A Weekend Affair # 3 - The Red Hunt

[Black Widow]

Arklay -- Mansion

Cameron was jealous, which was a bit unusual for him, but at least he was willing to admit it. Haleigh pulled him close, and made sure he remembered that she loved him, that she always had, because despite their disagreement, it was the most important thing to acknowledge. After making sure he knew that, and sharing a tender kiss, she tried to ease his concern about her 'relationship' with Alek. It was complicated, and couldn't be boiled down to a single concept. It wasn't just that they were sleeping together. They worked together, too, and Haleigh respected the Red King. The sex was an added benefit, but feelings were tempered by pragmatism. She would not go so far as to say she was in love with him, but she didn't feel nothing for him either. And was it so different from the way he regarded the other Queens, or even Heidi? She pointed that out, but he didn't seem to want to discuss it. He deflected, redirecting the conversation back to Alek.

Cameron: He is a great ally for you. He doesn't have Ashley's best interest at heart. Or mine. Or Ava.

He started, and she sighed, shaking her head.

"He doesn't have MY best interests at heart either, Cameron. Hellfire is his wife, and everything he does is either in HIS best interest, or sacrificing himself, is for Hellfire."

Cameron: He just publicly humiliated his Queen, and all of us in the process. His knight does not respect him.

"YES, and that's a problem. We must get Ashley to understand, the Red Wolf must be brought to heel. If he continues to threaten his King, action will be have to be taken. I like Savage, but his insolence cannot be tolerated. What Alek did.... it hurt Ash, I know, but what choice did he really have? His own Knight brought back a dead bear and made a public show of presenting it to Ashley. And she was all too willing to reward him."

She reasoned, but Cameron went on to say that Alek was setting his sights on Ava, and that would threaten the Black Court, because John wouldn't tolerate it. Haleigh scoffed at that.

"What's there to tolerate? Ava is not me. Alek's hit on her before, she has no interest in him, and just because she's realizing he's not the worst man on earth doesn't mean she's going to fuck him. I'm willing to bet John will require her to be faithful."

Cameron: Alek is walking a dangerous path. THAT is what I am holding against you... He may be an asset in terms of his relationships with the Brits..but I am telling you right now, in all seriousness, if he doesn't start running a campaign to fix his ties with those around him..the matter will be dealt with..and the wheels are already greased.

Alarm stabbed through her. She inhaled sharply, concern creasing her brow, as she searched his gaze.

"What have you done??"

She withdrew from his arms, her hands up still, her head slowly shaking back and forth as she crossed her arms.

"No, don't tell me. Whatever it is, undo it. Cameron.... we are strong because we are united. If we start making moves against the other Kings and Queens, we'll destroy that unity. Then WE will be at risk. We cannot establish an environment where it's every Court for itself, especially not now. Think of our son. The Red King is willing to protect him."

 

[Orion]

Arklay -- Lawn

As they walked away from the European Black Queen, Erika told him that she hadn't meant to spoil his fun. Zach shrugged dismissively. Sure, he missed out on seeing Brienne naked, but even if it had been fun, it would have been more about strategy than anything else, and now that he knew Brienne had pissed Cameron off enough to send Erika to deal with it, he knew the strategy needed to change.

"Don't worry about it, darling."

He said in her ear. She then tried to encourage him to continue to pursue Brienne, which made him chuckle.

"Uh, no."

He interjected, but Erika tried to sell it to him anyway. And everything she said made sense, but Zach wasn't buying it.

"Your highness, if there's one thing I've learned about women, it's that if I want to retain my chances of fucking them senseless, I should make an effort to take their side whenever a dispute arises. But I didn't side with her. I sided with you. Brienne's not going to forget that. My opportunity to win her over to the White Court just went up in flames."

He told her, as he helped her climb aboard the helicopter.

Erika: Today was a good day...I saw the buck you brought in...very hot.. Tell me you squeezed the life from it's body with your bare hands?

He smiled.

"No, no. It was a matter of mounted marksmanship."

He said, as she settled her head against his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her. His other hand found hers in his lap.

"Speaking of very hot. You spent the afternoon politicking. Tell me, how did it go?"

 

[Persephone]

Although they had been done, Ava was planning on making out with John for a long while until she could stir things up again and fuck him. Just being in his arms was enough to keep her wet as they stayed connected, wanting so desperately to start moving against him again but knowing he wouldn't be ready. But Ashley came in like a wrecking ball and quite literally cock blocked the fuck out of Ava. She was annoyed, knowing Ashley had no boundaries but still wishing the Red Queen would have at least knocked. John looked equally as annoyed as Ashley tried to take a look under the covers, John's hand slapping the blanket down and protectively trying to cover Ava up more with it.

"What do you WANT."

Her tone even and direct. Ashley displayed her phone saying she came because Ava texted her. She rolled her eyes at that because normal people would have texted back. Despite being annoyed with Ashley's presents, Ava did need to speak to her. And while she would have normally kicked her out and told her they'd talk later, it was better to clear the air now before the Bretta meeting and the party. Ava apologetically looked down at John, telling him she needed to speak to Ashley and that she would be back. He didn't look pleased at all, protesting before Ava softly kissed his lips and climbed out of bed. Making their way out into the living room, Ava bore holes in the back of Ashley's head while asking to remind her to burst into her bedroom the next time she and Savage were having incredible sex.

Ashley: "We probably wouldn't notice. If that happens, just make yourself a drink and relax until we're done."

"It won't happen because I know how a DOOR works, Ash."

Ava countered before she asked in a bitchy tone whether or not she would get mauled if she did burst in. Ava walked to the bar.

Ashley: "Only if you get between us."

Ava turned around with two drinks in her hand.

"Not going to happen."

Ava handed Ashley her drink and sat down next to her, angling her body so she was facing her. Despite the jabs and jokes and barbs, Ava had a reason why she wanted to speak with Ashley and it was to apologize. So she got straight down to it, telling Ashley she was sorry about earlier. Ashley nearly choked on her drink.

[deadpan] "Yeah, don't get used to it."

Ava wasn't one to admit when she was wrong. To say she was bullheaded was a massive understatement. But in this situation, after what Alek had done, she knew she had to let Ashley know that she was on her side in this.

Ashley: "You're not pregnant too, are you?"

That was like a knife to the chest, unintentional by the Red Queen, but making Ava's body tense in response nonetheless. She shook her head and took a long sip of her drink, playing it off casually.

"Nope. Still got the body of a 3,000 year old."

Ava continued her apology, telling Ashley she was just bitter that Ashley wasn't happy for her because Ava finally found her happiness. Yes, Ashley should have done a better job publicly to show her support, but fuck...after the Red Hunt that was barely even a blip in the radar now.

Ashley: "I was happy for you. I was. I am."

"It's okay, I get it."

And she did. Ashley was stuck with a King who hated her while Ava gained one who loved her. It was a hard pill to swallow.

Ashley: "It was just...as long as your king position was open, there was still a chance..."

"A chance? A chance for what?"

Ava looked at her with a bit of confusion, her brows creasing as she tried to figure out Ashley's thought process. But Ashley looked away from her.

Ashley: "I didn't mean to hurt or embarrass you this morning. And I tried to pretend everything was okay. I did. And at the meeting...I was expecting a lot of flak about AJ, and I had my back up. Or I would have explained..."

Ava shook her head.

"You didn't embarrass me. Amanda embarrassed me. She's my own Knight and she walked out. But that's been dealt with."

Ava sighed out, not wanting to get into that situation.

"Like I said, I was just pissed you weren't happy for me. I should have realized why instead of jumping down your throat."

The meeting didn't help and Ava explained as much. There were bombs being dropped everywhere by Haleigh, one in particular hurting Ava personally [pregnancy], then another professionally [Kelly/Mystech].

Ashley: "BIG ones."

"Yeah...I was just in fight or flight mode, and the fight won out. I really am sorry, Ash."

Ashley chuckled, nudging her arm with a smile.

Ashley: "Can't blame a girl for having fight, can I? Besides, you did bring me a drink.

"Perks of not being pregnant."

She joked darkly, clinking her glass against Ashley's. Ava took a sip of her scotch, the joke making her realize how much has happened this weekend already.

"A lot has changed just in this weekend.....A lot is going to continue to change from here on out. It's crazy when you think about it."

 

[Valkyrie]

The Black Queen's Suite

Ashley assured her that if Ava should walk in on her and AJ having sex, that she should just enjoy a drink while she waited.

"It won't happen because I know how a DOOR works, Ash."

She shrugged.

"What's to know? You open it, and go in."

She made herself at home on the couch, and Ava fixed them both a drink. After this she would be ready to slip in beside AJ for a nap of her own. Ava apologized to her, and Ashley felt like she was in some Twilight Zone thing where now Ava was also pregnant and hormonal.

"Nope. Still got the body of a 3,000 year old."

"Damn are you old."

Ashley grinned at Ava, who was the only person Ashley knew that was older than she was. But then Ava was talking about understanding why Ashley was upset, and not happy for Ava. Ashley assured her she was happy, but that as long as Ava hadn't chosen a king she'd had a chance. Ashley looked off into the distance, remembering just for a moment how it had felt to have her hopes dashed in an instant.

"A chance? A chance for what?"

Ashley replied absentmindedly, in a small voice, as if she were discussing the weather.

"Oh, that you might choose Alek for your King."

Ashley told her she hadn't meant to hurt Ava.

"You didn't embarrass me. Amanda embarrassed me. She's my own Knight and she walked out. But that's been dealt with."

Ashley turned back to look at Ava, a lascivious smirk on her face.

"Are you going to smack her around some more, and if so, can I watch?"

The charm of seeing two beautiful women in a catfight not withstanding, she hadn't forgotten Amanda's faux pas from the night before. Ashley wouldn't have minded getting two for one. Ava started talking about the bombs Haleigh was dropping all over the place, and apologized again. Ashley had to forgive her, because she had, after all, brought her a drink.

"Perks of not being pregnant."

They clinked glasses.

"You know, that would really, really suck. I'm going to thoroughly enjoy drinking in front of Haleigh. A LOT."

"A lot has changed just in this weekend.....A lot is going to continue to change from here on out. It's crazy when you think about it."

Ashley shrugged.

"Most of the time things seem like big changes, but they aren't. In a month everything will seem normal."

She wasn't worried, not about change anyway. Ashley leaned back against the sofa and took another drink, sucking on an ice cube as she lowered the glass.

"So, tell me, how good is Steel at fucking? On a scale of one to ten. Tell me everything."

Ashley grinned again, the Cheshire Cat coming out once more.

 

[Persephone]

After Ava apologized, Ashley asked if she was pregnant too. Playing it off as if the question wasn't currently a sensitive subject, Ava quipped that she still had the body for a 3,000 goddess.

Ashley: "Damn are you old."

Ava's eyes narrowed as Ashley grinned.

"I'm seasoned."

She corrected before her lips curved into a smirk. Ava changed the subject from her age back to what had happened between her and Ashley. She now understood why Ashley had been less than thrilled about Ava making John her King, but Ashley then said something unusual about there still being hope when Ava didn't have a King. Ashley looked away as Ava questioned her about it, confusion clearly written on her face.

Ashley: "Oh, that you might choose Alek for your King."

THAT took Ava by surprise.

"Wait, what?!"

Alek hated Ava, AND he took pride in the Red Court. There was no way in hell he would ever consider abdicating his title as Red King to be come the Black King. Not only that, but Ava had absolutely no relationship with Alek. Maybe if Haleigh had no King she could understand Ashley's logic, but this? This was ridiculous. Ava felt a bit of anger rise within her as she looked away from Ashley, her mouth parted in shock. So Ashley wanted to dump Alek onto her so SHE could have her happily ever after with AJ and leave Ava miserable. In that moment Ava was about to get up and tell Ashley to get out, fuck the apology, and fuck off. But she shook her head as she looked down at her drink. Ashley was desperate, and desperate people often did desperate things even if it meant possibly hurting someone else. It pissed Ava off, but she let it go. There was no reason to restart a war with the Red Queen over something that would never transpire. Instead Ava told Ashley she wasn't embarrassed by her but by her own Knight.

Ashley: "Are you going to smack her around some more, and if so, can I watch?"

"She was humiliated enough earlier. And if that doesn't straighten her out, then by all means enjoy the show."

Ava hoped it wouldn't get to that point with Amanda. So much had happened that day, the meeting starting the train wreck. But Ava apologized despite Ashley's revelation about wanting Alek as her King, Ashley saying she was obligated to because Ava brought her a drink. Ava made a grim joke about being allowed to drink since they both weren't pregnant before clinking their glasses together.

Ashley: "You know, that would really, really suck. I'm going to thoroughly enjoy drinking in front of Haleigh. A LOT."

Ava couldn't help but smirk at that as she looked over the rim of her glass. It was slightly satisfying to know they could enjoy things Haleigh could not for a short period of time when Haleigh got to experience something they both could not. Swallowing the scotch, Ava licked her lips.

"Be prepared for emotional outbursts if that's the case. I've witnessed it first hand."

She rolled her eyes, still annoyed by how Haleigh had treated her earlier; hormones notwithstanding.

"But i'll certainly join you."

She grinned cheekily before her mind went to how Haleigh was literally going to be bringing a child into Hellfire. So many changes had happened within such a short period of time, it was crazy to think about.

Ashley: "Most of the time things seem like big changes, but they aren't. In a month everything will seem normal."

"Yeah.."

Except this time with cribs and nannies. Ava thought but didn't say out loud. Ashley seemed so casual about the fact a child would be a very huge part of their lives now. This wasn't just Haleigh and Cameron's child, this child would effect everyone and how they functioned as a whole. But that would be something they wouldn't have to worry about for nine months, so Ava sat back and let the subject go.

Ashley: "So, tell me, how good is Steel at fucking? On a scale of one to ten. Tell me everything."

That cheshire grin reappeared on the Red Queen's lips as Ava's slowly pulled into a smirk. Normally Ava would talk about sex so casually with Ashley, giving her all the juicy details over cocktails and gossip. But that was when Ava was fucking just to fuck. When she had sex with random men or casually dated here or there. With John, their sex life was their sex life; Ava protective of the love they shared.

Ava slowly shook her head no.

"Not this time."

Her smile grew as she stood up, knowing Ashley wouldn't like her answer.

"I'll see you later tonight."

Ava began to walk back to the bedroom before turning to look over her shoulder at Ashley who was heading to the door.

"Ash?"

Ava's hand went to the door knob.

"Twenty."

She finally said, the one to ten scale not even a comparison to how good John was in bed. Ava grinned, giving Ashley a wink before disappearing back into her bedroom.

 

[Valkyrie]

The Black Queen's Suite

Ashley casually explained that she'd thought Ava might take Alek as her King.

"Wait, what?!"

She shrugged nonchalantly.

"He's good at being king. Maybe someday you would have wanted him. But now it's...too late."

She was a little disappointed that she wouldn't get to watch more punishment being heaped onto the Black Knight, but there was always hope she'd fuck up again. Ava didn't seem too concerned about Ava baiting her Red Knight, though.

They planned to drink heavily in front of Haleigh just because they could and she couldn't, but Ashley got the feeling that wouldn't really make Ava feel better. So she changed the subject to a more fun topic: Steel's bedroom performance.

"Not this time."

Ava got up from the couch, and Ashley looked at her confused. Oh, maybe it was her turn.

"AJ did this thing the other night, with like his hand around my neck and-"

"I'll see you later tonight."

Ashley sighed, disappointed. She pouted, getting up from the couch.

"Well you are no fun anymore."

Everybody suddenly wanted to act all grown up like. She started to head towards the door because apparently Ava was leaving. But then she heard her behind her, and turned with a questioning look.

"Ash? Twenty."

Ash waved her hand in the air as she headed back towards the door, scoffing.

"Twenty my ass."

She went out of the room into the hallway, mumbling to herself.

"If anyone is a twenty, it's Savage. It's certainly not Mr. Stiff Upper Lip."

She scoffed again, then pulled out her phone. She had one more piece of business to attend to.

Text To: The Red King

>> Meet me in my library.

With one last glance towards the room behind her with a raised eyebrow, Ashley headed back to the Red Wing. Her "library" was really a room where her most prized pieces of weaponry were displayed. Swords from across the ages and made all over the world hung from the walls. Rifles and pistols hundreds of years old. A wooden shield painted with a dragon sigil. Axes, maces, daggers. Bows of all descriptions. In the center of the room was an ornate red and gold table, and two chairs belonging to Henry V during the Agincourt campaign. On the table was a model of a trebuchet, and a tray with a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. There were no books in the room.

She stood, hands pressed against the table, waiting. She had expected him to make her wait, but he arrived very shortly, as if he had been waiting for her summons. He entered the room with cocky confidence, the look on his face triumphant. She stared him down coolly before gesturing to the glasses and seating herself in one of the chairs, her voice slightly mocking in tone.

"Pour us a drink, lover."

 

[Persephone]

The serious parts of the conversation were over and Ashley went onto the topic she was more interested in: how John was in bed. Ava would have normally gushed, but John was more private than she was. She didn't want to divulge what she knew he found intimate between them. Ashley looked extremely confused after Ava said she wouldn't be sharing. Ava got up from the couch, heading toward her bedroom.

Ashley: "AJ did this thing the other night, with like his hand around my neck and-"

She let out a little laugh at Ashley believing it was her turn to share. Not that she wasn't interested, but Ava had a meeting to get to.

"I'll see you later tonight."

Ashley: "Well you are no fun anymore."

Ava rolled her eyes with a smile as she turned around and began to walk backwards, holding her hands up innocently.

"I'm trying to respect his privacy."

Turning back around, once she reached her door she answered one part of Ashley's question, telling her John was definitely a twenty in the sack. Ashley scoffed out, not believing her.

Ashley: "Twenty my ass."

"He may be reserved out there. But in here? There's a reason why they say once you go black you never go back."

Ava opened the door and grinned before giving Ashley a parting wink and disappearing back into her bedroom. Speaking of John, Ava saw him still laying in bed, giving him a cute smile in an effort to make him forgive her for leaving.

"Sorry babe...She wouldn't have left otherwise."

Biting her bottom lip, Ava walked over to the bed trying to hold back her smile until she jumped onto John, straddling on top of him with a laugh before kissing him.

"Forgive me?"

Her mouth found his again, kissing him deeply before pulling back. Her eyes dark and playful, a salacious smile spread across her lips.

"Or am I getting punished later?"

 

[Steel]

The Black King & Queen's Suite

Steel laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling, pondering how messed up a life they all truly led. They all lived in this giant house together, completely outside of the real world. Sometimes he had imagined he and Ava running off together, finding a little corner of the world together away from legacies and politics. Now it came to his mind again, what it would be like, if they were just two people living alone in Paris, or anywhere.

The door opened, and he picked his head up. She smiled, and he forced an annoyed look, but his heart wasn't in it. It was hard to stay mad at her under normal circumstances, but this time it hadn't really been her fault. Still.

"Sorry babe...She wouldn't have left otherwise."

"We have got to get our own place."

He chuckled then, and watched her come across the room appreciatively. Even in the robe the curves of her body were apparent. She jumped up onto the bed and straddled him, making him laugh and smile. He accepted her kiss happily, sliding his hands around her back.

"Forgive me?"

"Anything."

She kissed him again, long and deep.

"Or am I getting punished later?"

"Oh you're going to get punished right now!"

He started tickling her stomach, then up her sides. When he finally stopped he wrapped her up in his arms and held her close, kissing the top of her head. Then he sighed.

"Unfortunately, I am getting punished too. Because we really should get ready to meet the other Red Queen."

 

[Persephone]

Ava walked into the bedroom seeing job still laying in bed after she had left him to speak with Ashley. As he lifted his head to look at her, she gave him a cute little smile seeing the annoyed expression on his face. Ava apologized for leaving, but Ashley would't have left if she hadn't gone with her. As she made her way over to the bed, she could tell despite John's look, he wasn't angry with her. His eyes were a dead give away.

John: "We have got to get our own place."

Ava smiled big at that.

"100% agree!"

She said as she leapt into bed and on top of John with a laugh, straddling him and giving him a kiss. A place of their own outside of Hellfire would be wonderful. They would obviously spend 90% of their time here because it was their home and their job to do so, but the other 10%? It would be amazing to get to escape the politics and interruptions for a little bit and know that they had a place away from it all. John laughed at her attack, returning her kiss after asking him if he forgave her. They continued to kiss for a long minute before Ava playfully pulled back and asked if she would be getting punished later for leaving him.

John: "Oh you're going to get punished right now!"

Her smile immediately dropped and eyes flashed wide as John's hands came up to her waist and began to tickle her.

"NO! John!"

Letting out a playful shriek, Ava struggled against his attack, laughing. He finally gave her a reprieve, the pure look of happiness on her face as John wrapped his arms back around her and pulled her down to him, embracing her. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and Ava could have stayed like that the rest of the day and night.

John: "Unfortunately, I am getting punished too. Because we really should get ready to meet the other Red Queen."

"Nooo."

She whined with a little chuckle, burying her face into the crook of John's neck. The last thing she wanted to do was go from incredible sex to a political meeting with Bretta. It was literally like their job was never over. But they had to do it for the good of their court, and it was nearly time to meet with her. Ava sighed out, lifting her head up to look down at John.

"Alright...lets get this over with."

She conceded, climbing off John reluctantly. Ava headed into her closet to get dressed in something casual considering right after the meeting she would be getting completely done up and ready for the Black Party. A few minutes later, she made her way into the living room where John was ready and waiting for her. They had all decided to meet at the Red Lounge as a sign of respect toward Bretta, Ava taking John's hand as they both made their way down there. The lounge was closed specifically for them, with only a bartender there to give them drinks if desired. Ava and John were the first to arrive, a few minutes earlier than the agreed meeting time.

"Sparkling water?"

Ava asked the bartender as she and John approached the bar. The tender opened a bottle of Pellegrino and poured both Ava and John a glass. Nodding to the man, Ava took a sip of her water, leaning casually against the bar.

"If this trade goes well, Cassandra would now have duel membership to both clubs like myself and Daniel. Despite abdicating her title as American Black Princess, she would always have a membership here because of that title. So we may be trading her off, but she would still likely be running around here."

The thought was slightly annoying, but honestly it didn't matter as long as Cassandra was gone from the Black Court, taking the last bit of Kelly King with her. Ava could deal with her being in Hellfire as long as she didn't have to deal with her as her princess. Ava looked at John, placing her glass of sparkling water down on the bar.

"You're okay with this right? Moving Cassandra out of our court and taking in Daniel? If not, we can postpone this meeting until after the party and discuss it further."

Ava ran her hand down John's forearm, giving him a little smile.

"We're a team now. I want to make sure we do this together."

 

[Steel]

The Red Lounge

He escorted Ava to the Red Lounge where they were to meet Bretta. Ava ordered them both some sparkling water, and they stood at the bar while they waited for the Red Queen to arrive. John wanted this to go well. It was his first act as Black King and he knew he would be remembered for it, whether it was successful or not.

"If this trade goes well, Cassandra would now have duel membership to both clubs like myself and Daniel. Despite abdicating her title as American Black Princess, she would always have a membership here because of that title. So we may be trading her off, but she would still likely be running around here."

"That's good. It softens the blow to her reputation, as well as preserving ours. Less 'it was a complete failure' and more 'we're sharing our member with another branch'."

He touched her hand.

"And it's Amanda as Princess that you want, remember? More than rid of Cassandra..."

"You're okay with this right? Moving Cassandra out of our court and taking in Daniel? If not, we can postpone this meeting until after the party and discuss it further."

He held up a hand and shook his head slightly.

"No, no. It's best for everyone. Including Cassandra. She'll clearly be much happier there."

He let out a half-hearted laugh.

"And she will be farther away from Kelly. Who among us wouldn't want that?"

Ava touched his forearm.

"We're a team now. I want to make sure we do this together."

He smiled.

"I'm behind you on this one, babe. And Daniel will be a good addition, as long as he knows he'll be coming into the Bishop position. Ben is much more suited than he is to be a Rook..."

He pursed his lips in thought.

"We need to make sure to tell Ben in private if all goes well here. He should hear it from us first that he is changing positions."

 

[Silver]

From Arklay to Hellfire


:: Shortly after leaving Daniel, Bretta got out her mobile and sent a text to both her Knight and Rook telling them that she would soon be meeting with the Black Queen and King about Cassandra. In a separate text, she told Alastair that they would probably be getting a Princess but that they would lose a Bishop in the process. She put away her mobile and asked a farmhand about the train that was connected to Hellfire. She had heard some of the staff talking about it in passing. He guided her to where the train was and she got on. ::

“Thank you so much.”

:: The train started and she leaned her head back against the seat and sighed. Though she would miss Daniel, she was looking forward to having Cassandra join the fold. Ava may think that Bretta was getting the short end of the stick, but Bretta suspected that Cassandra might actually flourish under a Queen and King who both wanted and accepted her. ::

<< After some time... >>

:: Bretta got up from her seat on the train and exited it, heading for the Red Wing. She had texted Alastair, her Knight, Faith, and her Rook, Damien, about the latest arrangements earlier. Her mobile buzzed, telling her that she had a new text. It was from Alastair. ::

I know that you love and care for Reed, Brett, but we’ve got the better end of this deal.

:: Bretta’s expression softened. It was evident that he truly cared about her, what with his acknowledgement that she cared about Daniel. Almost as soon as she put her mobile back into her blazer pocket, it buzzed again. ::

Can’t wait to meet our new Princess!!

:: Bretta grinned. Her Knight sounded pretty excited about Cassandra. That was a good sign. Faith was a tomboy whereas Cassandra seemed to be more on the feminine side so it would be interesting to see the two of them together. ::

Things are looking up.

:: After she got turned around only once, she made it to her suite and opened the door. Immediately her gaze was drawn to the back of a dark-haired man drinking whiskey from a glass by the bar. From the way he was sensually drinking from it, she just knew that it was her Rook. Being an incubus, everything he did oozed sex – even when he wasn’t actively pursuing it. Bretta felt warmth right in her core, but she shook her head. ::

*surprised*: “Damien! What a...pleasant surprise.”

:: She had known Damien since she had been crowned Red Princess. He had been a member of Hellfire for a long while before that, even. Damien turned and grinned devilishly. His blue eyes sparkled. ::

Damien: “I thought that I’d come and try to...sway Cassandra’s decision in person. Looks as though I didn’t need to, though, so instead...surprise!”

:: He came forward and Bretta let out a tiny gasp as he kissed her right under her jawline. They had been engaging in sexual relations for a long while, though they were not a couple. Bretta instinctively knew that somebody else had his heart – although, he never did tell her who and she never saw him with a girl by his side in all the time that she had known him. Bretta laughed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and started pushing her up against the door. ::

“We don’t have her yet, Damien. I still need to meet with both Ava and John. Which will be soon, I’m thinking.”

:: Bretta licked her lips as Damien smirked and pulled off his shirt and unbuttoned his jeans before unbuttoning her jeans. ::

Damien: “Well, let’s celebrate our success then, shall we? Lucky for you, I’m pretty quick.”

:: His lips captured hers and her laughter was muffled as he picked her and headed for the bedroom... ::

<< LATER... >>

:: Bretta got up from the bed and chose a red pantsuit with a black top underneath the blazer. She could feel Damien’s eyes on her. ::

Damien: “Off to the business meeting, then, love?”

:: Bretta grinned. Playtime was over, and now it was all business. A thought came to her just then and she turned to her Rook, still in bed and under the covers. ::

*softly*: “Cassandra is the one who has your heart, isn’t she?”

:: Bretta made her way to the bed and kissed the top of Damien’s head. ::

“One of you will have to tell me how you know each other, sometime.”

Damien: *quietly*: “She doesn’t...know me.” *sighs*: “I was part of the Allied forces that liberated the German lab where she had been held. She hated all men back then, so I just...stayed away from her.”

:: He smirked and grabbed her hand. ::

Damien: “But you have a meeting to get to. Go on. Get our Princess.”

:: He kissed her hand, and, with a final look over her hair and makeup, she left her suite and headed for the Red Lounge. She was a couple of minutes early, so she was surprised to see that Ava and John were already there. She also felt overdressed when she saw what Ava was wearing. ::

Never mind that, now.

:: She smiled brightly and approached the two. ::

“Good afternoon! I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

:: She turned to the bartender. ::

"I'd like a glass of white wine, thank you."

:: Bretta turned to the Black Queen and King. She was on their territory so she would follow their lead. ::

 

[Prophet]

He was trying to get Haleigh to see with a bit more reason what was going on with The Red Court, but Haleigh was not willing. Cameron wouldn't incriminate Ashley in this instance. This was the part that he was supposed to play, getting Haleigh on board - but it was clear that he was failing. He mentioned Alek's actions at the Red Hunt and the problem between him and The Red Knight.

Haleigh: "YES, and that's a problem. We must get Ashley to understand, the Red Wolf must be brought to heel. If he continues to threaten his King, action will have to be taken. I like Savage, but his insolence cannot be tolerated. What Alek did..it hurt Ash, I know, but what choice did he really have? His own Knight brought back a dead bear and made a public show of presenting it to Ashley. And she was all too willing to reward him."

The White King furrowed his brow.

"You really feel Alek was backed into a corner, Haleigh? He had full control over that event. For starters he could have offered a decorative plaque instead of the Queen's heart, something that everybody knows he doesn't own anymore and hasn't for quite some time. He crafted that entire scenario to humiliate Ashley and show the brits that he is the one with the upper hand on their court. With everything we've got going on - the baby, MysTech being ran by my mother, the conversation the Queens had earlier, you REALLY want to back Alek in this? THAT kind of arrogance is something even *I* have a problem with."

He went on to mention his concerns about the burgeoning connection between Alek and Ava, to which Haleigh had another prepared answer.

Haleigh: "What's there to tolerate? Ava is not me. Alek's hit on her before, she has no interest in him, and just because she's realizing he's not the worst man on earth doesn't mean she's going to fuck him. I'm willing to bet John will require her to be faithful."

Cameron pursed his lips and looked at his wife knowingly.

"Ava will do what Ava wants to do, boyfriend, king or not. We've known her our entire lives, Haleigh. You know sometimes even our resident Ice Queen can't avoid a little heat. I'm not saying it WILL happen, but with today's events..I'm just quite frankly unsure of how far Alek is willing to go."

Cameron continued to reason with Haleigh but realized he was hitting a bit of a wall, so he attempted to set down a firm hand, indicating that if Alek didn't shape up and make ammends, he would be dealt with.

Haleigh: "What have you done?"

"I haven't done anything...yet."

She pulled away from him obviously distressed by this news, which gave Cameron further pause.

Haleigh: "No, don't tell me. Whatever it is, undo it. Cameron...we are strong because we are united. If we start making moves against the other Kings and Queens, we'll destroy that unity."

"Tell that to your Red King."

Haleigh: Then WE will be at risk. We cannot establish an environment where it's every Court for itself, especially not now. Think of our son. The Red King is willing to protect him."

Cameron laughed a bit sadistically.

"How nice of him."

He crossed his arms, folding his hands underneath his elbows.

"I don't make moves unless I know I can. Unless I have support. Alek should worry less about protecting our SON and worry more about protecting himself. There is no plan to kill him. But there is a course of action that I WILL take if it becomes necessary. You speak of unity, of us being a united front. Tell me..Have you even spoke to Ashley since your meeting this morning? Have you made things better? Or did you watch her get humiliated and do nothing? Because I was ready to kill him for her. I entered her MIND for confirmation. And she said no. After what he did, she said NO. If that would have been done to you? Or Ava? I would have tore through that entire party with no remorse."

Cameron began to make his way towards the door.

"It's clear this situation has no resolve as of this moment, so I WILL hold off..out of respect for you. Perhaps you should spend some time in the lab. But I will say this.."

His eyes became a bit enshrouded in shadows.

"No MAN will protect my son but ME. And ANY man that attempts to get in the way of that? I will destroy him. I will destroy him and not care about the consequences. I don't care if that is some kind of toxic masculinity. Some pig headed arrogant notion. That's ME, Haleigh. That's ME and you know it. So don't make me do it."

[pausing before leaving]

"I love you."

Cameron turned to leave, opting to head into the helicopter by himself, a bit shaken from the altercation as he watched the bodies and the structures become smaller and smaller as he was lifted up into the air. She was willing to go to bat for him, despite everything that happened, despite even she herself saying he had no loyalty to anybody but Hellfire. It was a problem, and on a personal level, Cameron felt the need to protect his family, and he WOULD if he found it necessary. For now, he returned to Hellfire and entered his study, listening to a bit of music and drinking a particularly strong martini.

 

[Berserker]

The Red Queen's Library

When Alek returned to the tent area after his conversation with Ava, Brienne was gone. Just his luck. But, he figured, he could catch up with her back at the mansion. Plenty of dark rooms there. On the helicopter ride back to the city, he found himself returning to what Ava had said to him. He didn't know why he was listening to her at all...but still. Maybe there was something to what she'd said. And if he looked like he was meeting Ashley half way, it would only strengthen his position with the others queens when they saw how unreasonable Ashley was being.

He knew she would want to meet with him, and he also knew she would wait until he was balls deep in Brienne and then ask to meet, just so she could be annoyed at how long it took him to respond. So he waited, and sure enough, before he'd even finished flipping through the latest intel from his people in the mansion, there was a text.

Library.

Alek scoffed. He wasn't sure Ashley even knew how to read. Calling it a library was like calling McDonald's gourmet. But he went. After all, he held the cards.

When he walked in, she was standing at the table, her eyes fixed on him. He held his head high and puffed his chest out with confidence.

"Well?"

She gestured to the bottle of whisky on the table, then sat.

"Pour us a drink, lover."

"Where's your guard dog?"

He laughed, coldly, trying to decide if she was about to attempt seduction, but in the end he acquiesced. No harm in a drink. He poured two doubles, neat, and slid one across the table at her before taking a seat across from her.

"Out with it, then. What do you want Ashley?"

 

[Valkyrie]

The Red Queen's Library

"Where's your guard dog?"

Ashley smiled, daggers behind it.

"I didn't think it would be a good idea for our Knight to hear this conversation, do you?"

Alek: "I don't know, I could use another wolf skin to match the one I bagged earlier."

She glared at him over the rim of her glass as she took a sip of the drink he slid across the table at her.

"What I want..."

She set the glass down and looked at him directly.

"Is to know if you are out of your damn mind?"

Alek rolled his eyes at her.

Alek: "Come off it, Ash. Don't pull that 'queen' bullshit with me."

She held up her hand, when he looked like he was going to get up and leave.

"This isn't like you, Alek. You may mock me all day long in private, but you've always kept it together in public. What's going on?"

Alek: "Maybe I'm sick of not getting the respect I deserve. Especially from your wolf."

"You provoke him. You push and push until he has no choice but to react."

Alek: "He's my Knight. His job is to do what I tell him."

"It's his job to protect me. He just isn't supposed to need to protect me from you. If you back off, so will he."

Alek scoffed.

Alek: "Sure he will. Right until he comes to take my crown. I'm the King - I don't back off. Everyone knows I'm the one running this court, and I'm not giving that up so you can have his puppies or whatever it is you want with him."

He stood up from his chair, and placed his hands on the table top, leaning over towards her.

"You're ridiculous, Ashley, and the others, they are as tired of it as I am. You should have stayed a Rook. I'm the heir. I'm the one in charge and I'll damn sure have a court that obeys me."

She stood up then, and mimicked his movement, meeting him face to face, her eyes dark.

"Here's a tip for you: the others don't care HOW much Helena doted on you. They don't see you as a legacy, and they never will. To them, you will always be just the son of a sheep farmer from Varberg."

He raised his hand.

"Go ahead, do it Alek. Hit me. You'll be dead in an hour. And no one will say boo."

They stood in a dead stare for a long moment, Alek fuming, Ashley indignant. And then she raised her hands, and stepped back. She sighed, and shook her head, taking in a deep breath and letting it out before sitting back down and looking at him again. Her voice was calmer when she continued.

"Alek, AJ is not after your crown. Even if you suddenly stepped down, I wouldn't make him King. I wouldn't do that to him - he would hate it. You are a great king, Alek - when you aren't acting like a lunatic child."

Alek: "I'm not the one running around all over the place like a lovesick teenager with my subordinate."

"No, you just fuck everything that moves. And you never had a problem with my bed partners before. What, you don't mind as long as I spread it around, is that it?"

And then it dawned on her, that that was it. She blinked up at him, her eyes widening with realization. She spoke more softly.

"Punishing me won't change anything, Alek: Haleigh is not going to leave Cameron for you. Or anyone else."

She put a hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry. Really, I am. But I'm not what's standing in your way. I would step aside if I was, I swear I would."

Alek's face flashed anger again, then became resigned. Some of the tension left his body, and he sank back down into his chair.

"Can't we work together? For the good of our court? We were good partners once, in business at least."

He eyed her suspiciously.

"I can be your advocate, Alek, but only if you stop fighting me. This morning, I suggested to the other queens that you be given oversight of the Nefaria operation."

She left out the part about Sub Zero.

"Haleigh laughed, by the way."

She could have sworn that he flinched when she said it.

"Work with me, Alek."

He was silent for a long moment, considering. Then he seemed to come to a decision.

Alek: "I want us to walk in together at the Red event tomorrow night. That means you, on my arm, not AJs."

"Done. Of course."

Alek: "And your knight had better learn to show me respect. Another display like today and I will have him in the Aqua Ring."

This she was not about to budge on. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"You wouldn't dare."

Alek: "Don't think your sister queens are as enamored with your dog as you are. They grow as tired of his antics as I do."

"Touch him and I will kill you myself. Don't think Haleigh will protect you if she thinks you're starting a war. She's already moved to pull the weeds from her own court. Once she is pregnant, she will not suffer any conflict. And she will not choose you over her child."

A wan smile came over Alek's face.

Alek: "Haleigh is already pregnant. A boy, or so she told me. And she knows I offer her child protection. I think an attack on me would be received very poorly by the White Queen, husband or not."

She hadn't anticipated things progressing so quickly, and from her actions that morning, Alek might not be so wrong about Haleigh protecting him to an irrational degree. She certainly wasn't as confident in Haleigh's support as she had been yesterday.

"But they won't kill me for it, and that's all that matters..."

She smiled, the threat hanging in the air between them. And then she popped the tension like a balloon.

"Let's not find out who is correct, shall we? We are agreed: I will act more the queen to your king at public events, and to help you get more of what you want behind the scenes. And you will project the strong, unified court we both know Red is."

She held out her hand, and Alek, reluctant at first, clasped her wrist. She grabbed his and held tight to it, locking eyes with him. She wasn't completely satisfied with this outcome, but it was a start. Perhaps Haleigh's pregnancy would finally make him realize that he was never going to have her, not the way that he wanted, and then maybe things would go back to how they used to be. But she wasn't about to let her guard down, not until she found a way to make sure AJ would be safe forever.

 

[Persephone]

Ava and John were a bit early to the meeting, stationing themselves by the bar as they began to talk about the situation. Cassandra would have duel membership now, which seemed to play on their side tremendously.

John: "That's good. It softens the blow to her reputation, as well as preserving ours. Less 'it was a complete failure' and more 'we're sharing our member with another branch'."

"I agree. And with how Cassandra has been hanging around Bretta, people have noticed how both of them have taken to each other. It would only strengthen our stance with the European Red Court as well."

John: "And it's Amanda as Princess that you want, remember? More than rid of Cassandra..."

Ava nodded, although they would wait on that for a little bit. After Amanda's display during breakfast, she wasn't about to reward disobedience. Especially after the Red Knight/Bear situation that afternoon. They would wait a couple of weeks, let everything smooth over, and then appoint Amanda as Princess. What Ava had wanted since day one.

"Yes. I've never had an issue with Cassandra. I just had an issue with having my choice taken away from me."

She finally admitted, never once saying those words out loud. Ava didn't hate Cass. She hated the situation. But despite all that Ava wanted to make sure John was okay with doing this. They weren't just trading Cassandra, they were gaining Daniel as well.

John: "No, no. It's best for everyone. Including Cassandra. She'll clearly be much happier there. And she will be farther away from Kelly. Who among us wouldn't want that?"

That made Ava smile with a bit of relief.

"Finally."

Ava expressed to John that they were in this together as a team, wanting to make sure he knew that first and foremost.

John: "I'm behind you on this one, babe. And Daniel will be a good addition, as long as he knows he'll be coming into the Bishop position. Ben is much more suited than he is to be a Rook...We need to make sure to tell Ben in private if all goes well here. He should hear it from us first that he is changing positions."

Ava nodded.

"I agree. Shifting Ben to Rook and Daniel to Bishop fits far better than the alternative. We'll tell Ben once everything is finalized, then Amanda so she knows what is going on before it's revealed to the rest of the Inner Circle.

And in that moment, Bretta finally walked in looking very chic in a perfectly tailored red suit. Something Ava herself would wear, except in black. Ava smiled at her.

Bretta: “Good afternoon! I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

"No, no. We were early. You're right on time. Please, feel free to have a drink."

Ava gestured to the bar as Bretta made her way over, ordering a glass of wine.

"You look fantastic, Bretta. Ralph Lauren?"

Ava asked, noting the lines of the jacket were a signature of the designer. But they weren't there to talk fashion, they were there to talk politics. Ava lead John and Bretta over to some couches so they could be more comfortable. Taking a seat, she settled in before crossing her leg at the knee.

"First of all, I want to thank you for agreeing to meet with us. I know this weekend is packed full of events and i'm sure you must be exhausted."

Taking a sip of her sparkling water, Ava held the glass and rested it on her thigh casually.

"As for why we're here....Cassandra and Daniel."

The two elephants in the room.

"I have seen since day one you have taken a liking to Cassandra. And i'm sure you've noticed my...tolerance of her. I want to clear the air. I don't hate Cassandra, I never have. I hated the circumstances in which we were BOTH forced into by Kelly King. I have had a very bitter relationship with that woman since I was a child, and driving her out as Black Queen was one more reason for her to despise me. She wanted to hurt me and twist the knife further by taking away my ability to choose and appoint my court as I saw fit. She humiliated me on day one of my Queenship and I could do nothing about it."

Ava was being very open with Bretta - laying it all out on the table for her. She wanted to do this as not only a way for Bretta to understand her position and why they were there, but also as a way to secure a possible alliance with the European Red Queen. They would be swapping members, something that wasn't taken lightly amongst the Hellfire Club.

"I admit I took it out on Cassandra because I couldn't take it out on Kelly. It's not fair to her, I know that, but it's how I reacted and felt. We're both Queen's, but we both have emotions. Mine just happens to be hurricane-like."

Ava chuckled, looking over at John knowing he could attest to that.

"I truly think Cassandra would be happier with you. You seem to understand her more than I ever could. She needs that. As for Daniel....Well, the moment he blew into this place he's been itching for a change. I'm sure you've noticed that as well."

Ava smiled, shaking her head at how flamboyant and bold Daniel was.

"While your court will always be his home, I think coming to my court would give him that change he's been craving."

 

[Black Widow]

Arklay -- Mansion

Cameron was clearly taking Ashley's side here, but Haleigh wasn't so quick to pick one or the other. She tried to argue for Alek's side. What was he supposed to do, exactly? He couldn't let AJ get away with bringing a dead bear back to win the contest. It would've made him look weak. Cameron refused to see the logic. He pointed out that Alek controlled the event, named the prize, and crafted a scenario to humiliate Ash. And he asked, then, if Haleigh really wanted to back Alek in this.

"Well I'm definitely not about to ignore the issues he's facing, and further exacerbate the situation by alienating him. He's not solely at fault here, Cameron. Ashley and AJ are making no attempt to diffuse the situation, quite the opposite. And the 'Red Queen's Heart?' Give me a fucking break. It was a necklace. He called it that just to irk Savage, and it worked. Savage's response is the problem, that he would dare hunt BEAR, that he would get in Alek's face -- in public-- is far more concerning than Alek's innuendo."

She replied, and then he mentioned that Alek had set his sights on Ava, and that Ava was softening towards him, a situation that presented clear and present danger to the structure of the Black Court. He was convinced that John wouldn't tolerate that, but Haleigh was much less concerned. Firstly, because Ava had never shown interest in Alek. Secondly, Cameron was right when he said John wasn't Cameron, and she agreed there: John would ask Ava to be faithful to him. When she told him that, Cameron gave her a look, and said that Ava would do what she wanted, that she liked a little heat, and that he wasn't sure how far Alek would push it. Haleigh was shaking her head again.

"How can you acknowledge Ava's own sexual agency, and then turn around and hang the blame for it on Alek? Alek's a MAN. He's going to push as far as he can to get whatever he can. If he thinks he's got a snowball's chance in hell of bedding the Black Queen, he's going to pursue it. If AVA is the one who decides who AVA sleeps with, then she's responsible for the choices she makes. Her body, her rules, as you were so quick to tell Liam, in your pursuit of Juliette. Will you not present the same philosophy to John in the event Ava strays?"

She reasoned, but Cameron wouldn't budge. He'd made his mind up, and he was dead set against Alek in any case. He said that Alek was on a dangerous path, and that if he didn't try to fix things, the matter would be dealt with. Naturally, this caused alarm. They weren't talking about an errant Bishop, or even an obstinate Princess. They were talking about the Red King.

Haleigh cautioned her husband, reminding him that their strength hinged on their unity, that if they attacked the other Court leaders, it would destroy their unity, but he quipped that she should be telling it to 'her' Red King. She let that barb go, pressing forth with the assertion that what he was implying would put their own Court at risk, and at the worst possible time. She put the focus on their son, and reminded Cameron that Alek was willing to protect their son. But Cameron just laughed, coldly, refusing to see the strategic advantage in having another dedicated defender for their son.

Cameron: How nice of him. I don't make moves unless I know I can. Unless I have support. Alek should worry less about protecting our SON and worry more about protecting himself.

"Cameron, stop--"

She interjected with alarm, but he wouldn't.

Cameron: There is no plan to kill him. But there is a course of action that I WILL take if it becomes necessary.

"Who's support do you have in this? Is it Ashley? We can't promote division, babe. You'll tear the Red Court apart, you'll weaken all of Hellfire."

Cameron: You speak of unity, of us being a united front. Tell me..Have you even spoke to Ashley since your meeting this morning? Have you made things better? Or did you watch her get humiliated and do nothing?

"What are you talking about? What is there to 'make better'? Ash and I are on good terms. Ava's the one I royally pissed off. And anyways, Ashley is fine. She smiled, she congratulated Liam, and then she ran off to fuck Savage in the barn like normal."

Cameron: Because I was ready to kill him for her. I entered her MIND for confirmation. And she said no. After what he did, she said NO.

Haleigh felt a flash of fury.

"Of COURSE she said NO! She's a fucking QUEEN, she understands the STAKES, and she's well aware that men make STUPID FUCKING SACRIFICES to their pride. Is he letting her relationship with AJ bother him a little too much? Sure. But come ON. He didn't try to KILL her Cameron! He prevented her from rewarding INSUBORDINATION. This pissing contest between him and the Red Knight cannot result in victory for Savage. And if Ash doesn't discourage her Knight from poking the bear, then she's going to put herself at risk of being collateral damage. That's ALL this was."

Cameron: If that would have been done to you? Or Ava? I would have tore through that entire party with no remorse.

"Babe, LISTEN to yourself. What you're suggesting is strategic suicide. Don’t you understand? Everything we do, from this point forward, builds the future for our son. We can give him an empire, with a solid foundation, or we can give him the smoking ruins of Hellfire. It’s not about what I want, what you want, or my pride, or yours anymore. It’s about our son now.”

She said, but he wasn’t even going to bend on this. He said he’d hold off, out of respect for her. But then his expression darkened, and what he said next was something that Haleigh found deeply frustrating. That he was being so possessive, so reckless, he would destroy someone for defending his son, it was insane and infuriating to her.

"Well I imagine you’ll start fucking caring, when the consequences of your ego trip turn out to be retaliatory measures taken against your wife, or your son! I don't know what the fuck’s gotten into you, but I want my husband back. And failing that? I want My King to know that if he or anyone else does ANYTHING that negatively affects MY child? There will be HELL TO PAY."

She warned him in a steely tone. He turned, before he left, and told her he loved her. She took a deep breath, and exhaled loudly.

“I love you, too. But I hope you think about what I said, because it’s vital to the success of your legacy. And I hope you see through the cloud of your hubris before it costs us everything.”

She said as he left.

 

[Steel]

The Red Lounge

Ava agreed that they should tell Ben about his position change as soon as it was finalized, and added in that they should tell Amanda as well. John nodded, but was skeptical about how it would be received by her.

"Let's just hope her reaction is better tonight than this morning."

Bretta entered the lounge, and John returned her smile warmly.

“Good afternoon! I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

"Bretta."

He extended a hand to her and gave her a kiss on each cheek, while Ava greeted her and complimented her outfit.

"No, no. We were early. You're right on time. Please, feel free to have a drink. You look fantastic, Bretta. Ralph Lauren?"

"Shall we sit?"

Ava led the way to some couches. He waited for her and Bretta to sit and then did so as well, next to Ava. She laid out the agenda like a pro, and assured Bretta that she didn't "hate" Cassandra, that this was about Kelly King.

"She humiliated me on day one of my Queenship and I could do nothing about it."

John put his hand on Ava' back to lend his comfort - he knew how difficult Ava's relationship was and how hard on her.

"I admit I took it out on Cassandra because I couldn't take it out on Kelly. It's not fair to her, I know that, but it's how I reacted and felt. We're both Queen's, but we both have emotions. Mine just happens to be hurricane-like."

He smiled at Ava as she looked over at him, and then he nodded, turning his eyes to Bretta.

"We want the best possible situation for all involved. It is not our desire to punish Cassandra."

"I truly think Cassandra would be happier with you. You seem to understand her more than I ever could. She needs that. As for Daniel....Well, the moment he blew into this place he's been itching for a change. I'm sure you've noticed that as well. While your court will always be his home, I think coming to my court would give him that change he's been craving."

"Which is to say nothing against your court. But sometimes a change of scenery does wonders for one's outlook. Daniel's been through a tough time lately, and perhaps he can work through his difficulties here, away from so many memories."

 

[Berserker]

The Red Queen's Library

He was pleased that he got in a couple nice barbs about Savage early on in the conversation, setting the tone and making his disdain known. Then she tried to pull some "I'm the Queen and how dare you not kiss my feet" routine, but he wasn't buying it. She pretended like she didn't know why he was upset, why he couldn't sit there and smile and act like he was happy with his queen and knight. He told her it was time he was shown respect, and she refused to admit to the way Savage treated him. Which didn't surprise him one bit - she had tunnel vision, her dog the only thing she ever cared to deal with.

She told him he needed to back off of Savage, and that was when he got up from his chair. Savage needed to back off, as was his place. Alek was the brains behind the Red Court, and he wasn't going to lose it to two teenagers in heat. He didn't mince his words.

"You're ridiculous, Ashley, and the others, they are as tired of it as I am. You should have stayed a Rook. I'm the heir. I'm the one in charge and I'll damn sure have a court that obeys me."

Ashley stood up to face him, and threw his past in his face.

"Here's a tip for you: the others don't care HOW much Helena doted on you. They don't see you as a legacy, and they never will. To them, you will always be just the son of a sheep farmer from Varberg."

How dare she. He'd pulled back his arm before he'd even realized he'd done it. He had come so far from where he had started. Helena had thought of him as her son. He'd orchestrated a revolution that made him king. Ashley was the one who acted like some farmer, not him. And she was going to stand there and belittle him? He wanted to wipe that look off her face, show her who was in charge here.

"Go ahead, do it Alek. Hit me. You'll be dead in an hour. And no one will say boo."

"That's a lie."

He stared into her face, the anger boiling inside of him. And then she stepped back, and he squeezed his fist shut, then lowered it. She tried to say his crown wasn't in jeopardy. Not that he believed that. Everyone wanted power, even the ones who said they didn't. And AJ clearly was not able to coexist with him. She told him he was acting like a child, and he shot back at her about her own behavior. And then she brought up Haleigh. She almost looked sorry for him, like she actually cared.

"Punishing me won't change anything, Alek: Haleigh is not going to leave Cameron for you. Or anyone else."

What did she know about it? She couldn't even keep her own king interested.

"I'm sorry. Really, I am. But I'm not what's standing in your way. I would step aside if I was, I swear I would."

His eyes narrowed and he pulled his arm away from her hand. But then he stopped, and looked at her. It wasn't fair. He sank back into his chair.

"Can't we work together? For the good of our court? We were good partners once, in business at least."

He studied her, trying to discern if she was being genuine. He knew that really, she just wanted him to let her do as she liked with her pet. But their court had managed to work despite their break up. He spoke carefully.

"Things aren't the way they used to be."

"I can be your advocate, Alek, but only if you stop fighting me. This morning, I suggested to the other queens that you be given oversight of the Nefaria operation."

He picked his head up at that. Ava had said that Ashley regularly praised him but he hadn't really believed her.

"Haleigh laughed, by the way."

That hurt more than he would have admitted, a scowl coming over his face. THIS was the problem. The others didn't respect him as a equal in business. But if he had something, something more than just the merc business. A real organization, to show what he could do...

"Work with me, Alek."

He stared at her for a long minute. He had few choices. Leave Hellfire, which he wasn't prepared to do. Kill Ashley, which was a gamble at best. Or find Ava's middle ground with her.

"I want us to walk in together at the Red event tomorrow night. That means you, on my arm, not AJs."

He wasn't going to give without taking, that was for sure. And a little humbling was sorely needed for the Red Knight. She agreed without argument, which did surprise him, so he pushed further.

"And your knight had better learn to show me respect. Another display like today and I will have him in the Aqua Ring."

Bingo. That upset her.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I? Don't think your sister queens are as enamored with your dog as you are. They grow as tired of his antics as I do."

"Touch him and I will kill you myself. Don't think Haleigh will protect you if she thinks you're starting a war. She's already moved to pull the weeds from her own court. Once she is pregnant, she will not suffer any conflict. And she will not choose you over her child."

So Ashley didn't know yet. He smiled, a little sadly, as he told her. He watched her for signs that she was upset, which he knew she would be. But she didn't show it, much to his chagrin. They disagreed about who would come out on top should it come to war, and Ashley demurred suggesting they not find out who was right. Instead she offered the deal.

"We are agreed: I will act more the queen to your king at public events, and to help you get more of what you want behind the scenes. And you will project the strong, unified court we both know Red is."

They clasped wrists to seal the deal, in the old way that she had taught him when they had first served on the court together. He gripped hers hard, looking her dead in the eye. He had no intention of allowing her to keep flaunting AJ around, and if she did, he would take care of it. One thing was clear to him: he still held all the cards.

When they released hands, he picked up his whisky glass and drained it.

"Well, I have a Black Queen to fuck, so, if you'll excuse me."

He didn't wait for leave, nor did he want it, before he turned and left.

 

[Valkyrie]

The Red Queen's Library

Alek was still as cocky as ever, but he'd at least agreed to be civil in public, which was better than nothing. And she had made it known that AJ was off limits. If he disregarded her warning, she would have that as a defense when she ripped his heart out. Alek finished his drink quickly, and made his leave.

"Well, I have a Black Queen to fuck, so, if you'll excuse me."

Ashley rolled her eyes and scoffed. Surely he hadn't found a way into Ava's good graces that quickly. And there was a better than even chance that Brienne was kill him, because everyone knew she was a psycho, so Ash put that in the plus column. She sighed out, happy that that was now over, and finished her own drink. She took the bottle with her as she left the room, the fingers of her other hand running over her beloved objects as she passed them on the way to the door.

She made her way back downstairs, thinking of the situation, and hoping they could just get through this weekend. Then she and AJ would get away and she wouldn't have to worry about Alek for a while. Or anyone else, for that matter.

When she made it to her room, she shut the door behind her and tiptoed into the bedroom. Leaving the bottle on the nightstand, she slipped out of her robe and carefully got into bed next to Savage. Cuddling up to him, she slid her arm over his back, her lips kissing his bicep as she settled in for a nap of her own.

 

[Silver]

Hellfire Club – Red Lounge


:: Bretta was two minutes early and saw that both Ava and John were already waiting, so she apologized for keeping them waiting. ::

John: “Bretta.”

:: Bretta was surprised, but very pleased, when John kissed her on both cheeks as well as extended a hand. She shook it and nodded at him. ::

Ava: "No, no. We were early. You're right on time. Please, feel free to have a drink."

:: Bretta nodded and turned to the bartender, ordering a glass of wine. ::

Ava: "You look fantastic, Bretta. Ralph Lauren?"

:: Bretta was pretty chuffed to hear that and so she grinned brightly. ::

“But of course.”

:: This reception was quite unexpected. After a poor first impression by the Black Bishop, though he probably didn’t think anything of it, by promptly and callously dumping the Black Princess at her feet last night – without so much as a thank you , and Cassandra’s own words today, Bretta didn’t know what she was expecting but it certainly wasn’t this. Bretta could feel herself relax. ::

John: "Shall we sit?"

“Of course.”

:: Ava led the way over to some sofas where they could all be more comfortable. Bretta perched on a comfortable sofa and crossed her legs at the ankles. ::

Ava: "First of all, I want to thank you for agreeing to meet with us. I know this weekend is packed full of events and I'm sure you must be exhausted."

“I am feeling just a touch of jet lag, yes. However, this weekend isn’t really about me. Speaking of which..."

:: Bretta turned to John and smiled kindly. ::

"Congratulations on your new appointment as King. That's quite the honour."

:: Bretta raised her glass in a toast. ::

Ava: "As for why we're here...Cassandra and Daniel."

“Ah, yes, Cassandra and Daniel.”

Ava: "I have seen since day one you have taken a liking to Cassandra. And i'm sure you've noticed my...tolerance of her. I want to clear the air. I don't hate Cassandra, I never have. I hated the circumstances in which we were BOTH forced into by Kelly King. I have had a very bitter relationship with that woman since I was a child, and driving her out as Black Queen was one more reason for her to despise me. She wanted to hurt me and twist the knife further by taking away my ability to choose and appoint my court as I saw fit. She humiliated me on day one of my Queenship and I could do nothing about it. I admit I took it out on Cassandra because I couldn't take it out on Kelly. It's not fair to her, I know that, but it's how I reacted and felt. We're both Queen's, but we both have emotions. Mine just happens to be hurricane-like."

:: Well. This was quite unexpected indeed. Ava was being completely frank and open with her, which Bretta appreciated and even admired. She even started to wonder if she and the American Black Queen could even become...friends? It was looking like a possibility after all. Maybe, just maybe, she’d secure not only an alliance with the American Black Court but also friendship as well. An alliance with the Black Court was actually more than a strong possibility, thanks to the Daniel-Cassandra trade, as well as Cassandra’s friendships with both Amanda Soto and Benjamin Lewis. It was very nice of Ava to make a point of saying that she actually didn’t hate Cassandra and it was even nicer that she acknowledged that Cassandra was forced into Kelly King’s bitchy game as well. Bretta decided to be just as open and honest with Ava and John as they were with her. ::

“Well, I must say...” *chuckling*: “I am a bit surprised by this. I mean, I certainly wasn’t expecting this at all.”

:: Bretta sighed and took another sip of her wine before placing it on the table. ::

“I will admit that my impression of your Court has been...less than impressive.” [smiling wryly] “Your soon-to-be former Bishop boorishly dumped Cassandra promptly and callously at my feet almost as soon as they both arrived at the White event last night. You don’t need to make excuses for him, I’m sure that it probably hasn’t been easy living in the same space as somebody who had been driven to insanity by a madwoman. However, I took that opportunity to take her under my wing and she turned out to be an enjoyable person to be around.”

:: It was true. Cassandra had blossomed after a bit of kindness and compassion on Bretta’s part. Bretta felt it best that she shouldn’t share what Cassandra had told her. She looked at both John and Ava, her expression kind and open. ::

“I want you both to know that you two have more than made up for his behaviour, so please don’t feel on edge about it at all. I do have a question, though. You acknowledged that you don’t actually hate Cassandra, and you also acknowledged the fact that Kelly King forced the both of you into circumstances that were less than ideal for you two, so my question is this: why didn’t you utilize Cassandra to be a...trump card, if you will, in your battle of wills with Kelly?” *thoughtfully*: “If I had somebody thrust on me by someone who has been a constant thorn in my side for years, I’d attempt to gain the upper hand. I’d befriend her, groom her, coax her to my side of things. It wouldn’t have been easy, but I’d keep at it until I won her trust, friendship, and loyalty. If I had someone like Kelly King in my life, and Rebecca Everhart probably was like that to others, I’d do everything in my power to come out on top and make the most of a horrible situation.” *curiously*: “I’d like to know why you didn’t use Cassandra to your advantage.”

:: Bretta wasn’t backing out of the deal; she was just curious about the lack of relationship between Queen and Princess. She very much wanted Cassandra as her Princess. ::

John: "We want the best possible situation for all involved. It is not our desire to punish Cassandra."

*tenderly*: “No, of course not.”

Ava: "I truly think Cassandra would be happier with you. You seem to understand her more than I ever could. She needs that. As for Daniel....Well, the moment he blew into this place he's been itching for a change. I'm sure you've noticed that as well. While your court will always be his home, I think coming to my court would give him that change he's been craving.”

“Yes, I do have to agree with you there – about both Cassandra and Daniel."

John: "Which is to say nothing against your court. But sometimes a change of scenery does wonders for one's outlook. Daniel's been through a tough time lately, and perhaps he can work through his difficulties here, away from so many memories."

:: Bretta was secretly amused by that. Away from so many memories? Sure, he had been close to Rebecca, but Helena Quartermaine had been his best friend and mentor. ::

“Both of those things are true – a change of scenery does do wonders for one’s outlook and Daniel has been through a really rough time in recent months. However, I do have a big concern about leaving him here.”

:: Though the three of them were the only ones in the room, save for the bartender, Bretta lowered her voice. ::

*confidentially*: “I’m sure you both are aware that he had been close to Helena? I just want to make sure that he’s safe, that he will be okay here.”

:: The love and care that Bretta had for Daniel would be apparent. ::