Volume One Chapter Seven Fairy Tales

 The First Tale

Lasta found herself cleaning the last thing that she needed to clean when she was greeted by Otb. She looked at him and smiled a hollow smile filled with sorrow. It had been a day since Salynara had returned from collecting the fairy orbs.

“Hello Master Otb. What do you want?” She asked, already feeling that she should call him that.

He raised his eyebrow.

“Salynara has called you. She says that your dinner is ready.”

“Thanks.” She said as she finished her work. 

She soon followed him to the dining hall. Once there, she stood at the door. She saw her walk in. Once she had she placed a bowl with grey soup with chunks in on the table. She then looked up at her. 

“Sit.”

She did.

“Thank you, Mistress Salynara.” 

At this she started to smirk.

“Eat.”

She took a scoop with her spoon and ate it. It tasted sweet but felt like slime. She scooped up one of the chunks which tasted like pork. Just softer and hardly tough. For some reason she felt disgusted as she ate the soup yet in her heart she felt grateful to be having something to eat. Once she was done she swung to her feet and picked the bowl up.

“How was that?”

“It was nice, Mistress Salynara.”

She has started to call Otb, Master Otb and Salynara, Mistress Salynara once she had returned from collecting the Fairy Orbs. Which was under Salynara's orders. So she obeyed them. She knew that there was no other way for her.

It was shortly after she had the girl clean her castle which has been the start. Yet Salynara has to show her how to clean some things yet the rest was more about logic. She then had to provide more cooking lessons and how to clean herself.

Despite all this she would still cook them delicious meals and pour the water and wine. Then be presented with her grey gruel. She would always feel her throat tighten as she saw them eating their meal. It took all that she had to not to complain.

It was in the morning Salynara told her to cry but she refused. This led her to be beaten until she did.

After her meal Salynara led her to her dark room and she showed up in her nightmares. She cleaned her grey dress without any sleeves before cleaning her hands. Then she sank beneath the silk sheets.

“Are you comfortable?”

“Yes, Mistress Salynara.”

“Good. Then I will begin.”

“Begin what?”

“I did promise you a bedtime story.”

Her eyes lit up.

“Really? Thank you!”

She chuckled. Patting her head.

“Alright. Once, when I was a child, much, much younger than you, I lived with my mother and father. They have me all that I ever wanted and more. They gave me all the clothes that I ever wanted and every piece of jewellery that caught my eye. They told me all the bedtime stories that I ever want to hear.

“Then, one day, everything changed. My father took me away from my mother. It turned out that my mother wanted to sacrifice me in order to gain more power. Upon learning all that my father saved me, she chased after both of us!”

Lasta looked at her shocked.

“Oh no!”

“Then we ran and ran and she searched and searched but she could not find us. Then one day I did something rather foolish. You see, I had a friend that I had back at home. I missed this friend, so, so very much and I wanted to meet them again. So  I used my magic to tell them where I was.

“Even though I had told her not to say anything to my mother, my mother found out. Soon she found us and father fought her and she killed him. This caused her to gain his power. Then she turned her attention to me. I pulled my blade out, the one that I used to kill King Elric and his wife, Queen Elrica. We fought and, try as I might, I could not ever best her. Yet upon her almost striking the killing blow I stabbed up and it reached her heart and her blade fell and she died.

“I soon met up with my friend only to find out that she was with my lover, or boyfriend as you would call him, and had enchanted him. I soon killed her after I learnt of this and my lover tried to kill me. This was because he was still under her wicked spell. This led me to killing him. The end.”

Lasta cried.

“That was a sad story. W-were you alright after that? Did you get the help that you needed?”

She collected her tears as she chuckled.

“Well, girl, that is a story for another time.” She said as she tucked her in. “But for now, good night.”

She placed a kiss on her head. Then went onto humming a tune.

“Good night.” She sang, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep. 

The Second Story

Lasta soon in the corner as Salynara strapped a man in a chair. He looked at the fairy with nothing but terror in his wild black eyes. She picked up a whip and struck him again and again until he drew blood. Yet he did not cry out. This caused her to whip him again and again until he let out a whimper. Yet she kept whipping him again and again until chunks fell from his muscular chest. Shr put it down. She then pulled out a small bowl of salt. She took out a pinch of salt and flicked it at him. He cried out for a moment and once he did, she pulled out a knife and dipped it in the salt and dipped it in the wound and twisted. He let out a scream as she continued to twist and twist. This caused him to scream and scream. She pulled the blade away.

She climbed on him and sat on both of his laps. She then cut his face slowly. She then cut the other cheek. She then leaned in and kissed him. It was a slow and long kiss. This caused the blood to flow faster. She cut the arms and he cried out. His voice was muffled by Salynara’s lips.

She licked the wounds, wiping the blood and tears that he had shed. She moved into the next one and the next. When she was done Otb walked in and dragged his corpse off. Lasta took out a mop and mopped up the blood. She then cleaned the chair and tools.

She followed her to her room. She had done nothing but she still felt her heart sink nevertheless. She could not explain or understand why, but what she saw upset her. She wondered why that was but she did not want to ask. She would just get hurt again.

She cleaned herself up and changed into her nightgown and Salynara tucked her in. 

“Did that upset you?” She cooed.

She nodded.

"Would you like me to tell you a bedtime story to help you feel better?"

She nodded.

“Yes please.”

“Alright, when I was thirteen I met a lovely man. He was a human. Andrue, as I remember. He was so handsome. His short red hair was smooth and his eyes were a dreamy shade of blue. In fact, when I saw him, I noticed that he was so handsome that I thought that he was a fairy in disguise!

“I looked at him day after day. I watched his every move he made. Yet I could not talk to him. I learnt all that I could about him however he did not even know that I existed!

“So, I started to send him letters, just to let him know that I existed. I sent letter after letter however he did not even respond! So I knew that I had to pluck up the courage and talk to him.

“After a year, when I was fourteen, I did. When I did, I told him who I was. He looked at me and he was stunned. He told me that he had never seen such a beautiful girl! He asked me to marry him right there and then!

“So, when we were a couple, we…Urm…”

There was a smile playing on her face.

“Well, you are far too young to hear about that. Then he, seemingly out of the blue, married someone else! He took everything and I gave his heart to another! So I wanted revenge. So I snuck in one night and took that woman’s life and that gave me my second increase of power. Then I shape shifted into her and… by the time he realised that I was the one that he shared a night with and killed his wife it was already too late. After all, I would be the one that would bear his child that she should have borne the night after the consummation. However after all of that he tried to kill me!

“Then everything changed when he found out that I was having his child, he started to behave. When the baby arrived, I forced him to raise the child as I turned him into my slave before the child was of age he killed himself.”

Lasta looked at her with wide eyes with a sorrowful look in them.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. Yes I am.” She said as she wrapped her arms around the girl. “Oh, you are, so, so sweet.”

“Yes. Now good night.”

“Good night.”

The Third Story 

Lasta cleaned up another pool of blood that Salynara had made. She still felt upset about the torture however she still could not figure out why. She also knew that either way, it did not matter. She followed Salynara to the kitchen. There she taught the girl how to cook a pork stew. Once she had finished Salynara tasted it. Her eyes tensed slightly.

“You will need more practice in making that dish. Although you are not far off!”

“Thank you Mistress Salynara. I could not get through one meal without your instruction.”

She chuckled.

“You are very kind. Now, how about you try again.”

She did and gave her the meal. She tasted it and her eyes lit up.

“That is so much better. Now cook one for Otb, then you can have that one.”

She soon did and soon ate her meal, which she found was too salty. Then she gave Otb his meal. Once they all had finished she quickly did the washing up. Then she followed Salynara to her room and Salynara tucked her in again.

“Are you getting comfortable?”

“Yes, thank you Mistress Salynara.”

She smiled.

“Alright then. When I was to come of age, I was told to find someone, who I should sacrifice in order to gain a great amount of power. Even though I did not know who it was or what they looked like, I knew that they were of the Seelie Court. So I went around the Seelie Court and found that person. He was a young fairy that was, like most of them were, naïve for his age. He was handsome and strong. I met up with him and asked him to come with me and he did.

“I took him back with me to the Unseelie Court, where I put him under a spell. I made him think that we were still back in the Seelie Court and there I made him my play thing. Yet as I spent day after day with him, I became too attached. I wanted him for myself. I wanted him to love and adore me. I wanted to have his children. So I broke the spell over him and told him the truth.

“The moment that I did, he fled. It turned out that that very man was none other than the prince of the Seelie Court. Which then led to a war between the two fay lands. This led me to, when I came of age, kill both of his parents and he too went on to marry another.”

“And did this war end?”

“Yes, but I think that that is for another time. It is late and you have a big day tomorrow.”

“Alright. Good night!”

“Good night.”

The Fourth Story 

Lasta woke up early. She sat there as she waited for Salynara. She walked in and then she followed her to the kitchen and cooked breakfast. She gave them all their breakfast and waited there in silence as they ate it. She looked away and did her best not to focus upon the smell of the food.

“You know, you’re really good at cooking that!”

“Thank you, Master Otb.” She said as she refilled his cup.

They soon had eaten. She soon washed their plates, cups and cutlery. Once she was finished with that task, she dried them and put them away. She cleaned the rest of the kitchen and made sure that it was as clean as she could make it.

She followed Salynara to her torture room. There she stood at the door as she heard scream after scream. Part of her wanted to run in and stop her but she decided against it. She did not want to get hurt either. After all, she had felt so much pain and she did not want to feel anymore. 

“Come in, wanderer.”

She walked in and spotted a man covered in blood from head to toe. He had blonde hair and grey eyes. With twin streaks under both of his eyes. This was almost impossible to tell what he truly looked like.

Next to him she saw a woman with brunette hair and green eyes. She too had tears falling freely from her eyes. 

“Please, stop it! Just stop it!” The woman cried.

“Alright. I will. Now will both of you tell where the box is.”

“No.”

She cocked her eyebrow. Then her gaze dropped to Lasta and grinned.

“No.”

“Alright then!” She said, pulling out a sword. 

“You’re not- no! She’s just a child!”

“Yes you are right, she is just a child.” She said walking up to her.

“Here.” She passed her the end of the whip. 

“Whip her.”

“What?”

“Whip her and do not stop until I say or she is dead.”

Lasta looked down. She felt sick as she looked at the woman. She shook her head and the girl had to close her eyes as she struck. The scream made her jump. However she knew that she could not stop. Salynara would not let her regardless of how much she did not want it. She was powerless as she struck her again and again. She let out a scream. Lasta bit her lip as she continued to strike her again and again. She felt the tears well up as she struck again. She heard another scream. Her heart sank as she struck again. The tears fell as she struck again.

 Come on! Push on! Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.

She struck again and again as soon the screams became as rapid as her tears.

“Fine! I will tell you!”

“Stop.”

She felt relief run throughout her body as she stopped and dropped the whip.

“Barweathe. It is on the planet Noweth. It was stolen by a race called the Weatherless."

“Tell me more.”

“The planet has no weather.”

“No weather? What nonsense is this?”

“Not nonsense. The orb stops the weather from happening.”

“Thank you.”

“If you think that I’m lying you can keep me here and subject me to all the torture that your heart desires.”

She nodded.

“Alright, then if I find that you are lying then I will make your body betray your wife in front of her. After I will send her to a friend of mine, Tal Len, there I will ask him to force her to bear his child and have you watch the entire time. As your body betrays her.”

His eyes widened as he looked at his wife in shock. She smirked as she gripped his chin but he could not tear his eyes away from his wife. Salynara put on a mischievous smirk. She put her lips to his, making his wife break down in tears. Lasta wanted to reach out a hand to comfort her but she was just far too scared to. Then Salynara pulled away.

“Clean that up.”

She did but she did not dare look at her or him. Once she had finished, Salynara licked the tears off her face. The next thing she noticed was that she was washing her hands and was cooking Salynara and Otb’s lunch. After she cleaned and tidied the fairy's room. Then moved onto the rest of the castle. This she did until dinner. After cooking and more cleaning it was soon time for bed.

Salynara tucked her in.

“Oh, did that upset you this morning?”

She nodded as she looked down.

“Well let me tell you another story. That will cheer you up.”

“Alright, thank you. Mistress Salynara.”

“Well, during the fairy wars I caught my first prisoner of war. She was a beautiful woman, Ciara as I remember. I put a spell on her so that she would spill every secret regardless of how intimate. When she tried to kill me I took my whip and hit her. She screamed and I did not like it at the time. Just how you did not like it this morning. Yet she tried to kill me again and I hit her again and again until she was bleeding. She looked at me with fear and I found that I liked that look. It made me feel powerful. For the first time in my life I had a life in my hand and I liked it. Then as I whipped her again and again and as I did I started to like it. I liked her screams. I got her again and again just to hear her screams. It became addictive. I did it until she screamed more. She was dead.

“Yet I wanted more. So I found a man this time. I lured back to my castle and put him in chains. Then I hit him, however he did not scream at first. However I continued until he screamed too. I found his screams easier on my ears. So I did it again and again until he stopped screaming too.

“I still was not satisfied so I got another and I put a spell on her and used her as a test subject. Then I turned her into a monster and she started to scream, just like you did, then once she stopped I got out my whip to make her scream more and more until she died too. 

“Soon I was out of control until I met someone. I turned him into a monster too. Yet he did not scream and he even started to help me. He trained me to control my addiction. Soon I could control myself. The end.”

Lasta looked down.

“Thank you, Mistress Salynara. Do you think that I will like it too?” She asked with a dry voice.

“Maybe, but if you do, I will help you control your addiction too.”

“I would like that.”

The Fifth Story

Lasta finished another day of work. She had finished all of Salynara's orders and followed her to her bedroom and was soon in her nightgown and tucked in by Salynara. She smiled at the girl with a strange and almost confident smile.

“Do you want another bedtime story?”

“Yes please, Mistress Salynara. And thank you!” She said, not wanting to look rude.

“Alright, during my time when I had gained self control, I was able to get more and more victims. They were all children at the time. I wanted to shape them into my little helpers. So I performed several physical and psychological experiments on them to inspire loyalty. Not one worked separately, then I combined them all into one. When I did, I noticed that the method worked! I tried it again. One after the other and each and every time. In fact they were so loyal to me that they would even kill their own parents if I asked them! 

“And some did, but the fairies from the Seelie Court heard of this and a fairy was born to stop me from being able to do it again. She would go around the human and fairy kingdoms and collect the teeth of children. I did not know why until I had a child in my custody. When they became loyal to me she was able to take them and reversed the progress that I made. This happened again and again. I did not know what was going on. Soon I learnt who and what she was. See she collected the teeth so that all my work and all that I had done would become completely reversed! 

“So I tried to outwit her. I tried to stop her from taking the teeth, yet no matter what I did I could not get anywhere near her! Yet this did not stop me from stopping her though. So I tried and tried and tried again and again. Yet nothing seemed to be worth it. Soon I gave up and did all that I could to keep as I could. However, even they started to disappear!

“One by one they would vanish and none were seen or heard of ever again! So I looked into it and soon found that the children had returned to normal and the fairy was taking the children away! So I followed them one night and I found out that they were using the teeth to return them to normal. So I went to collect the teeth however she took them long before I could. Somehow she was always able to beat me.

“This forced me to change my tactics. I decided to fight her directly. Only for her to easily beat me. So I fought her again and again to no avail. Regardless of all that I did I could not beat her in single combat.

“Yet this all changed when I was able to, by some miracle I was able to get a girl’s first tooth! So I was able to take her and I was able to get revenge. But for that one fey that will be another day. The end.”

“Is that it?”

“For now.”

Casting Doubt 

Lasta had finished a full day's work when she met with Salynara, who led her to her room. She tucked the girl in, yet there was something off about the air tonight as she smiled at her.

“Are you alright after all that you have been through?” Lasta asked.

That was when her smile became wider and more cruel.

“Oh? Did you think that all those tales were true?” She cooed.

She frowned in confusion.

“Yes, why?”

“Did you not wonder why my son did not appear in any of my stories again?”

“Yes.” She admitted.

“Well the simple answer is that he does not nor did he ever exist. I never had him or any other children, for that matter.”

“Then why did you tell me?”

“I did promise a bedtime story. Did you honestly not wonder that it seemed far too incredible that I just so happened to meet the future king of the Seelie Court without knowing?”

"No. Why would I?”

“And what about the man that I told you about? The man that I claimed to have tamed my appetite? Do you think that he was real?”

“Yes.”

“Then where is he?”

“You told me that he died!”

She laughed and moved her hand down.

“An easy lie. After all, how can you prove it if your witness is dead?”

She could not think of a point to argue against that.

“And did you not clean this whole castle over the course of your time here?”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever come across any proof of those children’s existence?”

“I don’t know!”

“I know, because you have done the same.”

She frowned as she felt nothing but outrage and confusion.

“What?”

“Yes, you have done the same. After all, how was it that an old woman, who had lived centuries in a secret cellar was discovered?”

She looked down.

But that was what mummy said. But if that is true then who is my real daddy? How did she carry me and my brother for all those years? 

“I don’t know.”

“How is it that she gave to twins despite the fact that she had not been touched by a man for hundreds of years?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then how is it that a child of the age no older than five could rescue a fairy tale creature known as the Easter Bunny?”

"I don't know.”

"Or survive a fight with a boy in her mid teens at the age of six?”

“I don’t know.”

“What about helping Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy or Sandman before she was a teenager?”

“I don”t know.”

“Still, do you not get it? Then where is the proof that she has done all these things?”

“I don’t think she has any.”

“No she does not. After all, she had supposedly saved so many and yet who is here, trying to rescue you?”

“No one.”

“Here, look at yourself! Do you look human?”

She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked at the monster looking back at her.

“No.”

“And what does all this mean?”

She lowered her head in defeat.

“I’m a liar.”

“Yes, yes you are. After all, you have always been here. You have been nothing more than a nameless slave. My nameless slave! You invented Lasta Coop. You made up stories about your childhood. Just to make yourself seem important. You made them all up and repeated them to a point that they overridden your real memories. Now that you have been found out to be a liar, what should happen to you?”

“I should be punished.”

“Then get out of this bed and get your rag back on.”

She did this without question. She was led back to her cell and there she slept without question or complaint.