There was little we could do about our travel-worn clothes, but at least we were clean.

Once the bell rang, announcing our hour to be up, we made our appearance.

The armored guards that were stationed outside were joined by curious eyes, effectively doubling our spectators when Schula and I opened the door. When Spaulder stepped into the sun, his glossy black scales taking in the summer sun and giving off a bright sheen in return.

I let go of the door handle that I had been pulling and faced out at the crowd. Lady Tallulah was nowhere to be seen, and neither were Hayat or Weylyn. Aithne wasn't present either, but I didn't expect her to be.

Schula took a step to stand next to me, reaching out with her other hand to stroke Spaulder's front leg.

'What now?' I asked. 'Do we get an escort?'

'There, in the back of the crowd,' Schula said.

I looked where she nodded her head. A small fae creature of some kind, with big blue eyes and brown hair to match her fawn's legs stood watching. A nymph maybe? When I met her eyes, she bowed her head and gestured for us to follow.

We began to move forward when a soldier stepped out with his spear, barring the way.

"Her Majesty wishes only to see Schula and the witch," he said.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Our entire triquetram is on this farce of a trial, that includes Spaulder."

"I'm following orders," he said.

I looked back up at Spaulder, the expression of a dragon unreadable. But he would do what he wanted to do, he always did.

"Fine," Schula said, walking past the soldier. "If your orders are to prevent his attendance, I wish you luck ordering around a dragon."

I snorted a laugh, following her around the poor soldier as his face paled. His eyes sliding up to Spaulder's grand stature, clearly assessing his chances of success.

Schula and I reached the fawn-like nymph, dressed in the golds of the rest of the fae who served the Summer court, and she turned to walk toward the estate.

"Her Majesty is in the audience chamber. She wishes to ask you some questions regarding your disruptions to the Wyldes," the nymph explained.

We went around the side of the building, and heavy footsteps told me Spaulder had simply walked past the guards to follow behind us. I didn't hide my smile as I watched the nymph look over her shoulder, paling as the solider had before turning around and continuing on our path.

"The chamber should be large enough to... to accommodate," she said. "Though, it will take some time to navigate which hallways will be sufficient."

'Just open the window, small one,' Spaulder said.

The way her back stiffened, I knew he was talking to our guide as well. She nodded, but didn't look behind her.

From the side of the house, we were taken inside. The nymph paused to look at Spaulder. "I will open the window, if you can spare some patience, please."

'So be it,' he answered.

Inside, the estate was a maze. Hallways, twists and turns, even the rooms that we could see in the open doorways looked to have more exits that would confuse a stranger to the house. I was thankful for our guide, and soon enough we reached a set of glass double doors that looked fit for a queen. Etched into the glass were depictions of the sun, flowers, creatures, and stars.

"We have arrived," our guide announced, and the double doors were pulled open from the inside.

It was a grand site. The room was large, taking up more space than I thought it would from looking at the rest of the hallway. The floors were a dark wood inlayed with strings of gold filigree of a complicated pattern that you could look at for ages. The room had white velvet covered furniture, just begging for a nap it all looked so luxurious. A roaring fireplace on the far end allowed a few fae to sprawl out before it.

A stark contrast from the decadence was the warriors. Clad in gold with white tabards, each one of them that lined the walls between the windows held the same spear we had seen with most of the Summer warriors.

On a chair that could only be described as a throne, was the center of all this fuss. Leaning back as though bored, Peyorla's eyes widened as she sat up with interest. Her golden hair flowed down in ribbons, the red of her eyes blazed like a sunset. Her grand dress was white, with bejeweled lace on every surface. Her skin was a glowing orange, and her fingers each ended with sharp white nails that were nearly claws in their own right.

In other words, Peyorla was a fierce image of what she wanted her Summer court to be, and there was no mistake in it.

Aithne kneeled beside her on the floor, head bowed and sword laid on the floor in front of her. Behind her were her two companions, as unreadable as ever.

Other than Aithne, Peyorla was surrounded by many finely dressed cortisones. Tallulah was among them, standing obediently by. In fact, everyone was standing by. It didn't look as though a soul was speaking before we entered the room. All of them were just waiting for this... whatever this was about to be.

Peyorla locked eyes with Schula for a moment. She could have been assessing something, or just looking upon the face of the ones she had tracked down. Her eyes moved to me next, meeting me with her red gaze.

While she looked upon us, our guide leaned over and whispered in her ear.

Peyorla nodded. "Thank you, Ezlyn. You may leave when you're finished."

Her voice was light and airy, unlike her fierce appearance. Our guide, Ezlyn, moved quickly to the side of the room where she began to pry open one of the windows. I would have watched to make sure Spaulder had no trouble getting his head in, but I felt that if I took my eyes off of this queen for even a moment I might regret it.

Peyorla sat back in her chair, looking down her nose at us. The silence stretched out, and the only sounds I could hear behind us were the opening of the window and the soft footsteps as Ezlyn left.

The doors closed quietly, and Peyorla smiled.

"Welcome to my court, inciters of war."

Schula lifted her chin. "A pleasure. I trust our people have been settled in?"

Peyorla's smile twitched, amused. "Yes, comfortably. Do not fear for our generosity in their salvation, your sins are not theirs. They take refuge from a reportedly terrible army. A beast that you woke, I will add."

I tightened my jaw, clenching my fists tighter.

Startled sounds came from the fae in the room. Eyes were moving from us to something in the back.

'Ah, much better,' Spaulder said. 'So, this is the queen.'

'Yes,' Schula answered.

Peyorla's eyes moved up as well, though slowly and knowingly. "And this is your third."

I let my head turn enough to see Spaulder. His head and part of his neck were now inside the chamber. It was almost comical, if it weren't for the situation we were in.

'You may call me Spaulder,' he spoke, and somehow I knew he was addressing the whole room the way some of them began to tremble. 'If you are to place my triquetram on your trial, you will try me as well.'

The quiet wake of his words settled in the room and haunted it. None dared to move, save for the smile Schula and I had on our faces.

After the pause, Peyorla stood from her throne and walked toward the other side of the room. The echo of her shoes clicking on the ornate wooden floor as she crossed it with purpose. Where Spaulder's presence created bloodthirsty revelry in Baeleon when he first saw him, it created a show of bravado and power from Peyorla. She stopped, just in front of Spaulder's face, and lifted her head.

"Be that as it may, dragon, you are in my lands." She raised hand, gesturing at everything around us. "And if you think I do not have the power to back up that claim, I assure you that testing your theory would prove ill fated."

Spaulder let out a gravely chuckle, the closest sound to amusement he could make with his dragon's throat.

'Carry on with your words, little queen. I will do no more than observe, lest you cross the line between justice, and the thirst for power you so clearly crave.'

The Summer queen gave him a scathing glare before turning on her heels and marching back to her throne.

"Enough of this! I will have my questions answered and the truth found. The Summer court does not tolerate a disruption of the entirety of the Wyldes without just cause. I have fought too long, in too many wars, to see a triquetram of rogue... things, disrupt what I've maintained!"

I opened my mouth to protest, but Schula grabbed my hand. 

'Don't,' she warned. 'Don't fuel her stupid ranting. Her twisted thirst for justice is known throughout the Wyldes, and so is her temper.'

"Wise of you, Schula, daughter of Icehold," Peyorla said, sitting back in her chair and clearly unaware of the conversations we could hold without her knowing. "I want you to tell me, in front of my court and the Stars, why you would knowingly ignore your banishment and trespass on DuVarick's lands?"

Now the eyes of judgement were upon us. I saw it in their faces, the vultures Peyorla surrounded herself with. Vicious smiles, the fangs, the sneers. Ah, I knew these jackals all too well. Much like the humans who put forth judgment on an abandoned baby in the mountains, these people dressed in their fine clothes in their fancy estate were doing the same to us now.

Schula closed her eyes, pausing before giving an answer. I squeezed her hand in reassurance, and she gave me a thankful look before turning her gaze to the queen's. 

"My banishment was to Icehold and Icehold alone," Schula answered. "I was taken against my will to the city under the mountain while in the greater Winter lands."

"Why, when you are banished from the capitol, would you think you were welcome anywhere else in the Winter lands?" Peyorla asked.

My eyes fell to Aithne. She had been Schula's friend at one time, and yet here she was bowing her head at her queen's side. Why was she even here? Was this a punishment for Schula? Or... perhaps it was for Aithne. At this point, I didn't believe anything Peyorla did was without at least two motives.

"She was taking me to the Sangolin crater," I answered.

Peyorla's eyes sharpened as they slid to me. "Do not speak out of turn! I asked the Winter bastard why she went back."

Spaulder growled, low and angry. His patience was running thin with this mockery.

But it didn't dissuade Peyorla. "Answer the question, Schula."

Her grip in my hand tightened. "I, along with my temporary triquetram of Eberon and Thainalan, brought Wren to the Sangolin plains to the best of our judgement for an excess letting of fire magic. My banishment did not involve the Sangolin plains and Asher had no right to remove me from them and take me forcibly to Icehold."

Peyorla hummed, looking down her nose at Schula. "He took you forcibly. A hard tale to believe. Why would he bother?"

Schula turned to me. "Because of Wren. The moment her powers showed themselves, her body transformed into what she was always meant to be."

"An elf, and a witch," Peyorla drawled. "Very well, we will consider your situation. You may go while we deal with the bigger problem."

Our hands tightened together, and I looked to Schula with panic.

"No! I mean, I need to stay with her," Schula said.

"Enough." Peyorla waved her hand. "If you must stay, stay by your dragon and keep silent. Your trials are based purely on your association with her, and you would do well to keep your tongue to yourself."

"What does that mean?" I growled.

Sharp eyes, ones that I now noticed were the most angry when looking upon me, now settled my direction. Her nails dug into the arms of her throne, shredding little ribbons out of the velvet.

"You insolent thing," Peyorla hissed, now standing. "For the last time, keep your mouth shut until I speak to you. Your very existence in the Wyldes has thrown us all into utter chaos. All I have worked for, all I have done to rid the Wyldes of your kind, and now you stand before me with poison on your tongue."

I was shaking, I was so angry. She spewed the same sentiments as DuVarick, and she wasn't even involved.

Then, an unexpected rumble shook the room. Spaulder was... laughing? A deep, cruel sound. The amusement of a hunter, the top of the food chain, even for a fae. The dangerous laugh clearly shook the court that adorned the queen's room, and all of them took steps away from the great dragon at the window.

'Temper, temper, little queen,' Spaulder mused. 'What drives you so incessantly about my kin? Is it the witches? The mad king's triquetram? Or perhaps the elves?'

Aithne looked up, wide eyes at her queen.

Peyorla shook, but with rage. Her face reddened, matching her blazing eyes.

"Remove our guests until I can deliberate with my court over the matter of Schula's trespassing in Icehold," Peyorla said coldly. "I will deal with you again later."

I moved, angry and ready to demand answers from the unreasonable queen, but she spoke first. Her eyes met mine with spite.

"Don't for one moment forget that you brought your refugees to me," she hissed. "I will have the answers I seek from you, one way or another."

Peyorla left her throne, walking out of the room. In stunned silence, her court followed her. The rustle of fine dress and slipered feet shushed against the fine wood floor, and the only ones remaining were the guards with their spears.

The message was clear, we were to behave and go back to our quarters, or the Autumn court would be the ones to pay.

'Let's go quietly,' Schula suggested. 'I think I have an idea as to what she's really after.'

'Mm. I have seen her kind many times,' Spaulder agreed. 'I can be patient for a little longer, for your people. But understand, they are not my people, and I will see this queen fallen before I see either of you harmed.'

And in silent agreement, we were escorted back with an armed guard.

A/N Hey guys! I know these last few chapters are probably really frustrating. As you can see, this situation isn't great and I need just a bit longer to turn things around. I'm also unsure how things might change here while I'm editing the series. This is still a first draft after all! But I just wanted to check in with my readers. I'm worried that this part is going too slow? Or if it's all been too dreary? This book has had its fair share of sad chapters. If you've got feedback (Even if it's just bitching about Peyorla) let me know! I really appreciate any notes you've got for me!