Grim sat at their feet

" ...what are you talking about? " She said to him.

"Was that sarcasm? I honestly can't tell with you."

Grim only looked very amused. At that moment the music stopped and a loud trumpeting began.


"They've arrived," Grimalkin stated, eyes narrowing to golden slits. The cat almost seemed to smile. "This should be very interesting."

The trumpeting grew louder, and at one end of the court, the ever-present wall of thorns shifted, curled back, and formed a grand archway, much taller and more elegant than any they'd seen before. Black roses burst into bloom among the thorns, and an icy wind hissed through the gate, coating nearby trees with frost.

A creature padded through the arch. It was a goblin, green and warty, dressed in a fancy black coat with gold buttons. It cast a sly look around the waiting court, puffed out its chest, and cried in a clear yet gravelly voice:

"Her Majesty, Queen Mab, Lady of the Winter Court, Sovereign of the Autumn Territories, and Queen of Air and Darkness!"

And the Unseelie came.

At first glance, they looked very similar to the Seelie fey. The little men carrying the Unseelie banner looked like gnomes in fancy cloaks and red caps. Then their jagged, sharklike grins and the bright madness in their eyes were very visible, and it was obvious these were not friendly garden gnomes, not in any sense of the word.

"Redcaps," Grimalkin mused, wrinkling his nose. "You will want to stay away from them, humans. Last time they came, a not-to-bright phouka challenged one to a rigged shell game and won. It did not go well."

She stared at the court entering, then glanced back down at Grim. " O...kay. "

Isiea silently watches, a little curious though still not comfortable being here.

He pointed out the ogres next, great hulking beasts with thick, stupid faces and tusks slick with drool. Manacles bound their wrists, and silver chains were wrapped about their huge necks. They shambled into court like drugged gorillas, knuckles dragging on the ground, oblivious to the murderous glares they were receiving from the trolls.

More Unseelie spilled into the clearing. Thin, skulking bogeys like the one in Ethan's closet, creeping along the ground like spindly spiders. Snarling, hissing goblins. A man with the head and chest of a shaggy black goat, his horns sweeping into wicked points that caught the light. And more creatures, each one more nightmarish than the first. They leered when they caught sight of the princesses, licking their lips and teeth. Thankfully, under the stern glares of Oberon and Titania, none of them approached the table.

Finally, as the court swelled to nearly twice its number, Queen Mab made her appearance.

The first hint they received was that the temperature in the clearing dropped about ten degrees. A cloud of snow burst from the mouth of the tunnel, and in walked the kind of woman that made ladies weep in envy and men launch wars.

She wasn't tall, like Oberon, or willowy-thin like Titania, but her presence drew every eye in the courtyard. Her hair was so black it appeared blue in places, and it spilled down her back like a waterfall of ink. Her eyes were of the void, of a night without stars, a sharp contrast to her marble skin and pale mulberry lips. She wore a dress that writhed around her like shadow incarnate. And, like Oberon and Titania, she radiated power.

But just as it seemed things couldnt get any eerier, Mabs entourage walked in.

The first two were tall and beautiful like the rest of their kind, all sharp angles and graceful limbs. They wore their black-and-silver suits with the easy confidence of nobles, raven hair pulled back to highlight their proud, cruel features. Like dark princes, they marched behind Mab with all the arrogance of the queen, thin hands resting on their swords, their capes flapping behind them.

The third noble, walking behind them, was also dressed in black and silver. Like the other two, he carried a sword, resting comfortably on his hip, and his face bore the fine lines of an aristocrat. But, unlike the others, he looked disinterested, almost bored, with the entire event. His eyes caught the moonlight and glittered like silver coins.

It was him, the boy from Lise's dreams, the one who had chased Puck and the girls through the forest. He had also tried to stop their blood from flowing. If his arrows had pierced their hearts...

That final boy is the one who catches her attention. She watches him silently, her expression remaining neutral.

...Great. Their almost murderer has once again appeared in front of them. Wonderful.

Grimalkin gave them a bemused stare and twitched his tail. "That is Prince Ash, youngest son of Queen Mab. They say he is quite the hunter, and spends much of his time in the wyldwood, instead of at court with his brothers." His snort sounded suspiciously like laughter. "I wouldn't worry about being attacked again, either. Ash would not risk Oberon's fury by attacking you in his own court. The rules of Elysium prevent violence of any kind. Besides--" the cat sniffed "--that hunt was days ago. It is likely he has forgotten all about you."