A Fairy-Tail Marriage

Blake glanced up from the papers he held in his hands, following the trail of the three fairies. “Which one?”

“The one in the lead.”

“I didn’t see her face. Sorry. Why do you ask?”

“Curiosity.” Braxton turned his eyes and caught Blake staring at him. “What?”

“Do not seduce a fairy,” Blake warned.

Braxton laughed. “You know me well. She’s awfully pretty.”

“And not for you,” Blake replied dryly.

Braxton chuckled as they stepped inside the inn. “Yes sir.”

The inn was werewolf sized rather than fairy sized, which Braxton found odd. The fairies present remained in fairy size except the king, queen, and who Braxton assumed were the owners. A table was laid out with a buffet that had enough food for ten people, not the four who would be eating. Braxton’s stomach growled in appreciation as Tristan and Mariah stepped forward to greet him and Blake.

“Good morning, Braxton,” Tristan said, his hand extended for a shake. “And Blake.”

“Hello, Tristan, Mariah,” Braxton answered. He shook Tristan’s hand and placed a kiss on Mariah’s knuckles.

“Such a charmer,” Mariah giggled, blushing. “How about we make our plates and get comfortable? Then we can discuss our business with full bellies.”

All agreed and filled their plates. They discussed banalities while they ate, enjoying each other’s company and getting to know each other. As Mariah laughed at one of Braxton’s jokes, she was more convinced that the marriage between her daughter and this young man was the answer they were looking for. Althea would grow to like him, and, Mariah thought, based on Braxton’s personality, she might even come to love him. Eventually.

Tristan sat back, rubbing his full belly. “So, Braxton, let’s get to business, if you’re ready?”

“Yes, of course,” Braxton replied, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I assume you have an idea of some sort?”

“You assume correctly,” Tristan said with a smile. “Now, my wife and I thought this plan up last night, so there might still be a few holes here and there, but the four of us can hash those out this morning.”

Braxton nodded and glanced at Blake, who also nodded. “Ok. Let’s hear it.”

Tristan cleared his throat and looked at Mariah, who smiled beautifully, sure their idea was a good one. “Mariah and I would like to propose a marriage.”

Braxton chocked, then laughed. “I’m sorry. I don’t believe in bigamy.”

Mariah laughed with him. “Neither do we, young man!”

“Mariah and I have a daughter who is your age, as I’m sure you’re aware,” Tristan continued. “We are proposing a marriage between our kingdoms. You and our daughter.”

Braxton leaned back in his chair, astonished. He had known what they meant the first time, but he had hoped a joke would diffuse his shock and give him time to think about how in the hell he was going to refuse this proposal without insulting them.

Blake spoke before he had the chance. “And what would you want in return for this marriage?”

Tristan spread his hands. “Honestly, if our kingdoms are combined by this marriage, I would like for our people to merge as well. I know this will be difficult at first, but if we share all the land in the fairy kingdom and the werewolf kingdom, the fairies would be able to live in more spacious areas.”

Blake nodded, focusing on all the ramifications that could come from this marriage. Mostly positive outcomes were all he could come up with. He looked at Braxton, who had paled while listening to the proposal. Blake was well aware of Braxton’s aversion to marriage, but this idea had all the merits of a workable plan. Yes, the werewolves and the fairies would have some adjusting to do, but after a while, he felt both groups would agree this was the best idea.

“Braxton, I think this is a proposal worth thinking about,” Blake said, letting Braxton know he thought he should agree while also giving him the opportunity to refuse. He hoped he didn’t.

Braxton stared at him, appalled, though his face was carefully blank. But Blake knew his feelings based on the subtle clenching and unclenching of his jaw. He returned his attention to the king and queen. “I’m not sure about this marriage idea. No disrespect meant, but certainly there are other ideas we can toss around.”

Tristan and Mariah exchanged a glance. “Braxton, my wife and I stayed up late. Believe me, we’ve thought of every possible way for our peoples to get along. This is the strongest idea.”

Blake frowned and opened his mouth to agree, but Braxton glared at him before answering Tristan. “Tristan, I’ve never planned on marrying at all, much less marrying someone who isn’t a werewolf. Again, no disrespect, but this isn’t something I want.”

Mariah smiled at him. “No man ever dreams of marriage. But as a king, you have a responsibility to your people. Who would be your heir if you never married nor had children?”

Braxton’s frown deepened. He hated to admit it, but he’d never given that a moment’s thought. “Well, my sister has children, as will my brother one day, I’m sure. I could choose from them.”

“You could. But it’s not the same as handing your thrown to your own child,” Tristan told him. “If you married my daughter, the two of you would be king and queen of two kingdoms.”

“I thought we would combine them into one,” Braxton reminded him.

Tristan winked. “That’s the idea. Your child or children with my daughter would then be in line for the throne.”

“How do you know we can even have children?” Braxton asked.

Mariah chuckled. “On the outskirts of our kingdom, far in the south, there is a village comprised of fairies and werewolves who have lived together for decades. In peace. They have mixed children running around. Very interesting place.”

Tristan was staring at his wife. “I know nothing of this area!”

Blake said, “I’ve never heard of it either.”

“Because it’s never been a cause for concern,” Mariah replied. “That village proves, without a doubt, that werewolves and fairies can live together, if they chose to. This marriage will bring about a peace neither kingdom has seen in some time.”

Braxton stared at Mariah, as did her husband and Blake. More than well-informed, the woman was a brilliant politician, although one would never know it.

“Is your daughter like you?” Braxton asked.

“I do hope you’re being complimentary,” Mariah said dryly.

Braxton chuckled. “Yes, madam. You are a formidable adversary. You seem to have all the answers.”

Tristan took his wife’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “That is why I trust her judgment above anyone else’s.”

Braxton admired their relationship. He let the silence stretch for a moment as he debated with himself. Was this the only option? Was there a way for him to change the hatred in his kingdom, to end the fights, without getting married? Blake wanted him to do this, he could tell, and he had no other options.

Can I make this sacrifice for my kingdom? For my people, he wondered. He stood up and paced. “I need a moment to think, please.”

The three watched him as he paced for five minutes, remaining silent so he could dig down deep in his heart and find the answer that was right for him. More importantly, the right answer for his people.

And the right answer was marriage to a fairy princess who was probably spoiled and awful. He let his head fall and stared at the ground, his hands on his hips. When he lifted his head, his determination showed clearly in his eyes.

“I guess we need to plan a wedding.”