Title: Of Courts and Consequences (3/?)

Author: Ravynsword

Date: March 19, 2004

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: see chapter one



******

Chapter 3



"What the hell was that?" demanded the Slayer. Her words sounded shrill in the silence that had followed the abrupt departure of the Elven princess and the vampire.



"If she comes back with red streaks in her hair and matching eyes, we'll know exactly what that was. Xander, you were there, what did you see happen?" Xander was still in shock with everything that had happened that day, so his brother answered for him.



"Rhi and I went along with Willow and Lavelle…sorry…Xander. Anya stopped at a place called the Magic Box for something, so we continued on. When we came around the corner, we saw this large demon. Ugly thing, I don't think it would even be welcome at the Unseelie Court. It had killed a couple and was just ripping the head off of a child. We chased it off, but when we got to the couple, we saw who they were." Lavandel's breath caught and he fought to compose himself before continuing the litany.



"Rhi was the first to get to the bodies. I couldn't stop her. It was Aurora, Uriel, and Kitsuke. Her parents and little sister. We watched them die, right before our eyes. We couldn't stop it. Oh, stars, they're really dead. The Unseelie Court is now without an heir. There could be war before this is over."



He sat on Giles' sofa with his head in his hands. Elves tried to never show vulnerability around mortals, but at least part of this group was his family. He hadn't been exaggerating when he said there could be war. The tension between the courts had been bad enough when there was a princess, an heir presumptive, for each court, but with the direct Unseelie heir dead, some of the nobles would blame the Seelie Court, never mind the fact that the daughter of the monarchs of both courts was dead as well. When the girl that his brother had referred to as 'Anya' had mentioned red hair and eyes, a feeling of dread washed over him. He relaxed slightly when he realized that neither Ashe nor Seamus had followed her, standing frozen near Giles' kitchen, almost as if caught in amber. There could be no Death Maiden without at least one knight, usually at least two.



***



When Spike regained consciousness, he noticed a number of different things. One, he wasn't dust in the wind. Two, he could feel something almost like a cord connecting him to the still unconscious Elven princess. Three, there was a dark colored lump on the ground on her other side, one hand still stretched out to touch her. Slowly getting up, Spike looked up at the moon. Based on its position, not much time had passed. When he rolled the other person over, he was shocked.



"Peaches!" he growled. What the hell was Angel doing in Sunnydale? The great poof was supposed to be in Los Angeles. When he reached down to shake the older vampire, he realized there was a connection between them. Not the one between Sire and Childe, but one that was formed through the woman on the ground near them.



"Spike?" came the weak voice from below him. "What…where…what happened?" asked the dark haired vampire. He had been sent to Sunnydale because of a phone call that warned him that a new demon was stalking the Hellmouth and would give rise to something even more dangerous. As he tried to stand up, Angel felt the same sense of connection that Spike had felt. He had been walking through the park and seen Spike grabbing onto a woman in the middle of a freak windstorm. Intending to protect the woman from his wayward Childe, Angel had run up and grabbed both of them at once. It felt like being electrocuted. The next thing he knew, Spike was standing over him and he and the woman were lying on the ground. Any arguments the two vampires may have had were forestalled by the growling coming from the woman near them. Both vampires stood and waited to see what would come next.



**



Rhiannon Zephyr MacUriel woke up slowly from the spot where she had collapsed. She immediately sensed the connection running between her and the two nightwalkers before her. While this was unheard of in her people, who better to serve as Death Knights than the undead? For that was what they were now. She had channeled all of her rage at the death of her parents and sister into the rite that created a Death Maiden. It was something that hailed from her father's side of the family and was not a common trait. The rite increased all of her abilities and suppressed most of her softer emotions so she could pursue vengeance against those that had caused the deaths of her loved ones. What she couldn't understand was the fact that Ashe and Seamus were not her knights, and why the bond she felt to the two vampires wasn't the one she would have expected with two soulless creatures, though the blonde one pulled at her more than the dark one.



**



"What does she mean, red streaks and eyes?" asked Willow. The young Witch knew that when she allowed her power to ride her, her eyes turned black. Anya looked around the room before answering.



"You know that she is the granddaughter of the monarchs of both of the courts of Faerie." Everyone nodded. "But those are both her MATERNAL grandparents. Her PATERNAL grandparents are the Queen and Consort of the court of the Elementaarios. When there is a great need for vengeance, some members can become what are known as Death Maidens. Even demons steer clear of them. They're scarier than anything we can come up with."



While those who had no experience with Faerie looked at her blankly, the others groaned. Many of them now mirrored Lavandel's pose, head in hands.



"Elementaarios?" sputtered the Watcher. "But…but…they're only legends. No one has every actually seen one."



"They are real enough, Scholar," replied Lavellan. "They have kept to themselves for the most part. Everyone was shocked when Titania's daughter took one as her consort…and relieved when she bore three daughters. One heir for each court involved. But I do not know if she has the ability to become a Death Maiden. Besides, the only two likely candidates for her knights are still here, so I doubt that is a likely prospect."



***



In the park across town, the Elf and vampires stood looking at one another in silence. The girl reached out and lightly touched each vampire in the hollow of his throat. At her touch, a symbol flared in silver on their skin. It was an intricate pattern that included the image of a sword in flames. When she removed her hands, the images remained visible, though faded like a pair of old scars.



"What happened?" asked the dark vampire.



"Liam…your name is Liam," whispered Rhiannon. He stared at her. Slowly, he nodded.



"Aye, it is," he answered softly, his Irish brogue returning for the first time in decades. "And you…you are Rhiannon." Angel reached out towards here, stopping his hand just short of her face. She turned to the blonde.



"And you are William."



"Once upon a time," he answered, his voice falling into the more cultured accent of his mortal life. "Angel is right. What happened to us?"



"My family was murdered by a demon this night," the Elf answered. None of them had yet to speak above a soft whisper, yet they could hear one another as clearly as if they had spoken at normal volumes.



"My family was torn to shreds by a demon like I have never seen. I could not take the pain. In response, I chose to turn Death Maiden. Vampires are the last thing I would have expected as knights. A Death Maiden can arise at a time of great pain, when justice, or vengeance, is needed. Ashe and Seamus are the ones I would have expected as knights. No one has ever had the bond with soulless beings that I know of." She stopped, slightly confused.



"I have a soul," said Angel. He quirked an eyebrow at Spike.



"Bit of a trend now, mate," the blonde vampire replied. Both of Angel's brows rose to his hairline. "The question is, 'what do we do now?'"



"We return to the others," was Rhiannon's answer. "They will be worried. Also, if that demon killed three of the ruling heirs, it may come looking for the rest. I have much to plan before the night is out."



The three started to head in the direction of Giles' apartment, stopping when a dozen riders on various colored horses appeared. Jewel-colored horses. Rhiannon merely looked at them, until one started to speak.



"My Lady Rhiannon, you are ordered to return to Court at once. Your sister is…the Lady Kieran is dead. Murdered in Underhill by some foul creature. The Queen demands your return to court immediately." He bowed gracefully in his saddle.



"Tender my regrets to her majesty, but I stay until the killer is dead. I will not be crossed in this matter." As she spoke, she stepped forward into the light, the two vampires to either side and just behind. The lead rider gasped in shock when he saw the dark, nearly metallic crimson streaks in her black hair and her ruby red eyes.



"Death Maiden," was the murmur that flew through the riders like wind. The rider bowed once again.



"I relay your message to the queen, but hear me, Maiden. The Dark Court also unleashes the hunt. War is possible, and you are the only remaining heir to either court. Have a care for yourself." Nodding once, he led the other riders off to return to the Seelie Court and relay the message to the queen that a Death Maiden had arisen to avenge the deaths in the royal family. Once the riders had gone, the three left in the park continued on towards the Watcher's home.



***



"So, what you're saying is, there's a possibility that, if she found suitable candidates, that this princess could become some emotionless killing machine, but with magic?" asked the Slayer. She was still pacing the small living room in Giles' apartment. Life was hard enough on the Hellmouth, without adding Elves and whatever their friends were to the mix. And Xander…who would have thought that he would be something other than a human? The blonde cast a surreptitious glance at her friend who was sitting and getting acquainted with his biological father and half brother, both Elves. She still couldn't get over the fact that he had long ears. Buffy had to admit that they looked good on her friend, but come on! Wasn't life weird enough?



"Oh, there are emotions enough," answered Ashe. "The problem is, everything is much stronger, strength, speed, magic, emotions. Death Maidens usually suppress their emotions because they might drive themselves and their knights insane. The rising of a Death Maiden is always triggered by tragedy and grief. It is the pain of the grief that fuels the transformation." Her lecture was cut short by the sound of the door opening.



The responses to what they saw were mixed. The ex-demon, Anya, sat heavily on the ottoman near Xander. Giles felt a tear slip from his eye. Grace Harris openly wept. Willow stood protectively in front of Dawn, the Elves in the room went still, and Buffy searched for something to kill what she thought was the newest threat. However, EVERYONE went still when they saw the rest of the way out the door.



"For some reason, the emotions are easier to control. Still there, still tearing at me, but I can control them without completely shutting them down." She entered the room and sat at the dining table. The two vampires moved to follow her when Lavandel grabbed Spike by the arm.



"It can't be. It's not possible!" he kept repeating. Wondering what he was talking about, Seamus came to stand in front of the two.



"It may not be possible, Van, but it's true." He turned to the others. "I think I know where she is getting her ability to handle the extra emotions and such that come with the change." When the others looked blankly at him, he gestured to the two vampires. "Her knights are creatures that are used to dealing with inner demons. Vampires with souls."



"What do you mean, 'souls'?" Buffy demanded, with an emphasis on the last word. Right now, the fact that Angel was standing in Giles' apartment was secondary to the implication that Spike also had a soul.



"He's had it for almost a year," was the whispered answer. The Slayer whirled around to look at her little sister. "I promised I wouldn't tell," she continued. "He didn't want it to change how you treated him. Either you accepted him as Spike or you didn't."



Both Angel and Spike stepped around Van and Seamus and went to sit on either side of Rhiannon. That broke the spell on the Scoobies.



"What is Deadboy doing here?" demanded Xander.



"I was told there was a demon worse than any other we've faced and that I had to be here," was the Irish vampire's answer. His voice was closer to what everyone was used to, but still had faint echoes of the brogue that Rhiannon had heard earlier. He looked more relaxed than anyone could remember. He was still serious, but the brooding quality they knew was almost completely gone.



"The lady here and I passed out in the park," continued Spike, his blue eyes clouding slightly at the memory. "When I came to, Peaches was on her other side. He apparently grabbed her arm during all the wind and whatnot. Now, it's like a tripod. Each of us is part of the other two. Stronger, more stable, able to pick up when another falls."



The members of the Scooby Gang, and Angel stared at Spike. It was the least acerbic thing they had ever heard him say. He still had most of the Cockney accent they knew, but had been smoothed out some. The members of the Fae were just confused by the fact that their friend had become something they had been taught to fear…with undead knights in the bargain.



"We search for the demon as soon as we rest. Is there somewhere we can stay? I do not feel like returning Underhill. And it is not the safest place at the moment, anyway. Both courts have threatened to let loose the Hunt. The demon must be destroyed before that happens."



Willow volunteered to let the Fae all stay at her house, as her parents were once again out of town. Xander chose to stay with his new family at Willow's house. They would never return to the house where he grew up. It was agreed that they would all meet up again after sundown. When Buffy mentioned that Angel could stay at her place as he wouldn't want to share Spike's crypt, she was shocked to be told that the knights would stay with the Maiden. Separating them at this point could be almost as dangerous as a Maiden with no knights at all. She may become unstable until the bond was completely set. Jealousy speared through the girl as she noticed how close the three were sitting together and imagined how the day might be spent.



Ashe and Seamus were resigned to the change in their friendship. Maybe, when everything was over, Rhiannon would become just their friend again. It was a slim hope, but they already missed the girl with the sharp wit and ready humor. This version of her was easily more serious than anyone at court. Rhiannon, Angel, Spike, Ashe, and Seamus left to stay at the mansion. It turned out that Angel had a caretaker looking after it in case anyone needed to use it.