Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to the Harry Potter universe!
Maeve watched from her window as the Lord Black rushed around the winter garden, playing with Titania's younger children. Kara, Breanna and Adair were clearly fond of the mortal, who acted much like a child himself at times but could obviously be as deadly as one of Maeve's own court. Right now, they were having a snow fight, or whatever mortals called it, throwing snow at each other. The Winter Queen's lips twitched as Sirius pushed Adair into a snow drift before picking up Breanna bridal-style and spinning around with a barking laugh. The female Fae squealed and begged her sister for assistance; Kara took that to mean tackle time because she jumped onto the pair and with a yelp, Sirius went down, the two females sprawled on top of him. A moment later, he was tickling them to death. Finally, Adair got the upper hand, splashing freezing water from the nearby pool onto their mortal playmate. Sirius jumped to his feet with a yell and many expletives left his lips. Soaking wet, Sirius chased the children back inside, yelling at the top of his lungs and swearing vengeance, something about regretting crossing a Maurader… whatever that meant.
"…..ther? Mother? Are you feeling all right, you look quite different…" Maeve was actually startled and turned to face Morcant, who had come into her room at some point. "I'm fine, son. What is it?" Morcant frowned. "Are you sure? You are flushed."
Maeve resisted the impulse to touch her face and shrugged. "Perhaps it is a bit over-warm in here. Now, why have you sought me out?"
"Queen Titania says that supper is almost ready and you do not look ready at all." Maeve mentally cursed and nodded. "Very well. I shall be but a moment."
As she moved toward her bedroom, Morcant spoke again. "Mother… you are unusually distracted, ever since we arrived. It concerns me."
"I am not distracted. It is always a strain to be here, you know that." Morcant looked stubborn and suspicious. "It is more than that but I sense you won't tell me. I also sense that it has to do with that mortal." A sneer turned his face ugly.
"Nonsense. Your prejudice is showing, Morcant. I will hear no more, save it for when we are back home." With a sniff, Maeve went into her bedroom and closed the door.
Morcant scowled deeply. He had seen his mother gazing out the window and heard the mortal's laughter. Her face had flushed and a smile had threatened to come out. She was infatuated and that would not do. The so-called Lord Black had clearly done something to bewitch his mother and Morcant would see it undone, even if he had to break age-old custom to do it.
Sirius was walking toward the great hall accompanied by Adair and his sisters as usual. He was grumbling and still swearing to get Adair back for the freezing finish to their play earlier. Adair was laughing while his sisters playfully clung to Sirius' arms when suddenly, a long-forgotten sixth sense made the hair on Sirius' neck stand up in warning.
Instinctively, he shouted, "DOWN!" and pushed all three Fae to the ground, trying to cover them with his own body. A mere second later, literally black magic sliced through where they had been standing. The force behind the spell was so great that the sonic boom from the impact shattered the nearby windows and cracking the alabaster wall it hit. Glass and stone rained down as the girls cried out, Adair cursed and Sirius drew his wand.
Another wave of magic came at them and Sirius turned, casting his most powerful shield spell. Black clashed against white and the attack thankfully fizzled out.
Sirius' blood boiled as Morcant came out from behind a pillar, sword at the ready and an angry snarl marring his handsome face. "Adair, take the girls and run to the hall. Tell the Queen." Adair moved to obey but the girls were understandably reluctant. "But Sirius-"
"GO!" The Black Lord snapped, pointing down the hall imperiously. Adair ushered his sisters away with reassuring words with all possible haste. Deliberately blocking the way, Sirius glared at Morcant as he approached. "I knew you didn't like me, princeling but you crossed the line when you attacked children to try and get to me. And Titania's children? She'll have your head for this."
"So much the better if I had, mortal mage. You will release the spell you put on my mother now or I will take your head from your shoulders."
Sirius scoffed in disbelief, this kid was either seriously out of it or just looking for trouble. "What spell would that be? I've barely spent an hour in Queen Maeve's presence and that time has been in Queen Titania's presence… So how could I have done anything to her sister without her knowing?"
Morcant's glare intensified. "Lies! I know my mother and since meeting you, she has not been the same. You did something, you… and that damn rose! She keeps it beside her bed, charmed to be forever fresh when she doesn't even like flowers!"
He started to blindly slash at Sirius, who quickly transfigured a metal shield from a large piece of nearby rubble. He kept his wand ready but didn't attack right away. The boy's anger was clouding his judgment, making his movements sloppy. Sirius hoped to delay him as long as possible until Titania arrive so that there would be no doubt he was defending himself.
"I swear on my magic, I have not bewitched Queen Maeve in any way, shape or form. Nor have I any wish to do so in the future. So mote it be." There was a flash of light and Sirius used a stinging hex that hit the boy on the arm, making him hiss. "I still have my magic, boy, so your accusation is unfounded. I have done absolutely nothing to your mother."
Morcant snarled in rage. "No matter, your death will still do the trick!" As the Fae prince charged toward him, Sirius finally had enough. He muttered, "Glacius!" A second later, the prince was frozen in a pillar of ice, his eyes the only thing that could move, his mouth open in an angry yell. Frankly, he looked ridiculous.
"Sirius?!" He turned and found Titania and her children running toward him with Maeve close behind. He bowed at once and Titania immediately ordered him to rise. "The children told me. Are you well?" Sirius nodded, even as Kara and Breanna rushed to hug him.
"Yes, Majesty. Did the children tell you what happened?" He avoided looking at Maeve for the moment.
Titania frowned. "Yes, and now I would hear what happened after they left you." Sirius obeyed and after the tale, Titania was frowning and Maeve looked livid. She marched over to her son and said, "You may release him from the spell, Lord Black. I will take care of him." Sirius reluctantly cast a controlled Incendio at the frozen prince, who was left thawed but completely soaked, much to the amusement of Titania's children.
"YOU!" He howled and lunged at Sirius. Before the girls could do more than cry out, Maeve snapped her fingers and her son abruptly became a leashed dog, literally. "If you act like a rabid dog, so shall you be a dog until I say otherwise. You have shamed me and my sister with your unjust accusations and your attempts to harm my sister's guest, not to mention her children. I see that I shall have to discipline you, Morcant but that will have to wait." She turned to Titania and said, "Please accept my apologies, Sister. I had no idea of his intent, nor of how uncontrollable he had become. I assure you he will be justly punished for this break in protocol." Then she turned to Sirius. "My apologies to you as well, Lord Black."
Sirius immediately bowed in return. "I bear no grudge, Majesty, and will seek no recompense." Then he let out a chuckle. "Though you might want to get a mind-healer for the boy once he's not a dog anymore. The idea that I could charm you, the Queen of Winter, is absolutely ridiculous." Shaking his head in bemusement, he turned to the kids. "You three all right?" The girls immediately tackled him in a hug and Adair clapped him on the shoulder. "You did well, Lord Black. Morcant might have been overtaken with anger but to last against an Unseelie prince and then best him, that is quite a feat." Sirius laughed. "Somehow I think my godson would be able to top that without much trouble. Now, come on, I'm famished!"
Titania turned back to look at her sister, who looked troubled. "Maeve, what is amiss?" The Winter Queen stared after Sirius and the children, one hand lingering in the vicinity of her throat in a strangely vulnerable gesture. "I know not, Sister… I know not." Titania was getting very confused. She wanted answers and despite her sister's obvious reluctance, she would get them. "Sister, I truly think we need to talk."
