no rivers and no lakes can put the fire out

ASTRID the seelie queen A pearl garland winds her head: She leaneth on a velvet bed, Full royally apparelled, The Lady of Shalott.

[cstrids]

princxssadelina‌:

     lucien had made his perspective known many years ago, how he was glad he wasn’t born first. that adelina had come out of their mother first and thereby making her heir to the seelie throne. as they had grown up and changed and lived through the centuries, it had become more apparent how the female twin was to be the future ruler. her brother was a wildfire and adelina was the calm and control in a storm. adelina tilts her head in curiosity, “it is rare that i have ever hidden anything from him. but mother, what is it that you are referring to? something that not even my twin can know?”

         she can see she has piqued her daughter’s interest. but curiosity is not enough - she needs to be certain that adelina can be trusted. that she can carry a secret as leaders must. “are you able to see clearly, without emotion ??” astrid cants her head, amber eyes taking in the younger seelie’s expression. lucien, alice, aerin, jason, they were all too close to this. unable to see the whole picture. would adelina be different ??  

[cstrids]

lucienwhy‌:

lucien pursed his lips, closing his eyes for a moment as he let out a deep breath, he was always quick to get rather fired up when something mattered to him, it was one of his biggest flaw if he could say so but his mother always understood, and he was glad of that. “thought so.” he mumbled, more to himself than anything as his gaze was back to her. letting her words sink in, and in one hand he could understand, sometimes raw violence doesn’t do the work, like in this case but he was also a firm believer that letting something going on for too long was a mistake when it could be handled right away. “i’m not sure, i would call it a waste of time and energy. spilling his blood would provide a very satisfying vengeance if i was the one involved. especially if i’d saw my powers being taken away from me.”

        she shakes her head; petals falling loose from her crown with the movement. amusement tugs at the corners of her lips until a slow smile rises, brief and small. “and this, my love, is why you are a warrior. not a ruler.” she does not mean it to be insulting; each of her children have their own strengths. “when you have centuries; acting immediately is foolish. especially when, as you say, you have been rendered powerless.” 

[cstrids]

alice-ofamaryllis‌:

“And you are just going to let her walk off like that?” she snapped before realizing who she was talking to. She may be her mother, but she was also the queen of the realm. Alice tried to settle her anger before continuing. “Forgive me Mother. I have been blinded by rage and sadness ever since…..” Alice felt her eyes watering. ‘Damn not now’. “Ever since Ligeia’s death. She truely meant the world to me and I should have been at the party to protect her, but because of this body I was unable to. I have to remain here. I have to avenge her. I don’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t.”

       her daughter’s tongue is sharp but all venom comes from her own agony. she doesn’t hold her rage against her; only wishes it were better directed, better utilised. “aerin is not born of my blood, though i wish she were. if she wishes to reconnect with the realm of her birth i cannot stand in her way. i can only hope to protect her.” astrid says quietly. to confine aerin to faerieland would risk outright war with the clave and such an action is poor strategy. amber eyes focus on her daughter, on the pain that clouds her expression, the tears that threaten. “ligeia was truly an unfortunate loss.” the queen murmurs, sadness reflected in her own features. “but she would not want you to risk your own life, your safety, in the name of vengeance.”

[cstrids]

merlin-pendragonx‌:

“Rest has never been a kind mistress to me. I hope she treats you better.” Merlin said grabbing a glass for her. “What brings you into town? Here to pick up your tator tots and bring them back home?”

      she shakes her head at that. when was the last time she had felt well rested ?? every scheme, every deal, every piece laid in place took a toll on her mind. “she and i are quarreling; i’m sure we’ll make up in a century or two.” astrid scoffs, reclining in her seat. “would that i could. they all seem rather intent on remaining in this realm; involving themselves in a war we have no place in.” the queen sighs, twirling a strand of auburn hair between her fingers. “why have you remained in wilshire ??”

[alice-ofamaryllis]

cstrids‌:

     her daughter is clearly less than pleased to see her but she is long used to the fickle affections of her children. “alice-” she says carefully, drawing closer to the younger seelie. “i have allowed you to indulge this vendetta for as long as i could. but this realm is unsafe for you now, it is time to return home.”

“Mother I am fine.” At least physically. She had been limiting the amount magic she was using and only using it for information. The mundanes didn’t really seem to know much, but the other downworlders seemed easy enough to manipulate. A little music was enough to put their minds at easy and tell her everything she needed to know. Alice was going to stay in this realm until she got her revenge.  “You should be more worried about Jason and Aerin. They are the mortal ones.”

[cstrids]

     mother I am fine. such wilful children she had. so certain in themselves. at another time she might have been proud - if it weren't quite so infuriating. "jason is taken care of." she rebuffs, shaking her head. "and aerin...has returned to her people." her tone tastes a bitterness, as if there is a bad taste in her mouth. she does not approve of her youngest's desire to stay with the shadowhunters. but the seelie queen holds less sway over aerin now that she has located her blood family. "you are my focus. you must return to where you are strongest."

[alice-ofamaryllis]

cstrids‌:

     she would know how to find her daughter anywhere; whether in their own realm or this one. her life is so carefully bound to the magic of faerieland that astrid always has a sense of her. for the most part, she lets her daughter be free to wander. but in a time like this, alice ought to be where she is at her strongest. “my fehtan-” she says gently as she approaches where the younger seelie walks. “it is time to come home.”

Alice froze. ‘Not yet. Not here.’ she thought. Alice hoped she would have more time before she is ran into her mother. She had already met with Lucien and he wanted her to return to the seelie realm. She was still bitter about the interaction. Even though he called her daffodil she was not as weak as one. She felt her fist clenching, but released them before turning to face her. “Mother.”

[cstrids]

     her daughter is clearly less than pleased to see her but she is long used to the fickle affections of her children. "alice-" she says carefully, drawing closer to the younger seelie. "i have allowed you to indulge this vendetta for as long as i could. but this realm is unsafe for you now, it is time to return home."

[princxssadelina]

cstrids‌:

        the words her daughter uses are the correct ones but they come with a weight she wished she did not have to carry. if she could spare her children the crown, live an eternity, she would. but she is not foolish enough to think herself indestructible. “do you wish it were your brother ??” adelina had been born moments before her brother and in doing so had taken on a world of responsibility. yet her mother had never dared to ask if she wanted it. “do you wish that he had been the first ??”

     though adelina was allowed to have a childhood, though she was allowed to travel the mundane world when she grew old enough and see what all it had. the crown princess had known that someday the crown might be hers, the seelie realm her own no matter how much she wished her mother would live forever. adelina shakes her head, “no, mother. my brother is strong. he is a warrior. he would make a general, a leader in his own way. but the crown should never have to be his own.” she remembered the times her brother had been thankful that her being born first meant that the crown would be hers one day. “i’ve made my peace with knowing that i am the oldest. that i came first. i may have wished it when i was young and naive, bu i am like that no longer.”

[cstrids]

      the explanation is reason enough for astrid to know her daughter is the right child to inherit the throne. adelina is right - her son is a warrior. but he is not a manipulator, a crafter of centuries long plans. he is fierce and strong but impulsive, emotional. her daughter will be the hand that guides the sword. "my rose-" she says quietly, her expression solemn. "if you were tasked with bearing a secret, one you could not even share with the other half of your whole - your brother - could you keep it ??"

[lucienwhy]

cstrids‌:

      she doesn’t resent her son’s happiness. more it concerns her. romantic love is a folly; one that she does not wish for her children. it is the only matter she and her own mother ever agreed on - family comes first. however, the mers stand by the same sentiment in their own way and she can only find some semblance of respect for them in that. “if he chooses he need not fight at all.” astrid muses, draining her glass. she draws dangerously close to telling her son too much but for his sake she won’t. “i had heard that the usurper has made contact with the leaders - extended an invitation. perhaps he ought to hear him out before he marches on los angeles institute.”

his brow arched in curiosity, mostly. he had always been good at reading people but with his mother? at times he found himself wondering if there was more to what she said than the simple words spoken. “i don’t think he would be fighting if he didn’t see the need to, he had always been the most paceful between all of them and yet.” lucien trailed off, a shrug of his shoulders following his own words. “hear him out.” he repeated, a frown appearing on his forehead. “what is there to hear out?” he almost scoffed. “if you were him, would you hear that good for nothing of a nephilim? if he had killed one of us? me or adelina, or even alice and aerin which would have been quite the easy target.”

[cstrids]

       "breathe, Lucien." she says wearily, reclining in her seat. had it been any other to speak to her in this way, she would have been quick to temper. but she knows her son is wilful, impassioned. she is used to his ways. "we are not a people of forgiveness. i would not simply accept the words of the nephilim." astrid says curtly, fingers drumming pensively on the table-top. "but warfare is not simply violence met with violence. to listen to your enemy is to understand your enemy. and to do so, is to allow them to concoct their own defeat." fingers snap, demanding the attention of a server to refill her glass. "if the mer-king were smart - he would know meeting with the usurper is the surest way to craft his vengeance. making it all the more satisfactory."

[merlin-pendragonx]

cstrids‌:

     “what are we drinking to, my dear one ??”

“Another day in paradise.” he mused.

[cstrids]

   "in that case, we ought to make it a rather large glass." she smiles wryly. "how is the unrest treating you, old friend ??"

[mcrdices]

cstrids‌:

          he settles on the couches despite the clear discomfort in his demeanour. on his toes, on edge, alert. good. the last alpha - or was it the one before that ?? - had had little sense. little awareness. “not solely a pretty face then.” she says drily, lowering herself into a chair of her own. without request, a servant appears bringing her a glass goblet. she takes a sip before elaborating; waving any further attendants from the room to allow herself and the wolf some privacy. “the business of shadowhunters, of their leadership and jurisdiction, is not usually a matter of concern for the court. we were here before their existence and we will be long after.” the queen hums, amber irises focused on ben’s expression. “the same cannot be said for yourself, i believe, if you are experiencing the same predicament our mer-king suffers.”

it’s obvious in his stiff demeanor that he isn’t comfortable being here, that he’s going to bolt the moment their meeting is over. if the seelie queen is offended then she doesn’t say so, and anyway, ben gets the idea that she’s enjoying this. it’s annoying as fuck. “i’m not pretty.” his eyes follow the queen’s attendants until they disappear into the shadows. he can’t imagine their jobs are very fulfilling, but then again he’s never understood how people could just bend the knee to rulers like her or like that shadowhunter. “what, you mean how he can’t sprout a fish tail anymore?” ben lifts a brow at the question she avoids outright asking him. “yeah, i can’t do that either. one of my lifelong issues.”

[cstrids]

        the retort is infantile - feeble - but comes from a place of resentment and it draws a bemused smile across rosy lips. "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." she chuckles. though for the wolf to be considered beautiful is a stretch. seelies were beautiful, mermaids perhaps too, but wolves ?? too human. too flawed. "i will take the defensive stance as confirmation of your impotence." her head cants, withering petals spilling from her crown. "tell me, do your people know their leader is vulnerable ??"

[jasonfumero-blog]

cstrids‌:

      she shakes her head briefly, bemused smile alighting her features. “i always worry about you, darling. it’s my duty.” she chuckles, gently squeezing his shoulder. at the mention of her other children, the brightness in her smile dims. “aerin is under the care of the halfling boy. adelina will be under mathias’ watch…alice is more imbedded with the mers than i would like.” she admits begrudgingly, though there is a glimmer of pride that arises in her dark eyes at the thought of her son. “lucien can protect himself.“ slowly, her gaze turns to the young wolf. "you, are you safe with this alpha of yours ?? i cannot say i trust a man i do not know.” or truly any man, for that matter.

despite the fact that his life is much different now than how it was a few years ago, jason still finds it strange to have people worrying about him. to have a mother, even. the concept had always been a foreign one, something he could know about and maybe even wish for, but never quite have. not until astrid, anyways. “then it’s my duty to assure you that there’s nothing to worry about.” he retorts with a half smile, softness on his features. it’s not exactly true; given the world they live in, there was always something to worry about. take him, for example, always worrying about his loved ones. but he doesn’t want to put that burden on her. as she talks about her other children, he merely nods in understanding, until she addresses him again. “yes, mom.” he answers with a nod. “i trust him. i have for a while now.”

[cstrids]

        he cannot possibly begin to ease her worry but his attempt to do so is one of the many reasons she cares for him. it is what makes her next move so regrettable. but Jason's good heart gives him access to things that she needs; opens doors that are ordinarily closed to her. "i hope your faith is well placed, dear one." she says gently, nimble hand dipping in to her pocket to produce a delicate golden band. "but should trouble befall you, i would like you to wear this. it holds a charm of our people; added protection to keep you safe at a time like this." astrid urges, holding the ring out to him.

[alice-ofamaryllis]

Alice could often sense the emotions and intentions of others. The town’s emotions varied from despair to joy at the current situation. She walked the streets looking not really looking for anything or anyone, but hummed a tune of her surroundings.

[cstrids]

     she would know how to find her daughter anywhere; whether in their own realm or this one. her life is so carefully bound to the magic of faerieland that astrid always has a sense of her. for the most part, she lets her daughter be free to wander. but in a time like this, alice ought to be where she is at her strongest. "my fehtan-" she says gently as she approaches where the younger seelie walks. "it is time to come home."

[merlin-pendragonx]

“Come, sit, and have a drink! The day is still young!”

[cstrids]

     "what are we drinking to, my dear one ??"

[seelierin]

cstrids‌:

         she does not approve of her daughter’s desperation to be involved in the mundane realm. but she cannot seek to control her, not unless she wants to lose her. so instead she does her best to warn her, to guide her against the follies of other downworlders. “which nephilim ??” she sharpens, amber hues narrowed. the clave have kept their distrust of her evident since her claiming of one of their own - any involvement with her daughter cannot be by chance. “you must keep your wits about you with the angels children, my love.” there is a rare flicker of a emotion the queen keeps well hidden clouding her features. fear. “they have never meant well with our kind. or their own.”

     “ i – ” aerin paused, not knowing how to answer her question that came out with such sharp tone. figuring she wanted to know just who to look for in case she couldn’t find her for some reason, the petite blonde took a breath and smiled a bit. “ his name is luca. i first met him when i visited the institute for the first time. they then offered his help which he kindly accepted to give. he’s… ” she trailed off, cheeks burning at the mere thought of the shadowhunter, the smile on her face gentle. “ he’s a good person. a good friend. oh and he’s half seelie. ” at the queen’s next words she furrowed her eyebrows, confused and slightly upset. “ but mother – ” she swallowed, then nodded slowly. “ i… i will be careful. ”

[cstrids]

      her daughter's naivety was admirable but truly stood to ruin her. once again, her mother would need to be the wall of thorns around the rose. "the institute provided you with him ??" a puppet then. or at best, a fool. "my lamb-" she says gently, noting the way aerin's manner had changed. she cared for this boy. a hand brushes against her cheek, cupping the girl's face. "goodness is relative. whether he seems a good friend - which he may well be - should he be asked, he would turn against you. it is the nature of the shadowhunter to be a soldier. to do what they are told." she lets out a weary sigh. "where you have spent your life among our people; he has spent his in this realm. the seelie in him will scarcely exist. he can lie."

[mcrdices]

cstrids‌:

     just ben. so he wasn’t fond of his full name; didn’t wear it like a badge of honor as some did. canting her head curiously, amber irises linger on his expression. he is a cantankerous little pup; that much she can see in the twinges around his eyes, the lips that fight the urge to grimace. but he is cautious enough to remain respectful, polite. not a fool. “courtesy.” she says simply, bemused smile edging at the corners of her mouth. “perhaps you’re not acquainted with this in the mundane realm. here, when we receive a guest, we offer them refreshment.” waving her hand dismissively, she gestures towards an archway - just beyond lies an atrium shrouded in foxgloves, containing a smattering of sofas for them to be seated. “no matter, I suppose we can go straight to business.”

courtesy, in the mundane realm? ben snorts, “guess not.” although he doesn’t believe even for a second that the queen is just trying to be polite. something about her makes his guts twist uncomfortably, but with his abilities dampened he can’t pinpoint the exact reason why. it’s just a bad feeling churning away without cease as he follows her into another enormous room. this one, at least, provides a bit more seating than the last. business is the reason ben figured the royal had called upon him, but he still doesn’t know exactly what she wants. seelie loyalties are…well, nonexistent if shadow world rumors are true. “what, shadowhunters?” he guesses aloud, lifting a brow as he perches stiffly on one of the couches.

[cstrids]

          he settles on the couches despite the clear discomfort in his demeanour. on his toes, on edge, alert. good. the last alpha - or was it the one before that ?? - had had little sense. little awareness. "not solely a pretty face then." she says drily, lowering herself into a chair of her own. without request, a servant appears bringing her a glass goblet. she takes a sip before elaborating; waving any further attendants from the room to allow herself and the wolf some privacy. "the business of shadowhunters, of their leadership and jurisdiction, is not usually a matter of concern for the court. we were here before their existence and we will be long after." the queen hums, amber irises focused on ben's expression. "the same cannot be said for yourself, i believe, if you are experiencing the same predicament our mer-king suffers."

[princxssadelina]

cstrids‌:

        heavy is the head that wears the crown. it’s a phrase often passed among the mundanes and for once, she recognizes its meaning. she has never felt the weight of her position - she was born for it. but adelina…perhaps she has been too gentle with her daughter, wanting her to have more than just duty. “the kingdom needs assurance.” she says firmly, watching the younger seelie’s concern at her reflection. “in times of war, the people must know where their strength lies.” all her children needed to be representatives but adelina more so than most.

     it has always been known to adelina that in that the chance her mother passed that she would inherit the crown, that the realm of their people would be her own. but while her mother had taught her so, she had also been allowed to live. to leave their realm, to explore the mundane one. and she had been thankful for that, but in this moment with the war brewing she knew had to be more, to had to be the princess and the heir. “i know, mother.” adelina breathes out deeply, straightening her posture and turning toward astrid. “it lies in us, the queen and their crown princess especially.”

[cstrids]

        the words her daughter uses are the correct ones but they come with a weight she wished she did not have to carry. if she could spare her children the crown, live an eternity, she would. but she is not foolish enough to think herself indestructible. "do you wish it were your brother ??" adelina had been born moments before her brother and in doing so had taken on a world of responsibility. yet her mother had never dared to ask if she wanted it. "do you wish that he had been the first ??"

[lucienwhy]

cstrids‌:

        dani. the sister then, lucien’s love. and the other girl, the one he considers like a daughter. his bonds with the mermaids are intricate, far too deeply woven. “their brother can lead the charge.” astrid muses, popping a cherry into her mouth. the fruit tastes unusually bitter; a betrayal of her true feelings on the matter. “for their own safety, perhaps it is better to withdraw. they need not risk being caught in the crossfire of a skirmish.”

“exactly because their brother is in the lead, and to make it worse powerless at the moment, they wouldn’t leave him fighting alone.” he mused, finally taking a sip from his glass, more so to try get his mind off his worries than to enjoy the drink.  “you should know, family for them is just as important that is for me, for us. leaving one of my sisters behind even if capable of taking care of themselves is just an absurd thought, so i understand my darling moonflower.”

[cstrids]

      she doesn't resent her son's happiness. more it concerns her. romantic love is a folly; one that she does not wish for her children. it is the only matter she and her own mother ever agreed on - family comes first. however, the mers stand by the same sentiment in their own way and she can only find some semblance of respect for them in that. "if he chooses he need not fight at all." astrid muses, draining her glass. she draws dangerously close to telling her son too much but for his sake she won't. "i had heard that the usurper has made contact with the leaders - extended an invitation. perhaps he ought to hear him out before he marches on los angeles institute."