A Feytal Encounter

Chapter 3

Adanma looked at her dirt-covered hands. She'd walked for days without food or tears. She was exhausted. Now she was in a grove with tall, old trees circling it. The seed she'd been carrying in the fist murmured to itself in the ground. This place felt like it could be home, so she'd dropped to her knees and dug until her fingernails broke. She'd gently placed the seed in the hole before piling the dirt back on top. It had seemed to hum and brighten as she patted down the soil in the center of the grove. It started raining. The rain soaked into the earth, swimming around the seed. It dripped down Adanma's face, cracking the damn she'd built the past few days and her salty tears mingled with the freshwater droplets as she curled into herself with the grey sky above her and the golden seed somewhere below.

Adanma woke to Cahira's morning meow.

"Mmm good morning to you too." She rolled out of bed, landing with a fwmp on the floor. One of the pelts tumbled onto her.

"This is nice too...maybe go back to sleep?"

Cahira paced on the bed before wiggling her bum and jumping onto Adanma.

"Oof okay, get off you fat fuck. I'm getting up."

Cahira watched reproachfully as Adanma peeled off her sweat drenched clothes from the day before. Hardly a night passed when Adanma didn't dream of fire and wake up in her own sweat. She buckled her tunic around her waist and decided against trousers. It was a pretty warm day, she'd let her legs really feel the breeze. Cahira followed her into the kitchen and watched Adanma pile a plate with fruit, yeast buns, and some cured meat. Of course, Adanma could only stand a few seconds of Cahira's pitiful eyes before she tossed the meat into the feline's jaws.

Mae bolted into the room, stopping short when she saw Adanma and causing Yosef to bump into her like ducklings in a cartoon.

"Oh! Princess! Good morning!"

"Good morning, Mae. Yosef."

Yosef nodded to Adanma, unsuccessfully hiding his blush.

"We fed the prisoners last night!" Mae blurted. "We're gonna feed them again!"

"Oh, uh, right," Adanma moved out of the way so Mae could get a basket. "I'll come with you."

Mae beamed and Yosef gave a shy smile.

"We're back! We brought more food!" Mae tried to shove the basket into the cage, but the bars were so narrow that all the food spilled out onto the floor. Andrea growled. The squirrel meat was still on the ground and the pitcher of water had been kicked over at some point, so the yeast buns rolled into a puddle. Andrea was snarling at the Fey, but Bronwyn was distracted by the third Fey with Mae and Yosef. She had soft, rose-gold hair down to her waist, petal pink lips, ice-blue eyes, and thicc thighs. Something about her seemed different than the others, she seemed stronger, more powerful, like someone you had to listen to. She looked at Bronwyn with disdain.

"I'm sorry!" Mae tried to justify herself to Andrea, almost in tears. "You're the one who knocked over your water! Stop yelling at me!" In one motion, Yosef stepped between his sister and the enemy.

"Don't fucking talk to my sister like that." His voice was cold though his gaze was burning. He stared Andrea down until she stopped growling and turned away. The third Fey was smirking at the exchange, but Bronwyn was appalled. All this fourteen-year-old Fey boy had to do was glare and one of Bronwyn's strongest wolves gave in and submitted. This was unacceptable.

"Who the fuck are you."

The Fey stepped forward and Bronwyn couldn't help but notice how muscular her legs were. "I'm the woman who ambushed your wolves and graciously kept you alive, subject to my own whims. I'm the Fey rebellion leader and the sole remaining heir, Princess Adanma. Who the fuck are you?"

"I'm the bitch who's gonna tear your fucking throat out."

Adanma laughed. "A bitch you may be, but you're my bitch now and you won't be doing anything without my express permission." She looked at the food and water sprawled on the floor of the cage. "So it really is true, wolves just live in their own filth. Disgusting." She turned away and the twins followed her with stars in their eyes. Once out of earshot of the prisoners she said, "Make sure they get the potion. I don't care how you have to make it happen."

"Yes, my princess," Yosef almost saluted. Adanma gave him an amused nod before walking off. Mae elbowed her brother.

"She's too old for you."

"Andrea! What the fuck is wrong with you? You just stop because a fucking kid tells you to?" Andrea ignored them. This was a shit show.