Riding high, when I was king
I played it hard and fast, 'cause I had everything
I walked away, but you warned me then
But easy come, and easy go, and it would end
Nicknames: None (Nibs from family irritatingly)
Magic status: High Fae (Unknown) Gifted - Ice Magic
Nationality: Elfhamian
Ethnicity: White
Accent: Sort of Icelandic, very posh.
Height: 6’
Build: Very imposing posture, muscles and strong
Complexion: light
Eye color: Brown
Hair color/length/style: Coffed, split hair, black and white, sometimes he will glamour it to be one or the other but his default is spilt.
Tattoos/piercings/daily jewelry: No Tattoos, No Piercings, he tends to wear expensive watches daily but never the same.
What would you find if you Googled them?: Nothing - No social media, and no records.
What natives would know about them: Nothing really
Other: He’s the Prince of the Icelands from Elfhame. Can not lie, enjoys games and playing with his food so he’s very polite in person and values manners the most.
The end justifies the means. {Wendy, Thistle & Nimble}
One game is won, and another is lost.
Alternate title: Challenge 5, aka I was trying to do a 5 times x, 1 time y.
@my-lost-darling@thorns-ofthe-thistle
Read From the Start:
Challenge 1.
Challenge 2.
Clever Whispers (Hatter & Wendy)
Challenge 3.
Open Positions (Jess & Wendy)
Challenge 4.
Sing Me A Song (Ichabod & Wendy)
A Very Unhappy Unbirthday
Dreams Come True
Follow the White Rabbit
Off to Never-Wonderland
Down the Rabbit Hole...
Marriage is what brings us together Today
The crowd had grown frantic with the change in plans, with the announcement. Wendy had felt like the wind was knocked out of her chest.
Michael was now tied to Elfhame, in a way Wendy had always wanted to prevent. The strings that had controlled her had snapped and reattached to her baby brother. So despite the panic around her, Wendy didn’t move.
Not until she was pulled and tugged away and by then her and Jane were steps behind everyone else. Wendy needed to move faster, she needed to not drag Jane down. But her wedding dress hadn’t been made to run in.
Letting go of Jane, Wendy gathered her dress up, running just behind her.
She couldn’t fail again. She wouldn’t fail again.
But Wendy’s shoes weren’t made for running and it sunk in the muck that was the Fenlands. For once the land that was her savior, held her back.
Abandoning her shoes Wendy continued to run through the crowd, her cousin already too far ahead.
Her brothers even further ahead and Wendy wanted to cry.
Wendy was failing, again and again she was dragging her family down.
Michael never would have had to do this if Wendy hadn’t lost.
And Wendy knew they wouldn’t leave without her, despite the fact she would want them to. Turning to the trees Wendy hide behind one as she took a deep breath to regroup.
She was failing, but Wendy knew these lands. She had spent enough time wandering it. Once this land had meant Freedom and Wendy had learned it so it would never become a maze she couldn’t escape.
Not like the garden of the High Court that changed with the season to keep their guests guessing.
Wendy would have been the High Lady of the Fenlands.
This would have been her home.
She was still in command.
“Hello Wendy.”
Wendy twisted around to look at Nimble, his clothes still pristine, despite the fray around them, he did not have a single hair out of place.
“Why don’t we have one more challenge.”
“Challenge? I’m not even to be the next royal of this lands and you still can not leave me alone!” Wendy spat out. “Why can’t you just leave me alone.” Wendy stalked toward him. What did she have to lose.
She had no more power, she had nothing else to worry about. The game had changed in ways none of them had been expecting. Despite Nimble’s grin he couldn’t have predicted this either.
“Then we might as well finish our game. The last challenge between us. For old times sake.”
“What do you want?”
Nimble hummed his butterflies now circling him and her but neither of them touched her skin nor his.
“If I win, you return to the Icelands with me.” Nimble grinned and Wendy didn’t want to know what he had in mind. Why her? How could she help him? What did he get out of this?
Yet Wendy needed to be smart, if he was going to ask for something with such a high price, so would she.
“If I win, you never return to the Mortal realm while I am alive.” One day he would but by then her brothers would know how to face him if he didn’t get bored before then which she was truly hoping he would.
Nimble wasn’t phased by the ask, in fact his face never shifted. He never even gave it a second thought. He never for a second thought he would lose.
“Deal.”
“Deal.”
As the words escaped their lips the butterflies landed on Wendy’s skin, as a circle of ice surrounded them. Not too high someone couldn’t climb in but high enough no mortal could. Nimble after all didn’t want any of the mortals to get in the way.
“Escape. If you do I will not stop you, nor will I go after you.” Nimble stated simply, Wendy had forgotten to ask what the challenge was before asking for such a high price. Nimble would win and Wendy would be his, which meant so was the rest of the Darlings.
If there was one thing the mortal realm was good at, it was good at showing him just how much the Darlings were willing to sacrifice for one another. A very stupid trait but a very mortal trait.
Wendy stepped away from Nimble, brushing the butterflies off her skin letting them fly back to Nimble as she touched the wall. She didn’t have time to try to melt it.
She couldn’t climb it, nor she did have anything on her to make footholds to climb up.
But Wendy did have one thing, Nimble didn’t know of. Something barely anyone did.
Ice was Ice and Wendy already knew how to shatter glass with her voice.
How hard could it be?
Taking a deep breath, Wendy hummed softly before her pitch increase, before her volume increased forcing Nimble to cover his ears as the ice wall crackled and popped. A higher note Nimble stepped back, the sound echoed around the circle.
Swallowing both of them.
Amplifying her voice.
Using his magic against him.
The crack spread upward before splintering outward, around the circle until it all fell outward, leaving them vulnerable to the scuffle around them.
Wendy hadn’t failed. Jumping over the ice wall that remained, Wendy had won.
Turning back to Nimble with a grin she curtsied to him.
“This looks like the last time we will ever see one another.” After 5 losses, Wendy had won the most important battle.
And from the glare on his face, Nimble wasn’t happy with that result. Nimble stalked forward as Wendy scrambled back.
“You stated you would let me go.” Wendy reminded him and just like that Nimble stopped still within the remains of the ice circle.
She had bested him.
Nimble had lost.
Or had he.
“Hello Thistle.”
THISTLE:The battle was chaos.
Thistle had known it would be. The problem was: they were the only one. Which meant they were the only one prepared. They had gathered the Darlings as best they could and made a break for the gates that would take them back to Swynlake. If only they could make it through—
But the group fell apart.
First Wendy disappeared. Then Jane.
Michael and Alice slow moving, shivering and soaked through. Everyone without a weapon, though Thistle had stolen a few off the queen’s guards and tossed it to them. The lightweight, fae blades would be easy enough to wield for even someone inexperienced, but were still small in the ways of protection. At least here, in the Fenlands, in his home, his kingdom, his magic was at his fingertips. A dense fog surrounded them, keeping away enemies. Confusing and disorienting them as they moved through the crowd.
It was all there was for it. They had to keep pushing, trusting Wendy knew the way. She had taken the trip enough. She knew the way.
They made it all the way to the gates without sight of Wendy.
Jane reappeared without her.
“I’ll go back,” he said before anyone could stupidly volunteer. “Stay here.” The mortals couldn’t get through the gate without them but that wasn’t what Thistle meant.
Doubling back, they noticed the ice wall and headed straight for it, knowing it was their target. They assessed it from a distance to see if they could vault over it, but just as they neared—
It shattered.
Thistle drew up short, throwing up his arm to protect himself from the shrapnel ice.
They came upon Wendy, just as they thought. And Nimble.
Thistle pointed their blade at Nimble. It already dripped blue with blood. “Nimble.”
They held their free hand out to Wendy, though they did not take their eyes off their cousin.
WENDY:
Wendy hesitated before reaching out to Thistle. All this time her hatred had been toward the Queen, even at the height of her distrusting Thistle she never hated them. She hated herself for trusting them. She hated herself for being so easily manipulated by the Queen.
Wendy had always thought herself as so strong but now.
She knew she was weak.
Still she was smart enough to know she had to get out of here and the best way to do that was to trust Thistle. She could deal with everything else when they left.
So she took his hand and let herself be pulled closer and away from Nimble.
NIMBLE:“You’ve come a little too late. All the deals and challenges are done. All the winners have been announced.” Nimble stated moving closer though he didn’t draw his sword. The ice melted under his hand so he didn’t have to jump over the small wall.
“It seems you’re not the saviour you had hoped you would be.”
THISTLE:“I never said I was a saviour.”
But, perhaps, Nimble was right. Perhaps that was what they wanted. In this world where they only half fit, they had wanted to mean something. To be something different. Maybe something kinder, if they could not be smarter. Softer, if they could not be harder. Maybe that was the truth at the heart of themself. Someone who yearned to save. Or be saved. Or maybe both.
There was no time to contemplate that now.
Thistle’s longsword was nearly close enough to take a slash at Nimble’s chest now as their cousin advanced. All their muscles coiled in anticipation.
“All these deals can be undone and I will see to it that they are. We have won. Don’t feel so bad about it, you and the queen put up a fight,” they said, feigning confidence, as they were used to doing. Their cousins always made them feel half as big. Still a knobbly kneed kid--a mortal amongst monsters.
NIMBLE:
“You did not, but you orchestrated all of this didn’t you? To save Wendy, to save Alice, to save Michael from the Queen.” Nimble stated another step closer, sure Thistle could slash him but Nimble was banking on his words having enough weight to make them stop.
“Did you think I would let the Son of Suns go if that wasn’t what I wanted? Did you think I would let my guard conceded in battle? Or give John a challenge he could win, one Wendy should have won? Did you think you and your mortals bested me?” Nimble stated simply, though he smirked showing that he was in control, that he had always been in control. Wendy had already moved herself out of the battle, out of earshot of the two of them.
“Did you really think this was all your idea?”
THISTLE:Thistle watched Nimble come closer the way a mongoose watched a viper, not letting their guard down—even though Nimble was not raising his weapon.
His cousin’s words were a cold trickle down the spine. The chaos of the wedding-turned-battle fell to nothing. There was only Nimble and the hair raised on Thistle’s arms.
The reveal that Nimble had orchestrated the trials was not that shocking. They had come to that realization during the trials themselves. The why had haunted, though. It still haunted now.
Thistle readjusted their grip of their sword, the tip having lowered as Nimble came nearer.
“You didn’t know Alice was mine,” Thistle said forcefully, pushing the insinuation away. “You could not have.”
NIMBLE:Nimble shrugged, he would let Thistle ponder over that, agonize over it of what he did wrong, what they gave away. He hadn’t know it was a blood connection but Nimble had known it was powerful and confirmed just how powerful when Thistle showed up for her.
“I got what I wanted, Thistle.” Michael was out of the Queen’s control. The Fenlands had caused such a strife that Nimble didn’t need to worry about any backlash. He could continue to move his pawns as he saw fit. Even as the morphed and changed shape, Nimble was the hand that moved them.
“You should probably run if you wish to escape with your life. Your actions will catch up soon.”
THISTLE:I got what I wanted.
Thistle wished they could say the same. They had gotten what was needed. For the Darlings. He had saved Michael. Saved Wendy. Protected Alice the only way he felt he could: by marrying her to the son of suns, the lucky one. By giving her an army and an impenetrable fortress.
But their enemies had gotten what they wanted anyway. Thistle felt as if they were sinking into the pluff mud around them, even though they knew how best to walk across it. Light and quick. They never should’ve stopped to confront Nimble. Never should’ve given in to the urge to brag. The urge to say: look, I can do this too. I am just as fae as you are.
It wasn’t true.
If this had taught Thistle anything it was this: they would always be of two worlds.
“And I’ll be ready for them,” Thistle growled, not tearing his eyes away from his cousin. There was a challenge in them. Always a challenge.
They waited a moment longer and then turned on their heel, jogging after the Darlings through the mist. To the gate that would lead them all to Swynlake. He’d have to destroy it behind them. Just so Nimble couldn’t make good on his promise. At least, not so easily.
There would be no time to rest. They would have to call on Briar and Slightly. Either make allies or enemies of them. And try, maybe, to talk to Alice properly. As family. Though, he wasn’t exactly sure how to do that, considering most of his family was currently trying to kill them all…
WENDY:
Wendy didn’t know why Thistle or Nimble were just standing there and talking, they had to leave, they needed to get out of here. She could only hope she was the only one that had gotten separated from her family and she would return to see them safe and sound at the gate.
And while she was tempted to run and leave Thistle behind, after all isn’t that what he had done to her. Controlled and manipulated all of their lives for what? To get the son of suns, to break their engagement but to doom her brother.
She wanted to leave him, to abandon him. That’s what they always did, acted without letting others help.
But they needed them to get back so she hid and watched them interact. She watched Nimble’s eyes lift up to hers when Thistle turned their back.
She had won, he would remain in Elfhame. But from the expression on his face, it hadn’t looked like he lost at all.
NIMBLE:
Thistle ran.
Just the way he was supposed to. After the loss of one bet, it was good to remember just how much control Nimble had. Looking up at Wendy who now moved with Thistle running toward the gate he offered her a smile.
He would take as much joy out of her win as possible.
He may not return to the Human realm while she was alive but they would have to return here. Her family was tied to Elfhame now and while he would look for a rematch one day.
Mirabel wished she were better at this. Because right now, she was just angry— and she couldn't even come up with something clever or intimidating to say. She just got more and more angry the more she looked at this guy and his creepy smile.
"Just... leave her alone," Mirabel said, her voice shaking a little bit. God, this was so embarrassing. She hoped it wouldn't get back to Alice. "Don't you have something better to be doing with yourself?"
"No." Nimble stated simply. In fact he was having more fun then he had in awhile actually.
"You're the one that interrupted me. Really you should be the one to get on with your life. Or you can go tell your girlfriend what you think if going on. Give her a heads up." Of course Nimble would head out if she did. He needed Alice to not worry about him.
Mirabel narrowed her eyes. She did not think of herself as a very intimidating person, but if there was a moment to try and stand up for herself, it was now. She knew he was teasing her. She just hoped she wouldn't crack.
"You know what I'm talking about. Just don't be weird," Mirabel responded. A little late for that, but she didn't know what else to say. She just wanted this guy to leave Alice alone. It was freaky, the way he was watching her.
"What is being weird?" Nimble taunted, the girl could try to intimidate him all she wanted but the thing was, she was bait if anything. Perhaps he could use her at a later date but right now... she was just something to play with.
"You'll have to use your words more so I can know what you mean."
Nathaniel was pissed. Wendy had outsmarted him twice. Twice.
The mortal was crafty which meant he had to be more so. She may have been able to continue to work at the Court, she may have been able to repurpose her voice but there was a very easy way to solve this.
After all, Wendy had gotten sloppy. She had opened her heart to a mortal.
There was a quiet threat the next time the pair had gone out, a couple butterflies following around the writer. Something that he would not notice more beyond it not being the season for butterflies but Wendy would know.
And she did.
But she refused to give Nimble the control he wanted, she continued the date she had with Ichabod. Eyeing the butterflies as they hovered and hid around them. Eventually as their time ended and Wendy marched to wherever the butterflies lead her.
As always Nimble had chosen the forest. Where he felt most at home but that didn’t mean she couldn’t feel at home either. She had found her way through it once and she would do it over and over again.
“Wendy.”
“Nimble.”
“You are playing a dangerous game, playing with the outcomes. You think I don’t know how you gave information that was not yours to give. Or how you located a loophole.” If it hadn’t been for Ren and Jess, Nimble would be playing a little more there.
But as such Jess was off limits so he had to play a different game.
He had to draw Wendy out.
“You choose a game and you weren’t smart enough to out think me.” Wendy stated, very stupidly and she knew it but at the same time she was mad at him. She was angry he had taking her life and made of game of it.
“Just say what you want and let’s end this.”
“If I win you stop performing at the Court.” Nimble stated simply.
“If I win you stay away from me, my family and anyone we even care about in this town.” Wendy stated simply, she wanted this over, she wanted him to stop these games and if she could cut off his access maybe he would just get bored.
He nodded and of course he did. Thinking he would win.
And maybe he would but Wendy would figure it out. She always did.
“It’s quite a simple challenge. A race.”
“Myself vs a Fae, Those are pretty stacked odds.”
“It will be equal. A race to find someone. I won’t use my butterflies and It’s all about your mind. Knowing someone. Surely if you know your humans well enough you can find them first. But it can not be your family.”
Who would she be able to find quickly. Someone he didn’t know either.
“Sarina.” The girl shouldn’t be at work and if she hadn’t tripped Nimble’s radar maybe Wendy could get there first.
Nimble just nodded simply. “I’ll give you a head start.”
Wendy wasn’t about to wait for him to take it back. She spun on her heel trying to think it through. She could be with DeSoto, but the other was likely to be at work at this time. She obviously had her house but it was too early for her to turn in for the night.
She was most likely out. Looking for a hook up.
She wouldn’t do that at the Court. So Pixies or out of town. If she was out of town Wendy was out of luck so Pixies it was.
Running through town was easy. Some of the looks she got not so much but it didn’t matter not when she got to the door and showed her ID.
It hadn’t taken her long at all. It was a fast decision and she was quick on her feet too. Surely she had beat Nimble.
And yet here he was towering over the crowd, leaning slightly over Sarina as if talking to her, flirting with her. But Sarina’s hands were glowing green ready to fight him and Wendy knew. She had lost.
Nimble turned to look at her with a grin, giving Sarina just enough space to burn him, but it didn’t get rid of that shit eating on his face. All he did was pull around and sprinkle some ice around the girl before trailing past Wendy.
“He’s a dick.” Sarina muttered as Wendy walked closer.
Mirabel knew he wasn't looking at the case of snacks. She narrowed her eyes. Rarely was she confrontational, and she knew she wasn't good at it, but if some weird guy was bothering Alice...
A protective impulse rose up in her. "She's got a girlfriend, you know," Mirabel blurted out, and tried to make her expression more intimidating (to a questionable degree of success). "So whatever you were thinking, forget it."
Nimble's eyebrow didn't drop, infact he was quite amused. What did she think she was doing yipping at him.
Turning slightly so his full attention was on her. "What do you think I'm thinking?" Did she think he was going to try stealing her? Perhaps but not in that way Mirabel might expect.
Wendy had won one round of bets with Nimble. Of course it wasn't a true win, it was a loophole, it was dangerous and it was terrifying.
Especially when Nimble walked into the Court.
Nimble usually had a dark glint in his eyes but today it was dangerous. It was angry and it promised pain.
Thankfully it was early enough there were only a few mulling around her coworkers for the most part away from the danger that just walked through the door.
Sarina though had stood up straight as if all her senses were on high alert. But Wendy lifted her hand to the other.
She had this.
Nimble had made her yield last time but she was prepared.
"Hello Wendy, Darling." Nimble stated as he slipped in a bar stool.
"What's the challenge?" Wendy questioned with a raised eyebrow. She didn't want to make small talk. She wanted to get this over with and get back to work.
"That is no way to treat a guest. Am I not a guest at this establishment."
"I could easily have you banned."
"That would require explaining why you want me banned."
"It wouldn't." Wendy didn't elaborate more. She knew Jess. She knew even of she couldn't talk about it the other would do her best to listen and figure it out. All of them would. They had been trying for years to understand her and the words in between her sentences.
"Then I will offer the bet first. I win and you quit this job."
Isolation.
Nimble knew how important this place was to her. How it gave her a sense of belonging, a sense of family even beyond her own.
He knew making her quit would isolate her especially when she wouldn't be able to say why.
But couldn't she?
Her family didn't work here. While she might think of them as one, she was only precluded from telling her family.
"And if I win you are unable to ever step foot in the Court again." Wendy stated simply, which Court though. The Court of Miracles. The High Court. She would define it later when she won.
"Deal." It was obvious Nimble didn't think he would lose, barely giving a second thought to her demands but she wanted him to eat those words.
"How about a game of darts? A skill you should have after working her for so long."
Wendy did play here and there. Sometimes with Des sometimes with others when it was slow. She could manage a game but that didn't mean he wasn't better.
He usually was.
"We use the darts allocated by the club. You are not allowed to use your powers against either dart or anything that will effect them." Wendy stated simply. He had telekinesis for Heaven sake. How would she win otherwise.
"I will not use any magic to effect the darts once they are in the air."
It was the best Wendy was going to get and she knew it. But she also knew he was up to something just how he worded it.
"Deal."
Setting the knife down Wendy had started to clutch she took a deep breath wiping her hands on a nearby towel nodding at Sarina.
A silent conversation between the two girls. Sarina knew something was wrong but this was a fight for Wendy.
The heat in the girl's hand showing she was ready to cut a bitch if needed.
Still Wendy walked to the game of darts with Nimble grabbing the darts on the way and setting his on a table so she didn't have to touch him.
But she could already feel the cold seeping from him.
Nimble never did fight fair despite bragging about honor. Wendy would have tried to be somewhat honorable but now she had no wish to.
With a glance in Sarina's direction she nodded and the other grinned.
Back and forth they went. Nimble increasing how cold he made it and Wendy shivering in turn. But Sarina banged around and stumbled into the man distracting him.
The Fae Prince glaring at Wendy as Sarina caused him to miss another shot.
He was still closer if he got the one point he would win while Wendy still needed 21.
Try as she might Sarina wasn't able to distract him enough and Nimble scored his last point with the least amount of darts.
"Good try but you can't outsmart a Fae Prince." Nimble grinned as he strolled out, the deal between them would make sure she complied. He didn't need to make sure she would comply.
Wendy on the other hand was cursing herself out again. She had walked right into it. She had never had a chance.
