A Weekend Affair # 4 - The Black Gala

As far as Brienne was concerned, no one outside of the Red King existed. Their bodies were pressed together intimately, moving in perfect synch to the music.

Alek: "That makes two of us."

She grinned up at him, their faces close, her arms draped around his neck. Brienne made a little joke that he was a damn good dancer, but much better in bed.

Alek: "Well something has to rank above everything else."

"This is quite true."

She countered with smirk, the thought of Alek fucking her on the dance floor extremely desirable. She was pretty certain no one would notice or care. The music changed to something a bit sexier causing Brienne to slow her movements down but still keep her body against Alek's. Her fingers traced along the back of his neck, her icy eyes roaming his face, down his neck, and to the exposed bit of his chest. She had come into this weekend dreading it because she knew it would be Archer having a pissing contest. But she was pleasantly surprised to find someone like Alek who actually kept her interest; who could stand toe to toe with her and her depraved and outrageous way of thinking. For the first time she was actually starting to like someone, which was extremely complicated considering he was hung up on Haleigh and she lived in London.

Alek: "So, what's your fancy."

That snapped Brienne back to the moment, her brows furrowing.

"What?"

Alek: "Brunette? Blonde? Redhead?"

She grinned, letting out a sadistic laugh. Her eyes began to scan around at the model like servants that were walking around, spotting a beautiful redhead. She gestured with her chin toward the servant so Alek could appraise her.

"What about her?"

Brienne shifted her eyes to Alek, a wicked smirk spread across her lips as her fingers trailed along the underside of his chin.

"I'd love to see her blood painted on your body...."

Brienne moved Alek's chin so he was looking at her now instead of the servant.

"While I fuck you senseless."

Her lips captured his in a heated kiss, the thought making her wet. God damn, how much longer did they have to stay at this party? Her tongue met with his, her body flushed from the heat sparking between them. She finally broke the kiss, keeping Alek's bottom lip between her teeth before tugging it gently until she released it.

"You."

She looked from Alek to the servant, the girl turning to them.

"We need a couple drinks. Two scotches."

The girl nodded respectfully and headed to the bar to fetch their drinks, Brienne smirking up at Alek.

"So..do you approve, Red King?"
 
Hellfire -- The Black Queen’s Office

They discussed Archer's impending demise, which needed to be as soon as practical, given the developing situation. Haleigh told Ava that she'd taken the liberty of tasking Daniel to run interference, offering that it would help them determine how dependable Daniel was likely to be. They moved on to talk about Cypher, and Haleigh offered assistance, which was accepted. John brought up a very good point about Cassadine Enterprises. Haleigh nodded.

"I agree, circling the proverbial wagons is a wise move."

She added, and then they were discussing whether or not Alek would be a speed bump. Haleigh doubted it, though she guessed it hung on just how attached Alek had become to Brienne, and how Brienne herself would react. John suggested that they tell Alek that Archer had attacked Ava, and Haleigh concurred, but Ava didn't like that idea AT ALL.

John: Alek can keep a secret. He will not think you a victim. He will, however, question how I allowed Archer to live at all.

"And anyway, I don't see it as you being a victim. Archer made an attempt, which you repelled with poison. He almost died -- should've died -- but instead you let him live and took his company. I can see Alek, and the others accepting those parameters. The Alcohol Poisoning story has clearly been debunked, so we need to 'come clean' with something a little easier to defend. I can still see Brienne being a problem though, if she's loyal to her King, she might defend him regardless of what he did."

She replied, sounding calm even as her pulsed raced. She had dismissed the diagnostic scan, knowing it was errant, and begun running a new one. Still, it was difficult to ignore the previous results, though she was trying to remain cognizant of their current conversation. John said he couldn't imagine Brienne risking it all for anyone except herself, and Haleigh was about to say she hoped he was right, when Cameron came in and confirmed that Brienne wanted her court to herself.

Haleigh's gaze snapped over her shoulder to look at him, as she slowly sat up, uncrossing her legs. Her hand drifted to her stomach purely on instinct. He'd heard. He was surely furious. He wouldn't even look at her. There was going to be a fight, much worse than the one at the hunt. She was preparing herself for that, when he asked to be alone with Ava. Haleigh's glance shot over to the Black Queen. Why did he want to talk to her? Was she the one who was backing his plans against Alek? Was that why she had asked if Alek was going to be a problem? Haleigh felt a chill, as Ava agreed to kick even John out this time. He asked Haleigh if she cared to take a stroll. Haleigh's gaze very slowly left Ava to settle on John, and then she rose to her feet.

"Very well...."

She said, taking his arm. As much interest as Haleigh had shown in John in the past, this little 'stroll' and the proposed dance should have been quite the enjoyable event, but Haleigh could not even pretend to be excited about it. They left the office and made their way down the hall.

John: And as usual, your husband says jump and Ava asks how high.

"Yes she's a little TOO accommodating if you ask me."

She replied. Her new scan returned a report of dizygotic twins. As before, the boy was Cameron's, the girl Alek's. Haleigh drew in oxygen, and let it out slowly, trying to sort out her own thoughts and emotions. John asked if she was feeling alright. Zach emerged from seemingly out of nowhere, calling her name with alarm in his tone.

"I'm fine."

She lied smoothly.

"Zach, stay with Cameron until he returns to the party."

She said, as they passed her Rook in the hall. He would sense Cameron's emotions, and she trusted him to step in with mediation if necessary. John led her back to the conservatory, and Haleigh honed in on Alek immediately.

"John, as much as I hate to pass on our dance... do you think you could use your sick moves on Brienne? I need to pry Alek away from her for a bit."

She said, as they moved in the direction of the Red King's position. He was dancing with Brienne, talking and smirking and kissing in a way that made Haleigh want to commit murder. The song ended, which prompted Alek and Brienne to head for the bar. Haleigh and John followed, reaching the couple just as Brienne was asking Alek if he approved. Haleigh interrupted before he could answer. Whatever they were talking about could wait.

"Alek..... can I borrow you for a minute?"
 
The White King waited until he was alone with The Black Queen, before using his PSI powers and telekinetic ability to scramble the security feeds and protect their conversation from prying eyes and ears.

"You're not in the mood to talk to me quite frequently these days."

[smirking]

"Which is concerning, giving how 'busy' you've been lately. But I digress..This will not take long."

He could sense Ava's emotions and it was causing him to be a bit bothered himself. Cameron had been a good ally to Ava. He was an emphatic supporter of John's coronation at breakfast. He had even tried to speak to her at The Red Hunt to which she begged him for more time to herself. All the while she had been stealing Sub Zero for herself and making court appointments and changes left and right. He was beginning to tire of it, and beginning to feel as if he didn't have the right allies around him. Nobody was keeping him in the loop. They had both gone through something big just a few moments ago. He got not wanting to have a deep conversation about their parents, but Ava didn't corner the market on personal trauma. She hadn't taken one moment to ask Cameron how he was feeling about the things going on in his own life, or the dynamics in that. And the look on her face indicated that she didn't really care. After the conversation with his mother, and the fallout of everything that had happened since she arrived, Cameron was beginning to question everything and everyone.

"Brienne will not rule The Black Court alone....Alek will rule with her. On The European Court."

Cameron remarked Ava's expression in his cobalt blue eyes before continuing.

"Alek will be the one to run Sub Zero's interest in Europe and his placement on their court will act as a gesture of good faith. That although we killed their King and stole his company, we are not declaring war."

He spoke in an even tone.

"I am asking you to back my play when the time comes."

The White King grabbed a beer from the mini bar and cracked it open, having gone without alcohol for far too long.

"That being said? I don't expect you to know anything of what's going on in my life, because that would have required you asking me, and that hasn't necessarily been your strong suit this weekend, but I will not have Alek on this court any longer than I need to, and if I have to go around the rest of you and use my powers to move him myself, I will. I just thought I would give those who *I* have supported at every turn, to support me. But I don't expect it. Nothing surprises me anymore."

He was done with this conversation, not wanting to continue to speak, afraid that his anger would cause him to cross a line with Ava that he didn't want to cross. If she told his wife, if she told Alek, he would know where he stood with her and he would go from there. The White King took a swig of his beer before turning around and making his way towards the door. He didn't tell Ava what he had just learned about Haleigh, because it was too painful to vocalize.

[turning back]

"Again, sorry to bother you. Enjoy your evening, sis."

And with that, he left, returning to the party, not even caring about Alek and Haleigh together at this point. How much MORE could he be hurt by that? Instead, he continued with his purpose, spotting Juliette, Liam, Ashley and AJ. So far, Ashley was unwilling to make a move against Alek, always readjusting herself so that they could work together. He wondered how she would feel if she knew that Alek's baby was growing in his wife's stomach. And he was going to find out.
 
John escorted Haleigh out and Ava inhaled a breath before looking back at Cameron. It had been a turbulent weekend to say the least. His wife had become pregnant which was something that Ava had a difficult time dealing with because of personal reasons, therefore earlier when he wanted to speak with her at the hunt she didn't want to deal with it. Then the situation with her father happened, and the last thing she wanted to do was further dwell on that as well. Especially considering that Archer was connected to her father now. It wasn't personal, it was just how Ava dealt with things. She withdrew until she was ready to open up.

Cameron: "You're not in the mood to talk to me quite frequently these days. Which is concerning, giving how 'busy' you've been lately. But I digress..This will not take long."

"Come off it, Cameron. I got knocked around with a one two punch this weekend with Haleigh's pregnancy and my father showing up married to your mother. Excuse me for wanting a little privacy to gather my thoughts together."

Ava shook her head, not appreciating Cameron's tone. But he moved onto the topic he wished to discuss with her, which was not the one Ava was expecting.

Cameron: "Brienne will not rule The Black Court alone....Alek will rule with her. On The European Court."

Ava lifted a brow up. He was speaking very confidently of this fact considering Ava had a conversation with Alek earlier that afternoon about how he prided himself on being the Red King and that it belonged to him because he was Helena's legacy.

"Is that so?"

Cameron: "Alek will be the one to run Sub Zero's interest in Europe and his placement on their court will act as a gesture of good faith. That although we killed their King and stole his company, we are not declaring war. I am asking you to back my play when the time comes."

"Are you asking me to help you force Alek out of his court? Or to help you kill him when he refuses?"

Ava's stare remained even as she looked at Cameron, knowing Alek wouldn't go willingly, and knowing Cameron was more than happy to do what was necessary to get rid of him as the Red King.

Cameron: "That being said? I don't expect you to know anything of what's going on in my life, because that would have required you asking me, and that hasn't necessarily been your strong suit this weekend, but I will not have Alek on this court any longer than I need to, and if I have to go around the rest of you and use my powers to move him myself, I will. I just thought I would give those who *I* have supported at every turn, to support me. But I don't expect it. Nothing surprises me anymore."

Ava's eyes narrowed at that, an incredulous expression on her face.

"Cameron, i'm saying this to you as a friend. Get you head out of your ass, you're starting to sound like your mother."

Ava may not have been attached to Cameron's hip all weekend long, but she had a lot going on with her court, then the sudden baby revelations that Cameron knew hurt Ava. If he really thought it was because she was turning her back on him, he was about as delusional as his sister.

"I haven't asked you about anything because what exactly was there to ask? You wife dropped a bomb about being pregnant by brokering a deal with Kelly to make that happen. I didn't realize there was anything more to be said on that topic? As for FORCING Alek out? Are you really willing to cause a civil war within these walls because you're finally jealous? Talk to your wife, Cameron. Tell her to stop fucking him because she's the mother of your child and you're not happy with it anymore. Why do we have to uproot everything we've built because YOU say so?"

Ava had no idea what was going on with the whole Cameron/Alek/Haleigh situation outside of Haleigh being pregnant with Cameron's son. But Cameron was starting to sound like he was going down the path of Erika King.

Cameron sipped his beer casually, walking towards her office doors.

"What the hell has gotten into you? This is more than just jealousy, isn't it? What happened, Cameron?"

Ava stood up, knowing that look on his face. Knowing he was hiding something. They had been friends since they were children, but even Ava couldn't reign Cameron in when he had that look on his face.

Cameron opened her office door and turned around to look at her.

Cameron: "Again, sorry to bother you. Enjoy your evening, sis."

"Cameron King. Don't you fucking walk out that door after opening Pandora's Box and not telling me what the hell is really going on!"

But he walked out anyway.

"CAMERON!"

Ava yelled, but her attempt to piss him off enough to bring him back had failed. Cameron had just told Ava that he was about to push Alek out one way or another: either as the new European Black King or by death. And now she had to deal with THAT news and how it would effect literally everyone around her. Ava kicked her foot out, pushing the chair Haleigh had been sitting on and sending it flying across the room, crashing to the floor by her desk.

"Gamóto!" [Fucking bastard!]

She had told Alek she wanted to keep him as the Red King because he was a powerful asset and ally to the American Branch. That and AJ was a moron who couldn't figure out how to control Netflix let alone a court. But she had no relationship with Alek, and if he was going to continue to treat Ashley like shit, Ava couldn't sit back and let that happen. And now Cameron dropped THIS bomb -- the fucking King's dropping bombs left and right all God damn weekend long. So now she had to figure out what the least bloody outcome was....Backing Cameron, backing Alek, or hopefully talking Cameron down.

Ava stormed out of her office, hoping to catch up with Cameron before he got back to the party. Entering the conservatory, Ava's eyes shifted around the room finally spotting Cameron approaching Liam and Juliette which made her jaw tighten. Then she saw Haleigh and John by Brienne and Alek before Haleigh walked off in private with Alek.

"Gia chará, Haleigh..." [For fuck sakes, Haleigh....]

She grumbled, Haleigh making it fucking impossible at this point to try and smooth things over. Little did Ava know, nothing would be able to smooth over what was currently growing inside her belly. Ava grabbed two flutes of hemlock, needing all the alcohol she could get after the shit show this night was turning out to be. Downing one flute in one gulp, she placed the empty glass on the servants tray before walking back into the party. She could hear a few murmurs from Hellfire members but paid no attention to them as she made her way up to John and Brienne.

Her arm slipped within the crook of John's, leaning into him.

"Good evening, Brienne. Enjoying the party thus far?"
 
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The Corridor Outside Ava's Office

Haleigh was no her usual flirty self with him, and he could tell by her mood that she was feeling about as cheery as he was. He commented on Cameron and Ava's relationship. He hated feeling like an outsider with his own queen, and the three "legacy" members seemed to go out of their way to show everyone their bond. He wanted Ava to confide in him, to seek his council, not Cameron's.

Haleigh: "Yes she's a little TOO accommodating if you ask me."

"And he asks for too much."

Haleigh said she was fine, but he suspected being pregnant was messing with her more than she was letting on. They passed Zach, and instead of Haleigh leaning on her Rook, she sent him to Cameron. Though the White King hadn't seemed upset by what happened with his mother, he supposed Haleigh must be worried about him, and how he was feeling about it. They arrived at the party, having gone the rest of the way in silence.

Haleigh: "John, as much as I hate to pass on our dance... do you think you could use your sick moves on Brienne? I need to pry Alek away from her for a bit."

"You'll regret it later."

He gave her a small smile.

"But happy to help. But Haleigh-"

He paused, looking at her seriously.

"If you need anything, just ask. You know you have Ava and my support."

Alek and Brienne were moving towards the bar, so he steered Haleigh there, flashing a smile at the Black Queen when they arrived.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting such a distinguished - and beautiful - member of our sister court."

He bowed deeply to Brienne, taking her hand and kissing it.

"Could I steal you away for a dance? Or perhaps I could get you a drink?"

He felt Ava beside him, her arms slipping into his.

Ava: "Good evening, Brienne. Enjoying the party thus far?"

"I was just saying we hadn't yet formally met. We really should make some time to get to know each other, being on the same color court and all."
 
Hellfire -- The Conservatory

Jack had declined the invitation to dance, despite Ashley’s insistence. AJ didn’t care what Jack did, he just wanted to enjoy having his Queen in his arms. So he wrapped her up, walking into her in such a way that she had to keep moving towards the dance floor, and forget about their Bishop. She laughed, and it was a much better sound than the ‘music’ on the loudspeakers. Still, he found the rhythm buried under all that noise, and followed it.

Liam and The Dead Thing arrived, and Ash congenially called out to them. The two visiting royals began to dance nearby, and the Dead Thing was soon chattering happily to Ashley in her thick, nearly unintelligible accent. Savage was still wary about this creature, but even he had to admit that it seemed she meant no harm to his Queen. Savage’s eyes went to Liam, who was smiling down at The Dead Thing as they danced, watching her enthusiasm as she talked with Ashley. Liam seemed quite enamored with his Dead Queen, certainly he wasn’t inappropriately interested in Ashley, and so Savage relaxed just a bit.

He pulled her closer still, which made it all the more tolerable that Liam and The Dead Thing were here. She looked up at him, biting her lip, pressing herself against him, and he grinned. He liked it, very much, but too much more of this would provoke him. She put her mouth next to his ear, and he leaned down to hear her ask if modern dancing was fabulous, and she remarked that she hadn’t been able to dance like this when she was younger.

“Ah yes, I know what you mean. The first dance I ever learned was the waltz. So formalized, ballroom dancing. Though I did enjoy learning the tango, at the behest of my wife.”

It was so long ago, he wasn’t sure he could recall any of the steps. But he did smile broadly, then shifted with Ash in his arms so that she went back for a deep dip. He leaned with her, and kissed her before pulling her back upright again.

“That is all I remember, I think...”

He told her, and then over her shoulder he noticed their White King approaching with purpose. AJ’s hands slid down Ash’s body until they reached her hips, and then he spun her around so that she could see Cameron as he neared. Still moving with the rhythm, he pressed his body against the back of her insistently, so that hopefully she wouldn’t get into too much more conversation before she was ready to leave.
 
The Black Gala

Alek was looking forward to getting Brienne away from this party and on to one of their own making. She was certainly a rare find, and not one he had expected. But here she was, someone who matched his tastes so perfectly. He would definitely be making more business trips to London, that was for sure. But for now, he had her here, and he intended to take advantage. Several times this evening if possible. So he moved things forward, encouraging her to choose their victim.

Hex: "What about her?"

He turned his head to look where Brienne indicated, towards a cute redhead. Alek hadn't had her before, so it would be new for both of them.

Hex: "I'd love to see her blood painted on your body...."

She brought his face back to her direction.

Hex: "While I fuck you senseless."

"Thinking about what you could do to her...it's making me hard already."

He leaned in closer to her, smiling, pressing his hips against her.

"But I'll only be looking at you."

She kissed him passionately, his tongue slipping into her mouth, not caring that they were in public. Brienne ordered drinks from the girl.

Hex: "So..do you approve, Red King?"

He was about to suggest they make their way to his room, and to order the servant to meet them there, when John was suddenly there, like a giant cockblock, trying to be charming with Brienne. And Haleigh was with him. She looked amazing.

Haleigh: "Alek..... can I borrow you for a minute?"

"Uh, sure."

He turned back to Brienne.

"I'll just make a few preparations. We'll continue this shortly, I promise."

He gave her a smile, then turned to walk away with Haleigh. He grinned at her.

"So, my place, or yours?"
 
The Black Gala

Ashley hadn't wanted to come to the gala, but she had to admit as she danced with Savage and chit chatted with Juliette, that she was having fun. Savage was being a real sport and not scowling too badly at the visiting White King and Queen, and Ashley truly enjoyed their company. But she enjoyed dancing close with AJ even more, and having to lean in to his ear to be heard. She loved the way modern people danced with each other, bodies pressed together. When she was human, men and women didn't even dance as pairs. And couples had been kept apart by convention for so many hundreds of years, but now? There was sensuality to it that could not be denied. She commented on it to AJ.

AJ: “Ah yes, I know what you mean. The first dance I ever learned was the waltz. So formalized, ballroom dancing. Though I did enjoy learning the tango, at the behest of my wife.”

She imagined AJ doing the tango and smiled.

"The waltz. So shocking. That couples held each other in their arms."

She laughed.

"I was wandering around Europe then, trying to find something to do after the French Revolution and Napoleon was defeated. It was all the rage at the Russian court."

He smiled and lowered her in a deep dip, making her laugh again, kissing her as he brought her back to her feet.

AJ: “That is all I remember, I think...”

"You just wanted the chance to look down my dress..."

She teased, grinning. But then there was something in his face, and he was turning her. She saw Cameron coming straight for her.

The information about Archer.

Geeze she would tell Alek about it. What, she couldn't enjoy herself a bit?

AJ's body pressing against her soothed her, and her hands went to his arms which held her. She was not about to give up on their date after the party, no matter what Cameron said.
 
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Brienne had spotted a hot redhead that would look even hotter torn to pieces. She suggest her to Alek, watching as he evaluated her. She told him she wanted to fuck him in her blood, grinning at the thought.

Alek: "Thinking about what you could do to her...it's making me hard already."

He then pressed his hips into her and she could feel his hard cock through his pants. Suddenly this party became very boring. Brienne wanted to speed things along, wanting to taste Alek again and watch the servent girl fuck him thinking she would just be joining another royal threesome. But unfortunately, they were both interrupted by the Black King and Haleigh.

Haleigh: "Alek...can I borrow you for a minute?"

"We're busy."

Brienne added evenly.

Alek: "Uh, sure."

Her eyes widened a bit as she looked up at Alek in disbelief. This bastard....The second this bleached blonde cunt walks into the room, no one else exist in Alek's eyes outside of her. Brienne certainly wasn't about to admit it, but it stung like a mother fucker.

Alek: "I'll just make a few preparations. We'll continue this shortly, I promise."

She didn't respond to him as he escorted Haleigh away. First the White Rook now the Red King? Brienne was starting to get a fucking complex. It was then she turned to John that he bowed down like the English gentleman that he was and took her hand, kissing it.

John: "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting such a distinguished - and beautiful - member of our sister court."

Brienne parted her lips with her tongue, eying John from head to toe as he stood tall in front of her. He was a hulking man with broad shoulders. And he certainly filled out a suite like a proper Brit. The sour expression on Brienne's face faded as she smiled at John.

"Flattery will get you everything."

John: "Could I steal you away for a dance? Or perhaps I could get you a drink?"

Her smile turned into a sexy grin, her hand slipping down the underside of John's lapels as she bit her bottom lip.

"You can take me wherever you like, Steel. I could be your Black Queen for the evening while yours is off dealing with daddy."

But alas, the Ava rolled in like a Trojan Horse, slipping in next to John with stealth and ownership.

Ava: "Good evening, Brienne. Enjoying the party thus far?"

That was when Brienne took a step back, knowing Ava was marking her territory like the bitch that she was. Pity, John probably had a huge cock.

John: "I was just saying we hadn't yet formally met. We really should make some time to get to know each other, being on the same color court and all."

"Mmm...yes. I suppose we all should stick together. I wonder where Archer is..."

Brienne added with a lift of her brow before taking a sip of her scotch, noting the daggers Ava was shooting at her. Swallowing the cool liquid, Brienne gestured out with her glass to the party.

"Lovely party, Ava. I must admit, it's fabulous. Though the daddy drama was a bit much."

Ava: [evenly] "I do enjoy a bit of show, what can I say."

"Apparently. Though I was rooting for you to rip Kelly King's face off. The bitch has been walking around this Earth in her knock off Louboutin's for far too long. If you ever need help taking her out, you have a friend in me."

Brienne lifted her glass giving Ava a cheers, the Black Queen tilting her flute of hemlock and clinking it against Brienne's. So they bonded over their mutual hate for the King's. Perfect. Now Brienne was bored. She took a step forward and smirked up at John. She ran her finger along his buttons.

"Well....unless you're offering to take me back to your room so you can have a Black Queen sandwich--"

Ava grabbed Brienne's hand.

Ava: "He's not."

Brienne grinned, ripping her hand from Ava's grasp. She continued speaking as if she hadn't been rudely interrupted by Ava.

"--I must find my King. I'm sure he's off fucking a servant girl somewhere. If you'd excuse me."

Giving them both a wicked smile, Brienne brushed past John, her smile immediately fading as she left. Digging into her pocket, she pulled out her phone and headed to a secluded corner of the party, bringing up Archer's text chat.

>>Where the fuck are you Archer?

Brienne huffed out, thoroughly annoyed by the direction the evening was taking.

 
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Haleigh: "It was not a secret that Cameron and I have been trying to have a baby."

He smiled at her curiously. For a Queen, she seemed almost ignorant to how quickly information flew in between the floors of the mansion. One thing was for sure, the unity of The American Inner Circle caused them to be a little bit more relaxed than they probably should have been. It had been forty eight hours and Daniel had learned more about the way they operated and what was going on in their personal lives than he knew about some members of his own family. There was something to be said for a stiff british upper lip.

Haleigh: "So don't worry about sitting on information. There aren't many secrets we keep from each other here. That was the old way. You are correct in your observation that the Court leadership here is very well bonded."

"Well...she's not as cheeky as I thought. Somewhat of a bummer..."

Of course he didn't expect her to roll out the red carpet for him, she didn't even know him, but he figured at the very least he would pique her interest with what he had gleaned about her unborn child. If that kid had sentience, then people could manipulate that..quite easily to disastrous effects, but if she wasn't going to be bothered about it, Daniel certainly wasn't going to either. He didn't even like children. And she was not his Queen.

"Okay..."

Haleigh: "I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me once more. Ava is calling. Daniel, if you want to help...Keep Archer isolated from the rest of your former friends."

So she had now given him an assignment, even if it was an easy one. Daniel was a professional, and he hadn't switched allegiances lightly. He did however have a relationship with Archer and Brienne, but last time he checked, nobody had tried to stop him from leaving, nor did they clue him in on the rebellion. The petty part of him felt that they deserved whatever was coming to them, but his heart did have a bit of mud on it for not doing more to protect Archer. But he did what he could, he planted a seed in The Red King's mind and he went on his way. Again, The European Court was no longer his problem.

"Done. It was a pleasure to meet you, your majesty."

Haleigh left and he was alone. He was still maintaining empathic control of the crowd, and now that many were dancing and joyful and positively pissed, he realized he could pull back a bit. While he waited for the return of those in The Inner Circle, he decided he should get on his assignment, which made him realize he had no idea where Archer Fairchild was. Thankfully, Archer had a particularly strong emotional current. Closing his eyes, he focused on the emotional signature of The Black King. Everyone had a unique energy around them that was colored by very specific and colorful emotional events. They were like thumbprints, and when you were as skilled as Daniel was with his power, you could track them. He was on the roof and he was in pain. The Black Bishop sighed heavily. He was hoping Archer would be drunk and trying to insert himself into somebody.

Daniel made quick work of the stairs as the elevators were crowded with drunk party goers doing any number of unspeakable things as a wicked smile crept across his lips. Perhaps he would join them tonight for a bit of fun. He was already wearing a harness, and he was in a new place, who knew how many unhappily married older rich men were looking for a little spice. As he opened the stairwell door onto the roof, he came across quite the scene. There were several shattered ice mounds flanking the position of where a helicopter would be. At the center of the heliopad was Archer Fairchild, writhing in pain and grunting in discomfort. The Black Bishop approached.

"Archer? What happened? Are you okay...?"

Archer: [grunting] "I...was...fucking thrown from a helicopter [cough]. What the fuck do you think happened?"

Almost immediately, Archer appeared to return to his normal self as he watched with snobbish horror as The Black King snapped his shoulder back into place, cracked his neck and wiped his nose, his vitality seeming to be restored. Forget Cher, when the world ended, the only thing to survive besides roaches, would be Archer Fairchild. Though he was getting to get the sense that Archer would not make it until the end of the weekend, let alone the end of the world.

"Who's knows with you, Archer. Why were you in a helicopter?"
 
Hellfire Mansion - The Roof

Kelly King had thrown him out of a helicopter, but not before offering him a job, which made the fall back onto the heliopad landing a bit less painful. He felt his shoulder jerk out of place as the impact caused the wind to be knocked out of him. He laid there for several moments, looking up at the stars, wheezing a bit as he remained motionless. His world was coming down around him. Almost everything he had worked for his entire life had been taken from him. He would still be an incredibly wealthy man without Sub Zero, but they had ERASED his work and claimed it for themselves, and he couldn't allow that to happen without a hefty cost. Archer was a fighter but the odds were greatly stacked against him. Thankfully, The Black King had always known he wouldn't die a conventional death. He was going to die riddled with bullets or ripped apart or no way else, and he often liked to test that theory. He would not run from Ava Cassadine or anybody else.

Daniel: "Archer? What happened? Are you okay...?"

Archer grimaced and grunted in pain, mostly in his shoulder, but a small part of him was not pleased to see Daniel. The man was a turncoat who walked into the arms of a woman who hated him, wearing HER shade of black like the Uncle Tom that he was. To Archer, there was nothing worse than a rat, and he knew it wouldn't be long until his secrets were spilled to The Black Queen.

[grunting] "I...was...fucking thrown from a helicopter [cough]. What the fuck do you think happened?"

Knowing he couldn't trust Daniel anymore, Archer immediately sprung forth with a burst of new life. He couldn't afford to be this vulnerable in front of an enemy, and he wanted to send the message to Daniel that not even a long fall from a helicopter could stop him, so he feigned his strength, popping his shoulder back into place and got to his feet as quick as possible, using his powers to ease the swelling of his sore muscles and bruised body.

Daniel: "Who knows with you, Archer. Why were you in a helicopter?"

Archer looked the young man up and down, unimpressed and pissed off. He no longer had to pretend that he thought Daniel was clever. He walked closer to the man, impressively managing not to limp.

"Sorry Danny Boy...I don't give information to bloody rats."

He looked too comfortable, standing there in his black suit. He'd obviously been sent, though Archer did not care for the reason. Not anymore. He moved even closer, until there was a foot of distance between them. He gritted his teeth.

"You turned black on the wrong side of the pond. And now you align yourself with a woman hell bent on taking me down because she'd rather see me DIE than to remove the stick out of her ass?"

Archer laughed loudly before his tone became venomous and more serious. His dark brown eyes smuldering at Daniel with anger.

"Whatever RELATIONSHIP we had before is done, kid. Now get the hell out of my way."

He shoulder checked Daniel as he began to make his way towards the stairwell before hestitating. No, this was not sufficient. The American Court had stolen his company - he would do whatever he wanted to their court members. He spun on his feet and tapped Daniel on the shoulders.

"Oh and Daniel? One more thing."

He smiled before punching Daniel square in the jaw as Daniel turned around, breaking it behind his ice cold fists, watching as the new Black Bishop fell to the ground.

"We didn't clue you in on the rebellion because you weren't worthy of sitting at the table. And anybody with two eyes will see, especially after watching you ditch your colors like they were nothing, just how duplicitous you are. Tell me, were you in on the plan to take my business? Did you HELP them to secure yourself a spot? Or WORSE? Did you know something was going on and remained SILENT?!"

He SPIT at Daniel, which was a great insult, but to the brits meant something even more offensive - it was the total shirking of one's existence, and it was intentional. Archer was being backed in a corner, and the only way he knew how to get out of it was to FIGHT.

"You are no friend of mine. You are not even a man."

Archer sucker punched Daniel in the gut, his dark eyes wild with fire and passion.

"Now go hide behind your bitch of a Queen's skirt and leave me be."
 
Hellfire Mansion - White Corridor

She moved swiftly with Heidi towards the door of The White King's study as Heidi commanded the guards to leave with simply the flick of her wrist, to which Amanda smiled. She had always gotten along and worked well with Heidi. She was a consummate professional and Amanda enjoyed the mastery that The White Knight had over the element she commanded. Heidi pressed her ear towards the door in an attempt to hear what was being said.

Heidi: "Sound travels so much better through water than through wood. I still can't hear what they're saying, but they're both definitely talking to each other."

[smirking]

"If she manages to get out of this one alive, I'll be firmly impressed. She's always loved to cause a stir, but marrying Stavros Cassadine is something that I frankly, didn't see coming."

The two waited until they saw The White King, who looked a bit roughed up but not worse for the wear. Amanda was curious as to what the conversation between The White King and his mother had looked like. Was her lifeless body sprawled against his desk? Had she left the area?

Heidi: "My King. Everything alright?"

Cameron: "It certainly is now, mon chevalier."

He kissed The White Knight's hand to which Amanda fought the urge to roll his eyes. She was thankful to be on The Black Court. Kings and Queens had a tendency for romanticising their knights. Thankfully, as far as she knew, Ava had no intentions of bedding her. At least now with John involved. She was also grateful to be on a court where a man like John was King.

"Maybe it isn't as bad as I thought..."

John was a good man. He would require loyalty and faithfulness from Ava, and it was a value that much of the courts seemed to lack. Amanda was no prude, and she didn't believe in soulmates. She was a creature of passion. She enjoyed extended affairs and then she moved on, but she did believe in monogamy, though she didn't believe it could be everlasting. That was for the books she wrote. John had values, ones that didn't extend just to Ava. Despite the fact that Cameron and Haleigh were married, whenever she saw them in whatever encounter it was with whoever it was at that moment, it made her question their loyalty to each other, and she knew if she saw it, others would too. It would only be a matter of time before somebody tested that loyalty.

Cameron: "You are treading on thin ice, Black Knight. Your Queen is cornered with a cockroach of a man and you come to guard who? My mother? Me? Do you not believe my Knight to be capable of protecting The White Corridor?"

Jesus Christ, she was never going to live that breakfast down.

"I am here by order of my King. You have a special relationship with The Black Queen that we will always protect when called to do so..."

Cameron: "You've sufficiently made up your previous transgressions, Amanda. But do me a favor? The nex time anybody...on ANY court has some news? Clap."

"Dually noted."

Amanda folded her arms together as Cameron made his lecherous last words to Heidi before departing as Amanda's phone began to vibrate. There was a fire in the upper levels of the attic. Once Cameron rounded the corner, she held up her phone.

"Looks like Cameron was right. To the attic we go?"
 
Hellfire Mansion - The Black Gala - Conservatory Bar

He had successfully navigated away from the murky waters of his sister hitting on him in record time, though he had to kind of lie about the nature of his relationship with Amanda in order to do it. But he didn't have many other options. He inquired about her surprising amount of restraint at finding out Stavros Cassadine was now her stepfather.

Erika: "Well...between you and me, I'm about to be sitting in a court position. I can't well have them know exactly everything they've been signed up. That wouldn't be any fun."

Ben smiled. Erika certainly had a flair for dramatics, but anybody with eyes knew that. But he was a bit relieved to see that Erika was surprisingly together. He had seen her in the height of her mania over the years. She wasn't above causing harm to herself or others to be heard. It was something he had always secretly admired about her. He suffered in silence, she screamed. There was something about how messy and vulnerable she was that seemed a bit freeing to Ben.

Erika: "But let's talk about you, mister this suit can barely contain my muscles. You're different, and not just physically. I don't know..you always just kind of sulk at these things or dissappear after awhile. Amanda must be a good influence.."

Ben smirked as he took a sip of his drink.

"Amanda has always been a good influence on me..I think. But I can't let her take all the credit. I don't really know what changed..have you ever just gotten so sick of the way you were, you'd rather set yourself on fire than to stay the same?"

He set his drink down on the bar.

"I got tired of not being seen or heard. I've been here long enough to sit at the table. It was time for me to remember that.."

The Black Rook was enthralled by her, and he could not even begin to vocalize the way it felt to speak to somebody that he was blood related to. He had been alone for so long, but those days were over. It was everything he could do not to blurt out what he knew right this instant.

"I'm a bit surprised, Erika. You've never shown interest in the courts. In fact, if I recall correctly, you take great pleasure in cutting them down whenever you get the chance..what changed?"
 
Hellfire Mansion - The Black Gala

She was actually enjoying Benjamin's company. He was the only person to have approached her without treating like she were stupid, crazy, or way out of her league. It was refreshing to have an honest conversation. The White Princess was the first to admit that she was unstable, but she wasn't incapable of living in the real world when it was required. Part of her enjoyed the ups and downs that came with her "condition" - it allowed her to do and say things that people only thought about and never acted on, but there was a deeper part of her that wanted to be normal, to be respected among her peers - both as a woman and one of Hellfire's legacy children. Erika asked about Ben's sudden overnight transformation from wallflower to buff bearded bad ass.

Ben: "Amanda has always been a good influence on me...I think. But I can't let her take all the credit. I don't really know what changed...have you ever just gotten so sick of the way you were, you'd rather set yourself on fire than to stay the same?"

"More than you know. I actually DID set myself on fire once...on Mother's Day. It's a powerful statement, but the cleanup is a bitch."

Ben: "I got tired of not being seen or heard. I've been here long enough to sit at the table. It was time for me to remember that.."

Erika smiled. It was good to see something good come out of Hellfire. Most of the time, it destroyed anybody who lived in the mansion walls for long enough. It certainly had done a number on Erika. But she was on the same path as Ben. She felt immediately connected to him at a level that was a bit confusing. It wasn't lust. It wasn't attraction in a physical sense. It was something deeper.

He set his drink down on the counter as Erika continued to sip on hers as colors began to dance all around her thanks to the effects of the very well planned lighting installations, she began to relax, lost in her high and enjoying her conversation.

Ben: "I'm a bit surprised, Erika. You've never shown interest in the courts. In fact, if I recall correctly, you take great pleasure in cutting them down whenever you get the chance...what changed?"

She hesitated for a moment, but there was something familiar in Ben's eyes that comforted her, and let her realize that she could trust him, and she knew in a place like this, that was rare. When you found it, you had to pounce on it.

"Well, I hate to plagiarize your own speech, but it's much of the same. I know..that I'm a lot to handle. I know I have a tendency to be vapid, narcissistic, crazy, insert unsavory adjective here. But nobody here is better than me. They all have weak points, things that could drive them as crazy as they say I am.."

Erika set her glass down on the table.

"I don't know..I just want to prove to myself that I can do this. And things are different now. It's not my mom and those bitches running things. To be honest, I kind of came here to kick ass and take names and throw my newfound refinement in their faces...but.."

She looked at Ben, a flash of vulnerability in her eyes.

"Being here..it's changed things. They aren't my favorite people...but they're my people."

[shrugging]

"And I don't know...I'm gonna be an aunt. Even if it's mother is Haleigh, I kinda want be around to see the little monster."

At that moment, she saw her brother enter the conservatory with a look she knew immediately meant trouble and he was making a bee line towards Juliette, Liam, AJ and Ashley. Her muscles tensed. When Cameron had that look, it meant he was going for blood. Or he had already. She went into defense mode.

"Speaking of, I need to go rescue my brother. I'm so sorry.."

Erika immediately began to run towards her brother, but she paused for a minute, looking back at the rook.

"Thank You...Ben. For talking to me like a normal human being. Let's not have that be the last time, shall we?"

The White Princess spun on her heels and caught her brother, when he was several feet away, gripping him by the forearm, using her magick to enhance her strength as she pulled him along towards a booth where they could be alone. She gripped the pendant of her moonstone necklace to create a mystical shield over the booth that would protect their words from being heard.

"I know that look Cameron, what the hell is going on. What happened with Mom?"

[hesitantly]

"Did you kill her?"
 
Hellfire Club – Black Gala


:: Cass was sitting in a booth with Damien, resting her head on his shoulder. They both had taken a break from dancing and were now watching Bretta dance with a member of Hellfire. Cass sighed and wiggled her bare toes. ::

“Sometimes dancing in heels can be a real drag.”

Damien: [chuckling] “Really? I wouldn’t know.”

:: Cass lifted her head and looked up at Damien’s playful expression. She swatted him and he grabbed her by the wrist. ::

Damien: “What did I just say about starting something that you can’t finish, love?”

:: A mischievious glimmer appeared in her eyes, but before a full-on playfight could ensue, Cass spotted Daniel. ::

“Look, there’s Daniel. Let’s go and congratulate him.”

Damien: “I guess it can’t hurt.”

“You don’t like him.”

Damien: “It’s not that I don’t like the bloke, it’s more that I don’t know him. He never came out when I had invited him for some pints and chips at the pub, for that reason, so I just...gave up.”

“Still, it’s only polite to congratulate him. I’m going to see if there’s anything I can ship to him when I get to England."

:: Both Cass and Damien exited the booth, with Damien’s arm wrapped around her waist, as the headed for the bar – the spot where they had seen Daniel. Only, when they finally got through the throng of people, he was nowhere to be seen. ::

“Aw, we missed him.”

Damien: “We’ll get him later. Now, may I have the honour of this dance?”

“Well, since you asked so nicely.”

:: Damien pulled Cass close to him and they made their rounds around on the dance floor, Cass looking around searching for people to talk to. Once, they were stopped on the dance floor by a couple of Hellfire members who then congratulated Cass on being the new Red Princess. Cass thanked them, but once they were all out of earshot, she told the real story. ::

“Those bitches talked down to me whenever they got the chance. Of course, I wasn’t myself then, but still. It hurt. In fact, everything that I went through still hurts. It’s like, you’ve never cared before, so why the fuck are you tripping over yourselves trying to act like my friend when you hadn’t been in some time?”

:: Cass knew that they didn’t know what she was going through, so she knew that she had to give them grace. It still hurt like a bitch though. That was why making peace with Ben was so important to her. She loved Ben, but she didn’t love Ben. Not anymore. Something had changed when she symbolically took back her heart from him the other day. She wanted Ben Lewis, her best friend, her sweet boy, back. She had always valued his friendship, even when she had been at her worst looniest, and she still wanted it in this new season of her life. She caught sight of him talking to Erika King when Damien spun her around. It really sucked that things were so unsettled between them. She needed to explain things to him, just like she did with Mandy. She wanted him to know her side of the story. ::

I miss my best friend.

:: She was leaving, hell, she was moving, to a new country – to a new continent! – and things were still so tense. Was it really wrong of her to still want to be friends with the two people that she cared about the most? She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even realize that Damien had dipped her until her pulled her back up and held her close. ::

Damien: “Hey, where did you go?”

:: Cass rested her head on his shoulder. ::

“I was just thinking about regrets that I had.”

:: Damien spun her around and she noticed that Erika King was leaving Ben. ::

“Hey, let’s go congratulate the Black Rook instead.”

:: Maybe this time would be different? At least, Cass hoped it would be. Still, Cass kept a tight grip on Damien’s hand as they made their way over to where Ben was sitting. Damien quickly squeezed her hand in support. Cass had a warm smile on her face, albeit a bit of a cautious one. ::

“Hey, there, Ben. Congratulations on the new title. That’s awesome.”

Damien: "Congrats, mate."

:: She purposely sat down two stools away from him, and Damien sat on her other side. ::
 
He was just about to connect with Ashley when he felt the grip of his sister's hand tug him across the floor. He was so angry with his wife and his current situation that he nearly fried his sister's brains on the spot. Instead, he picked up on the fact that she was running damage control, which was a good sign. And the way Cameron felt right now let him know that he needed more allies. She led him into a booth and used a curious necklace to to create a magickal shield of protection around them. Begrudgingly, he took a seat and let her speak.

Erika: "I know that look Cameron. What the hell is going on? What happened with Mom?"

Cameron rolled his eyes.

Erika: [hesitantly] "Did you kill her?"

He sighed heavily.

"No, Erika. I didn't kill our mother. Though I probably should have."

Cameron had no outlet for all of the things he was feeling. Ava had stepped back from him ever since she had learned Haleigh could become pregnant, and his wife was too concerned with protecting Alek to really even CARE how he felt about anything. The one thing that replayed in his mind was the fact that when he opened the door, he saw knights and not his Queen. Especially when he knew that John was probably a hop, skip and a jump away from Ava. He knew they weren't John and Ava, that they had never operated like that, but he was beginning to feel like his wife was being taken from him, little by little, every second, and he was helping things along, almost ushering her into The Red King's arms. He felt very alone.

"Why the fuck can't she just leave well enough alone? Why does she always have to fucking dig and dig and DIG?"

He smashed his hand down on the table, rattling the entire booth.

"She KNEW what she was doing when she made that offer to Haleigh, and for the fucking LIFE of me I can't understand why my wife agreed to it."

Cameron had thought it had been an act of love, proof of her devotion. But she had treated it as loosely and freely as she did everything else. Every thought was consumed with the fact that Alek's baby was growing alongside his in his wife's womb. It was a disaster of EPIC porportions, and it was overwhelming and despite his best effort, he could not hide the tears as the began to stain his cheeks.

"She's not just pregnant with my baby, Erika. She's pregnant with Alek's as well."

He mustered his strength together, rubbing his eyes. Under normal circumstances, he would never be this vulnerable with his sister. He had learned that if he showed her any weakness, she would eventually capitalize on it, but he felt he had nobody, and there was something to be said for talking with someone who had grown up under the same roof as you. They may have been very different people, but there was a bond there. Even after all that had transpired between them.

"Everything is falling apart. If I move against Alek, Haleigh will hate me. If I don't make a move against him, I have to share my wife's loyalty with him. And I KNOW this is our mother talking, but what the fuck are people going to think? They are going to look at him like a stud, and they are going to look at me as weak. I will be the cheated on WIFE in this scenario...and I can't have that...I WON'T have that...not after everything I've done to get here..."

The White King gritted his teeth once more, the tears drying on his face, finding himself more composed as he reached out and grabbed his sister's hand. She did not recoil immediately as she normally would have, which was surprising. Maybe he didn't have to manipulate her into getting him on her side.

"I need you, Erika. Now more than ever. Mom used you to get what she wanted, but it wasn't going to stop there. She will never serve on a court again in her life. She was going to use you to carry out whatever twisted idea she came up with in the moment, and manipulate you into thinking it was what's best for you. Aren't you sick of that?"

He gripped her hand, unsure of how she would respond to really any of this. As kids, they had been close, but once Alison left, they were pit against each other, both desperate for attention from their mother, both trying to get that attention in very different ways. Declaring his mother an enemy had allowed him to see things that were once blindspots. And one of those blind spots was Erika. She had been on her best behavior this weekend. She had been making an effort. She had also been the ONLY one to approach him, to see how he was doing. He couldn't ignore that, and he was not a monster. She was his sister..and if Erika was willing to play nice, so would he.

"I just cut all of MysTech's ties with Hellfire. The era of Kelly King is over. It's a new day..and now more than ever, I need people on my side. I need people I can trust to stand next to me when the chips fall. Mom drove us apart Erika...and we both hate letting her win. We both hate when she's right...so let's prove her wrong."

He exhaled deeply.

"Help me make something big. Help me protect our family?"
 
Hellfire Mansion - Roof

Archer walked closer to Daniel with a surprising amount of zest and purpose, but the look in his eyes told a darker story as he came closer, The Black Rook could immediately sense that the concern the men once shared for each other was one sided. The Black King was done.

Archer: "Sorry Danny Boy...I don't give information to bloody rats."

Daniel rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm sorry. I must have forgotten about your decorated service with the morality police. Come off it, Archer. You turned on me first, remember that."

It appeared The Black King was on a war path as he stalked forward. Daniel immediately took a more defensive stance as Archer's mouth dripped with venom.

Archer: "You turned black on the wrong side of the pond. And now you align yourself with a woman hell bent on taking me down because she'd rather see me DIE than to remove the stick out of her ass?"

"Oh she's removed it. And she's replaced with the big black cock of John Steel. Jealous?"

Archer: "Whatever RELATIONSHIP we had before is done, kid."

"Clearly."

Archer: "Now get the hell out of my way."

The Black Rook had no intentions of doing so, even as Archer shoulder checked him, causing him to stumble to the side for a moment. Whatever Archer had gone through this evening, he was clearly at his limit. He was always aggressive and obnoxious, but this was a different level altogether.

Archer: "Oh and Daniel? One more thing."

Daniel turned to face Archer as he was jolted back by one hell of a punch, as he heard a crack and felt the tug of his now dislocated jaw. The Black Rook could take a lot, but he was a creature of vanity. Messing with Daniel Reed's appearance was a surefire way to invoke the beast. Daniel seethed but he did not attack. Instead, he activated his com link to John, allowing him to hear the altercation as it happened.

Archer: "We didn't clue you in on the rebellion because you weren't worthy of sitting at the table. And anybody with two eyes will see, especially watching you ditch your colors like they were nothing, just how duplicitous you are."

The Black Rook laughed.

"You didn't clue me in because you didn't want me as competition, Archer. And duplicitous?! Perhaps you should put down the cocaine and pick up a book. If anybody was loyal to their court, it was ME. I wore red PROUDLY. Until the lot of you tainted, turned it into something unrecognizable. Something so OPPOSITE of what it meant to wear Red. I didn't DITCH my colors, they were taken from me."

Archer: "Tell me, were you in on the plan to take my business? Did you HELP them to secure yourself a spot? Or WORSE? Did you know something was going on and remained SILENT?"

Daniel sighed.

"Don't flatter yourself. Like anyone would need HELP to take you down. You basically BEG for people to come at you. You get OFF on it. I have no idea who stole your company, but I do know one thing, if you were DUMB enough to let it happen, you deserved it. You were the one who wanted to be King, remember? Well that comes with responsibility. It comes with a PRICE. If you weren't willing to pay it, you should have never stepped into the ring. I turned black because I believe in it's leadership. Because I can stand behind their vision of Hellfire. I don't need to sink to such depths in order to get what I want. And it's LAUGHABLE that you would even confront me like this, considering the fact that you had the opportunity to bring me into the fold, and you didn't. So can you really blame if I had?"

And then Archer SPIT in his face. As the saliva sprayed against his eyes, Daniel recoiled in horror and disgust. In that moment it didn't matter what his relationship had been with The Black King, or what he had endured this evening. Daniel was going to show him the error of his ways.

Archer: "You are no friend of mine. You are not even a man."

Daniel shook his head.

"You really are the saddest man that ever lived, Archer Fairchild."

To which Archer sucker punched him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him as he groaned and cried out for a moment, his vision blurring and his body filling with rage. He stumbled forward as Archer tried to leave.

Archer: "Now go hide behind your bitch of a Queen's skirt and leave me be."

[wheezing]

"Archer? Go fuck yourself."

Instinctively, Daniel cast his foot out, sweeping Archer off of his feet as he grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, lifting him high before SLAMMING him on the ground, knocking his shoulder out of place once again. He watched as the Black King cried out in pain as Daniel straddled over him, grabbing him by the hair and lifting his head above the pavement. He smiled deviously at The Black King.

"You know it's funny, I always pictured the scenario of me having a handful of your hair in my hand very differently, but we plan and God laughs, right?"

He PULLED Archer's hair tightly in his hand as he lifted his head up even higher, using his knees to keep Archer's arms pinned down. He stared at the man. He could kill him. He could kill him and probably get away with it. But the trophy of Archer's head didn't belong to him, and he was too new to get away with murder. But that didn't mean he couldn't take out his aggression.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but it's clear you need to sleep it off. So...goodnight, Archer."

The Black Rook kissed Archer Fairchild on the lips for an extended few seconds before BASHING his head against the concrete floor of the roof several times, until he had knocked Archer unconscious. Daniel's chest heaved up and down. Part of him hated that Archer had drawn this line with him, and part of him couldn't blame him. He did know something was up, and he hadn't said anything to anybody outside of a vague note to Alek. But Archer had created his own destiny. If he hadn't been such an arrogant fool, ready to join Liam in the big boys club, they could have worked together. Daniel would have made an excellent Red King and with Archer as an ally, they could have taken over the world. Beating the shit out of Archer felt good, and more than that, it was freeing. It was him getting out his anger from everything that had happened in the last six months in London. As he rose from Archer's unconscious body, he grabbed him by the feet, dragged him down two flights of stairs and locked his body in a janitor's closet a few floors above the conservatory before activating his com link to John only.

[to John] "Your majesty..The White Queen tasked me with keeping Archer from his allies and home court. While I was successful, he was highly aggressive..and the situation required escalated protocol. He's locked in a janitor's closet, a good three floors from the party. He is stable, but unconscious. I need to know how to proceed."
 
After Cameron left Ava's office, she was furious in which he presented then bailed on the situation. To flat out tell her that he was going to 'take care' of one of their Kings sounded extremely familiar; Diana familiar, and Ava wasn't too happy about that. Diana had a God complex. She wanted to rule the world and she started with Hellfire. She may have been the White Queen but she was THE Queen, ruling above Helena and Kelly for much of their Queendom. With Ravena's backing, she was the reason Hellfire went to shit when it came to the Checks and Balances system. THAT was why the new order took over, to bring Hellfire back to it's prime. But Cameron was beginning to take steps in that direction and it was unnerving to Ava. He was one of her oldest friends, and if she needed to whip his ass to set him in line, she would.

Storming down the hall, Cameron had already made his way into the conservatory by the time Ava got there, unable to catch him before he made his presents known. Groaning out, on top of that Haleigh was going off with Alek. The whole fucking situation was frustrating causing Ava to down a drink before grabbing another. That was when she saw Brienne grinning at John like a cat in heat.

"Bitch..."

On top of EVERYTHING else now she had to deal with Brienne coming onto John? Couldn't she just enjoy her own fucking party for ten minutes without someone throwing her a curveball? Ava approached John from behind, slipping her arm into the crook of his while greeting Brienne 'pleasantly', smiling at her with a distinctive warning behind her eyes. Brienne wisely took a step back as John diplomatically stated they had not yet gotten acquainted with the European Black Queen. Brienne made a barb most obviously directed at Ava about their sister courts sticking together before asking where Archer was. Ava resisted the urge to roll her eyes knowing exactly what game Brienne was playing at. She then expressed how the party was quite good minus the 'daddy drama' to which Ava evenly responded. This bitch was on thin ice and Ava was about to CRACK it. Then she had the audacity to hit on John again. Ava grabbed her hand as she slid her fingers down the front of John's shirt telling her in no uncertain terms that he wasn't interested. She didn't want to speak for John, but Brienne was crossing lines too many lines for Ava not to get protective. John was hers unless they both agreed to invite another partner in. Brienne would never be that partner.

Finally Brienne excused herself and Ava watched with narrowed eyes as she sauntered away to a corner.

"I swear to God if she touches you again..."

Ava downed the rest of her hemlock, heatedly. She needed to take the edge off.

"The Europeans will be without a Black King AND Queen."

Gripping onto John's arm tightly, Ava exhaled the tension that Brienne caused before looking up to meet his eyes. She was still tense, but for other reasons.

"We have a problem."

She looked over at Cameron who was now seated with his sister, having what looked like a very serious conversation. She turned her body so it was against John's, her lips grazing his neck as she moved to his ear. Peering over his shoulder, she noted the Ashley and Savage dancing with Liam and Juliette. At least they were all having a good time.

"Cameron's set on getting rid of Alek, by any means necessary."

Ava whispered lowly in John's ear.

"He all but told me to choose a side."

That was when Ava heard the distinct sound of a com link come on causing her to pull back and look at John with a questionable look.

"What is it?"

She knew he was linked to the rest of the court, letting Ava take a breather for the evening so she didn't have to worry about the inner workings of the party. But judging from the serious look on John's face, Ava knew this had nothing to do with hors d'oeuvres and likely everything to do with her father or Archer. Ava gripped John's forearms, studying his face.

"What's wrong?"
 
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Hellfire Mansion - The Black Gala - Conservatory

Cameron: "No, Erika. I didn't kill our mother. Though I probably should have."

Erika hated that she was relieved to hear her mother was alive. Though she was slowly finding her legs in Hellfire, she still felt alone. Kelly was the only one who knew how to reign Erika in, and with everything happening around her, she needed that. However, she was not under the assumption that her mother had her back, not by a long shot. She hadn't invited Erika to the mansion to celebrate the power she has wrestled up for herself, she invited her because she was finally powerful enough to be used as a weapon. That was what their mother did - she collected people like they were playing cards, giving them enough empathy to get them to defend her or act on her behalf. She watched curiously as her brother seemed to be experiencing a wave of emotion. She hadn't seem him so unsure of himself since he was a teenager, and it caused them both to be less defensive.

Cameron: "Why the fuck can't she just leave well enough alone? Why does she always have to fucking dig and dig and DIG?"

"She can't help herself, Cameron. It's always been her game. She tries to mold us in her image and the second any of us come close to one upping her, she becomes unhinged. She's desperate, that's all."

Cameron: "She KNEW what she was doing when she made that offer to Haleigh, and for the fucking LIFE of me I can't understand why my wife agreed to it."

Erika knew. Haleigh was as impulsive as she was smart. Erika may have liked to make a mess of things for fun, but Haleigh had ALWAYS looked for trouble. It followed her. Nothing good could last when it came to The White Queen. Erika had seen it time and time again, and it took her a long time to try and understand the connection the two shared.

"I don't know, Cameron. But she did."

She shook for a moment out of natural reaction to his fist slamming down on the table. There was something deeper going on here. While she would have liked to think that Cameron came to her out of the goodness of his heart, because he needed the wise words of his sister, but she was smarter than that. Whatever was going on was big, and it was causing Cameron to feel incredibly alone. So alone that he had come to her, and it wasn't until she saw the tears falling from his face that she realized the gravity of the situation.

Cameron: "She's not just pregnant with my baby, Erika. She's pregnant with Alek's as well."

Instinctively Erika wiped Cameron's face. For whatever reason, even when she hated him, she could never stand to see him cry. He was always so much stronger than her. When he cried, she felt somehow less safe, and she didn't like the feeling. Her mouth curled up in disgust.

"That fucking BITCH! I'll kill her."

Erika was seething with rage and she had half a mind to walk over there and rip The White Queen's head off and roll it through the conservatory like a bowling ball. Haleigh had no respect for what it meant to have King as a last name. Even if she didn't share the same values that Cameron had, even if Cameron wasn't AWARE of how he felt about Haleigh entertaining a relationship with The Red King while she had the ability to conceive, one thing Haleigh DID know was how serious The King's took their family name. A King heir was SACRED. It was RARE. It was something to exaulted, and she had done what she always did - throw mud on everything CLEAN.

"Cameron..please. Don't cry."

Cameron: "Everything is falling apart. If I move against Alek, Haleigh will hate me. If I don't make a move against him, I have to share my wife's loyalty with him. And I KNOW this is our mother talking, but what the fuck are people going to think? They are going to look at him like a stud, and they are going to look at me as weak. I will be the cheated on WIFE in this scenario...and I can't have that...I WON'T have that..not after everything I've done to get here."

Had Haleigh been a girlfriend, the path towards vengeance would be very clear. Erika would have grabbed a set of shears and RIPPED whatever zygotes Haleigh had in her body until her genitals resembled ground beef. But she wasn't just a girlfriend. She was a King, and even if it was just by marriage, she had been around long enough that she had somehow wriggled her way into the King family circle of protection. Not only that, Erika was about to become The White Princess. That wouldn't have happened without Haleigh. As angry and ENRAGED as she was over how Haleigh was treating her brother, she COULDN'T make a mess of things...not only that, she couldn't let her brother make decisions he would regret. It affected her now, and the fact that he was being so vulnerable, it moved her.

"Nothing has fallen apart, Cameron. Not yet anyway. But you can't storm the castle. That's what Mom would have done. You've built this whole thing on unity. Taking out Alek is just going to make people not trust you. It's not The Inner Circle you need to get in order, it's your house."

He reached for her hand, and she let him hold it, baffled by his vulnerability, but soaking every moment in. This had been what she was looking for when she had literally just mentioned it to Ben.

"But I'm fully willing to play the crazy card if you run out of options. I've only killed one person since I've been here and it was a maid. I'm itching for more blood on my hands."

His tone became more serious and genuiine.

Cameron: "I need you, Erika. Now more than ever. Mom used you to get what she wanted, but it wasn't going to stop there. She will never serve on a court again in her life. She was going to use you to carry out whatever twisted idea she came up with in the moment, and manipulate you into thinking it was what's best for you. Aren't you sick of that?"

She shook her head.

"Of course I knew what she was doing, and of course I'm sick of it Cameron. But I didn't come to Hellfire for her. I came for you. Well, that's not true. I came to make everyone's life a living hell, but my path changed when I saw you as King. I know we don't always get along..but I've often wondered if you were okay..and to see you like this.."

[she gestured her hands in the air]

"Well..let's just say I'm glad I came."

Cameron: "I just cut all of MysTech's ties with Hellfire. The era of Kelly King is over. It's a new day...and now more than ever, I need people on my side. I need people I can trust to stand next to me when the chips fall. Mom drove us apart Erika...and we both hate letting her win. We both hate when she's right...so let's prove her wrong. Help me make something big. Help me protect our family?"

Erika felt a surge of emotion that she kept herself at a distance from. It was the most vulnerable, genuine and nice he'd been to her in years. She wanted to savor the moment, but more than that, seeing him like this made her want to be strong. She squeezed his hand back.

"Cameron, no matter where our relationship heads, I am always on your side. Nobody else in the world knows what I went through. Nobody gets it. We both need people around who understand. So let's try and fix things."

Erika sat upright, seeming to readjust herself to the situation.

"If you were going to tell Ashley, don't. She either won't believe you or she will shoot the messenger. She's enjoying herself, so let her. Haleigh needs to be the one to drop that bomb on her. Not only that, she's the only one who is doing any real work this weekend. She's building relationships, and while I HATE that she's so much better at it than me, I can't deny her skill. If you don't have MysTech? You're going to need Liam and Juliette on your side. Which brings us to Alek. Cameron you can't kill him. I see the way he operates. I've seen it all weekend. He's good at what he does. The Red Court was BUILT on social skill, and Ashley and Alek aren't lacking. He's not Archer, and you won't get away with it. People like him. Even the ones that don't like him? They kind of like him. Whatever trap you've already set, you just have to hope he falls for it. If he doesn't, you have to readjust..."

She looked at him more seriously.

"But outside of all of that, you need to speak with your wife. You have to tell her what's bothering you, and you have to be prepared to hear her side of things, but Cameron? Don't get your hopes up. I don't say this to be mean, but Haleigh is going to do what Haleigh wants to do. She always has. Ever since we were kids. I know she loves you, and you love her..but she is the daughter of Malice and it would be foolish of you to forget that. I'm not saying she's planning a ruse, or anything of the sort, but I am saying that Haleigh has an ability of justifying things in a way that makes even me jealous. But that's who you chose to marry. So either do the work, or figure out it's not worth it. Either way, this whole thing threatens the stability of the entire Inner Circle. You are a King now, you can't get away with shit as easily as you used to."

[sighing]

"But we both know what it's like not to have a father. If you can salvage this, for the sake of your son, then you need to do it."

She embraced him in a long hug, a hug that she didn't want to pull back from. It had been so long since she experienced warmth from her brother that she was beginning to wonder if he loved her at all anymore. But he needed her. Even if she was the person he went to after he had already exhausted all other options, it still meant something to Erika. Still, she could not drown out the voice of her mother telling her to be cautious, that he would only use Erika to get what he wanted and then cast her out as he had done before. But she shook those thoughts out, deciding in this case that it was better to just live in the moment and ride the high before the crash.

"Take a moment for yourself. Get yourself together and then go speak to your wife. I'll do what I can here."

Erika kissed his forehead.

"I love you, Cameron. We will make this better. We will make this better and then we will stand victorious. Nobody can destroy The Kings. Not some bastard child of The Red King, not even our mother. Don't forget that."

After a few moments, Erika rose from the booth, stepping into action. She had noticed Ava watching from a distance and she had reason to believe that part of Cameron's strife had to do with her. She looked worried, and Erika knew that if there was any other person that could get Cameron in line, it was Ava. So she was going to have to suck up the generally grotesque feelings she had for The Black Queen and get to work. She made her way towards John and Ava and gave a smile, as she noticed that John was getting some sort of information feed in his ear. He took the moment to grab Ava's attention, reach in for a customary two cheek kiss greeting and whispered into her ear.

[to Ava] "I've talked him off the ledge...for now. But we have to get him alone with his wife."

She looked towards John and bowed silently, giving him a smile and waiting for him to finish his transmission. Despite Ava's taste in clothing, she did have excellent taste in men. John was a dime piece who had the sex appeal of a firefighter who's wife died in a fire from which he could not save her. It was wounded and silent and hot as fuck. She made a note to herself that if she lasted long enough here in Hellfire that she might just pull a little spell for herself as a reward - bang John's brains out and return him to his bed with Ava, nobody being the wiser. But that was far in the future, and if she didn't save her brother from the path he was going down, she would never get the opportunity. She awaited John and Ava to be free before speaking further.
 
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Hellfire Mansion - The Black Gala - Conservatory

Ben was on cloud nine. Never in a Hellfire part had he ever felt more comfortable or more relaxed, settled with who he was a man. He was trying to be smart, but he couldn't help but to cling on her every word. He asked about her sudden desire to join the court system.

Erika: "Well, I hate to plagiarize your own speech, but it's much of the same. I know..that I'm a lot to handle. I know I have a tendency to be vapid, narcissistic, crazy, insert unsavory adjective here. But nobody here is better than me. They all have weak points, things that could drive them as crazy as they say I am."

He loved the way that she was able to forgive herself, but he was turned off by how she always had to mention that she was a bit mentally unstable, almost as if she was doing it before anybody else could. It was sad and endearing.

"You're really not as bad as you think, Erika."

Erika: "I don't know...I just want to prove to myself that I can do this. And things are different now. It's not my mom and those bitches running things. To be honest, I kind of came here to kick ass and take names and throw my newfound refinement in their faces...but..being here...it's changed things. They aren't my favorite people..but they're my people."

Ben grabbed his glass and raised in salute before taking a drink, finally feeling a light buzz coursing through his body. He agreed with Erika. Things were different now. At first he had been afraid, but now, he was excited to author a new future for Hellfire, and he was ready to make his Queen as powerful as the goddess from which she got her namesake. The Kelly King era truly was over and Ben couldn't have been more grateful. Not only that, he would never be able to thank John for the gift he had given him tonight. Even if it was unintentional. Even if it had been a mistake. Ben was ready to sign on the dotted line in blood when it came to John now.

"Cheers. They're an awful lot, but they're our awful lot."

Erika: "And I don't know...I'm gonna be an aunt. Even if it's mother is Haleigh, I kinda want to be around to see the little monster."

The Black Rook could still not wrap his head around the idea that there would soon be a baby in Hellfire. After all they had endured as kids, the idea of willfully and actively trying to bring another child into a situation like this was insane to him. But deep down, it did give him a bit of hope, that perhaps they could all have some semblance of a normal life, even in Hellfire.

"I look forward to watching you corrupt their perfect little angel."

Erika: "Speaking of, I need to go rescue my brother. I'm so sorry.."

"No! Don't leave."

But she was practically out of the booth and headed towards her brother in a dead spring. He didn't have the guts to tell her that she had more than one brother who might need rescuing. She did however stop and address him once more.

Erika: "Thank You...Ben. For talking to me like a normal human being. Let's not have that be the last time, shall we?"

[he smiled]

"I'll keep an eye out for you from here on out."

Erika smiled before running like mad over to her brother all but dragging him into the booth. Ben felt good. So good that he grabbed the rest of Erika's drink, downed it for himself, finished his own and ordered a neat scotch in celebration. As he sat at the bar and people watched for a moment, letting the enchantment of the weekend fill through him, he almost didn't hear Cassandra and her new companion.

Cassandra: "Hey there, Ben. Congratulations on the new title. That's awesome."

Damien: "Congrats, mate."

The trade had been a good one. Cassandra looked different. She felt different, and whoever this man was certainly seemed to be keeping her happy. Ben smiled. He never hated Cass. He just hated her inability to move on, but it looked like she was starting to.

"Thanks, Cassie. It'll take some getting used to, but I'm excited."

He turned to Damien.

[to Damien] "And thanks, man. I don't think we've met. Benjamin Lewis - Black Rook."

He sipped his scotch slowly.

"Nice of the Red Court to make a show, especially at the Black Gala. It means a lot to our court that you've chosen to attend..and sends a strong signal that the Red Court might have quite a future with the Black Court?"

Ben smiled at both of them.

"We're practically eskimo brothers at this point. It just makes sense."

[turning to Cassandra]

"I'll miss you, but I'm glad you took this opportunity. Red looks good on you, Cass."
 
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