Dear Dalanesca,

I send this message in hopes that you will join me at the Black Court Manor in Arri for tea.  My aunt says you may be of assistance to me.  There is much for me to apologize for - at least, I think there is.  I need advice, and this is advice that only the Mother of Assassins can offer.

With Deep Gratitude,

Kirika Rose

Eyes of the iciest blue scanned a pale scroll of parchment, elegant text penned across the rough surface.  Dalanesca found the script that the letter was written in to be unknown, though the sender’s name was rather familiar.  When she had heard, in passing conversation between herself and Angela Rose, that Kirika Rose had come to take her seat on the throne as Queen of the Black Court, she knew it would only be a matter of time before Kirika would have contacted her.  After all, the Black Court was connected to Darkness in a very intricate manner, and Dalanaesca was Darkness.  

The contents of the letter left her feeling a bit befuddled.  Its contents detailed that she had extended an invitation to join her at the Black Court Manor near the ocean in Arri.  Apparently, she had a problem that Angela Rose (when Kirika mentioned her aunt, she assumed that she meant Angela) had suggested Dalanesca would be able to assist her with.  What confused her the most was the mention of the fact that she had things to apologize for - there was nothing that came to mind that Kirika had done that she would need to apologize for.

She understood the Black Court Queen’s call for assistance, as Dalanesca was now the patron god of most assassins, and the Black Court honed some of the best, from what she had heard.  She took pride in this, for she had been an assassin in her mortal life before things had taken a strange turn.  

Dalanesca appeared outside the gates of Arri, not far from the Black Court Manor.  She could see it in the distance - a large, Mediterranean style structure, and she could see that Kirika and her husband Bryar Oakenfell, now Bryar Oakenfell Rose, had redecorated the place.  She had not seen it before, but Angela had told her much about Kirika’s mother, Cyprus, and the atrocities that she had committed behind its walls.  No one could tell that the place had once been home to torture and death, as it looked like a rather regal dwelling now.  

She approached the door, knocking firmly.  She very well could have teleported herself into the dwelling, but she wanted to be polite.  She wore a simple black dress with a corset top, nothing extravagant, and her hair fell in elegant waves around her shoulder.  She made no move to mask her aura, as Rosenites would know who she was regardless.  With patience, she waited for the door to open.

Kirika dressed herself for the day. It was an off shoulder dress with lacey black sleeves dipped in a dark blue at the edges. The main dress was a silk with many skirts decorated with the same dark blue. Her dress had the patterns of the stars and moons on them at the bottom. Her long raven hair was softly braided over her shoulder. Her blue eyes were so wild but there was a hint of something so much more.

When Dalanesca appeared the darkness told her so. It grabbed her and pulled her braid. It wasn’t forceful but it let her know that its mother was there. The darkness loved Dalanesca as much as it loved her. She was barefoot as she made her way down the stairs her fingers playing against the mahogany woodwork of the grand staircase. It was Kirika who greeted her at the door. “Lady Dalanesca,” she said with excitement and a tad shy as she toned herself down. “Welcome.” The darkness wisped away from Kirika and gently played with Dalanesca’s hair.

Her eyes watched as she had never seen the darkness leave her side before. “Please come in. We have much to talk about.” She stepped behind the door and let the goddess come in. “You’ll have to pardon some of the stenches still. We have yet to clean the west wing of the house. I do hope that you’ll appreciate what we have done, though.” It was true that Bryar and herself had made this place a masterpiece. The floor was stone dark basalt with blue accents scattered.

She led Dalanesca upstairs, up to that favorite staircase of hers. Down the hallway and into the library. “You’ll have to forgive the detour this place was made like a maze. I’m still finding all the secret passages.” She let a laugh of lightness leave her lips as she opened the doors to the patio and walkway down to the ocean. There was some iron worked chairs and a beautifully done table out of wrought. “Please join me by the ocean.”

A servant appeared soon and left them with fresh tea and some scones to go with it. “I must first say… that I am deeply sorry for the trouble my mother has caused. If it wasn’t for her meddling the fight with Angela would have never happened. My mother’s ambitions are dark and terrifying. Even a creature of darkness knows that she is over her head with what she has planned.” Her fingers played with the elegant teacups in her hand. They were dark porcelain with decorations of blue the same the house. The same color as her eyes.

As warmly as she could, Dalanesca smiled at Kirika when she opened the door to the manner.  She had yet to actually meet the girl, but Angela had mentioned Kirika several times in discussions with Dalanesca, moreso since her domain had shifted to Death and Darkness, since Kirika, being Queen of the Black Court, had a special connection to darkness.  “Hello, Kirika,” she said, her smile unfading.  She watched the darkness that swirled around the girl, but took no surprise as it came to her - after all, she was the Mother of Darkness, and of course the element would flock to her with her presence.  She could tell that Kirika, however, was a bit surprised, and as the darkness softly tugged at her own wavy locks she willed a bit of it to surround Kirika once more, in a comforting manner.

“Of course,” she said, stepping inside as Kirika moved to allow her entrance.  “You forget, my child, that my home resides in the depths of Inferos,” she said.  “Corpses are a part of my daily life - but thank you for the warning,” she said, raising an eyebrow at Kirika.  She could tell that the young Rosenite was shy, and she was trying to lighten the mood.  “However, from the way that Angela described this place to me, it seems that you and your husband have done a downright wonderful job at sprucing the place up, given the short amount of time you have had,” she said, looking around.  While Dalanesca herself was a fan of blacks and reds, she had to admit that the blue went rather wonderfully with the basalt of the floor.  “Color me impressed,” she said rather slyly.

Following Kirika, Dalanesca remained silent as she took in the intricacies of the manor, following her up the staircase and into the library.  “I do not mind in the slightest, it’s allowing me to see the refurbishments that you and your husband have underway… Bryar, his name is?” she said, hoping that she remembered correctly.  “Secret passages sound intriguing!  Perhaps one day when you have learned them all, you can visit my palace and help me concoct a few of my own,” she said, deviously.  “You must come to Porta Inferi soon - as my guest, of course,” she said, indicating that Kirika would not be required to undergo the trials one normally had to in order to gain entrance to Domus Tenebris.  “After all, as Queen of the Black Court, Darkness will be most welcoming,” she added as the two stepped out towards the ocean.

Being in the natural sunlight of the mortal world felt rather odd to Dalanesca at first.  Since Marth’s disappearance, she had not spent much time in the mortal plane, let alone during the day - and the blood red sun of Porta Inferi and Inferos was much different.  “You needn’t apologize for the atrocities committed by your… by Cyprus,” she said, waving a hand in a dismissive manner at Kirika.  “She will ever succeed,” she said, though she knew she was still unaware of the details of what the heathen wished to commit.  “Angela has given me a briefing… but can you fill me in a bit more?  I can be of service, of course, but I must have details.”  She reached out for one of the teacups but did not drink, only holding it as she kept her eyes on Kirika.

It did comfort her to see the darkness coming back to her. She had never been without it since she had taken the test. There was a silent thank you in her blue eyes as she watched Dalanesca. The truth was since she was ten she had never felt lonely before the darkness she was by herself. It felt weird not to have it coiled around her. “I have not forgotten,” her voice was quiet as she thought about her words, “merely that I am ashamed I have not worked faster. For a guest of your level… you deserve the best in hospitality. My aunts have at least taught me well in that regard, well most of them.” She laughed hesitantly as she thought of Toya. “I think Toya would have told me ‘If they don’t like it tell them to get the fuck out.’ or something like that.” She blushed deeply and laughed. “Though I imagine it’s why she doesn’t have many guests.”

She gave a smile and nodded. “Thank you for your compliments. My husband will be quite happy to hear that our hard work has been paying off. It was Angela’s idea for the blue.” As they walked she nodded to Dalanesca. “Bryar Oakenfell Rose.” She was giddy saying his name. It showed in how her voice peaked in happiness. “We’ve only been married for such a short time but we’re very, very happy. He is very good with his hands. He’s done most of the stonework.” 

She smirked a bit and nodded. “I would love to. As soon as we’re done mapping out every inch of this place I would love to help you with Porta Inferi. I also am curious about your home because of the stories Angela has told me.” 

Her fingers went around the cup once they were situated. “I fear that I think it is my fault because she wants me so badly. The lengths she is going to make her plan happen is frightening. Even the darkness trembles at her name. It remembers the abuse she put it through. Darkness is not inherently evil nor is it good. It doesn’t mean that it wishes to be used for the things she did with it. The queens of Arri are pillars of our elements. Our auras speak volumes of our tests. Our trials.”

She looked a bit uncomfortable at first. “There is a half demon half angel in lore that can tear communities asunder. It was supposed to be a myth. Angels and demons hardly will touch each other as it is. But there is a story that if you take a high ranking demon spawn and breed it with a high ranking angel that you can summon a thing of destruction.” Her lips trembled. “I was shocked at first. I have always just been on the normal side. I have no angelic powers but… my blood does. My ancestor on my father’s side whoever he was… he must have been a very strong angel. My mother plans on having my brother Colden rape me.” She whimpered but still but persisted. “It’s not Colden’s fault. He doesn’t know any better. My mother has damaged my siblings beyond repair.”

Her eyes were dark. “Colden doesn’t know that my mother plans on letting his soul get eaten. All he wants is her approval. She is so poisonous that she could worm her way into his head and make him think this is what he wants. She already put it into his head that he needs to kill me and take over. We’ve talked extensively with Colden’s father Xunatar.” She brought the tea to her lips finally and drank. “He’s angry. Very angry. Lotus told me that Cyprus lied to him. At least ran around the truth.”

She frowned a bit more. “She’s in Parvpora where Gods don’t really have the power to reach her or this wouldn’t be a huge problem. Angela could find her in a heart beat but wherever she is. Angela can’t see her. Out in the water maybe? In the air? Somewhere smart. That’s my mother: crafty.”

She took a deep breath. “If Colden even could kill me.” She diverted back to Colden. She was worried about her brother. “It’s now come to his family’s attention that it won’t end well. The trial here in Arri will kill him the moment he enters the door. I took the test when I was ten. I’ve seen things that make most nightmares look fun.” Her blue eyes flickered with pain. “The only reason I wasn’t harmed was because I hadn’t done anything wrong. I was pure but also compatible with the darkness. If someone were to step in that had taken a life or multiple. They would get ripped to pieces. My mother barely survived and that was only because she had swallowed a healing mechanism of some sort.”

Dalanesca smiled as she watched the darkness swirling around Kirika.  She could see that the Rosenite was thankful, but said nothing to indicate her awareness.  It was nice to see someone else so in tune with the darkness - and she knew at this point that she and Kirika would have much to talk about in times to come, regardless of whatever it was that the young queen had asked her to Arri to discuss.  “Do not worry about my status, Kirika,” she said, and the words were truly heartfelt.  “Angela is the closest thing to a sister I have,” she continued.  “Therefore, that makes you just like family to me.  You shouldn’t have to roll out the red carpet, so to speak, for your family,” she said.  

Dalanesca could not help but to laugh at Kirika’s crass albeit very accurate phrasing of what Toya would tell her - she had not spent much time with Toya, but she had heard plenty of stories from Angela.  “Toya’s right, you know,” she said silkily.  “It’s your house.  If they don’t like it, they can get the fuck out.”  She quirked an eyebrow at the girl in a devious way, before letting out a bit of laughter.  “From my understanding, Toya is a bit… crass, to say the least.  But she isn’t wrong,” she said, truthfully.

“No need to thank me for speaking the truth.  Your husband is talented, to have done the majority of this himself,” she said.  She could sense from Kirika’s demeanor and tone of voice that she was very proud of Bryar.  “I am filled with pride for you at the fact that your husband took your surname,” she said.  “Powerful family lines such as that of Rose should not be lost to patriarchist naming rules,” she said, and for a moment the feminist side of her showed.  She trailed a hand along some of the stonework that Kirika mentioned, a soft smile forming on her lips as she appreciated the work that had gone into it.

“I think you would feel very at home in Domus Tenebris,” she said.  “The darkness is particularly fond of you.  I can feel it,” she said, allowing a tendril of the aforementioned element to swirl around her hand as she held it up.  She found it rather odd that the element would come outside with them such as it had, but she assumed that her presence allowed the darkness a better anchor for which to remain in sight.  

“You mustn’t feel that this is your fault.  You did not ask for this, nor do you want it to happen,” she said, and her words were sharp.  It was clear that the situation was upsetting to her, but not in any way that was linked to Kirika.  “My darkness will not tremble at her despicable name,” she hissed, and the darkness swirled around the both of them strongly, as though to prove Dalanesca’s point. 

Dalanesca listened very intently to the words that Kirika spoke next, her face expressionless.  She could see that Kirika was upset as she spoke, and she could not blame the girl.  “Your mother will fail,” she said angrily as she finished speaking, and the emotion was now apparent on her face.  Violence of that sort was intolerable, even to the Queen of Hell. “I will personally make sure of that.  None of this will happen.”

”I have met Xunatar,” she said, rather methodically.  ”And from what I have spoken with him… I would not want to be on the receiving end of his wrath, were I not immortal,” she said, recalling the time that Xunatar had travelled to Porta Inferi.  ”Perhaps I shall meet with him again, and he can assist us in stopping Cyprus from attaining her goal,” she added as an afterthought.

”You see, Kirika… we gods are less powerful in Parvpora,” she said.  ”However, we are not lacking power all together.  Angela and I can pool our power together, perhaps we can even contact Moliira.  The Triune may not be more powerful than other gods individually, but with the three combined I imagine something could be done…” she trailed off, as if deep in thought.  ”She can’t run forever.”

Kirika stared at the woman for a long time and laughed. “Here in Arri you roll out the red carpet for everyone. It’s more so respect than anything My Lady. Family is everything here and it is utmost respectful to put on a show for them. However, the Black Court has a lot to make up for. A song and dance is needed for everyone to see that we are not as cruel as we used to be. It will take centuries of healing to undo what my mother has done.” Kiki offered a soft smile as she explained. She knew her duties and she knew when to dance, those were the first things she was taught after she took the trial.

Kirika laughed a bit when they spoke of Toya and she nodded. “She just wants to protect everyone… in a burn down the world if it acts up type of way. It’s not a bad thing but she is known as Mother of Dragons here… For good reason. I think if she was reborn through the Soul-Stream she would be a dragon. It fits her personality rather well. I mostly do business with Blaine, her husband, if I have to. You might know of Krystopher… he is mates with Moliira. That is Blaine’s older brother.” The way the Rose family seemed to be connected to major players of power spoke of their character and well… the sheer number of them. Their families were quite large.

The queen beamed with pride as Dalanesca complimented Bryar and offered but a simple nod to her words. “I am a new ruler… in a house that was destroyed by the old one. My name is everything right now. It is what will rebuild relations with the world. Even the dark world is scarred by what has happened.” 

Thinking about Dalanesca’s home she nodded and smiled. “The darkness and I have always been together since the day I took the trial. The five pillars are always with their queens in various ways. Once the trial is done you’ve earned the right to claim that aura for what you want. My darkness is free to do what it wants and I think it is happy that way.” She cared about it in a more human way than most would.  She watched the darkness follow Dalanesca and she felt happy about that. Normally it stayed put in the shadows.

Kirika’s eyes softened and she nodded to Dalanesca’s words. “It is hard for me not to take responsibility at this time. It is not that I mean to blame myself for these things. As matriarch for the Black Court it means I have to take responsibility for the things Mother does. To pass on power one must die and lose it. The fact she was brought back, however that was, is enough to be put under my responsibilities. I am young and I do not get a say in how people view me. They will be me as a child of a monster and until the day that I can do something to step outside of that shadow that is how it will continue to be. I’ve taken small steps to show kindness but I do not want it to seem fake. I want to have unending kindness but unfortunately in this world that would seem like I am covering it up. That is not something I want nor need to have in the back of people’s minds.” She sat ladylike in her chair as she looked up at the sky and spoke of her duties. She was mature, a lot more so, for her age than most. She had to grow up fast.

“A deity can perform a hundred miracles to make people praise their names. It is often out of fear that people align themselves with deities. As long as they are on the good side of a deity they are offered fortune. However, when it comes to kings and queens we are often left with a difficult divide to deal with. Half of my court is ecstatic about my ruling so far. The other half is very skeptical and thinks I will drag us down with weakness. This is because they only know ruling through fear. Rosenites are long-lived creatures. Some members of my court are from the very old days of Arri. Some are among the first to have been turned and settle Sularia. Gaining their trust and making them see that it isn’t my fault is hard. It is often better to accept responsibility and lead movements to stop what is happening.” She put her cup down and folded her hands in her lap.

When they spoke of what her mother would do she could see that Dalanesca was upset about it like she was. Kirika was upset that her brother was being used to such an evil end. She knew that she could hold her own here in Arri with the others’ protection but what about Colden? No one spoke of saving him. No one spoke of how to get him out of that mess. Her heart was overly too large for herself. She knew that like many of her siblings he might be twisted. “I thank you Dalanesca. That brings comfort to my heart greatly to hear you say that. I need all the allies I can muster. Having two goddesses behind me will also make my court feel better about me being in power.”

Kirika turned her blue eyes to Dalanesca and smiled. “Lotus has asked Xunatar to meet with Angela. I’m not quite sure if that is an entirely good thing. We all knew that if Colden had tried to kill me that Angela would intervene. That might have put bad blood between Xunatar and Angela already. However, there is a common enemy now and perhaps they can come to an agreement. I think that if he wants Colden alive, which seemed to be the case, that he will listen to what people say. He did, after all, meet with my sister when she found out more of Mother’s plans.”

The young Rosenite nodded to Dalanesca and thought more on it. “I know that. I’ve talked extensively with Angela about her limitations. You are right that my mother cannot hide forever. However, her old scent is gone from the world. It presents a problem since she is now of demon blood. I’ve heard she had a sickly sweet smell but that won’t help matters if it is just a rumor. The last thing we want is using our powers on a goose chase that could end badly.”

She shifted in her chair and breathed deeply. “I’ve given Xunatar a vial of my blood to use so he could try and lure her out. The scent alone should be enough. To be truthful I don’t think it will work. She won’t send herself or Colden to collect me. I don’t know her and I don’t understand her motives but I understand she doesn’t like to loose. I think in the end she will underestimate me and perhaps it is for the best that I don’t reveal my full hand to the others. I worry about her using Bryar against me so I’ve asked us not to travel for now. I know nothing of the world but the few cities that Bryar has taken me to. Everything I know is from books and that puts me at a severe disadvantage when getting allies.”

The sound of the sea was calming to her as her shoulders relaxed. “I asked you here because I want this house to be a strong house. I do not want to be a queen of assassins but that is the role I’ve been given. My feelings on it put Arri at risk. We have a divided court system for a reason. The people of my court have naturally gifted talents with the darkness and stealth. Our strengths are with the one thing I cannot stand. However, Angela was the one who taught me that sometimes death is necessary for the betterment of the world. I can at least accept contracts and make sure they are necessary deaths. It means a lot to me that it was Angela who taught me that because she is the beacon of life. To find that she does not outright condemn death because she herself understands as a ruler of Arri… it’s nice.”

She was uncomfortable with the talk and it showed with how she fidgeted in her seat but still, she persisted and she did not change the topic. It was important and she was the figurehead of it. “Goddess Dalanesca. Mother of Assassins. Reaper. Mother of the Night. I ask you to bless this unholy house that seeks the darkness and comforts of death. I ask that my assassins be blessed with swift feet and the true heart of shadows. I, Kirika Rose, Queen of the Black Court. Queen of Darkness. Queen of the Broken and Hidden. I beg of you to help my court become stronger with our elements of Death and Shadow. We will become your humble servants, a people you could count on if you would have no one else. We are loyal and those who are not deserve no claim at my court. An assassin is loyal to their calling with no looking back and no way out. We don’t wish a way out and we cannot go back to how things were.” She stood up from her chair with a strong look in her eyes.

“My court has suffered enough from the monster called Cyprus. I have buried hundreds of corpses. Children, women, and men. Innocent and not so innocent. I want liberation. The liberation I seek is one where we are strong enough to perform our duties that the kingdom of Arri requires of us. We are the darkness of Sularia but we do need help reclaiming that.” She refused to separate herself from the rest of her court. She was showing the goddess her unity with her people. “What I seek is and always will be… that the darkness of Arri’s night be ruled by me. Just as the light of Arri is ruled by Lily Rose of the Yellow Court. I want to take back what is mine from the clutches of the undeserving. I took the trial of Darkness. I stood in the shadow of death and came out unscathed. I have earned my right to this but yet it eludes me. I am not so ignorant nor lost to not realize that I need help to push this atrocity out of my city no… Out of my kingdom. Those who hold no claim over what I’ve done with my blood should not be able to rule the night here. That title is mine and mine alone.” 

She had lost herself in what she was trying to tell Dalanesca but by the time she was done… she was proud of herself. “What I am asking cannot be done by the other four. I need my court blessed so that we may be able to do it ourselves. If we received help from the others the night would belong just as much to them. The darkness will always belong to you everywhere. I know that and respect it… that is why I ask this of you. I want to purge this place’s darkness and reclaim it in my name and in turn for you as well.”