The Offering

Prologue

"Your Grace, this issue has become something we can longer ignore without endangering our future and the future of our people." The Advisor insists, sitting at his place of the table to the left of his King.

"Alright Varis, continue" The King nods, not wanting another alarm raised in his kingdom to worry his people.

"The issue of breeding your Grace, it has been one hundred years since a child has been born in our kingdom and almost fifty since a child has even been conceived. Your own sons, the Princes were among some of the last to make it to full term. Many of the females that were able to conceive then died when their unborn children did." The Advisor answers, head bowed as always.

"I knew it had been some time, but one hundred years? How can that be so?" He asks, leaning forward slightly, the other lords shifted around the table, acknowledging their own interests.

"We do not know why this is happening your Grace, but it is not only our kingdom that suffers, I have word from trusted sources that all of the fae kingdoms are suffering from the same affliction. Their females are unable to conceive children."

There is a heavy silence as the lords wait for the King's decision, for his words and instructions to fill the void.

"Your Grace, we are a long lived people, but we are not immortal and the recent wars have meant many of our males have not returned home. Our strongest among them." Varis continues, his hands gripping each other nervously.

"No we are not." The King agrees. "And do you have a solution to this problem?"

Varis hesitates, taking a short breath. "We are all aware that the humans produce and conceive their own offspring much quicker than we do," He begins and already he can sense the tension growing in the room. The Lords around him leaning in closer, his own fear pulsing with in him like a caged animal of prey squirming to get free, but he continues. "I suggest that we start a treaty with the humans that live within our borders, we would take their fertile maidens that are of age in exchange for more land, by growing the barrier around their part of the kingdom."

The King's jaw hardens.

"The humans are weak and most barely make it past ninety years of age, breeding with their women would mean any children we bring forth would only be half fae, they would be weakened and we would not know in what way." One of the Lords says gruffly, fists clenched on the table.

"I agree. I understand this is a serious issue, but surely breeding with mortal women is not the answer, surely the healers or the seers would have better solutions." Another Lord agrees quickly.

"We have spent the last decade with healers, seers, those who work in the great libraries to discover a reason and a cure for this but nothing has come to light. Many of our females who are strong and of breeding age have submitted themselves to testing with different magic's all to no avail. I understand the risks involved and the reasons why you may disagree, but if we continue

to let this go on for much longer without bringing in new heirs and more fae children then we will reach a time in the near future where it will be too late. There are still many kingdoms at war and the chance of losing more of our males, along with the death of our females there is a large gap in our population. Many of your own heirs are still without mates and without heirs themselves. The schools are empty of children and our people are starting to raise questions." The Advisor's voice growing stronger with his own knowledge, something he had been following over the last century, spending many hours and sleepless nights over this cause.

"We have been busy with wars over the last century and it will not grow quiet anytime soon." The King says with a heavy sigh. "But what the Lords have said is true, humans are weak, frail creatures with short lifespans and no magic in their blood, breeding with them would mean any future children born to them would not be full fae, they would only be half and we would not know how it will affect them until they are grown."

"Yes your grace, there is a risk involved, but the only other option is to do nothing. There are no other races that are compatible with our kind, the humans are the only compatible race and our own genetics would blend with theirs with little to no difficulty." The Head Healer speaks up, his wizened face serious in the low light. "We would also make sure that these human women would be of healthy stock Your Grace, any who are not will be left behind."

"And we would not be able to take all of their women and leave them with none, they would not agree to this, so we would only be able to take the fertile maidens in groups every few decades or so, leaving them time to continue their own population to grow and recover." The Advisor adds.

"And you believe the human leaders would agree to these terms? Taking their women from them every few decades in return for more land?" The King asks, knowing he would never agree to let the females of his kingdom being sold off like that.

"I believe so, the humans are quite a fickle, selfish race Your Grace, they are also outgrowing the space that was given to them. Already they are squished into villages and almost living on top of each other just to make room for their farms. By offering land in exchange for only their maids of fertile age we would give little and gain the chance to continue our race." The Advisor answers earnestly. It was not an idea he had thought about lightly, he knew there would be resistance and many would disagree, but he also knew that if the king did not agree, it would be his own head removed from his shoulders when the time for a solution had gone and passed and nothing was done. There was no other option.

"Even now, you say the humans are selfish, fickle creatures and yet you want our sons to breed with their women and produce heirs for our Kingdom? Surely Your Grace you can see the madness in this plan of his!" The Lord says bitterly.

"It is not Madness My Lord, it is a solution to a problem where there is no other, the human women will be able to conceive at a much faster rate, they also only carry their own children for nine months compared to the twelve months it takes for a fae babe. The Grand Healer has also stated that they are the only race that is compatible with ours. So I ask you Lord Fyndelle, if you do not agree to this solution then what is yours?" The Advisor asks, turning to the Lord in question, steady in his gaze. He had expected this Lord to disagree, knew he would be one of the Lords to take a stand against him.

"Can the healers even guarantee that a child can even be born from a fae and a human? Or that a human woman can carry a fae child?" The Lord demands, raising his voice.

"Yes My Lord," The Grand Healer answers with a nod of his head. "Many years past, before your time My Lord, there is a history of fae males breeding with female humans without the permission of their rulers, any children that were born of them were then permitted to stay within the fae kingdom but were given lowly positions as servants. They did not live as long as the full fae, but they did live longer then a human, they also possessed other abilities that humans did not, depending on the sire."

"So what are you saying? Our males would go into the human world and bed women and leave them with child?" One of the Lord asks.

"Yes My Lord, the children born would be noticeably different and would be taken from the mothers to be bought into the fae world." The Grand Healer answers with a sombre nod.

"How is it we are not aware of this?"

"Because it was long before your time Lord Wyrthmere, my father was ruling when it was happening and he quickly put an end to it. The Fae males that were going into the human world were also punished." The King answers, his power strong in his deep voice. He lets out a heavy sigh. "You are right Varis, this has gone on for too long and if we do not act then our future will be at risk."

"Very well, let the preparations be made, we will ride out to the human world at dawn tomorrow and make our treaty with their leader." The King says, his voice strong and sure, disagree all they like, the Lords understand there is no more to say, he had made his decision.

The future would never be the same.