Aladrae walked closer towards Elizabeth, raising the blade thoughtfully; she spun the point of the red knife on one fingertip, listening to the girl. "Dragged?" she repeated. "Strange that one of my people should choose to bring you here of their own will. Do you know that here that's no less that treason? She will be punished for you, believe it." Her eyes were very cold as the girl continued. A journalist. Information on the faery people. Educate people of your existence...
She stopped in front of the human girl, towering over her; Elizabeth had pressed herself against the wall, terrified. "I think you've said enough," she said quietly. "What you've just told me sounds close to spying. You wanted to find information on us? Inform other humans of our existence? Then I think it's good we've locked you up here. We certainly can't have other humans learning about us."
She lowered the blade down to Elizabeth's neck, and pressed it against her skin. "I think you will be staying here for quite a while," she said. "I do so love entertaining guests."
She stretched out the moment for as long as she possibly could in order to frighten the child even more. Then, slowly, she lifted the blade from her neck. "Oh, but I should hurt you," she said. "In fact I could put a stop to this whole unpleasant situation, even now, with a single strike. Tell me why you want to learn about faeries."

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~~Siggy by Lembas~~

Spying?! Had Elizabeth not just said she was a journalist? Journalism was not spying. It was searching for the truth. Besides, people only spy in times of war. There wasn't a war between humans and fearies. Right?

As for the other faeries punishment, she could care less. She hadn't asked to be brought down into their realm. In Elizabeth's terrified mind this was all the faery girls fault. If this whole affair truly was treason, she didn't want to call the queen a liar she'd presume it was, then the girl should have known this was wrong. Why would she d such a thing? This whole thing was confusing and frightening.

For a second Elizabeth let herself believe this was almost over and the queen and the other guy would leave. As always, her presumption was shown wrong when she felt a knife to her throat. Elizabeth closed her eyes tight hoping to open them again and find the queen gone. When she opened her eye a agin, the knife was still there, her body was shaking, and she didn't know if she could speak. She tried to get the words out a couple of times but only managed to speak. Finally, she found a small part of her voice.

"No one thinks you're real," she stammered threw shaking teeth. "I wanted to prove them wrong." Then she thought that just for god measure she better add, "I'm not a spy! I swear!"

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"Ah. Vanity," Aladrae mused. She strolled back over towards the iron box on the table; she smiled as she looked at the contents. The girl could not be able to see Aladrae's special implements of torture but the queen had no doubt that she would be able to imagine them easily enough. She glanced over her shoulder; there was the sound of clanking metal as she rifled around with her free hand, her other hand still holding the glass knife. "You wanted to prove to mankind the impossible. That faeries exist. Interesting."

She paused, not looking at Elizabeth. "Even though you protest you are not a spy, that does not incline me to be merciful towards you. You're a danger, if I let you go you could easily run away and shout about all that you've seen."
Abruptly, she turned around, eyes ablaze with anger. "And what then?" she said. "What then when you've proved that the faery race exists? Do you really believe that fey and mortals can live happily alongside together?" she shook her head. "Humans are too vain, too greedy by far to allow us to live in peace if they know of us," she said. "Many of my allies now lie dead because of the evil of mortality." She turned away disdainfully. "But why should I speak of this to you? I wager you cannot begin to understand the ways of the fey. No human can."

She appeared to have found what she had been looking for. She lifted a coil of metal chains from the box; they appeared quite ordinary, similar to the ones Elizabeth wore to restrain her, but they gave off a terrible hiss as they moved; red fire seemed to dance within the metal. Enchanted chains that would leave Aladrae's skin unmarked, but could scar human flesh permenantly.
"I don't know whether to use these or not," she said thoughtfully. "You see, child, I have my devices. I could make you tell me whatever I wanted to hear. But I feel like being compassionate, if only for the moment. Tell me why you wish your fellow mortals to know of my folk." She dropped the chains back in the box, but it was an open threat, not a question.

(Oohh! Aladrae's so evil when she's interrogating )

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~~Siggy by Lembas~~

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((Dear Goldy, is this a new side of you? lol))

Elizabeth felt nuances. Her eyes never felt the chain till it range back in the box. She then stared at the box. Her brain working over time trying to think a way out of this. She was also trying to decide if it was a good thing the other feary hadn't said anything. She hated silent types. Gave her the creeps.

Back to the original thought....why did she so want people to know about the feary race? Why it only to prove her co-workers wrong? No, it felt like there was something more. Sure, she'd been told stories of these creatures when she was young, but she wasn't the type to go out just to prove a fantasy. So what was it? Could she be fooling herself? Maybe all this really was vanity: foolish and deadly vanity.

Elizabeth realized she'd been quiet for sometime. She had to give the queen an answer. At this point did it matter if it was true? Elizabeth doubt this was going to end well for her in any case.

"I was told stories of your people all my life. I just wanted to show the world they were true. Give people something to believe in again," Elizabeth half-lied. She did want to give people something to believe in just not because of the back story she'd given.

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((Sorry guys, but I think I'm going to have to drop out of this one. I'm just too busy right now to keep up.))

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Banner from Nellie

(Oh, that's a pity, Neri! I'm sorry you're having to drop out, but if you're too busy, then that's fine =) If you ever have enough time on your hands you can always jump back in again if you like )

Aladrae looked at the human girl consideringly. There was no trace of emotion on her lovely features; just thought. She wondered what she would do with this child. She had decided from the beginning that she would kill her; but what then? Aladrae would keep her, for now, for more interrogation. There were hundreds of more questions that needed asking; questions that could be answered with a good dose of implied threat. And then, when all that she wanted to know was hers to pick over, the child could be disposed of. But before that, she needed to know more; what if more humans came? Better to be well-informed if that should happen. Her glance slid away from Elizabeth, considering her barely important enough to reply to. She was taught stories of the fey? This is odd indeed.
Her gaze went to the ambassador Finloagh. "I believe you wanted to question the human also, Ambassador," she said, summoning him forward. "I trust you will do so thoroughly."

~~~

Kathryn looked away from Leona for a few moments, musing. This business with the human was interesting; it had brought out Aladrae's anger this morning, the whole court had been witness to it. It was an act of treachery in the queen's eyes, but it was not an open rebellion. Every other faery in the hall had been keen to be on her side so as not to face the lash of her violent anger as well. She pondered over Leona's words, thinking. When she looked back at her, her dark eyes glimmered dangerously.
"All the same," she said, "this has triggered Aladrae's suspicion. First Fryn Ardhi. Now this. The situation in America worried her; of course it did. Now a human is brought before her into her own court?" She shook her head. "She fears for our existence. We know that; she fears that history might repeat itself if strong action is not taken on mortals. But..." she paused. "I agree with you. She will not expect our attack. This has to be subtle... a light touch, you could say."
Her words ran together quickly and softly; she would never risk speaking of this out loud. "Of course you would not." Her eyes gleamed at Leona. "I do not doubt your commitment or your competence. In all these long years we have known each other, have you ever led our cause into danger? Or I you?" It was a rhetorical question. Kathryn was careful; therefore so was her spy. She knew that theirs was a cause that had to be treated with the utmost care.
"As for what next..." she paced away from Leona, withdrawing from the spot she had occupied, "we lie low for a month or so. Not too long, but long enough. We draw this out." She looked over her shoulder. Her smile was predatory. "I am gathering more fey to me. Exiles from London, amongst others. When it begins, we will be ready."

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~~Siggy by Lembas~~

Finlaogh had watched the proceedings in silence, and steped forward eagerly when Aladrae summmoned him. Standing in front of the girl, he pulled down the collar of his robe to expose a furrow in the flesh of his throat. "See this? Your kind gave it to me. A .69 caliber musket ball. I was lucky to survive. I took fifty scalps in retribution. And for Tippecanoe, I'm still counting. Now, this," he said, stroking the teeth of his war club, "on't work as well as a good knife, but it will do the job. I can do it now. Or, you can answer my questions truthfully. Unless you wish to end up like Etienne Brule."

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Oh great! Elizabeth had gone from the death glare of the ice queen to a caveman feary with a vendetta! And who was Etienne Brule anyway?

After Finlaogh got done with his speech, something seemed to snap inside Elizabeth. That feeling took over the fear and anxiety.

"Why blame me? I have not harmed you!" Had she ever thought about thinking before she spoke and possibly anger the man with big stick?! "Why this hatred towards humans when most don't even know you exists? Out of those that believe you in you, most don't want to harm you!" Apparently not.

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Finlaogh gave Elizabeth a backhand with his war club. The blow was not lethal, only healt with the wooden spine of the weapon, but it made his point. "The sins of the father are viited upon the son. That is what a Jesuit told my companions once. I harm you, because your people killed, buned, and swindled my human compatiots for cenuries. That, is why I hate you The others, we have lost kin in America, and blood calls for blood. English citizens deserve the punishments they themselve devised. But I believe Iriquois methods will suffice." He said the lat few words casuallly, and, from the still open box, he picked up a pait of long-osed pliers. "The truth, girl. Why did you seek us out? Why do you want to prove our existance? And how di dyou come to be here. Answer truthfully. Every wrong answer, and you will lose one of those finely manicured nails." He said coldly, latching on to one of the objects as he spoke.

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Pain shot through her face as the club made contact. Just like that, Elizabeth seemed to remember she was the captive and he was her captor. It took no time for the overwhelming fear to grip her again as the pliers latched on to her nails.

"I have already told you the answers to those questions!" she pleaded. "What more do you want me to say? I am a journalist. I wanted to prove your existence because no one would believe me. A story like that would get me out of that miserable little town,"-that was heaven compared to this-"and into a real newspaper company. I am not here to spy on you. I meant nothing malicious by my actions!" The last sentences came out more like sobs than coherent sentences.

"I don't any other reasons for being here," Elizabeth stated as she tried to choke down the tears. Part of her was slightly amazing the pliers stayed on with her shaking so much. "Please," she finally manged to say looking up at her capture, "I have not harmed you. I have no other answers. Please, let me go."

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Finlaogh removed the pliers. The irl was telling thw truth, that was painfully obvious. "Who brought you here? How did they convince you of our existance?" He asked in a low voice. He had decided that if he continued with aggressive tactics, the girl would break completely, and he had no use for a mad or mentally deficient captive.

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Okay, the pliers were no longer attacked to Elizabeth's finger nails. That was a good start. He wasn't yelling anymore. Did that mean she was going to live?

"I got lost in the forest," Elizabeth said. She tried to stop shaking long enough to finish answering Finlaogh's questions. "Um...That's when I ran across one of your people. I swear that I didn't ask to be brought down here! I hadn't even got two sentences out then she dragged me down here."

Finlaogh second question was a bit harder to answer. "I don't know why I thought you were real. I guess I just had a feeling the stories were true." Okay, that answer sounded lame to her. It probably sounded lame to him.

Well since she already sounded lame, Elizabeth didn't feel she could do any worse by asking the question on her mind. "Are you going to ever let me go?"

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That," Finlaogh said coldly, "is for the Queen to decide." With that, the Ambassador turned on his heel and stepped back to stand near the cell door, clearing the way for Aladrae.

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(Actually, Tur, Aladrae's still in the cell with Finlaogh and Elizabeth )

Aladrae had looked on at the ambassador's questioning of the child with mild interest and approval. But it was clear that Elizabeth wasn't going to give them any new information any time soon. Her last words alerted the faerie queen: "are you ever going to let me go?" Aladrae let out a harsh laugh that sounded like a glass vase shattering into tiny pieces on marble. She tipped back her head, and in that moment, joyful, she looked truly beautiful. Then she looked Elizabeth in the eye, and her face was cold, her eyes narrowed.

"No," she answered shortly. "I am not going to let you go. You are a danger. And dangers must be gotten rid of." She abruptly closed the iron box on the table. The noise echoed on the cell walls, like an ominous ring announcing the girl's destruction. "So make yourself comfortable here whilst you may. This will be all for now."

She swiftly turned and summoned to Finloagh. "We're leaving." The guards stepped forward and carried out the box and the table. The interrogation was over.

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~~Siggy by Lembas~~

((Ooops. Edited.))

"Your Majesty, if the girl is to be killed, I ask to be privy to the execution of the matter. Especially if the event is public. I have done far worse than exract fingernails." He said assuredly, staying a couple paces behind Aladrae, keeping his station in mind.

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