Stone Cold

Chapter 9: Aquamarine

Blue Room, the Locke Club
Only a few things were as boring as political tea. The hostess of such an affair is often desperately desirous for something-anything- to occur at her party to make it more exciting.

Although, perhaps a dead man walking into tea was a little too exciting, Talia reflected later.

Up until the dead-man-walking-in bit, things had gone as usual with the tea party. Which meant everything was dull. Talia had chosen the blue salon, which was unsurprisingly, blue. A quiet, resentful and achingly boring blue. White curving pilasters lined the walls while silk wallpaper trailed jasmine blooms across it. The white flowers writhed out of the paper perfuming the air with its alluring scent.

No humans ever ventured this far back of the Locke club and if they did, a mirage of a window with the hongkong skyline usually did the trick. Humans, she knew, weren't very bright.

"Don't look now, but Lord Hasselthorpe is doing his famous imitation of a floundery codfish." A welcome touch and conspirational whisper floated upon her ear.

Talia turned and looked into the familiar twinkle of copper eyes.

Puck.

"He isn't," Talia murmured, trying not to reveal her surprise. It's been over a year since she had last seen him. "And what does make a codfish mad anyway?"

"Exactly. Absolutely nothing," Puck replied, as if making his point. "I have never liked the man and that's entirely aside from his brainless and backward stand on every political issue."

"Look how he's flapping about now, his face is as red as a snapper." Puck added, wiggling his eyebrows. Talia surpressed a laugh and quickly looked to see if any of the groups of centaurs under her mother's command overheard them.

"Shhh," Talia hissed.

"Even if one of her majesty's generals heard what we're saying, none of them have the imagination to realize that the princess and the court jester might have a thought or two in our very attractive heads- especially if that thought isn't in line with theirs." Puck pointed out. "Well, my dear, what new thing are they blaming on your mother now?"

"They're saying that the Unseelie's soldiers are trained better, their guns faster and their military budget greater." Talia sighed as she moved toward the refreshments table and away from the group of centaurs.

Talia learned enough from her father and later her brother to know that the council was spouting a lot of hot air. Their loss was solely to be blamed by the council's underestimation of the Unseelie's leader. His tactical abilities and his mistress' hold over dark magic paired with the Seelie council's deluded approximation of their own prowess already ensured their loss.

She'd have everyone of these bafoons guillotined if she thought it would help. Instead, it would just remind her of the wasted blood of her fellowmen.

This wouldn't have happened if Xander were here. It was her brother who was the tactical wizard. Her brother who had fought many battles against them and won. Her DEAD brother.

"Basically, washing their hands of it and pining the loss of the war on our lovely queen." Puck said picking up a pink tea cake. "It really is a shame-"

The door of the blue salon savagely opened, cracking against the wall. Every head in the room swivled to look at the man who stood there. He was tall, impossibly wide shoulders that filled the doorway. His clothes, although dilapidated, bore the brick red seal of the Seelie army and an enormous unsheathed knife hung from the string at his waist.

He had the eyes of a man long dead. He was staring at Puck, as if no one else in the room existed. Talia was frozen in shock, one hand on the oval table. It couldn't be...

He started for Puck, his stride firm and impatient. "Where is she?!"

He wobbled and one hand grasped the other side of the oval table as if to steady himself, but the little table wasn't up for the task. He took it with him as he collapsed to his knees. His angry copper eyes suddenly locked at her face as he sank to the carpet. His copper eyes widened in shock, as he recognized her, before it rolled back in his head, and he fell over.

After all these years, he'd come back. The Seelie heir, her brother.

Talia sank down to her knees beside the fallen man, unmindful of how the hot water from a broken tea pot seeped through her dress. Hesitantly, she held her finger below his nostrils and felt the brush of his breath. He was still alive!

But before she could take his heavy head between her hands to examine his face more thoroughly, she was interrupted.

"Your Majesty, please move away. The servants can't remove him from the premises until you move." Lord Hasselthorpe, the codfish, said impatiently. Not recognizing their prince.

Talia raised one haughty eyebrow about to give this impertinent clodpole the scolding he so thoroughly deserved.

But before she could speak, Puck interrupted his face as pale as the jasmine that floated around them. "I will personally see to his departure and his punishment for disrupting the princess' delicate sensibilities."

He picked up her brother and whisked him out the door, winking at her before disappearing down the hallway.

Talia knowing her position in court, acted accordingly and placated the rest of her guests, none of whom had recognized her brother , knowing Puck and Xander would be long gone before she was through.