Hell Hath No Fury
Corvina was panicking. That was an understatement. Forget carpet being ripped from under her feet; it was more like the entire earth. Corvina might as well have been freefalling into Tartarus.
How the hell did she end up here? She was a dignified Fae aristocrat. A fearless general. She has yet to meet a single soul that she did not paralyze with fear. That was until she met Yuu.
A disgraced second-born was useless to her family. All she had to her name was her conquests. It was the only reason she hadn’t had her head cut off with cold iron and steel by the even colder hands of her kin.
She had watched as history forgot her. All that was left behind was a legend. But even the legend was a hollow husk of what was. She was the scapegoat for all that went wrong and all the atrocities that come with war.
It didn’t matter that she had to be dragged to the battlefield. It didn’t matter that she fought for her life. It didn’t matter that she tried to spare more than she had to kill. It didn’t matter that she punished monsters who took advantage of the pain and chaos left behind.
But because she was affected and so ugly and scarred, Corvina never sought to play saintess. She came back into a world that no longer needed her. And the youthful child who wished to play and prance in the faerie methods died with countless others in the flames of conflict.
She knew now that war was not because of offenses or rights but because of the corrupt masters who saw fit to throw in the gauntlet to see who could profit. And these very masters were the very ones who demonized her and threw her out.
She was thrust into civilian war-times with venomous tongues and relations. Without any shield or sword, she felt bare and alienated. So she left it behind to burn with the corpse of the young princess who fell by the sword.
She had few friends who stood by her before and after the war. But even those relationships fell second to time and newfound responsibilities. Corvina found that everyone around her fell comfortably into cycles of domesticity. But that could never be for her.
Who could want to start a family with a beast? Who could ever see past the imposing stature and armor? Who could see the bleeding heart in a sea of blood?
While Corvina would never admit it, she was lonely. So she traveled, and she learned, and then she traveled again. She never stayed long and never stayed as herself. But she had no time left for melancholy thoughts when she was busy.
Amid her numbing stupor, a kinsman sought her out. He felt they were bosom companions and expressed that he, too, felt alienated and lonely. Thus he sought to find others like himself so they could be lonesome together, which is not very lonesome at all.
Corvina does not remember what possessed her to accept the spoiled prince’s request. For their burdens were nothing alike. But she made do, and she lowered her walls and opened her heart for the first time in a millennium. And soon, their lonesome due became a trio.
What a curious group for a human from another world to fit in so closely with the unchanging fae. But they made it work. The kinsmen and the human were clearly in love, but Corvina was not excluded. Her kinsmen got a partner he needed, and Crovina got kin she could love and be loved by.
She didn’t want to anticipate this betrayal, but she wasn’t completely surprised when her group was torn apart. The real surprise was that it was not the mortal who cast her out first. But it was the mortal who, after all this time, stood by her side without fear and hatred. It was the mortal who walked through hell and called her kin. At that moment, Corvina knew that she would bleed for this mortal, her fledgling, her Yuu.
This was not the first time her family cast her out after finding their purpose, and not the first she saw others lose their minds over the illusion of love. But in her expectations, she found a surprising willingness and dedication to match her own. No one had ever dared to make a promise with her before. Fae bargains with true names are permanent, after all.
So here Corvina sits, scheming with the other Night Raven faculty. Barely containing her lust for blood, her need for her enemy’s throat to sit between her jaws and fangs with their blood running down her chin and the expanse of her neck.
Corvina hated sitting idly, but here she was. It was her mistake in wording. She made it awkward. She always was so stiff and old-fashioned when talking as herself. She wasn’t in disguise now, not wearing the mask of a peasant woman dancer, that of a humble gentleman merchant, or the fearless Raven General who was the nightmare of all who encountered her.
She did not mean to imply a wish for courtship with one of the staff. And she was mortified to think that Vargas thought that she implied it to him. As fucking if! She loathed those who were so full of themselves without the substance to back themselves out.
At least Sam, Trein, and Crewel would have had the sense to real she misspoke. She had by no means anticipated her only viable option, Crewel, to actually take it seriously. If anything, Corvina was reconsidering all of her choices and seriously considering the fact that the world was ending.
“Well, Pet? What will it be?”
“I…accept.” Corvina mentally prayed to anything that would listen so that she could maintain control over her features and act unbothered. But Oh Seven was she very much not unbothered.
First Yuu, now Crewel; how was she supposed to keep her composure at this rate? Sooner or later, she might combust into flames rather than maintain her composed mask. But if she did not accept or accepted too quickly, then her slip-up would be even more obvious! Or the exact opposite would be true…. Sevens, damn it!
Corvina nearly shattered her glass again, this time by accident rather than as a show of force and anger. She understood symbols to act as mementos. She understood how to call others to order, but dealing with others as equals without high stakes at hand complicated things. Maybe living life in solitary had its effects…
“What would this entail?” Corvina questioned, seemingly unaffected.
“I was thinking something along the lines of a contract relationship….”
‘Just like in those romance novels?’ Thought Corvina.
“Pffft! That sounds like a cheesy rom-com plot! Don’t bother with the useless plot devices if you want to get together!” Sam coughed out, turning pinker while whipping away some tears that escaped.
“Hush you!” “Sqwhah?!” Corvina and Crowley responded (or squawked) simultaneously. Now neither of them could hide their blushes. At this, Sam laughed even harder, even his shadows joining in the merriment. Trein just watched this all unfold. This would definitely turn into a headache of ridiculous proportions. Still, he supposed that this was the only disorder he would tolerate.
“Naturally, this would imply that the two of you act with a certain degree of familiarity and intimacy. We can’t have you seem too rigid or too fake.” Trein suddenly said, freezing the racket.
“What does it mean to act as a couple?” Corvina cocked her head.
“Yea, Professor Trein, please share your knowledge with these young bound lovebirds. You are the only one, not single after all!” Sam just had to add gasoline onto an open flame.
The teachers meeting devolved into chaos.
“Soooo…your plan is to set up Corvina,” “Yes,” “The least approachable person in Twisted Wonderland,” “That’s debatable,” “With a random person for the sake of matchmaking that doubles as revenge?” “That sounds about right.” An exhausted Yuu explained to Ace for the nth time.
“And you don’t see any way that this could go wrong?!” Ace shrieked.
“Of course I do; I’m not you; I’m capable of basic sense!”
“Oh really! Then some of us might have missed the memo on what counts as ‘basic sense”!”
“As if you have room to talk; your quick thinking nearly caused how many incidents?!”
“Oh, don’t start!”
“No, Ace, I think we should let Yuu continue.” Deuce chipped in, enjoying every moment of Ace’s verbal beatdown.
“Yeah! At least 2 separate overblots, countless damages to private and ancient property, and last but certainly not the least, how many times have you nearly gotten the rest of us roped up into your messes that almost resulted in either DEATH or EXPULSION!”
“Of course, you would compare expulsion to death! Gah! You’re so uptight!”
“Need I remind you that you have somewhere to return to when all things go to hell! Where would I go if I am expelled from where I technically live?!”
“Well!...” Ace shouted while scratching his head, but he could give no answer that would save his soul.
“Now you have us!” Epel cried and Jack nodded his approval tail wagging in tow.
“Also, you have Corvina, and nobody can mess with Corvina!” Deuce chimed in, patting Yuu’s back.
“The point is you’re not alone now, so you don’t have to depend on the chips of decency that are scraped off by Crowley!” Ace suddenly regained his wit.
“Ace’s is right! You never have to live off of anyone’s scraps anymore! You won’t have to live any lesser than anyone else!” It was Jack who pat Yuu’s shoulders now.
“Yeah, you’re right. Thank you all…so much!” Yuu leaned into her friends' embrace.
“But I’m still confused about what Corvina’s dating status has to do with anything.”
Everyone groaned and broke apart.
“Monsieur Heart, it’s a way to crush a certain vindictive head mage’s chances even further. I would say that we would crush his cœur, but I doubt he has one.”
“It also has the added benefit of helping out the only being who is selflessly taking me in. I’m not going to be here forever; even if I don’t want to return back to my home world, something could happen, or enough time will pass, and I, too, will no longer be able to stay. By doing this, I create the opportunity for Corvina to have a family and connections that transcend time. And this time, her family will not be built upon conditional love, but a love that will persevere regardless.”
“Très beauté! Trickster Yuu! You have touched my heart and moved my soul!” Rook sobbed.
“But that doesn’t leave much room for your revenge Prefect?” For the first time in this meeting, Jade raised his voice.
“Why would I need revenge for myself?”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but since fate is acting so melodramatically, I feel as if this will culminate with the appearance of a villainess.”
“A villainess?”
“Precisely. I feel as if we are missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. Malleus is by no means a fool. After years of being left behind, he most definitely would be capable of understanding what it feels like to be abandoned and betrayed. For him to do so to another proves that he is not completely innocent.”
“I agree, Trickster Yuu. Even if one is enthralled with another, they still keep their wits about them.”
“Didn’t you throw the SDC competition because of Neige” Rook’s expression tightened like that of a mannequin.
“I don’t understand what you mean, Monsieur Heart.”
“Oh, you know, when you voted for Neige and almost led Vil to have another mental breakdown not 30 minutes after his overblot. All because you luuuuuurved Nei-” Ace was interrupted after being pounced at by Rook, his cries for mercy muffled. Meanwhile, Epel was wondering how he could use this information to his advantage, an impish smirk on his face.
“Alright, Alright, enough fighting. I mean it, Rook, I will tell Corvina.” Rook practically flew off Ace. “What should we do to prepare for this ‘villainess’ then? And how do we punish the most powerful person in this school.”
Jade gave Yuu a toothy grin. “This is where my specialty comes in.
“No matter how nice or sweet his fiance may be, you two will still be, fundamentally, enemies. Whether it will be because of outside interference or their individual choices, you will clash eventually. You too should take Crovina’s advice and make sure to rub it into all who have wronged you how you are better and greater than they ever will be?”
“So I must act unbothered?”
“Not only unbothered but thriving. Their self-consciousness will show their truth sooner than later. All you must do is spread the food in the water and wait for the clueless guppies to take the bait.”
“Jade,”
“Yes, Prefect?”
“It’s a pleasure working with you” The Prefect smirked.
“Likewise with you!”
The two grinned the same predatory smirk at each other while most of the other inhabitants felt a chill go down their spine.
Oh, what a delightful mess.