Page 29 of The Fae Girl 1

“It’s fine. You’re fine. Thank you Mira.”

Mira got up, stoking the fire as I watched before she sat back, facing me as if waiting more instructions.

“So did you grow up here?” I asked. She was staring at me like I might suddenly burst into flames.

“In Montefore? Oh no I grew up in the fens.” She replied. “I’m a country girl, not really used to this big city stuff but my mother thought it best to send me here. Apparently I have better opportunities here.” She said with a wry smile. “That’s also why they made me your maid, in case you got angry and something happened. No one would really miss a farm girl.” She shrugged.

“That’s awful.” I said. “But you have nothing to worry about, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not even Fae.”

Mira gaze me a look like she doubted it but a knock at the door stopped the conversation and a man brought in a tray, putting it by the chairs in front of the fire.

“Ooo looks like pie.” Mira said excitedly after he left.

My stomach rumbled at the smell of it. Pulling off the covers I gingerly got out of bed. My feet felt both numb and sore and I was certain I was walking funny too.

“Wanna share?” I asked as I gratefully sunk onto the couch. The plate was huge. There was no way I’d be able to manage even half the food piled up on to it.

“Oh no I couldn’t.” Mira said but I could see from her face and the way she was eyeing the plate that she was hungry.

“Oh yes you can.” I replied grabbing a fork and separating the food into two. “I insist.” I said smiling at Mira who sat opposite her with the biggest goofiest smile I’d ever seen.

Maybe if I could get this Mira girl on my side then I might just stand a chance at escaping.

Mira yanked the dark blue dress over my head even as I still muttered about not wanting to wear it. She’d been kind enough to run a bath for me last night but I’d been so tired I almost fell asleep in it.

Now it felt like I was being done up, polished almost, like a trophy.

“It’s the blandest one there is.” Mira replied. “You said you weren’t going to wear anything fancy and this is it.”

“By fancy I meant a dress.” I said, looking down at myself. I looked like something out of a costume drama. In fact, I’d fit right at home on the set of Robin Hood, or Lord of the Rings for that matter.

“What else were you going to wear, a suit of armour?” Mira half giggled at her own joke.

I knew it was no good. In the situation I was in this was the least of my problems anyway and on the plus side at least they’d finally given me shoes, even if they were soft leather plimsoll things with weird leather laces.

“There see, it’s not that bad.” Mira said yanking me in front of the mirror.

I gasped as I saw my reflection. Only it wasn’t the dress that shocked me.

It was me. I looked different.

Transformed.

My hair was no longer just the dirty blonde I’d had my entire life, it was now streaked with gold as though some of the strands were actually made of the metal. My eyes looked brighter, the green more intense. My cheekbones were higher, more defined, my face less rounded. My skin was glowy, like I’d spent the last two days in a luxurious spa and not tied to the back of a horse.

But worse, much worse, as I stared I realised my whole body was different, I was leaner, a little taller, more curved at the waist and my arse…I had an arse. An actual curved butt beneath the fabric.

I turned to see and let out a shriek as I glimpsed my ears. They were pointed. Just a little. Just enough, as though I were some sort of elf, some sort of…no I wouldn’t say it. I wouldn’t even think it.

A sickening feeling started to build in my stomach. What if this was real? What if this whole crazy thing was actually real. I could feel myself shaking slightly.

No, it couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be.

Because if it was real then that meant I was really some Fae thing. And logically I knew that had to be nonsense.

There was no such thing as Fae.

Just like there was no such thing as magic.

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