The Princess is in check, remove the threat or forfeit. (Part 2 of Folie à deux)

A/N: this story directly follows the events of "Nightmare seeds are planted in the night but bloom in the day", and is linked to "Wickedness in the blood". Thanks!

Since she was little, Isel had hated noise. Half her memories from her short childhood were of her curled up under a table, hands clamped over her half-pointed ears. At least her family understood, and let her play alone and avoid festivals.

But then growing up in the castle meant being surrounded by constant sound: the shouting of maids, the clanking of armour, the scoldings, whippings, sounds of a quill scratching on paper. The slamming of a fist on wood or crying. Cheering, hollering parties.

Isel sighed deeply, scratching at her arms to get rid of the memory of sound. The forest here was gloriously empty of it, save for the soft cooing of birds. The gentle rushing of water nearby, the muted crunch of leaves underfoot.

It almost made what she was about to do worth it. It's for Daphne, Isel reminded herself sternly, refusing to let her steps falter. The prince had to die, or Daphne's life would be over.

So she continued, going on the path she'd seen the Prince take over and over for a week. It was always the same. He rode for a bit, shot some birds, and then went deep into the forest. Alone.

All in all, he was quite a rarity, Isel mused. Very few princes went anywhere alone. They tended to surround themselves with guffawing sycophants, guards, and pretty serving girls. Every move they made, from waking up to sleeping, was watched, making them incredibly difficult to kill without witnesses.

But Prince Kylan chose solitude. True solitude, as Isel had reported back to Daphne. No companions.

Isel trained her sharp ears on the Prince's movements. Heard a bag drop onto rock and the dutiful, low roar of a waterfall. It was hard to hear what the Prince was doing with the water in the background.

But she was getting closer. Every step brought her closer to taking a sixth life.

The killing was never easy. No amount of practice compared to the actual event, the uncertainties of it. The guilt. Isel wondered if Prince Kylan ever felt guilt. He'd fought in the third Imerian war, he must have taken countless lives.

Isel pushed past bushes soundlessly, her eyes tracing the water's movement. Where was the Prince?

A snap made her jump, and she heard a chuckle.

"You lost?"

Isel stared back at Prince Kylan, who was cracking red tree nuts with the hilt of a knife.

He wasn't supposed to see her. The plan was ruined.

"Isel, right?" The Prince asked, raising an eyebrow. "Come over here." He gestured to the rocky surface of the bank with the knife.

Improvising was bad. That's what Isel had been taught, that unplanned kills were messy and costly.

That and Isel hated being alone with anybody except for Daphne. Only Daphne never made her feel weird about her face.

But she left the shadows of the trees, walking over to the rock.

Kylan had been nothing but nice to her in front of Daphne, very intent on impressing his future bride. But she'd seen a kind guard who gave sweets to children, break one's jaw for insolence.

"You don't talk much." The Prince observed, slamming his knife onto another shell. The splinters leapt up, and Isel resisted the urge to wince. "Do you often sneak around in the woods?"

"I wasn't sneaking," Isel replied, watching a leaf spiral as it was swept with the water.

"Yes, you were. I've seen you for six days now, following me."

Isel forced herself to look only at the water as panic bit into her heart. What the hell was she supposed to say now?

"Don't get me wrong, you were quite good. But I'm very used to shaking off bodyguards." The Prince commented, chewing. "Hey. Don't look so worried, and you don't have to tell Daphne we talked either."

Isel frowned slightly, looking up. He knew?

Kylan snickered at her expression, his eyes solemn. "She must think I fool around with others? Drink or something? Torture rabbits? I know she sent you, so you can relax. Continue spying."

"You're not mad at her?" Isel asked, surprised.

"Of course not. We barely know each other. I'd spy on her too, if she ever left her damn room." Kylan shrugged, throwing one of the nuts and catching it with his mouth.

Isel rolled her eyes. Daphne would usually go out, but it would defeat her protest. "She doesn't want to marry you."

"You think I don't know that? If looks could kill, I'd be dead right now. She glares when I talk, and the last time we were in a room together, she looked like she'd either cry or throw something at me."

Isel felt the absurd need to defend Daphne against this too, even though it was exactly what Daphne was doing. "So why are you marrying her?"

"Believe it or not, I need a military to protect my kingdom. And, King Oberon is more than happy to provide it, if I marry his daughter." Kylan held out a red tree nut. "You want one?"

Isel shook her head and Kylan raised an eyebrow.

"I thought fairies loved these? No?" He popped it into his own mouth, eyes still dull. "You probably know all about what people will do for their kingdoms. Aren't you still a hostage?"

Isel nodded.

"And I thought marrying some girl was hard," Kylan muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Imagine putting your kid in the hands of a freak like Oberon."

"You don't have to win me over." Isel pointed out. "It's not like Daphne could turn you down."

"But maybe she'd think better of me for it, if I was nice to her adopted sister. I've seen the way you two conspire, so don't even bother lying." Kylan grinned, the smile finally warming his eyes. "Besides, not everyone is like Daphne's father."

"In the beginning," Isel said before she could stop herself.

"What?"

Isel tore her eyes away from the river, remembering what Daphne had begged her to do. Kill him. "In the beginning everyone's nice. The kings allow their wives a say, there's contentment. But wait for the first assassination attempt, the first rebellion, the first sign you could die or lose your legacy. Kings get paranoid, queens silenced." Isel waited for Kylan to do something, prove her right.

"You've given this a lot of thought." Kylan sighed, his eyes dark and dead again. "I honestly didn't think that far into the future. But maybe I will become like that, some twisted maniac, terrified of every shadow. I'd bet you'd kill me, right?"

Isel stared at him, "Yes. I'd never let you hurt Daphne."

Kylan tapped under his eye. "I see the look in your eye. You've done it before. I'm guessing, Prince Declan of Wyard didn't actually throw himself off Daphne's balcony?"

Isel relaxed. She'd have to kill Kylan now anyways, so what's the harm? "I threw him off it. He slapped her when she laughed at him."

"He was a pompous, inbred little prick." Kylan nodded thoughtfully. "And who else?"

"The executioner who killed my parents. A maid that was sent to kill Daphne. A doctor that tried to fix my face." Isel pointed out a scar on her cheekbone. "And a rabbit."

"A rabbit? Was it a secret bomb, meant to kill Daphne?" Kylan snorted, staring out at the water.

"No, Daphne wanted its foot. For good luck." Isel swung her leg, bored of sitting for so long.

"Unlucky for the rabbit." Kylan shook his head, "Five kills. I suppose I was to be the sixth?"

Isel nodded. "You still might be. How many people have you killed?"

Kylan closed his eyes. "I didn't stop to count. But over a hundred."

Isel studied him for bragging or lies. There was only resigned stale guilt.

"Wars seem justified in the moment. But you can never explain it, even to yourself, afterwards." Kylan mused. "Do you regret your kills? Or do fairies not feel things like that?"

Isel lied to him easily. "We don't feel it. My kills were all justified."

"Justified? I forget how young you are." Kylan laughed, the sound of it hollow.

Then he turned to look at Isel, all the mirth dead. "Killing me, won't be good for you. I left guards of mine outside Daphne's room. If I die, they'll kill her."

Isel's heart started racing. "I could go back and kill them."

"You won't make it in time, and you don't know the code word to call them off. They'll slaughter anyone, and Oberon's having most of your guards show off in the courtyard for my parents."

"You said you wouldn't hurt her." Isel dug her fingers into the rock, furious with herself for abandoning Daphne.

"The guards would make it painless, and I said I wouldn't. I still won't, if anything, Daphne's impressed me. She's much less meek than my first wife." Kylan sighed. "Isel, kill me in the future, kill me if I ever lay a hand on her. I need that military, I'm sorry."

Isel stared at him, forcing herself to match his calmness. "If you kill her-"

"Let's go back right now, you and me. Daphne and I will talk, then we'll get married, and you'll see that I'm not cruel. My choices are justified, isn't that what you said earlier?" Kylan stood up, stretching slightly. "In fact, after we're married, maybe I'll get rid of Oberon for Daphne."

Isel didn't know what that had to do with anything.

"He'll never hurt her again, and I'll free you. You can go back to the Fae." Kylan waved a hand.

"I'm never leaving Daphne." Isel stood up. "You have to let her rule with you."

Kylan shrugged. "If she wants. Shall we head back?" He hefted his bag over his shoulder. "I'm glad we had this talk."

"Don't kill Oberon, Daphne wants to do it herself," Isel muttered, eager to return and make sure Daphne was okay.

"A woman after my own heart." Kylan scoffed, pushing branches out of his way. "How were you planning on killing me?"

"Drowning you, and then pushing the body into the water. You'd be another royal idiot that shouldn't have been left unattended." Isel wrinkled her nose at all the noise he made.

"Nobody who ever met you in court would believe you have this much personality." Kylan smiled again. "Tell me about Daphne."

"What about her? She's beautiful-"

"Even if she looked like you, I'd have to marry her. Tell me what she's like."

"She's clever and rude. Also very petty, but she's loyal. She'll be upset I didn't kill you out of spite, even if she would die for it." All the details came easily. "She loves looking pretty but doesn't mind doing ugly things. She's protective of me in court, and she hates children."

"What a coincidence," Kylan murmured, ducking under a branch. "She sounds very interesting."

"She is. And she'll negotiate with you your whole marriage. She's not some quiet princess."

"I know, I've heard her yelling at someone or another the whole time I've been here," Kylan replied, and Isel glared at him. "Don't give me that, she needs to grow up a little."

"We can't all be ancient like you." Isel shot back, and waited again. For Kylan to retaliate.

"I'm only eight years older than you." Kylan pointed out. "You know, I think I preferred you as a skulking hostage, you're awfully chatty with someone you planned to kill."

"I still might kill you. Nobody threatens Daphne and gets away with it."

"I'll sleep with one eye open." Kylan raised his chin to acknowledge the guards at the castle gates. "I promise in time, we'll all become great friends."

"I doubt it." Isel marched straight for Daphne's room, and Kylan chuckled again, ordering one of his guards to call it off.