Here is chapter two! Hope you all enjoy it.
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"Well hellloooo ladies. Have you missed me? Never mind, dumb question. Obviously you have! So, who's first?" Butch grinned salaciously as he threw the door open and strolled into the small brothel as if he owned it. The few fae women inside glanced at him briefly before turning back to their various tasks. Butch's grin quickly turned into a frown at that.
"Come on now ladies, I know I've been a bit lax but this is a bit much don't ya think?"
One woman, on the small side with translucent and glittering butterfly wings behind her, sighed as she turned from the game she had been playing with the other ladies. She looked at him, her iridescent eyes stating blank with a type of un-amusement that had Butch nearly wincing.
"Butch. Welcome. How can we assist you today?"
Butch's grin returned. "Latiai! I knew I could count on you. I'll just have my usually if you know what I mean."
He waggled his eyebrows at the woman only to have her sigh and turn back to the game. "The madame is in the back. Please go let her deal with you."
Butch snorted. "You ladies today. Who went and ruined your moods?"
"I don't suppose your brother owns a mirror? If he does, I suggest you take a good, long look into it."
Butch clicked his tongue before continuing into the brothel, letting the door finally close behind him. "Latiai, Latiai, Latiai. Come on sweetheart, I admitted it didn't I? Cut a bloke some slack. Please?"
Latiai ignored him but Butch didn't let it bother him too much. The ladies in here weren't on the clock right now. He couldn't really expect them to entertain him off hours. That said, he did actually need 'service'.
Deciding not to pester poor Latiai or any of the other ladies any further, Butch strolled through the room. It was dark now with the door closed, not that it really bothered any of them. All the fae in that room had excellent night vision, even by fae standards. One of the few requirements of this particular establishment. One his brother had not budged on after taking the place over.
With that in mind, Butch reached the door he needed too and slowly opened it. Time to receive his service.
Boomer couldn't help but yawn as he watched the street in front of him, a knife flawlessly peeling the apple he had in his hands without him even looking. How boring. He didn't get why Brick kept sending him to watch over this one street. It wasn't like anything ever happened on it. Plus, if they were going to offer the vendors on the street their protection, why not have them pay in information instead of actual money? It made more sense to Boomer than him having to sit on a barrel of goods of one of said vendors.
Of course, right as he thought that, a shout went out not far from the area he was lounging. Not really worrying, Boomer turned to see a small creature covered in fur and with golden eyes weaving quickly through the crowds, a guard trying to follow with very little success. Boomer turned to look further down the street in thought. If the kid kept going that way he was going to get caught by the two guards further up the street. They'd noticed the yelling too and were on full alert now.
What to do, what to do…He could let the kid know, but then he'd be responsible for the little thief. He could try to distract the guards, maybe pretend to there was another thief running the other way? But that would mean making someone run the other way and once they found out it was a ruse they might get on him the next time he was lounging about on the street and that would probably anger Brick. As the kid rapidly approached the two guards standing there, Boomer made up his mind.
Boomer watched carefully, taking a bite of the peeled apple, as the kid broke through the crowds and pulled up short at the sight of the two guards standing there. There was half a second of stillness before the kid quickly turned to head down an alley. He wasn't fast enough though and before he had even taken three steps, one of the two was on him. Boomer watched the scuffle with mild interest. The kid put up a hell of a fight, that was for sure. It was easy to tell how this was going to end though. Within seconds, the guard had the kid pinned while the other took the stolen items. The guard that had been chasing the kid finally caught up.
As expected. How boring. Boomer snarled out a yawn, mouth full of half chewed apple still, as he turned back to watch the rest of the street. Still nothing that Brick would really take interest in. Man, why'd he always get stuck with the boring jobs?
Buttercup growled under her breath, the wind stirring at her fingertips, as she watched the guard throw the kid roughly into the cell.
"We found this on him. Stole it right in front of the shop owner. Theft is theft captain," one of the other guards who had brought the kid in said with a smirk as he threw the bread on the table. Buttercup glared at him, unable to refute it. She looked at the loaf of bread and tried to reign in her temper before speaking.
"Where is this shop owner? Is he pressing charges?"
The guard shrugged. "It's the middle of the day. He couldn't leave his stall. Said he agreed to with the charges though and wanted justice served."
Justice. Ha. Buttercup nearly laughed out loud at that. Nothing in this shit stain of a station was just, least of all this. She looked at the kid who couldn't have been much older than 60, still not even halfway to adult hood. To be branded at that age as a thief in this kingdom…they might as well just hang the kid now with how much this kingdom seemed to care about simple appearances. Goddess forbid any of them actually try to understand why the kid would bear the mark of a thief at such a young age. No, that would be asking too much.
That said, Buttercup couldn't help but snarl at the guard in front of her who at least had the sense to flinch back and lower his gaze.
"Fine, but I shall be the one to do it myself. Once your partner is done both you and he shall return to complete your patrol. I will also be adding an additional hour of training that I expect completed before you both turn in. Clearly if it takes two full grown fae to bring in a mere child then I have been much too lax. Should any of the others inquire as to why I will suddenly be increasing training routines starting next week, I shall direct them to you both."
The guard had enough sense to not lash back at her but Buttercup could still see him grind his teeth at the punishment. There, that made her feel better. It wasn't much, and it wouldn't prevent what she would have to do, but it was better than nothing. She waited impatiently, the wind stirring in agitation around her, for the two to finish and leave. She watched them go until the door shut behind them and hid them from her glare.
Once they were gone, Buttercup turned to face the child in the cell in front of her. He seemed resigned and she couldn't help but feel her shoulders droop at that. Such a young age and yet already he knew that they were both stuck. There was no way she could let him go. The guards would want to see the finger when they got back as proof no doubt, and if Buttercup didn't give it then she knew they would take it to the castle. Damn them.
Still, it was better that Buttercup handle this instead of the two guards who had left. At least she would only take until the first knuckle, at law dictated. She would also make sure to clean and bandage the wound to prevent infection. The guards would have shown none of that mercy.
Eyes both too bright and yet too dull blankly watched her. Right. Time to get this other with.
Bubbles hummed lightly under her breath as she examined the flowers around her. Three guards along the upper balconies, two on each of the covered walkways adjourning the small garden, and then her assigned guard of the week standing just a few feet away. All of them breathing so very loudly. It was honestly a little irritating but she knew there wasn't anything she could do about it.
Oh, and don't even get her started on the heart beats of the spies, maids, couriers, and actual loitering nobles. And the wings of all those birds the nobles demanded they have flying around for, of all things, ambiance. Literally, the reason they had given at the castle meeting where it was discussed to potentially unbind them all had been that it would ruin the ambiance of the castle. Blossom had nearly stormed out of the meeting at that one. Buttercup thankfully hadn't been there.
Still, what could they do? They needed the support of the nobles to keep things running. It hadn't been worth it to try and argue the point, even if it was annoying and a waste of the castle's magic. Bubbles had wanted to point out that keep the birds tied to the grounds by using the castle was potentially a waste of magic but it would have been near sacrilegious to suggest even that the castle's magic may one day run out. Ignoring the fact that they hadn't yet proved that it wouldn't.
Bubbles kept from sighing at the thought as she turned to her guard of the day. "I think that the lilies are looking a bit droopy. What do you think?"
The guard looked at her but didn't respond, as was their default. They were to watch and guard Bubbles. As they weren't actually her assigned personal guard, which she didn't even have, they weren't allowed to talk to her. How ridiculous. Bubbles turned back and smiled at the lilies in question.
"You're right. This would be a better question for the gardener. I suppose it's time to go fetch him."
Yet another exciting and adventure filled day for her. Yay.
Brick sighed as he looked down at the newspaper he had spread on his desk. The center article had a picture that he'd been analyzing for the past few nights in an attempt to gain even the slightest bit of information. He'd already read every article he could find but they had only contained drops of information. Brick never felt comfortable without information, and this time he had nearly none.
The article was a basic fluff piece that featured the castle and the royalty it housed. While there had been no sign of the king in months, the three princesses had been making numerous appearances. It had led to a flurry of rumors about the current situation concerning the crown. He'd heard rumors of curses only to then hear rumors of peaceful upcoming celebrations and nothing seemed to line up. It was frustrating to say the least.
Brick couldn't help but glare at the picture. The three princesses were sitting primly and properly as they faced the camera. The center one was the eldest. Her Royal Highness and Heir to the Throne, Princess Blossom. With long flowing and shimmering red hair and jewel pink eyes, she caught the attention of everyone at first glance. Add in the obviously couture white feathered and form fitting dress and it was clear she knew exactly what her place in the world was. She had a small smile in the photo that Brick couldn't help but sneer at. She was the epitome of grace and serenity. It was disgusting.
To her right was the middle princess, Her Royal Highness, Princess Buttercup. She was about as different from her older sister as it could get. Glowing green eyes and hair black as night, she was frowning at the camera and clearly didn't look sorry about it in the least. Unlike the other two, she was dressed in a simply dress shirt and pants. At her side, easily within reach, was a slim sword. Brick wasn't able to make out what kind in the picture, he was no expert, but it was clearly not there for decoration. For one, there wasn't a single gem or jewel to be seen on it. He imagined that it was given to her for it to be used for its intended purpose. Not surprising for the 'peacekeeper' of the royal line.
Lastly, to the left of the photo, sat Her Royal Highness, Princess Bubbles. She suited her name. Her blues eyes sparked with life and the blond hair glittered in the light. The city's 'angel' indeed. Even the light blue dress she wore was cute and energetic. Brick couldn't help but chuckle at that. It was no wonder that she was the favorite in the city. He wondered how much of it was an act.
Surprisingly, it hadn't taken long to figure out which sister had been which from that night prior. Princess Buttercup was known on the streets already, even though she'd only been in charge of the city guard for a few months now. The people knew that if you wanted even half a chance of at least a lighter sentence, she was the one to go to. Her magic was always flowing through the streets when she passed too, making it easy to learn what she wielded. From there, it was pretty easy to determine.
It was clear that the one who had been in the center was the eldest, Princess Blossom. As the heir to the throne, it was hard to not have whispers in the street about her magic. It was why he'd begun to suspect who they were even before they were gone. A magic that could drop a room's temperature, ice magic, was typically more associated with the Winter Court and as a result, people couldn't help but gossip. Why they'd even care, he'd never understand.
Lastly had been the room silencing Princess Bubbles. This one actually did stump him. Brick knew which she'd been only by process of elimination. The castle had excellent security and it seemed they had it in droves when it came to the youngest princess. Although, from meeting her, he knew her magic was related to sound, he had no idea how it related to it. Did she silence it? Move it? Control it? To what extent?
Well, that last question Brick admittedly had for all three of them. Knowing how much magic a fae had and the degree of control over it they had was the first key piece in understanding how to approach anyone. Although it was clear that all three were likely high fae, meaning higher amounts of magic, he couldn't take that at face value. He'd overestimated one too many a fae simply based on their initial appearance. It wasn't a mistake he'd make again. And even if they were high fae, that didn't tell him much beyond that they had more magic than an average citizen. Although, as the princesses of this damned court, he doubted they had anything less than large magic reserves.
The door opened startling Brick from his thoughts. He turned to see Butch walk into the room. His brother was wearing the nicest outfit he owned, which sadly still wasn't saying much. A pair of leather pants, a clean button up white shirt, and a green leather vest. He gave the image more of a warrior than anything else. Brick supposed it would have to do though.
"Hey, we're good to go. You almost done staring at documents?" Butch asked as he let the door close behind him.
"I will be in a moment. Where's Boomer?" Brick asked as he stepped forward and looked at himself in the dark tinted and black spotted mirror he had at the front of the room.
Brick was dressed in a pair of black slacks with a simple white shirt. His hair was brushed and pulled back into a neat, low ponytail with a small black ribbon. Simple yet professional. It wasn't as nice as he'd like but, as with Butch, it would have to do. They weren't exactly rich enough to be buying proper suits after all.
"Right here. There was a scuffle downstairs that I had to stop. Sorry," Boomer said as he stepped into the room next to Butch.
Brick quickly turned to look at Boomer at that but sighed in relief when he saw his youngest brother not looking like a mess. He was dressed similarly to Brick, but with a blue shirt instead of white. His hair was left to curl around his face in its typical boyish style.
Brick frowned at that. Maybe he should have had Boomer cut his hair.
"I see. As long as it wasn't anything serious," Brick said as he made his way towards them.
Boomer shook his head. "Nothing a snarl couldn't fix. You know how they're all terrified of us."
Butch snorted. "Can you blame them? We gave them good reason to be after all."
Brick chuckled. "That we did. Enough of that for now though. We have somewhere very special to be."
And Brick would not be late. Not today. Not for this.
"Well, we're here," Boomer whispered as he and his brothers approached the side wall. Butch rolled his eyes.
"No duh. What next bro?"
They both turned to look at Brick who was looking up at the castle on the other side of the wall in front of them, an almost gleeful look on his face.
The castle was the purest of whites. Legend had told that the first king of the Kingdom of Light was blessed by the Goddess with stones from the holy ground itself and used that to make the castle. Never had it needed repairs or cleaning, always staying in a perfect condition. There were several large spires spread geometrically around the large central one. Small crystals of pure light rested atop each one with the exception of that central tower. Instead, the central tower had what looked to be an extravagant garden atop of it, a waterfall of what could only be blessed day water falling down the front of it. Birds of pure white flew all around singing songs so sweet that even an angel would cry.
Brick though the whole thing was too dramatic and overdone. Clearly it had so many spells and blessings on it that he couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Light fae.
He turned to look at his brothers. "Now we say hello."
They raised an eyebrow at him as he walked up to the wall and rapped against it three times quickly. He then took two steps back, crossed his arms, and waited. Boomer and Butch shared a look but stayed silent.
A few moments went by before the two started to get twitchy. They watched in agitation as birds continued to fly around. One even landed on top of the wall and started preening.
Brick looked up at it and raised an eyebrow. It was a beautiful bird. Pure white like all the others but clearly larger and its feathers were longer, more elegant. He could tell the bird was well looked after. It looked down at him and cocked its head, its eye a soft, sky blue.
Butch opened his mouth to say something as the bird seemed to slide down of the wall. It spread its wings gently and drifted softly down. As it approached the ground the air around it began to shimmer gold. All three boys had to look away as a flash of light lit up the area. When they turned back, a woman dress in white with long brown hair stood before them. White down feathers peaked out from beneath the collar of her gown and along the backs of her hands. She watched them all warily.
"I was told to expect you. I just didn't think it would be so timely," she spoke, a lyrical quality in her voice. Brick raised an eyebrow.
"I'm a fan of punctuality. And who might you be? A stray caladrius who learned how to shift perhaps?"
The woman glared at him as she fiddled with the edge of her sleeve. "I am not of the caladrius. I am a maid who serves here at the palace. I was asked by my ladies to bring you to them, should you arrive."
Boomer and Butch walked up to flank Brick as all three regarded the woman. Brick nodded at her. "Lead the way then."
She huffed at him as the feathers on her hands rose in agitation. With a swift spin that sent her hair dangerous close to hitting the three men in the face, she faced the wall.
"You may wish to look away again," she spoke as she reached out to touch the wall. The men did as she said just before another blinding flash of light went off. When they opened their eyes again, they saw a passage in the wall in front of them. "Quickly. The guards will be back soon and as they are not yet aware of this passage, I would like to not have it open for them to find."
She didn't wait for them as she hurried into the passage. The three men exchanged looks before slowly following. Boomer went first. He hesitantly stepped through and into the passageway before stopping. A second later he turned and nodded at his brothers who then stepped through to follow. They turned to follow the woman only to find her standing, watching them, a look of pure amusement on her face.
"Good Goddess, where did they find you three? You're more cautious than the fae court themselves. I swear to you that the passage is, to my knowledge, safe. It's a very simple hallway you'll find. The only part of it enchanted are the entrances and that's just so that they stay hidden. As you can imagine, it isn't wise to have too many blatantly obvious doorways into the castle." The three glared at her as she huffed lightly at them before turning back to the hallway. "Come
along now. One of my ladies is a stickler for being punctual and as you did arrive on time I would be loath to make you late on accident."
Not knowing what to make of that, the three exchanged looks again. Brick eventually nodded at his brothers though and they visibly relaxed slightly. Turning, all three continued down the hallway after the bird woman.
Soon. Soon they would be face to face with their opportunity.
The knock came at the door and Blossom sat up straight at it. Robin would knock and wait for permission to enter, as was usual. On one hand, Blossom really did wish she would relax a little when it was just them. On the other hand, it was a good habit to be in for situations such as this.
Buttercup glared at the door before standing and planting herself at Blossom's side. Bubbles put a gentle smile on her face and reached to place her cup of tea back on the table in front of her. Blossom took the chance to take a deep breath before wiping the emotion off her face. With a nod from Blossom, a gentle wind kicked up and the door slowly opened.
The three women watched as Robin led the three men into the room. Brick was in the lead and his eyes immediately went to hers, not bothering to evaluate the room. The same could not be said for the other two.
Blossom watched as their eyes evaluated the space. It was simpler in style than most of the waiting rooms in the royal wing, but Blossom truly wasn't one to indulge unnecessarily. She had chosen not to hang any tapestries or pictures on the pure white walls, though a deep red pair of drapes did adorn the large balcony glass doors she had at the side of the room. They'd been drawn back to allow the soft light of the day to come through. Although the walls were left bare, very little of them could actually be seen past the large bookcases Blossom had around the room. All were filled with old books and tomes that were her pride and joy, most gifts from her dear grandfather. In the center of the room was the seating area. Blossom herself sat in the large red armchair of said area. An antique wooden, round coffee table with additional seating sat in front of her with a large plush cream-colored carpet laid out beneath it all. Bubbles sat in one of the two chairs next to Blossom. A matching red sofa was placed directly across the table from her.
Blossom gestured to the sofa. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. The document you see on the table details the protection placed around the room. I can answer any questions you may have about it."
Brick glanced at it as he made his way to sit in the center of the sofa, but he didn't pick it up. His brothers stayed standing just behind the sofa on either side of him. Blossom had a flash back to the night they'd met and understood. There was no trust here. Brick's lack of care for the document also spoke volumes. He had correctly decided that there was likely little risk to himself or his brothers from this conversation being overheard, at least initially. Blossom and her sisters though, were another story. It left Blossom felling unbalanced at the uneven situation, but she internally reassured herself. This was fine. She'd known this would happen. She had one chance to present her case and then, all things willing, they'd be on more even ground.
Buttercup had been against it until the end. She had insisted that there needed to be an initial document for them to all sign that swore them all to secrecy. Blossom had considered it but ultimately decided against it. Having that was likely to scare them off. Plus, most of the information would likely come out eventually if things continued, in a much less controllable situation. For now, they needed to offer trust first and ask for agreements and deals second. An order that caused Buttercup to storm out of the room.
"Let's just cut straight to the chase hmm? What's this deal you wanted to make?" Brick asked as he propped his check up against his fist, elbow on his knee. Blossom raised an eyebrow.
"You do not wish for us to introduce ourselves?"
Brick snorted. "Do you think you need to?"
Blossom glanced at the three men, each in turn. Their faces were all kept carefully blank.
"Perhaps not. That does not mean that I feel it would not be helpful."
Brick sighed. "The please go right ahead, Princess."
Blossom kept the frown from showing. "I see what you say is true. Regardless, I am the Heir to the Throne of Light, Blossom Aurore Faven Luz Utonium. My sister standing to my left is Buttercup Celeste Nasima Utonium and on my right is Bubbles Felicity Ada Utonium. It is a pleasure to finally, properly, meet you three."
Brick raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Pleasure Princess."
Robin made a loud tsking noise of annoyance at the lack of proper respect before stepping forward to grab the tea set. "I'll bring a fresh set my ladies."
"Thank you."
All six of the remaining members in the room stared at one another as they waited for the door to close behind Robin.
"Well? My ladies," Brick asked with a slight sneer. Blossom felt a slight shift in the wind and raised her hand slightly to calm her sister. Buttercup ignored the command for a second before the wind receded. Brick's eyes had cut to her when the wind stirred though, face blank but eyes clearly intrigued by something. Blossom couldn't help but wonder what. It wasn't important at that moment though.
"I suppose we shall now… cut to the chase. Tell me, as you seem to have come with prior knowledge, what have you found about my sisters and myself? What of our court?"
Brick sighed and sat back at Blossom's question. "You must have top notch security. Hard to pinpoint any one thing and rumors seem to always be contradicting one another. I know you, the eldest, are Heir to the Throne. You have a way with words and clearly know how to command a room. Princess Buttercup is one of the most skilled sword masters to emerge in generations, to the point where people often scoff in the streets saying that none of it's real. Princess Bubbles is clearly your 'face' for the public. Everyone adores her. While you're clearly ready to deal with any logical problems and Princess Buttercup is properly equipped to handle physicals ones, she seems to be the most adept at handling the emotional ones."
Blossom was impressed both in Brick and their own security team. Truly, it wasn't easy to find out things about the royal fae, for obvious reasons. Still, they allowed small, harmless pieces of information through to appease the people. Although everything Brick had spoken of wasn't necessarily hidden information, it also wasn't a normal piece they flashed about. He had focused on reading between the lines…and he had done it well.
"As for the court…things are questionable. There's no clear answer on things either which muddies it all. Can't even say that the consensus is that there's trouble, though I'm guessing there must be if you three came looking for help in our fine establishment. Still, what the problem is I couldn't say. Some fae say that the only issue is that the king is ill or worse, cursed. Others state that the line itself is ill. Some even say that the nobles that surround the crown have been poisoned against the crown they serve. Some only sing praises saying that everything is fine. Nothing seems to be inline."
Blossom sighed lightly at that. "It seems we have been unsuccessful in calming the people of the land. There are pieces of truth in most things I find and this instance is no different. I suppose, to start with, our father…is indeed ill. With what, we are unsure. While it does not appear to be a common sickness, we also find it hard to believe it was a curse."
"I was the lead of our castle's protection. I've been raised to be my sister's sword and shield and I was aware of every spell cast in this place. That said, as far as I'm aware, no curse was cast before our father fell ill," Buttercup said. Brick cocked his head slightly.
"Was?"
"Therein lies our second issue and the second to final thing you mentioned. When our father fell ill, the nobles began to move."
"Like sharks catching the scent of blood," Bubbles said softly.
"Indeed," Blossom nodded at her sister before turning her attention back to the men. "They amassed enough power in the castle's government and management that not long after the king fell ill, while we were still investigating the incident, they were able to strip Buttercup of her position."
"To be more accurate, they re-assigned me to the city guard instead. Although I have no problem with the position..."
"It allows the nobles more freedom I'm guessing. They placed their own man in your position?" Brick cut in.
Blossom hummed lightly at that. "This is where things become...muddied. We are unsure of whether the man is honest or not and we have no way to find out."
Brick scoffed lightly at that. "There's always ways. Not knowing isn't an excuse."
"The Court of Light was one of the only two governing courts. With the Court of Dark missing, we are the only governing court. As such, politics have always been a dangerous business here, more so than any court. When we say we have no way to find out, don't doubt that we haven't tried," Bubbles said as she glared at the men.
"My sister is partially correct," Blossom said. "You are right that there is always a way, but the ways left to us are...obvious. My sister's replacement has not been the only instance that points to the nobles planning something. We are unsure what, but we are concerned. Enough so that we do not wish to give them cause to remove more of the power remaining in our hands."
Brick seemed to think on that as he evaluated them. "You suspect a coup is in works."
Blossom wasn't able to prevent her frown this time. "A coup is more complicated than nobles simply gaining power but...yes. We suspect they are attempting to remove me from power, but they are unable to remove us from the throne."
"Why?"
"Because it's spelled," Buttercup said bluntly. Brick waited for more and grunted when she stayed silent. Blossom gestured for her to continue, barely containing her sigh at her sister's stubbornness. "Only those of the Line of Light can bear its crown. If anyone else attempts to do so, they're turned to dust by it."
"Pleasant. And there's no way to remove the spell?"
"Not without destroying the crown," Blossom said. "It was woven into it as it was crafted. And without the crown, the heir cannot be recognized."
"Seems like a chancy system. What's to stop an enemy from destroying the thing and throwing the royal line into chaos?"
Bubbles giggled coldly and Brick glared. "I'm sorry. It's just that I thought it common knowledge. No one would be idiotic enough to do that. Without a ruler in the Court of Light, light itself will be thrown into chaos. Our simply being alive and in power keeps the remaining balance that was damaged when the Court of Darkness disappeared together. Without us, life will be cast into an endless loop, the same day repeating endlessly until either the crown is not destroyed, or we all go mad and take our own lives."
Brick's face twisted. "That's definitely not common knowledge."
"It most likely isn't among the people but the crown makes it known to all who try to destroy it. All of the nobility is aware as well. Our concern is that there are other ways."
Brick watched before sighing and leaning forward. "You're the heir and you're implying they want rid of you. Princess Buttercup," Buttercup made a face at that, "was removed from a position of power. There's been no mention of them doing the same to Princess Bubbles. Are they attempting to make her the heir?"
"Yes. They believe she will be easy to manipulate as they know it would not be something they could attempt to do with me. For now, we are maintaining the image of her naiveness and innocence at their actions, so they do not attempt anything too extreme."
"I see. And you can afford to simply tell me all this? I imagine most of this is confidential information," Brick asked.
"I believe that a sign of trust was requested when we visited your establishment. We were unable at the time to offer it and so, I offer it now."
Brick seemed to think on that for a moment before continuing. "So why come looking for us then? What drove you to the dirtiest, most run-down place in your fair city for whatever it is you're looking for?"
"Simple. We need pieces on the board that we know the nobility will be unable to control. Pieces who would be willing to help us that we will not have to worry about watching our backs around. Pieces who will not harm our people by choice."
Butch and Boomer snorted at that, but Brick was watching her closely, eyes narrowing slightly.
"You want pawns?" He asked.
Blossom shook her head. "No. As I said, we want pieces. A pawn is something to be disposed of once used. The nobility will have no problems with removing such a piece. What we need are knights and bishops so to speak. Pieces with power that can stand on their own but that will also maintain their loyalty."
Brick chuckled lightly as he leaned back again. "Hence a deal. And why do you think we'd make such a deal with you? You say you've offered this information as a sign of trust. How do you know we won't just take it to the nearest noble and side with them instead? Why trust us at all?"
"Simple." Blossom looked each man in the eyes before continuing. "You hate the Court of Light without hating the kingdom as a whole. Specifically, you hate something about the court."
Brick tensed lightly at that.
"Chill," Buttercup cut in. "We don't know why, and we don't care, but it should be clear that we aren't whatever you're aiming for or have a problem with. Or, at the very least, it'll be clear if we do anything to cause harm to the kingdom."
"And how is that clear?"
"Easy. The crown illuminates the shadows of the royal line. It's part of the spell crafted into the crown. When we act against the good of our court, the world learns about it. So, we have to be the epitome of what the court stands for and always act in its best interests," Buttercup said.
"Correct," Bubbles added. "We must be honest to a fault, as clear as the light of day. We must be as steadfast and unmovable as the sun. We must be kind to those in our realm and unforgivable to those that invade it. We are the light, and the shadows cannot be allowed to exist in our actions."
Brick raised an eyebrow.
"It is the mantra of the royal family. Our actions must only be for the good of our realm and its people and let all know if they are not," Blossom said as she waved it off. "Essentially, if you are not against the kingdom as a whole, we cannot be what you are aiming for. The rest of the nobility cannot provide the same assurance."
Brick's brow furrowed in thought as his brothers exchanged looks. After a minute, Brick looked back up at Blossom.
"And how is it that you know this is our aim?"
Blossom thought on how best to answer this before responding the only way she could. Honestly.
"I cannot diverge at this time how it is I came to know this. Trust though that I have told no one beyond my sisters and I swear on the name in my heart that I will never do so to one who is unaware of it."
Brick's hand twitched as did Bubbles'. An oath on one's true name was a serious thing. If she ever broke it, Blossom's heart would stop beating instantly.
"It seems that you're very serious," Brick said carefully.
"Of course. This deal may well be the only thing capable of saving not only my life, but also the lives of most of my family. While I will not tell you everything at this point about my sisters and I, I will always be honest with what I do tell. This, I sw-"
"My sister seems to enjoy getting ahead of herself," Bubbles said as she cut in quickly, preventing Blossom from making another oath. Blossom frowned at her sister but let it go. "We've told you our situation and I'm sure you've obtained an idea of the deal we wish to make. Are you interested?"
Brick drummed his fingers against his thigh as he met each of their eyes. Finally, with a sigh, he nodded. "Yes. I am. What exactly is this deal?"
Blossom couldn't help a small smile of relief at that. "We each need something different and I believe you three can provide us with that. While you assist us, you will have the opportunity to gain the knowledge I believe you are looking for and, so long as it does not harm us, the people, or the throne, we will not prevent you from taking the actions you desire to."
"That sounds like quite a deal. What exactly do you each need?"
"That is…complicated to explain. For now, it will suffice to say that Buttercup needs another pair of eyes. The city guard is, as stated, compromised. We wish to avoid her having a knife thrust into her back at least, and to help put things back in the proper order if able. Bubbles needs someone capable of moving when she is unable to while also allowing her to maintain her appearance of naivety. As for myself…help. There is much that I need to take care of as it is while standing in for my father. The nobles have not been making it easy either, always making mountains out of mole hills. It keeps me from being able to look into the things that need looked into. It will not be safe for whoever is to take that position though. Arguably, it will be the most dangerous position to have, especially with the nobles looking for weakness."
"A tall order."
"I'm aware. Are these things you and your brothers can assist us with?"
Brick continued to drum his fingers against his thigh for a while before stopping. "Maybe. There are a few more details I'd like to discuss. Princess Bubbles mentioned she has no offensive magic training, not that she had no training at all. I need to know what you three are capable of before making a final decision."
Blossom thought on this for a moment before nodding. "At a basic level, this is fair, so long as the same courtesy is extended. While we cannot tell you everything about our magic, we will tell you what we are able to use to assist us and to what extent."
Blossom nodded at Bubbles who started. "My magic is control of sound. While it is hard to track for various reasons, it is also impossible for me to not use. This is why other sound tend to fall away when I speak. Using it offensively is…widespread in the damages it will cause. All near me, friend and foe alike, will quickly suffer terribly from it."
Brick looked at Bubbles as he waited for her to elaborate but she didn't. A small breeze went through the room though an all three men turned to look at Buttercup who looked clearly unhappy about this.
" I control the air. As you can tell, it's easy to track and pick up on as well. While my control consciously is precise, it's easy for my magic to leak."
The temperature in the room plummeted after that and Brick slowly turned to face Blossom. "I control ice and I have complete control over my magic. The court finds it an unfit power for the heir though and so, defense is all I'm allowed to use it for."
"I see. It's impressive, even if a little unfitting like you said," Brick said. They all watched one another for a few moments. A moment later and the room began to heat again.
"I control fire. Like you have with ice, I have complete control," Brick said as he maintained eye contact with Blossom.
Blossom found that interesting. Him having an opposing element to her own could even open doors she had thought long shut. The court wouldn't have the same problem with him using his magic as they did her using hers.
Sparks of light began to crackle around the three boys, none of them flinching.
"Electricity. I have control over it. It usually isn't much of a problem but it does like to run a little wild if my emotions get out of control," Boomer said as he glanced at the sparks. A second later and they were all gone.
"Mine's a little hard to show. Not flashy or anything like all of yours. Pretty much I have control of energy, mostly the kinetic kind. Throw a punch at me and I'll just absorb the force and throw it back in your face. I can also use it to create a shield if I need to that'll just recharge itself the more you hammer it," Butch said with a shrug.
"I see. Useful abilities. I take it we are agreed then?"
"Yes. We can spend the rest of our time writing up the actual document. I trust you have a truly secure place that it can be stored in?" Brick said. Through the entire thing, he hadn't looked away from Blossom.
Blossom sent him a small smile. "Of course."
The three male fae stepped out through the hole in the wall and turned around to see it slowly close behind them. Robin watched them all, still as a statue, until it was closed over completely.
"Well, that was productive," Butch said as he turned and made for home.
"It was," Brick said, agreeing and following.
"We weren't completely honest though. Why did you hide what all we can do from them?" Boomer asked as he brought up the rear.
Brick glanced at him over his shoulder. "I was as honest with them as they were with us. Our dear Heir to Throne made it pretty damn clear that they weren't going to tell us everything and I know she didn't just mean about what they can or can't do."
"You think they have a seco-"
"Possibly. If they do though, you don't need to know. Especially since knowing could be dangerous," Brick said, cutting Boomer off.
"How so? Shouldn't we have all the information if we're going to be trying to help them?" Butch asked. Brick sighed.
"Fuck no. This is different from the normal gigs and jobs we run. You two knowing means that there's another point where there could be an information leak. Unless you need to know, don't ask. As for me, I'll find out everything I can so I can better plan for what's ahead."
"And what we can do? Will we share more of our abilities if we learn more about theirs?" Boomer asked.
Brick shrugged. "Who knows? Probably depend on how I feel or what best suits our needs. For now, we've got arrangements to make so move your sorry asses and let's get to work my brothers."
"Can we truly trust them?" Bubbles asked once they'd left with Robin as their guide.
"Do we have a choice at this point? They know too much now," Buttercup grumbled.
Blossom simply sighed through her nose before picking up her cup of tea that Robin had kindly poured for her before leaving. "We can. For now. As for in the future? Well, we'll see, won't we?"
"Still don't like that we need the help. I wish...I wish dad would wake up," Buttercup said with a sigh as plopped down in the chair on Blossom's left.
"We all do, and he will. We'll make sure of that. First though, we must keep ourselves safe. We cannot do anything if the nobility succeeds in killing off the two of us."
"...is there a reason why you didn't tell them of the rumors of the creatures?" Bubbles asked softly. Blossom frowned before taking a sip of her tea.
"I didn't tell them because it won't affect them. If anything, it would just give them another reason to help us, but you know as well as I do that these creatures haven't been even proven to exist."
"It's a bunch of bullshit. Just the nobles trying to scare one another again I'm sure," Buttercup said as she glared at the door. Bubbles frowned down at the table.
"Fake or not, some of the nobility believes it or, at least, wants to make use of it. If the people were to hear of it-"
"I don't doubt that they will," Blossom cut in as she placed her cup down. "We simply need to be prepared for when they do."
"And I'm supposing you already have a plan oh fearless leader?" Buttercup asked with a roll of her eyes.
Blossom tapped a finger against the arm of her chair. "Not yet, not entirely. I have something...but let's hope I don't have to use it. For now, consider those three to be our plan. I have high hopes in them."
"High praise from you Blossom. I'll look forward to it then," Bubbles said as she stood to leave. "After all, while you two may have more dangerous tasks for our new acquaintances, I think it's my new guard who will have the most difficult time getting in."
"I'll make it happen. While the nobility may be slowly gaining control, I am still heir. I will make my word law on this if I must."
Blossom just hoped it wouldn't come to that. After all, she couldn't afford to have to make such an overt move in front of the nobility when they were sniffing for her weakness. That would like asking them to look into those boys and she needed to prevent that for as long as possible. If only so they could prepare for the coming storm.
"Don't worry. I think I can help with that actually. Remember, I still have connections left in the castle guard that I can use," Buttercup said as she also stood to leave.
Blossom smiled at her sisters. "See? We'll figure this out. Both of you make sure to get a good night's rest tonight. We shall be very busy starting tomorrow."
Bubbles giggled as she said goodnight and left. Buttercup lingered for a moment as she watched Blossom.
"Do you truly think they'll be our key?" Buttercup asked. Blossom turned to look out the window.
"I have faith and you know why. Go and get some sleep. I know you've been spending your nights lately on the street, helping the people. I can't have you doing that tonight."
Buttercup winced. "I just feel bad for them. The city guard is…bad. I'll stay in tonight though. Good night, sister."
"Good night," Blossom whispered back as Buttercup gently closed the door behind her, leaving Blossom alone.
Blossom stayed where she was sitting, staring out the windows in thought. What if she was wrong? What if they weren't the solution? What if they were…
Sighing, Blossom stood. She wouldn't be able to sleep like this. Leaving her room, Blossom made her way down the hall. Famous pieces of art hung along the walls but otherwise the hallway was clear of all decorations to showcase the flawless stone of the castle. Blossom hated it. So much white that it always felt blinding and overwhelming, especially here in the royal wing. What she wouldn't give to just be able to put a carpet down. The nobility would be up in arms if she did that though. How dare she even think of covering the pristine glory that was the Castle of Light?
Eventually, Blossom reached the end of the hallway where a pair of large wooden doors stood. She traced her fingers along the engravings in it for a moment. The history of the castle was told here. Each new key event that happened would find a place in the door to engrave itself, all so that the ruler of the country never forgot the story of their home.
Blossom frowned as he fingers came to rest on the image of a frail looking man resting in his bed, alone. She hated this door for that image, an image she knew they would never be rid of now. Pushing the thought away, Blossom slowly opened the door and stepped inside, missing as the bottom corner of door morphed slightly behind her, leaving an image of a young woman alone in a room, staring in thought out a large window.
I do not know when I'll have the next chapter ready for this story. I am WAY behind on #3 and Favor still needs a bit more so those are my priority. I needed a break from them though and so I decided to edit this. I didn't expect it to actual get to the post ready point but here we are!
ICantThinkofanOriginalName! I do plan to continue but we'll see how it goes. Usually I don't post a story unless I have at least 8 chapters drafted but I didn't do that with this one (my impulse control is seriously lacking). If I can keep with it until I get to chapter 8 then it'll be a good sign. Until then...I'll try my best to stay interested in writing this!
Hope you all enjoyed. Until next time. Ciao!