"THIS IS dangerous. Even for you." Kyle rubbed his hands up his arms, shivering in the clearing. His gaze was hard as it rested on Roseria. Even he knew how foolish it was to wander into the Winter Court without Prince Puck's blessing. Any moment now, Kyle envisioned the dangerous fae to arrive out of thin air. Even worse, he imagined Nohx arriving instead.
Stupid prick, he couldn't help but think. All of them.
"The enemy of our enemy is a friend," was all Roseria deigned to say in response.
Snow fell slowly in thick, fat clumps. It was beginning to gather on the forest floor, and no matter how much heating powers Kyle held, there wasn't enough to keep him warm. An image of a younger Andorra bundled in winter clothes passed through his mind. No wonder she was always swaddled in layers. Despite how idiotic it had looked, Andorra had merit for doing so.
"I'm not entirely clear on the reason you dragged me here." Kyle looked around the rest of the Woodland Forest. They stood on the edge of it, right where it bordered the Shadow Clan. Kyle was thankful it was far from the reaches of the Snow Clan, but his stomach twisted at the knowledge that Prince Puck's reign was held here in this very clan.
Kyle could have sworn shadows of all shapes and sizes were creeping up on them. They seemed to bleed from the trees and congregate underfoot, and Kyle's heart raced. He had never been much of an anxious child, but this was different from the human realm. Anlithamy had not been what he had expected.
The shadows were in fact gathering. Kyle and Roseria watched, one with wide eyes and one without, as the shadows began to clump together, building something, swirling together. Kyle almost choked on his sudden intake of air as Aihfie stepped out of the shadows.
"Roseria," she sneered. Her dark eyes cut from the pink haired fae and took in Kyle, a smirk curving against her cold, pale face as she watched the sun fae's reaction to her presence. "And what do we have here?"
"Leave it, Aihfie. We have business, you and I. Business against the Queen."
Aihfie was not known to leave anything. She stepped towards Kyle, reaching for him, letting her sharp nails trail over his cheek. Kyle didn't dare breathe in her presence. She was terrifying. Kyle felt his bones lock up in place as he realized that this was Prince Puck's daughter.
Royalty in the form of a cunning and ruthless blade. Her nails bit into his skin, just barely. "But look at his fear. So delicious. You're from the Sun Clan."
The way she said the words sun clan made him feel embarrassed. As if being a Summer fae was something to be ashamed of. A bolt of anger passed through him as Kyle made a connection between Aihfie and Nohx. Nohx too looked down on him, on Sun fae. Kyle jerked his face from Aihfie's grip.
"And what of it?" His tone now held some bite.
Seemingly bored now of Kyle, Aihfie turned back to Roseria. "What are you doing here, Rose? Am I to believe you've really been hiding from the Royal Court all this time? Or are you working with our sweet little Queen, here to stab me in the back? Like you did to Anders?"
Roseria scoffed. She jammed her own hands in the pockets of her fur lined jacket, clearly more prepared than Kyle was for this outing. "You're ridiculous if you think I've been working with the Queen. Even more so if you think I backstabbed Anders. No, I'm here to discuss something that would benefit the two of us."
Aihfie looked down to her nails. Acted as though she were picking the dirt from beneath them. "Oh?"
"Don't look so disengaged. I've been to see Kaeberon."
Aihfie nearly flinched as she looked back up at Roseria. Surprise and shock passed her face, and something very close to fear followed in its path. "How did you get to Averotho? No one goes to Averotho. Are you insane?"
Kyle digested the words, but didn't understand them. How could he, when he had been raised not in Anlithamy? Or, was he unaware because he was nothing more than a commoner? Anger hissed against his skin as he clenched his hands into fists.
Once a commoner, always a commoner. The thought tasted bitter on his tongue.
"I can make gates. Or have you forgotten that? Anyway, I told him about the leadership of our Queen. I think he may be advantageous for us."
Aihfie now looked beyond angry. Much like her brother, shadows gathered and pooled around her feet, a sign of just how pissed she really was. "You're foolish. What if he comes here? What if he decides to take Anlithamy? Or have you forgotten why Averotho has been hidden all of this time? Don't tell me you are really that ignorant?"
Roseria was stubborn to a fault. A lesser fae would have taken a step back at the chill in Aihfie's voice, but not Roseria. She tilted her chin up in clear defiance. "You aren't seeing the bigger picture. He can end Andorra. I told him something that would ensure her death."
"What does it matter? Anders is dead. Who would take over in her place? Anltihamy has been without a ruler for decades, and now you're trying to kill the only heir to the throne? Leaving it completely empty for Kaeberon. Are you dense?"
Roseria shook her head. She ran her tongue over her teeth. She had a plan, messy as it was, but she needed Aihfie's support. Needed the numbers. Needed the alliance. Despite disliking Prince Puck and his children, Roseria knew that they were similar to herself. All teeth, all bite, all bark. Anltihamy needed that more than ever.
"You're not thinking big picture. We can choose someone for the throne-"
"No. Cornomous chooses the heir. If he didn't, my father would be King. Our best bet is to control Andorra. Control her movements, her decisions, her thoughts. That would be easiest." The finality in Aihfie's tone was surprising to Roseria. It seemed that she was not the only one plotting against the throne.
Kyle, tired of not being included, interjected. "How? Control her how?"
Aihfie turned to him with a raised brow. She assessed him for a moment, clicking her tongue at what she found. "You'd be a good start."
Roseria rolled her eyes. She had already made the same assessment. "Wiping Andorra's memory is already in the works. We have that planned."
"Then why bother with the King? Why did you visit him? If you already planned on making a puppet of Andorra, why are you sniffing to other continents?"
Roseria couldn't help but explode. Couldn't help but snarl in Aihfie's face. "Because she doesn't even deserve to be a puppet! She deserves death for what she did to Anders! She deserves death for coming here, to our home, and taking over as if she knows what is best for us!"
The silence in the clearing was loud. Both Roseria and Aihfie blinked at each other, tension wrapping around all of them. The anger and the hate was loud in Roseria's voice. When Aihfie tilted her head, she saw Roseria in a new light.
"You loved him."
Roseria bit her own tongue, upset at herself for losing control. But, it didn't matter anymore who knew; Anders was dead. But, he didn't have to be.
"King Kaeberon has connections to the Deathwringer. I want to resurrect Anders. And once he is resurrected, he could take the throne."
Aihfie felt something dark brush against her throat. She didn't dare blink, not against that truth and revelation. It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible. "No. Even if you could bring him back, he would not be the same. That would be unnatural."
"Who cares about unnatural? He was your friend too."
Aihfie took a step back, shaking her head. "Don't go playing that game, Roseria. It will not end well. I used to think of you as a smart person, but this isn't smart. This is downright foolish. Dangerous. You could be the reason Anlithamy falls. Not Andorra. You."
Just then, there was a rustle in woods behind Aihfie. It was deliberate and loud. All three fae turned to look, eyes rounding at the sight of the creature that stood there. It stared at them for a long moment, and then turned to dash through the wood, heading north.
Roseria opened and closed her mouth. Her thoughts felt slow and sluggish as she processed. Aihfie though wasn't slow. She went rigid, her mouth falling into a flat line. "That was Sir Nohx's rali. No doubt about to go report what was said here."
Roseria fell silent again, her heart racing in her chest. "We need to stop it. Stop him. He'll go right to Andorra."
Aihfie shook her head sadly. "There's no stopping him. He'll go to the Queen and to my father. And then, he'll come for you Roseria. You better make the last moments of your life count, because he will not leave you alive after this."
Roseria scoffed again, crossing her arms tightly against her chest. "I'm not afraid of the Snow Clan leader."
Kyle shot her a long look. He kept his mouth shut, despite knowing the truth: Nohx was strong enough to overtake his own father. And Bazile had not been weak.
Aihfie beat him to it anyway. "I would be terrified of him if I were you. Sir Nohx is stronger than my father. He tries to keep that a secret, but I hear him in his study often. He's grooming Nohx to be the next Winter Prince. And my father does not make mistakes like this. If he thinks Nohx is stronger than even he is, then it's true."
Roseria rolled her eyes, disgusted. How can even Aihfie be enamored by this man? "What, are you also in love with him?"
A sharp smile reached Aihfie's lips. "You're a fool if you can't see how powerful he is. I'm not ashamed to be attracted to that sort of fae. I myself am powerful, and I would never go for a lesser man. You too should want that for yourself, Roseria. And you would've had it if Anders had loved you back."
Roseria wanted to punch Aihfie in her smug little face. Maybe she would have, if Kyle hadn't let out a long sign. "Always about power. So predictable."
"Meaning?" Aihfie focused her attention on the blonde haired male beside her.
"Meaning, everyone in this stupid world wants someone so strong, so dangerous. What about someone who is less... obnoxious? Because I am way less obnoxious than Nohx is."
For the first time in a long time, Aihfie surprised herself with a laugh. She had overlooked the sun fae on principal alone, because he wasn't her sort of man. Wasn't all that powerful, wasn't all that commandeering. Wasn't controlling or ruthless, not like she was.
She looked at him again, reassessing. "You're sort of funny. I wasn't expecting that." She gestured her hand at him as if to say, look again. "You have some power. You've worked your way into the Royal Court, have you not? And that skill of wiping memories is smart. Powerful. You hone that weapon and you may be able to continue rising in the ranks. The next time we meet, maybe you could even be on the Council."
Kyle snorted, but he was secretly pleased with her words. He preened under them, like a fool. "With Andorra as Queen, I doubt it. We have bad blood."
Aihfie let her gaze rest on him for another moment. "You could fix that. The Royal Court is all about politics and pandering to whoever is in charge. You could change her mind. Andorra is young, and very human, and she hasn't been alive long enough to know how to carry and feed a lifelong grudge."
Then, she looked back at Roseria. She's such an idiot, Aihfie thought to herself. "I have to go check in with my father. He'll be aware of your plans probably within the hour. You better run before he sniffs you hanging around in his territory. You want next steps? I suggest visiting the Spring Court. They mourn Anders' death like no other."
Aihfie stepped back, and in the blink of an eye, shadows engulfed her completely, leaving the space she once stood suddenly vacant. Kyle would have startled if he hadn't been watching the anger cross Roseria's face. Watched the way she stiffened. Roseria may have thought Kyle to be a bumbling, ignorant fool, but he wasn't. And perhaps that would be her biggest downfall.
* * *
Hey all!
enjoy this two part update!! drama is brewing in anlithamy lmao
what do u think will happen next???
love you all!
xoxo