The Hunchback's Reluctant Bride ✔

BOOK 4: Part 1 (short story) - The Fairy King

1 | One King

Once upon a time, there was a fairy king. His stature wasn't great, his words weren't grand, and his heart feeble.

To understand the source of his immense power, however, one must only look to his humble beginnings. For he started out...human.

The red blood diluting once my foot pressed into the snow conjured up memories of that fleeting humanity now. I could hardly remember it.

In my left hand, I dragged a broken shield, in my right...a body. No one would believe that I did not remember from where this shield materialized or why I sought it out. I knew only that I did. Seldom would I let it drop. And whenever I had, be it through necessity as a fight required my full range of motion, or a momentary rest loosened my grip, I could concentrate on nothing beyond finding it once again.

And so I kept it. Not knowing why...and not caring.

For every rebirth, life came in a fog with bits and pieces shadowing me like a slighted phantom.

I required this shield, and it was mine. Damaged or otherwise.

A heft sent the carcass sailing onto the pile.

The sight of it did not impress me. This one was a griffin. Despite its size, there was no challenge to it.

Beyond that pile, the land burned. The flames suited me fine—I'd put them there. No one dared undo what I'd wrougth.

Women and children cried out. Men gathered livestock in preparation for sacrifice in hopes of appeasing me, but nothing had worked these last ten days and I feared nothing would.

In the here and now, I perceived nothing beyond the bloodlust.

Therefore, I turned and marched to the feeble little faun which had accompanied me till this moment.

"And I ask you again, to whom does this belong? Who now commands my land!"

Head bowed, body drawn up, the faun raised both hands and pleaded, "Hear me, I beg. He is a good man—"

"Who!"

Silence fell over us as dusk crept in and the day retreated for safety, much as it had these ten days.

The faun trembled. And it shivered more when I reached out a bloodied hand to pat its head.

As the fairy king, I attempted to soothe the coward, but my words seeped from my clenched teeth as I bit back my rage. "Your loyalty is commendable. But behold your enemies. I've bested three griffins, and two serpents. Creatures of immense sizes. Creatures who feast upon the likes of you. Show your appreciation now, offer up your ruler."

Despite my touch, the bastard merely whimpered.

"Such ingratitude! I will have his head. I will know his whereabouts and his possessions!" The boom of my voice left the lands humming. And as the threat yielded nothing, the last of my patience left me. I grabbed the faun by the horns. "So be it!"

My vision clouded as the faun stiffened, no longer walking as I dragged it behind me until we reached the gathering.

"Surrender this leader. Or my fight will no longer be with your enemies, but rather, with you all." With one heft of my hand, the faun came into view, held up like an animal prepared for gutting. "Starting with him."

Someone stepped forward—someone I recognized to be a werewolf.

"You are confused, master. Only you rule us."

That was a lie. My body burned. "I summon magic from the lands, and they do not answer. I do not rule here!" Their collective gasps and palpable terror fueled my anger. I have been reborn. Why was no one prepared for this? Surely, my temples and worshipers awaited this moment.