The difference became obvious as Merlin passed through the portal. Only women awaited him on the other side. He sighed. The stupidity of the lawless. Some of the women here could slaughter the men with ease and yet they still have to be segregated lest any try to assault them. And to think Cauldron thought that this place might be the core of an army.

Really, if they'd wanted an army, they probably should have consulted with someone about the qualities that made an army.

"Hello?" Merlin paused. A short, blond woman with feathers in her hair stood before him. She was quivering. "I'm… I'm the one who will take you to the Queen."

"Canary," Merlin said.

"Yes." She nodded. "I was in Lustrum's cell block, but well…"

"What the queen demands, the queen gets, I assume."

"Yes." She gestured for Merlin to walk with her, a hint of PR training leaking through her fear.

"There's no need to fear me," Merlin said. He glanced down at Canary. "You have more than enough here to fear, I expect."

"I—Lustrum keeps us safe, I mean, those of us who can't…"

"Protect yourself." Merlin nodded. "It's a common issue in hells like this."

"Like this?" Canary looked around.

"Oh yes, places where the powerful may prey on the innocent…" Merlin shook his head. "I've been in many."

"I… I don't belong here. I didn't mean to—" Canary took a deep breath. "You could get me out, couldn't you?"

"Perhaps," Merlin said, gesturing with one hand.

"What was that?"

"Saving your life, possibly. Some here might wonder what you were bargaining with to secure freedom."

The girl paled even more.

"But what would you give me?" Merlin asked.

"I…" She swallowed. "I wouldn't hurt anyone for you."

"But you might hurt yourself, if I demanded it."

Canary fell silent. Merlin nodded.

"And I have my answer, my dear. I cannot release you right now. But I shall look into it."

"But I didn't give you anything."

"Yes you did. You gave me your measure. I expect most of the inmates here would cheerfully offer to murder whoever I selected. You did not. Besides, it is not your fault that you were chosen to be sacrificed in the place of the Enemy that the PRT could not touch."

"Th-thank you. This is the Queen's Cellblock."

Merlin nodded and walked in. There were homemade tapestries lining the cells, images of knights and dragons upon them, proud fairies offering blessings or punishments to mortals. Fairies of the old mode.

If Merlin hadn't known better, he might have believed he was walking into a fairy hold. The women watching him were dressed in clothing that reflected old ways, no doubt to avoid antagonizing their ruler.

Because Merlin could also taste the fear here. Different from the fear he'd seen in the rest of the cage. There was the knowledge that the more powerful might demand you submit.

Here was the fear of a capricious power that could reward with one hand and slay with the other.

They turned and walked into a large cell block. There were fires burning, fires that did not produce heat or take energy, and the throne the girl sat upon looked to be made of gold and gems.

No. It was made of gold and gems. One of her victims had been a matter manipulator.

"Greetings, Glaistig Uaine, I am Merlin."

"You bear no fairy." The girl looked young, an effect of her power. "And yet you wield the powers of the fae."

"No. I wield the powers of magic."

"So you say." She looked at Canary. "And yet the one I dispatched to speak with you exceeded my command. Mayhap it is time to call her fairy to me—"

"Please, Glaistig Uaine, your majesty!" Canary was on her knees, voice quivering in terror. "I meant no offense!"

"Did you think I would not notice your desire to flee? Even before Merlin shielded you from my gaze I heard your arrogant demands. That you then, as my emissary, dared to lay a petition before my guest." Three translucent figures stepped from the corners of the room, all onlookers save Merlin and Glaistig Uaine silent. "Should I not make an everlasting monument to your folly?" One of the figures walked to Canary, a ghostly form of a small boy, flickering in monochrome colors.

Grey Boy.

"As guest it is not my place to command, your majesty," Merlin said, and then dropped the barriers he normally kept up to prevent his full power from becoming obvious. The lights of the fires darkened and those in the room felt a great weight, a great silence press upon them as the shadows grew. "And yet, I would ask you to consider the wisdom of the ruler."

"What?" There was a world of threat in that word.

"Canary is merely a child, and has neither the wisdom nor the experience of royalty,"

"Should that excuse her failure?"

"Have you dispatched her as your messenger before?" Merlin leaned on his staff. "Did you instruct her in her duties? If a child errs through ignorance, is that not the failure of her teachers, rather than her own failure?"

"You accuse me of…" The three ghosts were now staring at Merlin.

"I merely raise a thought. I am certain you had the same thought. The Fae, after all, are also known to be merciful to the penitent."

"It would be… unseemly to mar your visit by disciplining my emissary." The girl looked down at Canary. "Return to Lustrum. I forgive you your breach of manners. This time."

"I—thank you, Your Majesty." The terrified girl didn't get off the ground, backing off while still prostrating herself before the child.

Mad child. And not a Fae, nor anyone who had ever met a true fae. Merlin had offered no payment for mercy, and a true fae would never have dreamed of just granting Canary mercy without payment. Like Eidolon, Glaistig Uaine was impossible to path, but Merlin had made use of Contessa's power to path around her, and Probability's power to draw down to where her origins were.

And as badly decayed as it was, the wrecked camper with two corpses in it still existed, along with the decayed children's books full of tales of knights and wizards…

And Fairies.

Fertile ground for a powerful shard. Fertile ground to give to a child who desperately wanted to flee her horrifying reality.

Merlin had suspicions that the power the mad queen had was intended to be used at the ending, to retrieve all shards, although it seemed odd that such a power would have been distributed in the first place. Alternately… As a way to remove disruptive wielders, while still maintaining access to their powers…

Useless woolgathering. The purpose of the cycle had been disrupted by Contessa. It was entirely possible that normally, Glaistig Uaine's power would never be distributed.

"Now that that is over," Merlin said. "May we speak privately?"

"And what is too important for my court?"

"Well, among other things, the end of the world and your place in it."

The room went absolutely silent. Grey Boy vanished and another form, huge, glowing cracks running through its craggy body, appeared.

Finally, she nodded. "Very well, Merlin, but be warned. I do not enjoy the presence of Jesters."

"Then we'll get along famously. I don't like them either."