by A C Wilds
“It was. I have never had something so intense before.” I agree, because I can’t lie now. “Did you feel that between us? I can’t really describe it, but it felt like something clicked together. Like a piece of a puzzle I didn’t know I had fell into place. It was intense and beautiful. It woke something up in my soul.”
He takes a second to think over what he is going to say. Should I tell her what happened? Will she freak out and run away? He says this in his mind. I know it because it’s similar to how Red talks to me.
I already know. I say back in my thoughts, sending them over to him.
His eyes get huge, and he looks over at me like he can’t believe it. “How did you know?” he says out loud.
“You mean besides you stating it before you came? I felt it. My soul told me. I know it sounds weird, but it’s the truth.”
“It doesn’t sound weird at all. I know exactly what you mean. I didn’t think it was possible for me. After almost 600 years alone, I thought it was never going to happen.” He then gets a look of urgency in his face. “We must not tell anyone. This could put you in even more danger than you already are.”
“What do you mean, danger? I knew I was in a shit situation, but I didn’t think I was in any danger.” I say, sitting up.
“There are enemies at the court. People who do not want change, my father included. They want to keep things as they have been for over 2,000 years, and you are the only thing standing in the way of that.”
“So why not get rid of me altogether? It seems quite ridiculous to betroth me to the heir of the Seelie Court if I am such a threat.”
“It’s the only way to keep both sides happy. It ties you to the magic of the court, and it keeps you with your title intact, even if you never would get a chance to actually use it.”
“That makes no sense. How can the magic of the court prevent me from changing anything?”
“Once you pick a side, that is the side that will rule the Earth and have control over the Faerie portals until the next Changer comes along. By marrying into the court, it means you are picking a side.”
“So, your father is taking my choice away. He was going to blackmail me into choosing his side without giving me the knowledge he was doing so. That fucking bastard!” I start to get hot again all over. It comes quicker this time. It feels different too. There is an electricity to it. I feel a tingle creeping down my hands instead of the warmth I’ve felt before. It happens so quick, but my hands fly out of my own accord and lighting pours from my fingertips in a bright stream. It strikes the chair in the corner and blows it apart like it was made out of matchsticks.
“Holy fucking shit! What did I just do?” I shriek. I can’t believe that just happened!
“It seems like our mating gave you some of my powers. That’s particularly interesting. I wondered what other powers might manifest, but I didn’t foresee this happening. We are going to have to work on your control though. You can’t just go around and blow up things.”
“I need a drink, and maybe a joint. This is fucking ridiculous. I don’t think my heart can take much more of this.” I throw myself back on the bed with an exasperated sigh.
Fake it ‘till You Make it
Azra
The morning comes too quickly. I roll over and look for Cass, but he is gone and only his scent lingers on the sheets. I lay there for a minute thinking about all that happened yesterday. It really was an amazing day, all things considered. I still can’t believe that Cass and I are mated. I never got to ask him anything more about it, since we decided to repeat our first time another two times last night. It was magical in every sense of the word.
I pull back the covers and stand up. There is a note on the side table next to the water pitcher. It says:
Every part of me wanted to stay. It’s just not safe. See you at the stables. Remember, no matter what happens, or what is said today, you have all of me.
It’s not signed. I guess he is serious when he says it could be dangerous for us to be together. I wonder what this is going to mean going forward? I like Cass, I really do. My feelings about all that is happening here hasn’t changed though. I hope he will be true to his word and help me fix things. He seems to fill a void that was inside me, but it doesn’t feel complete; almost like there is room for more.
I shake off my thoughts and go through the motions of getting dressed. I promised Red I’d come down to see him, but I am hungry. I didn’t really eat much last night considering the company, and I feel weak and a bit exhausted from all the exercise I got with Cass. I make my way into the kitchens to see if I can maybe take some food from the fridge or pantry. I do not want to see that fucker Michael today.
Getting there seems to be a routine for me, so when I push past the doors, no one looks up at me. Dot is standing in the corner talking to another woman, so I walk over to them.
“Morning! Hey Dot, do you know where I can get something to eat? I don’t have time to get to the dining room. I’m heading out to start training with Red today,” I say to her sweetly, with the best smile I can manage. The other girl looks over at me like I have 42 heads. I guess a lot of the Fae don’t come down here.
“Sure, let me show you where the extra food is stored, so you can just pop in and grab something quick. We leave a buffet out almost 24 hours for the guards and servants who work overnight. We all can’t make it to the table most days,” she says with a bit of sadness, like this is something she’d love to have happen.
“You all work in shifts then?” I ask, as she leads me to the area with the food. I want to know more about what they go through here. If I am going to live up to my name and make any kind of change, I need to know where to start.
“Not exactly. We are all given tasks when we were procured. When I came to live here about 10 years ago, I started out as an apprentice maid. I have worked my way up to being a lady in waiting, but my job is to be on call 24/7 in case I am needed. Most of the positions are like that. We work when we have to, take short breaks to eat, and sleep as much as we can get in.”
“I see, so who else do you work for besides me?”
“No one. My promotion went into effect when you came. I am happy to say that I am available to you whenever you should need.”
I smile at her. She is proud of her status, and I don’t want to take that from her. Sometimes you need to let others understand that you appreciate them, even if what they are doing is wrong. Even if this whole system is totally fucked up. “Dot, you sound like an amazing lady. I just want you to know that I won’t call on you unless it is absolutely necessary.” I lean in closer to whisper, “I don’t agree with what is being done here. Since I can’t change things right now, just know that I am going to do everything in my power to make your life easier until I can.”
I pull back and watch the shocked look on her face. She doesn’t respond, but nods her head, and gestures to the huge food table that is laid out before us. It's like a continental breakfast at a hotel. I grab a bagel with some butter and a coffee. There is fruit, so I take an apple for Red. Turning to Dot, I give her a wink and walk off. I eat as I am walking through the grounds. It really is beautiful here. The morning sun is high in the sky. There are birds chirping, and the gardeners are hard at work tending to the many flower beds. The path to the stables is free of people, and as I approach I can hear the whining of horses. My pulse speeds up, and I quicken my pace.
Stepping into the barn, I go straight for Red’s stall. He is lazily looking out the window they put in the back of his pen. I can see the palace from here. It looks so beautiful and welcoming. Not like the ugly creatures that live there.
Morning, Azra. Red says in my head
“Morning Red. You ready to ride today?” I say out loud. If we are going to fool everyone, I have to talk to him out loud like I do to every other horse.
Seems like you took my advice and found your mate. He turns as he says this and almost gives me a horsey smirk, if horses could smirk. I do see a bit
of teeth though.
I open up the pen and step in with his halter. I walk up right next to him and begin to slip it on. No reason to be cautious anymore. If he doesn’t like something, he can just tell me. Once I am close enough, I whisper in his ear. “Haha, very funny, Red. But yes, if you must know, Cass and I, well we, um, we…mated. There I said it. Happy now?”
I’m very happy that you have found your first. You being embarrassed is irrelevant to our bond. I don’t view you as a lesser, and you should have confidence in yourself to know you made the right choice. The Seelie Prince will be an important part of our escape.
I mull over what he is saying. I want to continue the conversation, but I don’t want anyone to overhear. There is a lot of activity going on right now. Horses being brought out for the day and stalls being cleaned. I look around for Greyson, but he isn’t here. It surprises me that I’m a bit bothered by that.
“Alright Red, let's get you on some cross ties and get you tacked up. We have a full day of training,” I say, just for the benefit of the other stable hands. Red just laughs in my mind. Maybe I’m being a bit overly shouty.
I get Red groomed and tacked and head toward the round pen outside the stables. I’m going to do a join-up with Red to take the suspicion off of us. People are going to start questioning why a horse that has never been ridden is suddenly able to jump a course. I wish I would have known that yesterday. It makes this look like a very unusual situation.
“Alright Red, we are gonna do a join-up.” I whisper into his ear, as I am unlatching the gate into the pen. “Do you know what that is?”
Of course, I do. I am a superior being remember? I know most of the basic horse training skills, even if I have never done any of them.
“Perfect, just don’t do it too well. Give me some resistance so it looks believable that we are able to successfully complete it. If we have to stay low key, we need to keep our special bond tucked away,” I say, still speaking quietly in his ear.
Join ups have always been my favorite. It’s a time when a handler gets to make a connection with a new horse. It’s a way for the human to communicate in horse language that he or she is the leader of the herd, and that the horse is safe in their hands. I push Red out on the lead by stepping forward toward him. I use the end of the lead to make a whirling motion like I’m getting ready to toss a lasso. This keeps the horse in movement. Keeping my posture certain and sure, I start to get him to move forward in a circle. We do a few laps around until I get him to move on his own. I relax my posture and keep him moving with just my presence. I see out of the corner of my eye, we have an audience. I pull back on the lead a bit, and this causes him to stop. It’s perfect. If they want a show, I’m going to give it to them. I stand tall and move forward. Using the end of the lunge lead, I click my tongue at him to move again. He startles, and takes a quick hop forward, but doesn’t move. Good job, Red! He’s behaving like a horse who has never been lunged before. It’s a green horse move that is perfect for our situation, so we continue our charade. I push at him, walking forward with my chest puffed out a little. I am in command, yet my shoulders are relaxed. I am giving him the no-fucks vibe. He needs to know I’m in control and will take care of everything for him. I’m going to be the one he looks to when he is scared or confused or when he needs reassurance. I just have to get him to trust me. He starts to move again. He picks up a nice canter and is soon doing multiple laps around the pen. I intercept him and make him move in the opposite direction. Once he completes a couple of go arounds, I stand still in the middle and wait for him to stop. Once he has come to a complete stop I give him my back, drop the lunge line and wait. I can hear him behind me, breathing heavy and snorting through his nose. I peak over my shoulder and see his head is low. He is smacking his lips and his tongue has come out a bit. He’s reached submission. He’s showing me that I am now in control. I feel his nose on my shoulder next, and his warm breath in my ear. I whisper, “Good boy. That was amazing. You were perfect.”
Of course I was. That you doubted me is kind of an insult.
I chuckle to myself and walk us back out of the pen. I want to give him a second to catch his breath, so I lead him over to the water trough. Greyson turns the corner and comes towards us.
“That was impressive. I have never seen Red submit like that before. You must be all they say you are,” he says to me. It’s borderline an insult with the way he says it. He looks good today. He has on a tight white t-shirt and jeans that hug all the right places. His hair is all tousled, and he smells like horse and sweat, one of my favorite combinations. I shouldn’t be thinking these thoughts since I just mated with Cass last night, but my body is responding to him just as much as before the mating.
“Thanks, I think. He is a really good horse. I don’t know why any of you had trouble with him. Maybe he just needed the right teacher.” I shrug and then begin to walk to the outside course. There isn’t anyone practicing right now, so I figure we will have some uninterrupted time. Greyson follows us. “Not that I don’t mind the company, but I thought you had a problem with me?”
“I do. I think all Fae are fucking assholes. I also see a use for you. I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume you’ve been thinking about escaping as much as I have,” he says, with eyes the color of the sea during a storm. He’s angry. He wants out, and he sees me as the way to do it.
“Yes, I have. Although I haven’t figured out a way to do it. Why are you all of a sudden interested? I thought you couldn’t just leave,” I retort. He really is starting to get on my nerves.
“I can’t, but now that you’re here, Logan and I have a chance. So Changer, are you willing to let me use you to get what I want?” he says, looking right in my eyes. He looks like sex-on-a-stick right now, and I want to lick him. If I didn’t want to throat punch him so much, that is.
“Use me. Such a tempting offer. I need to think on it.”
“You do that. Also keep in mind that I now know your plan is to leave, so if you screw me out of this little escape, I will fuck you over and tell the King Douche what’s up.”
Fuck! I should have seen that coming. Way to go, Az. Real mastermind.
He stomps off to go wherever it is that assholes like him go. I hope one of the horses kicks him in the nuts or something. What a jerk, assuming he can just use me to get what he wants. If I didn’t feel bad for Logan, I would have told this guy to go fuck himself.
I lead Red into the paddock. I need to ride and get all this frustration out. I lean into Red and say in his ear, “Alright, we had an amazing lunge session, but let's do some fun stuff now. Follow my lead, and just know that we can’t look that good. I’m not saying throw me off or anything, but maybe hesitate at a few jumps, or go around them initially. We should be good if it looks like we are practicing.
Certainly. For the record, Greyson is a good man. He got the shaft when he got taken, and he is just protecting his brother. I sense that he will be another strong ally for you in the future. You should take him up on his offer to help.
“Good to know. Can we maybe talk more on this later? I don’t want people to start staring.”
Once the soul-bond ceremony is complete tonight, we will be able to communicate with each other through thought alone. It will make it easier in instances like these.
I want to ask him a million more questions about the bond, but there are people everywhere. I can tell the Fae from the humans. They are strolling around the gardens or stables, while the latter are busting their asses doing all the work. It would be different if they got paid a fair wage and had a choice. It just puts my already bad mood into a sour one. Fucking Fae.
Our practice is amazing. It feels so good to stretch my riding muscles and fly through the air. By the time we are done, the sun is starting to set, and my legs are like sticks of jello. Red looks quite satisfied with himself. He played a good part today of the horse who is special, but not that special. I can’t wait until we are allowed to pull out all the stops
. We are going to be amazing. I’m just finishing up bathing and grooming him when Cass walks through the barn doors. I can sense it’s him before I even look up. It’s like I could sense his presence all day today inside the palace. There is this invisible cord from my heart to his. It’s a strange feeling, carrying a part of another’s soul inside of you, but it’s glorious at the same time. I smile an enormous grin for him as I turn into his embrace. What a crazy difference 24 hours has made in regards to our relationship.
“Hey stranger, I thought you were going to ride with me today?” I say to him, breaking our hug only half way, so I can look up at his face. It feels too good to pull away completely. It’s like my soul found her sun, and she just wants to bask in it awhile.
“I know, I’m sorry. Father had me in meetings all day to discuss the betrothal. It was a nightmare. I am so glad that we are bonded already. It protects you in certain ways. For instance, he cannot do any bodily harm to you without it affecting me, and since I am heir, it will simultaneously affect him as well,” he states, like this is the best news. No bodily harm for Azra, yay!
“Well…that’s good to know, I guess,” I stutter out. How is this even my life? That I have to worry about psycho douche angel Fae doing me harm.
“It is. Azra we really need to talk more about what this means for us. Can I come to see you tonight?” he asks, with a bit of a bashful flush of red in his face. He must not be used to having to ask girls for things. Or maybe he is blushing because of what he did last night. The thought causes my nipples to harden, and I get a chill all over. I’d love a repeat.
“I can’t tonight. I, uh, I…” I start out. I look over at Red for confirmation.
Tell him. Once we are bonded, his soul will know anyway. He is to be trusted Azra, know that above all things. He’s right. I need to start trusting Cass will all of my plans, even if it terrifies me.
