This story starts with the Court of Fear's ascension last year. Many of the Freehold's Changelings had gathered that day to pay their respects to the new monarch ... is what they claimed, but they were really there just to establish the new pecking order and try to cosy up to Ashen Monarch. That's a thing we've always done with each changing of the season.

Well, most of us. Darklings stay at the bottom except during High Winter, so I usually skip the transition ceremonies unless I'm ordered to attend. I was only there that day because I had heard two Mages were set to visit the Autumn Throne. This was hardly the first time members of their Consilium had come to visit us, but I had never got to see one of them on our turf before and wasn't going to miss it.

I was skulking in the back, blending into the scenery like I normally do. It's a good way to learn interesting secrets. Everybody's talking, bartering, issuing threats, the usual, when the whole room goes dead silent. Since Ashen Monarch wasn't issuing a proclamation, I figured our guests had arrived and looked around. Sure enough, there they were ... and Candy was their sponsor. She led those two Mages, Sparky and Midnight Radiance, right into the heart of the Freehold. I'd known for some time that she's chummy with a few of them, but I never thought she'd take the risk of censure or maybe being branded anathema for openly admitting to associating with them. Despite that, there she was introducing them to the throne and throwing her support behind their request.

The Mages, along with the Werewolves and Vampires, were in the middle of a war against other Mages. They were losing, badly, and had come to ask for our help. Ashen Monarch refused, that was hardly a surprise, and sent them away. She and most everybody else in the Freehold except Candy hate and fear Mages, just as they always have. It's tradition. What surprised me, though, was when she gave us permission to join their army or whatever it was on an individual basis.

Candy did not look happy. She made a quick announcement to everybody that she was going to be helping the Mages before escorting them back out. I was bored and curious, so I blended into the scenery again and secretly tailed them back to the street. Sparky and Candy talked a bit, Candy told them how to find a group of Created passing through town, and the Mages left.

Let's just say the whole thing had been underwhelming compared to my expectations. I was going to leave for what passes for my home, but of course Candy knew I was there.

"You can come out now, Ditto," she said. "Are you going to help us?"

"That depends on what deal the Mages are offering. I could poke my head out tomorrow and find Huntsmen have been drawn here and are running rampant because of them. What are they offering to make that a worthwhile risk?"

She looked hurt, saddened even, at my reply. That bothered me, the deep part where I'm still human. She did take me under her wing when I first arrived in the Freehold and gave me a Name when I couldn't remember mine. She's also one of the few who doesn't discriminate against Darklings. I wouldn't say I'll do anything she asks, but I'm a damn sight more likely to than I will for anybody in an 'official' capacity after the way they've treated me. Hell, you could even call us friends after a manner of speaking, or at least something approximate.

Candy has these really bright blue eyes that are ridiculously full of expression, not dead like most Beasts. She really knows how to use those big eyes of hers, going from weepy to happy to manic in less time than a hummingbird can flap its wings. She even had tears just waiting to fall if I refused.

"Fine, I'll help," I said when I couldn't take it anymore.

You might have thought I had promised her untold wealth for how she lit up at that. She even hugged me.

Candy's Mage friend drew up the plans and told her where to go and what to do. I was a tag-along with a death wish, except it turned out I needn't have worried. Candy had me stay hidden in the background the whole time "just in case the baddies need a double helping of Changeling persuasion." I didn't even have to do anything. Between the Created - who really aren't so bad once you get past the whole 'reanimated corpses' thing - and the enemy Mages effectively shooting themselves in the foot, I could have stayed home and accomplished just as much.

About the only worrisome moment was when the Mages broke reality and accidentally summoned a monster that puts even the worst of you Gentry to shame. I was sure my old Keeper would come swooping in and grab me, but I guess he was as preoccupied by trying and failing not to look at that thing as I was.

Thank the gods that Sparky girl knew how to deal with it, or there wouldn't be a city here for you visit. Or maybe there would, except it would be the ruins of a city that's been wiped from time but somehow still exists. I can at least say I wouldn't be here to tell you about it. Unless I was. But then I'd be a revenant or something?

Mages get into some really fucked up stuff. And people say we're the strange ones.

In the span of a couple hours, 'we' - by which I mean like six people out of our whole group while the rest of us just stood there and tried not to get in the way - defeated the bad guys and brought peace back to our city.

And the Normies never knew the difference.

Candy and I went back to the Freehold and reported the end of the war. I don't think Ashen Monarch believed us at first, given how quickly it ended. She just gave us the equivalent of a pat on the head with a condescending "good job" - by which I mean that's exactly what she did. We were war heroes, damn it, and we didn't even get a reward. I was still a titleless Darkling who was better neither seen nor heard ... nor welcome in the same room. Candy was still a Dame who likes to throw parties and kind of creeps out half the Freehold with her impossibly wide smiles full of fox fangs.

The bitch's response still pisses me off to this day. Even if they wouldn't admit it, our monarchs were freaking over that war. When Mages start throwing their magick around, everything and everybody nearby tends to pay for it. You know, the whole aforementioned "it's been written out of history" thing or the "monsters from beyond space and time crawling about the yard and eating your kids" thing.

Candy was pissed, too, if for different reasons. That's what leads to the next part of the story, but I think I'll leave it for Maud to tell. The meeting took place at her house, after all.