the winter child

safie attar. the contingent. winter fey. cis, she/her

[xsafie]

sayf-insurgent‌:

give and take, push and pull, the desire to protect vs the desire to harm. The best defence is a good offence but what makes a war holy? what justifies bloodshed? what allows them to raise a sword against one who didn’t ask to aligned in such a way (though they made a choice, took a risk, and perhaps that is reason for damnation enough)?

this friendship between the winter child and the new high king was odd enough as well, no matter that they’d been escorting safie around the palace at odd times for near a century. at first, it had been an excuse to prevent unwarranted harassment from some of the guards (though they quickly found themselves replaced, sent off to strange and quiet locations to monitor instead, no reason needed), or to free up those who couldn’t bear the prospect, too afraid or worried about the child (they, also, were sent away, for if they couldn’t bear one winter fae, how were they to protect anyone?). so sayf had volunteered, whenever they were able, and now safie’s presence at their elbow was becoming eerily familiar, comfortable.

[ if the world was destroyed and you had to start over, what things would you keep from this life? the pyramids, mathematics, a person, the memory of a kiss, or leave nothing but ash in the smoldering remains and build something entirely new? ]

silence accompanied them for a few moments, a comfortable cloak that sayf let wrap around them, before safie broke it, letting the shards of it clatter to the ground around them like ice. It was the winter queen who had left that ring of bruises, for who else would dare, who else would be capable of leaving such a mark without any retaliation? They tensed for just a moment, the anger brushing up against their skin again (take take take, leave a trail of blood as demonstration of destruction, justice wreaked on these fae who claimed and broke and held the world in nothing but selfish regard), let a ripple of frustration show as they hummed.

❛ did she say those words exactly? ❜ fae couldn’t lie, but they could twist the truth, layers of falsehood underneath a single innocuous sentence, masters of manipulating implied sub-text to allow incorrect conclusions, a thousand interpretations for a thousand ears and re-tellings. safie could have believed one understanding, false as it may have been, and spread it as truth via their own words. ❛ what about the winter court in general? ❜ they asked, what about yourself? they left unsaid.

“Had she truly raised an attack on the High Queen, I fear she would have been successful.” Safie brought a hand up to trace the edges of her throat, drawing away when the barely there pressure was felt as a sharp pain. “I cannot say for the winter fae, but I do not move lest our Queen bids it and I had no part to play in this.” She looked at them, a silent plea for their belief, and then it was gone, a flame guttered out.  

“Perhaps there is more,” she gestured vaguely ahead,  referencing some unseen thing, “I would not know...I have stayed far outside the realm of their politics.” Their steps down the corridor were barely audible, but other fae could be heard, their voices distant but there. She drew further into her cloak, trying to piece together something she barely knew or understood. 

[xsafie]

sayf-insurgent‌:

response to @xsafie here

they saw the way the winter child started, fear flashing in their eyes when sayf stepped from the shadows, a flinch. their eyes narrowed at the response, took in the stiffness of their neck, the touch of bruising blossoming like a necklace held tight against the skin. the anger bubbled inside, a familiar friend, whispering promises of damnation for the fae who believed themselves to own everything, no repercussions or consequences in sight.

they wanted to snarl, wanted to respond, wanted knuckles to turn white with rage and bloody with punishment, but let it fade as safie stepped forwards instead, fear turning to relief and wasn’t that sick. turning towards them, such obvious relief on their face as the fear fled, as though they were able to provide any protection from the chaos occurring, as though they weren’t the  c a u s e.

instead, they smirked, let their hands unfold as they stood straight.  ❛ sorry,   ❜  they said, no regret on their face, before tilting their head as safie looked over them, something like concern easing in her shoulders.

they hummed in response to the not-a-question, something cold glittering in their eyes. appearances, lies, everything false that lay under their tongue but was hidden by a thousand layers of refracting crystal. they were supposed to be looking for the threat, for the person who shot the arrow, for the person who sent the note, for a person inciting rebellion. what better scapegoat than the winter child, hated by everyone, even their own court. they were the general, here to protect, to safeguard.

they motioned to the corridor ahead, asked  ❛ where were you headed? ❜  before they let their posture soften, coldness fading as they started to walk.  ❛ sel, right? ❜  if they did have even the slightest part to play, the slightest inclination to play, to light a match in this forest, more reason to give her more free reign. and if not, sayf couldn’t begrudge her that, not when she had chosen this life even less that them.

if the time ever came, when lines were drawn, the edges of the courts more sharply defined, she wondered where she might land, at who she might be staring at on the other side. if she lived to see it. the winter child’s fate had always been in the clutches of another, first the summer king’s test, bound to choose between a life of eternal summer or risk the winter’s cold for the love of an equal, now the winter queen’s demands are hers to fulfill, her will frost bound. would she be at the forefront, staring at sayf with a weapon in their hand and sel’s orders to guide it? she suspected the other courts would align themselves alongside the high queen, if it was the winter court they were aligned against. 

would she fight to save herself?  blizzards swirling and raging whisked the question and its half formed answers from her mind as quickly as they came. she must not let herself die by the whims of the others. she was still her own. she would always be her own. 

sayf’s question broke her from thought once more, another heroic rescue of the high court’s general. she glanced where they motioned and though it had not been an intentional action on her part, when they said it, she could not help but nod. she wanted to see sel. “yes,” safie regarded them respectfully and, as they began to lead her down the corridor, she gratefully followed. 

 she briefly thought about suggesting they not allow safie to interrupt their plans. she had heard of the summer court’s revels and she knew of some fae that would go regardless of invitation. though, as safie thought about it, it would be folly to have guards slack after an almost-assassination. sayf, however, was no mere guard, but a general suited for warfare and tactics, not door minding. she could barely remember the celebration of their raise in station, but safie came to know how impressive they were and envied them from afar-- not their battles, their killing floors, or abilities, but their rise, their command, their freedom in the high court. if here was anyone who would find out who was behind the attack-- if there was anyone she could trust, it would be sayf.

 “i...had an audience with the winter queen,” safie kept her gaze ahead, feeling the ghost of aster’s fingers about her throat, “she claims not  to be the one behind this attack.” foolish. it was aster’s voice in her head, but it was a desperate attempt to be helpful, a first in centuries.

[historyavatars]

Avatars 200x320

Medalion Rahimi, in Still Star-Crossed

[xsafie]

iceheartcd‌:

        𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫.  she too had been reckless when she was younger,   nothing more than a petulant child with a raging fire in her eyes.  despite her many years in this world,   aster still felt like that angry child sometimes.  perhaps she would always be angry.  still,  no matter how much she recognised the fire in safie,   that didn’t mean she’d allow her to speak to her in such a manner.   sometimes lines had to be drawn.

           the queen watched her child intently as she poured them both a goblet of one,  a tremble in her steps.    aster still had it,   the ability to make people quiver.  she smiled to herself  & joined her companion by the table.  aster accepted the goblet but did not drink,   instead she held it in the air for a moment.  ‘ a toast … to our future &  all the excitement it holds. ’

            the wine hit her lips but aster did not taste it,   for all she could taste was the sweet revenge she would soon have.  she put down the goblet  & clapped her hands together.    ‘ we’re going to have so much FUN. ’ 

/fin

[xsafie]

 sayf-insurgent :

@xsafie​ /// soon after the coronation /// high court palace corridors

this was …. unexpected, to say the least. seladon’s reaction was severe, more bloodthirsty, more righteous (more like them) than they had expected. the day previous had been spent ‘hunting for clues’ in some vain attempt to identify the culprit, and today was spent watching blood drain from the floor. 

for now, instead, they haunted the palace, treading steps they hadn’t truly needed to guard in two centuries, slow steps circling where seladon lay, trying to relax. circling, trying to put together the pieces, the only momentary delay, this sudden wrath, vengeance, the shake in her hand. circling, ‘protecting’ the throne. they could go in now, murder her, probably do it in a way that none would be the wiser. 

still, they paced, out of sight from the guards, knowing their paths, their routines. they didn’t steal in, wouldn’t slit another throat, and not just because there was a possibility of her being something different, something more, something less. instead, it was for the same reason that they aimed at the guard, aimed for the crown to break, rather than for seladon as she had walked to the throne. it wasn’t just sel, it wasn’t just the crown, it was a plan for it all to break down, forever.

they walked, silent, through the shadows and corridors, before spotting a similar shadow, slipping with ease past the guards, despite the ever so slight dip in temperature she brought with her. sayf paused for a moment, watching her wander, before taking a short path to skip ahead of her, leaning against a wall around the corner, waiting for her to pass.

❛ what’s a pretty thing like you doing wandering the corridors alone?  ❜  they said, stepping forwards as safie rounded the corner.

it had taken a long time to break the icicles off of herself, the dress she had worn now a puddle on the ground in her own chambers. the jagged teeth of winter was no longer around her throat though Aster had been sure to mark her in some other way, the bruising at her throat difficult to see in dim lighting but felt more so than the dress. when she had finally changed into her usual attire, a simple linen shirt and trousers, a fur lined cloak hanging off slim shoulders, she took to wandering the High Court.

 the attack on the crown was still in everyone’s mind, and would be for some time, their whispers through the halls barely audible but useful. she used the noise to avoid the owners of the voices, changing directions every so often when she suspected a group of fae would be beyond a corner. the guards left her alone and for that she was thankful but all her wandering and she had yet to find who she sought. she started at their words, only then noticing the figure as safie came around a bend. she paused in her steps and in the scant amount of seconds it took to recognize the other fae, she had imagined every awful plot. 

“sayf.” the name to the face she saw before her and the fear left, a familiarity taking over. “you startled me.” a glance around to secure their privacy and safie closed the distance between them by a few steps. 

safie had worried that sayf would be in harm’s way, as they were expected to step between the High Queen and any assailant. she had even worried in the panic that the guard who had fallen was them, but seeing sayf there in front of her, the emotions that had seized her in those moments waned. safie studied them coolly from head to toe, not voicing her concern in case the walls had ears but she saw no signs of physical injury. the tension in her shoulders eased by a fraction. “quite the...event, earlier.”  

[xsafie]

tenaciousdreamcr‌:

When: an hour after the coronation

Where: the sun theater

Status: for @xsafie​

Seladon couldn’t remember how long she had been laying there, in the water of the sun theater pond, staring up at the galaxies above. Her thoughts unfurled slowly at first, then all at once, a wicked blossom of intricacies. She was too numb, too shocked to cry. After the coronation, after the execution, she had been whisked away to get cleaned off and changed into a different outfit for her appointment at the black citadel, and following festivities. Silent, Yuliya had peeled her out of her clothes, cleaned the blood, anointing oils, and makeup from her void countenance. 

The newly coronated queen had requested a quick detour to the sun theater before she had to leave for the citadel; but the longer she laid there in the cool, calm glass-like waters, the less she wanted to ever move from that spot. It was like a healing balm for her mind, seeping into her marrow and soothing the hot rough edges of her soul. Seladon lifted her head just in time to hear approaching footsteps, familiar in their rhythm, a smile quickly alighting her features. Turning in the water to lay on her stomach— her black and gold sheer dress in a pool of bright fabrics on the marble pond edges. The sight of the winter child was enough to momentarily stop her crushing thoughts from closing in on her further- “Well, well, it’s almost like you could read my mind- how did you know I wanted to see you?” A smirk played at the curves of her rosey tiers. 

 With news that the High Queen was alive and well, ordering executions in a show for power, Safie had finally found the will to settle the emotions roiling around since the almost-assassination. The vindictive held no place for weakness in her court and as such, Safie’s response to the attack had been disgraceful. The Winter Child had since pulled herself into some semblance of a respectable subject of her court, changed out of the dress of ice, but her regent’s touch was still felt, fresh bruising blooming across her throat.

Somehow she had made it past the guards without them stopping her, had she been an assassin, had she been Aster’s true charge...the temperature fluctuated around her, but it plateaued when Safie finally caught sight of Seladon. It was not intentional, her seeking out Seladon, it was not her place. She had only been aimlessly wandering, wanting to stay as far away from the Summer Court’s revels as she possibly could. Yet, she found herself in the High Queen’s presence, studying the ripples of fabric in the water as the fae turned to greet her, and knew she had been looking for her all along, to be held as familiarly with her gaze as she had before. The High Queen spoke and chaos ordered itself, something slotting into place in her chest, a relief that had yet to be felt till now. Safie stayed rooted in place, and though she longed to close the distance, to prove Seladon was no mirage, she tore her gaze away from the new regent to look around, securing their privacy. They-- she was not allowed to be as such under the scrutiny of the other fae, but alone, with only the waters as witness, Safie dropped all pretenses.  She was proud of Sel, of all that she had done to assure that strength would be at the forefront of topic when it came to the High Court’s new regent. Safie hoped that it would be enough to deter future attacks, not just for the High Court but for her friend.

“Your desire mirrors my own. Though I believed you would be..immersed in celebration,”  She returned her attention to Seladon, gestured to the waters and finally stepped closer to the edge of the pool, “enjoying the new perks of your station.” 

[xsafie]

maelstrom-cal‌:

As much as he wasn’t eager to admit it, not for lack of focus at the time, he couldn’t guess exactly what was going on. He should have been more invested in the crowning, true, but as was generally the case Cal kept one eye on the royal affairs and the other where it was supposed to be trained, on the Undersea’s heir, and his friend. For all the things that he wasn’t he was, shockingly, a bit better at his job than most would have given him credit for. Not that it did any good at the time, a very stark and harrowing reminder of the actual dangers even in the midst of supposed celebrations. Even then it reflected in his actions; shoulder raised and stiff towards the people too close, flanking Safie rather than crowding her, she certainly was not anyone he needed to or was obligated to set himself into the space between her and the chaos but he fell into the reflexes so easily. Learned, or maybe in part his nature, keeping the outside at bay after her display of uneasiness before.  

“Isn’t one enough?” It wasn’t for want of coming off informal, more that he forgot that little detail too much when his mind was running full tilt and stumbling over direction. “The one was effective enough, I’d rather not see what happened with two if there is another one lurking around.” Impressive enough that it didn’t show in the rest of him, steady on his feet was often hit or miss but not the case right then. Another few steps though and he had to sidestep, his jaw tensed and gaze bouncing from one person to the next. At some point it registered in the back of his mind who the woman was but in the jumble of other thoughts Cal lost sight of anything but the singularity of safety. 

He was going to hear about it later, lagging behind, but there were too many people between him and his charge to close the gap. “I’m guessing you didn’t see much either?” An afterthought as it trailed across his thoughts with a glance towards the woman long enough to study her. 

“It is, but if there is more...” Safie chewed on her lip, her heart pounding in her ears. She was...frightened, worried...angry? that she couldn’t do much in this situation. Surprised that she was still capable of these emotions at all. She would marvel at the experience if she hadn’t been sick to her stomach with it. She was in silent agreement with the rest of his statement. If there was more than one attacker, her mind reeled at what chaos would unfold.

When Cal began to make a path for them, keeping people from jostling her, another feeling was added to the mix.  “No, I was too far back to see much of anything. I..was not aware of an attacker until the guard hit the ground.”

 It was not safe for her to be apart of a crowd, and fae--when not panicked-- were naturally put off by the cold that permeated from her. She had no control over it and lesser fae might suffer if her mood changed too quickly. Worry drew her brows together, not noticing Cal looking at her, she gazed at the bellwether ahead. Someone had aimed for the High Queen, if it was a grab for power, what would stop them from going after the other regents and their heirs? She thought of her own regent, of aster’s sinister smile. If the Winter Queen had anything to do with this...

 “You need to go to your heir.” Safie finally tore her gaze from the undersea court’s heir, her tone turning desperate. “I need to see to mine.”

[xsafie]

castaliafairbank‌:

Following the attack, Castalia’s mind was in shambles. Of all the outcomes she had expected from this revel, this was not one of them. She was left wondering if the Winter Queen had a hand in this if it was possible Aster might have made such a call without consulting her first. She always did her best to curb her queen’s most destructive tendencies but there was only so much one adviser could do, only so much sway one faerie could hold.

Pacing the corridor before Aster’s quarters, Castalia contemplated entering but with her temper flaring so high she knew she had to calm herself as she couldn’t simply step in and accuse her queen of anything. She liked her head where it was, firmly attached to her shoulders. She whirled around to be met with Safie’s face and if usually, she didn’t mind the Winter Child’s company she found she had little patience for her or her queries at that moment.

“If I had news, I’d not share it with you.” She snapped, there was an implicit meaning behind her words as in her eyes Safie was not fully trustworthy, there would always be distance between them, it had to be so, for both of their sakes. “I don’t think it’s wise to disturb our Queen now.” She warned as dark eyes bore into the Winter Child’s own.

“Or, perhaps you have none to share.” Safie donned the mask that was expected of her, remembering it at the threshold of Castalia’s anger. Her own temperament cooled, expression turning amused. She had a part to play. 

The fact that Castalia was outside the Winter Queen’s quarters at all meant that their queen was alive. If the vindictive was in any other state, Safie would assume the other winter fae would be on the hunt. Her assumption was confirmed with Castalia’s next words.

Not ruled out, however, was the possibility that Aster could have orchestrated the attack and Castalia’s response landed neither her nor there in convincing Safie of her manner of involvement.  Had this been what Castalia had been conniving all along? Playing Queen’s advisor to start a war-- vie for power on a level playing ground?

Safie held the benevolent’s gaze, unbowed. Years had stretched to decades to centuries for them and they were no closer than when she was mortal. “Your advisement are better suited for the Winter Queen, I heed them not.”

[angiemcalisters]

Medalion Rahimi in NCIS: New Orleans, season 5 episode 7 “Sheepdog” (2018)

[xsafie]

iceheartcd‌:

           𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐜𝐞  𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐬,  𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞.   a rage that had been building since she was an abandoned child, a rage that had festered into something that even she didn’t know the true capabilities of.  one day,   she would summon that rage to exact her revenge on the human world.  one day.   for now,  it remained dormant,   occasionally rearing it’s ugly head whenever aster felt control slipping through her fingers.  

              she watched as safie coughed  & spluttered.   aster sighed,    she hated having to do things like that.  though her frozen heart prevented feelings of remorse,   she knew that it was not the correct way to deal with things.  a truly powerful queen should not have to resort to violence to keep her people in line.   aster just needed to show safie that she was the one with the power, the one who could squeeze the life out of her with a single hand.  she only hoped the message had been received.   aster slowly moved away from safie,  a spring in her step.   ‘ i’m sorry i had to do that,  but i fear you often   forget your place   in my court … ’  she turned, a sinister look on her face,    ‘ had your fate been reversed when you picked up my staff,  you would have sat beside the summer king as his equal —  but next to me you are INFERIOR. ’

              aster massaged her hand carefully as safie made further attempts to speak.   upon hearing her words,   she stopped  & cracked her knuckles with a huff.   of course she had already thought of that.    though she supposed it was the winter child's job to always be a few steps behind.  ‘ it’s a possibility,   though i’d like to see them try. ’   a devious grin formed on aster’s lips as she continued,    ‘ however,  this mysterious person seems more focused on the high crown than anything else & i’m not interested in that … i’m more focused on the bigger picture. ’ 

safie stilled the moment she heard the queen crack her knuckles, fear lancing through her. regret began to replace the adrenaline coursing through her, the winter child had stormed in without much thought and now in the wake of aster’s wrath, she knew she had acted rashly. the string tying her to the courts was flimsy, a delicate strand easily snapped and her queen held it betwixt her fingers, it was not wise to test that bond. so what had moved her to such an extreme, when she had never easily done so before? when safie knew not to?  

safie grit her teeth at the word inferior and held her regent’s gaze, an ember igniting in the light cast from the torches around them. She did not dare run from it. they were sure to find out whether this attack was purely aimed at the crown of the high court. if this extended to the other courts then which would be the first to fall... 

she held her tongue as aster spoke, silently urging her regent to impart what might be in store for them. instead of speaking, the winter fae moved rigidly towards a table with a carafe of wine, pouring it out in two separate goblets. she held one out for aster.

[xsafie]

@iceheartcd​

            𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧.  things were bound to change.   following the dramatic turn of events aster had quickly headed off to her quarters,   not out of fear;  she had needed to think about her next few moves.  the winter queen  THRIVED  when she was two steps ahead of everyone else.   now the question that lingered was,   what was the next best move to reach her final cause ? …  there were cracks in the foundation of faerie,   if she were to get in through the cracks,  perhaps she could control things from the inside.   she let her mind wander for a moment until — a loud slam! as the winter child entered her quarters.

           whilst safie rambled,  aster simply listened. her words were weak,   which was one thing anyone who possessed the mantle of the winter child shouldn’t be.  still,  she stood back,  letting her acquaintance speak before taking one sharp breath  &  raising her brow.  ‘ did i know what exactly? ’   she began to pace around her quarters,  lips pursed.  ‘ such a vague insinuation … did i know  that the crown would be broken,  that this whole event would end in DISASTER… that my court would desert me? ’  

           aster turned on her heels  &  moved towards her like a lion approaching it’s prey.    ‘ no,   you’re asking if i was behind the attack. i can’t really blame you. ’  she chuckled,   a grin plastered on her face,    ‘ it does sound like something i would do, but unfortunately i can’t take the credit.  ’  she scoffed, before diverting her eyes to safie’s neckline.   her fingers adjusted the small icicles,  most of which had melted in the sun.   though that was not her true concern.   the necklace forgotten,   aster grabbed hold of the contingents neck in an icy grip.  she clenched all her muscles,  as slowly but surely she began to squeeze the air out of her child. her words were pure venom as she closed the gap between them, her voice barely a whisper  ‘ you see, if i had tried to kill the queen,   she’d be  DEAD  already. ’   with that,   aster released her grip,  sending the last few shards of safie’s necklace cluttering the floor.

two hundred years together and safie still could never safely determine what would finally push the vindictive to get rid of her. the winter child tensed as her regent stepped towards, felt every bit like the hunted, feral beast and with aster’s gaze honed as it was upon her, she knew it would not be long till she struck true. she did not move a single muscle as aster adjusted the necklace, but the pulse at her throat still jumped, the fae blood flowing through her veins giving her terror away. “ th- ” her words clamped off as aster’s ice cold fingers wrapped around her throat. she forgot, how the true cold could feel like burning. 

she was merely a vessel for the cold, aster was of it.  all safie could see was the winter queen, frost building around them, snow falling to gather at their feet. aster’s breath barely misted in the air, but with the quiet stillness around them, safie heard her perfectly. the tears at the corner of safie’s eyes turned crystalline, rolling down her cheeks and clinking onto the floor. she dug her fingernails into the queen’s hands, trying to pry them off to no avail and as her grip tightened, she stilled, frozen in place. every word the winter queen spoke, safie believed and not for the first time she saw the hopelessness of her position, how she could not do a single thing to stop aster from taking that which she coveted. she grit her teeth, vision blurring. that didn’t mean she wouldn’t keep fighting. once out of that wretched grasp, safie’s hands flew to her throat, fingers prodding at the bruises forming on her skin. 

she coughed out and the pain of it shattered through her body, splintering down her throat. despite this, she remained standing, squaring off to the winter queen as her vision began to clear. slowly it became easier to speak, and after a moment she rasped, “if they attacked the high court, will they not aim for the others?” 

[andruwminyrd]

“There are things I too hold down inside / glacial shores, screaming memories,”

— Birhan Keskin, tr. by George Messo, from Selected Poems; “Instrumental,”

[xsafie]

maelstrom-cal :

It was an animal response, a learned reaction carefully calculated and instilled, the surge of noise and the gasps and tension that swelled in an instant was enough to snap him out of the passive spectating of the coronation. What would he have been if he’d strayed for even a second from his post during the event, but it was the interruption that had turned the world upside down. Or was it right-side up? Regardless, blood spilled and Cal went motionless at the side of Rowan as the scramble turned into madness; a step behind only for the sake of that watchful eye at her back.  

His own surprise was set aside, later, there was no time for it then; separation of thought and action came as easy as breathing when it was honed as sharp as the blade he didn’t chance drawing in such cramped space. He was too focused on the objective to fully take in everything around him though, it was by the strange grace of reflexes that came from instincts he wasn’t all too aware of and, if Cal had thought about them, might have failed him otherwise in stopping just short of the jagged ice that cut his path short. One boot slid back and his other foot planted firm, eyes shot from ground to the woman in what burned like anger a sparse few breaths before his senses caught back hold of him over training and he saw the worry etched over her. Not for his sake, barely, it went deeper than trouble over nearly maiming some stranger in passing. 

“I’m Fine,” his voice almost softened though with the words. Cal looked beyond her, a hint of desperation in it, to seek out Rowan to see her meld into the crowd flanked by other guards, sparing him a second to lag behind. He spent it with another swing of his eyes to Safie, “Careful.” Rattled under his skin, shoulders squared, he bristled stiffly at the shove of another person past and motioned with the tip of his chin the direction they had both been headed, he’d catch up with Rowan with a few swift steps but sympathy kept him from just leaving the other fae standing there so unsteady.  

Seeing the undersea fae spread about their regent stirred something nameless awake inside of her, some long forgotten feeling Safie no longer had claim to. In her haste, she had added more chaos and though the ice at their feet was already becoming a puddle, the threat of her was known, even with her having no intention to harm. She glanced where Cal did and back, a fleeting relief was felt at his assurances that he was fine, flitting across her expression where it was lost in the turmoil still wrecking havoc in her eyes. She noted the shove, trying to keep her irritation at bay lest she cause a blizzard and then she was moving with the crowd alongside him, scanning the crowd for any other attack. She had no intention of keeping in step with him for long, but she needed to know.

 “Did you see what happened? Is there more than one attacker?” 

[xsafie]

event one | part two who: @iceheartcd​ where: winter queen’s quarters

She had parted from the Winter Queen’s retinue during their arrival, an action that would not be without its consequence but Safie now wondered if that was all part of her regent’s plan. The better half of the coronation, found Safie as far away from any regent as she could and, as such, the furthest from the source of chaos when it erupted. She tried to get towards the High Queen, but it all happened so fast, Seladon whisked away before Safie looked away from where the arrow had flown. After that it was a blur.

When the safety of the acting High Queen was ensured, only then did Safie turn her suspicions towards her own court. She thought of all she knew of the politics of the courts and found herself lacking in information. The Winter Child had never come too close to delving into the entanglements between the courts, already tied up in enough web to last many fae life times, but now she wished she had listened more intently, paid any attention at all to what went on before. Perhaps then, she wouldn’t be so lost in helping someone dear to her. She was quick to check the ice gardens, a favored destination for fae of her kind, but there was no sign of the Winter Queen. Anger fueling her steps, she cared not for the melted icicles at her throat as a few left unbroken scraped at her throat in her reckless movements. She had seen the benevolent moments before she entered the quarters of the Winter Queen, a gust of chilled air billowing forth as she opened the double doors without announcement or manner. 

“Did you know? Was this part of your plan?” The heavy doors thudded behind her and she stood before the Winter Regent. She had meant for the words to be yelled, to be an accusation that struck to the heart of the Queen, but Safie’s words were a mere rasp, all her movement of before catching up to her. 

[xsafie]

fuck marry kill: matt, aster, seladon

“Shouldn’t the answer to this be obvious?”

[xsafie]

who: @castaliafairbank where: outside of the winter queen’s quarters when: after the coronation

The courts as a collective seemed to draw towards their own and Safie was no different, seeking out the Winter Queen. Had their court been a part of the attack, schemes played out behind her back? Was this her regent’s grab for control of the High Court? Or was their court just as much in danger as the rest. It would not be unexpected to become a target, but foolish, to make an enemy of the Winter Regent. The thoughts weighed heavily upon her shoulders as Safie neared the vindictive’s quarters. 

The form of Castalia greeted her first, the advisor to the Winter Queen  was an embodiment of true winter to all outside their court. She had been the first to warn Safie what failing to become the Summer Queen would do to her. If she was back there now, this beautiful winter fae standing before her warning her not to take up the staff, would Safie heed her? Shaking free of her thoughts, of her fears for the High Queen, she stopped a few feet from Castalia. 

“Have you heard any news?”

[yafictionquotes]

[xsafie]

yafictionquotes :

Holly Black, Black Heart