Faerie Faerie

26- Lifeless

26:lifeless

She was pinned and prevented from making so much as a squeak. Phoenix squinted into the darkness to see Lyle towering over her. His eyes stared down at her hard, his jaw set in a hard line.

"Please don't scream." he said as he continued. "I'm going to remove my hand, and we're going to have a quiet chat, alright?"

Phoenix looked at him, eyes narrowed, but nodded. He removed his hands and she gasped for breath.

"Is it true." he asked.

Phoenix panted a bit, the fact the idiot had rushed her and covered her mouth and nose had left her breathless. She licked her lips and cleared her throat. "Is what true?"

Lyle kept his one hand secure about her wrists while he reached in his jacket for a book. A small leather bound journal that he place on her chest and flipped through it with his finger tips. He blushed red with how ridiculous this position was to read a book.

He found the page, the held it in her face to read. "I can't read from this angle. Tilt it towards the light." she snapped. He did so and she saw the pages. It was one of the Queen's notebooks.

"Is this true." he asked again.

"Does it have a blue seal in the front?" she asked, still pinned on the floor.

"Yes." he said.

"Then yes. That is my documentation of Adoption into the Royal family." she said, trying to move from Lyle. "Get off; your knee is digging into me."

Lyle did not move. "Why would you keep quiet about something like this. My father will most likely have you killed for it."

Her head snapped up to look at him. "I was sworn into the title! There were at least twelve other men and seven other women who had been sworn in as well!" she thrashed under him, trying to dislodge his body from hers. It only succeeded in getting Lyle to tighten his grip and press his knee harder into her crotch.

"By Law you are Queen, Phoenix."

Phoenix looked hard at him. "I want nothing to do with you or your father Lyle." she snarled, "This land is no longer mine. Maybe for a short time it was, but it is soaked in the blood of its people and I will have no part in it."

Lyle flipped through the pages, once against propping the book between her bosom. "The Queen held you in such reverie, Phoenix. She referred to you repeatedly throughout this journal that you would bring the rise and fall of a great empire-- That you yourself would raise Heirs to bring a better future for this land and--"

"Delusions of a hopeful woman," she sneered, "Had your father not interfered, that would have been true once." Phoenix huffed under him, a sheer pain starting from her pelvic bone to her spine. "Release me Lyle, I am not up to listen to your games."

Lyle flipped to a page that held pentagrams and patterns done in archaic text. "This was inscribed over that brand you have on your hip. What does it mean."

Phoenix grit her teeth. "It means I'm married," she ground out, "And my husband is away on business."

Lyle's grip eased up, and she slipped from his grasp. Lyle's brow furrowed as she stood up and went to the bed to slip on one of her signature red cloaks.

"You're married." he looked up at her.

"To a Marquisse. It would probably be more of a betrothal though since we have yet to consecrate it." Phoenix saw her cousin blush red, she knew how to push his limits.

"Then how could you do this to him? Running around like some tavern wench, bedding with monsters like that man who turns into a beast in the moonlight!" The anger in his voice was unmistakeable, but there was also some undertone of another emotion.

"You're right." she shook her head. "How could I be such a whore while out of reach of my husband. I'm sure he'll punish me accordingly, but compared to lying and sending a child off to be burned at the stake, my transgressions are few and far."

Lyle stood up, towering over the woman by a full head. "You speak like a lawyer." he ran his hand through his blonde-brown hair as he tossed the journal on her bed. "The guard at the south post is seeing one of the kitchen wenches. Their tristes usually last a few hours, you never really see them at midnight."

He turned to leave, dropping a small pouch of coin on the fireplace ledge.

The door was closed but she did not hear it lock. Phoenix frowned, then turned to climb into bed when she spotted someone standing by the wall. He looked out the window, arm propped at the sill as he leaned to peer out at the dark world.

He was dressed in clothes that looked rather casual for someone of his stature. Black knee high boots, dark pants that flared out slightly at the thighs, white shirt and a patterned vests that hugged his form snugly. He wore the collar undone to show his throat and collar bone.

"How long were you there?" she asked, latching the small hook on her cloak to secure it around her neck.

He adjusted his collar and beckoned her closer. Phoenix walked towards him, expecting some sort of reprimand or even just a cold glare. Neberus smiled, slid his hand into her hair and pulled her close to bestow a kiss on her brow.

"I heard from your children you are carrying pups." he chuckled lowly. "And here I thought the Lady would simply wait for one of your chosen consorts to bare you a child."

Phoenix looked up at the devil, eyes lidded. "And... you aren't mad?"

Neberus laughed, and held her chin so they could make eye contact. "Our pact is not dissolved human, if that's what you were hoping for." he kissed her eye lids, sending sparks down her spine. "Any child you have, is mine as much as it is yours. Whether or not we go through the process you humans are so fond of, that fact your blood carries my seal every child is part of my family."

She opened her eyes to behold his fangs and a leering gaze of hunger that she had seen in him before. "And you, my dearest Wife, have filled our agreement thoroughly. As such... I am inclined to give you what you desire."

Phoenix almost felt limp in his arms. She smiled, then let out a small chuckle. "I am going to ask... that you keep Lyle and Lizbetta in good health." Neberus released her hair, but kept his hand on her chin. "There are a great many people you can take in this castle, but I kindly request those two be left unscathed."

"And the children you've sent after Luciana...?" he chimed, tilting his head some. Behind the human facade he wore, Phoenix was beginning to see his demon self peering in. His brown eyes flashed gold and reflected light much like a cat.

"You said before her husband's pact was dissolving. I'm sure that Devil would love to have her company in his homeland." Phoenix gently disengaged from his grasp.

"And the wolves and the seers?" Neberus pressed. He wanted more. If Phoenix was to be permitted to continue her life as freely as she chose, she needed give him more. "What of my hometown? The unicorns starve but there were plenty of imps."

Neberus folded his arms and leaned with his back on the wall. "I've looked into it." he said. "I request that in the future, the servitude on one of your daughters for the same pact I have given you."

Phoenix looked at the journal that lay on her bed. She opened her mouth to argue, but he pressed on.

"If you want those you've come across to be under my blessing, you'd choose your next words wisely." the devil smiled. His guise was slipping and the firelight cast his true form's shadows dancing around the room. A massive winged and horned thing that Phoenix had only seen once towered over her own shadows on the far north wall.

"I agree to your terms." she said, gritting her teeth. Neberus lifted her chin once more, kissed her lips, then turned from her.

"Goodnight." Neberus turned from her and faded into the dark corners of her room.

She touched her lips, then looked at her things. She shoved things into a satchel, grabbed the money from the fireplace and left the room.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Snow and her forces stood on the battle field, the sun rising behind them with the castle of Del Rey standing hundreds of feet away. She looked at the army that stood with her. Weres, Fae, humans, Dwarves, all to stand against Lucianas tyranny.

Adam stood beside her, clad in armor and armed with a longsword strapped to his hip. Snow touched the lightweight chainmale and armor she wore.

"The dwarves are glorious craftsman." Adam remarked, eyeing her sword, then her bow and quiver. "Do you really think you should be so close to the front line?"

"Where else should I be." she remarked back. "I want my stepmother to see me when we crash through the gates."

Adam frowned, but nodded. The soldiers looked up towards the forest and along the dark line of trees, small figures clad in red and white ran.

Snow recognized the onyx skinned Florentine riding on her unicorn. Following her were fifty or sixty of her people riding unicorns of varying shape and size. She watched as they broke into five groups, dispersing into the forests, and part coming back to stand with Snow on the battlefield.

A male riding a black unicorn stood before Snow. He made the animal bow low to her, then turned to face the field. Soldiers that were clad in Luciana's emblem moved foreward. This was not Del Rey's uniform of Purple, Red and Silver, but the current queen's own design of dark blue, green and black. An eagle with it's claws out to war.

Snow let out the battle cry of a warrior, and her army took up her call as well. It resounded like the roar of a beast. The first line of cavalry was sent, then the second and third. While the forces protecting the castle were pounded with horse and spear, the second and third lines fought with weres and fae. As soon as the line was broken, claws, and fangs demolished them.

A path was cleared and Snow and her entourage moved through. She struck down strays with bow and arrow, no one could get closer than a few dozen feet before receiving an arrow to the throat or face. The draw bridge was down and her forces were surging forward. She heard the elklike scream of unicorns, and saw as the beasts themselves disposed of Luciana's men. They were barely men by the look of them, dark scaled skin and bald heads with scarce with any hair. They bled black and screamed like slaughtered pigs.

Snow grew sick at the sight of people that once were hers. Luciana's treachery knew no bounds! She had turned citizens into gross excuses of life. She had no doubt those things fighting beyond the walls were more orc than man. Snow's group dwindled, being drawn off their rides to fight sword to sword, or killed by arrows between the armor's chinks. She and Adam drove on, through the courtyard, into the main halls of the castle, passing and trampling anyone in her way.

Luciana was in the thrown room, clad in a gown of black and dark blue, a large mirror behind her thrown. She grinned at her step daughter. "Welcome home, Love."