Loving a Fairy Godmother (2 page)

He was a beautiful man. Even at her most
annoyed, Reina could never deny that. Sandy blond hair, eyes the
color of a summer sky, and dimples that made every woman who saw
them start fanning herself.

Beautiful, but not perfect, with the nose
that had been broken at least once and scars slashed into his skin,
testifying about his life as a soldier as much as the broad
shoulders and heavily muscled body did.

“Godfather Tiernan, here you are,” she
greeted.

“Godmother Reina, what a pleasure to see you!
What can I do for you this fine day?” Tiernan answered, as though
lying on his back surrounded by women who would all gladly jump him
at the same time was a perfectly reasonable way to greet a
superior.

You are going to have him transferred.
You’ve done too much for Sara to have her deny you
. “I am sure
your busy schedule caused you to forget that you were to see me in
my office last hour.”

“Really, that was today? My deepest
apologies, Godmother Reina. Katarina here was informing us of some
problems with her last assignment, and since Godmother Sara always
wants us to keep our minds sharp, we were brainstorming some ways
to improve her performance next time.”

Reina’s gaze went to the head that was
closest to Tiernan’s crotch, and Bingo! It was Katarina.

Katarina had a habit of sleeping with her
male clients, to “educate them sexually so that they will be able
to take care of their woman,” as she liked to explain it. Reina
also heard that she’d offered a blowjob to Tiernan within the first
thirty seconds of their meeting. No surprise she was positioned to
be first in line should Tiernan require any servicing.

“Godmother Katarina, I heard of no problems
from your last assignment. Is there anything you wish to tell me?”
Reina asked in her best, but patently false, sweet voice.

“No, Godmother Reina,” Katarina responded,
and Reina felt a flash of inappropriate pleasure seeing nervousness
replace absolute adoration on Katarina’s face. Since Katarina’s
paperwork indicated no problems, she was in a difficult position
should Reina wish to pursue that line of questioning.

“This is just an informal session, a learning
exercise if you will,” Tiernan cut in smoothly. “Not anything that
needed to be reported, just some talk so we can keep our skill set
sharp.”

The women sighed in unison over Tiernan’s
defense. Reina restrained the urge to roll her eyes. She was used
to restraining that particular feeling since she got it about every
two minutes in Tiernan’s presence.

“While I always appreciate taking the time to
keep skills sharp, Godfather Tiernan, this sounds like something
that can easily wait until after our meeting.”

“You are of course correct, Godmother Reina.
Ladies, if you will excuse me…” Tiernan rose from his place on the
grass, his imminent departure causing grumbles and pouts.

He stopped next to her, and she was reminded
once again he was one of the few beings that lived in the compound
taller than she. Reina loathed the authority she ceded when forced
to tilt her head back to look at him. “Please follow me,” she
responded, crispness in both her tone and her gait as she turned
and headed for her office, not bothering to look back to see if he
followed.

She didn’t need to. She felt him whether she
wanted to or not, his presence creating a current on her skin that
never quieted.

He came up beside her, and as they walked the
compound, other Fairy Godmothers called out greetings to him.
Tiernan responded with smiles and pleasantries, and somehow made it
seem that each woman he answered was the only woman he had any
interest in talking to.

Reina held back her snort. She had learned
well enough. No man had interest in only one woman.

Before they reached her office, one of the
junior FGs came running towards them. She stopped shortly before
them, taking a moment to compose herself before finally delivering
her message. “Godmother Reina, Godfather Tiernan, the Council
requests your presence in Chambers immediately.”

“For what reason?” asked Reina, thoroughly
confused. As a senior FG, any Council activities should have been
on her calendar. There was nothing scheduled until next month.

“I wasn’t given that information. I was just
told to bring you the message.”

Reina glared at him from the corner of her
eyes. Tiernan caught her look and brought his hands up. “I know
nothing of this.”

“Yet somehow, I feel like the reason for this
mystery session is you.”

He cocked his head and tsked her as if
talking to a recalcitrant child. “You’ve been trying to get rid of
me again, haven’t you?” His eyes caressed down her body until they
came to rest on her hands, and before she could protest, he caught
one of her hands in his and brought it to his mouth, kissing the
back. “Such beautiful hands. You would have so much more fun if you
used your charms to have me eating out of them instead of using
them to push me away.”

Her teeth immediately set on edge, and she
jerked her hand back, clenching it into a fist. “I am always trying
to get you kicked out of the program. I can only hope that this
meeting has something to do with that fervently desired wish.”

Irrepressible as always, Tiernan gave her a
full-on dimpled grin. “That, or maybe they sense how perfect we are
for each other and want to set us up on a date.”

“I think that we need to get to the Council
Chambers now, Godfather Tiernan.” With that, Reina marched
forward.

For having such a fearsome effect on any
Fairy summoned to it, the Council Chamber was nothing special, a
room that contained a long table housing five chairs behind it.
Still, entering the room, and seeing the Top Tier—the five women
who were the leaders of all Fairy Godmothers—was a nerve-wracking
experience.

“Sara, my love, you are looking radiant as
always. Immortality obviously agrees with you.”

Correction, it was a nerve-wracking
experience for any Fairy with sense, a description that had never
included Tiernan.

“Godmother Reina, Godfather Tiernan, good of
both of you to come,” Sara replied, as if there were any choice in
the matter of a Council Summons. “Tiernan, your eyesight is
obviously as perfect as always.”

Tiernan had once told Reina that Godmother
Sara, the Supreme Leader of the Fairy Godmothers, looked exactly
how mortals thought FGs were supposed to look and showed her a
print to prove it. Reina had to agree that the older, portly woman
with curly gray hair and the cherubic air seemed to be an exact
match for the picture.

Of course, mortals were shortsighted as
always. FGs could take on any appearance they desired in the Mortal
realm, any Faerie could. Still, Reina wondered if Godmother Sara
had appeared to the exact right mortal in her true form, resulting
in being forever known in their books and pictures.

Tiernan placed his hands on the table and
leaned down, bringing his face on the same level as Sara. “When are
you going to give up being overlord of all the FGs and run away
with me?”

“Tiernan, I cannot abandon my post,” replied
Sara even as Reina could not stop herself from palming her face in
her hands. “And as much as I hate it, it is my post that demands I
bring you before us today.”

Though Sara’s voice held a hint of warning,
Tiernan showed no hesitation in responding. He pushed himself away
from the table and said, “I live to serve you always, ladies of the
Council. Please let me know what is troubling you.”

Irene, the second in command, thin and pale
where Sara was round and rosy, spoke. “Tiernan, you are aware that
as the only male ever to be given a place amongst the Fairy
Godmothers, you are under more intense scrutiny than any other in
our ranks.”

“Yes, Madam, I am aware and very proud of my
unique position here.”

“We do not wish to be perceived as being
harder on you than any other. Though you have gone through some
adjustments, you have done an admirable job thus far,” Irene
continued.

“I only wish to be a credit to you always,”
Tiernan responded, and Reina could see the old fairies eating him
up, the gallant words paired with his very commanding presence.
Reina had to give him credit—the man was a master in the art of
BS.

It took Irene a moment before she was able to
continue, but Reina could see the distress coming into her eyes,
her already thin face becoming alarmingly drawn. “Tiernan, though
we may not like it, we are answerable to others outside this
organization, and we have been told…”

Irene’s breath contracted as if she was
getting near tears. Sara leaned over and patted her hand, then took
over the conversation. “Irene is trying to be diplomatic in her
wording, Tiernan. Here is the straight scoop. Everyone watches you,
trying to see if you will mess up. We on the Council have never
wanted to be perceived as being harder on you than the others, so
we have let a few things slide. We don’t regret that because you
are very entertaining and have never done any major damage.
However, a situation has come up that demands our immediate
attention, as those outside this organization are starting to
question us.”

At her pause, Tiernan nodded, letting her
know he was truly listening. “What is the situation?”

“Tiernan, why have you never had a Happily
Ever After?”

Ah, the elusive Happily Ever After. That’s
what brought this on.

“Is that all?” Tiernan’s body relaxed, and it
wasn’t until then that Reina realized beneath the smiles and charm,
he had been tense. “Godmothers, HEAs are notoriously difficult.
Even for the advanced and highly experienced Godmothers, such as
Godmother Reina, there is a very low HEA rate.”

“This is true, Tiernan, but in over three
decades, you have never even come close to having one.”

“Godmother Irene, that is because I do not
waste precious time hoping for a near impossible HEA. I go for a
solid happy ending, and make sure my clients are well and in love,
instead of possibly destroying any chance of them ending up
together by going for the impossible.”

“Tiernan, we are Fairy Godmothers. Going for
the impossible is our job,” Irene said, and Reina could hardly
believe her ears, because for the first time it sounded like she
was scolding Tiernan.

Even in the face of this highly unusual
development, Tiernan kept his cool. “I must humbly disagree. Being
the only one here who was once human, I can assure you that a human
will take what they can get happiness-wise. HEAs are
unnecessary.”

Sara shook her head at him. “Tiernan, it is
precisely because you were once human that I don’t think you see
the whole picture. More than anything, humans need hope. They need
to believe the impossible just may happen. The happiness you
procure is indeed a wonderful thing, but as a Fairy Godfather, it
is not a good sign that you dismiss the possibilities so
easily.”

Tiernan nodded, but Reina could tell it was
more as appeasement and less that they’d actually convinced him. “I
will indeed take your wise advice to heart, Council. Thank you for
bringing this to my attention.”

Sara sighed. “It’s not that easy, Tiernan.
Unfortunately, that laxness of attitude we have been displaying
towards you has come back to bite you in the butt.”

As usual, Tiernan’s reaction was the opposite
of what Reina would expect. He gave the council members an
indulgent smile, letting them know whatever came next, he in no way
blamed them. “What has happened, Sara?” he asked, his voice
low.

For the first time Reina could remember,
Godmother Sara looked visibly upset. “Your lack of HEAs has been
brought to the Elf King’s attention.”

“No.” The word was reflex; Reina had no idea
she was going to say it until she heard it in the air. This was not
good. The Elf King hated him, had wanted to get rid of Tiernan for
a long time, and he was not a being you wanted to be on the wrong
side of.

It was said that he despised Tiernan because
Tiernan slept with his daughter yet refused to marry her, but Reina
did not believe that for a moment. While she didn’t doubt that the
King sincerely believed this, she in no way could believe Tiernan
had slept with the princess. Tiernan simply had to snap his fingers
to get the pick of the FGs, let alone the greater female populace,
so he had no reason to sleep with a princess who was not only
unfortunate looking, but had a nasty, spoiled personality to
boot.

“Oh just great! I knew I should have slept
with that princess, ugliness be damned.”

Reina’s shocked gasp filled the chamber.
“Godfather Tiernan!”

“What? She was an oinker. Don’t ever make the
mistake of swearing not to do something unless pigs fly, because
she has wings and you’ll see her overhead.”

Reina’s eyes rolled so far into the back of
her head, she was sure she wouldn’t see anyone in front of her
until they smacked her to announce their presence. When she turned
her attention back to the council, though, she saw the Godmothers
covering their mouths, trying not to laugh, their spirits obviously
lifted.

It would be giving him too much credit to
assume his outburst was because he wanted to alleviate the tense
atmosphere that was affecting the Godmothers, so she refused to
even contemplate such a motive.

Tiernan spoke again. “I assume the Elf King
acted in some way on this information?”

“He went straight to the Green Man. Told him
you were sullying the honor of the Fairy Godmother system.”

Tiernan sighed, a great expanse of breath.
“What does the Green Man think?”

“You may not believe this to hear it, but The
Green Man is a great romantic. The Green Man doesn’t care about you
personally one way or the other, but he is a huge supporter of the
HEA system.”