Old Grudges

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"You, elf." A gruff sounding human man was seated in a tavern in the human village of Earlestown. It had once been a bustling market place, a meeting place for merchants and scholars. But now... It was lucky if a handful of hunters passed through on their way elsewhere. The people here lived close to the neighbouring kingdom that boasted that is was the seat of all civilisation, Elven, of course. The exact border was somewhat of a foggy issue, meaning battles often broke out over ownership of land. Elves passed through, most of them simply wishing to look down upon what they considered the uncivilised and rather boring humans, before returning to their own cities of silver.
"Elf?" The dark haired female asked, spitting that one word back at the man who had called it to her as she walked past his table. "You do not address the other women here as 'human', so not call me by my race either." She added rather haughtily.
"Well la-di-da! Ain't you just lady of the manor!" The man sneered, banging his glass down on the creaking wooden table. "Your kind aren't welcome here! You never will be! Get your knife ears back to your own side of the border!" 
The elven woman sighed heavily and with silent and sudden movements, she was in front of the human, her ornate elven dagger slammed into the chair all too close to his privates. "Do not test me, human. I have no humour for your kind this evening."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dahlia asked thinly, her bow part drawn. "I made a deal, and my word means more than most."

"I am not your king or your woodland hero!" The djinni barked, still using Rothain's voice. "Your deals with them mean nothing to me! I am offering you a wish to save one of these men. But not both. I will claim the other. And i..." the guardsman paused, his fingers shaking as he fought the control. "I prefer the king's man. He is so full of passion. But I wonder...why has he never given any of it to you? Is he...simply that honorable?"
"Enough!" Eirwen screamed. "kill them, you stupid beast! She howled. "kill them all!"
Iris has slipped a wrist out of the bindings and managed to reach out to Abalas. Her fingers just brushed his long white hair. "I love you." She breathed, hoping he could hear her.

Dahlia's grip on her bow faltered slightly. Did the djinni speak the truth, did Rothain simply love her father more than he could ever begin to love her? The young elf was watching Rothain, the poison obviously working. "You were so obvious and open about your trysts with Gwen..." She whispered. She had been so lost an alone all those weeks under her step mother's cruel reign, one touch, one little kiss from Rothain and it could all have been a little more bearable.
Abalas pulled away from Iris slightly, feeling himself not worthy of her touch or her love. He knew his daughter, he knew she was ruled by her heart and doubted she would chose him over Rothain. "Be safe, little sparrow." He told Iris quietly.

Iris dropped her hand, her heart broken. "I told you I am worthless. You won't even try for me." She breathed. "I am forever sorry my brother pulled me from the fire."
"You're not even my full blood sister." Saul suddenly hissed. "If I knew then what I know now, I would have left you in there."

The djinni had lost interest in Rothain the moment it tasted Iris' heartbreak. It was feeding off her anguish, purring like a kitten with creme.
"I told you because I have always been honest with you." Rothain gasped out, now in control of his own voice. "And because I wanted you to be jealous. Even his majesty knew and he knew why. I was.. hoping it was a way to get your attention."

"I tried to burn you alive, Iris! I cannot comprehend any kind of forgiveness for such a crime!" Abalas suddenly hissed.
Dahlia felt burning hot tears prick at her lashes when Rothain confessed this to her. Saul had wanted only what physical pleasure she could give him, and now Rothain confessed to playing childish games with her rather fragile heart. "You, djinni!" She suddenly barked, gesturing toward the dark creature with the tip of her bow. "You were the one who came to me at the lake, weren't you? I forgo any wish, and offer you a trade instead; set my father and Rothain free to do as they chose, I will stay in their place."

"it's nothing less than what you've done to other humans." Saul snapped. "You are only sorry because she acted like the whore she is and let you bend her over a table!" In his anger he forgot about his promise to keep the king safe from Eirwen. "Or is it that you discovered she is one of your kind at last?" 
The former queen grabbed a handful of Abalas' hair, the contact activating the wish. "Kill your whore." she hissed in his ear. "Your master demands it."
"That sounds fine but..." the djinni shook it's head with a widening smile. "I cannot undo another's wish." Rothain's voice purred, gesturing to the enslaved elf king.

Abalas picked up his fallen sword with jerking, halted movements when Eirwen hissed those words. He was trying to fight it, but even djinni magic was too strong for him. 
"NO!" Dahlia practically flew across the vast room and placed herself between her father and his half blooded mistress. Their eyes met in the instant the king had thrust his sword forward, through his youngest child's ribs and out her back. Bright crimson blood slid past Dahlia's lips and her treasured bow finally fell from her fingers, seeming to make a deafening sound in the suddenly silent throne room.

"NO!" It was Rothain's turn to cry out. Free of his own possession he ran to Dahlia, shoving everyone out of his way to catch her before she fell. "Why?" he cried, sliding to the floor with her. "You should have just let him...she was human...we hate them. Remember?" 
Eirwen clapped her hands, pleased with the outcome. "Now kill the wood elf!" She cackled.
The djinni didn't move, shocked and confused by the princess' actions. This was not what he wanted, least of all from her.

Dahlia tried to shove Rothain away from her. "No... You... just... Go back to Gwen!" She gasped. Her violet eyes seemed an other worldly kind of pale as she screwed them shut, forcing tears to spill down her temples. "No more games... So tired of all of you..."
"Happy?" It sounded like Dahlia's voice from behind the dark form of the djinni, though only he would hear her. "You see what your wishes have done? I hope genocide feels good for you, beast."

"No more games." Rothain's whispered, holding her tightly. "Dahlia, please..." 
Saul was beyond livid at this turn of events. She wasn't supposed to leave him until he'd gotten what he was promised. "get away from her. I'll fix this." He snarled, leaning over to take the slender elf from Rothain. 
"I gave you an order, slave!" Eirwen hissed, glaring at Iris as the young woman got to her feet and stood in front of the guardsman. 
The djinni only sneered. "Her fault. Not mine. Your wish was to have the child. I did not tell you her fate."

Dahlia was barely alive as the two men fought over who was going to save her.
Abalas still had his bloody sword in his hand as he faced Iris now. "Move out of the way, no more silly little girls should have to die than needed."
Darla clucked her tongue, wings made of rainbow coloured light fluttering lightly. "The child dies trying to fix the abysmal mess you created." She warned. "You do realise what happens when the last Fae dies, don't you?"

Iris shook her head, her chin held high. "I will not." She said firmly. "You are not my king. You abandoned me. You have no power over me." 
"Why do you hesitate?!" Eirwen was pacing now, her entire body shaking with rage. "Kill them all, damn you! I gave you an order! Bathe in that bitch's blood if she will not move!" 
"Mother, that's enough!" Andaer had finally had his fill of it all. He gave his mother a violent shove. "Your stupid games are over and I will not play them anymore! You kingdom is as worthless as you are." 
"I was summoned." The djinni whispered, shaking his head. "I have little choice in the matter. But now that all of this wickedness is occurring, I see no reason I cannot feed off of it. And no, I do not know what happens when the last of your kind dies. Your death made it hard to care about anything else."

Abalas thought his very bones would impose with the effort he was putting into trying to resist Eirwen's order. "Iris... please..." He begged when his son intervened. "Kill me... Stop it all!"
"Oh please." Karla snorted. "My death was exactly what you wanted, and we both know it. With the last Fae dead, there will only ever be the dark magic of the djinni. There will be no balance."

"I love you." Iris whispered, wondering why she was even bothering to say it. She was sure it was falling on deaf ears, just as it had for her father. "I won't let anything happen to you. No matter what."
Eirwen's selfish rage had gone too far. She ran at her son, throwing her own blade across his throat. Her blood lust was so great she had no idea what she'd even done. She simply stepped over the writhing body, placing her hands on Abalas' shoulders. "I gave you an order." 
"Indeed, your majesty." Iris said evenly, her bright green eyes never leaving her lover's. "That worthless woman just tried to tell her king what to do." 
The djinni laughed. "So you caught me. Yes, it will be nice to have this world bathed in complete darkness."

Abalas had fallen to his knees as he continued to fight the djinni's dark magic. He was so very tired, and Iris... She was magnificent. All it had taken was the blood of all these people to make him see it. "Go... Child. I am weak, I cannot fight him forever."
Darla walked up behind the creature and wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder. "That's really what you were thinking when you were watching her bathe in the lake?"

Iris dropped to her knees with him, her hands resting on either side of his face. She forced him to look at her. "You are far from weak, your majesty. I have never seen you so very strong. Now is not the time to give up on your kingdom. Or me." Before he could answer she pressed her lips to his, knowing that this would only anger Eirwen further. 
She was right. The former queen was livid. She was losing control and quickly. With the djinni distracted the elves in the room around them were beginning to wake up from their enchantment. 
The distracted creature chuckled. "Something like that." He purred. "She would be so easy to manipulate. All one would need to do would be to get rid of the source. But which one..." He frowned, tapping his chin.

Abalas dropped his sword, his hands coming to rest on Iris's slender hips as he returned her tender kiss. It was like a warming wave washed over the elven king, allowing him that brief moment with grief or guilt.
"Then what stops you?" Darla breathed. "Don't you want her for yourself? The power of all the Fae resides inside her, imagine how delicious she must taste..." This was the only way Dahlia's mother could help her child, by giving her life, and time to find a way to destroy the djinni.

Eirwen raised her dagger to force Abalas to meet his son's fate when Rothain finally got to his feet. A moment later the former queen's head was rolling across the floor and thumping down the throne room steps. 
The djinni smiled. "Indeed. I will take her." He breathed. As Eirwen lost her head, Dahlia disappeared into thin air with the creature that no longer had a master.

Abalas slumped to the ground, then rolled onto his back as though gasping for breath. With the wish curse lifted, the realisation of what he had done weighed down heavily on him. He didn't even know his daughter's body was gone, or truly what Rothain had done for his king.

Iris could barely catch her breath. She was fighting hard to take in everything without showing emotion but it was harder than it seemed. 
"Where is she?" Saul boomed, turning on Rothain. He grabbed his sword and aimed it at the wood elf, snarling openly. "Don't play games with me!"

The djinni took Dahlia back to his cave, laying her on a bed of silks and furs. He rubbed at his wrists as he paced his home, glad to be free of his chains and bindings.

"Iris..." Abalas finally called out to her, his pale hair soaked in the blood of so many of his kin.

Darla's spirit sat in the corner, watching the djinni pace. "Is she alive?" She asked uncertainly, unable to touch anyone but the wish master without her fingers going straight through them.

Abalas' voice was enough to steady Iris for the moment. She moved closer to him, her fingers shaking as she looked him over. "Your grace...I'm so sorry." She breathed. "I stayed where you told me to...I don't know what happened. This is all my fault."

The djinni shook his head. "Her power remains strong. Even after her death. The roses helped." He waved a hand toward the corner of the eoom, revealing the flowers Dahlia's stepmother had tried to destroy. "

"Eirwen happened..." Abalas breathed, reaching up to touch Iris' cheek lightly. "It was never your fault, child."

Darla glanced to the roses and smiled sadly. "I never did thank you for that gift." She breathed. "It must have driven that old bitch crazy."

Iris noted the tone he'd taken with her. It was not at all like the lover he'd been before. "Let's sit up..." she told him gently, pulling him to a sitting position. it would give him a full view of his throne room. 
Andaer lay dead not far away and on the other side so did Eirwen. At the foot of the dias, the human king was fighting with Rothain. Their swords clashing loudly in the heavy silence.

"Your mother did that." The creature said, waving away the flowers with a scowl. "I only kept them alive. Speaking of...if you wish to live...you will need to make a wish sooner rather than later."

Abalas had lost everything. His eldest child was dead, Dahlia was dead, as far as he knew, and Gwen was nowhere to be seen. To top it all, he still felt the overwhelming guilt of what he had done to Iris. More so than what he had done to Dahlia, he had wronged Iris whilst of sound mind.

"If I wish, then you requite payment." Darla replied coolly. "I have nothing left to give."

"Abalas..." Iris saw the dark despair in her lover's eyes. She wasn't exactly sure what to do about it. "I'm so very sorry." Gingerly she reached out and rested her hands on his own. "I prayed that it would not end this way..." 
"I will run you through, elf! I know you've done magick to hide her from me! We had a bargain! Bring her back! You will not shame me further with your bullshit!" 

"Actually, if you wish then I am your slave until your wishes have ended." The creature said, pausing to look around his cave at his piles of treasures of many different ages. "Are you not familiar with the way djinni magick works?"

Abalas had parted his lips to offer yet more words of apology to Iris when he heard Saul shout his angry words at Rothain. "What deal was made?" He asked wearily.

"And when the wishes are done? My head rolls like Eirwen's did?" Darla replied with a frown. "I won't accept life, just for it to be snatched away again."

"Your daughter asked me to come here and help. I think I was still drunk." Saul muttered. "My price was not cheap and your man here is trying to get her out of it." 
Rothain was exhausted and still bleeding profusely. He hadn't initiated the fight but he certainly wasn't going to let this human get the better of him. Especially not now. 

"That head rolling thing was pretty interesting." The creature chuckled. "I rather like your wood elf pet. Did you see it? Clean cut, barely any blood. Bounced like a child's ball."

"Get her out of it?" Abalas asked thinly, placing a weary hand on Ruthann's bloodied shoulder. "What did she promise you?" Though he asked the question, Abalas was certain he wouldn't like the answer.

"You're disgusting." Darla breathed with a sigh before turning her attention to her daughter again. "She wasn't supposed to be a part of this... any of it. My mother was right, I should never have left the Veil."

"That is between her and I." Saul said, replacing his sword. "What have you done with her, Abalas? You are not going to trick me out of what is rightfully mine this time. And for that matter, give me back my sister. She is not yours." 

"And yet here you are. You made the wishes and a part of you is stuck because of it. Your murder ruined many things. Including the last of your wishes." The djinni muttered.