Let Justice Be Done 94

"So," Lady Maeve said, sitting in her personal garden within Castle Trebes, hosting her guesting Raguel and Viviane. "Joyous as I am to your company, I wish to know of your purpose here." She asked straight to the point, now that the servants were gone. 

Meeting Lady Maeve, or rather Queen Elaine of Benwick, as Raguel and Viviane had come to find, who seemed to put on a different persona depending on what role she plays, or in front of which company she holds. 

Her True Name, of course, was something else than Maeve or Elaine. Raguel could see it, but kept it to himself. 

When Raguel and Viviane arrived, they almost couldn't tell it was the Lady Maeve the met, as she acted too gracious and welcoming, all smiles and grace in her actions. Only when they were alone, did her demeanor change to being more mechanic and to the point. 

Raguel would have had difficultly to know which is the real version of her, for him to appeal to, if it wasn't for his eyes. 

None of them are. Naturally. 

Queen Elaine only holds two loyalties. Two motivations. 

One, toward her husband, King Ban. 

And the other, conditioned and taught to her, toward Queen Mab. And this loyalty supersedes the first, although she would use ever trick and technicality in the book to protect her beloved. 

To Raguel's surprise, Maeve managed to convince Queen Mab to ignore her husband due to holding a higher loyalty to her. 

Or at least Maeve believes, that Queen Mab acts convinced, so it's a fiction played between both of them. 

Raguel felt the beginnings of a headache. Fucking fae. He thought on all the complicated secrecy. 

"We have learned of your recent apprenticeship of Lady Nineve, and wanted to ask if you could extend your aid to her beyond mere tutoring?" Viviane began. 

"I'm mere fulfilling her Majesty's orders, nothing more. I do not hold any further duty to Lady Nineve." Lady Maeve said back.  

And thus the talk began, back and forth. 

The real reason Raguel and Viviane were there. 

That visit by Nineve--formally Eleen--revealed quite a few things about the flighty fae lady. It was like pulling teeth, but without Queen Mab's presence hanging over her shoulders, and some playful shenanigans from baby Lancelot, and eventually Nineve opened up about her past. 

About the reason why she joined the Winter Fae Court. 

Revenge. 

It was such an unexpected motivation, that threw Raguel completely off. Yet surprisingly, Viviane took the answer with a calm nod, as if such a thing was expected. 

"There aren't many reasons one would actively seek to join the Fae Courts, if you aren't already a part of them." Viviane had explained. 

"You would have to be mad or driven by passion, to enter that circus of deceit & fantasy, beauty & horror."  

The couple had learned what they could from Nineve about her situation, what parts she deemed to tell them, but Raguel used his eyes to the fullest to find out the rest feeling the woman's safety would be nulled, if he didn't earnestly help her. 

Nineve, while someone whom Raguel and Viviane didn't have the best first impressions with, was someone they liked having around. At the very least they didn't want her to come to harm, given that Viviane that taken up the take to be responsible for her, and Raguel simply wanted to help someone he was seeing as a friend. 

While Raguel didn't condone revenge, Viviane supported Nineve's efforts in it. 

"You shouldn't be driven by vengeance. It would consume you and damn your soul to a self-inflicted suffering you can't get rid of."

"And she can't just and 'turn the other cheek' while there is an active party being malicious toward her. The problem in her lands aren't just happenstance with how frequent they are. That is enemy action, and it needs to be answered."

The Fae and Angelic couple argued the matter, but settled on helping Nineve shore up her defenses. 

And the first step to that was making an alliance between Nineve and Maeve, Queen Mab's Favorite and in all manners, effectively her second hand. 

"While Nineve situation would be considered saddening." Maeve said in her part of the long back and forth. "Beyond what was requested of me, I will not lift a finger for her. Literally, she holds nothing I wish to bargain for, including her life, the fact that it's you here, and not her, proves this." She concluded with a definetive note. 

However, Raguel had had enough time to look at her soul, and see her true desire, one that she buried and forgotten due to how impossible it was to grasp. 

"Your title is 'Lady of the Empty Lake', right?" Raguel said calling attention to him. "It seems...cruel of Queen Mab to call you that, given the only thing you could wish for is beyond your, or even the Winter Queen's, reach at this point." 

"I was warned about your eyes." She said with a bored stoic look, as if him touching such a sensitive topic for her, was the same as talking about the weather. "I see her majesty's warning was accurate. Yet I can not be swayed by such talk, for it is useless in the end." She sat up straighter. "For that wish can not be granted, this can't be used against me."

"Maybe..." Raguel turned to Viviane with a contemplative look. "Say...is it possible to...change one's self by changing their name. Temporarily at least, like say nine," he paused, "Or maybe ten months, to be on the safe side." 

"What do you mean?" Asked Viviane interested as her husband's ideas tend to have merit, after reducing the risks in them. Maeve looked vague interested as well. 

"The reason why fairies can command such power over a person once they learn their name is because, the name is part of the soul. To be named, is to simply the complexity of someone to just that. They become that name. And thus holding it gives power over that person, because attached with that name, is the whole concept of them." Raguel began. 

"Yes, we all know the basics of being a Fae Magic." Maeve said, acting the tiniest bit anxious for the first time. 

"What I'm saying is, your body as you are now is too cold biologically and magically to hold life, but...Well, what if we invert that? 

"As you are now, your name is attached to who you are now. Attach to the Lady Maeve, the Lady of the Empty Lake, and highest Fae, within the Winter Courts." Raguel said with a confident smile. "What if you give a name to your time when you were human, and," he gestured by holding up his thumb and index finger, and moving his wrist to switch their positions. "Simply switch to it temporarily?"

Viviane's eyes widened, and while Maeve also looked shock, Raguel's words held a more profound effect on her. Emotions actually blossomed in her chest once more. Slowly, very slowly, the smallest seed of hope was planted. 

Ah, he really is too dangerous. Gostanza thought. She understood why Queen Mab was wary of him, while still coveting to have him for court, maybe even for herself. 

For one who offers hope that is true, they are a most valuable resource, and yet a dangerous one to hold onto.