Light Ever After

Chapter 2

Coupled with a male of the eldest line

In faery I had a lot more time to think, in fact it seemed like I had nothing to do but think.

Since arriving I have sat in my designated rooms in Niall's palace and speculated on how I should have done things differently. At least for the first few days I was enchanted by my great grandfather's home. Oh this, ah that, like a regular tourist. But even ohhing and ahhing gets old quickly and if I couldn't go home I wished I could be out exploring more of faedom. At least I wouldn't be thinking so much if I was gardening in Niall's gorgeous gardens that I spied through my crystalline windows, or riding a pony along a rainbow. Whatever it was you did here. But unfortunately nothing was required of me once Niall explained my condition to the fae. If I tried to do anything, or go anywhere, I was soon directed back to my sitting room in the palace. I had been here only a week but it felt much longer.

It did not help that my fae brethren were treating me like some kind of precious and fragile vampire baby Momma. I was never left alone except to use the washroom and even then they would knock if I took longer than a minute. I learned the hard way they were not shy about opening doors and that there is no such thing as a lock inside a home in faedom. There was nowhere I could escape to myself for a minute. Niall had decreed that there should always be at least two people close by, one to sit with me and soak me in fae magic and another to fetch me whatever I might need. Usually another faery would show up just out of curiosity.

I could not help but conclude that my child was even more important to the fae than Niall made me believe. Unfortunately, I was starting to become concerned that it was only my unborn child they cared about and once he or she was born my own security might be in jeopardy. I knew Niall cared about me, but he was rarely present. In fact I had not seen him in person since the first day he brought me here and I was staying in his home. I wondered if great grandfather was avoiding me with reason. That thought did not help that growing little pit of worry in my stomach.

Dermot visited me regularly but he had spent so much time as a half crazy outsider I doubt he knew much more than I did about the situation. I liked it when Dermot visited though. Unlike my other faery visitors, who seemed to become both dumbstruck and silent in my presence, or asked impertinent questions incessantly, Dermot could carry on a regular conversation. Or at least a reasonable facsimile when compared to everyone else I was seeing.

Today my visitor was of the impertinent twenty questions variety, mixed with judgmental nods for good measure.

"Human value for monogamy is strange," mused my faery guardian, its tone dripping with disapproval.

I could not place the faery as male or female, which happened more often than I thought it should, and it made me wonder if there was a third sex among the fae. I had seen a documentary once about these fish creatures at the very bottom of the ocean that could become male or female when it came time for mating. I guess because there were so few of them down there they had to be open to all possibilities.

"That loving one person should be considered so important to you, that you tore your very essence in half to accommodate your natural faery inclinations," it continued to judge. I have to say one thing about the fae, while they may not always tell the whole truth or feel the need to give explanations; they were never shy of sharing exactly what they thought of you.

"I've loved more than one person," I countered, but only weakly when I realized that Bill Compton was my only other example.

"At the same time?"

"Not really," I admitted. Had I loved Bill and Eric at the same time? I liked to think not, but then again, memory sometimes rewrites itself to help you sleep at night. There may have been some, desire, for Eric while I loved Bill but not love.

Apparently part of me did love Sam and Eric though, my mind wandering down a train of thought that it took too often the last week. The ship had sailed for Sam and me long ago in my opinion. But I must have or had some feelings for him for what happened to have happened, right? I mean, I love Sam as a friend and don't get me wrong, I am glad he is alive, but I don't miss him any more than my other friends and family.

Not like I missed Eric. After a week it still boggled my mind that there was a part of me that loved Sam enough to walk away from Eric. Though my working theory was it wasn't Sam the other me loved as much as the idea of the normal human life. Before the split I had to admit I'd harbored a desire for walking away from it all. I was tired of the continual fight for Eric when he seemed resigned to throw in the towel. I think we both knew in our hearts there wasn't a future between us and were gradually distancing ourselves to avoid facing the truth. The inevitable reality that our relationship would end because I didn't want to give him forever and he couldn't give me a family. But the band aid never hurts less when you pull it off slowly.

I want so badly to tell him things are different now.

Though not completely, since I'd probably age normally again when I returned to the human realm.

But that's a problem for the future. Now I just wished I could talk to him and make sure he knows that I love him. Well, if I was really honest I wanted to feel his cool arms wrapped around me too. Feel safe in a way no one else could make me feel. Heck while I'm wishing for impossibilities I want to find a very private hidey hole to stay cooped up in with him for weeks.

The reality is I'm stuck in fae limbo while he might be married to Freyda already. But I was here for a good reason. I was keeping his son safe, at least I hope, and with everything Freyda could give him, she could never give him a son. Only I could do that. I stopped myself from thinking anymore about our child, I did not want to get too excited and then find out Niall was mistaken.

"Have you even had more than one lover at a time?"

My faery guardian continued prying just when I thought it was going to be quiet for the rest of our visit. I was going to retort that you didn't need another lover with Eric, but the fae sexual pride might be piqued and try to show me just what I was missing by refusing fae lovers. I remembered then that my visitors name was Kalis, and decided to play along since I needed the distraction from my own thoughts.

"Do you mean did I have two lovers at the same time, or at the same time?" I asked. Not that it mattered, the answer was no to both questions. But I was sick of the poor repressed human looks that Kalis was giving me.

"You are a prude if you have to ask it that way," Kalis concluded, my attempts at playing along backfiring.

While highly annoying, the loose fae attitudes toward sex were probably a good thing for me, it meant that any animosity towards me did not come from me being Niall's "other kin" and only from me being Niall's human kin. But me being mostly human did not matter much anymore to anyone. In fact all was forgiven now, almost too easily, which added to my worry about my child's importance.

"At least your grandmother Adele was more practical and she and Fintan & Dermot..."

"I went to an orgy once," I cut in before Kalis could give me any details about my grandmother that I did not want to know. I did not need anything else of distress rankling through my mind when I had too much time to think.

"Only once?" was Kalis' shocked reply. I ignored Kalis and let myself indulge in a memory. Hot pink spandex….

Unfortunately Kalis took my daydream smile as a sign of enthusiasm. "When the baby is born you can join our faery gatherings," Kalis invited eagerly. Even repressed Sookie could figure out what happened at these gatherings from our line of conversation. I would have protested but Kalis seemed so happy and I really wanted to let the conversation die so I merely smiled and nodded knowing I might regret it later.

"Of course you must wait until the child is born because we must be sure your child belongs to the Northman. You have been with no one else recently?"

I shook my head no.

"That is good. Well, certainly not good for you but good for us," Kalis continued, as I rejoiced that finally one of my fae visitors was venturing towards a subject that I did want to talk about. I was not going to miss my opening when it had finally arrived. "Why is it so important that my child is Eric's?"

Kalis looked at me in shock, as if it was impossible that I should not already know the importance of Eric. But he did answer my question. "The Northman is of the eldest line that is alluded to in the prophecy of the fifth cluviel dor." Unfortunately staying true to fae nature Kalis volunteered no more. Patience I told myself, and then schooled my tone and expression to not reveal this information was becoming vital to my sanity.

"What is the eldest line?"

I congratulated myself on the cool delivery while Kalis glared at me, eyes bugging out and ear tips flexing inward towards his head in an expression that made even the best looking faery appear unattractive.

"You do not know of the eldest line? But you have been with vampires, been with Eric himself. You are of Gwendolyn's own line." Kalis looked at me with the expectation that I must remember now.

"Who was Gwendolyn?" I asked as if she was a relative I couldn't quite place.

That question rendered Kalis speechless and the faery only stared at me like I must have fallen off the last turnip truck on my way here. "You do not know the story of Gwendolyn and Gareth?!"

"Kalis you are excused," came Niall's voice, followed shortly by the rest of his body materializing in my room. He looked slightly vexed at Kalis and the other faery quickly dematerialized after giving Niall a quick obligatory nod. The look of annoyance faded into concern as Niall looked at me.

"Great-grandfather who were Gwendolyn and Gareth?" I repeated, not bothering to pretend I wasn't interested anymore.

"It is a sad story child, one I don't think you should have to hear at this time," dismissed Niall, his eyes lowering to my still flat stomach. I had a sickening thought that the baby was just a lie that Niall was using to gain control over me. To what purpose I don't know, lonely old men do strange things, and my mind flashed to my Uncle Bartlett. The thought gave me courage to question him. I wasn't an innocent little girl to be manipulated any more.

"Grandfather if it has something to do with my baby then I need to know. I will only wonder and ask every faery I meet if you do not tell me now. "

Niall sighed, but relented as he carefully positioned the chair Kalis had vacated closer to me before sitting down. I had yet to get used to the fae way of sitting down despite all my visitors. They carefully place the chair exactly where they want it to be, and then squat down till they collapse at the last moment. And they would never shuffle a chair closer but stand up and change the location if they must.

Finally comfortable Niall began his story in such a mournful yet matter of fact voice that it filled my soul with melancholy. "Gwendolyn and Gareth were the first fae and human mates," he began. He went on to explain that Gwendolyn loved Gareth so intensely she forsook all her faery lovers for him before knowing that humans were not as long lived as the fae. I could not help sympathizing with the difficulty of dating someone with a different life expectantly and somehow wished the story would end well. It didn't. When Gareth inevitably died Gwendolyn was so distraught she took him home to faery to use the first cluviel dor to wish for his immortality. While the sun was in the sky he did not awake, and she gave up hope and prepared the funeral rituals.

"There was a great crowd of our kind present for the burial when dusk fell and Gareth woke. Gwendolyn was so overjoyed that she asked no questions and ran to him; she was still smiling after he drained her of her life force."

Grandfather paused. I wiped away a tear.

"He was more horrified by what he had done than any of the fae. They should have killed him but they pitied him too. They cast a spell on him, that the sun's rays would burn him before sending him back to the Earthen realm thinking that was the end of him. But it was only the beginning. Gareth gave rise to the whole race of vampires. The first vampires had only human history behind them. They modeled their hierarchy after human ones with the eldest child having more significance. Those vampires of the eldest line were rulers in ancient times. With Appius dead, Eric is the last living male of the eldest line."

"Why is that important?" I asked, not believing my luck that Niall was mentioning the eldest line without me having to directly ask him.

"Gwendolyn was well loved among the fae, and was of our royal lineage. Many efforts were made to undo what had happened to her. Another faery thought that if a cluviel dor did the damage, it should undo it as well. He made a wish with the 5th cluviel dor, and a prophecy was revealed. One that states a half fae female and a vampire of the eldest line will have a child to correct the past."

I waited but it appeared that was the end of the story. I wanted to ask how a child could fix the past, but I was distracted by another thought niggling at the back of my mind. "Eric knew you from long before he met me…."

"My ancestors have been keeping tabs on the eldest line throughout vampire history. We did not want to miss the hybrid child," confirmed Niall.

"You asked him for information about me," I stated, my tone clearly showing that I needed an explanation. Niall stretched out his right hand towards me and I placed my palm in his. For once he replied without me having to ask for specifics.

"Not exactly my child. I knew that there were no males left of the original line except for Appius and Eric. Appius was an unlikely candidate to woo any woman let alone one who was part fae. From what I know of Karin she is unlikely to make a child anytime soon. So naturally I followed Eric closely, but did not reveal myself to him until forced too."

"When was that?"

"Shortly after the vampire revelation to humanity. An assassin from a naturalistic vampire group went after Eric because his bar served synthetic blood. I saved his life. He hated owing his life to a faery and could not understand why I saved him. He did not like being in debt and demanded a way of repaying me. I told him if he found humans that were more than they appeared he was to inform me immediately. When he found the right one I would tell him how he could settle his debt."

"And when he found me?" I asked, shivers running through my spine. I was terrified that Niall would admit to making some kind of sick deal with Eric, like Bill had made with Sophie Anne.

"He told me that a telepath named Sookie Stackhouse walked into his bar with a vampire of his sheriffdom. He had found other special humans for me over the years, and always reported them when we met. But when he spoke of you he immediately asked if you were the one."

"What did you tell him?"

"That you were. That the life he owed me could be paid back with yours. To protect you for your lifespan and he would no longer owe me anything. At the time I did not suspect you would need so much protecting great-granddaughter," his tone taking on a scolding quality. "I merely hoped he would fall in love with you."

Anger flared between us at the condescension and manipulation, and the fact that I felt grandfather extending a peaceful aura over me. "Please do not be angry child, I saw a golden opportunity for the birth of a long awaited child and I could not pass on it."

I wanted to stay angry at great-grandfather but I could not. I wondered how much of my dissipated anger was due to his calming effects. But who wouldn't take a golden opportunity when it presented itself after so many years? It was not in the fae nature to be completely forthcoming anyway, and I expected Niall not to tell me many things. I could accept that my whole relationship with Eric had been orchestrated by my great-grandfather.

"Do not be disheartened child, does having a match-maker make your love less?" Niall asked, incorrectly responding to the pained look on my face.

"Eric never told me how he knew you," I explained. That is what hurt, he knew how Bill had lied to me. That it left me with insecurities. But never once did he mention Niall's request to protect me.

"Eric is proud my Sookie. He would never admit that protecting you was his task for it was one he often failed. I sent Claudine to protect you at his request. I must admit that for the Viking to ask for help scared me child. He would not have asked unless he truly felt you were at great danger. He put your safety before his pride, even knowing I might see his debt as unpaid with that act."

I knew Eric well enough to know it must have killed him to admit he couldn't be my sole protector. He knew me well enough to know that I would have chalked up our whole relationship as his attempt to keep me safe had he said anything. Then I realized that I had treated him as a failure when he failed to protect me from Neave and Lochlan. Despite the fact that he had a bar to run, a sherriffdom to care for and his children competing with me for his time, and only the hours of the night, I had felt like he should always keep me safe. Because he made me feel that way. Because he did take such good care of me the rest of the time. I felt shame flood into my being. But I still wanted Eric's explanations not Niall's excuses. I wanted Eric. Despite his duplicity I felt closer to him knowing we had both been pawns of Niall's.

"Please grandfather, I want to see him," I begged.

"Impossible, the child is much too important to risk." It was hard to love him like a regular family member sometimes. He left me then with only a vague promise that he would talk to Eric about things.

For some reason that did not comfort me at all.

End Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed the first chapter! I hope you are sticking with me after this long overdrawn history lesson of a chapter. :) Also, I went to a bit of effort to make things consistent with the books (thank you whoever runs the sookieverse blog btw), but if I have mucked anything up, please let me know. P.S. Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians.