Hello! Life has been nuts! Between two car accidents and some busy family matters, I have been neglectful of this - my apologies. Here is chapter four, please enjoy.
-XXX-
"Is that the best you've got?" Poe jeered.
Rey laughed, moving out of the way of his dull practice blade. "Not even my best," she called. "I'm not even breaking a sweat, Dameron."
Which was not necessarily true. The day was warm and she'd been in the practice yard since just after dawn. It was now past noon. Poe had agreed to a spar after finishing warm-ups with Finn, who sat on the fence that lined the yard, watching and cheering on the underdog. So far, Rey hadn't had Finn calling her name too often — she and Poe were well-matched.
"Captain of the guard, defeated again," she teased when Poe found himself in the dirt once again, her practice blade at his shoulder. She pulled the sword away and offered a hand. Poe accepted, wincing.
"You're also the queen's champion now," he pointed out dryly. "If anyone is besting me, it ought to be you."
"Excuses," Finn called from his perch, grinning.
Poe waved his hand at him. "You come in here and try your hand at it!"
"No, not when you're both so worn out," he said, teeth flashing. "It wouldn't be a fair fight."
Rey rolled her eyes and made for her water skin. It was her third day back in the Seelie Court. She'd been itching to spar and was thankful that her friend had agreed to the challenge. Between the feast the night before and various meetings among Leia's counsel, she had been bored out of her mind.
Water dribbled down her chin. She wiped her mouth off with her sleeve. "I'm rested now, Finn, come on. You've had the advantage of observing us, now you ought to be ready to put what you observed into practice."
Poe slapped his back as he climbed down, grumbling. Accepting the sword Poe offered, Finn moved to the center of the yard, assuming the stance he preferred. But he dropped it quickly, spotting something behind Rey's shoulder, at the threshold that led to the barracks. Rey half-turned surprised to see Rose running towards them.
Her normally neat hair was out of place and her cheeks were red. "You must hurry," she cried. "The guardsmen at the eastern gate sent ahead a message. The Unseelie have sent an envoy. They're going to be here soon and Leia wants a full audience for court, so they do not feel compelled to do anything aggressive."
Poe immediately appeared stricken. Finn was confused, touching his partner on the elbow gently.
"They're probably here to discuss the encounter with Rey, but what is all the fuss? Why does she want so many people in attendance?"
Rose's eyes were wide. "Because Kylo Ren is in their party. He's riding up with Phasma and Hux. They'll be here is less than an hour."
Finn swore. Poe strode out of the yard without another word, no doubt to ready his own men. With a second glance at Rose, Finn sighed and followed.
Turning to Rey, Rose ran a hand through her hair. "We need to get you cleaned up. Leia wants you there too, but she doesn't necessarily want to advertise you as her champion to the Unseelie yet."
That made sense, especially considering Kylo's strange fixation with her. She could already picture his black eyes sweeping the room for her. With a shudder, Rey nodded and followed Rose, who was still talking.
"Her majesty asked that I help you and leave her to dress herself." The dark-haired fey smiled. "She suspected you might need a little more help. Oh, but we won't have time for a bath!"
Rey cleaned the sweat and dust off of herself as best she could with the washbasin in her room. Rose appeared with the dusky green dress she'd worn to her audience with Leia three days ago. It was rather plain, but clean and perfect for not standing out — or running, should she require it. She brushed Rey's hair and braided the upper half back neatly, letting the rest fall to her shoulders.
"Ready?" Rose asked when she tied off her friend's hair. Swallowing, Rey nodded and allowed herself to be lead to the great hall.
-XXX-
The double oak doors swung open and the trio strode in with heavy footfalls. From her place in the crowd, Rey watched Kylo surge forward. He was flanked by a red-headed peakish-looking fellow Rose whispered was called Hux and the captain that was instantly recognizable as Phasma. As Kylo moved past, she caught sight of his face, a fresh bloody streak running from just above his left eye to his neck, disappearing beneath the high collar of his black jacket. The wound was less than a week old, appearing raw and painful. It was puckered at the edges and pink in the middle.
Though he stared straight ahead, she could feel him brush out, reaching to sense her. Rey mentally recoiled.
Leia grew more and more drawn every step closer her son came to her dais. She still maintained her regal bearing, face maintaining its carefully composed expression of indifference. The gray streaks in her chestnut hair appeared more silver than usual. When Kylo reached the dais he bowed, Phasma and Hux mimicking the motion. With the gesture he was stiff and short, stepping back when the motion was completed.
"Kylo Ren," she intoned. "You and your companions are welcome in my court. We have taken the liberty of preparing rooms for you in the southernmost wing, overlooking the lakes."
"We will not be requiring them." His voice was clipped. "My master has sent me on pressing business with orders to return as soon as possible. We shall not stay beyond a few hours"
Leia folded her hands, annoyance quirking the corners of her mouth. The rejection of her hospitality was not surprising, but it still irked. "And what might be so urgent that Snoke cannot afford to let his messengers rest overnight?"
Kylo's lips curled distastefully. "We have been sent to mete out justice. One of your court attacked me in the woods less than a week ago. The laws state I have the right to see out payment in kind. Snoke does not take kindly to those in his charge being ambushed."
It took Rey a moment to realize that he meant her. She was the knight he was referring to. Rey frowned. If anyone was ambushed it was her!
Leia's eyes flickered to Rey's face. "I'm uncertain of what you are referring to. I assure you none of my people would break the accords."
"The proof is on my face," Kylo seethed. "And we demand justice. The law states —"
"I was there when the law was written," Leia snapped. "Kindly do not quote it to me."
He smirked, pleased to have gotten a rise out of her. Tilting his head upwards to engage his mother's eyes fully, Kylo coolly said, "I am due my pound of flesh. I demand that you surrender Rey the Changeling to me to meet the justice of the Unseelie Court. Those are the laws."
Leia eyed her offspring. "A mere mark is not proof enough for me. I refuse to believe she would be foolish enough to attack you on neutral ground."
"And yet that is what happened. Give her to us. We will not hesitate to take what is not freely given."
The Queen tilted her head. She seemed to be considering the weight of her son's threat. Rey could see her making calculations. The seconds passed like a decade, leaving Rey in agony. Rose squeezed her hand as if to reassure her. Poe, who was at Leia's right, found their small group in the crowd. He appeared drawn.
"Leia would never let them," Rose whispered fiercely. Finn put a steadying hand on Rey's back as if to agree.
When Leia finally spoke, it was a deliberate, measure tone.
"The members of this court are not my possessions to be given away or traded. Nor will I coax one of my prized knights into giving herself over to you to face your primitive forms of 'justice.'" With a wave of her hand, she stood. "Tell your master that he'll need to find a better reason to strike us."
XXX
Kylo Ren smiled as he shifted forward at his mother's words. He'd expected nothing less. The kind-hearted monarch could be surprisingly cold at times, but in her young knight's case, she would not go down without a fight. His mother seemed to almost love the girl as her own. "A nice replacement for a lost son," he thought bitterly.
He was counting on another soft-hearted female in the room to come forward. Kylo Ren had seen the stuff Rey was made of. She would not lead her newfound family to war for her sake.
Though he'd not glanced her way once since entering the Great Hall he could feel her. She was holding back, trying to escape his notice. Her thoughts had been racing the second he'd to, but since declaring his intentions to seek justice against her they'd been pulsing faster than a hummingbird's wings. What to do, what to do, what to do….
"The girl you are shielding is hardly a knight," he sneered. "A few weeks in the woods with your brother do not a knight make."
His mother stared down at him, hard. "She seems to be adept enough to best you, sir."
There was a murmur of laughter from those gathered. He cast an angry glance and the room quieted once more. Beside him, Phasma tapped a few fingers against the hilt of her blade and Hux looked ahead blandly. No doubt he'd also found Leia's words amusing.
Kylo resisted looking at the girl to see her expression. Instead, he tightened his lips. "If you do not follow the accords, my master will be forced to take action, your majesty. I do not believe you want to bring your people back into war. It was not so long ago that the Seelie suffered a great loss."
Leia's lips mirrored his own. "The council would never —"
"Do you wish to test that theory?" He cut across her with ease.
The battle fought between their eyes was enough to cause the room to fall utterly silent. It was only interrupted when someone pushed through the crowd to Leia's left. Rey was moving past other courtiers to approach the throne. He could see a hand — Tico's — reach to stop her. Both Leia and Kylo's eyes flickered to her.
She curtsied to her queen, keeping her head bowed when she rose. "Your majesty," she said. "I will go with the Unseelie."
Now that he was looking at her it was near impossible to look away. She wore a dress the color of new spring sage, with a wide collar that exposed her freckled shoulders. Her pink lips were like two petals. When she looked up at her queen, keeping her face turned away from him as she spoke, her hazel eyes were bright.
"I would not have the Seelie suffer on my cause, my lady."
"That is not your decision to make, Rey." Leia's crown winked in the light. Her voice was gentle. Kylo recognized it from his childhood. Patient and yet commanding.
"Forgive me, my lady." At this, Rey's chin jutted upwards, the first signs of defiance. "But I believe it is."
There was a collective gasp from the court.
Leia gave the young fey a hard look, brown eyes were hard, calculating. "I disagree with this decision, Rey. However, I respect the intention behind it. You do not have to do this. We will protect you."
"If the girl wants to go, then why squabble?" Kylo opened his arms wide.
"She knows not what she is agreeing to," his mother said sharply. "Rey, the council will hear this and dismiss his claims."
Rey knelt on the step of the dais. She spoke softly, Kylo could not discern her words. But he could sense her resolve. She was a foolhardy girl, like her friends. Like his uncle. Too willing to throw herself forward to the sake of others who'd never consider doing the same. Leia was more like him — calculating, willing to wait to see the options rather than leaping to save the day. Yet something Rey was saying seemed to convince the Seelie Queen. She sat back, eyes still on Rey as she nodded solemnly. With little emotion, she turned back to her estranged son.
"Rey will remain in your court for a year and a day to make amends for her error," Leia intoned. "No harm is to come to her. She will then have the choice to return to us."
Sounds of protest rose from the court. Finn made an audible "No!" before being quieted by Rose. Poe, who stood beside his queen, looked at Rey uncertainly, fear in his eyes. Even Phasma shifted uneasily on her feet.
"We were summoned to bring her to justice for crimes committed against members of our court," Hux sputtered. "Not babysit."
The queen eyed the redhead distastefully. "Yes, that is the reason you claimed. But we all know the true reason you are here. And why my son sought Rey in the Wild Lands. The Unseelie have wanted Rey in their circle since they realized what she was. I do not believe for an instant that Kylo or Snoke have any intention of bringing her to trial. This has been nothing but a transparent attempt at drawing her into their court through any means necessary."
Hux continued protesting, but Kylo and Leia ignored him, focusing on each other.
"You will have custody of her in your court for a year and a day and we will renounce any claims until she makes the decision to return to us. If Rey decides to return to the Seelie, we will consider the matter closed."
He smiled. "Do not be so certain she will make that choice."
"Do you accept our terms?
"We do."
-XXX-
If you are enamored with fantasy, give Serpent and Dove a go! I just finished it, it's absolutely enthralling.
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