The stare-down with Oberon the Pretty in Xutia had been a crush of pressure she couldn't shove off, this felt like being struck by lightning. It prickled and tingled over her skin in a painful rush, suiting the glittering yellow aura burning around this Oberon Monolith. Her Oberon had been friendly and seductive, he wanted to lure her in, but this Oberon doubted and didn't want to include her. "Wouldn't that be a question for Méabh to answer? I exist, if that's all it took to steal your Méabh's attention from you then you're not all that impressive, are you?" As she had with the Pretty one, Emberlee grabbed the Fairy's truth and welded it like the double-edged blade it was.
It was a painful enough experience that she couldn't focus on anything but the snarl on the Monolith's face, Prince Damien and the Pretty ignored as observers. He still had her hand in his, the gentlemanly introduction discarded but Monolith used it as a chance to test her mettle, pulling her forwards so he could whisper in her ear, "Even if Méabh keeps you, I'll always have been first," he made it seem like Emberlee would be compliant at being kept.
"But not only," she reached up and patted his cheek as if they were friends. "Now step back and be a good boy." At least the stare-down was over, her skin felt singed raw from the anger he did nothing to hide.
"Oberon," now a strange woman approached, her aura a soothing blue that paired with bronze hair as if she were a Xutian painting made flesh, "play nice with our new Cinderella." This had to be Titania; bronze hair that had more curl in it than even Oberon the Pretty's, and bright pink eyes that seemed almost innocent looking as she regarded Emberlee and Prince Damien equally. Emberlee knew she was tall, but Titania was short even for Xutian standards and had such a voluptuous figure compared to Emberlee's more willowy proportions. "I can't wait to get to know you," Titania didn't introduce herself before freeing Emberlee's hand from Oberon the Monolith's grasp. "And I hear you bring the handsome man with you as your fiancé?" Her eye contact was more subtle but no less deliberate.
"Imperial Crown Prince Damien Landquist," she formally introduced, able to tear her eyes from Titania because the other women didn't fight to hold her gaze. "We are engaged and he is my plus one as Méabh allowed."
"What are you two doing here," Oberon the Pretty demanded, clearly annoyed at their unexpected interruption.
"We felt your arrival through the portal," Titania started to answer but Oberon the Monolith interrupted.
"And if we felt you then Méabh certainly did, so it's only a matter of time before you're sent for," he glared at Emberlee as if the were all her fault, and Prince Damien looked amused at being all but ignored.
"So did you come here to try and intimidate Méabh's guests, or guarantee that I don't get preferential treatment for bringing them to her?" Oberon the Pretty smiled as if it amused him instead of frustrated.
"We've missed you Pretty," Titania seemed to be the peacemaker, soothing the sparks from the Monolith and the pressure from the Pretty, "you've been gone for months so you can't blame us for rushing over to see you."
There was a lot of casual touch between the three spouses, Oberon the Pretty stroking Titania's face even as she held on to the Monolith's arm still, "You missed me so much you can't take your eyes off of our guests."
Emberlee stood next to Prince Damien, both of them aware that this was not the time to interrupt. Whatever dynamics existed before the alliance had been disrupted and a new distribution was going to occur. All three of the existing spouses were acting like it was a given that Cinderella would be joining their ranks, even if she was engaged to Prince Damien.
"She is something," Titania didn't argue or disguise her intentions, "I cannot wait to see her with Méabh, they will be a beautiful set."
"If Méabh keeps her," Oberon the Monolith tried to deny.

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Wicked Steps
FantasyEmberlee Ortega was born and raised to be her Mother's Heir; the Marchioness of their March and the symbolic Shield of her Nation, Xutia. But despite being Blessed, tragedy and intrigue conspire to force Emberlee to engage in the deadly game of Impe...
Chapter 25
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