Rhae

Rhys is silent as they stalk down the stone corridor. The rough hewn stone is cold and reflected in sharp gouges by the candle light. It's as if a creature clawed its way into the mountain, burrowing deeper and deeper till it found the smooth stone carvings that were inspired by Rhys' own court of nightmares.

The servants know better than to gawk at the high lord and his apparent prisoner as they pass. Amarantha's court on the other hand mak eno secret of their curiosity when they enter the towering cavern of the throne room.

Dark columns of marble line the walk way, each one at least house high. Behind them lurks the crowd, lit only by the wall torches and the hanging chandeliers, the dull light turns the crowd into a twisted display of shadows and warping faces. Each one morpheus and unidentifiable.

As they get closer and closer to the throne. They're forced to weave through the crowd in a twisted and obscure pattern so that every fae and henchman has a good view before they reach the straight path to the dias.

Rhaemarys holds the dark queen's gaze, stalking towards her at a slow and steady pace as she takes in everything she can about the ruler of the Courts.

Draped in a dark gown of rubies, the queen sits haughtily on her stolen throne. It's rudimentary at best, carved from dark wood and covered in bones yet the structure of it is no more than a chair placed on a pedestal.

She's gripping the skull arm-rests so tight that her knuckles turn white. Even that decadent crown has been woven into her hair as though she fears someone will rip it off her head. Amarantha raises her chin, glaring down at Rhaemarys with pursed lips and onyx eyes.

A pitiful show of strength from a woman who knows not how to be a true courtier. Dumb luck and dark magic got her this far. But it was truly her conniving thoughts and cruel desires that drove her. That keeps her going with little limitation of reason.

Rhys sweeps into a low bow, muttering a respectful greeting before rising again. His head remains lowered, waiting for her to greet him before he greets her properly.

Amarantha pays him no mind.

All her attention has been taken up by Rhae. Just how she wanted it.

Holding the queen's gaze she slowly dips her head, barely letting her eyes flutter before rising again. The only sign of respect she would show. One that caused murmurs through the crowd.

The older fae had decency to be surprised at an apparent dragon shifter showing such respect. The younger, more foolish creatures, hissed in horror at her disrespect– they demanded that she kneel.

Amarantha sharply raises a hand, silencing the chatter as she holds the dragons gaze.

How can that woman stand to be down here? Rhae wonders. Her pale skin is sickly and devoid of colour, only her red hair has a strong sheen as even her eyes have dulled of all passion. The female sat on this throne is barely skin and bones.

As if the life has been drained out of her.

Perhaps she is more of Hybern's puppet than the High Lords realised.

"It's been a long time since anyone has seen a Dracanae." Her voice is light, floating and heavy with challenging doubt. "No one has set eyes on them for thousands of years... they were all imprisoned."

"And it has been a thousand more since I have a female holding the leash of the lords." Rhae lets a trickle of amusement enter her voice, unable to hide her admiration. "I recall they are only in such places of power because they stole children in the dead of night.... Raised them as creatures of war."

"I recall they bastardised them, warped their minds and changed their flesh." Amarantha's eyes narrow on her. "Though you look to be in one piece."

"Those Wyverns and Drakes were a result of such... mutation." She tilts her head, the movement purely animalistic. "They had no minds, no intelligence and yet they still managed to be less beastly than us. Didn't have the arrogance and thirst for blood."

"I was expecting fangs or scales or something." The queen pouts, "I'm a little disappointed."

Rhaemarys doesn't disappoint, raising a hand and allowing it to shift. Gasp echo around the room at the sight of her long claws and skin coloured scales. She forces another ounce of power, letting it turn the scale's ruby red before shifting to dark obsidian that reflects blue and green in the light.

Amarantha sits upright in her chair, shifting closer in curiosity. Rhae keeps her gaze on her hand, only watching the dark queen from the corner of her eye before allowing the shift to fall away.

"No wings?"

Oh she'd like that, like to pluck them off.

"Only if I shifted entirely." Rhae taunts, grinning as her eyes burn with the shift.

She watches the way her throat bob, how the queen sits back in her chair almost nervously. Rhae leaves the eyes in place, grateful that she had shifted away her tail while in Rhys' rooms.

"So what brings you to my domain." Amarantha asks, hand flicking out to gesture the stone palace around them. "I've received conflicting reports. Has Tamlin traded you in for an additional 25 years or have you come to bargain for those years?"

"Neither and both."

The queen narrows her eyes in displeasure.

"Tamlin has asked for an additional 25 years that shall be granted by the payment of my willing service." She can clearly see the doubt swirling in the queen's eyes. "A dragon cannot be owned."

"I seem to recall differently."

"And I remember a blood bath."

"Yet you were the one locked in The Prison." Amarantha smirks, thinking she has the winning card. "I could always send you back if you don't do as I say."

"Do you think imprisonment is a threat?" Rhae can't help the half delirious smile that spreads across her face. "I have spent a thousand years slumbering under that mountain, I left there because I wanted to leave...." She tilts her head, stepping forward again. "I could slumber for a thousand more in what would merely be a blink of an eye."

The confident smile slowly falls off the queen's face.

"You are still taught about dragons in your youth, yes?" She glances around the room though expects no answer. "We have world-ending power yet rarely sleep... of course we hibernate for a few centuries at a time."

She trails off, meeting the queen's gaze once more.

"I heard you had a war on your hands... and I must confess... I'm rather hungry after all my years of rest."

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

"Tell me," Amarantha muses over the private dining table in her residence. "Why bargain for another quarter decade on Spring's behalf."

Rhae shrugs, "Amusement, boredom. They're certainly interesting prey when they struggle." She makes a disgusted face, gesturing to the High Lord that lounges sleepily on the bed behind them. "These ones are either too well trained or beaten into docility."

It was hard to eat early, sat in a room that was only a double door away from where her friend was being raped.

She had to shut it off, the part that cared. The one that made her stomach twist and heart beat out of chest. It was easier to just float. To be mindless and uncaring of others. Easier to survive the horrors of the day, and endure the pleasures of the night.

Amarantha had entered minutes earlier, flinging open both doors and leaving them there so that Rhae could see into the bedroom housing the broken lordling. He made a show of slumbering, lounging beautifully naked on the bed as he quietly flicked through a book.

"Why give Tamlin fifty years in the first place?" Rhae raises a brow but Amarantha doesn't answer, just watches her curiously. Rhae rolls her eyes. "You can't honestly be smitten with such a pathetic male."

She says it with enough malice that the queen bristles, straightening up in her chair as malice burns in her eyes. Her lips purse, clearly irritated and Rhae huffs again, amused by her little emotional whims.

"You fae are so bound by emotion." She couldn't help but muse. "So trivial your experiences are yet you fill them with devotion and let them rule your minds."

"I am not ruled by anyone." The queen all but snarls and Rhae wonders why she's entertaining her insults for so long.

"And yet you gave Tamlin 50 years." Rhae paused, scanning the queen head to toe. "Tell me, did you hope he would come to you willingly? Choose to be with you, if not out of love then out of defeat?"

Something shutters in the queen's eyes and Rhae knows she pushes far enough.

"It's a feeble goal, your majesty. the heart of one male over the domination of a nation. I certainly wouldn't choose the male."

"Do you always offer such unsolicited advice?"

"That wasn't advice, that was an observation." Rhae picks up her glass of wine, sniffing it delicately and enjoying the scent of hemlock. "Poison doesn't work on dragons dear."

She licks her lips clean of the excess and Amarantha follows the movement with her eyes.

"But here's some actual advice, stop focusing on the petty shit and start moving the pieces on the board." Amarantha remains perfectly still. "You sit her, mooning over a male, weaving a crown into your hair for fear of losing it, fucking a male who doesn't want you and wasting your power on building a large collection of – quite frankly – ugly gowns."

For a moment that petulant arrogance slides away, revealing a tired woman who quietly rasps, "And what do you suggest I do?"

"You're scared of losing your power, rightfully so considering everyone is angling for it while you do nothing but dance around. Start making trade deals and alliances, anything to strengthen and legitimise your rule." She waves a hand at the ugly hairstyle. "That crown is meaningless, it's a symbol of power, but unnecessary for those who truly command a nation."

"Someone coming for–"

"And there's your paranoia." Amarnatha's jaw clamps shut at the interruption, eyes all but bulging out of her head at Rhae's arrogance. "Who is it exactly, that has taught you to be so fearful?"

"I fear no one." She bristles, clearing her throat as she rises to her feet. "And I tire of this conversation. Take–"

Amarantha pauses, glancing back.

"Rhaemarys." She purrs and the queen shudders at the sound. "But only you may call me Rhae."

But the queen hesitates again. "Summon Helios, have him take her to the chambers I had cleared out."

"A Lord?" She raises a brow but the Queen is no longer looking at her, only toying with her glass of wine as she stares into the bedroom that houses her own Lord.

"A gift, one to celebrate my first alliance." She turns, face cold and for a second fear shivers down Rhae's spine. "And in the morning we can discuss exactly what you expect from this agreement."

Rhae rises to her feet, inclining her head respectfully.

"Of course, your majesty."

A/N: I'm back, sorry for the long break – got hit by life like a sledgehammer. So excited to get back into writing again, hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!!