Page 56 of The Fae Girl 1

I nodded, trying to figure it out. “Is he kind?” I asked.

“The High King?” Jelric replied and I nodded. “He is fair. He is a good ruler.”

“And would he treat me the same as you, as the other Magi?” I asked.

His face reacted to that. A micro expression of something akin to guilt. “You are not Magi, Alice.” He said gently. “You are Fae.”

“So he’ll treat me how?” I asked. I could feel it, the fear coiling just a little just enough to set me on edge.

“Do not give him reasons to be angry with you. Serve him loyally and he will have no reason to harm you.”

I gulped. Hearing the warning in his words. That if I crossed him, if I crossed this High King, he would hurt me, he would punish me.

“When will he be back?” I asked. My voice sounding barely more than a whisper now.

“Soon. He is on his way.” Jelric said.

I turned without saying anything more and left. He was right; I was tired.

Exhausted.

This world was too complex, too demanding of me, and I needed to find a way to manage it.

But more than that, I needed to find a way to fight this, to fight this High King because I couldn’t live like this, I couldn’t exist like this, as a prisoner, as a thing to be used.

Icouldn’t sleep. I tried. I shut my eyes, forced myself to lay there for hours on end but it didn’t help.

Nothing helped.

So I got up. Paced around the room some before creeping out into the sitting room.

“Why are you awake?” Indi asked through the semi-darkness.

I jumped, turning to face her. She was sat across from Nela. Both of them looking like they were in the midst of some deep conversation that they wanted kept from even the shadows.

“I couldn’t sleep.” I stated.

Indi looked at Nela and smirked. “Sounds familiar.”

“Is that why you’re both up?” I replied.

“No.” Nela said. “Go back to bed.”

I scowled, crossing my arms. “I don’t want to. I can’t sleep.”

Nela sighed. “And what do you want us to do about it? You want us to entertain you as well as watch your back?”

“No.” I murmured. “I don’t know what I want. I just know if I lie there any longer I think I might just go mad.”

“What’s on your mind?” Indi asked.

I shrugged. What wasn’t? This place, this whole messed up situation. The fact that I had no idea what I was supposed to do, I just kept flitting from being obedient to feeling like Ishouldbe fighting. “The High King is on his way back.” I half whispered.

“Who told you that?” Nela asked.

“Jelric.” I said. Was it supposed to be a secret? He hadn’t said to not tell anyone.

“Is that why you can’t sleep?” Indi asked.

---