Torn Fae

Korin was young the first time he was taken to witness incoming prisoners. He didn’t want to go, but his father thought it was time he began performing his duties as a prince.

King Brom could be ruthless, and was usually callous toward his children. Korin’s older brother, Mikkel, was following in their father’s footsteps. Something that made the King extremely proud. Korin was glad to have the shadow his brother cast on him, giving him room to hide. The younger prince was softer than the other males in his life. Perhaps this was passed down by his mother.

The Queen had passed away when Korin was five years old. Rumor in their kingdom was that she did not succumb to natural causes. The King was unmoved by her death, as he had several fae females to entertain him at any time. Korin remembered his mother’s warmth, often troubled that he could no longer recall the sound of her voice. He thinks about how she would’ve never allowed his father to take human prisoners to begin with, how she would have saved him from joining his father today. Korin pulled images of his mother from his memory. He could still see her face, her emerald green eyes and white hair. The two of them would sit on the cliff that overlooked the Spring Court while she read stories to him.

This distraction was welcome while the brothers walked with their father to the edge of their realm. Korin’s boots dragged pebbles while he shuffled down the trail. He was lagging several feet behind his father and Mikkel. The smell of the village up ahead stirred him from his day dream. Notes of fresh bread baking mixing in with the scents of the forest. He took notice of the trees turning with the season here, something he did not get to see in the Spring Court. His mother was beautiful, but this was beauty he could take in with his eyes instead of conjouring up in his mind.

King Brom wasn’t one to get his hands dirty. The rarity of his presence this far from the castle was made obvious by the way the guards straightened up at the sight of him. This was a show for Korin, a performance of what Brom expected Korin to be capable of. “A good catch today, I presume? Show me the lovely treasures you have brought me!” the King’s voice boomed. The volume and depth matched his towering frame.

What originally appeared as older human females, were fae soldiers that had yet to remove their glamour. They had to disguise themselves to enter the human world. Being Seelie, it was not because they were too dark or otherworldly. Seelie were gorgeous, perfect. Humans flock to them. Some fae loved to tease the humans. The worst types of male would have their fill of human women before damning them to yearn for them for eternity. It’s been said that some of these women would die in the forest in a never ending search for the fae that owned their desire.

To steal humans without garnering too much attention, using glamour was the only way. Casting glamour took energy. If finding a human took too long, the soldier could be too weak to restrain them by the time they crossed back over. A few soldiers would enter with their glamour while fresh guards waited on the other side, to ensure they could capture the humans.

“Ah yes, I do believe you will be pleased, Majesty,” a soldier said with a bow.

This was Gaur, the leader of these missions. Korin thought he looked conniving. Even as a child, he noticed the twisted features and shifty eyes donned by this fae. Gaur shot Korin a look and slicked his black hair behind his ear, as if he knew what the young prince was thinking. Maybe the soldier reciprocated the distaste.

Four figures laid in a wooden wagon that was tied to a horse. They had burlap bags over their heads. At least one of them was whimpering. It was a scene that instantly made Korin feel uneasy. He wasn’t entirely sure what his father did with the humans. He was told they had unfortunate lives in their world, and being permitted in their kingdom was a privilege no matter the circumstances.

Gaur and another soldier stood behind the humans and pulled them to stand. Their hands were tied behind their backs with a thick rope that connected them to each other. They were led off the wagon onto the ground. The sound of their clumsy foot steps and creaking wood echoed in the forest. Gaur removed the bags to show three females and a male. All young. The male couldn’t have been older than three years. All of them were frightened, eyes darting every which way. The oldest girl locked eyes with Korin. She seemed relieved to see a young fae amongst her captors.

“They will all be able to work a field or manage as servants. The boy will be strong. The Winter Court should be happy with any you choose to offer,” Gaur stated proudly. He motioned to each human as he spoke, showcasing his choices. The King’s heavy feet kicked small rocks out of his path as he made his way to the children. Korin followed behind him and Mikkel.

King Brom looked over the prisoners, scanning each one for imperfections. His eyes were narrow while he inventoried the pros and cons of each in his mind. Their clothes were torn and dirty, showing the struggle to get them to this spot. The oldest girl was the only one that wasn’t crying. Korin couldn’t help but smile at her. She noticed his grin, and this brought a flush to her cheeks. “I think you are correct Gaur. These are a proper age for molding, aren’t they? Too young and they are too much work. Too old and they have too much mind.” The King turned on his heels to speak with his men as they all nodded in agreement.

Korin stayed in place with the girl. “Hello, my name is Korin.”

“Um, hello. I am Leanna.”

The girl was nervous. She was fidgeting with her fingers behind her back, looking at the ground while she spoke. She had unruly, brown hair that came past her shoulders. A fringe that looked as though it was only cut to control some of her curly mane. Her eyes matched her hair, with some flecks of green and gold. Her skin was an olive complexion. Korin thought she looked warm. Nobody at home looked warm.

“It is nice to meet you, Leanna.”

Korin didn’t realize how out of place his small talk was. The girl’s eyes widened as though she were shocked to hear it. She was finally looking at him though. His pale skin, fine white hair, and piercing blue eyes all in contrast to herself.

The awkward silence between them was cut through by the loud cracking of sticks beneath Mikkel’s boots. He was coming toward them, smirking. “Oh come on, Korin. Did you find a new toy? Why are wasting your time? You know you’re never going to see them again, right?”

Korin’s face dropped. “What do you mean, what do we do with them now?”

Mikkel cackled. He looked similar to Korin, but was older and larger. He looked down at his little brother and the girl with a wide grin that flashed his sharp teeth.

“We take them to the Winter Court and they fucking eat them.”

Mikkel roared with laughter when he saw Korin’s mouth gape open. The other captive children began to scream and struggle. They tried to run, forgetting they were bound together, and fell when the rope pulled them back into each other. Leanna did not participate in this, though tears were streaming down her face. She dropped to her knees between the frenzied prisoners and tried to comfort them.

“Mikkel!”

The King growled. His pale face was now a dark shade of red. He grabbed hold of his oldest son by his pointed ear and whipped him to the ground. The guards and soldiers picked the children up and into the wagon. Some stayed in the wagon to keep the humans from trying to escape. The wagon took off quickly to get them back to their kingdom to ensure they could never make the attempt again.

Mikkel rubbed his ear, no longer grinning while he collected himself. Korin stared at his father in disbelief. “We can discuss this on the trek back to the castle, we don’t have time for this,” the King huffed while he straightened his long leather coat.

“Father…is this true?” Korin asked meekly. He walked at a much faster pace now. In the back of his mind he was hoping they could get back before the girl, Leanna, was gone. The King did not respond. Instead, he addressed Mikkel.

“You will never witness a hunt again, Mikkel. I expected so much more of you. You know better than to rile them up. You know the soldiers need time before they can enchant and sedate the humans after using their glamour.”

Hunt?

“Father, answer me!” Korin stopped in his tracks. His magic began to pop at his fingertips, something he had yet to learn to control.

“Korin, there are many things you do not understand,” the King pleaded. “The Seelie are strong, but our efforts best fit elsewhere. We aren’t as well suited for war as we are the arts. We can be brute, but we prefer to be cunning. Sometimes, strength lies in the bonds you form with others, your allies. Do we want to go to war with the Unseelie? Can I afford to feed them from our crops? No. We deliver humans to them. I cannot tell you what comes after, because I do not know.”

“But we do keep them sometimes…”, Korin thought of the many servants and even the bastard half breeds that are cast aside in their kingdom. The King nodded. “So let me keep her.”

“Korin—I don’t—“

“She can help with the young fae, she can help in the kitchen. She could do anything. She is not too young for responsibility. Please, father. I know her name.” Korin’s nails dug into his palms while he begged, heat surged in the small cuts they created. The King walked on, cursing both of his sons under his breath. Mikkel for being just like himself, Korin for being just like his mother.

When they got back to the castle, the wagon was waiting in the courtyard. The soldiers managed to sedate the three prisoners that posed an issue. Leanna sat with her knees up, head resting on them. A mess of curly brown hair fell over her bent legs. Korin stopped in front of the wagon. Gaur looked down at him from inside, sneering.

The King sighed and pointed at Leanna, “This one will be a servant to the princes. Have Kiara show her where her quarters are.” Korin’s smile reflected in his eyes. He didn’t take them off of the girl to see Gaur or Mikkel’s reaction.

Leanna was his.