Hmm,” she said, letting go. “Maybe you’re telling the truth. Well, I hope so. Or else this might make you jealous.”

  “What?”

  She stayed knelt next to me and got closer. She purred into my ear, “Well, Bella and Piper and I went to see him. I showed him my wings and got him to take all of his clothes off for us. He even let Bella play with his dick...” She drew away. “What do you think of that?”

  I knew she wasn’t lying, but there was always some trick to anything she said. I couldn’t picture it happening. Yet I did feel something like jealousy. Only it wasn’t, not exactly. Maybe it was closer to pity. I couldn’t be sure.

  “I don’t care,” I said.

  “You obviou
sly do. Darian, you’re such a bad liar. It’s going to get you into trouble one day. Hmm. Maybe later today. Have a great time, sis. I think you’ll get out of here just in time to see your new friend skinned alive tomorrow. Simon’s been sharpening his sword. It will cut a piece of grass that falls on it, it’s so finely honed. By the way, I don’t know if you were planning to visit the prisoner today, but I made sure to tell him not to expect you. Don’t worry, now he knows how much he disgusted you.”

  With that, she left.

  My mind went from wondering what he was thinking about the fact that I had not kept my promise to visit him, back to pointlessly wondering what had actually happened with him and my half-sisters. Of course he’ll end up liking them better. You can’t keep a simple promise, and they’re pleasuring him. One of the worst things about the stocks was I could not escape my own mind. I couldn’t go running or lose myself in nature. I couldn’t even spread my sore wings and attempt to fly; always a last resort these days.

  The door opened again, and the very worst part about being in the stocks entered the room. My knees went weak with fear when I heard Simon chuckle. “Hello, Princess,” he said, almost laughing at the title of ‘princess.’ He knew I was a real princess too but loved that no one else seemed to care. For the first time, I wished my betrothed prince would pull me out of here. There was nothing left for me now in Peabody. Maybe in Orion’s kingdom, the other fairies would at least leave me alone.

  I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. It was hard enough not to cry in anticipation of what was coming. Simon’s was the only touch I had known from any man, and this was the only circumstance.

  He walked around and bent so he was looking me in the face. “What’s the matter? Can’t say ‘hello?’”

  I looked down.

  He sighed and stood. “Well...quite a display there at breakfast. A bit worried about your new friend, are you?”