Chapter 6

The Lords: Since Lady Luck’s disappearance, the faerealm has been split into several different kingdoms to better keep the peace. A group of powerful fairies banded together, an alliance that has been referred to as The Lords. While their influence only covers roughly a third of the inhabitants of the faerealm, their unification provides more than enough power to remain undisturbed. 

The Kingdoms of The Lords is ruled over by four fairies of formidable power. Fawn oversees animalistic creatures and wildlife, protecting the nature of the fae. Aquares keeps the seas, assuring safety and protection for all water dwellers. Geonysis is rather mysterious, but it is known he monitors rocks. Father Time lords over the other three, protecting the timelines of all within their grasp. It is rumored there are others ruling behind the scenes, but these are dismissed as conspiracies and given no real attention.

Tensions built between The Lords and the territory beyond their rule, until the realm stumbled into its first, real war. The Lords are the most powerful faction in this conflict, easily overpowering the other three kingdoms. Those who are watching from the sides, and even many involved in the war, all expect The Lords to emerge triumphant, though there has already been a high cost. Most inhabitants of the faerealm long for peace to return, fearing the realm may already be damaged beyond repair.

The day was slowly drawing to a close with the sun beginning to reach the horizon when Summer stepped out of her apartment building. It was pleasantly cool and she had plenty on her mind, so she decided to walk to the deli. After getting another sandwich, perhaps she would take the bus back home? Then again, it may be beneficial to enjoy her meal at the restaurant, where she could scope things out?

She laughed, marveling at how ridiculous things had become. Just yesterday everything had been completely normal. Mostly. Kind of. Sure, the fairies had taken her phone, which started the biggest mess she’d ever found herself in, but how was she now even considering taking something from another person? Something presumably valuable, at that. If this all went wrong, at least she knew a good lawyer. Another laugh tickled into the air as she wondered if her firm offered an employee discount.

Her stomach grumbled again when she arrived at the deli. The intoxicating scent of freshly prepared food had been itching at her nose for the last several minutes of her walk, and her mouth was watering when she finally reached the door. Seeing the cartoonish representation of Ralv on the glass door brought a memory back to her mind. She had seen something the first time she was here. Something that seemed insignificant before, something she had only briefly seen. The illustration didn’t include it on his hat, but she was sure there was a golden thing on the real chef’s hat. 

The deli was much more crowded at this hour than during lunch. It was noisy, warm, and difficult to even think inside the relatively small restaurant. Summer wasn’t the biggest fan of large crowds, especially in such a confined space, but the overpowering promise of great food convinced her to stay. Her stomach rumbled again, and she dutifully got into what passed for a line in the chaotic building. 

“Tree-fifty!” the man behind the counter boomed, holding a paper baggie high in the air before setting it onto the counter.

Someone fought through the crowd and retrieved the bag before pushing back into the large gathering. Summer shook her head clear, but Ralv had moved back into the kitchen before she could properly see him. She set her eyes on the menu, determined to have a better experience this time. Getting flustered and caught unprepared wouldn’t help anyone, and she truly wanted a specially crafted, delicious sandwich just for her. 

Number after number was called, and the smothering crowd slowly trickled away as the people took their meal and headed for the door. Soon, there were only a dozen or so guests in the restaurant, and it was Summer’s turn to place her order. She approached the counter, and found herself unexpectedly relieved to see an older woman at the register. 

“What’ll ya have?” the lady asked.

She was in her late thirties, maybe early forties, with hair as dark as night with pleasant gray streaks gliding down her curls. Deep, brown eyes looked expectantly at Summer, and her white apron clung to her curvy figure. The nametag on the apron said “Marrie,” and Summer assumed she must be Ralv’s wife.

Summer adjusted her glasses, pushing them back up the bridge of her nose while clasping the side of one frame between her thumb and index finger. She had her order, just now, didn’t she? What was it? Some sort of chicken… thing?

“Oh- umm…” she stammered again, but managed to retrieve the selected order from her memory. Her eyes briefly scanned the menu while recalling what she had mentally selected, “Oh-the CBM, please?”

“One chicken-bacon melt,” the woman replied, smiling as she tapped buttons on her register.

“Yes,” Summer confirmed, “with swiss cheese and extra tomato, please.”

Marrie nodded while entering the order. “I love tomatoes,” she added, her smile brightening as she let out a gentle laugh. “Toasted?”

“Yes, please. And the house chips, and could I get a medium water as well?” 

“Well, yes you can, hon,” the older woman responded. “Anything else I can get ya?”

‘That medallion on your husband’s hat,’ Summer thought with a smirk. Instead, she simply shook her head and prepared to pay for her dinner. After using the gift card and paying the remaining balance, she took her receipt and looked for somewhere to stand in the restaurant until her number was called. A small table opened up while she waited, and Summer decided to take one of the two seats to claim her spot.

Customers rushed up to claim their orders as the numbers continued to be called, and Summer allowed herself to relax a little. The flow of people had finally eased, and the restaurant felt much less crowded when her number was finally called. Unlike before, Ralv didn’t see to it personally that she got her meal. Instead, the baggie with her sandwich and chips waited for her on the counter, along with her requested drink. She tried to cast a casual glance back into the kitchen without drawing too much attention to herself, but couldn’t see the big man. Her view wasn’t exactly ideal, only allowing her to see maybe half of the kitchen, and she wondered if he had left for the day.

Summer retreated back to her table and opened the little baggie. The fresh scent of her specifically ordered sandwich rushed from the paper sack and swarmed her senses as she tugged it from inside. She hadn't realized that she was being any kind of aggressive, but the crisp chips spilled from the tearing paper bag, scattering across the table while she quietly scolded herself. Quick handfuls of chips collected the escaping morsels while her sandwich waited for proper attention. 

"Tell me that ain't the best sandwich ya ever had," Gavin challenged, suddenly sitting at the opposite side of the table.

Needless to say, his appearance was wholly unexpected. Summer jumped in her seat, sending the recollected chips flying from the table. Her cheeks burned a shade of red as she glanced around the restaurant, waving an apologetic hand to the customers who had witnessed the incident. They all seemed to move on well enough, and she turned her attention back to the leprechaun.

"I didn't really think I'd see you again," she said, sending her eyes back down to the meal. "What was it you said? Idiot gi-"

Gavin interrupted with a dismissive wave and roll of his eyes. "Yeah-yeah..." he said, attempting to move on from the earlier outburst. "That was just... onto the sandwich, now. Best ever, yeah?"

Summer glared at the vibrantly colored man, but the grumble in her belly sent her eyes back to the steaming sandwich. It did smell and look immaculate, and she felt her frustration with the magical man ease as the alluring scent tingled into her nose. She’d never been one to hold grudges long, but this seemed to be a record for moving away from emotional hostility. The sigh she sent from her chest, intended to relay her annoyance, was very much forced. Worse, she could tell that Gavin knew.

“Ain’t even sunk your teeth into this one, and it’s already got ya,” he said with a grin that threatened to bring Summer’s annoyance roaring back.

Only… it didn’t. The smirk on his face should have inspired some level of resentment, but there was little more than the desire to pick the toasted bread up in her hands, run her eyes along the steaming slices of perfectly roasted beef and glimmering sauces, breathe in deeply as the sandwich moved under her nose, and relish the satisfying crunch as her teeth bit down. Surprise stirred within her as she realized that not only was her mouth watering, but there was a slight quiver trembling in her lower lip. She tore her eyes away from the culinary delight, and focused on the leprechaun. 

“They’re…,” she started, taking a moment to pause when the word shivered out. “Magic sandwiches?”

“Well, not the sandwiches, so much,” he answered.

Gavin tossed an arm over the supportive backing of his chair while leaning against it. His tone and relaxed posture told Summer he was aching to say more, but she wasn’t about to press. There was no need to ask him to elaborate. She’d seen this behavior plenty of times to know he wouldn’t be able to resist, but Summer found herself wondering if he was really as easy to read as… not leprechauns.

“No?” he asked suggestively. “Not gonna ask me to divulge my secrets?”

Rather than play into his hand, Summer decided to give in to her sandwich. It had been waiting patiently for long enough, and she doubted she could hold back any longer. A coy smirk tugged at her face as she simply picked it up, then eyed him over her sandwich as the phenomenal sensations graced her tongue. Something about it reminded her of earlier, easier days, when she was just a-

“Like tasting your childhood, ain’t it?”

Summer stopped chewing when Gavin spoke up again. Her tongue danced through the mouthful of wonder as she tried to explain it away, but that’s exactly what the sandwich tasted like. The confusion she felt must have been plain on her face, because the leprechaun chuckled before continuing.

“It’s a pretty simple enchantment, really. Just a fun little somethin’ for the fridge, and a little extra in the toaster oven back there.” His smile faltered as he looked beyond the counter behind Summer, and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. “I took a bit of pride in that, despite the… nature of my predicament."

Another satisfying crunch accompanied her next bite, and Summer savored every chew while waiting for Gavin to continue. When it became apparent he wasn't going to, seemingly waiting for someone to prod or pausing for dramatic effect, she rolled her eyes. It was equally ridiculous and frustrating having this magical person drag her ok, but her curiosity was itching relentlessly in her mind.

"The gold?" she asked tentatively. 

"The thievery," he replied with a scowl.

Everything about his demeanor seemed to shift suddenly. His near-happy, carefree aura vanished in a blink, replaced by an almost frightening narrowing of his eyes. He sneered as Ralv lumbered back into view behind the counter, the hostile glare flickering around a grimace when the big man bellowed another number.

"He doesn't deserve the success, much less standard, dry sandwiches."

“So…” Summer started thoughtfully around another bite of her enchanted sandwich. “...why don’t you just,” she gestures at the leprechaun with her sandwich, “you know, take it back?”

Gavin scoffs, rolling his eyes as he leaned back against the chair.

“There are rules to this kinda thing,” he says dismissively. “I can’t just take it back, it’s a done deal. Would call into question every fey ever if one undoes their-”

“The gold,” Summer interrupts. “Can’t you take your gold back? You completed your part of the bargain, so take what he owes.”

“We’re not allowed to take anything,” he replies, shaking his head. “Even if that was the arrangement, we can’t take what hasn’t been offered.”

“That sucks.”

Summer looks at her sandwich, unable to meet the leprechaun’s gaze. She knew he was looking at her, could feel his eyes on her as she swam through her thoughts. There had to be something that could be done, some way she could intervene or help, but how? Her eyes glanced up from the distraction in her hand, and she hazarded a look at Gavin.

A sly smirk was etched into his face. She knew what he was trying to get at, where he was hoping to lead her without suggesting it himself. Sure, the fairies - fey - whatever were unable, forbidden from taking things. Humans, on the other hand? What exactly was the difference between laws of man and fairy? 

“You want me to take it back for you?” she asked, already knowing the answer. 

Gavin nodded his reply, looking as though he was fighting a fit of laughter. He stood from his seat opposite her, and swung an arm over the table to guide her attention to the counter.

“The coin is right there, clipped to his stupid hat,” the leprechaun confirmed excitedly. “All I need you to do is snatch it away from the buffoon, and return the gleaming piece to its rightful owner.”

“Well, hold on,” Summer protests, setting her sandwich down before rising to her feet. “I-”

But the leprechaun was gone. She hadn’t even seen him dart off or vanish, only found herself talking to no one in particular, but also the whole restaurant. The four other customers turned towards her, each glancing around in search of who she was talking to, but eventually sent their attention back to whatever they had going on in their own lives. Ralv, on the other hand, cast a suspicious eye in her direction.

“Everything ok, miss?” he asked, setting another little baggie onto the counter beside his wife.

The smaller woman didn’t really seem to notice as she spoke with the customer on the other side of the counter. She rang up the order as it was recited, without even acknowledging her barrel-chested husband.

“umm,” Summer replied nervously.

She nodded and sat down on her seat again, her back to the counter. The next number called out was noticeably less booming than the others, and Summer could feel the back of her neck and ears burning as she tried to return to her dinner. 

‘Where had Gavin gone?’ she wondered. The frustrating man disappeared on her, leaving her in this place blabbering like a lunatic, expecting her to steal from this mountain of a man? She bit another chunk off of the sandwich, chewing her agitation away while the alluring flavors ignited her taste buds. With a sigh, she pulled her new phone from her purse and did the checks she usually did while trying to occupy her mind.

The small clock in the upper left corner of her device showed it was well after eight in the evening. She glanced at the glass door, and found the restaurant’s hours. It was set to close for the night within half an hour, meaning the few customers around her would likely not be getting replenished until the sun came back up. Ralv would be shutting down, with his hat probably tucked away somewhere inside? Or, was he more likely to take it home after getting his restaurant ready for the night?

“Looks like you’ve had a day,” Ralv said, strolling around the side of her table. 

He set his hat onto the table, making sure to keep it from getting close to her food. Golden shimmers danced in her vision as the overhead lights illuminated the coin, and she forced her eyes from the hat. She looked at the big man as he sat on the chair that had recently supported Gavin, with the larger man clearly filling in more space on the other side of the table. His thick arms and wide chest spread beyond the corners on his side, so much so that his elbows hardly fit on the table when he set them atop it. 

“I’ve, uhh,” she stammered as he weaved his fingers together, then settled his chin on the platform of his hands. “It’s just been… a lot.”

“You were here earlier, yeah?” he asked, but it was clear he knew the answer. “First time ordering, and first time dining in, all in the same day.”

She nodded her confirmation, unsure of what else she would even say. There wasn’t any crime in visiting the same restaurant twice in a day, after all. Though, someone having dealt with the fey before probably had reason to be suspicious of suddenly seeing the same person again and again. The temperature in her cheeks seemed to spike as he continued looking at her, almost as though he was waiting for something.

“So,” he continued, a little gleam in his eye. “Hooked already, are we?”

The anxiety gripping her seemed to dissipate as she looked from him down to her mostly eaten sandwich, and she was able to show a genuine smile. Maybe he hadn’t been distrustful of her after all?

“Absolutely,” she agreed, picking up the rest of her sandwich and breathing in its scent. “These sandwiches of yours are-” Her mind searched for any other word, but she could feel it rushing along her tongue before bursting from her lips. “-magical.”

A flicker blinked through his features as it came out. If he hadn’t been suspicious of her before, he definitely was now. She could see it in his eyes, even though everything else about him maintained a friendly, inviting quality.

“Magical…” he said carefully. “That’s an interesting way to put it.”

He sat up on the chair, and placed his hands onto his hat. Summer glanced down at it as he folded the hat in half, clearly putting forth the effort to conceal the coin before sliding the hat closer to himself. 

“I just mean… they’re really good.” She hadn’t expected to be put so directly on the spot tonight, but quickly got herself into the moment. “It’s like… I can’t really describe it,” she partially lied. “Every bite,” accentuated with another bite of her sandwich, chewed and swallowed with a subtle, subconscious dance in her seat, “I just- it’s like being back in simpler times?”

That seemed to relax him a little, but he was still visibly on edge. The big man looked past Summer, glancing at something behind the counter as he absently patted his hat. She could hear the dull thumping of the coin against the table, separated by a few layers of fabric, but refused to look down at his hands. Sending her attention to it would only dig a bigger hole for her, and she needed to convince him that she was nothing more than another oblivious customer, unaware of the existence of magic.

Ralv grinned at her, nodding his head as he became a bit more relaxed. The explanation looked to have put him at ease, and Summer was convinced she had proven her obliviousness to his secret. He rubbed his beard with one hand, scratching his fingers down one cheek as a heavy sigh rolled from his burly chest.

“Tends to be most peoples’ opinion to my ‘magic,’” he said with a smirk. “The more you come, the more we learn about you,” he continued, his voice almost taking a conspiratory tone, “the more we can craft our sandwiches to your exact liking.”

Magic or not, that certainly got Summer’s interest. Her eyebrows rose over her widened eyes, and she couldn’t help but laugh as her cheeks reddened from Ralv’s shared enthusiasm. 

“I trust you’ll be back tomorrow, yeah?” he prodded. 

She nodded her reply as he leaned back in his chair. The sandwich was gone after another bite, and she was already missing the delicious meal before she had even finished chewing. An opportunity to ask about the coin presented itself as Ralv stood from his chair, placing the hat back onto his head in the process. It glinted in the light, casting a dazzling reflection across her face as she ate a chip. Worrying that calling attention to it now would only bring back his earlier suspicion, Summer decided to simply let the big man step out of her sight while finishing off the rest of her chips. 

Looking around while draining the last of her drink, Summer was surprised to see the lack of other customers. The sign on the door reminded her that the restaurant closes at “9PM”, but surely it wouldn’t be that late already - would it? She checks the time on her phone and sees that it’s more than ten minutes after the shop was set to close! Panic jolts in her chest as she hurriedly stands up, gathering the rubbish on the table and quickly looking behind the counter. Ralv sends an understanding wave her way as she rushes to the trash can beside the wall, making sure not to drop anything on the floor before making her way to the door.

“Miss?” Ralv calls from behind. 

Summer turns back just as she arrives at the door, an apology already forming on her tongue. Ralv is already walking to her, his hand reaching out with her abandoned phone. 

“Forget something?” he asks with a smile. 

The gold coin catches some light from its location on Ralv’s hat as he hands the forgotten phone to its rightful owner. She takes her new phone, rolling her eyes with an exaggerated scoff.

“I’d forget my head most days,” she starts, taking her phone from Ralv.

“Good thing it’s attached so good,” he finishes, laughing at his own joke.

“Thanks,” Summer starts, letting her eyes flick to the coin but making sure not to dwell on it. “For the phone rescue, and amazing sandwiches.”

“Hey, don’t mention it,” the big man replies, then shakes his head and laughs again. “On second thought, do. Word a’ mouth is a great way to promote the place, ‘specially from such a pretty spokeswoman.”

Summer’s cheeks warm as they redden, and she takes a bashful step back. The door opens, making the little bell jingle overhead as she’s greeted by the night. Her glasses’ thick rim frames the upper portion of her view as she looks up at the man standing before her, and she places the phone into her purse while letting a nervous chuckle spill from her lips.

“I- uhh, should be going,” she says, just trying to remove herself from the situation.

“Alone?” he asks, glancing down the street behind her. “In the dark?”

“Yeah, it’s- I don’t live far.”

“Alright. Be careful now, will ya?”

His tone almost sounded sincerely concerned. Fatherly, in a way. Summer wondered if he hadn’t been flirting with her just now, or by giving her so much individual attention. It’s possible he was simply trying to be a good businessman. She shook her head, dismissing the thought as she giggled.

“Don’t worry,” she says while stepping out into the night. “You’re not about to lose a good customer.”

Ralv laughs, but takes another step forward. His hand is on the door when she moves from it, and Summer finds herself relieved when he starts pulling it closed. He waves a ‘good night’ as the door closes, then slides a key into the inside of the door and twists it locked. Their eyes meet again, and he waves once more with the key pinched between a finger and thumb. Summer returns the gesture as she turns, sighing once her back is to the restaurant.