The order went out early the next day. From her cage, Marva observed Sorem rather than the others of the village. She needed to get this moron back on the right path.

She didn’t need foresight to know Sorem felt self-conscious when he prepared his horse. For Wyrn, someone brought two donkeys pulling a wagon. They also went so far as to stack it of food, ale, and something else that weighed the cart down.

“Gold?” The hunchback said, peering into the bag put down by Matax, in human form. “Where did this come from?”

“Best if you don’t ask.”

Letting out a groan, the hunchback gave no further protest to the gold and gems in the sack.

Many came to pay their respects and shake Wyrn’s hands with a bow.

Sorem stood by his steed, confused and saddened beyond belief. What is the source of this hunchback’s power?

Marva was impressed with the way this prince had worked himself up into such a strange disillusionment. The power necessary to enchant an entire village would require a being such as the Living Goddess herself, and there would be no rest. Even the Fairy King could not sustain such a constant enchantment.

And enchantments of the mind didn’t look like this. The people under a spell appeared hollow. They could answer but never enjoy themselves freely.

All this and more, she’d conveyed to Prince Sorem the night before as he’d listened to the couple in the next room take a vigorous interest in each other.

He hadn’t struck her cage for her to shut up at least, so that meant he’d heard her, but he also hadn’t stop frowning as he stood with his head slumped against the wall.

Now, as Sorem watched the hunchback, he wore a scowl. Everything in him said he believed reality to be backward. Never mind that the burning of their hut forced them to stay at the inn last night.

Sorem didn’t need extra abilities to hear them then. And they barely stopped.

By morning, Sorem wasn’t the only one jealous. Marva herself found their love and affection for one another to cause a slow rot to form within her heart that spread with each passing minute that the happy couple found affection with one another.

Was this love? It looked so similar to what Matax had pretended to offer her. Being around a true form of it now…hurt. A lot. A lot. So she allowed Sorem his envy. Hopefully, one day, he could admit to himself that there was no magic or enchantment here, just a man ruling over people who loved him, ravishing a beautiful wife who ravished him in kind.

But the prospect of that truth being real left her feeling hollow as well.

Marva hated them all.

“So,” Matax said, resting back against the wagon, “pet, huh?”

Wyrn’s head turned slowly as he stared the fairy-turned-human down. Sorem was in earshot, and he took great interest in the conversation though he tried to play it off by readying his saddle again and again.

Marva expected the hunchback to flounder or even blush—that was common for humans, she knew, but Wyrn barely batted an eye.

Instead, he said to Matax, “I understand that fairies watch people—watch us. That you watch us.” He turned his entire body toward Matax and said through clenched teeth, “And I don’t care what you think. But should you make mention of it to her, mock her, tease her, or do anything of the sort….”

Matax tensed. If Marva didn’t know any better, she’d assume Wyrn perhaps held a dagger to the man’s gut which he hid from public view.

“You’ll regret the moment you ever took human shape.”

Still with his gut drawn in, Matax held up his hands. “All right. All right. It was just a joke.” Nothing changed so he hurried to add, “As a yellow Fae, we chase merriment. But I miss the lust. That’s all. It’s just jealousy talking. I’m a fairy of blue in my heart. I’ll always appreciate affection. But I’ll heed your warning, Jaffo. I swear.”

Wyrn waited a moment more before turning from him.

Marva watched, eager to know the weapon but Wyrn’s hands were empty.

His bare hands? Had he intended to injure Matax bare handed?

Now, they both waited by the wagon, Wyrn letting out a sigh. He glanced at Matax once then asked, “What do you mean about chasing affection?”

With the last of the supplies loaded by the many people surrounding them, they simply waited.

“It’s laughter we share with one another. We can get interested, even affectionate like before, but each time I make the attempt to take her, she starts laughing and then I start laughing and we can’t get out of the laughing fit.” Matax sighed. “There’s a lot of cuddling involved.”

Sorem bit back a chuckle but Marva didn’t find this funny, neither did Wyrn who nodded.

“Perhaps you should start with cuddling first and if it leads to more, let it?”

Matax turned to answer but Wyrn eased off the wagon when five people approached. Two women helped a third who walked unsteady.

“I’ll get used to it. But I’ve never had to walk in shoes before. It’s rather exciting.”

Jeze. Marva remembered Matax’s companion. Her name was Jeze.

That hollow feeling returned when joy spread across Matax’s face upon seeing her.

Now Marva understood Sorem’s irrationality. Painting a reality for oneself stung far less than the truth of knowing something so close would forever be out of reach.

Love.

Matax had said fairies couldn’t love. But what was all this? Why was he so smitten with seeing Jeze, another fairy in human form?

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Jeze took tentative steps but she was so shaky that Vadde and the innkeeper had to hold her under the arms and help her walk.

“Matax, look,” Jeze proclaimed, “aren’t these shoes darling? They let me borrow them.”

The aforementioned shoes were boots, fancy ones for human women. Even the dress Jeze wore was very gaudy.

“Darling my foot,” Matax bit out. He stomped over to her and plucked her from her rescuers. In one swoop, he had her in his arms. “And oh, you weigh so much.”

Jeze laughed. “Isn’t this just your excuse to be sweet to me?” she asked, draping her arms around his neck. “Admit it, you’re affectionate to me, Matax. You’ll be turning pitch black soon.”

Her laughter filled the day as Matax helped her into the wagon.

“But I wanted a horse,” Jeze insisted, smiling. “Aren’t you going to find that for me, too?”

“I’ve tried horses,” Matax complained, “riding them sores the rump. Best you stay here rather than risk falling off and breaking your neck.”

Jeze grinned wide. “Because then you’d miss me, right?”

Matax dropped her and groaned. “You’re impossible. Figured like this you’d at least relax from all the laughing.”

She giggled and he smiled in spite of his words.

He loved her. Somehow, someway, this fairy had love to give another. Then surely, he could give it to Marva as promised, as well.

Now, instead of fighting with Sorem to get back to their original quest, Marva found herself resigned to follow this path, at least for now. At least until she understood what this all was—all meant.

Wyrn stared at his wife for some time, making her self-conscious enough to check herself over, and even look behind her to confirm his curiosity lay only with her.

“What is it?” Vadde whispered.

“You,” Wyrn scanned her entirely and said, “you look stunning.”

Vadde’s full red lips parted, and she held her face to hide the blush. “Stop.”

“But you can’t wear that.”

The sternness of his words caused all color from her face to drain. “And why not?”

“It’s restrictive. Should you need to run, how far will you get in something so frumpy?”

“It’s not frumpy. You take that back. This is cultured. I am a princess. I will not travel in—in vails and—and—”

“And rags,” Sorem said, absentmindedly.

When all eyes drifted to him, despite him standing at a distance, he cleared his throat.

Now it was Wyrn whispering next, hiding his embarrassment. “It’s not rags.”

Vadde’s lips parted a second time. Now, she looked from Sorem to Wyrn. The lovely yellow dress she wore matched Sorem’s cape well. As a princess, she’d inadvertently worn something to suit a prince.

The awkward silence to follow broke when Wyrn focused on Bonn who fixed his breastplate.

“Brother, what are you doing?” Wyrn asked.

“What does it look like? I’m coming with you.”

The innkeeper drew everyone’s attention when she made a sound.

Finally, the innkeeper explained, “I’d come, too, but I don’t want to risk it. I have four boys to care for. I…I don’t want to risk getting trapped outside the barrier.”

Vadde turned to her and took her hands. “I don’t blame you for that—”

“But I blame you.” The words provoked a start from all in earshot. Finally, the innkeeper calmed. “I’m sorry. But this little family’s all I’ve ever had—all I’ve ever wanted. And being what I am, this is a dream come true. I—I just thought you understood that. That it was the same for you.”

Embarrassed, Vadde nodded. “I do enjoy my time here. I….”

But she had nothing more to say beyond that.

A good crowd formed and Wyrn filled the silence. “You don’t have to come, brother. I am all right.”

Bonn’s blue eyes widened. “But who will guard you? Surely not that wicked fairy.”

Matax grinned but Wyrn ignored him.

“This wicked fairy is bound by fairy law. Stay here with your family. Should anything arise in my absence, they need someone powerful. There’s none more powerful than you without Father here.”

But his brother stepped forward to defy those words.

Wyrn simply shook his head and the big man backed down. He let out a sigh and stepped forward to embrace Bonn. Due to their height difference, they almost looked like father and son.

“I’m sorry I hit you, brother. But I’ll be back. Don’t worry.”

“But your quest….” Bonn stepped back and patted Wyrn’s head. “Go to The Living Goddess and have her free you of it. Surely—”

Wyrn patted his arm then helped Vadde up into the wagon. He then turned to the crowd and waved. Everyone waved back.

So eager was Sorem to get away from the adoration, that he mounted his horse and waited there.

Matax sat in the front and finally Wyrn who took the reins . With a flick of his wrists, they set off, many children ran along beside them, yelling, “Good travels, Uncle Wyrn!”

From the horse, Marva could see Wyrn’s smile.

But then another child yelled, “Farewell, Aunt Vadde. It was nice to have known you!”

Vadde flinched, taking insult. “Why, you…. I’m coming back,” she assured him.

Two children traded a glance then shook their heads in unison.

“Not likely,” they said together.

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