The dresses arrived sometime the following midday, but Raven was not there to receive them. Her day started much the same as before, cozy in a nest of quilts and furs, and followed by a hot bath. This time, she was mercifully alone. Clean, comfortable in a tunic and trousers, Raven got ready for the day much as she had before. Her hair went up into a casual bun with an ornate silver pin holding it in place. She could get used to living like this.

After breakfast, Amethyst came to get her. She was resplendent in a powder blue gown that flowed out from under her bust and trailed with ribbons. The train glided across the pristine floors behind her. She led the way downstairs, through a side hallway they hadn't taken yet, where the castle grew darker and less resplendent. She was escorted into a vast room with wide double doors leading to the outside. The room was full to bursting with armour and weapons as far as the eye could see, a veritable armoury. Raven's jaw dropped. Glittering mythril as far as the eye could see. Short swords, long swords, staves, spears, bows and arrows, everything she could possibly imagine lined one entire wall, mounted on sturdy wooden racks. Tables were laid out with works in progress. Most donned half-finished chain mail. Torchlight reflected off every surface and cast glittering lights on the high ceiling. The room was bustling with activity as fey of all sorts worked to finish their projects.

Elves, with their nimble fingers, seemed to be dedicated mainly to working on the chain mail she saw, twisting rings into intricate webs of protection. Others polished blades before sheathing them and hanging them on the racks. There was even horse armour being worked on in one corner of the room. Barrels of arrows clustered another. The room buzzed, charged with tension.

"First we must fit you for chain mail," Amethyst said, leading Raven over to the first rack nearest the doors.

A helpful dwarf hurried over, braided beard swaying as he walked. His chocolate eyes were bright as he looked up at Raven. He gave her a quick once over, all professional, and turned to the rack.

"You'll need something a bit bigger," he mumbled more to himself than anyone else, fingers skimming the shirts displayed there.

He came away with one in particular and held it up as high as he could reach. Raven took it, underestimated the weight, and nearly dropped it to the floor. It was a struggle to get it over her head, and she dislodged her hair in the process. The mail hung loose around her frame, but not grossly so. Amethyst nodded as though pleased with the fit. The pieces she would need were set aside for her with a little card denoting it as hers.

Next, Amethyst brought her to a tall, willowy elf with pale hair and paler eyes. It was impossible to tell their gender without asking outright, which Raven wasn't about to do. They, too, gave her a scan, selecting pieces of armour from various racks and holding them up over her figure. Raven had no idea if they were the right fit, but they seemed satisfied by what they were seeing, as they, too, scrawled her name on a card and set the pieces aside.

"When you are ready to ride tomorrow, come find me. I will help you gear up."

"I will," Raven said, carefully avoiding the gratitude that flew to her tongue on instinct.

They nodded in return, then turned back to the rack they had been organising before the interruption. Amethyst smiled and led her next to the wall of weapons. The selection was overwhelming.

"What do you feel comfortable using?" she asked, scanning the options herself.

"I'm not sure."

Amethyst hummed. "Perhaps a simple short sword would be best. Or maybe a spear? You might like some distance from your kill. I take it you haven't killed before?"

Raven's stomach went sour. "No, I haven't."

"A spear, then. Trust me, distance helps."

The thought of taking a life sickened her. She knew that drastic measures had to be taken, sure, but was the extreme really so necessary? Could they not take them prisoner and free their people?

But this wasn't about fairness, she realised. Their people had been unjustly imprisoned and tortured for decades. Mercy left room for mistakes, for casualties of their own. She understood, albeit begrudgingly, why lethal force was their first choice. Could she take a life herself, though? Could she stomach the knowledge that she had killed someone, someone who may only be doing this to support their own family? She wasn't sure, and may she never have to find out. She would carry the spear, but unlike her newfound friends, she would not use it unless absolutely necessary.

Amethyst took one from the wall and passed it to Raven, then took one of her own. "Come, we must train."

Amethyst led her out the outer doors into a courtyard with a road that sloped down the hill out of the gates. Practice dummies of bound straw and burlap sacks were clustered around one side of the clearing. Already there were fey practising their skills. One particularly stout fairy with massive cobalt wings wielded their sword with grace and fluidity that Raven could hardly follow with her eyes, let alone in practise. She was self conscious as she took up her position before an available dummy.

"A spear is a pretty straightforward weapon," Amethyst began, twirling hers around her body a few times. "Keep your distance and guide your opponent with the tip to keep them away from you. The closer they are, the harder it will be to defend yourself. That said, it makes a good defensive weapon as well. You can use its length to block attacks. The wood has been treated, so it is resistant to direct blows, but may not survive an oncoming blade.

"That said, our opponents don't carry swords, so unless they disarm one of us, you shouldn't need to worry about that possibility. Guns are your true concern. Your armour will stop a bullet, but you'll feel it regardless. It won't be fun. Try not to get hit."

Raven laughed. "I'll do my best to not get shot."

"Good. Now, do as I do."

Amethyst brandished her spear before her, stance wide as she lunged forward, stabbing the dummy right in the gut. She jerked it free and spun it back toward her own body. Raven did her best to mimic, but failed miserably. Her strike missed, landing where the fleshy part of the hip would be. When she jerked it free and tried to twirl it into her body as Amethyst had, she struck herself in the ear with the shaft. Amethyst chuckled despite Raven's scowl.

"Don't worry about flair, focus on landing your strikes."

So she did, widening her stance and jabbing with as much precision as she could muster. She landed a few good hits on the target, right where the dummy's stomach would have been. Others missed, landing where the arms would be if they were by its side.

"You can also slash with it, the end is sharpened. Not ideal, but effective nonetheless."

She demonstrated slashing with the tip of her spear, slicing a huge gash into the dummy's middle. Amethyst watched as Raven did the same. She was too hesitant, barely scratching the surface. Her next attempt was with too much force, causing the spearhead to stick in the straw. She jerked it free and tried again, this time creating a parallel gash to the one Amethyst had made.

On and on they went, until Raven's arms might fall off from exhaustion. The spear wasn't particularly heavy, but it sure was awkward. She was having some success in her strikes, though, enough that her confidence was building steadily. If push came to shove, she might actually be able to hold her own in battle.

Battle. That's what this was, without a doubt. They were going to war with Nevison Corp, who had no idea what was coming for them. An entire army of fey in mythril armour with mythril weapons to match. An army of slighted, furious folk determined to free their friends and family from the depths of that facility. Everything hinged on Raven's information. Had she shared everything she knew? Was there anything she missed? There could be no margin for error when they struck. Any mistakes would mean death.

And death was to be expected, on all sides. There was no way everyone would make it out of the facility alive, prisoner or warrior. There would be casualties. Raven could do nothing about that. All she could do was train up as much as possible in such a short time so she could offer her assistance to those around her. Her skill might mean the difference between life and death for someone, even herself.

"What do you fight with?" Raven asked, panting, as they wrapped up their training in the late afternoon.

"I am partial to a bow and arrow, but in this situation, I will be using a short sword, myself."

"Why is that?"

She shrugged lightly. "I wish to be on the front lines. I have scores to settle."

A chill slipped down Raven's spine. Amethyst on the front lines, sword in hand, fury bright in her dark eyes. The picture was clear as day in her mind. She pitied the people who came before Amethyst's sword.

As the sun began to set, Amethyst led the way back into the warmth of the castle. Raven's arms were jelly from wielding all that weight for so long. Perhaps she would take another bath before bed, to soak her muscles, so she wouldn't be sore tomorrow.

Dinner was a quiet affair, no one speaking much at the long dining tables. Everyone was mentally preparing for war. Amethyst carried on a light conversation with Ilya, though about what, Raven wasn't sure. She was focused on her food, on her roiling thoughts at the idea of having to kill someone. These would be faces she knew, and while she held no warmth for them, she didn't want them to die. It wasn't her call, though. These were a furious people with a score to settle. Mercy did not seem to be in the cards. Raven would just have to come to terms with that fact, one way or another.

After dinner, Raven and Amethyst strolled through the halls in comfortable silence, close but not touching. They took routes Raven hadn't seen yet, taking her past resplendent oil paintings and spectacular views out the gilded windows.

Their walk took them back to the first floor, through a series of hallways that led toward the back of the castle, where Raven had yet to visit. They approached a set of glass doors that led into a courtyard larger than her entire childhood home. Snow-covered shrubs lined the walkway, and winter-blooming roses of a pristine white shone in the moonlight. Above, the sky was clear, stars spattering the inky expanse as far as she could see.

Toward the centre of the courtyard the shrubs widened into a vast circle around a marble fountain featuring a statue of the queen, flowing with water despite the temperature. Gold and silver coins littered the base.

"It's enchanted," Amethyst explained without prompt, noticing Raven's perplexed gaze. "The water is warm. Touch it."

Raven did, her fingers dipping into the lukewarm pool. She wiped them on her trousers, smiling to herself. Amethyst took a seat on one of the benches, and Raven joined her, gazing up at the queen's flawless face.

"Are the coins wishes?"

"Yes, the tradition holds true here, too. There are some things that glamour just can't create. Love, for one thing."

Raven smiled at the thought of magical beings wishing for better futures. "Have you ever wished on the fountain?"

"Once, a long time ago, when I was a child."

"What did you wish for?"

Amethyst grinned. "If I tell you, it won't come true."

Well, apparently whatever it was had yet to happen for her. It only made Raven more curious, but she didn't pry. Amethyst was entitled to her secrets.

"I have something for you," Amethyst said, hand dipping into a hidden pocket in her dress.

"Really?" Raven's heart skipped.

Amethyst pulled a small pouch from her pocket, and then dumped the contents into her palm. It was a necklace on a silver chain, the pendant a violet teardrop with a tiny flower in the centre. It glowed faintly in the dim light. Amethyst held it up for her to see better.

"This will help you see through glamour. I thought it might help you better adjust to my world."

Amethyst gestured for Raven to turn, and she looped it around her throat. It sat comfortably in the dip of her collarbone. The stone was warm to the touch. Nothing changed around her, so she wasn't sure what to expect of it.

"Now you'll be able to see people for who they really are, under their disguises." Amethyst smiled and gazed up at the fountain. "I'm sure it will come in handy eventually."

"Thank you."

"Be careful with that, or I might hold it against you," Amethyst teased.

"Sorry."

Silence stretched on, and a crisp breeze rustled the shrubs around them. Perfume from the roses hung in the air around them. As she gazed around the courtyard, lights began to flicker to life, hovering in the air and flickering out like fireflies.

"Ah, the pixies are out. Lovely."

One drifted by up close, and Raven could see the tiny figure within the mote, no larger than her thumb. The glow seemed to come from its back, where tiny wings fluttered like a hummingbird's. Raven wanted to reach out to touch it, but thought better of the action.

"So you once said this is the winter court, right?" Raven asked, finally turning to Amethyst. "Does that mean there are other courts out there?"

"Yes, four in total, one for each of the seasons."

"What are their purpose?"

Amethyst pursed her lips. "The primary purpose of the courts is to bring about the changing of the seasons in the mortal plane. It has forever been our job to bring about the cycle of life on the planet. Come the end of fall, our queen grows stronger, her magic leeching into the mortal plane to bring about winter. This time of year, the summer court is at its strongest."

"Why don't we ask for their help?"

"Favours. While it is in their best interest to help us, as undoubtedly their people are imprisoned there, as well, they could use it as a favour against our court. Deliberations would take months, if not years, to avoid this, and we don't have that kind of time."

Raven nodded slowly. "That's silly."

"That's politics, I'm afraid. We are on our own in this. Besides, when we are successful at freeing our kind, the other courts will owe us their gratitude, which will empower our court."

"You sound optimistic."

"I am."

Raven mulled over her next question. It was the first time she had gotten Amethyst alone for an extended period of time since they had arrived in the winter court. There were so many things she wanted to ask, but didn't know where to start.

"Tell me about Ilya?"

"What about him?"

"Well he's a knight, yes? He seems important."

She smiled. "Yes, he is. He is a natural born leader."

"Who is he to you?"

This gave Amethyst pause, and her expression fell. "We are engaged. Our marriage was arranged shortly before I was captured."

Raven's stomach roiled at the thought. If they were engaged, why then did Amethyst kiss her? Why did she hold her hand? Why did they seem to have something if her affections were aligned elsewhere?

Raven changed the subject. "And what is your role in the court?"

"I am a ranger. It is my job to find people and things as needed by the queen. I occasionally do contract work for citizens, too."

"That's cool. So that's why you prefer a bow, you're not usually on the front lines."

"Indeed. It is my job to scout information before a battle more than to fight it."

"But you're fighting this one?"

"Yes, I must. I have scores to settle."

"I understand."

And she did, even if she didn't like that it would mean murder. Ten years was a long time to lose in captivity. Not to mention all the torture she experienced at the hands of those supposed researchers. Yes, Raven understood.

Amethyst cleared her throat, drawing Raven's attention back to the conversation. "I need to apologise to you."

"About what?"

"I shouldn't have kissed you the other day. It wasn't fair of me to put you in that position, to mislead you."

Surprised, Raven cocked her head to the side. It seemed most out of character for a faerie to apologise for their actions. Everything she knew about them was that they were manipulative, and lacked remorse for their actions. Everything they did was to serve themselves. Why apologise?

Not to mention, shame roiled in Raven's belly. Amethyst thought their kiss had been a mistake. Why though? It was magical, perfect, hadn't she felt that, too? They had something. So why was she running from that.

Because of Ilya, of course. She was tied to him whether she liked it or not, and Raven wasn't sure either way. Did she love him? Was she glad to be back with him, on the verge of marriage?

"It's all right," she murmured, though it wasn't.

"I promise I won't put you in that position again. I shouldn't have done that."

Raven said nothing on the subject. She got to her feet and said, "I'm tired, I'm going to go to bed."

"That's a good idea, we have a long day tomorrow. Get some rest, tomorrow we ride."

Raven padded back to her room alone, leaving Amethyst in the courtyard. Her heart was heavy, her steps even more so. When she reached her room, she stripped off her clothes and cast them to the floor, too depressed to care about the mess. She sobbed into her pillows.