In the Past

Donal was seven years old the first time he used his faery fire. He had gotten angry. It was an involuntary action; he didn’t know why everything around him was suddenly ablaze. He ran away from the scene, crying.  

His father scolded him. Not only could the child not keep his power under control, but he was afraid of it.

“No one was hurt. Donal? Listen to me! They’re all fine.”

The smoke in the air stung his eyes and lungs. Donal coughed endlessly.

“Stop crying, boy. You’re making a fuss over nothing.”

            “I didn’t mean to!” the young prince wailed.
            “Well, mean it next time!” the Faery King said roughly. “If you’re going to do something destructive, you had better do it on purpose. Show some self-control!”
            “I’ll try.” Donal took deep, ragged breaths.
            “Do more than that. You’re going to be a king someday. I can’t have you acting on every impulse.” His father’s big hand came down to ruffle Donal’s hair affectionately. There was every reason to believe in that hand.
           Until --
           “You’re wrong.” Donal heard himself say. The noisy throne room hushed, heads turning towards the prince in disbelief. He had to focus on the red stone tiles on the floor, or else he would lose his nerve and start sputtering.
          “You have something to say?” the Faery King was not pleased.
          Donal looked up at Ciaran, standing in front of the king, looking at him in surprise. Ciaran was so much older than him, and they'd never been close. Donal was a bit in awe of him for as long as he could remember. Ciaran was smart, and nice when he remembered that he had a young cousin. He had plead his case, but was ready to accept the punishment. Ciaran was unrepentant. The human saved his life, knowing what he was. He broke the law and was going to prison for it, but wasn’t sorry.
           The Faery King had been irritated with his nephew. He didn’t mention in front of the court how troublesome he’d been for the past few years: choosing to be unconventional, reading too much, going off and living on his own in the country, but this time he’d really gone too far. Well, the lad had submitted to his punishment. There were only two choices: to erase the girl’s memories, or to bring her here.
            “Which is it, Ciaran? You have to make a choice; there is no other way.”
            “You’re wrong.” Donal blurted.
           And now his son was contradicting him in front of the court. “You have something to say?” the Faery King asked with acrid politeness.
           Donal twisted his hands behind his back. “There is another way. Ciaran already mentioned it.”
           “What, to let her remember? Why would we risk such a thing?”
           “C-Ciaran said she knew he wasn’t human before she came here to save his life. She did not go mad. She told no one. Why not trust her, at least for a time?”
           The Faery King’s eyes narrowed. “To what end?”
           “She could bridge the gap.” Ciaran said. “You know better than anyone how rare it is for any human to choose to stay. If we prove that she can be trusted, perhaps we could change the law to allow some humans to come and go as we do?”
            A laugh echoed throughout the room.

“My dear brother,” Brand laughed where he stood beside the king. “You are so idealistic. And so naive. Why should we put our trust in a human? They are such simple creatures. We already know how they will behave.” he walked over to put a hand on Ciaran’s shoulder. “I can understand your hiding your shame at the failure to deceive a strong-willed girl. I can help you bring her here and make her stay.”

Ciaran shook off his hand. “That’s not what I want! I don’t want her to give up anything for me!”

“What, have you gone mad?” Brand raised his thin, white hands in exasperation. “Maybe you want to live with her, in exile?”

“It’s not -- it’s not mad.” Donal blurted out again.

Brand turned his cold eyes towards Donal, who was only half his size. Donal took a step backwards. The Faery King intervened.

“This has never happened before.” he said. “I shall consider what has been said. In the meantime, the offender shall be held in prison for his crime, and we will watch this human girl. If she mentions our world at all, her memories shall be promptly erased.”

The court was adjourned. Ciaran was taken away, but he looked a bit hopeful. Donal was left in the room with his father and Brand.

“You say quite a lot for such a little thing.” Brand said, and walked out of the room.

There was silence.

“Donal,” the Faery King began. “Do not contradict me again.”

“I had to say something,”

“You have no respect! Not for me, or the laws of our kingdom.”

“I can’t respect a stupid law like that one!”

            “Then leave my court until you learn some sense!”
           Donal ran out. There were only a few things an eleven-year-old boy like him could do. Being useful wasn’t one of them. He felt guilty. He wasn’t sure which was worse: making his father angry, or not being able to convince him that Ciaran shouldn’t be in prison. He ended up visiting his cousin there. It was dimly lit, and smelled like a barn. There were tiny windows along the wall near the ceiling, but no view of the outside world. No one could even see the sky.

“I don’t suppose you could bring me a book, could you?” Ciaran was lounging on his bed, one ankle propped up on his knee.

“Isn’t it too dark to read in here?” Donal asked.

“Nah. But you could bring a candle too, if that worries you.”

“I don’t know if they’ll let me,” Donal twisted his hands.

“Hey, kid. Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For sticking up for me.”

“But I wasn’t able to do anything!”

“You got your dad to reconsider. That was more than enough. If you hadn’t said anything, I’d be in here without a hope. And I’d never get to see her again.”

“Do you really like her?”

Ciaran smiled. “Yeah.”

            “I’ll try to help in any way I can.” Donal promised, with childish enthusiasm. He then noticed the cell next to Ciaran’s: the dark, shadowy corner where the light did not reach. There was a shape inside that he could not make out. He looked closer, and a glowing pair of eyes suddenly appeared in the darkness.