Ingredients

Roland gave Finn his most charming smile as he held out the bag of ingredients and she laughed in spite of the tension of the moment.

"I most solemnly accept your offering of foodstuffs," She agreed. Taking the bag, she paused. "You'll be at the battle... out in the world. How do I get out of the Darkness to you?"

"Try and follow the troops out. Titania said she would find a place for you... if she finds you and still insists on that, try and persuade her to let you watch the battle from a distance." Roland smiled, and then reached over and snatched some flint from the supplies as well. "In case you need to start your own fire," He added, pushing them into the bag. They quickly discussed a few potential landmarks for meeting places, and the plans were finalized.

"I love you." She said instead of goodbye.

"I love you too," He glanced around, but there were too many people for him to kiss her without drawing attention. "Good luck."

Roland rushed back to Prince Duncan, lest he be missed. They would need the aid/witness he would bring with him. Finn looked around, considering whether to cook immediately and quickly carry the prepared meal with her, or try and escape the Darkness first and cook in her own world.

She was still pondering what to do when she heard voices just on the other side of the tent. Ducking out of sight, she pressed herself between a box and the fabric wall.

"Your Majesty, I have something urgent to speak with you about," It was quiet as a whisper, and Finn strained her ears to hear. She recognized the raspy voice as Mau's.

"What is it?" The Queen's voice was impatient as the two entered the tent. Their voices were muffled, and Finn chanced slightly lifting the edge of the tent fabric. As the light stretched out from under it, the sounds from inside became clearer.

Finn didn't trust Mau at all. He had proved he could be cruel, calculating, and utterly deceptive since he had lived a year as someone else. She felt compelled to learn what he was up to so that she could get ahead of it if she could.

"I have a report of sorts. Suspicions, as it were," He began slowly.

"I am running low on time and patience," Titania sighed. "Get to the point, Spy."

"Your grandson, Derek. You're sure that's what he is?" Mau asked carefully. He was treading dangerous ground and he knew it.

"Of course." Titania responded.

"Then I regret to inform you that your grandson may not be loyal to you, if he ever was," The man measured his words, "I fear he may betray you, and that Prince Duncan may not stop him." Mau had spent many years learning how to read people. Though it had been difficult to recognize the one who had revealed his secret in Klain as the young Prince, he was nonetheless sure of his conclusion.

Finn covered her mouth. A soft gasp would more than likely not penetrate the Darkness, but she felt the need to remain silent regardless.

"And what do you intend to do with this information?" Titania asked.

"Do with it? Why, tell it to Your Majesty and then await orders," Mau's voice dipped in humility.

"I declare it all to be lies." The Queen said in her stately way. "What say you now?"

"I would never lie to Your Majesty, I fear for your safety and the future of Rhone... I humbly insist that--" His voice cut off in a strange, gurgling gasp, followed by a thud.

"I will not be challenged." Titania said grimly. "Derek is needed for what is to come."

The silence stretched until Finn heard Titania's voice again from another place. She must have left the tent.

"You, soldiers! There is a traitor in my tent. Remove the body."

Finn's heartbeat took off. Titania had just murdered Mau? Suddenly the young woman felt cold all over, as if she were back in the mountains buried in the snow. She was in far out of her depth on this matter. Sneaking away, she decided to put some distance between herself and the heartless queen.

After several moments, Finn slowed her steps, reconsidering. Going back to Titania would be playing with fire, but staying away from her might be more suspicious. There was also no guarantee that she could find her way out of the Darkness without her. She noticed the number of soldiers around had already diminished to nearly nothing. Had so many left already?

Cringing intensely, she took a deep breath and bit the inside of her cheek, hard. There was no good option here that she could see. Reluctantly, she turned back the way she'd come.

"Hello?" She called as she came closer to the tent again. "Your Majesty? Prince Derek said I might find you near here?"

Titania glided into view and smiled brilliantly at Finn. "Child! All alone, how frightened you must be!"

"Yes, I am frightened," Finn trembled at how true the words were. "Will you... May we please go back? Out of the dark, I mean?" She cast a look around to the oppressive blackness for effect, but there was plenty of truth in even that; the longer she spent in the Darkness, the more she desperately wanted out of it.

Titania smiled empathetically, "Of course, you may come with me... what's that you have with you?" She gestured to the sack that Finn held.

"I wanted to cook a meal," Finn said, "someone gave me these ingredients. I'm so hungry after the journey here. There was no prepared food available that I could see... the soldiers were all moving to leave." All of that was true. Titania lifted her chin slightly and took on a royal posture.

"I see. It is time to depart now, but I suppose you may... bring that with you." The monarch seemed to be contemplating Finn carefully.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Finn curtsied deeply and gratefully.

Titania smiled and offered her hand to Finn. Knowing how recently that hand committed murder, Finn had to steel her nerves in order to take it. Suddenly, she was being pulled along at inhuman speed through the Darkness. Her feet barely touched the ground as Titania guided her through the terrain. What magic was this??

Finally stopping, the queen snapped her fingers and a portal appeared. Though the light was beginning to fade on the other side, it was still far brighter than the cursed darkness around them here. Titania stepped through with Finn eagerly on her heels.

They walked out onto a hill near some brush and few small trees.

"If you will cook, do it now. At dark, the fire would attract attention." Titania told her.

Not willing to hesitate, Finn quickly gathered sticks and kindling from the thicket and piled them together. Using the flint, she struck sparks until some flames caught and used her pan to begin combining the ingredients into a semblance of a meal. Titania watched with mild interest.

"This is... a traditional dish of your people?" The queen asked.

"My cooking is somewhat non-traditional," Finn replied in lieu of an answer. She often experimented in the kitchen, coming up with new combinations of flavors for her father and Gabe to enjoy.

The food came together quickly, with Finn adding some water to rehydrate the dried meat for more tenderness. It would be far from the most delicious thing she'd ever made, but she at least wanted her wedding meal to be edible.

Finishing, she transferred the food to the plate and used a combination of water and dirt to put out the cooking fire before the sun could get any lower in the sky.

As Titania watched, she took a few bites for show, and offered a little to the queen.

"No, thank you, child, although it looks... delicious," The Queen said politely. It truly was an odd assortment of things put together.

"Am I to come with you, or wait here until things are over?" Finn asked curiously. They were quite a distance away from Klain and she had no idea what the Queen was to do during the conflict.

"You will stay here, a very safe distance from the battle." Queen Titania smiled. "I promised Derek that you would be safe, and there is nothing that could possibly reach you three days' walk from the city."

Finn plastered a smile on her face. Were they that far? She hadn't wanted to stare around too hard to get her bearings lest she arouse Titania's suspicions. How could she make it to Roland before the city was decimated if Titania left her here?

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Finn curtsied again, "You are so kind and gracious to keep me safe."

"Farewell, Child. I will be back when the battle is won." Titania inclined her head, then snapped, stepping back into the Darkness to disappear, leaving Finn utterly alone.