A Tiend to Earth

(In response to the Writing Excuses S3 Ep18 prompt.)

And now he sleeps. She caresses his cheek briefly, wondering. Seven years they have been lovers; seven years he hath dwelt in Faerie. The time is almost through. Her heart wrenches at the thought: soon all will be undone.


She tries to take strength from his strong heart. He does not know the purpose of their dalliance. He does not know the price that must be paid.

The Queen appears silently.

-Don't.

Without looking, without turning, without speaking she replies: I must.

-Thou must not.

She turns now, challenging the Queen she has served obediently since she first woke to the first laugh of creation.

-What would you have me do, Lady? It must be done.

-Someone else might serve.

The Fae are whispering on the wind, echoing their Queen: We might serve.

She shakes her head. -No. It is I.

She takes a step closer to the Queen.

-Thou knowest, Lady. It is I.

The Queen trembles briefly, as briefly as a leaf in the wind; it passes.

-I forbid it.

The Fae surround the bower now, holding the lovers close in their quarters.

-Thou shalt stay. Another shall be bound to another bridegroom of Death. Thou shalt stay.

She looks about now, frantic. It is she, it is he, it is they: this she knows. No others will serve. But they are bound by the Queen's will. The Queen will not permit her to shed her immortality so easily.

Her eyes wander to the table.

The table.

She remembers warning him when he came here, warning him to eat only the food brought for him.

"For," she said seriously, "if ever you ate our food, you should be lost, and your soul bound to our life forever. Our food is poison to you."

"Why have your food in the room at all, then?"

"For me. For as mine is to you, yours is to me."

"Ah, you should not have told me so. For now I find myself tempted to bind your soul to my life forever with THIS!" And he grabbed a piece of apple with a flourish, pretending to hide it in her food, making her laugh as she always laughed with his delight.

The table.

The remains of their meal are still there. One mortal apple pie is yet untouched.

She hesitates, pleads with the Queen again. -Free us. We must complete our task.

The air grows cold. -No.

-Free us. We must finish what we have begun.

Ice begins to wall them in. -No.

She whispers now. -Free us. The marriage of Faerie and Earth must be consummated, or all will be lost.

Snow flies, burying the bower in a white wave. -No. I shall not sacrifice my only daughter to the World of Death!

She bows her head. Trembling, she grabs the pie. The Queen realizes her intention too late.

NO!

*
*
*

He wakes suddenly in a world of ice, his beloved still as death beside him. He hears the Queen's rage upon the wind.

-And for thy foolishness, my daughter is bound to death. And for her foolishness, I bind the world from life.

But he does not listen, so frantic is he to bring some blood to those white cheeks, some breath to that still form. The world is suddenly still as death, watching them.

He cradles her close

and ever so slowly

bends his head

for the kiss.

And she smiles.

For though she is mortal, she is with her love;

and suddenly, it is spring.