Alexander the 9th of the Ruling Family stared at Cadell and Samuel without a flicker of feeling in his eyes, but his hands atop his high backed chair were gripping the rests in an attempt to stop himself from throttling the sight before him.

Soft gauze was stretched across their eyes, and they were both currently kneeled in front of him, with their hands folded at their fronts.

“Lady Agnes Beatha is dead.” Alexander repeated, his voice containing a lethal edge.

“Yes, Lord Ruler.” Their answer rang in unison in the hall that resembled a mix of a dungeon and a throne room.

“Then you are saying someone used magic and blinded yourselves, and Lady Trueseau’s Servicer, Servicer Ana?”

“Yes, Lord Ruler.”

“Despite it being a Fey power to control light, you saw no Fey present?”

“No, Lord Ruler.”

“Servicer Arlen is now missing, unbonded, and aligned with the Minkies, 3 Magee fighters, and now somehow the Fey?”

“Yes, Lord Ruler.”

Alexander leaned back into his chair, and folded his hands in his lap, ignoring his sister’s gentle angry breaths as she stood beside him looking as beautiful as a spring day wearing a pale green bodice, with champagne colored skirts made out of chiffon and silks.

“How is it Servicer Arlen and his accomplices retrieved Lady Beatha?”

“We arrived when the palace was in chaos, so we are not clear on how it began, but we witnessed the group escaping in a lifeboat, and witnessed a man we are assuming is one of the Minkies from before, neutralize near a dozen soldiers pursuing them with mind magick’s. We went and witnessed them disappear into the mountain, and then with Servicer Ana, ascended the mountain to find they’d appearred from a cave with Lady Beatha’s body.” Cadell began the report again.

“-We watched them mourn, then the mind magicker saw us, and shortly after that there were earth tremors, high winds, and lights. According to the royal guards, they could hear the bangs as well, leading us to conclude that it was not the mind magicker manipulating our senses.” Samuel finished off for Cadell smoothly, and Alexander said nothing as he gently tapped his finger against the armrest.

His face remained its normal clear visage of handsome iciness, but Celestine knew that he was exploding internally, and began bracing herself for what would transpire.

“Servicer Cadell and Samuel, you are to return to your private quarters and await your punishment.” His voice was soft, but the two men rose, and strode away having easily heard him.

Alexander continued staring at the spot they had been kneeling, his finger still tapping the armrest.

Celestine didn’t want to move into her brother’s line of attention, knowing that she would be the target of his anger if she made any move.

“Celestine,” He began, his voice still soft. “When was the last time a mind magicker could affect more than 2 or 3 people at a time?”

The black haired beauty sighed; her lack of activity hadn’t hidden her at all.

“Not since the Thief of Souls.”

“Exactly. These Minkies are becoming more pestering than ever before. The Magee fighters identities I will inquire about with Master Bushi.” He pushed himself up from the chair and took 3 steps forward, then clasped his hands behind his back.

“It’s possible that any Servicer in contact with the Minkies faces the same loss of control of themselves. We will leave all children of Servicer Ida on standby while this is determined. I’d rather not lose a Kingdom’s worth of gold from their deaths.”

Celestine swallowed with great difficulty. The idea that they were losing more control of Servicer’s was truly terrifying.

“My next curiosity, is how is it that our Seers did not foresee any premature death for Agnes Beatha. All they saw was political achievements and a prosperous kingdom. All of these surprises are making us seem like fools.”

Alexander turned around, the look in his eyes making Celestine wince.

“I suspect that we have more than one traitor in our midst Celestine. We will assemble everyone on the Island this day at noon. We need to get some answers once and for all.” Alexander strode from the room gracefully, his posture rigid and his hands still clasped behind his back.

Celestine’s eyes fluttered before she reached her hand up and pinched the bridge of her nose delicately.

With a sigh, she lifted her chin to stare at the door her brother had exited, and wondered for the millionth time if they truly should have overthrown their parents on that fateful day many years ago.

***

Aidan O’Malley, King of the Northern Kingdom, stared at Sean O’Farrell stunned.

The entire throne room, was packed with every noble ear of the North, but at that moment a pin dropping could’ve been heard.

“Duke O’Farrell, if what you are saying is true, then the Southern Kingdom has committed a great crime against our land that must be addressed immediately.” Aidan slowly rose from the throne, and stepped down towards where Sean O’Farrell knelt.

“How is it you came to find this information?”

“When I returned from my journey to retrieve Lady Beatha, every mouth in the Southern Kingdom was in motion of how she was imprisoned for months, and made to fight in blood sport. This crime was arranged and executed by the Southern Prince, and the deceased Captain James Murphy. The Captain received triple his annual salary from the bets, and was rewarded handsomely by the Prince for dragging Lady Beatha’s dignity through the mud. That venture alone would’ve made him wealthier than most Lords.” The throne room erupted in gasps, and angry exclamations.

“-The Captain didn’t anticipate however, that Lady Beatha would risk her own life in order to end his.”

The throne room once again went silent.

Lady Josephine stood beside her husband, her body still slightly swollen from recently given birth, and her hand clasped over her mouth as tears silently dripped from her eyes.

Sean O’Farrell rose to his feet, and stared up into the King’s bright green eyes, then redirected his gaze to the crown Prince whose face had paled at the news, with his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his bride-to-be Lady Maud stood beside him, her eyes round and her mouth slightly agape.

“Your Majesty, I will be holding Lady Beatha’s funeral in a fortnight once her parents have arrived at my Keep. It would be an honor if all here paid their respects to my betrothed’s passing.” Sean bowed his head, and listened to the whispers that flew around the room.

“All here will be present to Lady Beatha’s funeral, and all here should know, that this crime is now acknowledged as an act of war against our Kingdom. All here should prepare for what is to come.” Aidan O’Malley looked around the room at the somber faces, his head held high.

It then started with Sean O’Farrell; he knelt down on the ground once more, his head bowed, and said:

“You have my sword, my loyalty, and my full cooperation, my King.”

Then, one by one, every Lord, Knight, and wealthy merchant present, did the same in unison.

The women too knelt down in front of their King in silent support, but as Aidan gazed around the room, a question he had wondered for months- its presence causing a worm of fear to tunnel deeper and deeper into him, was answered.

Not a single Servicer, with their backs to the walls of the room, at one with the shadows, knelt before him.

He now knew, that they answered and were ruled by only one power.

The Ruling Family.

And they had their very own plans.

***

Arlen sat beside Aggie’s bed as he had everyday since the day they had rescued her.

She slept day and night, only woke for small meals, and to use the chamber pot- her body and soul weak from the months of hardship and obvious starvation.

They fed her broths for the first week, and had slowly worked her way up to foods with more sustenance.

In the entire time, she hadn’t uttered a single word, or looked at anyone in the eyes. She often woke up screaming and thrashing, but immediately would go back to sleep before Arlen could touch her.

The Minkies Queen’s Keep wasn’t magnificent or large, but it was comfortable. The stone Keep was perhaps only slightly larger than Tork’s home, but had a fresh stream running through its grassy fields, and a small forest for hunt. The Fey created lake was visible from the 2nd floor windows, and the mountains cradled its back.

There were stables and pens for livestock, and several farming tenants scattered over several leagues. The Queen would have a small fortune from such property, Arlen had reasoned, but she didn’t live in luxury.

Those under the Queen’s protection there amongst the rest of the world, knew her and Keynan as Lord Keynan and Lady Sorcha McKittrick. Due to their lands lying just North of the Southern Kingdom’s border, and hidden in a cove of the mountains, most nobility had forgotten such a place existed-, though taxes were always paid, and a small group of people lived well taken care of.

Aggie’s chamber window faced the mountains and rolling green hills they had crossed on their return from her rescue, and on the cold fall October day, a warm fire was lit in the small stone fireplace in her room, while Arlen continued to sleep in the large cloth armchair they had squeezed into the room for him.

Arlen gazed out the window at the bright blue sky, his thoughts far from his body, when out of the corner of his eye he noticed movement. Arlen turned his head to see Aggie had slowly raised herself to sitting upright, and was staring at the fire that blazed happily.

Arlen waited, sitting completely still, his posture rigid.

“Where am I?” Aggie’s voice was hoarse, and she still didn’t turn her head to look at Arlen.

“We are at the Minkie Queen’s Keep. No one knows we are here, you are safe my Lady.” Arlen explained quietly, and was startled to see Aggie’s grip on her blankets tighten.

“If you call me a ‘Lady’ one more time, I will jump out that window head first.”

Arlen’s eyes widened, her dull tones didn’t carry any sign that she was jesting.

“I’m sorry, Aggie.” The words hung in silence for several minutes before Aggie slowly turned her head to stare at him. Her gaze, for the first time since the day of her death met with his, and immediately his stomach clenched painfully.

Her eyes somehow appeared a darker green. There was no light or brightness shining behind them as there once had been.

“You should’ve come for me sooner.” She said flatly.

“I’m sorry my L- Aggie. We got to you as quickly as we could-”

“Sorry doesn’t change anything. How long do I have to stay in bed?” She quipped still staring directly at her Servicer without an ounce of feeling.

“Would you like a bath? I can call the maids to-”

“Fine. I don’t want maids washing me though.” Arlen frowned as he nodded, but stood slowly from the chair, and made his way around the double sized four poster bed, and left.

Aggie stared out the window, then looked down at the white nightgown she wore blankly. She touched her hair and found that it was indeed as oily and dirty as she remembered it being.

A small chest of drawers with a mirror and a washbowl on top was perched to the right of her bed.

Slowly, Aggie swung her legs over the side of her bed, and stood on aching stiff legs.

Once positioned in front of the mirror, she pulled off the nightgown, and stared at her naked body dispassionately.

There were a handful of thin scars from the occasional knife prodding she received on the ship, but that wasn’t a surprise. Aggie stared at her body’s boney yet muscled frame, then turned slowly and stared at her back where there was a thick ropey scar a little more than a hand span down from her left shoulder. She touched it briefly, blinking for a moment at the clear memory of the pain of the blade being in her.

The Queen had healed it nicely.

The chamber door swung open again, and in scuttled a middle aged woman with full cheeks, wearing a black dress and starched white apron, her gray hair frizzing out from the coiled bun at the back of her head. Arlen appeared next. Between them they carried a large tub, and behind them Aggie could hear the tittering of Bonnie, and perhaps another maid whom she guessed carried buckets of hot water.

They must had had everything waiting for her for it to be ready so quickly.

They didn’t notice Aggie standing along the wall of the door, completely naked, until after Bonnie and the maid entered. Arlen had set the tub down and looked to the bed, then to Aggie.

His shoulders straightened, his eyebrows shot up, and his lips pursed, but Aggie said nothing, nor did she move to cover herself.

The older maid gave a sharp intake of breath, and the young maid blushed. Bonnie cleared her throat and lowered her gaze.

“That’ll be enough after you pour those in. I’ll only need another 2 for rinsing my hair.” Aggie said calmly, and waited as they all began to rush from the room.

“Arlen, you can help with my back.”

Arlen had been the last out of the room as Bonnie and the young maid had rushed out ahead of him.

He cleared his throat and turned with his back to her.

“My La- Aggie, that is not really appropr-”

“I don’t know those people nor do I trust them. I’m still a bit stiff as well. You’ll do it.” Her tone was firm and dismissive as she stepped over to the tub, and closed the door on her way.

She realized that in their haste to vacate the room, the ladies had failed to empty their steaming buckets into the tub. Aggie bent down and with a grunt of pain in her back, lifted the pail to the edge of the tub, and poured it in.

Arlen’s hand appeared suddenly on her wrist, as he gently began to remove the empty bucket from her hand. Without a moment of thought, Aggie snatched her hand back and placed a sharp jab with her other hand into his abdomen.

Arlen doubled over with a cough, and briefly thought it was good that he hadn’t eaten much that day- otherwise he would’ve undoubtedly vomited.

Aggie took a step back from him, her eyes cast down at the tub, a sick feeling rolled in through her stomach.

“Sorry.” She said stiffly.

Arlen slowly straightened and stared at her downcast eyes and pale face sadly.

“It was deserved. My apologies for startling you.” Arlen bowed, and straightened again as he reached for another bucket, and poured in the hot water.

Once he was finished, Aggie stepped over the lip and settled into the soothing warmth.

Arlen picked up the bar of soap on the ground that Head Maid Trudy had dropped, along with a washing cloth, and knelt beside the tub.

Aggie pressed her knees into her chest, and stared blindly at the door, her thoughts adrift somewhere unpleasant.

“Are you certain you will you be alright with me washing your back? I can find the Queen or Bonnie and-”

“Just do it.” Aggie spat. She hadn’t intended to speak so harshly, and hadn’t been aware that she was still feeling angry until she heard the words come from her mouth.

Arlen didn’t comment on her outburst, instead he quietly dipped the cloth in the water with the soap, and carefully began to wash around the ropey scar.

“How did Tork find you?” Aggie asked over her shoulder, her tone still firm, but no longer abrasive.

Arlen guessed she remembered something of being carried back to the Keep once he had revived her.

“We crossed paths when we were nearly at this Keep. Tork, Declan, and Bonnie, were hired by Sean to find you, though he was already on his way to retrieve you-, they wanted to be sure to grab you before he did.”

“Is Bonnie a Magee fighter as well then? I cannot see someone wanting to learn about bounty hunting at that stage of life. What about the Inn?”

“Bonnie is also a Magee fighter, yes. They had to close the Inn as the Thief of Souls has begun looking for them. He has been much quieter recently after the Fey created a barrier to get to him, but pure humans are still being reported missing in the North and South Kingdom is what Tork has heard.”

Aggie was silent for a long time, and Arlen didn’t try to make her talk more as he eventually began washing her hair and helping pour the buckets that Bonnie eventually delivered to him.

Once she rose from the tub, far less ripe than before, Arlen handed her a towel, then set to laying out a burgundy dress.

Aggie stared at the garment with the white shift laying behind it, then stared at Arlen, still completely unabashed at her exposed state.

“Pants and shirt please.” She ordered stiffly.

Arlen bowed shallowly, then retrieved a black pair of pants, with a thick black belt, a clean white linen shirt, followed by a dark blue coat.

Aggie stared at the coat for several minutes without moving a muscle, before she dressed herself hastily, leaving it on the bed.

“It’s cold outside, you will need-”

“Then get a coat that is a different color.” Aggie strode from the room without looking back, and exited to a bright hallway with hardwood floors, and windows over looking vast spans of grass and trees with brilliant hues. The scenery did little to improve her mood as she walked down the hallway until she came to a set of servant’s stairs.

She descended them to find herself in a warm kitchen where a group of 3 young maids and the older maid from earlier were talking in rushed whispers.

Aggie ignored them, saw the fresh loaf of bread on the table, and grabbed it.

The maids immediately fell silent as Aggie ripped the loaf in two halves, and began eating it with all the manners of a wild dog.

The Head Maid lay a board with slabs of meat and cheese beside her once she had regained her composure, which Aggie partook in briefly before standing up silently, giving a short nod to the older woman, and heading out the kitchen door.

Aggie found herself standing on a path that wound between square sections of herbs and vegetables, and beyond that were animal pens.

She slowly began to wander, and soon enough, felt Arlen’s presence behind her.

She turned, and stared at him blankly for a minute, studying his strained features before the distant sound of steel clashing reached her ears.

Without a word, Aggie headed towards a barn, where there probably were usually horses, but currently in its front were Declan and Tork exchanging blows.

Aggie got close enough that she could see Tork’s gold hoop earrings glinting in the sunlight, and that was when her presence was noticed, and the two lowered their weapons and turned to face her.

“Welcome back to the land of the living.” Declan called good-naturedly.

“How was death?”

“Easy to walk towards, harder to walk away from.” Aggie replied shortly. She turned to Tork who was looking at her with a pained expression in his eyes, and she felt her anger flare once again.

She stepped over to the 2 men until she was between them, her expression remaining as blank as ever, and locked eyes with Tork.

“Let’s train.”

“You’re still recovering, Lady.” Tork answered softly, but she wasn’t having any of it.

Aggie’s elbow shot back into Declan’s forearm, forcing him to drop his sword, which she caught easily.

That was as far as she got before his arm was wrapped around her throat, and she realized he could very easily snap her neck.

She also knew he wouldn’t.

Aggie stomped an instep into his foot, but Declan was accustomed to far harsher beatings, and his grip around her only tightened.

“Enough!”

The familiar shout of a woman to Aggie’s left that she couldn’t see, called.

Declan slowly released her, and took one step back behind her, giving himself the advantage.

Tork wasn’t frowning or staring at her with pity anymore, but he looked resigned to something.

“Glad to see you have come out to rejoin us.” The cool voice of the Minkies Queen made Aggie turn, and be momentarily taken aback.

The Minkies leader wore a golden colored gown, which had a small subtle flower pattern throughout. Its skirts looked heavy but warm in the autumn weather, and her hair flowed down her back in soft waves.

Her face was clean of any Minkies paint, and without it, Aggie found herself gazing at a woman whom was perhaps in her late 20’s early 30’s, with gray eyes.

“Now that you are awake, I believe we need to have a chat Lady Beatha.”

*

Aggie sat in the bright library or office- she wasn’t sure which, and stared at the countless plants that grew atop the bookshelves, then out the window at the red and golden leaves of the forest off in the distance that waved happily to her in the breeze.

A warm fire blazed at the end of the long table she sat at with Tork, Bonnie, Declan, Keynan, Arlen, Jed, and the Queen all present. The Minkies Aggie was finding incredibly disconcerting as they all now wore respectable garments, and looked like reputable Lords and Ladies.

“Lady Beatha-,” The Queen started.

“Aggie. If this is going to be a peaceful conversation, no one is to call me Lady.” Aggie’s deadened tone added a layer of tension to the group.

“I see. Aggie then, to start with, we are more than slightly relieved to see that you are alive.” The Queen began diplomatically, her steady gaze never moving from Aggie’s face.

Aggie gave a short jerk of her head in acknowledgment, as her eyes moved over each face around her-, except for Arlen’s who sat beside her and remained both silent and still.

“We need to know what happened to you.” The Queen began softly.

“Why?” Aggie snapped frowning.

“To understand what may come of the day we rescued you. A renowned Captain was murdered, and a hostage was taken in front of the Southern Kingdom’s Prince. We are all now in jeopardy, and need to understand the whole story to best ready ourselves.”

Aggie folded her arms over her chest and clenched her sleeves. She understood it needed to be said. That fact didn’t make it easier.

The soft touch of Arlen’s hand on her shoulder sent her violently to her feet, knocking back the high back chair she was seated in.

“Servicer Arlen, let us avoid touching Beatha for now.” The Queen’s voice was calm and not at all disturbed at the overreaction, and Aggie hated her for it.

Aggie slowly sat back down on the chair and stared at the stressed faces around her, this time sneaking one quick look at Arlen.

“I was taken on my way to get water…” She started slowly, her voice tight.

“I didn’t see who grabbed me, I just remember waking up in the cell with the Captain and First Mate Ikes. They told me O’Farrell was looking for me and that there was a bounty, and eluded that I was to participate in blood sport.”

There was a low growl that came from both Tork and Declan that paused Aggie’s story telling. She glared at them. Any interruption prolonged her recounting the past few months.

“They set rules where my face and womb were to be left untouched with the prisoners. They ranked the fighters, but if you were on the bottom you tended to get more of a beating. Overall, we were used as both means of entertainment and profit for the crew and Captain. It is my understanding that with the bounty on my head, the Prince’s reward for destroying my propriety in upper society, and my fighting in secretive locations for seedy crowds to place bets, earned the man more than thrice his annual wage.” Aggie paused, moving her eyes to the table top.

“I learned a lot while there. I also know I made the world a better place by ridding it of the Captain.” Aggie’s knuckles were white as she gripped her sleeves, and finally locked eyes with the Queen whom seemed to be searching her face carefully.

“That does not tell us what happened specifically to you.” The Queen’s voice continued to be soft, the sunlight on her golden gown making her appear as much a royal as any King or Queen Aggie had met.

“Why do the specific offenses to me need to be said?” Aggie demanded her anger abundant.

“So that I know what justice is to be distributed on your behalf.”

“I’m not going to ramble on for fucking hours. Ask me questions, and I will answer.” Aggie felt Arlen tense beside her, but she didn’t acknowledge him.

The Queen appeared unmoved by the show of frustration, and so continued pressing.

“You had thin scars on your body, were you fighting with weapons?”

“No.”

“Where did those come from then?”

“Daggers.”

“But not from fighting the others, so then from the crew?”

“Yes.”

“Did you kill anyone other than the Captain?”

Aggie’s heart thudded in her chest.

“Yes.”

The Queen waited a moment as everyone shifted at her answer.

“How many?”

“2. Though if First Mate Ike’s dies from infection like I hope, it will be 3.”

“Did they rape you?”

“Your Majesty!” Arlen exclaimed angrily, his hands balled up into fists.

Aggie’s face drained of color, and became tinged with green.

Ines’ cries echoed in her head, the feeling of the Captain’s hands made her body flush with the need to be sick…

She didn’t reply to the question, and only focused on taking short quick shallow breaths.

“Aggie, I’m only asking because should there be an offspring we can-”

“There won’t be.” Aggie hated how weak her voice sounded, and how even speaking made her dizzy.

No one said anything for several minutes, as they waited for Aggie’s apparent nausea to pass.

“Agnes Elizabeth Quinn Beatha, you are believed to be dead to the rest of the world. If you would like, you can remain here in this house for the rest of your days, and live comfortably, without anyone ever knowing or bothering you again. You can spend your days reading, riding one of our steeds to your heart’s content, and choose to marry or not.”

Aggie felt her insides still. It had been the life she had been searching for in her venture of leaving Sean O’Farrell…

But she wasn’t that same young woman anymore, and she never would be again.

“-Or, should you wish to seek out justice for your mistreatment, you will have the full support of the Minkies.”

“You will have the support of my swords.” Tork bowed his head.

“And mine.” Declan mirrored Tork.

“My claws.” Bonnie chimed.

Aggie continued staring at the Queen.

“Why are you risking your tribe that prides itself on its lack of involvement in the world for me? This is one thing I have had a bit of time to think about. Especially given what that man told me…”

“What man?” The Queen asked sharply.

Aggie tried to hide the small smile on her face at finally getting a reaction from the Queen, she failed however, and the sight made the Queen look all the more concerned.

“When I died, I met some people that weren’t able to pass on. They were saying the Thief of Souls has them in a cave somewhere. They were saying that he cannot be stopped because he is sharing a Servicer bond to a man who called himself the first Beatha, and said to tell you he was a Life Magicker.”

The Queen rose swiftly to her feet.

“Minkies only in this room.” She demanded her hands pressed into the table.

Tork, Declan, and Bonnie stood hastily with puzzled expressions on their faces.

“I don’t think so.” Aggie’s icy tone stopped all movement.

“No more secrets. If I’m going to trust anyone I need to fucking know the whole story. I feel like I keep being thrown about because of everyone’s private agenda’s, and I won’t have it anymore.”

All eyes turned to the Queen.

She studied Aggie for a long time.

“Do you know what your news means Beatha?” The Queen stared soberly at Aggie, her intensity frightening to most.

“I have a million year old grandfather?”

The Queen straightened her shoulders, as did Jed and Keynan whom also now stood.

“It means it is not just the Southern and North Kingdom at war. For the first time in longer than anyone can remember, the Minkies are now at war, because there is a power beyond your wildest dreams now being wielded as a weapon against every living being on this continent.”

Aggie’s eyes rounded, and she saw on everyone’s face the sincerity of the Queen’s words.

Slowly, she stood up.

“Then someone get me a fucking bow staff and some daggers.”