Daniel had also known he was a pawn. With circles of power over him and around him.

After listening to the Old Lordling's story, he knew that like the Game, he had been Influenced by the Law of Fae itself. Thrown about for its purposes and designs, seemingly spent to reestablish balance on the behalf of others. He felt like mannequin, the semblance of a Fae with no control over the dressing and its own placement.

He was being used. He remembered the many times he had been used before. The many times he had been betrayed.

Of course he had sympathy for the ruined Ash Court.

But this was just a repeat of his life from before. The Law of Fae kept taking him to the poor and the destitute. It kept showing him the injustice of the Rural Places, where the least of all had dwelt and been trapped as their Lords abandoned them. It had shown him the moments of horror of the Servants, making understandable mistakes that would destroy their careers. It had shown him kindness in the Humans, only so when their time of great need came, there was Lordling Elswith, with his bleeding heart.

It was undoubtedly a moral failure, that he felt such outrage. Not another problem. Not an another need. But he found himself without a choice.

The Law of Fae had used him.

But it also gave him the potential of allies.

The Goose Boy sprang to mind, unsummoned and unlikely and limited ally. So did Jasper, though Daniel had negative feelings of bitterness to the Glasbin fae. Kenton was a surprisingly loyal and capable companion. The redhaired maid Shelby, willing to leap into danger. Even Marrin himself had proved to be loyal, as he would not betray Daniel during the Ambush. And now Talia, a Lordling so low in power she would have no problem interceding in the Game at a pivotal moment.

The Law of Fae had used him, like a pawn. But perhaps it would be more correct to say he had become the focal point. It had given him potential allies.

He would use it. What else could he do? Surviving the Game would be difficult enough. But the Law of Fae seemed to want him to conquer the Game with style.

"The dread of being, the dread of past, how can such a fate be allowed to pass?" He spoke, to Lordling Talia and to the Law of Fae.

He would heed it's will, though the feeling of another collar around his neck was enough to suffocate him. The Law of Fae swirled around them, blue and cold.

He couldn't join in directly with the Ash Court, as he was not currently his own person. As the Contestant of the Game, he had to finish the original design of the Game to completion. But he could allow certain mistakes to be corrected. And arrange some form of coincidental-and-purely-by-chance aid.

Marrin son of Castor, future Lord of the Sword of Storm, could not help. The grand fate that awaited the tall Middling needed to be put away. The Ash Courts would have no way to protect the fledging Heirling.

But Marrin the Middling, Enforcer Subcommander formerly of the Sky Court? That had promise.

And so too did the Ash Court and its ash covered leader.

"My lady," Said Daniel. "I am but a humble and meek servant." Daniel paused as the smooth and dense colors of the Law of Fae erupted unexpectedly in riots of yellow and flecks of red. The Law of Fae laughed at him? Why? "The Servant Branch has many duties, as you may imagine."

Talia gave him a look that seemed to scream that she really had no idea who he was.

"But along my travels, after an invigorating stroll beside the water and some practice opening doors, this humble servant took a turn gardening, when he happened upon this Middling before us."

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

"Spikes is doing the thing where he tells the truth but is lying. He does that." Whispered Esra loudly to Marrin unhelpfully again.

"Boys trip." Marrin said in reply.

Esra nodded and closed his mouth his own hand.

Daniel had to rouse the Law of Fae. There was a reason for his words. "There I saw him, knowing him to be of good mettle, and happened upon a most sorry sight. There this humble one discovered this fine specimen being mishandled by his Master. Being one of great compassion, this Servant begged for mercy."

"You traded something and got him released." Said Talia. She could cut through much of the Fae niceties.

Daniel didn't entirely enjoy it. "Well, yes. I did not want him there any longer."

Marrin stood, like a solider reporting to duty. "I am Marrin. I rose through the ranks of the King's enforcers, lady. I do not speak well, but I have some guile and some will. The Sky Court has done my family a great wrong, and I was...forcibly drafted into their branch of Enforcers. There, I plateaued for many years. But at long last, I found a path forward again. Branch saved me." Said Marrin. "Saved my life."

"No, no, no." Daniel said, waving his hands through the swirling Law of Fae before the connection could be made. "The Servant Branch is too lowly to support the weight of a favor from a Middling. Life debt is heavy. The Game would not allow it..."

"Game?" Said Talia. "Oh, I see. You are some kind of Lord, doing a trial." she actually relaxed a great deal at that. "So you used the back debt your House owed to the Ash Court to free your servant?"

"No. Marrin has never been this humble one's servant. But he did impose upon the Game, and this was the kindest option I could find to place him."

"How long can I keep him?" she said, speaking to Daniel directly like a peer now.

"He has been given to your Court. As a punishment for his doings...there was a lot of broken glass."

"The things given to my Court have a habit of being taken away." Her eyes shimmered with deep emotion.

"Six months. For at least six months." Daniel said. "This Servant may have suggested certain factors remain unshared for that length. Should some terrible fate befall the Middling, certain narratives will be corrected."

Talia leaned forward, the Bai Pbn style gestured of interest. "What do you want for it?"

Daniel wanted to find the quietest and darkness hole and hide. But the next attack would be drawing nearer and nearer. He needed to be completely away from Marrin and the Ash Court by the turn of the hour.

"Branch is in a Game." Said Marrin, taking charge.

Daniel reevaluated him. He had perhaps made assumptions that Marrin was slow, or lazy. That morning, he had seen the lack of coordination in Marrin's attack when they had sparred. But perhaps...even then Marrin had been kind to him? Not that he had gone easy on him, but perhaps Marrin had no been as diligent for his sake?

"From what I can tell, he has another assassin coming for him."

"How strong is the assassin?" asked Talia. "I have survived many attempts on my life. I am good at this."

Daniel considered such a person may prove good for Marrin.

"It will be very strong. Multiple, perhaps. The first one was a fake, used to draw me in the path of a Golem."

"So you swam to the underwater caves and then climbed into the airpocket and waited it out?" She said. "Because when its wet it weighs too much to climb up, and the tunnels are too tight for it to follow?"

Daniel blinked at her. "No." That would have been...very simple. He hadn't even considered that. He had even used that system earlier to arrive to the Stable.

"Did you go into the Glass Court and hide in the mirror maze? Where the Golem would be forced to limit it's power least it destroy the Glass Floor, and then you continue to confuse it by appearing and disappearing?"

"No." That was genius.

"Did you go to the Petal Court, where the Golem would be slowed by the ever sprouting vegetation on its earthen body until the roots themselves destroyed it?"

That was...a scary way to go. "No. I did not."

"Oh. I am sure whatever you did was good too." She said, her ash colored hair hiding her face. "If there is a game watching the assassination attempt, you can keep it entertained by exploring the ruins of the first castle, the polar flare ruins, or the bakery. When you said game, did you mean lowercase g or capital G?"

"Capital."

"Wow. I need to catch up on my politics. I didn't even know there was such a Game. No one ever sees me, so I stay forgotten most of the time. Fighting force with force is a waste of time."

"What do you mean, about keeping a game entertained?"

"Simple. You create a scenario where you know what's going on. You force the game's hand. It can backfire, I warn you. But even so, someone must set the music, and I always found it best to be the one to set the pace."

Daniel felt stupid. He had only seen the Ash Court's wanton state. He had not considered the resourcefulness needed to maintain such a near bankrupted state, to continually advance regardless of the consequences. He had only seen what the Ash Court needed from him.

He had not realized that there were more things he could learn. Perhaps...he had the most to gain from this relationship.

Former Heirling of the Red Sword, the once proclaimed Lightning Blade, fallen Lordling of the Red Sword Faction, realized he had something to learn from the Old Lordling Talia.

"How long until the next attack?"

The Tower Outside chimed at long last. 10:30.

"30 minutes."