Chapter Text
Una was never supposed to be queen. She was born too sickly for a role so important. Her great-uncle had doubted she would even be useful as a political pawn. She supposed that had probably been what saved her from the worst of the conflict after his death. The others were so certain that she was not a threat that they had let their own ambitions goad them into destroying each other until there was only her. A little girl who could barely run down a corridor to her caretaker’s room to tell him she'd had a nightmare, the last heir to the kingdom responsible for the dissolution of The Wall and destruction of any peace treaty between her kind and the humans. Her poor aide and caretaker had had to serve as regent until she was of age, and the stress had threaded his dark hair with silver. Had lined his eyes with permanent worry. She'd hoped that some of that worry would be relieved when she was crowned Queen. But now they were both constantly worried…
Una swallowed as she read over the letter again. An invitation. To Prythian. They said it was for some kind of gathering of the leaders, but she could not push away the thought that this could be the end of everything. That after getting rid of that accursed throne of bone and wicked spellbook, after ripping out all those humanity-rending policies written in the blood of ancients, that this would be where her story ended. Not even 40 and called to answer for the crimes her family had committed against the world nearly thirty years ago. A gathering in the Spring Court, which they had so thoroughly ruined, couldn't be anything else but a reckoning, could it? And she'd been making such progress here…
She flinched as something touched her shoulder, only relaxing when she caught sight of Ronan, her caretaker, then regent, now advisor.
“You do not have to go…” he assured her. And while there was a point to be made that Hybern had functioned on its own for centuries. Just working on some internal structures could theoretically keep such an isolated system going for as long as she was around to maintain it. But… it was her duty to make things better for her people, wasn't it? To make it clear that her family’s view on humans had not infected every single denizen of the island and that her blood relatives had simply been deranged and vindictive. If Ronan thought there was some threat to her life, then he never would have brought the invitation to her for consideration. She swallowed and looked back at him.
“Can we… can we send something? Before we agree to anything, I just- I want to further determine their tone before I accept or decline.” She pushed the words out with some effort. All the truly hard decisions felt like they came with barbs. So no matter which way she landed, they took blood and air with them. Her first reforms had been easy, leaving objective evil behind them had never even been a question to her. Clearing out the council and replacing them with those who truly understood the current population of Hybern had also been a rather painless decision to make. Ronan had ensured the smooth transition and made clear the punishment if the aggrieved councilmen tried to make a fuss or continue operating in opposition to the new leadership. Una wasn't sure what she would have done without him around. Probably been a puppet queen for whatever crueler person had gotten to her first…
Ronan nodded and took the invitation from her shaking hand.
“Very well, your majesty.” He folded the page and tucked it into his jacket for safekeeping. “What would you like to send their way?” Una stood and wrung her hands. Excellent question… What could she send to make up for 30 years of silence? Perhaps if she knew the precise sum that it had taken to reconstruct Spring… she stopped by a window. Overcast and dreary as always… she chewed her lip before deciding.
“Grab a few bottles from the wine cellar, and make as sizable a donation to whatever historical society they have as we can justify.” Something to communicate that she wasn't ever going to try and rewrite the past simply because it made polite conversations uncomfortable. She would not just ignore all her kingdom had done. Ronan nodded, “As you will it, majesty.” he bowed and departed silently. Leaving Una staring out the window at her dreary kingdom, chewing on her anxiety. Giving her the space she required to process it all.
Prythian…
He could hear them outside the studio door. They did not whisper as softly as they thought they did. Tristian was torn between admitting defeat and opening the door for them or fighting to continue painting despite the utter mental block his friends were imposing without even being in the same room. One of them shushed the other, and Tristian let out an exasperated sigh, dropping his brush in the paint-thinning solution and going to yank the door open. He stood clear as they all tumbled to the ground just inside. Tiernan, the poor bastard that ended up as a landing cushion for the others, let out a wheezing groan. The twins scrambled upright, and Lotus stooped to help Tiernan back to his feet. Aster at least had the decency to look embarrassed to have been caught.
“What exactly are you hoping to gain by listening to me paint?” He asked, and Lotus objected.
“Nothing! We were just worried. Your father said you hadn't really left the studio since that invitation went out…” Tristian fought off the scowl that would only prove her point. He'd made it very clear to his father how foolish he thought inviting anyone from Hybern would be. The meeting was a month out yet, which left just enough time for other courts to speculate and for Hybern to make plans. No one had even met the kingdom's new queen. No one would have thought twice had he not invited her. Tiernan's father hadn't, and no one had even noticed. Or perhaps they had and just been too relieved to think too hard about it. Everyone could have assumed it was for the best, and Summer wasn't even hit as hard as Spring. Thanks to Lotus and Aster's mother way back during the start of the second war.
Thin translucent scales gleamed on Tiernan’s dark arms and along his cheekbones. Gifts from his lesser fae mother that marked him very clearly as something other. At least as far as most high fae were concerned. Tristian couldn’t care less, and he knew the twins agreed. Their own mother had once been human after all, and their cousin’s best friend was a human too. It was an eclectic group Tristian had begun to realize…
Lotus adjusted the strap on her bag, and Tristian tilted his head.
“What did you bring that along for?” It was her lucky bag. The one she always brought along when she was planning on getting up to something. She patted the worn leather and smiled.
“Well, since you asked… your little freakout gave me the perfect opportunity to come back down to the Wall…” Tristan frowned slightly. There wasn’t too much interesting about the wall these days. The magical barrier keeping the fae on the north side was gone, leaving only a crumbling stone border. Lotus snapped her fingers and caught a small glittering trinket from midair. Aster gaped at it.
“Lotus! Is that mother’s-” Lotus waved her free hand urgently, “Shhh! And yes. It’s her engagement ring…” Tiernan’s jaw dropped, and Tristian pinched the bridge of his nose. “Mother above… what exactly do you need that for? And what does it have to do with the Wall?” Lotus looked at the ring, then back to her brother and friends. “Father said he got it for her in her village in the human lands. That he got it with his last silver mark from some second-hand shop. He also said that it fit her perfectly, and not long after, Mother came back from the same shop with a matching ring for him. It also fit perfectly with no sizing required. More than just a coincidence, I’d say.” Aster sighed sharply, and Tiernan furrowed his brow.
“So what exactly are you planning to do?” Lotus slipped the ring onto her own finger for the moment and explained, “Well, I’m going to slip across the wall and try to find the shop. And Aster is going to stay and cover for me.” She smiled innocently at her brother, who only rolled his eyes. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with the spellbook that went missing from grandfather’s study, would it?” Lotus planned a firm hand on the gold buckle latching shut her bag. So yes. Tristian could feel himself getting a headache already. “So you came as a cover today?” He asked, and Lotus objected. “And to check on you. I just figured I could do both… I won't go if you really don't want me to…” she added the last part softer. That tone that always reminded Tristian that Lotus had been his first real friend. The one who always sought him out at the gatherings he couldn't avoid and made sure there was space for him whenever he might need it… Damn it… Tristian ran a hand through his short blond hair and echoed Aster's earlier sigh. “You won't have very long to explore.” Lotus brightened, “I'll be back before he even notices I went anywhere, and way before our escort back home arrives.” She wrapped her arms around Tristian's shoulders and squeezed tight, “I promise. No hijinks or scenic routes. Straight to the shop and back.” She smiled, and Tristian had to look away for his own sanity. “Cauldron- Would you just go? You're wasting precious seconds of your investigation time.” He huffed, and Lotus released him. She pointed at her brother, “Not a word, Aster. I'll nail you to the wall if you try to rat me out.” Aster rolled his eyes once more and shooed his sister away with a hand. Lotus spun on her heel and made for the door. “I'll be back!” She sang back to them before the door shut behind her.
Tristian found himself staring at that closed door. Part of him wanted to call her back, insisting that he did need her right now. But instead he listened as Lotus’s footsteps faded further and further away until he couldn't hear them at all. Off to a new adventure, a new story to tell him later… he flinched when Tiernan’s hand landed on his shoulder, a sympathetic smile on his friend's face. Mother above… Was he really so easy to read? A quick glance in Aster's direction, at yet another pitying expression, told him that he was indeed. At least to them. Not Lotus though. Or at least he hoped not. He might go find a nice cave to curl up and die in if Lotus ever realized the actual hold she had over him.
“You can both stop that. As long as you're here, can you help me stretch some canvas?” Tristian looked for anything to distract himself and them... Aster nodded quietly and walked further into the studio. Tiernan lingered just long enough to ask,
“Why don't you just tell her..?” Tristian shook his head. He couldn't. After all his father had gone through with Lotus's aunt… he was good enough friends with Elain now, but his family and the Archerons had a history in the romance department, and the verdict had swung violently in the direction of ‘don't even think about it’. It was better this way. “It's just a crush, Tier. I'll get over it.” he followed after Aster. He would. He would get over it. And then he could just go back to being her best friend. He liked that part. This part. The aching and wondering and pining part… that he would not miss. He joined Aster at one of the work tables, taking a measure of some canvas to start constructing the thin wood internal frame. He just had to act normal, and eventually everything would be.