He looked at the apple for a moment,but then raised his gaze despite how he was hungry. "He remembered his manners. He was very brave and he didn't give up despite what a pain in the tail I was."

He nodded, not asking another question, as if waiting for him to take a bite out of the apple.

He looked back at the apple,turning it faintly in his hands. The little Shade peaked out and silently squeaked something with a worried expression on his little snout. The girl shoved her head out next to the little Shade and they both squeaked silently at him with worry. He remembered Ash saying not to trust anyone.

True, but this was Ash's brother. Maybe he was an exception? "So," he crooned, slitting his eyes at him, "my little brother let himself be tricked--by a weakling dragon--into rescuing another dragon and nearly killing himself in the process. How very unlike Ash. Tell me more, Prince." He'd obviously already heard that part before

Jason ripped his eyes up and dark gray clouds seemed to billow into his underwings and freckles. "As far as I know he went to eliminate the iron king,and so he did. I was there for my brother."

"If you're not hungry, you should just give the apple back. I'll eat it." Rowan snapped

He flinched a bit. He wasn't sure though. He knew that it wouldn't help his condition if he didn't eat but he wasn't sure it would matter if he made the mistake of even the faintest amount of trust and caused his own fall. He offered it back,the little Shade in his pocket actually squeaking a soft ice scraping noise and pattied him through his hoodie fabric.

He took it back and began to eat it. No ill side effects appeared. Another lean, shadowy figure came into view. "Ash." Rowan smiled as his brother stalked toward them. "What a coincidence," Rowan continued, still bearing that disgustingly smug grin. "Come and join us, little brother. We were just talking about you."
"What are you doing, Rowan?" Ash sighed, sounding more irritated than anything. "Mab told us not to bother the dragon."

"Me? Bother him?" Rowan looked incredulous, blue eyes widening into the picture of innocence. "I'm never a bother. We were just having a scintillating conversation. Weren't we, Prince? Why don't you tell him what you just told me?"


Ash's silver gaze flicked to Jason, a shadow of uncertainty crossing his face.


"Oh, come now, Prince, don't be shy," Rowan purred. "You seemed to have a lot to say about our dearest boy Ash, here. Go on and tell him."

Jason sighed,and let the little mini Shadow crawl up onto his shoulder and the female creature his other as he waved a hand in the air a bit,but bowed his head respectfully to Ash. "He remembered his manners and was very brave. Despite me being a pain in the tail. What is wrong with me admitting something that is simple to see." He said,in a simple calm tone that gave way to no particular emotions at all.

Ash's gaze hardened. Striding away from them, he bent and plucked something out of the snow, holding it up before him. It was the fruit Jason had refused, a single bite taken out of the flesh, like Snow White's poisoned apple. Only it wasn't an apple now, but a big spotted toadstool, the fleshy insides white as bone. Ash said nothing. Glaring at Rowan, he held up the mushroom and raised an eyebrow. Rowan sighed.
"Mab didn't specifically say we couldn't use spill-your-guts," Rowan said, shrugging his lean shoulders. "Besides, I think you'd be most interested in what our dragon has to say about you."


"Why should I be?" Ash tossed the mushroom away, looking bored again. "This conversation isn't important. I made the bargain to get him here, and now it's done. Anything I said or did was for the purpose of bringing him to court."