Chapter 6
Iallowed Levos’s brass personality and sense of humor to distract me the rest of the day. He seemed too nice to take at face value. I wondered if his kindness was some type of ploy to gain my trust. Don’t trust the alfar, I reminded myself.
We walked the grounds where he showed me the fields that provided their food, along with their water sources. The alfar we encountered didn’t bat an eye in my direction. The humans, on the other hand, glared at me with disgust, which I didn’t understand.
As we moved through the city, I was in awe of the alfar’s magical abilities. They could control the nature around them, growing a tree in a few minutes with just a wave of their hand. Children floated feathers around their heads in the city square, creating a snow-like effect. The alfar could also move water and commune with animals. Levos told me all about their magical abilities and how strong and powerful the light alfar were. I figured while he was in a sharing mood, I might as well try to gather information on my enemy.
“So does the light court ever have any interaction with the dark court?” I tried to ease my way into the topic.
Levos arched an eyebrow, assessing me and my boldness. “Unfortunately, yes. More lately than usual. We have a bit of a… pest problem on our lands,” said Levos.
I chewed on the bottom of my lip, hesitating to push the topic further, but I was desperate. “Are the dark alfar as bad as the rumors?” I asked.
“Depends on the rumors, I suppose. We try to stay clear of them as much as possible. Though we are of the same blood, we do not view political or religious matters in the same light.”
“Do they really kill humans as sacrifices to their god?”
Levos exhaled deeply. I realized I was getting close to his friendly sharing limit for the day. “It’s not something we like to speak of. Their actions reflect poorly on us, but yes, those rumors are true. Thankfully, you will never have to experience their court. Now come, time to get you something to eat.”
We made our way back into the palace. Levos showed me the servant’s quarters and where I could get food. He waited until I ate my fill and then escorted me back to Lord Atros’s bedchamber.
“Thank you for your help today,” I said to Levos. “I’m sure you have better things to do with your time than babysit a human,”
“Actually, I’ve enjoyed this very much. Living as long as we do, life becomes mundane. Hearing stories about how human’s live… interest me.”
“Well, in that case, I am sorry I am such a bore. I haven’t done much with the past nineteen years of my life, except survive, I guess.”
“Nonsense. That in itself is something to praise. I couldn’t begin to understand your predicament. At least now you will never go hungry, and you will always have a place to lay your head as long as you keep the future king happy,” He nudged me in the arm. The weight of the impending night slammed into me like a tidal wave.
“And… how am I supposed to do that?”
“Like I said, you have nothing to worry about. He is kinder than most of us when it comes to the treatment of humans. Be honest, respectful, and caring and he will treat you the same.” Levos pushed open one of the doors. The moonlight filled the dark bedroom as candles flickered to life around the walls. Lord Atros stood by the balcony, leaning against the edge of the wall, looking out into the night sky.
Levos’s hand pushed against my lower back, edging me into the room. I looked up at him with fear.
He smiled and leaned into my ear. “It will be okay. Deep breaths,” Levos said, before shutting the door behind me.
Lord Atros turned from the balcony to face me. I took many deep breaths, holding his gaze. He was more handsome than I recalled. His jawline was strong and broad with full lips and a chin that tapered into a square. His eyes glowed in the night and his hair now fell loosely around his shoulders. The thin shirt that adorned his figure was opened down the center, revealing a sturdy, well-built chest. His biceps were large and rippled with muscles.
“Did you find my cousin amusing?” he asked.
“I…” I shook my head, trying to get control of myself. “I’m sorry, do I look at you or the floor? All of the formalities are a bit confusing.”
He snickered in amusement, walking closer toward me. “In private, you look at me. In public, you look at the floor.”
“Right. Your cousin was very helpful,” I replied shortly.
“Did he explain what your duties consist of?”
I dropped my eyes from him, clenching my hands into fists. “Yes.” Lord Atros closed the distance between us. I backed into the door. He stopped, now close enough that I could smell his scent. I turned my head, trying not to look at him. I felt his eyes roam over my face and down my neck.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to take your maidenhood. I won’t touch you until you ask me to,” he said softly, before walking away from me.
I exhaled a deep breath, relaxing against the door. I furrowed my brow as my mind snagged on what he said about my maidenhood.
“How did you know?” I asked boldly. Levos was with me all day. There was no time to report his findings back to his cousin.
“I can smell it on you. I’ve been around humans enough that I can tell the difference between the scent of a maiden and the scent of a kept woman.”
“Is that why you chose me?”
He picked up a book from the table and cocked his head, not making eye contact. “Your eyes.” He paused, staring down at the book as if he found it interesting. Without looking at me, he confessed, “I chose you because of your eyes.” He picked up a spare blanket and pillow and placed them on the couch. “You will sleep here unless you trust me to behave myself and you’d rather sleep in my bed.”
“The couch is fine, thank you,” I said.
“What do I call you?”
“Genevieve, or Gen for short. And what do I call you?”
“In private, you may call me Gaelin. In public, you do not address me. When you speak of me, you call me Lord Atros.” He walked over to his bed and began to take off his boots and shirt.
I laid down and turned away from him, burying my face into the pillow and pulling the covers over my body, trying to find some sense of comfort. With the wave of a hand, he snuffed the candles, and the room went dark.
The next morning when I awoke, Gaelin was already gone. I freshened up in the private bathroom before tending to his room. I made his bed, folded the blankets, and collected the dirty laundry. Before I was done, Levos barged into the room pulling a rack full of clothes behind me.
“Look what I have for you, dear Genevieve. Custom clothing made specifically for that frail body of yours. Oh, and I checked with my dear old cousin, and he said you can wear cloth headbands, but he wants your hair visible at all times,” said Levos.
“I feel like I’m a well-kept mare,” I said, gathering the last of the laundry.
Levos laughed as he placed the dresses in the armoire. The sound took me by surprise. “Not to be too demoralizing, but you kind of are. A well-kept mare he would like to ride.”
I fought with all the resilience I had to keep my mouth shut.
“What?” He said, looking a bit disappointed. “No snarky comeback? Don’t become boring on me, sweet Genevieve.”
“I have nothing to say,” I lied, not making eye contact with him.
He pulled at my arm until I faced him. “Remember what I told you. You can be yourself around me. I’m not a royal. Far from it, in fact. I know what you must think of all of this… all of us, but I’d like us to be friends.”
“And how do I know I can trust you? Why would an alfar show any semblance of kindness to a human?”
“Because not all alfar are the same, just like not all humans are the same. Trust will take time, but please, don’t censor yourself. You have a brain, so use it.” I gave him a small smile. He was a fool if he thought I would ever trust him, but I could work this to my advantage. I just had to play this right.
“Well, in that case, for your information, your cousin did not ride his prized mare last night.”
“I already knew that,” he snickered.
“You two talk about that sort of thing?”
“No, but like I told you, Gaelin is an honorable alfar. He wouldn’t have taken you unless you agreed to it.”
Well, at least I had that working for me.
“Can I ask you something personal?” I said, trying to sound innocent.
He sat in one of the chairs and placed both hands behind his head. “Let the trust-building begin,” he said, smiling.
“If the alfar think of us as nothing more than cattle, then why are you all so eager to have sex with us? I would assume you’d be disgusted by the thought.” I sat down across from him, trying to seem eager and innocent as I batted my eyes and fiddled with my hands, appearing as if I was nervous and uncertain.
His eyebrow arched as he looked at me through slanted eyes. “You are fearless, sweet Gen. I like that about you.” He exhaled, leaning back in a relaxed position. “The males especially prefer a human over another alfar when it comes to pleasure. If you haven’t noticed yet, we run a bit colder than your race. The warmth that a human female offers during sex is more enjoyable than anything we could ever experience. Also, the human female’s sex organ allows for intercourse without any additional lubricants, if you get my meaning.”
“So, a female alfar’s insides run colder and they don’t produce their own…lubricant?”.
“Yes. And the human females who do enjoy sex with our dreadful race are more enthusiastic during the process, which makes the whole experience more pleasurable. Female alfar enjoy sex, but they tend not to be as vocal about it.”
“Couldn’t they just fake it?” I asked without thinking.
He snorted, leaning forward with a smile on his face. “We would know. We can smell the hormones they release during sex. Because of our heightened senses, the sex hormone acts as a drug for both males and females. Humans tend to release theirs more frequently.”
“I see.” I stood up and walked back to the laundry basket.
“That’s all? No more invasive or inappropriate questions?”
“Nope, I am good for now, but thank you for the insight. So, what’s on the agenda for today?”
“Well, first you need to change. Put on the red dress. There’s a gold headband that will go nicely with the fabric. Then we will start the washing and after lunch, you will begin your reading lessons.”
“Free food, free schooling, and a handsome alfar king to screw whenever I want. What more could a girl ask for?” I said, making my way to the bathroom.
“So, you do find him attractive? He will be pleased to hear that.”
I shot him a dirty look. “We’re building trust, Levos. Which means keeping my secrets.”
“Come on, give the male a little bit of hope.”
I quickly changed, tying the gold headband around the tip of my ears to hide the points.
“Question,” I said innocently, before appearing outside of the bathroom doorway. “What would happen if I slept with another alfar?”
His eyebrows rose and then fell as if stunned by the inquiry. “You would be killed and replaced,” he said plainly.
“So, you all are free to screw whomever you want, but I can’t?”
“Yes, that is the way this arrangement works. No other alfar can touch you and if they do, they will be punished. You are only Gaelin’s to possess.”
“And what happens if a human gets pregnant by an alfar?” I asked hesitantly.
His brow furrowed as he hesitated for a brief moment. If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn I saw pain arched across his face. He stood from his chair and walked over to the door. He didn’t look at me. “The children are removed before they are born. You’ll be checked each month to make sure his seed doesn’t take root. If it does, you will be given an elixir that will allow the babe to pass without pain.”
“Does this happen often?” I asked, feeling sick to my stomach.
“Too often,” he said, opening the door. “Come on, time to earn your keep.”
I walked past him with the basket of clothes into the bright halls of the castle. Learning that the rumors were true—about how they disposed of half-breeds—made my situation all too real. If they had known about my mother, I would have never been born.
Did my father rape my mother? Did he love her? Are alfar even capable of love? I had so many questions that I would never have answers to. My mother never left any trace of my father for me to find. Did she run, to protect herself and her unborn child? I would have if I were her.