The Loop of the Fairy Queen

Willow POV

"I do not want to marry him, and you cannot make me," I scream at my father as I run for my bedroom. I slam the door hard. I collapse onto the floor, screaming and crying. How could they give me away to the vampire Lazarus? I am their child. Do I not mean anything to them?

"Let me in," my father says softly, knocking on my door.

I push my body against the door, trying to prevent them from forcing me out of my home. My heart is breaking. How could they? I wrap my arms around my bent legs and curl my body. I scream from the bottom of my stomach. My scream is so loud that I am sure everyone in our tribe heard it. I do not care. Let them hear my cries. I hope they come and see what you are doing to your eldest daughter.

"My little angel, please let me in," my father speaks even softer as he tries to coax me to open the door. I thought I was his favorite child. I thought he loved me. I am the oldest of 19 children. Indeed, there is some love for me in his heart still.

I cry and scream until my throat is sore. "Break the door down, Abraham. Do not let her act like this," my mother demands.

My mother and father are so different. My mother's fairy tribe is a demonic little bunch of assholes. My father, on the other hand, comes from a tribe of kinder fairies. His tribe seeks only to do good. That is why they made the treaty with the vampire authorities. The treaty that led Lazarus Castillo to want me as his bride. I am only 21 years old. Lazarus has to be over 1000 years old. Why in the hell does he not marry a vampire or an eternal fairy? Why me?

I have to open the door. I know I have to face my father. I need him to look me in the eyes and tell me he wants me to marry Lazarus Castillo. I need him to see the life drain from me as he speaks the words. It will be of no consequence to my mother. But to my father, I need to see it, and I need him to know how I feel.

I stand up and straighten myself the best I can. I wipe the tears from my face and blow my nose. I try to smile as I open the door.

"Father, I want to speak to you alone without mother," I say.

He looks back at my mother and nods in agreement to come in without her. I cannot handle her being a bitch to me at this moment. I step out of the way so he can enter the room and we can talk face to face.

My mother stomps off. I know she is mad. She always gets her way no matter what. This is my life we are dealing with now, and she will not get her way. If I am forced out of my home, I want it to be on my terms, not hers.

My father steps in to try to help. I can see he is breaking. I know he really does not want to do this. It is all her. It is more of the fairy council, but she has no objections.

"Look me in the eye and tell me you are okay with giving me to him," I say.

My father reaches for me. He places both his hands on my arms. He has a firm grip on me.

"My child, you know if I do not comply, they will kill us all. They will start with the baby and work their way up to you. He wants you to be his bride. He promises peace for the fairies. It is a sacrifice, I know. I know we are asking a lot of you at just 21 years old. No, my love, I do not want you to go, but it has to happen, or we are all dead," he says.

I hug my father. I cry into his shoulder. I understand he is trying to protect everyone. It hurts no matter what the reason. Why me?

"Okay," I say.

I hear cars pulling up. It sounds like an entourage of vehicles. I hear so many doors slamming. How many people came with him to get little ole me?

I begin packing a few things as my father looks on. My mother comes into the room. I can hear the children laughing and talking to Lazarus and his bodyguards.

"You might want to go into the bathroom and clean yourself up before you meet your new husband," my mother says sternly.

I shake my head in agreement. She is right. I am sure I look a hot mess. I run to the bathroom. I can see Lazarus out of the corner of my eye as I run past my mother to the tiny bathroom at the back of our small home.

I close the door and try hard not to start crying again. I grab a towel from the shelf. I lay the towel on the sink. I turn on the water. Great, no hot water today. I splash my face with cold water and dry it with a towel.

I look at myself in the mirror. There is nothing special about me. I am just a little fairy. Why is he ruining my life? In the tribe, there are fairies far more beautiful than me. Why me? Maybe because of my father's position on the council.

I adjust my blouse, trying to look more presentable. I try hard to smooth out the wrinkles. There is not any use. This blouse is probably the most decent-looking thing I own. I look like a peasant. Maybe he will see me and decide he does not want to marry someone so ugly and beneath him.