You're not a heeerroooo! You're a liar! You're not a savviorrr! You're a vampire! Sucking the life out of all the friends you've ever known!

What encouraging words, aye? They're from Heroes by All Time Low by the way~ I love the vampire line xD Dunno why. Just thought it was funny.

I think that this is the only story that I ever prewrote a chapter for. The others I just write on the spot.

Shows to you guys how much I love this story. ^^


-The Iron Sister-


Stolen Freedom As a Favor Repaid

"Oh, no," Glitch breathed, staring at me with a horrified expression on his face. He then held his head in his hands. "This is so not happening. It's one thing to meet her and talk to her, but to do this, too? She's just like Goodfellow. I'm going to go insane. Does nobody care about my sanity? I think not."

I stared at his rambling, hunched over figure with confusion in my eyes. Turning to Meghan, I hoped to get some answers when I saw her grinning, slightly maniacally, at me.

"What?" I asked, blinking blankly. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Meghan laughed, bright eyes twinkling mischievously.

"It is to me," Glitch groaned. He then promptly walked over to a tree and was about to bash his head into it when I stopped him.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, sprinting to stand in front of him with my arms held out from my sides, blocking his way and protecting the tree (I'm an awesome multi-tasker. Count all the things I did in that one sentence. Four things. You know you're jealous.).

"If you do that, your hair's going to kill the tree!" That was a really weird sentence.

Glitch scowled. "Stupid tree that has a stupid aversion to iron glamour," he muttered darkly. "I can't even hit my head to get myself to forget all this."

"I'd be happy to help you with that," I offered enthusiastically. He just ignored me and trudged back to the others, mumbling incomprehensible things under his breath (Psh. That's the last time I help him.).

Shrugging, I followed him. Meghan stood there with her hands on her hips with the corners of her lips pulled up into an amused smile.

Then, our group fell into an awkward silence. Glitch was standing with his arms crossed, scowling at the floor. His body language shouted, 'I'm anti-social because I feel like it!', or something along those lines. The guards were being... Guard-like. You know, the type where they just stand there, hand on their sword while scanning the surroundings for any enemies.

I felt a gaze bore into the side of my head.

I looked up to see Meghan's eyes staring at me intently. Scuffing my worn out, black converse on the dirt floor, I glanced away, but her eyes never strayed.

Then I broke.

"What? What? What you waiting for?" I blurted out in a slightly desperate tone.

"I thought you were thinking about your answer..." she said slowly, giving me a strange look.

"Answer to what question?" I asked, shaking my head in confusion.

She gave me a dazzling smile. "If you wanted to join my court, of course," she stated matter-of-factly.

I gawked at her. "'Scuse me?" I asked in a breathless voice.

"C'mon, Ira," Meghan energetically bounced up and down on the balls of her feet as she stood. "Join my court. You wouldn't have to live in a tree anymore," she baited, coating her voice with so much sugar, I was sure that she got a cavity.

"I..." What was I supposed to say? You're only asking me to join your court because I have this weird aura that attracts people to me? Yeah. That would go over like a ton of freaking bricks.

While I was struggling for an answer, a new variable was added to help try and sway my decision.

"I'm asking you because I never met anyone like me. I thought I was the only one," Meghan explained, relief written across her face.

My dark eyebrows furrowed. "Like... You?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I've never met another half-human, half-fey other than myself."

I... I'm not alone?

Well. I didn't expect that.

"My faerie father is Oberon, and my mom is human."

Scratch that. I knew that there was a possibility of other half-faeries, so it was kind of expected. But Meghan being both a queen and a princess? Never would have guessed that.

The mind-blowing news caused me to blurt out the first thing that came to mind.

"I knew I thought I smelt something like dirt."

She raised her eyebrows at me.

My eyes widened.

"Wait. No, no, no. I didn't mean it like that," I backtracked, shaking my head and waving my hands in a slight panic. "It's more like an earthy smell!" Even I slapped my forehead in the classic face palm at my lame attempt at trying to cover up my mistake.

I winced and looked at the ground. "Please don't smite me with your queenly iron glamour."

Her mouth opened, but I added something on before she could reply.

"Or take back your offer just yet," I said quietly, staring at a clump of grass. This offer... It's a one in a life time kind of thing. But it's not something I can agree to or dismiss so quickly. Despite the perks, there may be more negatives.

But in response, her face lit up. "So you're actually considering-?" she started to say before a new voice joined us.

"Hello, princess. And aren't you in a curious situation."

I froze in place, my blood chilling as I heard the word. Princess.

When I was still in the Unseelie Court, the fey would mock me. They'd call me the Mistake Princess, the Royal Half-Breed, or would just sneer Princess in a horrible way. I've come to actually hate the word.

But when I heard it just now, addressed to someone, that hate ricochets back into my mind. Especially when I knew it was aimed towards me. A flare of muddled, red hatred bursted in my aura before quickly disappearing, leaving behind the usual swirl of bright, clear reds, oranges, and a dirty, overlay of gray.

"Grim!" Meghan exclaimed in surprise, not noticing my flash of anger.

"I know my name," the cait sith licked his paw before giving me an all-knowing look with a blink of his gold, saucer-like eyes from the large, smooth rock he was sitting on.

"How have you been? Wait, why did you call me Princess?" Meghan asked curiously, not knowing that it was me he aimed the title towards.

The cat just shook out its long, wispy grey fur, which was being played with by the wind, and flicked his long tail, ignoring her questions.

Hiding my shock of his sudden appearance by pursing my lips, I asked him stiffly, "What are you doing here, cait sith?"

Meghan looked from between us. "You guys know each other?"

"We have been acquainted long ago," Grimalkin purred. "Very long ago."

The cait sith had met me in the WyldWood one day as I was practicing a new move I had mimicked from a human, judo master. He immediately recognized me for who I was. I asked him how be figured it out, and he simply replied, "I am a cat."

I wondered if he was going to turn me in. I couldn't risk that. He wanted to see what I would offer him to keep him from squealing. I said that I would grant him a favor. He never told me yet what he wanted from me, and said he would come for me when he needs the favor paid.

I'm guessing that's why he's here now.

What freaking horrible timing. (Sorry. I was recently in the mortal world and their slang has attached itself to me.)

The cat slightly tilted his head at me as if knowing what was going through my mind.

"Well," he said, twitching his whiskers. "Go on with whatever you were doing."

I bit my tongue to hold back a snarky remark and instead turned to Meghan with a sigh, my answer, and a heavy heart.

"I can't."

She looked at me in shock. "Why? You don't belong to any court. You don't have an aversion to iron. You'd be fine. Why not?"

My sad, old eyes looked into hers. "I don't think it would work out. You don't know me. I don't know you. I have trusting issues. I can't be ruled by someone I don't know. It just doesn't work that way," I shook my head. "I am sorry."

I turned around to head back to my tree when the cat piped up.

"I believe you have a debt to repay," he stated. He then leaped off the rock he was on, ran ahead of me, and hopped onto the first branch of my tree.

He then analyzed my tree with sharp eyes. "This is interesting. A nice defense."

I scowled. "Get on with it, cat."

The cait sith gave me an amused look before plowing on. "To repay your debt, I ask you to..." he paused for a moment. I never knew cats could be so dramatic.

"I ask you to join the Iron Court." You were rightly named, Devil's Cat.

"Grim!" Meghan exclaimed in shock while I stood there, paralyzed. "You can't just force her to do that! No debt should make her give up her freedom!"

My body was still stiff with surprise. What is that cat up to? I haven't known him long, but I know that every action he makes is part of a carefully-planned scheme that would most likely benefit him somehow, sometime in the future.

I watched as he flicked his ears before giving me a look that said 'this debt was serious enough to be a life one. Know that.' He then ignored Meghan again and disappeared from sight.

Meghan sighed and gave me an apologetic look. "Sorry. You really don't have to join. The debt you had couldn't be that-."

"I'll join," I stated emotionlessly, still staring at the empty space where the cait sith had been.

She watched my face, an array of emotions showing in her aura. She then nodded reluctantly and said in a low voice, "I understand."

Meghan motioned for me to stand before her. I tore my gaze away from the branch and dragged my feet over to where she gestured.

"Kneel." I did.

"Ira, former member of the Unseelie Court," her voice turned powerful and regal. Her fair hair was whipping around in the strong wind, but her piercing, blue eyes never wavered.

"Do you swear your loyalty to the Iron Court and myself? Willingly agreeing to all the consequences of doing so, which include severing all ties to your former court?" she asked.

"I, willing, swear my loyalty," I answered without hesitation. The air quivered around us from the power of her glamour and the contract, causing a slight break before the wind continued blowing just as smoothly as before.

"Then, I now pronounce you a member of the Iron Court," she dubbed, placing two fingers to my forehead. My body felt a current run through my veins. Was that from her?

She took back her hand and jokingly wiped her forehead as if she were exhausted. "Whew," she said before giving me a small grin. "Well, that's it."

No. That's not it. My freedom is gone. I belong to someone. I serve someone other than myself. I must do what someone else desires and not what I wish. No.

That was not just it. They may be words to you, but to me, they were all I had.

Though, it's not your fault, Meghan, I couldn't help think as I saw regret in her eyes.

It's mine for digging myself the hole and practically leaping into it.


I swear, my eye was near the twitching stage as I stared at the mode of transportation we were supposed to take. The small, iron horses just snorted out a few flames while pawing at the ground with their coal-black hooves.

"We're... riding... on them?" I asked weakly, still staring at the horses with wide, unblinking eyes.

"Yeah," Glitch replied. He then noticed my facial expression, and his voice turned sly. "Why? You scared?"

"Of course not," I exclaimed haughtily at the challenge, shooting him a vicious glare.

"Will you two be arguing the whole journey there?" Meghan sighed and ran a hand down her tired-looking face.

"Most likely," I muttered, fingering my black, shoulder bag that carried my few items.

"Well, we're going to be around each other for a long time," Glitch admitted, giving me a wry look. "I guess we might as well get along. Want to start over?"

Meghan's face lost it's weariness in surprise before beaming in victory.

Until the two of us started cracking up in unison.

I slapped my knee, chortling, "Oh, man. That was brilliant. Just brilliant."

Glitch held a hand to his stomach. "I can't believe I just said that. My throat burns from saying those words."

Meghan's smile was wiped off the face of the Earth and was replaced with a dark look.

We both quieted and bowed our heads. Me, with a bit of trouble and a throbbing, bottom lip since I was not used to bowing to others, and I needed a little push, hence the throbbing.

Meghan sighed, shook her head, and started walking to her horse while mumbling, "I knew I got my hopes up too high. I don't even like riding, and they're going to give me a headache on top of that."

As soon as she slipped onto her saddle, her eyes widened slightly as she realized something. "There's only one free horse," Meghan murmured as she saw that all of the guards have already mounted.

"Dibs!" I shouted automatically, sprinting towards the rider-less, iron horse.

"Hell no!" Glitch yelled in response, also running toward the horse.

Unfortunately for me, Glitch was closer, so he got to it first. He placed a foot in the stirrup and lifted himself up onto the saddle in one smooth action.

I scowled.

"Well, I guess we're going to have to leave you here!" Glitch said cheerfully, pulling on the horse's reins to keep the horse in place. When the horse snorted, the flames singed the tips of my hair.

"I don't think so," I cried before pulling myself up behind him and clinging to the back of his leather jacket after mimicking his earlier action, my bag jolting against my side with every move.

"Nice mount," Meghan called. "You rode before?"

"No, I nev-AHH!" I didn't finish my answer. Why? Because it was exchanged for a scream.

For, Glitch thought it would be funny if he just took off at full speed. I latched my arms around his waist to keep from falling and buried my face in his shoulder, my hair flying behind me. Though, my bangs were unmoving since I always had a small layer of glamour on it.

"Make it stoooop!" I yelled at him, taking one hand away, so I could pound on his back.

His shoulders started to shake. I held the saddle in fear that he was having a seizure and was going to throw us both off. When nothing happened, I realized that he was laughing.

"You jerk!" I screeched, my aura blazing with fury, causing the wind blowing towards us, to turn icy.

Then, the horse started to slow until it reached a full stop. My breathing was uneven from the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

Glitch turned his torso around with a full blown smile on his face (never saw him look so happy. I thought his only facial expressions were glares, sulks, and scowls) and his shimmering, violet eyes were shinier than usual (maybe because the cold wind was blowing into his eyes. Who knows.).

"Sooo," he prodded, giving me an 'innocent' grin. "How was your first ride on a horse?"

I gave him a sarcastic look. "Oh, just great," I drawled snarkily. "I love thinking that the one who's keeping me upright on a galloping, metal, flame-snorting horse, might be having a seizure."

He rolled his eyes. "No need for sarcasm."

I gave him a serious look, stating, "There's always a need for sarcasm."

"No, there's always a need for food and wa-" he started to say until he was interrupted by Meghan's voice.

"Glitch!" she shouted angrily. Her horse came up beside us.

"Why did you do that?" she asked in exasperation as she pulled on her reins.

Glitch opened his mouth, but Meghan just shook her head in exasperation before he had a chance to explain himself.

"That was such a Puck move I almost expected your hair to flash red instead of yellow."


It turned out that the storm I felt coming, started right after Glitch's little stunt. Meghan claimed that the Iron Realm was too far away to reach with the storm in full power. She then stated that we would be going to going to the Summer Court instead since even though the rain just evaporated once they touched the horses, their flaming core eventually would die down.

Of course, that decision was met with some opposition.

Me: "But it's always so hot there!"

Glitch: "Are you trying to destroy the world? Goodfellow and her in one palace? No one will survive!"

At his argument, I gave him an offended look.

"I can destroy the world without any help, thank you very much."


"We look pretty pathetic," I said, wringing out my black hair which looked limp and dull from the pounding rain we were riding in.

Meghan combed through her equally wet, now grey, blonde hair with her fingers.

"Titania is going to have a field day once she sees me like this," she muttered in annoyance, wincing as she hit a bad snarl.

"Bitch-queen doesn't like someone? What a shocker," I said sarcastically as I squeezed my clothes in my hands, causing a steady drip to splash against Arcadia's flawless, tile floors. Oops.

"Jeez, does everyone call her that?" Meghan raised her eyebrows, impressed that the nickname was everywhere.

I smirked. "Yup. Because everyone agrees with it."

"Is it really smart to be talking about her while in her realm?" Glitch asked, taking off his soaked-through leather jacket to reveal a slightly wet black shirt (surprise, surprise. I thought it was going to be neon green.) that stuck to his pale body. His black spiky hair was somehow still just as pointy as before (I think the electrical bolts were drying it... I'm shocked that he wasn't electrocuted during the storm. Get it? I'm shocked?... Whatever.)

"As long as it doesn't start a war, it's fine. It's not like she can punish someone in a different court," I shrugged, also peeling off my own leather jacket with a frown. Leather gets ruined with a lot of water, and I didn't get a chance to water-proof it yet. Damn.

I sighed sadly and tossed it carelessly over my shoulder. Though, my grey t-shirt was just as wet (You wish that I was throwing that over my shoulder, too.).

"I'm not the trash bin!" came Glitch's indignant cry from behind me.

"Really?" I replied, rolling my eyes. "You sure could have fooled me."

"Lady Meghan? We have your rooms ready," came the stiff voice of a stoic guard. He gestured for us to follow him before walking off, not looking back to see if we were.

"Damn it!" I heard Glitch curse right before we started to hurry after the Seelie guard. "I think the jacket got caught on the studs in my ears!"

We can deal with your little problem, tomorrow, socket-head.

Right now, a warm, dry bed is singing a siren song, luring me to a comfortable night of sleep, trying to soften the knowledge of tomorrow starting my life under someone else's rein.


I figured out what Glitch looks likes~ I forgot that he had violet eyes... I also realized that I messed up on his personality A LOT. Oh, well. I'll show his professional side eventually.

OMGEEE! GUESS WHAT? I have a plot for this story.

Like a real plot.

Like a real, freaking-fantabulous plot.

Like a real, freaking-fantabulous plot with a surprising twist.

Hope you guys like it :3

royalwriter: I read my old one then I read this, and I'm like, "Whoa. Didn't know I changed my writing that much." But I had fun writing my old one. I'm just having more fun writing this one xD Specially now that I have a plot... Wow. I feel like screaming that to the world.

Queen of Air and Darkness: Lol. Good then Kickass. Wonder which one I like better ;)

Elle: Wow. A book? That'd be fantastic... You know, if Julie Kagawa ever lets me xD I actually didn't know about those books until a few days ago T.T I entered the book contest though... It's about how much I love Puck 8D I gotta read those books now tho... The Ethan spin-off will most likely be epic. Btw, can you tell me what the Lost Prince is? I saw a cover of it, but I'm not sure what it is. Or just tell me all the books that are written by her and involve the iron fey... :) If it's not any trouble ^^

Twinni: I didn't see the movie... Didn't hear about it before. Well, actually I did, but I forgot about it xD I wanna see it now cuz I just watched the trailer on youtube. Seems cool. Shia Labeouf~ The aura chart was mostly true. I left out some stuff that I felt weren't necessary. I found it online. Lol. Kudos are snacks 8D (It's true. I ate them before. I liked the ones with M & M's ^^) I think Ira's more 25% Max, 25% Fang/Ash, 25% Puck, and 25% Ira. xD Meghan's mature cuz I felt like she had to be... She was way to OOC in the old one... The Jo Bros... PWAHAHAHAHAHA I remember when all my friends were obsessed with Nick. Now they're obsessed with 1D :P I was actually listening to Everybody Talks when I read your review.. My ipod was on shuffle, and it just played :D I was hyper cuz I was eager to write ^^ Cuz I just love my reviewers~ But 2 days? I thought it was more. Ehh. I feel like it was really bad tho. T.T. But you don't need to review faster... You need to update faster :)

PLOT PLOT PLOT PLOT PLOT PLOT

OMG, I'M EXCITED FOR THE PLOT!

REVIEW FOR THE PLOOOOOTTT!

... Again. I'm not drunk. Well, maybe drunk on happiness. :)

Life is good, I can't complain. Well, I could, but no one's listening. Your image overwhelms my brain, and it feels good, good, good. (Puck's image... -fans self-) Like whoa - Aly and AJ


Truth