"Beyond the thorns." A single voice rang out as a swooping shadow flitted over the ground.
"Beyond the thorns." Another voice answered.
"Beyond the thorns. Oh, how I wish for a life beyond the thorns." The first voice sang, taking on a wistful tone as the owner flew towards the top of the thorn wall that surrounded the Dark Kingdoms. Everyone who hadn't been born before the thorn wall went up wished for a life beyond it. The thing about the Dark Kingdoms was that it was made up almost entirely of villains and none of them were allowed beyond the thorns, least they be snatched up by the police force of the United Kingdoms of Auradon.
The flying girl hummed to herself as she landed on the top of the thorn wall. She thought about the stories she'd heard about the creation of the Dark Kingdoms.
"Once upon a time a Beast met a Beauty." The girl quoted, her large grey wings folding along her back. She gave a toss of her crimson hair and looked out towards High King Beast's castle. "They fell in love and broke a powerful curse that had been laid on the Beast when he was just a teenager. Instead of going on a honeymoon they decided to make sure no one else faced such a curse. They united the surrounding kingdoms and formed the United Kingdoms of Auradon. Once all the heroes had bound themselves together, for better or for worse, they realized they had the strength to take down their villains. However, the villains had other plans. Together they seceded from the United Kingdoms of Auradon and formed their own nation, the Dark Kingdoms where the legal system of the United Kingdoms of Auradon could not touch them. The Queen of the Dark Fae, Maleficent became the guardian of the Dark Kingdoms by bringing up her thorn wall, reinforced by the magic of the Great Enchantress, to keep out the goodie two shoes from Auradon. Further separating the two nations was the Dark Ocean territory of the Dark Kingdoms that was near impossible to cross."
The girl paused, spotting a shape in the distance. She lifted her crossbow, readying a heart tipped bolt. Despite the Dark Ocean being near impossible to cross flyers, like the girl and fairies from Auradon could fly above it. It was why flyers were typically chosen as messengers.
The shape on the horizon became more defined. The girl scowled when she recognized who it was. Vivian Grace, daughter of the fast flying fairy Vida and the dwarf Grumpy, she was one of Auradon's official messengers, meaning she was mostly sent out by High King Beast himself. "I could have shot you!" The girl announced as Vivian landed beside her.
"I'm glad you didn't." Vivian replied as she carefully watched the girl's crossbow. Vivian knew well if Queenie, the girl, had intended to shoot her she'd be bleeding at the very least. Queenie was the best shot in the Dark Kingdoms and the United Kingdoms of Auradon. Her skill with a crossbow helped make up for her lack of speed while flying.
Queenie pouted and put her crossbow away, it rested against her back between her wings while her quiver hung from the right of the belt slung across her hips. On the left side of her the belt was a pair of sais in case Queenie got locked in close combat. Despite her impractical outfit, a red backless sleeveless crop top, black skinny jeans, and red five-inch wedge heeled ankle boots with silver spikes going along the back of the heel, Queenie was ready for war.
"What are you doing here Vivian?" Queenie questioned surveying the fast flying half fairy. Vivian had no weapons Queenie could see, only a red pouch filled to the brim with pixie dust and the purple crossbody bag that carried her messages. Her dark hair was pulled into a high ponytail held up by a red scrunchie. She also wore a red backless crop top, but she wore a leather jacket to keep out the cold. Plum colored skinny jeans and red converses completed the look. Queenie rolled her eyes, thoroughly unimpressed. She couldn't believe one of her brothers was into Vivian.
"I have a message from the High King."
Queenie rolled her eyes again. "Obviously, what does it say?"
"I don't know. It is for the Fae Queen's eyes only." Vivian answered.
"Oh, come on, you can't tell me you never read the messages you ferry back and forth." Queenie grumbled, hands on her hips.
A look of confusion crossed Vivian's face. "Of course, I don't! Why would you even ask me such a thing?"
Queenie shrugged realizing she was going to have to work fast. "Maybe because I do." Vivian gaped at Queenie who moved quick as lightning to steal Vivian's bag. Once she had it Queenie fled. She flew away with the bag towards the Enchantress's castle. She might have been a slower flyer than Vivian, but Queenie knew the terrain like the back of her hand, which made it easy to evade Vivian.
The Dark Kingdoms was separated into three large territories, the Dark Oceans, the Rose Quarter, and the Thorn Castle, with smaller kingdoms within each territory. The Enchantress, the very same one who had cursed the prince into a beast, was the head of the Rose Quarter territory. The Rose Quarter was often considered the neutral territory since the Enchantress accepted everyone and over all just gave off a neutral vibe. The only reason she even had her own territory was because she was scary powerful and refused to yield to Maleficent.
Queenie landed on the roof of the castle next to a small round window. She knocked against the window. It opened from the inside allowing Queenie to slip into the castle. "Vivian's hot on my tail." Queenie told the small girl who'd open the window. She could take that how she would, and Queenie would not be responsible.
Queenie moved to the large round table in the center of the room. Sitting around the table were the three leaders of the teenagers in the Dark Kingdoms. The next generation of the Dark Kingdoms had modeled their own mini government after their parents'. Each of the three leaders had their own territory within the big three. There was Uma, daughter of Ursula and heir to all of the Dark Oceans if she ever acknowledged the fact Tamatoha was her father. However, there was an unspoken rule, no one talked about the whole Ursula-Tamatoha thing. Seated around her were Harry Hook son of the Great Captain Hook, Gil son of Gaston, and Hadley daughter of Hades.
Sitting at the second near opposite Uma's council was Mal's. Mal was the daughter of Maleficent and like her mother her official title seemed to change from week to week. Mal's council was made up of Princess Evie daughter of the Evil Queen, Carlos De Vil son of Creuella De Vil, and Jay son of Jafar.
That left the final council. It was a toss up of who it belonged to Elle, daughter of the Enchantress and twin sister of Jay and on good terms with her brother despite being on different councils, or Oliver first son and second child of the Queen of hearts and the demon Chernabog, not that his birth order seemed to matter since he was a triplet and neither of his siblings were partially ambitious. The pair had dated once upon a time and things had ended badly, yet no one could tell which one was actually in charge of the Rose Quarter council. Hart, the third triplet sat to one side of the pair looking rather uncomfortable while the chair on the other side of them was empty, Queenie's chair. "Perfect timing." Queenie spoke as she marched over to her chair. If the teenager council hadn't been in session she would have had to call them into session while on the run from Vivian. "Vivian just stopped by with a message from the High King for Maleficent's eyes only." That got everyone's attention rather quickly.
"What does it say?" Uma demanded.
"Let's find out." Queenie said gleefully. She pulled the scroll out of Vivian's bag and opened it, completely disregarding the royal wax seal that kept it closed. She cleared her throat and read aloud. "Dear Maleficent, I don't know your current title, nor do I care. You have no proper status in Auradon which is where I will concern myself. However, many of the lower kingdoms have complained of you 'Dark Oceans' breaching Auradon boarders and harassing their natives. There are other instances of the 'Dark Kingdoms' attacking Auradon. These actions are enough to declare war. However, I will instead offer a peace treaty. A unity between our families and our 'nations'. My son High Prince Benjamin Florian will marry your daughter Maleficent Bertha and turn our lands back into one. I await your response."
"I'm not marrying some prince!" Mal shouted leaping to her feet and knocking over her chair.
"How dare you!" Vivian shouted as she flew through the window. Queenie rolled her eyes.
"Ladies, one at a time." She said easily. She grinned as a thought struck her. "I have an idea. Hadley, can you forge a letter from the High King?" Hadley looked insulted that Queenie had even asked.
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