The Autumn Country (Hunt for the Barley King)

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The Sugarplum Queen is sitting in the Painted Keep, moping about and sitting on the Autumn King's throne. She has a dead rat in her hands, and she continually pets it. Its limbs and tail are scattered across the ground in front of her, each torn off while the thing was alive.

 Sirius watches, stepping forward. "Ma'am?"

 Her eyes slowly raise from the floor to look at them. "Yes?" Her voice is raspy and ancient, completely unlike the honeyed, silken voice she's known for. She clears her throat. "Yes, dear?" That's better. She lets the tiny corpse slide out of her large, bloody hands.

 Sirius shifts from birdy foot to birdy foot "Are you alright?" He asks softly 

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 Her eyes slowly raise from the floor to look at them. "Yes?" Her voice is raspy and ancient, completely unlike the honeyed, silken voice she's known for. She clears her throat. "Yes, dear?" That's better. She lets the tiny corpse slide out of her large, bloody hands.

 Sirius shifts from birdy foot to birdy foot "Are you alright?" He asks softly 

 She sighs, then pats her lap. An invitation that invites trepidation. "Not really. I miss my son."

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 Her eyes slowly raise from the floor to look at them. "Yes?" Her voice is raspy and ancient, completely unlike the honeyed, silken voice she's known for. She clears her throat. "Yes, dear?" That's better. She lets the tiny corpse slide out of her large, bloody hands.

 Sirius shifts from birdy foot to birdy foot "Are you alright?" He asks softly 

 She sighs, then pats her lap. An invitation that invites trepidation. "Not really. I miss my son."

 "Son?" They walk over but don't sit, preferring to stand

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 She sighs, then pats her lap. An invitation that invites trepidation. "Not really. I miss my son."

 "Son?" They walk over but don't sit, preferring to stand

 "I had him banished at birth. I never got to see how he turned out." She sighs. "But that's neither here nor there." She stands up. "Why are you here, Sirius?"

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 She sighs, then pats her lap. An invitation that invites trepidation. "Not really. I miss my son."

 "Son?" They walk over but don't sit, preferring to stand

 "I had him banished at birth. I never got to see how he turned out." She sighs. "But that's neither here nor there." She stands up. "Why are you here, Sirius?"

 "Sensed sadness, soulful pain, got a bit concerned." He shrugs nervously.

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 "I had him banished at birth. I never got to see how he turned out." She sighs. "But that's neither here nor there." She stands up. "Why are you here, Sirius?"

 "Sensed sadness, soulful pain, got a bit concerned." He shrugs nervously.

She puts a hand on their head and massages the back of his neck with her fingertips. "Is that all?" She drags them by the skull and forces them onto the throne. "Are you certain concern was the only thing that brought you to me, your highness?"

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 "I had him banished at birth. I never got to see how he turned out." She sighs. "But that's neither here nor there." She stands up. "Why are you here, Sirius?"

 "Sensed sadness, soulful pain, got a bit concerned." He shrugs nervously.

She puts a hand on their head and massages the back of his neck with her fingertips. "Is that all?" She drags them by the skull and forces them onto the throne. "Are you certain concern was the only thing that brought you to me, your highness?"

 Sirius yelps as he is forced to sit "I was worried, that's is that." He tilts his head "I smelled suffering and was drawn towards it like a moth to a flame." He picks at his clawed fingertips "I'm not a child Ma'am, I don't need to be coddled."

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She puts a hand on their head and massages the back of his neck with her fingertips. "Is that all?" She drags them by the skull and forces them onto the throne. "Are you certain concern was the only thing that brought you to me, your highness?"

 Sirius yelps as he is forced to sit "I was worried, that's is that." He tilts his head "I smelled suffering and was drawn towards it like a moth to a flame." He picks at his clawed fingertips "I'm not a child Ma'am, I don't need to be coddled."

 The Queen tilts her head. "You are a healer, aren't you? You must despise me..." There's a grandiose playfulness in her voice, but it's strained. "With hearts agape, and souls afflicted... they follow me to their graves..." Her dramatic speech turns to muttering.

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She puts a hand on their head and massages the back of his neck with her fingertips. "Is that all?" She drags them by the skull and forces them onto the throne. "Are you certain concern was the only thing that brought you to me, your highness?"

 Sirius yelps as he is forced to sit "I was worried, that's is that." He tilts his head "I smelled suffering and was drawn towards it like a moth to a flame." He picks at his clawed fingertips "I'm not a child Ma'am, I don't need to be coddled."

 The Queen tilts her head. "You are a healer, aren't you? You must despise me..." There's a grandiose playfulness in her voice, but it's strained. "With hearts agape, and souls afflicted... they follow me to their graves..." Her dramatic speech turns to muttering.

 "I don't hate people, it's against everything I stand for. If it hate, then I turn away those who need my help the most." He explained.

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 The Queen tilts her head. "You are a healer, aren't you? You must despise me..." There's a grandiose playfulness in her voice, but it's strained. "With hearts agape, and souls afflicted... they follow me to their graves..." Her dramatic speech turns to muttering.

 "I don't hate people, it's against everything I stand for. If it hate, then I turn away those who need my help the most." He explained.

 "No hate?" Her purple eyes widen. She looms over him, planting her hands on the armrests. "No hate?" Her breathing is heavy, then suddenly stops. She grins abruptly. "You're perfect." She whispers. Suddenly, she's looking through a box about six feet away, throwing papers everywhere. "What Court do you belong to?"

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 The Queen tilts her head. "You are a healer, aren't you? You must despise me..." There's a grandiose playfulness in her voice, but it's strained. "With hearts agape, and souls afflicted... they follow me to their graves..." Her dramatic speech turns to muttering.

 "I don't hate people, it's against everything I stand for. If it hate, then I turn away those who need my help the most." He explained.

 "No hate?" Her purple eyes widen. She looms over him, planting her hands on the armrests. "No hate?" Her breathing is heavy, then suddenly stops. She grins abruptly. "You're perfect." She whispers. Suddenly, she's looking through a box about six feet away, throwing papers everywhere. "What Court do you belong to?"

 "Unseelie?" He looks confused, standing up. 

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 "No hate?" Her purple eyes widen. She looms over him, planting her hands on the armrests. "No hate?" Her breathing is heavy, then suddenly stops. She grins abruptly. "You're perfect." She whispers. Suddenly, she's looking through a box about six feet away, throwing papers everywhere. "What Court do you belong to?"

 "Unseelie?" He looks confused, standing up. 

"Darn! I have good relations with them, don't I? Feh. Looks like I can't steal you. I'll have to barter. How valuable are you, would you say?" She pulls out a tape measure and begins to record his proportions with it. "Certainly worth more than any pittance of Charnel Gold..."

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 "No hate?" Her purple eyes widen. She looms over him, planting her hands on the armrests. "No hate?" Her breathing is heavy, then suddenly stops. She grins abruptly. "You're perfect." She whispers. Suddenly, she's looking through a box about six feet away, throwing papers everywhere. "What Court do you belong to?"

 "Unseelie?" He looks confused, standing up. 

"Darn! I have good relations with them, don't I? Feh. Looks like I can't steal you. I'll have to barter. How valuable are you, would you say?" She pulls out a tape measure and begins to record his proportions with it. "Certainly worth more than any pittance of Charnel Gold..."

 "W-What do you mean?" He takes a step back, confused.

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"Darn! I have good relations with them, don't I? Feh. Looks like I can't steal you. I'll have to barter. How valuable are you, would you say?" She pulls out a tape measure and begins to record his proportions with it. "Certainly worth more than any pittance of Charnel Gold..."

 "W-What do you mean?" He takes a step back, confused.

She wraps the tape around his neck, preventing him from escaping. "I want you for my Court. They would love a healer, and I would love someone who can't hate me. As it stands, I cannot take you, so I plan on making a deal with whatever-her-name-is. Queen to Queen, you see." She looks him in the eyes. There is desperation in hers. The look of a ravenous, scared animal trapped in a cage.

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"Darn! I have good relations with them, don't I? Feh. Looks like I can't steal you. I'll have to barter. How valuable are you, would you say?" She pulls out a tape measure and begins to record his proportions with it. "Certainly worth more than any pittance of Charnel Gold..."

 "W-What do you mean?" He takes a step back, confused.

She wraps the tape around his neck, preventing him from escaping. "I want you for my Court. They would love a healer, and I would love someone who can't hate me. As it stands, I cannot take you, so I plan on making a deal with whatever-her-name-is. Queen to Queen, you see." She looks him in the eyes. There is desperation in hers. The look of a ravenous, scared animal trapped in a cage.

 Sirius blinks slightly, his black eyes boring into hers. The prince seems to flinch, taking on her emotions via his empathy. He closed his eyes and sighs, flaming himself. "I am unsure if that is a good idea. My father would not like that, he requires me to take over the throne once he perishes."

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She wraps the tape around his neck, preventing him from escaping. "I want you for my Court. They would love a healer, and I would love someone who can't hate me. As it stands, I cannot take you, so I plan on making a deal with whatever-her-name-is. Queen to Queen, you see." She looks him in the eyes. There is desperation in hers. The look of a ravenous, scared animal trapped in a cage.

 Sirius blinks slightly, his black eyes boring into hers. The prince seems to flinch, taking on her emotions via his empathy. He closed his eyes and sighs, flaming himself. "I am unsure if that is a good idea. My father would not like that, he requires me to take over the throne once he perishes."

She pulls back, offended. Then she thinks, pursuing her lips. "How would you like me to advise you? For when you become king or whatever."

Feuerstein is playing the pan pipes in a back alley, as a swarm of cockroaches dance to the tune

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She wraps the tape around his neck, preventing him from escaping. "I want you for my Court. They would love a healer, and I would love someone who can't hate me. As it stands, I cannot take you, so I plan on making a deal with whatever-her-name-is. Queen to Queen, you see." She looks him in the eyes. There is desperation in hers. The look of a ravenous, scared animal trapped in a cage.

 Sirius blinks slightly, his black eyes boring into hers. The prince seems to flinch, taking on her emotions via his empathy. He closed his eyes and sighs, flaming himself. "I am unsure if that is a good idea. My father would not like that, he requires me to take over the throne once he perishes."

She pulls back, offended. Then she thinks, pursuing her lips. "How would you like me to advise you? For when you become king or whatever."

 "Advise?" He blinks "Like.. a royal advisor? You would have to ask my father, he apparently has everything set for me and my royal status.." he explains, gesturing as he explains.

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She pulls back, offended. Then she thinks, pursuing her lips. "How would you like me to advise you? For when you become king or whatever."

 "Advise?" He blinks "Like.. a royal advisor? You would have to ask my father, he apparently has everything set for me and my royal status.." he explains, gesturing as he explains.

"May I see him?" She asks politely. "I may be able to convince him to give you some freedom."

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She pulls back, offended. Then she thinks, pursuing her lips. "How would you like me to advise you? For when you become king or whatever."

 "Advise?" He blinks "Like.. a royal advisor? You would have to ask my father, he apparently has everything set for me and my royal status.." he explains, gesturing as he explains.

"May I see him?" She asks politely. "I may be able to convince him to give you some freedom."

 Sirius sighs and pulls out a crystal from his pocket, a smooth blue one with red bands. He crushes it in his fist as the dust suddenly forms a sparkly blue and red image of a large owlin man in rainbow robes of feathers. He blinks to life, looking down at his son before turning towards the woman. "Well well well... I know you."