Fen sighed, tapping his fingers on his crutches irritably. “Are you done yet?”

“Be patient, boy!” Astrid replied.

I giggled, amused with the siblings’ interactions. “You two are funny.”

“How so?” Fen grumbled.

“Just…normal siblings.” I shrugged, smiling and petting Diana, who’d curled up on the couch beside me.

“These crutches aren’t the most comfortable to stand on for extended periods of time.” Fen muttered, “Sorry if I snapped, Astrid.”

“It’s alright. I’m sorry to keep you on your feet longer than necessary.” she replied, then finally stood. “There.” The seamstress finished scribbling his new measurements down in her little book. “I’ll be able to work with this. D’you know you grew like six inches?”

“That’s what they told me.” Fen sighed, going and sitting beside me on the couch, reaching out to pet Diana as well. “It didn’t feel good."

“No, I imagine not!” Astrid sighed, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Fen.”

“I’ll be alright. Mercy is taking good care of me, and Amilee stops by a lot.” He shrugged. The fey king hadn’t grown in a couple of days now, and we were all hoping that it was over.

“I’ll put some space in the seams so we can let them out if we need to. Hopefully we won’t need to, but just in case.”

“Hopefully.” Fen grimaced, rubbing his neck.

“It’s going to be quite a shock for the kingdom, I think. You’ll find yourself even more popular with romantic interests now.” Astrid winked mischievously at me, and I could tell from her tone she was teasing her half-brother, although she was right.

“Gods, I hadn’t thought about any of that. I don’t even know how to go about putting it out that this has happened!” Fen put his head in his hands. “And I don’t want to be flirted at even more now! It was bad enough when I was short, just because I’m the king!”

“You should rip it off like a band-aid.” I told him. “Just all at once.”

“How though?” he groaned.

“Oh! I know! Have a party! Invite a bunch of people and just, well, announce it!” Astrid said brightly.

“But they’ll want to know how it happened!"

“You’re not going to be able to avoid that. Everyone who sees you from here on out will want to know how it happened. So let other people do the work for you. Come up with a plausible explanation and just stick to it, and let the rumor mill do its work! Only it won’t be just a rumor, it’ll be the truth. Or whatever you tell them is the truth.” Astrid shrugged.

“I can’t think of a plausible explanation, Astrid. Nothing makes sense.” he shook his head.

“So tell them the truth.” I said quietly. “They’re bound to find out about me eventually. Some people probably already know because of what happened at Astrid’s house. People talk. I don’t mind if you tell them the truth. It’s, well, the truth.”

Fen was quiet. “I don’t want to put a target on your back.”

“Why would it?”

“You’d be surprised.” he muttered, “But I don’t know what else we’ll tell them. They might not even believe the truth.”

“Truth is often stranger than fiction.” Astrid nodded.

“It’ll be fine. Just tell them the truth.” I urged him. “I’m fine with it.”

“We’ll only invite people who are friendly with humans, or won’t care that you’re human.” he said slowly.

“That’s settled then!” Astrid clapped, seeming excited, “I’ll have to make you a ballgown, Mercy!”

“What? Why?” I blinked.

“Well you can’t go to a ball in any of the dresses I made you last time.” Astrid shook her head.

“I’ll have to go?”

“It won’t make sense if you don’t.” Fen replied, shrugging a little.

“Oh.” I frowned, “Maybe it’s not a good idea.” I had no idea how to dance at all.

“It’ll be fine, Mercy. We’ll keep you safe, I promise.” Astrid said earnestly.

“We will. I’ll have it here, and will select the guest list very carefully.” Fen said quietly. “I won’t let anything bad happen.”

“Oh, alright.” I sighed. “But I can’t dance.”

“You can stand on my feet.”

“If you’re up to dancing by then.” I muttered.

“I will be. Amilee said just a couple more days on the crutches.” he reminded me. “We’ll have the ball after that, I don’t want to go to it on crutches.”

“Can’t say I blame you.” I sighed.

“Then it’s settled!” Astrid giggled, clapping her hands excitedly again. “What day are you thinking of having it?”

Fen thought, for a moment, “Maybe four days from now? Can you have Mercy a dress done by then?”

“Of course!”

“Alright. I’ll send out the invites tomorrow.” he nodded. “I’ll include Mara, Cecily, and Micah in them, but tell me if there’s anyone else from your workshop you want invited and I’ll include them.”

“No, that’ll do. We’ll be very adequately represented!” Astrid nodded approvingly. “Well, I’ll be off! I’ll get a few essentials made for you, and make you a new party suit, but the rest will have to wait until after.”

“That’s fine.” Fen shrugged.

“What if you grow more?” I asked him worriedly.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. If we come to it at all. I don’t think I will, our father was about as tall as I am now, and I’ve always favored him, aside from my scales.” he replied.

“Alright.” I sighed, praying he was right.

“Will you help me write out invitations?”

“Of course! I don’t know any Faerie, though.” I frowned.

“I’ll write one for you to copy off of in Faerie.”

“Oh, good idea.”

“I’ll let you two get to it, then!” Astrid said, standing.

“If you see Rose, send her this way, will you? I’ll need to go over the party planning. And,” he turned his head towards the sitting room, “Axl?”

“Yes?” Axl came in.

“We should talk about security. I assume you heard everything?”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Yes.” the bodyguard nodded.

“Would you get some letterhead and envelopes from my desk in the sitting room?”

“Have a good day, you two!” Astrid waved farewell as she went to the door. “I’ll tell Rose to come up.”

“Thanks, and bye.” Fen waved absentmindedly.

“Bye!” I called as my friend left.

Axl came back in, and gave Fen the paper. “There you are.’

“Thanks.” Fen began to write.

-

Fen stretched his now kind of long legs. “How’s it feel?” Amilee asked.

“Good.”

“Go ahead and try walking without them.” She told him, nodding at his crutches.

“You don't have to tell me twice.” he muttered, practically leaping to his feet. At least his clothes fit now. Astrid had gotten his basics done pretty quickly, and his new suit. Now she was working on Mercy’s dress, which would be done soon.

Fen’s balance wavered, and he leaned on the back of the chair to steady himself.

“Got it?” Mercy was at his side in an instant, worried.

“I’m fine.” he assured her, shooting the woman he loved a quick smile. “But thanks.”

“Okay.” she watched him closely.

“Try a few steps.” Amilee directed.

They were shaky, at first, but he found his balance and was able to stop leaning on furniture for support, and Mercy stopped hovering as his steps grew more confident.

“Yes, I think that’s good. Keep the crutches, just in case something happens and you feel wobbly again, but I think you’re good to go, Fen!”

“Good.” Fen was very pleased.

Amilee checked her watch. “Oh, I should get going. I’ll stop by again tomorrow.”

“Will you come to the ball? I sent your invitation, but you didn’t say.”

“I’m not one for society events.” the doctor frowned.

“Neither am I, but it’d be better to have another friendly face there in the crowd, if only for Mercy’s sake.” He shrugged.

“Will there be a lot of people? I really don’t care for crowds.”

“Not as big as a usual party, but enough. You saw how many invitations we sent.”

Mercy grimaced, “I didn’t even think about that! Yeah, that’s a lot of people.”

“Well, I guess I could make an appearance.” Amilee smiled, “Will Astrid be there, Fen?”

“Of course.”

“I need to ask her to make a few more outfits for me. Think she’d do it?”

“You’re her favorite cousin, I’d say she will.”

“Am I your favorite cousin too?” Amilee laughed.

“Tch, stupid question, of course. You’re the only one I even like. Just like Astrid is my only sibling I even like.” Fen rolled his eyes.

Amilee laughed again, then headed for the door, “Take care, you two. I’ll see you later!”

“Bye!” Mercy waved and Fen nodded in farewell.

The fey king walked the perimeter of his bedroom. Mercy sat on the floor beside Diana, who was loafing magnificently and purring loudly. Both girls watched his progress contentedly.

“Do you really not like any of your other cousins? Or your siblings?” Mercy asked after a little while.

“Well, I have a few other cousins I like. But not as much as Amilee.” Fen replied. “As for my siblings,they’re all really half-siblings. Our father didn’t stick to one woman for very long. He never married, and had a large harem."

“Oh?”

“Yeah, he wasn’t a good person, although he did alright as a king. My mother was one of his favorite concubines.” Fen told her. “And all of my siblings are from similar backgrounds, the children of his concubines, for the most part. Some were born to high-society women.”

“How was succession decided, then?”

“The High King, or Queen, in Faerie has a choice in who’s to be the next in line for the throne, and can change it as they see fit. Most often they’ve picked their eldest child, but it’s not always the case. I’m not the eldest child. I’m like fifth, I think?"

“So he chose you?”

“Yes. I guess he thought it would suit me the most. I don’t disagree. I feel like I’m decent at it. Faerie is thriving.” Fen shrugged.

“It does seem to be. I think you’re a good ruler.”

“Sometimes I’m not so sure, other times, I’d agree. I’ve gotten better as I’ve gotten older and wiser.”

“That’s normal.” Mercy laughed, “We all get better at our jobs the longer we’re in them.”

“Yeah.”

It was quiet for a few moments.

“Would you tell me more about your family?” she asked softly, breaking the silence. Or it would have been silent, except for Diana’s purrs.

“What do you want to know?”

“How many siblings do you have?”

“Oh,I don’t know the official count, but there are at least twenty of us half-siblings.”

“Wow. You don’t have any full siblings?”

“No. Astrid is as close as it gets, her mother raised me after my mother died. She was good to me, even though I wasn’t her blood.”

“No wonder you’re close to Astrid.”

“Her mother was a kind woman, too. A lot like Rosie, really.”

“I bet I would have liked her.” Mercy smiled, “What about your mother?”

“I don’t remember her very well. I know she had scales on her arms.” he held out his arms. “That’s where I get mine. She had white hair, though, and green eyes. Clearly I don’t favor her all that much, beyond my skin tone and scales. My father’s coloring was light blue.” Fen shrugged, he found that he wanted to let her into his life as much as possible, even if that meant talking about his parents, a topic he usually preferred to avoid with anyone who hadn’t ever known them.

“Blue skin.” Mercy mused, smiling a little.

“It doesn’t bother you, does it?”

“What?”

“That I’m not human? I mean, I have wings and scales and claws and fangs.” Fen looked down at his hands, absentmindedly extending and withdrawing said claws.

“Oh, of course not! I don’t care. Friends are friends. Doesn't matter how they look or what they are.” his young human friend smiled warmly at him. “I promise.”

“Good.” he muttered.

It was quiet for a moment.

“Who’s the oldest of your siblings?”

“That would be Brand.”

“And he wasn’t suited to be king?”

“He was the least suited of any of us.” Fen sighed, “Our father spoiled him to excess, and he turned out self-absorbed and greedy. For a long time, he was the named heir, but towards the end of his life, our father saw Brand's behavior for what it was, and realized he’d destroy Faerie with his whims. Might have effected your world too."

“That’s a scary thought.” she shuddered. “I’m glad he chose otherwise. I do think you’re a good king, Fen.”

“I guess.” he shrugged. “I’m at least organized enough for it, thanks to my time in the military.”

“You were a soldier?”

“Yes. It helped me to regain some of my confidence that I’d lost after getting burned and losing my wings. I was still a capable soldier, even injured as I was. Helped me to regain my strength properly too.”

“That’s good.” Mercy smiled.

He decided to tease his small friend, and told her in a mild tone, “I still have my dress uniform too. I still wear it, from time to time, although I imagine it wouldn't fit now though."

Mercy turned bright red, as he suspected she would, “Fen! Why would you say something like that?!”

He burst into laughter at her reaction, and sat on the windowsill so he didn’t lose his balance and fall over. “Because I knew that's how you'd react!”

“That’s not fair!” she fanned her face, looking away, still embarrassed. “You’re so mean! Don’t tease me like that!”

“I’m sorry. It was too good an opportunity. It’s cute when you turn red like that. Keeps me amused.” he was still grinning broadly.

“I’m not here for your amusement!” she muttered, pouting.

“I know.” he chuckled. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s really not fair. Then laughing like that and you have such a nice smile.” Mercy mumbled, her shoulders slumping a little and her face turning down, as she continued, now in a very quiet voice, “It’s not fair, Fen.”

Finally, he did feel a bit of guilt, able to see her lack of self-esteem in the slump of her shoulders and downturn of her face. Panic flickered through him, and he wondered if he’d pushed too far. He’d only wanted to tease her, but now she was sad. It seemed to have made her think about her insecurities. He hadn’t intended that. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I don’t have to-”

But she cut him off, shaking her head and smiling, “No, no, it’s alright. Sorry for the pity party over here! You were just teasing, I know. I don’t actually mind.”

He went to sit beside her on the ground, reaching out to pet Diana as well. “I’m actually kind of sad it won’t fit now."

“Surely you could get one that does. You could just ask for one. You are the king. I assume that puts you in charge of the military. They couldn't really say no.”

“That’s a very good point. I am still technically in the military because I’m the king, I’m just in charge of it so I don’t have to be up at the crack of dawn or sleep in the barracks.”

“Did you ever have to do any of that?”

“Of course. I wasn’t treated as any better than anyone else when I was in.” he paused, “I made Captain and was close to being promoted to Major before my father died.”

“Oh? That’s impressive.”

“Is it?”

“Yeah.” She smiled. “I don’t know anyone else who was in the military. Much less an officer.”

“You’re gonna give me a big head.”

“You’ve already got one!” Mercy snorted.

Fen grinned, “You’re not wrong.”

Diana shifted, rolling over onto her back, showing off her tummy.

“Ohhh Miss Annie! You’re so cute!” Mercy giggled, reaching out, then pausing, “Is it a trap?”

“Not usually, but sometimes she’ll nip or claw if she wants you to stop.”

“I’ll risk it!” Mercy grinned, gently pushing her fingers through the fur on Diana’s stomach, and sighing happily, “Oh sweet miss!”

Gods, he loved her.