Private Tales Those Who Seek To Undermine

[Adakko Nachamek]

There was a time when Adakko had considered this job to be fun.

Nothing would ever come close to his life in Autumn, being the envy of every other male in his sept and the desire of any female he set his wiles upon. Still, dashing through the powdery mounds of snow gathered on the path beneath the paws of the pristine white canine was a simple pleasure, something that brought Nachamek the smallest sense of belonging in the cold world of the Winter Court.

Belonging... He'd belonged once. Somewhere far away from here, away from the frigid air, harsh stares, and dangerous politics. He'd once had brothers and sisters, a Matriarch who'd raised him, a place to truly call his own... Nachamek blinked away the fog in his eyes, whipping his head back and forth with a small growl. He was letting himself get melancholic again, missing what he could never have back. That just wouldn't do, not when Mab's expectations were resting upon his back.

It was Queen Mab who had sent him on this trek through Underhill to the home of one of her most trusted High Lords; A task he'd only begrudgingly accepted. Adakko specialized in the gathering of information: being the unseen eyes and ears of Her Majesty in places she herself could not be present. Some had so brazenly called him a spy, an agent of espionage, but Adakko was not so underhanded. After all, he never forced anybody to say anything, and it wasn't as though he was capable of lying, was he?

So, when he'd caught wind amongst dissenters of an imminent plot to eliminate one of Mab's trusted confidants, there was much reason to believe it valid. Tensions between Courts had been building as of late, and such an assassination wouldn't nearly be the first of its kind to happen among their kind. The High Lord in question was quickly pulled from Mab's court and secured until the threat could be dealt with, but the Lord expressed much concern for his daughter, Thyone, who remained at their home on the other side of Underhill.

It was decided that Nachamek, notably swift and knowledgable about Underhill's layout, would carry the task of retrieving and protecting Thyone. He was to bring her back to Mab if possible and safeguard her until ordered otherwise if not. Finding the High Lord's estate wasn't an issue in the slightest; In his short time here, he'd learned this place well, every nook and cranny etched into his brain. It wasn't until he stood at the door and shifted back onto his feet that he took the time to wonder exactly why they'd selected him for a glorified babysitting job.

Alas... when the Queen gives you an Order.

Gripping the doorknocker hanging from the entrance, Adakko raps it against the door loudly, leaning forward and calling inside. "Noble Lady Thyone! I must speak to you at once!" He'd no idea if she could hear him or not, but Nachamek truly didn't wish to break into the home of a High Lord unless he absolutely had to.

Thyone

 

[Thyone]

"My Lady, I am sure there is little to worry about. Please, you'll ware a path into that floor if you don't sit.."

Thyone looked down at her bare feet, her toes peeking out from beneath the soft white fur that lined her robe as she paced. Sila was wrong - the dark wood remained smooth, if a little more polished.

"Something isn't right, Sila." she cast a look at the older fae, a weathered old Puca with membranous wings tied flat to her back, only because they hurt less that way. She had once belonged to the Summer court, but she had been offered refuge here and had been like a mother to Thyone for as long as she could remember.

The puca had been about to offer further words of comfort to her when there came a knock at the door, the sound echoing through the manor. Thyone moved at once, her movement so graceful even in her hurry that she seemed to glide toward the door. Her hand lifted toward the handle as the male voice called out to her, though she frowned as she thought twice about opening it. Instead, she called back..

"Is that so? And who, might I ask, wishes to speak with the 'Noble Lady Thyone'? If you have news, ser, then you may speak it from the other side of this door lest you assure me that you can be trusted." her arms folded over her chest, and she felt her heart pound beneath them.

Her father should have been home hours ago. Something was wrong.

 

[Adakko Nachamek]

"If you have news, ser, then you may speak it from the other side of this door lest you assure me that you can be trusted."

It was all Adakko could do with hold in his groan, and even that took a bite of his tongue to accomplish. Really, he should have known that the daughter of the High Lord wouldn't just let him in. Still, they were under time pressure here, and every moment she spent being overtly cautious was one he'd get an earful about when they returned to Mab and her father.

"It's... I'm the High Inquisitor, Adakko Nachamek." His employment wasn't something to be shared around loosely, due to its nature. Thyone wasn't giving him much choice, though. Nachamek's foot tapped impatiently in the snow beneath him, his hand still resting on the door. "I'm here on behalf of your Father and Queen Mab."

Well, if anybody was listening in on him, right now would be the time to expect an arrow through the neck. "Lady Thyone, this is rather sensitive. May I please enter?"

Thyone

 

[Thyone]

Thyone's heart raced as she listened to the stranger's response, the title of "High Inquisitor" sending a shudder across her back.

Mention of her father, spoken in conjunction with Queen Mab, offered a sliver of reassurance, but Thyone remained wary. The urgency in the stranger's voice only served to heighten her apprehension, her mind racing. As he pressed her for entry, Thyone's resolve hardened, her gaze unwavering as she held fast to her principles of caution. Despite the gravity of the situation, she could not ignore the gnawing fear that coiled in the pit of her stomach.

"That is well, Adakko Nachamek, High Inquisitor," Thyone replied, her tone measured and deliberate. "But you have yet to assure me that I can trust you." she snubbed with no small amount of attitude. Though her heart pounded with trepidation, Thyone stood her ground, her silver eyes reflecting the flickering light of the hearth as she awaited the stranger's response with bated breath.

 

[Adakko Nachamek]

Just who in the hell did this lady think she was?!

Adakko bit down hard enough on his tongue that his canines nearly drew blood. So that was that? His answer wasn't good enough for her, and she was going to let him sit outside, where anybody with a working pair of eyes could see him? Throbbing anger pulsed in the back of his mind as he struggled to maintain his professionalism.

She's a High Lord's daughter, Ko... control yourself. Speak softly, and explain the situation to her again.

"Listen, lady! I'm trying to save your ass outta the goodness of my heart, and I'll be real with you, you've gotta meet me halfway here!" Nachamek's lips curled into a little snarl as he rapped on the door again. Okay, so maybe he wasn't the best at keeping his cool, and he certainly didn't talk like a Fae. "You think I wanna be standing outside your place in the cold? I ain't got a choice, or else I'm going to get the biggest earful this side of Underhill from your old man, and honestly, I have a million different things I'd rather be doing than that."

The frustrated Cwn tears himself away from the door, stepping back a few feet and collecting himself. Raising his arms to his head, he takes a deep breath in, lowering his hands as he exhales. "Okay. Deep breaths Ko. You're alright. Don't sweat it."

Flicking his eyes back to the door, he speaks as politely as possible, as if it might make up for that outburst he'd just had.

"Thyone... I'm here because some disagreeable folk want to give your pops a premature dirt nap. If you'd be so kind as to open the door, so that they might not give it to me instead, we can talk about what to do from here, is that okay?"

Thyone

 

[Thyone]

Listen Lady!?

Thyone's slender brows shot up and her mouth fell open at his audacity. Who did he think he was?! She listened in silence as the male lost his patience and tried his best to recover it, but a petulant scowl had settled on Thyone's face and she turned to rest her back against the door with a huff.

Thyone..

"Lady Hayes!" she barked the correction at him, since he was insistent on being insulting. Sila came to stand in the archway of the study, unused to hearing Thyone raise her voice in anger or upset. She said nothing though as she watched Thyone settle a hand on her mouth and her eyes grow glassy with tears of worry. So, something had been wrong, and her father was in danger.

She swallowed, steeling herself before she turned to slowly unlock the door, despite Sila's look of concern. With a sigh she opened the door, letting it open only a little, a silvery eye peeking out to look over him in scrutiny. He appeared more youthful than she had expected for one with such a title, never-the-less, she frowned at him.

"I won't tolerate rudeness nor such a temper in my home, Adakko Nachamek.. But you may come in out of the cold." she told him, and hesitantly stepped back, pulling the door open.

 

[Adakko Nachamek]

Adakko's posture straightened at Thyone's terse correction. Hayes? What kinda Fae name was Hayes? No wonder the High Lord didn't advertise it very much. Pushing the thought from his mind, he blinked back towards the door, waiting for something, anything from the other side. For a half a minute, there wasn't anything but silence.

Was she coming up with another excuse to stop him from doing his job? Was she going to keep asking for proof that didn't exist? Were all the Winter nobles so damned stubborn? Nachamek had thought maybe it was just Mab, but if there was one person he wasn't about to talk back to, it was that lady. He owed her a debt, and she was more than a little terrifying.

Finally, he heard the clicking of the door lock, and it began to slowly swing open. It was almost like she was scared of him, which didn't make much sense, considering this door wasn't exactly indestructible. If he'd wanted to get in to hurt her, he wouldn't have bothered asking.

What kind of thick-headed, high-and-mighty, tightwad woman got so up her own ass over a do-Oh shit, she's cute.

There was a bit of an awkward pause as she finally opened the door and invited him in. Thyone looked at him with a mixture of confusion and anger in her eyes, and Adakko stared back, suddenly finding it difficult to feel so miffed at the beautiful thing he'd just been hurling insults at.

"I won't tolerate rudeness nor such a temper in my home, Adakko Nachamek. But you may come in out of the cold."

"Yeah? Well you know what?" He started to retort, but his lips pursed and his cheeks puffed as the words failed to leave him. "Thanks!" Adakko stuck out his chest as if he'd made some kind of point as he walked into the estate in a huff.

Lords Ko, keep it in your pants. He scolded himself, as he turned on his heel, meeting her gaze once more.

"What, you've never seen a Cwn before?"

Thyone

 

[Thyone]

Thyone's initial skepticism lingered in her expression as she observed Adakko, her silver eyes flickering with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. Despite his brash demeanor and unconventional behaviour for one of his purported stature, there was an undeniable youthfulness about him that she hadn't quite expected.

Her brow quirked as he struggled to find his retort. Had she not been so frightened by the news that he'd brought, she might've found the way he puffed cheeks and chest and strut into her home rather amusing. Though his rudeness grated against her sensibilities, she softened ever-so-slightly at his reluctant gratitude. At least he had some sort of manners, or at least she thought until he spoke again and she felt herself bristle.

"Yes, I have," Thyone replied evenly, her frown sharpening and her arms folding across her chest as she regarded Adakko with a measured gaze. "Just never met one so... Mumpish..."

"If you're done being crochety with me, oh High Inquisitor, will you tell me where my father is? Is he alright?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly with the weight of her fear and the frustration.

 

[Adakko Nachamek]

"Huh?" Nachamek was so flustered by this whole ordeal he'd momentarily forgotten why he'd come in the first place. Quickly he waves off her worried warble with a hand, seeming rather unconcerned about the situation. "Oh yeah, he's fine. The Queen's protecting him, so I wouldn't worry." It took a dumb Fae to press their luck with Mab, and said Fae wouldn't be around for very long if they acted on such stupidity.

Taking a look around the entryway, Adakko hunted for a seat. His legs were killing him after that sprint, and the cold sure as hell wasn't helping. He found a dated-looking chair not far from the staircase and helped himself, sighing as he sank into the cushion. "He's more concerned about you. This threat that was made, they have reason to believe it's credible. So I was told to come and look after you until it's safe to take you to him." It was the nicest way he could tell Thyone that he was a glorified babysitter, but that was more for his pride than hers.

Adakko's ear twtiched, and quickly he brought up a hand to scratch at it, closing one eye and looking over at Lady Thyone with the other. "Look, maybe we got off on the wrong foot here. You were scared I was gonna come at you, and I was pissed at being left in the open. So what say we make an agreement here. You at least consider listening to me when I'm telling you something, and I won't be so... what did you call me? Mumpish?"

The scratching stopped, and his brow furrowed.

"What is that supposed to mean? Is that a size thing? I'll have you know I'm pretty big for a Cwn, thank you."

Thyone

 

[Thyone]

Thyone stepped back from Adakko, maintaining a cautious distance from the stranger despite his seemingly casual demeanor. Though relieved to hear that her father was safe under Queen Mab's protection, she couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of annoyance at Adakko's nonchalant attitude in delivering such news. He might've started with that...

As the cwn settled into a chair and made himself right at home, Thyone exchanged a look with Sila, their silent communication conveying a shared sense of apprehension about their unexpected guest. Folding her arms across her chest, Thyone regarded Adakko with a mixture of skepticism and curiosity, her silver eyes betraying a hint of irritation at his flippant remarks.

"I'm sure you are, but No. It means ill-tempered." Thyone replied evenly. "And I will listen to you when you tell me what I want to know—what threat has been made against my father? And what exactly is it that I need protecting from?" her head tilted, and she waved a hand at him. "Perhaps if you were better at communicating, we wouldn't have gotten off on such a wrong foot." she suggested.

 

[Adakko Nachamek]

Adakko gave an indignant snort at the idea that he was ill-tempered. She'd have been a bit moody too if she'd been ordered to go snooping around the home of somebody who'd just received a death threat only to find they'd been locked outside.

"It's your garden variety death threat." Again, the Cwn spoke as though it weren't a particularly dire affair, even pulling a candy from his pocket and popping the round, colorful sphere into his mouth. "Normally it wouldn't be anything to worry about, but the threats have been pretty common lately, and a few have been acted on. The Queen figured we'd play this one safe, keep you and your pops under surveillance until we know you're not in danger.."

However long that would take, anyways.

The combination of the cozy seat underneath him, the warm comforting air that filled the Hayes Estate, and the calming sweetness of the candy in his mouth had brought his simmering anger down to a soft bubble. Now that he was safely inside he took the place in proper, taking a moment to admire the stately architecture, impressive even for Fae standards.

"Nice digs, by the way." He spoke idly, ruby eyes resting on Sila for a moment now. "Even have a Puca. They aren't as commonplace as they used to be. Pleasure to meetcha."

Nachamek's momentary politeness hit a snag again he realized Hayes had just suggested he was a bad communicator. His brow furrowed and he bit the inside of his cheek. At the very least he could try to respond pragmatically. Otherwise, they'd be going back and forth all night.

"Hey, put yourself in my shoes. I'm not a professional bodyguard or escort. This isn't my wheelhouse, and I had to keep looking over my shoulder the whole trip here to make sure I wasn't being tailed. I'm a wee bit on edge, you'll have to forgive me for that."

Thyone

 

[Thyone]

Garden variety death threat?

Thyone frowned at the strange male, her head tilting slightly as she studied him. "Wasn't aware that death threats grew on trees or bushes.." she commented dryly. There was something about him and his cheeky manner that pinched at her nerves, but she supposed she should be grateful for his protection, should she require it. It wasn't the first time that her safety had been in question, but right now her worry was for her father.

"Her name is Sila. And she is part of this family. She's also standing right there, don't speak of her as though she's less than you." she frowned and folded her arms again, her grey eyes narrowing.

Sila shifted her weight uncomfortably, but offered the cwn a wavering smile. "A pleasure, mister Nachamek. Please, you'll be more comfortable in the lounge. Might I bring you some supper?" she asked warmly, her hand reaching to tug gently at Thyone's elbow until she turned with a huff to leave the foyer.

"He can stay there and watch the door if its protection he's here for." she muttered.

 

[Adakko Nachamek]

For once, the snarky young Cwn seemed somewhat taken aback by Thyone's implication. A genuine look of surprise crossed his face as she accosted him for how he spoke of the Puca, and he raised a hand defensively. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that. I just haven't met one of her kind in so long, not since I was a pup." Adakko flashed a smile at Sila, far more genuine and devoid of the sass he'd been putting out until now. "You can call me Adakko, Miss Sila. Pleasure's mine. I'm not really peckish at the moment, but I'd love a warm drink, if you don't mind?"

Truthfully, Adakko found the seat he'd claimed in the entryway perfectly comfortable, enough that he was tempted to shift and curl up on it. As Sila tugged his charge away to follow her, though, he reluctantly stood and stretched. He was beholden to go where she went, until he heard otherwise from her Father or Mab herself.

"I'll be frank with you, Lady Thyone." He spoke as if he hadn't been exclusively that up until this point. "I could have gotten in here on my own if you hadn't opened the door. And if I could do it, so could anybody else with enough motivation." Of course, there was the chance that High Lord Hayes had enchantments and wards on the building. Nachamek wasn't sure Thyone or Sila would know about that though, and the comfy deco of the lounge was calling him to relax and warm up before he stared thinking about his job again.

"That being said, I'd really rather stay close to you." The cwn mumbled, eyeing the impressive and cozy room Sila led them into. "At least until morning, then I can decide if we're making our move or not."

Thyone