I regret nothing.

Also, minor time skip.

"I have good news!" Lody sang, skipping forward to throw her arms around Bibi's neck.

"Is it the kind of good news that is genuinely good news or the kind of good news that is good news for you, but bad news for someone else?"

"Genuinely!"

"Oh, so that does happen."

"Oh, shut up." Lody wrinkled her nose at the imp, drawing back to rummage in her hamper. "I have found…" Lody began, peering into the hamper with a frown, "I have found out that… aha! There they are!" She drew her hand from the basket with a flourish, a pink cotton pouch in her grasp. "I found out that Pri berries aren't poisonous to imps! Now you can try them!" Bibi blinked at her. Lody's smile faltered into a pout. "What?"

"Didn't I ask you that, like, three moons ago?"

"Two!" Lody protested. "And a half." She added under her breath. Bibi smiled. Lody tipped her chin up defiantly. "Do you want one or not?" She shoved the pouch under Bibi's nose.

"OK, but if I die-"

"I'll be very sorry."

"Mmm, I'm convinced."

"Just eat the berry." Bibi tried one. Lody watched her eagerly, pouring berries into her palm and scoffing the lot. "So?" She asked around her mouthful. "What'd you think?"

"They… taste like the ones Papi likes."

"They do? Wait, what does he have then?" It was Bibi's turn to rummage for berries, but she still didn't have a hamper like Lody's, just a worn satchel.

"I can't remember their real name, Papi just calls them 'border berries'. Mama's always bringing him some back." Lody examined the handkerchief of berries in Bibi's palm, poking at the fruit curiously. "They turn your tongue purple." Bibi prompted.

"But are they poisonous to Fae?"

"Don't know."

"So if I die-"

"I'll be very sorry." Bibi confirmed with a smirk. Lody regarded her, quirking a brow. Without taking her eyes from Bibi's face, she snatched a handful of border berries and stuffed them into her mouth. "I waited three- sorry, two and half- moons before trying Pri berries, but you're more than happy to eat border berries without a second thought?"

"Yes."

"Should I be worried?"

"Probably."

"Are you worried?"

"No." Lody swallowed her mouthful, sticking her tongue out and going cross-eyed in attempts to see it. "I' i' 'ur'le?"

"Little bit. Bit green too." Bibi surrendered her berries. Lody seemed more than happy mashing border and Pri berries together, wolfing them down like no tomorrow. Over the last few quarters, Bibi had watched Lody's appetite grow. She no longer feigned delicate table manners while eating, more than happy to eat with her fingers and gorge herself on whatever she could. Bibi didn't mind it- it meant she didn't have to feign table manners either. "How's your little mission going?"

"Oh, fantastically!" Lody rolled her eyes. Bibi squinted at her suspiciously. "OK, riddle me this, Bibi, prepare yourself," Bibi inclined her head, nodding more vigorously when Lody glared, "if someone anonymously left repetitive letters on your and your colleagues' desks or snuck into your belongings or even one of your pockets, would you read it, just out of curiosity?"

"More than likely."

"No."

"No?"

"No. Apparently, if letters aren't filed the correct way, they don't get read. And by correct way, they are all opened and read by a team of highly trained individuals whose job it is to violently censor or dispose of anything that does not directly or indirectly benefit the Fae or have any applications to our current education, our understandings of our enemy and/or our neighbours or any changes to what the Council deems appropriate for the public to hear."

"Huh. Who'd have thought?"

"I'm very tempted to start sneaking these letters into people's houses."

"All well and good, Lody, but you run the risk of being caught."

"I also run the risk of being caught dating an imp- I'll take my chances." Lody stuck her tongue out. Seeing it a blend of purple and green caught Bibi off guard for a moment. It was silly, but she laughed. "What? Oh, shush. You're nothing but trouble."

"Aww, you do care."

"You didn't bring enough berries."

"Hey, I ran the risk of being caught stealing Papi's berries. You do not steal his berries. Ever."

"My heart bleeds for you, now get me some more."

"No."

"Aww, you don't care." Lody pulled a face. Bibi sat up straighter, resting her elbows on her knees. The border shimmered between them. Lody had often hopped over, for small amounts of times, just to see what would happen or to sit closer to Bibi. Bibi could not cross. She could just about put her hand through the magic, but it rippled warningly and pushed her back.

Lody followed Bibi's gaze, frowning at the border. "Stupid Guard." She grumbled, popping the last of the Pri berries in her mouth. "I hate this border, Bibi."

"Me too."

"One day, we'll live without it."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. Even if I have to tear it down myself. It's stupid." Bibi began to reply. The snap of a twig caught her attention, ice washed her skin. "Bibi, what is it?" There was a quiet whine, a sound Bibi knew all too well. Her eyes darted to the treetops, catching on a shine just over Lody's head, roughly fifty paces away.

She tackled the fairy, the arrow skimming her hair. It dived into the trunk Bibi had been leaning against. Bibi kept low, pressing against Lody, making sure she was covered. Lody's breath tickled her cheek, hastening in panic. "Wh- what-? Oh no." A soft whistling noise sparked on the border behind them, zipping over their heads and growing fainter as it raced away. Lody squirmed, managing to peek under Bibi's arm. "Bibi, the border-"

But it was too late.

They came from everywhere. Bibi tried calling on the lake's water, but she did not have the reach of her mother. The Fae Guard swarmed in, armoured and bearing weapons galore, shields up. Archers appeared from the trees, wings buzzing angrily, dozens of them, aiming from every possible angle. Rough hands gripped Bibi's arms, wrenching her to her feet. She tried twisting free, tried kicking, tried fighting the ropes encircling her forearms. Lody was screaming, soft thuds as she too hit out. Bibi turned, saw Lody's mouth moving as she began summoning a spell. A length of cloth snapped over the lower half of her face, muffling her words, ropes coiling tightly around her wrists and ankles. Lody cried behind the gag, toppling over.

"No!" Bibi yanked her weight forward. Pain erupted on the back of her head and she blacked out before she even hit the ground.