Red Queen Fan Fiction - Red Huntress

Chapter 10

A/N: As I promised this would be the chapter before the epilogue, I didn't want to break it in two parts, so this became awfully long. Please stay tuned until the end ^^°

The frozen ground cracked under her boots; the crisp wind blew with shrill cries. Diana stepped carefully, lest she lost her balance over the iced-over spots. She didn't understand why Operative Swan would choose this February evening in coldest winter to come to the northern Lakelands, but Diana would go to Swan's meeting no matter what.

Maybe Swan got stuck in the weather here, that's why. At least it didn't rain or snow.

"You okay?" asked Marcus Wolff, walking next to her.

Diana hmphed, but as he couldn't notice her gloomy expression beneath the scarf wrapped around her head, she retorted, "I live here."

Wolff hmphed back. He returned to his usual silence, yet a few hours before, he'd literally run into her when she'd emerged from the forest in the afternoon.

He'd grabbed her arm. "Come with me," he'd urged. "There's a meeting in Aerzen, with Swan. Someone from here should show up."

"My parents ..." Diana had replied, startled by the offer and his insistence.

Wolff had shaken his head. "No time, it's 15 kilometers and we have to walk." He'd glanced at her hunting rifle. "Leave that in my transport."

Apparently, he'd parked his transport at Armina's Cordes's farm, to give the impression he was there too, as the farmer had to stay home.

Diana had enough time to ponder on all this, though she was mostly excited about the chance to see Swan again, a real and obviously important member of the Scarlet Guard. She missed the assuring weight of her rifle but agreed with the problems of showing up armed in another place.

Wolff had been right. It would've taken too long to search for her parents who she hadn't seen all day. What was going on here that she didn't fully grasp? She almost imagined Wolff picked her up specifically, not just because she'd been at hand.

What if Swan does want to meet with me?

Another gush of wind hit her face and she pulled her scarf tighter. She breathed in its woollen scent, hoping to catch a whiff of Giselle's as well. The scarf was – among others of its kind – a present from her girlfriend. But after much use in the cold and damp weather, it had begun to smell rather of Diana, the woods and the hunt – and thus did nothing now to quell Diana's yearning.

There had been no time to tell Giselle of her trip, either. In fact, in her parents' absence this morning, Diana had invited Giselle over to spend the evening with her. In her bed.

It was a few weeks after their first sex. That first time had been in the darkest and shortest days of the last year, when absolutely no one wanted to be, or urged another, to go outside, that Giselle had led Diana up to her bedroom while the rest of the household sat downstairs, chatting in front of the fire.

Perhaps it really had been hesitation, a waiting for their own readiness, that had stopped them before, because now they found it so easy to sneak away and make love. Almost once a week they gave in to their fiery desires.

Diana snorted, assuming her face was already bright red from the cold, so her blush would be fully inconspicuous. The day had been grey and cloudy to begin with and the falling of dusk came early and was barely discernible. Nothing but frost would kiss her tonight.

I hope this meeting will be worth flaking on Giselle and freezing my ass off.

Operative Swan awaited them in the house of the congregation of Aerzen. Looking as formidable as ever, Swan held a speech that did make her sound like a priest. Again, Diana noticed how much Swan resembled the queen.