She sneered, staring at the scepters light. "Let's get this over with." She mutters.

(Imma be real mean...)

"Ah ah ah." Virus waggled a finger at him. "Not so fast. I didnt want my drones up here because they are delicate and rather squishy, but Im not quite so stupid as to be unguarded." She smiled and gazed around the table. "All right, gentlemen. Meeting adjourned."

At that, all the humans sitting at the tables stood, shedding glamour like discarded jackets, filling the air with fraying strands of illusion. Human facades dropped away, to reveal a dozen faeries in spiky black armor, their faces sickly and pale beneath their helms. As one, the Thornguards drew their serrated black swords and pointed them at them, trapping them in a ring of faery steel.

Virus snickered, leaning back in her chair.

"Im afraid youve walked nose first into a trap, mdears," she gloated. "Oh, but you dont want to rush off now. I have one last little surprise for you." She giggled and snapped her fingers.

The door behind her creaked, and a dark figure stepped into the room, coming to stand behind the chair.

"Im sure you four know each other," Virus said. "My greatest creation so far, I think. It took six Thornguards and nearly two dozen drones to bring him down, but it was so worth it. Ironic, isnt it? He nearly got away with the scepter the first time, and now he'll do anything to keep it here."

She looked up at the person.

(Oh no ;^;)

"Ash," Virus purred as the figure came into the light, "say hello to our guests."

Ironhorse snorted. "AN ILLUSION," he mocked, staring at Ash in contempt. "A SIMPLE GLAMOUR, NOTHING MORE. I HAVE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OLDBLOODS YOU IMPLANT WITH YOUR FOUL BUGS. THEY GO MAD, AND THEN THEY DIE. THAT IS NOT THE WINTER PRINCE, ANY MORE THAN THESE GUARDS."

"You think?" Viruss grin was frighteningly smug. "Well, if youre so sure, old man, youre welcome to try to stop him. It should be easy to defeat one simple guard, although I think youll find the task harder than you ever expected." She turned a purely sadistic smile on Claire. "The princess knows, dont you, my dear?"

She scoffs, spitting at Virus's feet.

Ash regarded them blankly, no glint of recognition in his silver eyes: no anger, sorrow, nothing. "All of you," he said in a quiet voice, "will die."

Virus giggled her hateful, buzzing laugh. "Its no use," she taunted. "He hears you, he even recognizes you, but he remembers nothing of his old life. Hes been completely reprogrammed, thanks to my bug. And now, he listens only to me."

She let's go of the hilt of her sword. Staring at the ground blankly.

In the shadows of the room, the princes face was ashen, the skin pulled so tight across his bones it had split in places, showing open wounds beneath. His cheeks were hollow, and his eyes, though blank and empty, were bright with unspoken pain. It was the same look Edgebriar had turned on them in the cave, teetering on the edge of madness.

"Puck... I dont want to do this." She mutters, staring at Ash.

"Claire! Snap out of it!" Puck muttered

Virus chuckled. "Such devotion," she murmured, rising from the chair. "Im terribly moved. Come here, Ash." Ash immediately stepped up beside her, and Virus laid a hand on his chest. "You should congratulate me," Virus continued, regarding the prince like a student with a winning science project. "Ive finally discovered a way to implant my bugs in the fey system without killing them outright, or driving them mad within the first few hours. Instead of rewriting his brain--" she stroked Ashs hair. "--I had it take over his cervical nervous system, here." Her fingers dropped to the base of his skull, caressing it. "Youre welcome to try to carve it out, I suppose, but Im afraid that will be quite fatal for him. Only I can order my bugs to willingly release their hosts." She threw them an indulgent smile. "You have only one thing I want, and I will take that from you momentarily. No, I find that I prefer my bodyguard as he is, for however long he has left."