"It has everything with being who I am." Ian started,
"You an that you caused it?"
"I’m sorry,"
He said, releasing her from the hug, looking and feeling very apologetic. He got back on his chair but still held onto her.
"Why would you do that?! I- I don’t even understand what you did to for to experience sothing as awful as that. What would I have done if you were not here? Would I have starved?"
"I can’t help it, and it’s just who I am..." his helplessness was obvious, but it did not an that it made her feel any better.
"OK, Ian, can you explain it to so that I can better understand whatever it is that you did?"
"Actually, it’s good you brought it up. Let tell you so peculiarities and what to be wary of us Faes. Since you are life-ti bound to one, this may be important information."
"I’m all ears!"
It’s not like she had a choice in any of what was going on, but she was very interested in what Ian had to say.
"To start with, you have done many things that would have gone against you if you had actually t a Fae who wanted to do you real harm. First, you told your full na,"
"... and how is that a bad thing? We introduce ourselves all the ti."
"I know, Shelby, but humans are not mythical beings who are tricksters. Telling your full na gave absolute power over you..."
"I don’t think I like where this is going...." She muttered, frowning.
Ian applied a little reassuring pressure on her hand as if to tell her that it was okay.
"In contrast, I gave you my na too, and that showed my sincerity, for it gave you equal power over ..."
"I don’t understand what this having power over another does, but please go on."
He chuckled and kissed the back of her hand, making her feel temporally giddy.
"Rember, to never give out your na when asked by any Fair folk. I an it, Shelby!"
Shelby nodded absentmindedly, not really sure what that ant, and he continued.
"The Faes or fair folk are very peculiar in many ways, and not much is known about them here in the human realm. I could hardly find much about them, but you should be careful in expressing your gratitude to one."
"When you say, ’thank you’ to us, it implies that you are held in debt to us... and that was the second thing you did wrong, as you are now indebted to ..."
"I am?" She asked, pointing to herself.
"For the al..."
"But I didn’t ask for it! I am even suffering from that. Why do you say that I am indebted to you from that?"
He signed and waited for his words to sink in.
"Just by saying ’thank you’? Aren’t you being weird?"
"Hahhahahaaaaaa....."
"Well, I don’t like to be in anyone’s debt, so I’ll repay your ’debt’ now."
"How are you going to do that when you have nothing to your na?" He teased.
"Give a blank paper and a pencil..."
"Get it for her!"
Currey appeared out of nowhere with the requested materials, startling Shelby.
She tried to compose her emotions and took her hand from Ian’s.
Shelby sat back and looked around a bit, spotting a bookshelf. She got up and picked out a hardcover. She focused diligently, placing the paper on the book and scribbling on it. Ian watched her in fascination.
About twenty minutes later, she got up and nodded in satisfaction, then handed the paper to Ian, feeling pleased with herself.
"A portrait of myself?"
"It’s one of its kind in this world! Making it unique and priceless!" Shelby said proudly.
"Hahahahahahahaaaaaa!!!!"
Ian laughed so much that his sides hurt.
She had covered all her bases, and the painting, even though only in pencil, was truly magnificent!
"You are really talented."
"Thanks. But now that I have paid off my debt, I can relax and ask my question again."
Ian’s laughter died off, and he beca very stern.
"The last thing to know is that, ’Don’t ever take food offered by a Fae’!"
"How will I even know that the person is a Fae? I did not recognize you as one. It’s not like you people go around announcing what you are."
"That is why Murray is with you. But to be on the safer side, try not to accept food from anyone! It is even better now that you are not able to taste food from anyone-"
"Can this be reversed?"
"I’m afraid not."
"What!"
"Shelby, I need you to understand that the effects on the human land are not that much, but if, for so case, you ever find yourself on the land of the Fae, never ever take in any food offered..."
"You’re scaring , Ian." She said, looking at how gloomy his face was.
"But I really can’t? You an I can never ever eat food made by Ava again? That thought scares ! But why are you telling all of this? It’s not like I know where the Fae land is..."
"It’s always better to know so of these..." he whispered to himself not even understanding why he was telling her all those.
"Huh?"
"You’re life-bound. It’s never too late to know more about your husband and his people..."
"I really cannot?"
"It’s even better that way. That is why I said that I will take care of you..." a tricky smile played on his lips, mostly obscured by his beard.
".... If you compensate or bribe enough, I might try to search more to find a way around it for you, but no guarantees!"
Shelby’s shoulders slumped, "You did this on purpose, right?"
"It wasn’t. You are the only person I have ever prepared a al for in my life!"
Boom! ’Did I hear that right?’ It sounded so surreal because when Ian had initially offered her the al, it had seed like sothing that he did often, maybe before he had locked himself up. But she couldn’t help but ask.
"What? Are you being serious?"
What Shelby wanted to really ask was, ’You never cooked for Aliya?’ But she did not want to ss up the mood.
He nodded but volunteered no other information.
The place beca quiet as none of them said anything. Ian fiddled with the portrait, staring at it deep in thought. Looking at the portrait, it felt as if he was staring at himself through a greyscale mirror of a sort; he felt a smile spread out.
"Why did you never continue your education after high school?" His voice interrupted the silence.
She got dragged back to reality. She had actually been thinking of how to ’bribe him’ to help with her food dilemma when he asked that question.
"I-"
’There is no need to hide information from him as he already knows.’
"Jas, my stepfather, never sponsored my education after middle school. I worked through high school... but never got into any tertiary institution. I felt that – it was not worth it."
"You really did not get into any tertiary institution?" he asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously,
"You really do catch on fast, don’t you, Ian? Jas prevented from going out or, more accurately, continuing my education after high school with the excuse that a young girl should stay ho and help out..."
"...and your mother?" Ian asked more forcefully than he would have wanted, but she was stuck in her mind’s eyes as if relieving those tis and had not noticed.
"Mum, will always be herself." She sighed heavily,
"Mum does not have much say since it’s not her money. So whatever Jas says goes."
Ian wished he had not asked. The information had been sowhat glaring from the retrieved data, but hearing it was different. He decided to take a different approach and ask about sothing else more livelier.
"Who was your art teacher? Your talent here is unbelievable!"
"My drawings are self-taught. I have always loved drawing since childhood. I do it to relieve my stress. I guess I got better with ti."
’She didn’t just get better. She was amazing!’ Ian continued examining the details in the portrait that had seemingly been put together within a very short ti.
She smiled brightly at him.
"I also volunteered at the T-Vino Orphanage in my spare ti after I was done with my house chores."
Ian nodded and reached out to touch her hair briefly. He gave her his full attention as she talked through things that she did back in her old ho and, especially in this orphanage.
"Did you like doing that?"
The light ca back into her eyes, and her smile broadened.
"Yes! I did! Madam Ruby is the best at taking care of the orphanage; she..."
Ian let her talk and talk for a long ti without interrupting her. Her voice was lodious to him and gave him stability that he had not found in a while. Never once did his attention divert. They talked long into the day uninterrupted in that cold room.
***
The next morning, in the central wing and the dining room, Geneva walked leisurely with her husband, discussing their itinerary for the day. She had received an unexpected call the night before and thought long and hard about it throughout that ti.
"You won’t believe who reached out to last night, Alex, it -"
Geneva stopped talking, her face as pale as a sheet as she stared blankly in front. She opened her mouth and closed it, but nothing ca out.
"What is it, dear?" Alex asked, also turning.
"OMG!"
*********
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