Scorched King

The blade goes straight through the flesh, a clean cut dealt by the strong hand of the butcher. Raegan did not like lamb, but she would eat it if her sister asked it of her. It’s supposed to be so that she gets all her needed nutrition, but Raegan knows that her older sister simply wanted to impress her soon to-be-husband. The son of the Lord of the small kingdom of Brax was the epitome of a prick, he was like picking the ripest apple to only find out it was filled with worms. But of course, her dearest sister heard the words kingdom and lord and decided that he was the man she would spend the rest of her life with, though Raegan wouldn’t dare describe him as anything close to a man; he was more like a dog. The same could be said of his brother.

She was never quiet about these opinions around her sister, trying to dissuade her as much as she could before the wedding which would take place in approximately 5 days, though Raegan could surely decant the exact time until the grand wedding after Arcadia’s constant drilling. At one point she felt like she might have been going deaf in one ear, though she wouldn’t any time before Arcadia did herself.

She thanked the butcher and left a copper on the counter as she turned and left, the swish of tightly curled dark hair catching in the corner of her eye and then she was out the door. Swiftly she walked past beggars in the streets and children running every which way, she caught sight of the cream coloured manor long before she arrived and when she finally did a black and gold carriage glinted in front of the large doors. She groaned, abnormally loud, and considered running back to the butchers to request he slice her up like he does his meat. That torture would be much better than the one she was about to endure. Striding up the pathway to her family home she smiled at the mortals working in the garden, not that she wasn’t mortal herself but being brought up alongside Fae did something irreversible to her brain and now she couldn’t help but consider herself one of them, even if they would stay young and beautiful forever and she would eventually grow old, die and then proceed to rot in the ground.

The front door was heavy as usual, and Raegan had to use all the strength she had to hold it open long enough to squeeze through the crack in the door, the doorman gave her the same look as she passed through as he always did and she laughed at his expense, “I’ll die before I let you hold open a door for me, don’t expect me to call for help”

“I wouldn’t even dream of it miss,” Nexan had continually persisted on called her miss no matter how much she hated it, so she eventually gave in. His stubbornness had most likely come from the fact that her father was a cruel man who refused to let anyone below their status or ‘species’ refer to them by their names because it was embarrassing. Raegan guessed she couldn’t blame Nexan for wanting to keep his job and his life so she allowed the names but once she was finally in her own place she wouldn’t have servants or cooks or maids, she would simply have a loving husband with children creating messes that she cleaned up herself and then cook a large enough meal to invite over the entire village. Raegan knew from a young age that she differed from her family, for one she was mortal, born to two people who were most likely rotting in their own graves, and for another she was kind and she liked to think of herself as compassionate - except for when it came to the disgrace that was Lord Gendry and his sons.

Even the name made her gag, or perhaps that was the smell of the meat as she unwrapped it and placed it on the table where the maids would take it to the cooks to be thoroughly cleaned and cooked to a good enough standard to serve her father. Raegan was quiet on her feet, like most fae folk, except for her it took effort and practice and was not a natural gift given by Sonus, the fae god for stealth and swiftness. She took quick steps up the marble staircase but slowed and walked at a ladylike pace as her mother approached, they had never much liked each other though Raegan was unsure as to why. Perhaps it was the mortality or the difference in blood in their veins but either way they kept their petty feud to themselves and only acknowledged it when completely necessary. Raegan smiled a small tight smile at the red headed witch walking past her, she had been extremely envious of the fiery locks earlier in her childhood but had later grown out of it as the witch started to style it so tight that she almost doubled her forehead’s length. She now covered her hairline with tiaras and glamours, both of which Raegan would never acquire. Though her jealousy of her mother Catelynn had worn over time it had never once even flickered for her flawless sister. The fiery red and golden hair that flowed from her head to her back was eye-catching, nothing could compare to it except for maybe her own ice blue eyes that though appeared cold hid the most splendid, magnificent and kind creature behind. Even the way she walked appealed to those around her, a swish of her hips and the flick of her hair and men would be at her feet, unfortunately Arcadia did not use this to her advantage and was stuck with a moron as a fiancé who hailed the ground he walked on and watched as the world burned around him.

Raegan gave a wide smile to Arcadia and refused to acknowledge the existence of the three men behind her but she made sure they saw her give a dazzling smile to the young servant behind them carrying their bags, and she let out a light laugh as a red tint spread across his pale cheeks reaching the pointed tips of his ears. The boy was attractive, though that was obvious, all fae were perfect in their own ways but Raegan would love no-one more than she loved the boy currently hiding around the corner of the hallway of her quarters.

The second she turned the corner her hands were in his hair and his on her waist slowly sliding lower. Raegan was not afraid of getting caught, she never had been, and she knew that her maids would tell no one, plus the guard’s shift was going to be spent tangled in her sheets so she was sure that he would be of no issue. Though if her father found out about her inappropriate actions in bed she was sure he would fume.

“I missed you,” his hot breath tickled at Raegan’s ear and she pulled at the golden hair at the nape of his neck causing a small grunt of pleasure to escape his lips. Raegan pulled away and closed the door locking it quickly and then proceeded to walk over to her bed keeping her eyes focused on the gorgeous male in the centre of the room as she slowly stripped of her upper layers and untied the strings at the back of her corset and let it fall to the floor. She had perfected the art of seduction soon after she had seen him on his first shift outside her room and then had enacted every little thing, she could think of that would tease him enough to eventually make him give in to the looks he had given her.

She let a smile creep onto her face as she laid down on the bed and observed the hooded, lusting look in his emerald eyes, “You better be quick lover boy, I only have a short time before I have to attend dinner with my family, and I won’t be coming back later tonight.” He looked as if he was going to question what she was doing later that night but resisted knowing he would get no answer and instead climbed on top of her and enacted his deepest fantasies.

Raegan was bathed and cleaned after she had spent hours in her bed doing sinful, unlawful things to the guard that was still outside her room, but she would not give in again and instead turned to her wardrobe and picked out the gown she would be wearing. The silky red material would be considered too risqué for a simple mortal, but she had never much cared for rules, so she slipped the fabric over her body and stared at herself in the mirror stood in the corner of her splendid room. She called for Hunt and he came rushing in looking panicked, “Zip me up please,” she asked sweetly, and he gave her a half smile through the mirror and pulled the zipper up staring at her with his bright emerald eyes. She leaned back into him, feeling the hard abs that she could remember every last detail of from heart and sighed in contempt, she could live like this with him. But she saw the look he gave her as he brushed a kiss against the dark skin of her collarbone causing a shudder to rush through her body, and realising what he was about to do she turned swiftly and placed a quick and passionate kiss to his lips and whilst he was distracted by the taste of her she left the room and made her way to the dining room, red silk flowing around her. The slit in her leg reached just above mid-thigh and the drooping neckline went all the way to the end of her ribs, showing off the most provocative parts of her dark skin, maybe if they thought the mortal they let live in her family’s home was a whore then they would think the same of her sister and call off the arrangement. Although Raegan doubted it after seeing the hungry look on the Lord’s face as well as his youngest son’s, she had forgotten of his existence and it wasn’t the first time. He had pined after her a long time ago until she had enough and kneed him in a very sensitive area for which he never forgave her and in her blinded rage she had just made him want her more. He wanted nothing more than the glory of sleeping with ‘the only attractive mortal west of Rask’ and he would go many lengths to get it, luckily enough her father had not forced her into marriage with the brute and instead had been glad when Arcadia and Baelin had proposed the idea of marriage in the name of their ‘love’.

Raegan took her seat across from Arcadia and next to Camden and made sure she kept her legs far away from his perving hands, though that proved difficult at the large table. The dazzling crystals on the chandelier constantly sparkled and glittered in her peripheral vision and she was tempted to throw a fork at it if it at least got rid of the disgusting twinkling that kept her distracted from the feast that lay before her. They were not allowed to start the meal until her father had started and considering the conversation he was so caught up in with Lord Gendry she doubted it would be soon and suppressed a huff of annoyance. She hated the laws and expectations of the society she lived in, the few things she was allowed to do on her own did not meet any of those she wanted to do. She wanted to hunt and walk through the woods, instead she went shopping: only at lunch time and only with a man as a chaperone or another woman. She wanted to wear tight fitting pants and tunics so that she could climb trees and run without fear of tripping over her own skirts, instead she sat and drank tea as her father ushered in suitor after suitor hoping to please his mortal daughter. But most of all she wanted to confess her love for the guard who stood outside her room watching over her as she slept and instead, she sat by idly acting unbothered as his parents set up a marriage that would benefit their family greatly. And Raegan couldn’t hate him because he was doing a selfless duty to his family that could save them from ever having to deal with hunger again. And of course, if people saw Raegan giving her beloved’s fiancé dirty looks, they may start to wonder, and she would be found impure and punished.

Raegan hated that rule. The rule that you must save yourself for your husband and your husband only but if he wishes to dally and sleep with whoever he wants it was not thought of as anything bad. Unfortunately Raegan broke that rule long ago, losing it to a stable boy when she was 14 and then sleeping with the man outside her door every other night for over a year, it had started as a crush when she saw him but after she seduced him into her bed they both caught feelings far too quickly and then the news came. Before she could think over what had taken place not an hour earlier in her bedroom she felt a sharp kick on her ankle and looked up to meet her sister’s icy blue eyes.

“Raegan?” She looked over at her father then as she heard her name come from his lips.

“Yes father?” The words were confident and calm, as she had mastered, and she could feel the entire table’s eyes shifting to her once more.

“I was just asking if you were going to start serving yourself or if you needed help from one of the servants?” The question was genuine, and she could tell he made no offense but as Camden snickered beside her, she felt her rage rising in her chest.

“No, I’m quite alright, unlike the idle-minded,” a quick glance to her left at Camden “I’m quite capable of serving myself, I was just thinking on a book I had been reading earlier” Her father nodded in understanding at her love of books, the words books referring to something completely different who had a beating heart and would now be switching with another guard to take his rest and head home, she felt something in her chest tighten at that. She mouthed a thank you to the sister opposite her. But she did love to read, it just wasn’t the respectable tales of old that most were expected to read time and again, instead it was the thrilling and steamy romance novels that littered her room or the splendid folk tales of monsters who hid in the waters. Or novels of adventure where the protagonist would finally find their calling. That’s all Raegan truly wanted- to find out what her purpose was as a human stuck in a Faerie world. Her favourite book was a book about the becoming of the gods; how they came to be and why they protected the lands.

Raegan finally turned to the food and grabbed what she could, avoiding the large hunk of meat in the middle and instead filling her plate full of greens, oranges and beiges- she caught her sister giving her a sharp look but she kept clear of the meat still. She was strong enough without the meat and refused to eat it no matter how much it angered the others at the table. Though she didn’t understand why refusing to eat one dish offended the entire table. Conversation scattered around the dining table and instead of joining like any respectable person would do Raegan instead studied the magnificent painting on the walls of High Fae fighting with their silver blades and swords and as usual her eyes were drawn to the painting of an umber haired male with sharply pointed ears and striking grey eyes, she knew him as the King of the Wood after his name was forgotten by those who stopped telling his tales. He did nothing brilliant, how could he? He was locked in a magical tree until an heir took his place, and from what she knew, he had none which meant he would live for all eternity in a tree that sucked the life out of him and then restored it. She wanted to feel bad for the man but after hearing stories of what he had done in his life she decided against it and instead looked away from the painting back to her plate of food. Taking small bites and forkfuls she stared at the others at her dining table. Her father sat at the head of the table with a happy face as he laughed at something his wife said and squeezed her hand, the gold band on his ring finger glinting in the light. Her mother sat to the left of her father and Baelin sat beside her looking intently at Arcadia as they were deeply in conversation. Though she hated Baelin with a burning fire inside of her she did have to admit that he made her sister very happy, she just wished that the poison she had given him years ago had actually worked and killed him instead of simply making him throw up a few times, life would have been much easier for her. She heard the clatter of cutlery as she looked to her left at her father and Lord Gendry rising from the table and she, as well as everyone else at the table, rose to send them off. And once they had left, whispering discreetly under their breath Raegan decided she had had enough as well and stood from the table wishing everyone well- though she really didn’t.

The second she made it into her room she unzipped the dress and found her silky pyjamas and just sat on the floor for a while looking around her, at the dresser stuffed to the brim in one corner of her room or the bed-side table so crowded that she could no longer find anywhere to place new books or even the ceiling where a small chandelier hung and she saw the small golden ribbon dangling from one side. The sight of it always made her smile as she recalled the day where Hunt had taken her on a walk in the woods late at night and they made love under the stars, he found the ribbon caught in a tree and cut it free giving her the precious treasure that she kept close to her. There were some things she hated about Hunt though, like the fact that he never accepted money from her no matter how safe it was. She might have even been able to marry him if he had taken the money and bought himself into a higher ranking but he was too prideful and decided that the only way they would ever marry would be when he worked his way to the top and by the time he made it close enough his mother had whored him out like a prize for the highest bidder and then came his fiancé. It made her happy to know that she would never love him like Raegan did and never be good enough to pleasure him like she did all too often. She never felt bad for her hate for the women because of the bruises on her servant’s skin hidden well enough to conceal if you didn’t look close enough. And she was fine with Hunt marrying the horrid women as long as he taught her his kind ways but if Raegan ever heard that the witch had laid hands on her lover, she would rain hell down on her and smile throughout it. Mostly, she hated how easily Hunt got angry: they had gotten in an argument just a few days prior and his way of apologizing was brutal and unforgiving and Raegan had found it more painful than pleasurable.

A curt knock sounded at the door and Raegan swore as she remembered that Camden was introducing her to his friends. That was why Hunt was not there. But Raegan was in her pyjamas and looked around her room swiftly, letting them lock on a dress pushed relatively far back in her closet.

“I’ll be out in a minute!” She called as she rushed over to the dress and stripped from her pyjamas. She held the soft material against her partially naked body and stared at it in the mirror beside her closet. It was a floor length light gold dress with a plunging neckline and two straps that wrapped around her back. It was soft and easy to put on quickly, so she managed to open the door to Camden within a few minutes. “Sorry to be a bother but could you tie the back please.”

Camden’s bronze eyes widened slightly but Raegan did not catch the rest of his expression as she turned around and waited for him to tighten the strings at the back of the dress. The sound of a throat clearing and then, “Would you like it tight?”

“Uh, yes please.” Raegan murmured. His fingers were delicate and cold at her back and only the soft sound of fabric against fabric was heard as Camden’s strong hands pulled the strings tights and tied a fast bow at the centre of her back.

Raegan turned around to meet Camden’s eye and thank him to which he nodded slightly and motioned with his hand to the corridor. “My friends are waiting for us.” A nod was her only reply and they walked silently in the halls with Camden’s hand at her back.

He was kind sometimes, this seemed to be one of those days. But others he was cruel and would attempt things that Raegan did not wish to do, she sincerely hoped that his friends were different.

He led her down the stairs that mirrored on the opposite side of the grand front hall and then the single staircase that had them on the first level of her home. She assumed they would be conversing in the living room so when she was led down the corridor to the left an ounce of doubt crept into her bones.

“What room are they in?” Her voice was tight, and Camden seemed to understand her confusion.

“We’re meeting them in the games room.”

There was no space for further questions and Raegan realised that she had lived in a house for 22 years and had never set foot in a “games room”. He led her down a corridor that she had been down hundreds of times and stopped, not before a door but, before a painting. He reached forward and pulled the frame of a simple countryside painting and it opened as if it were a door to a room.

The floor was a dark wood, probably mahogany and a dark grey rug was placed in the middle of the room, atop it was a table of sorts- the centre was dipped so only the outskirts were raised and there were several coloured balls scattered along the fabric surface along with a bright white one. A fire crackled parallel to the door and before it was 3 large leather couches. A portrait of her family was hung above the fireplace, one that she did not remember posing for; clearly since she was much younger in the portrait. Bookshelves with plain-spined books sat on either side of the fireplace and on the left wall a sort of mini bar filled with glasses of many different alcohols stood. The right wall was plain except for what looked to be a target with spikes of metal sticking out. Raegan guessed they were some sort of game as suggested by the name of the room, though she didn’t understand why it was hidden behind a painting nor why she had never been told about it.

Perhaps this was where her father came to get away from her when even he couldn’t deal with her antics. Sat on one of the couches were two unfamiliar males who waved over at her and on the couch opposite sat Baelin but Arcadia was not present- Raegan hoped for her own sake that she turned up at some point to steal her away. Camden’s hands stayed respectfully placed at her back and did not linger in any uncomfortable position and for once Raegan wished she had worn a less provocative dress. The prying eyes of Camden’s friends made her shift in stance as they stood to greet her, hands reaching out to grasp her own.

She reached her own back and shook each extended hand, saying greetings as her palm touched theirs.

“You must be the infamous Raegan that Camden never stops talking about.” The lithe words broke out from a harsh face with sharp contours and structure, his eyes were dark and simple and travelled along the curves of her body before coming to rest at her own eyes. Raegan would have gagged if she was not afraid of his reaction, he was a fae after all, they had short tempers and enough strength to break her neck with a few short movements. The pointed ears poked out from the small clump of dark hair atop his head which was mirrored in another colour on the top of the other man’s head. However, the other man did not speak instead he simply smiled at Raegan and swiftly turned around to head back to the couch which he was previously seated on.

Baelin raised a glass at her from across the room and Raegan raised one unimpressed eyebrow back at him to which he smirked and took a sip of the amber liquid- alcohol she assumed.

“You brought me here to meet your friends and I have met them, am I to leave or will you have me here for a few moments longer?” Raegan attempted to make her words sweet but even she could not deny the bitter tone hidden beneath them.

“I was hoping you would stay to have a drink, perhaps play a few games?” Camden’s words were not yet slurred, and Raegan was eager to leave before they became tainted by the poisonous effects of his alcohol usage.

“I’ve never played any of these games, you will have to teach me.” The declarative statement caused a small smile to etch itself onto Camden’s face.

“Of course, princess, what drink would you like?” She let herself relax slightly and asked for the least intoxicating drink he had to offer.

“So, Raegan, how do you feel about your sister marrying Baelin?” The loud chatter and laughing had died down as she noticed all attention now laid on her.

“I’ve never liked Baelin all that much, I’m pretty sure even he knew that.” Raegan’s blunt and honest answer seemed to crack up the dark haired man and she stared at him in nervous confusion before Camden returned with a glass filled with an unfamiliar liquid.

“Why don’t you like me then? Please do tell,” A small smirk was blooming on Baelin’s face as he attempted to pressure Raegan into answering his question.

“Well I think you’re stuck up and I don’t believe that you deserve my sister.” Raegan raised an eyebrow at him and he only gave a smug smile back- he was toying with her. There was an awkward silence for a few short seconds before the light haired man spoke up.

“Well I don’t know about you two but I’m in the mood for a game of pool.”

“I’m going to sit this one out so you could play in teams of two?” Baelin spoke from the settee he was sat on and in response Camden stood from the seat he had been sharing with Raegan.

“I’ll go with Raegan considering I’m much better than both of you and she doesn’t know how to play.” Camden spoke from above her and offered her a hand to take to which she hesitantly latched onto. He lifted her from the seat and pulled her over towards the table full of colourful balls.

Raegan needed a slight confidence boost and downed the liquid in her glass before setting it on the bar counter. She turned back around to see Camden rubbing what she assumed was chalk onto the flat top of a wooden pole.

Camden made eye contact with her and motioned to the stick, “This is called a cue, you use it to hit the white ball into the other balls.” Raegan nodded along with him as he explained the basics of the game, slightly grasping the concept. And once he finished his explanation he pulled a copper out of his pocket and flipped it into the air, catching it on the back of his hand.

“Raegan,” his cool voice rose towards her and she lifted her eyes in response, “heads or tails?”

“Heads.”

Many glasses of alcohol later Raegan found herself stumbling up the stairs with Camden trying to help her with a hand wrapped around her waist. They were both far past tipsy and could barely look into each other’s eyes without bursting into fits of laughter and hysterics. He had been kind and respectful the entire night and Raegan was starting to believe she might have misjudged him.

They had finally reached her door and were panting at the entrance after exerting themselves on the many stairs they had to climb.

“Who builds that many stairs and thinks it’s acceptable?” Raegan slurred, raising her arms in stupefied questioning.

“Rich people.” Camden’s blunt tone left a short silence before they both fell into pits of laughter once again. Her hand had managed to find its way onto his chest in the midst of their childishness and she did not move to pull it away, instead she let her finger trail along the avid designs of embroidery along his expensive top until she landed on the smooth, warm skin of his collarbone.

Her eyes left her finger to glance up at his eyes to see them locked onto her movements. Raegan drew still as she recognised what she was doing. She retracted her hand and uttered a quick apology before rushing through the door and shutting it behind her.

She could not think of a single other reason as to why she had touched Camden so boldly other than the liquor that was pumping through her veins so she let the joyful stupor lull her into a deep sleep to which she wished she would never awake.