Excalibur's Seven | ✓ [LGBT]

~ 19 ~

IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN obvious. Every sign made itself clear to Lord Herwerde, but he chose not to see it. Somehow, the young Prince saw it before he did, he was sure, making off with the Seelie, their only chance to avenge the King.

When he returned to the castle empty-handed, he knew Kit was right. He did everything he could to hide who had rescued the Seelie, but he was not the only man there the night the Princess was rescued. Prince Kristofer was now a wanted man, no matter how he tried to prevent it.

He searched high and low for the prince when his child came to the castle, knowing he would be safest if he were as far from the King as he could get. All he could do now was hope he made the right decision.

Herwerde, however, had no real escape plan. All he could do was stay alive.

The Lord was silent as he sat at the Table with King Wylan and the other Knights, discussing a course of action. Just yesterday they found the Prince in a town near the capitol, but he got away by some miracle. They refused to say what that miracle was, likely out of pride, but one way or another, the boy and his companions got away.

They had nothing now, and Lord Herwerde could only foolishly hope it stayed that way. His baseless hope was short-lived, though, when Prince Connor stepped through the doors.

"We have received word that they are in Faerie," he announced, seating himself beside the King. "They've obtained invitations to the midsummer ball, which is apparently a big Seelie celebration."

Herwerde's fists clenched as they rested on his lap. He wished he could find some way to warn them.

"Excellent," King Wylan bellowed. "Connor, take your pick of five guards. You leave at nightfall."

If only he had some way to warn them.

* * *

It wasn't always easy for one faerie to trick another. They knew each other's tricks, they were all clever creatures. It was hard to manipulate their own kind. Giselle, however, had spent a lot of time with Unseelies, the trickier of the major courts, and she was dealing with diplomatic Seelies.

That's how she managed to pull six invitations, for five humans and an Unseelie, at that. All it took was a little exaggerating of her rescue and capitalizing on their relief that she had returned.

When she returned to Morgana's cottage in the morning, she was shocked to see him up and moving, the color back in his cheeks and his limp hardly noticeable. His remedy never worked that fast, she had to wonder what changed.

What shocked her even more, though, was Kit helping him pleasantly as he prepared a meal at the stove, not a word of contention between the two. Granted, they weren't saying anything at all to each other, but at least they weren't bickering.

"You look brand new," she told Morgana.

"I got help," he told her, and she could only guess what that help was, eyes flickering to the prince. "I told you I would be fine, Giselle. You don't have to worry yourself so much."

"You can't make me," she teased.

The door swung open then, revealing the Lady in casual attire, flyaways sticking to her forehead with sweat as she carried two large buckets filled with water.

"Giselle, you're back!" she said brightly, leaning in to kiss her cheek as she passed to set the buckets at Morgana's feet.

Giselle closed the distance to properly kiss her, to the surprise of absolutely no one in the room.

"Did you get the invitations?" Selene asked through labored breathing.

The Seelie grinned, pulling six envelopes from her pocket. "I said I would, didn't I?"