Homelands Pt. 11 Ch. 04

She hoped.

At long last, the oak double doors at the other end of the small room opened and Autumn's Matriarch swept in. She looked resplendent, as ever, making Caronwyn keenly aware of how dull and drab her brown robes were. Of course, she was but a druidess, whereas the buxom blonde ruled over four noble courts. But still. The gown of rich red silk, heavily accentuated with gold embroidery, struck the absolute perfect balance between modest and seductive. Between her belt, her crown and scepter, and all the jewelry worn on her fingers, around her neck, and dangling from her ears, she wore more gold and precious stones than Caronwyn had seen in her entire life. Before coming to Autumn, that was.

Titania made do with colorful hair hair, eyes, and makeup. Not this one. She evidently fancied herself a slightly sexier version of European royalty.

And that impressed Caronwyn more than she cared to admit.

"I'm sorry about that," Iva said with a weary sigh, pulling her heavily bejeweled crown down from its perch atop a silky gilded throne. One didn't see hair that golden every day. Blonde hair was often likened to the precious metal, but Caronwyn had never before seen a mane with such metallic sheen. Such rich, vibrant color, only a few shades nearer to yellow than orange. If Titania had hair like that, she wouldn't feel the need to fill it with purple, green, and blue streaks. "That woman loves to hear herself talk."

Caronwyn folded her arms across her chest and leveled a frown at the golden queen.

That look would have stopped Cahill, or any of her other children, in his tracks. But Iva either didn't notice or chose to pretend she hadn't. She'd tossed the crown aside, where it promptly faded into nothingness, and was sweeping her red cloak, lined with ermine of course, from her dainty shoulders. Then she reached down to remove her golden heels, which were of course thickly encrusted with rubies. Those too disappeared without a trace.

"I've never had the displeasure of meeting her," Caronwyn said, "but I'd have thought she chooses her words carefully." She hadn't quite accused the woman of lying, grievous accusation as that was amongst the fey, but she'd walked right up to the line before stopping.

Iva shrugged. "I suppose you could say that." A moment later, she held a gold chalice. "Can I offer you a drink?" Her brown eyes dropped down to the vessel, as though she'd forgotten what she herself had filled it with not an instant before. "You know, I used to favor cosmos. But trendy cocktails don't seem very royal, you know? So these days, I stick to red wine. But I'd be happy to offer you whatever you like."

Caronwyn pushed the hood of her robe back. "No thank you."

"Right," Iva said, snapping her fingers. "You're not big on accepting gifts. Fair enough. Doesn't mean as much here as I'm sure it does in Faerie, but still not the worst habit."

"Can we talk about-"

The blonde held one hand up, cutting Caronwyn off, while raising her chalice to her ruby lips with the other. To her consternation, Caronwyn found herself falling silent.

Something thick and heavy stretched across the room. Like a fog. Only it was invisible. Caronwyn felt it, but she couldn't see it. It made her own glamour look piddling.

"Could she hear us?" Caronwyn asked, lowering her voice reflexively.

Iva shrugged. "I don't know. Probably not. But no precaution is unnecessary when it comes to her, so far as I'm concerned." She took another gulp of her wine.

"If you really oppose her, why haven't you done anything yet?"

The golden queen laughed bitterly. It was a strange sound. In Faerie, women that beautiful made music when they expressed amusement. Or when they spoke. Or did much of anything. But things were different in this dying land. Every sound they made was reminiscent of sighing trees casting off their dying leaves to be carried to the feet of those who never smiled. Or never meant it if they did. It made Caronwyn shudder.

"Truthfully?" Iva said. "Because I'm afraid. Aren't you?"

Caronwyn regarded her quietly, unsure whether to admire the woman's honesty, which she knew could not be taken for granted here, or despise her cowardice, and the way she so casually admitted to possessing such. It was like she saw no reason to be ashamed of it.

How did such a women get to be queen of a single court, let alone Autumn's matriarch?

Well, she was certainly powerful. Caronwyn had to give her that. Each of the handful of times she'd stood in the woman's presence, she'd witnessed unspeakable feats. Like a cloak ten times thicker and stronger than Caronwyn's best glamour.

But that made her inaction even more puzzling. Autumn's Matriarch might not be as powerful as Winter's---few were---but if anyone had any hope of resisting Daphne, it was her. Her and Titania, though the latter was an absolutely lost cause.

"That, and my niece assures me that she can deliver at least a few of the lesser houses in the Shadowed Glade," Iva continued. "I don't like waiting any more than you do, but some outside assistance would sure come in handy."

Caronwyn grunted. "We had the same thought."

Iva nodded. "I've also spoken to Summer's Matriarch."

"Flora?"

"Flori," Iva corrected. "But yeah, her."

"And?" Caronwyn asked. She decided she could use a drink of her own after all. A stone goblet appeared out of nowhere, also filled with red wine.

Iva dropped herself onto one of the sofas. By the time her taut bottom hit the leather, she was wearing faded blue jeans and a loose white top. One could almost think they were two old friends alternately complaining about the husbands and gossiping about girls they'd roomed with in college rather than powerful immortals planning the opening stages of what might well prove to be a protracted and devastating world-spanning war.

Caronwyn joined her, settling down gently atop the marble coffee table upon which Iva had propped her bare feet. She too had switched into jeans and comfortable top, though hers was brown and had long sleeves. Autumn's weather did not suit her.

"She's been doing her best to stave off a war with the Eternal Garden at the same time that she's trying to avoid Winter's subjugation," Iva said, chalice nestled against her full red lips. "I honestly have no idea how they're still standing, let alone independent." She took a quick sip then added, "I do not envy that woman."

In spite of everything, Caronwyn found herself smirking. She couldn't tell how much of Iva's nonchalance was an act, but it was somewhat amusing. Mostly frustrating. Incredibly, stupendously, frustrating. But there was something charming about it too. The woman reminded her, in a strange way, of the son she hoped to rescue. It was almost hard to believe she didn't have any fey blood in her, despite the lack of music to her voice.

"The Garden has a grudge against Summer?" Caronwyn asked.

Iva nodded.

"So I guess we can't count on them as an ally."

"Summer?"

"I meant the Garden," Caronwyn said, taking a tentative sip of her own wine. It was more acidic and bitter than she preferred, though she herself had conjured it forth.

Her subconscious must have been in the mood for something a little more bitter.

"But I suppose that goes for them both," she added, once her lips were done sneering.

"Maybe," Iva said with a mischievous smile that was very, very fey. "I've been thinking of telling my niece that it'd be an even bigger help for her to start another war between the Glade and the Garden than to send a few token forces our way."

"Well," Caronwyn said, both impressed and disconcerted by the woman's cunning. She supposedly wasn't one of Daphne's lackeys, but that was precisely the sort of cold, calculating thinking that Daphne supposedly excelled at. "I suppose there's some logic to that."

Iva gave her a skeptical look. It was, somehow, really alluring.

Caronwyn tried hard not to notice how beautiful the woman was. The fairness of her skin, the radiance of her hair, or the gleam of her plump red lips, to say nothing of how deep her dark eyes were. Like black holes that threatened to consume her.

When this was all over, she just might have to find out whether those ruby lips were as soft and kissable as they looked. But not until then.

She shuddered. Never before had she felt such desire for another woman. Not even her own daughters. But this golden queen of Autumn was something else.

"Some," Iva said, with a bemused grin.

"You think that would free Summer up to join forces with us?"

"Summer? I don't know," Iva said. Her words were casual, but her eyes were waging war. The gold woman stared so intently at her that Caronwyn almost felt violated. "Someone's got to stick around just in case. But Flori? Yes."

Caronwyn took another sip of wine, nearly spilling it on her brown shirt. She couldn't take her eyes off the other woman's. Those big brown pools were bottomless. She could stare into them forever and not uncover all their mysteries. The little flecks of gold, green, and amber were absolutely hypnotic. The dark lashes and thick eyeshadow framing those beautiful orbs, the latter of which was a bold shade of blue, did not hurt either.

Wait. She was using glamour on Caronwyn, wasn't she?

Probably.

She didn't sense any manipulation of her Libido, but as powerful and practiced at deception as the other woman was, that didn't really say anything. And she'd heard from various sources, both fey and local, that Autumn's Matriarch was partial to women.

The funny thing was, even knowing that she was probably being seduced supernaturally, she couldn't help falling for it a little. The woman was that desirable.

Or maybe just that powerful. Which was probably be a good thing.

"So that's the plan, then? We three lay siege to Winter, while trusting our families to protect the home front?" It didn't sound so ridiculous when she said it aloud. In fact, it almost sounded smart and strategic. They were none of them weak, after all, and they all had children to worry about. They couldn't take their whole families to war. Someone had to stay behind and look after the little ones. A lot of someones.

"Assuming you're on board," Iva said.

Only a few dozen.

But they didn't seem worth expressing.

"A moonlit or sunlit assault isn't in the cards, huh?" Caronwyn asked, though she knew the answer. Even her mother had, before they'd sent their envoys. "Let alone a joint effort?"

Iva snorted. It was perhaps the least harmonious thing Caronwyn had ever heard. Yet she still ached to feel the woman's lips pressed against hers. To see if her breasts would look as big as they did currently once freed from her loose-fitting cami.

Damnit. That wasn't what she wanted to be thinking about. Didn't the woman see that she already had the answer she wanted? That Caronwyn was plenty compliant already?

And then, just like that, the unwanted thoughts went away.

"Sorry," Iva said.

Caronwyn fumbled about for something to say, but ended up swallowing a mouthful of wine instead. She wasn't quite sure what to make of her new ally, except that she knew she needed her. Desperately. Taking umbrage at the unnecessary manipulation wouldn't help.

Besides, she couldn't put all the blame for her distraction on Iva. In truth, the woman was disarmingly beautiful. And rather well-proportioned.

"For what?" Caronwyn asked.

Iva favored her with a knowing smirk.

"So. You, me, and Flori?"

Iva raised her eyebrows.

Caronwyn felt her cheeks redden. She hadn't meant that.

"Still not hearing any objections," Autumn's Matriarch said.

"Perhaps because I can't come up with any," Caronwyn replied.

"Hmm," Iva replied. "Well, then," she said, raising her glass in salute.

Cahill deserved better. A bigger, badder, invasion force. Rescue team. Whatever. Didn't he? Or would that just provoke greater resistance? Perhaps the three of them could slip in undetected and get their men out before Daphne even noticed? Or something.

She'd have to consult her talismans.

Later.

For the time being, she raised her stone goblet to meet Iva's gold chalice.