Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns all.
Rated M for several reasons.
Chpt 1 The Fairy
NPOV
I watch the flat waters of the bowl with barely concealed disinterest. So much to attend to, so little to actually care about.
From time to time I am forced to act, not that anyone would know. Stars! By now even I barely notice when it happens.
With great power comes great responsibility. And trust me, eventually the weight of making the correct choices cripples you into inertia. Unless you are predisposed to rule the worlds and be wicked, then I should imagine you would have a lot more fun.
No one is looking so I ferret a little personal secretion out of my nose and flick it accurately into the bowl.
He shoots! He scores! Soccer. My fourth daughter introduced me to it a few decades ago, shortly before her death.
A petulant sigh escapes me and I wipe the offending finger on my robes.
According to one of my daughters I am exhibiting all the signs of entering my second childhood. Good. I am hoping it will stir up the atmosphere around here somewhat. There is only so much forced peace and harmony an old warrior can take before he goes completely off his mental trolley.
"Majesty." My Advisor Ortel's voice interrupts my thoughts. "It is almost time for the evening meal."
Fabulous. Stew again I imagine. The second daughter is regrettably fond of stew. If I wanted my meat swimming in liquids I would scarf up fish from the ocean like a whale. Is there a problem with a simple roast that I am not aware of? Apparently so.
"Very well." I respond with a negligent wave of my hand. "I am almost done here."
I always save the best until last. With another wave of my hand I change the focus of the flat water.
The water in the bowl used to ripple. It did nothing to hamper my ability to perceive the detail of the images but it was, frankly, annoying. Fortunately one of the court scientists found a way to enhance the capabilities of the bowl so the water is flat and still.
Unless I flick something into it of course.
I will not snicker. That would be most unbecoming. And only my wife would have appreciated the humour. Stars rest her naughty soul.
I have not learnt much from my contemplation of the bowl today. There is some plotting underway. Not that I am disappointed. A diversion will be most welcome. They plot, my people, from time to time. Chaffing at some of the restrictions I have placed on them for their own protection. They have so little else to worry about it is hardly surprising. Although I am always vaguely shocked that none of them learn the lessons of history, no matter how recent that is. They just do not seem to appreciate how futile it is to go against me. In their defence however that is possibly because every once in a while I get so cataclysmically bored that I have to let them try something in order to relieve the monotony.
This makes me a bad ruler I am sure.
Really. I do not think I would wish this role, or the stews, on my worst enemy. And I still have several.
The bowl captures my attention.
Ah, there she is. The little ray of sunshine I only recently found existed. My very own reality show. I do not watch her every moment, time moves differently here and often huge amounts will have passed for her before I am allowed the space to tune in again.
I have done nothing to intercede in her life in the short time I have known of her. Though her reality pains me there has been no pressing need, we all have to learn to live our lives the way they are given to us and she is no exception.
She is ready for a night out, my little ray of sunshine. And how beautiful she looks in her pretty flowered sundress.
The images move faster as if driven by her own determination. A ray on a mission. The details flood into me like a static charge, the pictures speeding up as I scroll through them to capture everything.
Ortel creeps up beside me. Nosey individual.
Her beau is a vampire? When did this happen? How did this happen? I flick backward and forward through the images in the pool, garnering all the information I need.
I dislike his intentions toward my ray of sunshine. I dislike them intensely.
Annoyed I refocus the water on the present.
The dark haired vampire declares my ray of sunshine his. I find that extremely unlikely, but it is her choice, always.
And there he isagain. Her soul's stalker.
Right. That is it. A man can only stand for so much. Especially when he has been waiting for an excuse to flex his muscles.
"Ortel, summon the Keepers and pack me an overnight bag, we are taking a trip."
"Majesty." He intones with a slight incline of his head.
I loathe it when he intones, it always feels like I am doing something he approves of. Stupid fairy.
Still. No stew.
I time our arrival at the pivotal moment. Literally. Timing is everything. In everything.
He is about to take her maidenhood. Now even I know this is no concern of a Great Grandfather in the modern world but this is also the supernatural world and I believe, based on past and painful experience, I am entitled to at least put a small spoke in the wheel and await developments.
"Unhand my Great Granddaughter you oily little specimen."
His fangs descend into place with a click and he crouches in front of her naked body, clearly intending to defend her from attack with his own. How tiresome. I simply cannot understand how proud they can be of their fangs, something over which they obviously have so little control. Overgrown supernatural toddlers.
"Please." I amend politely. Mindful of my wife's teachings.
"Who are you?" The oily little specimen demands.
My Great Granddaughter nods, seconding the question. Perfectly reasonable I suppose.
Ortel steps forward, puffing out his chest and preparing to launch into the whole wretched explanation.
I do not have the patience. I know who I am. And how I acquired every single title he is about to trot out.
"His Ma . . . . Oomph!" My elbow in his solar plexus shuts him up before he can get started.
"My name is Niall."
Eyebrows are raised.
Altogether a much milder reaction than I am used to.
A/N So, this isn't my first fanfic but it is my first Sookie and Eric. For those of you not familiar with my modus operandi (and I hope there are a few of you who've made it this far) it's simple, I take a great idea a proper author has had and subject it to my random imagination. So it's going to be AU. With Niall, I'm looking forward to Niall . . .
And because it feels like my first time again I'd really appreciate some feedback, it's awfully scary doing this . . .