Queen of Vengeance (Iron Fey Fanfiction)

Chapter 3: Felicity

"What is your name? I don't believe we've been introduced," she said, feeling her inner evil dance in delight. If the alcohol in this drink made mortals see double and rainbow ponies... what would it do to a fey?

"Felicity. Felicity of Icebane Hills," the girl introduced herself, taking a tentative sip of the drink and making a face. "What is in this?" she asked.

"I am Lucenta," Crystal said, using a variant of a synonym for her real name.

"Oh, I do not believe I have seen you at court before," Felicity said, taking a bolder drink.

She swallowed and rocked on her feet, laughing. "You're funny, you know that?" she said, her pink lips stretched in a smile.

Crystal noticed that she was almost halfway done with the glass.

"You are a Winter noble... I think," she glanced at Crystal's attire, "but you are tan. I thought only Summer fey were tan..."

Crystal steadied Felicity when the girl almost pitched into her. "Many Winter fey have darker skin, those who live up in the mountains and are exposed to sunlight, anyway." Felicity giggled, trying not to spill her glass.

"You know Prince Rowan, right?" Crystal accidentally froze half of Felicity's wrist, making the girl jump. She apologized quickly and unfroze the girl's skin.

"Yes, I know him. Why?" she had to fight to keep her voice sounding nonchalant and ignorant.

"He is amazing," Felicity continued, taking another swig - a long swig - of her drink. Crystal felt only a little worried the girl might poison herself. "He took me to this forest... and gave me a rose. It was blue." She smiled up at Crystal. Crystal fought not to throw up.

The rose Rowan had given Crystal was blue.

"I'm sure that was a very kind gesture of him," she said instead, finding it a bit harder to stay composed. She spotted said prince speaking with the Duke of Glassbarrow, thankfully not looking their way.

"Do you know what else... he is good at?" Felicity continued, her eyes turning devious. When Crystal didn't reply and instead steadied the girl again so that she wouldn't pitch over, Felicity fell into a fit of giggles.

When she'd caught her breath she leaned in and whispered in Crystal's ear, her breath reeking of alcohol. "He has a nice tongue."

Crystal's heart pounded. "Really? That is interesting." She tried to sound very uninterested.

Felicity nodded. "Too bad you won't ever get to experience it. You're too dirty, and you smell like a squirrel." She giggled again and finished off her drink. "I want another one of those! It makes me feel fuzzy inside."

Crystal was only too happy to oblige the girl another drink. Unfortunately, Felicity lacked a brain and downed half the glass in one go. On instinct, Crystal grabbed the glass from her. "You'll poison yourself if you drink it that fast!" She didn't know why she was suddenly saving the girl from alcohol poisoning. She was supposed to be a cruel Unseelie.

Then again so was this bubbling, giggling thing in front of her.

"You do not tell me what to do!" Felicity yelled, rather loudly, then smacked Crystal so hard across the face that her head snapped to the side. Standing there for a moment in shock, Crystal blinked, lightly rubbing her cheek. Then she composed herself.

"You know violence is forbidden at Elysium, girl," she said darkly. "Your queen will surely punish you for violating such an old, important law." Felicity's face crumbled from slightly enraged at being bossed around to terrified.

"I did not... you won't tell her will you?" she cried. "Please don't tell her Majesty! I'll do anything! Please..."

For a moment, Crystal relished in the girl's terror, in her begging. A hundred things she could make the girl do in return for her silence not to tell Queen Mab of the violence Felicity had enacted upon her ran through her mind. But she clenched her jaw and pushed those thoughts from her mind. She was acting like a child, and forcing Felicity to embarrass herself publicly would turn a certain Winter prince very suspicious.

"Go give Queen Titania the most revered compliment you have ever given anyone," Crystal told her. "Do not speak of our meeting, and please," she snatched the drink from the girl's hand, "do try to act civilly the rest of the night."

Without hesitation, Felicity nodded gratefully and made a beeline for Titania, bound by her oath. Crystal grinned and let out a small chuckle, the first laugh she'd uttered in a year. She watched as the girl approached a flabbergasted Titania, doting upon her dress, it appeared.

Crystal smirked once more at the debacle she'd created and finished off the drink she'd taken from Felicity.