Thorn
My father wasn't home, thankfully. I wondered if he was at a meeting or was out looking for me. I doubted both, but I was leaning towards the meeting mostly. My dad would never go to one unless he felt like it, which was practically never but with me gone he probably wanted a distraction.
I began heading towards the door that lead to my room. I wanted to change out of Hanna's dress so badly that my skin was crawling like bugs that wanted to push off the foreign clothing. Before I could get into my room, though, Ion stopped me by putting a hand on my shoulder. He held up his bag up as I turned towards him.
"Take these," Ion said
"I don't want them," I said with a shrug. "Sorry."
"You haven't even seen them." Ion pushed the bag towards me.
"I probably won't want them still." I took the pack from him anyways though.
In my room, I tossed the bag onto my bed. Some of the dresses spilling out as it fell. I first picked up a black dress and instantly noticed that it wouldn't look good on me. The next dress was yellow and ugly. The third dress I picked up was a beautiful silver dress, for larger women. I sighed thinking, Maybe I could fit most of the dresses or maybe fix them up with a little sewing... Finally, I pulled out a gorgeous light purple gown. It looked so perfect compared to the others that I went straight to my full-length mirror and held the dress against my body.
It had a layered medium-length skirt and long sleeves. At the end of each sleeve was lace trimming. A ribbon went around the waist also, with a small bow on the left hip.
I threw off the orange dress I had on to quickly change into the purple one. I liked the orange one, but the light purple dress I knew would look so much better on me. I looked back in the mirror hoping it would look as good as I thought—it did. Though I felt I needed something simple to complete the outfit, like a plain silver chain to put around my neck, of course I didn't have something like that. Instead I had a plain silver bracelet that was about one inch wide and matching earrings. Perfect, I thought once I was done.
"You look beautiful," Kiri's silent voice came from behind me.
I turned around to see the small girl standing next to my bed. "Oh, uh, that's nice of you to say Kiri," I hesitated.
Kiri nodded. "I actually came in here to," she paused, "to ask you if you had any dresses small enough for me..." I could tell how nervous she was to ask the question as Kiri's hands were fidgeting in front of her and her feet were shuffling slightly.
"I don't know if I do or not," I answered. "but I would check Hanna's old dresses." Kiri's eyes traveled to the dresses spilled out of Ion's bag. Since Kiri didn't make a move for the clothes, I walked up to them and spread them out on my bed until I finally found a light turquoise dress that looked about Kiri's size. I was pretty sure it was long enough to reach her knees.
I smiled at it and held out the turquoise gown towards Kiri so she could decide whether she liked it or not. The dress had no sleeves with a gathered waist. It looked like it would be slightly tight too.
"It's perfect," Kiri answered surprising me as she took the gown from my hands. She waited until I nodded my welcome to her before she turned to leave my room.
Kierran
By the time Electra and I were finished getting ready it was already dark. It was mostly Electra's fault. She had to put on jewelry, do her hair, fix her make-up-oh and don't forget her nails.
There was nothing more pointless to me than a woman's need to look good in every single way. Even when Thorn acted that way.
When we got into the carriage, I was surprised to see Electra and I were the only ones in it. I was suspecting Glitch would come to represent my parent; since there was no way they could come, Electra suddenly spoke up to my perplexed look.
"Oh yeah, my dad wanted to tell you, your coming as the representative of the Iron Court."
I looked at her shocked. "Wait, what?"
"What's the problem?" she asked as if it was normal for me to represent all Iron fey
"I'm the prince, of course but representing Iron fey." I shook my head. "Talk about a lot of weight on my shoulder."
"We'll do fine," Electra tried to encourage.
"We'll?" I asked. "You're just my date, Electra.
"So?"
"So, it's only me who's going for Iron fey."
"But I'm your date."
Looking at my fiance with annoyance I ended the conversation. Before Electra could say anything more I signaled the carriage driver with a wave of my han. Since what happened with my friends earlier that day it was a lot easier to shut up Electra, I liked it and hoped it would last.
Thorn
I still want to avoid my dad, but Wolf insisted that we stayed until night fall before leaving. I was sure there was no way we could miss my dad, but he never came. I was surprised at the same time as confused and worried. I kept wondering what could of happened to him or what he could have been doing. When it was pitch black outside, my dad still hadn't showed up, and I got three horses from the stable behind the house for me, Ion, and Kiri. We didn't have enough time to saddle them, though it didn't really matter. The only reason we had to hurry was because Ion had to be at the ball after Mab. So, once Grimalkin was settled on the back of Ion's horse we were off.
It didn't take us long to get back to Tir Na Nog. Especially since Ion knew a trod we could take back to the Winter wonderland. I only questioned why we didn't use it to get to my house in the first place, or why we even went to me house.
Back in Tir Na Nog, Ion needed to sneak to his room to change since he had to wear a certain ensemble; requested by Mab. Kiri and Wolf were going to go to inside and stall as long as she could. I would go with Ion, I didn't understand why but I had no choice in the matter.
Ion and I sneaked in through a back door that I didn't even notice until he pointed it out to me. It was a secret passage hidden by ice. Inside was an empty room that was freezing cold. I never got cold easily, but as soon as that door opened my teeth began chattering from the cold. Annoyingly, Ion didn't seem to notice it. I followed Ion into the room either way. The room extended into a hall equally as cold. As we walked through it, making no noise, I observed the hallways exterior. The walls were ice but when I touched them they were warmer then the room itself. The floor though made me think of human metal, I wanted to ask about it but we were at the end of the hall where an opening lead to spiral stairs. Ion didn't stop walking and went up the stairs without looking back to make sure I was following him, I was though.
Once upstairs Ion walked through a door filled hallway, leaving me alone with a group of redcaps glaring and grinning at me. Ion completely ignored the evil gnomes as he went to his room. I couldn't ignore them though. They were watching my every move and I was watching theirs. I reached for my dagger but of course it wasn't there-I didn't even know where it was. Ion came back before anything could happen, thankfully. He had completely new clothes on and looked like a real prince. I wonder if this is what Ash looked like before, I wondered silently.
When Ion walked up to me he reached into his pocket.
"What are you doing?" I asked, suspicious.
"I forgot I had this," he said as he pulled out my dad's old dagger. I couldn't help the smile from spreading my lips as the blade shined in my eye.
"You had it this entire time?" I asked taking the weapon back.
Ion nodded. "I took it before I brought you here, and just now as I was changing it fell out of my pocket.
"So, why are you giving it back now?"
"You're going to need it." Ion walked past me without another word, but he did glance at the redcaps.
I watched him go, and when he wasn't in view a sharp pain came from my ankle. I swore under my breath and looked down to see a redcap had bitten me. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the other redcaps watching me with hunger as they inched forward, ready to follow their friend. Smirking I said, "So, that's how you want to play." In one smooth motion the redcap that was biting my leg was across the room a red trail following him-well following his body at least. His head, with the shake of my leg, fell on the floor with a small thump. I looked at the rest of the man eaters. "Who's next?" The redcaps were still in position to pounce but made no move to do so. I chuckled as I headed the same way Ion had gone.
It was a bit difficult, but I found the ballroom. I didn't see how I had such trouble finding it. The room was huge and gorgeous, and at that moment it was filled with faery people of all kinds. Though all the courts were separated from each other, one court filling one part of the room. Winter's covered most of it, and Iron covered the least amount of room.
If the courts could get along I would have been so happy, even thinking about it made me smile. I could be free from so many bounds, maybe even know more secrets that were hidden from me specifically. Like who my mother is or where I belong. Finally, the best part of peace between the fey, Kierran and I could love each other openly.
As if on cue, Kierran walked into my line of sight. He was a little far, but I could walk straight towards him through a crack in the crowd of Summer and Iron fey, so i did. I was moving fast through the crowd, but I wasn't going fast enough and-for once-I was glad. Kierran turned to talk with a person behind him, and attached to his arm was a hacker elf with sparking brown hair and flashing eyes.
No, I thought. I stepped back almost tripping as I did. My eyes met Kierran's then.
Kierran
As my eyes met the hurt emeralds that were Thorn's eyes she turned and ran. No! I thought. I pushed Electra off my arm and quickly went after the girl I loved. I followed Thorn through the dancing fey out into the dark night. It wasn't hard for me to catch up to her, even as I moved through the crowd, but I couldn't get close enough to grab her.
I yelled again and for her to stop, but she wouldn't. Finally when I yelled, "Thorn dammit stop!" She did. Thorn stopped so sudden'y that I stopped too. I was panting slightly, and I could tell she was also by the raise of her shoulders. I was about to walk to her when she stumbled back and I heard her gasp as she slowly looked up towards the sky. I looked up to see what she was looking at confused, but I didn't see the wyvern soon enough.
The only sound I heard was Thorn's scream, and the world around me stoppedn. I watched as the blue wyvern came down with frightening speed and its spiked tail went into her chest.
"No!"