Water Under the Bridge :: Kalen & Rye #1

1- Herein Lies a Tale

Herein lies a tale of two knights, and a test of love.

There was once a knight of the Seelie named Karas. Karas was the lowliest of knights, born from a union between human and fey. But he was undoubtedly beautiful, wooden skin, emerald eyes and hair so richly brown it looked to be made of chocolate. He was a knight that the Seelie queen jested most of, sent on the most laughable of tasks, for her court found hilarity in his failure.

But there was one who did not. The White Knight of the Seelie, the queens best, Rye. Rye did not find the queen's jests laughable, and more so found Karas to be beautiful. But they were seporated by rank and stature, and the entire court expected Rye to someday become King. But truthfully the White Knight did not want to become King of the Seelie, nor to be the queen's most favored. He wanted no more then to be with the wooded skin jester-knight, Karas, but he knew his queen would not stand for this. She wanted Rye all to herself.

One day, on the Eve of Spring, after far too much honey-wine, Karas stumbled over to Rye side, and slung his arm around the knight's shoulder.  Rye leaned into that embrace, though he was hardly as drunk as the other.

"You know, I always have liked you." Karas slurred, his head leant against Rye's, words in his long, elven ears. "Have you?" The White coyed in return, leaning closer, two pairs of emerald eyes meeting. With that, Karas pushed away from the knight, turning in his drunken way and stumbling his way onto the dias where the queen sat.

"I'd like to make a declaration!" he cried and Rye's heart dropped like a stone. The Seelie Queen's lips drew into a cruel smile. "To who?" She sneered.

"To Rye, White Knight of the Seelie. I'd like to declare my love for him." The queen's smile was cold, though Karas was unaware in his drunken haze.

"You wish of me a task, to prove your love?" Karas nodded vigorously, so much so that he lost his balance and fell off the dias, much to the enjoyment of the other party goers. Rye rushed to him, seeing that he did not injure himself.

"And you, my knight, what do you think of the jester's declaration?" Rye met her ice blue gaze calmly. "I accept it completely." His acceptance brought gasps from the court.

The Seelie queen sneered. "Fine." She spat. "You. Jester. String a bow from the hair in a kelpie's mane, and use it to run an arrow through the heart of the Black Knight. Then you may be consort to Rye."

The eager look on Karas' face made Rye's insides squirm.

So Rye did wait until the next evening, when Karas was to set out for the swamps of the Unseelie to look for the kelpie's pond did the knight go to see him.

"Rye, you are not to see me!" Karas explaimed, worrying the drapes of his room closed. Rye sat sullenly on the edge of Karas' bed and sighed. "It matters not. You'll be dead tomorrow so I have right to see you." But the other scoffed, laying a wood colored hand on the White Knight's shoulder.

"How dare you, jinx me! Ha! Dead by tomorrow. Your faith in me astounds." Then he turned, finishing with the ties on his sheath, sword strapped to his side. Rye sighed once more, tapered ears drooping.

"You do not understand! The Lady will do anything to kill you. And asking you- you!- to kill the Black Knight? My heart weeps." And Rye flopped back onto the mattress of Karas' bed, inhaling the deep, earthy scent of the jester. Karas laid next to him, huffing, looking with much longing and frustration. His hand brushed a few wheaten hairs away from Rye's face.

"You truly do have no faith in me, don't you? I will not fail, my love. We will be together at last!" With that, Karas drew Rye into his arms, and the knight tried to hold back his tears.