''Just a crow''

-Preparations-

The feast would officially start at the fall of the night, but it was the least of their worries.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Leira had gone to the throne room to get the cape her husband forgot there so he could keep conversing with his elder sister, who offered to help his own mages with the last preparations. Honestly, she only liked the sisters of this family, as the brothers seemed to have lost reason to greed.

She had asked such a question to no one, or at least no one if someone saw her.

In a flurry of feathers, a violet eyed woman was perched on the back of the king's throne.

She couldn't tell how she was staying in balance so easily, crouching on her tiptoes and hand barely touching the throne.

"I've done many things in my life your Grace, you shall enlighten me on my acts you are referring too."

Ever graceful, ever longing, a bird of death that kept coming back and subjecting herself to their rules for their peace of mind.

"Would be assassin."

"A world cruel to those born already destitute, they have no way but to turn to those too powerful for their help." Hellebore moved her arms, elbows resting on her knees.

"I'll take that as admission of guilt." The crow just smiled at the human woman.

"But I do not hold guilt in my heart, he did what he had too and I did what I had too for a kingdom, without either of you would lay in ruins at the feet of a bastard or a forgotten wolf." The blush was not visible on her darker skin like it would have been on someone as pale as Hellebore but Leira felt her face grow hot.

"But why not tell us?"

"Had I not left my signature?"

"So that feather was on purpose." She finally grabbed the red cape of the throne.

"I am not lying to monarchs that have been my reason to see another day of this world."

"But why leave him there, if you took him out?"

"I may be a death bird your Grace but not a carrion bird for I have been given thought. I bring death, I do not desecrate the dead. I guide them on, I do not decide their final resting place. I help the just, I touch not the vile."

"So this assassin was just?" The queen leaned against the armrest of her own throne, looking up at the bird woman.

"Just as he needed to kill you, I needed to kill him. Just as he was born, I was born. I flew but he was chained through intentions of others, had he been free, he'd have not come for you. He is not to blame for his actions."

"Hmm... And who might be?"

"Those who chained him down, those that took him from him." It was weirdly said but the crow seemed so certain of her words. "Those that needed people to hurt others and chose him, he lost himself and became another. Such a soul is not responsible of its vileness but those that caused it are."

"Yes but who are those?"

"I don't know that your Grace for I am just a crow, what I do know is the wolf of the south might have his hands stained with blood."

"I thought so." She said, talking of blood. She slowly reached her hand up, Hellebore jumping of her perch, landing soundlessly with a ruffle in the window, gentle fingers on her face. "What happened?"

It was such a small little cut but it stood out on such a face.

"Nothing to worry about your Grace, the wolf of the south had come to train and I accepted it, my own misstep let his sword stray too close to my face." The laughter of the wind too much to not flow along but even the air taking a moment to stop.

It took Leira a moment to understand tho clearly incapable of imagining the crow holding a sword in her hands, gaining her a laughter.

"It is nothing your Grace." She was not blind to her own beauty, it is not like she can lock it up, she learned enough to notice the effect she has, some being clearly struck and others seeming more in control of themselves. But she could understand how such an injury, no matter how small, would seem on her. "But I'd be careful with him, keeping him under surveillance and not me as a wolf that tries to believe it is human will crack on day."

"Let's stop talking about Veris, we have much to do. Will you help?" By use, she lifted her arm but didn't offer her hand to take, just her forearm and soon a crow took perch on it.

With a smile she carried her out to find her husband finally.

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"Do you know what you are playing with?"

The bird looked from her little perch on a table at the side of the room that would be a buffet table when night fell with all the most exquisite dishes on it.

The mage sister stood, casting a shadow over the bird.

With a yawn, stretching her legs out but still sitting on the table, tall enough that her feet were not touching the ground.

"I am not playing dear mage." She said, of course a mage with the wolf of the south as her sibling would be able to spot how much she was not a simple crow. Sure those inside the castle knew but the king had forbidden the knowledge from leaving the castle.

If he hadn't, people might start killing crows or other birds in masses, thinking they are spies while Hellebore herself is not one either.

"You are tearing queen and king apart."

"Am I? I am not favoring either of them. They shall not break their marriage and I'll do nothing unless asked." She did a little 'hush' gesture by bringing her pointer up in front of her mouth and a wink before leaning in. "Tho you are much like the stories of Master, maybe even prettier then she recounted them."

An enormous bout of laughter left the crow when the mage, abandoning all teaching of their common Master, had shoved her hand in her face to shove it away from from herself, other hand used to hide her face.

Hellebore was oh so amused of that, luck or she'd have bitten the hand in her face, gently nudging it away instead.

"But I shall tell you this for you to bring the news back to grieve." Calypso lifted a brow. "Master, ex head mage, Belladonna by name, has been claimed by death."

Sure they had almost lost her once and then she vanished and Lin had been the one to find her and say she was alive... But now to know she was dead, there was no lie in the eyes of the bird.

"I... Thank you for the news, I shall warn my mage siblings." Yeah, mages raised as siblings, she would more then sure use a messenger bird to get the news to the one with the silver dragon title, Hellebore would ask the winds to be gentle.

The reason for their conversation forgotten, she was left alone and so did the bird settle down once again, smoothing out her feathers with her beak.