Axel ate for the first time in what felt like years. Rich tastes and scents he'd never encountered before assaulted his senses. With each one he overcame, there was a fresh one to overtake him all over again. At some point, he began to cry. From happiness or relief, he did not know or care.
The Queen had sat down at the other end of the table. She ate nothing, only staring at the boy on the other end. Her gaze was intense, and had Axel met her gaze, he would have frozen on the spot. But for now, he was preoccupied.
She took stock of his appearance. He was of average size for a human his age, roughly five feet and seven inches tall. His ragged clothing made it impossible to see his physicality, so his build was mediocre at best. The boy's hair was a brown like a rat, and his skin was smooth and light, but still far darker than her own skin. Deep dark circles marred his otherwise attractive face.
Perhaps one could still find him attractive, if half dead vermin did it for them. She could think of a few of her peers that would like this kid. He might clean up well, but she was certain that a lot of work would have to be done.
By the time she finished observing the boy, he finished eating. He wiped his hands on his clothes, ignoring the silk napkin on the table next to his plate. Her eyebrow twitched at that, but she said nothing. Instead, she stood and snapped her fingers again.
As quickly as it had come, the room and all its contents disappeared. Axel looked at her in confusion, but her gaze silenced him before he could say anything.
"Now that you have eaten your fill, Axel, I will educate you. In the Fae Wilds, nothing comes for free. Furthermore, you cannot ever leave this place now. Any food you accept from another damns you." Mab said, looking down at Axel. She blinked, allowing him to move once again.
"Wait, what? I... I'm stuck here forever?" Axel asked, staring up at the Queen in disbelief.
"Tch, foolish boy. You humans always focus on the stupidest things. You owe me a debt, Axel." Her lip curled upwards, her expression caught somewhere between a sneer and a smile.
A thousand different curses and questions flew through the boy's mind all at one time. His thoughts twisted and struck at his will like some kind of evil serpent. It took all of Axel's will to keep from screaming. Rather, he took a deep breath and chose his next words as carefully as his mind would allow.
"What do I owe you, Queen Mab?" Axel asked, bowing his head as he spoke, his tone flat and calmer than he'd imagined he'd be capable of. Mab raised an eyebrow at the boy.
She took a step towards Axel, and bent down, placing a finger beneath the boy's chin. She titled his face upwards, and looked him directly in the eyes as she voiced her demand.
"I have saved your life, boy. In return, I will use that same life in the way I see most fitting." Mab said, her gaze holding the already still boy in place. She saw his eyes flicker, and saw something deep inside the boy. The smile won out as she stared through him.
"A-And what way is that?" Axel's voice staggered, but he kept his tone flat. His mind began to swirl again, and he forced it to quiet itself once more. He needed his wits now more than anything.
"Simple. I like keeping things on one string, so I'll stick to life. As Queen, I have many daughters, one of which requires special care. She's far too... lacking in significance to merit my greater attention. You proved bravery and resourcefulness in bypassing the barrier to my lands, and you seem like the type that does what he's told. For those reasons, you will provide protection and support to that daughter." Mab spoke, and the snow stopped falling.
Axel felt his breath slow. Then it stopped, and then everything stopped. She had frozen him again, not interested in his response. As he stood like a statue, he knew she was right. He was the obedient type. Even if he wasn't, he was sure that he'd have had to be that way to fulfill his debt.
The silence was broken by the snap of the Queen's fingers. Everything disappeared, the trees, the snow, the sky. It was immediately replaced by a stone room. The stone was smooth, polished to the point of reflection. In the corner, was a single bed.
There was an active fire place across from the bed, and a mantlepiece atop it. Next, there was a window on the wall in between the bed and fireplace, blue glass in the frame, and a chest beneath the window. Finally, there was a door on the wall opposite the window, with a single table and chair pushed against the wall next to the door.
"This is your room, Axel. In that chest is your new attire. Burn the trash you wear now, as you will never need it again. When you are dressed and presentable, you are to come to the throne room. Oh, one more thing." Mab instructed, pointing from Axel, to the chest, then the fire place, and then back to him.
She reached out and took hold of his wrist, and placed her palm atop the back of his hand. Suddenly, the back of his hand went entirely numb. His flesh turned black and began to split. He couldn't scream, not out loud at least. Gradually, the feeling began to return to his hand, and his flesh faded back to its original color. She pulled her hand away from his, and he looked down at his hand, and gasped silently.
Mab had carved a symbol into hand, something that looked like a cross between a cobweb and a snowflake. Though the rest of his hand remained its original color, the crest black as night. She smiled at her handiwork, and turned from Axel, allowing him to move again. He stumbled, but managed to hold himself steady.
"Don't keep me waiting, boy." Mab disappeared in a flash of light and a gust of cold air that Axel hadn't noticed while they were in the forest.
Axel collapsed in heap, staring at the crest on his hand. There was nothing left for him to do right now, save for one thing. Scream.
And he did.