The Kings Little Faeling

The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.

-Paul Valery

Forest of Divination, Faerie

Fawn

I felt a blissful warmth spread through my body and moaned. The vibration of my lips was met with something soft and wet pressed against them. Then more firmly and I felt a nip at the top one. Automatically I opened a little and was rewarded with the most intoxicatingly slow lip and tongue. Oh my, this is the best dream ever. I'm so comfortable. My dream bed is, well...a dream. Ha! Moaning and arching my body, I try to encounter my teasingly slow kisser, but all I get are lips and more soft sweeps. Annoyed, I make a put-out sound and go in deep with the kiss. That gets me a warm hand to the side of my face and more vigorous kissing. Oh, yes! Now we're talking. I moan and stretch up like a cat begging for a pet, and the hand at my face slides down my neck and between my breasts, pausing before sliding to the side of my waist. No, no, dreamy man! Going for the gusto, I grab his hand and push it to the heat he created between my legs as I pull him in and lick his lips. The hand between my legs rubs over clothes. Really? The dream had been going so well. He rubs me lightly through my clothes and zones right in on the magic spot. Gently and teasingly rubbing in small circles and then back and forth, and when he finally gives the little bit more pressure my body craves, I release his mouth and cry out. That's when the loud rumbling growl comes; the noise and vibration knock me out of dreamland.

I open my eyes and come face to face with a real man? Maybe? ...Are those pointed ears? Holy shit, Batman! What in the hell is going on here? I must still be dreaming, but the breeze that ruffles my hair and the crisp smell of forest feels very real.

His face is so close that I can see his pores along with the incredibly attractive five o'clock shadow growing through them. Those eyes, though. With the dilation going down to tiny little pupils, I can see that they're a bright blue, and the striations are glittering and sparking. Silver moving around in them like mercury intermittently. I was so dazzled by them that it took a minute for me to start observing the expression on his face.

His face says turned the hell on, but also, he seems just as fascinated with my eyes and features as I am with his. I watch as he takes in my face, hair, and ear as he moves my hair behind one. He meets my eyes again and holds them. The look is tender but becomes so intense that I can't hold it, and I move my eyes down to his masculine neck. Well, that's no good either. The man is too attractive to be real. I feel my lids lower slightly as I imagine running my tongue along it, and I feel a strong clinch between my legs. He draws in a noisy, deep breath jerking my attention back to his face to watch his nostrils flare with it. Then he leans back with a chuckle and satisfied smirk.

Well, that was embarrassing. But, it breaks the spell he has me under. This dream is turning away from where I wanted it to go. Typical! I hate having embarrassing dreams. But, embarrassment seems to be my way of life, so of course, my dreams would also be.

I can't help but check him out. The man or ...fairy man? Those ears are so distracting, and he has three piercings with tiny silver hoops along the back rim near the top.

Okay, so he's definitely a fairy, and he has thick, black hair in an artfully messy, short style, a dark complexion, and a five o clock shadow over a sculpted face, with a strong jaw and perfectly straight nose. His blue eyes seem to glow within all that darkness. The silver has disappeared now. That's weird; I liked it. His full lips are wickedly curved. I suppose he's amused with my perusal. He looks a lot like a sexy Latin man but with pointy ears. He's well over six feet tall, lean, and packed with muscle. I can make out his sexy abdominals through the black t-shirt he's wearing. The sleeves of which are stretched to the limits over his biceps. A sleeve of tattoos down one arm ends at the wrist. Dark jeans but distressed and soft looking encase narrow hips, muscled thighs, and I can't see right now, but I'd be willing to bet my entire closet of shoes that the backside is perfection as well. A black belt and band across his chest hold two swords at his back, his leg straps hold daggers and combat boots round out the picture of lethal male beauty. Did I think fairies wore old-fashioned clothing and jeweled weapons? Apparently, Fawn's very own fairy dream man doesn't.

A horse neighing breaks my concentration, so I glance around, and I better remember this dream when I wake up because this is some prime fantasy novel fodder. Maybe I could finally write that book.

The horses, two of them, one pristine white with a very pale pink mane, tail, and hair around the feet, the other solid black. They were huge, muscular horses with the big hairy feet the Clydesdales are known for. Wowza! The white horse was eyeing me from the side. So I smiled at her, and she threw her head and nickered.

That wasn't even a drop in the ocean of otherworldliness surrounding me, though. I was in the middle of a forest with trees that would make the California redwoods look like shrubbery, and they had pale pink trunks and white leaves. They were so massive that I felt like an insect in comparison. The ground was covered in white leaves. It was the most beautiful place I'd ever seen. The breeze stirred, and thousands of tiny, almost snow-like white leaves drifted everywhere. You would think it would be cool and gloomy in a forest, but it felt like a spring day, and huge shafts of sunlight broke through trees everywhere. It seemed to bounce around all the white, giving the forest a dreamy glow.

A line of Gnomes? I don't know, but they were small and stout males, and it looked to be around seven of them who stood in a row in front of a nearby tree. Lord love 'em! How cute they are! They started taking their hats off and nodding at me as I observed them. They all had white hair in different lengths and styles. Some with kinky curly hair and some straight. Some had braids almost to their feet. Some were portly and some slim. Each had varying, distinct features that set them apart, only their height and white clothes being the same. I nodded back, smiled, and said, "Hi," with a little wave. A few of them blushed, and they all shuffled their feet, but they all smiled and waved awkwardly like it was something they had never done before. I guess they had witnessed me practically begging for it. How mortifying!

I looked back to my dream fairy, and he stood with his hands on his hips watching me, so I repeated my smile and lame wave to him.

"How is my lady feeling?" he asks.

I cleared my throat. My voice was croaky. "I'm fine; how are you?"

He grins, "I'm wonderful. Are you sure you don't feel dizzy, anything unusual?"

I felt fine, but now that I was sitting up, I noticed I was in a beautiful twin-sized bed with a shimmering gold frame. I wore a gown with an empire waist; it was white, and the neckline was tight and low, showing some cleavage. I couldn't resist trying to pull it up a little, but it didn't budge. I was on a bed in the middle of a giant forest. Hum... channeling fairytale bedtime stories, Fawn?

"My throat is a little croaky, and I'm confused about what's going on. My name is Fawn. Can I ask yours?"

"Fawn, that's a lovely name, and I'm Fallon." He took my hand and kissed the palm. That was intimate for strangers, but after what we had been doing, it was tame. Though, it felt very untamed, seeing as a spark shot from my palm to my lady parts.

I blushed, and he cleared his throat and turned to the Gnomes. "Guardians, do you have something for her throat?"

One of the Gnomes stepped forward holding a gold mug. "We do, my King. This should help with any side effects from the enchantment."

My King? Whoa...when I have a fairy dream, I go all out.

He brought the mug to me, and I noticed the contents looked like molten gold but smelled like hot chocolate. I took a cautious sip as they both watched me, and it was delicious, not too hot at all, so I drank in earnest as my throat really was parched. And whatever it was, it felt like bliss to my system.

"Wow! This is good ...umm, Guardian, sir. Thank you." I might be dreaming, but even in dreams, I have manners.

"You're welcome, my lady, and you can call me Noble. May I introduce you to the rest of the Guardians? We've been so eager to meet you."

"Of course, I'd be honored to meet them!" I said with a smile, then glanced to see that Fallon was checking me out. I had felt his eyes on me. It was like a warming sensation everywhere his eyes went.

The rest of the Gnomes approached us, stopping a short distance away. They were so small. Only about two and a half feet tall and so cute hurrying over on those short little legs. Once again, they lined up, and Noble made introductions gesturing to each in turn as he called their names."This is Brave, Loyal, Vicious, Courage, Wise, and lastly Mischief." I smiled and nodded to each in turn. Mischief displayed the biggest grin and winked at me. I giggled and winked back. Then they all spoke in unison, "A pleasure, my lady."

"Oh, none of that, my lady stuff." I waived my hand. "Just call me Fawn, and it's a pleasure to meet you as well. Can you gentlemen tell me where I am? I've never seen a place so beautiful."

"You're in the Forest of Divination, within the realm of Faerie. You've been here for some time now, under Guardian protection and enchantment," Noble answered. He looked uncomfortable as he paused to await my response.

"What do I need protection from?" This dream better not turn into a nightmare. I can handle a sexy Latin underwear model look-alike with pointed ears; yes, bring it on, but this doesn't sound good.

"We weren't informed, Lady Fawn, but it was the Goddess Freya that requested it. We don't argue with the Goddess of Divination." Noble looked worried for me, and that worried me. It's just a dream, Fawn. Get it together. Hell, enjoy it! You have hot King Fallon over there. A little dream, "bow chickee wow wow," never hurt anyone, and my dreams might be the only place I get it; the Aunties aren't here to scare him away. I looked at him, and he looked concerned too.

"Okay, so why am I not under enchantment anymore?" I asked him for the hell of it.

Fallon's blue eyes came to mine, and he seemed to debate his answer. He glanced at the Gnomes a minute but brought his eyes back to mine, "You're my fated mate Fawn. I sensed you were near when I entered the forest. It was instinct to seek you out and awaken you. The enchantment was broken when I kissed you, and the Guardians couldn't have stopped it. They couldn't keep me from my mate. There are strict laws against it."

"I'm you" I paused, took a breath, and started again, "I'm your fated mate. What is a fated mate exactly?" Oh lordy, is fated mate what I imagine it to be? I've read a few werewolf romances, and it was some biting necks business and alpha bossiness. Which is hot in some romance novels, but I don't know what the reality of that would be like. I regress, though, because this is a dream. Maybe I need to lay off the romance novels a bit. I'm going to wake up any minute, and the Aunties are going to bust my balls with a lesson in hand-to-hand combat, archery, or swordplay. Maybe all three and an hour at the shooting range. Doomsday prep at its finest. My loveable odd aunties.

Fallon looked like he was choosing his words carefully. "It means that we were chosen by the fates to be mates. It means that I'll protect you and care for you. I won't let anything happen to you, Fawn. You're mine, and I know that you don't understand what that means yet, but you have nothing to fear of it." He rubbed the back of his neck and continued, "I need to get you to the castle. Something is going on if Freya puts you here. We need to figure out what that is and be cautious in the meantime. I came alone because I need the Guardians, but I wanted to keep that to myself; I usually have guards. Once I speak with the guardians, we should be on our way. If not, we'll be traveling through the night."

I glanced at Noble, and he nodded his head, "You're in good hands with the king, my lady. He'll guard you with his life."

Oh... kay then. It looks like I'm the damsel. I have a ton of questions, but it's a dream, so I'm just going to go with it and see what happens. Really, why would a Norse goddess care about anything to do with a human girl from South Carolina. The absurdity. All I have to do is glance around, though. None of this is real.

My stomach chooses that moment to growl loudly, and I realize I could really go for a taco or twenty. But, of course, a margarita pitcher would be nice too. Sadly, I bet there's not a Fiesta Mexicana around one of these trees, though.

"Let's get the two of you inside. We just so happen to have a meal prepared." Noble said with a gentle smile.

Fallon took my hand and helped me up but didn't let go. He stood close, not giving me much room to stand up. So we brushed against each other as I did. He held my eyes a moment, then stuck his hand through my hair at the back of my head and kissed my forehead. He held my hand and led me. Oh lordy, I had heard about the forehead kisses, how they melt female hearts. That was my first, and damn, but they were right. I felt all squishy inside.

The Guardian's home was the inside of the nearest humongous tree. It had arched, four-pane windows and an arched door. I wondered how we would get through the door, but it grew taller and opened as we approached. There was a long white wooden table laden with delicious-smelling foods. The guardians were all standing around it and took their seats as Fallon and I sat. It was surprisingly elegant inside-a mixture of rustic and elegance. A high ceiling with exposed beams and a sparkling chandelier hung over the table. Bunkbeds were carved into the inner walls of the tree, and there were beautiful curly Q designs carved along the walls everywhere.

Tree roots held lanterns aloft here and there, and they branched up and around the ceiling beams. Tiny twinkling lights were glowing in the branches. There were bookshelves full of books and what looked like a witches' potion area-comfy, plush, light blue chairs and sofas with wooden side tables. The wood on the inside of the tree was white, with only some of the twisting branches remaining that pale pink of the outside. A stunning centerpiece was displayed upon the table; it was made of pink branches, white leaves, and what looked like golden berries. I think the Gnomes must have magically grown the table and chairs larger for us because they all looked like children sitting in high chairs now, but the rest of the furniture remained child size. I smiled as Mischief handed me a bowl to dip from and pass. I couldn't tell what any of it was, but it was delicious, and the guardians kept a steady flow of conversation going. I was so surprised by how much food they ate compared to their size. Where did they put it all?

"What's the last thing you remember?" Fallon asked, taking me away from giggling at the guardians who were now arguing about 'who was the most handsome of the bunch. He was sitting close and had an arm thrown across the back of my chair. I guess I had been so distracted that I hadn't noticed. I thought back. What is the last thing I remember? It was hard to recall. I must have gone to bed last. That's usually what happens before dreaming. For some reason, I remember something awful that couldn't have really happened. It must have been the dream preceding this one, which would have been a nightmare.

"All I remember is a terrifying nightmare that I must have had before this dream." I really didn't even want to talk about it. What if it comes back? I've had reoccurring nightmares before. So not fun.

"What do you mean by... this dream?" Fallon quirked a brow. Looking puzzled.

"This dream I'm having. A fairytale dream with a beautiful forest, handsome, funny guardian gnomes, and a sexy fairy man claiming to be my mate. All of this." I threw my hands around, gesturing around me, and noticed the conversation had gone silent and everyone was staring at me.

"I'm a... fae male, Fawn. Not a fairy man.", he laughed, "and you aren't dreaming dove. This is all very real." He smirked but took my hand and placed a kiss on it. Then entwined our fingers. "I'm very pleased you find me sexy, though," he finished softly near my ear, and a shiver ran down my neck.

"I realize that my dream man might argue that he's real but trust me. You are too beautiful to be real!"I shook my head. The entire room exploded in laughter but not Fallon. He was looking at me like he wanted to eat me.

"Ye are beautiful me King if ye don't mind me saying so. The lass is not wrong about that. I can see a lass thinking she be a dreamin ye up." Mischief nodded and patted my shoulder. "That being told, me lady, he is real. This is all real. So maybe ye should tell us about tis nightmare ye had. We don't know if Freya divined ye bein woke by our beautiful king there or if you are now in the troubles she was a tryin to protect ye from."

Fallon glared at Mischief. "Alright, stop with the beautiful!" He turned to me and squeezed my hand." I prefer sexy."

I couldn't help but blush a little. I had made a fool of myself, and even in dreams, that's embarrassing. He touched my cheek and grinned. "You should tell us what you remember. But, then, just humor me if you still think it was just a dream."

"Ok, I can do that. It's strange and doesn't make any sense, but ... My aunties took me to dinner for my birthday. I started feeling strange and thought I might have developed an allergy to something I ate or had a panic attack. I was hot, sweaty, itchy, and I couldn't sit still. I don't know. I felt anxious for some reason. The aunties rushed us from the restaurant. They said we had to hurry and get to Helga's place. I didn't know why we were in a hurry or why we were going to Helga's place. I asked, but they ignored me. Then, in the parking lot, I saw these dark shadows and men walking out of them. The aunties and I fought them, but I must have been knocked out. All I remember is fighting a scary monster and then waking here or dreaming here, or maybe I WAS sick, and I'm unconscious now."

Fallon had listened to my memory intently. First, he froze when I mentioned my sickness at the restaurant, and then his eyes had gone dark when I described the shadow men. "How old are you? Which birthday were you celebrating?" He was looking at the table with an odd expression. Like he already knew the answer.

"Twenty-five, it was my twenty-fifth birthday."

He nodded grimly, "And your parents? You spoke of aunts, but who are your parents?"

"My aunties are a little strange, so I've never been clear on the situation with my mother." I laughed, "they said she died right after giving birth to me. They actually said she fought bravely in a battle while pregnant with me, but was badly injured then gave birth, and passed to Valhalla." Again, I giggled, "I assume she was mugged and killed or something instead. Her name was Avian Wodan. No one knows who my father is." I sighed heavily, "My aunties are odd, as I said, but they love me. They've been good parents." I don't know what I said that shocked everyone, but they were all so still, and I could feel the surprise in the air. "What is it? What did I say?"

Fallon spoke, "Avian Wodan was once Avian Deerling, a fae princess. She was a fine warrior, and Odin plucked her off the battlefield, making her a Valkyrie daughter. All Valkyrie daughters have the surname Wodan. It is said she later fought against the shadows in Scotia rock and died in battle. That was around 900 years ago if I remember correctly." he had a dark look on his face.

"but...that's not possible," I whispered. Then I raised my voice, "I'm a Wodan, and I'm definitely not a Valkyrie, a fae, ...Or nine hundred years old! I'm a human girl from South Carolina!" I touched my ears which were rounded like always. "See no pointy points!" I gestured at them.

Fallon looked to Noble, "How long has she been enchanted?"

"Only two years. I assume the aunts she speaks of are the ones that brought her. Freya came with them. They were Valkyrie."

"Fuck!" Fallon said sharply and stormed out.

Oh no! My hot fae male isn't happy. "What am I missing, Noble?"

It was Mischief that answered, "Ah lass, ye da has probably long been dead. He had some balls he did to knock up one of Odin's Valkyrie daughters." He scratched his head, "The King will be just fine. It's that he has Odin's grandbaby for a beautiful mate. And she's about to hit her twenty-five-year transition to the immortal female hood when she is supposed to be around nine hundred years old instead. He needs a minute to sort it. He'll be back shortly to collect ye." He smiled sympathetically.

I was lost." Immortal female hood?"

Noble grinned, "You've hit fae puberty. Congratulations!"

What the hell is he on about, and I don't know why, because I didn't even know Fallon, and I still think I'm dreaming, but my heart suddenly felt very heavy. It seemed hard to breathe. The thought that I had disappointed him hurt. If I grasped what Mischief and Noble said correctly, though, then Fallon could be in danger. In danger because of who I am. Or who they think I am. Or who my dream self is, and... Apparently, I'm the fae equivalent of a teenager. I'm starting to wonder if I'm laid up in a hospital suffering a coma. I hope not. The aunties will threaten the staff until I wake up.

Vicious spoke up then, "My lady Fawn, Freya left some things for you to have upon your waking. I'll take you to them."

I followed Vicious, and we left the treehouse and walked to another nearby. The beautiful white horse walked along with us, and I stopped to pet her and tell her how beautiful she is. "She showed up right after you did, my lady. She's been waiting on you to wake up. We've taken good care of her. She needs a name, though. You should give her one."

"She's, my horse?" I asked.

"She's not a horse; she's a unicorn. The horn only comes when she's using her magic. She's yours, and you belong to her. Unicorns choose their fae companions. It's rare, but it happens. You're very fortunate. Unicorns are brilliant creatures, and when they bond to a fae, it's as if they are one in battle. She'll know your thoughts, and you'll know hers."

"Wow," I mouthed, "How cool is that!"

"You chose me as a friend, you beautiful girl?" She neighed and bumped me with her nose. I couldn't believe it. Finally, I had a freaking unicorn! Diamonds... meh. Give a girl a unicorn!

"Thank you, gorgeous. What shall we call you to hum?... Do you like Arryn? She bumped me and nodded her head. "Looks like a yes to me."

"Yes, it does," Vicious nodded, "She likes it. Come along. Let's get you ready for your journey. I have some friends that are going with you. You don't know the realm of Faerie, and that can get you into all kinds of trouble. They'll help you figure things out."

"Okay, sure." I glanced around, looking for Fallon, and saw him a short distance away, chatting with the rest of the guardians. He must have felt me watching him because he lifted his head and looked at me. I smiled and turned back to look where I was going. That sadness persisted, but I did my best to ignore it. It was ridiculous, and this crazy instant attraction was ridiculous. I'm nutso!

So, when Vicious said friends, he was referring to two pixies. They were a riot, and I loved them instantly and knew we would get along just fine. Especially since the first thing they did was tease me mercilessly about Fallon. Tilly said, "ooh, King Fallon was about to lose it and rip that pretty dress to shreds." Poppy kept mimicking his growl and thrusting her hips forward in a weird dance.

Then Tilly bent over and said, "I've been a bad girl, daddy." in a husky, sexy voice. And Poppy kicked her butt, sending her toppling on her face. A cloud of glowing pixie dust shot out, and she stuck her tongue out at Poppy. Oh yes, I've found my tribe of fellow dorks.

It turned out Freya had outfitted me with the most beautiful set of gold weapons, a fire opal amulet, and the most kickass outfit I ever owned. Poppy and Tilly helped me get it all on. They were surprisingly strong for being so tiny.

There was a short note that only left me with more questions. It read. Let your heart guide you. Your mother is always with you, be open to her. I cannot involve myself more than I already have; there are rules even for me. Good luck, my Fawn. Love Freya and all your Aunties.

The Forest of Divination, Faerie

Fawn

I looked in the mirror, turning this way and that. I felt sexy as hell and secretly wondered what Fallon would think. Geez... I need to stop with that already. A pale pink suede crop top was paired with soft, low-rise, pale pink suede pants that laced up. The softest white suede boots with pink fringe encased my feet. My aunties would have had a fit. I'm surprised they let Freya leave it for me.

The contrast of the light clothes against my tan skin made me feel great. My blond hair hung in loose curls around my shoulders and my bangs in a side sweep. Poppy and Tilly had applied makeup. Soft, warm tones and a little gold. Then added some mascara that highlighted my blue-grey eyes.

I felt like an Indian warrior princess. The way the pieces were sewn together is what made it. I wore the amulet, and it sat on a short gold chain at the hollow of my throat. It was small and dainty, but the girls said it was powerful, they said they could feel the magic in it, but I couldn't feel anything. A gold arm cuff circled my arm, and I thought Freya had excellent taste, and I wished I had met her.

"Alright, let's blow this joint!" Tilly said with her hands on her hips, tapping her toe. Poppy flew from where she was fluffing one of my curls to sit on my shoulder. "She's right, you know. You're just procrastinating in here because you're scared of Fallon and his sexy growling noises."

I shot her an appalled look. "Am Not!"

"You so are." Said Tilly rolling her eyes."

"Am not, but you're right; it is time to blow this joint."

I strapped the gold daggers to my legs and slung the matching bow and quiver bag over a shoulder. I also had a sword strapped to my back. "Locked and loaded, ladies. Let's roll."

Poppy beamed a smile at me."I can totally see it! You look just like Avian. So beautiful, a warrior fae princess, stolen to be one of Odin's shield maidens."

"How does that even happen? I thought Odin literally gave life to his Valkyre daughters." I threw up my hands. This was all so confusing.

"No. He plucked the best of the best off battlefields across the nine realms. Only the most beautiful and most deadly. He imbued them with some of his essence. They are mighty beings possessing a huge amount of magic, and they didn't just pick warriors to join Odin's Valhalla like the mortal myths say, either. They fought battles when he wanted to play in the fate of the nine realms. Your mother was rebellious and did as she pleased; she left Asguard to fight for her people in the battle that took her."

I swallowed hard. It used to bother me that the aunties wouldn't say much about my mother, but I thought, well, I thought they probably loved her, and it must be hard for them.

"You knew my mother, Poppy?" I fiddled with the laces on my pants. I felt weird, raw, I guess.

"Not personally, acquaintances, you could say. She was lovely, Fawn. I could see why a male would brave Odin's wrath to be with her. She wasn't just lovely, though. She was fierce. There was constant warring going on in those days. Your mother was famous for her bravery and skills."

"Do you know or have any suspicions about who my father might be?" I asked.

She smiled sadly, "No, there was never even a rumor of a lover. She spent most of her time training, and she ignored her admirers at court functions."

I nodded, feeling disappointed. Then I thought of something. "Well, I told you two about that part of lunch, but I forgot to mention that Noble said something about me hitting fae puberty. So, erm, what is he talking about?"

Tilly spoke up, "We'll give you the birds and the bee's chat later. Right now, we've got to get a move on."

My mouth dropped open."Birds and the Bees? Guys, I know what sex and babies are!"

Poppy snickered, "You know what the mortal birds and bees are, but not the fae version. You're going to blossom soon little faeling, and I'm not talking about growing some boobies. It looks like you grew those out pretty well already, anyway. Tilly is right though, Fallon is going to come looking for you if we don't head out."

We should have spent less time admiring my gifts from Freya. I could have been getting some answers-dream or no. I'd like to know what's going on.

I felt it when he noticed me because the air became charged, and I heard the girls giggle before they flew ahead of me to perch on Arryn. Tilly made a show of fanning herself.

I pulled up all the confidence I could muster. I'll be honest here. It was a lot. It must be the getup and possibly Poppy's words about my mother. I felt like Aphrodite on a catwalk as I walked to Fallon, and he watched me the entire way. I held his eyes when I stood in front of him, not giving away any weakness. He ran his fingers through his hair when I stopped about two feet in front of him. I gave him a million-watt smile. "So, what's the plan, your majesty?"

He was staring at my mouth but looked into my eyes at that and grinned. "The plan is I take you home with me, my faeling Queen." and then he smiled wide.

Dazzled, I had to exert some brain cells to focus as he went on. "Vicious introduced me to Arryn, and I have her saddled up and ready to go. The guardians have stocked us with provisions, but it's only a day's ride. If we don't stop often, we should arrive around midnight."

"Okay then, fairy man."

"It's fae man or male, but you could just call me your sexy mate," he shot back with an arched brow.

"Sure thing, darlin," I winked.

I headed over to Arryn and the girls and felt his eyes on my ass as I walked away. I grinned. Oh, poor Fallon, you have awoken a monster, literally.

I spoke to Arryn as I rubbed her before mounting. Tilly and Poppy flew around me, and Poppy made a meow sound as she mimicked a cat clawing. "Stop," I whispered. "Oh, he's not looking right now. He's talking with the guardians.

I turned then to see him walking away from the guardians and over to his beautiful black horse. I wondered if his horse was a unicorn also.

He had mounted and was trotting over to me when I noticed the shadows. They were zipping around trees, as I glanced around, I noticed they had us surrounded. I told the girls to hop in the saddlebag, and they did so without hesitation.

Fallon drew his blade. "Stay within the Guardians!"

"I can take care of myself. Don't worry about the little faeling. She has some skill." I winked.

"Don't act recklessly; you're still mortal right now," he commanded with a hard edge to his voice.

I put on a fake shocked face, "I wouldn't dream of it, darlin."

He looked like he wanted to order me again, but there wasn't time.

They were getting closer and weaving along with the trees, ground, and branches, seeming to get thicker, bringing darkness to the forest. I saw white wildlife of all sorts, from rabbits to stags to horses, all running for the hills. Then I heard loud booms, and the ground shook with each one. Terrified, I turned to see what else was coming. I almost peed my pants when I saw giants. I mean Jack and the Beanstalk giants! They were huge, and they were ...my Guardian gnomes?

I didn't see that coming... Guardians huh? I grinned.

The shadow men or whatever they were started appearing everywhere. Stepping out of shadows and rushing at us. They had dark grey skin and were muscular. Black eyes with no white and some grey armor that didn't look like clothing but something they manifested from their body. Just like the ones in my nightmare!

See, I knew if I talked about it, it would come back! I should have kept my mouth shut.

Mischief stood directly over me, swiping any that got close to me. The other guardians who were now also freaking giants... I'm still mindblown, were stomping shadow men everywhere, squeezing them into a cloud of weird black dust that flew everywhere, and tossing them away from Fallon and me.

Fallon was lopping off heads, and he knew what he was doing. He was skilled, and none had come close to hurting him so far. It looked like he was in the middle of black dust bombs exploding everywhere.

One popped in behind him, and he was distracted by another trying to stab his horse. Just as the monster was about to throw a dagger, I shot him in the neck with an arrow, and he went down, but he wasn't dead. I'd have to deal with it later. I kept shooting and testing which one might be a kill shot for these things. It's the brain. I got one through the eye, and he disintegrated like the others. I had killed around ten more when I saw that Fallon was finishing off the ones I had only injured, and no more unexpected visitors were coming in for a visit.

Mischief let me walk Arryn out from under him. Then I looked around at the badass guardian squad and Fallon.

I grinned, "Well, fellas, I guess I... Wouldn't like you when you're angry!... Hulk! Smash!" I said as I held out my fists and brought them together in my best Hulk imitation. Fallon looked like he was trying not to laugh, but it escaped anyway.

Tilly and Poppy flew out of the saddlebag spreading their tinkling giggles around. Well, it started out tinkling, but Poppy snorted, and glowing pixie dust flew out of her nose. Then it got out of control.

The Guardians all shrunk back to Gnome size. It was fast! Shoop! They were small again, and black dust showered everywhere.

"Eww, is that Shadow court guts in my hair!" shouted Tilly, "Gross!"

"It's Shade shit alright!" said Poppy fluttering her wings to shake it off. "That was just wrong on so many levels," she said, glaring at the Guardians.

They didn't look bothered in the least by Poppy's glare.

I felt a little vomit in my throat and looked at Fallon. "So, do you happen to have a shower in this castle you're taking me to?"

"Something like that." he winked.

Forest of Divination, Faerie

Fawn

Wise, the quiet one of the guardians accompanied us. He came trotting out on a white elk with a huge rack of antlers. I asked him why not giant his way along, but he said that I would soon learn that magic expends energy and has its drawbacks. He said he had to keep a balance and be conservative.

Poppy and Tilly alternately flew or perched on my shoulders, holding onto my hair to whisper amusing things in my ears. It felt like the angel and the devil sitting on my shoulder scenario, except I just had two devils.

I kept stealing glances at Fallon until I realized he could sense it each time. He would turn and grin every stinking time. It was maddening because I almost couldn't control the urge. It was so much worse than the stupid crush I had on Joey Carson in eighth grade. I thought that had been the pits. I'd moon over him in class, and we had three together. He never paid any attention to me. My aunties had a rep around town.

Once in my senior year, I finally met a brave guy to withstand the aunties for a short time. Until one day we were studying together for finals and started making out. The aunties had been outside grilling steaks, but Auntie Anya had needed something from the kitchen and caught us. One minute he was about to unbutton my jeans, and the next, a dagger was stuck in the wall next to his head.

Needless to say, he ignored me the last few days of school, and then I only ran into him once after that. I was at the mall, and he was hanging with a group of our classmates and his new girlfriend. They had all started talking about me and laughing. I could hear snips of it. The crazy doomsday preps... they are all so strange...she was desperate for it...had probably never been touched. I had been so embarrassed and depressed for about a week.

That's the only thing I ever argued about with the aunts. I still don't understand why I couldn't have a boyfriend. They said I could as long as he wasn't a spineless milksop, but according to them, they all were spineless milksops.

I looked at Fallon again and saw that he had been watching me this time. I could usually feel it, but I'd been lost in thought.

"Fallon?"

"Yes?"

"Those things were something called the Shadow Court? What are they, and why would they attack us? Furthermore, why would they try to take me in the mortal realm? Isn't that what I heard my home called, the mortal realm?"

That's what I picked up from what had been said anyway.

Fallon nodded and started explaining, "Yes, we've been separated into courts by Pan. Pan is the king of all fae, the allfather. He was fed up with all the wars over disputes and territories. We can no longer freely mingle among territories." he sighed and continued.

"He placed magical boundaries separating them. Seasons don't change within each seasonal territory. For instance, I rule the Summer Court, where it always remains summer. We have nights and days, but it's always summer. It's the same for the Winter Court and so on."

He makes a sad face and continues with, "However, the Shadow Court was our creation that came from our greed and use of black magic throughout the wars. Using magic that we aren't naturally born with causes an imbalance in nature. He didn't bound them. It's part of our punishment. The Shadow court can sift but we can't anymore. Pan took some of our abilities away and that's the one that bites the most." He looked kind of pissed. I guess paying for something the ancestors were responsible for would suck.

"The shades feed off of fae, and they're contagious. Enough venom can cause a Fae to become a Shade. They were all regular fae once, but they either became corrupted and turned into what they are now, or they were infected."

He paused and then said, "I don't know why they were in the mortal realm. I've never heard of them bothering the mortal realm. They crave the magic blood of fae, not humans, but there are so many more fae living in the mortal realm now because we can't cross territories, but we can travel realms. Some have chosen to stay in the mortal realm because they found their fated mate from another court while they were in the mortal realm."

"We will have serious problems if they infect fae or mortals in the mortal realm." I'm going to look into it and see what I can find out."

"I can see how that could cause problems. Major fubar!" I reply.

"You have no idea," he replied.

We fell into silence for a while and then I decided to lighten the mood.

"I take it you've visited my realm? Those jeans are nice!" I giggle, " I would think fae wore old-fashioned clothes and jeweled weapons."

He laughed, "Yes, I've spent much time there. I was hoping to find my mate, actually. Nine hundred years is a long time to wait, even for a fae." He smiled and glanced me over, stopping at my eyes."

Ooh, Lawdy! I'm in trouble.

He nodded, "I do wear the old-fashioned clothes and weapons, as you say, on many occasions." he laughs.

Way to put your foot in your mouth Fawn, "Well, I'm sure you pull that off nicely as well."

He grins at me, "You'll have to let me know."

I clear my throat. It's time to move on from that subject.

"How do you think it possible that I can be born nine hundred years ago but only be twenty-five?" It sounded so ludicrous coming out of my mouth.

"Easy, Freya had you hid away somewhere under enchantment. If she can do it for two years, then she could have done it for hundreds, and I think she did."

"Why would she do something like that?"

He looked tired, and I realized he probably hadn't slept in a while if he traveled from the castle last night only to fight the shadow court and bring me straight back with him.

"I've been thinking about that. I can't know for sure. I can only make some guesses. One is she's hiding you from Odin; another is she's divined something and, so she's trying to pull fates strings. It could also be both."He sighed, " I don't know, Faeling, but we'll figure it out. Everything will work out. I'll see to it."

He looked so confident and determined. They don't make them like this in the mortal realm. Maybe my coma will keep me here a while longer...Did I just wish for a coma? That's messed up! I giggled.

He looked at me again, smiling, "What are you laughing about?"

"Something you should know about me is I tend to amuse myself easily."

He shook his head and grinned, "That's a good thing! I like it! Fae tend to get bored. We live so long that it gets drab after a while." He glanced at my mouth, then faced forward again.

I turned my head away and grinned. That had felt nice. Comatose it is then.

" How old are you, Fallon?"

" I'm nine hundred, and I don't think that's a coincidence either."He said, looking me in the eye.

"Well...You're pretty hawt for a grampy."

He threw his head back and laughed. He was beautiful, probably even when he was grumpy, but he was something else when he laughed. It made me want to make him do it again and again.

"I don't think Freya was hiding you from me. At least not these past two years. I think she delivered you to me."

"What makes you say that?" I asked, surprised.

"You were practically right under my nose, and though you were heavily warded, they dropped when I approached you. This gives me hope that we're right where she wants us."

"Maybe we are." I smile.

He looks at my mouth again. And I get the impression he likes it when I smile. This makes me smile huge.

He grins back.

"Do you think she had me under an enchantment as a baby for hundreds of years and then sent me to the mortal realm to be raised by my aunties?" I ask thoughtfully.

"That's exactly what I think," he says decisively.

" I wouldn't age at all under enchantment?".

"It would be so incredibly slow as to be non-existent," he replied.

"Oh"

"Oh," he copies and grins. "You are still a little faeling but only for a short time."

I think I'll save the questions about that for Poppy and Tilly. I don't want a "fae" birds and bees discussion with Fallon. I'm getting curious about it, though. I'll be getting those answers as soon as I can. I looked around to find my pixie friends reclined on the Elks' horns. They seemed to be talking Wise's ears off.

"So, kissing me broke the enchantment. Is that how it works? You can just kiss someone awake?"

"Not usually, no. That's why I'm convinced she wasn't hiding you from me. Usually, only the one who placed it can remove it, or they can be set for a certain length of time."

"Oh?"

"Oh." he laughed.

"So why did you kiss me?"

He looked me in the eye a moment, "because I wanted to."

I felt my skin flush. How can he turn me on so easily? I had never been one to get turned on, and now I can't seem to keep it under control. I didn't know what to say to that.

"It was a nice kiss."

"Oh dove, it was more than nice. It was the best. I'll be doing it again real soon." He sent me a scorching look that made me feel his hands between my legs again.

"Ah um," I tried, but I couldn't come up with anything to say to that.

He laughed. "We're about to leave the forest of divination and enter Dead Fae Falls. It can be a little tricky maneuvering around the falls, so let me take the lead. Arryn will follow Eos. I'm sure she knows the place, but just to make sure.

"Okay. Sounds good to me. A name like that speaks volumes!" I said nervously.

"Nothing to worry about. I'll have you, little faeling. I promise."

I nod to him and notice the sound. I can tell it's falling water and a lot of it. It just kept getting louder and louder as we kept moving toward it.

The one thing that can truly scare me is heights. Please don't let me act like a ninny in front of Fallon.