Chapter 72: Chapter Seventy-Two

“You know, I thought that once Maree left, things would be more relaxed,” Ellie grumbled to Elvin as he laced up the back of her cream-colored dress. “I feel like things have just gotten worse!”

“I don’t know why you were expecting anything different,” he laughed dryly. “Those bitches wouldn’t have dared to make a move with her around, but now that she’s gone, they think Avery is free game.” He pulled her hair back and began braiding it the way that she liked.

“Ugh, it’s disgusting. Did you see the one last night that shoved me off to the side when we headed to the bedroom? I have never seen Avery so angry before! I thought he was going to murder her on the spot.”

“Oh, you don’t ever have to worry about him making a scene. He’ll punish her accordingly, but he’ll do it discreetly. He’s not called The Terror of the Fae for nothing, you know,” Elvin said conversationally.

“Excuse me? He’s called what?” Ellie tried to turn to look at Elvin, but he gently pulled her hair to keep her in place.

“Hold still! I’m almost done!”

“Elvin, what on earth are you talking about? Who calls him The Terror of the Fae? And, more importantly, *why*?” Elvin finished the intricate braid and placed a lovely white and silver flower crown on her head. He placed his hands on her shoulders and spun her slowly so that she could see him.

“Avery is called The Terror of the Fae because of his formidable reputation as a master torturer. Why do you think people go out of their way to be kind and respectful to him and those he cares for? They certainly don’t want to stay on his good side *just* because he is a prince. I mean, you’ve seen how Ozul is treated by some of the commonfolk.” Elvin guided a stunned Ellie to the bed and forced her to sit on the edge. He wandered over to the wardrobe and began rifling through it, leaving Ellie to ponder over his words.

Now that she thought about it, some of the townsfolk *had* seemed rather standoffish toward Ozul. She hadn’t given it much thought at the time because they had been so busy helping everyone, but he had indeed been treated far less respectfully than Avery.

*Of course, given the nature of his conception, I can understand why people would be so unwelcoming toward him. Still, it wasn’t his fault, and Faylinn clearly loves him as much as she loves her other children…* Her brow furrowed as she thought about Ozul and Avery.

They were so different from one another, yet also so similar. Avery was incredibly cocky and self-assured – so much so that she couldn’t stand him at first. He didn’t mind being in the spotlight and seemed to thrive on attention. Ozul, meanwhile, seemed to prefer lingering in the background. He was every bit as self-assured as Avery, sure, but he didn’t need to be the center of attention, nor did he seem to particularly care about his image with others. Ellie knew Avery well, but she didn’t seem to know much about Ozul…

***Do you really know Avery as well as you thought?*** a small voice whispered in her head. A sudden chill settled over her, causing her to involuntarily shudder.

*What a stupid question. Of course I know Avery… I just don’t know* everything *about him.*

“How did Avery become so good at… torturing?” she asked apprehensively.

“Well, when the realms first split, things were very… chaotic. Everyone was fighting for a spot of land to call their own, we were having to scavenge for supplies… It was a shameful time for the Moon Goddess’ children. We spent several centuries atoning for our sins against each other…” He trailed off sadly, reliving what Ellie thought was a particularly painful memory.

“I see. I assume Avery was the one who helped regain a sense of order amongst everyone...?”

Elvin pulled out a thin black cloak and walked back to her. He threw it over her shoulders and clasped it at her neck, then sat on the floor in front of her.

“Your assumption is correct. He worked hard to help many people find their homes. He was even responsible for the signing of the Treaty of Peace amongst the royalty of each race.”

“Each race has a royal family? Even trolls and ogres?” she asked incredulously.

“Of course! Though, the ogres, trolls, and Wilderlings are less likely to punish those who attack others unprompted. And, of course, there are always small groups within each kingdom that refuses to even acknowledge the treaty and instead choose violence and chaos -- such as the traffickers. But their numbers are small, and they are dealt with swiftly when caught.”

“Oh. So, how did Avery torturing people become a thing? Was it part of his job as the peace-maker?”

“Ah, right. Well, in the beginning, when he was trying to regain order and peace, he would torture those who were captured at the request of their governing monarchs. He would get information from them about where rebels hid, who was in league with who, all that fun stuff. He learned how to... get *good* at what he was doing, and even came up with several of his own techniques.”

Ellie’s stomach churned slightly at the thought of Avery intentionally harming someone. She’d known he’d tortured the woman who attacked Willowvayne, but she never could have imagined that he’d made a career out of it.

“I had no idea,” she whispered. Elvin grabbed her hands and gave them a soft squeeze.

“Ellie, I know it’s unsettling, but Avery never harmed anyone who didn’t deserve it – and I mean that. Despite his reputation, he refuses to harm innocents.”

“I know that, Elvin. As ornery and stubborn as he can be, he is inherently kind and giving. I just never could have imagined that he was so proficient at it.” She used his hands to help her stand and pulled him to his feet. “It doesn’t matter. He did what he did because it was necessary – just like with the people who attacked Willowvayne.”

Elvin gave her an impish smile and hugged her tightly.

“Exactly. Now, let’s stop all this talk and go get your breakfast. I hear that the chefs have managed to get their hands on some chicken for you,” he whispered as he broke their hug and looped his arm with hers.

Ellie’s stomach grumbled loudly at the mention of food, and they both laughed.

“Aldred will give me no peace until I give him what he wants,” she sighed. Elvin smirked and pulled her down a hallway.

“Then let’s get going, Mama! We don’t want him to make you sick again, do we?”

Author Note:

Hi. I'm sorry for disappearing again. I know it's frustrating for you all, and I'm so sorry. Between my physical health and my mental health, I've had a really, really tough time. I'd be more than happy to give detail if you're curious -- just head to my FB page and shoot me a question -- I like to be very transparent about my issues. I'm working on getting a schedule set up that will hopefully help me be more consistent for you guys. I'll update that on FB when I've got that squared away. As always, thank you so much for reading, for being patient, and being the kind people you are. I'll be back soon with another update, and rest assured, the story will not be abandoned -- I love Ellie, Avery, Elvin, and you guys too much for that. <3