One hundred years ago, the Fae tried to invade Zoria. They wanted a battle that was never going to come. The Zorians where a peaceful people, they hated war, so instead they took the battle and made it a debate. They discussed terms, quickly agreeing with anything the Fae king said. In the end a treaty was written up, the Fae king wouldn’t invade and as soon as a young woman met his requirements he would marry her.

His requirements were simple, or so he said. The first was unusual, but the council dismissed it as a fae wanted a fae looking bride. The first requirement was that the girl had ears pointed like his own. He said he wouldn’t accept anything unnatural, the girl had to be born with the pointed ears. This shocked the council, never before had a girl in their lands been born with the ears of a fae.

The second requirement was straightforward, the girl had to possess an affinity for magic. Not any magic though, the girl had to be able to manipulate all parts of the world around her, she had to be able to work all of the known magics. Something that was unheard of, only the most powerful fae could work the magics, no human had ever been able to contain that much magic, it destroyed them.

This angered the council, it made them believe that the king was just describing one of his own kind. One councilman spoke up and voiced his concerns in the midst of his frustration, the fae king, being a ruthless creature, killed him.

He then continued to state his requirements, the third being the most reasonable and shocking. He stated clearly, the maiden must be untouched by any other male. She must remain as pure as the day she was birthed.

After saying this he simply disappeared. In his place lay a small box and a cursive note. On the note said give the box to my maiden, no one else can open the box.

And so the council did as the king asked. New laws were put in place, no woman or man could touch in any way until after marriage. Even holding hands or even brushing sides resulted in a whipping for both parties and they then had to marry.

Over the years there was multiple girls that showed one or even two of the king’s requirements, but never all three. The king was getting impatient, he was ready for his bride. Finally he went back to the council and told them if they hadn’t found his bride in the next twenty years then he was to attack.

This is where I come in. I was born exactly twenty years, to the day, after the Fae king gave his warning. No one knew I existed, not even the man who was supposedly my father. The king invaded, and started preforming mandatory house searches, and it was impossible to hide from a fae, the magic made it so. That is how they found me, my mother hadn’t gotten wind that they were doing a search on that day, so I was at home playing in the attic.

I still remember that day. I was only ten when the fae guards stormed in and saw me. I was practicing glamour without knowing it so the guards didn’t see the points of my ears, but they saw the ten year old who was playing with dolls. My mother quickly stormed in, and ushered the guards out, with the excuse I was only in a shift, I didn’t understand it at the time but that day my mother saved my life. Or at least she gave me another seven years.

“I am going to scream.” I tell my best friend, Mari. “These damn checks are just gonna make me blow something up.”

The fae guards are doing another school check to see if any of us girls are the fated “one” of the Fae Beast. No one calls him that to his face but that is what he’s become. A killing beast. I could never deal with him. That’s why I need to stay calm and keep my glamour on. Just like mom taught me. “Elindia,” someone calls. I don’t know who so I just stand there.

Then Mari taps my shoulder, “Belle, honey, it’s your turn. Please come back to me.” I know she means it as a joke but I can hear the pleading undertones. She really does want me to come back.

I head into the exam room and freeze. In the room is not the usual female fae who examines the girls but the real life Fae King. “No,” I whisper and I know he can sense the glamour. “No, dammit, no! This wasn’t supposed to happen.” I back up till I’m against the door, trying to put as muck space as possible between me and King Aaron.

He’s just sitting casually, staring at me. Trying to assess my every move. “Drop the glamour.” His voice is silky and feels like a warm hug. I shudder.

“What glamour?” I decide to play innocent, maybe that will get me out of this.

Then a crippling pain surges through me and I feel the glamour being taken off of me almost as of I was being skinned. After all, the glamour was my second skin. From the day that I learnt I could glamour I had mine up so no one would know about my ears. I drop to the ground, the pain being to much to stand. I need a shield, some way to stop the King from killing me where I sit. For once my magic listens to me and the pain stops, a pulsing purple shield surrounds me. I pant from the exertion but manage to keep the shield up.

The king is smirking. “Why hello, bride. How did you manage to hide from me for so long?” I put my hand up to feel my ears and they are my natural pointed ones.

“Fuck.” That’s all I say. It’s all I need to. I turn to leave the exam room, to leave that terrifying monster behind again, but he has frozen my feet in place. “Dammit! Let me go! I am a seventeen year old girl, what the hell do you want from me?”

“Watch your language, Elindia. And what I want from you is simple. I want you to live with me for one year. If you want to leave after the year is up you are perfectly able.” He comes closer, and reaches his hand up, it comes within a hairsbrush of my cheek, close enough I can feel the heat but not quite touching me. I flinch.

“My name is not Elindia. My name is Belle. And why would you think I would willingly live with a murderer for a year? For all I know you’ll kill me before the year’s up.”

“Your name is Elindia Iysabelle Venatores. No where in that name does it say you are Belle. And I need you, why would I kill you?” His remarks are sound but I still don’t trust him. “Well, I suppose we should announce the news. I bet you’ll be glad to know you saved quite a few lives today. If I hadn’t found you I might have just killed my guards.”

“B-but, aren’t Fae immortal?” I curse at myself for stuttering and showing weakness. I clear my throat, “Oh and Aaron, if you call me Elindia again I will personally rip out your throat. Whether you die or not I don’t care. Just don’t ever say that name again!”

“Ok, Iysabelle, but don’t call me Aaron. You may call me “my king” or “your magesty” got it?” I nod. I hate that I love how he says my name. He says it like my mother used to. Before he had her murdered for taking care of me in secret and not reporting my existence. That bastard needs to die.

We exit the exam room and everyone gasps. Mari’s eyes are filled with tears, mirroring my own. Guess I’m not as strong as I thought. Tears run down my cheeks as I look at my friends and classmates. Moreover I think about what Samuel will think. He was always so protective of me. We walk outside of the school building and I catch eyes with Samuel.

Samuel lunges forward as to grab me, to pull me away from this monster, but two of his upperclassman hold him back. “Belle! No! Iysabelle, you can’t go with him!” His every word makes me cry harder. I want to run to him. To throw my arms around his neck and to tell him to get me out of this nightmare.

“Sam, Samuel, I’m so sorry. I know what I promised you. Sorry I couldn’t keep my promise, I tried. He’s just to strong.” Aaron’s hand grips my shoulder and steers me away from the man that became my big brother since my mom died. Sam was the one person who knew that I was the one the king wanted. He used to have to come into my room nightly because my nightmares were so bad. He was the one who understood even what I couldn’t.

Aaron’s words break me out of the memories, “Who was that boy?” I want to say he’s not a boy he’s a man, but I suppose to a fae all of us are children.

“Samuel is my big brother. He was the one person who truly cared about me after my mother died.” I leave out the part where he’s not my blood brother but my adopted one. Not that anyone would know from looking. We look similar enough to pass as siblings.

“I’m sorry.” The king says as we enter the car. I don’t even care anymore. Has the king really stripped me so bare that I can’t have the capability to feel. To be able to sob like I want to. “Well, Iysabelle, we are headed to your new home.

The ride to the palace was silent. I could tell that Aaron wanted to talk to me, but I was having no part in that. If he wanted to talk to me, maybe he should have thought about that before he whisked me away to the one place I could never be safe.

I finally decide to break the silence. “Why me? Why these specific traits? What’s special about me?” I really do want to know the answers but I doubt that the king will answer.

He surprises me by answering, “I chose you because you are the only one who could survive my court. You are the only mortal that could ever tame us. We need you.”

“Who’s this ‘we’ you speak of? It sounds like you’re talking about yourself but in the plural?” These Fae are really strange, how could I tame something I know nothing about.

His words bring me out of my head, “Each High Fae has two forms. The first, their Fae form, the pointed ears, eerie beauty, slightly unnatural overall. The second is an animal form. It can be any shape or size, any other creature. Mine is,” he sighs, “was, a wolf. Now it’s a wretched beast I have no control over.” He hangs his head, dejected. Looking almost human. I am struck by the urge to reach across the car and give him a hug.

Then the car comes to a stop and the moment is gone. I freeze realizing all possibility of escape that I had ended the second we drove through those gates. Dammit! I went over this with Sam. If I was ever caught, I was supposed to escape and meet Sam so we could run away.

“Are you plotting your escape?” The king asks. “Or are you deciding the best way to kill me?” His voice chills my blood, but I don’t think he knows I was planning on doing just that. Attempting to kill him, as I don’t have the gifts needed to kill a Fae, and then to escape. I just have to remember that I have six months, eight at the most if I’m going to pull this off.

I decide to act like I don’t know what he’s talking about, “I was doing no such thing. Being hungry might be a foreign concept to you Fae, but most of the villages don’t get enough food. I am hungry. I haven’t even eaten a proper meal in months. So I’m sorry if you’re frustrated with my silence but I am not in a good mood so leave me alone.” He actually has the audacity to look confused. I can’t believe this guy. He purposely withholds food and then thinks he can pretend he doesn’t know what’s happening. “What the hell? Why are you acting confused? You are the one who ordered the soldiers to withhold the food. The one who made us have mandatory checks to see if we were hoarding what little food we were given. You-

“I did none of that. I knew nothing of this. All I said is that the young women needed to be fed more than the others.” He seems genuine and that makes me all the more angry.

“Dammit!” I try to lunge at him, to tear his throat out for what he’s done, but his guards get to me first. I pull against them screaming at the ruthless Fae standing in front of me. “You Fae say that you are far more intelligent than any mortal yet you, my king,” I spit the title, “are an idiot. You should know more than anyone that Fae are creatures you have to be careful when giving orders. You told them to give the young women more food, not thinking that maybe they would just reduce all families food sources to that one girl’s rations. My whole family has been living off of a loaf of bread and a handful of oats. The only reason we survived this torture, is that I had a hidden garden, one that no Fae can see. I was the sole reason anyone in our village survived. And you just took me away from the people who needed me most.”

“Call me an idiot, I don’t care. I am used to far harsher language.” He then turns to his female guards. “Escort Ms. Venatores to her rooms. If they are not to her liking then you know what rooms to give her. I hope you find your stay enjoyable.” The Fae King then turns on his heel and leaves me at the mercy of my escorts.

“So, where are we going?” I ask a woman clothed in an electric purple strap across jacket and black trousers. She ignores me and continues to guide me along the winding halls. We soon come along a large window looking out over a emerald green pasture. Over in the distance is a stable, “Could I possibly go there instead of my rooms? I love horse riding.”

“That is his majesty’s private stable. That’s where he keeps his pegasi as well as his horses. No one is allowed inside.” As I expected the guard was very blunt. I hang my head in disappointment. I was hoping to get to ride while I was here.

We soon get to my room. I walk in and freeze. It’s almost exactly like my room back home. The door closes behind me and locks. Usually I would yell and scream and try and get out but tonight I just am to tired. So all I do is pass out on the bed.