The King's Court

[Paroxysm]

Unlike Sebilla, Trydian was not underneath any spell or enchantment and when he looked upon the Unseelie king, he saw the king for what he really was, or lack there of. The whole of the king’s image was something hard to fully take in, to comprehend, and harder, yet, to remember when you did. Every couple of seconds or so and something about him would change, no better or worse than what had already been in place, but just different. He was like a living puzzle and his mainstay features, the ones that did not appear to change too awfully much, were the pieces: Knife-tipped ears, pale, flawless skin, and flowers were woven intricately through rich, black hair; he had eyes as blue as the sky and nearly as deep as the ocean, and he was not so much handsome as he was beautiful. Pendaran was more than just exotic, however; he was wholly alien, perfectly inhuman and he held himself as stoic as a sculpture.

It would hardly come as a surprise for those in the know to find out that Pendaran was forced to use a fascination when he dealt with most mortals. The high-level spell allowed him to keep a mortal from throwing themselves at him or running away in terror (as one was just as likely as the other, really) by replacing his peculiar looks with more human ones, adding warmth and familiarity to him, and dulling most things negative, memories and strong emotions alike.

Ever patient, Pendaran waited silently to let Sebilla’s excitement wane before he interrupted the moment. When he finally did speak, however, it was done underneath his enchantment, silent and wordless for the ensorcelled Sebilla.

“You needn’t be so formal,” Pendaran told Trydian. Respect was welcomed by the king, of course, but most formalities were not explicitly necessary in his court. It was an archaic custom, to bow and to kneel, and it was one the king could live without, honestly. He asked for his servants and soldiers to do as he ordered and nothing more. For the most part, it was only the rare, very rebellious subject that the king felt any particular need in breaking. Those were the ones who he often forced to bow. That was not what he had in mind for Trydian at all.

The demon was to be his lance in the coming war, after all.

Sebilla represented more than mere bait for a trap; indeed, she was a declaration of war - proof that the Unseelie were going to commit themselves to a campaign, if push came to shove. Likewise, Pendaran, too, heavily doubted that Igraine was just going to abandon the girl or hand herself over without a fight, for that matter. She was going to come for Sebilla, of this Pendaran was sure, and when she did, it would be war. In fact, if the Queen of Ulster was not already preparing her forces, Pendaran would have been greatly overestimating her and her allies.

“My magic has dulled her memories a bit,” the king provided with a neutral tone, “and in an hour, I’ll be able to let it drop entirely. She’ll be hard pressed to remember what happened or even separate how she sees me now from how I really am.”

[Trydian]

Trydian was quickly embraced by his sister, who appeared overjoyed by his presence. It was a good sign, save for some signs of blood here and there, but he hadn't expected her to get here without a scratch. After all, they were Unseelie, regardless of what the King preached to him. Trydian still didn't trust him, no matter how gracious he appeared to be.

Ignoring the King's words, he quickly grabbed Sebilla by the shoulders and looked her over. She had some bruising and dried blood, but at least they weren't caused by serious wounds. “I know this will be hard to understand, but this is the last time that I'll be seeing you.” Trydian explained to her, his emotions catching up with him. He was exhausted physically and mentally. As long as Sebilla remained safe, he didn't care what task he had to perform for the King.

“You'll be safe now, Sebilla...I've made sure of it.” Trydian said, embracing her in a hug that seemed everlasting.

She was always innocent and maybe that was why he had been infatuated with her. Even when he tried to explain the contract, she continued to look back at him in disbelief. Sebilla's innocence had made her a victim in this, but now maybe she would be free from the King.

Trydian was sure that her happiness would turn into shock. This was the moment he had been wanting to avoid. The thought of Sebilla in so much distress, made him wonder why he hadn't attacked his uncle earlier.

He turned to look toward the King stoically, trying to remain composed. “Let me have some time with her.” Trydian wanted to remember her scent, touch and the sound of her voice. Even though he wanted to wake from this pain, apart of him wanted to keep reliving his sister's embrace.

“She's a simple mortal. She doesn't understand...”

Trydian knew that those words would cut Sebilla, but he would have to be detached from her soon. Trydian bowed after he spoke, not letting his demeanor falter.

[Sebilla]

Sebilla kept her hand tight in Trydian's. The king's speech to Trydian was lost on her, spoken as it was beneath the glamour that he had placed over himself. Her sky blue eyes looked around, knowing that the love she held for her brother was not a pure sisterly love. She didn't want him to see that in her. He had always thought her so innocent and demure, but she was a woman. They hardly stayed that way for long.

In reality, Sebilla was quite innocent and pure. She was the perfect treasure to capture for luring out a very unwilling Queen. Neither Pendaran or Sebilla knew that Igraine was pregnant either, with Thorin's child.

"The King and I have been speaking. He said you couldn't stay with me always, but he said that you could be with me until he needed you." Sebilla squeezed Trydian's hand, always trying to make him calmer. What she didn't realize though, was that as she leaned closer to Trydian, was that her hand would come into contact with the scabbard of the Chaos sword.

The familiarity of an oncoming vision caused her to immediately sink to her knees at Trydian's side. Her eyes, when she looked up at him, were no longer sky blue but the eerie silver they had been when she had visions almost every day. Sebilla let go of Trydian and felt herself lay on the floor curling around herself to ease into the vision that would tear at her from the inside out.

Images started flying by her at rapid speed. She was able to focus on some of them, though they were from the past. Vylrath killing with the chaos sword, Vylrath taking the sword to meetings with different Queens, the whole time the scabbard had been there as well. They were linked, in an odd sort of way. Then she saw Igraine.

Sebilla arched her back, looking almost like a blooming flower coming out of her sheltered cocoon. Trydian would know it for what it was -- his sister's seeing power. She inhaled sharply, not seeing the room around her or even the magic swirling around her from King Pendaran. She only saw the future.

Igraine was heavily pregnant, it looked like summertime. She was giving birth. A girl with shocking black hair and rosy cheeks and a deep earth magic. She saw her Uncle Thorin prowling, watching, looking after Igraine and the baby. She saw him pick the child up and love it with his heart when it was only days old. She saw the pain in him and how to fix it.

Sebilla contorted again, a ghastly snarl ripping from her chest as she fell back onto the cold floor. There was a war coming. Two wars. One over her Aunt and one over an entire kingdom. Pendaran's power, having worked on her before the vision, kept him clouded and cloaked. She just saw him as a hooded figure with pale pale hands and long fingers. Sebilla saw blood, a lot of blood, human and inhuman and she tasted it.

Sebilla's eyes rolled back in her head for a moment and she stopped breathing for just a second. Her heart raced as her eyes searched the ceiling for answers, though she couldn't see the ceiling -- only the future.

There was a man in Igraine's future, but paired up with the existence of Pendaran he was clouded too. It wasn't clear who Igraine would end up with -- but it was clear that one could serve to make her a Queen of Life and the other a Queen of Death.

Sebilla's body stopped shaking and her head lolled to the side, her eyes closed. She stayed that way for a few minutes before she opened her eyes and frowned. Her black hair was splayed around her like a fan and she felt tears on her face. She knew they were tears of joy and tears of sadness all comingled together. She slowly sat up and held her head. It felt as if Trydian had sat on her skull.

Sebilla whispered into her lap.

"The child...there is a child. The child...will be beautiful and wonderful and powerful. The child..." Sebilla rocked a little holding her head against her knees. Trydian would know how to comfort her and he usually carried pieces of dried fruit on his person, just in case she had one of her visions. The powerful ones, as this one had been, would require several pieces of dried fruit.

"Trydian, do you have any fruit?" His comment of her being nothing but a mortal had been lost on her. She had already been slipping into the visionary state of mind. She just wanted her brother to hold her and give her the sweet fruit he kept, not thinking that soon she would have to fend for herself if Trydian was not allowed to touch her or be near her ever again.

[Paroxysm]

There would be but a single, short-lived moment where Pendaran's eyes were wide with genuine surprise; he said and did nothing, and after he took a second to process what had happened, he simply left. He stood from his throne and bypassed Trydian and Sebilla entirely without a word. His brain was whirring into gear. What had he just witnessed? It was more than a seizure. His power and influence was already governing parts of her mind and if she was sick, he would have known, he would have sensed the taint in her, but he did not and so she was not.

A beautiful, powerful child, huh?

“Keev?”

At the sound of its name, the palm-sized creature from before appeared again and whilst buzzing around its king, it made a questioning gesture.

“Watch our guests,” the king ordered. “They can move freely but are to be restricted to the stronghold.”

Pendaran had spent too much time entertaining the girl, he decided. He would leave her and her brother to their own devices for a while. It had been too long since he heard any noteworthy news, or of the response to his abduction of the Rivenfelde girl. For now, however, he would head to his study to think and plan.

[Trydian]

Trydian felt his nerves unravel. The once calm brother, began to hold Sebilla close, as if the King might attack her. In truth, he had seen the signs of her gift. It was a gift that he was meant to protect and now she was in the wake of the enemy.

“Lets go to your chambers. I assume he's provided you with that at least...” Trydian said, getting her the fruit out at once. The fruit was always kept in a pouch, but now he gave the entire thing to her. “Eat...” Trydian demanded, knowing that she would already be grabbing for the dried fruit. The simple substance gave her energy and calmed her nerves. Putting his long hair behind a pointed ear, he glared back toward the King, who abandoned them quite conveniently.

Keev, the watchdog of the King, would be acknowledged by a simple nod. Trydian didn't understand- he had appeared as ordered and given his services to the King...why wasn't his sister being freed? His exhaustion must have clouded his mind, because the answer had just been displayed.

His sister had shown King Pendaran her most valuable power: visions. They couldn't be brought on a whim, they mostly happened unexpectedly, but that didn't mean that the King couldn't use her. Bringing his sister close, he glared into her eyes. Trydian feared mostly for her life, but he knew now that Sebilla would be used as bait. There was little he could do in his situation, except be there for his sister and continue with his future tasks.

Hoping not to cause attention to himself, or Sebilla, he let the King walk away. If the King was ignorant, then they still had some hope. However, Trydian had seen the surprised expression on his face. He would be shocked if the King wasn't already plotting. Unless he could somehow contact Igraine and warn her, then their fate had already been sealed.

Growling, he pushed her along, taking his anger out on her. It was unlike him, using such force. The awkward creature continued to follow them.

[Sebilla]

Sebilla ate the dried fruit ravenously and stumbled along ahead of her brother. She couldn't help who she was. She really wished she could get a hold on her power though, it came up at the worst possible time. Like right now with the King. She hadn't wanted to show him that she had a very powerful abilities. Especially the fact that they were seeing abilities.

Sebilla sat on a bench in one of the compound hallways and rubed her temples methodically. She felt like she was going to be sick, but the fruit was helping.

"I saw...so many things..." She whispered as she ate another piece of dried fruit. She tried to distract herself with the taste of the fruit. It tasted like citrus, maybe orange, and it was candied in a sugar. It helped her keep herself together and it felt like her brother. She looked up at him with tears slipping down her cheeks. It was all very overwhelming for a mortal. She wanted to know why she had been given such powerful powers in such a weak shell.

It just wasn't fair.

[Trydian]

“If I could, I would let you drink some of my blood, so that it would give you would more control at least...” Trydian sighed, knowing he could never corrupt his sister. With a hint of demon blood, she might be able to control some of her seer ability. If she had agreed to such an insane notion, he honestly didn't know what the affects were.

Sebilla never understood his world, or the dangers involved. She had followed him like a lovesick girl, admiring him in a delusional fashion. Trydian would never put her in danger, but right now he would have to serve King Pendaran and leave his sister behind. If the King was smart, he wouldn't do anything to Sebilla. Trydian would be much more cooperative if his sister lived in comfort and serenity.

When her tears began to fall, that was when he reached his breaking point. “Just hold on a little longer...I'll get us out of this.” Trydian said, mainly speaking about her freedom. “Since the King said we could venture anywhere, I'm going to go speak with him.”

Sebilla might be startled from his revelation, but Trydian couldn't tolerate this any longer. The King needed a pawn and he would gladly be it- so long as he kept his sister out of it. Igraine would trust him, so it only made sense that he went to speak with her and convince her to see King Pendaran. That was what had started this, wasn't it?

Even though Keev followed him obediently, he would have trouble keeping up with a demon's agility and speed. King Pendaran would have just gotten settled into his study, when Trydian forced himself past his guards, who naturally unsheathed their weapons in defense.

Trydian stopped, just a few feet from the King. He had seen his sister's powers, so now he could only guess what was calculating in his mind. “I am here to serve you- that was the agreement. I will go speak to Queen Igraine and convince her to see you- she will trust me. We grew up together.” Trydian said, waiting for King Pendaran's reaction. It would only make sense to send someone familiar from her past.

After his words, he knew his sister would be in King Pendaran's hands, but the sooner Queen Igraine was brought to him, the sooner it would end.

[Paroxysm]

Keev was surprisingly suited to follow a demon, Trydian would find. The finger-tall woman may have lost sight of him once or twice, but when she did, the demon would find the little fairy in front of him before long, bobbing up and down in the air with all the coherence of a drunk.

There were two guards outside the king’s study - not that he ever had much need of them, of course - and both looked the better part of a demon, themselves. They were covered largely in scales that appeared almost metal, a silvery and lustrous material, and veins as thick and pronounced as rope corded their arms. Neither of the two guards were particularly tall, but when you looked to be capable of breaking bones with your hands and had a large poll-axe in hand, being a quaint 4’9” suddenly didn’t matter all that much. Especially when you could maneuver said poll-axe so fast that its shaft and blade had been a transitional blur from the attentive guard-position to a defensive, ‘I will kill you if you come any further’ position.

Fortunately, both guards put away their weapons immediately after sensing Trydian to be a brother of the court. A sullen, lifeless look replaced the fury in their eyes and they returned to standing attentively at their posts without so much as a word or warning.

Inside his study, King Pendaran had just sat down on a large, cushioned chair of some smoky black wood that would have sold for a king's ransom in the mortal world. He opened a book and began flipping page after page; he was facing away from the door and when Trydian spoke, the king didn't so much as turn around.

“Yes," Pendaran said, “It would, wouldn’t it? But your sister is important to you, isn’t she? Why leave her here with me - a king who has been made the villain of every Ulsterite’s bedtime story? Why volunteer to betray a woman who is nearly as much your sister as Sebilla Xanathi?”

Outside of Trydian delivering the message to his family in the first place, Pendaran had not actually intended to use the demon to snare Igraine in a trap. It was, after all, something of a high risk, all things considered; it wasn’t hard to see that the demon’s loyalties weren’t to the court and although the king, owner of Trydian’s soul as he was, could break the demon, it was more punishment than precautionary. If trydian betrayed him, there would be hell to pay, but a king won few servants’ loyalty by threats and sadism. That could work on some of the fae’s more craven creatures, but it was short-term at best. Intelligent life wanted to prosper and Pendaran would have been a fool to go against that. Though it had taken him some time to learn it.

“I offered your sister a gift, you know.” Pendaran admitted. “Free, of course. I could give her fearsome power for a small price, but I am not above giving gifts that all of us can benefit from. The horse was thoroughly inspected, needless to say; she’s a smart girl. Never did accept, unfortunately.”

Pendaran sighed - a wholly human thing to do and he did it without the need of a Fascination or glamour; it was quite an unnerving thing.

“Go then,” Pendaran finally told Trydian, “and if you think of an arrangement with your sister that will set your mind at ease, tell me.”

There was a moment’s pause and then everything inhuman about Pendaran appeared to collect itself all at once and sap what little warmth had taken hold over the king.

“Betray me, demon, and I’ll make sure you live to regret it.”

There was a sudden, disorienting rush and then Trydian would find that the king was no longer in front of him and, more shocking, he was no longer even in the study; he was back in the court, the king's throne, empty save a small, finger-sized woman hovering just above its surface, had taken Pendaran's place.

[Trydian]

Trydian found himself back in the throne room, but he hadn't been too surprised by the King's reaction. It was probably unusual for a servant to demand such attention, let alone take charge of the situation. His sister's safety had been all he had thought about since their arrival. Her mortality was quickly making her more valuable, but now she had her powers. Even though King Pendaran had literally threatened his life, Trydian acted numb by the incident. If his sister was safe, he wouldn't care what happened to him.

Shaking his head, he recalled the King mentioning a deal with his sister. Mortals were such odd creatures, who constantly dwelled on morals. Sebilla was no different, her naïve nature forcing her to make those mistakes. The gift would have helped her in this world, since it would have at least given her something to rely on while he was gone.

Pacing, he watched her sit idly. There was little she could do, so he didn't blame her for that. Turning to her, he only wanted to know why she turned down such an offer. “Your naivety is astounding....any mortal would have killed for a gift by King Pendaran, but my sister decides she doesn't need such a useful blessing.” He was growing impatient with her. Deep down, he knew that she had done it to protect him, but he wouldn't be with her in the near future. She would have to be able to protect herself.

“You will ask him to give you a second chance with the gift. Tell him that you were foolish for turning him down.” Trydian said, before he gave her a chance to argue, he explained the situation. “I will be visiting Igraine soon- I have to be able to talk to her. If I have to do something drastic, you may be on your own.” Trydian sat with her on the bench, feeling his world spin. Everything had happened so quickly. He knew that he would also have to seek his Uncle for the sword.

“Ask to become a full fledged Seer- ask to become the most powerful. If he can grant you that, then you have some chance if something happens to me.” Trydian said, getting himself ready for his journey. He didn't know how long he would be gone, so he hoped that she would go to the King.

“I'll keep in contact with the King about my progress...he will probably inform you.” Trydian finished talking to her, walking out the door. He didn't want to look back at her pained face- it was hard enough to leave her in King Pendaran's hands.

[Sebilla]

Sebilla watched her brother go before leaning her head against the wall behind her. Her eyes closed for a few minutes until the sound of the tiny woman flitting around her caused her to open her eyes. The creature chittered and she hoped that she hadn't frightened it by looking half dead. She looked better but she still felt nauseated from the whole experience. She hurt in familiar places, ones that she hoped would never hurt again.

Trydian wanted her to take the offer of power. She couldn't help but be wary of how being the most powerful Seer in existence would affect her body. If it hurt now with just one powerful vision...imagine how it would be when she was even more powerful. It hurt just to think of it. Sebilla leaned forward and nodded at the little woman while she rubbed the back of her own neck. Imagine what the powers that be would think of her once she had these powers. What if she was found out to be the most powerful pyschic in existence? No amount of Trydian's pleading would stop someone from taking her. She would be the perfect tool to end a war before it began. She would be able to see where a person struck so that defenses could be built up, and she would see where to strike so that everyone could be on the same page.

Wars could be fought over her. Sebilla sighed and reasoned that if word didn't get to Igraine of where she was and why she was there, a war would be fought over her anyway. Just because Trydian wanted to be a hero and keep her safe, he treated her like an insolent little brat. He was such a jerk. No, he was an ass. Sebilla shook her head and looked up at the fluttering little creature near her, obviously keeping a watch on her.

"Can you take me to the King? I would like to speak with him." The creature chittered and Sebilla pushed herself up and after her. The little woman looked like she'd had one too many sips of irish coffee by the looks of her. She bobbed and weaved and raced back and forth like an anxious puppy. Sebilla didn't know her name and couldn't understand her if she had spoken, all the creature could do was chitter like a mad little rodent.

Once they were in proximity to King Pendaran's office, Sebilla noticed the guards. They didn't respond to her because of the King's protection over her -- which she still didn't realize she had. She stopped and looked at the guards dubiously. They could crush her with their bare hands and she felt incredibily uneasy passing between them. The sound of the tiny woman's chittering broke through her despair, it was as if the creature were saying "Hurry up!", so Sebilla took a deep breath and ran through the guards. She gathered herself before walking into Pendaran's office.

With her eyes downcast she spoke to him, but not before realizing how wonderful the office was. It was cozy and warm, though under the fascination it was cold and hard. Just about the only thing that would translate through were papers and books, the rest was under the glamour.

"My brother thinks that I should accept your offer of power. He thinks that my Seeing abilities need some...assistance. I am to ask for the ability to become the most powerful Seer in existence with the ability to control my own power. I need to be able to withstand such power as well, I don't know how that will happen though." Sebilla said with a sigh. She knew how hard this would be on her as a mortal human woman. It had the ability to make her go quite mad and it had the ability to kill her long before she would have died as a powerless mortal woman. She didn't know that Pendaran was under contract with her brother to keep her out of harm's way. He couldn't intentionally put her in a position that would harm, maim, or kill her.

Sebilla didn't know that, but Pendaran did.

[Paroxysm]

Unlike when Trydian had come to his study, Pendaran now stood in front of a large, flat table with a multi-colored map spread over its surface; atop this map were various figurines and symbols, and every couple of seconds, the king moved one of the figurines - representing some unknown resource - and then quickly jotted down something in a nearby book before moving the item back.

“Ah, so that’s what that episode had been, then? Thought so. You humans,” Pendaran shook his head but remained focused on the table and its objects.

A seer’s ability was pretty rare, truth be told; Pendaran had several diviners, himself, but their predictions were mostly broken and more or less useless when it came to mortal affairs. Immortals were usually set in their ways and easy to predict, but a mortal was a different story. Mortals, especially humans, were naturally chaotic beings, and they often made decisions in the now, based on their immediate circumstances, and rarely thought of the consequences of said choice. That made predictions infuriatingly inaccurate.

“Your brother is half-right,” Pendaran said with a little bit of a laugh. “You do need assistance, but I can’t make you the most powerful Seer. For two reasons,” Pendaran finally looked up from the table:

“One, to make you the most powerful of anything would require something near or of equal value to that power. An artifact, a life or two, or even a kingdom; that could do it, maybe, but that’s not the only problem, Sebilla, dear--two,” a thoughtful look entered Pendaran’s eyes, “Blake Sullivan has the most powerful prophetic ability I’ve ever heard of. I can’t match it,” he said. “That child regularly speaks to the likes of Saqin Krynes Rasche, the God you humans call Death.”

The Dark king of the Unseelie, Pendaran, wanted nothing to do with anyone who could (or, more importantly, would) consult with the likes of Saqin Rasche.

“I can, however, give you the assistance your brother wants you to have,” Pendaran offered. It was true that he could not make her the most powerful Seer, for reasons he already outlined, but he could give her something that could help her focus her ability. It was actually a common tool in the magic world, but it was mostly unneeded for the average practitioner. Things like wands and crystal balls had been made just for people like Sebilla.

“I don’t know your circumstances,” Pendaran explained, “but I can guess that your power is too great for your body, or you simply don’t know how to use it and it builds up, and then it rushes out of you with destructive force. The weakness,” he gestured with his left hand, “the seizures,” this time he mirrored the left’s gesture with the right, “and the changes,” Pendaran brought both hands together with a loud clap.

When the king parted his hands, he held a small, opaque crystal, and with only a short glance for inspection, he tossed the thing to Sebilla. Known only to Pendaran, the crystal was nothing more than a rock - a jagged, important looking rock coming from a mystical king of untold power, but a rock none-the-less. That wasn’t what mattered, however; it did not need to be special and magical to work for Sebilla’s needs. The girl needed only something to channel and focus her power through and for that, crystals were unarguably the best. That’s why so many artifacts used them in their design. After some months or years of dutiful practice, the crystal would be changed and actually be something special. Maybe even priceless. One day, Pendaran would be there to reclaim it.

“Until it is revoked, I give you the authority to call Keev by Name,” Pendaran said, “and when called, she will serve you as she would serve me. Have her bring you some mugwort, it’ll help you ease your power out. With the crystal, you won’t be as... burdened. With enough practice, you’ll be able to call it out on your own.”

Pendaran looked back at the table and frowned.

"If you want to progress faster, you would have to seek the Sullivan boy out. It would be in your best interest to just practice, I think."

[Sebilla]

Sebilla caught the crystal ball and looked it over. It was as if her body understood what this was for and her heart fluttered a little in her chest. She listened as the King spoke about the most powerful psychic in the world. She wasn't unhappy about not getting her brother's wish. In fact, she was ecstatic that she didn't have to be the most powerful. At the mention of Death, though, she glanced up at Pendaran and smiled.

"My grandmother was good friends with Death when she was dead. She's living now, he allowed her to come back. I think she somewhat loved him, in as much as someone that stays in Purgatory can love a God of Death." Sebilla went back to perusing the crystal before glancing over at the tiny bouncing woman.

"Her name is Keev? I like that name and I appreciate that you would lend her aid to me. Mugwort would be appreciated and perhaps a little lavender and peppermint if that is available. It makes the tea that I make taste so much better. I'm not a fan of Mugwort alone, personally." The other herbs had their own purpose in the drink as well, but Sebilla liked the taste better than the healing properties that the herbs were capable of.

"Thank you for this gift. I appreciate it very much." Sebilla bowed to Pendaran and looked about the study and at what Pendaran was standing over. "I find maps fascinating."

Sebilla shrugged and looked at Keev with a smile. She was entirely too sweet and innocent to be in a place like this. It was enough, though, that Pendaran was trying to keep her sanity intact.

"I would like to get some of the Mugwort, Lavender, and Peppermint if you wouldn't mind. The tea doesn't take terribly long to make." As she moved to the door with the crystal ball in one hand she stopped with her hand on the latch and turned slightly to look back at Pendaran.

"I will most likely be berated for telling you this, however, my Aunt is pregnant. With a girl child. I believe it is my Uncle's child as well. He is missing...left her I think." It was obvious that Sebilla was sifting through her visions to give him information. Her sky blue eyes were getting a slight silver tint to them as she sifted through the visions. When they cleared she looked at Pendaran and bowed her head again. It might be invaluable information for the King, and Sebilla wanted to thank him in some measure for giving her the Crystal -- even if it wasn't required of her.

[Paroxysm]

The small fairy made an entirely too bird-like coo before dismissing itself to go and complete its task. Like most of the other similarly sized Fae residing in Pendaran’s stronghold, Keev served the king as a servant and was quite apt in speedily fulfilling its duties.

“A child, is it?” Pendaran mused out loud.

He had already run through many different interpretations of Sebilla’s words in his head but it appeared that he had not even needed to do that. Every detail was falling into place by itself. It was a shame that Sebilla Xanathi’s prophetic abilities behaved so erratically . . . His already powerful army, directed by seer, would be an unstoppable force of Fae might. As someone who appreciated military strategy, Pendaran’s mouth was almost watering at the thought.

“Word of warning,” Pendaran finally said, “Do not speak of your aunt’s child again while you are here. Not to me or anyone else.”

Returning his vision back to the table, Pendaran lifted up one of the many figurines, moved it, replaced it, and then wrote in his journal; he had apparently withdrawn from conversation with Sebilla.

Once Sebilla returned to her quarters in Pendaran’s stronghold, she would find the supplies that she had set her newly acquired, though temporary, servant, Keev, to fetch in a satchel sitting on a small end-table.

[Trydian]

Trydian appeared in front of the King, his nerves shaken. What would he tell King Pendaran? His sister Igraine, was basically refusing his request and making things more difficult. The King wouldn't be patient, he could already feel that fact. He wondered about his sister's condition. Trydian knew that King Pendaran wouldn't attack her- not with the contract they made. However, there was some part of him that constantly worried of betrayal.

“Your highness, I'd like a word.” Trydian bowed and even felt like getting on one knee again. The act of obedience was more out of fear. Even though he sounded forceful for King Pendaran's attention, he was hoping that he would ignore his presence altogether.

“I've returned from meeting with Queen Igraine. There are complications...she will not simply come to your court without her father, or her new monk friend.” Trydian gulped, for the first time in his life feeling helpless. “There were strange creatures gathered. My father also possesses the chaos sword. The Queen was foolish enough to give him the blade. When I left, they were hunting down some Siren creature.” Trydian explained, balling his hands into fists. He couldn't relax, not when he felt as though the King expected him to fail.

“What would you have me do?” Trydian asked, wondering about King Pendaran's plans himself. He doubted he would reveal much. In his mind, he was still thinking of the fact that Vylrath now carried the blade. If the King got a hold of him....well, he didn't want to think too far ahead.

If King Pendaran thought he could convince Queen Igraine again, he would be outnumbered and considered a threat now.

[Paroxysm]

Never a moment's peace, Pendaran thought as he listened to Trydian explain the results of his ... diplomatic meeting with Queen Igraine. This was not particularly surprising but neither was it what the king wanted to hear.

"What impudence," Pendaran stated, "The monk I could understand," he admitted, "but your father is not known for his diplomacy.”

The king’s words turned chill in his throat and as his anger grew, he briefly wondered how taxing it would be to break through the barrier that separated his realm from the Seelie and mortal planes just long enough to set an example, to show the queen that his ire was not to be drawn without consequence.

The thought died with a sigh.

His plans were too important to jeopardize by prematurely weakening himself. He was sure that it was not impossible, few things were, but the risk was too great for mere self-satisfaction. He was prideful, but cautious, too.

“Walk with me,” the king ordered and began to exit the study.

Once Trydian followed after the king, the regal Fae spoke again:

“This is the same sword you had on hand when your sister,” he paused mid-sentence and then continued, “received her invitation, yes? - You seem anxious,” Pendaran noted, “tell me about this sword.”

As Trydian would soon find out, Pendaran had many weapons and artifacts of power, and while he did not covet this so called chaos sword, he wished to know of it. Enough so that he could gauge its power and capabilities, at least.

While they spoke, they would continue walking through the halls of the Unseelie stronghold, and never once would their path deviate, it was a straight line they walked and it was done with a purpose.