His skin grew warm again, and Tomnat laughed.
The Queen clapped again, and the dance ended with a graceful flourish. Another aisle formed as every being watched for the next command.
The Queen’s escort whispered in her ear, pointing at Fingin. She glanced at him, still standing next to Tomnat, and smiled.
The smile chilled his bones.
“Come forward, human.”
Fingin could no more disobey her command than he could take wing and fly across the countryside. He stepped forward, his eyes glued to the floor. He daren’t meet her gaze.
“You came to my land seeking something. You elicited help from my subjects. You have incurred a debt due to me. I will now name my price for the help you’ve received.”
He wanted to scream he hadn’t asked for help, Grimnaugh and Adhna had offered it freely. That he hadn’t gotten what he came for, and his quest was a failure. His mouth refused to form any words. His muscles would not obey his commands.
Instead, his knees buckled, and an unseen force pushed him to the floor. He knelt, sweat dripping down his neck.
“In days past, I might send you back to your world with some ghastly disfigurement. Perhaps a hump upon your back, or blindness. However, there is one here who has begged me to spare you this punishment, and I have conceded to their wishes.”
Someone spoke on his behalf? Had it been Adhna? Airiu? Perhaps Grimnaugh had put in a good word for him.
“Tomnat, step forward.”
The tall Fae girl flashed him a sly smile and bowed before her Queen. She stood again, while Fingin remained kneeling.
“Tomnat, you have asked to marry this human?”
She lowered her head once in agreement. “I have, Your Grace .”
The Queen glanced at Fingin, an expression of disdain plain on her face. “Why would you ask such a thing?”
“I crave children, Your Grace. I’ve had none so far.”
“You think this…this pitiful creature will grant you fecundity?”
“I do. I see great potential in him. Humans are often more fertile than our kind.”
The Queen made a sound that, in a less graceful creature, may have been termed as rude. “Very well. You shall be contracted this night.”
* * *
Fingin’s panic took over his mind. He froze, unable to process what the Queen had said. Marry? Tonight? To Tomnat? No, no, that was all wrong. Airiu, yes, please, let me marry Airiu. If he must marry a stranger, let it be someone who showed him kindness, not sarcasm and disdain.
A flurry of activity whirled around them as various Fae rushed to make the hall ready for the ceremony. Tomnat disappeared into this bustle. Fingin sought Airiu, but she had disappeared. Adhna’s firm grip on his shoulders moved him from his position, kneeling before the Queen, to a room off the side of the main hall.
Once the door shut upon the madness, the screaming in his mind calmed.
Adhna gave Grimnaugh a few urgent commands, and the shorter Fae exited on his mission. The tall Fae turned to Fingin. “Your present clothing will do, but I must teach you the ceremony. You must perform without error, do you understand?”
He nodded once, still numb with shock.
“Now, Grimnaugh thought something strange was afoot, but he didn’t expect this. I suspect Bodach saw you eying Airiu. He’s the Queen’s companion tonight, and he seems to have developed a distinct dislike for you. That’s not a good thing. However, Tomnat must have made her request after our dancing lesson.”
Fingin pushed some words through his lips. “Why? I don’t understand why. She doesn’t even like me.”
“She dislikes everyone, young man. You are no different. However, she’s wanted children for an age. Fae don’t reproduce easily, you see. Perhaps one, two children at most in all their long lifetimes. They live much longer than humans, but their lives are much less eventful, on the whole. We often seek humans for such stud duties, as your kind are much more fertile. We visit women in the dark of the night, or spirit men away under the full moon. You had the singular misfortune of being the first human to come to our realm in a long time. Had I suspected… but I did not. I thought Airiu and you might enjoy each other’s company. I am sorry. My own meddling might have made this happen.”
Fingin hung his head. “I have no way to refuse this, do I?”
“I’m afraid not. Oh, I could lead you back through to your own realm, but you’d forever be on the run from the Queen, and Tomnat besides. Neither one appreciates rejection, and both are powerful in the mortal world.”
“Have you lived in the mortal world?”
“Many times, Fingin. Many times. In fact, I get the itch to return on a fairly regular basis. Your world provides many lovely luxuries we find it difficult to get here in Faerie. Cheese is my particular favorite. Cows don’t care for Faerie, and we have difficulty convincing them to produce milk if we bring them here. Also, most Fae are rather reluctant to put in the work required for creating things like cheese. They’d rather either do without or obtain it from elsewhere.”
“Which are you?”
“The latter. Though I prepare my own when I live there. I find it satisfying to eat the product of my own hands. A pleasure, alas, many of my kind don’t understand.” Adhna let out a deep sigh and stared into space for a moment. “Now, back to the matter at hand. We must prepare you for your wedding.”
“Can I speak to Airiu? I want to make sure she knows… that she knows I’d much rather have…”
“She knows, young man. She knows. I saw her face when the Queen made her proclamation. She left shortly thereafter.”
Pain
