The Shadow Realm

The Shadow Realm
Prompt: Exile (O1)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 483
Characters: Grim Ranger, Jonas Bagdar, D’Gar

Jonas Bagdar stood at the rail of the ship and stared down into the deep dark water. He was lost in his thought.

Grim Ranger handed over control of the wheel to his first mate and walked over to where his friend was standing. “Missing home?”

“How long has it been since you went back to the shadow Realm?” Jonas asked.

“Far too long.” Grim rubbed his chin. “There's nothing there for me. I left to find a purpose for my life. I was a mercenary for a long time before I bought this ship.” 

“You still fight though.” Jonas looked up. “You could fight for our realm.”

“No. Their view of things and mine are very different.” Grim looked down in the water. “I was never comfortable with their world domination attitude. Why did you leave home?”

“I was exiled.” Jonas sighed. “Never fall in love with a Council Leader’s sister. We were on our way to be married when the Council Leader sent the black guards to stop us.”

“And him?” Grim pointed at the half hell hound lying on the deck.

“He was thrust from the mouth of hell as a pup. I took him in and where I go so does he.” Jonas smiled. “We appeared in this realm on the road near the Zestra side of the border. This is a very bright sunny place.”

Grim chuckled. “Yes it is. It took a while for me to get used to it. The colors are bright and so is the sun.”

“I wonder what Millah is doing right now.” Jonas smiled as he looked into the water.

“My guess is she was wed to a military man as soon as you were sent into this realm.” Grim patted Jonas on the shoulder. “She is probably as miserable as you are.”

“Maybe more.” Jonas patted the rail. “I may accept my fate but she never will. I worry that it will make her desperate. She may try to find me. I never even got to say goodbye.”

“I can have Aura keep an eye out for her.” Grim offered. “Do you think she would leave the realm?”

“I don't know. She might try.” Jonas looked down into the water again. “It wasn't pleasant going through the barrier. If she leaves the Shadow Realm she will never be able to go back either.”

Grim looked into the water. “If she loves you as much as you say she may take that risk.”

Jonas looked at Grim. “Unless, she thinks I'm dead. I have no way of knowing what she was told.”

Grim looked his friend in the eye.” I will find out for you and help her if she wants to come. I still have contacts in the Shadow Realm.”

“Thank you Grim.” Jonas held out his hand.

Grim smiled and grasped Jonas’ hand. “I’m just a sucker for true love.”

Lies of Omission

Lies of Omission
Prompt: Betrayal (G2)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 302
Characters: Shelly Hastings

Shelly logged the photos in the clients file and closed it with a sigh. Yet another case of betrayal. She saw a lot of it in her line of work.

Shelly saw the worst in people as a private investigator. She saw husbands and wives betraying each other all the time. They were the meat and potatoes of her job.

Every now and again she would see something that would truly surprise her. A husband not cheating on his wife is a good example. That was what happened with the case she just closed.

The husband wasn't visiting a mistress. He was getting chemo. The man she had followed had a date with a bag of poisons not a beautiful slutty woman.

It was still a betrayal of sorts. It was a lie of omission. He was betraying his wife by not sharing an important truth.

Shelly had to make a decision. Should she confront the husband and force him to tell his wife or should she keep silent? This was a unique dilemma. She had to think about what she was going to say to the wife in any case.

Shelly knew she could honestly say she didn't find him with a woman. The nurse giving him chemo was a man. A very large man with a bald head and multiple tattoos. But should she tell this woman the truth? Did she have the right to do that?

Shelly picked up the file and headed for the door. There was only one thing to do. Tell the husband that his wife thought he was cheating on her. She would give him twenty four hours to come clean before she told the wife what she found.

It was the most logical option for a lie of omission and a betrayal of trust.

To My Future Father in Law

To My Future Father in Law
Prompt: WILD CARD (epistolary fic) (N3) (285)
Rating: G
Word Count: 286
Characters: Cedrick Fellows, Lord Bellmore

Lord Bellmore,
I am writing to you today to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage. I’m sure some would view this as antiquated and even feudal but I believe that I should attempt to observe tradition.

As you may already have heard, your daughter and i have already announced our engagement at the Dowager's last soiree. The fact is that Lady Violet was so excited that i had proposed that she didn't want to wait for proper tradition. I should have asked you before proposing but your daughter stole my heart and befuddled my brain to the point that I could not think about anything but my love for her. She is a remarkable woman.

So I ask permission, with all my hopes that you will see it our way and allow the marriage. I also apologize for not asking you before proposing to her. Please do not hold that against me as you consider my request.

I should probably tell you a little about me. I became Lord Wickson recently due to the previous Lord and all of his family losing their lives in the Manchester train crash. I was a cousin and had no idea that I would inherit the Barony of Wilding. I am a businessman with a thriving import export business. I supply a great deal of merchandise to shops in London. I plan to continue my business even with my new responsibilities. I hope you don't find that too presumptuous on my part.

I hope to meet you and your wife soon. I would like to get to know the parents of such a remarkable woman as Lady Violet.

I await your reply,
Cedrick Fellows, Lord Wickson, Baron of Wilding.

Draconian Heritage

Draconian Heritage
Prompt: Mutation/physical transformation (I4)   
Rating: PG
Word Count: 408
Characters: Lord Drake Draconis, Lady Benna Astor, young Aura

“She is a draconian. She must learn to shift. I was already in my dragon form at her age.” Lord Drake Draconis whispered to the woman standing next to him in the doorway of the nursery. “Vivianna doesn’t think she should.”

“She's only half draconian. It will be difficult for her.” Lady Benna looked at her niece sleeping on the small cot. “I will see if I can help but please don't be disappointed if she never shifts.”

“I love her. I can never be disappointed in her.” Lord Drake's face softened at he look at his daughter. “Her mother is counting on me to raise her properly.”

“I can’t believe Queen Taralyn didn't want her.” Benna sighed. “It’s cruel to separate a mother from her child.”

“Taralyn has no use for a child not of pure blood that will never inherit her crown.” Lord Drake sighed. “She has already forced Cara into a marriage to produce an heir. The old fae doesn't waste time.”

“Any information on your other daughter?” Benna pulled him out of the doorway and shut the door.

“No.” Cara thinks that whoever took her bound her magick so that it cannot be used to track her.

“Then someone with magick took her. But who would want to do such a thing?” Benna asked.

“Someone that knows the prophecy of the three sisters. The triquetra bond.” Lord Drake looked at the closed door. “They think my daughters will be part of that.”

“The third is a fae. So Cara’s next child will be a female and fulfill the prophecy?” Benna scowled.

“Yes. When the three forms of magick combine, natural, dragon and fae, it forms the Triquetra.”

“That's why you think Aura can shift into dragon form.” Benna nodded. “I will train her when she is not with the priestess. Your other daughter will be the natural magick link.”

“Obviously whoever took her knows they will die by my daughters’ hands and is trying to keep it from happening.” Drake rubbed his shoulder. “I need to shift. I've been holding my human form too long. Stay here and keep an eye on Aura for me.”

“I will. Have a nice moonlit flight, brother.” Benna smiled and went into the nursery to watch Aura sleep.

Drake went out into the garden and stripped. He hunched his shoulders and took a deep breath. He changed form into a golden dragon and flew into the night sky. 

Extreme Measures

Extreme Measures
Prompt: Proposal (B5)
Rating: PG-13:
Word Count  553
Characters: Queen Taralyn, Captain Janlou, Micah

Taralyn paced nervously in the throne room. She was waiting for her captain to bring her news.

A robust male fae burst into the throne room with a younger man following him closely. “I have a volunteer Majesty. This is Micah.”

Micah bowed low to the queen. “Majesty.”

Taralyn looked Micah over. “He will do. Micah, you are a column leader?”

“Yes Majesty.” Micah stood proud.

“I have a proposal for you. My daughter, the Crown Princess Cara, is in need of a husband. She has recently returned to the realm after an unfortunate circumstance. Captain Janlou seem to think you are the man for the job. Are you?”

“I can try my best, Majesty.” Micah glanced at Captain Janlou.

Taralyn nodded. “You will formally ask for her hand in marriage this afternoon at court. The wedding will take place at the end of the month. I expect my daughter to be with child no later than six months from now.”

“Majesty, what if she refuses to perform marital relations. I mean.” Micah winced. “I had heard she prefers the company of non fae males.”

“If you need to restrain her to get the job done you have my permission to do so.” Taralyn sighed. “I need there to be a continuation of my bloodline. I care not what it takes to see that through.”

“Majesty?” Captain Janlou cleared his throat. “Maybe something less extreme may be in order.”

“I doubt my daughter is going to make it easy for him.” Taralyn shrugged. “She still thinks she’s bonded to that draconian. I will not have my bloodline polluted by the likes of those creatures.”

Micah glanced over at his captain. He looked back at the queen. “I understand, Your Majesty. I will not fail you.”

“Go now.” Taralyn dismissed Micah. “Get yourself in your dress uniform and come back for afternoon court.”

Captain Janlou waited until Micah was gone. “Taralyn, you want your daughter to be forced upon? What has gotten into you?”

“The seer told me when she was born that her daughter would be the queen we need not Cara. She gave that thing two children and neither are fit to be queen of my realm. They are not fae.”

“Taralyn, you and I know Cara isn’t all fae either. I didn't like what you did to conceive her.” The captain’s face softened. “I would have gladly become the husband of the queen.”

Taralyn shook her head. “I wanted an heir not a husband. I have no remorse for what i did.”

“I see that.” Captain Janlou sighed. “Sometimes you can be a hard ruthless woman.”

“I am the Queen of the Southern Court of the Tuathe Da Danaan. I must be hard and ruthless or we shall all perish into piles of dust.” Taralyn walked over and sat on the throne. “Micah will expect his captain to attend his proposal to the princess.”

“I will be here in case she tries to kill him.” Captain Janlou bowed. “Majesty, with your permission i need to prepare.”

Taralyn nodded. “Make sure you leave your ornamental blade at home.”

The captain smiled and left.

Taralyn sighed and rubbed her temples. Being the kind of queen she needed to be took its toll on her. She just couldn't let anyone see that it did.