Chapter 3

The Dinner

She had only to knock on the great door once this time, and Aelthar let her in without any to-do. This felt to Poison like some kind of victory. As she stepped into the well lit room, Poison caught sight of the Phaerie Lord's face, he looked shocked, for a second she wondered at what, then she caught side of herself in the window. A slight smile spread her lips and she walked further into the room, now with a slightly more regal air. She brushed her long black hair back from her face, Peppercorn had plaited it down her back, but a few strands had worked their way loose and were falling about her eyes, after trying to get rid of them for a moment, she decided to leave them, they made her look quite pretty anyway, took a bit of the focus away from her eyes. Though the startling effect of her dress was quite enough, Peppercorn had chosen one in deep shades of purple, some matching her eyes, some so dark they were almost black, the effect was amazing and pleasing to even her eye, which was unaccustomed to looking at lady's fashion.

"Please, sit down… my Lady." Lord Aelthar's voice was a slippery as a snake's, but he almost managed to conceal the disgust it caused him to call her a lady. Poison sat down carefully, her long dress crunched up underneath her, she moved the lace outer layers carefully and brushed out the wrinkles, then looked up to see Aelthar sitting opposite her. "The meal should be here shortly, I thought we could discuss things over some Elven wine first?" Poison nodded and allowed him to pour out the wine. She took her goblet and went to put it to her lips, she held it there for a moment, then put it down without drinking any. He wouldn't know that she hadn't tried it, but she wasn't prepared to trust him just yet.

"You paid me a great insult today Poison of Gull, leader of the human kind, but I am ready to forgive you," Aelthar started without the customary small talk, which suited Poison just fine, she wasn't much for small talk herself. He continued; "I will arrange safe passage for you and your friends out of this realm and to wherever you want if you agree to go and fetch me the book I asked for!" Poison looked across the table at him, she held his gaze for a moment then shook her head slowly. "No, I'm afraid not Lord Aelthar, it's not quite that simple anymore!" He took a steadying breath, "Very well, I must tell you something. The reason you came here, to free your sister I believe, it has been in vain. I released her many years ago, she is grown up now, and she does not remember you, my Lady!" He studied her carefully, watching for her reaction.

Poison wasn't as shocked as he'd hoped she'd be, she reached for her wine and took a hearty swig, forgetting that it could easily be drugged. Then she set it down carefully and nodded her head slowly. "That isn't really the issue anymore, if I really did come here for my sister, then I stayed for you. I have to end this my Lord, I have to free my people!" My Lord, as she had said that, she realised that he had just called her my Lady. This heartened her, and though her grief for Azaela was painful, she now knew at least that her sister was gone from the Phaerie realm, and that she was back with her own people! Safe. Poison had no reason to stay, but perhaps she had every reason.

"Well, I will offer you no more, if you are too stubborn to accept my generous offer of peace, then I don't know what more I can do!" Poison smiled to herself, she was really getting to him. Good. "You haven't actually offered peace my lord, you have offered my safety and the safety of my friends, this isn't enough! If I am to leave you alone, I want your promise, your word, that you will never again harm one of my people without cause, that neither you nor any of your kind will enter our land without our permission! Can you give me that Lord Aelthar? Or will we leave here enemies?" Aelthar took a sip from his drink of wine, he set down the goblet and ran a hand through his hair. "If you continue to speak to me in such a manner, you will not leave here at all. And I do not make bargains with humans, I made you an acceptable offer, you refused, that is all I needed to hear!" Poison smiled benignly,
"Then I suppose there is nothing left to do, but enjoy our meal." He looked at her sharply. "I don't think I am quite as hungry as I first thought, if you will excuse me my lady, I think I will retire." Poison stood,
"Of course, goodnight my lord, I'm sure I will see you tomorrow!" He jerked his head and turned away from her.

She left the room very quietly, the only sound was her long dress swishing gently across the floor and the soft thud of her soft shoes on the stone. She headed for the rooms she was staying in, but without Anderson to guide her; she soon found herself helplessly lost! After half an hour's walking, she decided to rest and found herself a secluded seat by the dark water fountain. The water gurgled away, just like a stream in the Phaerie realm, but this fountain was not so beautiful as everything in Aelthar's realm was, it was colourless, just like everything else here, Poison thought this bitterly, she longed for colour, this bland, sepia wasteland reminded her to much of home, of Gull.

For an image of Poison's dress, just take out the spaces in the link:

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