Life After Death

Mikaela/Quinn/Juliet: setting up some dates

                   

{Mikaela}

I am not the master of subterfuge, and I know it. However, one of my favorite pastimes in high school was to get Juliet to go out on different dates with boys who, at the time, seemed like a good match for her. And it would have worked too, given the proper material to work with.

Adele would be so much simpler than that. I knew Westley, I knew Adele, and we had Dimitri's word that they would be quite compatible. The only hitch I could see was Quinn, who was opposed to the principle of setting up his best friend.

"I'm sure Adele would be good for him," Quinn said. "But, speaking from experience, faeries don't like being told that they are going marry someone. What would you have done if Dimitri saw me marrying her?"

I gave him a sour look. "We're not dealing in what-ifs," I said. "Juliet and Adele are coming over for dinner and you are going to behave."

We heard a quiet knock on our door to which Quinn called to Westley. The poor man looked confused when he came in.

"I know the doors move," he said. "But how am I supposed to find anything here?"

"It usually helps to ask aloud," I said. "The Torninc is a bit mischievous like that."

Quinn was already glaring at me, as if daring me to talk to Westley. So I did.

"I have a couple of my friends coming over for dinner," I said. "Juliet's been in Martel for the past eight months and Adele's just coming for the ride."

"That's a long time in that world," Westley commented, sitting down in the chair by the door. We were in one of our many, many sitting rooms: Quinn's and my favorite. A window when it was facing west usually looked out over the front lawn; we could watch faeries come up the drive. Someday I would become ambitious enough to redecorate out there.

"Only four months to her," I reminded him. "But eight to us. Imagine having to deal with the government with only three fourths of the faeries."

"Now that's not true," Quinn interrupted. "We are hardly the whole of the government. Maewyn's Cabinet is still technically in charge."

"But she makes us attend meetings anyway," I protested. "If she wanted Adele to be in charge, she should have put her in charge."

"So this is Princess Adele coming over for dinner," Westley said, trying very hard not to sound intimidated. "I am going to be the awkward fifth person."

"Don't be silly," I assured him. "Quinn needs some male support. I've known Juliet since I was a kid, and Adele isn't exactly cordial to Quinn you understand."

"You are not bringing that up now," Quinn moaned. "Mick, what are you doing?"

Westley looked from me to Quinn with more confusion.

"Maewyn wants Adele to marry Quinn," I clarified. "Quinn and Adele don't want to get married."

"You have the chance to marry someone who doesn't get herself killed once a week?" Westley asked Quinn, who blushed. "What's wrong with Adele?"

"Nothing's wrong with her," he said. "She's a nice girl. We're friends. But she's not my type."

"Princesses too much maintenance?" Westley asked.

"I'm higher maintenance than Adele," I cut in. "She's just calmer, more responsible, maybe a bit more emotional than me."

"And bossy," Quinn said.

I gave him a skeptical glance. "Now you're just making things up," I accused. "Juliet's definitely bossier than both Adele and I combined."

"Sounds like the evening will be interesting," Westley offered.