A Little Bit of Magic Cpt. 44

He wasn’t the only one shocked. It seemed everybody in the room, save the other members of the court, looked stunned by the queen’s surprising announcement. “Oh dear,” Charlie squeaked, his heart back to pounding with nerves. Not only would this be a much trickier situation for poor Adrian to get out of, but failure could be disastrous.

If Felicia managed to marry Adrian, she could potentially incorporate his entire kingdom into Unseelie territory; not to mention being married to the fae was likely the last thing their friend the prince wanted to do.

Adrian could swear he would hear a pin drop if it happened in that vast room. Even the knights, who'd stayed back to give him a chance to negotiate, fell silent in surprise. Of all the things he'd have to talk about there in the winter court, he couldn't have expected this. The queen was incapable of lying, so the answer really was as plain as that.

Things could rapidly change from bad to terrible if he didn't play this right.

He almost answered that he in no way intended to marry the woman standing expectantly across from him, but stopped. Every word was important; she had called him my prince. He wasn't sure if that by itself was binding, but he refused to answer to it.

Instead, he held out a hand to the sidhe standing nearest the queen, a calm fellow with deep blue hair. "Sir, I have a message for your liege," he said steadily, beckoning the fae closer.

Felicia's smile chilled as her right-hand man inclined his head and drifted towards the prince, betraying none of his feelings on the matter. "Good prince?" he murmured in greeting once he was close enough for the illusion of a private conversation. "What answer may I bring my queen?"

Adrian's mouth twitched. "No answer," he insisted, gently. "Just this." He reached into a pouch tied at his waist, all without taking his eyes off the sidhe, and drew out the same small scroll of paper that had put him (and Sawyer) on the path to the winter court. "In light of... inappropriate action against mine and my kingdom, I decline the invitation to this event, and any further invitations of the same nature. Please give this message and my regards to your queen."

Felicia, for her part, heard every word as well as everyone else in the room, and held her head high until her attendant turned back towards her with the small scrolled invitation on his palm. Seeing that, her face crumpled with a mix of rage and disappointment and she covered it with her hands.

As soon as she wasn't staring at him, Adrian's shoulders sagged and he let out a heavy breath.

He wasn’t the only one- it seemed everybody who knew him let out a sigh of relief. “Well done, Prince Adrian,” Charlie quietly congratulated him. It had been a masterful negotiation, especially for a non-fae. Adrian had truly considered every angle and arrived at potentially the only appropriate response.

Sawyer gave Felicia a wary glance, not liking the look of devastation on her face; but the Court didn’t seem to be reacting to it just yet, at least not here in this room, so he allowed his gaze to rest on Adrian. “So… is that it?” he asked, his voice just as hushed. “Do we get to go home now?”

Felicia let out a whimper as if in response, and some of the other fae of the winter court rushed around her and offered comfort and reassurance. The silvery woman that had been dancing back when Colfax and Charlie first arrived promised to organize a special performance just for the queen, and the others agreed. Even as they consoled her, many of them sent glances to the erstwhile guests in the court. By the looks on their faces, they knew just how awkward the atmosphere had become, and they were apologetic to a degree.

The sidhe, his message delivered, pocketed the tiny scroll and turned once again. "Yes, sir," he replied. "My queen can take no more visitors today. I can escort you to the door."

Colfax frowned faintly. "Will you do so?"

The sidhe smirked. "I will bring you to the door and no member of the court will stop you."

A sigh of relief escaped Sawyer and he closed his eyes ever so briefly. “That sounds like good news,” he quietly admitted. Charlie couldn’t help but silently agree- it was the first time that particular fae had been straight with them, and that was a sign that things were over as much as the queen’s indirect concession was.

The leprechaun glanced over at Adrian, wondering if he had more diplomacy he needed to try or if he considered himself free to go as well. Hopefully the latter- the prince had been through more than enough already with Felicia’s proposal.

Adrian sighed, and didn't think the brief burst of adrenaline would filter out of him anytime soon. From rushing in and saving Sawyer to rejecting the queen's underhanded marriage proposal, it couldn't have been a quarter of an hour. He felt like he'd gone to a real battle, and understood for the first time why so much emphasis was placed on how to speak to the fae.

"If you will lead, we will follow," he said, offering the sidhe a nod. "Me and my knights will carry every trace of iron out of the court."

"It's very magnanimous of you, sir," the sidhe replied. He bowed faintly at the waist before tilting his head to lead the group towards one of the broken walls. Beyond them, the halls led somewhere back out of the winter court, and they certainly couldn't get there soon enough.

Sawyer stepped quickly after Adrian, not wanting to let his friend out of his sight, and the knights filed in behind them. Sawyer’s hands were cupped loosely against him now, a more normal position for both of his smaller companions. Charlie leaned back against the dustdevil’s fingers and stifled a yawn into the crook of his elbow. He blinked sluggishly and forced himself to stay awake- he didn’t want to let his guard down until they were well out of the Winter Court.

Taking a couple of larger steps, Sawyer positioned himself next to Adrian, making sure not to accidentally brush up against the prince (not only would it make Adrian uncomfortable, but dustdevils didn’t react well to iron either). “That was some nice sword work back there,” he quietly complimented. “Looks like all your training really paid off, huh?”

Adrian looked up at him as if shaken out of a daze, and then a sheepish smile overtook his face. "Well. Just one swing was all it took, thankfully," he mused. The knights following in rank behind the group didn't have much to say, but Adrian glanced back at them anyway. "I'm sure there will be notes."

"Who cares," Colfax chimed in, his voice as exhausted as he looked. "It worked."

“Hear hear,” Charlie mumbled in agreement, trying his best to keep his eyes open. It was hard when Sawyer’s hands were so warm.

Sawyer nodded. “Yeah, that’s what matters.” He gave the knights a glance once, inwardly quite glad that they hadn’t seen an actual battle between the armored humans and the Unseelie fae, before turning back to Adrian. “How’d you guys get here so fast anyways?” Last Sawyer checked his tornados were a good bit faster than any horses.

"Ah," Adrian recalled, back to the matter at hand as their fae guide led them through the crystalline halls. "We requisitioned a portal enchantment. It can't open into the court itself, but as soon as we're back outside I or one of the knights can open it up again. It will take us to the castle infirmary, if you don't mind."

Sawyer shook his head. “Naw, that’s probably a good idea.” He was pretty sure he only had scratches, but since they were made by the Winter Court itself they should probably get cleaned up at the very least. Not to mention the smaller folk. Charlie had assured him they weren’t hurt but Sawyer wasn’t ready to just take his word for it after everything they had been put through.

Thankfully, they were outside soon enough. The vision of the open ice field, bordered at the far extremity by the edge of the forest, reflected the sun and made them shield their eyes to adjust. A cold wind whipped by, stirring some flakes of ice on the ground, but Sawyer didn’t care. It was well worth it to take in a deep breath of fresh air.

The tension slowly left the group as it really sank in that they were out of the court. For Colfax and Charlie, who had spent the better part of the last few hours running frantically through that maze, the open sky was a welcome sight.

Their guide offered a short bow and gestured out at the snowy field. "Safe travels, guests and otherwise. Perhaps we'll meet on calmer terms."

"Perhaps," Colfax echoed, tired amusement in his voice.

Adrian nodded his own thanks. "Goodbye, sir."

One of the knights stepped to the front of the group with a smooth stone sitting on his palm. After muttering a word with careful pronunciation, he tapped it three times. A rune scrawled to life on the surface of the stone in glowing pink, and the crisp, silent air in front of him opened. On the other side of the new portal, a room with tidy beds on either side and warmly lit from high windows waited, along with a few attentive nurses.

"You three first, if you please," the knight said, beckoning to Sawyer and his small passengers.

Though Sawyer eyed the sudden portal with curiosity he didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward and through the spatial rift, arriving in the much warmer infirmary with barely a tingle of magic to speak to what had happened. He glanced behind him to make sure Adrian was following even as a nurse approached them.

In Sawyer’s hands Charlie yawned, his face scrunching up before he blinked heavy-lidded eyes. Now that they were home - or at least, back in the kingdom they rightfully belonged in - he was hard pressed to stave off the magical exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm him. He was sure Colfax felt the same.

The approaching nurse was all business, as she had been waiting for this exact moment since she was briefed on the situation. Others were sent to check on the knights and their returning prince, but she gave Sawyer an appraising once-over. Clucking her tongue, she said "Well, you didn't quite get out of there unscathed. Any injuries?"

"Just a headache," Colfax quipped. He sat cross-legged on Sawyer's hands now, leaning his elbow against a knee. "Mind the noise."

Not even a second later, the small wizard appeared to have fallen asleep sitting like that, and the nurse could only turn a nonplussed look up at Sawyer.

“He’s fine,” Sawyer informed her. He was actually surprised Colfax had made it that long; after all, the poor wizard had participated in a rigorous contest before everything happened. The dustdevil’s eyes turned to Charlie, who looked ready to topple over next, and asked, “You fine, Charlie?”

“’M fine,” the leprechaun mumbled back, already curling up against Sawyer’s fingers.

“You promise?”

“Promise.” With that Charlie was asleep as well, all but dead to the world.

Sawyer looked back up at the nurse and gave her a tired smile, betraying how weary he himself was- but he wasn’t about to sleep until he knew everybody was okay. “They’re fine,” he reiterated. “I think I’m the only one with scratches.”

The nurse smiled faintly. "Good. We can take care of those and then get you on home to rest."

Hearing that, Adrian sidestepped the nurse that was glancing over him before she could ask him any questions of her own. He made his way over to Sawyer and offered him a tired smile. "Sawyer, thanks," he said, some formality dropping away as the adrenaline of the recent events started to wear off. "That was... really reckless of you, but I'm glad you were there to help."

Sawyer smirked back, somewhat sheepish but not repentant in the least. “Yeah, me too,” he agreed. “Thanks for being the responsible one and swooping in at the exact right time.” His expression turned earnest and unusually serious. “If I can ever repay you for saving my life back there, you just let me know.”

Adrian sighed, while the nurse set about her work gently cleaning off the worst of Sawyer's scratches. Adrian gave her plenty of space to work, but went on as if she were the sneakiest person they'd never seen. "It was my job, Sawyer, as a prince and as a friend," he assured him.

He glanced over at the doors to the infirmary, beyond which waited several more responsibilities that he would have to get to eventually. "I'll make sure you're not bothered at your home for a while," he promised. "You all need the rest."

“Thanks,” said Sawyer, giving him a nod. “I think these two would really appreciate that.” He was certain Colfax would enjoy being left alone while he recovered, and Charlie would likely find it a comfort as well. Although, Sawyer already anticipated having to dissuade the little leprechaun from going straight back to class the moment he woke up. Glancing at the nurse, Sawyer gave her a smile and said, “Thanks, those feel a lot better.” The scratches didn’t sting nearly as bad after her ministrations.

The nurse smiled at him and nodded. "I think you'll be fine to get yourself on home soon, sir. None of these cuts look like they would get infected."

Adrian thanked her as she bustled off to double check the others, though all things considered the nurses had very little to do. None of the knights had needed to draw their weapons after Adrian's single swing of his, and in the end Sawyer was the only one who'd taken any damage, considering he'd gone face to face with a fairy queen.

"We won't keep you here any longer," Adrian said sheepishly. "Do you want a ride home? I could probably arrange something..."

As much as Sawyer wanted to say no, he didn’t honestly think he could walk all the way home. He had flown all the way to the Winter Court, after all, and it had been a long while since he’d had to sustain a tornado that big. “That would be nice, yeah,” he agreed. He looked Adrian over and asked, “You gonna be okay? You won’t have to face any, I dunno, political repercussions for this or whatever will you?” Sawyer still wasn’t sure how all that worked.

A bark of a laugh escaped Adrian before he could politely cover his mouth with a hand. Even when he lowered it again, a smile remained. "I think the political repercussion would be worse if things hadn't gone exactly as they did," he admitted. For one thing, he'd be betrothed to a literal force of nature, and he had no idea what that might entail. For another, well, marriages between human kingdoms could be tricky enough; this was unheard of. "Seriously, though. I'll be fine. Let's get you to a carriage."

Sawyer grinned, glad to see Adrian smiling after everything. “Yeah alright,” he agreed. He followed Adrian over to the door of the infirmary. A glance down at the two in his hands showed that they were both still asleep- Colfax had toppled over from his seated position and was now curled up on his side just like Charlie was. It would be good to get them home; and then Sawyer could sleep.

Adrian almost worried he was being too brusque with the various people that wanted to ask him questions or tend to him after the bizarre ordeal in the winter court. However, seeing how exhausted even Sawyer was after everything, he felt more justified in making everyone wait. After all, someone who went up against a fairy queen and made it out with only a few scratches had earned respect and a lot of rest. Political matters could wait; they would always be there.

One of the royal carriages was still prepared after he and his mother's hasty return from the festivities earlier. It didn't take much at all for a few horses to be harnessed up and a driver tracked down to get everyone home.

"Alright," Adrian sighed once everything was ready. "They'll be able to get you all home. I'll... I'll try to be in contact as soon as I'm able."

Sawyer nodded- he could only begin to imagine the amount of work that was ahead of poor Adrian. “Thanks again, for everything,” he said, genuine gratitude in every word. He had an urge to hug Adrian which he quickly stifled. Instead he offered the prince a smile and said, “If there’s anything we can do to help, just let us know.” With that assurance made, he and Adrian bid each other farewell and Sawyer stepped up into the carriage.

The dustdevil looked around the posh interior of the royal carriage with interest. He had never been in anything like it before. He couldn’t help but glance down at Charlie, who was passed out against the curve of his fingers. The little leprechaun was going to flip when he found out he slept through this ride.

Colfax was just as gone to the world as Charlie, though he likely wouldn't be as impressed by the royal carriage. Even still, as Sawyer settled in and then the whole thing lurched into motion, the small wizard huffed out a sigh in his sleep and shifted, never once waking. Magical exhaustion had claimed him and Charlie both, and they likely wouldn't wake up for a good while.

Adrian watched them go for a few seconds, assured that the driver would take directions from Sawyer as needed. Then, with the rumor mill likely already turning, he headed back inside. There was work to be done, and there were probably a few busybodies already aching to know what had actually happened, and why the prince had so publicly left the magic festival in the middle of it.

After dealing with all of that... well, he planned to take some time off.

The carriage rumbled along the cobblestoned streets, and Sawyer had to focus on the motion and his own determination to avoid falling asleep himself. Once he did, magical exhaustion would have him as well, and he wouldn’t be getting up either. Soon enough, however, they had arrived at home. Sawyer thanked the driver as he stepped down, giving him a nod before opening the front door to the house with one hand.

Sawyer managed to shut the door behind him and stumble into bed. Atop the covers, fully clothed, he curled up around his smaller friends and fell asleep.