Rachel trailed a step behind the two warriors who seemed to forget she was there for a moment while they intertwined their fingers and giggled. Immediately Rachel recognized that these two were probably lovers and she smiled softly to herself at how sweat they looked. For the first since time she had arrived her mind turned to Finn and she frowned.
Remembering their guest Santana separated from Brittany and fell back to stand next to the princess.
"So your highness I see you've met royal pain in the ass Quinn" Santana said lightheartedly
Rachel gave her best attempt at a smile, but it hurt her mouth.
"Please call me Rachel"
" Well in that case I'm Santana and this is Brittany" Santana gestured to the tall blonde, who skipped around the two now in broad circles.
"Hi Rachel, where's your wings?"
Rachel looked confused until Santana explained, softly in Rachel's ear.
"She thinks you're a fairy, just go with it"
Rachel smiled and gave a small kind laugh.
"is she always like that?" Rachel enquired
"Who Brits?" Santana asked
"No Quinn, she's got a screw lose or something right?"
At this Santana stopped and looked at Rachel seriously
"Listen, Quinn is my best friend, yeah she's a little crazy sometimes, she has a hot head and can get hella scary but she's the most loyal and caring person I know. She just wants what's best for all of us here; she just wants to protect us. She's like the head bitch around here, next to me of course, but it's because she fights for what she believes in. She just needs to get to believe in you."
"Quinn is just a big softy in a hard turtle shell" Brittany chimed in.
"Yeah well it felt like a pretty hard shell when she was shoving me into the ground" Rachel scoffed.
Santana and Brittany laughed and continued leading the way to the medic hut.
"Come on short stack let's get you fixed up" Santana joked.
Rachel didn't care for this nickname much but it was said with a friendly tone she appreciated so she let it go.
Meanwhile, at Judy Fabray's Hut….
"Quinn Fabray I should banish you from these lands for what you have done" Judy was scolding her daughter who stood arms crossed and defiant.
"She started it, she has no respect for this place or for me!" Quinn fumed.
"I have no respect for you Quinn! You are acting like a child!" Judy yelled. Fed up with her daughter's antics.
"You are a Warrio, you are next in line to rule this place and you are coming up to your year of marriage, and yet you insist on acting like a child. And to be fighting the princess?! Who even knows what will happen to us if this gets back to the Berry's, do you even realize what you may have done!"
Quinn didn't say anything, she had nothing to say, and she knew her mother was right. She had let her temper get the better of her yet again. She should have just walked away, she knew she was bigger and stronger than Rachel and it wasn't a fair fight.
Quinn tried to change the subject to something she could argue…
"I already told you I do not want to be married next year…it is an archaic tradition"
Judy sighed; she has had this argument with her daughter many times before.
"Quinn, you will one day be the ruler of this forest and in doing so you will take on many responsibilities. You need a partner do share that burden. If you want to take over from my place one day you will marry."
"You're not married, you do just fine!" Quinn argued, but immediately regretted her comment as soon as it left her mouth
"Yes Quinn, I do fine. After your mother died, I did fine but do you know how much harder it has been for me since she has been gone. When I began my rule she was with us and it was better than just fine. Don't you want a life better than fine?"
Quinn hung her head in shame, she knew her mother had struggled when her other mother had been killed. Quinn was only a little girl and could hardly even remember her other mother, she just remembers Judy's sadness. She knew bringing this up was a cheap shot.
"Mother, I'm sorry I didn't mean to…"
"Quinn, just go…I've had about all I can handle of you today" Judy interrupted, sounding defeated by the argument.
Quinn understood it was time to go; she turned to leave when her mother spoke to her one last time.
"Oh and you better be on your way to apologize to the princess…on your hands and knees if you have to Quinn"
Quinn rolled her eyes and begrudgingly went to find the princess.