My fate in your hands. (All Faeries Welcome.)

[Karmine de Arcadia]

So he finally was allowed back into the Fae kingdom. He had been banished under the rule of the old queen, and he'd never asked Minerva to overturn it, so it never came up. And here he was being 'escorted' to the gates of the kingdom in the company of several agents. He wasn't restrained, since he was going willingly, but the escorts were deemed needed in case he tried to escape.

Like they could have stopped him anyway.

He arrived at the large arches marking the entrance, and saw someone familiar with a grin. The grin was not returned from the stern women.

[red]"Welcome. You will hand over the accused and any personal effects in his possession to me, and you will remain out here. Foreign government is not allowed within these walls, regardless of circumstance."[/red]

One of the agents took a step forward to protest, his foot nearly crossing the threshold. But a crack from a whip at his feet made him yank it back.

[red]"You have been instructed, you will surrender the accused and you will wait here until the punishment is handed down.[/red]

Karmine leaned towards the agent who almost lost a toe and whispered. "Ya best do it, she's got a mean streak a mile wide."

Riana turned to glare at her brother and then reached out to accept the items offered her. A sword, she was familiar with that, a flask, proof of his vice, and a small blue gemmed golden ring she'd never seen before. It didn't seem his style, and she'd certainly never seen him wearing it. Not paying any mind she set the items in the air beside her, letting them hover there. She then looked back to Karmine with a disapproving scowl. With a flick of her finger his hat flew off his head. He did make a grab for it, out of reflex, but it was quickly in her grasp.

[red]"You will not be so rude as to be covered in the presence of Her Majesty." She stated simply. "Understand that while here you may not display your wings, size shift, attempt to create a glamor, or communicate with your aspect, and I assure you I will know." She added with a glare. "You will not speak directly to Her Majesty unless she addresses you first, is this all clear?" She said, as if bored by the fact she'd have to do this.[/red]

Karmine simply responded. "As crystal. Now then, let's go see ma adoring public!" He announced, gesturing down the hallway. "Ladies first?"

He got a jab in the back for that. [red]"Hardly, start walking. You're the prisoner here."[/red]

Oh boy, this was going to be an interesting day.

[Minerva Corrigan]

Minerva was in a rather foul mood. Not very talkative as of late, and had more of a drive to get things done. It wasn't like she had anything to distract her anymore, with Cal and the dragon gone, the palace was rather silent. Rounding another corner, Minerva let her thoughts continue. Why had he gone off anyways? Did she do something? Was it something she had said? At this a slight pain could be felt in her heart. Why had she let herself like him? Tolerate his crap? Why? She should have known this would have something or along the lines of it. Men. Sucked. With this in mind, she marched forward, in a bitter foul mood. Karmine had Cal to thank for this.

Minerva normally dressed in low key clothes, was anything but low key today, and for the first time, in what seemed....well the first time in forever, Minerva was actually wearing the crown she was suppose to be wearing on a daily basis. Turning yet another corner, she came into view and took in the sight of a guard and her prisoner, more importantly, a brother and a sister, standing there, one a fool, and the other was well...undecided currently. Pushing the extra strands of hair that wasn't pulled back with her hairpiece, she straightened her posture, and looked at the duo

"Your not going anywhere Karmine." Minerva staid sternly. "We're staying here, and I will certainly not allow this to continue any further." She spoke, her voice hard, quiet, and not at all friendly. "Riana your his sister..."Minerva said keeping her cool eyes on Karmine. Remember, all men were liars, cheats, idiots, and they did not deserve a second chance.

"As I was saying he's your brother..." A small smile coming to her lips. Riana could be cruel, and she wasn't really in a granting mood today, and granting Karmine a punishment would be well rather annoying."You can assign him a punishment but before you do that I have a question for him.." She said simply. Pausing for a minute to look up at some of the stained glass just above the entrance, Minerva let her mind wander. Cal...where was he? Why did he leave? Maybe she did something..and it angered him...or maybe--At the shuffle of feet Minerva looked up again and returned back to reality.

"Why do you want to come back Karmine. You've had the chance to come back...when I took the throne, when I took over, why didn't you come back? Now that your in trouble, and can escape punishment by coming to the fae society? Thinking that the fae will let you come back?" Minerva said harshly.

This was rather agitating, and the fact he was a man made it worst. Karmine was...well...was...she didn't know. What was Karmine? She'd never met him..maybe once she had, or heard about him, his sister was after all her guard, but still, who was this Karmine? Why had he been kicked out the first time...so many questions, and she was sure, she wouldn't get answers.

[Karmine de Arcadia]

Karmine heard the voice to stop, and though he'd never met her, he knew who it was by his sisters reaction, when she stopped in her tracks.

"Queen Corrigan I presume." He said bowing low. "Tis an honor ta meet you finally. I regret to have waited so long, but ah many things in the mortal world did demand my attention. The years can slip by when you get involved in the day to day affairs."

He stopped thoughtfully considering her questions. "Well now, a myriad number of questions, I'll do my best to entertain them."

He began ticking his fingers. "Firstly, I was never told my exile was listed when you took over, so I figured it best not to open old wounds by stepping back. See, I have a bit of trouble with authority...and I might have told the old queen to shove it or something like that, so I didn't think it prudent ta return with that track record. Might be executed as a 'potential traitor' and then screw up my sisters life an all, just not worth all the risk, sides she'd prolly find a way ta bring me back just ta kill me again fer that."

He tapped his forehead for a moment, as if to consider something, then continued. "Escape punishment?" He said, and then began laughing. "If you think, your majesty, that I thought throwing myself at the feat of my sister's boss was less painful then anything the Academy could do to me, or boy did ya get tha wrong impression. Nah, I jus dun trust the Academy, their up ta something, an something big's gonna go down soon, maybe in the next decade or two. They also got a way o' 'enslaving' criminals ta work for em. I met one of em a bit ago, and it ain't something I really wanna be apart of. They fight with politics an all that crap, which really ain't my forte, but I figured it was tha best way ta keep maself out o' their hands, fer now. Hell, tha only reason I even did this instead of just up and vanishing for a century or so is I got some new family ta look after."

He shrugged and looked up at the Queen, wondering how she would react. "You've been tha queen for a pittance of time for our kind, but surely ya see that there is somethin going on in this world that ain't right. Now I get ya are all neutral, and that's fine and dandy, but that don't mean ya should be blind to what's happenin."

Riana said nothing, she wasn't asked to speak, and they were not yet dismissed for her to declare his punishment, so she listened.

And cursed the crude way her idiot of a brother spoke.

[Minerva Corrigan]

Minerva watched him. She didn't care what the fool said. Nothing he said or did would change her mind of him. She couldn't come up with a punishment, she wouldn't, though she was harsh, she could be cold, encasing him in a block of ice as she had done before...wasn't torture, it was just really cold. Waving a hand at him bored, Minerva looked up to him shaking her head. "I don't see why you come back. You seem to like getting in trouble, here is NOT the place to be to do that." Minerva glared.

Minerva was not flattered, she wasn't even impressed. She had heard about Karmine, as surely he had heard about her, but never, never did she think he would be like this.

"Karmine, why do you think you deserved to--" She was about to finish her sentence when she spoke again. "I do what I think is best. I know what's going on. Why would you assume I don't keep an eye on the idiots outside these walls?" She snapped. "Do you think I don't care? Of course I've seen it. I think the whole bloody world has seen it." Minerva glared. Letting her arms drop, they laid at her side and she just glared up at him Did he think she was ignorant? Did he think she didn't care? Of course she cared, but she wasn't about to put her race into a position such as the gifted has. She didn't want to be exposed, she didn't want her race put in danger, and she was doing this all for good reason.

"I learn from the mistakes of the past Karmine, this time I'm choosing not to get involved for good reason. Don't question my motives. Riana." Minerva snapped more then slightly agitated. "Do you think we should let him come back? Or send him out back with the dogs he use to run with" She hissed glaring at him as she said this. "I don't know him well enough to decide what to do...and some how you've earned this. You've done a rather good job.." She trailed off. This coming from Minerva...was a shocker.

"You've certainly earned the right to play with the mouse." Minerva murmured bored again. Right now, Riana was the cat, and it was apparent that Karmine was the mouse. Should be interesting, and Minerva certainly could use some amusement.

[Karmine de Arcadia]

Karmine was used to being scolded by uppity Fae women, it seemed to be his lot in life. So the fact that Minerva was doing it didn't surprise him at all. Instead he merely shrugged, obviously bored now. He'd hoped that the person in power wasn't going to be like his sister.

He was wrong. Both uptight, my-way-or-the-highway types, and both fell for a wandering vagrant that spat poetry.

Perhaps bringing that point up now would not be the wisest of moves though. Karmine had that much sense at least. And after Minerva finished her little rant he merely bowed. "As you wish your majesty." He said. Of course his voice was sincere, but that in itself was the sarcasm in it.

And then Riana stepped up, pacing back and forth in front of her last living kin. She spoke aloud, though if it was to justify what she was about to do or just to explain it to her brother, well that depended on who was listening.

[red]"My foolish brother, always the trouble maker. You have a great love for mortals, all their quirks and flaws and insanely short lives. It was that insatiable curiosity that caused you to be exiled over five hundred years ago wasn't it?"[/red]

Karmine glared up at his sister, as if sending a warning that she should not continue this path.

[red]"And yet what have you to show for this gallantry? No family, no friends, no records or mementos from those days, nothing but dust in the wind. You left your race behind you for a few fleeting years with a mortal, and now you wish to be accepted back? Well what I have to say is..."[/red]

Karmine glared at her even harder. You want to call his life wasted, call him worthless, fine. But to speak that way about...he felt his fists clenching, but he focused to relax them. Blood...it was thicker, no he wouldn't resort to striking out at his last kin.

[red]"Your punishment." Riana said, glancing to Minerva, as if waiting for her approval, but she continued none-the-less. "Is you will be confined here in this kingdom for 100 years." She paused there, as if to allow it to sink in. "For one hundred years from this date, you will be forbidden to leave the kingdom. You will stay here, live under the queens rule, and live with your race as you should be. Until all the connection to the mortal world have been broken. You will learn where your loyalties truly lie."

With a snide grin she turned back to Minerva. "Do you find that appropriate my Queen?"[/red]

Karmine found it difficult to grasp the reality of what his sister had just done to him, and his blank expression did betray that.

[Minerva Corrigan]

Minerva's eyes bore into Karmine's as she listened. So a hundred years stuck in the Fae walls hmm? That would be rather interesting. How long would he last until he finally broke and tried to escape? Well she would have to remind him that the walls were guarded...not that it honestly mattered. This would be quite interesting.

"Karmine, might I remind you...that the walls of the Fae kingdom are heavily guarded, any attempt of escape...will only, make your time here longer. For every attempt, fifty years will be added, so I highly recommend you stay." Minerva added to remind him who he was dealing with. She had final say in punishment, and sure the hundred years was good, but if he escaped, fifty more years. A smalls smile made it's way to Minerva's lips. This was just like a game, one giant game. That or a test, testing Karmine, she guessed he wouldn't last two weeks, the true question was would he be caught and brought back?

Doubtful.

Unless Riana was on watch...in which case then there was no doubt in Minerva's mind that he would be caught and brought back. Looking to the head of the Fae Knights, she studied her for a minute. Did she really hate her brother as she claimed so much? It couldn't really be hatred. Dislike Minerva could understand, she often found Cerridwen a bother, annoying, but she still loved her sister. What was it between these two siblings that made them so...incompatible?

Not letting it linger for to long on her mind, Minerva turned her back to them. It was growing late in the day, and she was growing tired, and there were still many things to be done. Oh the life of a Queen.

"Come along Karmine...we might as well find a place for you. Unless Riana...you intend to...share your home with him..?" Minerva asked questioningly turning only her head slightly, as to meet eyes with Riana. What were they going to do with Karmine after all? It wasn't like they could just let him wander. That was a disaster waiting to happen.

[Karmine de Arcadia]

And Minerva agreed, damn it all to hell. "So ahm ta be confined ta the cage, I see." He mumbled. "Fifty years ya say? Hmmm, hefty price...wonder what would be worth breaking out o' here for fifty years stuck here? Hmmm, maybe a weddin', or mortal danga' an the like, hmmm, sounds like it'll be near permanent residence then. Well, spose I can see how long ya can deal with me 'fore ya wanna throw me out 'gain. After all, ya both seem ta have trouble will holding on ta tha joker types don't-"

He didn't finish the sentence before he hit the ground. Riana, expertly, had swept his legs out and now stood with a foot planted on his chest, pinning him. He was slightly stronger then her, but she had too much leverage on his for him to get out. She pointed a finger at him, as the air gathered before it, and she was seething.

[red]"Want to throw words at me, fine then dear brother. But if you ever speak to the Queen in that manner again I'll see to it that you spend that exile in chains." She snarled.[/red]

Oh yeah, he had pushed the wrong button, or was it the right one? Even he couldn't tell. He had a feeling that dropping mention of Cal vanishing would have this effect, but he was never one to put his mind before his mouth.

[Minerva Corrigan]

Minerva stood deathly still. A Cal reference, clearly neither Riana or herself wanted to hear about Cal. Cal, the joker, the one who had abandoned them, abandoned Minerva. Left her just like every other man. Boy did Minerva hate men. Closing her eyes for a minute and seeing Cal's face, her eyes quickly opened, but for once she was calm. Minerva was not about to let this...child, have his way. If he wanted to act the way he did, then so be it, but she was not about to deal with it.

Turning around, Minerva saw that Riana had her foot on Karmine's chest. Hmmm. Interesting. Sighing she waved a hand. "Riana, Karmine will remain with you for the remainder of his imprisonment. I might as well put him to use." Minerva shrugged "Whenever I call for you, he better be at your side, if I decide to take a walk and might just so happen to run into you, I better run into him too, and I expect you two, being siblings who care for each other very much, I expect you to house together as well." Minerva said liking this idea more and more.

Turning her back to them getting ready to leave when a thought struck her and turned her head to smile slightly. "And Riana? Any complaint? And I'll make his imprisonment longer. Work together, don't make this anymore difficult then it's going to be." She advised, and with that murmured to herself about a walk in the gardens to think. Minerva was Queen, she could do what she pleased, and what she said went. Minerva was satisfied, and if anything this would distract her from Cal and provide minimal entertainment. With that, Minerva set off towards the gardens, if Riana chose to follow her(With Karmine in tow) then so be it, but Minerva would not be bothered with the issue of Karmine no longer.

[Karmine de Arcadia]

The last time a judgment was handed down on one of the twins, mere moments ago, one of them was thunderstruck, while the other wore a coy grin.

The situation now was the same, and mirrored.

Karmine's face lit up, like a child who had just woken up on their birthday, while Riana sat there thunder-struck, wondering what she had done to merit punishment. But the only words that could leave her lips as she removed her heel from her brother.

[red]"As you wish, your majesty."[/red] Though the disdain was palpable. Karmine, for his point, jumped up and shouted out.

"Oh praise be to thee fair queen, for justice is not unknown to thee!" Which got him another cold glare from his sister. He just turned and smirked. "Oh what, gonna beat me to an inch of my life with ya little whip? Then have ta care fer ya invalid of a brother? Oh wouldn't want ta break her majesties rules o course, yes?" She didn't even wait for Minerva to be out of earshot before she rounded on Karmine. [red]"And what was that?! I suppose you knew that would happen?!" She was pissed, and she hated the fact that her idiot of a brother might know something she didn't.[/red]

"Hmm, I just figured it might open some old wounds, after all, one stab deserves another doesn't it? You should nae keep secrets from yer queen, isn't right." He said, waving a finger at her.

[red]"And what secret did I keep from her? Or do you..?"[/red] Her face blanked for a moment, and Karmine snapped his fingers.

"The ol' dog really did have a thing for tha dominating type. Maybe yer queen felt threatened by who should be her most trusted adviser. Maybe she didn't trust tha man she claimed love ta, maybe she never trusted anyone." He glanced at his hand as if there was something fascinating there. "That damn paranoia, glad ya gave up the chance at the throne when tha old crone bit it. Can't help buy wonder if he saw it too, he always was smarter then he let on ya know?"

[red]It was full of holes, and a lot of conjecture....but still...a lot of it made sense. Minerva had been acting very odd lately. She'd given orders to her personal guards directly, who were appointed their job by Riana of course, instead of to her captain. She had been avoiding seeing her at all, and Karmine's explanation made sense.

And in a way, it may have been right. There was something, something she didn't know what or why, something she denied all the time, and something that was a crack in her flawless demeanor. That crack was named Calcus. Something about him got under her skin, and it just seemed to pull to her. Perhaps it was that Minerva saw, her own jealousy that her inaction had caused. This inaction that allowed Minerva to snatch him from under her nose.

She didn't notice that her features hardened as she thought of this...

"Foolish conjecture as always." She dismissed it, at least verbally.[/red]

"So you say, so you say. But I wonder sometimes what he would say ta my theory. Ya gave up yer chance ta rule for tha right ta serve. And tis a noble desire ta be sure. A leader needs good people under em ta help em. But ya put yerself in a position where she ain't gonna listen ta ya anymore. So what do ya do now?"

She turned towards the way Minerva walked. [red]"You are a fool as always. I serve, it is both of our birthrights, and out duties to the queen. Or did you forget what-"[/red]

Karmine held up his hand. "Nay. No more o the 'mom n' pop' stuff, I heard it 'nough."

She sighed and started walking. [red]"Come on then, don't make this any harder then it has to be."[/red]