Bound (A Faery Story 1)

21

Just like that, the food turned to sawdust in his mouth. Beck took a

long drink and forced himself to continue eating. He would need the

energy for the battle to come. He needed to maintain control.

“There is nothing of contentment in my life. There hasn’t been for

the past thirteen years.” Beck’s mind started to go back to the terrible

night when he lost both his parents and his sister. He had only been

able to save his twin, Cian. He chose, as he had since that day when

he was seventeen, to look to the future. “It is not that I don’t dream of

taking back what rightfully belongs to me, Rhys. It is simply a matter

of practicality. My loyalists are gone.”

Rhys shook his bearded head vigorously. “That is untrue, Your

Highness. There are many here, and many more on the home plane.

Tir na nÒg is full of Fae longing for Your Highness.”

Beck sighed because he would have to put this to the gnome in

blunt words. It would likely ruin the man’s illusions of him, but then,

Beck no longer had use for illusions. “Peasants, Rhys, you’re talking

about peasants. While I am thrilled to have the love of the people,

money is needed to wage war, and I have none. I am barely able to

buy my way into this tourney. I have no idea how I’m going to clothe

my mate after I’ve won her. She’ll be roaming the forests in one of

my beat-up old shirts. If I can’t even take care of my mate, I’ve got no

idea how I should go about fighting a war.”

Rhys leaned forward. His small, ruddy face was fervent. “The

loyalists heard that Cian was fading. They know that if Cian dies, you

will be half a man. Symbiotic twins are very powerful, my liege, but

everyone knows that if your intellectual half fades, you will not be fit

to rule.”

“Hence my long ride through that bloody forest to get here,” Beck

admitted. “Cian is fading because he has no female. We are long past