Once upon a time, Matal Magomett had been the Seelie Queen's most trusted advisor. He was a severe looking man who had probably been young and handsome at one time, though no one seemed to remember when that was. There was a slight slope to his back, but even so he stood almost seven feet tall and walked with the slow steps of one unhurried by time. Age wore itself well on his face, and though he had lost any beauty he may have once possessed, there was now a weathered wiseness to him.

When Matal Magomett spoke, he commanded the attention of everyone around him. The tongues he spoke in were often indecipherable, and many had driven themselves to madness trying to solve his puzzles. Few could even attempt to match wits with him, for he was a uniquely intelligent creature with a mind as vast as Sidhe itself. Only three fae had ever questioned the Queen of Seelie court openly and lived; Matal Magomett was one.

The Queen had always known that Matal possessed an insatiable lust for knowledge, and in the beginning this had been a trait she valued in him. Each of his discoveries, every successful experiment and frustrating failure, had been of value. But as time wore on, his desire had only grown, and the Queen accepted that one day it would cease to be sustained by what the court could offer.

Matal Magomett's pursuit of the unknown had cost him more than a normal man could bear. Secrets Sidhe hid- the truths of magic and the universe, how time spun itself and why even the fae succumbed to death -were not things meant to be known. Yet he sought to know them, regardless of consequence or concern, until at last he had gone too far.

It became obvious when his yearning had grown to possess him. He secluded himself within his studies and was rarely seen, and almost any who went to inquire for his company were turned away, or never seen again. The deeds done behind those oaken doors were not spoken of in Seelie court. Few knew the extent of them, for it was only in the aftermath they were discovered, and others knew better than to be curious.

There were whispers though, of twisted magic and mangled corpses. That Matal had delved into darkness and pulled from it things so black and gnarled their very existence poisoned the world around them. He had experimented with it, toyed with forces no living creature was meant to comprehend, and many an unwitting fae had paid the price. Some said his preferred subjects were children, and many lowered their voices until they could scarcely be heard to say that his final act had been to take the Seelie Prince.

Of course, he had been recovered, but no one was quite sure if he was the same.

Matal Magomett had fled into the untamed woodlands and never been seen again. Oh, the Queen had sent her hunting parties after him, but a leshonki was a fae of the forests, and he was impossible to find. Yet for many moons her most trusted knight prowled the wilds, lions at his heels. Some said he hunted for his prey with such ferocity that he drew the eye of the Erlking and was offered a place among his Hunt.

In the end, Matal Magomett went unfound and unpunished for his trespasses against the Queen.

Time passed, and it became known throughout the vastness of Sidhe that Matal Magomett was a traitor, and to associate with him in any way was to proclaim oneself an enemy of Seelie court. His name became taboo, even outside the borders of his former home. If he was found, and in turn delivered to the Seelie Queen, the one responsible for his capture would surely be greatly rewarded.

Somewhere between Seelie and UnSeelie lay a place claimed by neither and both of the courts. This was a meeting place, a territory where the two courts mingled and convened when necessary or desired, so that neither had the obligation to invite the other too far past their borders. Even in the most peaceful of times, it was rare to find a fae from one court that had traveled to the heart of another.

The journey from the border of Seelie to its center was the second half of the UnSeelie Prince's trial. He had the advantage of familiarity; before tensions had grown taut between the courts, Alibaba had taught him much about his homeland, and he had done the same. Hakuryuu took the shortest path to the Queen, led only by his instincts and the owl which had delivered her summons.

Though the owl only offered hints of which path to take, the lands of Seelie were far kinder to him than he had expected. It was a blessing he chose not to ponder, plunging ahead without stopping to rest either himself or his stead. He and the great silver wolf he rode stood out starkly against the lushness of the forest, but not a soul attempted to cross their paths.

When the owl spread its wings and flew from his shoulder, Hakuryuu knew he was growing close. The warmth of life pulsed all around him, filling his blood with the song of Seelie court. He followed it, allowing the magic to fill him and mingle with the feeling of UnSeelie that lived in his veins.

The prince brushed aside a curtain of hanging ivy, and then emerged into the heart of Seelie.

The court assembled itself in a vast grove, encircled by trees that towered high above them, the ground beneath their feet carpeted in soft grass and sweet smelling moss. Fae lounged on thick roots protruding from the earth, or around slabs of stone encircled by brightly colored mushrooms. Their earthen tables were laden fruits, berries and meat, no doubt taken from the vines and traps that hung from the boughs of trees.

A thin brook wove lazily in and out of the trees, pooling into a deep pond where courtiers dipped their feet. Occasionally, a fae would emerge from the pool and another would slip into it, disappearing beneath the water to whatever lay below. Several dined on freshly caught fish, still wriggling in their hands, and plucked the thin bones from their sharp teeth.

Opposite where Hakuryuu had emerged the trees bent themselves inwards, bowing towards a great oak at their center. They extended their branches so they wove into a tangle of walkways and perches on either side of the vast tree. In many places the boughs had been grown thick with moss, furnished with silk, lanterns that glowed with the soft light of fireflies, and thin stone tables engraved with hypnotic patterns of ivy.

At the base of the great oak, among its thick roots, sat the throne and the Queen of Seelie court upon it.

The gathered fae parted easily, allowing the UnSeelie Prince to approach their Queen. Silence blanketed the grove, tens of eyes affixed on the foreigner in their midst, each and every one prepared to tear him apart at the faintest whisper. Hakuryuu halted in the middle of the clearing and dismounted.

He clasped his hands together and dropped down onto one knee, bowing his head low. A murmur of surprise circled the grove.

"I am honored to be in your presence, o Scheherazade, Queen of Seelie court." he said. "I thank you for your invitation."

Scheherazade surveyed him thoughtfully from her throne.

"Raise your head, Prince of UnSeelie." she instructed. "It has been a long while since I have set eyes upon you."

Hakuryuu remained kneeling, but lifted his head up to the Queen. He met her piercing gaze, her eyes a thousand times older than her body betrayed, and had to fight not to flinch. To look into the eyes of a Queen was no easy feat, but he forced himself to bear it until at last she seemed satisfied.

Scheherazade smiled softly and shut her eyes.

"You have grown much since last I saw you, Hakuryuu. I forget sometimes how swiftly a babe grows to be a man. You have the look of your father about you, and your eldest brother, may they both rest with the stars."

Hakuryuu bowed his head again, obscuring the effect her words had on him.

"Thank you, Queen Scheherazade."

She inclined her head politely, then gestured for him to rise. Once he had stood, Scheherazade cast her gaze about the grove, addressing her court at large.

"It is not often that we welcome a member of UnSeelie court into our midst. Even our lands at whole have been void of your people for many seasons now. This is an unusual occurrence."

Her eyes fell back to Hakuryuu.

"Yet this," she said, resting her hand delicately on something beside her throne. "Makes it an unusual circumstance."

All eyes went to the object beneath the Queen's hand. Hakuryuu recognized it immediately, after all, he had been the one who made it.

It was a box, crafted from rich, dark wood taken from an ash tree. The sides fit together seamlessly, its lid indicated only by a set of hinges and ornate clasp made of ivory. Each face had been engraved by hand with an intricate patternwork of leaves and flowers bordered with thorns. The engravings had then been embossed with silver and gold, also done by Hakuryuu's hand.

The chest opened noiselessly, and inside it smelled of wine and earth. A velvet cushion lay at the bottom, stuffed with nettles and goose down. The cushion was crimson in color, edged with golden thread the prince had once again stitched into place himself.

Matal Magomett's head fit perfectly inside.

"At the risk of being presumptuous, o Queen," Hakuryuu said. "I take it my gift was well received?"

"I believe you trespassed far past presumptuous some time ago." the Queen replied. "How is it that you found him, when my most favored knight could not?"

Hakuryuu felt eyes boring daggers into his neck and he glanced around until he found the one responsible. The knight in question, a beast of a man with long scarlet hair, sat in one of the enclaves made by tangled boughs. He was not alone; on his knee lounged the Seelie Prince, watching the proceedings with an amicable smile.

The knight continued glaring until a chestnut skinned fae nudged him with his elbow, offering him the pipe he had been sucking on a moment before.

"There are things older than Leshy and his kin in the wildlands." Hakuryuu said. "A vassal of mine happens to be one."

Hakuryuu paused, then went on when the Queen's eyes continued to search his own.

"He is not a particularly helpful sort. I had to ply him with wine and compliments before he even considered going to the effort, but once I had his attention it was not difficult to find him. The place he had hidden himself was well disguised, but not much of a journey to reach."

He looked back to the knight, whose stare had softened somewhat.

"He was closer to the border of UnSeelie than your own, perhaps that is why you did not find him first."

The knight took this for the gesture of respect it was and inclined his head.

"And this vassal of yours," the Queen asked, her fingers tapping slowly on the lid of the chest. "It is he who was the captor?"

"Not at all. I asked him only to find what was hidden. The hunt and kill were my own pleasure, not his."

Scheherazade was quiet once more, her youthful face betraying nothing. It was difficult to tell what she was thinking, her intent disguised behind her composure. Hakuryuu could only stand and wait for her to speak again, all too aware that at a single word his life would end.

From the corner of his eye, Hakuryuu caught sight of a familiar flash of gold. He didn't dare look away from the Queen to search the crowd for the face he knew, but he didn't have to. Alibaba had slid his way through the crowd so he stood just within Hakuryuu's line of sight, silent, but there nonetheless.

If things came to violence, the golden prince would not come to his aid, he was sure. Still, it felt good to have a friend in the crowd.

The mounting tension was broken by the Seelie Prince's musical laughter. He leapt lightly from the knee of his knight, skipping over slender boughs until he could jump down to the forest floor.

"Really mother, you must stop looking so stern!" he chastised playfully as he stood. "This is grand! A foe of ours dead, and a new friend in our midst. But all we do is stand here and stare at him like he were some sort of spectacle!"

Up close, the Seelie Prince was even lovelier than rumors said. His hair fell to the floor in flaxen waves, and his skin held a warm olive hue that made his clear blue eyes stand out all the more. His smile made the heart flutter, and the simple wrap of emerald silk he wore shifted invitingly over his figure.

He crossed to Hakuryuu's side and clasped his hands.

"Regardless of what else is said, I want you to know that I appreciate what you have done. I will sleep far easier at night knowing that man's life has ended."

"Then I am glad for that at least." Hakuryuu tilted his head. "I do not think we have been introduced."

"No, during my introduction to your court you were…" his eyes drifted to the scar etched into the left side of Hakuryuu's face. "Indisposed."

"I see."

He bowed slightly, careful not to dislodge their hands.

"Prince Hakuryuu Ren of the UnSeelie court. It is an honor to finally meet you."

The Seelie Prince laughed delightedly and squeezed his hands.

"Prince Titus Alexius of the Seelie court! I am very glad to finally make your acquaintance, Hakuryuu."

Hakuryuu blinked, and realized that for a moment he had lost focus. Titus' voice carried an unusual amount of allure to it when he said his name, enough to completely disarm the composed prince. He released his hands, suddenly unnerved by the pull he felt to the other prince.

Titus stared at him a moment, surprised, then seemed to realize something and smiled apologetically. He skipped a few steps back.

"Titus…" the Queen sighed, though her voice lapsed into fondness. "Please. Control yourself, my son."

Mother and son exchanged an unreadable look, and then the Queen's attention returned to her guest.

"It takes a great deal of impudence to do what you have done, prince Hakuryuu, and my first thought is to punish you for it."

Hakuryuu opened his mouth to protest, but snapped it quickly shut when the Queen's eyes flashed. A chill raced down his spine and he fought the urge to shiver with fear. He had dreaded this outcome.

"Matal Magomett was a great many things. At one time, I would have trusted him to defend the life of any one of the people under my care. Someone who never knew him, who is not even of Seelie court, cannot begin to fathom the extent of his betrayal. To take the right to avenge ourselves from us is a crime most grave."

Here, she paused, allowing her words to sink in. Hakuryuu did not look away from her, even as he felt her magic slipping into him, brushing through his thoughts and against the nervous tick of his heart. If he could have spoken, he would have, but the truth was that he had known this even as he made the choice to take Matal Magomett's life. It was a gamble he had had to take.

After a moment, Scheherazade's expression softened.

"However, I know that is not how it was intended. You have never chosen to make an enemy of my court, and there are those here who would even vouch for you as they would a brother." her voice grew gentle. "And if there is anyone who might understand the pain of being betrayed by one you once cherished, it would be you, Hakuryuu Ren."

Hakuryuu's heart swelled all at once with affection for the Queen. He could not tell where the feeling came from, was not even sure if it was the proper emotion to experience in this moment, but he felt it nonetheless.

"With all that having been said, I accept your gift, o prince of UnSeelie, and thank you for it most graciously." for a brief moment, a vicious smile curled the Queen's cherubic mouth. "I will treasure it for some time to come."

Relief flooded Hakuryuu, almost dizzying in its intensity. He bowed deeply, silently thanking every star he could think of for letting him live through this.

"Thank you, Queen Scheherazade. It was my honor."

The atmosphere within the grove lightened considerably. While a majority of the courtiers remained engaged by the interactions between their Queen and her guest, many chose to return their attention to whatever they had been doing before Hakuryuu arrived.

Titus scampered back up into the lacework of tree branches to where his previous companions sat waiting for him. He deposited himself in his knight's lap, laughing at something that couldn't be heard from the ground, and tossed his legs over the knees of the fae with the pipe. The three were immediately absorbed in their own conversation, and did not return their attention to the Queen.

Scheherazade beckoned Hakuryuu closer with one delicate hand, and he obliged her without question, mounting the steps to her throne. A stone stool was produced for him to sit on, and he was offered nuts and berries which he politely declined. His stead curled around his seat, glad to finally rest. A lovely nymph came over to offer the wolf a bowl of clear water, which he drank gratefully.

Hakuryuu nodded to her, and her pale blue cheeks flushed lilac before she scurried off.

"Now then," Scheherazade hummed, curling her knees up onto her throne so she could turn to face the prince. "We come to the purpose of this whole endeavor. Few have gone to such lengths to earn an audience with me, so what is it that has driven you, prince Hakuryuu?"

The longer he gazed into the Queen's eyes, the more difficult it became to speak. Hakuryuu struggled to twist his tongue from the knots it had wound itself into, reaching deep inside himself for the well of self-assurance and hatred he knew could overpower his loyalty to his court. This was, in a sense, a betrayal of his Queen.

If he had his way, it wouldn't be the last.

"My mother plans to destroy you and your court, Queen Scheherazade." he began. "I know this is hardly a revelation, and on its own not particularly threatening. You, surely, have surmised this much from her behavior and how she has stirred dissent between our courts. It is why I knew I had to come myself rather than simply send word through my friend."

Scheherazade's eyes flicked to a spot above his shoulder, and Hakuryuu knew without looking that Alibaba was there.

"I cannot remember a time since your mother took the throne that she did not seek to widen the gap between Seelie and UnSeelie." the Queen said. "How can you be sure that now her threats hold true?"

"I would sooner cut out my tongue than pay my mother any form of compliment, but I will say; I have never known her to be the kind to bluff. Have you?"

The faerie Queen's eyes narrowed, her lips drawing into a thin line. That was answer enough.

"She has been making promises to her kings," Hakuryuu went on. "Promises she could not keep if Seelie still held any sort of power. I thought for a time that she meant only to wage war on your court, but as of late I am not so sure. Her preparations, however subtle, have all seemed to be with the impression that there will be little left for us to fight."

"This would hardly be the first time Sidhe was torn apart by war, nor do I imagine it would be the last."

"I agree, and, meaning no offense Queen Scheherazade, if it were only war I would not have bothered to forewarn you."

She dipped her head, implying that no offense had been taken and that he should continue.

"I hear talk of decimation, Queen Scheherazade. Of destruction, the likes of which Sidhe has not seen since the oldest days, when there were no courts and no Queens and only wilderness. My mother has discovered something, a forgotten power, and though I do not know what it is I know that it is only a matter of time before it is within her grasp." Hakuryuu paused, then added quietly; "She is coming for you, and your court, and this time I am hesitant to think you will be able to stop her."

The prince fell silent, and Scheherazade regarded him with an unreadable expression. She knew as well as he did that what had been said here today would brand him as a traitor to his people. They would demand his head on a spit, which his mother would no doubt deliver unquestioningly to them. Hakuryuu had risked the wrath of both Queens in coming here, and if that did not speak to the truth of his words, then nothing would.

Scheherazade sighed.

"I am too old for wars and conspiracies." she said. "I have served Seelie long enough that I have had my fill of battlefields."

She looked up, and Hakuryuu followed her gaze to the spot where her son and his companions resided. They had been joined by a wiry young girl with hair the color of autumn leaves, who wore a dress of red silk in the same style as the Queen's own. Sunlight seemed to seek her out, and her joyous laughter echoed around the grove like bird songs.

"In truth," the Queen said, still gazing up at her. "I may have passed this mantle on long ago, if not for whom my successor would be forced to contend with."

Hakuryuu started, turning his eyes back to the young girl in Titus' lap. It occurred to him, in a moment of awe, that he was looking at the next Queen of Seelie court. She was nothing impressive now, but one day she would be sitting on the throne Scheherazade now occupied, Titus, the King, at her side.

"I cannot imagine that you would come solely to warn me of a war I have known to be on the horizon for centuries now." Scheherazade said. "You have come to ask something of me. What is it?"

Tearing his gaze from the future Queen, Hakuryuu straightened his back. Now came the moment of brutal honesty that may cost him his life. His throat tightened painfully as he tried to speak the words, but he overcame the feeling as soon as it appeared. Loyalty to his court was not loyalty to his Queen, for if it had been he would have abandoned his home long ago.

"I intend to kill my mother." he said unflinchingly. "I ask for your support in this endeavor, Queen Scheherazade, as it will serve us both."

The expression on Scheherazade's face was one of shock, pupils blown wide and jaw tensed. If anyone was close enough to have heard his declaration, they pretended not to have.

"I should kill you for even suggesting such a thing."

"You should. But I do not think you will."

Scheherazade's expression melted into a scowl, but this was wiped from her visage as soon as she blinked. Her features schooled themselves back into passive composure, though her eyes betrayed her inner thoughts.

She wanted his head for threatening the life of a Queen. Yet, stronger than that was a venomous hatred that bubbled in her irises, turning them a darker shade of sky. The Queen hovered between her instincts and her emotions, wanting to partake in his vengeance as well as stop it.

Hakuryuu could only wait and hold his breath.

"…I cannot be of help to you, Hakuryuu." Scheherazade spoke carefully. "It is not in my nature to antagonize UnSeelie court."

Her ageless eyes fixed pointedly on his, staring deep into him.

"I apologize that I can be of no further aid."

A slow, sly smile curled Hakuryuu's mouth.

"Not at all, Queen Scheherazade. You have offered me more than enough."

An elegant hand extended to him, and he dropped to bended knee to press a reverent kiss to the Seelie Queen's slender fingers. Then he rose, descending the wooden steps from her throne with his wolf at his side. He finally allowed his eyes to roam about the grove, seeking the familiar flash of gold that belonged to Alibaba.

When he found him, he smiled, striding swiftly across the grass to reach his side. Alibaba left the stone table he had been settled at, playing some game with a set of dice and a pile of gold pieces, and jogged to meet him. Once he was close enough, Hakuryuu threw his arm around his friend's shoulders.

"Things went well?" Alibaba asked, resting his arm lazily around Hakuryuu's waist.

"More favorably than I expected."

The golden prince steered them towards the treeline, away from the court and back into the woodlands.

"You have her support, then?"

"Not quite. But she offered something in her place."

Alibaba cocked an eyebrow at him and Hakuryuu could no longer contain his wolfish grin. He leaned in closer to his friend as they made their way into the trees and said;

"I think it may be high time you introduced me to that king of yours."

Notes:

Leshy is a forest guardian, or wild-man, in the same vein as the British Green Man. He hails from Russia and neighboring Slavic countries, and is known by several other names such as Lesovik and Leshak. As a woodland protector, he punishes those who mistreat the forests, especially if a mortal enters without leaving him proper offerings. He is a shapeshifter, casts no shadow, and hibernates in the winter. He had a wife, Lesovikha, and together they gave birth to the Leshonki.

For those confused by some of the unnamed, but focused on, characters; the knight is Muu Alexius, the pipe-smoking fae was Sphintus, and the next Queen of Seelie court is Marga!

I don't know how much these characters will be reappearing, but I wanted to introduce them anyway.