A Weekend Affair # 7 - Exodus

[Madame Masque]

New York — Blackwell’s Asylum to Manhattan

She expelled a relieved breath as the helicopter lifted off, taking her away from her prison. She was free, finally. She was going to have her revenge on that little would-be usurper Gia, at last. It was the malice in her heart that had kept her going all this time, that kept her sane. The malice, and the rapport with Ettore.

She glanced down to see Split C staring up at her, watching her go, arms crossed and hair whipping under the torrent of wind created by the chopper blades. Was it guilt she felt a twinge of? Couldn’t be, though she was the reason the woman was stuck at Blackwell’s, in an indirect way. She had sent the call girl to seduce the former White King in retaliation against the former Queen for her father’s imprisonment. Diana had fractured her mind as punishment.

At the salon, they restored Adriana’s hair to a nice spun-gold blonde, and applied makeup to a face that hadn’t been allowed it in years. When they were done she felt like herself again, and looked like herself as well. Ettore presented her with a large but flat rectangular box, embossed and decorated cardboard, the kind for clothing. She opened it to find exactly that. It was a pristine white, with a strapless bodice and a black belt across the waist.

“You bought me a dress?”

Ettore: Not exactly. I know how.... active... you are.

“It’s even the right colors.”

She marveled as she opened it up for further inspection. It reminded her of a keikogi, a very sexy one, though. Not at all regulation for any of the martial arts she practiced. It reminded her of her strength. She favored him with a smile and went to the bathroom to change out of the staid gray crazy girl pajamas she’d been made to wear at the asylum. When she emerged, Ettore beamed at her, holding his arms outstretched.

Ettore: Madame, you’re positively striking. Are you hungry?

“Starving.”

Ettore: I know just the place for breakfast.

He replied with a devious smirk as his hand slid around her waist to rest on the small of her back and guide her out of the salon and to the waiting limo at the curb.

 

[Berserker]

The Red King’s Suite

It was still a surprise to Alek when Haleigh let him kiss her on the mouth, and even moreso when she kissed him back. This weekend was like a dreamscape: he had gotten everything he'd ever wanted in the blink of an eye. Haleigh, the quintessential woman, the only woman he truly needed, in his bed, pregnant with his child, and closer to him than she'd ever been. No one could say they were just fuck buddies anymore. He could feel the change in her, the way she saw him now.

He was taking her to bed, but she wasn't waiting for that, and he felt her slide him inside her. He moaned, the feeling like nothing else in the world, being one with her.

"Haleigh..."

It was half a growl, his mouth now going to her exposed throat. They had reached the bedroom, and he pressed her back against the bedpost for leverage, her legs around his waist and him now pressing rhythmically inside her. He felt perfectly in sync with her, but he needed more, always more.

As his mouth found hers again he quickened his pace, pressing deeper, harder, wanting her to cry out, for her body to take him and never let go.

 

[Savage]

Hellfire -- The Great Hall

They talked about the road trip, what they would do on the road, and after. She declared that he took good care of her, and that his plan for the remainder of the day sounded perfect. Just when he thought he couldn’t love her more, he found he did. He could hardly wait to get going on their impromptu vacation, but first they had to endure breakfast, and a final farewell to the Europeans.

Savage made himself suggest they sit with the Dead Thing and her Thrall King, so at least His Ashley would enjoy the morning. When she agreed he got dressed quickly, since no good would come from dragging his feet. She took his arm as they walked to the Great Hall. He was the proudest man on the planet to be seen arriving with her. She was so beautiful that she turned every head.

Savage nodded a subtle greeting to Calder, their new Rook, as he led Ashley to a table that was cast in shadow due to the shades around it having been drawn. He knew the Dead Thing could not sit in direct light. He also knew the day would make her look like the corpse she was. He tried to tell himself not to be happy about it, since his Queen called her a friend now.

AJ told one of the attendants to wait for the arrival of the European White King and Queen, and to request they join him and his own Queen at their table. It was not long before they turned up and were led over. AJ rose from his chair. She may have been expired, but she was still a lady, and old habits were hard to break.

Savage was surprised to find, when Juliette drew back her hood, that she did NOT look even half a corpse. Her eyes were bright and her skin was flushed. She had never looked more alive to him, and she didn’t have that smell of decomposition either. Rather, she smelled a bit like their own White Queen. He looked at Liam now, closely, for the first time.

“Good Morning to both Your Graces.”

He made himself grumble somewhat politely. He didn’t like the way Liam looked at his Ashley, not at all. Yet, looking was not touching, so for the moment he just slid his chair closer to his Queen, sat back down and put his arm around her.

 

[Valkyrie]

The Great Hall

Ashley gave Calder a week as they passed his table, the poor boy sitting by himself. Normally she would have had him sit with them, but she didn't want to demean the gesture Savage had made in suggesting they sit with Liam and Juliette. And she wanted it known that AJ was there with her as her consort, not just as her Knight.

The European White King and Queen had not yet arrived, and AJ surprised her again by telling one of the attendants unbidden to give them he and Ashley's invitation when they arrived. She watched him, a smile playing on her lips. How handsome he was - and didn't need to wear a suit to make it so - and how proud he made her to sit beside her.

AJ stood as Liam and Juliette approached their table. She was impressed at how in control he was being. Perhaps he had more King in him than she had previously thought. Ashley also smiled at their guests, but for her, it wasn't difficult as she genuinely liked the couple.

"Good morning my darlings - Juliette, you look absolutely stunning this morning!"

She leaned over to kiss both Juliette's cheeks in greeting.

"How are you today, Liam?"

They all were seated, and AJ's arm came around her.

"I'm so happy you decided to sit with us. You'll certainly be missed when you've gone home."

Ashley pouted appropriately. And she would miss this pair - even more so now that AJ seemed to be coming around and at least able to tolerate their presence.

"But I can't wait to come visit, if the invitation is still open?"

Her pout turned to a smile. She wasn't sure AJ was quite up to visiting - yet.

"I hope you both enjoyed your stay - despite all the...unpleasantness."

 

[Juliette De Lacroix]

Hellfire - The White Guest Suite

After her visit with Haleigh, Juliette went back to the guest suite she shared with Liam. All her things were finally packed and gone. She sent the metal case of blood to be loaded with the rest, and went to the kitchenette for a glass. She would wait for Liam to return from his meeting, but that didn’t mean she needed to wait to drink. She ease the cork out of the bottle and was painstakingly careful as she poured.

The blood was as delectable as she remembered it to be. Spicy, with a hint of sweetness, it was more full-bodied than any other blood, making it rich and satisfying. And it was warm, as warm as if she were sucking it straight from a vein. That heat spread throughout Juliette’s body to every extremity and made her smile as she cradled the glass and relished it, sip by sip.

It was going to be difficult not to drink the supply too quickly, but at least she knew this feeling would not fade as fast as usual. This blood, TO blood, kept the hunger at bay for quite some time. She would let herself have the whole bottle this morning, and be sated for a week. She lounged on the sofa as she savored the drink.

Liam returned and they traded information before heading out to breakfast. Juliette didn’t need to eat, but Liam did. She brought her glass and had him carry the bottle for her, as they walked down the hall, with her well covered against the occasional rays of light invading the mansion. When they reached the Great Hall they were invited immediately to sit with the Red Queen and her hound. The Valkyrie was worth putting up with the wolf, so of course they agreed.

The Red Knight stood up when they approached. He smelled like a wet dog but at least he had manners. Juliette laid back her hood since they were in the shade, and she smiled at the dumbfounded look on the mongrel’s human face. She knew she looked quite radiant right now, even better than after a usual feeding. She took another sip as he wished them good morning.

“A good morning een-deed, sir.”

She replied before turning her eyes on the Red Queen, who was remarking on how Juliette looked, which renewed her smile. They kissed as was customary, as Liam pulled out her chair for her, and then they all settled.

“Ash-ley, you look quite fan-tahs-steek yourself. You must ‘ave ‘ad as vonderful a night as dze rest of us. Your party was most memorable. Dare I venture to say... the Red Court events vere dze best events of all.”

 

[Masque]

Hellfire Club – The Great Hall

“How are we doing for that Zacchara contact regarding our big shipment?”

Gia didn’t bother to be specific. After all, it was the peon’s job to know these things. She supposed that if she wanted to build this organization back up again she really should learn the names of the different peons...but it wasn’t going to be today. Today was all about making sure operations and businesses were running as smoothly as they were a week ago. Already there were whispers of ‘secret coups’ and ‘blood baths’ going on. It was up to Gia to make sure that the Zaccharas, as well as the Kleins, knew that Nefaria was perfectly stable and competent and in perfectly good hands. Gia had even gotten up earlier than usual to make sure things were still running smoothly after last night’s showdown. When she inspected the boardroom where it all went down, she noticed that the cleaners forgot a few small, almost miniscule, spots on the carpet so she immediately called to see if the entire carper could be replaced.

So far, everybody who showed up seemed to be doing their best to be on her good side. There were a few missing, most notably, her father’s consigliere, Ettore Testa, but she had been informed that he had ‘errands’ to run today, whatever that meant. In mafia-speak, it could mean ANYTHING. Those who did show treated her with respect.

Gia spent the rest of the early morning going over paperwork and making sure everything was going well before she finally left for the farewell breakfast at Hellfire.

Now, Gia got out of the Town Car as soon as it pulled up to the curb in front of Hellfire. Readjusting her ivory pantsuit, Gia sighed as she headed for the doors. Pushing them open, she barely acknowledged the person saying hello to her as she strode past. Her mind was spinning with a million different things that she had to do. She had to fight to stay afloat in her own company – no matter what anybody said, she still didn’t convey the amount of respect that her father had demanded of his men. She meant business and she needed to stay on top of things. Not to mention that right now, seemingl anyway, the White Court was on shaky ground so she, as Bishop, had to make sure that NOBODY would use that to their advantage. Though Gia was low-key Team Haleigh, she knew that she had to make sure that everything was running smoothly in her Court. She made a note to try to get in touch with Heidi later to see if they could come up with some kind of plan of action to keep the White Court from falling apart. Yes, beginning right now she would have to be on her toes at all times.

Heading into the Great Hall, she first stopped to get herself a cup of coffee before making her way to a seat on the far side of the room. This way she could keep track on who’s coming and going from where she sat.

 

[Liam Forbes]

Hellfire - The Great Hall

They followed the attendant over to their table, where the werewolf was surprisingly polite. He didn’t look too pleased about it, but he seemed to be trying. Ashley, on the other hand, was genuinely pleased to see them, and looking as gorgeous as ever. Liam pulled out a chair for his Queen and sat down, his gaze still fixed on Ashley. What she wore was modest, for her, but Liam didn’t mind. He had seen more of her than this, and wouldn’t soon forget it. She asked him how he was this morning and he grinned widely.

“On top o’ the world, Ma’am. And you?”

Savage put his arm around Ashley as soon as they sat down, and Liam saw the move for what it was. He made eye contact with the big hairy beast and gave the sheepish smile of one caught, as Juliette complimented the Red Court on their events. Ashley was happy they agreed to sit with her, as if that weren’t the best place to be, and then said she’d missed them.

“You’re too kind. I’m sure if we stayed any longer we’d wear out our welcome.”

Ashley: But I can’t wait to come visit, if the invitation is still open?

“Always, always. We’ll be glad to have you anytime.”

He replied, and then he looked over in concern at the Red Knight, who was suddenly choking on his water.

“Alright, brother? I wouldn’t recommend bothering with the water. A little hair of the dog is what we all need after last night.”

He advised, before ordering another Irish Coffee from the waitress, requesting that it be stout. Ashley hoped they enjoyed their stay, despite some unpleasantness. Liam laughed.

“There was thrilling adventure, riveting theatre, fine dining and sensational new relations.”

He replied, giving her a meaningful look.

“And we made many new alliances this weekend. I do regret the unpleasantness, though. I hope I didn’t inadvertently contribute to it, somehow. Your Black Queen didn’t seem to care for me, and that was before Archer lost his marbles.”

 

[Black Widow]

Hellfire -- The Red King’s Suite

Their fling had carried on longer enough now for the novelty to have worn off, except there was no sign of that. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Fucking him felt new and exciting all over again, but somehow more than before. It had a gravity to it now, in a good way. More than just satisfying a physical need, being with him made her feel something. Happiness, on a deeper level.

The way he said her name threatened to melt her, and he kissed her neck, sending chills down her spine. His beard on her skin felt good, and made her moan in his ear almost as much as his dick, which he was expertly thrusting into her. She felt something solid against her back, not the mattress she was expecting, but she didn’t care. Whatever he was pressing her against, it was probably better that it was sturdy, given their habits.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and rolled her hips against him, matching his pace, and they moved together as if they were made to do so. She grabbed fistfuls of his hair, pulling him into her kiss as he started to move faster, with more aggression than before. She had to break their kiss now, she couldn’t keep her moaning quiet any longer. She wasn’t the only thing making noise, either.

The small appliances in the kitchen were all whirring and overheating, and every metal object in his suite was either rattling or ringing, like dozens of tuning forks everywhere. The pressure within built until there was an implosion, and then she screamed his name, as her body practically vibrated with her climax.

“Alek... fuck.... that was good.”

She said, her voice back to a normal volume now, a sated smile on her lips as she rested her head back against the post, her eyes finding his.

 

[Savage]

Hellfire -- The Great Hall

Juliette and Liam arrived, with Juliette much more tolerable than usual. Surprisingly, AJ’s struggle was not with her, but with her King, who didn’t seem so enthralled with Juliette as he was with Ashley this morning. AJ put his arm around his Queen, and Liam seemed to get the message. He almost looked apologetic, but AJ was still wary.

After the good mornings, Ashley led the conversation. AJ found it very difficult to understand Juliette’s thick accent, but her tone was pleasant. Both her and Liam were nice to his Queen, a little too nice in some cases. AJ choked on his water when Liam told her that they’d be glad to have her anytime. Liam didn’t deliver the phrase with lechery but still the wording had jolted AJ. He didn’t like to think of anyone having his Queen except himself.

Liam offered his opinion that stronger drinks were needed this morning, and AJ actually agreed with him. He asked the waitress for vodka and orange juice, setting down his glass. As he listened to Ashley and Liam continue their discussion about the weekend past. Liam was quite pleased with the way the weekend had gone, though he admitted regret regarding Archer. Savage positively growled at that.

“If he had even thought to make that attempt on MY Queen, they would still be cleaning up his remains this morning.”

Juliette just blinked at him from over the rim of her stemless wine glass, but Liam gave him a knowing smile.

Liam: To be sure. You are very protective of your Queen, a loyal Knight.

“It is my privilege and my honor, to be her warrior.... and her companion.”

Juliette: Ve are lucky you ‘ave allowed us to befriend ‘er.

Liam: Quite right. And it should go without saying that you, too, are welcome whenever your Queen visits. Did you ever see that film, An American Werewolf in London? I’ve always wondered what real wolves think of that.

AJ wondered if he was being mocked, but he usually had a good read on people, and this Liam seemed to be straightforward. When he wasn’t ogling Ashley, he didn’t seem so bad, even. AJ tried to remember the motion picture he was referring to. From the eighties, wasn’t it? A great time for film.

“I recall liking it. Not a bad way to pass the time, when one has an infinite amount. Decent drama and good comedy.”

Liam: I know Juliette gets quite a laugh out of most of the Hollywood portrayals of her kind, even when they aren’t comedies.

Juliette: Dze Twilight Saga vas par-teek-ularly amusing vaudeville, dzough uhn-een-ten-shun-all.

AJ nodded slowly, thinking maybe he understood her a little more, even if he didn’t know what the twilight saga was.

Juliette: Undervorld.... dzat vas entertaining. And shock-eeng-ly precise.

“Yes!”

He exclaimed, pleased because that time he DID understand what she said.

 

[Persephone]

"I honestly don't see why we're having this ridiculous breakfast anyway."

Ava griped, her horse voice coming from the walk in closet as she finished getting dressed. The weekend had been an absolute mess, the majority of the drama coming from her home club. But Archer attacking her the night before and nearly killing her was definitely the cherry on top of it all. Ava was done playing hostess.

Walking out of the closet wearing a silk wrap dress and some strappy black heels, her damp hair was already naturally curling on it's own, giving an effortless beachy look. Her expression was less than enthusiastic as she looked at John getting dressed by the bed.

"Think we can call in sick?"

Finally, her lips curled into a small smile.

"I do have a pretty good excuse.."

Her smile became wider as she walked over to him.

"We could head straight to the airport..."

Her voice a persuasive tone.

"Be in Paris by tonight..."

Ava wrapped her arms around John's neck, her smile growing bigger as her face inched closer to his.

"No Hellfire....No drama...."

Just as their soft lips brushed together, there was a knock on their suite door. Ava's smile immediately dropped, as did her forehead into John's chest.

"Go. Away."

She croaked, quite literally.

Guard: "Your Majesties...the European Red Queen is requesting to see you."

The voice called out from behind the closed door. Ava sighed, looking up at John.

"She couldn't have waited until breakfast?"

Her tone laced with annoyance.

 

[Hex]

After a rather....interesting conversation with one Cameron King, Brienne headed back to Zach's suite to change for one last fucking meal. No wonder American's were fat. Entering the suite, to her disappointment it was empty. A pang of anxiety hit her gut...maybe Zach changed his mind. Maybe he didn't want to be her Black King and was having second thoughts. Closing the door behind her, Brienne pressed her back against it, closing her eyes and letting out a long sigh. Since when the fuck did she get butterflies about men.

"Stop."

She whispered, her icy eyes opening. He wasn't just a man like every other man....and that was the point of all this. Out of all the men she had ever been with, taunted, teased, played games with, and tortured, Zach actually seemed to care for her and not her body and power. He showed her that the night before. He had showed her by already defending her to his own club. Not even Archer had done that for her, and he was her own fucking King. Key word: was. The last 24 hours was an absolute fucking whirlwind, and Brienne was ready to get the fuck out of this hillbilly country.

Taking a seat on the bed, Brienne sighed out one again. Not only was Archer dead and Zach now her King, but she just made a pact with an actual King - Cameron. Fucking hell froze over and her grandmother was spinning in her grave. For a Shaw to ever be anything other than a thorn in a King's side was almost blasphemous. But fuck, she'd rather cozy up to Cameron than EVER play nice with Haleigh. Just as she was lost in her thoughts, the door opened and Zach entered. Giving him a small smile, he walked over to the bed.

"Well you're not dead. That's a good sign."

She knew he had officially went to speak with Haleigh about advocating his title as her Rook to become Brienne's King. Zach knelt in front of her, Brienne tucking a few strands of her blonde hair behind her ear as she looked down at him.

"Being my King does have a stigma of bad luck attached to it."

But Zach was having none of it. In fact, he pulled out a beautiful dozen black roses presenting them to her. Brienne's smile grew, taking the flowers.

Zach: “For my future Queen."

"They're beautiful...thank you."

Brienne brought the roses to her nose and enjoyed the subtle fragrance.

Zach: "Are you ready for breakfast?”

"Absolutely. The sooner we are done with it, the sooner we get the fuck out of here."

Placing the flowers on the bed, Brienne slipped from the edge down onto her knees in front of Zach, her arms curling around his body.

"And the sooner I can give you a proper coronation."

She grinned wickedly before her lips met with his.

 

[Valkyrie]

The Great Hall

Juliette and Savage exchanged pleasantries, which was a step in the right direction. Actually, when it came to AJ, it was a giant leap. She greeted the White King and Queen, telling Juliette how fabulous she looked. A normally beautiful woman, this particular morning, Juliette looked electric.

Juliette: “Ash-ley, you look quite fan-tahs-steek yourself. You must ‘ave ‘ad as vonderful a night as dze rest of us. Your party was most memorable. Dare I venture to say... the Red Court events vere dze best events of all.”

Ashley flashed her a wide smile. She didn't consider herself a party planner, so the compliment was well received.

"You're too kind, Juliette. But I'm glad you had an enjoyable time. I did have fun this weekend, more than I have in a long time."

She asked Liam how he was doing, and he responded in his usual way.

Liam: “On top o’ the world, Ma’am. And you?”

"Excellent. Though I must admit, I think I'm ready for some relaxation after last night's revelry. It was an exhausting night."

In more ways than one. She expressed how she would miss the couple after they returned home.

Liam: “You’re too kind. I’m sure if we stayed any longer we’d wear out our welcome.”

Ashley leaned forward and smiled.

"Never."

Liam re-upped their invitation for her to visit them in London. Savage was taking a drink of his water and sounded as if he was choking. She looked to him with concern and rubbed his back. Liam ordered another Irish coffee, and Ashley held up a hand to the attendant.

"Ooh, that sounds good. I'll have one also."

She apologized for the less than professional events of the weekend, which luckily Liam seemed to wave off.

Liam: “There was thrilling adventure, riveting theatre, fine dining and sensational new relations.”

She met his eyes and raised her glass in salute.

Liam: “And we made many new alliances this weekend. I do regret the unpleasantness, though. I hope I didn’t inadvertently contribute to it, somehow. Your Black Queen didn’t seem to care for me, and that was before Archer lost his marbles.”

Ashley waved a hand in the air.

"I'm sure it was unintentional. Our Ava has had her mind on many things this weekend. I can't imagine it to be due to dislike of you."

She took a sip of water.

"And I'm sure she bears you no ill will for Archer's actions - I know Alek and I certainly don't. You can't be blamed for what he did without your knowledge."

Savage's body language next to her had noticeably changed.

Savage: “If he had even thought to make that attempt on MY Queen, they would still be cleaning up his remains this morning.”

That made Ashley smile, and she straightened up so she could plant a kiss on his cheek.

Liam: To be sure. You are very protective of your Queen, a loyal Knight.

"The most loyal."

Savage: “It is my privilege and my honor, to be her warrior.... and her companion.”

Juliette: Ve are lucky you ‘ave allowed us to befriend ‘er.

Ashley rubbed the top of AJ's thigh.

"He would not deny me company he knows I enjoy so much."

Liam: And it should go without saying that you, too, are welcome whenever your Queen visits. Did you ever see that film, An American Werewolf in London? I’ve always wondered what real wolves think of that.

Ashley forced her body not to stiffen - she was not sure how AJ was going to take that comment, especially after the 'hair of the dog' one earlier. But he took it in stride, and she relaxed.

Savage: “I recall liking it. Not a bad way to pass the time, when one has an infinite amount. Decent drama and good comedy.”

Liam: I know Juliette gets quite a laugh out of most of the Hollywood portrayals of her kind, even when they aren’t comedies.

Juliette: Undervorld.... dzat vas entertaining. And shock-eeng-ly precise.

Savage: “Yes!”

Ashley had felt a little lost, not having seen the other films they were talking about. But this one, she had.

"Ooh, I saw that one! With the hot hot werewolf leader?"

She slipped her hand around AJ's waist.

"Perhaps I should invest in one of those tight black leather outfits?"

Her smile had a tinge of mischief to it, wondering if she'd finally found AJ's costume kryptonite. Her eyes returned to the two guests then, and she leaned forward towards Juliette.

"I heard a rumor once, that the Hollywood vampire movies were paid for my actual vampires to spread misinformation to humans."

She shrugged, taking another sip of her drink.

"Clever, if it's true."

Ashley was starting to wonder when they would bring them actual food - she was hungry.

"Any plans for after you return to London?"

 

[Berserker]

The Red King’s Suite

Haleigh's hands were in his hair, her mouth on his, and it made him feel such a way that he barely noticed that everything metal in the apartment seemed to be going haywire. He didn't want to think about anything else but her and the way she felt.

She screamed his name as she came, and even if he hadn't been ready to burst he would have come too just by the sound of it.

Haleigh: “Alek... fuck.... that was good.”

He was breathing heavily, and the way she was looking at him made him want to be hard again immediately.

"Just 'good'?"

He backed up with her off the bedpost, carrying her to the side of the bed and laying her down gently before climbing onto the bed next to her. He propped himself up on one elbow so he could look down at her.

"I think I should be offended."

He grinned at her though, so she could see he wasn't serious.

"Perhaps I need another try to improve my score?"

He leaned down and kissed her neck, then her lips softly, his free hand stroking her skin, wandering her body. Finally he moved down to plant a kiss on her bare belly. He tilted his head to look back at her.

"Are we in the window to try for triplets?"

 

[Steel]

The Black King & Queen's Suite

Ava: "I honestly don't see why we're having this ridiculous breakfast anyway."

Ava's hoarse voice was like a knife in his gut: a reminder, both of what might have happened, and how he had failed to protect her. She came out of the closet, wearing a dress that looked suspiciously like a robe. He wondered if suggesting maybe she should change would have any chance of success. He decided he would find himself sleeping in the dungeon if he tried it, and decided against it. So instead, he answered her rhetorical question.

"Because we need to show that Archer's actions haven't affected us, and to project the strong, vibrant court that we are."

He turned to her, buttoning up his starched black suit shirt.

Ava: "Think we can call in sick? I do have a pretty good excuse. We could head straight to the airport..."

He sighed as she tried cajoling him.

Ava: "Be in Paris by tonight..."

Her arms came around his neck, and he ran his hands over her arms lightly. Hours ago, he would have jumped at the chance to blow off this breakfast and be on their way to Paris. But that was when he had caught the Red King looking at Ava in a way John distinctly did not like. But in the time since, his practical nature had taken back over, and he knew that duty called. Ava needed to be at that breakfast, showing Archer hadn't done anything that would keep her from business as usual.

Ava: "No Hellfire....No drama...."

"Ava..."

Her lips brushed against his, and the idea started creeping in that maybe they could be late, as long as they made it to breakfast eventually...

But then a guard was informing them that the European Red Queen was there to see them.

Ava: "She couldn't have waited until breakfast?"

He exhaled deeply and gave her a small smile, taking both her hands in his and bringing them together between them.

"Now, she was very kind to us after the attack, I'm sure she has a reason for wanting to see us alone."

He planted another kiss on her lips.

"I'll let her in."

He finished buttoning his shirt and tucking it in on the way to the door before opening it.

"Bretta - good morning. You're looking lovely today. Please, come in."

He waved his arm for her to enter in front of him then closed the door behind her. He crossed the room to stand at Ava's side.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

 

[Orion]

Hellfire - The White Wing

Brienne: Well you’re not dead. That’s a good sign. Being my King does have a stigma of bad luck attached to it.

“That’s interesting, because I’ve been feeling like the luckiest man alive ever since I started spending time with you.”

He replied, offering the roses to his future Queen. He liked saying it, and he liked hearing her refer to him as her King, too, but that was secondary to the pleasure he got when she smiled and thanked him for the flowers. He asked her if she was ready to go to breakfast. She was, eager to get it over with and eager to leave. He hadn’t missed her choice of pronoun. We, like they were an item. It made him smile a little wider.

Brienne: And the sooner I can give you a proper coronation.

She suggested, coming in close for a kiss. His arms wrapped around her waist as he met her kiss. He didn’t break it right away, instead enjoying the moment for a bit.

“Hmm, and what might that entail, I wonder?”

He said, as he got to his feet and pulled her up with him. He hoped she’d have some delightfully salacious things to say to him, as they walked down to the Great Hall together. There weren’t too many of the Inner Circle in yet, mostly a bunch of pawns and a few empty tables.

The only notable table Zach saw was Ashley, AJ, Liam, and Juliette. And there was Gia, off to the side. Plus some guy in red sitting by himself. New hire? Zach was sure he’d find out soon enough. He found an empty table for him and Brienne. Maybe she’d let him get handsy under the tablecloth before too many people showed up.

 

[Pathfinder]

The White Corridor

"4x1 is 4. 4x2 is 8. 4x3 is 12..."

The White Princess was running through multiplication tables in her head, which was never a good sign. Erika had always been a bit more unstable than her brother and sister, or at the very least, less capable of hiding her instability. She had murdered on whim, fucked for revenge, mutilated her own flesh and the flesh of others to express herself, and over the years, in times of stress, she developed ways to control herself. To get her mind to focus on one thing instead of the million things going on around her. Her glazed silver eyes moved sharply into focus as her nose crinkled in disgust.

"A valance? We don't want to scare the girl. Remove it. Actually, burn it."

She was overseeing the last minute touches on the quarters of The White Wing where Cameron's ex fiance and apparent love child would be staying."

"And somebody get me an iced coffee."

Her head hurt. The entire ordeal regarding Archer and Ava had drained her. Never in a million years did Erika ever imagining herself defending Ava Cassadine's life, though they did have a bond. With Alison being the only smart one of her siblings to say "fuck it" and ride off into the sunset, and with Haleigh fucking her brother, she sometimes looked to Ava as somewhat of a big sister. The problem was this big sister was a fucking bitch most of their youth, and at the time was a big competitor for Black Queen, something Erika used to want very badly.

<< FLASH! >>

Archer: "I could have frozen you solid and shattered your body by now, but that's not how I want to do it. I want to watch you die, I want you to watch a man you feel soooo much better than end your life! Say Goodnight, Persephone."

He straddled her, CHOKING the life out of of her and for a moment Erika panicked. She needed to act quickly. There was no time for a spell or some kind of show or power, so she did none of those things. Instead, she took a deep breath, walked over to Archer Fairchild who was lost in his bloodlust, reached her hand into his back and phased his heart from his body, pulling it out with her hand, watching it beat as he slumped over and onto the ground. With great ease, Erika pushed him over to the side as she knelt down next to Ava who was unconscious.

"Fuck. fuck fuck fuck fuck...."

A chill ran down The White Princess' spine. Ending Archer's life and saving Ava's had left her processing a vast well of emotion. It had been exhilirating, to take The Black King's life. Satiated the blood lust that all the King children had. Turned her on. And since it was Archer Fairchild, it had been practically an act of Feminism. But it terrified her. She had been working...very hard at keeping herself together, harder than it seemed most of them realized. Erika didn't want to fuck things up anymore. Though things seemed to be working out fine, there was still a part of her that was worried any moment that The Europeans would call for her head. To top it all off, her brother had doubled the amount of children he had overnight, started a war of the roses with his wife, and their mother had married The Black Queen's father.

"A valium with that iced coffee wouldnt hurt either."

Erika called loudly as an attendant addressed her.

"My Princess, The King has requested your presence in his study, along with a tablet."

The White Princess rolled her eyes.

"Tell my brother to suck my dick."

Cameron was annoying her this morning. Wasting no time in making moves and taking steps. He could never let the room breathe. She halted the attendant before he left with that message.

"Forgive me. Tell The King that the European Inner Circle is awaiting his presence downstairs in The Great Hall shortly. I will go to him when the dust has settled on this weekend..."

She began to think of breakfast. Likely Haleigh would be arriving with Alek.

"And tell him I require his escort into breakfast."

Erika didn't want him to arrive alone. After ensuring that the living quarters for the lovechild and Mexican hooker were in order, The White Princess excused herself and returned to her quarters, changing into something a bit more appropriate before meeting with her brother in the corrider.

Cameron: "I would have preferred to speak to you before breakfast, Erika."

"And I would have preferred being an only child, but here we are."

She patted down his shirt and fixed his collar.

"Besides, you've been absence long enough this weekend. And what people HAVE seen, while hilarious, is also pathetic. The best thing you can do right now is walk into that room completely unphased."

Cameron: "After what my wife said to me last night, nothing phases me anymore."

A wicked smiled curled up in her lips as she phased her hand through Cameron's shoulder, sending a PAINFUL scrambling feeling throughout his entire body before she pulled her hand out. She lowered her voice.

"Don't get too big for your britches, Cameron. Your wife is carrying your baby. So knock it off."

For as much as a spoiled brat as Erika could be, she would never ascended to the levels of narcissism her brother reached easily. They made their way down to The Great Hall together with Erika on her brother's arm as Erika noticed that Gia was the only member of The White Court in attendance. Erika had reviewed footage of the bacchinalia last night, where she noticed The White Bishop quite salaciously intervening on Haleigh's behalf during Cameron and Haleigh's argument. It did not sit well with the princess. And since she was bored of being a bitch to the wait staff, she set her eyes on Gia, but not before popping her blue pill and finally taking a sip of her iced coffee before immediately switching to hemlock.

"Look at this. The White Bishop is finally on time and nobody will be around to see it. How sad."

Erika moved over towards the table and took a seat next to Gia.

"We've tested The White Queen's beverage of choice this morning I'm sure? Nobody wants a repeat of last night. In fact, let's not have her drink from anything that's been opened in any way. It's more fitting of a Queen to have bottles opened for her on demand, anyhow."

[smirking]

"Speaking of repeats, I trust that my brother sufficiently put you into place when it comes to commenting on my family's personal life, yes? Because if not, I can most certainly reacquaint you with the topic."

She watched as her brother mingled with guests at surrounding tables, keeping a cool distance from any friction. Perhaps he wasn't completely hopeless.

 

[Wallflower]

The Black Princess' Quarters

It had been a long night for Amanda as she sat in front of her vanity, her eyes catching a glance of The Black Knight's naked body draped in her dark sheets. A smile crept across her face for a moment as she continued to paint on a face that didn't look as if it had been up all night. Amanda was beyond elated to be made The Black Princess - it centered her. Not only that she was now a partner with both The Black and White Queen on Tricell. And then there was the surprise of Benjamin, something she still wasn't sure she would be smart in pursuing. All in all, for her, the weekend had been a success. But she found herself not letting go of her knightdom as easy as she thought she would be able to. Ava nearly died under her watch. Would have died if not for the intervention of The White Princess.

"I failed her..."

Once again her eyes drifted towards Ben in the bed as her mind began to replay scenarios. Had her sudden affection for the freshly knighted Gorgon distracted her from her duties? Set her off her game? Ben seemed to flourish under her light, but Amanda wasn't sure the feeling was mutual. She was finally getting everything she wanted in Hellfire, and she wasn't willing to sacrifice that, at least not for Ben, though he did make her existence at Hellfire feel a bit less hollow. And he was the only person she'd met as cold to the touch as her. It have her pause as she drifted back to her own reflection. Until she felt a shadow grow behind her, one of great size. Her pulse ran.

Ben: "How about we have each other for breakfast. I don't know if I can stomach another bloody quiche."

His cold lips pressed against the nape of her neck as she felt goosebumps all over her chest. He was so big. So strong and solid. Passionate. From a different world than her altogether - in short he was a character she would place in one of her books.

"Mmm..I wish I could say yes to that. But we are finally in the home stretch. In a few hours, this mansion will be DEAD..."

She wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling his large chest towards her bare back in a way that only a woman who was part snake could. His beard grazed her face as she nibbled on his ear delicately whispering.

"And then we can see how loudly you can make a girl scream..."

Ben: "You're no fun...but you're right."

The two showered together as Amanda resisted her urge to take him in whole underneath the hot jets of streaming water, before changing into her outfit, suddenly regretting all the regalia of the weekend. So many events, she was going to have to get an entirely new wardrobe. Everyone had seen her in practically everything she owned. Ben appeared looking dapper and casual, though alarmingly more confident as the two linked arms and headed towards The Great Hall.

Amanda made sure to place her arm in a more professional way as they entered the room. The action seemed to be centered by Liam and Juliette, and thankfully, Amanda had made sure not to let the European White Court leave without ensuring that relations were still stable. Erika waited for Liam to answer Ashley's question and for the table to settle a bit before speaking.

"We will all miss our European counterparts, that much is true. I don't think we've had this kind of excitement in the halls of Hellfire in quite some time..."

[pausing, Amanda nodded to attendants that began to bring black boxes with black silk ribbons over to the table]

"On that same note, I wanted to take a moment to formally show The Black Court's gratitude in having you as guests this weekend..."

It was a bit of a ballsy move to give gifts to only one court, but Amanda wasn't worried. The European Red Court didn't seem to know it's head from it's ass, and they had just been given The Black Court's Princess, which wasn't necessarily a gift, but was sufficient. The Black Court's king had just attempted to murder Ava Cassadine, so that was a non sequitor. If there was anyone left on the list, it was The White Court, Amanda just hoped the sentiment not to be too late.

In Liam's box was a vintage toy set from the 1950's which was a cheeky nod to The White King himself.

"They actually sold these, for a short time - to children. Comes with four types of uranium ore, a beta alpha source, a pure beta source, a gamma source, a spinithariscope, a cloud chamber with it's own short lived alpha source an electroscope and a Geiger counter. This baby is fully loaded.."

[Amanda smirked]

"Perhaps it will sit on a shelf in your study as a keepsake, or perhaps you might fiddle around with it one some drunken evening. Either way, I thought it a fitting gift for a King such as yourself, on a few levels."

In Juliette's box was a very old looking book, which did not look as appealing as a toy nueclear lab set, but held the same sentiment.

"I don't know if you are familiar, and I hope you don't find it passe, but it's a copy of "The Vampyre" by John William Polidori. It's known as the progenitor of the romantic vampire genre. It was written as part of a contest...between Polidori, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, and it was also in that contest that "Frankenstein" was written. I am very much so a literary buff, and while I know that much of what is written about vampires is false, I find that literature has the same effect on them as it does humans. Draws inspiration, let's someone escape. And on a personal note, I've always preferred Lord Ruthven to Lestat."

Amanda looked at the gift with a dreamy look before her eyes locked back with Juliette.

"It's an original copy. For an original Queen."

The Black Princess grabbed a champagne flute and rose it in a celebratory fashion before taking a delicate sip.

"Let it be known that The Black Court is still very much interested in the beauty of a working relationship, and is not afraid to say it outright."

 

[Black Widow]

Hellfire -- The Red King’s Suite

Alek: Just ‘good’?

He asked, carrying her the few final steps to actually make it into bed. She scrunched up the pillow under her head and smiled up at him as he laid down next to her said that he thought he should be offended. He wasn’t really, though. She loved the way his grin reached his eyes.

“Strong, yet sensitive,”

She teased affectionately, stroking his beard where it thickened at the end of chin.

“I’m so sorry, lover. It seems you’ve fucked the more articulate vocabulary right out of me.”

Alek: Perhaps I need another try to improve my score.

“As if you aren’t already at the top of the leaderboard.”

She mused, her eyes drifting closed as he started to kiss and caress her. She could just fall asleep in this bliss. It had never occurred to her that he could be so gentle, but it was nice. He kissed her stomach and she opened her eyes to look at him. He really was happy about the baby, it wasn’t an act. Something about that gesture was touching. Her life had become nearly unrecognizable, but it wasn’t a tragedy.

Alek: Are we in the window for triplets?

She gave him an amused smile, as she reached to brush his hair back from his face and run her fingers through it.

“If we are, then by now we’ve surely made four or five. I’m almost afraid to run a scan.”

She replied, and then she found his eyes.

“Would you really want more than one?”

She wasn’t sure how she felt about it, but now that she was already pregnant, there was no putting the genie back in the bottle. The suggestion he made before about reading bedtime stories came back to her now, and she started to think about what her life would be like, raising up little monsters with him. It made her smile warmly to imagine them chasing wild toddlers around the mansion.

She sighed, though, because in the back of her mind was the security feed from the Great Hall, which was starting to fill up. Lots of pawns were there, which didn’t matter, but most of the Inner Circle had arrived also. The food would be held until all the regents arrived.

“I could stay here in bed with you all day, making octuplets, but we should get going. You know how Ashley gets when she has to wait for food to be served.”

She told him, sitting up slowly. She leaned down to kiss him, her hand rubbing his chest as she cradled his head in her lap. Not so long ago it was easy to leave him in bed and go back to business, but not anymore. Now she had to force herself to get up and get dressed. Her hair was an absolute mess. She ran her fingers through it enough to braid it into a crown, and found some lipstick in a drawer. Red. It must have been Ashley’s. Haleigh kind of liked the way it looked on her own lips, though.

 

[Neptune]

Hellfire -- The Red Wing

He had left Heidi’s chambers when the sun came up, and the Guardsmen began to arrive for her meeting with them. No one battled an eye at his outfit, though he still wore the costume from the festivities of the night before. They were all long since accustomed to strange getups around Hellfire. He went down to the Aqua Ring first thing, to see that his assistant was taking care of everything, as usual.

He double checked everything any way, then went up to his own quarters to change into clean clothes for breakfast. He turned on some classical music to drown out the noise being made by the White Queen down the hall while he readied himself. When he left his quarters and saw her in the corridor, he met her eyes with a cordial expression.

Haleigh: Jack, good morning.

“Good Morning, Your Grace, and My King.”

He said, his gaze shifting from her to him. Jack realized that he’d stumbled on an opportune time to speak with the White Queen, a rare occasion given that their paths didn’t often coincide. There was a consternation he could address with her.

“I hope you aren’t still cross with Heidi about yesterday.”

Haleigh: No. I understand she’s in a very compromising position.

He nodded in agreement. She was in the most compromising position of them all, truth be told. Jack worried for her, though Heidi tried to reassure him. He knew all too well that one misstep could mean her death.

“I’m concerned that her King is taking advantage of her allegiance.”

Haleigh: After seeing her allow him to have his way with her the other day, and her willingness to obey his wishes yesterday, I’m inclined to agree.

He grit his teeth at the revelation so casually announced by Haleigh. Of course she didn’t care, her marriage with Cameron was open and everyone knew it. It was hard to determine which of the two were more promiscuous. But hearing that Cameron had been with Heidi provoked a bitter rage. He couldn’t lay the blame on Heidi. She was Cameron’s subordinate, and denying any advance from him would have been dangerous.

It was the White King who had wronged them both by claiming Heidi, and Jack suspected it was jealousy on Cameron’s part that drove him to do so. Jealousy that his wife was starting to favor Alek more than any of the other men she took to bed, or jealousy over how much time Heidi was spending with Jack, or both reasons simultaneously. But that was only a secondary concern. The most pressing matter right now was the fact that the White Queen had just admitted that she, too, believed Cameron was a little too possessed of Heidi. He needed to assure Haleigh that it wasn’t a problem.

“She would never betray her Queen, not even for a King.”

Haleigh: I hope you’re right, Jack. And even more, I hope it never comes to that.

 

[Liam Forbes]

Hellfire - The Great Hall

The American Red Queen was as congenial as ever, easy to socialize with. And the Red Knight didn’t seem nearly as savage as Juliette had warned. He didn’t take himself too seriously, either, or get offended when Liam acknowledged what he was. The ‘hair of the dog’ comment could have been deadly, and it had honestly slipped out before Liam could realize it might come across abrasive. AJ had thick enough skin, though, and not too much ego. Liam found he rather liked the man.

They briefly discussed the weekend’s unpleasant details, and Liam mentioned his regret, while also feeling out the subject of Ava, who was a bit formal and standoffish, unlike her sister in red, who was so warm and reassuring.

“Well, we thank you for your understanding in the matter. Had we known Archer was going rogue, we would have certainly stepped in and put a stop to it. Sometimes things just spin rapidly out of control before you know it.”

The only time the wolf’s hackles raised was when the subject of Archer’s attack came up. Liam eased them back out of that minefield and shifted the conversation to lighter fare. He made sure to extend the invitation to visit to AJ, so the man wouldn’t assume he was unwelcome. As the Queen’s consort, he would of course be invited.

And then Liam had to satisfy his curiosity a bit. He was always amused to hear Juliette’s opinion on vampires in film and television, and AJ was the first werewolf he’d met. It proved to be a good topic to introduce. It even allowed Juliette and AJ to exchange more than just pleasantries. Could it be they were.... getting along? Must have been the blood she was drinking. Ashley told them of a rumor she’d heard about vampire movies. Juliette smiled slyly.

Juliette: Vell, ‘ere I seet, een dze daytime. And dze Cross does not set me alight....

She replied, pulling a rosary from her sleeve, with its little carved wooden crucifix. Liam refilled her glass for her and then went back to his own drink, as Ashley asked about plans following their return to London. He gave a little shake of his head as he swallowed his coffee.

“Nothing in particular, just business as usual. Of course I’ll be designing the power-plant for your Aqua Ring facilities, and energizing its core.”

He replied casually, and then he glanced over to look at a woman in black who’d been hovering for the last few seconds. Amanda, if he recalled her name correctly. The Black Knight? She had introduced herself that first night they were here, and then slithered off. Now she presented them with gifts. Now, gifts were par for the course, but what was remarkable was the thought that went into them, and how knowledgeable she was about the contents. Hearing her speak of gamma sources and spinithariscopes peaked his interest.

Amanda: Perhaps it will sit on a shelf in your study as a keepsake, or perhaps you might fiddle around with it one some drunken evening. Either way, I thought it a fitting gift for a King such as yourself, on a few levels.

“Why, Amanda, I find myself suddenly wishing we’ve had the chance to get to know each other better this weekend. It’s very thoughtful, thank you.”

Juliette was gently inspecting her gift as well, and Liam could tell from her expression that she cherished it already. Amanda was saying it was an original copy.

Juliette: Merci beaucoup. Je n'ai pas vu ce roman depuis des siècles. Ma propre copie a été perdue en mer. Ce sera une joie de relire.
[Thank you very much. I haven't seen this novel in centuries. My own copy was lost at sea. It will be a joy to reread.]

Yeah, all he got out of that was ‘thank you very much’. He gave Ashley a crooked smile.

“Right, so it’ll be business as usual when we get home, plus I’ve just remembered I need to finish my course on learning to speak French. My understanding is so limited it’s embarrassing.”