The ponderous lord of stone dropped to a knee with a thud, almost to say that this was more important and worth the time than his meeting with the Fall King. Placing a hand of ore upon his chiseled chin Orðabók wondered for a moment at the rudeness of the Duchess's gesture at this point ignoring the warriors of the realm and their advances. And just as the man of rock was opening his mouth to respond a voice broke out and interrupted him.

"I can answer for myself" "Yeah, my name's Max, Max Napras." And as to the Hermit's surprise, the boy had not been so enthralled with the treachery of the fall court. And so a smile erupted from Orðabók's stony visage, until he heard the next part, which had drained away to a solemn look.

The boy was tricked, this was to be expected, but now it had seemed that they plan on keeping him against his own will? Such was not the way for the great giant of rubble. With a sharp glance toward Max's 'captor' Orðabók spoke in his usual timbre, "These creatures do not claim ownership over you, nor would I see it done." The boy needed his help after all, though whether he simply wanted to seek the knowledge of a mortal or he genuinely cared of the human's well being remained to be seen.

Soon after the man of stone added, "If you wish, I may guide you from this place, though you have no reason to trust me. These forests are quite a bother however." All the while being oblivious to the noble's reactions toward the conversation.

And just as Orðabók had finished speaking, the crackling wind sprung out in all directions. Irking the stoic Fae, especially the words carried upon the gusts. Ugh, the rhyming that the Fall king had prided himself over for so long. If anything kept the stone giant out of the Fall court, it was that.

But such words had rung true, it was foolish for the duchess to lash out at Orðabók at all, considering his worth to more than just the fall court. It almost felt like cheating, "Looks like the lord of this land would like an audience, young Max. Shall you tag along?"

A voice. This is what she heard, someone was talking to her, though she could barely make out the words. The tone though, she knew it too well, the voice was challenging her to live. Yes, she heard that word. Whoever, or whatever it was, challenged her to live. She tried to open her eyes again, only managing to crack one a bit, the figure before her appearing to be nothing more than a shadow. Live...yes...I must...live... she thought just before passing out. Her dreams were strange, she dreamed she was alive once more in this strange landscape, dancing among the frost and snow. It was as if the cold didn't affect her, as if she was part of the landscape herself. She felt at home, strangely enough. If it were anyone else, it might have been strange for them to feel that way, but not her. The best way for her to describe it was that she was meant to be here, as if it was meant to be her home. Her dream stopped when a shadow loomed over her, darkening everything around her. Was she scared? Not in the least. She was curious, who was this shadowed figure? Would she ever know? Before she could figure it out, her eyes slowly began to open. As they adjusted, she found she was no longer in that strange place. Well, she was, but not where she had been to begin with. She looked around, slowly sitting up as she scanned her surroundings. More of them. More of those twisted, yet oddly beautiful objects surrounded her, but they weren't like the ones she saw before. Her mind then suddenly recalled her wound, which she immediately touched, finding nothing there. No mark, no scar, nothing. It was as if it never existed in the first place. "How is that possible? I could have sworn I was dying..." she said out loud, clearly confused by the whole situation.

The Elarin Immerus or rather the King of the Summer Court Immerus, was lounging upon his throne daydreaming as usual.

He was the youngest of the Fae Kings not even in his middle ages yet in usual Fae standards, but he was a king at that and a fine one at that.

Immerus was daydreaming about adventure and glory, as he usually did due to his boredom because of the lack of visitors in his presence which offered him a little.

The sound of a door opening and the soft padding of footsteps roused him from his daydreaming, he quickly straightened up in his seat to not look foolish before the guardsmen who approached.

"What do you require, do we have a visitor?"

Immerus said hopefully, seeing a small smirk on the guards face Immerus was pleased for he liked to be jolly with his own men but he was also intimidating.

The guard bowed and then explained.

"Yes sire we do have a visitor, one bearing news although she does seem odd!"

Immerus raised an eyebrow.

"Odd and our visitor is a female?"

He thought to himself wondering how odd she seemed then he shook the thought away for it meant nothing, he decided to rejoice in the matter that he finally had a visitor requesting him.

"Well what are you standing there for send her in!"

Immerus said curtly to the guardsmen and he sent him away to fetch the women who came yielding some kind of news.

Aisling slipped into the Court and down the hall, pausing to curtsied before the Summer King. "King of Summer, I have come on behest the King, My Lord, of Fall. A exchange he has to offer ye, news for trade of Winter Court thy enemies." Green eyes watch the Lord of Fae from her bowed position as she slowly straightened. What a boyish King this one was. Even she could see his youth having spent so long among Fae halls. Her long red hair was plaited in curls down her back as long bangs and lashes framed her eyes. She knew she was beautiful to men, even a few young fairies had approved. The works of beauty would not apply here so skills of diplomacy and fencing with words. Sewing meaning and intention into a blended seam until the Fae agreed to a deal fitting to her Lord. It would be tricky work.

The figure chuckles, the woman finds herself in the halls of iron itself- to a guest room. The room is spacious, but not empty feeling, paintings, and furniture, a wardrobe, a small table and chairs, the room even has a small hearth- Obviously fae avoid Lask's metal home...
No fae would live even entering the doorway. He raises a glass, she notices there's a Wooden removable floor in the room, and a slightly smaller fae. It flees before it can be seen, causing the gremlin to roll his eyes. "I see your alright." he smiles "You lived after all, little one."

Immerus raised an eyebrow for this women skipped into his court as if it were a field but he shrugged and listened to the women and respected her courtesy and most of all her utmost beauty although he wouldn't admit, he thought she might be the most beautiful Fae he had ever seen.

But he knew her beauty was more for diplomacy and he wasn't the sort to fall for such tricks.

"News of the Winter Court you say!"

He scowled tapping his throne with his index fingers, his voice filled with hatred and disgust for he despised the Winter King and his court but he cleared his thought and composed himself to not seem biased and then looked upon the women with interest.

"Do tell me this news fair maiden!"

Immerus said to the women with question and slight interest almost sounding demanding and thirsty for the blood of his enemy due to the fact that he really wanted to know what the foul denizens of the Winter Court had planned or were planning.

"But for a price, Summer King. I shall tell you for the bargain of equal worth. Your first name true, not nickname, but given." She offers, folding her hands before her demurely in front of her. Her Lord had taught her deal and bargain well and she would use this knowledge well. Her eyes gazed up at the King from under the lasses, as though she was shy. "For within the Fae Realm all things must be given for something of equal value, no?" Her Irish accent gave her words a colorful littering to them. Perhaps she could pull upon his hate. "Though perhaps the price may be too high for the news of the iron fond gremlins that all Fair Folk be venerable to. Save the most powerful of Kings and Lords."

The woman's eyes search for the voice's source, eventually coming to focus on a...creature? She rubs her eyes, under the impression she was seeing things. However, the creature was still there, as very much real as she was. "It seems I am...your doing, I assume?" she questions, clearly not afraid of the creature. Her eyes look him over, perhaps another human being would be afraid, maybe intimidated by the being; she was not like everyone else. She slowly leaned forward, "So, what are you supposed to be? A goblin?" she asked, a slight bit of sarcasm in her voice. Before she let him answer, she asked another question, "And for that matter, where am I? This doesn't look like the city to me." she added. She noticed the paintings around the room, none familiar, but intriguing to her nonetheless.

This offer was very pricy and although young Immerus was definitely not stupid.

"Too pricy indeed fair maiden!"

He said curtly to the women although not rudely for he did not want relations between the Fall and Summer Courts to become sour but very sourly.

"Do you think me daft to just give away my very true name for such information I would never do such a thing although I would give it to you for real wealth maybe even more steady trade routs that I own maybe even lend the King of the Fall Court my own troops to aid you or lend some of my own service but never my true name for I am young but I am not stupid!"

He did show the women that he was offended by her, for he did not really want to give his true name away at the age that he was at because many could take advantage of him, or maybe even find him weak but he would not stand to seem weak and boneless to his own people.

"I will offer anything but my true name"

He said that and he made it sound final.

the gremlins face twists into what is a scowl- the same kind scowl a murder would have over his prey... "GREMLIN... young one, i am a Gremlin. GOBLINS are shorter, and not nearly as fair." he calms, and sighs, holding up a glass of water, handing it to her "But yes you are alive as you can see, and it is my doing, and you are in my court, and home." he sighs and gestures about "And this is your room... if you shall have it." The gremlin then locks his eyes onto hers. the dark spheres of a dark no-named shade of green burrowing into hers, "I saved your life, and thus you owe me, do you not?" The unspoken threat, and unknowable danger would be spotted by any fe, but any silly little human is just prey to a game they don't know they are playing.

Aisling seems to melt with disappointment allowing a slight worry to trend about her. "My Lord has no need for troops, trade routes are not what I sent for." She shifts from foot to foot nervous. Scared almost, oh what the Fall King would do if she did not come back without something good! A glint came into her eye, to another it would look desperate. Ever so slightly that was true. But Aisline was wise to the way of Fae that must always speak true. "You said you would offer anything other than you're name, even part of that... Wilt thou give your crown for such news that might preserve thy kingdom?" She cringes as if expecting fury, rightly so. Still she holds the image of a nervous servant which only seems to grow as the trading does not fall right through.

As she mused at the art around her, she listened to the gremlin, turning her head to him when he shouted. Any normal person would have jumped, or maybe cowered away. She, however, was not easily scared, especially by a creature such as this. She accepted the glass and sipped it's contents while he spoke again, this time a threat being made towards her, causing her to lower the glass. She narrowed her eyes at the gremlin, "Are you threatening me, Mr. Gremlin? Such hospitality you have." she said, a slight grin forming on her face. This creature was similar to her, or rather, she was similar to him. "If what you say is true, and you did indeed save me from death, then I will not deny that I owe you a debt. A...life-debt, if I am to be frank. And with such a debt, I believe my life belongs to you, to do with as you see fit. Or am I wrong?" she asked, setting the glass on the table beside her. She leaned back, crossing one leg over the other as she folded and placed her hands in her lap. This place certainly was...different, however, it was a good kind of different. "If I am to remain here, Mr. Gremlin, I would like to know where my room is located. I know this is no place humans can build, the beauty of it escapes the human mind, they cannot construct it. So I ask again, where am I?"

Immerus stood from his throne his eyes narrowed at the women, she had nerve to ask for the offer of his crown.

"You ask for my crown, my crown!"

He said with growing anger but he was trying to keep himself from loosing all control.

"I should have expected such an underhanded and devious price such as that from a bargainer, you have struck a nerve fair lady but I will not lose my temper, no I will not lose composure for I am a just and fair king!"

He looked at the women angrily yet he could not stay angry, although the prices were very lofty and ridiculous.

"I must decline that offer, I will not give up my crown for such things although could you think of something else other than taking my kingdom or my freedom from me?"

He said with slight humour yet he made himself sound as though if there was one more offer or price that was so ridiculous or lofty as the others had been he might not be so tolerant and composed.

I meres did this because he liked this women.

"Oh and what is your name, not your true name of course though!"

He said slightly smirking at the women.

Aisling shrunk back and now took on grasping fears as a pure expression, "I am 'She who is born of ashes', Summer King." She stammered, her body shaking like a leaf of Falk's high trees. Her eyes looked about the hall frantically, in desperation. Searching for something to make a worthy trade for."Oh, please accept the deal for something of worth, I do fear the wrath of My Lord King. A Unseelie is no easy Ruler to bide under." She pleaded, he was Summer Court and they were notorious for their honor and nobility. Her large green eyes gave into tears of weakness as if she was on her last nerves. "I would ask for less if I could, but I must come back with something of worth! Surely one so noble as a Fair Summer Fae would understand the hardship of barbaric, dark clutches! A name I was told to return with, a name or rare tidbit of news!" Aisling blinks away the threatening tears. Clearly the picture of fear and desperation.

He raises a brow "And here i was hoping you would be stupid and try to resist." he smiles wide, and stands. "We are in the Winter Court- My halls of Iron in the snow born realms of winter." he nods, and opens the door. "In the realms of the Fair Folk- or if you want to make enemies, you could call people Faeries... But most of us Hate that- almost as much as i hate being called a Goblin." he gestures to the hall way "Shall we?"

The woman smirked, "Perhaps another unfortunate human might be stupid enough to resist, however, I am nothing like the rest of my kind. They prefer 'peace and harmony', whereas I tend to enjoy the opposite. Death is my particular favorite, provided I am not the one dying, of course." she said, a small giggle escaping her lips. She stood from her seat, bowing her head as the door was opened for her, "We shall." she replied. Stepping through the door, she was greeted by larger twisted and horrificly beautiful designs. She could no longer contain the admiration she had for them, and for this place, "You have a beautiful estate, Mr. Gremlin, far more beautiful than the dull buildings I've been around my entire life." she spoke. She stopped for a moment to look at the creature, "I daresay I'd enjoy living here, and I'm certain my particular...skills...would be of some use to you?" she asked, a devilish smirk forming on her lips. If he was anything like her, she was certain he'd understand what she meant. She resumed her walk with the creature, deciding not to ask where they were off to, for she had a feeling she would find out in all due time.

"Im not sure if i should kill you for knowing too much, or if i should reward you for being less foolish than a typical being." he chuckles leading the woman to a large room- later she would come to know this room as his Smithy- The air here was Ho, almost too hot to bear, and there are blades, more swords, daggers and more litter the myriad of racks and walls, like a macabre version of a toy store, for the bloodthirsty and murderous. A massive forge sits at the end of the room with a large anvil and what is nearly a Sledge, with a grind wheel and tempering barrel. This gremlin has far too much free time. "You can call me Haeson.... Your name?"

@LadyRunic

"I understand that your Lord may not be the kindest of Fae,"

Immerus receded back to his throne and he sat down with a thump because he was quite miffed about the situation, he didn't want to give up his true name because the Fall King could take great advantage of him, yet Immerus now began developing a plan that was insane yet daring.

"I will do this at a heavy cost!"

Immerus stood back up and stepped towards the lady.

"I will only tell the Fall King my true name and not his messenger and in return I expect more than information I expect his true name in return only to be fair and equal!"

He stepped towards the women wearing her green shawl almost looking pitious and old but this was also a facade, and he damanded theses things because he could not trust this women because he trusted no one and he expected to be taken to her Lord or he would storm in behind her as she relayed the message.

"Take me before him or you shall get nothing out of me women or I am not the King of this Court so take me to him and I will tell him my true name in the confines of his halls!"

He said this and he would only do this to seal the deal between the Courts because he would only tell the Fall King his name he didn't feel comfortable speaking it to his messenger.

And he certainly was not in the mood for giving his true name out he knew the Unseelie Fall King was underhanded and backstabbing, maybe even treacherous he rather would have told his true name to the Sping Courts ruler.

There's a whirling of wind, a tornado forms before the Summer King. An ancient boot steps from the vortex as a shadowy figure follows. On first guess one would put his height about seven feet. A thin form solidified into dark grey armor that seemed to grow darker. Deep grey eyes that looked weary and bored studied the Summer King. Black hair reaches down to his shoulders, but is mussed by the constant treatment of wings. The human bowing deeply to the King of Fall and Leader of the Wylde Hunt. "My dear cousin, we are family. Must family be so mistrustful with each other? But I shall make the deal easy upon you- King of Sun and Warmth." Pulling away the shawl covering to the basket a raven takes flight off into Summer's lands. "No name need be traded and you get a ally within my Court." The grey toned Fae musses.

Max looked between The Hermit and Meliae, and nodded his head," I think I'll go with you," He said. Already this Fae was more better than the others, as he hadn't seemed to deceive him, clearly wasn't threating, and could protect him. Part of him was concerned about the voice that rang through the woods, but he would ask the Hermit about that later. He stepped out from behind Meliae and towards the creature and said," But how am I gonna leave here?" He asked," I'm bound, or something, right?"