[Disclaimer: This is a fan based fanfiction. I OWN NOTHING. These characters and places are owned by Riot]

Chapter 2: Disturbed Heart, Unsteady Aim

Sejuani walked steadily, the chains that bound her hands and feet which were held by three large Demacian guards barely slowing her down. Occasionally, they would try to establish dominance, yanking her chain if she went too far ahead, but the past few tries had proved unsuccessful, only embarrassing themselves instead. The Freljordian was far too strong for them. Yank as hard as they might, she wouldn't even budge. One Demacian guard wondered who were the ones really bound by the chain here.

Sejuani was made to walk through an enormous hall, with the ceilings reaching high above her head. It was a drastic change from the prison cell she had been in. It had been too short for her to stand up, and too narrow for her to lie down, forcing her to sit the entire time. She had been stripped off all her armour, and was now dressed in filthy prison rags that had no sleeves and barely reached her knees. She had also not been given any footwear, and was forced to walk barefoot. As she passed through the hall, numerous Demacians looked on as the Great Chief of the Tribe of the Winter's Claw made her way to the Court, where she would be judged for her cruel actions against Demacia.

Soon, Sejuani found herself in front of a large door. It was a tall, white structure with marble handles. Two guards on each side of the door wielding spears opened the door for the prisoner, allowing her to enter the Court. The three prison guards then walked her over to a table where she would hear her trial. Not that she needed to know what was about to happen to her. She already figured out what Demacia was all about, what they wanted in Freljord, and what they wanted from her. And it had nothing to do with Demacia or Freljord.

As she sat down, she saw the judge that sat behind a raised desk. It was a middle-aged man with greying hair. He was clean shaven, and wore a plain white robe adorned with golden cuffs. That man was none other than the King of Demacia himself, Jarvan III. Sejuani glared daggers at the scoundrel, wanting nothing more than to bash the brain out of his skull. But she restrained herself. The King of Demacia noticed her glare and shifted his gaze behind the prisoner. Sejuani took a quick glance behind her, seeing Quinn whose face was plastered with uncertainty. No doubt the falconer had misgivings about her country now. Quinn was an intelligent woman, it was her profession to gather intelligence, after all. Sooner or later she would find out the truth about this country. What happens after that, however, was anyone's guess. Would she shut herself from the truth and believe in a lie, like the coward she claimed to be? Or would she face the truth and accept it, following Sejuani's footsteps? Only time would tell.

" The Court is now in session. " the King declared.

A week prior to the trial.

Cold water splashed against the bruised face of the Freljordian, making her facial wounds sting agonisingly, but not enough to make her flinch in the slightest.

" Wake up, prisoner! " a tall prison warden shouted at her. " the King of Demacia stands before you!"

Sejuani had her hands and feet chained to a metal chair, which in normal circumstances, she would easily power out of, but she was exhausted and wounded, and the only treatment she received was torture in a Demacian prison. Shaking the water from her eyes, she looked up, seeing a middle-aged man standing before her. He stood there with a smirk on his face, mocking the Great Chief. He looked at the prisoner who was full of injuries from the battle at Freljord, unable to fight back. He knew he was safe from the barbarian, at least for now.

" Tell me what you want. " Sejuani ordered him.

The King brought his fist across her face, making Sejuani spit out blood.

" You don't get to order a king around. " he growled.

Sejuani only laughed.

" As a King, you should be ashamed of yourself. " she taunted. " Even a boar can hit harder than you."

The King wound up his fist for another punch, but decided against it.

" Disgraced Freljordian, Sejuani." He exhaled, lowering his fist. " You should be able to see that you currently have no power. But you can regain your power. If you listen to me. You see, I have a proposition- "

" I'm not working for you. " Sejuani snapped. It was obvious what the King wanted. How the people of Demacia couldn't see this simple fact eluded her.

" Then Freljord will fall. " the King threatened.

Sejuani called his bluff. " It's already fallen. " She knew that the Demacian flag already decorated the frozen tundra, there was no doubt about that. The King was more foolish than she had expected if he thought her to believe such a blatant lie.

The King steadied his gaze, sizing up the barbarian that he had clearly underestimated. He had thought Sejuani was no smarter than any other barbarian he had encountered. But it appears he was sorely mistaken. The woman had a deceptive intellect, much like how the elite ranger had reported.

" Then how about this: the elite ranger, Quinn. " the King said calmly.

Sejuani's eyes shot up, hearing that name.

" She had fiercely demanded a reason behind the attack. I've never seen her that way. It makes me wonder just how much she holds Freljord dear. Or how much she holds a certain person dear. "

" You would hide behind your own subjects. What a shock. " Sejuani snarled sarcastically. The King's cowardice had already been on full display back in Freljord. Anything less at this point was to be expected.

" I see that you are a fool, barbarian! " the King laughed. " A subject lives for the King, not the other way around. A king does not serve his servants. Just as how a master doesn't serve a slave. " It appeared to him that the barbarian didn't know what being a King or Queen meant. At least his definition of it. " If she continues to question Demacia, I can't say for sure how long she can go free. Perhaps you might know some way to convince her? After all, you two seemed close. "

Sejuani glared at him. " Quinn can do what she wants. Whether it lead her to death or glory or both makes no difference to me. " She was determined not to let the falconer bring her down any further than she already had.

" Really? You caused your own country to fall, your own people to be defeated, and now you want to kill your own girlfriend? " the King mocked. " How horrible can you get?"

Sejuani clenched her fists behind her, reopening their wounds and causing blood to trickle down to the floor.

" If you behave, I'm sure she'd appreciate it. " the King said as he left the prison.

Sejuani could only ponder her next course of action. She knew Quinn wasn't fully responsible behind the attack, but she couldn't help feeling resentment towards the ranger. Should she rebel against the King, Quinn would be punished on her behalf. If she didn't, Quinn would continue to live a lie. But….perhaps Quinn would realise the truth? Sejuani wanted to believe in the falconer again, even though she had let her down miserably in the past. After all, she had nothing to lose this time. Previously she had to choose between protecting her people and saving Quinn from a blizzard. But now she only had to choose between Quinn and her own honour as a Freljordian.

The choice was clear.

"…..As such, we find the accused, Sejuani, guilty of all charges. " King Jarvan III announced after discussing with the Council.

Quinn was absolutely shocked. That couldn't be right. She knew that Demacia was fair, and they knew what Sejuani was after. She had no intentions of injustice, only to save her people. If it weren't for her, what would have become of Freljord? Of Valoran? Sejuani was a hero, not a criminal. This wasn't right. What in the Skies was the King thinking?

" ….and sentence her….."

Quinn grew uneasy. This can't be real. Demacia wasn't like this.

"…to life in service to the King. "

…What?

" Sejuani. From now on, you live to serve the Demacian Crown. "

Quinn still didn't understand what was going on. Why would Sejuani be forced to fight for Demacia? It made no sense. She took a glance at the accused. Sejuani was as calm as ever. Apparently this is what she meant when she told Quinn she knew what was going to happen to her. What did Sejuani know that could prepare her for this….great news?

It was great news, right? Sejuani was allowed to live, as a warrior no less. Furthermore, she would be able to work with Quinn as they now shared the same side. The same side? Why was Freljord ever against Demacia anyways? They were supposed to be allies. And yet….

" The court is adjourned. " the King declared.

Everyone then got up, except for Quinn who stayed rooted to her seat. She was still deep in thought. Eventually she got up as well, just in time to see Sejuani pass her by, dragging three guards behind her in chains. Why she brought along those guards was a mystery as well. Quinn's eyes followed Sejuani intently, hoping for the slightest clue as to why any of this was happening. The Freljordian flashed a subtle gaze at her, noticeable perhaps only to the trained eye. Quinn didn't know what to make of that. Was she angry? Sad? Happy? Sejuani then exited the courtroom, leaving Quinn to figure things out herself.

As soon as Sejuani left, Quinn retreated to her quarters, hoping to make sense of it all. As she entered her room, she saw Valor perched on top of the highest perch he could find within his mew. Valor's mew took up half of her living space, a bird as big as Valor needed that much. Quinn was relieved to see him. The owl always knew the right things to say, even if it was a knock-knock joke. Quinn was about to reach out to him, but remembered that after the battle at Freljord, Valor had refused to talk to her. He was a stubborn bird, so it'd take him a while to stop sulking. With a sigh, Quinn decided to take a long nap, the day's events had dealt her great confusion, and she needed a break.

Sejuani was about to lead troops into battle against a Noxian raid on a nearby village. This battle would put her loyalty, leadership and capabilities to the test. Quinn could only hope that it'd go well. The falconer would have personally scouted the area, but with Valor sulking, she had limited options. Instead, other rangers had scouted the area for Sejuani.

Sejuani was clad in armour once again, only this time it was Demacian. It was painted silver and gold, much like Garen's armour was. Although the armour was beautiful, Quinn thought that it looked terribly wrong on Sejuani. She preferred the Freljordian armour Sejuani had always worn. In that armour, Sejuani was truly the Wrath of Winter Incarnate.

" How's the armour? " Quinn asked her warily.

She still wasn't sure how to talk to Sejuani. The warrior had fiercely detested Demacia, but was now willingly fighting for Demacia. Not exactly willingly, but she didn't reject the offer nor did she show much resistance. Perhaps this was a sign of acceptance. Sejuani may be glad to be able to stay a warrior. Pondering that, Quinn really wished she knew what was going on, feeling lost in her own homeland.

Sejuani stared at Quinn, her jaw clenching slightly but visibly so.

Quinn took a step back. That was a bad idea.

"…this armour. " Sejuani said, much to Quinn's surprise.

So she wasn't still angry at her?

" I'm assuming Demacian armour is crafted by a glassblower. " Sejuani remarked, examining the armour she wore. It felt so weak compared to the Freljordian armour she used before. " No wonder all of them are cowards. Only a fool would go to war as a glass canon."

Insulted, Quinn lashed out.

" Funny, because the 'glass soldiers' beat Freljordians to a pulp, as I remember. " Quinn retaliated, hating every word she just uttered. This was not helping. Why did she keep giving in to her anger? She was trying to patch things up with Sejuani, but only seemed to make things worse between them.

Fury burned in Sejuani's sky-blue eyes.

Instead of giving an icy retort, however, Sejuani turned around and began briefing her troops. Quinn then noticed that Sejuani didn't have her True Ice Flail equipped, instead having a spiked flail by her side. It was considerably smaller, and seemed much less threatening. It seemed that Demacia wasn't too keen on giving her back any of her old arsenal. Demacians had seen first-hand how powerful the weapon was, and would not risk being annihilated by the Freljordian that stood right at their doorstep. Speaking of which, Sejuani didn't have Bristle with her as well. She wasn't sure what happened to the Arctic Boar, but wished that it was still around somewhere. Bristle was to Sejuani what Valor was to Quinn. A pet that was more of a partner than anything else. Plus, Quinn and Sejuani had somehow gotten closer to each other due to the boar, and he was the first to show Quinn the Wrath of Winter Incarnate's power.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Quinn saw that Sejuani had left, mounting a white Demacian horse. The sight just looked so wrong. Sejuani simply didn't belong in Demacia…..

Demacia.

Demacia was a shining beacon of hope for humanity. It was a country that Quinn had dreamed of fighting for as a knight since she was a child. She was dazzled by the righteousness of Demacian Justice. She knew it was a great cause to fight for. But perhaps it was too great. Just like Sejuani had once taught her, a dream could just be a sweetened nightmare. Was it a lie, much like the eternal peace that Ashe had promised her people? The thought frightened her. Taking a good look at the city of Demacia, she felt a wave of uneasiness wash over her.

Demacia's white and golden marble structures, their towering spires and majestic flags, all of which once gleamed of power, cleanliness and nobility, seemed dark for the first time. It wasn't the lighting or anything of that sort. It just felt ugly somehow. Had she always fought for a dark city like this? A city that would conquer another country, given the opportunity? What happened to the Demacian Justice she had believed in? Being lost in thought, and without Valor to warn her, she was ambushed.

Quinn felt someone grab her from behind, putting her in a Full Nelson hold. In a fluid motion, Quinn joined her arms in front of her, moved her hips to the side, and extended her leg behind the attacker, making him lose his balance. Slamming all her weight into the man, she then quickly got up, her speed and agility giving her an advantage. Before the attacker could get up, Quinn immediately delivered a wicked punt to his head, knocking him unconscious.

Studying the man, she realised to her horror that he was a Royal Demacian Guard, personal guards for the King himself. Examining her surroundings, she saw that five other Royal Guards had cornered her. Instead of explaining themselves, they simply rushed to attack her. What in the Skies are they doing? But she wasn't concerned about that now. Now she needed to survive.

Quinn didn't have her crossbow nor Valor backing her up, leaving her at a disadvantage. But she was still an elite ranger, a formidable foe even in such circumstances. Avoiding the first attacker, she caught him and delivered three quick knees before spinning him around to face the other assailants. This was to ensure that her opponents were kept in a line in front of her, making a flank attack unlikely. She then kicked the man she had caught, causing him to crash into two other attackers, neutralising them temporarily. The two remaining Royal Guards charged at her simultaneously. Quinn then sidestepped one of them, launching a deadly superkick to the jaw of the other Royal Guard, knocking him out cold. The last guard then spun around, determined to complete his task. He leapt at Quinn, hoping to catch her off guard, but instead, Quinn caught him in mid-air, using one arm to grab his head in a three-quarter facelock, and drove him face-first into the ground. Getting up from the jumping cutter she just landed, she saw that all five guards were down for the count.

As she walked away confused but unscathed, she was met with a much more formidable foe. Xin Zhao, the Seneschal of Demacia. The King's personal steward. He was one of the strongest fighters in all of Demacia. Quinn didn't have much of a chance against him, not without her weapon and partner, at least. In an instant, Xin Zhao had closed the distance between them, driving the back of his spear straight into Quinn's stomach, making the falconer double over and have the wind knocked out of her. As she gasped for air, Xin Zhao cuffed her hands and feet, then slung her over his shoulder.

" Where….are you taking me…? " Quinn managed between gasps.

The usually silent Seneschal then told her. " For suspicions of high treason against the Demacian King, you will be sent to a re-education centre indefinitely, until you learn proper respect for the Crown. "

Quinn didn't know what to believe in anymore.