"No, no-" Someone was pulling her away, their thick hands clamped over her shoulder protectively. She walked out of the hut dizzily, wobbling down the gravel pathway through the square.

"At least give back the food!" The voice called out to them. "My High Lord-" Finally, the person holding her shoulders let go and swiveled around. She felt herself stumble forward, nearly falling from the pressure the person had put on her. She could feel dozens of eyes on her, on them, as they stopped walking towards the exit. But her eyes only focused vaguely on the gravel.

"Food?" The second voice laughed. "You will get no food, Petyr. You will never get food from me. Your village…" And the voice trailed off behind her but she stopped listening. Someone stepped next to her.

"Are you okay?" The voice whispered, fear leaking out of the person's tone. "Are you-" But then her fingers latched onto the person's thin wrist. She heard a breath exhale out of the person next to her. Finally, Selene looked up. Her lady-in-waiting had tears in her eyes as she stayed next to her, her body shivering as well.

"Selene, everything is going to be okay," Rosalie said in a small voice. "Everything…"

"You're going to starve us because of one boy? He was a peasant!" Petyr roared behind them. Despite Rosalie's efforts for her to stay forward, to not look back, Selene ripped away from her and turned around. Petyr was a good six feet away from her husband, shaking in anger. Her husband merely stood still, listening to Petyr's rant impatiently. Probably thinking, Selene thought, all the ways to kill him.

"Rhysand," Selene spoke up. Tobias and Petyr looked over at her jerkily. Petyr's lips curled upward.

"What?" He snarled. But Selene didn't even hesitate.

"The boy's name was Rhysand," She said, loud enough for the rest of the square to hear. "That was the boy's name. That was the boy who had the bravery to stand up to you. Who had the balls to do something instead of waiting for his loser tribal chief to care. Who had the heart of a fighter. Who you murdered in cold blood." And then Selene was walking towards him now, her back straightening. Her hands were no longer shaking and her body had stopped feeling like it was going to puke. Instead, there was a spark spreading inside of her.

As Selene surpassed Tobias, Petyr's body tightened.

"You piece of trash," Petyr snarled, now within a three foot distance from her. "This is because of you. All of this is because of you. If you had just followed the rules, did as you were told, chose to be normal, none of this would have happened." But Selene didn't even blink. She held his eyes, his grey eyes, with pride.

"I don't care what you think of me," Selene let out honestly. "I didn't care what your son thought of me either. And when his blood rained down on me, when he exploded into mist, I felt alive for the first time in eighteen years." Petyr inhaled raggedly. He looked like he could've hit her – like he was ready to do whatever he wanted to do to her all this time. But his body was shaking too hard to even stand on his legs without wobbling.

"He'll see through you one day," Petyr said, laughing manically as he showed his yellow, disgusting teeth. "He'll see that you're just a worthless girl who will never blend into the Night Court. Who'll never be the wife he needs to rule. You're a fake." And for whatever reason, Tobias still hadn't jumped in. And Selene began to realize why.

"Perhaps," Selene said softly – too softly, "But until then, your village will burn." And Tobias knew what to do. Before Petyr could respond, with his eyes filled with confusion, the hut they had just come out of busted into flames. Beside it, Petyr's home became inflamed as well. And the fire spread throughout the square too fast for it to be natural, burning each home that had belonged to a leader in the village. The common people began to flee, screaming as they ran to their homes at a distance. Finally, the post that Petyr's son had tied her to bursted into flames as well. Fire burned around her, around them. And she watched as the post fell.

She looked at her husband. His eyes were twinkling, a dark blackness that she finally understood. Carefully, she took his hand.

"Let's go home."

~*~ discidium ~*~

"You have a visitor." It was noon. Tobias had gotten out of bed earlier, mumbling about something she didn't know nor care about. She had heard Rosalie's voice argue with Tobias outside of their bedroom multiple times since he had gotten up, but it wasn't until Tobias went downstairs to meet with the visitor did Rosalie barge into their bedroom without an invitation.

"I'm relaxing today," Selene uttered. She could tell by the look on Rosalie's face that she was surprised to even see her awake. Though Selene was still in bed, she was sitting up comfortably and drawing on a piece of paper that she had found in the drawer next to her. She wasn't necessarily good at it, but it was calming. Tranquil.

"You're wallowing," Rosalie corrected, worry flashing in her eyes. "Just because Tobias is too dull-"

"Don't insult my husband." Rosalie stopped speaking immediately, her body straightening as she closed the door behind her. Carefully, she got into the bed next to her, sitting at where Selene's husband normally slept.

"You're naked," Rosalie noticed. Selene didn't respond. "Its midday and you're not even wearing clothes. Fuck, Selene, I'm worried about you." Selene's eyes flickered at her impatiently.

"If this is about yesterday-"

"A boy died. He died. Of course you're upset. And, no offense, but Tobias doesn't understand that and he never will. He just doesn't think that way. But I know that you do, and I'm not going to let you fall apart." And when Selene looked at her, Rosalie had tears in her eyes. She was truly worried about her, Selene thought. Not in the same way that Tobias was worried, at least.

"We have a visitor?" Selene asked curiously, putting down the pencil and paper beside her. Rosalie nodded, a small smile appearing on her face. Selene sighed, getting out of the bed and walking towards the wardrobe. When Selene started sleeping in Tobias's room consistently, he bought her a second wardrobe to put casual clothes in. Most of the things weren't for formal occasions, but there was a fair share of beautiful dresses.

"I would suggest this," Rosalie advised, taking out the dress. "It would fit nicely." And Selene liked it. It was a thin, silk dress with a halter top that started as a rich, royal purple but by the time it hit the bottom of the dress, where the dress tickled the ground, it was black. There was a slit on the side of the dress and the dress showed off her breasts in a sexy manner. Despite the silk, it didn't appear too formal. It was casual enough to meet someone downstairs. Without second guessing, she put on the dress, allowing Rosalie to zip it up and fix it on her.

By the time she walked downstairs, she found Tobias sipping on a strong alcoholic drink in the living room. He was leaning against the alcoholic cart casually, as if waiting for his visitor to come back. He was indulging in a new bottle – a bottle she hadn't recognized before. When his eyes noticed her on the landing though, he coughed into his drink.

"Rosalie picked that out, didn't she?" It wasn't necessarily in disapproval, but he said it with a tired sigh. She smiled.

"When you two are together, you do understand it's impossible to tame you, right?" He asked, shaking his head lightly. He took another sip of his drink, but she saw the small smile he had on his lips. But then a distinct voice spoke behind her.

"I think it looks powerful." Quickly, Selene stumbled around to meet the visitor's eyes. She stiffened. She was scarily beautiful. She was tall and willowy, her large breasts showing off just as much as Selene's and she was wearing a fiery red dress, decorated with tiny crystals that tickled the ground as well. Her red hair, so dark it was practically brown, was tossed in an elegant knot with various curls bouncing out. Her face was severe – oval shaped with distinct cheekbones. Her eyes were like dark almonds, almost infuriating. Dangerous. Selene felt the hairs on the back of her neck perk up.

The woman put her hand in front of her. Her smile stretched across her face. At first, Selene didn't even breathe. She could feel Tobias smiling, a thing he rarely expressed in front of visitors.

"Clythia. I come from the kingdom of Hybern," she greeted, showing her pointed teeth. There was a slight accent in her voice. "You must be the beautiful Selene. Your husband had told me many generous things about you." Selene didn't shake it. Instead, her eyes flickered at it and then back at Clythia's face. There was something distrustful about the woman, something that made Selene repulsed.

"I better not," Selene said, flashing a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "I have pencil shavings on my hands. But it is nice to meet you." The last part came out strained and she was sure the red-headed woman heard it. But nothing changed on the gorgeous woman's face.

"Very well," Clythia replied, her hands falling to her side. She had a long, slithery smile. "And is that your mortal?" Selene turned around as Tobias let out a low groan. Rosalie was walking down the stairs elegantly, her long flowing hair covering her pointed ears. Even in a plain white dress, she looked like an angel. It was supposed to be modest, not showing an inch of her upper half, but her breasts spilled out sloppily and the straps fell off her shoulders. The dress cut off along her thighs unevenly. Clythia looked like she was trying to suppress a laugh.

"Mortal?" Selene chirped. "What do you mean?" And she noticed how Tobias stiffened.

"Some kingdoms use them," Tobias explained rapidly before Clythia could explain, clearly not wanting to get into the subject. "They use mortals as helpers." At first Selene tilted her head in confusion, but then she understood the meaning beyond his words. Slaves. Her eyes widened as she looked back at Clythia. Clythia fluttered her heavy-lidded eyes.

"And you don't?" Clythia asked Tobias interestingly, growing closer to him. "How do you live without them?" There was a hint of awe in her voice as she lingered close to him, her large eyes filled with wonder. He reflected her awe with a dangerous smirk.

"We hire fae," A new voice interrupted. Rosalie had finally gotten to Selene's side, hovering a few inches away. People turned to look at Leon at the entry way, his hair wet as if he had just gotten out of a bath.

"You hire fae," Clythia repeated to herself, the words marveling on her tongue as it were a foreign language. "Interesting…" Tobias cleared his throat quickly.

"Some courts around us still use them," Tobias explained, "But they breed too fast and die too soon for us to find any use for them long-term. My father banned it early in his reign so that he wouldn't have to deal with possible issues concerning the practice." Clythia's eyes were glittering brightly.

"So what do you do then?" She persisted eagerly, her words hungry for more. "If the mortals wander over here, mingle with you all, what do you do?"

"We kill them," Leon said dryly. "Or at least someone does. Usually they don't make it too far into the kingdom." And by the tone in Leon's voice, it was decided that the conversation was over. There would be no more talk of this. Clythia's long smile shifted into a nervous one. Her hand ran through one of the dangling curls surrounding her faces, blushing lightly.

"I'm sorry if I-"

"No," Tobias said, shaking his head as he turned towards the alcohol cart. Selene blinked rapidly at his kind tone. As his cheeks glowed, he picked up the new bottle he had poured from earlier. Selene, as her eyes lingered on it, realized it was foreign. "Don't. I don't blame you for being interested in our culture." Tobias shifted towards Selene, handing her a drink – something that smelled too strong for her liking. Maybe not even strong, she decided. But different, it smelled different.

He then looked at Clythia.

"Clythia, do you want me to pour you a cup?" The offer was formal, professional, but the way her name rang off his tongue made Selene's blink rapidly. He had a small smile on his lips.

"Clythia can pour her own damn cup," Rosalie muttered coolly. Selene's eyes shot at her pointedly but she had to admit, the effort was half-hearted. Whether or not Clythia heard Rosalie's comment, Tobias and Leon surely didn't.

"I would love one, thank you, Tobias," Clythia replied sweetly. Tobias. The way she said his name made Selene run cold. Tobias turned to his side, leaning on the court as he poured a quick drink and passed it to her. And as Clythia took the drink, Clythia met Selene's gaze briefly, smiling.

"Why are you here?" Selene said aloud, before Clythia could take a sip. It wasn't necessarily purposeful, but she didn't regret it when it slipped out. "If you are from Hybern, why the hell are you at the Night Court?" Tobias's eyes shot towards her warningly, but her eyes were unyielding when she looked at Clythia. Clythia pursed her long lips.

"My sister, Amarantha, is a general in King Hybern's army, as am I," Clythia said highly, her chin rising. Selene's eyes flickered towards Tobias. He was starting to look dazed as his eyes stayed on their guest.

"And I can fly in the sky," Selene shot back. "But that doesn't explain why I am here." Clythia blinked, shuttering her heavy eyelids for a moment.

"Then let's sit," Clythia said tightly. "And we can talk about what I want."
~*~ Discidium ~*~

They had found themselves where Tobias had hosted the annual meeting. Selene sat beside Tobias, Rosalie sat beside Selene, Leon sat next to Clythia and Clythia sat across from Tobias. Tobias had taken in the large bottle of foreign alcohol that he had poured earlier. Apparently, it was a gift from Clythia's sister, Amarantha.

"I have looked into the details of your court," Clythia said, pulling out a long parchment. "You have high masses of obsidian, a wondrous supply of herbs and spices in the mountains, low crime rates, an amazing amount of wildlife considering the freezing temperatures, a decent birth rate and your military…it's impressive, to say the least." Tobias leaned back in his chair, the tip of his mouth curving upward as he took a sip of his alcohol.

"You've done your research," Tobias cooed, his dark eyes gleaming. From across the table, Selene noticed Leon's eyebrows furrow down, though she felt like it wasn't towards Clythia.

"In the years to come, our kingdom has goals," Clythia responded slowly. "One of which is carving out our dragon stone mountains and starting an industry for it." Tobias's smile had disappeared now, his face looming with shadows. Clythia hesitated for a moment, but then continued.

"Dragon stone-"

"I know what dragon stone does," Tobias cut her off, his voice suddenly icy. "My father was obsessed with it. He thought it would revolutionize our court. Bring in tons of money, tons of power, but he could never find a way to get it out. He found it was a lost cause. But you already knew that." Leon coughed, looking between the two leaders jumpily. Clythia's face flushed, shocked by Tobias's cutthroat deductions. But then Clythia's smile lengthened.

"We got it out," Clythia said, her eyes glistening. "We found a way, Tobias." At first, Tobias didn't even move. He looked at her, and then looked at Leon. Leon didn't say a word. If anything, he didn't even look impressed. As if he considering the possibility was too absurd to even pretend.

"Prove it," Tobias said finally. Clythia's blinked, as if those words were the last she ever expected to hear.

"Prove it?" She repeated, and before he could reply she took one of her rings of her finger and handed it to him. "What does this look like to you, High Lord?" He took the ring in his hands carefully, putting it to his face. It had a silver band with a large oval stone. At first sight, it looked blue but when Selene looked deeper there was a rainbow glistening. Leon's face twisted, as if a new horror had overcame him. Tobias's whole body had stiffened when he realized what it was, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"How," Tobias whispered, and then said loudly to Clythia, "How?" Selene could feel a hotness burn at her fingertips, like a rush running through her. Clythia looked triumph from across the table as she took in Tobias's eager face.

"White steel," Clythia replied softly, and she took the bottle of alcohol and poured some into Tobias's dry cup. "It's a metal we have at Hybern. We tried it against the surface about halfway into the mountain – not the base, like you have been trying. We go in at a specific angle, depending on the mountain, and we get through." Tobias's elbows were leaning on the table readily.

"And that steel – white steal, you say, got the dragon stone out fully?" Tobias asked, his dark eyes spinning. "That's…" And Selene had never heard him struggle to finish a sentence. He looked spun up, maybe even obsessive. Her eyes shot towards Leon, who hadn't moved an inch. He was looking at Clythia seriously, not a hint of temptation on his face.

"And why," Leon said slowly, "are you telling us this?" And then Leon's words seemed to calm Tobias down. He leaned farther back in his seat, taking a swig of his drink.

"Because you need my steel," Clythia said, fluttering her eyes again. Selene leaned closer, her eyes narrowing.

"And you?" Selene asked coldly. "What do you need, Clythia?" Clythia looked at her sharply, pausing before she replied.

"Our population is ninety percent mortal," Clythia began, her voice pompous as she responded to her. "While that gives us luxuries, mortals don't have the physical capacity to get the stone out. Even with these tools, they wouldn't be able to hold onto them. They're too weak of a species." Selene's eyebrows went up slowly.

"So, you have nobody to mine it out?" Selene simplified, her voice growing dryer.

"Another reason to not use slavery," Leon muttered.

"We need manpower," Clythia said, as if neither had even spoken. "Mountains that carry dragon stone are too steep to carry machinery up. You though, Tobias, have…what are they called again? Ollyians?"

"Illyrians," Selene corrected.

"We have those," Tobias responded fast. "I can have them out by tomorrow morning. How many do you need to do this deal, Clythia?" Tobias's eyes were glistering, nailing on Clythia as if she was the weapon he always wanted. As if she was what would solve all of the Night Court's problems. Clythia's smile turned venomous and Leon, who was yet to fall for Clythia's charm, looked flabbergasted.

"Are you fucking mad? We aren't giving her our people, Tobias," Leon hissed. But Tobias didn't so much as look at him when he replied. He continued to stare into Clythia's eyes, his face filled with delight.

"Nonsense, Leon. She seems like a worthy ally."

"An ally? We haven't had an ally in two hundred years! The Night Court doesn't make allies!"

"Maybe it's time for a change then. We need to embrace these beautiful women who are coming to power," Tobias announced. Rosalie, next to Selene, rolled her eyes.

"Maybe we don't need to embrace all of them just yet, Tobias," Selene whispered to him, her eyes cold as he looked back at her. When he met her eyes, nothing shined. It was like he was looking at a wall.

"Get in bed with me on this, Tobias, and we can be rulers over this entire world as king and queen," Clythia continued. And then, just like that, the whole table aside from Tobias had gone anti-Clythia. King and Queen?

"We are not-"

"Are you the ruler?" Clythia snapped at Leon. Leon flinched back, blinking at her rapidly. He turned to Tobias, who was still looking at Clythia like she was gold.

"What did you just say to me?" Leon hissed. Tobias's face tightened at his words.

"I asked you if you were a ruler. Are you the High Lord of Night?" Clythia asked, and Selene could see how the beautiful woman could be a general. She wasn't dangerous physically, but her persona, her ability to control even the darkest of lords, was admirable. Leon didn't respond, but he looked like he was close to blowing up. He sunk deeper in his chair, his eyes like daggers. Silence barred between them.

"In our court, he is higher ranked than a general," Selene informed her tightly. Clythia's dagger like stare turned to her. "And I, as the High Lord's Lady, agree with the emissary."

"Quiet, Selene," she heard a husky voice snarl. "I apologize for my wife's behavior. She is a peasant Illyrian herself. She doesn't understand our goals, our world." Selene turned to her husband, her eyes wide. Though heat flooded her face, she didn't stammer.

"I understand clearly," Selene spat. "And the last time I checked, you need my verification to do anything if it effects my lands." Tobias laughed through his nose. The hair on Selene's arms went up.

"If you really believe those are your lands, that your words hold anything, you're a bigger fool than I thought you were." And it felt like a slap in the face. She shuddered back, shifting herself as far from Tobias as possible in her seat. Her mouth was ajar. Leon was clutching his chair angrily.

"Finally, I found someone who understands. Someone who sees how a heart should beat," Tobias said in awe as his eyes went over Clythia. "Tell me, Clythia, let me show you my ancestors. Let me show you their dreams so we can integrate them into ours." And then Tobias got up from his seat with his drink in his hand and walked over to Clythia. He helped her out of her chair elegantly, holding onto her hand as he did so, and as she loomed over all of them, she smirked victoriously.

"We'll be right back," She said, smirking at the rest of them as she grabbed onto the bottle of alcohol and her own cup.

"Oh, let me take that," Tobias said to her, grabbing onto the alcohol bottle. "I don't want to burden you."
~*~ discidium ~*~

Nobody spoke at first. When Tobias and Clythia left, there was a long silence.

"What do we do?" Leon finally blurted. He first looked to Selene, whose arms were crossed against her chest tightly, and then quickly to Rosalie.

"About the fact that my husband replaced me with a general who wants to take over the world with him by exploiting my people?" Selene asked him. "Maybe you both should tell me what is going on with him because I have never seen him like this. Never, Leon. You two know him better than anyone else. What is wrong with him?" And when she looked at the both of them, her eyes were hard. She wasn't asking as a friend, she was asking as their lady.

"I wouldn't say he replaced you," Leon said carefully, flashing a nervous smile. "More like…marveled."

"Marveled?" Selene asked impatiently. "Are you telling me my husband completely embarrassed me in front of a world leader simply because he was marveled? That he forgot I was his wife because of a form of admiration?" Leon's nervous smile grew.

"It's temporary, is what I'm saying," Leon said, and Selene felt the anger rise in her as the words hit her. She was about to speak but then Rosalie huffed.

"Temporary? Like when he brought me to the Summer Court and replaced me with some merchant's daughter and I didn't see him for three whole days?" Rosalie spoke up.

"To be fair," Leon said, pointing a finger, "he did tell you not go." But then Rosalie's eyes were blazing.

"I was his date!" Rosalie fumed. "Of course I was going to go." Leon sighed tiredly, putting his hands up in surrender.

"I'm not saying he's right," Leon declared innocently. "I'm just saying, it's temporary. He's not going to replace you. He's just having a moment." But when he said it, there was hesitance in his voice. Selene's eyebrows perked up, glaring at him harshly.

"Plus, you're far prettier than her, Selene. It's no competiti-"

"I don't care if I'm prettier, Leon," Selene snapped. "I want my voice to be heard. I don't want to be silenced, I don't want to be ignored, and I sure as hell don't want to be replaced. Even if it is temporary." Leon let out a deep breath. But deep down, even though the anger was unbearable, a lot of it was pain. A lot of it was sadness because Tobias could just look away within a moment. That, if somebody prettier, more powerful, walked into the room, she was nothing. She was just a peasant Illyrian whose opinion was arbitrary.

"Unless you want to kill her-"

"Is that an option?" Rosalie said, her large green eyes blinking. "Because I have no issue with it."

"No killing," Leon said fast, his eyes growing wider, "No murdering a general of Hybern. That-that is not a good idea."

"He looked at me like I was nothing, like I was just space," Selene said, her teeth clenched. "He's never done that…I just don't understand."

"He's excited," Leon said, his voice tight now. "My father obsessed over dragon stone and if Tobias is the one who is capable of getting it out, it'll be a spit on his grave. Tobias will win." The anger in Selene's face had dropped.

"He'll win? He disliked his father so much that his reign is a competition with a dead man?" Selene said, her voice filled with disbelief. "That's…"

"They didn't have a great relationship," Leon said, shrugging lightly. Selene's eyes narrowed on him. Suddenly, a chill went through her.

"How did you father die?" Selene heard herself ask, her voice quiet. "Tobias didn't…?" Leon's eyes flashed.

"No," Leon said sharply, "No, of course not. My father…he was murdered. But the culprit was never found." Selene shook her head slowly.

"But Tobias found him," Selene said, her voice distant. "He was the one who found him dead. I saw it." Leon's eyes flashed.

"You saw it?" Leon repeated. "What do you mean-"

And then a scream interrupted his words. A high pitched scream. At first, nobody even moved.

"Was that…?"

"Clythia, I think." And they all looked between each other curiously, waiting. Rosalie shrugged lazily.

"Would it be bad if we just-"

"Yes, it would be bad!" Leon said, getting out his chair. "Plus, I mean, what if Tobias is hurt?" And then Rosalie and Selene jumped from their seats.

"Tobias is hurt?" Selene repeated loudly. Quickly, they rushed out of the room, going down the hall together. But then words were let out at a distance, yelping almost.

"What the hell are you trying to do? I have a wife!" They all froze, looking in all different direction as his voice echoed throughout the palace.

"The library!" Rosalie exclaimed. "They said they were going to library!" Within a few seconds, they had made it to the library entrance but then they all gasped.

"What the…" Selene couldn't even feel her own body. In front of her, the duo were together. Her eyes fell to Clythia immediately, who was on her knees on the ground. The top of her risqué dress was flapped off, her large breasts pointing in opposite directions. She was clenching one of her cheeks which was burned red. Tobias was a few feet away from her, his eyes wide and one of his palms out and the other hand clenching his cup. He didn't even seem to notice when the three of them entered the library, staring in horror. Instead, he looked terrified himself. And then Selene finally caught grasp of why the Lady General was on her knees.

"Was she…" Rosalie's voice lingered.

But the most surprising part was that, even with his pants still on, it was obvious that he was aroused. Yet, he still had no interest getting favored by the Lady General. Selene supposed that she should've been angry as well, but she was so in shock that, despite his physical interest and the likeliness that he would've gotten away with it, he had still turned her down. Maybe even humored.

Clythia scrambled off her knees, her face becoming redder as she eyed the small crowd around her. As she backed away, she attempted to, and failed, to fix her dress. Tobias had shoved himself against the bookcase, as if to get as far away from her as possible. He looked like he was about to get ill. Leon, as Clythia tried to regain her composure, looked at Clythia's cup of alcohol curiously. It was resting on top of one of the shelves and while Clythia was distracted, Leon grabbed it. When Leon took hold of it, Clythia inhaled raggedly. She tried snagging it back but he pulled it out of reaching distance easily, making her stumble on her dress.

"This smells like…" Leon started vaguely, but then his eyes widened and he yanked the other cup from Tobias's hands at lightning speed, throwing it at the far wall. It shattered. "That has love dust in it!" Tobias looked at Leon with his upper lip curled up and then to Clythia.

"Is this true?" Tobias said slowly, his voice filled with more hurtful betrayal than anger. A reaction that didn't hold to Tobias's persona at all. Clythia, despite her fearful portrayal, stammered.

"I have no idea what your-" And then Tobias took hold of the bottle itself, taking in a good sniff. Instantly, his face contorted.

"Love dust?" Selene whispered to Leon quickly. Leon was suppressing a smile.

"It's like a love portion of sorts," Leon said, his face turning red in amusement. "I guess now we understand why Tobias found her so alluring." But Tobias was still standing, his eyes slightly dazed and trying his best to loom over the Lady General dangerously. Unfortunately, his usual ruthless glare didn't seem to hold when he looked at her.

"I am the High Lord of N-Night!" Clythia's smile reappeared slowly. She stood on her feet steadily, growing closer to him. She had barely covered his breasts, with her dress still flapping out awkwardly. His eyes dangled at them immediately but then he looked away, wincing as he did so.

"In my kingdom, we celebrate our alliances with sexual relations. I didn't know the Night Court didn't hold the same traditions." And then Tobias contortion of rage disappeared and a look of sympathy, sympathy of all things, replaced it. He opened his mouth, about to say something, but then Leon stepped between them.

"Tobias, she is lying. She wanted to get you into bed so that you can replace sweet Selene with her and then use you to take over the world," Leon interrupted gently, and then turned to Clythia with a smile, "Clythia, while this has been a joy, I am going to have to politely ask you to leave. I had just remembered that our magnificent High Lord has some…paperwork to attend to. After he is done, I am sure he'll send you a letter informing you of his final decision." Clythia blinked at him stupidly. For the first time all day, Selene wanted to laugh.

"You're…you do know I'm a Lady General, right?" She stammered. Her hands formed into tight balls. "You can't kick me out. You're just some emissary." Leon's smile dropped, a redness flushing over him and his body stiffening at her words. Quickly, Selene walked into her view.

"No, he can't, but I am the Lady of this household," Selene told her, "And since my beloved husband is preoccupied-" She looked towards Tobias, who was clutching the bookcase tightly as he swayed. Clearly, the drink wasn't sitting with him well. "I am readily available and willing to use every resource that is beheld in this estate to drive you out." Again, Clythia blinked at her stupidly. She then looked at Leon, her mouth open, and then eyed Rosalie.

"Don't bother," Clythia spat finally. "The Night Court can burn for all I care. You will regret this." And when she turned away, strutting out of the library room with Leon at her heels, presumably to lead her to the front door, Selene turned to look at Tobias. He was still clutching the bookcase in a death-like grip, trying to muster an innocent smile but instead looked distorted on his sallow face.

"Is she gone?" Tobias asked desperately, his voice close to a whisper. Selene was still, eyeing him seriously. She found, as she stared into his dark eyes, that she wasn't as irked as she expected herself to be. It was hard to be, at least, when your husband was drunk off love dust.

Leon came to view a few moments later, not bothering to hide his smirk any longer.

Without looking at Selene, he asked her as his eyes nailed on Tobias, "What should we do to him?" As if on cue, Tobias sniffled, his dark eyes watering. Selene grimaced at him.

"Are you crying?"

"No," he flared, though half-heartedly, "I just …I thought Clythia and I had something going, Selene. I can't believe she would lie to me, after everything we went through." Selene's eyes narrowed as he stumbled towards her, clutching her neck tightly. As he bawled, her arms stayed limply at her sides.

"I feel like this substance may take a while to get out of his system," Selene said dryly. "Leon, would you…?" Leon's smile lengthened.

"My pleasure," He replied. Before Tobias could look up, Leon yanked him away from her and arched his shoulder back, hitting Tobias square in the face. He banged against the bookshelf painfully, his eyes already closed by the time he hit the floor. The three of them crowded around him quickly, eyeing the High Lord.

"Well, I guess that's one way to do it," Rosalie muttered.

~*~ discidium ~*~

"You're awake." It had been hours since they had put Tobias into his bed. Selene had quietly refused to spend the night with him, assuming that he would be better off in his bed alone than sharing one with her. Nevertheless, she was earnest in checking on him periodically. Though, when the moon was at its peak and Selene had quietly tiptoed through the hall to go check up on him for the third time, she heard some movement downstairs. Quietly, and apprehensively, she followed the faint shuffling of papers and stumbling footsteps. When she found herself stepping into Tobias's study, she paused. Awkwardly, she tightened the cotton robe around her, crossing her arms against her chest tightly.

He looked up at her with owl-like eyes. He was shirtless with only the pants he had been wearing earlier and his hair was ruffled messily. One of his hands was clinging to his head as he winced at her, the other holding onto a number of pieces of parchment. Before he had noticed her, he was leaning over his desk studiously, looking at a range of papers that were scattered around him.

"Rough day?" She asked, breaking the silence.

"Certainly one of my top ten," Tobias grumbled. But then a softness flushed over his face. "And you? How was your day?" And this time his voice shifted. From a cranky young High Lord to a self-conscious lover who couldn't say the words that Selene knew he was wondering. She was tempted to laugh at the awkwardness that had hung in his voice, as if anything concerning feelings was too foreign for him to converse about. Yet, he looked so unconcealed. So…guilty.

"Enlightening," she decided. She grew closer to him. With each step, a little bit more color came to his face.

"Enlightening?" He said, a dark eyebrow popping up. "How so?" And she was behind the desk with him now, holding onto her small smile.

"That my husband would turn down a glorious blow job from one of the most powerful generals known to man, simply because he loves his peasant wife," Selene said, stifling a laugh, but then his smile dropped. His eyes grew darker, piercing her.

"I didn't mean that," he said, his voice firm. "You couldn't have actually believed that I meant that." And then her smile dropped as well and she felt herself exhale. Because, in her lowest point, she couldn't say otherwise. She couldn't look at him and say that she wasn't a peasant, that she was more than just his wife.

"If you are a peasant, Selene," he said, his voice rasp, "then I am twice that. If you are a fool, then I am damned in this world and whatever lays after because your words are godly to me. And I don't care who's sitting on the other side – Clythia, or her sister, or their dull-witted king. You will always be more important because before you, I was just a breathing corpse rotting on a throne. And I didn't even know it." And Selene was quiet for a moment. She pushed down the lump in her throat, taking a breath.

"I still believed you loved me," Selene whispered, and he slackened. "That's what you wanted to ask wasn't it? If I ever stopped believing that you loved me. I didn't, Tobias." He took in a cool breath.

"Good, because I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you didn't know I loved you," Tobias admitted coarsely. "I could live with you not loving me, but…not if you believed that I didn't love you."

"Don't worry about that," Selene said, a small smile on her lips.

"Leon and Rosalie," he said quietly, "they didn't…?" Selene shook her head quickly.

"Clythia never offered a drink to either of them," Selene told him. "Only you." He let out a groan, as if those words made him feel even worse than before.

"I can't believe I was so dumb," Tobias said, rubbing his forehead. "I should've just gotten a servant to sniff it for me. She was just so…"

"Pretty," He finished quietly, sighing lustfully as he did so. But then his tightened when he heard his words and he shook his head sharply. "Fuck, when did Leon say this would go away?" Selene suppressed a laugh.

"He said it should be gone by morning," Selene chortled, her hands caressing his shoulders. "Though, it is slightly humorous to see you have a crush." He blanched.

"High Lords don't have crushes, Selene." Selene's smirk widened.
"You smiled. A lot."

"So? I smile…occasionally."

"Only when you're imagining them naked," Selene said, rolling her eyes. Tobias made a face of protest.

"Well, you handled it well," Tobias grumbled. "Better than I would have." Selene's eyebrows rose.

"And how would you have handled it?" Selene mused.

"He would be sliced up in a million pieces," Tobias replied, showing his pointed teeth as he smiled and Selene didn't doubt it.

"And Clythia?" She asked. "How are you going to deal with that?" This time, her voice was serious. Shadows loomed over his face.

"I thought of my options," he said simply. "Drugging a high lord…doing that would cause a rational leader to go to war." She bit her lip.

"But then I found this." He gestured towards the range of papers on the desk. Majority of the papers, as far as Selene could see, had architectural sketches of mountains and topographical maps of the terrain. Even though Tobias seemed tense as he invited her to look at the stack, there was a hint of satisfaction when he saw the complete confusion in her eyes.

"The worst part is that she's right. See that part right there?" Tobias asked, pointing at about midway on the side of the mountain. "If she truly has a surface sharp enough to get through there, and we go in at a forty-five degree angle, we should be able to get the dragon stone like a knife cutting into soft butter. All we would need is a few Illyrians to fly up there and do the rest." Selene's mouth dried instantly as she looked down at the parchment that beheld Tobias's treasure.

"So what are you going to do?" She heard herself asking, forcing the words to come out of her. "You would need her white steel to do it." And then, for just a moment, Selene could truly see how old Tobias was. Even though he normally looked like he was only twenty years old, maybe twenty-two, she saw the years that had passed on his face. How being high lord made a man twice as old as he already was.

"If I did offer an alliance," he pondered, though as he said it seemed unlikely, "then I would have to apologize. And even if I did manage to apologize, there would be a cost. There is always a cost." And she didn't say anything. She tried to imagine Clythia wandering her home regularly, invading her privacy, embracing their so-called alliance. She was powerful, far more powerful than Selene, and deep down it terrified her.

"But I don't apologize," Tobias said with a snarl. "The Night Court doesn't apologize." And then Selene could feel the hotness overcome her as she stared into Tobias's dark eyes. The anger that burned in him that now burned in her.

"You can't invade," she said, suddenly feeling desperate, "It would cause a war." He shrugged lazily.

"I could get different courts on my side," he mumbled. "If I told them I'd share the treasure, we could overcome them. But I don't want to. I'm considering spies, or possibly infiltrating their resources one man at a time. It would take years. Not that being immortal doesn't have its benefits, but I don't want to wait fifty years to finally possess my birthright." Selene's eyebrows perked up.

"So what if you just…did nothing?" She offered. When he looked up from the various papers and shared her gaze, he looked furious.

"Do nothing?" He repeated, his voice rising. "I can't just do nothing. This-" And then she put her palm out innocently.

"Just consider it," she muttered softly. "Because it is an option." His lips pursed firm together and he nodded curtly. She tried to muster a smile but her facial expression broke. She yawned.

"I'm going to sleep," she said. "Just…tell me what you decide." And before he could respond, she turned away from him, gliding out of his room. Even through the bond, she couldn't decipher what he was thinking. What he wanted. All she could feel was anger. Was this because of his father? This outrageous competition to be better?

She was nearly to her room when she heard a crack. She turned around rapidly, but when she saw that it was just Leon she let out an exhale. He was leaning against the wall casually, and she expected to see a smile on his face but there was nothing.

"It's past midnight," she said, "Go to sleep." And he did look tired, but not in the same way she presumed. He looked worried, possibly anxious.

"Half a bottle," he said, his voice soft, "Half a fucking bottle and he didn't even take it. I mean, even a faithful man will make irrational decisions off one sip." Selene blinked at him.

"Are you-"

"I didn't think he needed you," Leon said, his voice honest. "But he does. He needs you. We need you, Selene." Her eyes narrowed on him.

"I'm not leaving-" He put his hand up, silencing her quickly.

"I'm just saying," he said, his voice breaking slightly, "No matter what, no matter what he does, protect him. Because I can't." And with those words, he turned away sharply, wobbling slightly as he regained his balance. She didn't speak, to call him back. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't even understand why Leon would say such a thing, especially in the middle of the night. But when he closed his door, she opened her own.

As she walked towards her bed, shedding off her cotton robe, she eyed a piece of paper on her bedside table. She almost never put anything on her bedside table aside from a flickering candle, so as she picked up the folded paper, she found her fingers shaking. At first, she assumed it was a little present that Clythia had left her, but when she saw the signature, a worse feeling overcame her.

That was your proof.

-J.

She read it three times before she fully digested his words. Clythia was the proof that Tobias was in danger, that his life was in danger. She swallowed, her heart beating fast as the paper crumbled in her hand. She couldn't think about that right now, not when Tobias was considering making a permanent deal. And how could that have been proof? What did that even prove? That Clythia was the enemy to the Night Court? That she was trying to take over? But she was just a general, not a hungry king. Sure, she certainly craved power, but she didn't come off as a usurper.

So, before Selene could think of the letter much longer, she turned to the fireplace behind her. Most of the fire had burned out throughout the night, but there was still some burning coals. She crumped the paper tighter and tossed it into the fireplace. She took a shaky breath as she watched the words burn away, evading her. But even as it burned, ceasing to exist, the words stayed with her. Even though the words burned away, the fear certainly didn't.

~*~ discidium ~*~
I've had a rough few days. There is probably a billion mistakes, and I'm sorry I couldn't get it out earlier. Please leave a comment. As I've said a million times, comments make me so entirely happy so even if you normally don't comment, making an exception. Every single one makes me happy.