The Ruling

Eddus looked around as he was walked through the large doors. The hall he entered was the same one he remembered coming to on the day of his arrival, though it had the appearance of being much bigger. This time, there were no spectators sitting in the seats behind the square platform he was again led to.

Once again, he stood looking at three identically attired faeries. It was the same three he’d come to when he was questioned days before. Beagan was again sitting at the center of the three. They’d watched in silence as he climbed the steps onto the platform and said nothing for several moments after.

“Your name.”

It was Beagan who spoke. Eddus looked from the faerie to her colleagues, but said nothing.

“Your name,” Beagan spoke again. She looked directly into his eyes.

Eddus took a deep breath.

“You already know that my name is Ed.”

“Ed is not your name,” she said. “You may be called Ed; however, it is not your true name. In light of what you have come before us to hear, it would be best for you to tell us your real name.”

“How do you know it’s not my name?”

“There are ways.” Beagan’s stern expression remained unchanged.

“Were you listening to me while I was in my room?” Eddus spoke without thinking, anger rising in his chest.

He looked from the short faerie to the others sitting on either side of her. The thought that he might have been being spied on had never occurred to him.

“Of- of course not. Nothing like that would ever happen here,” Beagan stammered, a genuine look of surprise on her face. Quickly composing herself, she glanced at the older faerie beside her, who gave a slight shrug, his wrinkles deepening as he frowned. “And, your response just gave us the answer.”

There was silence in the large room. For several moments, no one spoke as the human looked angrily at the three faeries, and they looked back at him.

“So your true name is not Ed.”

The tall woman with pale blue skin spoke after the long pause. She’d been sitting motionless, her gaze fixed forward until she spoke- again, more of a statement than a question. Turning her head slightly, she shifted her gaze to the human standing before the panel, his look of anger slowly fading.

Eddus felt numb. He recalled what Abbi had said to him the first time she’d come to see him. He remembered her tone and the look in her eye. He remembered his promise to her. His legs felt weak beneath him, as though he might fall, but he said nothing.

Beagan looked to either side of her at the two others, receiving a single nod from each. She slowly walked to the square he stood on, looking up at him.

“Very well. You were accused of, and have admitted to, the trespass, and the knowing, willful, and unauthorized entering of our realm. For this, and the safety of our realm, it is the queen’s ruling that you never leave this place.”

“What does that mean?” Eddus asked, the words catching in his throat. He suddenly had terrible cottonmouth and a knot in his throat.

“Extra time was taken to present your situation. It is recognized that yours is different than most, but in the end, the queen must protect the realm, and this cannot be the exception.”

Feeling his blood run cold, Eddus looked at the other two. The male held his gaze for only a moment before looking away. The tall, slender female again sat motionless and expressionless.

“The queen’s ruling is a death sentence in accordance with the laws of our realm.”

By the faerie’s expression, it was clear that she did not like having to convey the ruling. She looked away for a moment.

“You really should rethink giving us your name. By telling us what your true name is, your death does not need to be a painful one.” Beagan’s voice had softened, and there was almost a pleading in her tone. She shook her head, looking again to her colleagues.

Eddus hardly heard the last statement. He instantly felt sick, as Abbi- or Issabella’s face came to mind. She had been right. She had told him that this would happen. They weren’t going to let him leave.

He didn’t know where she’d gone, but it obviously hadn’t had an effect. Or she had been too late...?

Abbi’s face was all he could see. She had been his sole purpose for coming into the faerie realm.

His legs buckled, and he fell forward onto his hands and knees, his vision blurring as his eyes welled. Everything then faded into darkness. There was a hollow feeling in his head and a ringing in his ears. His last memory was the feeling of his side meeting the ground, followed by a sharp pain to the side of his head, just before he lost consciousness.