Herbie Brennan - Faerie Lord

Why dont I stay here? Henry echoed. He knew he was plunging into one of his wretched waffles where he repeated what people said and cranked up his village idiot expression, but he didnt seem to be able to do anything about it.

Yes, Blue said firmly. Why dont you?

They were walking in the gardens of the Purple Palace and Blue looked absolutely gorgeous. Night stocks had begun to release their scent and there was torchlight reflected on the river. If there was ever a perfect setting for a romantic moment, this was it and he knew, beyond doubt, he was about to blow it. Why dont I? he asked.

Oh, Henry, I wish you wouldnt do that, Blue said mildly. She reached out and took his hand, so that they were walking together by the waters edge. You dont want to go home, I dont want you to go home, Pyrgus doesnt want you to go home, so why not stay?

Pyrgus doesnt want me to go home? Henry said, surprised, then realised how stupid that sounded and managed to say something more stupid still: My mother would kill me. He looked at Blue in the vain hope of her understanding and added, If I didnt come home.

Blue ignored it. What are you going to do if you go home?

Henry thought about it, then said vaguely, Exams and things. It was anything but vague inside his head. He would do his exams and if he passed, which he probably would, he was set on a course that would take him on eventually to university, although not one of the good ones, not Oxbridge or anything like that. But whatever university he ended up in, hed plod through to a mediocre degree, then become a teacher, because thats what his mother wanted. She was a teacher. Actually she was the headmistress of a girls school. She kept telling him teaching was great because of the extended holidays, as if the measure of a good job was how long you could stay away from it.

You dont like being at home, Blue said, now your dads gone. You dont like your mother

No, but I love her, Henry said gloomily. That was the trouble. To say he didnt like his mother was an understatement. He couldnt stand her. But that didnt stop him loving her. He wondered if feeling guilty was a normal state of life.

She makes you do things you dont want to do, Blue said as if he hadnt spoken. And she keeps doing things you dont want her to do. She turned to look at him.

Like moving in Anais, he thought.

Like moving in Anais, Blue said soberly. She turned away and they continued their walk. Youre not happy in the Analogue World any more. I know youre not. Every time you go home, you look more miserable when you come back. And theres nothing for you to do there nothing important. Just, you know stuff like school and exams. You dont have a position, like you do here. Nobody respects you.

Hold on a minute, Henry thought: this was getting painful. Except it happened to be true. Or nearly true. Charlie respected him. In fact he half suspected Charlie fancied him. But that was about it. Life at home was pretty miserable.

Whereas if you stayed here, Blue went on relentlessly, youd have important work. Youre already a hero -

That was nonsense. If anything he was a villain because of what hed tried to do to Blue, even though he hadnt been himself when he did it, and after more people got to know about it

- because of rescuing Pyrgus from Hael when he was Crown Prince, and if you dont like your quarters at the Palace, I can make them give you something better and -

No, no its nothing like that, Henry put in hurriedly. I love my quarters at the Palace. They were about a billion times better than his room at home and he didnt have his mother knocking on his door. He had servants for cripes sake!

Blue stopped, and since she still had hold of his hand, Henry stopped too. The sound of the water was overlaid by distant street noise from the city: the rumble of carts, the occasional call from a merchant. The city came alive at night in ways it never did during the day.

Blue said quietly, Im Queen of Hael now, not just Queen of Faerie. I need somebody to help me with that you know, help me run things. Pyrgus is useless all he wants to do is get into trouble and save animals and Commas too young. She looked at him, then looked away.

It took a moment for Henry to figure what was going on here, but then it hit him like an avalanche. He blinked. Wait wait, youre not asking me to take charge of Hell, are you?

Blue still wasnt looking at him, but she shook her head. No, Henry, she said. Im asking you to marry me.

Two years later

Whats going on? Henry asked at once.

Hodge was staring out through the bars of the cat-carrier, an expression of fury on his face. Aisling was nursing a bleeding hand, an expression of outrage on hers.

Your cat bit me! she exclaimed. Vicious brute should be put down.

I told you to leave him alone, Henry said. He looked directly at his mother. Why is he in the carrier?

Henry, he bit your sister. Scratched her too. Luckily just on the hand. If hed gone for her face, he could have scarred her. She could have lost an eye.

I told her not to tease him, Henry said. Why is he in the carrier?

I didnt tease him! Aisling shouted.

Henry rounded on her. Youre always bloody teasing him! Ever since I brought him home. Picking him up and poking him and taking away his food. Its no wonder he bit you. Hes an independent tomcat, not some sort of stuffed toy. He just wants to be left alone.

I dont think we need that sort of language, his mother said stiffly. She stared at Henry for a moment, then went on. The point is that he attacked your sister and drew blood. Theres a risk of tetanus or cat-scratch fever. We cant just ignore something like that. You know I was against his coming to live here in the first place.

Henry looked his mother directly in the eyes. Why is he in the carrier? he asked for the third time.

She looked away, to one side. Oh, were not going to have him put down, if thats what youre thinking. Anais has gone to get the car. Were taking him to the vet to be neutered.

For a moment Henry simply stood there, stunned. Then he said, Youre getting him neutered because he scratched Aisling? As a punishment?

No, of course not, his mother said impatiently. Its just that hell be more placid when hes neutered. Less likely to attack people. She sniffed. And a lot cleaner.

Mum, hes never attacked anybody in his life except Aisling and that was only because she teases him. She teases him all the time. And whats this about cleaner?

Tomcats spray, his mother said. They mark their territory. I dont think even you want that sort of smell about the house.

He doesnt spray in the house, Henry said. Hes never sprayed in the house. He may spray a bit in the garden, but thats a different thing.

Its not something they can help, his mother said reasonably. Its territorial, just as I said, and its only a matter of time before he starts to do it in the house. Weve all decided its better to do something about it before he actually starts.

Not all, Henry said at once. We didnt all decide anything. You and Aisling and, I suppose, Anais decided. I didnt decide anything. I wasnt even consulted and hes my cat! Technically, he was Mr Fogartys cat, but Mr Fogarty hadnt seen him in two years so he might as well be Henrys cat.

Try to keep your voice down, Henry, his mother told him. She waited a moment, as if he needed time to control himself, then went on in her most reasonable tone. We thought it would be a great deal easier on you if we simply went ahead. I know how much you love that old cat and that way you wouldnt have to worry about the effect of anaesthetic or the operation going wrong. I actually thought youd gone out.

This was the way it had always been. His mother kept insisting every nasty little thing she ever did was for his own good. And it was worse since Anais moved in. Anais herself was all right Henry quite liked her and shed even sided with him about bringing Hodge home but when it came to the things Henrys mother really cared about, like that stupid little scratch on Aislings hand, she always seemed to get Anais on her side. Like now. Anais had gone to bring the car to take Hodge to the vet. Not because he sprayed in the house or would ever spray in the house, but because he bit Aisling in self-defence and Henrys mother wanted to teach him a lesson.