"I think, once, a long time ago, we did not need monarchs." They were sitting across from each other on the grass. The dark night made the grass gray and colorless, and the silver moon made sharp shadows.

"That is not true anymore. Binding magic is woven into our very nature – we have to have someone to call ruler and leader." Darion's gaze was intense and focused, but was not looking at Snow, staring off over her shoulder.

"Every fae has an oathstone – a physical manifestation of their loyalty. Most have never seen theirs, as they are kept by the monarch who commands their loyalty."

"Where do they come from if you do not make them?" Snow asked softly.

Darion blinked – clearly caught off guard. "I'm . . . Not sure." He said finally, "I've never really had to worry about it . . ."

There was a brief pause as Darion seemed to mull over this realization. Then he continued, "All those of the Seelie court are held by King Oberon. All those of the Dubharach court are held by Queen Mab." He stopped, and for several moments all that could be heard was the rustling of the leaves.

"Except for yours." Snow murmured.

Darion looked down at his hands. "Yes. Queen Mab lost a bet, and payed King Oberon with my oathstone." He stopped again, and Snow could think of no appropriate response. "He sent me here. Under Navormal's command."

A pit seemed to open up in her stomach as Snow tried to come to terms with such a horrifying revelation. "What about – your friends, family –"

He looked at her with the most pained and twisted smile she had ever seen. "There is no love lost between Seelie and Dubharach. Queen Mab and King Oberon are at an armed truce. Neither quite dares to officially opose the other – but constant friction is expected. And, well, fae aren't exactly known for being kind, and King Oberon has a reputation – even among the Seelie."

Once again, Snow found herself without words. All words of comfort she could think of seemed cheap and worthless – so she merely let the silence sit. It seemed the most respectful way to acknowledge his words.

Finally, she asked "What is it you do, then? Why here?"

Darion shook his head slightly, and rose to his feet, offering her a hand. "Navormal runs the largest Seelie settlement this part of the continent – placed here precisely because the largest Dubharach settlement is only a few miles down the river. As for what I do, well, come find out."

Snow took it and allowed him to lead her deeper into the woods.

Author's Note - about Oberon: Going into this chapter, I had a general idea of what I wanted for the character of Oberon and the general way the whole fae monarchy/fealty works. So I did some research, and decided on the name Oberon – mainly for being instantly recognizable as the fairy king. Since I like me some historical accuracy and mythical elements I then did some research on some of the early myths about Oberon, and the character in Shakespeare's play, and a few other notable examples of fae. It was very enjoyable, but I decided that though the general flavor was on par with what I was thinking of, nothing specific really fit. In other words, King Oberon in this fic has nothing to do with any of the other mentions of Oberon you have heard, except that he is king of the (light) faries, and is not a nice dude. That said, when I conceptualized his character, I had just read a great NCIS AU, which greatly influenced my idea of him – as well as some of the interactions with fey earlier in the story. It's a great read, even if you are not particularly familiar with NCIS. Relevant chapters are 2, 9, and 10. Especially the last half of 10. s/12579995/1/The-Law-of-the-Jungle