Altoria was different than Ariadne had been led to believe. Instead of dark, jagged angles, it was all bright lights and open spaces. The buildings in Altoria were a harmonious blend of trees and stone. A miracle of Fae magic, no doubt.
"Ari, what's on your mind?"
Ariadne jumped slightly as Kallen's velvet voice interrupted her thoughts. Her hand drifted to her necklace absent mindedly. She thumbed it over the top of her jumper.
"Why me," she looked sideways at Kallen.
He walked beside her with purpose, his shoulders tight and his gait was smooth, lythe even. Almost like a prowling wildcat. There was something otherworldly about him, not just because he was Fae. Ariadne looked at him again. Yes, definitely otherworldly, vaguely threatening, but handsome all the same.
Kallen seemed to be gripped by thought as he paused before he spoke again.
"Why ever not?" he smirked.
His lips quirked upwards and he fiddled with the iron cuff links at his wrists. Ariadne noticed he didn't answer her question. So she asked a different one.
"I thought Iron hurt Faeries?"
"There's lots of things human myths get wrong..." he sighed, somewhat bored.
"Vampires?"
"Don't exist," Kallen shrugged.
"Silver bullets?" Ariadne pushed.
"God's no!" He chuckled, amused.
"Why the Iron cufflinks?" Ariadne ambushed him and circled back the question bothering her the most. The rest could wait for later.
"Because it's the only metal Fae can touch," Kallen grew silent as if he'd said too much.
Ariadne supposed he had. Fine. A game of wit, then.
"Dancing under the full moon?"
"Yes, but only on special days."
"Painful to eat food from the faerie realm?"
"No, unless there's malicious intent by whoever served or made the meal, so be careful... Very careful, please?" Kallen's voice turned soft, vulnerable.
"Why me?" Ariadne paused while walking and looked at him.
She had asked him again, the question wasn't born from sheer curiosity like the others; she genuinely wanted to know why. Ariadne was confused.
"Because the Sky courts king and daughter is missing, and I think you're the only person who can find them both," he hesitated, then stopped.
There was more he wanted to tell her, Ariadne was sure of it. As sure as she was that tomorrow would come.
"Plus... You saved my life. I owe you a life's debt," Kallen playfully nudged her shoulder.
Ariadne hedged a little as she asked her next question.
"Why do you want to find him... The Sky court king?"
Kallen closed his eyes briefly as if the answer he spoke caused him great pain.
"Without a ruler of the Sky court, the balance between both courts gets tipped in favour of the darker natured Fae. Altoria... It's dying Ari."
Kallen stepped towards Ariadne and held her hand, a bit tighter than the usual firm grasp.
"Ari, help me find the king and his daughter, please?"
Ariadne had a feeling the king was not the sort of person to plead. She waited. He still held her hands as he got onto his knees.
"A fae king never begs, but here I am. Don't make me ask again."
Ariadne looked at the man before her. Desperate. So desperate, that he would ask a "human" to save his land. A man that was not afraid to do anything in order to save his kingdom was dangerous. Very dangerous. For the first time in her life Ariadne was wondering just what the hell she had signed yes for.
Ariadne gripped his wrists firmly, and pulled him up off the floor. The air in her throat caught, and she swallowed before she spoke her next words carefully.
"I'll give you an answer," Ariadne paused.
Kallen smiled.
"After you hear my terms, all of them must be met and to compromise any of them will result in me leaving Altoria and never returning for as long as I, Ari shall live."
Kallen's face fell slightly. The smile had to have been a figment of her imagination. It had disappeared so quickly.
"One... You will never interrupt my sleep, even if it's an emergency. Humans need sleep."
Kallen shrugged.
"OK."
"Two- if faeries can read minds, no one is allowed to read mine. I give no Faerie permission. Including you. This is important, I see it as a violation and a threat to me," Ariadne immediately concentrated and reinforced the walls her father had taught her to make.
"Why would anyone want to read a humans mind. No offence, humans minds are an entirely boring mess. It's always oh this guy loves me... Or I wonder if left my oven on," he chuckled.
Ariadne shrugged, her anger peaked slightly.
"Still, I don't appreciate the thought that someone would intrude in that way, it's just rude. My final rule is that I MUST be allowed to go back and visit my mother, she's human too and she needs me," Ariadne finished.
"You'll go home whenever our investigation allows it," Kallen replied.
"Then I will not help you!"
Kallen turned away from her and swore. His feet paced across the floor barefooted. The soft slap of skin beating out his rhythm of frustration. When Ariadne thought he walked far enough away to never turn back, he was suddenly at her side in a streak of black. It wouldn't have been visible to a real human, but her Fae eyes missed nothing. His hand lay at her throat, casually. Ariadne knew better. It was a threat.
"Get your hand off me, or you can say goodbye to me even thinking about helping you and your kind," Ariadne gritted her teeth.
Kallen's mouth was at her ear.
"You humans are so fragile, just a break here..." he drew a slim finger across her neck.
"And snap, you're dead. Gone," he whispered.
Ariadne shuddered as his hand disappeared. She looked sideways and his hands were fiddling with his cufflinks again, bored.
"Was that a threat? Because if it was, I'd hate to point out that you broke your first promise. The very one I am bound to and have yet to break," Ariadne chided him.
Kallen shrugged.
"Everything has a loophole Ari, you'd do well to remember that. Besides, if I wished to harm you, you would not have been left standing," Kallen turned and walked down the hall.
Ariadne fumed at his blatant disregard for her life.
"You need me King Kallen, don't deny it," she shouted after him.
In another blur of black he was by Ariadne's side again. This time he grabbed her wrist and took her with him, as they raced down the hall. Ariadne would have to ask him about that later. It was the scariest form of transport she had ever had the misfortune to witness.
***********
Kallen deposited Ariadne at a small table full of servants clothed in plain fabrics and dirtied aprons. She looked at all of their faces, lined with wrinkles and hands decorated with calluses. Humans, real humans. Every single one of them. They had probably worked here all their lives. No doubt stolen as children and trained to work for the king.
Ariadne's stomach churned as they all looked at her, curiousity shone rapturously in their otherwise dull eyes. Shades of blue, green, grey, and muddy brown stared at her. Ariadne bit the bullet and tapped the shoulder of the person next to her.
It was slender and encased in a worn brown, simple but pretty, long dress. A feminine face turned to greet her. Copper coloured hair was swept beneath a demure cotton cap, a few stray tendrils peeked out of the back. A heart shaped face was dominated by wide, blue doe eyes, naturally thick eyebrows and a straight nose. Bow shaped lips sat above a definitive chin.
Ariadne looked at those eyes again. Gold rings ran circles around the irises, she held back a gasp. This servant was half Fae, possibly a sun Fae. Ariadne pushed forward her hand slightly.
"I'm Ari, it's nice to meet you," she smiled.
The girl next to her looked at her outstretched hand, and slowly took it.
"Kendra. What's Ari short for?" She asked.
Ariadne immediately liked and distrusted her in equal measure. Someone so sharp of wit shouldn't be shackled to lifelong service, least of all to a king.
"It's not short for anything, unless you like classical music I guess,"Ariadne beamed.
"Ah, I see," Kendra turned back to look up at the throne seated at the high table.
Kallen sat on it, his hands resting on the pale wooden arms. His chin held high as he regarded the subjects before him. Almost disdainfully.
Ariadne quietly scoffed. Kendra sneaked a glance at her.
"You don't find his Majesty appealing?" She placed her head in her hand dreamily.
"He's physically handsome, his manners are somewhat lacking though," Ariadne whispered.
Kendra's hand slipped as her head nearly collided with the table. She burst out laughing and everyone turned to glare at her.
"Something amuses you, servant?" Kallen spoke clearly.
Kendra's shook her head.
"No your majesty. Sorry," Kendra dipped her head submissively.
"I'm sorry," Ariadne whispered.
Kendra lightly shook her head.
"No worries, but I'd pay attention if I were you," Kendra pointed at the king behind a hand.
"Why?" Ariadne asked.
"He's about to announce the annual ball," Kendra sighed.
Ariadne felt her stomach drop to her feet. She was terrified of what would come next.
The king was about to announce the dance of the damned.
Ariadne wasn't afraid, she was terrified.
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