Shadows of Desire Ch. 07

Being the son of the King had given him certain liberties and privileges that others did not have. He was never without food or shelter. He had fine clothing and had had a basic education. He could read and write and do numbers which was more than most of the common children were taught. Certainly more than any slave was allowed. The King had been cold and even somewhat cruel but Rowan still had a comfortable life. He didn't have to do hard, back breaking work in the scorching heat. He didn't have to cook his own meals or even clean his own rooms. Everything was always done for him and he never once thought about the servants that worked long hours.

He never considered how exhausting their lives were. How their lives were not even their own. He never considered how oppressed they must have felt. Though none of them complained, he could only imagine how they must have resented their lives...and their masters. They were treated little better than animals. They were overlooked, forgotten, and ignored. Other than Folen, Rowan couldn't even recall the names of most of the palace servants. They came and went and Rowan walked past them not giving them a second thought. How many of them had families? He wondered. How many had children? If they did have children, were they safe at home with their parents or had they been sold off to another Lord or Lady to work in their homes?

Slaves were sold and traded like cattle. It was possible that many of the children did not even know who their parents were. Once they had been snatched away and forced to work in the household of another, it was unlikely that they would ever see their families again. It was a horrible life these people had to live and in all the years that Rowan had spent at the Palace, he had disregarded all of them. He knew that they were not paid servants. They didn't own land or homes of their own. The Palace servants were lumped together in a kind of dorm room with rows of straw stuffed mattresses cramped together on damp floors in a poorly heated room.

He knew all this and still, he did nothing. In a way he was just as bad as his father. Worse, as the old dryad had said. His father may have been the monster that enslaved the Fae, but Rowan was just as responsible for allowing it to happen. Instead of staying and fighting for what was right, he ran away. He was never meant to rule but that didn't make the weight of his position any less hard to bear. All of his life he had made excuses for his inability to stand up to his father. In the end, it was fear that kept his silence. Plain and simple. He was scared and so kept hidden in the shadows while those around him suffered for his insecurities.

"Well, we should probably head out." Thaden told him as he helped Rowan to his feet. "We'll catch something to eat once we're back on the road.

Rowan nodded, silently though the thought of food didn't sit well with him. He was hungry, but he felt sick to his stomach. Sick with worry. He knew his stomach wouldn't settle until they were well away from the dryad village and closer to their destination. At least then he knew they would be safe. The forest had too many hidden dangers, too many prying eyes, and Rowan felt like all those eyes, were on him.

***

They were less than a days ride away from Ansonia. They could reach it by early evening if they didn't stop to rest at all. Rowan was happy to ride straight through without stopping. In fact, he'd have preferred it. He was weary of traveling and ready to settle down someplace safe. As he sat atop Shadow dancer with Thaden behind him, Rowan counted the days since he'd escaped Basmorte. He'd been gone almost two weeks. It seemed longer. The days and nights he'd spent on the road had begun to run into each other. The Inn they had stayed at had been the longest he'd stayed in one place since running. The rest of the time before and after had become a blur of forests and wild, untamed land.

Rowan loved the forests, he loved nature in general, but he was beginning to miss the simple, quiet, little farms he had passed when first entering Rosegate. He missed the rolling hills and open fields of wild flowers. Even the dirt road they followed was better than traveling through the heavy wooded areas, beneath a canopy of the fall colored leaves that had not yet fallen from the trees that towered above them. Any other time Rowan would have thought the changing leaves to be beautiful and he would have welcomed the shade they offered from the blinding sun. Not now though. Now they seemed more ominous, and he shivered whenever they drew too close.

Ever since leaving the dryad village Rowan had been on edge. It could have been just that he was in unfamiliar territory but he wasn't sure. There was just this nagging feeling in the back of his mind that told him they weren't alone. Thaden didn't seem off put at all in fact he appeared completely at ease with their surroundings. Rowan knew that Thaden had visited Ansonia in the past so maybe that was why he didn't seem worried but it still unnerved Rowan. Rowan was a stranger traveling through Fae country and the Fae were not very welcoming to strangers. They were tricksters. Some were mischievous but overall non-threatening however, there were others that were malevolent. There was no other way to describe them. They were just evil, little, monsters.

As the mid day sun beat down on them Thaden brought the horse to a slow halt. Rowan turned to look at him, slightly panicked.

"What are we doing?" He asked.

"Stopping for a rest." Thaden told him. "If I remember correctly, there should be a small stream, just over that hill."

"Shouldn't we keep going?" Rowan was growing uneasy. They were too exposed where they were. Though they hadn't seen another rider all day, Rowan had the distinct feeling that they were being followed.

Thaden dismounted then took the reigns in his hands and began to lead the horse up the small hill in front of them. "Shadow needs water and so do we." Thaden told him, nodding towards the empty wine skins. "Besides, you look like your about to fall over from exhaustion."

Rowan sighed. "It's the sun." He said. His tone telling Thaden that Rowan was disgusted by his own vulnerabilities. "This is my natural time for sleeping but, I can still go on."

"No." Thaden said quickly and with a stern look at his mate. "You need to rest."

Rowan was about to protest but the look in Thaden's eyes had him clamping his mouth shut quickly, and with a slight smirk. As irritating as Thaden's overly protective nature was, Rowan still found it quite endearing. No one other than his own mother or Folen had ever been so concerned for Rowan's well being. The fact that Thaden cared so much made Rowan fall in love with him even more.

When they reached the small stream that Thaden had mentioned, Rowan was taken aback by the beauty of the stream and the surrounding landscape. In the short time he had been away from Basmorte, Rowan's eyes had been opened to a vast new world that he never even knew existed. A world that was far from the dreary, misty, and shadowy realm of Basmorte where the sun hardly ever seemed to shine. A world that wasn't dwarfed by the imposing mountains that surrounded it. What he was looking at now was a hidden world of vibrant colors, sunlit flowers, and crystal blue waters.

Thaden helped Rowan down from the horse and after a moment of stretching his back and legs, Rowan walked to the edge of the stream and looked down, peering into the water. It was so clear that he could see the sandy bed beneath and the tiny, shimmering, rocks that littered the bottom. Tiny fish swam by faster than Rowan had ever seen any fish swim and he giggled at the sight of it. Dipping his fingers into the water he began to swish the liquid around, playfully. It was so cold but also so refreshing. He could imagine what it would be like to bathe in the water on a particularly hot day. If it weren't the middle of autumn, he might very well had stripped off his clothing and jumped in.

"Are you done?" Thaden chuckled from behind him.

Rowan looked up at him and smiled. "Sorry." He blushed. "I've just never seen water so clear before."

"Are there no mountain streams in Basmorte?" He questioned.

Rowan nodded. "There are but after arriving at the Palace I was never permitted to travel into the mountains. The farthest away from the Palace I had ever been was to a small farm right outside the city. There was a small pond near the farm but it was night and the waters looked gray and murky. When the Palace guards found me wandering the woods I was never permitted outside the Palace walls without an escort again."

"You ran away?" Thaden smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"I was...exploring." Rowan stood up and brushed his tunic off.

"Exploring?"

Rowan grinned. "I wasn't as well behaved as you might think. I was quite the little imp as a child."

"Oh, I can imagine." Thaden forced back a smile as he pictured a younger and more mischievous Rowan. "I'm sure you were a hellion."

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that." Rowan chuckled. "Though my nurse said I had quite the knack for vanishing at bath time when I was very young. Apparently I preferred to be covered in dirt and mud all day."

Thaden laughed at that. Imagining Rowan covered in mud was an amusing thought. Especially since his mate always seemed so proper and dignified. He would have loved to have seen the young Prince defiantly playing in a mud puddle while his nurse ran after him, attempting to clean the child.

"I bet you were absolutely adorable as a child." Thaden told him. He led Shadow dancer to the waters edge and let her drink as he walked over to Rowan, lifted his hands to his mouth and kissed his knuckles. "Not that you're not adorable now." He said, kissing him again and causing Rowan to blush. "But I can just imagine you running naked through a field of wild flowers with your nurse chasing you down."

Rowan narrowed his eyes. "I never ran away naked." He said, then paused as a slight smirk played across his pink lips. "Okay, maybe once or twice, but I was barely out of my clouts."

Thaden pulled Rowan towards him, wrapping his arms around his mate then he lightly slapped his ass. "I wouldn't mind seeing you run around naked right now." He said with a grin.

Rowan rolled his eyes and chuckled. "You, Sir, are positively obscene."

"Only when it comes to you." Thaden whispered before nibbling at Rowan's ear lobe. "When it comes to you, my love, I can think of so many obscene things. Like you writhing beneath me, completely naked, as your moans fill the air."

"Umm." Rowan smiled, his eyes half closed as he ran his hand along Thaden's back. "That sounds wonderful, actually." He pushed himself up on his tip toes and then pressed his lips to Thaden and kissed him, slow and passionately.

Thaden's hands rested at the curve of Rowan's back as he pressed their bodies closer together. Opening his mouth, his slipped his tongue inside Rowan's mouth and deepened the kiss. Rowan moaned against him and Thaden's hand slid down to cup his ass. He squeezed, kneading the soft flesh beneath his fingers and Rowan moaned again.

Thaden could have kissed him forever. He never wanted to let Rowan go. He could imagine laying him down in the thick green grass atop a bed of colorful wild flowers and making love to him well into the night. He would fall asleep with Rowan in his arms with nothing but the sounds of nature and the rushing stream around them. He had almost suggested doing just that when Rowan suddenly tensed and pulled away. His eyes darted around the opened area, narrowed, and his lips pressed into a thin line.

"What is it?" Thaden asked, growing a bit concerned.

Rowan sniffed the air and a small growl escaped him as his eyes narrowed in on a tiny grove of flowering trees about fifteen feet to their right. "We're not alone." He said, his voice becoming low and dangerous. "I could have sworn that someone or something's been following us. Now I'm certain of it." He nodded in the direction of the trees. "It's just there. Hidden behind that small bush."

Thaden, moving his hand to rest over the hilt of his sword, stepped away from Rowan and slowly towards the bush that Rowan had pointed out.

"Be careful." Rowan whispered.

Thaden nodded then held a hand up for Rowan to be silent. Thaden, keeping his eyes on the bush, stopped about two feet from it and then said, in his most commanding voice, "Whoever you are, I suggest that you come out now and make yourself known."

The bush trembled as something behind it moved. Thaden waited patiently, hand still gripping the hilt of his sword, for the thing to do as he'd instructed. It only took a couple brief seconds before the spy had decided to give up, now that it had been made, and stepped out from behind the bush.

Thaden's hand left his sword and he relaxed some as he looked down at the creature that had been stalking them. Rowan had to put a hand to his mouth to stifle the gasp that escaped him. Thaden smirked then raised an eyebrow as he peered down at their little, uninvited, guest.

"So, you're the spy that's been frightening my mate." He said with a slight chuckle. "I'll admit, I was expecting something a bit more...intimidating."

"Thaden, is that..." Rowan could barely get the words out. He was too in shock as to what he was actually seeing. Thaden looked back to him and nodded. "I believe so." He said.

"How?" Rowan asked.

Thaden knelt down to be on eye level with the little one so he could look her over. When he was certain that his first assessment was true he sighed and shook his head. "What is your name?" He asked the child before him.

At first she didn't answer. Her eyes kept darting between Thaden and Rowan. She looked terrified but also curious. By the way she watched Rowan, Thaden had an idea that the child wasn't quite sure what he was but desperately trying to figure it out.

"I don't think she's ever seen a vampire before." Thaden told him.

Rowan frowned. "Then we're even. I've never seen a human before."

Thaden smiled then turned back to the girl. "You needn't fear him, little one. He won't harm you. Please, tell me your name."

The child hesitated a moment then, in a tiny voice said, "Tallulah."

"Tallulah." Thaden repeated the name back to her. "Well, Tallulah, It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Thaden and the man behind me is Rowan, my mate."

Rowan nodded to the girl though still too shocked to speak.

Tallulah shifted uneasily on her bare feet as she wound a strand of long, yellow hair, around her finger, watching both the men cautiously. "H-hello." She said softly and with a shaky voice.

Rowan watched in disbelief. He couldn't, for the life of him, figure out how a human child could be there, in the middle of Fae territory, and so far from Millbarrow. The child barely looked eight years old, far too young to be wandering around the country side without her parents. If she even had parents. Rowan wondered about that as well. Had something happened to her parents that left her abandoned and fending for herself? If so, what were they even doing there?

The child seemed so small and frail. Her hair was unwashed and badly in need of a combing and her face and hands were covered in dirt. The dress she wore was entirely too small and hugged her tiny frame uncomfortably close. It was even torn in places as well as being dingy and stained. Her bare feet were also caked in dirt and mud and her fingernails had dirt beneath them as if she'd been digging in the earth.

Rowan took a step towards her but the girl gasped and took two steps back, causing Rowan to freeze where he was, not wanting to frighten the girl further.

"Tell me." Thaden spoke, keeping his voice soft and kind. "Where are your parents?"

The girl just stared at him.

"Do you have parents?" He asked, though he was fairly certain that he already knew the answer to that. When the girl shook her head he sighed again and ran a hand through his hair.

"It's as I've feared." He said, turning to look at Rowan. "I believe she's a changeling babe."

"A what?" Rowan narrowed his eyes, confused.

"A changeling babe." Thaden explained. "Sometimes, a Fae will snatch up a human child and leave a Fae child in it's place. The human child will then be brought back here, to our world, and the Fae child will grow up as a human. It's a dreadful practice and one that needs to end. It's not allowed in Rosegate but Ansonia has no laws against it."

"Why?" Rowan stared at him, the disgust clear on his face. He couldn't imagine doing such a thing to a child. "Why would anyone do that? To rob a child of their parents? It's barbaric. And what of their own child? Can they so easily just give up their child?"

Thaden shrugged as he stood back up. "They do it for many reasons. None of them justified. But it's been happening for thousands of years."

"So, this child, this human child, was brought here while her parents are raising a Fae child in her place?"

Thaden nodded. "And her parents know no better. They would have been switched in infancy."

"Then, who cared for this child?" Rowan asked, growing more confused by the minute.

"Probably the ones who originally took her, though, I wouldn't say they cared for her, per say. They fed her and kept her relatively safe. When they felt that she was old enough to fend for herself, they probably abandoned her."

Rowan shook his head in disgust. "Why take her in the first place if they didn't want her?"

"It was never about her." Thaden told him, a tinge of sadness in his voice. "Their goal was to get a child of theirs in the human world, for whatever reason. The child could have been ill or in danger, and they felt it would fare better out of our realm. They might plan for it one day to mate with a human so the changelings future children would look more human. Then there are some Fae that thrive on misery and pain they cause to others."

Thaden looked to the child and sighed, giving her a wan smile. "Fate doesn't always look kindly on the human who was taken though because in many cases the ones who took it don't know what to do with it. More often than not they end up abandoned, or dead."

Rowan looked to the small girl and immediately tears sprang to his eyes. "Could...could we take her back? To Millbarrow I mean. Leave her on a farm or something where a kind couple could find her?"

Thaden shook his head. "We have no idea how long she's been here. Once a human is exposed to our world, they can't ever go back. Here, a mere eight years have passed for her but, in the Human world, it could have been a hundred."

"So, if we returned her, she could die?"

Thaden nodded. "Time would catch up to her. Her body could wither and she'd die. Or, she could gain the body of a grown woman but retain the mind of a child. There is no way to tell for sure. I just know the outcome usually isn't good."

Rowan sighed. His omega instincts telling him to care for and nurture the child. He was unwilling to just leave her there, defenseless. If he'd learned anything on this journey it was that everything happened for a reason. If he had crossed paths with this child, it was because he was meant to, and he wasn't about to ignore that. "We have to take her with us." Rowan said. To his surprise Thaden just smiled and nodded. He didn't even seemed shocked that Rowan would suggest such a thing.

"I was thinking the same thing." Thaden told him. "She's much too young to be on her own. We'll take her into Ansonia and then decide what to do with her from there."

Rowan smiled. "Thank you." He said, then wrapped his arms around Thaden and kissed him. "You, my love, are a true Prince."

Thaden chuckled. "As long as I'm your Prince, that's all that matters."

***

They stayed for a short rest before moving on. Of course, Rowan had to clean Tallulah up a bit before they left. He washed her off the best he could in the stream. The water was cool but the child didn't seem to mind. In fact, she seemed grateful to be cleaned. Rowan even did his best to wash her hair though without any soap it wasn't that easy. He had to remind himself that not many commoners even had the luxury of using soap or scented oils and lotions. Well, that was something he planned to indulge in once they reached the Palace in Ansonia.