3 × Broken

My room was upstairs.
      “Change,” one of the faeries had commanded. “Be ready in 10 minutes.”
      As I raised from the carpet they’d thrown me on, I scanned the room. The walls and curtains where of a deep colour red that seemed to amplify the strange, dark vibe that rested within the castle. In the middle of the room stood a large four-poster bed, a rug casually slung over the edge of the matrass. Across from it was a long desk. Clothes I was presumed to wear lay neatly folded on it, a pair of new leather boots beside the chair. Although my own clothes were outworn and covered in mud, I passed the new ones without a second thought. I reached the window in the back of the room and pushed the curtains aside- and was blinded by the bright light filling the room. When my eyes had adjusted to the light, I scanned the window for handles. Unfortunately, there were none. I debated shattering the glass with the chair, but I feared that someone would hear and alarm the other fearies.
      The remaining amount of time I spent either pacing through the room, trying to come up with an escape plan, or searching for anything to defend myself with. They had taken the few weapons I possessed away from me, even the small knife in my right boot. As I searched through the drawers of the desk and the nightstands, I concluded that there was nothing useful in this room. If I broke something they would know I tried to smuggle it with me.
      The faeries did not bother knocking when they returned. I still stood bend over the drawers of the desk, and stumbled back when they burst into the room. Their male eyes slid over the clothes that still lay untouched on top of the desk. Then they looked at me. “He will not be pleased,” the male on the left said. He didn’t look like he particularly cared if I had changed or not.
      I shrugged. “I don’t want your faerie clothes.”

This time I did have time to observe the Great room when we entered. That’s what they called it, at least.
      The long dining table was still placed in the centre of the room, but there were various tables lined up alongside the walls where other faeries dined. I presumed that they had a lower status than my capturer, who sat at the length of the table. At the head sat the male who had sent me away, and now focussed on my entrance. “You have not changed,” he said. I did not know if it was a statement or a question. While the faeries escorted me to a chair on his left, I noticed that there was another woman sitting at the table.
      She was the definition of beauty. Her eyes were the colour of spring grass, and her lips had a feint colour of pink. Her long, blonde hair fell in waves over her shoulders, hiding the shimmering beating of her light-blue dress. You’d almost forget that she was a faerie, were it not for the pointy ears peeking through her hair. It was an effort not to knock over the chair next to her as the faeries made me sit down. Across from me sat my capturer, which I totally ignored. But I still felt her harsh stare on me as I observed the room and its company further.
      “Now that everyone’s present,” the low, demanding voice of the male sounded through the room, “let the feast begin.”
      He snapped his fingers and suddenly the table was filled with food. Richly filled bowls with fruits I’d never seen before appeared before me, and my plate that had been empty moments ago was now filled with meat and vegetables. My stomach rumbled at the sight of the filled table, and the aromas of the food tingled my nose. Back home, when our meals had not satisfied our stomachs enough, our dreams would be filled with this amount of food - of this kind of luxe.
      “Eat, human,” the male commanded, and took a big bite of whatever it was that filled his plate.
      Something inside me ached and I clenched my fists under the table. The food in front of me could have filled our bellies for days. Every bowl of fruit or slice of meat I laid my eyes on made place for the image of Lucia. Of the hollows in her cheeks that seemed to grow every day. Of her fragile body that I was afraid might fall apart if I so much as touched her. How mother looked at me with such disappointment when my catch was not enough.
      “I said eat,” the male demanded again.
      I slowly turned my head towards him. “No,” I said. He frowned and a vein popped on his forehead, but I did not break the stare. “I will not fill my belly when there are others dying of famine.”
      The whole room went silent and all attention was directed at us. Everyone had heard me disobey and order of their king. At least I assumed he was their king. He still wore that crown on his head.
      For a second I thought that hell might explode as he took in my words, but he sat back in his chair and said: “You have some nerve boy, disobeying my orders.” I swallowed as I heard the threat in his words. “You are aware of the ways I can make you suffer, right?”
      “Leave him be, Jurien,” the faerie across from me suddenly said. She leaned back in her chair, paying more attention to the dirt under her nails than the fae harassing me. I thought I felt the woman next to me flinch at the sound of her voice.
      “Why should I?” he replied, swirling his wine around in his cup, disinterested. “You are the one who brought him here for me anyways, Cresseida.”
      So that was her name. I looked at the combination of her dark hair and eyes, and found that the name suited her well. The two held each other’s gaze until Jurien smirked at her. “Aeryn, love, could you get me some more wine please?”
      The faerie next to me, Aeryn, silently stood up and walked toward the end of the table, where various bottles of wine were displayed. Cresseida stared her down the table, but Aeryn did not once look in her direction, like she was non-existing. I watched Aeryn poor more wine into Juriens half-empty cup, who on his turn gave her a grin that made me shiver. Cresseida still monitored Aeryn with her poker face on, but for a second I thought that I saw worry in her eyes. I blinked and it was gone.
      Jurien nipped from his wine as Aeryn sat back down. I noticed that she had not eaten anything from her plate as well. She had just moved it around, making it seem like she was not interested in eating at all. When she noticed me staring, she bared her teeth slightly, remembering me that she was one of these monsters too. I looked away quickly, slightly blushing because of how intrigued I had been by her. Just as I heard a low, grumbling sound across from me – did       Cresseida just growl at me?
      “You must feel very intimidated,” Jurien laid down his cutlery and spoke to me. “Being in a room filled with fae – I can’t imagine, honestly. And so far from home as well. Tell me, is there someone waiting for you back home?” I kept quiet. The least I could do for my family was pretend they did not exist. I would do everything to keep them safe.
      Jurien sighed deeply and fell back in his chair again. He seemed bored, but I saw the twinkle in his eyes – a sign of madness. He kicked on the games he played with me. “Anyways, you are not the first nor the last – all you humans are the same in the end.” He placed his elbows on the table, leaning in slightly, as his raven eyes slid over me. It made me shiver.
      “Oh, all the delightful things I am going to do with you!” he cheered and folded his hands together. “How glad I am that Cresseida found you for me,” he made a faint gesture to her with his hand, “she knows how I like my humans best-“
      “You really like to hear yourself talk, don’t you?” I said. He raised his eyebrows and his face went dark. All the played excitement gone in a second. I didn’t care about the danger that stared me down, or the tension that seemed to rise with seconds. He was just an arrogant prick who thought too high of himself.
      “My patience has limits, boy,” he slowly said.
      “I don’t care,” I replied. I would show them that I wasn’t just their prey – I would stand up for myself.
      Suddenly there were hands on my throat. I jumped up and my chair fell on the ground. My hands grasped my throat to remove the pressure, but I soon discovered that there was nothing to remove. I glanced at Cresseida and Aeryn, confused and pleading for help, but they both looked elsewhere.
      “You are one foolish human,” Jurien laughed. I still clawed at my throat, hopelessly trying to figure out how to let air flow through it again. “Tell me your name.” I shook my head and panic fell over me as I sank to my knees.
      “Yes you will.” Jurien stood up and sank on one knee beside me. “If you want it to stop.” I still shook my head and the invisible hands tightened. Air – I needed air, or I would faint. Black spots already covered my view.
      Then it was gone, and my lungs filled with air again. I felt tears on my cheeks and my body was shaking. Unfortunately, I had no time to recover, as Jurien grasped my collar and I faced his cruelty. “Now, you will tell me your name.” He grinned – he had won the game.
      “Reign,” I breathed and closed my eyes, “My name is Reign.”
      Everything and everyone went silent. Every faerie in the room seemed to have watched the scenario at the table. They had watched me almost get choked by Jurien. None of them had tried to stop him, I thought with disgust.
      Then Juriens laugh bellowed through the room. “Reign,” he repeated with disbelief, “Your name is truly Reign?” Then he laughed again. “What a hideous name for a pathetic little human like you.” He made sure to show off his fangs when he spoke. “Who are you? Some little high lord? You think you’re powerful, Reign,” he spat out my name as if it was no more than filth. I swallowed the words, trying not to let it get to me. The villagers had always made fun of my name, and I often wondered why my mother had given me such a name. I was not powerful, or strong or fierce – I felt ordinary. There was nothing special about me.
Jurien pushed me back on the ground and stood up, turning his back to me. “Take him away, we’re done for today.” Two hands started dragging me through the room. I let them – I didn’t want to be here anymore anyway.
      “Oh, and if he requests for food… Do not give it to him. If he wishes not to eat in this room, he can starve in the other.”

I survived three more days in my room without food. The door was locked and no one bothered to visit.
      It was not like I’d never gone a day without food before. Life was always a bit harder in the winter months, when the snow made it impossible for plants to grow, and there was nothing to shoot in the woods. My stomach had grown used to skipping meals.
      But still, there was nothing to do in this room, and I dependent on the water from the tap. All I did was sleep, stare out of the window, and fantasize about the food I’d seen in the Great room. With the additional thought about my family, of course. How would they survive when I wasn’t there to provide them with food? Would mother spend the few silvers we had on bread, or would she beg the neighbour’s son for a piece of his catch?
      The thoughts came and went, but mainly I was just tired. It was as if all my energy slowly faded away. I had almost dozed offwhen I heard the door unlock.
      I didn’t recognize her until she spoke.
      “Rise and shine, Reign,” Cresseida said. I heard her place something on my nightstand, and soon the scent of food filled the room.
      “Eat,” she demanded, but I didn’t care about food. I was so tired…I just wanted to sleep.
      She groaned and turned me on my back, not carefully at all. I opened my eyes and saw her looking down at me, clearly annoyed. “It’s the land,” she answered my unasked question, “The land, the vibe – the power is what drains your energy. It is why you’re here, and if you don’t eat now, you will die.”
      Still, I did not respond, and I was almost shocked by the number of curses she sent down at me. Then, she grabbed a fork and pierced it through some vegetables. She made me open my mouth and shoved it in there. I tried to spit it out, but she held me upright so I couldn’t. Eventually I chewed and swallowed.
      “Finish your plate,” she demanded and walked towards the window, turning her back to me. Slowly, I rolled on my side and reached for the plate. With the little energy I had left, I sat up against the wall, positioning my pillow behind me for more comfort.
      After a few bites of potato and chicken, I sat the plate next to me, letting my stomach rest. Although I really wanted to shove everything directly down my throat, I knew from experience that it would likely directly come out the same way.
      “Why am I here, Cresseida?” I asked after a few minutes of silence. She still didn’t face me. Her hands were folded behind her back.
      “You are here for his pleasure,” she eventually said. “The way your energy slowly fades away…it amuses him.” She turned around, and gestured me to eat again.
      I chewed on a carrot. “And what is your play in all this?”
      She stiffened and looked out of the window again. “It’s…a long story.”
      I rolled my eyes and attacked the food on my plate again. Gosh, it tasted so much better than what we had back home. “I have time.”
      She brushed her fingers through her hand and seemed ready to snarl something at me, but took a deep breath instead. “I have a job for you Reign,” she started, “A part for you to play. I’ll explain everything if you agree to help me.”
      I frowned at that last part. She needed help – why would a faerie like her need the help of a human like me? “Start talking.”
      “Promise me, Reign.”
      “I’ll decide if you’re worthy of my help, now talk.”
      A snarl erupted out of her, but I did not flinch. I was the one in charge now.
      “Three hundred years ago, when the fae occupied the North of Ederawien, my parents were crowned as king and queen of Leviathan. But the lands were useless – it was impossible for plants to grow, whereas the lands in the South were fertile.” She paused and looked at the endless crops outside. “The fae were starving, riots erupting every now and then until they could not be dealt with anymore. All the Royals left in Leviathan gathered at this very palace, and used their powers to conduct a spell that transferred the fertility from your land, to ours.”
      I simply gawked at her.
      “I was only a youngling when it happened,” she continued, fully ignoring me. “Jurien’s father had been one of my father’s most trusted advisors, so they were often around. It did not take long for us to become friends. But when his father died, something inside him snapped. He was not the same anymore. He often spent his days alone, wandering through the hallways, or riding out on his own. It was hard for me, too, to lose my only friend. But sometimes he showed me fragments of what he used to be, and I craved for those.” She shook her head, lost in her memory. “One time, we got horribly drunk on faerie wine and he…and we just fooled around a bit, nothing serious. So when he said that I would be a horrible queen one day, and I asked him if he thought he could do better.” She took a deep breath, and turned to me, her eyes full of anger. Not because of me, but because of herself. “I didn’t fully realise that I made the deal, and I also didn’t care so much. I was the youngest of seven – the crown would never have been mine anyways…”
      “But it did, didn’t it?” I said reproachfully.
      “He killed them all, Reign,” she whispered. “I should have known what he was up to. I should never have done it.”
      “But you did,” I looked down at the faerie before me. There was nothing left of the monster I had feared. I felt nothing but pity.
      She paced through the room, releasing herself of the memory. “I have made a mistake, and I need you to fix it.”
      I let out a low laugh. “And why would I do that?”
      She sneered, her evil-fae face back in place. “Because you need to get home, don’t you? To your little sister, what was her name again…Lucia?”
      “Don’t you dare talk about her!” I snarled, “You leave my family out of this!”
      “Only if you help me.”
      “Tell. Me.”
      She looked at me. “I need you to kill him.”
      That got me silent.
      “I can’t do it myself, so I need someone else to do it,” she explained.
      I burst out in laughter. “Why on earth would you ask me? Why me? Why not do it yourself, or sent one of your faerie friends?” I spat. “You don’t need the services of an ‘ignorant, little human’ like me.”
      “Yes. I. Do.” She gritted through her teeth. “And sadly, you are the only one who can succeed.”