Prologue

The scent of rot permeates his van. He once again needs to dispose of bodies stored in the back overlong, but the Hobgoblins said last time they have enough for the next three seasons. As he has yet to meet anything else this side of the Hedge that would be interested in them, he will have to wait.

Unlike the seasons of his home, their passing in this world require lengths of time that differ by location. Not all seasons are represented everywhere and some areas even have extra seasons. He is still attempting to make sense of their Contracts.

A ding to warn him of low fuel interrupts his thoughts. He can ponder why some places get snow and others do not later later. For now, he looks for the nearest petrol station. He once attempted to persuade his van that it can function without fuel only to learn it has a pre-existing, seemingly unbreakable Contract with petroleum after it stopped functioning and refused to start again despite every Contract he offered it. Ever since then, he has been better about watching the gauge.

His travels see him currently passing through a small city, and a station is near. He stops before the pump and enters the store to pay. As with all human buildings, he must stoop to pass through the door. Clutched in his hand is what they call 'money'. The human agreement with these leaf-like bills is another of this world's Contracts he does not understand. He has attempted to offer stories from his collection as payment, but the humans always demand money instead. At least he has since discovered how easy money is to acquire from the remains of those who tell him worthless stories.

The station attendant is focused on a magazine full of images of unclothed humans. It spares barely a glance at its customer as it accepts the payment and activates the fuel pump. He surveys this human and considers asking it for a story, but its daydreams are fixated on the ritual of human breeding to the exclusion of all else. He instead accepts his change and returns to the pump.

As he is again helping his van to satisfy its bewildering Contract, two humans walk past the station. One, its flat expression matching its drab exterior, is perhaps the most humdrum example of a human he has yet seen. The other one draws his interest: It bears the marks of a Tenure it must have fled to return to this world. A Masque hides its undefined, malleable appearance from humans, but he can see clearly the work of The Faceless to convert the former human into a Mirrorskin.

Their fellow humans pass by and ignore them as they tend to do with others of their kind they do not know. When they come to the crosswalk, the grey one taps the heel of its foot thrice against the corner of the sidewalk and then holds a small mirror over its shoulder as it crosses the middle of the street.

Few humans know the means to turn away the attentions of Lurker in the Deep and The Faceless. Escaped servants rarely teach their still-human companions Arcadian secrets. Even he knows how fragile human minds are; reveal Fae matters to them as anything more than a story and they often end up painting walls in their own piss, shite, and blood. He re-evaluates the boring human in the light of its actions. If it knows those two signs, rituals he has not seen any other human perform in all the time he has spent in this world, then perhaps it knows a new story.

He uses his van to follow them until they reach an entrance to the Hedge masquerading as an alleyway. They attempt to enter it, but at least one of his ancient Contracts is still in force in this world. He calls on the thorns and vines to bar their passage as he exits his van to come up behind them and block the other side.

The Mirrorskin gasps in fear the moment he draws close, but it nevertheless moves in front of its companion. The grey one keeps its impassive expression even as its muscles tighten. He can feel a strong bond between the two, but the Contract between them is not one he recognises.

"Who are you?" asks the Mirrorskin.

"I left my Name in Arcadia. Until I can reclaim it, call me The Tall Blue Man."

"What do you want with us?"

"I want you to tell me a story, one I've not heard before." He reaches out and lightly touches the Mirrorskin, enjoying how its flesh ripples at his touch. The Faceless must have deeply loved this one. It pulls back from him.

"You've not told me your Names."

"Call me Ditto," replies the Mirrorskin.

"I'm Maud Pie." Maud looks about them as though seeking a path to escape. "Since you've trapped us here, I guess we aren't permitted to refuse. Do you mind if I negotiate for us both, Ditto?"

"Go for it. You have a sharper mind for dealing with Contracts."

"Right then." Maud turns its attention back to the man. "I would like to offer you a Contract," it states in its flat, boring voice.

He is beginning to regret asking it for a story.

"We'll each tell you half a story. If you accept our shared story as a new one for your collection, we'll be free to go and you'll never tell any other Arcadian or Hedge dweller or anything else that uses your type of magick about us or where you heard it. You will replace all the Names in it with fictitious Names of your own invention. If you don't accept it as a new story, you may do with us whatever you do to people who fail your request. Do you accept?"

"I do." His vocal agreement is sufficient to Bind him to the Contract, but he offers his hand regardless. Humans always seem to expect that, as though the physical gesture has some bearing on the weight of their Contracts. Once both have taken his hand, he says, "You may start."

They whisper to each other for a moment before Ditto begins: "Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Candy."

Chapter I

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.

Chapter II

The meeting took place on a typical wintery Saturday morning. The sun was shining, but we were expecting a blizzard soon. Boulder was hiding that day after I had to put him in time out for breaking a plate. I was helping my sister make cookies and cupcakes for the guests she was having over when someone knocked at the door.

"Can you get that?" she asked. "My hands are covered in batter."

I used my clean hands to open the door. I had been expecting her old school friends because she hadn't told me anything about the plans for the party except she had friends coming. Instead of Sunset and the others, there were four Changelings I hadn't met before waiting on the porch. There was actually a fifth, but Ditto was hiding in the shadow of the roof overhang so I didn't know she was there yet and I did already know who she was because of my sister mentoring her.

"Hello. You must be Candy's friends," I said. "Come in. You can sit in the living room." I led them into the living room. "She'll be ready in a few minutes."

I went back to the kitchen, where my sister was washing her hands. She had probably licked all the batter off them again.

"Your friends are here," I said. "I'll get the dishes washed. Go have fun."

"I need to confess something," she said. "This isn't actually a party. Didn't you notice how I've only used half smiles today? This is a Serious Business meeting." She grabbed my head and pulled my face closer to hers until our noses were almost touching. "And I want you, my super brave and super smart sister, in on it."

I know my sister can be dramatic sometimes, but I've known her all her life and can tell when she's serious about 'Serious Business'. She can also be reckless at times. I didn't want to her to get hurt, which is why I decided to join.

"I'll do whatever I can to help," I said.

She started to grin like she usually does until she remembered the day was Serious Business and settled on a devilish smirk instead. She pulled me into the living room and put me between a Dancer and an Airtouched. There was a Drudge, too, who was cleaning the living room until Candy ordered him to sit. A Render had tucked himself into the corner next to the television since there wasn't anywhere else he would fit without being in the way. I still didn't know Ditto was there until Candy pulled her out of the curtains and put her next to the Drudge.

"Why did you want to see us on such short notice, Candy?" asked the Airtouched.

"Hey, this is a Serious Business Clandestine Meeting," she said. "We need to use code names. I'll be 'Glorious Leader of the Coming Storm-Slash-Revolution'."

She began pointing to each of us and giving us code names. I'll use those from now on to protect their identities. I was 'Rocktologist'. The Render was 'Destructor'. The Airtouched was 'Messenger'. The Dancer was 'Double Agent'. The Drudge was 'Saboteur'. Ditto was 'Spy-Slash-Recon'. After some debate, Candy shortened her code name to 'Leader'. She did salvage part of it by calling our group 'Troops of the Coming Glorious Revolution'.

"So what is this revolution, oh glorious Leader?" asked Spy-Slash-Recon.

"Guys, we're being pushed to the fringes," she said. "Our Freehold is struggling for resources, and it's only been getting worse over the years. I've called you here and trust you to keep our meeting secret because I know you've all felt the pinch. We're all near the bottom, the cast-offs who get called names and pushed about just because of who we are. Well, I don't know about you, but I won't stand for it anymore."

"So, what, we're going to overthrow the monarchs and instal better ones who will take care of us?" asked Saboteur.

"I'm getting to that. Let me finish my motivational speech first." My sister cleared her throat. "The members of the Concord are claiming all the good territory and alliances across the city for themselves. They don't have to waste resources to get influence over whole sectors of the city because they share with each instead of competing ... sometimes, anyway, and not always nicely, but they do. We've spent forty years competing with the Sin-Eaters for the scraps, and they put up a surprisingly good fight despite how hard it is for them to get Plasm compared to us collecting Glamour."

"Yeah, who knew those ghost whisperers could - wait, how do you know so much about Sin-Eaters?" asked Double Agent.

I think she was being rhetorical. If she wasn't, she never got her question answered because no one replied.

"Emerald Monarch just wants to fuck everything that moves, and I'm pretty sure he spends all the rest of his time admiring his leather collection. Crimson Monarch keeps promising to drive back the Concord and seize their territory for us, but that campaign never happens. Ashen Monarch adamantly insists 'everything is fine, why do you ask?' before slinking off to bully some underling who can't fight back. Onyx Monarch is a defeatist who's waiting for the sky to fall, and I am seriously surprised he hasn't just gone running back to Arcadia already. I mean, good god, what's with the overgrown emo boy? I get he leads the Court of Sorrow and all, but that's no reason to be a mopey-moper all the time. And another thing-"

I gave a small cough to remind our Leader to get back on topic.

"-and we'll talk more about the Court of Sorrow and its totally-an-emo monarch later, yeah?" She stood on her chair to finish her speech. "Brothers and sisters - and literal sister - the time has come to get out from under the current monarchs' feet. We must stand up and show this Freehold that we are not to be taken lightly. Together, we can make a bright future for all of us!"

"And how do you want to do that?" asked Destructor.

"Simple: We'll overthrow the Seasonal Courts and appoint me Dawn Queen of the Freehold, then I'll get us into the Concord."

After the shocked silence and ensuing argument, I would say the rest the meeting was productive. We came up with a plan to get the rebellion under way but also to keep it secret so we wouldn't be dragged naked through the thorns of the Hedge. Our first target was Onyx Monarch, though I think that was because my sister really doesn't like him. Since I wasn't there for any of that, do you mind taking over, Ditto?