Page 99 of The Fae Girl 1

I watched as he approached. As they talked, quietly at first and then the High King shook his head violently.

“She stays.” He said loudly as everyone in the room turned to look. “She’s a part of this.” He said pointing to me. “She’s going nowhere till I say so.”

Fain sighed narrowing his eyes.

“Come girl, sit beside me.” Uther said patting the back of the chair beside his and sitting down, cup in hand, expectantly.

I walked slowly up to him and sat down, rigid, as though I were made of stone. It felt like the entire room was watching me in this moment and I kept my eyes downcast. Unable to meet any of those gazes.

“Relax.” Uther said quietly to me.

Though it made no difference. This man was my jailor. My owner, by his estimation. There was no way I could relax in front of him.

He stared at the darkening bruise around my cheek and then down at my lip too. “My brother gave you a good beating didn’t he?” He said reaching forward and grabbing the other side of my jaw in his hand carefully, turning me to fully face him.

I let him do it, partly because I was so exhausted I didn’t think I had any fight left in me.

“I will make him pay for that. I promise you.” He said.

“Because he damaged your property or because he tried to rape me?” I asked saying the word out loud for the first time.

“You are more than just property.” He replied meeting my eyes. “Even you must know that.”

The tear ran down my cheek before I could stop it. I looked away, pulling my face free and wiped it on my shoulder, ignoring the flash of pain from my bruised cheek.

He went to say something but a knock at the door stopped him. Everyone turned to look as the High Queen walked in.

“Ah my dear wife.” The High King said eyeing her up like a snake does his prey.

She hesitated, looking around, as if she knew what this was, as if she knew she was trapped.

“Husband. You sent for me.” She said with a smile and a deep curtsey.

“Alice, repeat what you told this council earlier.” Uther said.

I gulped looking wide eyes at him. He wanted me to say it again? To go through all that again?

“About the note.” He muttered.

My eyes flitted back to the Queen. This was a powerplay. A fight between the pair of them and I was caught right in the middle.

Someone cleared their throat. Impatiently.

I took in a slow exhale. “When I was in the gardens a guard approached me. He gave me a note addressed from the High Queen asking me to meet her.”

The Queen looked between us, me and her husband. “I don’t know of any such note.” She said. “If it existed why can you not produce it for me to see and verify?”

“Alice, what did the seal on that note look like?” Jelric asked ignoring her question entirely.

I blanched. It was red, elaborate. I couldn’t say much more than that.

Someone produced a piece of paper. It was passed along until the High King took it and placed it in front of me. My eyes fixed down on the seal. On the same fancy swirls I’d seen only hours before.

“This was the seal on that letter wasn’t it?” Uther said.

I nodded.

He looked up. “Admit what your part was in all this woman and I shall be merciful.”

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