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The word “freedom” gets debated in plenty of political situations without Sugar Apple Fairy Tale adding its two cents. However, looking at what Lafalle Fenn Lafalle has been peddling to his fairy subordinates is worthwhile. When Anne asks the other fairies he’s gathered at the fort whether they think they’re free, their response is yes, because humans no longer control them. In their minds, only humans would hurt fairies, so there’s no way that Lafalle is holding them in forced servitude because he’s also fey. It sounds good on paper, but the reality is that it’s a very simplistic view of the situation. Just look at how Lafalle uses Challe’s wing against him – he has zero problems exercising the same sort of power we’ve seen humans use against fairies multiple times in this series. That implies that he sees himself as Challe’s ruler who is owed total obedience, and he won’t hesitate to inflict pain should Challe disobey. Just because we haven’t seen him do that to other fairies doesn’t mean that he hasn’t or that he wouldn’t – and that very much implies that the fairies aren’t truly free. They’re trapped if Lafalle can force their adherence to his directives with a life-threatening act. And it doesn’t matter what the jailer looks like.
Highland and surrounding fairy-enslaving kingdoms operate on an “us vs. them” binary. Even if not everyone fully embraces the idea that fairies and humans are incompatible, or at least unable to live in equality, they’ve kept mainly to that basic way of life. Glen Paige certainly doesn’t mistreat Daana or Hal, and he shows a lot of concern for Noah but hasn’t talked about releasing their wings back to them. He returned Challe’s wing to Anne not because he disapproved of Challe being a slave but because he thought of his daughter’s well-being – Challe was incidental. It’s this way of thinking that Lafalle has exploited to amass his band of fey folk, convincing them that giving him their wings was a sign of loyalty rather than a way to allow him to force their obedience. When we think about what Challe confronts him with this week, that he was enslaved himself, it starts to look like Lafalle has convinced himself that what he’s doing is okay because humans are universally evil, and he is justified in whatever he has to do to force them into the subservient position – even if that means enslaving his people.
It’s never good or healthy to brand an entire group as “bad.” History has plenty to say on that front, and it’s rarely a pleasant story. Lafalle is perhaps better compared to a cult leader because he’s convinced the other fairies that he’s their savior and that they will be redeemed by doing what he decrees. I think Lafalle truly believes in his righteousness, and while that doesn’t make him any less dangerous (he is seconds away from killing Anne and hiding the body when Challe bursts in), it also makes it clear that he’s sad and damaged. Trauma can’t always be overcome. We can dislike Lafalle but still understand why he’s the way he is.
And be glad that Hugh is worth trusting so that Challe can lead him right to Lafalle’s lair with a glittering trail of breadcrumbs.
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