They had failed. That was all that could be said.
Lovino sat in silence at the table in the parlour of the Niba castle, occasionally taking sips of his wine while observing everyone else having quiet conversations. Ivan was off to the side of the room with Feliciano and Erika, retelling in excruciating detail how the rescue attempt was foiled just before it could succeed. Alfred and Madeline each stood at separate windows looking out at the sea, not talking to anyone at the moment as the sky changed colours with the approaching sunset.
"You're certain of it?"
Lovino's attention redirected back to Katerina and Erzsébet, who were standing over the open chest of glamoured daggers at the table.
"Yes, there's nowhere else it could be," Katerina insisted, "I felt the dagger slip out of my hand and heard it clatter on the tile floor, just as I was pushed back through the faerie ring portal, and it wasn't there in the forest once I cleared through."
"We can always ask Tolys about it," Erzsébet suggested, "If the dagger was dropped mid-teleport, perhaps it was claimed by the magic and lost its material existence."
"Is that even possible?" Lovino interjected, "Would a faerie ring portal be able to confiscate items that are left mid-transit? It doesn't sound likely to me."
"I can't guarantee it," Erzsébet answered, "It would be just as lost to us as if it were left behind in Tivalon."
"Surely a fae would step on it at some point," Katerina considered, "There's no way it would just sit there undetected on the parlour floor for eternity, right?"
"In that case, the Unseelie King will acquire it eventually," Erzsébet predicted, "Hopefully the Kirkland family can forgive us for losing one of their gifts in such a manner. Alfred and Madeline will have to let Arthur know."
Erzsébet suddenly reached into her pocket and pulled something out, and Lovino leaned forward as he saw it was her gemstone.
"Tolys and Feliks are coming," Erzsébet announced, "They need to talk to us all."
Just as she finished talking, Tolys appeared at her side, and was quickly joined by Feliks.
"Hello again," Tolys greeted as he glanced around, "We have big news from Tivalon to share with you all."
"Everyone, get over here!" Lovino hollered.
Ivan immediately stopped talking to Feliciano upon the summons, and they approached quickly with Erika holding onto Feliciano's arm. Alfred morosely left the window and came over, while Madeline took the longest to reluctantly leave her window and join everyone.
"Has something happened?" Ivan asked, "Is Natalya okay?"
"Natalya is safe for now," Tolys consoled, "We can't guarantee she'll stay that way though."
"What happened?" Alfred demanded, "We didn't put her in more danger, did we?"
"Not exactly, she's the one who put herself in danger," Feliks disclaimed, "All of Yuvalon is in a frenzy right now, the rumour mill is running at full speed. The information we have is from our contact in the Seelie Court, the same one who facilitated our rescue attempt today. They were able to receive the accurate information from the Unseelie Court itself, due to protocols for the situation."
"Protocols for the situation?" Katerina repeated, "Did Natalya do something?"
Tolys and Feliks glanced at each other, and Tolys took a deep breath before speaking again.
"King Gilbert is dead."
Lovino's jaw dropped as everyone fell into a stunned silence after the announcement.
"No way," Alfred slowly muttered, breaking the moment of silence.
"How did it happen?" Feliciano inquired.
"He was stabbed in the chest with a glamoured iron dagger," Feliks clarified, "The dagger was wielded by a human being held hostage in Tivalon."
"Natalya took my dagger!" Katerina exclaimed, "The one I dropped when I went through the portal!"
"Natalya killed the Unseelie King?" Ivan gasped.
"That's exactly what happened, Katya," Tolys verified, "Our contact in the Seelie Court did some soothsaying and confirmed it. Natalya picked up the dagger you dropped, and used it to attack Gilbert. She wouldn't have known it was glamoured, and he wouldn't have known she was holding it and able to strike him."
"Where is she now?" Madeline interrogated, "What has the Unseelie Court done with her?"
"Gilbert's younger brother, Prince Ludwig, has been unofficially declared the new King of the Unseelie Court," Feliks declared, "He's the one that was pushing everyone back through the faerie ring portal earlier today. They say his first order upon Gilbert's death was to send Natalya to the dungeon on the charge of regicide."
"Can we rescue her from the dungeon?" Alfred proposed.
"That is impossible, even for the fae," Tolys shot down, "When the Seelie and Unseelie Courts built their palaces, they both deliberately cast wards on the two dungeons that prevent any fae from using magic. We cannot teleport in or out of there, and the entrances are guarded at all times."
"Tolys and I were nearly taken there earlier," Feliks added, "We were lucky to break free and escape when we did."
"So she's only leaving the dungeon by royal command then?" Lovino realized, "How would the fae punish a human charged with regicide?"
"There likely won't be a trial, King Ludwig and his guards reportedly have enough evidence to condemn her," Tolys explained, "From there, it depends on whether they leave her as human or turn her fae. The simplest method of execution would be to let the potion wear off, and she'll die of starvation and thirst in her cell a couple weeks from now. The other option is for them to force her to eat fae food and turn fae, then they can use fae methods of torture and execution."
"Is there any possible way to save her?" Feliciano appealed.
"There is only one option that remains," Tolys hinted, "However, it requires a sacrifice to be made."
"What is it?" Alfred pressed.
"There is a special type of portal we can create to exchange humans between realms," Tolys elaborated, "There must be a human going in each direction, one from the human realm to Yuvalon, and the other human going the other way. This exchange is permanent: the human leaving Yuvalon can never return, and the human who takes their place in Yuvalon can never leave."
"So, for Natalya to leave Yuvalon -"
"Someone else would have to take her place," Feliks finished for Katerina, "And with Natalya being in the Unseelie Court's dungeon, King Ludwig would have to approve of the exchange. And since this will determine the fate of his brother's murderer, he's going to charge a high price."
Lovino's gut dropped in dread at the thought of this exchange, that was a high price for anyone to be able to pay. Everyone in the room had gone quiet as the horror sank in, before Alfred took a deep breath and bravely spoke.
"I'll do it."
"No you won't," Madeline immediately opposed.
"Yes, I will," Alfred persisted, "If I'm her true love, I should be doing it."
"If you're her true love, then you shouldn't be doing it," Madeline forbade, "If you take her place, you can never be together as the fates intend."
"Natalya's also not the only one you'd be leaving behind, Alfred," Lovino reminded, "Madeline would become Queen of Aegaimore if you're not here to take the crown."
"If not me, then who?" Alfred protested, "We can't expect Katerina and Ivan to agree on which one of them should go, and the rest of you haven't known her long enough for your friendships to be worth the sacrifice."
"The answer is simple," Madeline stated, "None of you are going."
"I don't understand," Katerina denounced, "You don't want to save my sister?"
"That is not what I mean," Madeline refuted, "Tolys, Feliks, did they say whether King Ludwig was planning to have her punished today, or is her judgment going to wait a few days?"
"They've confirmed it's not happening today," Feliks replied, "They say the King is taking time to grieve his brother's death before deciding Natalya's fate."
"In that case, we also have time to decide what we're doing," Madeline determined as she walked over to her brother, "Alfred, give me the gemstone."
"Arthur's gemstone?" Alfred checked, "Why?"
"Arthur has already been in the human realm long enough for today," Madeline explained as she held our her hand to receive the gemstone, "I will not allow you to summon him and demand to take Natalya's place. Tomorrow, when we are all well-rested, we can summon him and consult with him on our next steps."
Alfred grumbled inaudibly as he pulled the gemstone out of his pocket and handed it over.
"Where are the gemstones used to contact Tolys?" Madeline asked as she pocketed the gemstone, "Do we need any more confiscations?"
"Erzsébet and I have them," Ivan answered, "I'm fairly certain Erzsébet will forbid me from volunteering, for what it's worth."
"I cannot take that statement for face value at the moment," Madeline laid down the law, "Tolys, if anyone summons you and demands on volunteering to take Natalya's place in Yuvalon, your answer is no until you hear otherwise from Arthur. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal clear," Tolys agreed.
"And what gives you the authority to take control like this, Madeline?" Lovino called out, "I don't think I've ever seen you act so harshly."
"Now is not the time for anyone to make rash decisions," Madeline justified, "I am one of the only two people in this room that has yet to meet Natalya in person. In addition, none of you can be trusted to behave rationally after today's failed rescue attempt, you would all be too eager to redeem yourselves. Tolys, Feliks, did you have anything else to report on?"
"That was everything," Feliks confirmed.
"In that case," Madeline resolved, "this meeting is adjourned."
Madeline swiftly exited the room, not allowing anyone to protest her demands. Lovino could only watch and shake his head as she did so.
That was awfully bold of her, and queenly too.