Summer Lands [1/?]
((So this is back story for an AU Hetalia rp-thing I'm co-writing. It's about faeries. Like, Holly Black faeries. The scary kind. Check out http://otoshigo.livejournal.com/ for Arthur's traumatic childhood! This gets creepy fast so... yeah.))
Alfred ran as fast as his short legs would carry him to his beloved orchard. Maybe... maybe if Rebekah couldn't enter, maybe he'd be safe there. He'd never leave. Never ever, ever.
But Rebekah was dead now. She hadn't been the first up that morning, and when the faeling had gone to wake her, she'd been stiff and cold and Alfred had screamed. Had screamed and cried and begged for her to wake up, to breathe for one more day. Her curly hair had been all white for a while now, although he couldn't remember when. It had seemed like both just yesterday and ages and ages ago that had been a beautiful glossy brown.
He ducked through the undergrowth, taking the most difficult path to follow as he charged towards his goal. His chest burned, and the air whipping past him made his tears dry painfully cold on his cheeks. He couldn't stop running, couldn't stop crying. Even when he tripped over an errant root and went sprawling into the mud, he just got up and kept going- taking huge gulps of air that were still not enough.
The little Seelie felt sick, and empty of things except the sickness and the sadness and pain. He wanted to find a den to hide in, where everyone would leave him alone. He would have thrown himself off one of the nearby cliffs and into the sea to escape his captors, if it weren't for that intrinsic aversion to death.
He was bruised, bloody and covered in mud and debris by the time he reached the orchard and scrabbled up his favorite tree. He clung to the topmost branches that would support him, trying to catch his ragged breath and be quiet about. Was this what a rabbit felt just before it was caught by a fox?
"We know you're in here, boy..." one of the knights who had been chasing him called as they entered the orchard- his sanctuary. Alfred tried to make himself smaller and willed the leaves and branches and the fruit of the tree to hide him, wishing he knew how to do even small magic.
"Come out, come out, where ever you are..." called another knight in a voice that was sinister playful, "We don't want to hurt you, little one. You said you wanted to be a hero, didn't you? Come with us, we'll make you brave."
"Come with us; we'll make you strong."
"Come with us; we'll make you special."
"Come with us; we'll make you all that you can be."
"Come with us."
"Come with us..."
Alfred whimpered softly and realized that he'd given his position away when two strong hands wrenched him from his hiding place. He cried out hoarsely, kicking, hitting, biting, but his attacks were ineffective. The knights were trained in combat and clad in enchanted armour that was made to deflect the blows of things much more deadly than a terrified child- even if that child had abnormal strength.
"They will love you," a voice whispered in his ear, and even in his youth Alfred could detect the seductive edge to it.
"They will train you well," another voice whispered in his other ear.
"They will teach you all you need to know."
He resisted all of their offers, screaming in protest and clawing at their faces until they bound him with Grummel rope and silenced him with a spell. Still, Alfred thrashed in their hold like a trout brought onto land until one of the voices whispered in his ear:
"No one has ever died in the protection of the Seelie Court," the knight said, "We are in Seelie territory, but not court lands. Your nurse would not have died if she had been in the court lands."
Alfred stilled and whimpered again. Rebekah would not have died? Would have stayed young and beautiful forever? Then why did they not live in the court lands? Why did no other faelings live in the court lands? Why?
"Learn this, little knight: humans are meant to be used. They are meant to be used and cared for, like a tool, but they are not forever. They are inferior to us. As plentiful and disposable as vermin. Every one can be replaced, no matter what you think right now. Do not worry for your nursemaid, however. She will be buried on Seelie land."
But not in the court lands. Never in the court lands. Nowhere where anyone could turn and be reminded of mortality. And there was no guarantee that her grave would be marked. Alfred would have to do it by himself.
He was alone now.
Alfred ran as fast as his short legs would carry him to his beloved orchard. Maybe... maybe if Rebekah couldn't enter, maybe he'd be safe there. He'd never leave. Never ever, ever.
But Rebekah was dead now. She hadn't been the first up that morning, and when the faeling had gone to wake her, she'd been stiff and cold and Alfred had screamed. Had screamed and cried and begged for her to wake up, to breathe for one more day. Her curly hair had been all white for a while now, although he couldn't remember when. It had seemed like both just yesterday and ages and ages ago that had been a beautiful glossy brown.
He ducked through the undergrowth, taking the most difficult path to follow as he charged towards his goal. His chest burned, and the air whipping past him made his tears dry painfully cold on his cheeks. He couldn't stop running, couldn't stop crying. Even when he tripped over an errant root and went sprawling into the mud, he just got up and kept going- taking huge gulps of air that were still not enough.
The little Seelie felt sick, and empty of things except the sickness and the sadness and pain. He wanted to find a den to hide in, where everyone would leave him alone. He would have thrown himself off one of the nearby cliffs and into the sea to escape his captors, if it weren't for that intrinsic aversion to death.
He was bruised, bloody and covered in mud and debris by the time he reached the orchard and scrabbled up his favorite tree. He clung to the topmost branches that would support him, trying to catch his ragged breath and be quiet about. Was this what a rabbit felt just before it was caught by a fox?
"We know you're in here, boy..." one of the knights who had been chasing him called as they entered the orchard- his sanctuary. Alfred tried to make himself smaller and willed the leaves and branches and the fruit of the tree to hide him, wishing he knew how to do even small magic.
"Come out, come out, where ever you are..." called another knight in a voice that was sinister playful, "We don't want to hurt you, little one. You said you wanted to be a hero, didn't you? Come with us, we'll make you brave."
"Come with us; we'll make you strong."
"Come with us; we'll make you special."
"Come with us; we'll make you all that you can be."
"Come with us."
"Come with us..."
Alfred whimpered softly and realized that he'd given his position away when two strong hands wrenched him from his hiding place. He cried out hoarsely, kicking, hitting, biting, but his attacks were ineffective. The knights were trained in combat and clad in enchanted armour that was made to deflect the blows of things much more deadly than a terrified child- even if that child had abnormal strength.
"They will love you," a voice whispered in his ear, and even in his youth Alfred could detect the seductive edge to it.
"They will train you well," another voice whispered in his other ear.
"They will teach you all you need to know."
He resisted all of their offers, screaming in protest and clawing at their faces until they bound him with Grummel rope and silenced him with a spell. Still, Alfred thrashed in their hold like a trout brought onto land until one of the voices whispered in his ear:
"No one has ever died in the protection of the Seelie Court," the knight said, "We are in Seelie territory, but not court lands. Your nurse would not have died if she had been in the court lands."
Alfred stilled and whimpered again. Rebekah would not have died? Would have stayed young and beautiful forever? Then why did they not live in the court lands? Why did no other faelings live in the court lands? Why?
"Learn this, little knight: humans are meant to be used. They are meant to be used and cared for, like a tool, but they are not forever. They are inferior to us. As plentiful and disposable as vermin. Every one can be replaced, no matter what you think right now. Do not worry for your nursemaid, however. She will be buried on Seelie land."
But not in the court lands. Never in the court lands. Nowhere where anyone could turn and be reminded of mortality. And there was no guarantee that her grave would be marked. Alfred would have to do it by himself.
He was alone now.