Andrea and Octavia sit together just outside their incredibly large encampment, both enjoying their glasses of poisoned wine. They enjoy the Arrons favourite, pink mistletoe berry wine, horribly beautiful and poisonous - like all things poisoner.

It is early in the afternoon, all Andrea's children have been wondering and socialising in Innisfuil Valley. So she's stuck with Octavia for company. Lucky her.

The poisoners arrived the day before last in the dead of night, setting up their large camp almost silently on top of the hill, to make a statement - that they are to be the future rulers and they hold a degree power.

Power. Her favourite thing, the thing she needs constantly and what she gets in the form of Carina, her foster daughter. She loves Carina like the queen is her own child and the queen is her favourite secretly. She is powerful, cunning and will make her the Head of the Black Council one day.

If Andrea was a better person she would love all of her children, including Carina, equally but she is not. She craves power like a drug. Something her late husband, Kristofer, did not understand and unfortunately he paid the price for it after he became part of the Arron family. But he was never truly one of them.

Perhaps it comes from her mother and her grandmother. Lilith Arron was a terror, always drumming into her grandchildren about politics and power. No love was ever given from her. Her mother, Kesdeya, was more passive but her life was made a horror by Lilith as well. She feels sympathy for her mother but Andrea will not fail like she did with the last poisoner queen. She will not fail the family.

Blinking slowly at old memories, Andrea takes a large sip, her icy eyes watching everyone and everything as she sits at the top of Innisfuil Valley, a queen in everything but name.

They both bathe in the sun which makes their ice blonde hair seem that much lighter and colder, like they are some winter elementals from a fairytale, or a nightmare, depending on the teller of the tale.

Octavia soon fishes out a small intricately detailed mirror with the Arron crest on the back of it.

Even though it is small, it is an exquisite silver piece that matches the lavish tastes of all poisoners, particularly Arrons. It would be worth a pretty penny on any market but not even the giftless paupers would not dare steal from an Arron. Even one as silly as Octavia.

Oh. No one would ever dare cross the Arrons, along with the Radurons who are the two most feared families on the island. People had virtually forgotten the Radurons and shadows existed but now people know who Cierra Raduron. And they neither trust or feel at ease with her. And they are wise for it.

Despite it only being in the afternoon, both women have full cosmetics plastered onto their faces, with a bright rouge on their cheeks applied by their servants earlier. All manner of jewellery adorn their necks, arms, fingers and ears, all a cold steely silver. Their dresses are also sickeningly expensive and beautiful and they wear their finery with cold expressions on their pale faces. No other women could pull off the over the top look quite as well as poisoners can.

This is the poisoner fashion, cosmetics on their faces, wearing and flaunting their fine jewellery and clothes to showcase their deluded superiority that they think they hold against the other islanders just because they had three poisoner queens in a row on the throne once. Queen Halia, the last queen, broke that dynasty which angered the Arrons considerably who were the family who had fostered the last three queens.

Octavia continues to check that her hair is neat and in tact and that her cosmetics are still noticeable. Smiling at her appearance, Octavia puts the mirror down, retrieving her fan and then begins fanning herself,

"Perhaps I should call a servant to fan me," Octavia says dryly, huffing as she flaps the fan more quickly.

Andrea shakes her head, her hair done up into its usual bun but with braids around her head to make it more interesting.

Andrea does not have as much makeup as Octavia does but still has a slight bit of rouge on her cheeks and black on her eyelids to make her icy blue eyes pop.

If you look beyond her harshness, Andrea Arron is a beautiful woman but Octavia, who has always been jealous of her sister's beauty, piles on layers of makeup in an attempt to hide her true face from the world.

Octavia is not ugly by any means, in fact she is rather pretty, she is just overshadowed by Andrea and the power of her presence alone, much like Eirene and piles on more cosmetics to outshine her older sister and almost make her presence more known.

Despite Eirene being Andrea's daughter, Eirene resembles Octavia while Amara resembles Andrea. Eirene and Octavia have both felt jealousy towards their sisters who are always more desired by men.

After hearing Octavia's complaint, Andrea pours herself some more wine.

"We do not need any servants gossiping about the information that we trade sister," Andrea says, taking large sips of the wine and relishing in the euphoria that tasting poison causes her.

Octavia waves Andrea's comment off half heartedly, "They are nothing to us, they are both poor and giftless and they happen to live in our city by our grace, not to mention that they are fear us too much to ever dare speak our secrets," Octavia says, sipping more wine herself. It makes Andrea roll her eyes. Her sister has always drowned herself in her Arron privilege and social status.

"Anyone can betray anyone sister," Andrea warns, "it is true that they fear us and that fear is enough to keep them in their place but uttering our secrets in their presence is simply not wise."

Octavia lowers her head, annoyed at always being bested by her sister, "I suppose you're right," Octavia mutters stiffly, forcing a smile.

Andrea waves her hand at her sister in dismissal, "I am always right," she states, retrieving her own lacy fan to provide some salvation from the horrid afternoon heat in Innisfuil Valley. Such warmth, even for a spring days.

Octavia scowls to herself but does not dare say any retort to Andrea. Even since they were girls Andrea has always been the dominant one in their relationship as sisters. Andrea was and still is the one with beauty, tact and cruelty. Octavia mainly possesses negative traits but is a a coward when it comes to those who are bigger and crueller than her.

Both sisters suddenly spot a young man and woman walking along the tree line near their encampment.

"Look at those ruffians from Bastian City," Octavia states, sticking her nose up, "a boy and a girl yet they're both dressed like men."

Andrea rolls her eyes. Octavia has such backwards fashion ideals and forgets that not everyone wears similar clothes to the women in Prynn.

"They're not both from Bastian, the boy is Rowan Westwood, Vivianne's nephew and he lives back in Rolanth now," Andrea observes, putting her fan down. She recognises him, she has seen him once before and she has a goody memory.

Octavia sticks her nose up at the remark,
"I had no idea that Vivianne Westwood let her nephew keep such company."

Andrea makes no reply as they both look down at Rowan, who is walking along with a young female warrior with long blood red hair and weapons strapped to her sides, both of them seeming to be in an intense conversation as they walk towards a haven of nearby evergreen trees, the girl's fiery hair in beautiful contrast with the bursts of emerald around her. Despite the red headed warrior's young age, she is intimidating and she commands attention and demands respect. That is useful.

"Isn't that Pele Murtra's eldest daughter?" Andrea asks, squinting as she tries to make out the warrior more clearly.

"I do believe it is," Octavia says, watching the two girls disappear into the woods like a predator watches its prey, " her name is Morrigan and people say she is an impressive warrior much like Pele."

Andrea nods, "She could be useful for Carina's protection later on, if we could ever become allies"

" Yes she could be," Octavia agrees but then shakes her head, "it's not likely though."

Andrea turns sharply to face Octavia as her mouth turns down in a scowl and a sneer, "And why is that?" She asks, her voice smooth but demanding as she speaks.

Octavia swirls her wine around in her glass and then takes a large sip, relishing it as she licks any wine residue off of her mouth and it makes her look like one of her snakes which she uses as an accessory for important gatherings.

"Well I've been listening intently to our spies reports and the ones in Bastian say that Morrigan left a few months ago with a few other warriors, Vivianne Westwood's new phew being one of them, and that they sailed for Rolanth," Octavia says, relishing in the attention that Andrea gives her.

"Go on," Andrea insists, eager to absorb more information as her sharp nails tap on the table impatiently.

"Then our best spies in Rolanth said that the Murtra warrior had been training Queen Nalani over the last few weeks but it is not public knowledge and only the warriors and the Westwoods know along with a few trusted servants," Octavia says and then smirks, "but pretty, young Charlotta Vend managed to intoxicate and get information from one of the Westwood cousins who knew about it. Charlotta's a pretty girl, barely took one glass for him to spill all his secrets to her but she gave him a little concoction afterwards so he would forget it all."

"Well done sister," Andrea congratulates, with a gracious bow of her head and a rare pleased smile, "and remind me when we return to Prynn to send word to Siobhan and Aloysius Vend, we ought to have a dinner party, with some rosary pea soup perhaps, so we can thank them in person for them always providing helpful pieces of information over the years at least we know the Murtras alliances are."

Andrea then sighs as she finishes another wine glass, "Queen Nalani is powerful and very popular, the people of Rolanth love her obviously and now we know she essentially has Bastian's backing and those are two of the major gifted cities. She is already popular amongst the naturalists of Wolf Spring as well and I've been hearing that even those in the more remote sections of the island are swaying towards her."

Andrea hates it. She can't control any of it. And she hears rumours that the elementals have even managed to twist the assassination attempt story to boost favour to boost Nalani's image even more. Vivianne is cunning for a dull Westwood, she hates to admit it but Andrea underestimated her. Her mother and even her grandmother always spoke of the Westwoods with scorn, they are usually relatively placid. But this year it seems Vivianne has actually given their queen a fighting chance. And with Carina's popularity decreasing rapidly, she doesn't know how to turn this to her advantage. But Andrea will find a way. She is an Arron. Losing is not an option.

"It is no surprise," Octavia replies, snapping Andrea's attention back into the conversation, "we all know that the naturalists and elementals are always closely tied due to their gifts."

Andrea nods and then continues, "Yes and we know that most people dislike poisoners, especially because of the Nalani incident and none of them are eager to see another poisoner queen on the throne and they certainly don't want the dynasty to be born again," Andrea pauses for a moment, taking breath,

"They also fear and dislike Arwen to a degree, shadows are such a mystery to us and their gift could be more deadly than any of us could imagine, they have been in isolation for so long I almost forgot they existed," Andrea says, thinking on it.

Since shadows decided to isolate themselves they are rarely ever talked about. Only in children's stories. But it's as if Umbra knew they wanted to stay hidden so the city itself blended into the shadows itself. And it did. For a time. Their gift virtually hid the city for centuries. So much so islanders believed shadows were never real to begin with. Arwen's birth was a shock to say the least.

"I never believed the stories mother would tell us as a child," Octavia admits, "but I say we concentrate on the gift we know for now, Nalani, she's the most familiar threat."

"The people do want Nalani on the throne right now, but people can be swayed. Although it will be difficult. They already call her the Fire Queen, and I doubt it's just empty words and soon Warrior Queen will be added to her list of titles no doubt," Andrea sneers bitterly as she thinks of the Murtras dealings with the elemental queen.

Octavia nods her head and keeps calling for more and more wine as they continue to talk politics.

"Pele is the head of the Black Council which is still mostly war council from Queen Halia's reign," Octavia says, "they obviously likely know of Nalani's secret training, well the inner circle at least, and it doesn't help that in her day Queen Halia never appointed one poisoner on the council so we are always kept in the dark regarding useful council information, they know that we will use it to our advantage," she continues suddenly laughing hoarsely after a moment, "I thought we played dirty but the Westwoods and the Murtras have started to rival us in that department."

"Well perhaps I can find out some information," Andrea says, thinking thoughtfully as she starts to scheme.

Octavia sits up at this and starts to take note, "How?" She questions.

Andrea smirks as she replies, "I have a private meeting later with Pele Murtra to confirm Carina's Quickening performance, it could be an opportunity to learn something, something that we can use."

Octavia smirks as she raises her wine glass up,

"To Carina and our poisoner queens," Octavia says, tilting her glass towards Andrea's.

"To us," Andrea says, smiling as their glasses collide and make a small sound.