The Stairs

Javan and I walked towards the conference room arm in arm. My other hand kept straying to make sure my clothes and hair were in the proper place. It was no secret that Aelfric made me nervous. He was always looking down his nose at me.
We stepped into the conference room, finding Javan's father sitting at the head of the table in the largest chair. He was tall like Javan with hard onyx eyes, long black hair and a black beard that was trimmed close to his face. He motioned for us to sit and we did, at his right hand side.
“Son,” he began in a low voice. “I am sure you are aware of the rumors circulating.” Javan glanced at me and nodded.
“I am aware and I pay them no heed,” Javan said.
“This is a luxury we cannot afford,” Aelfric said.
“Let me fight,” I said. Both Aelfric and Javan snapped there heads in my direction.
“Fight?” Aelfric asked.
“Yes,” I said. “Let me fight in the military. Help hunt the things you go chasing after in the human world.”
“No,” Javan snapped.
“I agree with Javan,” Aelfric said. “You're not fast enough or strong enough. You'd slow us down. The most you'd be is live bait.”
“I can learn,” I tried.
“No,” Javan said again. Aelfric eyed me for a moment, seeming to think over my suggestion.
“I'll think about it,” he said. “Perhaps a servant.”
“Father, you know how the others will treat her,” Javan protested. Aelfric let a dark grin spread across his face.
“We could always use her for breeding,” he said. Javan shot up out of his seat, the ornate chair falling loudly to the floor. I looked from Javan to Aelfric, confused.
“Breeding? I don't understand?” I said.
“Centuries ago, it wasn't uncommon for us to breed with humans. It produced a more diverse gene pool for us because humans had greater numbers. It's still a practice used at times to make sure our numbers don't dwindle and there isn't any inbreeding. Though mostly it's done by our women who venture into the human world, mate and then return.” Javan explained in a clipped tone.
“In older times, we would take human women and basically use them as cows,” Aelfric said. I looked at Javan alarmed.
“He's joking,” Javan told me with a sneer to his father. “It's in poor taste, too.” Aelfric let out a chuckle and leaned back in his chair.
“The fact still remains, we need to find a use for her,” he said. “It's not just me, Javan. The people are restless with a human living in the castle. The separation between our lands was for a reason, we were hunted. They wonder if she will bring more humans.”
“It's our fault she's here!” Javan snapped. “She can't return home!”
“And I know this as well as you, but rumors still persist,” Aelfric said. “We are in a time of fear. The human world is growing, they are more and more curious and their curiosity can breed fear just as much as it breeds wonder. And when they fear something, they seek to destroy it.”
“The people would have her killed, not the least concerned that our carelessness has lead to her being here, along with all the other human's who stumble upon our realm,” Javan said. “We are the reason the Inferus hunt the humans.”
The Inferus were the faceless creatures, like the one that had chased me the night I landed in the fae realm. Javan had told me once they were made by a powerful sorcerer who stole humans from the human world and drained them of their life force to create the creatures. He intended to use them to rule the fae and human realms. He was killed and his creations ran, escaping to the human realm to feed. Ever since their escape, the fae had tried to wipe them out, but it seemed that no matter how many they killed, more still surfaced.
“I will marry her!” Javan declared loudly, pulling me from my thoughts.
“What?!” both Aelfric and I exclaimed at the same time.
“I will marry her,” Javan repeated, turning to look at me. “Then no one will contest you being here.”
“Javan...” Aelfric said, wide eyed.
“It makes sense,” Javan said. “She could stay in the palace, she would be bound to the royal family and no one could say she would betray us. And you said so yourself, father, we have used humans to breed and with each generation, our line has a harder time producing an heir. Mother had six miscarriages, the last of which ended her life.”
“But...I...” I stammered.
Aelfric scowled at his son, rubbing his chin.
“You logic is sound, my child, but it will cause an uproar,” Aelfric said.
“It can be quickly dispelled by a few open court days and parades,” Javan replied.
“Wait!” I cried, causing both men to turn towards me. “Don't I get a say?! This is my life you're deciding! I have no intention of staying in the fae realm! I want to go home!”
“It is not possible,” Aelfric said.
“I think it is! I've been reading...” I began.
“I am aware,” Aelfric cut off with a sour note in his voice. “You can comb through the whole of the library, but you will not find a way out. We have tried before and there is no feasible way to release you from this world.” I looked at Javan, hoping what his father said was a lie, but his amber eyes were sad and a bit ashamed.
“I tried to tell you,” he said in a soft voice. “But you seemed so sure. I thought it would be better if you found out on your own.” I slumped down in my chair, staring blankly ahead of me. The room was deathly silent aside from our breathing. My mind raced.
I was trapped here. I would never again enter the human realm. I would live and die as a fae. Not only that, but my mere presence had caused an uproar amoungst Javan's people. Aelfric had said that Javan's logic was correct. A marriage would calm the people as I would be further bound to them, unable to betray them. They didn't even realize I wouldn't have been able to betray them even if I wanted to.
“I'll do it,” I said in a defeated voice, not even glancing at the other two. “I'll marry Javan.”
“I'll make the preparations,”Aelfric said, standing. I heard him walk around the table and leave, never once glancing in his direction.
“Davina,” Javan began. “I...” he stopped as if he was unsure what to say. He reached around and gripped the arms of my chair, turning it towards him and knelt at my feet, taking my hands.
“I will never be cruel to you,” he said. “I will never hurt you. I'll give you anything you want.” I looked down at him, pulling one of my hands from his and cupping his cheek.
“I know, Javan,” I said.

I sat next to Javan in the throne room, dressed much more grandly then I had ever been. I wore a silver gown with a jeweled and embroidered skirt, a large rope of diamonds around my neck, diamond earrings and more jewels woven in my hair. I watched the flood of people coming into the throne room, all looking at me suspiciously. The announcement had been made the night we talked with Aelfric and it was met with the same response the Fae king had thought it would be. The people had protested, loudly. Some had even claimed I had cast a spell on their prince and called for my execution. I stared at the mass of lovely glaring face, blankly. They held no love for me nor I for them. I knew nothing about them, knew nothing about their worries or fears outside of the ones my presence had caused. I knew nothing of them, and in truth, I didn't care. I was a prisoner here, trapped by ancient magics I didn't even understand. I wasn't their queen, I was a stranger.
When the room was full, Aelfric stood and motioned for silence.
“Today is a joyous occasion,” Aelfric began in a loud, booming voice. “Today we celebrate my sons betrothal to this woman, Davina. Many of you know that she came to us by mistake. My son took her in and fell in love with her.”
I gave a small snort, quickly covering the soft noise with a fake sneeze. Javan reached out and took my hand.
“We know this announcement has come as a shock to many of you and has not made you as happy as it has made us, so we allow you to voice your concerns!” Aelfric continued. There was an eruption of voice, some claiming I was a harlot, others claiming I was a witch, others still saying that I would bring an army of humans to hunt them, but all showed distrust of me. I sat there as they hurled one accusation after the next at me, my eyes turning to gaze out the window at the lush landscape, wanting nothing more then to run from the palace and sit in the quiet gardens.
“Why should we trust her with our prince or our kingdom?!” one person cried.
“Enough!” Javan snapped.
“I am not so different from you,” I said in a soft voice as the room fell into a hush. “I had hopes and dreams, all of which were stolen from me when I was chased through the woods by a faceless creature. I can't betray you, even if I wanted to. I can't leave your world.” I stopped and looked away from the window, gazing into the sea of faces.
“I am not an agent sent by humans to destroy you. Where I come from, you are myths, stories told to sleepy children to give them sweet dreams. You don't exist beyond the pages of a book,” I continued. “Even if I could return, no one would believe me. I could scream it from the roof tops and would only be locked away from my troubles. Betraying you serves no point or purpose for me, nor does marrying your prince outside of remaining with my very dear friend.
“I am not your queen. I know nothing about you. But you also know nothing of me and have judged me based on your own fear. The same fear that drove you to hide from humans. The same fear that made humans hunt you in the first place. Fear breeds fear. I am not afraid of you and your numbers far outweigh mine.”
There was a hushed murmur of conversation. I ignored it. I had said my peace. I turned to look back out the window.

I sat at the vanity, pulling the multitude of jeweled pins from my hair while Javan stood behind me, pulling off his heavy coat.
“That went well,” he said. I snorted.
“Come now, it wasn't that bad,” he tried.
“They almost formed a lynch mob against me,” I said in a dull ton.
“They are scared,” he said.
“So am I,” I replied, tossing the last pin onto the table and picking up a brush, pulling it through my long, golden hair.
“They will come to love you,” Javan assured as he sat down and began tugging off his boots.
“Javan,” I sighed, turning around to face him. “I wish I had your faith, but they're right. I'm not their queen. I'm not one of them. Before yesterday, the only thing I cared about was getting home.”
“You'll learn to love them,” he said. “They will learn to love you. Everyone just needs a little time.” I shook my head and stood, going to my dressing room and changing into a more plain gown. When I came out, Javan smiled at me, holding out his hand, beckoning me closer. I walked towards him, letting him pull me to stand between his knee's. His hands slide along my waist and rested on my hips.
“You won't be the first human ruler they've had,” he said softly. “You will not be the last, either.”
“Javan...” I said softly.
“I have to believe that things will work out, Davina,” he said. “I have to. I know what happens if they don't and I can't think on it. If you die, I have failed.”
“I will eventually die, Javan, centuries before you do,” I said. “My life is but a drop...”
“...in an ocean in comparison to mine, yes, I know,” Javan said in a bitter tone. “You've been listening to my father too much.”
“He's right,” I said. “And I've read about it. One of your queens took a mortal man as her husband. When he died, she shut herself away.” Javan laughed, taking my hand and holding it to his cheek.
“Mortal man?” he asked. “Daviana, I am just as mortal as you. There is no such thing as 'immortality'. What lives, dies. Even the fae.”
“You know what I mean,” I huffed, shifting my fingers slightly to stroke along his smooth cheek. “Why does my fate mean so much to you, Javan?”
“You're my friend,” he said. “I found you, I cared for you, I don't want you hurt.” I stared at him for a moment, slightly afraid.
“What happens if you fail?” I asked in a whisper. Javan swore under his breath, breaking eye contact with me. He pressed his face into my stomach and sighed.
“Fear breeds fear,” he said. “Fear breeds panic and anarchy. If the people can't be calmed, if they won't be calmed...they'll call for your death. You won't be safe, even inside the walls of the palace.”
“They'll kill me,” I said.
“Yes,” he replied. “It may only be a handful that attempt it, but it will be the mass of fear that motivates it.”
“So if you fail to calm them...if we fail to calm them...” I said.
“Yes,” Javan said. I pulled away from him violently, turning my back as my heart pounded and my breath came out in shallow gasps. Javan shot to his feet, grabbing my shoulders and spinning me around.
“I won't let that happen,” he said, pulling me against his chest. I buried my face in his chest, shaking as my mind raced with the possibilities. His hand came up and stroked along my hair.
“Tomorrow we have a parade scheduled,” he said. I nodded my head, pushing away from him slightly.
“I think I'll take a walk,” I said. Javan nodded and dipped his head, kissing my cheek.
“Be careful,” he told me.