Season content notes: torture, nonsexual dubcon

“I may have condemned my own son.”

Dannel jumped up, knocking his chair over with a loud crash. “You–”

For the second time, Dannel was wrapped in Lord Falthro’s glamour. “Stop. Be silent.”

He froze, unable to move, unable to speak. He wanted to scream denial, to collapse and weep, to wring Johas’ neck. The old man was a friend to Dannel’s father. An uncle to Dannel. How could he… With the master’s power trapping him, Dannel was forced to watch helplessly even as the storm raged within him.

“What…did you do to me?” Johas cringed away from Lord Falthro, ready to flee the room.

Lord Falthro stood and walked around his desk. Looming over the man, he said, “I have ruled lightly here, unlike many of my foolish brethren. My lands are productive and peaceful because you do not live in fear of me. But I am still fae. As easily as I rip your secrets from you, I learned Dannel’s truths. Dannel is innocent.”

Johas turned to stare at Dannel. His eyes glittered, and there may have been a faint whisper. “By the mare…”

Before the old man could say anything more, Lord Falthro continued. “But before you sent Dannel to me — before I learned the truth — you and your fellows made me swear an oath. Do you remember that oath, councilor?”

Then Johas’ eyes widened. Bit by bit, the life, the hope, flowed away to be replaced by sheer horror.

“I see that you do. An oath to Dannu binds me as strongly as my glamour binds you, councilor. So Dannel will live out his life as my slave, suffering each day for a crime he never committed. And now you may live out what remains of your life knowing that you did not just condemn your son. You condemned your son to a life of horror for a crime he did not commit.”

Tears poured down the man’s face, “What have I done? Dannel? Dannel… I…”

The pain in Johas’ face was a match to Dannel’s own. He wanted to turn away. To reach out. To cry. Trapped by Falthro’s glamour, he remained frozen in his moment of greatest rage, lungs on fire, throat dry, every muscle tensed to attack. Johas searched his face, looking for… what? Whatever it was, the old man didn’t see it. He folded in on himself, aging decades in a matter of seconds.

“I am sorry.” Dannel was surprised to discover that the words meant something. The silence forced on him by the master’s glamour allowed him to see past the ringing storm of rage, and grief, and betrayal. See how someday he might come to forgive Johas for doing what the old man thought was right. Johas turned to Lord Falthro, “You spoke of truth as a punishment, Lord Falthro. I understand you now. For my part, I release you of your oath. I can only pray that your goddess will do the same. Is there any way I can set this right?”

“Return to your room and tell no one of this conversation.” Lord Falthro’s face twisted into a parody of the master’s grim smiles. “If anyone asks, you can tell them that you begged me to execute Dannel.”

Like a sleepwalker, the councilor walked out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Lord Falthro withdrew the touch of glamour that still held Dannel captive. Then, the fae lord collapsed to the floor.

Free at last, Dannel ran to the door and stopped. Lord Falthro. Something was wrong. “Master?” He crouched next to the fae lord and shook his lord’s shoulder. “Lord Falthro?” Lord Falthro didn’t respond. Dannel dashed around the desk and pulled the bell to summon the master’s servant, whatever her name was. Not knowing what else to do, he returned to sit by Lord Falthro until she arrived.

She bustled in a moment later carrying a drink service. When she saw Lord Falthro, she closed the door behind her and crouched next to him. “Using his glamour, was he?”

Dannel swallowed. “He made…made Councilor Johas say something…and he stopped me. I couldn’t move or say anything.”

The servant clucked her tongue. “Aye, he overextended himself then. Help me move him to the couch.”

Together, they picked up the tall fae and got him laid out comfortably. “Does this happen to all fae?”

“No,” she gently brushed the lord’s hair out of his face, “No, he is ill. To taste the emotions of others pains him. To actively use his glamour… well this is the first time I’ve seen him collapse like this, but the history of the house says he’s done it several times, always when he used his glamour too much. It’s why he surrounds himself with humans and rarely sees other fae. He dares not let them learn of his weakness.”

“Emotions hurt him?” Dannel remembered the fae lord’s promise that Dannel’s presence would be a punishment for him. How often had he swung between despair and hatred and rage since arriving at the manor? How often had his emotions tried to bury him? And Lord Falthro could feel that, felt pain because of that.

“Yes. Not many know.” She sighed. “The Master told housekeeper he’d be needing you for the day. Normally, I’d get you far away from him so he can rest proper, but if housekeeper sees you at loose ends, she may decide to find work for you anyway. So you sit here and eat the breakfast those two barely touched. The master never does eat enough.”

“I…” she gestured him to the chair Johas had sat in, and Dannel swallowed bile. “I don’t know if I can stay here, doing nothing.” Johas’ words echoed in his mind: I may have condemned my own son. Your presence here will be my punishment, Lord Falthro had said with a smile. Once again, Dannel wanted to scream, to tear something apart, to curl up and cry and cry and cry, to go to sleep and never wake up. “I don’t know if the… the master will want me later or not. Is there anything I can do to keep busy? There must be some chamberpots around somewhere…” Even in his ears, the joke fell flat, but she seemed to understand.

“There’s silver in the pantry in need of a polish. If anyone asks, tell them I sent you. They’ll assume it’s the master’s orders and leave you alone.”

“Thank you.” He turned to the door, but his feet carried him to the couch. “He did this for me.”

“There’s some of that, and some of doing what he knows is right, and some of feeling guilty his own self. But for all he can be a right pain at times, he does his best to be a good person. Better than most of the fae–and many humans I’ve known too!”

Slowly, he knelt down next to the couch. “Thank you, Master.” For the first time, the word didn’t burn his tongue, “I was a stranger to you, and you have done more for me than my own kin. I won’t forget.”

The silver would keep him busy until his lord needed him again. Maybe it would even let him forget the bitter taste of betrayal.

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