The Fae Prince

Chapter 10: Fatal Instincts

Haley

After entertaining Finan with a couple of dances and faeries of all shapes and sizes staring at me, I find myself standing besides a long table decorated with jugs of wine and foods on silver platters. I grab a golden goblet off the tray of a servant and gulp down all of its contents before pouring myself what I think is red wine. Cathy and the three other changelings walk up to me and I raise my cup to them.

"To being faeries," I mutter sarcastically, "And to forever being stuck at this age to birth children for the bastards."

A short elven man with saber tooth sized canines gives me the nasty eye with his black eyes and I innocently wiggle my fingers at him. He flashes me his claws in response and his tail whips around angrily. My eyes widen and I turn back to the girls who are giggling messes. They look absolutely wrecked with alcohol.

"We think Prince Finan likes you," Cairo says, attempting to whisper but failing terribly, "After his dances with you, all he's done is sit up there on his throne all judgy and shit. Glaring at all the people in his court if any tries to come near him."

"She's right," Caroline giggles, "He looks like he's got something up his ass sitting on that throne, but when he was with you, he seemed relaxed and totally swoon worthy. Now he's just scary."

I look past them and catch a glimpse of an uninterested looking Finan swirling the contents of his goblet around. The girls giggle and I look back to them.

"I don't know about that, guys," I say, "Maybe he's just really bored."

"We heard whispers," Faith says, her voice soft but heavy with warning, "That though he is the crown prince to a seelie king, he is unseelie like his mother. Lots of people fear him because of this and the fact that his powers are said to be even greater than that of the kings."

"How do you know about unseelie and seelie?" I shiver and look back up to Finan, catching his eye and keeping his gaze for a moment before turning away. Of course he's powerful, I knew he was after the debacle at the restaurant, but I didn't need more reason to fear him.

"We were explained everything before being brought here. Were you not?" Faith asks, "I'm just warning you to be careful around him. I spoke with him earlier and he seemed more than kind, but very standoffish."

I look at Cathy and then back to Faith, "No one explained anything to me."

I interrupt Faith and the rest of the girls before they can speak, wanting to speak my mind.

"However, that prince is just another faerie," I say, taking a sip of the sweet wine, "Prince or not, he does not have my respect. He is just a man who thinks with his cock and can be killed just like anybody else."

"Watch yourself, changeling," a voice pipes up behind me.

I turn around to see a woman with long gray hair and eyes the color of electricity staring at me, her clawed fingers folded neatly over each other. Her inhumane, slender body is barely covered by the white gown she is wearing and I shove away my judgmental thoughts.

"And who might you be?" I ask, my words slurring slightly as the potency of the wine infiltrates my blood stream. 

"I am the war strategist, Gisela," she says, bowing her head slightly, "What you have just said is considered blasphemy against the crown. Now, what would I tell the king when his sons favorite changeling needs to be killed for speaking against the crown?"

I narrow my eyes at her, my anger emboldening my words, "You would tell him that I would be glad to die so long as I never have to spend another forced second here. And let's get one thing straight-" I take a step closer to her, burping slightly while getting in her face- "I am not Finan's favorite."