Thank you all so very much for all the kind comments and messages regarding this story. I could not have hoped for a better response.
As always, I do not own these characters. That right belongs to Charlaine Harris.
"Are you going to remain angry for the entire time you are here?"
"Considering you are holding me captive here, yes, I am," I answered my great-grandfather's question plainly. "Let me return home and then we will see."
"Come now, Sookie. I'm hardly holding you captive." He sounded exasperated and offended. Not that I cared. "What's a few more days? Finish the courses your tutors have laid out for you and I will gladly bring you home."
"A few more days is really years, Niall!" He refused to see my side and I secretly wondered if my stubbornness came from the Stackhouse's after all. "A few more lessons are not as important as me getting back to Eric."
"But they could be. You have accomplished much, but your potential is hardly fulfilled."
"I can continue to train at home. There's no need to keep me here."
The conversation was a variant of the ones we'd had for the past five evenings and I was about ready to lose my mind. To learn my marriage was intact and then be prevented from returning to Eric's side was untenable. Niall's insistence I continue my studies was outrageous considering the circumstances and I'd told him so many times over the past days. I'd considered refusing to study before rejecting the idea. I couldn't be sure Niall would hold to his word, but I couldn't risk the chance. Other than arguing with him, I'd done nothing but study and practice. I hated to admit it even to myself, but I could feel the effects of the long hours spent mastering my new crafts. I was stronger, sharper and showing a marked improvement in my magic.
I would have traded it all away to be back in Eric's arms.
"We've been over this before. It will take you decades to do this on Earth, and you may never achieve your best." Niall shifted his ever present walking stick to his right hand and walked towards me. As usual, the ancient Prince looked immaculate and immensely powerful and I looked like I hadn't showered in days, which I hadn't. "I know you think I am being cruel, but I am trying to protect you, my child. I want you to be as strong and powerful as you are meant to be. The world has advanced some, but it is still a harsh reality you will face on your return. You have every right to claim your husband once more, but that is not to say the vampires will simply acquiesce."
"I'm not afraid of a fight and I'm much more prepared than I ever have been," I protested quickly. I was never really afraid of a fight, even when I should have been, and I never had as much at stake as I did now. The vampires could put up all the damned fight they wanted; I was going to claim my husband.
"This conversation is as meaningless tonight as it was last night." Niall sighed as he looked at me. "I knew I really didn't have any hope of you wanting to stay here, my child, but I wish you could see how much you're benefiting."
My mind flashed back to the awful fight we'd had the night he told me my marriage outweighed the interests and contracts between vampires. He'd as much as told me he was hoping I would chose to stay in this realm; he believed I might decide to 'assume my position here' once I was exposed to the magic around me. The Prince had hoped I might assume more fairy traits as my spark matured in the fertile environment he'd provided.
We had fought viciously, or I had fought viciously while my great-grandfather mostly just stood there as I heaped as much abuse as I could muster. It wasn't until I'd worn myself out that he'd begun to explain himself and his motivations. All the eligible bachelors of the realm were lined up in hopes I would move beyond what he called my 'obsession with the vampire'. He was simply trying to show me a viable alternative now that I was embracing my fae side; he believed there was much to offer me here and in return I might consider truly becoming part of the family there.
As angry as I was, I almost felt sorry for the old man. His natural family was dying out way too early and he had buried too many of his kin. The Brigant line itself was in danger of extinction and he was desperate, both as a patriarch and a Prince, to hold on to what he had. He'd sworn he always intended to return me if that was my choice, but I just couldn't trust his word. So far, he was refusing to bring me anywhere and it was definitely my choice to leave.
"Since there is no point in talking to you, I'm going back to my room to study," I informed him haughtily as I walked from the wood-panelled study. "I swear, Great-Grandfather, if you don't bring me home after I do as you ask, I will never forgive you."
And I wouldn't, either, I thought as I climbed the wide, curving staircase to the third floor. He may or may not be able to hold me here, only time would tell that, but my heart would be forever closed to him and his 'eligible bachelors'. I would ensure he receive no satisfaction from my presence.
After practicing the defensive maneuvers in my lesson plan for several hours, I put in a couple more hours work on my magic, specifically practicing how to materialize items I asked for. Initially, I'd despaired of ever mastering this skill, but just as with everything else, it was coming much more naturally to me lately. Smaller items were no problem anymore and it was becoming easier to manage larger items, but I still needed to have seen the item to call it to me.
I slept for a few hours in the early morning before rising and diving back into study. I was deeply absorbed in a handwritten tutorial on the differences between transfiguration and transmutation when Anathea appeared with a soft pop and a waft of her lavender-like signature perfume.
"Hi," I greeted absently, scanning the last paragraphs of the page in my hand.
"Hi to you, too," she answered slowly as she walked towards me. "You don't look too healthy. When was the last time you ate or slept? Or showered?" She asked as she took in my less than stellar appearance. I know I didn't look good, nowhere near the standards I'd been holding here. I slept in catnaps, ate peckishly when I remembered to do so at all and I hadn't showered in days. Everything in me was consumed with finishing my lessons as soon as possible and getting the hell out of here.
"I'm fine, honestly," I told her. "I've just been consumed with studying, you know? I feel like I'm back at university cramming for exams." I laughed as I gestured to myself. "Do I stink? I'll go get a shower. It will just take a minute."
"You don't smell like a flower," she agreed with an easy laugh hiding the worry in her eyes. "Go shower and then we will eat. You'll feel so much better."
She was right, of course. The much needed shower was exactly what I needed and I tried as best I could to empty my teeming brain and let the hot pulsing water do it's job. The stress of the last few days didn't exactly wash down the drain with the shampoo lather, but the calming water relieved many of the physical symptoms of my overexertion. I emerged fifteen minutes later with clean clothes, damp hair and a raging appetite. My stomach growled as I took in the lunch she'd either ordered or conjured in my absence.
"I feel like a new woman," I declared a few minutes later from my seat opposite her at the small table. I took a mouthful of the tea she offered and wished, not for the first time, that it were coffee. It was shocking and unwelcome news to find out the precious elixir was not grown here. It was a good thing I'd only started drinking it again a few days ago; there were times in my life when the caffeine withdrawal might have killed me.
"Glad I could be of assistance." Anathea smiled at me and gestured to the remaining food. "Have you had enough?"
"Absolutely. That's more than I've eaten in days." I poured myself a glass of juice and stood up. "Let's sit outside for a while, okay? The fresh air will do me good."
The sun was hanging low in the sky, not quite fallen into evening, but the afternoon was fading into the magical time of day photographers called the golden hour. The dazzlingly colourful landscape was showing it's full beauty and we both admired the magnificent view before choosing seats near the railing.
"Has there been any progress with the Prince?" I'd spoken with Anathea the day after Niall's big revelation, but we hadn't had time to really catch up.
"No. He's still refusing to bring me home - he says my lessons are more important than returning to Eric right away." I begrudged each and every second I spent here when I could be reunited with the only man I'd ever loved. "Honestly, he's making me regret even coming here, no matter how strong I'm getting."
"We cannot regret anything that makes us stronger," she rebutted. "You can resent him all you like, but regret negates some of what you have accomplished."
"I know, I'm just mad at the world right now and all Niall keeps harping on about is my potential and how I'm not fulfilling it." I took a deep breath and tried to not sound so defensive. "Before, he kept saying how advanced I was and now I'm squandering my potential. What is so important that I should be kept here against my will?"
Anathea sighed but a look of comprehension dawned on her elegant features. She busied herself with her drink before speaking.
"Niall was likely telling you the truth when he said he wanted you to be able to protect yourself, but as with everything with him, there's probably a little more to the story. If he is as concerned with 'your potential' as you say, he's probably hoping you will mature into your abilities, or powers, as a Brigant."
"What does that mean? I'm only part Brigant, just as I am only part fae."
"But when it comes to magic and your spark, you either are or you aren't. You have the spark, which makes you as much of a fairy as I. The Brigant question is more muddled, because your human blood might have a negative influence."
"I don't get it," I told her.
"The Brigant bloodline is the strongest in the realm, which is why they are the ruling dynasty. Nobody knows precisely why they're the most powerful, but it's undisputed. That's not to say that there aren't other powerful fae, but not like the royals. Even those like me, on the outer fringes of the bloodline, are often stronger than others."
"If that's the case, my supposed aptitude isn't surprising at all. I'm sure Niall might expect more, but that's no reason to keep me here against my will."
"Do you really believe you are truly being held captive?"
"Yes, I do," I replied quite firmly. "I want to go home and he won't take me."
"And you believe he is your only option," she stated rather than questioned. In many ways, she reminded me very much of Pam, although neither would likely appreciate the comparison.
"How else am I going to get there?"
"I'm not sure. Have you considered asking someone else, or perhaps even making the trip yourself?" Her head tilted to the side as she spoke, a curtain of long dark hair lying over her shoulder.
"Well, no, I hadn't," I admitted slowly as embarrassment flooded my system. "I don't know why. I guess it just never occurred to me that I could ask. Going by myself might never have occurred to me. Can I really come and go that easily?"
"It should have come to you," she admonished gently. "You've got to stay focused if you are to succeed. This is not really about who could take you - and yes, you probably could make the journey yourself - but the fact is you need Niall to return with you. You can't just waltz in and demand to be heard with the vampires, no matter how magical you are. Not easily, anyway."
"I know," I sighed, turning my attention to the magnificent display of colours in the late evening sky. The brilliant magentas and reds reflected my stormy mood. As much as I despised admitting it, I did need Niall, which made this entire situation all the more galling. There might have been a time when I would have stormed off half cocked, demanding Anathea show me the way to the portal. I didn't have the luxury or the excuse of youth this time and I needed to play my cards right.
"You're frustrated, but if you could step back and look at this objectively, it's really not so bad. It's seems unreasonable, but you've come so far. To walk away without finishing seems reckless to me. You can't know what you're going to face on the other side." She reached out and took my hand, squeezing gently. "I'll help you. You've already covered so much."
The lights of the city were slowly being turned on and I stared out across the twinkling display without much notice of the beauty before me. After a moment to compose my thoughts, I gave our entwined hands an answering squeeze.
"I must seem ungrateful to you, but I want you to know how much I really do appreciate not only what you've done for me, but for everything I've gotten from this. I'm a very lucky woman. I want you to know I know that." A reassuring smile graced her elegant features and her head bobbed in acknowledgement. "I feel lost at the moment. I've let my anger cloud my vision, yes, but I'm really afraid I'm just using it as a shield to hide behind."
"What do you have to hide from?"
I stood and walked the short distance to lean against the balustrade. The darkening horizon announced the end of another day in my temporary home. I wondered how many days had passed on earth since I rose this morning.
"I'm afraid I still really don't know what I'm doing," I admitted after a minute or two had passed. "You all keep telling me how strong I'm becoming, but am I really? I have all this magic and power, but what good is it to me if I don't know how to benefit from it? My husband, the man I've loved for a lifetime, is waiting out there somewhere but I don't have a clue what to do about it. It positively galls me to admit I need Niall to help me reclaim what's mine, but like you said, I don't stand a chance without him. It's the truth I'm afraid I'm hiding from."
"You may not have a plan, but I don't doubt your ability to know what to do when the time comes. And I never said you didn't stand a chance against them; I said you will need Niall to gain entrance. It will be up to you to decide if you will let him speak for you, but somehow I think you will find the words you need. Niall is the shield, actually. They're not going to try to to take on the Prince of Fae. You need to start making a plan and then I think you'll feel better."
"But how can I? I don't know where he is, or even what year it is, for cripes sake!"
"None of that matters! Focus, Sookie! Focus on the important issues - what to do and say when the moment is on you. You can fill in the details afterwards."
"I can't see past the details," I admitted with some frustration. "There were too many times when I just winged it, with varying degrees of success. I'm trying so hard to be different this time, I'm afraid I've boxed myself into a corner. I'm so focused on being logical and detail-oriented that I don't know if I can just wing it anymore."
"You are who you are, Sookie. Trying to change is foolhardy and illogical but you have to stop thinking of yourself in the context of who you were. You're not that child anymore and you won't make the same mistakes she made."
I smiled wanly. "How can you be so sure? Even though I do know better, I'm terrified of it."
"Let me put it this way," she said, leaning forward to place her elbows to her knees. "Would you have the same fears if you still looked eighty, your chronological age? Did you not pride yourself on a life well lived? Would you have been concerned with making rash choices then?"
My head cocked to the side as I considered her words and their meaning. When I thought I was facing my last days, I had looked back upon my life and achievements with a degree of pride and satisfaction. From Crazy Sookie to Dr. Stackhouse, I'd come a long way, working long and hard to provide for myself and Sawyer. While I still didn't accept compliments easily, I was well respected in my field and received many accolades and awards over my long career. I did think of myself as having accumulated wisdom.
Was I letting my perceived youth mess with my head? It still startled me at times, seeing my younger self staring from a mirror. The mistakes of the past loomed larger than they had in many decades, but was I letting them weigh me down too much?
"I wish I could explain myself better," I said out loud, but really to myself. I followed up at her quizzical look. "I know you are right. It's only my appearance that reverted and I'm every bit as wise as I was when my hair was gray and my face was wrinkled. No matter how much I bitch, I feel strong and in control of my power and I'm beyond grateful to have it. But at the same time, I feel completely out of control and out of my element."
"I want to go to Oklahoma and march right into to Freyda's home and take my husband. I like to pretend it will be that simple, that Freyda will put up no fight and we can simply disappear into the night. I don't have a plan because I don't know what I'm doing, no matter how magical I've become. I still don't feel supernatural and regardless of all I've learned, I'm still not sure I'm any match for them."
Anathea's reaction was not expected. She laughed. Loudly.
"Oh my goodness, you are too much! You are a fae princess. How much more supernatural do you need? A telepathic fae princess who is also blood bound and pledged to an ancient vampire, I might add! You've got to get it together, Sookie!"
It took a minute, but I eventually laughed along with her. "Okay, you're right. That was a silly thing to say considering I'm even in another realm. What I really meant was I don't think like they do; I don't have that devious quality. How can I plot and plan when I can't begin to predict their reactions?"
"That is the first smart thing you've asked," she declared with a huge smile. "This is where it gets interesting. You need to decide how far you're willing to go and what you need to do to get there. Assess your skills against their weaknesses. Take what you've learned and find ways to use it."
The similarity to Pam was evident again. Both women had a way of cutting to the chase while relieving me of any delusions I held. I would miss her when I left. There was no way of knowing if we would ever meet again. Returning to Faery was not in my future plans.
The rest of the night was spent with Anathea showing me just how devious fairies can be, as she helped me formulate potential plans of action and reaction. A firm veto was used on several of the more bloodthirsty ideas, but her help was invaluable. By the end of the evening I felt much better about life and actually went to bed at a decent hour and slept a solid eight hours.
True to her word, Anathea appeared again at breakfast time to help me train and her visits became a daily occurrence until the magical day when we reached the end of my lesson plan and my friend and tutor gave me the all clear. I felt free, as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Jubilation ruled the day and I decided to dress and surprise Niall with an appearance at dinner.
I was finally free to return to earth and my husband and I couldn't wait to give my great-grandfather the news. I hoped and prayed he would honor his word, but I'd come to decide it really didn't matter. I'd done as he'd asked and now, with or without his consent or help, I was going home. Thanks to Anathea, I had a solid plan to work with in case Niall decided to screw with me and I was confident in my ability to pull off my plan, with some help from a dear demon friend.
My time in Faery was done. I was going home to find out if the love of my life still had any desire to be my husband.
Princess Sookie is going home, folks. What do you all think?
Thanks for reading!