In the Fae lands
Queen Rowan sighed as she sat in her private throne room, golden light flooding through the open windows onto her carefully constructed wooden throne. She reviewed the testimony of the cadre members tasked with dealing with the incidents in Montview with a jaundiced eye. Since the Royals had liberated the Fae realm from its demonic masters centuries before, Rowan had learned to deal with the nitpicky intricacies of ruling a land of magic. Her centuries of study of human law (and law enforcement) had made it slightly easier for her to deal with procedural issues than either of her two brothers. But it was rapidly becoming apparent, at least to her, that the tiny, ultra-conservative little religious hamlet whose population were currently under scrutiny, were proving to be far more trouble that they were worth. Even though the hamlet was tucked miles away from the home of the Royal family (or the Dragon Temple), their issues – and reluctance to bend the knee to the ruling house despite the protection it would offer, was annoying the usually serene young queen no end. "I could always call up a dragon and torch the place" she mused. "That would put a stop to this nonsense. Or send a Manticore to deal with them. Either would work." She dropped the file with a sigh, contemplating what her brother would have to say about what had already been discovered – and was yet to be found. She couldn't keep the news of a possible rise of the cult of Dionysus from either of her brothers forever. "Nico better find those kids soon before the rumor mill goes into overdrive."
At that moment one of the Queen's bevy of large cats – a goldish colored lynx named Pasha - strolled into his mistress's throne room, purring loudly as it walked. Signs of a successful hunt were still visible on its pelt with blood and bits of its prey clinging to the animal's pretty fur. "Mistress" the cat rumbled as it sat at her feet. "The King's wolves stole my catch. I brought down a fat pheasant for you as a gift but they trotted off with it without as much as a thank you. Oh – and the King's Justice Minister is on his way here to speak to you." The cat gracefully settled itself at its mistress feet and started cleaning the still wet blood from its fur.
"Wonderful" the Queen muttered. "As if I don't have enough to worry about. Considering we don't speak – ever – why would he be coming in this direction? Can't Maxim find his king to complain to? Or is my brother out hunting with our middle sibling again?"
The cat shrugged, settling itself comfortable on the floor and continuing its daily grooming ritual. "One of the King's wolves might have mentioned that the Minister was angry to discover you had taken over the hunt for some missing Fae children."
"Oh – even more joyful" Rowan replied with a grimace. "He's going to want to know why I didn't have him send his own investigators to the scene. I wonder if he knows I sent Nico on this particular assignment without informing him."
"Did you need to tell him?" the great cat rumbled, carefully licking the last of its prey's blood from its paws. "After all – you are Queen. Does not your word rule all?"
"It's slightly more complicated than you make it out" she sighed, leaning out of her chair to scratch the lynx between its tufted ears. The low, pleased purring helped to settle her nerves before she had to speak to the often prickly Minister of Justice.
Rowan had wondered, off and on when she had nothing else to think about, whether Maxim was as difficult with her brother as he was with her. She had even mentioned it to the King – who had shrugged. "You shot his wife. I think I might have issues with having to interact with someone I blamed for hurting you or our brother."
"The bitch was about to kill her own son" Rowan had protested. "What was I supposed to do – slap her hands and tell her to go stand in a corner?"
She had tried to give the man the benefit of the doubt after that conversation. And by all accounts he was a good Minister of Justice, setting up fair courts in the land to deal with the nightmare of bringing the law to a land used more to horror than justice. But, for all her efforts, the man never seemed to be anything but coolly disinterested in her presence despite both her brothers insistence on her having final say on matters pertaining to the law. And when Nico had joined her guard…
A guard rapped hesitantly on the door. "My Queen, Minister Ainsley would like a word?"
"Yes – and I'm sure those words are die bitch die" she grumbled, straightening the papers on her table. "Send him in." She glanced down at the now napping lynx. "Big help you're going to be" she muttered as the rail-thin figure of the Minister of Justice solemnly entered her office.
Maxim Ainsley looked nothing like either of his sons – or his brothers for that matter. Where the other males of the family were dark haired and dark eyed he was blond and green eyed – or at least he had been when the war had begun. Now, his hair had thinned to the point of non-existence and his eyes were constantly blood-shot. He walked with a stoop, giving the appearance of a man twice his age. No one would have suspected that he was the youngest of the Ainsley brothers, a family heralded for their bravery during the time of the Resistance and the War. "My Queen" he murmured, eyes never leaving the floor.
"Master Ainsley" Rowan replied, folding her hands in her lap top keep from digging her nails into her throne. "What matter is so important that you must bring it to my attention and not to the King's?"
"It is my understanding the Cadre Macbeth is leading the investigation into the disappearance of children from Montview. May I ask why my own investigators were not summoned?"
Rowan shrugged. "One of the young people who disappeared was acquainted with a member of my Cadre and had contacted him for assistance in leaving his community. When the boy didn't show up for their meeting, the Cadre member went looking for him and found he was not the only one missing from the town. The elders panicked at his presence and revealed just how many children were missing and that one pair of elders from their church – the grandparents of a missing girl – were also nowhere to be found. Since my investigator was already there…"
"My people should have been informed" Maxim responded quietly.
"They were informed – and told to stay the hell out my group's way unless they were needed. Montview is a "religious" outpost and I wasn't willing to make things worse by flooding them with officials they obviously hadn't planned on informing of their issues. And for the record, Master Ainsley, I'm only answering your questions as a curtesy to your office. I have kept the King and the Master Abbot of the Temple informed of this issue. If they did not see fit to loop you into this then you should bring it up with them. Now, if you will excuse me…" she rose, dismissing the man with wave.
Ainsley, however, did not move. "You majesty, I wish only to ensure that justice is done for the people of Montview as it would be done for any others."
"Master Ainsley, let's just cut to the chase shall we?" Rowan moved from her throne to her weapons case, pulling a set of daggers from their sheaths and lining them on the table. "You have no doubt heard that there is more to the disappearances then originally suspected. This is true – the elders that were missing are missing no longer. They are dead, eviscerated and buried in multiple places on their farm. There is also evidence of illicit potion making in the barn of the elders – specifically the making of the Tears of Dionysus. And we both know what the existence of that potion means."
"That the Maenads are reforming" Ainsley whispered, fists clenched at his side.
"Yes. And considering your history with that particular cult…"
"I was NEVER accused of being one of their members!" Maxim growled. "I have always been loyal…"
"Loyal, really?" Rowan snorted, shaking her head in disbelief. "No you might not have ever been proven to be one of the cultists – but you have shown yourself time and time again to be an apologist for them." Rowan turned, a dagger in her hand. "Never, since that day, have I heard you speak of the crimes you wife committed other than to make excuses for her. Well I, for one, am tired of listening. You have a problem with me – talk to the King. I wouldn't give a fig for your chances with him, though. Or have you forgotten he and our brother the Abbott were there that night and saw just what your wife and her little buddies were up to before we shut them down." She flicked her wrist, sending the dagger flying across the room, pinning a fly to the wall. "Now, if there is nothing else you want to bother me about, I have work to do. There are hags in the North Country kidnapping children for use as slaves. My guards and I need to be on the road up there to dissuade them from continuing on that path. My Cadre will continue this investigation with help from your people where needed. And they will all report back to me. Do I make myself clear?"
Ainsley's head shot up, finally looking into the Queen's cold eyes. With a shudder he backed up a step and bowed stiffly. "Yes – your majesty. As you command." Turning on his heel, he stalked out of the office.
Rowan watched him impassively, reaching behind her for another dagger. "I see I'll have to deal with him sooner than I thought" she murmured, tossing the sharp blade from hand to hand. "My brother did say there would come a day we couldn't avoid dealing with Ainsley's past, despite our trust in his brothers. Looks like that day is now."
Outside of the office, Maxim Ainsley turned a corner and stopped, leaning against the cold stone walls of the castle to catch his breath. The look in her eyes had sent a cold shudder through him. "Damn it!" he whispered to himself. "I should have known better than to go in there like that. Whatever baseless suspicions she had of me have just been affirmed." He straightened and started swiftly back to his own offices. "I must find out why this outbreak has occurred in such a strict, religious community. If this is a resurgence of the Maenads then their first target once they are at full strength will be the Crown." He ran for the far halls, the sound of thunder echoing outside of the ancient structure.