 
Chapter One: A Mess

The room smelled wet and dusty. The scent of it seemed to cling mercilessly to his nostrils; the walls of his room were close and seemed to be getting closer with each day. Or was it just his imagination?

With a stroke of his wrist, the pen made a clean and beautiful line on the piece of parchment in front of him.

Thunder clapped in the sky, and he, in turn, clapped his hands to his ears. His pen clattered to the ground.

Eory kept his hands planted firmly on his ears. He was frozen in fear. After that small moment of forever had passed, he stood up shakily from where he had been lying on his belly and left his pen where it lay.

He wanted to go right to bed so he could sleep through the thunderstorm.

He took a step toward the sofa which was centered in the middle of the room and his toe collided with an article of clothing lying on the floor. He didn't care to pick it up, and so he didn't. Eory stepped over and his foot crunched down on a piece of paper.

It was one of his many drawings of a wrinkled woman that lay scattered about the room.

Time seemed to stop for a moment as Eory gazed at the drawing, and it seemed to gaze right back at him. In a moment, thunder rang again, and he quickly dashed to the sofa, crawled under his blanket, and went to sleep.

__

When he woke up, he took a book from the tall shelf which was pushed up against the left side of his room and then sat down on one of the many articles of clothing lying about the room. He began reading.

It was a fairy folk tale about a young warrior on a quest to save his beloved. He could relate as he, too, was a fairy, and...

Eory's heart thudded as his eyes lingered upon a particularly beautiful passage.

He took the hand of his beloved; a thin, elegant, and dainty thing, and then pressed his lips against hers.

And to him, no woman as beautiful as she existed. Her skin was soft as silk and white as a dove's breast. Her eyes seemed to glow as brightly as the sun itself, and her red hair was as smooth as the petal of a rose and was the same, luscious shade.

The fairy's eyes brimmed with tears as he read. He was captivated by that passage and how well it seemed to capture such a beautiful moment—a moment that he, himself, wanted to experience.

But Eory snapped the book closed in a moment and tossed it aside.

He stared ahead listlessly for a moment—lost in his own thoughts.

He wondered what it might feel like to be kissed.

__

The fairy didn't seem to see the mess scattered about all around him as he made his way to the dresser. He ignored the clothes which covered nearly every inch of the floor along with the dozens of drawings of a wrinkled woman piled on top of the clothes.

From his mahogany dresser on the right side of the room, he pulled out a piece of parchment and placed it on his desk. He dragged out the chair scooted up to the desk and sat down in it.

As he was instructed to do at this time of day, he was ready to solve the mathematical questions his caretaker had written out for him on a separate sheet of paper.

But his wrist seemed stuck.

It didn't want to write down anything to do with numbers.

Sweat poured down his forehead as he knew he would get into trouble if he didn't have the math problems solved by the time his caretaker arrived.

But he just didn't want to do it. His wrist disobeyed him.

He rested his head on his desk instead and his mind drifted to pleasant memories as it always seemed to do when he was troubled. A gentle smile spread across his face.

His mind led him right into the strangling arms of his older brother.

He remembered his older brother being tall and strong; fearless and kind. Nobody could comfort him like his older brother could.

His eyes drifted, however, to a piece of parchment on the floor next to his chair. He looked at that paper every day—it had words on it that he was forced to write every day, after all.

You are not your family, Eory.

Your family was evil at its root and you are good.

You know that you are good, but now you must prove it if you wish to be free.

The fairy drummed his fingers on the desk and glowered.

Since it was the only noise in the room other than the pattering rain overhead, it was an almost deafening sound.

Eory picked up the parchment and ripped it down the middle.

__

Eory lost track of the time as his teeth sunk into his arm and little droplets of blood escaped from where they had.

Drip, drip, drip.

He looked at his arm confusedly. He didn't think he had bitten it so hard that it would be dripping.

Drip, drip, drip.

The sound entered his mind and filled it. It seemed to echo loudly and without mercy in his ears; it was suffocatingly close, just like that wet, dusty smell in the air, and those walls that seemed unbearably near to him.

Drip, drip, drip.

Sweat dripped down his forehead as he wondered what this sound was that was invading his privacy.

He sat up on the sofa and his eyes frantically scanned the dirty room for the deafening sound.

His eyes locked onto a hole in the ceiling.

It was leaking rainwater.

He felt sheepish at how frightened he had been of something as silly as rainwater. He was going to find a way to plug it up, but he stopped when his imagination ran away with him as it tended to.

He stared at the water unblinkingly for moments with his mouth agape.

Drip, drip, drip. Pitter, patter...

Thunder crashed in the distance, and when it did, his surroundings flickered as the rain drops became louder and louder in his ears. The ceiling had become a limitless black sky for a moment, the walls had become an open and sandy beach, and the smell of the dusty room had been replaced with the fresh smell of greens when they are wet with water.

Thunder crashed again, and suddenly, his messy room with clothes and drawings of a wrinkled woman strewn about was transformed into a green paradise out by a sea. The moon and stars were reflected like beautiful sapphires in the clear and glassy sea and the pleasing sound of water-on-water blessed his ears.

The suffocating walls were gone, the dank smell had released him from its clutches. Rustling wind filtered through the leaves of the forest of palm trees behind him—the sand beneath his feet felt rough and yet warm and comforting, and the iridescent water in front of him beckoned him into it.

He dipped his hands in and shivered a little at how cool it felt. He had read books about the sea, but it was not the same as experiencing it for himself. He had the vocabulary to describe it, because vocabulary was all he had.

Cold, wet, shining, and somehow... Soft, but if I fell into it from a height, it would be hard. If it were warm, it would be like a warm blanket. He thought to himself in a daze.

There was a sound in his ears that annoyed him greatly which was mixing in with the pitter patter of rain. He blinked rapidly, and, each time he did, his surroundings shifted from that of the beautiful beach to the messy and unfortunate state of his room.

The sound of crackling fire overpowered the sound of rain as the door to his room was revealed in the wall in a shower of green, fiery magic.

In walked Kori, his caretaker, who looked at his disgrace of a room and turned her nose up. "This room is disgusting! I've never seen it like this before!"

The boy—no, the man—said with a miserable look on his face, "it's raining."

Kori looked around his room with her giant, pointed waif ears twitching in annoyance.

Kori was truly stunned at the room's state of affairs. From the beginning, her rules with her charge were very firm and plain; one of them was picking his room up and keeping it spotless. He had adhered to the rule obsessively and abnormally from the young age of six which she had imposed it at. To see it like this was extremely bizarre.

"Yes, it's raining, but why is your room like this?" Kori asked.

The young man was silent in response to his caretaker's question, which was not abnormal for him, but it was when she asked him a direct question. He was staring at the rain dripping from the ceiling with his mouth agape and looked for all the world like he was addled in the head and amused by the simplest things. 
Chapter 2: Pollyanna

Kori noticed her charge's teeth were bloody as was his arm and wished he would stop that disgusting behavior, but no matter how hard she tried to get him to stop, he never could.

"Eory." Kori said his name threateningly. "Answer me. Why is your room a mess?"

The young man's eyes fluttered, and then he came back to reality. "I don't know. I forgot to clean."

His affect and tone of voice were flat which worried her greatly.

"You're acting strangely." Kori said suspiciously.

Eory sighed. "Forgive me, Kori. I'll clean up. You're looking fine today. Are you well?" It was his usual greeting with its practiced politeness but this time it sounded fake.

Eory stood up in an unenthusiastic and slow manner not unlike someone waking up from a long sleep and began picking up his room woodenly.

"I am well, but you're not. You're speaking with little vigor." Kori said.

Inwardly, Eory felt irritated and exhausted. Here she goes again—the old biddy...

Outwardly, he quelled her fears. "I'm fine, Kori."

Kori helped the young man pick up his room and raised her eyebrows at the dozens of pictures he had drawn of the old warrior maiden who she had told him stories about since he was first in her care.

She continued to lecture him. "Remember, it's not that your parents had evil feelings it's that they--"

"—had none at all." Eory completed her sentence with a roll of his eyes.

Rain cut through the awkward silence that followed.

Kori's eyes narrowed. She slammed the papers on the back of the sofa. "Perhaps I have been too lenient with you of late! You know that if you show the least bit sign of evil tendencies that I will have to report it to the king and who knows what he will do to you!"

"I..." Eory began but stopped.

Kori glared intensely at the exhausted young man who sat on the sofa with a dead look on his face after he finished picking up his room.

Kori asked sternly. "Do you want to die?"

Eory looked at the dripping ceiling with a blank face and wished his fantasy beach would come to rescue him.

"I don't know why you kept me alive when you just want me to rot away in this room my entire life..." Eory mumbled sadly. Kori looked down at her feet and tried not to feel bad at his situation. She had always thought of him as a son, which made him doubly precious to her because she could not have any children of her own.

She shook his shoulder. "Do you want another story about Pollyanna?"

"I've heard them all..." Eory replied. And maybe I'm too old for that now...

"No, no. I have more." Kori lied coolly. Half the stories she told about Pollyanna—the legendary guard who was ever dedicated to protecting Eory's family line—were untrue, but Eory believed them all.

Eory turned to Kori with his eyes lighting up. "Truly?"

And his caretaker nodded as she spun a new tale on the spot about the old warrior maiden who was undefeatable in battle but for one time; when she failed to protect Eory's parents from the newly crowned king.

Eory listened to the tale and it felt like he wasn't locked in a tiny room for a time.

It felt like he was with Pollyanna on her adventure.
Chapter 3: Ugly Words

Kori left after she finished spinning her tale. Once she had gone, Eory stared up at the ceiling while lying on the sofa because he had nothing better to do. Words entered his mind about Kori that he had never dared to think about her before.

He rolled onto his stomach and drummed his fingers impatiently on the arm of the couch. He chewed on his arm again. What a bitch... Twelve years with me and she doesn't even care about me enough to consider releasing me.

He winced at this thought and wondered where he had even heard such an unkind word. He realized it must have been from the two guards outside his room who referred to their wives as such many times in one night. Eory would often find himself listening in on their conversations to entertain himself.

No matter how much Eory tried not to think ugly thoughts about his caretaker, they kept popping into his mind about her because of the cruel words he had heard her say.

He loved her even though it was difficult to love her at times. She was like his mother and his only friend, but she was also his warden.

Her goal was never to be his mother, however. Her goal was to make him an asset to society and not a danger. Only then, she would sometimes say, would she feel as though the king would be willing to set Eory free.

Eory had no memories of Kori teaching him how to read or write or other things mothers were supposed to do. His memories of her were always to do with proper social norms.

Every time she entered the room, she would expect him to bow. She would expect him to ask her if she was in good health and if she was having a good day, and he was to do it in the most polite and proper way he could manage.

Sometimes, she would bring gifts. Not because she necessarily loved him, but because she wanted to instruct him on how to say thank you. If she saw he was being rude in any way, she would punish him by cutting her already short visits all the shorter.

She had made him into an overly polite and spineless dog while she dangled the possibility of freedom in front of his nose and made him fight for every scrap of attention she was willing to give him.

Eory stood up, and, with nothing better to do, he opened the top drawer of his mahogany dresser that lay in the corner of the room and took out a piece of parchment.

When he turned around and looked at his room, he was reminded just how small and claustrophobic it had gotten.

There was the uncomfortable sofa centered in the middle of the room, the dresser in the corner which allowed only just enough space for Eory to pass between it and the bed comfortably, a bookshelf pushed up against the left side of the wall, and a little desk situated in the upper-right corner.

He rubbed the back of his neck with a heavy sigh and sat at his desk which had a pen and ink on it at the ready.

The rain ever pattered above his head.

Everything felt like it was suspended in time.

He was supposed to be doing the reading, writing, and mathematical homework Kori had assigned to him, but once again, his wrist refused to let him do such dull and unimaginative work.

Pollyanna was always his muse, and so he drew her instead of doing his homework.

You're kind of like me in many ways... Eory thought to himself as he stared lovingly at his flattering depiction of the maiden who was hundreds of years old but who physically looked like she was fifty. You've always been stuck as my family's protector, and I guess I'll be stuck with this heritage that will most likely end with me. Still, I wish you'd come to get me.
Chapter 4: The Woman

Alone in his room, as he miserably laid his heavy head on his desk, Eory heard a woman's voice in his ears.

He turned and looked behind him.

Behind him was himself. Only, it was not himself. It was him, but wearing a female's clothing instead of a male's. The woman had his same, large, fairy ears that were shaped like a butterfly's wings, his same, vivid, rosy eyes that were tilted, and his same nose that curled like a spiral at the tip like all Arrozan fairy noses tended to.

There was a man and a woman inside of every fairy, and Eory had been stuck with this female version of himself for as long as he could remember--although he could not remember the reason why.

The woman looked at him with a confident grin as all the candle lights in the room seemed to blow out in the room by a surreal and violent wind.

Eory breathed heavily in fear as he was left alone in the darkness with the woman.

"Taylor..." Eory murmured.

She was silent.

Eory stood up and glanced around the pitch-black room—frantically trying to spot where she had gone.

Eory stumbled backwards and bumped into the sofa behind him when he thought he may have seen Taylor's menacing, rosy eyes glimmer in the darkness.

He was panting and all he could hear was blood in pounding in his ears.

The wind which had been blowing hectically within his room kicked up again and all of his drawings fluttered about noisily in the cacophony.

Eory screamed when he felt her hand on her shoulder.

He looked behind him and came face-to-face with the woman. Her raspy voice echoed around the room as she grinned from ear-to-ear. "You think you can hide who we are from her? Oh, silly, silly, Eory. Give me the word and I will kill her for you. You need only ask. I have all the secrets to unlock our powers. We can be free."

Eory was frozen in fear as her hands seemed to enclose around his neck. He screamed, "leave me alone!"

The wind shrieked in his ears and blew and pushed both he and Taylor back before the candle lights flicked three times and stayed lit on the fourth.

Taylor vanished with them.

Eory panted and breathed in sharply.

He was alone.

Suddenly, the door to his room appeared in the familiar burst of magical fire and Kori stepped out of it. She saw him panicking and sweating and the papers strewn about his room and ran to his side.

She hugged him and he returned her hug.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Kori asked.

Eory shook his head but said nothing. He couldn't tell her of the woman. She would surely never let him out if he did.

After all he knew that, deep down, the woman was trying to climb her way to the surface and take over and he knew she harbored his worst intentions.

"You must tell me what happened! You must let me help you if you don't want to stay in this prison forever! Don't you trust me?" Kori asked him with her wrinkled, blue, waif hands on his cheeks.

He didn't trust her. Not after he had heard the vile words that had come out of her mouth when she thought he wasn't listening.
Chapter 5: Despair

Even though the king, Kori, and the rest of the usurpers deemed it too cruel to simply kill him when the kingdom was seized from his tyrannical parents, Eory wished they had. He had no friends, no family, and no one to love in his cell.

He thought Kori was someone to love at one time, but that, evidently, was untrue.

Eory chewed his arm and imagined he was chewing hers instead. When he recognized how evil and wrong that was with a flash of fear, he made his mind turn elsewhere—although the place it turned was no better.

Eory had considered ending his life many times before and he considered doing it now.

I could crush myself with furniture, I could stab myself with the pen... But he never found the courage to do it.

I'm wasting away. I wonder if they'll all cheer when I'm dead?

___

Drip, drip, drip...

He gritted his teeth.

Drip, drip, drip...

He clenched his fists.

Drip, drip, drip...

He threw his drawing at the wall and could taste something foul rising in his throat and sizzling in his stomach. He clenched his head in his hands and suddenly felt nothing but bitterness for his caretaker.

He kept thinking of it. The exact moment he found out that Kori would never barter with the king for his freedom.

The last time she had brought him a present, he, as usual, had been overly polite and kind in thanking her for it. Normally, she would have smiled at how well he received his presents and would have told him he did a good job.

Not that day.

He had done something wrong while he received that present. Perhaps he hadn't bowed low enough or long enough for her tastes; perhaps he forgot to say thank you, perhaps he had said thank you with the wrong tone of voice.

Or maybe he had simply made an expression that made her doubt he would ever be fit for society.

She had read him a story and when she thought he had fallen asleep, she had whispered ugly and malicious words in his ear. "I can't ever free you."

He must have done something to make her think that. But no matter how long he had combed over that day with her, he couldn't think of what it was.

Or maybe she's just a bitch. He thought to himself in anger. She's been with me all this time and she feels nothing toward me.

He lay his head down on his desk in frustration and tried to fight the contagious thoughts infecting his mind about just how easy it might be to escape if he could tap into the poisonous magic buried deep in his veins and blow a hole in the wall with it—but he needed the word and the perfect emotion to match it to express those powers.

He hated Kori so much for those evil words she whispered in his ear, and he loved her, too. And it all terrified him.

He stood up from his desk—hunched over and miserable—and then picked up his picture of Pollyanna. He looked at it with a sick feeling in his rotten stomach as he was coming to terms with the fact that he would never meet her.

He bit into his arm and nearly tore some of the flesh off.

He tossed the picture aside and lay his head on the desk.
Chapter 6: Prison

Pollyanna was two days away from the tower in which Eory was being kept in. She had been travelling for twelve long years after she had escaped from her own prison which was miles away from the human kingdom of Maribel.

She was tired and haggard. She had been for hundreds of years. Her hair that was once a shimmering gold was now gray and rough; her skin that was once soft as silk was now wrinkled and felt like sand.

She was never unhappy with her lot in life; she was saved by one of her charge's ancestors long, long ago and she had loved defending his family ever since.

Eory's ancestor had found her starving and homeless and on the verge of death after her convent had been burned down; he had offered her glory and a name on a silver platter; but it came with a price as all things with magic do.

She had never regretted that price. Never in her life. Except recently. Regardless, she still muttered to herself over and over to convince herself that she didn't regret it, I have no regrets. I got what I wanted.

She still was not unhappy with her lot in life she was merely... Exhausted. Whatever spark and passion that once lay in her soul was fast going out. She was grumpy and testy and once she escaped from her own prison she spent many nights drinking while trying to find information on where her charge was being held.

As she looked up at the tower looming at her far in the distance with rain dotting her haggard face, she felt very cold.

__

When he was younger, Eory had found his older brother sitting alone and brooding in the garden of the castle under the shade of an ash tree. He was biting his arm until it bled—it was a long-time tick of Eory's family to do so. He joined his brother, and his brother told him something he would never forget.

"What are you doing out here alone?" Eory asked.

And his big brother looked up at the sky wistfully and replied. "Enjoying the last vestiges of my freedom..."

Eory noticed that his hands were red and bloody. His brother hid them within his big sleeves when he saw Eory looking.

Eory cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

And his big brother met his eyes with an indescribable look of pain and fear on his face that Eory would never forget. "This flesh has become my prison. There's no way out."

Eory didn't understand, but his brother hung his head in shame and wept.

Days later, Eory wept bitter tears when his parents told him that the family dog was dead.

As Eory stared up at the ceiling and watched the rain dripping endlessly, he couldn't get that memory out of his head as it mixed and mingled relentlessly with his own thoughts of harming Kori.

Eory looked around his tiny room and felt suffocated and short of breath; frustrated and extremely lonely.

There was no way out.

He took deep breaths that merged with the water dripping continuously as he felt light-headed and hot blood pounded relentlessly in his ears. He bit into his arm in an attempt to comfort himself.
Chapter 7: A Miracle

I deserve to be here. I need to be here. Kori has been nothing but kind to me; she saved me.

As Eory took deep breaths to try and feel like he was not being suffocated to death, he remembered a moment of Kori's kindness and her sweetness. He was young—so young that the rest of his memories from that night were blurry at best--but he remembered Kori reading him a story. She had pulled his blankets up around his chin as she read. "Luis was a grand hero—a dragon slayer, and..."

"I want to be a hero!" Eory interrupted. "I want to be a hero like you!"

Kori grinned. "Me? A hero?"

"You saved me!" Eory replied.

And Kori replied with tears in her eyes, "you are far too kind... I have done little except keep you safe."

She was modest. She had saved him from the beheading that came to his brother and parents and she had loved him knowing the evil that festered deep down in his soul like it did for all of his ancestors.

He found his gaze drawn once again by one of the pictures he had drawn of Pollyanna and pushed down his regrets and loathing of the fact that he would never be able to meet her.

She was his fantasy. He had lived most of his life in a fantasy with her because there was nothing to live for in his confined reality.

And as he sat in silence with nothing but the dripping rain to keep him company, his mouth turned ever gradually into a hideous grimace as he blamed Kori for all his woes.

__

Kori picked up some presents from the market on her way to see Eory. She had some very good news to tell him that she previously thought she would never be able to share with him within his lifetime.

Time and again, she had come before the new king of the human kingdom of Maribel, Laurence, and begged him to just give her charge—her beloved son—a chance on the outside of his tower.

She had plied the king who sat upon his comfy throne with what she considered to be sufficient evidence that Eory did not have the evilness buried in his soul that his ancestors had.

So often, she had kneeled upon the verdant carpet spread from the throne to the bottom of the many steps and said to Laurence, "Your Majesty, Eory shows no signs of an evil nature. He greets me kindly everytime I visit, he cleans his room as I command, he has learned his letters and numbers and is an excellent and kind student. His social graces are better than any peasant's and indeed, better than most nobles'. I implore you to give him just one chance on the outside of his tower."

But the king would always meet her pleas with the same answer. "You have no proof that he will not harm or kill anyone if he is released. I can't free him unless you bring me proof that he will harm no one. I know it is your job as the Redeemer to redeem criminals as it has always been, but this one is simply too dangerous to merely trust your judgement with."

No proof existed, and the king knew it. Kori had always held out hope that she could change his mind, but it had been waning as of late and her heart was broken because of it. On one of her recent visits to her charge, she had broken down in tears while Eory slept and murmured in his ear, I can't ever free you.

But the Waif Gods had blessed her with a miracle. The king had finally given in and granted Kori's wish. She didn't know why and she didn't care. She just knew she couldn't wait to tell Eory that he could be free.
Chapter 8: A New Friend

Kori arrived in her charge's room to see him looking dead-in-the-face and staring up at the ceiling while reclining on the sofa. It was still raining out in the hidden clearing near the castle where the tower was sequestered. Kori had accordingly been wearing a cloak to keep her warm from the chilly weath and she removed it now. Eory rolled on his side to face her with tears gracing his strange eyes.

Kori tried not to cry, herself, when she saw her beloved son in such pain and she placed her pack on the ground and forced a smile as she remembered she was about to tell Eory something very happy.

"Eory, I am happy to inform you that you may be the only fairy in the line of Arroza who is deemed not to be a tyrant." Kori reached her wrinkled, blue hands into her travel pack as Eory sat up in shock and disbelief.

"I'm to be free, then?" Eory asked.

"Well..." Kori said, clearing her throat, "on the condition that you attend the king's ball with no mishap and demonstrate yourself to be a fine asset to society, you will be set free."

Eory breathed in deeply with a face that told her he couldn't believe his ears. In a moment, he couldn't contain himself and he wrapped his caretaker in his arms and easily lifted her off the ground.

His caretaker, like all waifs, was a tiny, four-foot-tall woman with a stick-thin waist, long, pointed ears, and the wrinkled skin that all waifs had regardless of whether they were six or sixty.

Kori giggled for a moment as she returned his embrace and then demanded he put her down when she realized how far off the ground she was.

Kori finished digging through her pack and pulled out many beautifully packaged presents for Eory. The first was a golden headdress that belonged to his older brother. Kori brought a waif-sized, tall, rectangular mirror with her which she balanced against the wall so Eory could get a good look at himself. Kori put the headdress on him which complimented his white skin beautifully; it was a circlet which draped across his forehead and wrapped around his giant ears and had lovely, clear crystals hanging from it.

Eory cocked his head to the side. He had not seen himself since he was six-years-old—there was no reason for him to have a mirror, after all.

His eyes were pink, his skin was snow-white, and his ears were gigantic and shaped like a butterfly's wings and allowed him to hear even the tiniest of noises. He thought he looked odd since the only person he had to compare himself to was Kori.

He saw Kori clap her hands in the mirror and she told him, "you look so handsome!"

Eory blushed a little and looked away.

"Let me show you what you'll be wearing!" Kori said excitedly as she handed him the next package which was tied up with a rope in crinkly brown paper.

But Eory was weeping.

I can't believe I thought she was a bitch... He sniffled and wiped his eyes as Kori came to his side. I'm such an awful person!

"Don't cry, this is a happy occasion..." Kori said as tears came to her own eyes. "I know what will cheer you up!"

She handed him a blue-and-white striped box with a green bow tied prettily around the cap. Eory opened it and a panting dog with bulging eyes licked his face. Eory smiled cheerfully at his new friend and lifted him out of the package; the dog was small enough to hold and Eory thought it was a funny looking thing.

It was colored black and white with a whiter stripe that traveled up from its chest and onto its forehead. It had small, upright ears and a tiny, round black tail and bulging black eyes.

"I love him!" Eory exclaimed.

"Happier now?" Kori asked as Eory's new friend licked his face.

Eory nodded and buried his face in the terrier's fur. "What should I name him?"

"Whatever you want, darling." Kori said with a nod. "You've earned the right to pick."

Eory looked into the creature's bulging eyes and he felt as if its dark eyes bored into his soul. "I think... Gershom."

Kori's mouth melted into a deep frown. "Your brother's name?"

Eory nodded. "He was my best friend!"

Kori's face was twisted into one of white fear. She had hoped he would have forgotten about his family; she needed him to forget. His family was no good—he had to separate himself from them entirely if she were to save him. "How about something else? Robert or Larry?"

Eory turned his spiral nose up and stuck out his tongue. "Larry? Bleh..."

Kori was sweating buckets. "Eory... You know you have to separate yourself from your family. After all, you're..."

Eory looked away as his dog panted and licked his face. "I'm good—I'm different from them, I know. It's just... My brother—he was... So kind to me from what I remember."

Kori, who had always been so strict to her surrogate son, relented this one time.

It was not an easy choice.

She had mulled it over in her mind for a full thirty seconds which had felt like thirty hours.

She had never allowed him to think well of his family; she had spent extensive time showing him precisely why they were to be reviled, in fact.

"Your family figured out a way to conjure magic so vile and disgusting that they dropped a ball of it upon the human kingdom of Maribel and took it over—killing thousands. Why is this wrong?" She would ask.

Eory would sometimes take a moment to think which would worry her, but for the most part he would immediately answer, "because I wouldn't want to be hurt like that; because so many people lost their families because of mine and I know it would hurt so much to lose mine like that—including you."

"And how does this fact make you feel about your family?" Kori would go on relentlessly.

Eory would have a sad frown dawn on his sweet face and it would break her heart as he said, "I hate them. They disgust me."

But just this once, on this happy occasion, Kori relented. She thought she owed him for turning him against his family because, even though they were evil people, she had no doubt that they loved him and he loved them—and she wanted her surrogate son's complete adoration more than anything—if that included giving him this one boon, then so be it. "Very well. You can name him that."

Eory thanked her with a hug.

"Now, gather up your things, let's get going. Are you ready to see the world?" Kori asked elatedly.

Eory nodded and quickly gathered up his clothes in a sack along with some of his drawings and his pen. He scribbled some letters on the back of a piece of parchment and then tucked it away.

Kori looked at him with pride before she revealed the cursed door she had hidden from him with magic for so long. He never thought he would cry at a door, but he did. He sniffled and, with his new dog tucked under his arm, set out to freedom.
Chapter 9: Second Chance

Eory never thought he would see the light of day again for the rest of his days, but he was wrong. He had been good for twelve years and his behavior was finally being rewarded.

He stepped outside the tower with Kori at his side and breathed the fresh, cold air and felt the pale sunlight bless his skin with its brilliant and sparkling rays. His eyes had to adjust for a moment because he had not been in the sun for so very long.

He took a moment to just bask in the loveliness of the outside world.

He never thought his ears would be blessed with the sound of rustling leaves again or his nose would be filled with the scent of fresh greenery after a thorough rain.

He was brought to tears by the gloriousness of it all and promised himself he would not let his chance at freedom go to waste as Kori put a comforting hand on his wrist.

__

Eory was daydreaming as he rode along with Kori in the carriage away from the tower--his old prison. They were accompanied by the most talented and ruthless guards who had long guarded the tower in which he was a prisoner for so long.

Eory's dog, who was sitting next to him on the plush seat of the carriage, brought him back to reality with a high-pitched yip!

"Eory," Kori asked over the sound of the carriage wheels driving over rock. "What are you thinking about?"

Eory went red with embarrassment for a moment, and then he replied, "how wonderful it is to see all this!"

"You're so quiet! I suppose you're just drinking in all this wonderment, huh?" Kori said as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

Eory nodded and looked out the side of the carriage to view the luscious trees lining the side of the path.

He had accidentally imagined himself holding Pollyanna's hands earlier and he felt sick at himself for it. Old women were holy creatures to fairy folk and were not to be touched by them. They were only to be worshipped.

It wasn't as if he thought that way about every old woman, however...

To be fair, I only know two, though... And one I only know one through stories. Eory thought to himself with his fist pressed against his cheek.

Kori's wrinkles had no allure like Pollyanna's did. Where Pollyanna's were a sign to him of her strength and her compassion and dedication to always protect his family, Kori's were just the wrinkles of a mother who was meant to guide him in life.

Eory was brought back to reality by Kori and Gershom and was able to delight in it now that he was free.

Eory looked upon everything in a delighted daze; the stormy sky, the verdant trees, the glistening snow, and the many shiny rocks which the horses treaded over on the winding path astounded him.

Eory hung his head in shame and embarrassment as his thoughts kept drifting back to Pollyanna and how he wanted to hold her hands. Reality is a nice place to be now! I don't have to live in a fantasy anymore...

"Eory! Look! A deer!" Kori whispered and thankfully interrupted his thoughts.

He looked to his right to see a deer peeking out from the forest. He grabbed Gershom and moved him to his lap as he leaned a little out the carriage to get a closer look.

Eory cocked his head to the side and any thoughts about holding Pollyanna's hands were banished from his head.

"Look at it... It's as sweet and innocent as you!" Kori exclaimed.

Its black eyes seemed to hold the world itself in them, and its lovely red coat seemed to sparkle before it dashed away.

Eory smiled ear-to-ear. "Pretty..."

"You don't have to whisper out here, Eory! I want to hear you say it loudly!" Kori encouraged.

Eory shyly pressed his cheek against Gershom's head, embarrassed. "That's okay..."
Chapter 10: Alone With Her Thoughts

Pollyanna cursed when she made it to the top of the tower to find that Eory was gone from his old room. "Damn! He's gone!"

She supposed she should have guessed he had been moved when the tower seemed to be vacant of any and all guards, but she also figured it couldn't hurt to check the tower thoroughly.

She wondered where they might have moved him as she explored his room for any clues. She checked all the drawers and was shocked to find many pictures of herself in them. They were incredibly well drawn and she wondered how someone could make wrinkles look so alluring, but her charge had done it. Most of the pictures made her look very heroic and depicted her fighting many beasts and monsters. Some of which she had fought in real life, and some were merely from fanciful tales.

Pollyanna pocketed a drawing of herself. He made me look so pretty.

Pollyanna searched the room thoroughly until she found a drawing with writing on the back in the fairy language.

Leaving to the ball with Kori! I never have to see this room again! My good behavior has been rewarded.

She grinned. He had signed the date he had first been locked in the tower to the current date. "He can't be too far ahead! He only left yesterday!"

__

Pollyanna set out from the tall tower, then, and wiped her wrinkled forehead once she had returned to the ground floor of the tall building and stepped outside.

She growled a little as she panted and watched snow gently fall from the sky. "That waif will pay for making me climb such a ridiculously tall tower."

After a moment of leaning on the door frame, she lightly stepped down the short flight of stairs leading to the door and ran like a woman possessed down the gravelly path ahead of her.

She was in a bad mood. She had been for a long time.

Leaves, snow, and gravel crunched under her feet as she went. She was not as fast as the average humanoid; she was blessed with the strength to run much faster.

She sped along the idyllic, forested path until night fell, and then she reluctantly made camp in the forest next to the path. She gathered twigs and wood for a fire and sat down next to it with a contented sigh.

An old man with a cane passing through asked her, "might I make use of your fire, my lady?"

She made a face as she warmed her hands. She replied, "piss off."

And she pointed her sword at the old man who hobbled away with a shriek of terror.

Pollyanna sat back down and planted her sword in the earth. She had niggling desires of late. Her mind kept turning to Fjorn.

She stretched her legs out in front of the fire with her mind going every direction that she wished it wouldn't go.

I got what I wanted in life, I need nothing else. There isn't a creature alive, whether it be humans like myself, fairies, waifs, gamayuns, elves, dwarves, or anyone else that haven't heard my name. She tried to convince herself.

But, as she curled up in front of the fire listlessly, her mind kept reminding her of an empty womb and the cold and empty space next to her.
Chapter 11: Save His Soul

"We're almost to the castle, Eory!" Kori said as the carriage continued gently pulling them along. They had been on the road for about three days with their travelling entourage, and Eory had been taking in the sights with few evil, dark, or perverse thoughts. He was fairly proud of himself, even though it was hard for him to be proud of himself.

The woman—Taylor--was in his mind, however. We're no good. There's no way you'll succeed at the ball.

Eory slouched and bit his lip. Shut up. This is our chance.

She wouldn't leave him alone. She put self-doubting thoughts in his mind until his mind felt like a prison. Eory frowned deeply. I just got out of a prison... And here I am again.

While they camped at night during those three days, Kori continued to coach Eory on proper manners.

"When you meet the king and the queen at the ball, you must bow lowly to them, kiss the queen's hand, and then wait for them to tell you to rise. Let's practice, then." Kori suggested excitedly as snow continuously and gently fell around them.

Eory gracefully did a sweeping bow, kissed Kori's hand, and stayed on one knee until Kori told him to rise.

"Beautiful. You have better manners than most people at Court!" Kori clapped her hands together cheerfully as the crackling fire cast an elegant light on Eory's ivory face.

Kori looked at him proudly for a long moment and then sniffled and looked away.

Eory knelt down next to her and asked, "what's wrong? Have I upset you?"

Kori shook her head as Eory took her hands from her eyes. "I'm just so proud of you, and I feel so guilty about everything..."

"About what?" Eory asked as he cocked his head to the side.

"I didn't have enough faith in you—I didn't have enough faith in anyone involved in this situation. The king had made it so clear to me so many times that he had no intention of freeing you, and yet he's giving you a chance." Kori said through bittersweet tears.

It was Eory's turn to feel guilty as snow fell on his eye lashes and nose. He had thought so little of her that he assumed her saying, I can't ever free you, was her being needlessly cruel. But, now he remembered.

She was in tears and apologetic when she whispered that to him as he fell asleep. She was not taunting him at all.

I just wanted to believe she was taunting me because I'm no good...

Eory stroked his surrogate mother's hair. "Please don't cry, I'm the one who should apologize, deep down I'm..."

Kori looked up at him with narrowed eyes and knitted eyebrows. "Don't you dare say that like you used to all the time! You are not  no good! You're very good! You're kinder than almost anyone I know!"

Eory said nothing, not wanting to upset her further.

Who are you kidding? You had such cruel intentions toward her earlier. You wanted to bite her and rip her skin off! Said the woman in his head.

Shut up! I'm a good person—you're just a bitch!

And Eory chastised himself for even thinking that nasty word again.

__

When Eory was ten-years-old and beginning to understand just how awful the things his family had done were, he had been even quieter than he usually was. Kori knew something was wrong and she asked him. "What's wrong Eory? You're so quiet lately..."

They were sitting on the sofa in his room and he replied with a sniffle, "I'm no good. I'll end up just like my family. I don't know why you're taking this time to help me..."

Kori's heart was torn to shreds at that sentence. She had done this to him. She had accidentally convinced him he could not be saved. She shook her head wildly. She never wanted her precious son to think that way about himself. "No, no, darling. You are nothing but sweetness and kindness. You could never do the things that your family did."

There was a long silence, and then he said truthfully, "but I think about doing evil things..."

Kori was about to protest, but she stopped when Eory suddenly pulled out a beautiful, stark, black-and-white drawing he had drawn of his caretaker and showed it to her. "I made it for you since you're so hard at work at saving my soul."

Kori burst into tears and kissed his forehead. "No one who could make something so thoughtful and beautiful could be evil!"
Chapter 12: The Arrozan Sword

Night was falling and Pollyanna hadn't slept for an entire day as she tried her best to catch up to the carriage that was rolling along somewhere ahead of her. I have to catch them before they make it to the castle.

Cold wind froze her ears and made her cheeks dry and red as she sped through the dark night—following the wet path that would lead to the castle. She took deep breaths as her sore legs quivered beneath her.

Her muscles were as good and powerful as ever, but her head just wasn't in the game.

She took a break for a moment and leaned against a tree as snow continued falling softly. She panted and rubbed one of her arms self-consciously as her mind ever turned to unpleasant thoughts.

She blinked tiredly.

She thought of the three days she had spent in a prison of her own. She didn't fight at all while she was in there; she let the guards kick her in the stomach while she lay completely still and wallowed in the knowledge that she had failed and expected to die shortly.

She grunted furiously when she thought of it, unsheathed her blade, and sliced at the tree she was leaning on until the trunk was separated from the stump.

She panted heavily and clenched her jaw in frustration. Her errant thoughts led her elsewhere, then, to a far more dangerous place. Fjorn...

He mashed his lips against hers and he shoved her down on the bed and she reached out and ran her hands down the sides of his body and he leaned in for another kiss.

She gasped as she reached out and tried to shove him aside only to find she was not in the past at all and that she was shoving air aside. She shivered and sat on the stump of the tree she had cut down.

Pollyanna looked forward and let her mind drift from memory-to-memory. She thought of dragons and wyverns she had slain, she thought of men who looked her up and down provocatively but who she never dared touch, and she thought of her one failure. She remembered Eory being dragged away from his family as they were beheaded with tears streaming down his cheeks.

No! His scream tore through her mind and pierced the cold air.

Pollyanna gasped and realized she was just hallucinating.

She massaged her temples. "I can't believe I failed. I am the Arrozan Sword, and there is no greater thing in the world than a sword."

Yes...

She knew there was no greater thing than a sword. It could be used to attack, protect, and had no vile intentions--it merely did what its master commanded.

Pollyanna scowled determinedly. It can be used to avenge, too.

She wallowed in frustrated misery for a moment longer before standing up unsteadily. "I haven't got time to be wallowing like a goddamned woman."

Pollyanna sheathed her sword. I'm coming, Eory. I have to stop you from going to the ball. The king will definitely execute you. If I have to kill everyone in that castle, I will.

She propelled herself forward again and continued chasing her charge.
Chapter 13: The Woman of Legend

"By carriage, we should be at the castle in a few more days!" Kori exclaimed cheerfully.

Eory nodded silently and shyly with a tiny smile.

Night was falling and Eory was entranced by the snow that looked like pixie dust as it gently floated down in the orange light of the torches lining the path.

He hugged Gershom close as he looked at wonderment at the world around him. He described it in his mind as he was wont to do.

White flecks of snow gently crept down from the sky—looking for all the world like tiny crystals that glinted in the orange firelight. All around, snow was piled up on the side of the road and brought out how emerald green the leaves on the trees were which framed the path.

Eory thought the description was apt and beautiful and was proud of himself for thinking such pretty thoughts until his imagination ran away with him again.

There was a dark-skinned woman waiting for him in the forest that framed the path. She was seven-feet-tall, had piercing blue eyes, and wore a beautiful pink dress with a hood and fur trim. The fabric was heavy to protect her from the cold, and when he approached, she lowered her hood and looked at him with a brilliant smile. She revealed a silvery white mane and her captivating face came into full focus.

Eory was brought back to reality with a jolt--with his dog barking loudly in his ear and Kori yelling his name. "Eory! Eory! We have to get out of here! It's Pollyanna!"

Eory leaned out of the carriage for a moment—gripping the side—and glanced behind him.

It was definitely her.

She did not have the sweet expression she had in his fantasy. She had a battle face on as she grunted and yelled and cut down three of the guards travelling behind the carriage easily.

She was shot by three arrows as the knights circled her skillfully. She growled as she was brought to her knees in pain. She was bleeding heavily for a moment, but she ripped the arrows out of her body and her wounds were healed easily--with the blood retracting into her body.

She stood up with a roar and continued dueling the dozens of knights who were not match for her even on horseback.

The man driving the carriage whipped the horses to speed up their pace. Eory heard steel-on-steel behind him and the grunts of a woman possessed was carried to his ears on the freezing wind.

Kori's hands lit up with green fire as she prepared to attack Pollyanna. It began as a tiny yellow flame floating above her hands—about an inch wide—and then roared into a full, green flame that was larger than both her tiny waif hands. She peered behind the carriage—ready to launch the fireball—but Eory grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Wait! Don't harm her!"

Kori looked at him, stunned, and then she scowled and pushed him away. She said sternly, "Sit there and do as you're told, Eory!"

"But she's protected my family for centuries! She has been nothing but good and kind to us!" Eory cried.

"I may have told you stories about her being a hero, but she is just as terrible as your ancestors! She followed any horrible orders your family gave her!" Kori yelled above the screaming of the knights being massacred behind them.

In a moment the screaming went silent. The only sound was the churning of wheels on gravel and the cold wind in their ears.

Eory was in tears and he turned away, hugging his dog close.

Kori felt bad, but she had no time to soothe him. She peered behind the carriage again and saw that Pollyanna had disappeared and that all the guards were dead.
Chapter 14: A Vitriolic Stroke

Kori was sweating in fear when she saw Pollyanna had disappeared. she had left a trail of corpses in her wake. It was silent but for the wind in her long waif ears and the noise of the wheels on the carriage.

Kori looked to her left and saw Eory crying and clutching his dog to his chest for comfort. After being assured that Pollyanna was not on that side of the carriage, she turned her attention back to the right side of the carriage. She gasped in fear as Pollyanna appeared right beside the carriage--keeping pace with it. After a few moments, the warrior-maiden jumped and gripped the door on the carriage with one hand and kept her sword at the ready in the other—but Kori wasted no time in unleashing her fireball upon her and Pollyanna lost her grip on the door. She went tumbling backwards.

Eory watched with anger suddenly seething in his veins.

I told her not to hurt her... He thought to himself. I just want one thing from her and she doesn't grant it to me!

The woman, Taylor, encouraged cruel thoughts within him.We could easily push her out of the carriage, she'd never know what hit her!

Eory could feel the darkness simmering in his veins and he hunched over and held Gershom all the closer. He pressed his cheek against the top of his dog's head and tried to hold all evil intentions within him.

Kori was looking behind the carriage again and launching fireballs at Pollyanna who kept tumbling further and further behind the carriage and had no opportunities to climb to her feet.

Kori was sweating with exertion after unleashing eight fireballs. She could feel her heart pounding so hard that she felt like her heart might give out. She could conjure no more fireballs and took deep breaths instead.

Eory fought the urge to jump out of the carriage and go meet the woman he had always had such admiration for. He looked behind the carriage and saw that Pollyanna was woodenly climbing to her feet with scuffs and dirt all over her skin. She again began running and chasing her charge.

"She got back up." Eory said ineffectually.

Kori wiped her forehead and she yelled to the man driving the carriage, "faster! Faster!"

"We're already driving the horses too hard! If we drive them harder they'll die, Redeemer!" The driver said.

Kori gritted her teeth. "Dammit!"

Eory gasped and his mind went blank as a sword swiftly spun past both he and Kori in a spiraling fashion.

Pollyanna's sword flew through the air and drove itself through the driver's head.

The executioner stomped on Gershom's back to keep him down with his axe at the ready. One swift motion and his brother's head would—

Eory screamed as the carriage drove off the road and into the forest where it collided with a tree.

Pollyanna approached the broken carriage slowly as Kori groaned. She had hit her head on the ceiling and it was bleeding a little. She summoned a fireball and said to Eory, "go Eory! I'll hold her off!"

"No!" Eory protested as Pollyanna walked past them, retrieved her sword from the driver's head, and then turned to Kori who screamed at Eory to get out and run.
Chapter 15: As You wish

Pollyanna strode to Kori's side and readied her blade—holding it high in the air. Kori looked back at her fearlessly and unblinkingly and tried to summon a fireball, but she was too exhausted. It fizzled out.

With a yell, Pollyanna drove the sword downward but stopped when Eory dashed in front of his caretaker and screamed, "stop, stop! She's my friend!"

Pollyanna looked enraged. "You fool! She's held you hostage all this time—you were her prisoner!"

"Eory, get out of here! If you go with her, you will almost certainly fall victim to your heritage!" Kori said weakly.

Eory did not budge an inch, however. He looked Pollyanna in the eye as the woman's hands shook on the hilt of her sword. She growled, but then reluctantly lowered her blade. "Guess I've killed enough for today. I'll leave her alive but you're coming with me, Eory."

Pollyanna seized his wrist and dragged him out of the broken carriage and into the snow.

Kori weakly sat up and said, "leave him! You will take him nowhere!"

Somehow, Kori found the strength to summon another fireball and readied herself to launch it at Pollyanna.

Eory struggled against Pollyanna, but she was a strong and tall human woman—seven feet and muscular.

"Let me go!" He demanded. "You're supposed to obey me! I want to stay with Kori!"

Pollyanna turned her nose up at how pathetic he was. None of his relatives were ever so sniveling. Eory breathed harshly and his heart pounded wildly. He'd never been so scared in his life. This woman could easily kill him. "You really are a stupid fool if you think you're going to go to that ball and have anything good come out of it."

"T-then... Come with us to the ball! If something goes wrong, you can protect me!" Eory suggested.

Kori said uncertainly as yet another of her fireballs fizzled out, "move, Eory! I can hurt her!"

Eory shook his head. "N-no..."

Eory looked up at Pollyanna and thought that her blue eyes looked just as beautiful as they did in his imagination—even if they did simultaneously terrify them with their derisive coldness.

Pollyanna didn't return his look of fear or adoration. She only had a scowl on her face.

Gershom leapt out of the carriage and barked as he ran to Eory's side and whimpered. Eory picked him up and stroked him nervously.

As he stroked the dog, Eory was reminded of his brother and he suddenly remembered a very important secret that his family kept about Pollyanna that nobody else on the whole of Yharos knew. They had repeated it to him often and he never forgot.

I order you to...

Eory whispered so that Kori couldn't hear him, "I order you to take us to the castle. Right now. You'll die if you don't, right?"

Pollyanna stared him down angrily for a moment in shock. Her face twitched with barely-restrained rage and then she snarled furiously as she cut up a nearby tree with her sword.

Eory was taken aback by her rage and shivered a little as he petted his dog.

Pollyanna turned to the pair after a moment of panting and then smoothed her hair back with a sarcastic grin. "Very well. I shall shepherd you both to the castle. Come now, waif. Let your magic fizzle out. I call a truce."

Kori let her green magic fizzle out for the third time and she knew there was nothing she could do to keep Pollyanna from her surrogate son. She knew the warrior maiden would kill her at the first opportunity and take her son away, and her eyes were drowned in tears when she thought of it.
Chapter 16: Possession

Pollyanna was scheming.

She had to figure out a way to get rid of Kori so that her charge could rebuild the Arrozan line and her own immortality would be secured again. If she killed the waif now, she would be going against Eory's orders which would cause her own death.

On foot, it would take them a few more days to get to the castle with plenty of time to spare to get to the ball on time. She had to stop that from happening, as she knew the ball must be some kind of trap.

She walked a few paces ahead of both Eory and Kori and kept glancing back at them to make sure they were still there. Kori protectively gripped Eory's arm and told him to stay close to her.

When Pollyanna looked back, Eory would often look at her with eyes that were very fearful, and at other times... worshipful. She wondered just what the waif had told him about her.

She recalled his messy room with dozens of drawings of herself strewn about. Whatever the waif told him, it had caused him to revere her.

But why would she tell him such stories about me? Why didn't she teach him to revile me like she undoubtedly did his own family?

Pollyanna called to the pair who were lagging behind her, "come here, Eory—no, just Eory. You stay back there, waif."

Eory gulped fearfully and, with Kori protesting, caught up to Pollyanna's side and said with his voice barely above a whisper, "um... You have an arrow sticking out of your shoulder."

Pollyanna glanced at her shoulder.

"Oh." She said and yanked it out.

Eory had many things he wanted to tell her, but he didn't know how to say them.

She's gorgeous and graceful. Terrifying and protective. He looked up at her and did not see the things other people saw when they looked at her; where they saw a mass of ugly wrinkles and wild and unkempt gray hair, Eory saw clear, blue eyes, soft, luscious brown skin, and a gorgeous, silvery mane.

Eory gnawed his arm as he walked alongside her.

Pollyanna turned her nose up at the familiar disgusting behavior displayed by almost every single one of his family members she had known. He was incredibly nervous judging by how hard his teeth were digging into his skin.

"Why are you so nervous?" Pollyanna asked.

Your hair is like silver... Eory wanted to tell her but the words would not come out. "Well... You are holding me and Kori captive."

Pollyanna took a deep breath as she kept walking while keeping her eyes on the road. "Eory, I am on your side and your side only. That woman does not have your best interests at heart. Give me the word and I'll get you away from both her and the king. I'll find you a place where you can recuperate and rebuild an army of your own again to retake your throne."

Eory looked at her intently. He wanted to say yes to her just to impress her; he wished he knew how to impress her in general, but Kori never told him anything about love and he didn't know how to make her like him.

He couldn't say yes, anyway. He loved Kori too much and wanted to be good more than anything. "I'm sorry, Pollyanna. I want to go to the ball and show everyone I'm good so that I can be set free! I order you to come along and support me in that goal."

Pollyanna growled and took him by the shoulders. "Listen to me! There is no good and evil in this world! There are only the strong and the weak and those who devour both! Your family devoured both—they are the ones you want to aspire to."

Eory shrank from her powerful gaze and blushed at her firm touch. His knees shook, and, suddenly, he was back to being in his cage for a moment with no control over anything and just waiting to die under her judgmental gaze.

You fool. You own her. She can't tell us what to do. Taylor reminded him.

Eory cleared his throat and stood up straight. "You will obey my orders, Pollyanna! You will not harm Kori, nor me, nor anyone at the ball!"

Pollyanna stared him down for a long, silent moment.

She turned around and continued along the path after that moment without a word.

So you're weak, then. She thought to herself.
Chapter 17: Another Prisoner

Pollyanna, Eory, and Kori made camp that night in the forest among the pine trees off the side of the road. Pollyanna retreated into her thoughts while she sharpened her blade on a whetting stone. She was severely disappointed in her charge. He was a mewling coward and a blight upon his family's magnificent dynasty. The idea of having to protect such a weakling was so unappealing to her that she was tempted to disobey an order and let herself die.

Alas, I am not a quitter. I owe it to you too, Fjorn, to protect him. He still has your blood, after all. I just have to awaken the magic inside him somehow. That will make him a respectable threat as you were.

Pollyanna looked over at Eory who was shivering with Kori on the other side of the fire and holding his silly, bug-eyed dog in his lap. Eory was leaning his head on the tiny waif's shoulder with his teeth chattering as his mother-figure held him close and told him a story. "Shall I tell you the story of how I gained my powers?"

Eory was unsure. He wanted to hear about Pollyanna but she was sitting right there. It would be strange to ask Kori for a story about her. Eory nodded. "Please tell me."

Kori took a moment to think about how she wanted to tell the story, and then she began without hesitation.

"Like all waifs, I was sent on a journey to a holy mountain just north of Trella—the land of the waifs—at the age of twelve. If waifs have the gift of magic, it will be awakened somewhere on that mountain through a spiritual vision. Mine was spectacular. I found a butterfly flying around on that barren and craggy mountain after starving for three days. It was turquoise and sparkling and I chased it until I caught it and it brought me into the Dream World. I saw... I saw my secret desires, and those desires triggered the magic in my soul." Kori said sleepily.

Eory had never heard this story before; Kori had never told him one about herself. He decided he liked it very much, but she probably only told her one about herself because she didn't want him thinking well of Pollyanna anymore.

__

Pollyanna kept watch while Eory and Kori both slept. While she did, she wondered why Eory didn't just send her away. He knew that he could, and yet he didn't. He seemed fearful of her and yet... The way he looked at her made her stomach churn.

Eory's eyes fluttered open in the middle of the night and he sat up. He was still shuddering in the freezing air with his teeth chattering. "Y-you should get some sleep... Aren't you tired?"

Pollyanna looked up at the sky. "A sword has no reason to sleep."

After a moment, she said, "why haven't you sent me away? You know I have to obey your orders or else I will die—so why don't you give me the order to leave you alone forever?"

Eory knew the reason. He was hopelessly in love with her. He wanted her nearby—even if she was just going to intimidate him and Kori. He couldn't tell the woman sat in front of him apart from the legendary woman who Kori had told him stories about and who he had given his heart to.

Eory couldn't tell her that, though. He wanted her love but didn't know how to get it. He wasn't even sure he deserved it because—

I'm not good..

"I want you around in case I need you." Eory lied. "People probably don't like me very much." Eory said as he hugged his stomach for warmth.

Pollyanna sighed and took pity on him. "Come here."

Eory shook with fear. He knew that if she tried to kill him it would result in her own death, but that didn't stop him from being terrified of her. Nevertheless, he couldn't pass at the chance of sitting near to the woman of his dreams. He stood up shakily and sat next to Pollyanna.

She draped her cloak over his shoulders and he smiled at her silently.

Pollyanna couldn't help it; a smile dawned on her own face.

Pathetic. Why don't you just order her to kiss you? You don't need to earn her love. The woman's disgusted voice resounded in his head.
Chapter 18: Nothing if Not Loyal

Kori was confused about the turn of events. She wondered why Pollyanna hadn't killed her yet; she knew Eory had commanded her not to and that Pollyanna was nothing if not loyal to the commands of the Arrozan family, but it was clearly in the warrior-maiden's best interest to kill her or at least get her away from Eory.

Kori frowned deeply as she walked at Eory's side. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. A sword has no will of its own.

Kori worried endlessly about the soul of her charge. She had opened her eyes late in the night and seen him sleeping with his head on Pollyanna's shoulder and his dog curled up like a ball on his lap.

Kori had told her charge stories about Pollyanna because she wanted to give him someone to look up to; she wanted to show him that just because someone was associated with his family, didn't mean they had to be evil.

She realized now that her lies had backfired. She feared he was in love with the warrior-maiden which was an odd and ugly thing and Kori's own fault for letting him revere Pollyanna.

And now she was faced with having to travel with the most feared woman in all the land to a ball where Pollyanna would undoubtedly get both Kori and Eory killed.

Kori had heard that the warrior-maiden had escaped her prison years ago, and that a faction of the king's most elite mages and soldiers and been sent out to try and find and detain her, but there was little else to be done about the Arrozan Sword's escape. Nobody had any idea where she was in the world and, of course, the woman was invincible and nobody knew the secrets to her immortality.

Those soldiers the king sent out never came back.

The king threatened during three of Kori's visits to him that he would kill Eory as a show of power to Pollyanna so that the warrior-maiden would leave his kingdom of Maribel alone—but Kori convinced him that that would only make Pollyanna angrier and would only sooner result in the destruction of Maribel. She added that, if she were successful in making Eory into a good person, that perhaps he could dissuade Pollyana from harming the kingdom. The king was persuaded, and he again agreed to keep Eory alive.

"Waif, come here." Pollyanna ordered her, interrupting her thoughts.

"I ordered you not to harm her!" Eory reminded Pollyanna sternly.

"I'm not a fool." Pollyanna replied. "I just want to have a word."

Kori patted Eory's elbow. "It's alright, Eory. I can handle myself."

The four-foot-tall waif stood as tall as she could and walked beside the seven-foot-tall warrior-maiden as snow crunched under their feet. "What do you want, you monster? Why can't you leave me and Eory alone?"

"You know I am loyal soldier who doesn't disobey orders. I won't be leaving either of you alone. I just wanted to tell you that you can't change who he is. He is the same as all his ancestors and he merely needs to be put in the right situation to show his true colors. He will be wanting his throne back that you helped steal." Pollyanna said with a smirk. "Go back to your homeland, waif. I don't know why you were banished, but you don't belong among either fairies or humans."

Kori ignored her latter comment and only addressed the former. "Fairies were the ones who stole the throne from humans in the first place with your help! It never belonged to them!"

Pollyanna said coolly, "Eory agreed to let me come into the castle with him. Once the king reveals whatever vile thing he has in store for Eory, I will be prepared to dive in and save him from it."

Kori scowled. "The king has no ill will toward Eory!"

Pollyanna grinned. "You sound so unsure, My Lady."
Chapter 19: Docile

Pollyanna let the waif and Eory walk ahead so she could keep a better eye on the pair. They talked and laughed together about silly things as Pollyanna continued to try and think up a plan that would allow her to get Eory away from his caretaker. She could think of none that didn't involve disobeying an order and therefore resulting in her death.

Pollyanna was brought out of her thoughts by a giggle from Kori and saw the waif nod in response to a question Eory asked. The young man then knelt by a pile of snow on the side of the road and dug his hands in with a smile.

Pollyanna forgot just how new to the world he was and was somewhat charmed by his sweetness and innocence as he looked up at the snow falling from the sky with immense and unblinking intrigue.

I wish I could be that amused by a snowflake... Pollyanna thought to herself. She walked a little faster and then knelt by Eory's side.

The young man avoided her gaze and looked a little flustered.

"You like snow?" Pollyanna asked.

Eory nodded silently.

Pollyanna leaned her hand on her cheek thoughtfully. I've never met an Arrozan like him before... They don't have an appreciation for nature or the simple things in life.

"You can eat it, you know." Pollyanna suggested and demonstrated--scooping up a pile in her gloved palms and chomping it.

Eory grinned and followed her example.

His pupils dilated with delight and he chuckled. "It's so cold!"

Pollyanna noticed a speck of it still lingered on his cheek. Her eyes scrunched up in a smile as she thumbed it away with a gloved finger.

Eory stared at her in a daze for a moment before looking away in embarrassment.

She didn't know why, but she could feel her ancient and closed-off heart beating faster. In a moment, her heartbeat returned to normal and she found herself looking over the fairy curiously.

She snatched the long, golden braid which hung down to his lower back and said, "you know, male fairies don't typically wear their hair like this. This is more of a style for females."

Eory gave her a shy, sidelong glance and said quietly, "truly? I didn't know."

Pollyanna sighed at his quiet manner and wanted him to be more outgoing but at the same time, she didn't. There was something mesmerizing about his withdrawn manner in comparison to his rather boisterous ancestors that captivated her.

"Don't tell me the waif makes you wear it like this to make you more docile like a woman? I think you'd look rather dashing with short hair. You should ask her to cut it." Pollyanna suggested and then rose to her feet.

She glanced over at the waif who was looking at Pollyanna and Eory with worried eyes.

He rose to his feet quickly and asked hastily, "would you like it if..."

Eory stopped himself when he realized how loud he had said it.

Pollyanna waited for him to continue with confusion on her face.

"Would you like it if I cut it?" Eory said with his voice barely above a whisper.

Pollyanna touched his cheek lightly as she walked past him, "you look handsome either way. You should make your own decision."

Eory watched her go and touched his cheek where her hand had lingered.
Chapter 20: Barrier

After another day of traveling, the winding, gravelly path finally ended and connected to an open dirt road which led up to the castle situated on Eory's left. Eory couldn't get a very good look at it because a pine tree was blocking his view and, in front of him, something was blocking his path.

The thing blocking the path was a clear distortion in the air which barred Eory's sequestered tower from the rest of the world. The barrier looked glassy with specks of blue wavering about in it which shimmered on and off. It could only be seen if one knew to look for it.

Eory was curious and stuck his hands in. They got entrapped within the barrier and he couldn't remove them. He was too embarrassed to cry for help.

Pollyanna rolled her eyes and unsheathed her blade. She had come through this same barrier earlier; on the other side of the barrier, it was disguised by magic to look like a heavily forested area which hid the gravelly path leading to Eory's tower.

Pollyanna looked at Kori and grinned. "Your magical distortion couldn't keep me out before and it can't keep me out now. It was rather clever, though; if I hadn't heard rumors of the tower being hidden by illusory magic, I never would have seen past your magic trick."

Kori knitted her brows furiously but made no retort.

Pollyanna closed her eyes and chanted a few words in Gamayunian—the bird-like species that had made the blade and who specialized in making weapons that dispelled magic.

Her blade pulsed with red energy and then she opened her eyes and swung it at the magical barrier. The sword sunk into the barrier like gelatin and got caught in it. The distortion bent around her blade and did not disappear as she hoped it would.

Sweat dripped down her forehead as she grunted.

The red power around the sword bloomed into a roaring fire.

With a mighty yell she pulled the sword back toward herself and then swung it again. The barrier split the air with the sound of a chime, and then it sizzled and evaporated.

Kori watched in misery. She was hoping the barrier would hold, but it stood no chance against Pollyanna's blade. She sheathed her sword and Eory thanked her for freeing him from the barrier.

He stepped out on the dirt path leading to the castle and a giant smile dawned on his face.

A few yards ahead, the dirt path ended and there was a long gorge separating the patch of land Eory stood on from the land the castle stood on on the other side. However, there was picturesque cobblestone bridge bathed in the sun connecting the two patches of land together.

Past the bridge, the castle loomed in the distance.

It was an idyllic castle surrounded by giant trees on either side of the outer wall which encased the castle.

The trees shot into the sky--some taller than the castle--they were ash trees, pine trees, and mesquites.

There was a pristine, circular moat surrounding the beautiful, ivory outer wall of the castle and a drawbridge which was kept open during the day.

Eory looked at it and sniffled with memories that he had almost forgotten. Tears flowed from his eyes for a moment as he buried his head in his hands and wept.

Gershom whimpered at his side in empathy of his tear as Kori put a comforting hand on his arm.

"It's good to see it again, isn't it, Eory?" Kori asked him. He nodded and knelt so she could comfort him with a hug.

Kori patted his back. She gazed past Eory's shoulder at the castle and worried what the king would do to all of them once he saw Pollyanna.

In a moment, she turned to Pollyanna and said angrily, "if you must come along, we should at least have a plan to quell the king's fears. Your plan of coming into the castle will get us all killed. Don't you think, Eory?"

Eory took a moment to think, and then he nodded. "Kori's right. We should have a plan to keep us all safe."
Chapter 21: Coward

Kori took a deep breath before starting. "The ball is tomorrow. I suggest Pollyanna waits on the outside of the castle and only comes in if necessary. Once Eory is freed, you can guard him to your heart's content."

Pollyanna bristled at the thought and scowled. "Absolutely not. If I am not inside the castle, what's to stop the king from unleashing a dozen arrows and killing Eory immediately when he enters? This whole ball sounds fishy and you know it, waif. Why would the king ever release someone as dangerous as Eory just because he felt like it?"

Kori sighed. She couldn't deny that there was truth in that. Arrozan fairies had powerful magic within them that could be harnessed by no other creature on Yharos. The only one in the group who had an idea of how the Arrozans harnessed that power was Pollyanna.

Something about needing to feel a certain emotion in its entirety--until it's all the fairy can feel--and then matching whatever word comes to mind with that emotion... The warrior-maiden thought to herself.

"I've never known Laurence to do anything underhanded or cruel, though... I think we can trust him not to hurt Eory." Kori said, although even she had to admit she didn't feel the most confident in the statement.

"Except pose as a cook in the king's kitchen so he could overthrow and behead him." Pollyanna countered.

Kori glared at the warrior-maiden, but otherwise silence reigned among them. The waif fell deep into her thoughts about Eory.

In a moment, tears streamed down her cheeks at what she was about to suggest. She sniveled and swallowed a lump in her throat as she said, "maybe the two of you should just go. I don't want him to hurt you, Eory, and he definitely will if Pollyanna shows up."

Eory looked at his caretaker's wet and wrinkled cheeks and pulled her into a hug. He stroked her hair and shook his head. "No, I want to be set free by the king to prove I'm good. I want to prove Pollyanna is good, too."

Pollyanna nearly snickered at the notion of anyone being 'good'—least of all herself. "The waif is right, Eory. We should just leave together, build an army, and then come back and take the castle. There is no way you will ever prove to the king that I've 'changed'." She said sarcastically.

Eory patted Kori's back as she continued to sob and made a face at Pollyanna. "Absolutely not! Look, I have to... Concede that going into the castle without Pollyanna to protect me doesn't sound appealing, but I must go. I must go to show the king, the world, and most of all... Kori, that I can be trusted outside of a cage. You have to convince them that you can be trusted too, Pollyanna, if you wish to come. I order you to." Eory said and took a deep breath.

Kori still couldn't speak through her heavy tears and her misery at the situation.

Pollyanna, however, looked incredibly annoyed with a dark look on her face. "What do you want me to do? Grovel at the king's feet and thank him for killing your family?"

Eory was silent for a moment and was stung by her cruel words. He wanted to cower away from her discerning gaze but the woman encouraged him in his mind,

she just used our family's death as a point in an argument. Are you going to let that stand?

His fists clenched and his heart beat faster with a sudden spike of rage.

"Pollyanna..." Eory said threateningly. "Here's what will happen. Kori will go in first; she will tell the king that you and I have met up, but that you have had a change of heart and I am still as good as Kori has always told him I am. Kori will then come outside to get us and we will both go to the ball."

At the suggestion of ludicrous and life-endangering plan, Pollyanna snapped.

Pollyanna seized him by the collar and lifted him off the ground. A sharp pain pierced her heart and perspiration pooled on her head, but she nonetheless persevered and held him at eye-level. "You're going to get us both killed, you goddamned coward, just so that you can look good in front of people who hate you. I hope you're happy."

Eory's mind was afire with fear and he couldn't think straight as she glared at him furiously.

In a moment, she let him fall to the ground and she pressed ahead.

Gershom growled at her as she walked by and then sympathetically licked Eory's face as the fairy shook with fear.
Chapter 22: Wild Thunder

Many years ago, when Eory was only six-years-old, thunder cracked in the sky and rain cascaded relentlessly from a dark, night sky.

Eory and his brother, Gershom, were safe and sound inside the castle and lying on their bellies. In each of their hands was a toy horse, and they played together like the carefree children that they were.

Even though Gershom was a highly bright and intelligent young man who had talent and passion in many activities—including dance, numbers, strategy, politics, and writing--entertaining his little brother was far more preferable to him than any of those other things.

The two brothers were having a grand time and making silly, exaggerated voices for their horses until the first of many thunder bolts rang in the distance.

Eory clapped his hands over his large ears and sniffled in fear.

Gershom smiled at his little brother comfortingly and then rose to a sitting position. The older fairy watched Eory shudder in terror for a moment with his shaking, ivory hands plastered to his large ears. Gershom thought of a way to comfort his little brother--a way that would make their parents proud.

He pulled his little brother onto his lap and whispered, "the thunder is like Pollyanna..."

Eory was still shuddering, but instead of staring ahead blankly, he now looked up at his brother with consciousness returning to his face.

Eory only saw Pollyanna rarely, and when he did, she was quiet and imposing. She would stand stoically by his father's throne with her sword pointed downward on the dais and any peasants who came to beg the king for a favor would be faced with having Pollyanna there as a looming threat should they try anything to hurt the king. Otherwise, he hardly knew her except from the stories his family told him about her. He could tell Gershom was going to tell him one now.

"The thunder is wild--dangerous--but it can do you no harm if you can control it. Pollyanna is the same way, but she is even more wild and dangerous. Thunder goes away; Pollyanna does not."

There was a pause between them as Eory was now intently listening to his older brother rather than the oncoming, heavy rain.

"You remember, right? That you can control her so long as you always use those three words?" Gershom said with a smile.

Eory thought for a moment, and then he nodded. "'I order you to...'"

Gershom nodded.

Thunder rang again and Eory gasped in fear. Gershom held him all-the-tighter and then he said, "tell me, Eory. Why should an Arrozan fear a silly thing like the thunder when he already has control over the far more dangerous Pollyanna?"

Eory thought about all the stories he had heard about Pollyanna—how she had helped overthrow the evil humans who used to rule Maribel, how she had killed dragons, wyverns, and many dangerous mages and realized that he, indeed, should have nothing to fear, but...

Eory wanted to believe his brother, but even at age six, he was more cowardly than most Arrozans were at that age and he still feared the thunder nonetheless. His brother and parents worried constantly that he would bring shame to their line with his sniveling nature, but they adored him regardless.

Gershom sensed his brother's doubts and, in a moment, he gently pushed Eory off his lap. The younger fairy sat in front of his brother, cross-legged. "Do you know why else you should neither fear thunder nor Pollyanna?"

Eory shook his head.

"Because we Arrozans are wilder and more dangerous than both. We bow neither to the thunder nor invincible warriors."
Chapter 23: King Laurence

Kori did as Eory asked of her and went to see the king alone. She knew she could do little else as Eory had his heart and mind set on going to the ball and proving not only his own innocence, but Pollyanna's too. Kori took a deep breath at the drawbridge and gazed up at the castle looming over her which sat upon slighty raised ground.

She had been to the castle so many times before, but it never felt this imposing.

No matter how positive she tried to be, she knew that nothing good could come out of tomorrow night. Nonetheless, she knitted her eyebrows determinedly, hiked up her dress, and crossed the drawbridge. She waited for the guards on the inside of the outer wall to open the portcullis blocking her path once they recognized her as the Redeemer. They turned the winch and the metal bars groaned as they were slowly lifted in front of the waif's face. She stepped onto the grassy, outer bailey where a large, castle city lay.

Many of the human peasants going about their business bowed and curtsied to Kori as she walked past them and greeted her fondly. "Greetings, Redeemer."

Kori curtsied in response and was glad that none of them recognized how disheveled she looked or that anything was wrong with her.

She wiped her sweating forehead and walked past the many gray and stony peasant houses with thatched roofs and many outdoor vendors selling their wares.

About half-a-mile ahead of her lay the inner bailey which was blocked off by another portcullis. She sped up her pace and dashed through the outer bailey as fast as she could.

Many of the peasants, both fairy and human, moved out of her way as she went and had curious looks upon their faces. They wondered why she was in such a hurry.

Kori stopped in front of the portcullis and tapped her foot impatiently as the two guards raised the heavy, clanking partition for her; she thanked them and passed through to where the keep and great hall stood.

She smiled for a moment before continuing and couldn't help but enjoy the cool breeze in her ears that whistled through the glistening grass.

To her left was a stable boy attending to some well-groomed horses. She tapped him on the shoulder. "I need an audience with the king right away. Please go fetch him for me."

The boy nodded and ran off.

Kori collapsed on a pile of snow and took in deep, jagged breaths. She was exhausted from having to use so much magic to keep Pollyanna at bay. I need to find another butterfly...

__

The king, Laurence, sped up his pace when he saw Kori sitting on the grass next to the stable and looking exhausted.

He was dressed in a heavy, red, satin cloak with fur trim which dragged across the ground. He had a golden crown atop his head that displayed his wealth.

"Kori! I was so worried! I expected you back two days ago! I sent guards to find you, but they never came back! What happened?" Laurence helped her to her feet and she leaned against his side, panting.

She had a feeling that those guards had run into Pollyanna and Pollyanna had dispatched them.

Kori tried not to cry in fear at what she was about to ask, and decided she couldn't do it on an empty stomach. "I have to tell you something, and I need you to keep an open mind. But first, please... I need food and water. I'm exhausted and I haven't been able to put my magic back."

Laurence nodded and helped her to her feet and then kindly guided her toward the Great Hall where she would be fed whatever she wished by the kitchen.

Kori looked up at Laurence and then looked away. She could never quite describe how being in his presence felt, but awkward always came to mind.
Chapter 24: Kori and the King

"What?" The king furrowed his eyebrows furiously as Kori explained the current situation. She was eating fine cheese and drinking fine wine in the currently vacant public eating room of the Great Hall.

Kori sighed. "Please understand, Your Majesty... Eory is very young and innocent, he doesn't realize that Pollyanna is irredeemable, but I promise you that she does whatever he says and he has told her that she will do no harm to you or any of the nobles at the ball! Please don't harm him!"

King Laurence, who sat across from Kori, drummed his fingers on the long table which spread from one end of the long hall to the other. "I have little choice in the matter, do I? You have already invited them to my front door! I doubt that I could simply turn them away with no mishap! I can't believe she killed all those soldiers who were accompanying you from the tower..."

Silence filled the moment as Kori and the king both looked down at their hands and mourned the loss of the many good and reliable soldiers.

Kori took a deep breath as she sipped her wine. She understood the king's reticence about Pollyanna, but was determined to keep Eory safe. "Please just give them a chance—I beg of you! Eory, at least, deserves one chance!"

The king slumped back in his chair thoughtfully and with a frustrated look on his face. "I could easily kill the fairy, it's Pollyanna who could uproot the entire kingdom if she so chose. If I kill the boy, she will just make us pay for it. Kori, I am very disappointed in you."

Kori gulped and avoided the king's derisive eyes. She moved her small, blue hand over his pink human hand and blinked her red waif eyes. "Laurence, please, I did my best... I couldn't have anticipated this."

Laurence frowned deeply, and slowly, his angry face melted into a more compassionate one. "I'm sorry, my dear, I know you are on my side and I know you care for the boy as if he were your own child... You are the Redeemer, after all, and I have complete faith in your ability to redeem criminals—even one with such a long and evil family history."

The king lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. Kori smiled and was glad that Laurence seemed accommodating, but wondered why he was.

He had every right to unleash an army upon Eory and Pollyanna. "Laurence, may I ask why you have come around to Eory? I thought you would never want to release him..."

Laurence stared ahead blankly, and then answered, "you just seemed so sure... And... And I missed your company. Suddenly, you didn't want to be anywhere near me anymore and I knew it was because I refused to free him. My reasons for wanting to free him weren't altogether unselfish. I thought if I gave him one chance at the ball that he would show his true colors and then I could kill two birds with one stone. I could have him imprisoned for life when he would undoubtedly make a mistake and I could have you back in my life."

Kori pressed a blue palm to her forehead and sighed. "You must promise me, Laurence, that you will give him a true chance, even with Pollyanna accompanying him."

King Laurence was silent for a long moment.Kori shivered from the cold and Laurence jumped at his chance to wrap his cloak about her shoulders. "The fact that he brought her means that he has bad intentions..."

"Can't you see, Laurence? He could have just run away with her and gone into hiding if he so wished. He is so desperate to prove to you that he has no evil intentions that he plans to risk the ball, anyway. I can't blame him for wanting to bring Pollyanna for his own safety."

Laurence took a deep breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I will give him a chance. I have no choice in the matter since he is bringing that she-demon. I expect him to keep her under control."
Chapter 25: No Good

Pollyanna and Eory waited outside the outer wall surrounding the castle while Kori went in alone to see the king. He sat on the grassy and snowy earth a few inches away from where she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed.

Eory shuddered and didn't dare meet her gaze. His mind was stuck fearfully in the moment when she had grabbed him by the collar and held him two feet above the ground. He was afraid that she might hurt him, but doubly afraid that she didn't like him when that was one of the only things he wanted.

More than that, what Kori had told him earlier was relentlessly repeating in his mind.

She was just as bad as your parents.

Even though the thought kept shooting through his mind like sharp pain, Eory couldn't let himself believe it. Pollyanna's image may not be matching up to the woman who Kori had told him stories about, but he was sure she must still be the same one.

Are you insane? She told you the truth and you're just going to ignore it? This woman is just as bad as us. The woman snickered at him.

Eory was stuck in his thoughts and no other thing existed while he was. He woodenly petted Gershom who sat in lap with nervous fingers as a war continued being waged in his mind.

In a moment, however, he began sniffling.

I ruined everything. She hates me. Eory thought to himself. All because I wanted to be good... I can't blame her for hating me. I put her life on the line too, after all.

Pollyanna's angry grimace soon faded into a sincere frown as she listened to his sniffling. A feeling she hadn't felt in the longest time overwhelmed her for a moment as she listened to his pathetic sniveling. She couldn't put her finger on it, she just knew she felt sorry for the poor young man who was so new to the world.

She sat down next to him with one leg pulled up to her chest and the other stretched out in front of her. "Why are you crying?"

He looked to his left—away from her—so she couldn't see his tears. "Because you hate me..."

"I don't hate you, Eory. It's just that it's my job to protect you and you're making that job very difficult..." Pollyanna explained calmly.

Eory chewed his arm furiously. "You hate me. You think I'm a sniveling coward."

Pollyanna looked up at the gray sky and crossed her arms. "You are a coward, but that doesn't mean I should have treated you that way. Why should it bother you even if I did hate you? I am your sword and I must do as you say."

Eory took a deep breath and then he finally turned his head and faced her. "You're not just a sword. I respect you and appreciate everything you've done for my family... You're my hero."

Pollyanna laughed aloud. "Hero? Is that what the waif told you about me? Eory, I told you. There are only the weak and the strong and those who devour both. I'm just as dirty as anybody else. I have killed and—"

Eory clapped his hands over his ears and sniffled. "I won't hear it! You're good and kind and protected my family out of the goodness of your heart! You protected innocents from monsters such as dragons and prevented my family from killing far more than they otherwise would have!"

She's no good just like us. No wonder you like her. The woman snickered.

Pollyanna was shocked at his outburst. He has lived in a tower all his life, after all. She looked down at her feet and then glanced at her charge. She felt incredibly sorry about bullying him earlier until she recalled a moment of her own weakness with a shudder.

She wept hideously and she let him take her into his arms.

"Stop sniveling like a damned woman!" Pollyanna suddenly yelled.

Eory met her gaze and held Gershom closer. To his own surprise and hers, he calmly said, "you're a woman..."

Pollyanna avoided the need she had to take him in her arms and soothe him. Only women need to be coddled and taken into someone's arms. I will never stoop so low again.

Eory turned away from her again and continued weeping in fear and soul-crushing disappointment that perhaps she was not the woman he wanted her to be.

She has to be. I know she is! She has just forgotten herself because... Because...

"Eory. I suggest we run away right now. If you go in there and get killed, I'm going to die, too. Can you live with that?" Pollyanna asked, appealing to his naïve nature.

Eory wiped his eyes and replied, "I can live with it. If I die, the world will be rid of one more evil person. If I live, then I will have proved myself good-hearted and deserving of a peaceful life. If you want to go, I will order you away, but I suppose it will do you no good since your life is tied to mine."
Chapter 26: The Scars of Time

Your life is tied to mine. Eory's voice resounded in Pollyanna's mind as she looked into the mirror that night. The king had not received them, but Kori had come to get them earlier that day and had graciously shown them to the rooms they would be sleeping in within the Great Hall.

Pollyanna had just taken a bath and human servants had laid out a simple dress for her to wear to the ball tomorrow.

Within her naked reflection, Pollyanna was greeted by the sight of dozens of ugly scars. Immortal or no, scars were things that never healed.

She was also greeted by the sight of her unsightly breasts, deep wrinkles and thick, gray hair. Pollyanna reflected on her life as she looked at those scars. She grinned fiercely at one she had gotten from dueling a dragon who had come looking for food in Maribel. The Arrozans called upon Pollyanna to go kill the dragon by herself because they didn't want to waste the lives of any of their other soldiers. Pollyanna had dueled that dragon for almost a whole day and was panting and scuffed up at the end like she had never been before in her life, but she still managed to kill the dragon. The Arrozans and humans--nobles and peasants alike--had cheered her name, given her presents, and wrote down poems of her magnificent battle with the dead dragon, Pharos.

Her eyes then drifted to a scar that crept over her right shoulder. She frowned deeply. That memory wasn't her favorite.

Fjorn had a knife in his hand and he yanked her hair roughly toward him as she tried to run away. His voice cut through her mind clear as day as he dragged the knife up her back and to the front of her body.

"You picked this life." He had said.

Pollyanna sunk to the floor with her shoulders slumped and promised herself she wouldn't cry. For a moment, she thought a miserable and disgusting thought; if this brat gets me killed tomorrow, will all these scars have been worth it?

Long ago, Pollyanna had pledged to herself she would never have any regrets about her decision and that she would never wallow in self pity if she could help it.

I can't have doubts now. I just have to keep the brat safe.

Pollyanna lived a hectic and exciting life, and she didn't want it to come to an end at the behest of a foolish eighteen-year-old who knew nothing of the world and who would never understand that being kind in life would get him nowhere.

She wondered why young people were always so idealistic.

She remembered a time when she, herself, was that idealistic. She had always wanted to be a grand warrior, but it wasn't just that... When she was younger, she also had an additional dream of wanting to be a hero. Back then, she thought she could always kill for the right reasons and she thought that being kind, just, and honorable was its own reward, but now she knew the truth.

There was no logic to being kind, there was no reason to be a hero, and the only thing she had ever gotten for trying to be that was heart ache and ugly scars.

You're my hero... Eory had said.

She had laughed, but deep down, the sentence had warmed her heart and brought up memories that she had buried.

She thought of his sweet face while he slept and could feel her heart beat a little faster.

His skin looked soft and scarless, his face was bright and fresh, and his morals were unrealistic and un-besmirched by the scars of time.

She fought conflicting feelings about him. He was a fool and a sniveling coward, but he was also bizarrely kind and good-hearted despite being an Arrozan.

Pollyanna loved the Arrozans because they lived by the simple laws of nature that the weak should be devoured as should anyone who stood against them. There was an honesty, ease, and simplicity to living that way that she clung to.

Pollyanna and the Arrozans never felt need to cater to any peasants or nobles they felt were out of line. She was never sent on any missions to slay wolves who were eating a farmer's sheeps, or sent to settle any disputes in any cities or towns in a civil manner. Instead, she was given permission to let the farmer figure out how to defend his own flock of sheep and was allowed to use force to placate any rambunctious members of the kingdom having a dispute.

She decided she didn't like the idea of protecting someone who would always be offended by her lack of morals.

Living by a moral code was useless and complicated. Living by the Arrozan code was simple, empowering, and got her where she wanted to be in life.

"Do you want to live forever? Do you want power? Do you want to cast aside all that doubt that weighs heavily upon your fragile mind? Then the answer is simple. Just be mine. You will have everything you want." Fjorn had suggested so long ago.

"I want power. I want to be yours." Pollyanna had agreed without hesitation.

"Then your life will be woven with that of my family and you will protect them for eternity. If my family line is ever extinguished, you will be, too, my darling." Fjorn had forewarned her with a smile.

Pollyanna didn't care and she wasn't listening. She kissed him and let impulse drive her as she did from that moment on.

And then Pollyanna clenched her fists at the memory of her own failure.

Eory's family was beheaded, and she had failed the job she had always had the most pride in doing for the family who had given her a life and a name.

If there was one thing she despised, it was failure.
Chapter 27: Trust

While Pollyanna ran off ahead to her quarters within the Great Hall of the castle--saying that she was dying for the bath that the servants had prepared for her--Kori took Eory aside in the hall and requested of him, "Eory, promise me... Promise me you'll behave. Please."

Eory looked down at her silently while Gershom panted in his arms. His mind went blank with a foul cocktail of fear and anger.

"You don't trust me to behave?" He said with a little gulp.

Kori shook her head. "No, no. Of course I do. It's just that I don't trust Pollyanna... Eory, you must listen to me. I know I told you she was a hero before, but it was only because I wanted you to have somebody to look up to. I'm sorry I told you lies, but I need you to see her for who she is now and—"

"I understand." Eory cut her off while petting Gershom's head.

He was nearly on the verge of tears, but he hid it perfectly. Pollyanna was still his hero. He didn't want to hear Kori besmirch her name. Eory turned away from her and was going to continue down the hall, but Kori stopped him again.

"Eory..." She said quietly.

He looked at her over his shoulder as he waited for her to continue.

"Please tell me... Does Pollyanna have any weaknesses? Any at all?" Kori asked him desperately.

Eory froze and the warmth left his body as he spun around and stared at his caretaker in shock.

At first, he swallowed a lump in his throat and felt devastated at her words. His mind went blank for a moment and he was unable to think of anything to say in response. And then the woman brought him back to reality. I told you! This bitch doesn't trust us at all!

Eory gave the waif an icy-cold stare and said menacingly, "so you don't trust me at all? You think I'm keeping the secret to Pollyanna's immortality from you so I can use it against you and the king?"

Kori nervously clawed at her bright and fiery orange hair and took a step back from Eory when he made the darkest and most frightening expression that she had ever seen dawn on his face. In a moment, however, she remembered she was his mother and she stood up straight and tall. "I am not accusing you of anything, Eory, and I don't appreciate your tone of voice! I just know that you... You seem to love this woman and it's largely my fault and that's why you're keeping her immortality a secret—because you love her; not because I suspect you of using her against me and the king."

There was silence between the two for a long moment with Gershom whistling worriedly.

In a moment, tears sprung from Eory's eyes and he sniffled. "You think I'm evil? Why don't you trust me...?"

Kori couldn't stand his crying, and, despite her fear of him just a moment before, she was overcome with the need to comfort him. She opened her arms and Eory knelt and set Gershom down for a moment so he could embrace her for comfort.

"I trust you. It's her I don't trust. Please Eory—why don't you order her to go away?" Kori asked. "It would make things so much simpler. I promise you that the king has no bad intentions toward you. He only has them toward Pollyanna."

Eory looked blankly over her shoulder and murmured, "it's foolish to step into a room full of people who hate you with no protection."

Kori hated it, but she knew he was right.

She continued leading him to his room and said good night to him before he shut the door.

It was brief, but there was a look of reticence and mistrust between them and it shattered Kori's frail and motherly heart.

Neither of them slept well that night.
Chapter 28: Dream

While Pollyanna ran off ahead to her quarters within the Great Hall of the castle--saying that she was dying for the bath that the servants had prepared for her--Kori took Eory aside in the hall and requested of him, "Eory, promise me... Promise me you'll behave. Please."

Eory looked down at her silently while Gershom panted in his arms. His mind went blank with a foul cocktail of fear and anger.

"You don't trust me to behave?" He said with a little gulp.

Kori shook her head. "No, no. Of course I do. It's just that I don't trust Pollyanna... Eory, you must listen to me. I know I told you she was a hero before, but it was only because I wanted you to have somebody to look up to. I'm sorry I told you lies, but I need you to see her for who she is now and—"

"I understand." Eory cut her off while petting Gershom's head.

He was nearly on the verge of tears, but he hid it perfectly. Pollyanna was still his hero. He didn't want to hear Kori besmirch her name. Eory turned away from her and was going to continue down the hall, but Kori stopped him again.

"Eory..." She said quietly.

He looked at her over his shoulder as he waited for her to continue.

"Please tell me... Does Pollyanna have any weaknesses? Any at all?" Kori asked him desperately.

Eory froze and the warmth left his body as he spun around and stared at his caretaker in shock.

At first, he swallowed a lump in his throat and felt devastated at her words. His mind went blank for a moment and he was unable to think of anything to say in response. And then the woman brought him back to reality. I told you! This bitch doesn't trust us at all!

Eory gave the waif an icy-cold stare and said menacingly, "so you don't trust me at all? You think I'm keeping the secret to Pollyanna's immortality from you so I can use it against you and the king?"

Kori nervously clawed at her bright and fiery orange hair and took a step back from Eory when he made the darkest and most frightening expression that she had ever seen dawn on his face. In a moment, however, she remembered she was his mother and she stood up straight and tall. "I am not accusing you of anything, Eory, and I don't appreciate your tone of voice! I just know that you... You seem to love this woman and it's largely my fault and that's why you're keeping her immortality a secret—because you love her; not because I suspect you of using her against me and the king."

There was silence between the two for a long moment with Gershom whistling worriedly.

In a moment, tears sprung from Eory's eyes and he sniffled. "You think I'm evil? Why don't you trust me...?"

Kori couldn't stand his crying, and, despite her fear of him just a moment before, she was overcome with the need to comfort him. She opened her arms and Eory knelt and set Gershom down for a moment so he could embrace her for comfort.

"I trust you. It's her I don't trust. Please Eory—why don't you order her to go away?" Kori asked. "It would make things so much simpler. I promise you that the king has no bad intentions toward you. He only has them toward Pollyanna."

Eory looked blankly over her shoulder and murmured, "it's foolish to step into a room full of people who hate you with no protection."

Kori hated it, but she knew he was right.

She continued leading him to his room and said good night to him before he shut the door.

It was brief, but there was a look of reticence and mistrust between them and it shattered Kori's frail and motherly heart.

Neither of them slept well that night.
Chapter 29: Lost Girl

Eory let himself be led along by his female counterpart with a listless and light-headed feeling pervading his body. For a moment, he realized that he must have been dreaming, but forgot again in a moment.

"I want to show you something important!" Taylor exclaimed.

She dragged him along through white nothingness for what felt like minutes. Their footsteps were loud and ominous and seemed to echo endlessly throughout the empty space. Their movements seemed slow; the pair seemed to float as they went.

There was no wind, no heat, nor any cold to clash with the sound of their steps.

The sound was pure and undefiled until Taylor's shrill voice cut into it. "Why is he always here!"

Eory looked around frantically and saw a patch of green grass spring into existence followed by a wrinkled waif lying on his belly on the patch. At the sight of Eory and Taylor, a mischievous smile dawned on his face and he rose to his feet.

Eory cocked his head to the side. "Who is he...? I don't know any waifs but Kori..."

"You know him—but only from your dreams and through me. You forget about him during the day because you're a fool." Taylor explained and then tried to drag her male counterpart away.

"Wait, I want to talk to him..." Eory said, trying to wrestle free from her grasp.

The waif was getting closer, but Taylor was having none of it. She dragged him away and eventually, the image of the waif evaporated.

"He's boring and annoying! I have something much better to show you!" Taylor exclaimed.

She skipped along cheerfully and Eory marveled at her confidence and openness and wanted it for himself. He felt so uncomfortable and uncertain in his own skin.

Deep down, fear festered in his stomach. Fear that Kori would betray him. He felt it overwhelm him for a moment.

Suddenly, Taylor stopped in her tracks and she whispered, "there he is..."

Eory caught up to her and stood to her side to get a view of what she was looking at.

Slowly, a clear image sprang to life in the white nothingness.

Eory was treated to his brother, Gershom, scooping out little holes in a patch of dirt he was kneeling in front of, and then gently placing pink and blue seeds in them.

Soon enough, a very young Eory materialized next to his big brother.

Eory was grinning and digging alongside him and humming loudly. "Which will this one become?"

Gershom took a moment before replying, "I don't know... It can be a male or female, it can be big or small... It can be anything at all."

Eory giggled. "You rhymed on purpose!"

Gershom nodded and wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulder. "That I did!"

The young Eory had a red seed in hand and it made him frown deeply. He hung his head and sniffled. "This one's different than the rest..."

Gershom looked at him intently for a moment. "You mustn't mind mother and father; they only scold you about how sensitive you are and how much you cry because they want you to be strong."

Eory looked forward blankly. "I don't fit in... I want to be a girl. Mom and Dad wouldn't care that I cry so much if I were a girl."

Gershom stopped digging for a moment and then looked at Eory with powerful eyes. "Do you think mother weeps when she doesn't get her way, Eory? Do you think she cries when the rabble whispers about her? No. She did not even shed a tear when the peasants attacked her in public and they cut off her hand. She is just as strong as any man and perhaps stronger because I have never seen her cry in my life."

Eory looked into his brother's eyes searchingly for a moment and then his large ears drooped with uncertainty and sadness. "Why did she make me a boy, then, is there's no difference?"

Gershom pulled him close with a smile. "No grand reason. She tells me often that she simply wished to chase after two rambunctious boys."

There was something comforting about that, and the young Eory smiled—feeling at peace with himself.

The eighteen-year-old Eory watched in confusion as the memory faded back into whiteness. He turned to Taylor who was clenching her fists in a rage. She met his eyes in a moment and said angrily, "wanted two rambunctious boys, indeed! I'm far stronger than you! Just let me out, and then I can get us out of the situation you have roped us into!"

"I don't understand... I don't remember this... Why are you showing me this?" Eory asked as, for a reason he did not know, tears streamed down his cheeks.

"I—" Taylor began—her voice shrill and loud--but it was silenced in a moment. For many moments, he watched her motion wildly in silent fury and then she tackled him—choking him about the neck.

He couldn't breathe and the only sound was blood pumping in his ears before he opened his eyes and he was blissfully brought back to reality.

He gripped the blankets on his bed and panted in the darkness of his room. In a moment, he fearfully pulled his blankets up to his chin. His heart pounded wildly.

He could have sworn that, in the darkness, he could see Taylor's ominous silhouette--just waiting in the darkness for her chance to take over.
Chapter 30: Good Mother

Kori went to her own quarters after she showed Eory and Pollyanna to theirs.

Hers were located on the second floor of the Great Hall near to the king's. She climbed the stairs leading up to her room--hoisting her long skirts up in her tiny hands so she wouldn't trip on her way up.

It was silent this time of night and the only sound being made were her echoing footsteps on the spiral staircase.

She panted the whole way up the stairs--she was exhausted from her long journey, both physically and emotionally. Being drained of magic, and therefore spirit, her heart nearly beat out of her chest with exertion. She reminded herself again,

Tomorrow, I must find a butterfly.

Once she finished climbing the stairs, she arrived at a hall with a checkered black and white floor. At the end of the giant hall was a circular arch from which a blue curtain hung that led to the private quarters of the king and his closest friends which included Kori.

Even for an adult, it was frightening passing through such a dark, shadowy place at night in silence. Kori could only imagine how scared a child might be.

The waif continued on through the curtained arch and arrived at a circular hallway. There was an ornate door right in front of her which led to the king's quarters, and five doors down was where her own room was located.

She hiked up her skirts once again and headed there. Her muscles were extremely sore and pushed to their limits as they ached with every step.

Thankfully, however, she soon arrived at her door and she placed her hand on the knob of it with a deep breath and a smile. A voice from the darkness made her jump, however.

"Kori, come with me."

Her heart nearly burst from her chest as she looked about the hall which was seemingly vacant this time of night.

Her eyes locked onto a silhouette standing in the shadow of a nearby pillar, and her heart beat slowed. It was only Laurence. "You should be in bed, Laurence."

"My wife still prefers her own bed while she's pregnant..." Laurence said coyly.

Kori's grip tightened on the knob. She knew the right choice was to twist the door knob, lock the door behind her, and hop into bed, but...

She leaned her forehead against her door with nausea and desire overtaking every good sense she had. She just couldn't say no to him.

"Would you like some company, then?"

__

She rolled on her side later that night, unable to sleep as dozens of things seemed to weigh on her conscience.

The king had asked her to find out whether Eory knew Pollyanna had any weaknesses, and it tore her apart to do so. She didn't even know why she did it. She should have known by now how good and sweet her boy was, but there would always be that niggling doubt about him because of his family history. She also couldn't deny that she had seen him in a dark and scary mood from time-to-time before. Not as dark as he had been earlier, but dark nonetheless.

He's such a sweet, innocent boy. He deserves so much better than to be unjustly accused. Kori thought to herself as she stared into the dark recesses of the lightless room. Her mind was cloaked in a mist of unwanted sadness and extreme paranoia and fear about what would happen at the ball tomorrow.

Have I been a good mother to you, Eory? She had tried her best, but sometimes she doubted she had been. She often had to remind herself that she was not truly his parent at all and she shouldn't have ever become so entangled in the well-being of a child who had such a high chance of becoming a criminal, but she couldn't help it. She wanted a child, and she had made him her child for her own selfish desires.

It wasn't that she didn't think Eory wasn't a great kid because of her bad parenting, it was that she thought he somehow turned out great despite it.

She rested in a sweet memory with him for a moment as she rolled on her side—away from the king.

Eory was about ten-years-old, and his golden hair that was nestled between his large fairy ears was getting long and unwieldy. "Look at this beautiful, shiny mane! In order to keep it beautiful, we should braid it!"

Eory was a lot happier and just a little surer of himself back then. He grinned as she sat on the sofa and he sat on her lap—eager to do anything that would please her because he adored her. Even then, he was getting too big to be able to sit on her because she was so tiny, but she let him anyway.

"I thought braids were for girls, though?" Eory questioned after a moment.

Kori shook her head and lied coolly. "Oh no, among fairies, braided hair is very popular among the males and females. It's a signal of strength and longevity and it's modeled after the fairy goddesses who once wrapped the fairy kingdom in their hair to protect it from intruders. You want to pay respects to the goddesses, don't you? They will surely bless you with long life if you do."

Eory nodded eagerly and replied, "You always want the best for me!"

Kori wrapped her arms around him for a moment and thanked the waif gods for finally sending her a child to love.

Eory groaned, "Kori! I'm not five-years-old anymore! I don't want to be hugged!"

"No matter how old you get, you'll always be my... My..." Kori couldn't finish the sentence.

There was an awkward silence between the two. It was as if, even at the age of ten, Eory knew she could never actually be his mother, either—and he didn't like being reminded of mothers or families in general.

He nonetheless asked after a moment, "yes, Kori?"

"You'll always be my Eory, no matter how old you get!" Kori said with a gentle smile.

Eory was happy for her save, and he replied, "you'll always be my Kori, too!"

And both their hearts bloomed with love and cheerfulness at their deepening and irrevocable bond.

In a moment, however, Kori was brought back to cold reality by the king's loud breathing and thought to herself, with a heavy heart, that she was not a good mother.

Good mothers don't sleep around.. Good mothers don't lock their children in a prison for twelve years.

And her sweet memory slipped through her fingers and was replaced by a twisted and ugly one—one where she was needlessly cruel to Eory. It was a time when she took her angry feelings out on him that were meant for Laurence—and it was not even the first or only time.

He was twelve-years-old, and when she visited him, his face lit up like it always did; his round cheeks were pulled up in a grin and his otherworldly rosy, fairy eyes seemed to glow at the sight of her entrance. It was nearly enough to make her forget her angry feelings, but hatefulness won out as it usually did.

Eory had accidentally forgotten to bow to her like she required him to do since he was six-years-old.

Instead, he ran up to her and threw his arms around her. He waved about the writing and mathematical assignments she had instructed him to do—wanting to show them to her.

Kori was narrowing her eyes, however, and looking displeased.

Eory backed off at her cruel expression and gulped. He lowered the papers and his ears drooped in fear and sadness.

"You forgot to bow." Kori said with flat anger. "I have very few requirements of you, Eory, and that is one of them."

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to show you—" Eory said with a shaky voice, but Kori cut him off.

"Such bad manners deserve a suitable punishment. I'm afraid I must cut my visit short." Kori scowled and crossed her arms.

Eory was in tears. "But I just wanted to show you--!"

"I'll be back when you remember your manners." Kori replied before he could finish his sentence. She left his room while he screamed at an inhuman pitch for her company and attention. She didn't regret her cruelty until hours later when she was sitting alone in her quarters at the castle. She had been curled up on her bed and wept at her evil spitefulness--she wanted nothing more than to go back to Eory's tower and hug and comfort him—to beg for his forgiveness.

She could never get Eory's piercing screaming out of her head. When she thought of the memory for too long, it would often make her sad for hours.

She had sacrificed Eory's happiness for the sake of being angry at the king.

Earlier on the day of her maliciousness, Laurence had asked for her in his quarters and, as usual, she could never say no. As always, she weakly hinted at the fact that he should just marry her if he liked her so much, but then he told her something that destroyed her.

"I'm getting married." He had said.

She didn't know what to say in return. Her heart was broken and she felt cheap and used. Her mind had gone blank with shock and then she shook with sadness and had no other shoulder to cry on but the king's.

Kori was devastated and enraged and she took it out on her precious and beautiful surrogate son—the only person who loved her thoroughly and unconditionally.

She lay sleeplessly at the king's side and tears rolled down her wrinkled cheeks.

She remembered how warm she felt with Eory's arms around her—how overwhelmed with love and affection. The way his face lit up when she entered his room was priceless and it was burned into her memory as a happy thought whenever she needed it. He was her only drop of sunshine in her lonely and cold world.

She continued staring at the shadows until her mind was wrapped in them.

There was no sleep for her that night.
Chapter 31: Searing Passion

With the night over, Eory, Kori, and Pollyanna all rose. The ball would begin when night fell and they had hours to sweat out their nervous energy before the coming event.

Eory arose with the sun with deep circles under his eyes and saw that the clothes he had come in had been washed by the servants and laid out for him--along with the clothes Kori had brought for him to wear to the ball--at the foot of his bed.

With a stretch and a yawn, he began donning the green jerkin, red cloak, and brown breeches he had come in yesterday, and would save his clothes for later that night.

He pulled on his breeches and then held out his jerkin in front of him, but was interrupted by the door being thrown open.

Pollyanna entered the room—wearing her same clothes from yesterday as well. She slammed the door shut behind her--not recognizing her own strength, which seemed to be a common trend with her.

At the sight of Eory's naked torso she thought to herself, he looks like a damned toothpick. She noticed how red with embarrassment he was, but still had no concern for his modesty. "Hurry it up. I've got a long day of making sure you don't get assassinated ahead of me."

Eory said quietly to her, "can you please give me a moment?"

"I can if you order me to, but I'd rather not leave you alone if I can help it." Pollyanna said with her arms crossed. At his silence and his embarrassed face, she sighed. "How about I just turn away?"

Eory smiled sheepishly and nodded.

Pollyanna turned away and faced the blue wall of the spartan guest quarters with her hand on her empty sheath.

Giving up her weapons was the requirement of entering the castle. She could still feel the fury of having to give up them up pulsing through her veins. It was like they took away her identity when they took away her sword.

"Okay, you can look now." Eory told her in a moment.

She turned back around and saw him sitting on the edge of the bed with his hands folded in his lap. He was hunched over and looking... Incredibly small and unsure of himself.

I don't know what that waif was teaching him, but he behaves like a damned woman...

Pollyanna gazed at him with a conflicting feelings. The first was a kind of disgust that made her knit her brows. An Arrozan should be strong and hold their head high. They should not cower on the foot of a bed and keep their eyes down and shoulders hunched in shame.

The second emotion was something of a mystery to her and it made her eyebrows soften as well as her expression. She was enticed by his shy and sweet nature; she had never met someone like that. She thought that if he were strong and confident, cynical and knowledgeable, he would lose that kindness and innocence.

An unwanted thought stuck in her head; it would be a crime for him to become like the rest of us...

She did something very unlike herself and she knelt in front of him. Her face was pulled up into a smile as she straightened his shoulders and then flicked his forehead with her thumb and pointer finger—making him jump. "Are you nervous about tonight?"

Eory looked into her striking blue eyes and lowered his own in embarrassment. "Yes... I am. I—I'm really sorry for dragging you into this... I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing; I don't want you to die with me..."

Pollyanna remembered how she had grabbed him by the collar and scared him half-to-death the other day and felt ashamed of her actions. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have scared you the other day. I may not agree with your decisions, but I am sworn to protect you, regardless. It is not my place to object to them."

Eory looked into her eyes fearfully when she brought up the memory of how easily she had lifted him into the air and how easily she could have killed him if she wished. He let out a shaky breath and then looked down at his feet again.

She tilted his chin up gently--he gripped his blankets nervously in response. "Whatever happens, I promise I will never lay a hostile hand upon you again. A word of advice, however; an Arrozan never questions their own decisions—regardless of what their ugly, weathered old protector has to say."

Pollyanna began to rise to her feet, but was frozen in place as Eory reached out a hand.

He slowly placed it on her cheek with an intensity in his eyes that seemed to sear through her soul.

And she suddenly realized an obvious thing which she had managed to ignore but could no longer.

He looked upon her with eyes that no man should look upon a woman her age with. They were adoring and passionate; provocative and longing. He didn't just revere her like she thought he did--he was clearly in love with her.

And in her mind, her imagination took the moment further. She could envision herself letting go of the thing she craved most—power—and abandoning it for an impulsive moment with this young man she barely knew.

But with a gasp, she removed his hand with lightning quickness and then turned her back to him with her heart pounding wildly.

She heard the fairy say in his quiet and self-conscious way, "I don't think you're ugly and weathered—and I respect your opinion... I don't want you to stop voicing it. You can object to any decision I make; I actually care about what you think, unlike my family."

How foolish she had been. It was always so easy to tell when someone wanted her the way he wanted her—and it was doubly easy to avoid people who did once she recognized their desires.

But this time was different. She didn't realize he wanted her because he had not looked upon her with the eyes of someone who did until he looked at her with those same eyes his ancestor did so long ago.

"You don't need to flatter me. I am a gray and weathered woman." Pollyanna wouldn't face him. She was afraid whatever face he had on would only confirm her suspicion that he had feelings for her.

Eory was silent for a moment as he stared at her back and her long, thick, hair. He felt his heart beating so quickly that he felt short of breath. His hands were sweaty as the sentence he wanted to say repeated over and over in his head, but couldn't escape his lips.

Your hair is like silver.

His mouth moved but every time he got close to saying it, his heart pounded all the harder until, finally, he whispered...

"Your hair is like silver..."

There was solid silence between them.

Pollyanna stared at the blue wall with pity in her heart. The waif's stories made this poor creature fall in love with a woman who any sane eighteen-year-old would never find attractive. In a moment, she recovered her gruff nature and lost her pity towards him. She snorted and replied, "you couldn't even get your hands through it."

She heard him stand up and listened to his quiet footsteps as he approached her from behind. "Can I try...?"

His hand reached toward her hair; his fingers outstretched and trembling--but she turned around and smacked it away. She backed away from him with genuine terror in her heart that she had not felt for what seemed like hundreds of years.

Eory looked up at her longingly and with embarrassment mixed with confusion.

Pollyanna cleared her throat after a moment. "I'm hungry, aren't you? Let's see if that waif can get us some breakfast."
Chapter 32: Butterfly

Before the sun came out, Kori left the king's side and slipped on a silver night gown made of fine silk. She padded out of the room on silent feet and grabbed a candle and candle holder from her own quarters before heading down the stairs and outside onto the grassy inner bailey.

On the way outside, she had nodded and greeted many of the guards who stood watch at night within the castle, but declined their company and protection when they asked if she wanted it.

Once she was outside, Kori blew out the candle and wrapped the shawl she had grabbed from her room closer about her shoulders.

It was snowing and the chill night bit through her tiny ankles and wrists. She felt her teeth rattling in her head as she stood shivering in the freezing night air. Her toes were the greatest victim of the chilly weather as they were shoeless and buried in the snowy and wet grass.

She let her shawl and her deep breathing warm her.

Eventually, her breathing and body temperature evened out and she set her candle holder down and looked up at the clear and starry night sky with dreamy eyes.

Once she finished enjoying how beautiful she found the scenery and weather to be, she set about restoring her magic.

She closed her eyes and concentrated intensely on summoning that other world.

She breathed deeply for many moments and listened to the rhythmic sound of her breathing until it felt like all she was was merely a heartbeat and a breath. When she accomplished this, she walked through the bailey with her eyes still closed—as if she were sleep-walking or in a trance.

At first, she saw nothing.

She stumbled through black nothingness with her arms outstretched and with her mind and dictated by base impulses.

She stumbled like that for many minutes, although she did not realize it. Soon, she was no longer in the world as she knew it. A different world bloomed to life within her closed eyes; a world that only waif mages could see.

It was an ethereal world filled with black shapes and electric blue, wavering outlines encasing those shapes. Snow still gently drifted down from the sky, but it was not white; it was a blue that pulsed with a white, blinding brightness every other second.

She was no longer in the castle. She was in one of the Dark Woods spread throughout the waif homeland, Trella—woods which, regardless of what hour in the day it was, were always dark. Waifs, being solitary and nocturnal creatures, made many homes in the mighty branches of the tall woods there and enjoyed the quietness and darkness of the shaggy forests.

The trees surrounding her had the same blue outlines as everything else, as did the black puddle of water which was encircled by the trees. Kori felt her mind disconnecting from her body as she went to the puddle and had only a vague remembrance of what she was looking for.

She approached the black puddle and was entranced by the electric blue lines rippling about in the otherwise black shape.

And then, on all-fours, she let herself gaze into it.

She saw herself, only, it was a distorted and glassy image of herself which matched the strange world around her.

She looked at it with intensity for many silent moments.

Eventually, there was a change within the pool.

She gasped in terror as the king appeared behind her in the reflection. He placed a hand on her lower back and it was such a cold and freezing hand that it chained Kori in place. His arm reached around to her stomach and pulled her into a sitting position onto his lap. "What are you doing, Kori? Have you chosen that sickly and corrupt boy over me? I thought I was your dream."

Kori gulped and her mouth trembled as it was pulled into a horrified grimace. She attempted to say something—her mouth moved--but no words came out. Only whimpers escaped her lips.

Across the pool, she saw a shining, turquoise butterfly appear—the type she needed to regain her magic and her energy.

Because she was silenced, she tried to struggle free from his grasp but he easily restrained her by the hips as she dug up dirt trying to claw her way away from him.

Her cheeks were covered in tears for a moment, and still she could not speak.

She was stuck in his embrace as he whispered cruel things in her long, pointed ears. "I am the only one who has showed you kindness in an otherwise unkind and cruel world. You had no other friends when you left, and that is still mostly true, isn't it? What will you do if you lose my love and company?"

And then, within the reflection, she saw her own mother ripple to life and stare her down with emotionless and cruel eyes. Those eyes were not colored in black like the rest of her surroundings; they were colored in a violent red.

"Such devious behavior must be reprimanded. I'm sorry, Kori. I must tell the Elder of your transgressions."

Suddenly, Kori found her voice. "Mother, no! Please don't make me go! What will I do? Where will I go?"

She looked down her nose at her daughter. "You should have thought of that before behaving so recklessly. It's people like whose behavior corrupts our entire society and will make it as vile as the rest of the world."

And as terror shot through her body, she found the primal strength to wrestle her way out of the king's arms and jump into the pool--making the image of her mother fade away.

She gurgled for a moment, and then pumped her arms and legs as hard as she could as she swam toward the butterfly.

She heard two splashes behind her as she went which made her pump her arms and legs all the faster.

And suddenly, ahead of her, a hand materialized under the butterfly. It was a hand filled in with an ivory color. In a moment, the body attached to the hand materialized as well.

It was Eory—shining just as much as the butterfly was—and waiting for her on the other side.

Kori grinned with tears falling from her eyes.

She reached the other side of the pool and eagerly tried to embrace Eory, but he disappeared and all that was left was the butterfly.

She sniffled and with a heavy heart, grabbed the butterfly and crushed it in her hands.

When she was brought back to reality, she was still sobbing. She felt energy fill her body, but she also felt cold and alone and like she had lost something very important.
Chapter 33: Motivations

Before the sun came out, Kori left the king's side and slipped on a silver night gown made of fine silk. She padded out of the room on silent feet and grabbed a candle and candle holder from her own quarters before heading down the stairs and outside onto the grassy inner bailey.

On the way outside, she had nodded and greeted many of the guards who stood watch at night within the castle, but declined their company and protection when they asked if she wanted it.

Once she was outside, Kori blew out the candle and wrapped the shawl she had grabbed from her room closer about her shoulders.

It was snowing and the chill night bit through her tiny ankles and wrists. She felt her teeth rattling in her head as she stood shivering in the freezing night air. Her toes were the greatest victim of the chilly weather as they were shoeless and buried in the snowy and wet grass.

She let her shawl and her deep breathing warm her.

Eventually, her breathing and body temperature evened out and she set her candle holder down and looked up at the clear and starry night sky with dreamy eyes.

Once she finished enjoying how beautiful she found the scenery and weather to be, she set about restoring her magic.

She closed her eyes and concentrated intensely on summoning that other world.

She breathed deeply for many moments and listened to the rhythmic sound of her breathing until it felt like all she was was merely a heartbeat and a breath. When she accomplished this, she walked through the bailey with her eyes still closed—as if she were sleep-walking or in a trance.

At first, she saw nothing.

She stumbled through black nothingness with her arms outstretched and with her mind and dictated by base impulses.

She stumbled like that for many minutes, although she did not realize it. Soon, she was no longer in the world as she knew it. A different world bloomed to life within her closed eyes; a world that only waif mages could see.

It was an ethereal world filled with black shapes and electric blue, wavering outlines encasing those shapes. Snow still gently drifted down from the sky, but it was not white; it was a blue that pulsed with a white, blinding brightness every other second.

She was no longer in the castle. She was in one of the Dark Woods spread throughout the waif homeland, Trella—woods which, regardless of what hour in the day it was, were always dark. Waifs, being solitary and nocturnal creatures, made many homes in the mighty branches of the tall woods there and enjoyed the quietness and darkness of the shaggy forests.

The trees surrounding her had the same blue outlines as everything else, as did the black puddle of water which was encircled by the trees. Kori felt her mind disconnecting from her body as she went to the puddle and had only a vague remembrance of what she was looking for.

She approached the black puddle and was entranced by the electric blue lines rippling about in the otherwise black shape.

And then, on all-fours, she let herself gaze into it.

She saw herself, only, it was a distorted and glassy image of herself which matched the strange world around her.

She looked at it with intensity for many silent moments.

Eventually, there was a change within the pool.

She gasped in terror as the king appeared behind her in the reflection. He placed a hand on her lower back and it was such a cold and freezing hand that it chained Kori in place. His arm reached around to her stomach and pulled her into a sitting position onto his lap. "What are you doing, Kori? Have you chosen that sickly and corrupt boy over me? I thought I was your dream."

Kori gulped and her mouth trembled as it was pulled into a horrified grimace. She attempted to say something—her mouth moved--but no words came out. Only whimpers escaped her lips.

Across the pool, she saw a shining, turquoise butterfly appear—the type she needed to regain her magic and her energy.

Because she was silenced, she tried to struggle free from his grasp but he easily restrained her by the hips as she dug up dirt trying to claw her way away from him.

Her cheeks were covered in tears for a moment, and still she could not speak.

She was stuck in his embrace as he whispered cruel things in her long, pointed ears. "I am the only one who has showed you kindness in an otherwise unkind and cruel world. You had no other friends when you left, and that is still mostly true, isn't it? What will you do if you lose my love and company?"

And then, within the reflection, she saw her own mother ripple to life and stare her down with emotionless and cruel eyes. Those eyes were not colored in black like the rest of her surroundings; they were colored in a violent red.

"Such devious behavior must be reprimanded. I'm sorry, Kori. I must tell the Elder of your transgressions."

Suddenly, Kori found her voice. "Mother, no! Please don't make me go! What will I do? Where will I go?"

She looked down her nose at her daughter. "You should have thought of that before behaving so recklessly. It's people like whose behavior corrupts our entire society and will make it as vile as the rest of the world."

And as terror shot through her body, she found the primal strength to wrestle her way out of the king's arms and jump into the pool--making the image of her mother fade away.

She gurgled for a moment, and then pumped her arms and legs as hard as she could as she swam toward the butterfly.

She heard two splashes behind her as she went which made her pump her arms and legs all the faster.

And suddenly, ahead of her, a hand materialized under the butterfly. It was a hand filled in with an ivory color. In a moment, the body attached to the hand materialized as well.

It was Eory—shining just as much as the butterfly was—and waiting for her on the other side.

Kori grinned with tears falling from her eyes.

She reached the other side of the pool and eagerly tried to embrace Eory, but he disappeared and all that was left was the butterfly.

She sniffled and with a heavy heart, grabbed the butterfly and crushed it in her hands.

When she was brought back to reality, she was still sobbing. She felt energy fill her body, but she also felt cold and alone and like she had lost something very important.
Chapter 34: The Only One Worth Pleasing

Eory couldn't stop smiling during breakfast as he ate in the public dining room. The room was empty but for Eory, Kori, and Pollyanna, as everyone else had already eaten breakfast. The three ate at the long table set in the middle of the room and Kori and Eory forgot their troubles for a time.

"That was so amazing! I loved seeing him light the coals and use the stove! He was so proficient at cutting the vegetables, too!" Eory exclaimed, eating with his mouth full.

Kori grinned with her cheek upon her hand. She hadn't seen Eory so excited and happy for many years. "I'm glad you had so much fun. But remember your manners for later tonight, Eory. You remember all your lessons, correct? Would you like to practice more before tonight?"

Eory nodded eagerly and then continued going over every little thing he liked about the kitchen and the cook. "He was so nice to me! I didn't think anyone would like me, but he did! And all the... The cooking utensils were so interesting, too! I liked the cleaver!"

Pollyanna was eating her own breakfast quietly and she rolled her eyes as she listened to the dull conversation, but once again, she couldn't help but wish she could be so excited about something as mundane as cooking.

She noticed the waif eagerly trying to keep Eory's trust and, more specifically, his love. Pollyanna couldn't help but feel bad for her. Arrozans have little love for anyone outside their family—especially if they are a different species.

__

Kori made good on her promise to make sure that Eory knew exactly how to behave at the ball. Pollyanna followed the pair outside to the inner bailey and guarded them closely as Kori instructed the fairy how to bow, greet, start conversations, and be polite overall.

Kori was surprised at how much difficulty he was having. There were many strangers—fairies and humans alike—passing by them in the bailey who were throwing Eory off. They were giving him glares and glances of terror and whispering about him as they passed.

"Come on, Eory. There are going to be many more people like this at the ball. You need to make sure you can get through it effortlessly. I believe in you." Kori reassured him with a smile.

The whispering of the people milling about seemed closer than it actually was; it somehow seemed just as close as those walls of that room he used to be kept prisoner in was—he wished his large ears weren't so efficient.

Look at that monster; I don't know whether I should even risk the ball tonight. What is the king thinking by letting him inside the castle?

His eyes are wicked! His father looked at me with those same eyes when he ordered my husband's death!

Surely he's got some plan with that she-demon to kill us all.

Eory's mouth wobbled with fear and sadness as his mind seemed to block out everything else but those voices whispering cruel things about him.

"Eory!" Kori said loudly.

Just be who they want you to be. You'll be happier. The woman said in his head. There's no way you can resist this legacy.

"Eory! Please pay attention!" Kori rose her voice.

Eory snapped out of it and he stared ahead blankly before answering, "I'm sorry... May I take a break?"

Kori sighed as Gershom leaned against the fairy's leg and whimpered in empathy at his owner's sadness.

Kori looked at him intently before reluctantly nodding. He needs to be able to do this flawlessly. He needs to practice.

Eory sat down on the cold grass and Gershom crawled onto his lap to keep him company. He petted the dog silently and was ashamed and embarrassed at how poorly he was doing at these tasks he had practiced his whole life.

Kori sat down next to him, and he couldn't help but think that perhaps she was part of the reason he was doing so poorly.

She thinks I'm evil like all of them do... Eory thought to himself miserably. Why else would she suspect that I'm keeping the secret to Pollyanna's invulnerability from her?

Taylor snickered. You  arekeeping it from her. Clearly there is no trust nor love between you. She surely does have you pegged. She knows exactly who you are and she knows she can't save you. That's why she's going to let the king kill us tonight.

"No!" Eory yelled aloud and then panted heavily with a perspiring forehead.

Kori looked at him in surprise. "Is there something wrong?"

Eory shook his head.

He's still hiding something from me... Kori thought to herself with a heavy frown. Are you planning to hurt us tonight...? No. You are good and sweet. The fault is with me. I should trust you over the king.

Kori sat down next to him and held his elegant ivory hand. "Don't overthink it; just relax. It shouldn't be hard to prove something about yourself that is already true. I know you are good and kind and sweet, it should be easy for you to show them, too."

A slow smile came to the fairy's face and he nodded after a moment.

Pollyanna rolled her eyes for what felt like the tenth time that day at the pair. They both know and understand so little...

Suddenly, a messenger boy approached the trio and said to Kori, "the king would like to have a word with you, Redeemer. Come quickly."

Kori sighed. "Very well. I'll be right back, okay Eory? You stay here with Pollyanna."

Eory nodded and wished she wouldn't go. But I need you...

Pollyanna watched the waif recede into the distance and then she gave Eory her own piece of advice.

"She thinks you need to earn the respect of the rabble. But the truth is, you have nothing the prove to them. The only person worthy of pleasing is yourself. Remember that tonight." Pollyanna suggested.

Eory met her eyes and something about that idea comforted him greatly.

She's right. Why should I have to prove anything to people who have already made up their minds about me? I need to prove it to myself, not them. He thought to himself confidently.
Chapter 35: Senses and Memories

As King Laurence waited for Kori to join him in his quarters after sending a messenger to go fetch her, he leaned his cheek on the cold window listlessly.

He was lost deep in thought.

He was filled with fear about the upcoming ball and he prayed that Pollyanna would not bring about the end of his peaceful reign. The woman was an unholy terror and he knew she would have no trouble killing everyone at the ball if she so wished. He had many plans in mind to try and detain the woman, and had finally decided on the only one that seemed viable.

He cursed the fact that he did not know the secrets to her immortality and knew of no chinks in her armor. Laurence didn't know what to do, and so he wanted Kori's counsel as he usually did when he was upset and didn't know what to do.

He faced the window head-on and looked at himself in the reflection.

He was displeased at seeing fine wrinkles disgracing his otherwise fine and clear skin; he grimaced at seeing his black hair which was plagued with many white strands. However, his eyes wandered from his hair, and soon enough, he was looking himself in his own earthy, brown eyes.

They were just as clear as ever, however much the rest of him was aging.

He nearly wept at them after a moment.

They look so damned much like Shirley's... He thought to himself with unshed tears.

Whenever he was lonely, whenever he pined for Shirley's company, he would ask Kori to bring her to life again. Kori had a magical power that few other waifs did; she could let Laurence--or whoever she pleased--relive memories as if they were happening to the person in present time. Kori had no choice over which memories he relived through her magic—it seemed to be random--but he didn't care.

Even if it were the memory of Shirley getting killed, he didn't care. He just wanted to see her again.

He turned from the window and faced his room with a heavy frown.

It was empty and silent as his eyes explored its grandness. The blue, fur-trimmed carpet, the tapestries hung on the wall along with the expensive portraits of himself and his wife, and an elaborately embroidered quilt atop the covers on his bed. His eyes lingered there on the bed for a moment, and he guiltily and giddily thought of Kori. He looked away in shame after a moment and back at the window. Something caught his eye—a movement in the window.

He breathed sharply and panted in fear when, in the reflection, a woman seemed to form out of nowhere.

Her features matched that of Shirley's, but she was not the beautiful, blond-haired, brown-eyed girl he knew in life.

She was eyeless, armless, and her neck was mostly severed as it was in death.

He looked away from the window--although he still saw the ghost in his peripheral vision.

"I must be seeing things... I must stop thinking of her."

But he couldn't. His thoughts relentlessly led him to memory after memory with Shirley, and soon enough, he got lost in those memories and began reliving them even without Kori's help.

He was trapped in an ugly memory that he didn't want to relive, but couldn't help reliving.

He and Shirley lived in a city just three days from Castle Maribel. The people there were overworked and overtaxed by the Arrozans and often had the scars from whips to prove it.

Laurence remembered vividly how many of the children in his home city of Brambel were so skinny that he could see their ribs; he remembered having to take extensive time off from his job as a cook to help make and erect yet another statue of the Arrozan king whose name he could not say without spitting it in a snarl of hateful rage.

"Herin." Laurence said to himself out loud with his mouth twisting into a snarl.

Laurence remembered the statues of the human gods being torn down and replaced by the foreign, fairy goddesses; he remembered the Arrozans stamping out and extinguishing both the pride and the identity of the humans whose kingdom they had stolen.

He remembered his sister Shirley—finally fed up with toiling all day at making the tall statue of the Arrozan king until her hands were red and raw—turn on the fairy slave master overseeing her work.

Their youngest sibling—a boy of just twelve-years who Laurence couldn't think about without turning into a sobbing mess—had fallen over from starvation and needed food and an apothecary. The slave master had cruelly shoved the boy to his feet and demanded he keep working. Shirley snapped and shoved the man—causing him to trip and fall over.

She picked up a nearby rock and slammed it against the slave master's head until he died.

Pollyanna saw the whole display as she, too, was there to oversee their progress on the statue. She grabbed Shirley's arm and dragged her off—promising to punish her and make her regret her actions.

When she returned, she had no eyes. She only had bloody splotches where her eyes had been.

That was when Laurence decided that, no matter what, he would overthrow the king. Even if it costed him his whole family he would—because he wished to see no more families suffer the way his did.

The problem was Pollyanna.

There had been so many slave revolts made up of hundreds of humans, and yet she had put them all down effortlessly and seemingly without a scratch on her. She was unstoppable.

Long ago, there was a theory that Pollyanna's life was inextricably woven in with the Arrozan who had stolen the human throne in the first place, Fjorn, but that theory was put to rest when the king died of old age and Pollyanna lived.

There was a knock at the door.

"Laurence? Did you want to see me?" Kori's voice rang from beyond the door.

__

Eory was glad when Kori told him that he was allowed to take Gershom with him to the ball. The dog seemed to have a calming effect on him, and Eory would need that desperately at the ball.

"Laurence said it was fine to bring him." She had told him.

"That's... So kind of him." Eory had replied in shock.

Eory, Pollyanna, and Kori all bathed and dressed for the ball and met each other in front of the big, ornate double-doors to the ballroom.

Kori wore a floor-length, three-layered pink dress which poofed out absurdly, but beautifully, from her waste along with a pair of black gloves which smartly complimented the look.

Pollyanna's dress, being picked out at the last moment from the servants in the castle, was a dress meant for a six-foot-tall woman and not a seven-foot-tall woman; it was also a dress that was only fit for a peasant girl. It had a plain brown bodice and was otherwise an unremarkable white dress underneath the bodice.

The servants had attempted to tame her wild hair and had, against all odds, managed to make it smooth and shiny. They had fashioned it into a tight bun on the top of her head and smoothed out some of her wrinkles with the use of makeup.

Eory wore the expensive, golden headdress that Kori had given him along with a short, blue capelet embroidered with yellow circles at the bottom which was draped neatly on his back. He wore a burgundy, open-necked shirt with laces at the neck and ruffles at the end of his sleeves. To match the suns embroidered on his capelet, there were suns embroidered on the bottom of the shirt to match. He wore simple black breeches and long boots to, as Kori put it, 'keep the outfit simple'.

Night fell as the trio entered the ballroom where Eory took a deep breath before nodding to Pollyanna to open the door.

His senses were captivated by what he experienced within.

His eyes were enthralled by the brightly colored, beautiful outfits worn by fairies and humans alike as they danced. A woman spun away from her dancing partner—her ballgown dress twisting and then untwisting like a flower blooming.

His ears were enraptured by the sweet sound of a violin singing mixed in an indescribably euphoric way with the sound of a flute and a piano accompanying it.

His nose took in the smell of good food being offered on platters by the servants; chocolates, cheese, and little slices of meat.

Gershom barked in excitement, and Eory thought he would never see such a beautiful sight in all his life again.

He smiled gaily as he watched the many lords and ladies on the brightly lit, orange scene step in time to the music on the glorious and grand wide-open ballroom with a reflective tile floor.

In a moment, with Gershom in his arms, he joined them.
Chapter 36: Grounded

A lord and a lady who were dancing stopped doing so when Eory approached them with Gershom panting by his side. Eory bowed lowly to them—getting down on one knee—and said, "my name is Eory Arroza. It's good to meet you."

The lord and lady looked severely mistrustful, but nonetheless did a slight bow to him and then introduced themselves.

"I am Lord Terrance, and this is my wife, Lady Paulette. I am the lord of the king's home city, Brambel to the east. It's good to meet you as well. You may rise."

Eory rose to his feet and tried to think of something polite to say.

In reality, he merely wished to cower behind Pollyanna or Kori, but he gulped and pushed himself to be polite and socialize. "What's Brambel like? Is the weather as fair as it is here?"

Terrance laughed aloud. "Of course it is! It's only three days away, after all."

At Eory's embarrassed face, Lady Paulette smiled gently—charmed by his naivety. "You couldn't have known seeing as how your upbringing was... Quite different from most individuals. Me and my husband know many fairies, and many of them are kind, but there is much friction between the fairies and humans—and understandably so."

Eory frowned deeply and went silent for a moment.

The only person worth pleasing is yourself. Pollyanna's voice echoed in his mind.

I'm not a monster by virtue of my parents. Eory reassured himself.

And it was as if his whole body relaxed when he said it; it was as if that, once he gave himself permission to think it, he could convince these people to think it, too.

"I'm sincerely sorry for my ancestors' actions. Maribel is your kingdom... There shouldn't be fairies here in the first place."

Lady Paulette and her husband were shocked by his pleasant manners and glanced at each other and then back at Eory with kind smiles. "It... It wasn't your doing. You're not responsible for your family's actions. Although, I must ask you if you know of any way to get on a fairy's good side so we can strengthen the bond between humans and fairies? There's such long, bad blood between them."

Eory shrugged with a sincere smile. "I'm sorry... I barely know anything of fairies. I was essentially raised by Ko—by the Redeemer—and she didn't teach me much of the culture. She did teach me of the fairy goddesses, but that was it."

"Ah well. Nonetheless, it was good talking—" Terrance began to say, but then stopped and looked up in white fear as Pollyanna approached and stood behind Eory protectively.

Paulette hurriedly finished her husband's sentence. "It was good to meet you."

The two hurriedly backed away from Pollyanna and joined the other lords and ladies again.

Eory turned around and locked eyes with Pollyanna. In a moment, he looked down and felt abject misery claim him—his confident thoughts were being quickly devoured by far more effective, cruel ones.

For a moment, he was back in that tiny room once again with the walls that kept getting closer and closer for each day he had to spend between them—so close that he thought he would get crushed by them.

And then he thought of his only solaces: The books on his shelf which gave him a window into a world he thought he would never experience, and... Pollyanna, who gave him the ability to experience it regardless.

Kori's stories were so vivid. He was so attached to them and who he thought Pollyanna was.

He was a nothing. No, he was worse than a nothing. He was the last in a vile and evil line of fairies who had invaded a kingdom that belonged to the humans and tried to destroy their culture and thinned out their numbers greatly.

But when Kori told him stories about the woman who was looming over him with a watchful and hateful eye toward anyone who might harm him, he didn't have to be that person anymore.

A thought entered his mind that brought about visceral sadness--that made his head pound viciously to the point where the music playing and all the delightfulness of the ball was now assaulting his senses instead of delighting them. I hate myself. I've always hated myself. My family is horrible—I'm horrible-- they've done unspeakable deeds. How can I ever expect them to accept me?

Kori would often tell him of something unspeakable that his great-grand father did. She would tell him of a human who was recorded in history and made an example of by his ancestor. He was a man who had stood up to him during his reign—a human with a wife and five children.

"The man—Wendell--would come before your great-grand father and beg him to lower his taxes because his children were starving. Eventually, he lost his youngest child who starved to death, and then, when next poor Wendell held an audience with the king, he cursed his name and attempted to assassinate your great grand-father even while he loomed over the man on the high dais he was perched upon. Wendell was a mage of little power—as human mages often are—and he tried to strike the king with a fireball which your grand father waved away easily with his own, vile magic. Do you know what he did next?" Kori had asked him with her arms crossed uncomfortably and in a shuddering voice.

Eory had shaken his head with bated breath as he often did when Kori would tell him of his ancestors' deeds.

"He beheaded the man and his whole family and..." Kori had screwed her eyes shut and took a deep breath and then she looked off into the distance as if she were witnessing the crime happening before her eyes. "And he put their heads on pikes and displayed them on the battlements of the castle as a warning to those who would dare defy him."

Eory cried at the memory.

He cried so often—it was another reason why he couldn't stand himself—but tears streamed down his cheeks now, unbidden, as he thought he would end up just like his great-grand father and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

But Kori would often tell him stories where the warrior maiden would actively undermine and go against the wishes of his wicked ancestors as well.

She would tell him stories about cities which were overrun by the king's soldiers who were abusing humans and fairies alike at the smallest transgressions—including speaking ill of the Arrozan family in any way. Pollyanna would be stationed at some of these cities from time-to-time in Kori's stories, and she told Eory about how Pollyanna defended a peasant who spat the king's name and cursed his family from an onslaught of the king's soldiers. She disarmed them after she defeated them in battle and made them promise never to tell the king that she had stood with peasants who had insulted him.

Eory thought he could be like that, too.

Just because I'm close to my family, doesn't mean I have to be them. I want to be like Pollyanna!

But now, seeing her in the flesh—seeing how frightened people were of her—seeing them run away just at her approach, it was beginning to truly sink in that she may not be who he wanted and needed her to be. Why else would people shrink away from her other than the fact that she was just as vile as his ancestors were? He knew what Kori had told him earlier as they were going to bed was true, but he still didn't want to believe it. He still didn't want it to sink in.

Eory sniffled. And if she's no good after all, there's no hope for me, either.

Pollyanna--with her hands on her hips and a sour expression on her face--tapped her foot on the shiny tile floor, and wondered at his tears. She crouched down and looked him in the eyes. "Why the tears? You seem to have been impressing those people. Remember what I told you? The only person worth pleasing is yourself."

She helped him focus. She alleviated the pounding sadness in his head and the disorientation he felt from the racing of his heart. He was grounded again after a moment as he looked into her clear, blue eyes. He took a deep breath, and the music that had been dimmed in his mind from the panic he felt as well as the smell from the food and the bright colors of the clothing on the ballroom came back into focus.

"You're right, I am the only one worth pleasing. And you know what would please me? If you were just as polite as I am trying to be. We both have to impress these people. I order you to." Eory said with a grin as he wiped his eyes.

Pollyanna glowered, but then shrugged with a smile of her own. She was impressed by his determination. "As you wish. I will try."

The conflicting emotions continued to fester in his mind, but at the moment, he felt confident and unstoppable again despite the woman who was cackling at him in his mind.

____

The chapter is over! But, if you're bored while waiting for the next one, I have another great story for you to read by Pomms!

The title is: Chronicles of Tharsic

The synopsis is: Sara's life has been defined by two moments: the first made her run away from home and work as a servant in an inn far away. And the second one...well, she's about to find out.

Similar to Inheritance, the story is a fantasy centered around a young servant girl named Sara who's having an illicit relationship with the prince she works for. The story has a great pace and is written in a really refreshing style! The descriptions are pithy and well done and the author introduces the characters in a slow way where you get a good sense of their personalities and want to know more about them! Please give it a read!
Chapter 37: Far Apart

Kori greeted many of the familiar faces she knew at the ball and danced with many of the men there when it was change partners. From the corner of her eye, she was watching Eory. He was behaving very well, it seemed, and getting along fairly well with the nobles.

She saw that some of the more accepting nobles would engage him for minutes, but that many of them had no wish to talk to him at all and cut the conversation short at a few seconds.

Regardless, Eory's etiquette was nearly impeccable. He knew how to greet the nobles, how to bow to them and for how long, how to keep good postures, and what topics to keep to during their conversations from what she could pick up.

She was very proud of him.

At his insistence, and to her dismay, he told her earlier that he didn't want her looming over his shoulder during the ball and that he wanted to prove to her that he didn't need her constantly correcting his behavior to perform well. So far, he seemed to be succeeding very handily without her, which made her incredibly happy, and at the same time...

Immeasurably sad.

She was beginning to think he didn't need her anymore. And if he didn't need her anymore, he would leave her alone and probably go live somewhere far away if everything went smoothly. How could he ever view her as anything but his captor and warden once he was set free, after all?

Being four-feet-tall, the human man who was dancing with her had to crouch a little to have proper form while they danced. As he led her about the dance floor in a melodic waltz, the man had been trying to make pleasant conversation, but she had only been pretending to listen and giving the most minimal answers to anything he said.

Her eyes kept wandering over to Eory as her mind remained cloaked in shadows from the previous night in which she had stared into them so deeply in the king's bedroom.

She looked over her shoulder after her dance partner had spun her around, and her eyes still remained glued to Eory.

The fairy was talking to another one of his species—the lord of a city which was a month away—and he lifted up Gershom with a grin on his face when the other fairy asked to pet him. Kori smiled bitterly with her mouth wobbling.

I'll miss him when he's gone...

Suddenly, her partner stopped dancing as the king stood up from the throne he was sitting upon on the far end of the room. His pregnant wife stayed seated on her own throne as did their six-year-old on the other side of the king.

The whole room went silent and still as they waited for the king to make whatever announcement he had in store for them.

"Good evening everyone. It is my pleasure to greet Eory Arroza, son of..." Laurence had to take a moment so he would say the detestable king's name instead of spitting it. "Son of Herin Arroza, and the longtime guard of his family, Pollyanna."

Everyone in the room looked at Eory, and Kori watched him freeze in fear for a moment at all the eyes upon him.

His eyes scanned the room until they locked with the waif's.

She mouthed to him, it's okay. You have nothing to be ashamed of.

After a long moment, Eory straightened his posture, bowed, and said in a confident voice, "it's good to meet you all. I am honored to be with you tonight."

The king was frowning deeply and looked lost in thought. He cleared his throat in a moment and said, "I would like everyone at this ball to try to be welcoming to Eory as he is being more than generous to us. As I have informed you all, this ball is a kind of test to measure whether he is fit for society. Eory, if I find your performance tonight to be unsatisfactory, will you accept going back into your prison?"

Eory met the king's gaze, and Kori watched him visibly gulp and lose a little confidence. In a moment, however, he nodded fearlessly. "I will. Whatever punishment you find suitable is fine."

There was a long moment of silence in the room, and Kori had a sinking feeling in her stomach that something would go wrong.

"I can see you are an honorable and respectable young man. Everyone, you may return to merrymaking." The king sat back down then, but his eyes found the waif's and he beckoned her over with silent eyes.

Kori had no idea what he wanted to say to her, but she nodded and, as the music resumed playing and the chatter between nobles continued, she hiked up her skirts and walked over to the king.

She felt guilty at seeing his beautiful, blond-haired and angelic-looking wife so close, and tried to just focus on the king.

"What is it, Laurence?" Kori asked.

"I would like you to sit with us during the ball. You're basically apart of the family, after all. I'll have a servant bring in another seat for you." Laurence said.

The king's wife, Harriet, nodded and said in her sweet, low voice, "yes, Kori. Our family owes you very much for helping to overthrow King Herin. Please come sit with us."

Kori looked at Laurence askance.

Does he plan for things to get ugly? Is that why he wants me so close to him and so far away from Eory?

Kori looked back at Eory who was smiling and talking to Pollyanna and felt the pressure of this choice weighing heavily upon her. In a moment, she looked down at her feet and forced a smile. "Alright, I'll sit next to you."
Chapter 38: Pulse

Pollyanna was alert and looking for any signs of danger since she had arrived at the ball—including while she and Eory conversed with many of the nobles. Most of which seemed to hate them, but some of which were surprisingly kind and open-minded.

Pollyanna didn't care how kind they were. Her only objective was to leave the ball safely. First thing when she had entered the room, she had seen the balcony looming above them. She strongly suspected that if the king had laid a trap for them, it would probably be through the use of archers set up and out of view on the balcony. She debated telling Eory her suspicions, but he would probably wave them away anyway.

She would just have to wait to see what the king's next move would be, which annoyed her and worried her greatly. Especially since, in the meantime, she was forced to go about the large ballroom and try to make pleasantries with people she couldn't stand about things she couldn't care less about.

I wish I didn't have to follow his orders... It was the first time she had thought that in a long time, and she felt extremely guilty about even daring to think it.

His ancestors would have punished her for thinking that.

She supposed she couldn't help it, though.

She hated all nobles who weren't Arrozans; she always had. They pretended like they were better than everyone else—like they cared about the fate of peasants and every-day folks—but they didn't really give a damn.

King Laurence probably paid for this ball on the taxpayers' dime and pretended to throw it for their enjoyment, but I only see a few peasants who were invited. Pollyanna thought to herself.

Eory approached another human couple. Some lord and lady of a far-off duchy who had probably come to see the king on political business, but stayed for the ball.

They turned their noses up at both Pollyanna and Eory, but Eory still insisted on being polite to them.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." He bowed before the pair—lowering himself to one knee. Pollyanna crossed her arms and refused to lower herself.

The couple expected her to, but she wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

That is, until she felt the familiar pressure squeezing her heart—informing her that she was disobeying Eory's order to be polite during the ball. Her heart would soon be squeezed so hard that she would die if she didn't continue to obey Eory's order.

She gritted her teeth furiously.

She curtsied until she was as low to the ground as Eory was. She glared up at the nobles who were smirking at her until the pinching in her heart started all over again and she forced herself to smile.

For the time being, her actions succeeded in quelling the magic of the potion that coursed through her veins and her heart was released from the painful pinching. Eory climbed to his feet soon after and had a brief, blasé conversation with the nobles in which they made it clear they hated both him and Pollyanna.

"Despite your wretched ancestry and your backwards upbringing, you are behaving quite admirably!" The couple snickered.

Eory smiled insipidly and replied, "thank you! I think that dress you're wearing is about the prettiest once I've ever seen, and that doublet is very handsome!"

The lady hid a mocking smile behind her mouth and said, "yes, you and your guard are certainly dressed... Interestingly. You did inform your guard that this is a ball, correct?"

Pollyanna bristled and nearly lost it. She stepped toward the woman in a threatening manner and the woman gasped in fear.

Pollyanna felt a sharp pain in her heart and had to pull back immediately. Eory looked at her with a judgmental and shocked look on his face as the couple backed away from her and went back to dancing.

Pollyanna felt a twinge of shame and guilt at his expression and then turned her back on him with heavy breathing and tried to control her anger as she walked further away from him.

I hate women like that. I hate them. She thought to herself.

Eory followed her and grabbed her wrist. "Wait! Pollyanna—we were making friends, why did you--?"

She spun around and only just barely managed to say in an even voice, "we were not making friends. We were being jeered at and being made a spectacle of! Grow up, Eory. Can't you tell when people are insulting you and making a mockery of what you consider to be kindness?"

Eory frowned deeply and realized the one thing he never wanted her to say to him was 'grow up'. It was as if she was confirming that he was too foolish and too young for her; it confirmed that she was looking for qualities that she thought he didn't possess.

But he didn't let it get to him.

Show her you're an adult. Show her you can play at her level. Taylor encouraged him.

"A dress is a silly thing to be upset over, don't you think? You're the one being a little childish and vain." Eory retorted.

The ancient warrior's blood boiled with rage at the insinuation that she, of all the women, were vain and childish. She growled audibly and her muscles tensed in fury.

They were silent for a time as Pollyanna calmed herself down. With a deep breath, she managed to resist punching her charge in the face.

I can't even remember the last time I considered disobeying orders. This brat pisses me off.

"I'm not angry about the dress, I'm angry that you just take abuse like that!" Pollyanna replied.

Eory took her by surprise and looked her up and down with the same passionate eyes Fjorn had so long ago and, without her permission, her knees felt weak.

"You look beautiful. It doesn't matter what you're wearing." Eory assured her and ignored her statement of denial.

There was another brief block of silence between them; but in a moment, Pollyanna regained her sense of self and crossed her arms bitterly.

Eory held out a hand. "Why don't we ignore the others for a moment and have a dance. Just the two of us?"

Pollyanna snorted. "Why don't you dance with a girl your own age—perhaps from the nursery?"

Eory tried not to take it to heart, but it bit into his confidence greatly.

And that sweet and uncertain side to him emerged. Pollyanna uncrossed her arms and her muscles loosened when she saw this dip in his confidence. And suddenly, she wanted to dance with him very much.

She sighed. "Fine, we can dance."

His face lit up and he placed one hand on her lower back and linked his free hand with hers.

There was an intense absence of noise in her mind as she had nowhere to look but his eyes as he gradually brought her closer to the other nobles on the dance floor and led her about in a rhythmic pattern.

She had no idea how to dance, but it wasn't difficult to just follow his lead, and there was something soothing about giving over that control to someone else.

His fingers were warm when they were linked with hers—as warm as her cheeks felt from being in such close proximity to him—and her lower back felt secure under his surprisingly firm grasp.

Her eyes widened as the ball seemed to melt away before her eyes and her already quickened pulse seemed to speed up even more.

The warm, yellow light from the torches and the tile of the ball was replaced by the dark shade of moonlight in a torchless room. The noisy room, filled with chatter and music was replaced with heavy breathing, and the pleasant smell of fire and sweets dissolved into the scent of fresh, night air from open windows.

She felt warm, strong fingers tracing the side of her face; she felt smooth, flawless skin under her hands.

"What's wrong, beautiful?" Fjorn asked her as he sat up and gently moved her hair which was disheveled from their passions behind her ear.

She wanted to say something, but her lips seemed forcibly sealed, and so she said nothing at all. Instead she just enjoyed his deep kisses and let him push her down as she began to relax again.

But the kisses became something sick and suffocating and she struggled beneath him—not because she wanted him to stop, but because she desperately wanted to say something.

She found her voice between kisses and begged him in a monotone voice over and over again, "please, just love me the way I love you."

"Please just love me—"

"Please just—"

Please.

Please.

Please.

And Pollyanna shoved Fjorn off her, but it was Eory who stumbled backwards as the ball came back into full focus.

She breathed heavily as Eory stared at her in fearful suspense and her heart was stabbed with a sharp pain for even grazing her master.

Pollyanna murmured sincerely to him after a moment, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

Eory nodded a little hesitantly.

In a moment he replied to her earlier question, "when you're in the room there's no way I could possibly look at other women my age."

All the nobles in the ball were looking at them—and especially Pollyanna—but in a moment went back to dancing.

Pollyanna hoped she didn't ruin his chances with the king by making a scene and vowed to herself to behave for the rest of the night until the king made his intentions known.
Chapter 39: Waiting

King Laurence propped his elbow up on the arm of his throne and leaned his cheek on his fist as he kept his eyes glued on Eory and Pollyanna.

His ring finger seemed to twitch nervously and incessantly.

He was praying to the human gods that they would behave and harm no one.

He was glad Kori listened to his wishes and decided to sit next to his wife, who she barely said a word to even though Queen Harriet was being incredibly polite and trying to make conversation with the waif.

Where she decided to stay during the ball informed him that she was still more loyal to him than Eory which relieved him of much stress.

No matter what, I need her in my life.

In truth, Laurence loved Kori. He loved Harriet as well, but not to the extent he did Kori. He wished he could have married the waif, but he knew the people of Maribel wouldn't have wanted her as a queen. Foreigners had ruled over the human kingdom for hundreds of years and the last thing they wanted was to have a foreign waif on the throne.

And Kori didn't have the right personality to be queen whereas Harriet did.

The sudden gasping of nobles brought something unexpected to his attention.

Laurence straightened his posture in surprise when he saw Pollyanna shove her charge on the dance floor. His fingers tensed on his sheath, but in a moment, he saw the two make up and Pollyanna retreated further away from Eory to where she could still intervene if something went wrong, but where she wouldn't have to be apart of any conversations the fairy had with the nobles.

Laurence's heart beat a little faster after seeing the interaction.

He tried to calm himself down by thinking of comforting thoughts, and they led him back to his conversation to Kori earlier—and the soothing feeling of her fingers running through his hair.

"Why have you called me here, Laurence? Are you going to tell me what you plan to do at the ball?" Kori asked. She noticed his red eyes and she clasped her hands in front of her with a thoughtful frown. "Or is this about Shirley again?"

Laurence cleared his throat and shook his head. "She's always on my mind, but I... I am just overly worried about tonight. I'm afraid I will lose the kingdom to these monsters all over again. I need you to soothe my soul."

Laurence threw himself to his knees before her, and Kori looked down on him with her fingers tensed. She had an expression on her face that was something akin to sympathy mixed with disgust.

She never knew whether to shove him away or throw her arms around him, but she would usually end up doing the latter. This time, however, she didn't take kindly to what he said. "Eory is not a monster! You must give him a chance! It's Pollyanna who's the problem! Eory... Eory doesn't have an evil bone in his body!"

Laurence closed his eyes and fell deep into thought, then. If he were to trust Kori's word, and if Eory was a good person who could be relied upon, then perhaps the solution to all of this was simpler than he thought.

Laurence opened his eyes as Kori ran her hands through his hair.

"How certain are you that he is not a monster? Please be completely honest, Kori." Laurence said quietly.

Kori took a moment to answer. She wanted to give him an honest answer—but sometimes, it was hard to recognize what her true feelings were abut the situation because they were so difficult to process. "I can't lie to you, Laurence. I am closer to Eory than I have ever been to any criminal I have redeemed in the past, and I can't view him as objectively as I can them. I can't promise you that his evil ancestry won't take hold, but I can only judge on what I see. And what I see in front of me is a sweet and harmless young man who is risking his life to prove to you and everyone else in the kingdom that he is deserving of their respect and that he is harmless. He has had his stormy days in the past, but every child does, and his stormy days were few and far between considering he was locked in a tiny room. He deserves this chance; a fair chance."

Laurence looked into her eyes and saw no lie. He nodded silently.

"Would you care if anything happened to Pollyanna, Kori?" Laurence asked with his voice barely above a whisper.

There was a long silence, but she answered, "no."

And his heart was gladdened as Kori sat on the floor and he lay his head in her lap for comfort.

"What am I feeling right now?" He asked her.

Kori replied emotionlessly, "peace."

"It's all thanks to you, as always."

Laurence came back to reality and his posture relaxed as time ticked by and he waited for his opportunity. Slowly, nobles began to leave the ball.
Chapter 40: Joy

As the hours ticked by, Eory felt his confidence growing and felt happiness he didn't even know it was possible to feel while dancing, conversing, and eating at the ball.

His feelings inside the tower where he had been locked up in for so long were always so gray, muted, and empty—even when he felt joy, it was nothing compared to this kind of joy.

While conversing at the ball, Eory was upset to find that most of the nobles wanted nothing to do with him and would only speak to him briefly, but was shocked that many were so kind to him—kinder than he had a right to expect them to be considering the family he belonged to.

Gershom was his greatest ally during the ball. Because Pollyanna hated the nobles and because Kori was sitting by the king, Gershom was the only one there to comfort him and bolster his confidence.

When he felt himself getting so nervous that it felt like his heart would beat out of his chest, he would step away from the nobles and pet his dog for a few moments, and all the stress would leave him.

He would press his cheek into the dog's fur and the dog would lovingly lick his cheek in return; when Eory looked into Gershom's buggy, black eyes, he knew he always had a friend, and that relaxed him to no end.

If a dog loves me, maybe people can, too... Eory thought to himself.

Gershom also helped Eory break the ice with many of the nobles. They would have no interest in talking to him, but then Gershom would bark, and they would have dozens of questions about the dog. Eory would explain that he was a terrier with a very loving personality who was well-trained and the nobles would coo over him.

Late into the ball, and even later into the night when nobles started leaving, Eory took a break and sat with Gershom in his lap on the ballroom floor. His face was scrunched up in a smile as he watched the dog pant with its silly and adorable loose jowls hanging from his chin and a brainless and happy look on his face.

Pollyanna--who had been standing away from him and who had melted into a shadow—reemerged now and stood over him.

She knelt beside him and whispered, "he reminds me of the dog you had when you were a child..."

Eory nodded as he gently ran his ivory hands through the dog's fur. He was mesmerized by its black eyes as he stared into them with a deep concentration. He saw himself in those eyes, and when he blinked, his reflection blinked, too.

He was happy; his heart was soaring with the comfort of having something inherently good-hearted love him.

All else faded to black, and soon, it was just him and Gershom.

Not the dog, Gershom, but the fairy, Gershom.

Eory felt very small, and he saw he was sitting on his brother's lap like he used to when he was little.

He was weeping heavily, and the soaring feeling in his heart was gone. It was replaced by a sick and nauseated feeling that latched to his head and stomach.

His brother's hands were gripping his forearm's as he wept. "Don't cry Eory. Please don't cry. It was only a dog; there are so many other dogs. We can get you a new one tomorrow! I promise!"

His own weeping became louder in his ears and seemed to echo in the dark space. "There was no dog like him! He was my best friend! Why won't you tell me who killed him?"

"I..." Gershom began but could say no more.

I...

I...

I...

And suddenly, Eory felt warm liquid cascading off his arms.

He stared forward with his eyes wide in terror.

He didn't dare look back at his brother, because he knew his hands were covered in blood. Eory knew the truth which he had kept from himself for so long.

His brother had killed that innocent dog who had done nothing but love him.

It tore Eory's heart apart because that dog felt like his only friend much of the time.

Although Gershom tried to make time to play with him at least once a day, he was always so busy with his lessons. His parents were busy all the time, too, but it wasn't just that that made Eory not want to be around them.

Something was just off about them, even though they did often dote on him when they were around.

But his dog was different. It was always there for him, and he could spend hours playing with it.

He once took the dog out to the inner bailey of the castle and spent a whole hour racing his dog from one end of the inner wall to the other side.

They were having a grand time up until he spun around when his fingers touched the wall and saw that his dog had disappeared.

He thought it had run away from him.

He sniffled and then hugged his knees and drowned in a pit of lonely misery until the dog showed up and whimpered when it saw how miserable Eory was without its company only a few minutes later.

Eory immediately ceased his sobbing when the dog returned and he hugged it and hoped it would never disappear again.

When the dog died later, Eory felt sick for weeks and said very little if anything at all. Deep down, he knew Gershom had killed the dog, but he didn't want to let himself believe it because he thought Gershom was different from the rest of his family, and it hurt him too much to accept that his older brother was no different.

"You're never too busy for me!" Eory would often say to his boyhood dog.

Eory came back to reality and sniffled a little at the memory. He embraced his dog with an absurdly happy expression and felt relaxed and at peace with himself.

Pollyanna couldn't help but think her charge had a lot in common with that dog.
Chapter 41: Good and Respectable

One by one, every noble in the ballroom came before the king, had a few words with him, and then left—until, suddenly, the ballroom had gotten very quiet.

Eory looked around and everyone was gone but for him, the king, Kori, Pollyanna, and a few guards standing in the corners of the room.

Pollyanna noticed that, about an hour ago, the queen had excused herself and taken her six-year-old with her. That did not bode well, and it made Pollyanna hyper-vigilant.

The room was so quiet now that Eory's footsteps echoed when he approached the king.

Laurence sat up straight in his throne and couldn't help but turn his nose up at the approach of Eory and the Arrozan Sword. He could see nothing but King Herin's features in the young man's face.

Everyone in the room was tense.

Fear of the unknown hung in the air as Eory's ominous footsteps came to a halt before the king. Eory did a bow and fell on one knee before the dais. Pollyanna reluctantly followed suite with a curtsy and stayed on both knees next Eory. On Eory's other side, Gershom was silent and well mannered and didn't even pant.

The fairy kept his head and eyes down and said humbly, "I await your judgement, King Laurence. Have I performed well tonight?"

Sweat rolled down Kori's forehead in fear as she awaited the king's response.

Laurence looked upon Eory with a consternated expression. He cleared his throat in a moment and replied, "you have, Eory. Many of the nobles were quite taken with you, and the ones that weren't couldn't claim that you had been rude to them. You have done extremely well."

Relief overwhelmed Eory. It felt as if the stress that had made it hard for him to even breathe had stopped constricting his lungs and heart. He nearly jumped for joy, but he managed to keep his composure.

While still kneeling, he asked, "then... Am I free to go, Your Majesty?"

The room was deathly silence again but for gentle breathing.

Laurence took a deep breath. "You are, but I would like you to do something for me, first."

Kori looked panicked and wondered what the king had in mind. She was already ready to protest.

Pollyanna's muscles were tensed and she was ready to spring into action if necessary.

Eory just kept his head down as stress once again strangled him about the throat and made it hard to breathe.

"You behaved admirably, but as usual, Pollyanna was poorly behaved during the ball and is a menace to society. She threatened two nobles and even shoved you. I'm afraid I must require that you order her to be executed or imprisoned forever since she seems to obey your every whim." Laurence said evenly as his fingers fidgeted nervously.

I don't know whether Pollyanna is required to follow his orders, but this is the best way to find out.

Everyone was still; they were all trying to process what he said and what it entailed for each of them.

Pollyanna was furious and felt the most panic she had in ages. Her life was always secure in the hands of Eory's ancestors because they would always need her to protect them from treason, assassins, and revolts. Not only that, but she and Eory's ancestors had respected each other greatly and had similar philosophies.

She expected Eory would pick the king over herself. She hated him for it; the two of them had every opportunity to escape, but Eory's need to be accepted as decent and kind overwhelmed logic at every turn. And now, the king seemed like he was going to reward Eory for his kindness and the only one to die would be herself. She seethed in rage at everyone in the room and wished them all terrible deaths.

If Eory chose the king over her, she could be spending the rest of eternity in jail. If Eory ordered her to die, she did not know what would happen. She suspected that the magic of the potion protecting her would break so she would be able to kill herself, and if she disobeyed the order, the potion would still kill her anyway.

Eory's face was drained of warmth and his thoughts raced so quickly that he couldn't hold onto to one long enough to say anything. His mouth moved, but no words came out.

Kori was silent, but hopeful that Eory would agree with the king and order Pollyanna to her death or order her to be imprisoned. She liked the plan.

Eory finally spluttered with unshed tears in his eyes, "b-but—that's unfair! You said you would free me if I performed well..."

"And I will. I would just like your agreement on this, Eory. As I said, you have performed well, and I can see you becoming a well-respected and well-liked member of society. You are a very kind and understanding young man; the world needs more people like you. But Pollyanna has killed so many people, and she will be whispering poison in your ears until the day you die to try and convince you to be like your ancestors. You must also understand that I can't help but have doubts about you when you keep a weapon such as her around who could kill me and everyone in this kingdom if she so desired." Laurence said levelly.

For the first time in a long time in her life, Pollyanna was frozen in fear and didn't know what to do. She felt like she was waiting to die.

Eory took a shuddering breath and his legs felt weak beneath him. He waited for his mind to clear to finally give an answer.

"Please, Your Majesty. Just let her be free with me. She isn't evil, she was a slave to my family just like everyone in this kingdom was. She has a good heart and has done great things! She lessened the killing of my father, Herin, and disobeyed him at every turn!" Eory cried as he shakily climbed to his feet.

Pollyanna, who had been glaring at the three of them with hatred burning in her eyes, now looked at Eory in shock and confusion.

Kori intervened. "Eory, how many times must I tell you. Those stories were fiction. Pollyanna has done no good things for this kingdom. In fact, if she saw the slightest hint of treason in the past, she would always be the first to kill whoever was planning a revolt. Now please, order her to stay in prison forever; order her to die, so that you may live a good life with me."

Eory looked at Pollyanna, who was keeping her eyes down for the first time in her life and didn't dare to look at him or anyone else in the room, and then he looked at Laurence and Kori.

Kori had that sweet and understanding look on her face; that face that told him everything would be okay, and Laurence had a determined, but enigmatic look on his face.

"Pollyanna i-is my friend. I won't let anything bad happen to her." Eory finally said nervously. "She obeys my every order. I promise you that she will never harm you or anyone else. Just let her go, too."

Laurence tapped his fingers on the arm rest and his determined expression did not fade from his face.

Eory looked into his eyes as blood pounded in his ears.

And then, to Eory's shock, the king nodded. "Very well. You are free. Take Pollyanna and go; she may be untrustworthy, but you clearly are. You have demonstrated that tonight. However, please promise me that you will never let Pollyanna harm anyone."

Eory nodded nervously, and felt the stress being lifted off his shoulders again. He was shaken by the king's unexpected kindness. "I will; I promise you that Pollyanna will harm no one."

Kori was stunned. "But Laurence--!"

Laurence held up a hand. "I trust him. He is a kind young man."

Tears sprang from the waif's eyes and she sobbed into the armrest on her chair, not wanting Eory to leave her side. She couldn't believe that even the king seemed to be on Pollyanna's side, of all people.

Eory's face lit up and he turned to Pollyanna. "We can leave, Pollyanna! Let's go!"

Pollyanna looked up at him with her ancient heart beating quickly. She shed no tears of fear, but only had a look of numb shock on her face.

Eory reached out a hand, and the warrior maiden took it and pulled herself to her feet.

She was stunned by Eory's kindness.

Eory turned to Kori with a smile on his face. "Do you want to come with us, Kori? I wanted to talk to you about how much fun I had tonight..."

But Kori was in the pit of despair and couldn't hear him through her own sobbing.

Eory's face fell. He wanted so badly for her to revel in this victory with him, and it hurt him that she was unable to.

Perhaps she will be well enough to, tomorrow. Eory thought to himself.

And then he, Pollyanna, and Gershom, slowly headed toward the large double-doors which they had come in by on the opposite end of the large room.

There was silence again but for Kori's weeping and their echoing footsteps as they walked.

Pollyanna kept her eyes glued to the balcony hanging above them.

Freedom was so close that Eory could practically taste it. His smile kept getting larger and larger as the door came closer and closer.

He took one more step which put him, Pollyanna, and Gershom halfway to the door, and then the king said with a loud and clear voice, "kill them."

Eory froze in fear and shock and his body refused to move.

Pollyanna saw the archers step into view on the balcony.

Kori looked up and tears sprung from her cheeks as she shrieked Eory's name and tried to make her way over to him just to be caught by the king.

Pollyanna dove and tackled Eory to the ground where she shielded him with her own body. She had him pinned in such a way that his neck was forcibly craned to the right where he saw from under Pollyanna that Gershom was barking and whimpering wildly.

Eory heard dozens of arrows being loosed and his mind and body were blank with emotions he could not even process.

Pollyanna grunted in pain as the arrows thunked into her body—some went through her and nearly pierced nicked Eory's own skin, but most only just pierced her hardened skin.

He didn't even care that he was covered in her blood because he had gone numb from being unable to look away from Gershom.

He was forced to watch as dozens of arrows pierced Gershom. There was a horrendous and heart-rending whimper that Eory would never forget, and then the dog lay on its side and twitched while whimpering weakly.

Eory watched it twitch two more times, and then it stopped moving.

Eory stared at its lank motionless body with wide, unblinking eyes. His emotions and mind felt detached from his own body as he lay there expressionlessly and could not move.

More arrows were loosed and pierced Pollyanna's back. She let out a gasp of pain and she went lank for a moment, but Eory could still feel her breathing and knew she wasn't dead.

At the moment, he didn't care whether anyone lived or died. He had very few thoughts about anything at all.
Chapter 42: Disgust

One by one, every noble in the ballroom came before the king, had a few words with him, and then left—until, suddenly, the ballroom had gotten very quiet.

Eory looked around and everyone was gone but for him, the king, Kori, Pollyanna, and a few guards standing in the corners of the room.

Pollyanna noticed that, about an hour ago, the queen had excused herself and taken her six-year-old with her. That did not bode well, and it made Pollyanna hyper-vigilant.

The room was so quiet now that Eory's footsteps echoed when he approached the king.

Laurence sat up straight in his throne and couldn't help but turn his nose up at the approach of Eory and the Arrozan Sword. He could see nothing but King Herin's features in the young man's face.

Everyone in the room was tense.

Fear of the unknown hung in the air as Eory's ominous footsteps came to a halt before the king. Eory did a bow and fell on one knee before the dais. Pollyanna reluctantly followed suite with a curtsy and stayed on both knees next Eory. On Eory's other side, Gershom was silent and well mannered and didn't even pant.

The fairy kept his head and eyes down and said humbly, "I await your judgement, King Laurence. Have I performed well tonight?"

Sweat rolled down Kori's forehead in fear as she awaited the king's response.

Laurence looked upon Eory with a consternated expression. He cleared his throat in a moment and replied, "you have, Eory. Many of the nobles were quite taken with you, and the ones that weren't couldn't claim that you had been rude to them. You have done extremely well."

Relief overwhelmed Eory. It felt as if the stress that had made it hard for him to even breathe had stopped constricting his lungs and heart. He nearly jumped for joy, but he managed to keep his composure.

While still kneeling, he asked, "then... Am I free to go, Your Majesty?"

The room was deathly silence again but for gentle breathing.

Laurence took a deep breath. "You are, but I would like you to do something for me, first."

Kori looked panicked and wondered what the king had in mind. She was already ready to protest.

Pollyanna's muscles were tensed and she was ready to spring into action if necessary.

Eory just kept his head down as stress once again strangled him about the throat and made it hard to breathe.

"You behaved admirably, but as usual, Pollyanna was poorly behaved during the ball and is a menace to society. She threatened two nobles and even shoved you. I'm afraid I must require that you order her to be executed or imprisoned forever since she seems to obey your every whim." Laurence said evenly as his fingers fidgeted nervously.

I don't know whether Pollyanna is required to follow his orders, but this is the best way to find out.

Everyone was still; they were all trying to process what he said and what it entailed for each of them.

Pollyanna was furious and felt the most panic she had in ages. Her life was always secure in the hands of Eory's ancestors because they would always need her to protect them from treason, assassins, and revolts. Not only that, but she and Eory's ancestors had respected each other greatly and had similar philosophies.

She expected Eory would pick the king over herself. She hated him for it; the two of them had every opportunity to escape, but Eory's need to be accepted as decent and kind overwhelmed logic at every turn. And now, the king seemed like he was going to reward Eory for his kindness and the only one to die would be herself. She seethed in rage at everyone in the room and wished them all terrible deaths.

If Eory chose the king over her, she could be spending the rest of eternity in jail. If Eory ordered her to die, she did not know what would happen. She suspected that the magic of the potion protecting her would break so she would be able to kill herself, and if she disobeyed the order, the potion would still kill her anyway.

Eory's face was drained of warmth and his thoughts raced so quickly that he couldn't hold onto to one long enough to say anything. His mouth moved, but no words came out.

Kori was silent, but hopeful that Eory would agree with the king and order Pollyanna to her death or order her to be imprisoned. She liked the plan.

Eory finally spluttered with unshed tears in his eyes, "b-but—that's unfair! You said you would free me if I performed well..."

"And I will. I would just like your agreement on this, Eory. As I said, you have performed well, and I can see you becoming a well-respected and well-liked member of society. You are a very kind and understanding young man; the world needs more people like you. But Pollyanna has killed so many people, and she will be whispering poison in your ears until the day you die to try and convince you to be like your ancestors. You must also understand that I can't help but have doubts about you when you keep a weapon such as her around who could kill me and everyone in this kingdom if she so desired." Laurence said levelly.

For the first time in a long time in her life, Pollyanna was frozen in fear and didn't know what to do. She felt like she was waiting to die.

Eory took a shuddering breath and his legs felt weak beneath him. He waited for his mind to clear to finally give an answer.

"Please, Your Majesty. Just let her be free with me. She isn't evil, she was a slave to my family just like everyone in this kingdom was. She has a good heart and has done great things! She lessened the killing of my father, Herin, and disobeyed him at every turn!" Eory cried as he shakily climbed to his feet.

Pollyanna, who had been glaring at the three of them with hatred burning in her eyes, now looked at Eory in shock and confusion.

Kori intervened. "Eory, how many times must I tell you. Those stories were fiction. Pollyanna has done no good things for this kingdom. In fact, if she saw the slightest hint of treason in the past, she would always be the first to kill whoever was planning a revolt. Now please, order her to stay in prison forever; order her to die, so that you may live a good life with me."

Eory looked at Pollyanna, who was keeping her eyes down for the first time in her life and didn't dare to look at him or anyone else in the room, and then he looked at Laurence and Kori.

Kori had that sweet and understanding look on her face; that face that told him everything would be okay, and Laurence had a determined, but enigmatic look on his face.

"Pollyanna i-is my friend. I won't let anything bad happen to her." Eory finally said nervously. "She obeys my every order. I promise you that she will never harm you or anyone else. Just let her go, too."

Laurence tapped his fingers on the arm rest and his determined expression did not fade from his face.

Eory looked into his eyes as blood pounded in his ears.

And then, to Eory's shock, the king nodded. "Very well. You are free. Take Pollyanna and go; she may be untrustworthy, but you clearly are. You have demonstrated that tonight. However, please promise me that you will never let Pollyanna harm anyone."

Eory nodded nervously, and felt the stress being lifted off his shoulders again. He was shaken by the king's unexpected kindness. "I will; I promise you that Pollyanna will harm no one."

Kori was stunned. "But Laurence--!"

Laurence held up a hand. "I trust him. He is a kind young man."

Tears sprang from the waif's eyes and she sobbed into the armrest on her chair, not wanting Eory to leave her side. She couldn't believe that even the king seemed to be on Pollyanna's side, of all people.

Eory's face lit up and he turned to Pollyanna. "We can leave, Pollyanna! Let's go!"

Pollyanna looked up at him with her ancient heart beating quickly. She shed no tears of fear, but only had a look of numb shock on her face.

Eory reached out a hand, and the warrior maiden took it and pulled herself to her feet.

She was stunned by Eory's kindness.

Eory turned to Kori with a smile on his face. "Do you want to come with us, Kori? I wanted to talk to you about how much fun I had tonight..."

But Kori was in the pit of despair and couldn't hear him through her own sobbing.

Eory's face fell. He wanted so badly for her to revel in this victory with him, and it hurt him that she was unable to.

Perhaps she will be well enough to, tomorrow. Eory thought to himself.

And then he, Pollyanna, and Gershom, slowly headed toward the large double-doors which they had come in by on the opposite end of the large room.

There was silence again but for Kori's weeping and their echoing footsteps as they walked.

Pollyanna kept her eyes glued to the balcony hanging above them.

Freedom was so close that Eory could practically taste it. His smile kept getting larger and larger as the door came closer and closer.

He took one more step which put him, Pollyanna, and Gershom halfway to the door, and then the king said with a loud and clear voice, "kill them."

Eory froze in fear and shock and his body refused to move.

Pollyanna saw the archers step into view on the balcony.

Kori looked up and tears sprung from her cheeks as she shrieked Eory's name and tried to make her way over to him just to be caught by the king.

Pollyanna dove and tackled Eory to the ground where she shielded him with her own body. She had him pinned in such a way that his neck was forcibly craned to the right where he saw from under Pollyanna that Gershom was barking and whimpering wildly.

Eory heard dozens of arrows being loosed and his mind and body were blank with emotions he could not even process.

Pollyanna grunted in pain as the arrows thunked into her body—some went through her and nearly pierced nicked Eory's own skin, but most only just pierced her hardened skin.

He didn't even care that he was covered in her blood because he had gone numb from being unable to look away from Gershom.

He was forced to watch as dozens of arrows pierced Gershom. There was a horrendous and heart-rending whimper that Eory would never forget, and then the dog lay on its side and twitched while whimpering weakly.

Eory watched it twitch two more times, and then it stopped moving.

Eory stared at its lank motionless body with wide, unblinking eyes. His emotions and mind felt detached from his own body as he lay there expressionlessly and could not move.

More arrows were loosed and pierced Pollyanna's back. She let out a gasp of pain and she went lank for a moment, but Eory could still feel her breathing and knew she wasn't dead.

At the moment, he didn't care whether anyone lived or died. He had very few thoughts about anything at all.
Chapter 43: Failures

One by one, every noble in the ballroom came before the king, had a few words with him, and then left—until, suddenly, the ballroom had gotten very quiet.

Eory looked around and everyone was gone but for him, the king, Kori, Pollyanna, and a few guards standing in the corners of the room.

Pollyanna noticed that, about an hour ago, the queen had excused herself and taken her six-year-old with her. That did not bode well, and it made Pollyanna hyper-vigilant.

The room was so quiet now that Eory's footsteps echoed when he approached the king.

Laurence sat up straight in his throne and couldn't help but turn his nose up at the approach of Eory and the Arrozan Sword. He could see nothing but King Herin's features in the young man's face.

Everyone in the room was tense.

Fear of the unknown hung in the air as Eory's ominous footsteps came to a halt before the king. Eory did a bow and fell on one knee before the dais. Pollyanna reluctantly followed suite with a curtsy and stayed on both knees next Eory. On Eory's other side, Gershom was silent and well mannered and didn't even pant.

The fairy kept his head and eyes down and said humbly, "I await your judgement, King Laurence. Have I performed well tonight?"

Sweat rolled down Kori's forehead in fear as she awaited the king's response.

Laurence looked upon Eory with a consternated expression. He cleared his throat in a moment and replied, "you have, Eory. Many of the nobles were quite taken with you, and the ones that weren't couldn't claim that you had been rude to them. You have done extremely well."

Relief overwhelmed Eory. It felt as if the stress that had made it hard for him to even breathe had stopped constricting his lungs and heart. He nearly jumped for joy, but he managed to keep his composure.

While still kneeling, he asked, "then... Am I free to go, Your Majesty?"

The room was deathly silence again but for gentle breathing.

Laurence took a deep breath. "You are, but I would like you to do something for me, first."

Kori looked panicked and wondered what the king had in mind. She was already ready to protest.

Pollyanna's muscles were tensed and she was ready to spring into action if necessary.

Eory just kept his head down as stress once again strangled him about the throat and made it hard to breathe.

"You behaved admirably, but as usual, Pollyanna was poorly behaved during the ball and is a menace to society. She threatened two nobles and even shoved you. I'm afraid I must require that you order her to be executed or imprisoned forever since she seems to obey your every whim." Laurence said evenly as his fingers fidgeted nervously.

I don't know whether Pollyanna is required to follow his orders, but this is the best way to find out.

Everyone was still; they were all trying to process what he said and what it entailed for each of them.

Pollyanna was furious and felt the most panic she had in ages. Her life was always secure in the hands of Eory's ancestors because they would always need her to protect them from treason, assassins, and revolts. Not only that, but she and Eory's ancestors had respected each other greatly and had similar philosophies.

She expected Eory would pick the king over herself. She hated him for it; the two of them had every opportunity to escape, but Eory's need to be accepted as decent and kind overwhelmed logic at every turn. And now, the king seemed like he was going to reward Eory for his kindness and the only one to die would be herself. She seethed in rage at everyone in the room and wished them all terrible deaths.

If Eory chose the king over her, she could be spending the rest of eternity in jail. If Eory ordered her to die, she did not know what would happen. She suspected that the magic of the potion protecting her would break so she would be able to kill herself, and if she disobeyed the order, the potion would still kill her anyway.

Eory's face was drained of warmth and his thoughts raced so quickly that he couldn't hold onto to one long enough to say anything. His mouth moved, but no words came out.

Kori was silent, but hopeful that Eory would agree with the king and order Pollyanna to her death or order her to be imprisoned. She liked the plan.

Eory finally spluttered with unshed tears in his eyes, "b-but—that's unfair! You said you would free me if I performed well..."

"And I will. I would just like your agreement on this, Eory. As I said, you have performed well, and I can see you becoming a well-respected and well-liked member of society. You are a very kind and understanding young man; the world needs more people like you. But Pollyanna has killed so many people, and she will be whispering poison in your ears until the day you die to try and convince you to be like your ancestors. You must also understand that I can't help but have doubts about you when you keep a weapon such as her around who could kill me and everyone in this kingdom if she so desired." Laurence said levelly.

For the first time in a long time in her life, Pollyanna was frozen in fear and didn't know what to do. She felt like she was waiting to die.

Eory took a shuddering breath and his legs felt weak beneath him. He waited for his mind to clear to finally give an answer.

"Please, Your Majesty. Just let her be free with me. She isn't evil, she was a slave to my family just like everyone in this kingdom was. She has a good heart and has done great things! She lessened the killing of my father, Herin, and disobeyed him at every turn!" Eory cried as he shakily climbed to his feet.

Pollyanna, who had been glaring at the three of them with hatred burning in her eyes, now looked at Eory in shock and confusion.

Kori intervened. "Eory, how many times must I tell you. Those stories were fiction. Pollyanna has done no good things for this kingdom. In fact, if she saw the slightest hint of treason in the past, she would always be the first to kill whoever was planning a revolt. Now please, order her to stay in prison forever; order her to die, so that you may live a good life with me."

Eory looked at Pollyanna, who was keeping her eyes down for the first time in her life and didn't dare to look at him or anyone else in the room, and then he looked at Laurence and Kori.

Kori had that sweet and understanding look on her face; that face that told him everything would be okay, and Laurence had a determined, but enigmatic look on his face.

"Pollyanna i-is my friend. I won't let anything bad happen to her." Eory finally said nervously. "She obeys my every order. I promise you that she will never harm you or anyone else. Just let her go, too."

Laurence tapped his fingers on the arm rest and his determined expression did not fade from his face.

Eory looked into his eyes as blood pounded in his ears.

And then, to Eory's shock, the king nodded. "Very well. You are free. Take Pollyanna and go; she may be untrustworthy, but you clearly are. You have demonstrated that tonight. However, please promise me that you will never let Pollyanna harm anyone."

Eory nodded nervously, and felt the stress being lifted off his shoulders again. He was shaken by the king's unexpected kindness. "I will; I promise you that Pollyanna will harm no one."

Kori was stunned. "But Laurence--!"

Laurence held up a hand. "I trust him. He is a kind young man."

Tears sprang from the waif's eyes and she sobbed into the armrest on her chair, not wanting Eory to leave her side. She couldn't believe that even the king seemed to be on Pollyanna's side, of all people.

Eory's face lit up and he turned to Pollyanna. "We can leave, Pollyanna! Let's go!"

Pollyanna looked up at him with her ancient heart beating quickly. She shed no tears of fear, but only had a look of numb shock on her face.

Eory reached out a hand, and the warrior maiden took it and pulled herself to her feet.

She was stunned by Eory's kindness.

Eory turned to Kori with a smile on his face. "Do you want to come with us, Kori? I wanted to talk to you about how much fun I had tonight..."

But Kori was in the pit of despair and couldn't hear him through her own sobbing.

Eory's face fell. He wanted so badly for her to revel in this victory with him, and it hurt him that she was unable to.

Perhaps she will be well enough to, tomorrow. Eory thought to himself.

And then he, Pollyanna, and Gershom, slowly headed toward the large double-doors which they had come in by on the opposite end of the large room.

There was silence again but for Kori's weeping and their echoing footsteps as they walked.

Pollyanna kept her eyes glued to the balcony hanging above them.

Freedom was so close that Eory could practically taste it. His smile kept getting larger and larger as the door came closer and closer.

He took one more step which put him, Pollyanna, and Gershom halfway to the door, and then the king said with a loud and clear voice, "kill them."

Eory froze in fear and shock and his body refused to move.

Pollyanna saw the archers step into view on the balcony.

Kori looked up and tears sprung from her cheeks as she shrieked Eory's name and tried to make her way over to him just to be caught by the king.

Pollyanna dove and tackled Eory to the ground where she shielded him with her own body. She had him pinned in such a way that his neck was forcibly craned to the right where he saw from under Pollyanna that Gershom was barking and whimpering wildly.

Eory heard dozens of arrows being loosed and his mind and body were blank with emotions he could not even process.

Pollyanna grunted in pain as the arrows thunked into her body—some went through her and nearly pierced nicked Eory's own skin, but most only just pierced her hardened skin.

He didn't even care that he was covered in her blood because he had gone numb from being unable to look away from Gershom.

He was forced to watch as dozens of arrows pierced Gershom. There was a horrendous and heart-rending whimper that Eory would never forget, and then the dog lay on its side and twitched while whimpering weakly.

Eory watched it twitch two more times, and then it stopped moving.

Eory stared at its lank motionless body with wide, unblinking eyes. His emotions and mind felt detached from his own body as he lay there expressionlessly and could not move.

More arrows were loosed and pierced Pollyanna's back. She let out a gasp of pain and she went lank for a moment, but Eory could still feel her breathing and knew she wasn't dead.

At the moment, he didn't care whether anyone lived or died. He had very few thoughts about anything at all.
Chapter 44: Savior

Eory came to Pollyanna's side and crossed his arms with a look of distaste in his eyes as he gazed upon the cowering king.

I'd like to see him dead. I'd like to see him shot up with as many arrows as he shot Gershom up with. Eory thought to himself with seething rage.

"Please let me live. I h-have a wife and children! The kingdom needs me!" Laurence protested as Pollyanna brandished her sword.

Pollyanna put a strong hand on the fairy's shoulder and she told him, "just give me the order and I'll cut him down."

But in a moment, his look of distaste and rage melted into one of repentance and self-loathing.

He looked down at his hands and, even though they had no blood upon them, they were dripping red; all he could hear were the screams of the soldiers he murdered with that abomination he had conjured from the corpse of his dog.

Eory sobbed and said aloud as his feelings of hatred turned into feelings of sadness. "I desecrated his corpse! He'll never make it to Ashenklein now..." Eory said, recalling the paradise fairies were said to go to when they died.

Pollyanna, whose dress was torn up from the arrows and who was still leaking blood out of many of the wounds from the arrows, wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulder and brought him close. "You made him stronger. Stronger is better."

Eory took a moment to try and process all of his emotions, and then he was finally able to look upon the king again with shaking hands and a shuddering breath.

Just kill him! It'd be so easy! The woman dared him.

Eory clenched his fists and bit his lip until it bled, but he managed to resist the temptation.

He fell on one knee before the king and said, "King Laurence, my life is in your hands. Choose whatever punishment you find suitable enough for me."

Laurence was stunned. He looked down upon the fairy with confusion mixed with revulsion. The king snarled and unsheathed his blade. "This is the only punishment suitable enough for you and your wretched family!"

Eory screwed his eyes shut and whispered to Pollyanna, "I'm sorry..."

Pollyanna felt no rage toward the fairy, to her surprise, and only rage and panic toward King Laurence as he held his blade high. She wanted to leap at him—she wanted to cut his throat—but the magic potion coursing through her veins would not allow it.

Laurence swung the blade down but stopped as Kori shrieked, "put that blade down!"

She dashed in front of Eory protectively—her arms wrapped around his neck—and glared at the king. "You lied to me! You promised me Eory would be spared! Now you see where your lies have gotten us all! If you kill Eory, you may as well kill me, too, because he's the only thing I have to live for!"

Eory stroked the waif's hair and told her regretfully and sincerely, "Kori, it's okay. I'm prepared to pay for my crimes. The world is better off without me."

"No!" Kori protested. "You've made my world so much brighter and better! You can make the rest brighter, too!"

"Damn you, Kori, move! Let me kill this monster!" Laurence growled.

"You never wanted to give him a chance! You decided he was a monster before you even met him! You promised to give him a fair chance!" Kori sobbed. "Even now, he is saving your life by ordering Pollyanna not to kill you!"

Laurence watched her weep in silence for a moment as Eory continued to stroke her hair.

His fingers were still tight and tense on the hilt of the sword, but in a moment, he lowered it.

"I have a proposal." Laurence said uneasily. "If you are sincere, Eory, then you will not mind a slower, but kinder and more productive death sentence."

Kori waited in apprehension of what he would suggest—ready to protest.

"The Astral Elves are always looking for more recruits to fend off the doppelgangers. Will you agree to help them?" King Laurence asked.

Kori gasped. "No! I will not allow it!"

Eory cocked his head to the side. "What are you talking about?"

Pollyanna answered for the king. "He wishes to lock us into the Crater of Resentment near the waif homeland where doppelgangers—evil shadows who eat life with every step they take--spring relentlessly up from the ground. The Astral Elves put up a magical barrier around that place and once you go in, you can't get out. We will be locked in with death itself!"

King Laurence glared at her and said, "please, there are many people who live full lives within the Crater—and they live lives of fulfillment, too, because they are doing something for the good of every creature on Yharos. You want to be good, don't you Eory? Well, sacrificing your life to ensure the peace and prosperity of all the kingdoms and peoples on Yharos sounds noble enough to me, and a good enough punishment."

"Don't do it, Eory. People in the Crater live lonely, sad lives! Many of them take their own lives if the doppelgangers don't get them first!" Kori cried. She turned to Laurence. "Just let him go, please Laurence!"

"I will not bend, even for you, Kori! Every kingdom is in danger with these creatures alive!" Laurence yelled, but the waif did not cower. She wrestled with the conflicting feelings inside of her when it came to the king. It was an irrevocable love mixed with a sick and perverse dependence and a result of her own loneliness and need for affection. She could never tell whether the king was taking advantage of her or whether she was just stupid enough to fall in love with a man who was married.

Eory thought for a few moments, and then he motioned Pollyanna to come closer to him as he disengaged from Kori's protective hug.

Pollyanna did so and knelt by his side where he whispered into her ear. "Is there a way to free you from my service? I don't want you to have to come."

Pollyanna was silent for a moment as she looked into his eyes searchingly, and then she said, "I don't want to be free from your service."

His eyes narrowed with desire. He didn't realize how badly he wanted to hear her say that. She kissed his forehead and then stood up.

Eory nodded, then. "I will go. If it will make up for the lives I have taken here, then I will go."

"No!" Kori cried with her voice cracking, "no... Eory, I beg of you—don't do this... I want you in my life! You're all I have!"

Eory crouched and held her close again. A small smile bloomed on his lips and he remembered again just how lucky he was to have someone kind enough in the world to save a child with evilness tainting his soul from being beheaded like the rest of his family. He realized now, as a mature adult, how lonely she must have been to have selflessly given so much of her life to such a corrupt child as he that was not her own. "Kori, I want you to find a different reason for living. You deserve it more than anyone I know. It should be a good reason, and it should be only for yourself."

Kori turned away from him and covered her face in her hands. With a muffled voice she said, "you're a good reason! Why can't you see it?"

Eory looked at her back for a time with a reflective expression on his face. In a moment he said, "because my hands are covered in blood. I'm not fit to live with you, however much I wanted to."

Laurence removed the circlet atop his head while Eory spoke to Kori. The king's hands were nervous; the fairy could decide to kill him and Kori at any moment; haste was needed. The king yanked the blood red jewel out of the center of the circlet. "The Astral Elves gave each king of every kingdom one of these for whenever a king might find a willing recruit to fend off the doppelgangers. All I need do is call upon the owner of this gem, Tyrus, and he will come immediately and ask for your consent and signature on a contract, and then he will take you to the Crater."

Eory nodded and then touched Kori's shoulder, but she yanked it away and continued crying. "Just go if you care so little about me!"

The fairy was devastated.

Laurence wasted no time in clutching the gem in his hands and whispering, "Tyrus."

A few silent moments passed, and then a tall, statuesque elf who was the same height as Pollyanna appeared. His ears were pointed like Kori's, but they were only the width of a human's ear unlike the waif's, whose were much longer. The elf wore a blood red, heavy cloak which draped over the front and back of his torso, but left his arms uncovered.. Underneath the cloak, he wore plain black breeches and pointed, golden shoes.

He was thin underneath all his clothes—so thin that his clothes were very baggy--and had an incredibly long face and elegant neck.

Although Tyrus had a hood up, Eory saw that the elf had a third eye underneath it on his forehead and tried not to stare.

The elf addressed the king. "Do you have new recruits?"

Laurence nodded. "The fairy and the warrior maiden. I must warn you... They are unpredictable. They may kill all the other recruits if it suits them."

The Astral Elf glanced at Eory and Pollyanna. "Ah, the Arrozan and the ancient guard of his family. They will be fine recruits. If they expect to survive in the Crater, they will have to learn that they must work with others. I will take them, but I need their consent—both verbal and written. Do I have it?"

"You have it." Eory answered.

Pollyanna looked unsure for a fraction of a second—but then she remembered how Eory gave up his freedom for her and suddenly, her doubt was gone. She wasn't even sure how she felt about Eory, but she was enthralled by that strangely selfless decision and wanted to see where following Eory would lead her.

"You have it." Pollyanna said confidently.

The elf spread his long arms out from under his cloak and held his palm out. Out of thin air, a shining, yellow piece of parchment was summoned along with a quill pen floating above the elf's palm. He stretched his fingers out toward Eory and the parchment floated his way.

Eory took the pen and read over the simple and short contract warily. It wanted his promise that he would willingly stay at the Crater for life and help fend off the doppelgangers or face pain of death. He looked down-trodden and lost for a moment, and then he signed it and felt very cold.

While the elf conjured another piece of parchment and pen for Pollyanna, Eory touched Kori's shoulder again. "Please Kori, give me a proper goodbye."

Her shoulders slumped, and she hung her head.

Tears stung his eyes. "Please, I'll never see you again. I want to know that someone loved me..."

Pollyanna watched them with a curious eyebrow raised as she signed her name.

"I will be taking them now." The elf announced. "Come, hold my hands and I will warp you to where the rest of the recruits are."

Eory whispered quietly, "please, Kori..."

But she wouldn't even turn his way.

Eory dried his eyes and sniffled and then joined Pollyanna by the elf.

The elf spoke in a foreign language and his eyes lit up with golden light; the air around him swirled and the sound of wind blowing filled Eory's large ears as golden streaks of light flared around them.

Eory's eyes wouldn't leave Kori as new tears kept replacing old ones. Without her support, he felt so unsure and alone. He looked down and sobbed aloud with only Pollyanna to put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

She never loved me at all... Eory thought to himself as he fell to his knees. This was the last image he would ever have of her in his mind; an image of her fittingly turning her back on him.

"Wait!" Kori suddenly screamed and the elf stopped his spell. She threw her arms around Eory. "I want to come with you! I want to protect you! Give me a contract, too!"

A slow and contented grin spread across the fairy's face as he pressed his cheek into the top of her head and his eyes squinted into a smile.

The bitterness and coldness seemed to leave his mind now that he got to say a proper goodbye. Now, he would have an image of her tearful, but loving face in his mind instead. "Kori, I want you to stay. I want you to keep redeeming criminals and improving their lives. You have a good life to live ahead of you, and it shouldn't include someone rotten like me."

Kori pressed her head further onto his chest and gave herself a moment to remember all of her grand memories of being a mother.

She remembered when Eory refused to eat and she had to play a game with him where they both pretended to be pigs to get him to. She remembered when she would bathe him and he would splash water all over her and giggle playfully; she remembered his radiant little face when she entered the room and how nothing in the world felt as warm or as golden as his hugs.

She remembered those times when he would get sad—so sad that he couldn't even get off the sofa in his room to greet her. Most of the time she would threaten that if he didn't get up, she would leave him, but sometimes she would sit next to him and ask him what was wrong. He would never answer her, but most of the time he would hug her until he felt better, and she felt enormously proud of herself that she helped him out of the pits of despair.

He was her greatest accomplishment, and that would never change.

"Kori, I order you to stay. You are not fit for the company of criminals and other misfits of society. You will stay here and do your job." Laurence threatened her.

"Shall I draw her up a contract?" The elf addressed everyone in the room.

"Yes! I want to go!" Kori yelled. "Let me go!"

But Laurence was having none of it. He yanked her away from Eory and squeezed her arm as she tried to struggle free.

Laurence nodded to the elf. "Take them away."

The elf began his spell where he had left off.

Eory looked at the weeping Kori who was screaming his name. The elf was speaking louder and louder and the wind swirling around them became more and more hectic until finally, he could not hear the waif's words at all.

He smiled at his mother one last time and thanked her under his breath for trying.

Thank you for trying to save me.

And then, the elf, the fairy, and the warrior maiden all disappeared from the ballroom in a flash of light.

