The Fae Lord's Lady

by Lisa Kumar

  "Not everyone believes that way, though. In my demesne, the land I oversee, humans are treated fairly and are not discriminated against the way they are elsewhere."

  "But how can you control your people’s beliefs?"

  He nearly gave a bark of laughter. It hadn’t been so long ago — no more than three hundred years — that he thought much less about the care of his human citizens. Though he hadn’t carried the extreme prejudice his parents had, he certainly hadn’t considered the human lot in life.

  "I can’t control beliefs, but my laws are absolute in this regard. If a fae mistreats a human, justice is swift, and the problem is rectified."

  She chewed on her lip. "Are there humans in the manor’s town?"

  "Some, but most prefer to live in their own villages."

  "How do they make a living, both those in town and in villages?"

  "From farming or doing some craft. They trade their goods and services with my people of fae blood. Trust me, none of them starve. While most aren’t rich, they have the necessities to live comfortably enough, and most do so by their own devices."

  "I’m glad to hear that." She paused before asking, a hesitant note in her voice, "Do humans marry fae?"

  At least he could give her this, and it might help to settle any reservations she had. "It definitely happens on my lands. In fact, many such couples seek to settle here because they know they’ll have greater acceptance than almost anywhere else."

  He brought their clasped hands up to his lips and laid a kiss on her knuckles. This had been such a serious meeting that he wanted to inject a little intimacy and lightheartedness to it if he could.

  As he hoped, a flush lit her cheeks, and she stared into his eyes with something akin to love. Please let it be love. If it is, she surely would stay, even if she didn’t fully remember everything.

  Then she glanced down, and the moment faded. "Would I be accepted here? And elsewhere when we travel, which I suppose we would do at least occasionally?"

  Inside, a jubilant feeling grew. Her words showed true consideration to the prospect of staying. Still, he’d have to choose his words carefully and yet honestly. "As my mate, you’ll always — well, nearly always — be accorded the respect you deserve. I say nearly because there are always people who think they’re above all others, even above other fae peoples. I’m sure you’ve run into a few of their human counterparts back on Earth."

  "Have I ever. And I know you’re right. No matter the people, there’ll always be a few who are rude and obnoxious for no other reason than they can be."

  A cooling relief bathed him. "So this newest information won’t negatively color your decision to stay?"

  "I can’t say I’m thrilled that the rest of TirAnn is so backward in their treatment of humans, but I guess the best way to combat this is to lead by example."

  "That’s what I endeavor to do."

  She smiled. "I think it’s wonderful what you do, and it sounds like you were one of the first people to improve humans’ lives here."

  "In TirAnn, yes. In some of the other fae territories and realms, humans have much the same status or worse. But in a few, they have equal or nearly equal rights."

  Her eyes widened. "There are other fae lands?"

  "Of course. Isn’t your Earth made up of many different countries?"

  "Well, yes…but I guess I never thought about there being any here. Why didn’t you ever mention there were others?"

  He moved closer to her until their sides touched. "You never asked, and until now, it never seemed important. The reality of being in TirAnn was and still is enough for you to handle right now."

  She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. At the action, his heart thudded so erratically that it skipped a beat. He slipped an arm around her waist and held her close. This is where he wanted her, forever.

  After a few minutes of relative quiet, she disengaged her hand from his and stretched both of her arms toward the ceiling. Still leaning against him, she smothered a yawn before glancing at him sheepishly.

  "Sorry, I’ve been sitting for too long. Instead of rejuvenating me, it’s having the opposite effect."

  He nodded in understanding and released her so she could sit up straighter. "That happens to fae kind, too."

  Rising up to her knees, she grinned. "Let’s go do something. A walk in…" A thoughtful expression flitted across her face. "You know what? I can mope around here until my three weeks is over, or I can go experience the local culture. I’d love to get out of here for a while and go to town. What do you say?"

  He gave an inward wince, but how could he deny her request? Her glamour was still in place, and by now, her presence wasn’t probably that well-kept of a secret. There surely were at least a few rumors about his houseguest. He just hadn’t been to town to hear them yet. There also was the chance someone would let a piece of information slip that she shouldn’t know yet. But what choice did he have? If he kept her away from his people, it would start looking highly suspicious to everyone.

  With much more cheer than he felt, he said, "That can be arranged."

  A smile brightened her face. "Today?"

  "Possibly, but tomorrow would allow us more time and light."

  She glanced out a latticework window and then at a clock on a shelf. "There’s still plenty of light, and sunset happens pretty late in the evening, around nine. It’s four right now. The town isn’t far, is it?"

  His resistance faded in the face of her arguments. "A twenty-minute walk."

  "So can we go?"

  He couldn’t deny her such a simple pleasure. "Of course. But we need to get ready now."

  She jumped up before he’d finished the sentence. A rueful laugh escaped him. He hadn’t seen such eagerness since the last time he took Sirina to a candy shop in town.

  8

  Natalie craned her head this way and that as she took in the fragrant orchard surrounding them. She clutched tighter on to Lorh’s arm, fascination and a twinge of wariness hitting her. Fruit clung to exotic bushes and trees. Like before, the plant life here really did have a verve of its own. And her last run-in with nature was still fresh in her mind.

  Tearing her gaze away long enough to look at Lorh, she asked, "They won’t grab me or hurt me in any way, will they?" She didn’t fancy being picked up or swung through the air like a doll.

  "Only if they dislike you," Lorh said, an expression of utter seriousness on his face.

  She froze, pulling them to a stop. "What?"

  His rich laughter rang through the orchard and, at her glare, held out his hands as if surrendering. "I merely jest."

  Without releasing him, she slapped him on the arm. Jerk. "Yeah, and gave me a heart attack."

  "I couldn’t resist. My apologies. As for most plant life, they would never harm another living thing unless a person they favored asked it of them. They may touch your face, arms, or legs, but that’s it."

  His response didn’t set her at ease. "Eh, trees and bushes that can attack if a person they like wills it? And trees that touch people? Do you know how strange that is?"

  "It has to be very odd to a human."

  "Definitely. And most, not all, wouldn’t harm another living thing?" Oh, yeah, she’d noticed that phrasing.

  "There are some that can be vicious, but rest assured, they’re not near the manor and its grounds."

  "Thanks for small mercies."

  He gave an amused smile. "You need never worry. If you’re ever in any areas where those trees reside, you’ll be protected."

  "Protected how? By sword and bow?" She snorted to show her distain for such methods. Unless one had an ax, what good would it do against killer trees?

  "Woman of such little faith, yes, weapons can be used, but taking along someone who can cast a spell powerful enough to enchant the trees is a much better and less violent idea."

  "Wonderful, so instead of having snake charmers, you have tree enchanters."

  "We have snakes if it makes you feel an
y better."

  She wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, no."

  Laughing, he slipped his arm from hers and pushed her toward what looked suspiciously like an apple tree. Except the apple-shaped fruit was blue. Yes, blue. She twisted around to stare at him. "Are those blue apples?"

  "They are indeed."

  "Weird."

  He shrugged. "No more so than Earth’s red apples."

  "You’ve seen them before? Where?"

  "On Earth," he said, but his clipped tone forbade any further questions.

  Still, she opened her mouth to ask anyway, but he shook his head forcefully. "Don’t. Not today when we’re as carefree as we’re going to get."

  Since she didn’t want to ruin their day, she nodded. "Okay."

  With a hand on the small of her back, he guided her to the tree. He plucked one of the roundish apples from a low-hanging branch, polished it on his tunic, and held it out to her.

  She gazed at it as if it might bite. For all she knew, it could. "What am I supposed to do with it?"

  "I don’t know — eat it?"

  She narrowed her eyes at him. "Very funny, but how about if it doesn’t want to be eaten?"

  "It’s a piece of fruit."

  "Yeah, but it’s a piece of fruit here in TirAnn. Who knows what it expects."

  "This one is safe to eat. The man-eating fruit is contained behind lock and key. Of course, they have a nasty tendency to chomp through the wood door…" A grin tugged at his lips before he burst out laughing.

  He was in a rare playful mood, something she didn’t want to destroy, but she wasn’t quite sure how to handle this new side of Lorh.

  With a mock irritated scowl, she took a big bite out of the smooth blue flesh. Flavor exploded across her tongue. "It tastes like a very good apple back home. Juicy and sweet."

  Lorh nodded. "The tastes aren’t so different, just the colors of their skin."

  She took a few more bites before looking at it regretfully. "I’m still full from breakfast." Though she hated asking in case it grossed him out, she didn’t want to waste it if possible. "Do you want the rest of it?"

  Not answering, he reached out and wiped a dribble of juice from the corner of her mouth. Heat spread over her cheeks, and the area he’d touched tingled.

  He grinned, snatched the apple, and quickly devoured it. Some things didn’t change the universe over, it seemed. Men and their appetites.

  Returning his smile, she knocked her shoulder into his. "Enjoyed that, did you?"

  "Very much so." The look in his eyes made it clear he wasn’t just talking about the apple.

  She flushed again, and a sudden wave of shyness washed over her. He did funny things to her pulse — made it flip-flop in the most distracting manner. This male could be hers if she only… Nope, she wasn’t going to taint their day with worries and concerns about the future.

  Yanking on his arm, she nodded toward the town. "Come on, time’s a wasting. I want to do plenty of sightseeing."

  Even as she spoke, a sense of trepidation arose. What if she met some bigoted fae people? What if she saw other humans, and they seemed so alien that she didn’t know how to connect with them? Despite what Lorh had told her, she practically knew nothing of this world and its mores. She was like a babe compared to everyone else, even humans.

  Then the senselessness of her thoughts belted her a good one. No need to go borrowing trouble. She’d handle any possible issues as they came. Who knew if they’d even come to fruition?

  In a short amount of time, she and Lorh had meandered back onto a stone path. The fragrant orchards lay behind them, and the town waited ahead.

  For a moment, she soaked in the beauty of her surroundings. It was a lovely spring day, but then, most days in TirAnn had been like that so far. While it did occasionally rain, those occurrences always seemed to be followed by a rainbow in hues she’d never seen back on Earth. And the pale purple rain — well, that had taken some getting used to, but once the color was dismissed, it was just like Earth’s water.

  Each step brought her and Lorh nearer to the town. Nervous anticipation beat a wild rhythm in her heart. She’d finally get to do some exploring. Only after they’d left on their little adventure had she realized how cooped up she’d felt.

  "Enjoying the outing?"

  Lorh’s voice ripped her focus away from the scenery and back on him. "Very much so. I know this must seem like an everyday trip to you, but it’s really exciting for me."

  "Your enthusiasm makes me see everything anew."

  "Really?"

  "Yes, and that’s not something easily done once you reach my years."

  That brought up an important question. "Just how old are you?"

  His lips twitched into a smile. "Old."

  "I guessed that, but how old?"

  "Nearly a thousand."

  At that number, she stumbled, but her hold on his arm stopped a face-plant. "I hadn’t pegged you a day over four hundred."

  "Why is that?"

  "You’re so much older than your brother and sisters. That’s why I guessed your age around four hundred."

  He smiled, though it seemed forced. "I have older siblings."

  "Yeah, Aeron mentioned that you guys have other ones."

  "Did he?"

  "In passing, but he didn’t say anything more."

  "We’re not close to them."

  She sensed a story there but didn’t press. "Sorry to hear that."

  He shrugged. "They’ve made their choice, as I have mine. They’re…politically minded, and their views on humans are quite different than mine."

  "In other words, they’re bigoted."

  "Yes, and my parents are no better."

  Her stomach coiled into a ball of misery. So his parents would hate her right off the bat? "Oh."

  Lorh stopped and turned her to face him. With a finger, he raised her chin up. "I didn’t mean to darken our day with such talk."

  She swallowed the bile in her throat. "You didn’t." The protest sounded weak even to her ears.

  "I did." He framed her face between his hands and gazed into her eyes. "And my family — those who I don’t have much to do with — they’re not important. We are and the...children. Understood?"

  She nodded. Though his words were comforting, the knowledge of his parents and other family members still weighed heavily on her shoulders. But Lorh was right. He and the children were what mattered, not the rest of his prejudiced family. As he said, he wasn’t even close to them, so why let it bother her so much?

  Pasting a smile on her face, she said, "Let’s start this day over, okay? Any serious talk can wait for another time."

  "I second that."

  As soon as they entered the market square, Natalie felt everyone’s stares on them. Tall and attractive, the fae town-goers gathered around shopping stalls and outside storefronts to gaze at them. Up until then, she and Lorh escaped most notice, but now they appeared to be the main attraction. She squashed the urge to fidget.

  "Everybody’s staring," she whispered to Lorh. "Why?" Though, she knew why. She was human, and she was in the company of their lord.

  "Because you’re with me, and you’re human."

  He’d echoed her thoughts exactly. "Well, I wish they’d stop."

  "When their curiosity is satisfied, they will."

  "I was afraid you’d say that."

  "Ignore the stares. I do."

  "You get them, too?"

  He shrugged. "It comes with the position. I’m their lord and invariably arouse their speculations."

  "I didn’t think of that." Another thing she’d have to deal with if she stayed with him.

  "Would you like to look at some of the goods for sale? Anything you desire is yours."

  She goggled at him. Was he for real? He’d given her carte blanche? Oh, he didn’t know her too well. She loved to shop as much as the next woman, but she’d take it easy on him this time. "Lead the way, and I’ll peruse."

  Soon, they were brows
ing foodstuffs and fabrics. Now that the worst of the staring was over, she took her surroundings in with great detail. Elegant two-storied buildings housed the bulk of the stores, and colorful stalls selling tantalizing delicacies and lovely wares dotted the area.

  A pale-haired fae male, with an account book under his arm, exited from a nearby tailor’s store. He headed directly for them, a timid yet determined expression on his face.

  Lorh saw him, too, because he called out, "Greetings, Jodin, what can I do for you on this blessed day?"

  "My lord, I have a few questions about delinquent accounts and how they can be settled. If I could have a moment of your time?"

  Lorh appeared to open his mouth to say no but then nodded slowly. "If we can keep it brief? I’d like to return to my companion as soon as possible."

  The male’s gaze flickered to her. Though they held the requisite curiosity, they contained no censure. "Of course." Jodin inclined his head toward her. "Miss."

  She greeted him back. "Good afternoon, sir. How do you do?"

  "Polite, I like that. You could teach a thing or two to some of our fae ladies who think themselves above pleasantries with the common people. Though there aren’t too many humans in town, they’re all of a pleasant sort. In fact, I have a human apprentice. Nice fellow."

  Though not sure what to say to that, she thanked him for his kind words and then glanced at Lorh.

  He smiled lightly. "While I prefer to dispense with ceremony in many instances, not all of those of my station agree."

  Ah, he meant “snobs.” "I see."

  Lorh led her a few feet away. As he spoke, his breath fanned over the skin of her ear. "If I’m not out in ten minutes, come and rescue me. He’s quite the chatter mouth once he knows someone. That he talked to you and views you so highly is quite the surprise. He normally doesn’t take to people quickly."

  "If that’s the case, then I’m honored."

  "Stay in the vicinity, and I’ll be back as quickly as possible."

  "Should you need help, see that fae woman with the red apron and scarf?" At her nod, he continued. "Go to her. Maya will watch over you until I can arrive."

  A small shred of jealousy sprouted. The brown-haired female was gorgeous, with a face and body most women would kill for. Perfectly arched brows showcased her large eyes. Even the lines of Miss Lovely’s nose and mouth were faultless. And that simple blue gown she wore? Well, she looked like a model in it.