“I hope so,” she said dreamily. “If the child grew up to become a ruler of our two worlds, the world of humans and the world of magic beings, maybe we could finally have peace. No more fear.”
They were silent for a while until the king turned on his side and leaned on his elbow, peering at her face. His massive, horned head loomed over Lily, but her gaze was more drawn to his eyes: their fire had dimmed to a slow smolder, and they seemed now thoughtful. Not human, as they could never be that. But not beastly, either.
“I need to travel soon. I will come to see you in five months,” he said.
Lily bit her lip.
“Personally?”
He smirked, revealing his white fangs. “I imagine I shall miss you, tiny human.”
She returned his smile, even though worry gnawed at her. After a moment of hesitation, she said: “But will you please keep my secret? Remember, it was my sister who was supposed to visit you, not me.”
A low growl rumbled deep in his throat.
“Are you ashamed?” he asked.
“I just don’t want my sister to get in trouble with the village people,” she said with a frown. “They are petty. They will shun her if they find out she’s disobeyed them.”
“Then I’ll order them not to bother your family,” he said, his nostrils flaring.
“And the moment your back is turned, they’ll find ways to defy your order while seeming not to,” she said with a sigh. “They keep doing this, you know. There was once a woman in ourvillage who had troll blood in her. Not much, just a bit. By your law, we are to treat every thinking creature with respect. And everyone obeyed the law to the letter: they were respectful. Everyone was so respectful, in fact, that they didn’t speak to her at all. She moved out eventually. I was a small child then, but I remember her. She used to make beautiful flower wreaths.”
“You humans are so troublesome,” he said, gnashing his teeth.
“We are,” Lily said solemnly.
“Have it your way. I will not reveal your secret if your womb is empty. But if I see that your belly is big with my child, I will take you back to the castle, no matter what petty humans think or do.”
Lily snorted. “And then, I’ll become your queen, and my sister and mother will be the sibling and parent of the queen. The villagers will do anything they can to get in their good graces.”
He left her soon after their conversation. He was the king, after all, and the matters of his kingdom required his attention. “It will be easier with a queen by my side,” he had told her before leaving.
The next day, when she was packed in the carriage and sent back home, only Goula and the three half-fairy sisters came out to bid her goodbye. The king was too busy to see her off, and she felt a pang of disappointment, but she brushed it off. By now, her adventure was fading, and the familiar, ordinary village life beckoned.
Lily sighed, wistful. She would have loved to be in the castle longer. She would explore all the corridors, the tall ones for creatures the size of the king and the tiny ones for dwarves and other small folk.
She would wander around, talking to everyone, and maybe she would even learn to do some magic. And then... Maybe she could venture to the town that lay on the other side of the castle. The fairy town of magic folk.
If only the seed sprouted within her. Then, she could explore all she wanted.
She wondered whether Anna had managed to keep in hiding for the past three days. Or had she been discovered and punished? The wheels of the carriage rattled on, giving an urgent rhythm to Lily’s anxious thoughts. When would she find out if she was pregnant? She wanted to know and be done with it. The uncertainty was eating her from within.
Chapter VI
Five months passed, and king Tharsos was running out of patience. He had sent spies to Lily’s village, but even though they gave him much information, they could not discover the most important detail. If she truly expected a child, she was hiding it well.
Tharsos ordered his darkest carriage prepared. The one large enough for him to fit his horns inside comfortably, and with windows made of smoked, enchanted glass. Impenetrable to human eyes. He would go to the human village, but if it turned out that Lily was another fluke, he wouldn’t show himself.
There was a reason why he let few of his human subjects see him: familiarity combined with fear bred contempt. If they didn’t know what he looked like, he could inspire greater fear.
And humans needed to be afraid. They were weak but numerous. And all the previous wars waged between the magic folk and the human race testified to the humans’ indestructibility.
But this child... This child could change everything. Tharsos clenched his fists and his claws bit into the flesh of his palms. Fora moment, he let himself hope: for an heir to end all wars. And for a bride as smart and resilient as she was lovely.
Lily would make him a good wife. She could answer his needs, and she wasn’t afraid of his alienness and strength. Or rather, she was afraid: just enough to tickle his predator’s instincts, yet not enough for her to freeze in fear. She had the perfect response to him.
The carriage reached the village. His page, a human with just a trace of magical blood in him, knocked on the door of Lily’s house. A slender woman appeared in the doorway, and Tharsos clenched his jaw. No belly.
