Hall Of The Fae King: Part One

"Purity leads to safety. Safety leads to security. Security leads to stability. Stability leads to order."

Following in his grandpere's footsteps, The Solar King is forced to restart the raids as a new threat to the realm arises. But, while he lives and breathes and fights with the Darkness, using all of its power and control to keep order, his heart feels the pull to the Light... in the form of a Dyad. Clarity from the Oversoul, Eaden has shared countless nights with her in their shared Soulscape. His Lady is everything his heart desires... (to the point he's willing to rip the Aether apart to find her and love her the way she deserves).

While Surrielle Sunsprite's father may have told her "you will change everything", this half-Human half-Fae does all that she can to stay hidden. And though it has been many years since she accepted that her life would be that of solitude, it doesn't stop her heart from breaking. Because, after moving into the Trade District of Ville De Lumière three years ago, she's had increasingly lovely and special dreams of Le Garcon - a manifestation of what her hopelessly romantic heart truly wants.

While The King and the Impurity cannot deny the truth that is their families, Eaden and Surrielle cannot give up hope either. Within this first part of Rosalie Thorne's Hall Of The Fae King, the first seven chapters reach through the beams of darkness and shadows of light and conclude with these two soulmates meeting each other under the most horrible of circumstances.....

"Here she is… and he is blessed. But strickened for he must choose. Either they can be painfully, desperately apart forever… sending her far, far away, a different plain, a different realm… excommunicating her to save her life and only ever seeing her in his dreams if she lets him. Or, they will become inseparably together, forever, regardless of consequence."

THE HALL OF THE FAE KING

“Let the past die.

Kill it if you have to.

It's the only way to become

who you were meant to be.”

- Kylo Ren

The haze of the Aether lifts.

A floating world shows itself amongst the cosmos and mirrored shadows. The height of the center is close enough to grasp the sunlight, the circular width traced by the moon. Like the hands on a clock - creeping, crawling... seconds, minutes, and hours. Though, human time is irrelevant here.

The grand, royal city is center stage, a mountain of gold and power. The palace a monument to the eons of leadership from the royal family. Its legacy as dynamic - but predictable - as the phases of the moon.

Waterfalls help form a natural guide to city limits. The rivers then flowing to the edge of the world. The water drifts into the nebula, like leaves on the wind. The last of droplets shimmering, reflecting, and refracting the sunlight to create new stars. The temporary beauty is short-lived, like a dying ember, until the water is no more...

Evaporating into the haze of the Aether.

Chapter One

“You cannot deny the truth that is your family.”

– Lor San Tekka

His inhale is so intense it stretches and expands and pains him, the freezing air shards against his throat. Stretching muscles, his lungs and stomach against ribs and skin, he breathes in so deep that the pain is deliberate. The pain, the pressure, the beating of his heart felt in his head, all intentional, and he holds it.

Bawling his sheets in his fists, he holds the breath. He holds the pain, incidentally feeling a release in this… a freedom. He closes his eyes, wanting the moment to stop, to stay this way forever. He should have the power to do that right? As the Fae King of this realm? But no… not quite.

As long as his body lets him, he doesn’t let this moment end. They had shared a dream again… and it was getting louder, clearer - the images, the thoughts, the ideals… echoing through his mind, spreading through his soul like a crack in glass.

In their last encounter, their last meeting in mutual Soulscape, it was made very clear she thought it all a fantasy. She had no idea who he truly was… who and what he was, had become, and continues to be. She smiled and spoke with him happily, unabashedly… and in this blip of time he felt truly himself - felt not as The King, but as Eaden… just Eaden.

He exhales his breath through pinched lips until there is nothing left. His body void of all air, his chest and stomach caving in on itself. Then with a desperate, ragged gasp, he whispers to her, “Because darling without you…,” though, she is far away.

The King holds this world, this realm, the city and beyond, all in his hands. He has the shine of The Sun, the control of its power, the gift of magiks only his bloodline manifested from the Oversoul, and yet…. It will never be enough.

All rays of The Sun above, all the stars he could steal from the night sky, would never be enough. This towering kingdom of gold, this realm and all its people – the influence, the honor, it had never been enough.

Open eyes unseeing in the pitch-black bedchambers, he wishes he had the power to make his dreams a reality. That he could change himself so fundamentally, so quickly, that from one moment to the next he would be someone else. But no… the Darkness suffocating - literally surrounding him, literally shrouding him while he moves through this existence; the deepest, Darkness parts of the Oversoul had started creeping in long ago and made quite a home there.

It is simply in his blood, sweat, and tears - his primary makeup of being, of soul, of heart - or lack thereof, of the source of his magiks. From his father, to his grandpere, and beyond… a long, heartless, and rather cruel line of kings that in their ‘questionable’ acts made this realm, this world – their home safe, secure, and stable.

A Fae Kingdom is not something to be tampered with; the connection to the Oversoul and its subsequential magiks needing to be of pure source and continued essence… needing to come from one source and one source alone. In this case: The Sun. Therefore, the people who decide to stay within the realms’ boundaries have to follow the rules. Purebloods, pure practices, pure intentions… as pure as the white light of The Sun’s core.

That is the only way. As king, as the ruler who resides in The Solar Palace, it is easy to tell when someone isn’t right, when something is not pure, not stable, not safe.

And so the Darkness creeped into his heart, making him realize that like his father before him, like his grandpere even more… he had to keep the land pure. No humans, no half-breeds, just Solar Fae and only Solar Fae.

Purity leads to safety. Safety leads to security. Security leads to stability. Stability leads to order.

Eaden hadn’t even given a second thought on how to achieve this. The King has been doing the same thing for generations, so why change something that’s not broken? Though the last Raids had been done some five years previous, it had been one of his first acts as The King.

His late father had been proud. His late father made him feel worthy of the position he was given. His late father made him feel like in these hard-to-understand-actions he belonged.

At the thought Eaden’s hands come to his face and he rubs his eyes. These dreams… this female…. They had a connection. A connection that only started three years ago, sure, but a connection, nonetheless. A connection, in fact, that seems to strengthen every wakeless night.

Clarity from the Oversoul: A dyad.

She is so obviously his equal. He can feel the magiks within her, clearly and purely and strongly as he feels the magiks within himself. She calls to him… and yet… is she even real?

Or… had she just been a new hope, now long lost. The forgotten dream that he could follow the path of Light, follow the beliefs of the Righteous, that he could change the way he rules, casting rays of light through every inch of darkness. Is she just a manifestation, perhaps… that last little part of his heart searching for peace, for sanctuary, for truth and honor.

Perhaps… just a dream.

*

Pulling the kiln goggles off her eyes and tossing them across the wooden slab of a table, her chest heaves with exhaustion and she wipes sweat from her brow. This was the quickest deadline to date but a significant one at that. Misses Lionheart needed the set of twelve plates (four of three different sizes), eight bowls (four of two different sizes), and eight teacups with matching saucers as a gift for her petite fille’s wedding.

Misses Lionheart had been one of her first customers way back when she’d come to market from The Farmhouse, recognizing how unique and how magikal her items were within moments. Within the last five years since her first trip into the city, Misses Lionheart proceeded to buy her stands’ stock more than once. The elder Fae always nice to leave a tip for all her hard work - blood, sweat, tears, and Oversoul magiks that went into each piece that was made.

It was that sweet lady’s word of mouth that made her stand so popular and that matriarch had been the first of many to suggest to Le Conseil that she be allowed to live and work and sell in The Trade District. Surrielle had this life - the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly, all because of her – living the last three years solely in the city.

Though, all this time within Ville De Lumière’s limits were quite nerve racking if she was honest. Any time she must venture out for supplies or even take a walk around Fontaine De Torche Solaire on her time off, she was alert and wary of passersby. Any time an Official or city guard was in her vicinity she tried to make herself as invisible as possible.

Luckily, her carefully chosen clothes covered her so thickly that her true body shape couldn’t be recognized. Plus, when choosing the colors, she stayed as far away from white and pastels as possible for they make her less-than-pale skin more vibrantly tan. Most of the time others saw her in her work garb, anyway, which included a heavy protective apron and a mess of soot and material everywhere. No one had ever noticed she was not a Pureblood. Really, with having such strong magiks… why would they ever guess she was less than such?

But… as a matter of fact, not even just a little less than Pure, but straight half-and-half: Her late Fae father having died in The Raids for bringing her mortal mother to live at The Farmhouse.

Surrielle’s existence had always been kept secret, however… almost as if her parents knew this was to be her future - that she actually had a chance, that she could actually live a life worth living, worth having.

She hadn’t any close friends growing up, she had a mixed education from her parents, and any trade or skill she may have learned and practiced was practical and helpful to their day-to-day life. Rarely did her father help her connect with the Oversoul, putting to use her power of intuition, creativity, and observation. (Those were things she had to learn on her own as she matured.)

This was all purposefully done not just to give her freedom to follow the passion passed down to her from her father for crafting beautiful works of art out of clay or whatever material that was paid for, but living in the realm, safe in the walls of Ville De Lumière. Her father had always looked at her with twinkling eyes, a calloused palm against her cheek, often saying “My dearest… you will change everything.”

Surrielle smiles softly at the memory… he had been so hopeful, so full of wonder, yet a little out of touch with reality. Surrielle is a Half-blood and if that was ever to be found out, she’d be killed without hesitation. In her mind there was no way she could make any change other than little ones in her customers lives. She sighs… knowing her father’s words were probably just a dream every father had for their child.

Stretching, wiggling, bending, cracking, she moves in all sorts of ways before lifting from her work bench. It was surely time to get into a hot bath, letting her muscles relax after such a long and intense journee. And maybe, she smiles to herself, maybe she’ll have another lovely dream about Le Garcon.

It was easy knowledge - and knowledge she had truly accepted after The Raids - that she is to live her life… her life and only her life. No romantic interest is in her future, there simply can’t be. Even if a male agreed to and could look past her blood status and physical flaws, it would endanger him in such a way Surrielle could never live with herself. So, her hopelessly romantic and desperate heart had created Le Garcon for her to dream with… for her to daydream with, to fantasize about… to give her some comfort that maybe after she’s passed on from this world, he would be waiting and she would finally know what love is.

In record time, she’s upstairs and easing into her bath, her eyes closing and her thoughts drifting go to Le Garcon. He was as perfectly Fae as one could be.

Not just one of the tallest, but one of the perfectly proportioned males she’d ever seen, his thin body strong with toned muscles. His skin pale and clear - no marks of any kind, not even laugh lines or frown wrinkles or dimples from a smirk, and in great contrast to his dark hair. Black like the night sky she could see beyond the edge of the world, his full – almost curly hair was a mane, a dark halo around his stunning face. The short but thick beard really was the only sign of any personality other than the expressions seen in his piercing, icy eyes.

That was most unique, most special, most… wonderful thing about him - his eyes. Not the way he carried himself, not the way he spoke about his education, not the finest of fabrics he wore. But his eyes… so intense, so pure, and the way he looks at her is always with a sense of wonder and love, lust and joy, fixation and infatuation, curiosity and patience.

With her gift of Etude, she was able to read his aura as simple as a recipe. He had power within him; he had a strength that was obvious. But it was seeded from Darkness and he hates this. So, Surrielle, in every dream, tries her damnest to let him feel Light, to let him explore the good in him! The goal that maybe, someday, the Light and Righteousness would expand to the point he no longer felt pained.

What was love without a little struggle? Surrielle was not a woman of perfection… down to her very core, and so neither would be her other half.

Chapter Two

“Don’t give up hope. He still might show up.”

– Rey

Cracking his neck, The King stretches and rolls all the body parts he can. His traditional riding armor is to come next and unfortunately it is rather restricting. It protects him, as intended, in addition to making direct Oversoul power seep through him. Drawing from the Darkness he gains confidence, his emotions seamlessly intertwining with the magiks the same as thread and fabric. He is The King and no one is to forget that.

Black robes with gold embroidery, the finest of materials and craftsmanship - only the best for La Famille Royale. Handed down from king to king, his bloodline reinforcing its status and structure, making it practically impenetrable. Next comes the black leather with burned crests and other designs that were kept only for Royale’s use. Finally comes the crown….

This is the best part, the best piece of all. This is what, at first, had made him feel like a true king, made him feel like the most powerful Fae ever known, made him feel invincible. It is a gold crown yes, with the largest and purest Sunstone right in the middle, but it also came around his face like a helmet. The intricate design of the metal leads for the strongest of magiks to spread, making his face unrecognizable - a golden statue.

But that was the point wasn’t it? He is The King. The King Fae of the realm. He isn’t a male, he isn’t Eaden, he is The King.

In this vingt-quatre heures, The King is to go with a small group of his most trusted men and locate and interrogate a man sourced to know not only a list of Impurities but was aiding and abetting in their safety. The King’s men had already done as much footwork as possible but now it is his turn.

His men’s duties were to find the man and bring him to The King’s feet. Then he would do what he was trained to do - raised to do: interrogate until death. It is one of the worst - maybe the worst - crimes against the Crown, against The King, the Realm… to help or be anything but a Pureblood Solar Fae.

There are many accounts of him helping the Impurities of all kinds - partial bloods, Half-bloods, mortals - finding homesteads towards The Outer Rim, (where there is almost no sunlight). There are accounts of him helping the Impurities having magiks put upon them to hide their ugly features, (if they have curves, if they have spotted skin, if they have dark or mixed eyes, etcetera….). There are accounts of this male opening portals to let Impurities out but also in.

The King waits by the gate as his men kick down the door and spread through the house. Within moments the male is brought to the feet of The King’s horse and forced to his knees. The male, who looks The King straight in the eye does not waiver, does not seem fearful, does not lower his head in a makeshift bow. No, he stares The King straight in the eye letting him know that he does not feel he is in the wrong, does not feel he is beneath The King, does not feel anything but pride and spite.

What a pity, The King thinks, looking at the male’s features, he is so obviously a Pureblood. Pale skin, harsh bone structure, dark brown hair pulled into a low ponytail, and eyes the palest of sage.

The King in is his expressionless golden mask looks to his man holding the collar of the traitor. His knight nods and says “This is him, Sire, and he had already admitted to his crimes. The others are looking to see if we can find a list.”

The King sighs. With a wave of his hand, a slightly altered voice corrects, “There will be no physical list… he will have had it destroyed by now… it is all in his head.” Then the King slowly and gracefully comes down from his steed.

Towering over the male, The King opens a palm. The monotone, almost metallic voice speaks from the mask, “Will you speak when spoken to by your king or will you be insuring torture?”

The Fae, who suddenly looks very aged, spits, “You are not my king.”

Pacing, he gestures within his open hand and speaks clearly: “I am The King Fae of this Solar Realm, you live within my walls, you are to follow the proper code of conduct or be subject to the consequences.”

His lip curls, “Solar Realm perhaps, but you have plagued this land with nothing but Darkness.”

No longer having fun, no longer wanting conversation, The King raises his hand directly to the aged Fae’s face. Only needing to close his eyes for a blink, all magiks are focused and active. Instantly the criminal Fae writhes in agony, letting out howls of pain as his chest lifts towards the sky. The King is not only making his spine slowly twist, he is as slowly crushing his lungs, and causing his heart to feel such pressure it’ll burst right there in his chest.

Then, all at once, it stops. The male drops to the grass twitching as the Dark Oversoul magiks are lifted from him. Tears rolling down his cheeks, his mouth wide open, gasping for air, his hands curling to his chest…. Looking rather like a fetus, he curls himself like a worm in the dirt.

The King lowers to a crouch. “I do not have the patience to drag you all the way back to The Solar Palace. Instead, you will be dying here, in this very spot.

“But first, you will feel pain… worse than what I have just provided for you. The choice is in your hands…. Give us a list - names, just names, and I will make your heart burst within a moment. Or…” and his hand curls from one breath to the next and the Fae feels his body mangling within. “Your choice….”

Either the male is going to tell him these names of Impurities or The King is going to have to strip the memories, each process equal in time and magiks wasted.

*

Ringing of her shops’ doorbell brings Surrielle’s attention to Misses Lionheart’s entrance. “Salut!” she smiles broadly.

The elderly Fae shuffles in, in all the beautiful flowy layers of lavender, watercolor pink hair offsetting her grass green eyes. “Lady Surriel! How are you today, my dearest?”

Slipping off her thick, horsehide, heat-protecting gloves, Surrielle tucks them into her sturdy work apron and offers her hand. “I am wonderful, Madame Lionheart. And! Have all your pieces ready. Is Lilya excited?”

A tinkling laugh then she nods, “Most excited bride I’ve ever have seen, that one. So much spirit! Quite like yourself if you don’t mind me saying.”

Surrielle leads the wonderful matriarch over to the wedding dining set. “I even did the little roses… it took some time, but you can see them glinting there softly, subtly, just like you asked,” she explains softly shifting the plate up and down, side to side, to show of the iridescent designs around the edges.

The little old female puts a hand to her chest, “My, oh my…. I knew it, too, I was telling everyone. I knew that if anyone was ever going to get such beautiful subtle work done it was you! Some crafts people,” her nose wrinkles ever so slightly and she huffs, “too flashy. But you! Soft as a rose petal, just look!”

Surrielle bows and takes the last plate to the rest of the wrapped items. “Do you have your carriage or cart today, madame? I’ll carry out the items for -”

But then the shop bell rings again, announcing the arrival of another. A truly beautiful Fae walks in. Someone who had to be from one of the Purest Families… Surrielle vaguely notices some marks of The Household in her embroidery. Slowing, freezing, standing as straight and still as possible, Surrielle hides her petrifying fear with a smile, “Beinvenue,” she offers quietly.

Vibrant ruby robes, that are just slightly lighter than her complicatedly braided garnet hair, drift and flow as she glides through the display room before coming to the counter. Her long, flawless hands with painted nails of gold land softly together in front of her narrow hips, her pastel orange eyes blinking slowly as she surveys the crafts lady. “Miss Surrielle Sunsprite?”

Subtly adjusting her work clothes to cover as much as her as possible, Surrielle nods, “Yes, madame. How may I assist you today?”

“La Famille Royale has requested your services. There is going to be a banquet held in honor of The King’s twenty-fifth birthday and… your reputation reaches all the way to The Solar Palace, I should say. It’s quite a work order,” she eyes the small work space behind the counter, “but it’s only a mois away.”

Knowing it would be a crime within itself to straight up deny such a request, Surrielle puts her hands firmly on her hips. “I have a larger work area in the back, this is just for demonstrations or quick requests.”

Le Servante’s already thin lips come together and form almost a straight and narrow line from cheek to cheek. “Hmm.”

“Would you like to see some items? Or I can sketch up designs to your specifications, see if I’m even close to what you’re looking for. I am, after all, one of many in The Trade District.”

Her gaze softens, “Sketches, that sounds nice. We would need matte black plates with find gold vines around the edge and his family crest in the middle of each item,” and she actually pulls out fabric swatches to help describe what is needed and luckily one of them is of La Famille Royale crest.

Surrielle nods and takes the swatches and goes to the little work table to the left of the counter. She is always quick in her designs and this is easy enough. With her tuned Oversoul magiks she is basically able to copy and duplicate the crest onto the paper. She comes back to the counter with all the materials and then with a few deep breaths and closing her eyes to focus, she lifts the image from the page and is able to visually make a three-dimensional rendering of what she would produce.

Just for examination, hovering in the air, but a good use of magiks to help customers understand what they would be getting. The Fae is impressed by this and starts nodding and actually smiles, “Perfect! This is exactly what we need.” She reaches for a paper within the many layers of her dress. “Here’s the work order. And again, we will need all of these in a mois.”

Surrielle looks at the list and realizes that yes, the numbers are high, but, it is a lot duplicates. In this case, three sets: small plate, entree plate, goblet. Easier than what Misses Lionheart needed, if she’s honest. And matte black? Like that was a challenge, com’on now. The gold vine work would need to be different for each of the three but then could be copy and imprinted for the mass production. Same with the crest… she truly could get all this done in half the time! Two semaines, maybe less.

She does look up though, “Ah… and… how will… payment for materials be provided?” She didn’t dare ask about payment of her time, that would just be stupid, but to do right by this request she would need the finest of materials and that’s not something she could afford even during her busiest season.

Le Servante’s fingertips drift up her sleeve, lightly gathering the fabric towards her shoulder. She then goes just shy of the elbow and slips the mass of golden bangles off her wrist. With the metal clinking and sliding across the counter, she replies, “That should cover anything you require. We’ve already sourced where your materials will come from, it’s in the work order. And…” she smiles, her whole face softening, “we have added a little something for your time. We, of The Household at least, understand what it means to be giving all your time to something like this.”

Surrielle bows. “I will do my finest work.”

The Fae bows in return and leaves quickly.

Misses Lionheart, who is clutching at her layers of necklaces, has eyes wide on her. “Well… well, my lady…. My, oh my….”

Surrielle falls to the counter, her padded elbows falling hard against the wood, “Oh, Misses Lionheart…,” her head shaking in shock.

The elderly Fae shuffles over to the counter and leans against it. Looking back behind her, she’s hushed in her speech, “It’s not just because of his birthday, you know…. There was, well not exactly another Raid… but perhaps soon.” Her eyes are wide and horrified, but she is sturdy, a survivor even in her old age. “They have names… a whole list is the rumor, of Impurities. Poor Kenaz… poor, poor thing. We told him though… we told him what he was doing was going to come around… was going to come right around - we told him,” she sighs. “Poor thing.”

Surrielle is shocked still, truly frozen in place. “Another Raid? I thought… five years ago,” when her father died… that was it. That was supposed to be it. But… then again… here she stood.

Did this Kenaz know of her? Did Misses Lionheart know? Is she on that list? Surrielle shifts uncomfortably and hides herself more behind the counter and her crossed arms.

Miss Lionheart’s hand came over the counter, “Don’t you worry dear… just focus on your work. I know it’s… maybe not the bravest or most noble thing, turning a blind eye….

“But what else are we to do?”

Chapter Three

“Stop talking my hand.”

- Rey

Desperate moments call for desperate measures. The King had long since retired for the night, leaving Eaden to wander the vacant halls of the palace. There is a heaviness on his heart that is making it hard to breathe, a Darkness in his mind that is making it hard to see. See if he is doing the right thing… the call to Light, confusing him greatly.

Not really sure where he is in the maze of corridors, he absent-mindedly turns the cuff on his right wrist. Different occasions required different wardrobes, but still the cuff remaines. He had been all of thirteen when given it, his mother claiming he was too young. But as soon as he’d taken up training with the cosmicsword he’d proven to be a natural.

With only a flick of his wrist, the cuff expands as liquid gold, smoothing out all the Fae-like features of his hand. Then in his palm a hilt grows, extending greatly into an impervious blade. A physical weapon, absolutely, but also a weapon dripping with infinite Oversoul power.

Twisting the cuff one more time, he snatches his hand away, as if it pained him. Pushing back his hair and eying his current location, he pulls his mind far away from all the blade has done. Looking up and down the corridor for a sign or direction, sure enough - as if guided by Fate - he’s just in front of the door to the Aether Antechamber.

Shutting the door behind him, he takes a deep breath to center himself. Opening his eyes he can barely see in the tiny room. It is only a few strides to the door across the way, but a lot must be done to reach it. Only those with the purest of connections can access the Aether through the Oversoul. He has to focus… the Aether could only answer if there is a single question.

Her.

What does his heart crave for most? Her.

Forget what had taken him out of bed, forget what had toiled his mind, forget what had sunk his heart. In this moment of true transparency, all he can think about is Her.

That is the question for the Aether. That is what he anticipates to be on the other side of that door. One hand over his heart, his other is ready to push, and he breathlessly cries out for her. To know where…. Just where to find her.

The door dissipates into smoke.

But nothing is shown.

Not her hickory hair. Not her smiling face. Not even the lavender of her eyes. Not their cabin in the wood, not a home in town, not any place she might be found.

Just darkness. Everlasting, ever-expanding darkness with only the subtle, distant twinkle of stars.

E