AN: Enjoy this chapter! Happy Reading! :)
Chapter 9
SPOV
"Ah, so you do recognize me, Princess," Breandan remarks smoothly, stepping closer to the table with his loyal followers at the helm. My blood boils, perceiving the spark of amusement in his ice blue eyes.
"There won't be enough of you to recognize in a second, asshole, fae glitter all looks the same," I threaten, sliding my dagger into my palm as my jaw ticks in ire. Breandan laughs, shaking his head at me as both Preston and Niall step protectively before me.
"Breandan, what is the meaning of this?" Niall demands as his own soldiers begin drawing in upon our enemies.
"You can call off your dogs, Niall. I'm not here to fight," Breandan states calmly, raising his hands in the air as a sign of surrender. I see Eric and Godric stepping closer then, the two of them looking upon the unfolding situation with matching, thoughtful expressions. I quickly dismiss the two of them, focusing once more upon the situation at hand.
"You appear with guards at your back yet claim you've no wish to fight?" Niall questions incredulously, earning but a dismissive shrug from the leader of the Water Fae as an easy smile falls over his face.
"They are here as a precautionary measure, nothing more. Surely as a leader yourself you can understand this," Breandan answers back genially. I send him a hateful glare, not believing for one moment his intentions are anywhere near as innocent as he claims.
Niall appears just as wary as I, but proceeds to send a nod to his soldiers to send them falling back into place around the arena. I send him a quizzical look and he only grasps my hand tightly into his own before meeting our sworn enemy's seemingly innocuous gaze.
"Can I assume it's a truce you finally seek?" my grandfather questions hopefully. Breandan is left smiling a malicious smile that manages to elicit an icy chill along my spine whilst finding me white knuckling my dagger as images of his impending death play tauntingly through my mind.
"I suppose you can consider this a truce of sorts," Breandan answers back, tilting his head in thought. "I've actually come in hopes of entering into Comórtas Pósadh," he enlightens us to leave the gathered gasping in collective shock, myself included. No fucking way.
"You wish to enter the tournament?" Niall questions in disbelief as I feel his hand clinging to my own hard enough to leave me biting back a whimper of pain.
"I do," Breandan concedes, stepping closer still to leave me gazing into the icy blue orbs of my nemesis. "I am to understand any persons of supernatural lineage are eligible, yes?" he questions, meeting my grandfather's wary gaze as I can practically hear his shielded thoughts spinning, I'm sure wondering how our side would fair if we were to fall into all-out war against our enemies at this very moment.
"You do realize you would be made to sign a binding contract if you are truly hoping to enter said tournament," Niall remarks, raising a challenging brow at his long time enemy.
"But of course," Breandan answers back smoothly. "I've no problem with following tournament guidelines." I note the thoughtful expression that falls over my grandfather's face then and am left tugging harshly at his sleeve in order to gain his attention.
"Grandfather, you can't seriously be considering this; this is fucking Breandan, our sworn enemy! We can't trust him!" I exchange mentally with my grandfather, seeing a deep frown fall over his face as he turns to catch my anxious gaze.
"I know this, Granddaughter mine, but he could bring no harm against you for the duration of this tournament. It would be advantageous for us to keep a watchful eye upon our most dangerous enemy until we are able to ensure your ultimate safety," he reasons silently to leave me huffing in indignant anger.
"And if he wins!?" I send back telepathically, noting Breandan's amused façade in my peripheral.
"He will not," sounds a second voice through my mind to leave me turning to Preston in surprise.
"It's really rather rude to speak about others without first offering to include them," Breandan remarks aloud then, leaving the three of us sending him a collective glare.
"One must earn politeness," I snap back at him, only to elicit a dark chuckle in return.
"I assume we've come to an agreement then, yes?" Breandan then directs to my grandfather, blatantly ignoring my death glare whilst earning a firm nod of agreement from the Fae prince. "Most excellent," Breandan gleefully remarks before promptly signing his name upon the magical parchment. He then grants me a malicious grin that once more incites a wave of icy fear within me. The fucking bastard.
"Worry not, Princess," Preston remarks gently, leaving me turning to him once more to see him sending me a soft smile. He then reaches towards the parchment and my jaw drops in shock as I see him take hold of the feathered quill.
"Preston, what are you doing?" I ask in bewilderment, wrapping my hand around his own in order to halt his movements.
"It is my job to protect you, Princess, the parameters of the tournament change nothing," he insists, his voice gentle but firm.
"Preston, you could die. Don't do this," I plead silently, sending him pleading eyes.
"To die protecting you would be a tremendous honor," his voice sounds softly through my mind as his chocolate eyes soften in a way I've never noticed before. He gently pulls his hand from my own and I'm left looking on in utter disbelief, watching as he adds his name to the long list of competitors.
"How sweet," Breandan remarks sardonically, earning him yet another glare from me as I step closer to the table, putting me face to face with my enemy. In a flash, I have my iron dagger held at his throat.
"I should just kill you and put an end to all of this right fucking now," I hiss out, seeing a cocky grin spread across the face of the amused leader of the Water Fae.
"Go ahead, break the rules so carefully set in place for your own safety, Princess," he says in reply before my grandfather's hand slips gently over my own.
"He is right, my Susannah, we are held to the same rules as he," Niall reminds me gently whilst guiding my sharpened dagger from Breandan's throat. A smug smirk finds it's way to my face upon noting the line of reddened flesh that Breandan is left rubbing gently. He grants me a speculative gaze before his lips lift into a small smile.
"I certainly admire you spirit, Princess, and I certainly look forward to seeing more of you during the course of the tournament," Breandan remarks before signaling to his followers. They proceed to pop away and I can finally let out a relieved sigh once they've disappeared fully from sight.
"Preston, call the troops together. If we are to keep peace during the tournament, we must prepare," Niall commands of my friend. He bows before the prince and upon standing to meet my inquiring gaze, sends me yet another soft smile.
"We will talk soon, Sookie, I promise," his voice sounds through my mind, earning an understanding nod from me before Niall pulls me into a tight hug.
"This changes nothing, my Susannah. We will ensure your safety at all costs," he assures me, placing a tender kiss upon my forehead before he's rushing away with my friend.
GPOV
"Little one?" I question softly, Eric and I both drawing closer as I feel her welling anxiety flowing between us. She quickly schools her wary features, doing a rather good job of hiding her fears, at least outwardly, before turning to us with a defeated sigh.
"I suppose you'd like some answers now," she sighs out, sending the two of us a weak smile. Eric meets my wary gaze before sending me an understanding nod. This is no time to start an argument, not after what just happened with Breandan.
"All in due time, Lover," Eric answers, granting her an indulgent smile. "Mayhap a leisurely stroll is in order?" Sookie smirks up at him, shaking her head as I feel her storming emotions flowing between us.
"Yeah, that sounds nice," she answers back, taking hold of our proffered arms. "So, you found me," she remarks once the three of us make our way through the sprawling archway together.
"Yes, though you certainly didn't make it easy on us, little one," I inform her, sensing her flushing cheeks under the pale moonlight.
"It's not like I tried to keep it a secret from you or anything. I just didn't want to bother either of you with my problems," she remarks with a slight shrug.
"You didn't think we might like to know you were to be married off? Lover, I call bullshit," Eric answers back to earn an eye roll from our golden fae.
"Alright, so maybe the thought of telling you crossed my mind, but I've been just a bit distracted as of late, can you really blame me?" she sighs out. "Besides, you two figured it out in time. How did you manage that anyways?"
"Pamela," I answer back simply.
"Why, that little," she grits out in reply, shaking her head. "I suppose that's what I get for turning down her advances," she then sighs out to leave Eric and I exchanging a momentary look of surprise, before knowing smiles fall over our faces. It would seem even our Pamela is not wholly immune to our little fae's charms.
"We had no idea you were of royal heritage, Lover," Eric then remarks inquisitively.
"Yeah, well, I have no interest in ruling, besides, Princess Brigant is just a title, it's not who I am," Sookie informs us to leave my child and myself sharing knowing looks.
"It would seem the three of us share similar views on this particular subject, little one," I divulge, earning a look of surprise from the fae princess.
"He's right you know, Godric and I were both born into leadership roles in our human lives. There's a reason we both distance ourselves as much from that life as possible now," Eric enlightens her, earning a snort of amusement in turn.
"Who'd have thought we'd have so much in common," Sookie remarks teasingly, as I feel her distress slowly melting away between us.
"But I still don't understand something," I remark, casting a wary gaze upon the golden goddess who has won my heart, knowing full well I'm broaching a rather sensitive subject. "You're royalty, a princess, so why are you fighting against Breandan and his followers? Isn't it the responsibility of the royal guard to protect you at all times?"
"Pfft, now you sound like my grandfather," Sookie sighs out, shaking her head at me. "You're right though, the royal guard does protect us and they do an excellent job, really, but my own fight with Breandan is a personal one," she grits out as I feel the start of her anger rising up between us.
"But, Lover, Breandan is a full blooded fae and from what I understand a powerful one at that and though your fighting skills are admittedly quite impressive, he still poses a serious threat," Eric reasons, managing to ignite our fiery fae's anger as she drops our arms before placing her hands upon her hips and hits the two of us with a hardened glare.
"You sound just like Niall! This is my fight and tournament or no, Breandan will fall by my blade, by my hand personally and nothing and no one will stand in my fucking way," she cries out, leaving her chest heaving in ire.
"Sookie," I answer back softly, reaching out to take her hand into my own. "We would never take that from you," I assure her, seeing a look of shock fall over her face. "But there's no reason to enter into such a fight without adequate backup," I add, watching as she looks back and forth between us in surprise.
"You'd really give me this? You'd let me fight against Breandan? Even if one of you won the tournament?" she questions in disbelief.
"We will win the tournament, Lover," Eric firmly amends. "And once our lives are bound to one another, we've no intentions of making you our prisoner. You're a fighter, it's who you are; we could never take that away from you," my child assures her, earning a slow nod as her swirling emotions visibly play over her face.
"Alright," she answers back, granting the two of us a small smile before taking hold of our arms once more. "You shouldn't be so cocky though, the two of you are up against some pretty stiff competition, you know," she adds lightheartedly to bring amused chuckles from us.
"Ah, but the two of us have an advantage over every fighter here, little one," I remark, earning a questioning brow from our amused fae.
"Fangs? I'm pretty sure a few of the other men have fangs…and claws…and God knows what else," she adds lowly, a light shudder running through her at the thought.
"This may very well be true, Lover, but Godric and myself still hold one important advantage, one that is sure to guarantee our final victory," he adds lowly, stepping before our golden fae to meet her enamored gaze. "Your love," he adds simply, earning an open jawed stare from the befuddled fae princess.
"I- what-, I mean," she stutters back in turn, her face darkening under the moon's soft light to leave Eric and I chuckling lowly.
"Until tomorrow, dear one," I cut her off then, granting her a soft smile before Eric and myself each press a tender kiss to either side of our fae's golden temple.
"Love the dress, by the way," Eric remarks with a wink, earning an annoyed eye roll from our fae, even as a small smirk pulls up the corner of her plush lips. I can feel her bewilderment rising between us once more as Eric and myself proceed to take to the skies and I can't help the small smile that curls my lips.
She may not realize it yet, but Eric's right in his assessment, it will be the love of our enchanting fae that will see us through this tournament, a tournament that will ensure our fae's rightful place at our sides for our shared eternity and I can hardly wait for the chance to prove this to her.
