Meghan Chase found herself at the boarder where the Unseelie knight troubles hit the hardest, Ash by her side. Her lethal knight of Iron, a storm with skin, had a casual hand on his sword beside her. She wanted to be just Meghan with him, to tease him, but Unseelie were among them, and she couldn't risk the emotions. She put a mask made of hard and devoid emotion on herself. She squared her shoulders and prepared for the in closing ice Knights.
Ash beside her did the same. Prince of the Winter Court was a mask Ash kept within. He slid on a blank look of boredom on. Emotions in the Unseelie Court was a ticket to death. However, he could take it off just as easily as putting it on. He glanced at Meghan. She looked like she was exhausted. She looked like she was drowning in all the different masks she put on in front of her Court. She had to be stern to her people, but not so that she scared them. Enough to intimidate, but not enough to initiate. She had a mask for dealing with her people, a mask for Unseelie, a mask for Seelie, a mask, a mask, a mask. He knew how desperately she wanted to take it off. Immortality came with a price and Meghan was paying it heavily.
The Unseelies came into view. All of the worry, all of tension, swept away. Meghan had hauled up her queenly mask that was woven into herself.
"Queen," they addressed. "News from my Lady-"
"I know of the new I told your Queen," Meghan spat, oh how she hated ice pricks. "I told her myself."
"And she has assumed that you have heard of the mortal realm."
"Yes I have,"
"Are you that slow on news?"
Meghan blinked. Ash emitted a low snarl.
"Slow? On news? And how much faster are you?"
Winter guards trying to pick apart the Iron Queen, assessing her, trying out weaknesses and vulnerability.
The guards rolled their eyes, bored with the half Fae queen.
"Our Lady and the Summer Court wish on meeting to discuss our move against fading."
"As I thought," Meghan huffed. "Tomorrow afternoon. I am available no other time." Meghan turned on her heel and walked back to Mag Turith. Ash had no want it intention to linger with the guards. He wanted to threaten, but his queen was on the verge of collapsing with the troubles upon her head. He spun on his heal and left. Ash could hear the sputtering of how the Iron Queen didn't control them or their queen. Then a nasty comment came through to Ash's head. He heard the insult clearly.
"Give her a prince and look what comes upon the half breed. She thinks she owns us."
Ash stopped. He turned around slowly. In the corner of his eye, he saw Meghan tense and stop walking.
"You," Ash drawled, his voice low. A promise of a long painful death. "She does not own you. For she has freed you, and this is how you respond in return?"
The ice guard spit in front of Ash's boots. His hand went to his sword. Meghan however came into his view.
Meghan heard the insult and almost laughed. A cruel sound would have crept out of her mouth.
"I do not own your sad lives, I do not rule your unhappy endings," she growled. "Insults are laughable," she hissed. "I am trying to save your worthless hide for the sake of the Wyld so you will not fade."
The guards didn't do so much as blink.
"I think Prince Ash did most of the-"
"Do not disregard the Queen," Ash coldly cut in. "She has risked her life time and again to make sure the Unseelie and Seelie have a place to dwell. Do this not feel better than the old wood?" Ash bit out, narrowing his eyes. Auras swirled with anger, frustration, and uncertainty. A cold silence permeated between the Fae. Metal trees slowly swayed in the breeze, a metallic tang within the air. They all stood motionless, predators readying for an oncoming attack. Their words had slashed and swung at the other. Swords drew blood. Words drew emotions.
The Iron Queen was the one to break the silence.
" Tomorrow or never. The Summer Court. Tell your queen." Her voice cut through the silence. Her voice was not of the seventeen year old attending highschool. It was not of the comforting whisper she used when Ethan and his toy rabbit were scared of monsters. It was of a queen. Many Elysiums within Summer and Winter Court taught and trained the young queen how to speak and act among the Fae. She had taken short verbal lessons from her first lieutenant to hone her voice to a sword. She learned to wield it as a weapon when the moment most needed it. The queen was still learning, but she dare not show her weakness again. Mortal years were over as well as the frail voice had had a mind of its own, practically begging to be wrecked.
The guards bared their teeth.
The Queen smiled back.
This mask, most wicked of them all. Cunning, clever, capricious. A mask that her highness wore so often within courts, it became part of her.
She turned her shoulder and sauntered away, striding back to her kingdom. Ash gave them one last long look. The guards stared right back. They walked away silent.
