The Iron Hostage (An Iron Fey Fanfiction)

Chapter Eight: First Order

Titania sat royally in her throne as Kenzie walked over.  She looked better than Bonecrusher in her uniform.  The suit of a killer to Titania.  Only those in Arcadia knew the meaning to the dark colored suits of her servants.  Kenzie came and knelt down to her.

"My Queen."

Titania smiled, "Stand my child."

"You called me?"

"I did.  There is something I need you to do for me."

"Anything."

"I need you to kill someone."

"My Queen?  Kill someone?"

"And not just anyone.  But the Iron Queen's younger brother.  He's getting in the way of so much."

"How will I get there?  How will I be safe from the iron sickness?"

"My dear, you can't get sick fr-"  Titania stopped.  She almost blew her own plan.  Kenzie thinks she is a Summer fey.  "I will have two guards walk you to the border.  We'll give you something that will block the sickness for a while.  As well as a small vial of Return."

"Return?"

"A potion my dear.  One swig and you will come right back here.  So if the sickness gets to you or something happens and you are almost captured, which is very unlikely, just open it and go."

"I will try my hardest to get my mission complete."

"I know you will.  Go and prepare my dear."

Kenzie bowed and walked off to get ready for her mission.  Bonecrusher walked up to Titania.  "Do you want me to accompany her?"

"Yes, maybe even have her go to you when she takes the potion.  I think she'll be happy going with you."

"I'll go and watch her then."  He said before going out and walking down the where the horses would be kept.

***

Kenzie was helping saddle up three horses when Bonecrusher came up behind her.  She screamed when he touched her shoulder.

"Don't do that!  You scared me."  She said angrily while turned towards him.

"My apologies.  Queen Titania has requested me to come with you to the borders of the Iron Realm."

"Well, then you can saddle your own horse."  She said while pushing the last saddle into his hands.

She walked over to the bag that was given to her by a small dryad.  It had the vial of Return and the bottle of whatever would help her stay safe from the iron sickness.  There was also something sharp in there.  When she pulled it out, it was a large sword.  The blade was made out of some thick material.  Kenzie's hand went up to touch the tip.

"I wouldn't do that."  Bonecrusher said from his horse.  "It's most likely poisoned.  She likes to kill that way."

"Have you done this before?"

"Once, but then I stayed here to do other services."  He smiled at her and she felt a pain in her arm.  Something that was once broken that didn't fully heal.

It was only a few more minutes until Kenzie and another Summer fey got onto their horses, the bag across her body, and they took off.  Bonecrusher stayed behind, while the other fey led them to the border.  Kenzie felt like Bonecrusher was staring at her, so she moved over and rode next to him.  She kept a close eye on him as they went.  He kept his forward, except a few moments when he'd look over at her.

"Does something about me interest you?"

"Not entirely."  She said before speeding her pace up a little.  She was sure she could hear him chuckle. 

After a long time the other Summer fey stopped them and waited for her and Bonecrusher to get closer.

"We are very close.  If we all go, they'll surely see us.  From here, you should be able to see the castle and just get there.  I can try and make a distraction."  He pointed to the left, "But when this is all over, we'll be over there."  He swung his arm to the left.

"Alright.  The Return will know where to bring me."

"We'll have to move fast afterwards.  They will go quick to find out who hurt Ethan."

"Ethan?  Is that his name?"

"Is something wrong?"  Bonecrusher asked.

"No.  I'm fine."  Kenzie said as she hopped off her horse and walked away from them.  She made sure not to touch the trees, they were covered with silver, a side effect of the iron sickness.  She reached into her bag and took out the bottle to help her with the sickness.  She chugged about half of it before putting it back into her sack.  She would take more when she got into the castle.

She began to reach the last of the trees.  She could see the castle alright.  It was closer than she thought it would be.  Less of a chance being seen as she ran towards it.  With a deep breath, Kenzie ran towards the castle.  She reached the doors in no time.  With a quick tug, it swung open.

"They should really lock these.  Or have guards everywhere."  She said as there was a large bang to her left.  She hid in the shadows as a large amount of guards raced out of the building.  She slipped in after they were all gone.

"Now, where would they keep him?"  She wondered as she ran up the first stairs she found.  The Iron realm was so much different from the Summer one.  And since Ethan was one of them, he would most likely be up here where the rooms were.

As she walked, another set of footprints sounded around the corner.  Not wanting to be seen, Kenzie quickly opened the closest door to her and jumped inside.  She heard two voices walk past the door.

"I don't know what it was sir.  But half that area was damaged."

"Well, just have someone go and patrol there if they come back.  Has the search team come back with any news?"

"No, unfortuanetly they lost her trail.  Mainly because of hoof prints that disappeared randomly."

"She has to be out there somewhere.  I just hope that she hasn't been picked up by-"  The last of his sentence disappeared with them.  Kenzie sighed against the door that they were gone.  Nothing would be able to tell her what would have happened if they saw her.

Just as she went to open the door, she heard something; in the room she was in.  The sound was that of a someone moving, like being woken from sleep.

"Who's there?"  A raspy male voice called out.

"Where's Ethan?"  She asked in a soft voice, trying not to give away who she was.

"Umm, right here."  All of sudden she heard him sit straight up and then he flicked on a light.  A boy sat on the bed, no shirt, and sweatpants.  The covers were at his knees.  When he looked at Kenzie, he seemed to have lost his breath.

"Kenzie?"  He whispered as he threw off the covers and moved towards her.

Her heart raced.  He wasn't scared of her?  How did he know her name?  Had they met before.

"Where have you been?"

What was he talking about?  "You're Ethan?"  She asked, a hand in her bag, grasping the handle of her weapon.

"Of course I am.  What happened to you?  I've been worried sick."  He was standing just a few feet away from her.  It seemed like a lost cause, he wasn't scared of her like this.  She pulled out the deadly blade and held it out to him.  Ethan's eyes went wide.

"Stay back."  She warned him.  However, he moved over to the side as if he was trying to get around her.  Her hand shoot back into the bag, gripping the vial.  She worked off the cork and brought it out.  Ethan had his hands up.

"Kenzie, what's wrong?  It's me."

Just like her thoughts on how this plan was working out, she spoke out loud to him.  "Everything is wrong."  Then she drank the whole contents of the vial.