Puck POV
I glanced at Ani. She really did remind me of Ash… just the way she carried herself. As if she was used to fey fearing her… but she was running for her life when I found her… so she really couldn't be very strong. I looked out ahead of me. I'll find out at some point, I guess. I had to keep talking unless I wanted her to think something was wrong- that happens to me alot. When I quiet or thinking, other fey think I'm plotting something, or something really, really bad is about to happen. I never did figure out why.
"You're being quiet again."
I started. Dang she notices these things quickly. I laughed. "Can't I think? I'm not a complete moron, I just usually ignore it when something's telling me not to do something."
"So what you're saying is that you seldom use your brain?"
I snorted. "Yeah, sure. That's what I meant."
She laughed. "You didn't elaborate."
"I didn't think I had to." I shot back with a smirk. "Would you like me to talk more? I can if you want."
"Oh no, not at all. I rather enjoy the silence." Her voice held laughter beneath the surface and I could tell she was joking.
I grinned and turned to her. "I think I'll talk more," I paused. "Uhh… Have you ever been in the Wyldwood before?"
"Yes, I hunted here rather often… awhile ago." She looked at me and I noticed for the first time that she had green eyes. Not like my emerald green, but more of a evergreen. "What about you? Have you ever been here before?"
I threw my arms out dramatically. "I live here, court life isn't my preference at the moment."
"Why?"
I thought about it. "Oberon isn't very happy with me at the moment… and I don't feel like being turned into an animal and shoved in a cage for a decade… I just barely got out of that situation awhile back."
She blinked at me. "Oberon turns people into animals when they don't abide by the rules?"
"No," I corrected her with a laugh. "He turns me into an animal whenever I anger him."
"Why does he do that?"
"The worlds will never know."
She looked at me. "Well I'm happy you didn't go back then." She looked away and for a second it looked like she was blushing. Why's she blushing? I stared at her. She sure was easy to read for a Winter fey, almost like she is more of a Wyldfey. She glanced back at me and smiled.
"I like you more like this, Oberon shouldn't turn you into anything…" Her voice trailed off and we continued walking in an awkward silence until I spoke up again- I pretended that all the hints flew right over my head.
"Yeah, so lord pointy ears isn't very happy with me, maybe I should wait a few centuries before going back to Arcadia." I felt kind of downtrodden at the thought of not going home for that long- but it was better than being caged for all the court to see. I sighed. Things just weren't working out for me lately. I glanced at her. Or most things.
She spoke up, obviously glad for the topic change. "What did you do to earn his wrath anyways?"
I shrugged and smirked my devilish smirk. "Oh nothing, one thing led to another and Titania became infatuated with everything she laid eyes on- Oberon has a slight jealous streak and didn't appreciate the joke nearly as much as I did." I chuckled at the memories of my king trying to get her away from a coatrack. "Not the best prank, but I'm working on the plots for future jokes." I glanced at her and she was laughing. It made me happy to see that.
I continued. "I was thinking of trying to catch and shave that furball Grimalken, that could be amusing. Just the look on his face!" I imitated an angry felines expression and Ani giggled.
"I don't think the Cait Sith would appreciate that."
"He would probably claw my face off." I said with a grin. "If he could catch me."
"Are you hard to catch?" She was watching me attentively and I had the urge to keep talking- I wanted her to smile and laugh.
I nodded. "I've been around long enough to know all the tricks."
"Which are?"
I started listing off some of the things- like making duplicates of myself out of leaves or turning into a raven. She listened and occasionally commented, her evergreen eyes never leaving mine.
I finally ended with, "And that's how I avoided the Bone Witch! She was mad since I ended up just leaving the broom at the edge of her swamp!" and she laughed, a wonderful chiming sound… I could listen to that all day and never get tired of it.
I looked around, "Where are we going anyways? Or do you wander like me?"
She blinked, and unlike earlier today, she didn't throw the question back in my face.
"I wander… I can never stay in one spot too long because I attract unwanted attention." She looked at me. "Puck… I have to tell you something." She took a breath and stared at the ground to gather her thoughts. She glanced up at me. "I can trust you right..? I've never told anyone this before."
I nodded quickly. "Yeah, you can trust me."
"Umm… well… you know how I'm a Winter fey… right?"
I nodded.
"Well… I'm also a princess…" She glanced up at me. "I'm Mab's daughter."
I blinked at her as I let that set in. She was the ice princess. I've been away from court for so long that I didn't even know about her until just now. Then it hit me. "That's why you remind me of Iceboy! You two are related."
She looked away and nodded. "Promise you won't tell anyone?" She mumbled and I nodded vigorously. "I promise I won't tell anyone… but why don't you want anyone to know?"
She clenched her fists and snarled. "I ran away from that icy hell the first time, there's no way I'm ever going back!"
I held up my hands. "O-kay, I don't blame you there. I really don't." I laughed. "Mab isn't exactly the definition of 'cuddly' now is she?"
"No."
"Yeah, so I won't turn you in, I'd rather you stay around here anyways."
We stared at each other as it occurred to me what I'd just said. I'd rather you stay around here anyways. And it was true, I didn't want her to leave. I blinked. "Uhh… I mean…"
She smiled at me faintly. "I don't want to leave either."
