25

Ianto walked with the confidence of one who knows he is shit hot and as he walked down the Hover's ramp he knew people were scattering like rats deserting a sinking ship. Let them run, his men that were exiting behind him were running too, and they were primed rat catchers.

As he walked, he unsheathed the blades and let them hum at his sides, skimming the long grass at the side of the walkway and as he got to the steps of the castle he finally looked up at the flags flying in the breeze. He turned back to Rhys "Those annoy me."

Rhys responded by stepping back, cocking his arm back and flinging a blade up at one of them, the blade arcing around to catch both and come back to him boomerang style. Showing off. Brilliant blade skills. Ianto nodded and stepped into the main foyer.

"Who seeks an audience with glerkkkkkk" Ianto's blade silenced the man who had pompously stormed towards them with a blade by drawn in his own hand, Ianto's left blade across the man's throat, the man's head flopping back to almost leave his shoulders completely.

As the body slumped to the floor Ianto stopped walking to look around with a raised eyebrow "Anyone else seeking to challenge a High King? Hmmmm?"

Ianto turned to eyeball them all slowly, turning in a full circle on his heel as he looked at those standing startled, frozen statues. Then one took the correct line of action by sinking to his knee. The others started to follow.

"Where is herself?" Ianto demanded angrily "Pip?"

"Her father, the Great King, sent a Royal Hover and a security detail so ours was not needed, they have taken her to his presence for safe keeping" one of the men simpered and Ianto nodded with satisfaction. Good. Da is keeping his word there at least.

"Now" Jack said as he entered the foyer to stand behind his mate "Where is Penny?"

.

.

"Prentice" Jack called out as he entered the room and John took off to the left, skipping like a loon as he cackled to himself. No one noticed the Bladesinger entering last of all, his left blade dripping blood on the blonde wooden flooring.

Ianto stood with his head down, chin to his chest and the look of a predator as Jack walked over to Duke Prentice who had risen from his chair with shock and looked him up and down, then said "Hello Penny. Funny… you married one too… I guess it's a good thing she is called Pip. Two bad pennies is not a good thing. Two wrongs do not make a right ya know."

"Extremely bad luck" John giggled as he slid pas the Duke, making him squeak as he watched the weird man perch on the throne "look Jackie… he has a throne. I thought he was just a pissy little Duke."

"And is that a crown I see sitting on the back of it?" Jack asked as he pointed and John looked up, and then giggled as he pulled the huge gold crown from the edge of the chair.

"So you want a crown do you?" Ianto said in a low, dangerous snarl making them all turn to watch him stalk towards them, his blades still humming in the same low tone to match his voice even though there was no breeze in the room.

Ianto slid the clean blade back into its sheath and kept walking until he was face to face with the Bad Penny, looking him up and down. Then he reached up and removed his own crown from his head, reaching out to slam it onto the confused man's head "There you go. The Crown of Truth."

Prentice blinked at Ianto with confusion, then his face changed to one of shock, horror… grimacing before he fell to his knees, clawing at his head as he screamed with pain. The crown seemed to morph and change as it melted into the man's scalp and while doing so it shone red hot.

"Ianto?" Jack asked softly.

"It is a living entity" Ianto said softly as he watched the man writhe in silent agony "It knows the truth. It hears your thoughts like a bond mate and it reacts accordingly. Anyone seeking to harm me or mine… the High borne … is fodder."

"Ouch… it looks like that hurts" John said with a cock of his head "Tell me … how do you get it off after?"

"After is the right word" Ianto said as he watched the man at their feet stop moving, his noises coming to a sift sigh … then he was still. A puddle around his crotch where he had wet himself.

"Fuck. He's dead" John muttered with genuine shock.

Ianto bent down and reached out, gently touching the red hot metal. As he did so, Jack winced then watched as it slid off into Ianto's hand and by the time Ianto had lifted it up back to his own head, it was once again shiny and solid.

"Some party trick" Jack said to John with a wide grin, not the least bit put out by what he had just seen.

The fucker had asked for it, clearly.