A Fall of Kings and Leaves

[Terri Nutkins]

"Is not glossed over?" Terri recites back to Patrick, ignoring the new arrival for the moment as her own ire rises. "I think you've got the wrong end of the stick, Patrick. As far as I am aware, this meeting was called to discuss the future of the Autumn Court, which at the moment is without a Sovereign to act as leader and spokesperson amongst the freehold. That makes us appear weak in the eyes of the other Courts, wouldn't you agree?" Terri takes a sip of the drink before continuing. "Our first port of call is to decide upon our Sovereign before we discuss anything further otherwise we are nothing more than a leaf caught up in so much wind we will never know which way to fall. Once we have decided on this then, and only then, can we turn our attention to matters that have almost torn this freehold apart."

Finally, Terri turns to Sweet-Tooth, smiling easily while gracefully standing, extending her hand the Ogre's way. "Welcome, Sweet-Tooth, I'm Terri, Twilit Page of the Leaden Mirror here in Sacramento."

[GB82]

Mr. Bates

"Enzo di Veyron" The Wizened says with a voice slightly quivering from the memory of what HAL had done.

"Our former King tortured him and cut out his tongue for insulting Queen White before banishing the Fairest." Bates' expression is emotionless. "While Mr. di Veyron might have deserved to be punished, you saw what was done to him. Legate Pereg, was that the work of a sane man?"

His sighs deeply. "With everything that happened afterwards. Queen Byeli disappearing, the late Ash Run being made Mandatory, knowing what you knew how could you not have suspected the former Autumn King's insanity?"

There is no anger in his voice, merely disappointment. Mr. Bates had become accustomed to how many in the Freehold viewed him: Uptight. Curt. Strange.

Still he had always faithfully served the Freehold and the ruling Monarch, never letting his personal feelings disrupt his duties.

[Terri Nutkins]

Terri turns to the Wizened, looking down at the seated man.

"Did you, Mr. Bates?" she asks, trying not to sound too accusing. "Did you notice his insanity? Are you not the closest to any of the Sovereigns as manager of the Four Seasons? Some would say trusted by all?" The Beast sighs, gaining not an ounce of comfort or joy from this confrontation. "Mr. Bates, I understand you have served loyally for as long as I can recall, that I have no doubt. But when did you ever step forward and inform anyone of your concerns?"

[Lesingnon]

It was a bit disconcerting, how simple Patrick made everything sound, everything he overlooked. How there'd been a precedent of Kings making Ash Runs mandatory for their courts, the previous year both HAL and Harry had done it. How, even by doing so in this instance, HAL guaranteed the absence of a mere three people. That it was Harvey who had decided to spark the concerted search for Katrin, the ogre had been the one to split the Freehold that night not HAL. But Patrick viewed it all as right and wrong, black and white...as if it were simple.

"King Rust Mane of Summer did not participate in the search for the Winter Queen because her courtier decided it would be best to hold it on the same night that an Ash Run had already been called, with a target of critical important in its cross-hairs. It hardly indicates that he felt the search for Queen Byeli was unimportant. Of Queen White, I do not know where she was much of the night. But she may not even have heard of the search, Harvey did not exactly advertise his intentions. But her presence at the Four Seasons at the end seems to indicate that it wasn't something she dismissed either."

"And Terri's right. I'm not saying we should forget what happened, but dwelling on it now doesn't do anything for us. We need to move forward and, I feel, re-affirm the value of the Autumn Court." His gaze drifted to Sweet Tooth. "And now is not the time for weakness or division, in any form. Not with the Hedge lashing out at travelers, not with Fairweather spying on fetches for reasons we haven't discerned. The Freehold needs every court, organized and at its best, in the face of what's to come. That's why I called this meeting, to make sure the Leaden Mirror can do its part. And I believe that establishing clear leadership is critical to accomplishing that end."

"As to your concerns about the other Sovereigns; the rest of them, the rest of the Freehold really, seem to assume that I will be the next King of the Leaden Mirror. I even stood at the dais with the other Sovereigns last Coronation at Queen Byeli's invitation." Which at least seemed to indicate that the Winter Queen didn't hold much of a grudge with him or the rest of the court at HAL's actions. Still, Sweet Tooth had certainly impressed him. Not at all afraid to speak his mind despite his recent arrival, and possessed of more insight than he'd expected. He was one who could go far, it seemed.

Then Mr. Bates spoke. And the first question that came to Rick's mind was also why didn't he say anything? At first he was worried that, maybe, his Elemental nature was making it too easy for him to look past the emotion in his voice to the issue beneath.

But then not even Terri, the kindest and most caring woman he'd ever met, had words of comfort to offer in response.

That, more than anything else, convinced him of how off-base Bate's question seemed to be. "Once again...I have to concur with Terri's observations on the matter." With that he waited silently for the hotel manager's response. His mantle expanding, storm winds and wind-tossed leaves swirling restlessly through the room.

[Dark Passenger]

Wyatt keeps listening carefully, though he doesn't say anything. There wasn't anything he could add to the conversation right now. All the words said seemed so reasonable, and since the new Fairest didn't know the truth, he wouldn't choose a side.

While listening he realizes that the Freehold had a turbelent past, all within Sacramento. So strange, Wyatt had lived in Sacramento as a mortal, the world's problems drawed all attention, but meanwhile there was a whole other world, Changelings and their problems. Those problems need to be solved as well...

And so he tries to follow every sentence with opened ears.

[John Gears]

John sighed as he listened on, pulling his attention away long enough to nod to Sweet Tooth. "Welcome Sweet Tooth, I am John Gears." He said before pulling his attention back to the ever shifting topic on hand. Mad monarchs disrupting the flow of the seasons, The hedge's growing chaos becoming much worse, the possibility of another one of the Gentry roaming within Sacramento with inscrutable plots involving fetches. What had he returned to? While the Lost debated on their predication, he stayed silent. There was little for him to comment on, there was still much about past and current events that remained a mystery to the Manikin.

[GB82]

Mr. Bates

"Legate Pereg I serve the Ascendant Sovereign on this Freehold without question, that is my role regardless of who wears the Crown or their fitness for that position." He returns the gaze of Rick. "I trust that my betters will decide if a Sovereign is fit to sit or not."

The Wizened's right hand begins to tremble lightly as he remembers the past few months. "I was also subjected to abuse from HAL, I ... I feared that speaking out might make that abuse even worse."

Patrick Donovan

Patrick watched the scene unfold a hint of sadness in his eyes that he does not even try to hide.

"You demand to rule me. You demand the ability to make decisions that will effect me, decisions I will have no say in. You demand this and when I bring up my concerns about what happened, you tell me that we need a new Sovereign before we can even discuss how what happened can be prevented." The Darkling face and tone is not one of anger, simply one of utter frustration at the situation.

"You claim the right to rule because the other Sovereigns allow you to stand on raised platform with them, I frankly do not care what they think. The Autumn Sovereign represents the membership of the Leaden Mirror first and foremost, asking anyone to accept you as our King simply because others outside of this Court assume that you are next in line is an insult." He lets the last word hang in the air, unable to fathom how the Legate thought that the assumptions of the other Courts meant that Autumn should accept him.

"As for the search for the Winter Queen, why was it left up to the Sun Banisher to organize?" His hand goes to his face.

"I bring this up because I have been in this Freehold for almost six months now. My first experience with the political situation in this city was the King of my Season kidnapping a fellow Monarch. When HAL was meeting with a being believed to be a member of the Gentry I went in with the group to confront him. I am not a fighter like Nightfall or Spartan and I had no doubt that if violence resulted I would probably not have survived." The look on his face shows that he completely believes what he is saying.

"I wanted to know that you had taken the lessons of the past few months to heart, that I could be confident and trust the Sovereign of my season. I just ... " A look of pain and frustration and a thousand other emotions swirl on his normally reserved face.

"I just do not believe I can be apart of this anymore." He carefully places his half empty glass on a coaster and begins to leave the room. "Please be careful with my living room. Mr. Bates will you please inform me when everyone leaves."

With that the Darkling exists to another part of the house, leaving the meeting to continue.

Exit Patrick. Feel free to Continue the Scene.

[Terri Nutkins]

Terri stood aghast as the scene suddenly changed and it felt as if her insides had been turned upside down, the rug pulled violently from beneath her.

"Patrick! Wait!" she called out but it was too late. The Darkling she considered a friend had gone, perhaps forever from the Court of Fear. She dearly hoped not but lingering in Patrick's house no longer felt right and so she turned to the remaining Courtiers after looking towards Rick, raising an eyebrow to convey the 'WTF?' moment that had just happened.

"I am sorry for this but perhaps we should make our own exit. You are all welcome to follow Rick and myself to my store where we can continue our discussions," Terri offered. "Either that or let matters cool down for several days and try again later? Either way's fine."