Faerie Faerie

27-Adamant Aces

"You have such lovely hair," Luciana tsked at her step daughter. "And you wear it like a man? For shame daughter."

Snow grit her teeth, bracing her hands on the quiver she had strapped to her back. She had the bow knocked and ready, aiming at her step mother. "Not another word."

Luciana stood, her long brown locks falling down her shoulders and back. She was a gorgeous woman. Ladies of the court envied her, men vied for her attention, and children gave her gifts of garlands and flower crowns-- or at least they used to before. Her beauty had once been adored, and now it was feared as much as her reign.

She worked her people like slaves, and treated the slaves worse than dogs. The lavishness of her comforts drove her to war with her neighbors, piliging and robbing them in the name of tribute. When the land of blue fell, Luciana was jubilant. They were rich in minerals, ores and metals for things that ranged in jewelry and armor. What they lacked in jewels, they had in crops and beasts.

She had a deal with Grengal, and so far he had kept it.

Luciana looked at her pitiful little step daughter. She was no longer the doe-eyed little thing that years ago had been dispatched into the forest under the guise of a guilty witch. She was a woman now. A warrior. And those radiant blue eyes of hers terrified the living daylights out of Luciana.

She screamed, and the mirrors along the throne room rippled like water. Clawed hands reached out, snatching at the empty air.

Snow glanced at the madness, the hairs on the back of her neck on end. She locked eyes with the sorceress and knocked her bow, sending arrows flying. Luciana's laughter was cut short when her mirrors began shattering on impact with the arrows.

"What is this treachery!" she wailed.

Snow held up the arrows for her to see. They were sturdy black wood, with wild turkey feaths, and the heads shown like diamonds. In fact, they were diamonds.

"A gift." Snow smiled. "From your mines inthe North."

Luciana's beautiful face went pail with fear, then bright red with anger. She raised her arm, then motioned above her head. The battle party looked up to behold more mirrors. And the beasts from before that had tried to come through, were hanging from rafters and screeching at them.

"Die." Luciana smiled.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Phoenix gripped the thick cloak around herself. She couldn't stay here any longer. Grengal was clearly going to be her end, the place wreaked of death, and if she could she would burn the castle and everyone in it to the ground.

She pressed herself to the wall in the stairwell, hearing people talking down people. There was a bit of shouting, then a child crying. Phoenix gripped the stone walls as she recognized the little voice as being Lizbetta.

"Let me go!" she screamed at who. There was the sound of flesh hitting flesh and a surprised cry.

Phoenix stepped further into the darkness, but moved to see what was going on. Corrin was dragging LIzbetta away, a dagger at hand.

"Where is he Lizzy!" she snarled. "That little friend of yours?"

"I don't know!" she whimpered.

Where the hell was Lyle! He should be protecting his damned sister at a time like this! Phoenix looked around, and found an unlit torch. She carefully took it out of its hold on the wall. As she retrieved her weapon, she saw people on the floor unconscious. A guard, and speak of the devil, Lyle himself.