"Three-- no, just over two weeks until I must experience the fuckery that is the Summit for the two hundredth fucking time."
So this was the Faerie King in a bad mood.
I'd arrived later today, at noon, in accordance with the schedule. The maid that hastily pushed me through the doors just prior was wide-eyed and very visibly terrified. Now I understood why.
Meekly, I stood in the corner of his bed-chamber, body pressed against the wall in an attempt to make myself as invisible as possible. Jack paced with an intent to kill, the look in his eyes alone murderous enough to make my heart hammer.
Today the theme was Prussian blue, as I extracted from his matching fitted waistcoat and trousers. A silver-tinted shirt lay underneath, unbuttoned enough to show collarbone and chest and to make me nervous. He sported white boots that came up to his knees, high-heeled again. With his hair tied tight at the nape of his neck and a thin silver circlet on his forehead, the Elf looked like a prince straight out of a fairy tale. When I was younger and could afford to dream about nonsensical things, old stories such as Cendrillon and Rapunzel spurred me on, the worn books my most valuable possessions.
But through his fair-haired, pretty-faced outer layer, Jack was much more fitting as a prince of Hell. Especially now, his sharp features set ablaze in anger and demonic pointed ears pricked up.
"Say something," He snarled, suddenly hyper-aware of my presence.
"W-what is the matter, sir?" I squeaked.
"According to the letter I kindly received this
morning," He started calmly, gesturing to the torn scraps of paper strewn across the floor. "Eshon won the draw this year," His voice steadily grew into a yell. "Meaning I'll have to go to that shithole of a country for the wastes of FUCKING TIME that are the Gala and the Summit."
"Change of scenery?" I let out quietly without thinking.
A furious gaze under deeply angled eyebrows shot daggers my way. He started to walk towards me and I hoped only to melt into the wall and away from him. Jack slammed his forearm into the wall above my head, leaning over to my height.
"You think this is funny?" He spat. "Guess what, darling, you're accompanying me."
"I know that," I whispered, softly crushing his smugness.
"And so is Kingesley."
"I'm aware of that too."
"For fuck's sake!" Jack whined as he pulled away. He was almost limping to the bed, where he collapsed onto his back, a hand over his face dramatically.
"I need to calm down," He sighed.
"You really do," I acknowledged before treading closer lightly. I sat down next to him, and he shifted his hand to look at me.
"Shut up."
"That doesn't sound too calm."
"You're a bit of a bitch, Syndra," The King smiled oily. "Just a little, not much."
I went quiet. Somehow I made three Elven males degrade me within the past 48 hours. It didn't make me feel too great, obviously. Something about me was rubbing them all the wrong way.
"Good thing I like it," Jack sat up and batted his eyelashes seductively at me. Again with the insane mood swings…
"I'm making you blush again," He crooned.
"From second-hand embarrassment at your absurdity." I stood up to put some distance between us just as he started to brush his fingers up my leg. "Is flirting a defense mechanism for you?"
"I have no need for such a thing." Jack idly examined his nails as he lay back on the luxuriously soft comforter, propped up on an elbow.
"What do you even have to do today?"
"Nothing."
"I would think it's harder than this to run a country."
"I already have others assigned to everything. I just supervise."
"I don't even see you supervising."
"Unlike humans, Elves don't make mistakes."
"Ah yes, I forgot, you're insufferably perfect."
"You speak truth."
"Why am I here, then?"
"To keep me company," He patted the bed for me to sit back down. I complied; I was really starting to feel the effect of standing on heels for hours at a time over consecutive days. "You eased my anger, after all."
"I think that's just your emotional instability speaking," I retorted.
"Fine, I have an idea."
"For what?"
"What we'll do today. You do need to learn how to defend yourself, after all."
I stared at Jack, perplexed, only to be met with a stoic expression as he sprang to his feet.
"Care to duel, my lady?"