Astralis Post-Event Plot Drop (1/?)
The Beaumont-Wren wedding was a celebration to remember. The untold-of alliance between the Night Court, the Wild Hunt and The Garden had brought together an impending sense of something new beginning, along with great uncertainty in its wake. All night, the guests had mingled with one another, watching and waiting to see just who of the many Courts would make their first move in the wake of this new development. Yet as the celebrations continued, they had all begun to relax, increasingly certain that any concerns of war would be put off for yet another day, and that they could continue their revelries in peace.
Given the rare occasion brought forward by the gathering of the Courts, the High Lords and Ladies elected to hold a private council meeting among them. As the festivities wound to a close, the rulers shifted to more isolated quarters to discuss the shifting balance of power between them, while their citizens recovered from their inebriation in the guest rooms elsewhere. As dawn broke through, the Court rulers unsheathed their verbal claws, ready to do battle to protect their interests. Yet wholly unaware to them, there were others with a vested interest in their activities, lurking in plain sight. Watching. Waiting.
But a horrified scream filled the air, as the sound of breaking glass disrupted their murmured discussions.
The source of the servant’s screams had landed with a dull thud as they had opened one of the many balcony doors in the expansive estate their meeting was hosted in, and within the viewpoint of so many guests, there was no hiding the macabre sight before them. A Fae bedecked in the resplendent regalia of the Autumn Court lay staring at the ceiling lifelessly, the jagged stem of a serving knife buried so deeply into her throat that only the handle could be seen visibly. Blood pooled around her, a viciously violent maroon that spread across the floor and stained the moon-touched marble red.
Guards swamed to the scene, pushing spectators back as they wrestled for control of the unexpected situation. “Step back! Calm yourselves!” Their protests fell on deaf ears as the crowd swelled with unease and panic, looking among one another in uncertainty as the Court security pushed back against them. “This was an accident, surely!” The nobility swelled against it, nervousness taking over rational thought. “Accident? This was murder!” “You told us this would be safe!” “Who’s responsible for this?”
In the jostling, another cry pierced through the murmuring. “L-look up there! At the wall!” The concern shifted to where the body had fallen from, where a guest pointed out the crimson markings peeking out behind the velveteen curtain. As one of the guards pulled the material away, bloodied words written hastily came into striking focus, fear creeping into the hearts of the guests while the human servants, slowly but surely, disappeared from sight.
‘The Resistance sends its regards.’
To Be Continued...
