Untouchable Fruit

Council and Disbelief

Briana's POV

I stare in the floor length mirror as Anna, who's name I learned as she undressed me ironically, fluffs out the emerald green dress behind me as I stand in front of the mirror, nerves trying to deep into my skin.

I'm happy that Artemis is so excited and finally able to get soemthing she's been aching for ever since she was in school, but I can't help but have a feeling that things aren't going to go as planned though I hope that I'm just being my usual pessimistic self.

"Did you know that I was Art's Knot?" I ask her and she hums as she tilts her head to the side and glance up at me.

"I had a suspicion. The guards knew that she had found you already and suddenly I was seeing you around here more so I figured if anyone it would have been you." She explains and I nod my head.

"Should I be nervous?" I inquire, Anna stepping away once I'm all done.

"I would be absolutely terrified, Miss." She admits and all it does is make my anxiety towards the whole thing a million times worse.

"Briana is fine."

"And so is Miss. Now let's get you out to the Princess." She tells me with a smile and I turn away from the mirror, my locks swaying softly in the small of my back as I follow her towards the door that leads to the sitting rooms. She opens the door and I step through, startled at all the people inside even if she told me that she had a plan.

I lock eyes with Artemis and whatever conversation that she was having gets dropped as she makes her way over to me, her silver dress matching the silver lining in mine, hers elegant and fancy.

She makes her way over to me as eyes around the room lock their attention on me and I hold steady, used the attention after being an activist all my life. Her pink lips raise into a soft smile and her hand comes up, a ring on her left hand with a crown on it gleaming as she tucks a stray piece of hair behind my ear. "Looks like my floater is secretly a little a butterfly. You look gorgeous." She tells me and I shake her hand away lightly.

"I know, let's get on with it." I tell her and she laughs before beckoning to men forwards, both in uniform.

"Briana, this is Carl and this is Levi. they are some of my most trusted guards. They will be with you as much as you can't stand and if you get tired of it, I'm sure that they won't mind teaching you some things on how to protect yourself. Then you will only need one of them around." She explains and I not my head to each of them.

"I'm so sorry, Miss." Levi tells me, looking sad and I frown. "For being Knotted to this monstrosity." He tells me and I can't help but laugh along with him at the joke that Artemis ignores

"Yeah yeah. Now let's go guys, we have an important meeting to attend." Everyone becomes serious at once and as Artemis begins to move forward, she places a hand int eh small of my back, leading my forward with a feather light touch that I almost can't tell is real.

One of each of our guards stand in front and behind us as the door is open and we walk out of Art's rooms.

Jasper and her Advisor Percy fall behind the rest of us as we walk down the halls, Art's hand still present behind my back and it makes me miss a few steps, flustered at the soft sparks that erupt from the light touch.

As we walk through the halls, making our way to the wing where business is handled, I see people stop to look at our group, some wearing uniform, others in dresses as we walk. Artemis' shoulders are pushed back proudly, her posture straight and relaxed, her hair smooth and focused, the first time I've seen her so put together and confident in so long.

We finally get to the pet of the castle where we're needed and the doors get opened revealing ten people sitting around the table, most wearing scowls.

When we walk in, their heads turn to us and surprise washing over all of them as our guards line against the wall and Jasper and Percy come up to flank Artemis and I. A beautiful woman with dark hair curls at the bass of her neck has a silver crown on top of her head as she sits at the head of the table, back straight and shoulder back as she peers at us, no emotion on her face.

It's not her but a blond woman that looks similar that speaks up, sitting on her right with a scowl that speaks up.

"Artemis, what is the meaning of this? You don't get to summon us here at your every whim." She screeches and Art doesn't flinch at the clear distaste in the woman's voice.

"If I summoned this group based off of a whim, you would not have been included, Princess, Lucile for you hold no true power other to whisper in others ears." She says and her Aunt goes to say something more but Artemis continues. "The last meeting that we had, the last condition that you told me I had to uphold was that I had to find my Knot because everything else had been done correct?" I asked and a lady with blue eyes answers.

"Yes and we won't be removing that." She stated calmly.

"I wouldn't ask you to." Artemis says before she squares her shoulders once more. "I, Artemis Gold, have serviced the Crown since I was in diapers and going above and beyond any previous Princess or Prince has gone in order to prepare for my role to lead my people. And the last part of that has falling into place. I have found my Knot who has agreed to stay by my side. I would like to discuss dates and any other details on when I shall have my Crowning ceremony." She says confidently and I can't hide a smile at the way she said it, so smoothly and holding no room open for discussion.

"You found your Knot?" The woman at the head of the table finally speaks up and I recognize her to be Artemis' mother, Crown Mother Arla, the Princess that had taken care of the Faerie realm for almost thirty years.

"Yes, Mother." Artemis says before her hand tightens on the base of my back, the hand no one seems to be paying attention to until the words fall form her mouth. "This is Briana Glintwood, formerly known as Briana Pine. Her parents were apart of this court before they were killed and Briana was taking into adoption."

A smaller girl with blond hair sitting next to her Princess Lucile is quick to speak up. "We don't know who she is! She could be an imposter." She says and there's mumbles of agreements around the room.

But Artemis looks as if she expected this. "Even if she wasn't the long lost child of the Pines, she is still my Knot which is something that can not be faked. And the requirement for my to get my Crowning was the find someone to aid me in leading and here I am. So when do we get started?" There's silence around the room before Mother Arla speaks up yet again, this time shocking half the room.

"You can't become Princess Artemis. And she can't be your Princess." She says and the who room looks at Artemis who frowns at her mother.

"And why not?"

"Because.... you can't reproduce with a female. And you won't be able to give your people a rightful heir."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is always one of the main arguments from non LGBT when it comes to same sex marriage and relationships as if adoption doesn't work.

Thought?

Comments?

QOTD: What's your safe place?