High King.

"Q! You're finally back." Eliot noted, before spotting Julia behind him, "And you brought the psycho bitch that tried to kill Jay with you."

"Hey, you don't have to like me, but I'm not going anywhere. I want to help." Julia said softly, ordering a drink.

We were in the Hare On The Ass, and yes that's the actual name of the inn, waiting for Quentin to come back.

Eliot had left an enchanted origami crane to guide Quentin to us when he got here.

"So how did you get here?" I asked, feigning ignorance

"Fuck that..... Where is the blacksmith?" Margo cut in.

"Bambi? Relax. Let him take a breather. He just got here."

"Don't tell me to relax. We just got our asses handed to us by that Moth bastard and did I mention how you..." She turned to me, "Just let him go. Don't think I didn't see that look between you two."

"I was worried he was going to try something if we pushed him unprepared."

"Like what?!" She snapped.

"A self destruct or maybe a phylactery.

We need to be sure he's going to be dead when we kill him." I explained.

"I still don't like letting him go."

"We missed a bit... Didn't we?" Quentin asked.

"Yes. Let's swap stories on the way to the blacksmith." I suggested.

"Sure." Quentin agreed.

.

"..... And that's how we became parts of the books, no, we were alwyas part of the books!" He said flushed woth excitement.

The story was fairly similar to what happened in the show.

Quentin and Julia follow Jane into a portal in a telephone booth in London and end up in Fillory 1942.

Then they help Martin and Jane out in their adventures, becoming known as the witch and the fool.

Iconic.

Then with a little help from older Jane, i.e, the Watcherwoman they were sent into the future.

Not before, as I suspect from his hestitation during that part of the story, being told that Julia memories had a patch on them.

Any decent magician could figure out that part. It's why I didn't just mind control everyone first thing and speedrun this.

I could have done it, sure but I'd probably have to kill a lot more people and I'd rather avoid the fight.

Wanda didn't like it when I got too cruel.

I sighed.

Can't wait to bring back Wanda.

She was a treat to have.

Also chaos magic sex is mindblowing. Literally.

So that's an incentive.

"The witch and the fool." I chuckled, "I wouldn't be so excited to be labelled forever in fiction as the Fool. But you do you, Quentin."

"I will, thank you very much." He grinned, looking not completely depressed for the first time in months. "So that brings us here. Well almost here. He's just on the other side of that hill over there." Quentin said, pointing into the distance.

"He better be. These shoes weren't made for marathons."

"Or walking." I replied, "Why did you even wear heels to a battle. And after I specifically said not to."

"Because I want to look good while I'm riding that meat toboggan?" She said.

I rolled my eyes as I saw the rest of them all dressed up like they were going to a party.

Except Penny, of course. The only one who looked like he had any sense of self preservation.

Why are they like this?

"We're magicians anyway. We don't need to worry about physicality. There's a reason Fergus's Arsenal and Woven Strengh are highly regarded spells." Eliot added.

"Then use them." I ordered.

"Nah. Too much work. We're almost there, right Quentin?" Margo called put to Quentin who was hunched over a grave.

"What now?"

"I just noticed. This whole place... It's littered with graves." He said.

He was right.

To all sides of the trail, in what remained of a burnt forest and farmlands, lay graves upon grave, poking out from behind trees and rocks, sunk halfway in the mud.

"Yeah. It's like magical Dachau. We know." Margo chuckled.

"The sky is literally overcast with Darkness TM." I snorted with laughter.

"But this grave... " He cleaned up the headstone.

"It's Martin's."

"Yeah. So?"

"If Martin's dead, then who's the Beast?"

"Martin isn't dead, Q. His humanity was eroded away by the wild magic he uses and the Wellspring water he drinks. That grave is for his human half, which is dead and likely in the underworld right now."

"But what of we're wrong?"

"We're not. Sheesh, will you stop worrying about it?" I slapped his back as we arrived at a sprawling cottage, huddled up in the woods.

A girl worked in the gardens at the back.

I could sense her thoughts, which were mostly about boning her boyfriend once she was done with yardwork.

Fen.

The blacksmith's daughter.

And if the negotiations go like in the show, future queen of Fillory.

Well queen consort. To Eliot.

Yep.

Marry the gay man off the the farm girl. Great choice by the show writers.

I chuckled.

"What are you laughing about?" Julia asked.

"Whatever he wants." Yue snapped at her.

"Listen, I'm sorry I did what I did. But I have paid for it. So I'd appreciate if you at least gave me a chance."

"No." Yue glared daggers at her, grabbing my hand and leading me ahead of the group.

Just then the door of the house opened and a man in an apron came out, stopping in his tracks as he spotted Quentin.

"Ah, you!" He looked across our group as his eyes landed on Julia.

"You have certainly aged gracefully. You two."

"I'm sorry do I know you? You're not someone I recognize. There was another man here the last time we-"

"Yes. I was 8 when you last came here. My father ran the smithy then. I watched you order the blade." He said,

"Yes. Where is he now?" Quentin asked.

"In the backyard. Six feet under."

"Oh." Quentin muttered.

"I suppose you're here for what you ordered? You never came for it."

"Yes." Quentin nodded.

"Follow me." He led us inside and sat down by a table, taking off his apron.

He leaned down and pulled out a box from a compartment hidden in the table side.

Flipping it open, he revealed a blade of pure white marble.

Moonstones.

Rimmed with a golden edge and trim, intricately carved.

It was a master work to behold.

Quentin reached out for it, only for the box to be slammed shut in his face.

"Payment. Is due." The man said, his words dripping with annoyance.

I don't blame him.

Aside from it being, well, Quentin, which is in it's own right worthy of the snappy behaviour, we were also 70 years late on our word.

I'd be annoyed too if my clients came late after ordering something.

"Yes. Uh... Once we.. um... We get to the castle.... We'll give you the payment. A position at court, is that what you want?"

The smith raised an eyebrow.

"No. That is not what we agreed upon."

"Well I don't remember agreeing upon anything specific?" Julia interjected.

"We agreed. That a king or queen of Fillory, would marry one of our own."

"You want one of us to marry you?" Margo asked, disgusted.

"No. I want the High King of Fillory to marry my daughter."

"And that would be...?" Quentin asked.

The smith pulled out a dull blade made of what looked like obsidian and looked at us with amusement.

"Let's find out."

"This blade draws one thing and one thing alone. The royal blood of the High King of Fillory. If you'd hust extend your hands."

We did as asked and he ran the blade over our palms, one by one until-

"Tss!" Eliot hissed in pain, as the blade cut into his flesh.

"Act out!" Josh exclaimed.

"Hmm.... makes a certain amount of instinctual sense I guess." Eliot gloated regally.

"Yeah... This will make him easier to live with." Penny snarked.

"No...This feels wrong. There has to be a mistake or something....." Margo said, but the smith ignored her, bowing to Eliot.

"Your Majesty!" The smith smiled.

He turned to the window.

"FEN!" He called out.

"WHAT?!" His daughter yelled back.

"Get in here and meet your groom." That brought her rushing in.

"Groom?!- I mean... Uh...." She looked over us until her gaze landed on me.

"Greetings, High King...?"

"It's not me." I gestured at Eliot as she gave a brief look of disappointment before deciding he was good too.

She bowed, and flared her dress in courtesy.

The smith put an arm around Eliot pulling him over to his daughter with a customer service smile.

"Why don't you two go and get to know each other while I get the wedding preparations done?"

I could feel Eliot groan at that, but he didn't quite refuse, going along with the flow.

____________________

The extra chapter for 400 powerstones as promised.

Thanks for reading. See ya tonight!