fic - Flutter, A Sort of Fairytale, aka Here Be No Dragons
fandom: the oc
title: Flutter, A Sort of Fairytale, aka Here Be No Dragons
rating: PG
disclaimer: I don't own anything OC related
author's note: Heh. Um. Yeah. :)
part one
Ryan realized when Seth appeared in finery fit for a prince that the estate they were going to visit was the home of the much praised Summer Roberts.
Anna and Taylor were fluttering around him making sure he was up to par and he was oddly calm in the carriage when it came to take them to the Roberts' farmland.
"She might not even be there. Lady Summer probably has lots of suitors with more manageable hair," Seth said.
"You must have confidence. Women do not like timid men. You have a sharp wit, Seth, and while handsome men will get fat and lazy, you will always be witty no matter how your hair looks," Ryan said.
Seth smiled at him. "Thank you, Ryan."
When the carriage arrived at the estate, it was led in without delay and there were escorts awaiting him. Seth waved goodbye to him forlornly as he was walked toward the crop fields to the side.
He'd never been treated like anything other than a slave or servant, but the men were polite and respectful toward him as their master had instructed.
He focused his attention on the wilting grain and tried to discern what kind of spell had been cast.
Curses were reasonably easy to cast but that meant that they were easy to get rid of as well. Feuding families or rivals could speak a few sacred words and bring bad luck to their enemies
"Can you help us, young sir?" One of his escorts asked.
"I believe so. And I will give you a seed to plant in a safe place. It will bring good health to your crops as long as you care for it. But first, I must cleanse your crops of the dark curse. Is there shelter we can take so I can call a rainshower?"
"Of course," the man said, surprised. He led him over to a small shed between the fields.
Calling rain was a simple thing for a wizard but wasn't usually done by apprentices. He hoped the Roberts would not turn him in, but it wasn't in writing anywhere to his knowledge.
He placed several clear crystals in a circle outside of the shed with a fistful of earth in the center. He recited the words of the spell and then stepped back under the roof as the thunder rumbled.
"The crystals should turn black as they soak up the curse. Then we will crush them and sprinkle the dust around the edges of the property as a repellent for similar magicks," Ryan explained.
"You are a very skilled wizard, even if not by common standards," one of his escorts said as the rain started to pour.
The crystals darkened and even through the pounding rain, the crops started to recover and ripen on the stalks.
Once the crystals stopped darkening, he murmured the ending words and the skies cleared.
"Amazing. And you have wings," one of the men said.
"Oh, apologies," Ryan said, forcing them back inside.
"No wonder you are gifted," he said. "Come, let's tell Lord Roberts the good news. And you can tell us how to care for the seed you mentioned."
He followed the men inside and was seated in a fancy room and brought tea and small cookies while he waited.
Seth walked in with a very pretty girl in a frilly dress. He could see why Seth had dressed up, but his friend smiled and he hoped things were going well.
"This is Ryan, he has recently come to stay with us," Seth introduced.
"I have seen you before, you were the wizard's apprentice. I thought you were a slave," Summer said.
Ryan nodded his understanding. "Yes, Lady Summer, the Princess has given me my freedom."
She frowned at him.
"He is a loyal friend and we are lucky he is free," Seth said.
"As are we," Lord Roberts said, walking in and offering his hand for Ryan to shake. It was an honor and Ryan appreciated it. Normally slaves were only allowed to bow, a handshake was for equals.
"But Father..." Summer started.
"He has salvaged our crops and provided us more protection than the King's wizard has ever given. I am grateful, Ryan, for your assistance," he said.
Ryan reached into his pouch and pulled out the special seed. "This will bring your fields prosperity. Care for it and protect it and your crops will flourish. Do not neglect it, or you will see an unfortunate different in your harvests."
"Thank you. What can I offer you as payment for your services? I will pay you what I would pay the wizard..."
"I do not request money," Ryan said after a moment. "But I saw that you are growing sugarcane, and I would like to ask for a seedling to get sugarcane for my potions and spellcasting."
"You are truly an enigmatic young man. Of course, I will have our servants gather you some of our finest plants from our greenhouses," Lord Roberts said. "But you must accept our gold. Princess Kirsten will never accept us sending you home with only plants as payment."
"Can I have apples instead? Gold is not as pleasing to me as fruit," Ryan said quietly to Seth.
Seth smiled. "Lord Roberts, Ryan is too new to freedom to accept payment without regret. I will have my mother contact you if she requires monetary payment. But may I ask for some fruit from your orchards on Ryan's behalf?"
"Yes, you may, Seth. I will make it happen. Give your parents our regards and I will go and make sure Ryan gets our ripest offerings. Do you like grapes, Ryan?"
He couldn't control the flutter of his wings.
Summer gasped but Lord Roberts laughed. "I am going to take that as a yes. Come along, Summer, and assist me."
---------------
Ryan went to the forest as soon as they returned to Kirsten's estate, leaving Seth to his detailed description of his time with Lady Summer to the girls.
He had two sugarcane seedlings for Alex to plant for the unicorns and a bunch of grapes to share with the sprite. He'd also found a small box with a bow labeled for her on his bed that the Princess had left for him to take to her.
She was waiting for him by the glade, without her robe and he accepted her kiss and embraced her despite her nudity.
"I have brought the unicorns gifts and some fruit for you," Ryan said. "And a gift from the princess."
"I love presents, come, let us make love in the meadow," Alex said.
Ryan laughed and let her pull him into the forest.
They made love for a while on the soft moss on the edge of the meadow but when she opened Kirsten's gift, her attention was fully focused on the small shimmering sphere. It was beautifully crafted and had small curved mirrors wound around it to make it sparkle in the light.
He'd never had a Christmas tree, but he thought that orbs such as this one were hung from branches to celebrate.
While Alex was caught up in the shiny object, he moved over to a small patch of fertile earth and planted the sugar cane seedlings.
The unicorns emerged from their hiding places now that their noisy love-making was done for the moment and curiously sniffed at the plants.
"You can't eat them until they are ready, but I promise it will be worth it," he said to the unicorns.
They snorted at him, disgruntled but once the plants were safely in the ground; he pulled sugar cubes from his pouch and fed them to the patient creatures.
Once his supply of treats was empty, they trotted around in the meadow, happy and beautiful.
"Ryan, come back to me, we must make love again before night falls," Alex called.
---------------
Kirsten was relieved that her father had agreed to see her, and even more relieved that the Queen was not by his side.
"What brings you to my palace today, daughter?" her father asked.
"I come to ask for your assistance. I assume you've had a visit from Hailey recently."
He frowned. "Your sister is...unwell."
"She has refused my help. But The Potion is a blight upon your kingdom and hopefully Hailey will finally convince you that something must be done," Kirsten said.
"What do you suggest?" he asked.
"We have brought an apprentice wizard into our home to give us protection. He has done great things for us, he has shown great skill. I believe he can conjure an antidote if you will give him license to make his own spells," Kirsten said.
"Has he been trained?" her father asked after a moment.
"He had been a slave to many wizards who have depended on his talents. He is qualified and careful," she said.
Her father considered it.
"Please, Father. Hailey is ill and if you will not claim me as your daughter, I would like to make sure my sister is worthy enough to wear your crown," she said.
He finally nodded. "As you wish, Daughter. I will sign the license. And I wish you luck. How is your son?"
"He is well. He is growing into a fine young man," Kirsten replied. "I will send him your regards."
"Thank you," her father said, signing a piece of parchment and passing it to her.
"Thank you, Father," she said, putting it into her purse.
"What is that pendant you have around your neck?" her father asked.
"It is a protective talisman," Kirsten replied.
"My wizard has never given me one," her father said.
"As I said, the boy has great skill."
Her father nodded. "Would he be willing to create one for me?"
Kirsten leaned forward. "Father, is everything okay?"
"I have just been feeling...unsettled recently."
"I will see that you receive it within the week," Kirsten said.
"Thank you."
---------------
Ryan was stunned when Kirsten brought him the license to create his own spells and potions. He felt honored to be trusted with it.
"My father would like you to create a talisman for his protection, if you wouldn't mind," Kirsten said.
"The King wants me to...I would be honored. But may I ask why he did not go to Master Horace?" Ryan hesitated.
"He appreciates good craftsmanship and I have told him of your skills. Even though he does not approve of my husband, he appreciates my opinion on some things."
"I will start on it immediately," Ryan nodded.
"And let us know what supplies you require for your laboratory, the girls are cleaning out one of the cellar rooms for a work area. We will provide money for you to purchase what you need," Kirsten said.
"That will be great, thank you. I hope that I can find a potion to counteract the addiction," Ryan said.
"We have faith in you," Kirsten smiled. "How is your sprite?"
"She enjoyed your gift very much, she could barely tear her eyes away," Ryan said. "She is good."
"I am glad that you have found someone to share your time with. Seth will take you into town tomorrow," she added, pulling a small pouch from her bag. "And Lord Roberts insisted that I give this to you since you would not accept it from him. You are no longer a slave and any money you earn is yours and not your master's."
He flushed. "But I..."
"No arguments. Your room and board is provided for you because of the services you provide us, but you must let people repay you for your services on their own."
"Yes, Princess. I will remember," he said, accepting the bag of gold. It was more than he'd ever had. "And this is mine?"
"Yes, spend it as you will, but please let us purchase the things for your lab, do not use your money for your spellcasting, that is our pleasure," she said.
"Thank you. I look forward to working in the new workroom and trying out my theories," Ryan said.
She smiled at him. "We'll talk more at dinner."
---------------
"Seth, will you...accompany me into the Wizard's shop?" Ryan asked, hesitating on the street once the carriage pulled away.
"But I need to get to the bookstore and pick up this week's serials," Seth replied.
"I will come with you," Ryan said.
"The Wizard's shop smells funny. It always makes me sneeze," Seth said.
"Oh. I'm sorry for requesting it. I shall go now. I will join you when I am done," Ryan said.
Seth glanced at him. "Why are you nervous...oh. I'm sorry, Ryan, I will come..."
"No, it is fine. He is my master no longer," Ryan said. "And I am in your parents employ; I will join you when I have made all my purchases."
He ignored Seth's steady gaze as he walked into the shop where he used to live.
"Ah, come crawling back to your master already. I suppose you've heard about your mother's renewed debt," Horace said as soon as he spotted him.
"I come to buy supplies," Ryan said, hoping his voice didn't shaking.
"With what currency?" Horace demanded. "Who would give a slave money?"
Ryan put several gold pieces on the counter. "May I gather my necessities, please?"
"No, I will get them. Do you have a list?" Horace frowned.
Ryan didn't feel right handing over his ingredient list and shook his head in denial. "It is in my head."
"I cannot give you free run of my shop, it is my livelihood. And I have heard that you were granted a wizarding license from the King but I do not take kindly to rivals, especially worthless slaves that think they are equals."
Ryan knew it was several hours by carriage to the next store that had his things.
The wizard was faster than he expected, slapping an iron cuff around his wrist and jerking him around the counter.
"No, you can't..."
"You are out of your league, boy, you will never find a cure for The Potion because there is not one," Horace sneered, forcing him to his knees and latching the collar around his neck.
He was immediately weak and unable to fight back.
"Open your mouth," Horace ordered, pushing several round iron balls into his mouth and making him shudder in pain.
He had enough Fae blood to know that it would possibly kill him, but he had no choice but to swallow with the man's hand over his mouth.
It felt like they were burning holes in his stomach.
He should have known that his time with at the palace was too good for a son of a harlot. A slave.
He'd been without chains too long.
"You will remember your place," Horace said.
The door swung open and the wizard straightened up, leaving him cowering in agony.
"Mr. Horace, pardon us, but the young prince says that you have taken something that belongs to him," the man said.
"I have done no such thing," Horace protested.
"Ryan came into this store and I saw you assault him. Where is he? He is no longer your slave, my father paid for him in full, you have no hold over him," Seth's voice drifted into his head.
He could feel his feathers falling out from the iron inside him.
Taylor would be so upset.
He managed a weak whimper before everything went dark.
---------------
Anna glimpsed the movement from the corner of her eye as she collected berries from the bushes in the garden.
But whenever she'd turn to investigate, there would be nothing.
Finally, she couldn't ignore it any more and she put down her basket and turned to glare at the trees behind her with her hands on her hips. "If anyone's out there, stop playing. I am not in the mood for hide and seek."
A beautiful woman materialized on one of the branches. "What is hide and seek?"
"Oh, it's a game. Are you...Ryan's friend?"
The woman's eyes lit up. "Yes, I am a friend of Ryan. I sense that he is in danger, will you ask him to come out and see me?"
"He's not here, he went into town with Seth. Why do you sense he is in danger?" Anna asked.
"I cannot explain it. But I do not have many friends and Ryan and I are...close," the woman said.
"Would you like to come inside and wait for him?" Anna asked.
"Oh no, I do not go into mortal homes," she shuddered, her shimmering wings fluttering under her robe. "But I am uneasy. This is the closest I've been to his home before, I do not wish to go further."
"Oh. Okay, then. I shall tell him to come see you when he gets back," Anna said.
"May I wait in your orchard? Within sight of the forest?" the woman asked.
"I don't see why not. You are really worried to come this far from your wood," Anna said.
"I...care for him deeply," the woman said.
"Well, from the little he will speak of you, I think that he cares for you deeply as well. He's always glowing when he returns from his visits with you. I do not think he's had much happiness in his life and you give him that," Anna replied.
"You are very kind," the girl smiled.
"My name is Anna. Please call for me if you need anything, I am going to go inside so I can get Ryan for you as soon as he returns," Anna said.
"Thank you, Anna."
---------------
"Seth, what happened?" Sandy asked, helping the carriage drivers bring Ryan into the house.
"He went to get supplies for his spells and I didn't go with him, I should have gone with him, but I wasn't thinking, Father, and the wizard...he did something to him," Seth said, pale with worry.
"Ryan, can you hear me?" Kirsten asked, crouching beside him.
He whimpered.
"His wings, they're...it's like they're dying, I think he's dying, I...the town guards arrested the wizard when they saw Grandfather's license but they could not do anything for him and I didn't want everyone to see his wings so I asked to come back here, is there a doctor that..."
"Oh no," Anna gasped. "The sprite was right...she's in the orchard, she said she sensed something was wrong..."
"Go get her, she may know what is wrong..." Sandy said.
Ryan had become more than an employee to them.
"She says she doesn't come inside, I think she has to stay in the forest, she said the orchard is as close as she'll get," Anna said.
"Iron, these chains are iron, that's dangerous to Fae, isn't it?" Kirsten asked.
"It's probably what is making him sick, we have to get him to the sprite to find out if we can save him," Sandy decided. "Seth, help me support him to the garden."
He wasn't as heavy as he looked, but they weren't as strong as they should be and it took several minutes to get him outside.
Feathers from Ryan's wings trailed behind them as they fell off.
"Ryan!" a voice called and the wood sprite appeared beside them when they reached the treeline.
"Can you help him?" Anna asked.
"Iron, he is bound in iron, oh no, it's...oh no," the sprite gasped, not putting her hands on him but hovering her fingertips over his skin. "I cannot touch him..."
"How do we help him?" Kirsten asked. "We must help him..."
"The iron must go...you must get it off him, and...I think it's inside him..." the girl said, her hands hovering over his stomach.
"We have some of that vile medicine that makes people throw up, I will get it out of the pantry," Anna said.
"Seth, go asked the groundskeeper for his strongest set of cutters, something to cut iron," Sandy said.
Seth nodded and hurried away.
"I need to get him to the spring, the water will heal him, but the iron, the iron must go," the sprite said.
"How do we get him to the spring?" Sandy asked.
The sprite hesitated. "It is a sacred place. I cannot take all of you for fear..."
"We respect that the wood is yours to share, we may own it on paper, but it has always been your wood," Kirsten said. "We will not give away your secrets, we only want Ryan to be okay. He is very important to us."
The girl studied her. "All right. I will take the two of you. You gave Ryan his freedom and I am grateful for that. But you cannot speak of anything you may see when we arrive. We just have to hope that the gods are kind to us and he survives to get there."
Anna skidded on the grass, holding out the bottle of medicine.
"What is that?" the sprite asked.
"It's...it makes people throw up. For children that eat poison berries, or pennies," Anna said.
"Your children eat pennies?" the sprite asked.
"Children will eat anything, Anna, hold his head so we can pour it. It will make him sick, but if what you say is true and he's eaten iron, or been forced to, it should expel it from his insides," Kirsten said.
"Who would do this?" the sprite asked, standing back with Sandy as the women did their work. Her wings brushed against him as they fluttered with worry.
"His previous master. I intend to find out why he would do something this...cruel. Ryan is a kind boy, he does not deserve this," Sandy said.
Ryan began to retch but at least it was a sign of life.
Sandy saw the small iron balls in the disgusting puddle beside the boy.
"The man must pay for hurting him. I will make him pay," the sprite said.
"Let's focus on getting Ryan better before we think about that," Sandy said.
Seth arrived breathlessly with several large tools. "I do not think any of us are strong enough to break the iron, but he said these will work."
"Do you have Ryan's pouch? He will have stones that can give you strength," the sprite said. "I have seem them when he was collecting crystals."
Seth was surprised but held out Ryan's pouch. "I don't think we're allowed to go in his bag, but you are...probably allowed. What's your name?"
"Oh, I'm Alex," she said, taking the pouch and reaching inside. She began pulling assorted crystals and bottles from the tiny bag.
"How does he fit so much?" Seth asked.
"It is enchanted," Alex said. She pulled out two smooth plain stones. "Here, hold these in your hands and work the tools, it has to be against your skin to work. Please, the iron must go," she said.
"Kirsten, let me try these," Sandy said, stepping over with the cutters.
The stones were clumsy in his hand but he finally managed to slide the cutters underneath the collar and squeeze the handles.
The collar broke off with a snap and Ryan sucked in a huge gulp of air.
"The wrists, all of it must go," Alex said.
Sandy went to work on the boy's cuffs and he was free of the iron in a few moments. He dropped the stones back into the pouch as Alex rushed over to his side.
"Thank you, he...oh, he's so sick, we must get him to the spring right away."
"Seth, you stay here with the girls, your father and I are going to get him to the wood with the sprite and will return hopefully when he is well," Kirsten said.
"But, Mother..."
"Please, do as I say, we will do everything we can," Kirsten insisted.
"Come, we must go quickly," Alex said.
Once Anna and Seth were gone, Alex lifted Ryan into her arms easily.
"The unicorns are waiting for me, they will help us. They care for Ryan, too and if he trusts you, they will sense it and show themselves," Alex said.
"Oh, they...will take us to the spring?" Sandy asked.
"My husband does not know how to ride a horse," Kirsten said, following her.
"He does not need to know. The unicorns are not meant to be ridden. They will take you if they want to," Alex said.
"Oh," Sandy said.
Alex perked up once the reached the edge of the garden and Sandy was stunned when the snowy white unicorns materialized, trotting over and whinnying.
"Do you see them?" Kirsten whispered to him.
"I see them," he replied.
The smallest unicorn nudged its nose at Ryan's chin.
"She has chosen him," Alex said. She lifted Ryan from where she'd laid him on the ground and placed him on the unicorn's back. "To the springs, young one, fast as you can, we shall follow."
The unicorn snorted its understanding and disappeared with Ryan on her back.
One of the larger unicorns knelt in front of them, whinnying.
"Not a horse," Sandy said to himself.
---------------
"Ryan? Lover, please open your eyes..."
He'd never had a dream quite this vivid about the wood sprite.
Then he felt her hands on his arms. He was floating.
"Please, you must recover, you must come back to us," Alex said.
He opened his eyes and realized that he really was floating. By the waterfall. In the wood.
"He is awake, Princess, pass me that cup of berries, it will help him heal faster," Alex said.
"What..."
"Shh, don't talk yet, you must rest on the soft moss and eat the berries, do not waste your breath," Alex said, swimming with him slowly over to a rock on the edge.
He remembered in a flash when he was lifted from the water as the pain of the iron returned.
Princess Kirsten and Sandy helped him onto the moss, tucking a pillow made from Alex's silky robe fabric under his head.
"Here, Alex says this will help," Kirsten said, pushing a berry into his mouth.
The sweet juice of the berry calmed his stomach and he took a deep breath.
"Better?" Alex asked.
"Much. Thank you. How did I get here? Master Horace..."
"He is not your master, you are owned by no man but yourself," Alex said.
"Your lady friend is very wise. I am so sorry that you were hurt," Kirsten said.
"You gave us all a scare. Seth brought you back here, he didn't think you could be helped by normal doctors and Alex...she felt you were in danger."
Ryan raised his hand and pulled her palm to his lips. "Thank you."
"Eat more berries. When you have your strength back, you have to apologize to her," Alex said, nodding to where his favorite unicorn was pacing uneasily a few steps away.
"Can he drink this water?" Sandy asked, waiting for Alex's permission before filling a small wooden bowl with water and helping him sit up so he could sip from it.
"Thank you. You all...saved me. You did not let him enslave me or kill me...I owe you..."
"You owe us nothing," Kirsten said.
Sandy nodded. "You saved my life once and you've been nothing but helpful and kind since we've met you. I am just sorry that we did not consider the Wizard an enemy that would hurt you."
"I think he knows who is making the Potion. He is not skilled enough himself, but I think he is involved. That's why he wanted to stop me. He must believe I can counteract it even if he swears there is no cure," Ryan said.
"Lie on your stomach, Ryan, while I put some salve on your wings," Alex said.
"You don't have to..." Ryan started.
"Let her care for you, we will give you privacy," Kirsten said.
"There are sugar cubes in my pouch, will you share them with the unicorns?" Ryan asked.
"Alex, is that okay with you?" Sandy asked.
"I'm sure they would appreciate it," Alex smiled.
Ryan closed his eyes as Alex started smoothing the cool lotion over his tingling wings.
"They will never be the same. But they will heal. You need to rest, and eat berries until your strength returns. I will send some spring water with Sandy and the Princess for you to drink. It will help you recover faster," Alex said.
"How can I repay you?"
"You owe me nothing. But I hope you will be safe so I will not worry. I have never felt this way toward a mortal before...but I desire you and I want you to be safe."
"I will be safe."
"You give amulets of protection to Sandy and the Princess, yet you do not wear one for yourself. You act as if their life is more precious than yours. You must wear one for yourself. You deserve protection equal to that you give to others," Alex said, soothing the stinging wings.
"I will make one for myself."
"Good. There, that will last until I see you again. You should go home with the Princess and Sandy and rest," Alex said.
"Thank you for caring for me," Ryan said.
He couldn't thank them enough. He'd never had anyone care for him enough to tend to him when he was sick.
"I will go with you to the edge of the wood. She will help us carry you," Alex said, nodding to his unicorn who was licking Sandy's hand.
"I get to ride a unicorn?" Ryan asked.
Alex leaned in and kissed him.
It was almost worth his hellish dat to receive a kiss like that.
---------------
Caleb listened to the men who had arrested the wizard and tried not to seem too interested in his wife's darkening frown.
He was flipping the talisman brought by the courier in his pocket.
He needed to talk to his daughter's new servant to find out what exactly it was doing to him.
It was like he was thinking clearly for the first time in months.
He could see the sheen of magic hiding his wife's face. The grey streaks in her red hair that the glamour was disguising.
And more obviously, he could see the new jewels on her fingers and around her neck. The crown that had belonged to his mother was dull in the sunlight.
This was all wrong.
"Sire, what shall we do with the wizard?"
"Put him in the dungeon until I question him myself. He is to have no visitors," Caleb said, ignoring the flash in the Queen's eyes. "I wish to speak with him before all others."
"Yes, Sire," the guard bowed.
"I would like you to take a carriage to the wizard's shop and gather all of the equipment and magicky things you can load inside and transport it to my daughter's house. If the boy survives, he may be able to help our kingdom have a worthy wizard to consult."
"My King, you cannot be serious," Julie hissed.
"I am the King. The boy is no longer a slave and he has earned my daughter's respect, and Lord Roberts' as well. From all accounts, he was the victim. Until I interrogate the wizard Horace, I am not willing to risk leaving the kingdom unprotected from people wishing us harm. And if the wizard Horace is the person selling The Potion, I do not want his ingredients available to his partners." Caleb turned to dismiss the guards before returning his attention to his queen.
"I strongly disagree with your plan," Julie said.
"I had a feeling you would," Caleb replied, holding the crystal tight in his fist. "How long have you been profiting from The Potion's evil?"
She gasped. "How could you accuse me of such a thing?"
"Where do you get the riches you have filled our vaults with? You do not hold contests or give loans. Where did you get those jewels on your hands and the silk for your gown?" Caleb asked.
He waved his hands and his three strongest guards hurried in.
"Caleb, what..."
"Take her to the south tower. Make sure there is nothing she can use to escape," Caleb said.
"You cannot do this to me, Sire, I am innocent," Julie protested.
"We shall find out soon enough," Caleb said.
Once the queen was escorted out of the room, his valet approached. "Your carriage is ready, Sire."
"Good. Let us go to my daughter's palace and see if the boy is recovered enough to enlighten me as to what the hell is going on," Caleb said.
He held tight to the talisman to try and keep his mind clear and led the valet from the room toward the stables.
---------------
Ryan dozed fitfully once Kirsten and Sandy helped him back to his room. Anna and Taylor tended to him and made sure he had water whenever he coughed and wiped his face with cool washcloths.
When he was sitting up and spooning small portions of the soup Anna had prepared for him, Seth walked in with a guilty expression.
"I am so sorry, Ryan...I should not have let you go into the wizard Horace's alone. I would have never forgiven myself if you were..."
"You saved me, Seth. If you had not come in with the lawmen and stood up for me when I could not do it for myself, I would not be have survived. And you got me back here to one of the only people I know that could help me with my particular problem with iron," Ryan said honestly.
"So you are not angry with me?" Seth asked.
"No. If you had come into the wizard's shop with me, he may have hurt you, too. I think...things happened the way they did for a reason," Ryan said.
Taylor knocked on the door before stepping in. "Ryan, the King is here to see you. Do you feel like coming out to the sitting room or would you like us to bring him here?"
"Here? My room is not fit for a King to visit, I will come out," Ryan said. "Why does he want to see me?"
"I will go with you, my Grandfather will not insult you while I am present," Seth said.
Ryan eased his sore muscles out of bed and pushed his feet into his boots before standing up.
"Are you okay? Your wings..." Taylor said.
"Alex says they will heal," Ryan replied.
"They are already healing, but they're not white anymore, they're blue, your feathers are blue where they are growing back," Taylor said.
"That's...strange," Ryan said, glancing over his shoulder at his sagging wings. They were had always been white.
"Come, we must not keep the King waiting. We do not want to offend," Taylor said. She paused to adjust his shirt and brush his hair out of his eyes. "It will have to do."
"It will be fine, Grandfather will understand after his day, I will explain what happened," Seth said.
Ryan followed Seth through the kitchen and into the hall. Sandy was frowning.
"Father?" Seth asked.
"Something is different about the King today," Sandy said.
"Different how?"
"He spoke to me," Sandy replied. "He acknowledged my presence. He has not done that since your mother and I were married, and then he addressed me only as 'Peasant'."
"That is strange. Are you going to sit with us?" Seth asked.
"He was talking with Kirsten alone, but I will return with you," Sandy said.
Ryan had never met the King before in person, but he bowed to him and knew not to sit down until he acknowledged him.
"This must be the apprentice," the King said. "Please, sit."
Ryan sat. He appreciated Kirsten's reassuring smile.
"I am sorry for her run in today with the wizard Horace. I will return to that later, but right now, I would like to know the power of this talisman you crafted for me," the King said.
"Oh, yes, sire," Ryan said. "It is a protection amulet and since you are the King, I thought you may need protection from other things. Not only does it repel curses and warn you of poison, it was intended to protect you from deception. If someone attempts to deceive you, you should know if you have your crystal near."
The King's eyes were wide. "Apprentice, what is your name?"
Ryan glanced at Kirsten. "Ryan, Sire."
"Ryan. Thank you," the King said before turning to his daughter. "The Queen is not the lady I thought she was when we wed. I think she is working with the wizard Horace. And I think she has something to do with The Potion."
"Father, you can't mean..."
"She has brought our kingdom many riches. And I do not think that she has gotten them in appropriate ways. And the...Ryan, he has given me clarity I have not had in a long while. I am hoping he will continue to help us even though he has been mistreated," the King said.
Ryan was stunned.
Seth nudged him in the arm, nodding at him.
"I will continue to help, of course. The Princess has been kinder to me than anyone I've ever met and her family and friends saved my life today. It is my duty to help those that have helped me," Ryan said.
"I have servants bringing the wizard Horace's things here for you to work with. Kirsten said that you may be able to make an antidote for The Potion."
"I would really like to try," Ryan said.
"I would like you to try as well. You will have everything you need," Caleb said.
"Why didn't you put Grandfather's talisman on a chain like you did for us?" Seth asked him.
"It would not be fine enough for a King. And you all dress...more normally than the King," Ryan said.
"I will get a gold chain for you, father, so you may wear it under your robes," Kirsten said.
"I mean you no offense, Ryan, but...what are you?"
"I am half Fae," Ryan blushed. "My...wings are damaged and I cannot hide them properly."
"How did the wizard damage you?" the King asked.
"He forced iron down his throat. He is a cruel man, he was a cruel Master," Sandy said.
Caleb nodded at his son in law. "Understood. Ryan is now under my protection, I will send royal guards to your gate to make sure you are safe."
Ryan glanced at the King who nodded that he could speak.
"Master Horace does not have the skill to create The Potion. Someone else has to make it for him. You should be very careful," Ryan said. "If you can wait a moment, I will give you some things that may help you in your quest for truth."
"I would be grateful for any assistance you can give," the King said.
Ryan hurried back to his room and retrieved his pouch before returning. He returned to his seat and pulled several things from the bag.
"This is a truth powder. If you will put a small bit in your palm and then blow it in the direction of the person you are speaking with, they are certain to be honest with you. It is rumored to work on even the most powerful wizards," Ryan said, holding out a small satchel.
"This is a very handy powder to have," the King said.
"Use it sparingly. It is very delicate to create," Ryan said. "In the wrong hands, secrets can be stolen easily." He pulled out another small pouch. "This is a rare treasure that I have never had to use before. It is a stone from the pit of the ancient ones. It will clear all magic from a room. Spells will be useless, but any wards and protection spells will stop working as well. If you remove it from the satchel, you must remember that you are as unprotected as the ones you are dealing with. I cannot handle it myself, but if you do meet the wizard that is powerful enough to create The Potion, you may need it."
"You are full of surprises," Sandy smiled at him.
The King accepted the pouch. "I will return it to you intact."
"I would accompany you if I was at my full strength," Ryan said.
"Keep my Daughter safe, that is all I wish. You have already given me the tools I need to try and find the source of the blight upon our kingdom. You work on the antidote to The Potion and I will work from my end. And the wizard Horace will be punished for his mistreatment of you even if I find him innocent of selling The Potion."
Ryan nodded his understanding as the King rose from his seat. They all stood and bowed to him as he walked out with Kirsten.
"That was..." Seth started.
"Strange. I think I'm going to lie down and try to get some more strength back. I will have lot to do tomorrow," Ryan said.
-----------
Hailey tightened her jacket around her and glared at the guards that walked her up to Kirsten's door.
What the hell were her father's guards doing at her sister's house? Why did she need an escort?
Hadn't her day been bad enough?
The maid opened the door and frowned at her. "I shall ask the Princess if she wants to see you. Please stay here."
"She's my sister, she shall see me," Hailey said.
She hoped.
It seemed like it took forever before Kirsten appeared. "It's okay, she is welcome," she said to the guards before turning to her. "What brings you here, Hailey?"
"I..." she took a deep breath.
Her lover's words were still echoing in her head. "A princess is sure to get many high bids for her services. I will make sure she is well trained in all areas of seduction to achieve top dollar."
"Hailey?"
"He was going to make me a whore. I need your help. I do not like what I have become," Hailey whispered.
Her sister's eyes flashed with pity and...relief.
"Please, come inside, we will take care of you," Kirsten said.
"I...I can already feel The Potion wearing off. I do not know what will happen when I don't have today's dose," Hailey said, following her inside.
"We will help you. Come, you can get cleaned up while we prepare a room for you. I will consult with Ryan to see if we can make the lack of Potion easier for you," Kirsten said.
-----------
Ryan carried the cup of tea and pillow into the room behind Taylor.
Kirsten's sister was not well, he could see that right away.
He could sense The Potion in her system.
"She has pillows, Ryan, what..." Kirsten started.
"I made this one from the feathers he lost this morning. He says that it will bring great peace when it is slept upon," Taylor said.
"You're a Fae," the sick princess said.
"Yes, Princess, half-Fae. I am sorry that I cannot do anything more for you right now, but I can give you rest through the night," Ryan said as Taylor arranged the pillow behind her. He placed the cup of sleeping tea in her trembling hands.
He glimpsed a knotted rope necklace around her neck with a small tin symbol hanging from the loop. "Where did you get that necklace, Princess?"
She raised her hand to her neck. "My...ex-lover. He gave it to me."
"May I...have it?" Ryan asked impulsively.
Both princesses looked at him.
"Why...oh, I don't care, here, take it," she said, unclasping the button hold and handing it to him.
He held the braided rope in his hand carefully. "Is my brother well?"
"Ryan?" Kirsten asked.
"Trey is your brother?" Hailey asked.
Ryan nodded. "He is a dangerous man. He does not know the meaning of love or kindness. Only greed and hate. I am sorry that he hurt you."
"He did not hurt me," Hailey whispered.
"Trey hurts everyone. Drink the tea, you should rest. Thank you for the necklace," Ryan said, putting the necklace in his pocket.
He waited until she had taken a swallow of the tea before turning to Kirsten. "I'm going to go work on the cure. She will get worse before she gets better. I don't know how much better she will get," he added under his breath. "I will be back to check on her."
Kirsten took his hand and squeeze it tightly. He nodded his understanding.
He had work to do.
-----------
Ryan woke up early the next morning and stretched his stinging wings. At least now they were stinging because they were growing back and not because they were falling out.
It was strange to see blue feathers instead of white, but he guessed he'd get used to it. It wasn't like he really used them for anything, but he was accustomed to having them.
He went upstairs to check on the young princess and saw that she was sleeping again. Kirsten had barely left her side but Anna was with her and explained that she'd sent Kirsten to bed.
He went to the cellar where the King's men had set up the wizard's things.
They weren't his things, but he had permission from the King so he went to work.
He felt most comfortable when he was handling the magical herbs and powders. It was like second nature to him.
He knew what was in The Potion, but not the measurements. He knew the effects, too.
"Can we help, Ryan? We feel a little...useless with Princess Kirsten playing nursemaid," Taylor said, appearing with Anna.
"Oh, sure. Just...be careful. Some of these things are poison," Ryan said.
"So the cure is going to be made out of poison?" Taylor asked.
"Many dangerous things can be made to be beneficial if they are combined the correct way. Anna, if you could read back my notes, and Taylor, if you don't mind, you can hand me the measuring things," Ryan said.
"Ooh, this is going to be fun," Taylor said.
Anna gathered her dress around her knees and read off his final draft of ingredients.
Taylor passed him cups and scoops and flasks and when he dropped in the last ingredient into the flask, a puff of smoke told him that it was complete.
"That's it? The cure?" Anna asked.
"I hope so. But it needs a little more work, she can't drink this. It could be applied to the skin, like a lotion. But it's too...thick," Ryan said, rocking the glass jar to show its viscosity.
"Can you make it, like a soap? Bath salts or something?" Taylor asked.
Ryan glanced at her.
"Sorry..."
"No, that is a great idea. That will work perfectly. I'm not completely sure it will work as a cure, but it will at least help Princess Hailey until I can make a better potion," Ryan said.
"I will go and draw a bath for the princess. We won't know until we try," Anna said.
"I will tell Princess Kirsten," Taylor said, giving him a giddy hug and hurrying up the stairs with their friend.
Ryan couldn't believe that it was this simple. But he had a feeling deep down that this would work.
He poured the sticky mixture into the small molds that formed them into round beads and set them over the ice bucket to cool and hopefully harden.
While he was waiting for the beads to solidify, he took out one of his crystals and started making a talisman for Hailey.
He didn't know how he felt about Trey getting a princess hooked on the potion.
But his brother only cared about himself.
Ryan was so young when his mother bartered him for her debts but he remembered his brother telling the collectors that he didn't care about their mother. Even though their mother didn't care about them...Ryan cared about her. She was the woman that gave birth to him and he wanted her to be okay.
Not hooked on Potion and lying with strangers for money.
That wasn't a life he'd wish on anyone.
He remembered when his brother had shown him the braided necklace. "You see this? A witch made it for me. It's got strands of my hair laced with the threads of rope so anyone who wears it is bound to me until I'm done with them. With this, you'll see how weak and pathetic you really are, wings and all."
He finished Hailey's pendant and placed it safely in his pouch.
He pulled out the braided necklace. He could still see the hair if he looked hard enough. From what he remembered, it didn't compel people to follow his orders, it was really a weak love spell that made ladies think they were in love with him.
Ryan pulled a few strands of hair from the necklace before throwing the rest in the fire.
It was only a few drops of a couple of ingredients and he was satisfied.
Even if Trey insisted on living an evil life, Ryan could at least make sure he didn't enjoy it as much. His brother would never be able to please a lady with broken equipment.
He disposed of the curse and gathered the small beads that had formed into perfect orbs.
"Come Ryan, the bath is almost ready," Taylor said. "The Princess is very eager to see if it works."
Ryan followed her up the stairs.
-----------
Caleb nodded and the guards unbolted the door to the tower.
He'd hoped to never have to use this place. It was windowless and as dark and cool as the dungeon. But for some reason, it seemed much worse.
The guards came inside with him. He had a small bit of truth powder held in his fist. As soon as his wife looked up from her seat on the floor, he raised his hand and blew the powder in her face.
Her green eyes flashed and he saw her evil clearly for a long moment.
"Did you create The Potion?"
Julie fought to keep her mouth closed, but she answered automatically. "Yes."
"Where did you get the spell to make it?" Caleb asked.
"I wrote it. It is mine," Julie hissed, her face red with exertion.
"Why did you do it?"
"You are the richest king in all the lands I've traveled. You needed a queen and I will inherit your treasures. You are old and easy to influence," she said.
"Then why not come after me? Why hurt all the people you have given this vile addiction to?"
"Because it amuses me to see them suffering. They are weak and pathetic to need such a Potion and they deserve what they get," Julie said.
Caleb turned and handed his talisman to one of the guards. The man stepped out of the room and another guard stepped in and held out the stone.
Julie gasped. "You can't..."
Caleb brought the stone closer to his wife, ignoring the guard's surprise as her youth drained from her face. Her hair was grey and thinning and her wrinkles were so pronounced that he knew she was older than he was.
"Please, I...I will die without my magic..." Julie pleaded as her shoulders hunched and her green eyes dimmed with her progressing age.
He pressed the stone into her crumpled hand and she let out a weak scream as the magic keeping her alive left her body and her body slowly turned to ashes.
"Sire...what..." one of the guards whispered.
"She was a witch. Or something worse," Caleb replied, picking up the stone and returning it to its pouch. "We owe the Fae Apprentice our gratitude. But we must all pray that he finds a remedy for The Potion or all of her customers going without it will start to die."
-----------
Kirsten helped her sister into the bathtub despite her shivers.
Hailey was so sick.
She'd wanted her sister to stop taking The Potion, but she was getting sicker every moment she went without.
Hailey leaned her hair over the edge of the tub so she could rest her head.
Kirsten raised the beads Ryan had given her and kissed her fist before dropping them into the water.
Hailey hissed as the small spheres started to float on top of the water, turning it a deep green color as they burst open and released small puffs of green smoke.
She didn't know how it was supposed to work but this was very strange.
"It burns..." Hailey said, sucking in a desperate breath.
Kirsten realized despite her sister's words that her skin wasn't as pale. She actually had a slight blush in her cheeks. And her limp hair was returning to its natural luster.
"You're getting better, how do you feel?" Kirsten asked.
"It really burns," Hailey repeated.
The dark magic was causing the bubbles as Ryan's cure drew the evil from her body and raised it to the surface.
The water finally cleared as the smoke did and Hailey sank down in the tub, panting.
"Hailey?"
"I...I feel good, Sister. Better...I think it is gone," Hailey said with wide eyes.
"Are you sure?" Kirsten asked.
"You have saved me. I...I'm so sorry for the way I acted, I was so..."
"You were not yourself," Kirsten said. "I will leave you to finish your bath and when you are dressed, I will hug you."
Hailey smiled at her. "You always were a prude. But I will be out soon."
-----------
Ryan was resting in the meadow with his head in Alex's lap as she smoothed the refreshing salve over his wings.
"What distracts you, my lover?" Alex asked.
"I am thinking about my cure. I left the house before I learned the results. I could not face the princess if I failed."
"You told the princess that you were just trying. She will understand. And if she doesn't, you will come and live with me in the wood," Alex said.
Ryan smiled at her. "I would really like to be with you always, but I am not as accustomed to the forest as you. I prefer a roof that is not made of leaves and a bed not made of grass."
"I would get the softest moss for you and a warm cave. You would never want for anything."
"I am only half Fae. I do not belong in your wood," Ryan said. "But I dream of you so you are always with me."
She smiled at him. "Your wings are even more beautiful than they were. They are the color of the sky, the color of your eyes. They make me desire you more."
Ryan smiled up at her. "Then we agree."
She giggled.
"I made you something," he said, pulling his pouch from his belt. "You urged me to create a talisman for myself but I wanted to give you something to protect yourself as well."
"I do not need protection," she said.
The silver chain was shiny on its own, but he'd crafted a prism from one of the clear crystals from the waterfall pool and the colors sparkled as it twisted on the chain.
"It is beautiful," she whispered.
"It is full of light. Like you," he said. "Even if you do not need protection, I hope it will make you think of me." He pulled his pendant from under his shirt to show the same prism. "It is made from the same stone as my own."
Alex leaned down and kissed him deeply. When she released him from her passionate kiss, her necklace was around her neck and her eyes seemed to be sparkling as bright as the colors from the stone.
-----------
When Ryan arrived back at the house, he could tell that something major was happening inside. The kitchen was empty and there were dirty dishes piled in the sink.
He followed the sound of laughter into the sitting room.
"Ryan, he's back!" Taylor said, embracing him warmly. "You did it!"
"I did?" Ryan asked.
Then he saw Princess Hailey. She looked like a different woman.
And the King was smiling.
"It worked, Ryan, the beads worked," Kirsten said, pulling him into a hug when Taylor released him.
"I am so happy that they worked," Ryan replied.
"Thank you, Ryan," Hailey said. "Join us in celebrating, Father has brought the finest wine."
"How did things go with the Queen?" Ryan asked Seth when he got close to his friend.
"She is dead," the King answered. "I took out the stone and she...turned to dust. She was much older than any of us realized."
"I...am sorry for your loss?" Ryan stammered, not sure what to say.
"Don't be. It is a gift to be free of her. And the wizard Horace has been banished from our kingdom. He will never return to our lands," the King said.
Ryan bowed to show his gratitude.
"I would like to honor you for the help you have given my kingdom. I would like to declare you our Wizard," The King said.
"But Sire, I am not allowed to be a wizard as I was not descended from their lines," Ryan replied.
"You are half Fae, and Fae are magical by nature. You will be our Wizard," the King said.
"Just say yes," Seth muttered under his breath.
"You are the King. I am bound by your word. I will be your Wizard," Ryan said as steadily as he could manage.
The King bowed with a smile. "Good. My daughters will bring you to the palace in a few days for the ceremony."
Ryan wondered what being the official Wizard would entail. If he could handle it. "Will I...have to live at your palace?"
"Kirsten has told me that you are wooing a wood sprite in her wood. I do not wish to offend my new Wizard or his partner. And I do not wish to offend my daughter by taking you from her home. You will have a carriage here just for your use and anything that you require."
"I will spend tomorrow making the beads to distribute to the Potion sufferers," Ryan said.
"Let us talk no more of darkness and work, let us drink wine and be happy," Anna said, her tongue loose with wine or else she wouldn't have dared interrupt the King's conversation.
"She is right. Let us make toasts and enjoy the evening," the King smiled, raising his glass.
Poll
title: Flutter, A Sort of Fairytale, aka Here Be No Dragons
rating: PG
disclaimer: I don't own anything OC related
author's note: Heh. Um. Yeah. :)
part one
Ryan realized when Seth appeared in finery fit for a prince that the estate they were going to visit was the home of the much praised Summer Roberts.
Anna and Taylor were fluttering around him making sure he was up to par and he was oddly calm in the carriage when it came to take them to the Roberts' farmland.
"She might not even be there. Lady Summer probably has lots of suitors with more manageable hair," Seth said.
"You must have confidence. Women do not like timid men. You have a sharp wit, Seth, and while handsome men will get fat and lazy, you will always be witty no matter how your hair looks," Ryan said.
Seth smiled at him. "Thank you, Ryan."
When the carriage arrived at the estate, it was led in without delay and there were escorts awaiting him. Seth waved goodbye to him forlornly as he was walked toward the crop fields to the side.
He'd never been treated like anything other than a slave or servant, but the men were polite and respectful toward him as their master had instructed.
He focused his attention on the wilting grain and tried to discern what kind of spell had been cast.
Curses were reasonably easy to cast but that meant that they were easy to get rid of as well. Feuding families or rivals could speak a few sacred words and bring bad luck to their enemies
"Can you help us, young sir?" One of his escorts asked.
"I believe so. And I will give you a seed to plant in a safe place. It will bring good health to your crops as long as you care for it. But first, I must cleanse your crops of the dark curse. Is there shelter we can take so I can call a rainshower?"
"Of course," the man said, surprised. He led him over to a small shed between the fields.
Calling rain was a simple thing for a wizard but wasn't usually done by apprentices. He hoped the Roberts would not turn him in, but it wasn't in writing anywhere to his knowledge.
He placed several clear crystals in a circle outside of the shed with a fistful of earth in the center. He recited the words of the spell and then stepped back under the roof as the thunder rumbled.
"The crystals should turn black as they soak up the curse. Then we will crush them and sprinkle the dust around the edges of the property as a repellent for similar magicks," Ryan explained.
"You are a very skilled wizard, even if not by common standards," one of his escorts said as the rain started to pour.
The crystals darkened and even through the pounding rain, the crops started to recover and ripen on the stalks.
Once the crystals stopped darkening, he murmured the ending words and the skies cleared.
"Amazing. And you have wings," one of the men said.
"Oh, apologies," Ryan said, forcing them back inside.
"No wonder you are gifted," he said. "Come, let's tell Lord Roberts the good news. And you can tell us how to care for the seed you mentioned."
He followed the men inside and was seated in a fancy room and brought tea and small cookies while he waited.
Seth walked in with a very pretty girl in a frilly dress. He could see why Seth had dressed up, but his friend smiled and he hoped things were going well.
"This is Ryan, he has recently come to stay with us," Seth introduced.
"I have seen you before, you were the wizard's apprentice. I thought you were a slave," Summer said.
Ryan nodded his understanding. "Yes, Lady Summer, the Princess has given me my freedom."
She frowned at him.
"He is a loyal friend and we are lucky he is free," Seth said.
"As are we," Lord Roberts said, walking in and offering his hand for Ryan to shake. It was an honor and Ryan appreciated it. Normally slaves were only allowed to bow, a handshake was for equals.
"But Father..." Summer started.
"He has salvaged our crops and provided us more protection than the King's wizard has ever given. I am grateful, Ryan, for your assistance," he said.
Ryan reached into his pouch and pulled out the special seed. "This will bring your fields prosperity. Care for it and protect it and your crops will flourish. Do not neglect it, or you will see an unfortunate different in your harvests."
"Thank you. What can I offer you as payment for your services? I will pay you what I would pay the wizard..."
"I do not request money," Ryan said after a moment. "But I saw that you are growing sugarcane, and I would like to ask for a seedling to get sugarcane for my potions and spellcasting."
"You are truly an enigmatic young man. Of course, I will have our servants gather you some of our finest plants from our greenhouses," Lord Roberts said. "But you must accept our gold. Princess Kirsten will never accept us sending you home with only plants as payment."
"Can I have apples instead? Gold is not as pleasing to me as fruit," Ryan said quietly to Seth.
Seth smiled. "Lord Roberts, Ryan is too new to freedom to accept payment without regret. I will have my mother contact you if she requires monetary payment. But may I ask for some fruit from your orchards on Ryan's behalf?"
"Yes, you may, Seth. I will make it happen. Give your parents our regards and I will go and make sure Ryan gets our ripest offerings. Do you like grapes, Ryan?"
He couldn't control the flutter of his wings.
Summer gasped but Lord Roberts laughed. "I am going to take that as a yes. Come along, Summer, and assist me."
---------------
Ryan went to the forest as soon as they returned to Kirsten's estate, leaving Seth to his detailed description of his time with Lady Summer to the girls.
He had two sugarcane seedlings for Alex to plant for the unicorns and a bunch of grapes to share with the sprite. He'd also found a small box with a bow labeled for her on his bed that the Princess had left for him to take to her.
She was waiting for him by the glade, without her robe and he accepted her kiss and embraced her despite her nudity.
"I have brought the unicorns gifts and some fruit for you," Ryan said. "And a gift from the princess."
"I love presents, come, let us make love in the meadow," Alex said.
Ryan laughed and let her pull him into the forest.
They made love for a while on the soft moss on the edge of the meadow but when she opened Kirsten's gift, her attention was fully focused on the small shimmering sphere. It was beautifully crafted and had small curved mirrors wound around it to make it sparkle in the light.
He'd never had a Christmas tree, but he thought that orbs such as this one were hung from branches to celebrate.
While Alex was caught up in the shiny object, he moved over to a small patch of fertile earth and planted the sugar cane seedlings.
The unicorns emerged from their hiding places now that their noisy love-making was done for the moment and curiously sniffed at the plants.
"You can't eat them until they are ready, but I promise it will be worth it," he said to the unicorns.
They snorted at him, disgruntled but once the plants were safely in the ground; he pulled sugar cubes from his pouch and fed them to the patient creatures.
Once his supply of treats was empty, they trotted around in the meadow, happy and beautiful.
"Ryan, come back to me, we must make love again before night falls," Alex called.
---------------
Kirsten was relieved that her father had agreed to see her, and even more relieved that the Queen was not by his side.
"What brings you to my palace today, daughter?" her father asked.
"I come to ask for your assistance. I assume you've had a visit from Hailey recently."
He frowned. "Your sister is...unwell."
"She has refused my help. But The Potion is a blight upon your kingdom and hopefully Hailey will finally convince you that something must be done," Kirsten said.
"What do you suggest?" he asked.
"We have brought an apprentice wizard into our home to give us protection. He has done great things for us, he has shown great skill. I believe he can conjure an antidote if you will give him license to make his own spells," Kirsten said.
"Has he been trained?" her father asked after a moment.
"He had been a slave to many wizards who have depended on his talents. He is qualified and careful," she said.
Her father considered it.
"Please, Father. Hailey is ill and if you will not claim me as your daughter, I would like to make sure my sister is worthy enough to wear your crown," she said.
He finally nodded. "As you wish, Daughter. I will sign the license. And I wish you luck. How is your son?"
"He is well. He is growing into a fine young man," Kirsten replied. "I will send him your regards."
"Thank you," her father said, signing a piece of parchment and passing it to her.
"Thank you, Father," she said, putting it into her purse.
"What is that pendant you have around your neck?" her father asked.
"It is a protective talisman," Kirsten replied.
"My wizard has never given me one," her father said.
"As I said, the boy has great skill."
Her father nodded. "Would he be willing to create one for me?"
Kirsten leaned forward. "Father, is everything okay?"
"I have just been feeling...unsettled recently."
"I will see that you receive it within the week," Kirsten said.
"Thank you."
---------------
Ryan was stunned when Kirsten brought him the license to create his own spells and potions. He felt honored to be trusted with it.
"My father would like you to create a talisman for his protection, if you wouldn't mind," Kirsten said.
"The King wants me to...I would be honored. But may I ask why he did not go to Master Horace?" Ryan hesitated.
"He appreciates good craftsmanship and I have told him of your skills. Even though he does not approve of my husband, he appreciates my opinion on some things."
"I will start on it immediately," Ryan nodded.
"And let us know what supplies you require for your laboratory, the girls are cleaning out one of the cellar rooms for a work area. We will provide money for you to purchase what you need," Kirsten said.
"That will be great, thank you. I hope that I can find a potion to counteract the addiction," Ryan said.
"We have faith in you," Kirsten smiled. "How is your sprite?"
"She enjoyed your gift very much, she could barely tear her eyes away," Ryan said. "She is good."
"I am glad that you have found someone to share your time with. Seth will take you into town tomorrow," she added, pulling a small pouch from her bag. "And Lord Roberts insisted that I give this to you since you would not accept it from him. You are no longer a slave and any money you earn is yours and not your master's."
He flushed. "But I..."
"No arguments. Your room and board is provided for you because of the services you provide us, but you must let people repay you for your services on their own."
"Yes, Princess. I will remember," he said, accepting the bag of gold. It was more than he'd ever had. "And this is mine?"
"Yes, spend it as you will, but please let us purchase the things for your lab, do not use your money for your spellcasting, that is our pleasure," she said.
"Thank you. I look forward to working in the new workroom and trying out my theories," Ryan said.
She smiled at him. "We'll talk more at dinner."
---------------
"Seth, will you...accompany me into the Wizard's shop?" Ryan asked, hesitating on the street once the carriage pulled away.
"But I need to get to the bookstore and pick up this week's serials," Seth replied.
"I will come with you," Ryan said.
"The Wizard's shop smells funny. It always makes me sneeze," Seth said.
"Oh. I'm sorry for requesting it. I shall go now. I will join you when I am done," Ryan said.
Seth glanced at him. "Why are you nervous...oh. I'm sorry, Ryan, I will come..."
"No, it is fine. He is my master no longer," Ryan said. "And I am in your parents employ; I will join you when I have made all my purchases."
He ignored Seth's steady gaze as he walked into the shop where he used to live.
"Ah, come crawling back to your master already. I suppose you've heard about your mother's renewed debt," Horace said as soon as he spotted him.
"I come to buy supplies," Ryan said, hoping his voice didn't shaking.
"With what currency?" Horace demanded. "Who would give a slave money?"
Ryan put several gold pieces on the counter. "May I gather my necessities, please?"
"No, I will get them. Do you have a list?" Horace frowned.
Ryan didn't feel right handing over his ingredient list and shook his head in denial. "It is in my head."
"I cannot give you free run of my shop, it is my livelihood. And I have heard that you were granted a wizarding license from the King but I do not take kindly to rivals, especially worthless slaves that think they are equals."
Ryan knew it was several hours by carriage to the next store that had his things.
The wizard was faster than he expected, slapping an iron cuff around his wrist and jerking him around the counter.
"No, you can't..."
"You are out of your league, boy, you will never find a cure for The Potion because there is not one," Horace sneered, forcing him to his knees and latching the collar around his neck.
He was immediately weak and unable to fight back.
"Open your mouth," Horace ordered, pushing several round iron balls into his mouth and making him shudder in pain.
He had enough Fae blood to know that it would possibly kill him, but he had no choice but to swallow with the man's hand over his mouth.
It felt like they were burning holes in his stomach.
He should have known that his time with at the palace was too good for a son of a harlot. A slave.
He'd been without chains too long.
"You will remember your place," Horace said.
The door swung open and the wizard straightened up, leaving him cowering in agony.
"Mr. Horace, pardon us, but the young prince says that you have taken something that belongs to him," the man said.
"I have done no such thing," Horace protested.
"Ryan came into this store and I saw you assault him. Where is he? He is no longer your slave, my father paid for him in full, you have no hold over him," Seth's voice drifted into his head.
He could feel his feathers falling out from the iron inside him.
Taylor would be so upset.
He managed a weak whimper before everything went dark.
---------------
Anna glimpsed the movement from the corner of her eye as she collected berries from the bushes in the garden.
But whenever she'd turn to investigate, there would be nothing.
Finally, she couldn't ignore it any more and she put down her basket and turned to glare at the trees behind her with her hands on her hips. "If anyone's out there, stop playing. I am not in the mood for hide and seek."
A beautiful woman materialized on one of the branches. "What is hide and seek?"
"Oh, it's a game. Are you...Ryan's friend?"
The woman's eyes lit up. "Yes, I am a friend of Ryan. I sense that he is in danger, will you ask him to come out and see me?"
"He's not here, he went into town with Seth. Why do you sense he is in danger?" Anna asked.
"I cannot explain it. But I do not have many friends and Ryan and I are...close," the woman said.
"Would you like to come inside and wait for him?" Anna asked.
"Oh no, I do not go into mortal homes," she shuddered, her shimmering wings fluttering under her robe. "But I am uneasy. This is the closest I've been to his home before, I do not wish to go further."
"Oh. Okay, then. I shall tell him to come see you when he gets back," Anna said.
"May I wait in your orchard? Within sight of the forest?" the woman asked.
"I don't see why not. You are really worried to come this far from your wood," Anna said.
"I...care for him deeply," the woman said.
"Well, from the little he will speak of you, I think that he cares for you deeply as well. He's always glowing when he returns from his visits with you. I do not think he's had much happiness in his life and you give him that," Anna replied.
"You are very kind," the girl smiled.
"My name is Anna. Please call for me if you need anything, I am going to go inside so I can get Ryan for you as soon as he returns," Anna said.
"Thank you, Anna."
---------------
"Seth, what happened?" Sandy asked, helping the carriage drivers bring Ryan into the house.
"He went to get supplies for his spells and I didn't go with him, I should have gone with him, but I wasn't thinking, Father, and the wizard...he did something to him," Seth said, pale with worry.
"Ryan, can you hear me?" Kirsten asked, crouching beside him.
He whimpered.
"His wings, they're...it's like they're dying, I think he's dying, I...the town guards arrested the wizard when they saw Grandfather's license but they could not do anything for him and I didn't want everyone to see his wings so I asked to come back here, is there a doctor that..."
"Oh no," Anna gasped. "The sprite was right...she's in the orchard, she said she sensed something was wrong..."
"Go get her, she may know what is wrong..." Sandy said.
Ryan had become more than an employee to them.
"She says she doesn't come inside, I think she has to stay in the forest, she said the orchard is as close as she'll get," Anna said.
"Iron, these chains are iron, that's dangerous to Fae, isn't it?" Kirsten asked.
"It's probably what is making him sick, we have to get him to the sprite to find out if we can save him," Sandy decided. "Seth, help me support him to the garden."
He wasn't as heavy as he looked, but they weren't as strong as they should be and it took several minutes to get him outside.
Feathers from Ryan's wings trailed behind them as they fell off.
"Ryan!" a voice called and the wood sprite appeared beside them when they reached the treeline.
"Can you help him?" Anna asked.
"Iron, he is bound in iron, oh no, it's...oh no," the sprite gasped, not putting her hands on him but hovering her fingertips over his skin. "I cannot touch him..."
"How do we help him?" Kirsten asked. "We must help him..."
"The iron must go...you must get it off him, and...I think it's inside him..." the girl said, her hands hovering over his stomach.
"We have some of that vile medicine that makes people throw up, I will get it out of the pantry," Anna said.
"Seth, go asked the groundskeeper for his strongest set of cutters, something to cut iron," Sandy said.
Seth nodded and hurried away.
"I need to get him to the spring, the water will heal him, but the iron, the iron must go," the sprite said.
"How do we get him to the spring?" Sandy asked.
The sprite hesitated. "It is a sacred place. I cannot take all of you for fear..."
"We respect that the wood is yours to share, we may own it on paper, but it has always been your wood," Kirsten said. "We will not give away your secrets, we only want Ryan to be okay. He is very important to us."
The girl studied her. "All right. I will take the two of you. You gave Ryan his freedom and I am grateful for that. But you cannot speak of anything you may see when we arrive. We just have to hope that the gods are kind to us and he survives to get there."
Anna skidded on the grass, holding out the bottle of medicine.
"What is that?" the sprite asked.
"It's...it makes people throw up. For children that eat poison berries, or pennies," Anna said.
"Your children eat pennies?" the sprite asked.
"Children will eat anything, Anna, hold his head so we can pour it. It will make him sick, but if what you say is true and he's eaten iron, or been forced to, it should expel it from his insides," Kirsten said.
"Who would do this?" the sprite asked, standing back with Sandy as the women did their work. Her wings brushed against him as they fluttered with worry.
"His previous master. I intend to find out why he would do something this...cruel. Ryan is a kind boy, he does not deserve this," Sandy said.
Ryan began to retch but at least it was a sign of life.
Sandy saw the small iron balls in the disgusting puddle beside the boy.
"The man must pay for hurting him. I will make him pay," the sprite said.
"Let's focus on getting Ryan better before we think about that," Sandy said.
Seth arrived breathlessly with several large tools. "I do not think any of us are strong enough to break the iron, but he said these will work."
"Do you have Ryan's pouch? He will have stones that can give you strength," the sprite said. "I have seem them when he was collecting crystals."
Seth was surprised but held out Ryan's pouch. "I don't think we're allowed to go in his bag, but you are...probably allowed. What's your name?"
"Oh, I'm Alex," she said, taking the pouch and reaching inside. She began pulling assorted crystals and bottles from the tiny bag.
"How does he fit so much?" Seth asked.
"It is enchanted," Alex said. She pulled out two smooth plain stones. "Here, hold these in your hands and work the tools, it has to be against your skin to work. Please, the iron must go," she said.
"Kirsten, let me try these," Sandy said, stepping over with the cutters.
The stones were clumsy in his hand but he finally managed to slide the cutters underneath the collar and squeeze the handles.
The collar broke off with a snap and Ryan sucked in a huge gulp of air.
"The wrists, all of it must go," Alex said.
Sandy went to work on the boy's cuffs and he was free of the iron in a few moments. He dropped the stones back into the pouch as Alex rushed over to his side.
"Thank you, he...oh, he's so sick, we must get him to the spring right away."
"Seth, you stay here with the girls, your father and I are going to get him to the wood with the sprite and will return hopefully when he is well," Kirsten said.
"But, Mother..."
"Please, do as I say, we will do everything we can," Kirsten insisted.
"Come, we must go quickly," Alex said.
Once Anna and Seth were gone, Alex lifted Ryan into her arms easily.
"The unicorns are waiting for me, they will help us. They care for Ryan, too and if he trusts you, they will sense it and show themselves," Alex said.
"Oh, they...will take us to the spring?" Sandy asked.
"My husband does not know how to ride a horse," Kirsten said, following her.
"He does not need to know. The unicorns are not meant to be ridden. They will take you if they want to," Alex said.
"Oh," Sandy said.
Alex perked up once the reached the edge of the garden and Sandy was stunned when the snowy white unicorns materialized, trotting over and whinnying.
"Do you see them?" Kirsten whispered to him.
"I see them," he replied.
The smallest unicorn nudged its nose at Ryan's chin.
"She has chosen him," Alex said. She lifted Ryan from where she'd laid him on the ground and placed him on the unicorn's back. "To the springs, young one, fast as you can, we shall follow."
The unicorn snorted its understanding and disappeared with Ryan on her back.
One of the larger unicorns knelt in front of them, whinnying.
"Not a horse," Sandy said to himself.
---------------
"Ryan? Lover, please open your eyes..."
He'd never had a dream quite this vivid about the wood sprite.
Then he felt her hands on his arms. He was floating.
"Please, you must recover, you must come back to us," Alex said.
He opened his eyes and realized that he really was floating. By the waterfall. In the wood.
"He is awake, Princess, pass me that cup of berries, it will help him heal faster," Alex said.
"What..."
"Shh, don't talk yet, you must rest on the soft moss and eat the berries, do not waste your breath," Alex said, swimming with him slowly over to a rock on the edge.
He remembered in a flash when he was lifted from the water as the pain of the iron returned.
Princess Kirsten and Sandy helped him onto the moss, tucking a pillow made from Alex's silky robe fabric under his head.
"Here, Alex says this will help," Kirsten said, pushing a berry into his mouth.
The sweet juice of the berry calmed his stomach and he took a deep breath.
"Better?" Alex asked.
"Much. Thank you. How did I get here? Master Horace..."
"He is not your master, you are owned by no man but yourself," Alex said.
"Your lady friend is very wise. I am so sorry that you were hurt," Kirsten said.
"You gave us all a scare. Seth brought you back here, he didn't think you could be helped by normal doctors and Alex...she felt you were in danger."
Ryan raised his hand and pulled her palm to his lips. "Thank you."
"Eat more berries. When you have your strength back, you have to apologize to her," Alex said, nodding to where his favorite unicorn was pacing uneasily a few steps away.
"Can he drink this water?" Sandy asked, waiting for Alex's permission before filling a small wooden bowl with water and helping him sit up so he could sip from it.
"Thank you. You all...saved me. You did not let him enslave me or kill me...I owe you..."
"You owe us nothing," Kirsten said.
Sandy nodded. "You saved my life once and you've been nothing but helpful and kind since we've met you. I am just sorry that we did not consider the Wizard an enemy that would hurt you."
"I think he knows who is making the Potion. He is not skilled enough himself, but I think he is involved. That's why he wanted to stop me. He must believe I can counteract it even if he swears there is no cure," Ryan said.
"Lie on your stomach, Ryan, while I put some salve on your wings," Alex said.
"You don't have to..." Ryan started.
"Let her care for you, we will give you privacy," Kirsten said.
"There are sugar cubes in my pouch, will you share them with the unicorns?" Ryan asked.
"Alex, is that okay with you?" Sandy asked.
"I'm sure they would appreciate it," Alex smiled.
Ryan closed his eyes as Alex started smoothing the cool lotion over his tingling wings.
"They will never be the same. But they will heal. You need to rest, and eat berries until your strength returns. I will send some spring water with Sandy and the Princess for you to drink. It will help you recover faster," Alex said.
"How can I repay you?"
"You owe me nothing. But I hope you will be safe so I will not worry. I have never felt this way toward a mortal before...but I desire you and I want you to be safe."
"I will be safe."
"You give amulets of protection to Sandy and the Princess, yet you do not wear one for yourself. You act as if their life is more precious than yours. You must wear one for yourself. You deserve protection equal to that you give to others," Alex said, soothing the stinging wings.
"I will make one for myself."
"Good. There, that will last until I see you again. You should go home with the Princess and Sandy and rest," Alex said.
"Thank you for caring for me," Ryan said.
He couldn't thank them enough. He'd never had anyone care for him enough to tend to him when he was sick.
"I will go with you to the edge of the wood. She will help us carry you," Alex said, nodding to his unicorn who was licking Sandy's hand.
"I get to ride a unicorn?" Ryan asked.
Alex leaned in and kissed him.
It was almost worth his hellish dat to receive a kiss like that.
---------------
Caleb listened to the men who had arrested the wizard and tried not to seem too interested in his wife's darkening frown.
He was flipping the talisman brought by the courier in his pocket.
He needed to talk to his daughter's new servant to find out what exactly it was doing to him.
It was like he was thinking clearly for the first time in months.
He could see the sheen of magic hiding his wife's face. The grey streaks in her red hair that the glamour was disguising.
And more obviously, he could see the new jewels on her fingers and around her neck. The crown that had belonged to his mother was dull in the sunlight.
This was all wrong.
"Sire, what shall we do with the wizard?"
"Put him in the dungeon until I question him myself. He is to have no visitors," Caleb said, ignoring the flash in the Queen's eyes. "I wish to speak with him before all others."
"Yes, Sire," the guard bowed.
"I would like you to take a carriage to the wizard's shop and gather all of the equipment and magicky things you can load inside and transport it to my daughter's house. If the boy survives, he may be able to help our kingdom have a worthy wizard to consult."
"My King, you cannot be serious," Julie hissed.
"I am the King. The boy is no longer a slave and he has earned my daughter's respect, and Lord Roberts' as well. From all accounts, he was the victim. Until I interrogate the wizard Horace, I am not willing to risk leaving the kingdom unprotected from people wishing us harm. And if the wizard Horace is the person selling The Potion, I do not want his ingredients available to his partners." Caleb turned to dismiss the guards before returning his attention to his queen.
"I strongly disagree with your plan," Julie said.
"I had a feeling you would," Caleb replied, holding the crystal tight in his fist. "How long have you been profiting from The Potion's evil?"
She gasped. "How could you accuse me of such a thing?"
"Where do you get the riches you have filled our vaults with? You do not hold contests or give loans. Where did you get those jewels on your hands and the silk for your gown?" Caleb asked.
He waved his hands and his three strongest guards hurried in.
"Caleb, what..."
"Take her to the south tower. Make sure there is nothing she can use to escape," Caleb said.
"You cannot do this to me, Sire, I am innocent," Julie protested.
"We shall find out soon enough," Caleb said.
Once the queen was escorted out of the room, his valet approached. "Your carriage is ready, Sire."
"Good. Let us go to my daughter's palace and see if the boy is recovered enough to enlighten me as to what the hell is going on," Caleb said.
He held tight to the talisman to try and keep his mind clear and led the valet from the room toward the stables.
---------------
Ryan dozed fitfully once Kirsten and Sandy helped him back to his room. Anna and Taylor tended to him and made sure he had water whenever he coughed and wiped his face with cool washcloths.
When he was sitting up and spooning small portions of the soup Anna had prepared for him, Seth walked in with a guilty expression.
"I am so sorry, Ryan...I should not have let you go into the wizard Horace's alone. I would have never forgiven myself if you were..."
"You saved me, Seth. If you had not come in with the lawmen and stood up for me when I could not do it for myself, I would not be have survived. And you got me back here to one of the only people I know that could help me with my particular problem with iron," Ryan said honestly.
"So you are not angry with me?" Seth asked.
"No. If you had come into the wizard's shop with me, he may have hurt you, too. I think...things happened the way they did for a reason," Ryan said.
Taylor knocked on the door before stepping in. "Ryan, the King is here to see you. Do you feel like coming out to the sitting room or would you like us to bring him here?"
"Here? My room is not fit for a King to visit, I will come out," Ryan said. "Why does he want to see me?"
"I will go with you, my Grandfather will not insult you while I am present," Seth said.
Ryan eased his sore muscles out of bed and pushed his feet into his boots before standing up.
"Are you okay? Your wings..." Taylor said.
"Alex says they will heal," Ryan replied.
"They are already healing, but they're not white anymore, they're blue, your feathers are blue where they are growing back," Taylor said.
"That's...strange," Ryan said, glancing over his shoulder at his sagging wings. They were had always been white.
"Come, we must not keep the King waiting. We do not want to offend," Taylor said. She paused to adjust his shirt and brush his hair out of his eyes. "It will have to do."
"It will be fine, Grandfather will understand after his day, I will explain what happened," Seth said.
Ryan followed Seth through the kitchen and into the hall. Sandy was frowning.
"Father?" Seth asked.
"Something is different about the King today," Sandy said.
"Different how?"
"He spoke to me," Sandy replied. "He acknowledged my presence. He has not done that since your mother and I were married, and then he addressed me only as 'Peasant'."
"That is strange. Are you going to sit with us?" Seth asked.
"He was talking with Kirsten alone, but I will return with you," Sandy said.
Ryan had never met the King before in person, but he bowed to him and knew not to sit down until he acknowledged him.
"This must be the apprentice," the King said. "Please, sit."
Ryan sat. He appreciated Kirsten's reassuring smile.
"I am sorry for her run in today with the wizard Horace. I will return to that later, but right now, I would like to know the power of this talisman you crafted for me," the King said.
"Oh, yes, sire," Ryan said. "It is a protection amulet and since you are the King, I thought you may need protection from other things. Not only does it repel curses and warn you of poison, it was intended to protect you from deception. If someone attempts to deceive you, you should know if you have your crystal near."
The King's eyes were wide. "Apprentice, what is your name?"
Ryan glanced at Kirsten. "Ryan, Sire."
"Ryan. Thank you," the King said before turning to his daughter. "The Queen is not the lady I thought she was when we wed. I think she is working with the wizard Horace. And I think she has something to do with The Potion."
"Father, you can't mean..."
"She has brought our kingdom many riches. And I do not think that she has gotten them in appropriate ways. And the...Ryan, he has given me clarity I have not had in a long while. I am hoping he will continue to help us even though he has been mistreated," the King said.
Ryan was stunned.
Seth nudged him in the arm, nodding at him.
"I will continue to help, of course. The Princess has been kinder to me than anyone I've ever met and her family and friends saved my life today. It is my duty to help those that have helped me," Ryan said.
"I have servants bringing the wizard Horace's things here for you to work with. Kirsten said that you may be able to make an antidote for The Potion."
"I would really like to try," Ryan said.
"I would like you to try as well. You will have everything you need," Caleb said.
"Why didn't you put Grandfather's talisman on a chain like you did for us?" Seth asked him.
"It would not be fine enough for a King. And you all dress...more normally than the King," Ryan said.
"I will get a gold chain for you, father, so you may wear it under your robes," Kirsten said.
"I mean you no offense, Ryan, but...what are you?"
"I am half Fae," Ryan blushed. "My...wings are damaged and I cannot hide them properly."
"How did the wizard damage you?" the King asked.
"He forced iron down his throat. He is a cruel man, he was a cruel Master," Sandy said.
Caleb nodded at his son in law. "Understood. Ryan is now under my protection, I will send royal guards to your gate to make sure you are safe."
Ryan glanced at the King who nodded that he could speak.
"Master Horace does not have the skill to create The Potion. Someone else has to make it for him. You should be very careful," Ryan said. "If you can wait a moment, I will give you some things that may help you in your quest for truth."
"I would be grateful for any assistance you can give," the King said.
Ryan hurried back to his room and retrieved his pouch before returning. He returned to his seat and pulled several things from the bag.
"This is a truth powder. If you will put a small bit in your palm and then blow it in the direction of the person you are speaking with, they are certain to be honest with you. It is rumored to work on even the most powerful wizards," Ryan said, holding out a small satchel.
"This is a very handy powder to have," the King said.
"Use it sparingly. It is very delicate to create," Ryan said. "In the wrong hands, secrets can be stolen easily." He pulled out another small pouch. "This is a rare treasure that I have never had to use before. It is a stone from the pit of the ancient ones. It will clear all magic from a room. Spells will be useless, but any wards and protection spells will stop working as well. If you remove it from the satchel, you must remember that you are as unprotected as the ones you are dealing with. I cannot handle it myself, but if you do meet the wizard that is powerful enough to create The Potion, you may need it."
"You are full of surprises," Sandy smiled at him.
The King accepted the pouch. "I will return it to you intact."
"I would accompany you if I was at my full strength," Ryan said.
"Keep my Daughter safe, that is all I wish. You have already given me the tools I need to try and find the source of the blight upon our kingdom. You work on the antidote to The Potion and I will work from my end. And the wizard Horace will be punished for his mistreatment of you even if I find him innocent of selling The Potion."
Ryan nodded his understanding as the King rose from his seat. They all stood and bowed to him as he walked out with Kirsten.
"That was..." Seth started.
"Strange. I think I'm going to lie down and try to get some more strength back. I will have lot to do tomorrow," Ryan said.
-----------
Hailey tightened her jacket around her and glared at the guards that walked her up to Kirsten's door.
What the hell were her father's guards doing at her sister's house? Why did she need an escort?
Hadn't her day been bad enough?
The maid opened the door and frowned at her. "I shall ask the Princess if she wants to see you. Please stay here."
"She's my sister, she shall see me," Hailey said.
She hoped.
It seemed like it took forever before Kirsten appeared. "It's okay, she is welcome," she said to the guards before turning to her. "What brings you here, Hailey?"
"I..." she took a deep breath.
Her lover's words were still echoing in her head. "A princess is sure to get many high bids for her services. I will make sure she is well trained in all areas of seduction to achieve top dollar."
"Hailey?"
"He was going to make me a whore. I need your help. I do not like what I have become," Hailey whispered.
Her sister's eyes flashed with pity and...relief.
"Please, come inside, we will take care of you," Kirsten said.
"I...I can already feel The Potion wearing off. I do not know what will happen when I don't have today's dose," Hailey said, following her inside.
"We will help you. Come, you can get cleaned up while we prepare a room for you. I will consult with Ryan to see if we can make the lack of Potion easier for you," Kirsten said.
-----------
Ryan carried the cup of tea and pillow into the room behind Taylor.
Kirsten's sister was not well, he could see that right away.
He could sense The Potion in her system.
"She has pillows, Ryan, what..." Kirsten started.
"I made this one from the feathers he lost this morning. He says that it will bring great peace when it is slept upon," Taylor said.
"You're a Fae," the sick princess said.
"Yes, Princess, half-Fae. I am sorry that I cannot do anything more for you right now, but I can give you rest through the night," Ryan said as Taylor arranged the pillow behind her. He placed the cup of sleeping tea in her trembling hands.
He glimpsed a knotted rope necklace around her neck with a small tin symbol hanging from the loop. "Where did you get that necklace, Princess?"
She raised her hand to her neck. "My...ex-lover. He gave it to me."
"May I...have it?" Ryan asked impulsively.
Both princesses looked at him.
"Why...oh, I don't care, here, take it," she said, unclasping the button hold and handing it to him.
He held the braided rope in his hand carefully. "Is my brother well?"
"Ryan?" Kirsten asked.
"Trey is your brother?" Hailey asked.
Ryan nodded. "He is a dangerous man. He does not know the meaning of love or kindness. Only greed and hate. I am sorry that he hurt you."
"He did not hurt me," Hailey whispered.
"Trey hurts everyone. Drink the tea, you should rest. Thank you for the necklace," Ryan said, putting the necklace in his pocket.
He waited until she had taken a swallow of the tea before turning to Kirsten. "I'm going to go work on the cure. She will get worse before she gets better. I don't know how much better she will get," he added under his breath. "I will be back to check on her."
Kirsten took his hand and squeeze it tightly. He nodded his understanding.
He had work to do.
-----------
Ryan woke up early the next morning and stretched his stinging wings. At least now they were stinging because they were growing back and not because they were falling out.
It was strange to see blue feathers instead of white, but he guessed he'd get used to it. It wasn't like he really used them for anything, but he was accustomed to having them.
He went upstairs to check on the young princess and saw that she was sleeping again. Kirsten had barely left her side but Anna was with her and explained that she'd sent Kirsten to bed.
He went to the cellar where the King's men had set up the wizard's things.
They weren't his things, but he had permission from the King so he went to work.
He felt most comfortable when he was handling the magical herbs and powders. It was like second nature to him.
He knew what was in The Potion, but not the measurements. He knew the effects, too.
"Can we help, Ryan? We feel a little...useless with Princess Kirsten playing nursemaid," Taylor said, appearing with Anna.
"Oh, sure. Just...be careful. Some of these things are poison," Ryan said.
"So the cure is going to be made out of poison?" Taylor asked.
"Many dangerous things can be made to be beneficial if they are combined the correct way. Anna, if you could read back my notes, and Taylor, if you don't mind, you can hand me the measuring things," Ryan said.
"Ooh, this is going to be fun," Taylor said.
Anna gathered her dress around her knees and read off his final draft of ingredients.
Taylor passed him cups and scoops and flasks and when he dropped in the last ingredient into the flask, a puff of smoke told him that it was complete.
"That's it? The cure?" Anna asked.
"I hope so. But it needs a little more work, she can't drink this. It could be applied to the skin, like a lotion. But it's too...thick," Ryan said, rocking the glass jar to show its viscosity.
"Can you make it, like a soap? Bath salts or something?" Taylor asked.
Ryan glanced at her.
"Sorry..."
"No, that is a great idea. That will work perfectly. I'm not completely sure it will work as a cure, but it will at least help Princess Hailey until I can make a better potion," Ryan said.
"I will go and draw a bath for the princess. We won't know until we try," Anna said.
"I will tell Princess Kirsten," Taylor said, giving him a giddy hug and hurrying up the stairs with their friend.
Ryan couldn't believe that it was this simple. But he had a feeling deep down that this would work.
He poured the sticky mixture into the small molds that formed them into round beads and set them over the ice bucket to cool and hopefully harden.
While he was waiting for the beads to solidify, he took out one of his crystals and started making a talisman for Hailey.
He didn't know how he felt about Trey getting a princess hooked on the potion.
But his brother only cared about himself.
Ryan was so young when his mother bartered him for her debts but he remembered his brother telling the collectors that he didn't care about their mother. Even though their mother didn't care about them...Ryan cared about her. She was the woman that gave birth to him and he wanted her to be okay.
Not hooked on Potion and lying with strangers for money.
That wasn't a life he'd wish on anyone.
He remembered when his brother had shown him the braided necklace. "You see this? A witch made it for me. It's got strands of my hair laced with the threads of rope so anyone who wears it is bound to me until I'm done with them. With this, you'll see how weak and pathetic you really are, wings and all."
He finished Hailey's pendant and placed it safely in his pouch.
He pulled out the braided necklace. He could still see the hair if he looked hard enough. From what he remembered, it didn't compel people to follow his orders, it was really a weak love spell that made ladies think they were in love with him.
Ryan pulled a few strands of hair from the necklace before throwing the rest in the fire.
It was only a few drops of a couple of ingredients and he was satisfied.
Even if Trey insisted on living an evil life, Ryan could at least make sure he didn't enjoy it as much. His brother would never be able to please a lady with broken equipment.
He disposed of the curse and gathered the small beads that had formed into perfect orbs.
"Come Ryan, the bath is almost ready," Taylor said. "The Princess is very eager to see if it works."
Ryan followed her up the stairs.
-----------
Caleb nodded and the guards unbolted the door to the tower.
He'd hoped to never have to use this place. It was windowless and as dark and cool as the dungeon. But for some reason, it seemed much worse.
The guards came inside with him. He had a small bit of truth powder held in his fist. As soon as his wife looked up from her seat on the floor, he raised his hand and blew the powder in her face.
Her green eyes flashed and he saw her evil clearly for a long moment.
"Did you create The Potion?"
Julie fought to keep her mouth closed, but she answered automatically. "Yes."
"Where did you get the spell to make it?" Caleb asked.
"I wrote it. It is mine," Julie hissed, her face red with exertion.
"Why did you do it?"
"You are the richest king in all the lands I've traveled. You needed a queen and I will inherit your treasures. You are old and easy to influence," she said.
"Then why not come after me? Why hurt all the people you have given this vile addiction to?"
"Because it amuses me to see them suffering. They are weak and pathetic to need such a Potion and they deserve what they get," Julie said.
Caleb turned and handed his talisman to one of the guards. The man stepped out of the room and another guard stepped in and held out the stone.
Julie gasped. "You can't..."
Caleb brought the stone closer to his wife, ignoring the guard's surprise as her youth drained from her face. Her hair was grey and thinning and her wrinkles were so pronounced that he knew she was older than he was.
"Please, I...I will die without my magic..." Julie pleaded as her shoulders hunched and her green eyes dimmed with her progressing age.
He pressed the stone into her crumpled hand and she let out a weak scream as the magic keeping her alive left her body and her body slowly turned to ashes.
"Sire...what..." one of the guards whispered.
"She was a witch. Or something worse," Caleb replied, picking up the stone and returning it to its pouch. "We owe the Fae Apprentice our gratitude. But we must all pray that he finds a remedy for The Potion or all of her customers going without it will start to die."
-----------
Kirsten helped her sister into the bathtub despite her shivers.
Hailey was so sick.
She'd wanted her sister to stop taking The Potion, but she was getting sicker every moment she went without.
Hailey leaned her hair over the edge of the tub so she could rest her head.
Kirsten raised the beads Ryan had given her and kissed her fist before dropping them into the water.
Hailey hissed as the small spheres started to float on top of the water, turning it a deep green color as they burst open and released small puffs of green smoke.
She didn't know how it was supposed to work but this was very strange.
"It burns..." Hailey said, sucking in a desperate breath.
Kirsten realized despite her sister's words that her skin wasn't as pale. She actually had a slight blush in her cheeks. And her limp hair was returning to its natural luster.
"You're getting better, how do you feel?" Kirsten asked.
"It really burns," Hailey repeated.
The dark magic was causing the bubbles as Ryan's cure drew the evil from her body and raised it to the surface.
The water finally cleared as the smoke did and Hailey sank down in the tub, panting.
"Hailey?"
"I...I feel good, Sister. Better...I think it is gone," Hailey said with wide eyes.
"Are you sure?" Kirsten asked.
"You have saved me. I...I'm so sorry for the way I acted, I was so..."
"You were not yourself," Kirsten said. "I will leave you to finish your bath and when you are dressed, I will hug you."
Hailey smiled at her. "You always were a prude. But I will be out soon."
-----------
Ryan was resting in the meadow with his head in Alex's lap as she smoothed the refreshing salve over his wings.
"What distracts you, my lover?" Alex asked.
"I am thinking about my cure. I left the house before I learned the results. I could not face the princess if I failed."
"You told the princess that you were just trying. She will understand. And if she doesn't, you will come and live with me in the wood," Alex said.
Ryan smiled at her. "I would really like to be with you always, but I am not as accustomed to the forest as you. I prefer a roof that is not made of leaves and a bed not made of grass."
"I would get the softest moss for you and a warm cave. You would never want for anything."
"I am only half Fae. I do not belong in your wood," Ryan said. "But I dream of you so you are always with me."
She smiled at him. "Your wings are even more beautiful than they were. They are the color of the sky, the color of your eyes. They make me desire you more."
Ryan smiled up at her. "Then we agree."
She giggled.
"I made you something," he said, pulling his pouch from his belt. "You urged me to create a talisman for myself but I wanted to give you something to protect yourself as well."
"I do not need protection," she said.
The silver chain was shiny on its own, but he'd crafted a prism from one of the clear crystals from the waterfall pool and the colors sparkled as it twisted on the chain.
"It is beautiful," she whispered.
"It is full of light. Like you," he said. "Even if you do not need protection, I hope it will make you think of me." He pulled his pendant from under his shirt to show the same prism. "It is made from the same stone as my own."
Alex leaned down and kissed him deeply. When she released him from her passionate kiss, her necklace was around her neck and her eyes seemed to be sparkling as bright as the colors from the stone.
-----------
When Ryan arrived back at the house, he could tell that something major was happening inside. The kitchen was empty and there were dirty dishes piled in the sink.
He followed the sound of laughter into the sitting room.
"Ryan, he's back!" Taylor said, embracing him warmly. "You did it!"
"I did?" Ryan asked.
Then he saw Princess Hailey. She looked like a different woman.
And the King was smiling.
"It worked, Ryan, the beads worked," Kirsten said, pulling him into a hug when Taylor released him.
"I am so happy that they worked," Ryan replied.
"Thank you, Ryan," Hailey said. "Join us in celebrating, Father has brought the finest wine."
"How did things go with the Queen?" Ryan asked Seth when he got close to his friend.
"She is dead," the King answered. "I took out the stone and she...turned to dust. She was much older than any of us realized."
"I...am sorry for your loss?" Ryan stammered, not sure what to say.
"Don't be. It is a gift to be free of her. And the wizard Horace has been banished from our kingdom. He will never return to our lands," the King said.
Ryan bowed to show his gratitude.
"I would like to honor you for the help you have given my kingdom. I would like to declare you our Wizard," The King said.
"But Sire, I am not allowed to be a wizard as I was not descended from their lines," Ryan replied.
"You are half Fae, and Fae are magical by nature. You will be our Wizard," the King said.
"Just say yes," Seth muttered under his breath.
"You are the King. I am bound by your word. I will be your Wizard," Ryan said as steadily as he could manage.
The King bowed with a smile. "Good. My daughters will bring you to the palace in a few days for the ceremony."
Ryan wondered what being the official Wizard would entail. If he could handle it. "Will I...have to live at your palace?"
"Kirsten has told me that you are wooing a wood sprite in her wood. I do not wish to offend my new Wizard or his partner. And I do not wish to offend my daughter by taking you from her home. You will have a carriage here just for your use and anything that you require."
"I will spend tomorrow making the beads to distribute to the Potion sufferers," Ryan said.
"Let us talk no more of darkness and work, let us drink wine and be happy," Anna said, her tongue loose with wine or else she wouldn't have dared interrupt the King's conversation.
"She is right. Let us make toasts and enjoy the evening," the King smiled, raising his glass.
Poll