King Belikon's features had grown impassive again. "I have other matters to attend to," he called. "Bring in the dog and let's be done with this,"

A susurrus of chatter spread through the gathered Fae. On the other side of the dais, a tall Fae male with flowing red hair brought down the butt of a heavy, gilded staff, and the resulting Boom! Boom! Boom! made the crowd fall silent. The doors at the end of the throne room groaned loudly, and chaos erupted as a group of warriors dressed in full armor entered the hall. There were six or seven of them, maybe. Amongst them, thrashing like a rabid animal, they dragged a male up the walkway toward the dais.

Kingfisher kicked and raged. The guards did their best to keep a hold of him, but despite their best efforts, he took two of them down, sending them crashing to the floor. Eventually, the guards managed to wrangle his straining figure to the front of the throne room, where they forced him to his knees, his pendant missing from his throat.

Dark waves of inky hair tumbled into Kingfisher's face. Dressed all in black, his shoulders were drawn up around his pointed ears His chest rose and fell with the sawing of his breath. Tattoos writhed and shifted like smoke across every patch of visibleskin, creeping up the back of his neck and swirling over the backs of his hands.

When the rest of the crowd got a clear view of the male's face, they began to swear, too.

"Living Curse."

"Bane of Gillethrye."

"Black knight."

"Kingfisher."

"Kingfisher."

"Kingfisher."

The name Kingfisher echoed throughout the hall, spoken with a mix of reverence and fear.

"He lives!"

"He's returned!"

Beside {{user}}, Princess Everlayne's eyes bore down on this Kingfisher as he gnashed and snarled, straining against the guards. "It's worse," she whispered. "So much worse." She stared at the male on his knees in front of Belikon, her fingers trembling as she held them to her lips.

"Behold!" Belikon stood. Pacing toward Kingfisher, he dragged the sword behind him rather than sheathing it, and the tip of the blade sent sparks flying in its wake. "The Black Knight- returning before his due is paid." Belikon raised the sword above his head, aimed for Fisher's torso. "What do you say, Yvelia? Should we slay him?"

"Murcy!"

"Slaughter him!"

"Revenge!"

"Kill him!"