A Court of Games and Fate

The True Human

          "Perhaps I should have listened when she said she'd never seen Tamlin before," her mother mused. "Or when she insisted she had never been to the fae territory. Though her screaming was delightful. I haven't heard such lovely music in ages. I should thank you for giving Rhysand her name instead of yours."

          Andromeda thought the girl was going to faint, or vomit, or both. Her skin became terribly pale and her fear was palpable across the silent hall. Fear, and guilt. The Attor snarled and harshly spun the mortal back toward the queen.

          "Come now, precious," Amarantha cooed. "What have you to say to that? My daughter worked hard to destroy her so well."

          Rage. Andromeda could feel a rage rolling off of the mortal girl before them. It's what the princess deserved. She deserved to be hated for what she had done. She welcomed the rage because it had been the first sign from anybody that she had done something as horribly wrong as she had done.

          "Do you still wish to claim someone who would let this happen to an innocent?"

          The girl did not hesitate. "Yes. Yes, I do."

          Amarantha and the girl held each other in a locked glare, standing off against one another.

          "Well, Tamlin. I don't suppose you ever expected this to occur." Her mother relaxed back into her throne, resting a claiming hand on the High Lord. The crowd again laughed at the expense of the human before them. "What do you have to say, High Lord?"

          Andromeda found herself sitting forward ever so slightly. She wanted to scream at him to do something. Anything. How could he stand back and let the girl who loved him take on such a vile attack all alone? Tamlin still gave nothing away though, and Andromeda hated the fact that he was right to do so. It was all he could do to protect the girl at this point.

          "I've never seen her before. Someone must have glamoured her as a joke. Probably Rhysand."

          Andromeda sincerely hoped her mate was a better liar than his friend.

          "Oh, that's not even a halfway decent lie. Could it be- could it be that you, despite your words so many years ago, return the human's feelings? A girl with hate in her heart for our kind has managed to fall in love with a faerie. And a faerie whose father once slaughtered the human masses by my side has actually fallen in love with her, too?" Amarantha laughed in heartless glee. "Oh, this is too good- this is too fun."

          Pushing her finger forward, she forced the eye of Jurian to look upon the human girl. "I suppose if anyone can appreciate the moment, it would be you, Jurian. A pity your human whore on the side never bothered to save you, though."

          The girl had the sense to look horrified at the eye as Amarantha settled back down into her throne. Calmly picking her nails in false consideration.

          "Things have been awfully boring since Clare decided to die on the princess. Killing you outright, human, would be dull. But Fate stirs the Cauldron in strange ways. Perhaps my darling Clare had to die in order for me to have some true amusement with you."

          Andromeda dreaded the possibility of her mother forcing her to harm this girl. Her knees hook slightly beneath the skirt of her dress.

          "You came to claim Tamlin? Well, as it happens, I'm bored to tears of his sullen silence. I'll make a bargain with you, human. You complete three tasks of my choosing- three tasks to prove how deep that human sense of loyalty and love runs, and Tamlin is yours. Just three little challenges to prove your dedication, to prove to me, to darling Jurian, that your kind can indeed love true, and you can have your High Lord."