Chapter Text
"Your Majesties!"
The sounds of the Faerie Kingdom's palace doors being thrown open was loud enough to echo down every hallway, and the yelps of a frantic guard that followed after it made the nearby staffers panic. It wasn't often that someone came bursting into the palace in such a hurry, especially not so late at night, but fear was quick to spread on the rare occasions it happened.
The loud thump of the guard's silver boots came thundering down the hall, the panicked woman almost forgetting the timeless rule against flying inside the palace. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she was allowed to run inside the palace, but she figured she could be forgiven on such an urgent occasion.
"Your Majesties!" she yelled again, coming to a stop in front of the king and queen as they spoke with another guard near the thrones. Whatever they were speaking about was cut decidedly short as they turned to face the guard who had barged in.
"Slow down," came Elder Faerie Cookie's stern voice, "catch your breath."
The guard leaned forward, putting her hands on her knees as she attempted to heave out an explanation amidst her panting.
"We've... we've detained an outsider... an outsider near the East Gate! Your presence is... is being requested at once...!"
"An outsider...?" White Lily Cookie asked, confused. "At this time of day?"
"I'll explain on the way there," the guard said, "but our commander requires your presence urgently, so please follow me!"
Elder Faerie's gaze grew worried. "Our commander" had to mean Mercurial Knight Cookie, and if someone of his calibre was in need of backup then something was seriously wrong.
"Lead the way," he commanded. The guard gave an affirmative salute before turning on her heel and leading the charge back out the front door.
The king and queen followed the guard out of the palace and through the kingdom's winding paths, darting through streets and around corners and no doubt terrifying the few faeries who dared to be up and about this late at night. The sight of Their Majesties booking it through town on foot was certain to draw speculation, but there wasn't time to dwell on it -- not when they potentially had an intruder in their midst.
The trio approached the East Gate in no time, finding Mercurial Knight Cookie and another pair of guards crowded around something that couldn't be seen with them in the way. The guard leading the charge skidded to a stop and approached him with her chest puffed out and her spear in hand.
"Commander! We've returned!" she shouted.
"Excellent timing," Mercurial Knight Cookie replied, turning around to face his subordinate as well as his king and queen who had joined her. "I apologize for troubling you both so late at night, Your Majesties, but a situation like this requires your immediate presence and jurisdiction."
"We were informed of the details on the way here," Elder Faerie assured him. "Where is he?"
The commander gave a nod and stepped aside, revealing the figure on the ground behind him. It was a hooded man with a cape draped over his back, down on one knee with his hands behind his back and a guard on either side. He did not look up, gaze instead fixed on the grass beneath his feet. To the right of one of the guards was a large, black horse, which Elder Faerie assumed was the stranger's.
"We found him skulking about on the outskirts of the kingdom," Mercurial Knight Cookie resumed. "He and his horse were detained without resistance."
"Without resistance?" White Lily Cookie pondered out loud. That was strange. The man was sneaking around in the dead of night, dressed in a way that hid any identifying features, and he was both clearly armed and on horseback -- the Silver Tree Knights were skilled, but had things gone his way he could have stood up to them or even taken them out on his own. So why would he go down so easily?
White Lily Cookie turned to look at Elder Faerie, noticing the look of intrigue in his eyes that mirrored her own. He caught her gaze out of the corner of his eye, giving her a knowing nod before they both looked back at the man on the ground.
Elder Faerie spoke first. "State your name and intentions."
The man did not look up in his reply. "Silent Salt Cookie. I was a travelling knight, but my order ran afoul and fell apart, and what remains of it is hunting me down. Now, I am merely a sellsword looking for a place to stay."
White Lily Cookie looked at the horse to the man's right. "This stallion is with you, yes?"
"Yes. Nox Black Salt," the man replied again. His voice was blunt and to the point.
The king and queen looked back at each other, their faces deep in thought. They did not speak, at least not loud enough to hear, but the sounds of hushed whispers could be heard from the guards who stood over the mysterious man.
"Travelling knights? Have you heard of such a thing?" the one on the left asked.
"Not in this area," the other guard shook his head, "but on the rare times I've had to escort Her Majesty outside we've run into a few. Why, do you think he's lying?"
"Well, he doesn't look much like a knight, now does he? I'd sooner think him a mercenary of some sort, or maybe an assassin, but certainly not a knight."
"He said he was hiding from his old order because they fell apart. Maybe it's just a disguise?"
"That's exactly what an assassin would need! Hiding in plain sight to get close to those in power so he can take them out!"
The other guard sighed. "You're thinking too hard about this. If he really is an assassin, then he hasn't done a great job of sneaking in. Besides, what assassin would show up to a kingdom on horseback?"
"Don't you get it? He's slipping up on purpose so he isn't suspected, and here you are falling for his trap. This man is clearly suspicious, we can't trust him!"
"That is not your decision to make." Mercurial Knight Cookie's voice cut through the argument like a sharpened dagger. "We may not know who this person is, but it is up to Their Majesties to decide if he is allowed to stay. And if he turns out to be untrustworthy, then his punishment will be up to them too. Is that understood?"
The guards snapped back into position. "Yes sir, apologies sir!" they said in unison.
The commander turned back to face the king and queen. "What is your verdict, Your Majesties?" he asked.
Elder Faerie stared sternly at the man on the ground, who still had not moved to look up at them. Not content with waiting for him to move, however, White Lily Cookie stepped forward, gingerly taking hold of the man's hood and moving to--
"Don't". Silent Salt Cookie stopped her before she could proceed. The queen froze in her tracks, the trio of guards quietly gasped, and Mercurial Knight Cookie gripped his spear in anticipation. What was he doing, speaking to the Faerie Queen in such a way? Was this a threat? Was he out of his mind??
"I... beg your pardon, sir?" White Lily Cookie's voice was bewildered, but her hand did not move away.
"I do not wish to act selfish around royalty. Should you let me stay here, you will have my loyalty, my services, and my sword unconditionally, and I will take to any command you give me. However..." He finally tilted his head up, the darkness of his hood keeping his face hidden. "...if I am to have one condition, it's that my hood shall remain where it is."
The air fell silent, but the tension remained. White Lily Cookie's determined gaze did not falter, but she did relent and pull her hand away, returning to her previous place next to Elder Faerie. Now, it was his turn to act.
"Stand," the king commanded, and Silent Salt Cookie obliged, standing at his full height and looking Elder Faerie in the eyes.
Silent Salt Cookie wasn't any easier to read on his feet than he was on his knees, but at least now they had a better idea of what he looked like. He was about half a head taller than the king, while the queen only came up to his shoulder. His posture was rigid, his breathing slow, and his build strong and heavyset. His outfit was practical -- leather gloves and faulds with metal gauntlets and knee-high boots over a white poet's shirt and black trousers. His hooded cape was made of the same leather as his gloves, he wore a single pauldron on his left shoulder, and a sheathed longsword was slung over his back. Everything was coloured either black or dark grey, with the exception of his shirt and a purple pendant around his neck shaped like an upside-down fleur-de-lis.
Elder Faerie put a hand to his chin in thought. He hadn't expressed any desire or intent to harm them, but there was very clearly a part of him that he was trying to keep secret. He didn't want to let a potential danger hide within his walls, but at the same time he understood the pain that came with keeping secrets, and although he might be justified in doing so he didn't want to pry where he shouldn't. Perhaps there was another way for him to prove his words were honest, something that didn't involve verbal interrogation...
Elder Faerie looked at the hooded man, then to his horse, then to the sword on his back. Then, he got an idea.
"You claim to have been a knight, and now a sellsword, yes?" he asked, stepping forward.
Silent Salt Cookie nodded. "That is correct."
"And now you come to us offering your skills in service of our kingdom."
"Should you need my protection, I will provide it without question."
Elder Faerie drew his own sword from his hip. "Then face me."
The guards gasped again. Mercurial Knight Cookie's eyes widened, surprised that His Majesty would make such a bold offer. Even White Lily Cookie, his queen, looked surprised at the move.
"Dear, are you sure of this? You're not normally one to initiate combat personally." The queen wasn't wrong -- her king was not a pacifist, but almost every time she had seen him draw his sword was when he had been challenged first. Sure, he would offer to spar with fledgling knights, but to watch him take the initiative in an actual fight felt almost out of character for him.
"I concur. You only tend to draw your sword when the time comes to defend your people and kingdom." Mercurial Knight Cookie added.
"Is this not a form of defending my kingdom?" Elder Faerie argued, "If this man isn't a threat or a liar, then this is his chance to prove it. And if he does prove his mettle in a duel, then he shall be permitted to stay. That sounds fair, doesn't it?"
None of the guards spoke up, instead turning to look at each other. The king turned to the queen and the commander, neither of whom had an objection, and then turned back to Silent Salt Cookie.
"So? What say you, sir?"
He waited for but a moment, then reached for the sword on his back. "Very well. I'll accept your challenge."
The king smiled. "Excellent."
The guards, the queen, and Silent Salt Cookie's horse moved to give them space. They began by slowly circling each other without breaking their eye contact, Elder Faerie slowly opening his iridescent wings as he waited to see if his opponent would make the first move. When it was clear that he wouldn't, Elder Faerie took it upon himself, launching himself forward with his wings to take the first swing.
His attack was parried quickly, and so were his next few. Silent Salt Cookie's reflexes were impressive, but he was entirely on the defensive, and Elder Faerie wanted to see him attack for real. He prepared to swing again, but this time he ducked right as his opponent was about to block him, taking the time to start his mad dash.
The king's speed was deadly. He was incredibly agile on his feet, quick to dodge and surprisingly slippery. He was there one moment and gone the next, leaving Silent Salt Cookie with almost no time to react to his fencer-like jabs. It was fruitless to track him visually, so he instead had to listen for the wind to predict where he was.
When he finally caught a pause in the whooshing of the king's wings behind him, he took the chance to spin with his blade outstretched, catching the king mid-charge and throwing his attack off course. Elder Faerie used his wings to blast himself backwards, trying to keep a hold on his sword as his opponent lunged forward after him. Now he was the defensive one.
He had no time to pay attention to the cheers of his guards, his focus instead on Silent Salt Cookie's attempts to knock his sword out of his hand. When he thrusted forward, Elder Faerie took a left, dashing behind him to take a swing at his back and then flying up when he caught him stumble.
Silent Salt Cookie was forced to look up, watching the king as his illustrious wingspan caught the moonlight behind him, lighting up the grass below him in a flurry of colour. Were he not in a fight he'd take the time to admire it -- he'd never seen anything like it before in the many years he'd been alive -- but now was not the time to gawk. Now was the time to act.
With his eyes locked onto his target, Elder Faerie moved, rushing forward like an arrowhead ready to pierce. Silent Salt Cookie moved in response -- one foot back, sword raised to parry, waiting for just the right moment, waiting for Elder Faerie to jab and then--
He ducked, moving down to let the king's attack barely miss him, and then reaching up to grab him by the ankle mid-strike.
Shit.
The king had been caught and his opponent wasn't letting go. He only had enough time to register the hand around his ankle before he felt himself getting swung. With the king in his grasp, Silent Salt Cookie spun around once, swinging his opponent in a circle before tossing him to the side. Elder Faerie landed in the grass with a thud, dropping his sword and rolling over several times before coming to a stop. He moved to push himself up, only to be met with the tip of Silent Salt Cookie's blade pointed at his chest.
The air became deathly still. Nobody moved and nobody spoke. Elder Faerie's chest rose and fell as he caught his breath, knowing full well that the other man was staring him down even though he couldn't see his face. He kept his blade steady, they kept their eyes on each other...
...and then the king began to laugh.
It was a bright, sonorous sort of sound, resounding through the air like a joyous melody. It rang in Silent Salt Cookie's ears like bells, completely unexpected but not unwelcome. White Lily Cookie looked at him wide-eyed, like she hadn't heard him laugh like that in ages, while the guards looked at him like they had never heard him laugh at all.
Elder Faerie cleared his throat as he pulled himself to his feet, moving to retrieve his sword from the ground as Silent Salt Cookie returned his own sword to the sheath on his back.
"Now that," the king declared, "was a swell bout. It's not often that I get to truly enjoy myself in a duel." He extended a hand to the other man, who took it to shake it.
"Thank you," Silent Salt Cookie responded, "it pleases me to know that my skills are up to your standards."
"I dare say you're close to surpassing them." Elder Faerie raised an eyebrow, folding his hands and giving him a fond, dimpled smile.
One of the guards spoke up from behind them. "So... this means this man is allowed to stay, correct?"
Elder Faerie turned to face the guard. "Indeed. He has proved his skill just as I asked, and I am a man of my word. Therefore, our kingdom will gladly open it's arms to protect him, so long as he upholds his promise to do the same in return."
White Lily Cookie came to stand beside him, holding out an ornate-looking silver insignia in her gloved hand. "There's an inn to the south that can accommodate both you and your steed. Hand the innkeeper this and she'll understand what it means."
Silent Salt Cookie turned the brooch over in his hand before looking back up at the king and queen. "You have my eternal gratitude, and I am again sorry to have troubled you. I shall let you retire for the evening."
And with that, all parties said their graces. The guards left for a shift change, the commander moved to escort the king and queen back to the palace, and Silent Salt Cookie motioned for his horse to follow him southbound towards the inn where he'd be staying.
He had to be the luckiest man on the planet right now.
When he'd been found by those guards on the outskirts of the kingdom, he thought he was done for. His plan was to set up camp by the East Gate, sleep during the daytime, and then properly approach the main gate the next evening. If he was going to stay here, somewhere where he knew he wasn't likely to be found by his old coven, he'd need to be invited in by a ruler first and foremost.
However, he had not counted on the kingdom's guards being so thorough. He had been spotted way earlier than he had planned to, silver spears pointed at his neck as the commander barked orders at the guards to keep him in place while sending someone to fetch the king and queen. Silent Salt Cookie could have put up a fight, but his adversaries wielding so much silver made it too risky, so he surrendered without a fuss. There was a whole list of things about him that he wasn't planning to give up so soon, and what he really was was squarely at the bottom of it.
Vampires didn't typically travel alone. Staying together as a family or a coven offered protection and security, a form of camaraderie that kept you safe from whatever horrors may try to target you in the outside world. Even if you didn't necessarily get along, you still swore an oath to keep each other safe and only do harm to whatever may try to hunt you down. But when that camaraderie falls apart, when innocent people -- or worse, vampires from other covens -- are captured, drained, and left for dead by everyone around you who swore against doing it, there's only so much you can take before you decide enough is enough and leave.
His departure was not met with approval of any kind from anyone, but he didn't care. Unlike them, he kept his promises, and if he had to go somewhere else to do it, then so be it.
A vampire in a place known as "The Silver Kingdom" sounded ludicrous on paper, but that's exactly why he chose it as his hiding spot. Nobody in their right mind would think to look for someone like him in a place like this. His old allies had... mixed feelings on the mysterious fae and their reclusive rulers, but even they knew better than to face one of a vampire's greatest weaknesses head-on, so they stayed away from it. They were unlikely to ever find him here, and if they did, they'd have one hell of a time trying to bring him back to their side.
But for now, his old associates were out of his reach, and he had a decent place to stay. On any other day, he'd be wide awake at this hour, but now that he was trying to avoid anyone catching onto what he was, he was going to have to adapt to a daywalker's schedule. Not ideal, but the less suspicion the better.
He approached the inn with Nox at his side. It was a small, relaxed establishment partially carved out of a large tree and blanketed by a leafy canopy. It was illuminated by a lantern near the door and a gaggle of fireflies resting in decorative flower bushes. A wooden stable was conveniently placed next to the building, just the right place for Nox to settle himself for the night.
"I know we'd normally be awake at this hour," Silent Salt Cookie said, patting the side of his steed's head, "but if we're going to hide among the day folk, then we'll have to adjust to their schedule."
Nox shook his head, giving an indignant snort.
"I know, I know. I don't like it either, but I can't let them find out what I am. Rest now, Nox Black Salt, and I'll see you in the morning." He pressed his forehead to Nox's as a farewell and then walked back over to the building to head inside.
The front door opened with the sound of a chiming bell, and the warmth of a nearby fireplace could be felt as soon as Silent Salt Cookie stepped inside. "Homey" was probably the best word to describe the interior -- twinkling lights decorated the building's oak walls and bookshelves, and the lobby had a few plush chairs and low-rise tables scattered about. Were he not in the predicament he was, he'd be tempted to curl up in a chair with a drink and a good book. But for all the cozy decorations, there wasn't any sight of an innkeeper -- someone who White Lily Cookie had explicitly told him to speak with.
Noticing a bell at the reception desk, he stepped over and gently rang it twice. Nothing happened for a moment, but then he heard a distant shuffling noise and a raspy-sounding voice.
"Just a moment!" the person called out, "I'm knee-deep in some organizing back here but I'll be with you in a jiffy, just give me oooone second!"
With the confirmation that someone else was in there, Silent Salt Cookie folded his hands on the reception desk and waited for them to return. He heard what sounded like rummaging, or perhaps the sound of paper being hastily shoved into a cupboard, before it was cut off by hurried footsteps, a loud thud, and the sight of a faerie bounding out from around the corner. Her face was tawny brown and covered in freckles, and her pale silver eyes sat behind a pair of blue half-rim glasses with a gem-covered chain. Her white hair was gathered in a high ponytail, layered in a way that looked like flower petals, and her outfit was floral and colourful, if perhaps a little bit kitschy.
"Well met, good traveller!" she grinned, her wings fluttering behind her as she flashed Silent Salt Cookie a jaunty grin. "Sorry for the wait just now. It hasn't been very busy around here so I decided to try my hand at some early spring cleaning, but I just ended up making an even bigger mess. You'd think after owning this inn for so long I'd be better at keeping it tidy, but I guess not..."
Silent Salt Cookie shook his head. "I'm in no rush. I'm merely an outsider who has been permitted to stay here by your rulers. They told me to give you this."
He placed the insignia that White Lily Cookie gave him on the counter. The faerie took it in her hand and adjusted her glasses to inspect it, an excited smile stretching across her face.
"Ooooh, well isn't this exciting! You must be one of Their Majesties' honoured guests! It's not every day I get to accommodate someone like you! What brings you here, if you don't mind me asking?"
"My order fell apart and its remnants are hunting me down. I offered my swordsmanship in exchange for refuge and received it after besting your king in a duel."
The faerie gasped. "A duel with His Majesty? And you won?! No wonder he's already taken a liking to you~! Oh, I wish I could have been there to see it." She placed the insignia on the counter, grabbing a notebook from a drawer and a pen from behind her pointed ear. "My name is Geranium Cookie, by the way, where are my manners? I run the Oak Notch all on my own and would be more than happy to welcome you into my fine establishment! If I could just get your name..."
"Silent Salt Cookie. My steed, Nox Black Salt, has been left in your stables. I promise he's friendly."
"Perfect!" Geranium Cookie pocketed her notebook and stepped out from behind the counter. "Now, if you'll just follow me, I'll show you to your room!"
Silent Salt Cookie adjusted his glove as he turned to follow the innkeeper down the lamplit hall. She led him to the very end, past a series of plain wooden doors and eventually stopping in front of a much more ornate-looking one, decorated with hand-carved leaves and butterflies. She pulled a silver key from her pocket and unlocked the door, opening it and ushering him inside.
The room was quaint, decently-sized, and had a cozy air to it. It was decorated with twinkling lights and a fair share of greenery, with flowers on shelves and at the window and vines around the ceiling. There were the basics -- a bed, desk, side table and chairs, and there were two extra doors in different parts of the room. One of them looked like a closet, while the other was probably a bathroom.
"Ta-da!" came Geranium Cookie's voice from behind him, "Our finest room for our most important of guests! I do hope it's to your liking...!"
Silent Salt Cookie looked about the room before turning to look at the innkeeper. "It will do nicely. I thank you dearly for your hospitality, Miss Geranium Cookie."
"Aw, shucks, I'm just doing my job, sir! Wouldn't wanna get on Their Majesties' bad side by refusing an honoured guest, now, would I?"
"I... suppose you probably wouldn't." He recalled how Elder Faerie had looked during their duel. His gaze was laser-focused on him, his expression rigid and brows furrowed right up until the moment Silent Salt Cookie managed to grab him. The king had said it was both a test and a form of defending his kingdom, and had it been a more serious fight he would have no doubt been aiming to seriously wound him, if not kill him outright. He was thankful that the duel ended up going the way it did.
"Oh, but look at the time!" Geranium Cookie exclaimed, looking up at a clock on the wall, "You've certainly had a long day and I don't wish to keep you any further. I'll leave you alone now, but just remember to come find me if you ever need anything else! Oh, and here's your key before I forget."
"Understood. Good evening to you, too," Silent Salt Cookie nodded, taking the silver key in his hand as the innkeeper left the room and closed the door behind her.
He sighed. "A long day" felt like an underestimate, but he didn't want to seem rude when he was supposed to be a guest. The last thing he needed was to get kicked out so early after finally finding somewhere to stay. He looked over the key in his hand and left it on a nearby bookshelf -- he'd find a way to affix it to his belt in the morning.
He didn't want to sleep, but figured that he didn't have a choice anymore, unless he wanted to risk getting found out as a monster that didn't belong in a kingdom of faeries. Instead, he moved to undress, taking off his hooded cape and removing the pauldron from his shoulder and the sword from his back, which turned out to be a bigger weight off his shoulders than he realized. In the midst of his disrobing, he took a moment to peek into his bathroom -- he'd have to deal with that in the morning too, as he hadn't washed his hair in weeks and he probably smelled like dirt and sweat and goodness knows what else. Speaking of, his clothes could use a wash while he was at it. He didn't have anything else to wear, but maybe Geranium Cookie had something that he could borrow...
None of that needed to happen right this minute, though. He finally had a moment to let his guard down and he was going to take it. There were a lot of questions to ask about his stay here -- what was he going to do? How often would he see the king and queen? Would his protection really be needed or was this place especially peaceful? And, most pressing, how was he going to feed? -- but he wasn't in the mood to answer them, not when he was so focused on resting.
His eyes began to feel heavy as he settled himself into bed. There were a lot of things to worry about at a time like this, but those were problems for the Silent Salt Cookie of tomorrow.
For he was the Silent Salt Cookie of right now, and right now he was getting some gods-damned sleep.