Never trust a fae.
Never give them your name.
Never fall for their tricks.
Three simple rules that Enid should have followed, three simple rules that she forgot.
In the remote Welsh mountain village of Aethelney, Faeries are real. But unlike trad...
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Her grandmother lurched forward, brandishing her Iron dagger high into the air, aiming for Enid's heart.
Enid screamed, falling back onto the wood floor out of her way, her grandmother tumbling to the floor beside her. Her head hit the floorboards with a resounding crack, blood welling up in the new wound and trickling down from her forehead.
Enid could only stare, wide-eyed as the Iron dagger fell from her hand with a clang.
Her mother's footsteps sounded on the landing outside, hurriedly moving towards the door. The door burst open, Ygritte's red hair dishevelled, strands falling free from the loose bun she had placed on the back of her head, as she looked on at the scene before her. Enid's attention, at last, moved from her grandmother to her mother, as she let out a shaky sigh of relief.
"What happened?!" Her mother cried, gasping and clutching to her chest as she ran to her mother, falling to her knees beside her.
"She began to talk of her brothers and sisters...she said I was a changeling and tried to-" Enid cut herself short, the words falling away into the air like leaves on the wind, as her eyes dropped to the dagger.
When she met her mother's gaze once more, she too was looking at the Iron dagger, as though it were a living creature with a will of its own.
"Go, Enid, I will see to her." Slowly, she helped her mother into a sitting position, judging the severity of her head wound. "And take the dagger with you, I do not wish to see it in her possession again."
Picking herself up, Enid hesitantly took hold of the dagger, her eyes flicking back to the slumped form of her grandmother.
"Mama, is she going to be alright?"
Her mother paused, turning to look over at Enid with a soft, reassuring smile.
"Yes...do not fear, you have done nothing wrong. She will be well again soon."
Nodding glumly, Enid left the room and made for her own, bolting the door and falling back onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling blankly.
What was she to do now?
The only entrances to the Fae realm had been shut, barring her from getting to Aneurin, from helping him in whatever trouble he may now face because of her. Everything he had done had been for her, and she had not even had the chance to thank him, perhaps she never would.
How now could she lead a normal life knowing what she did? She had always known of the Faes, yes, but this was a life that she could never have anticipated. To love Aneurin and for that love to be returned was more than she had ever imagined possible.
Changing into her nightgown, she climbed into bed that night unaware of what was to follow, falling into a fitful sleep, carried away into a memory of times past.
"Aneurin!" Her younger self cried, rosied cheeks and red hair blowing in the wind, looking up at Aneurin like he was an angel on earth.
He smiled warmly down at her, crouching so that he was eye level with her, placing a crown of daisies upon her head.
