Let The Chaos Continue

The Matter At Hand

"Did I miss anything?" The Mudwing Queen asked softly. She looked thin and frail, but stood sturdily as the other Queens watched her.

"No, actually, you arrived just in time to stop Joy and Thorn from ripping Snowfall limb for limb," Ruby admitted. Moorhen smiled and sat down.

"One would think you have a death wish, Snowfall. You always end up getting attacked at these meetings."

"She does?" Joy questioned. It was her first Queen Meeting, so she had no idea. They were so secret that her mother had never shared details about what had gone down at previous meetings. Moorhen smirked at her.

"Last time we had one of these meetings," She began. "Your mother physically launched herself from her seat, tackled Snowfall, and half strangled her to death before the rest of us managed to pry her off." Joy gaped at the Queen. Her mother had done that? Deathbringer, she could see easily, but Glory was always the collected one. She never thought she would do anything as rash as that.

"What the hell did you say to her?" She hissed to Snowfall. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Kelp's now fearful expression, as if he had just now realized that Glory was the member of Joy's family he should've been afraid of all along. 

"I insulted her husband, I think, and then retaliated by declaring war," Snowfall offered. "So I suggest you do not follow in your mother's footsteps."

"Well that'll do it," Joy snorted. One bad word about Deathbringer, and Glory would murder. She was surprised the former Rainforest Queen hadn't burned down the Ice Kingdom in revenge. 

"Do I even want to know what you were arguing about?" Moorhen asked.

"No, because it is a stupid, hypothetical situation, and it has been dropped," Thorn declared. "And, no, Snowfall, we will not be following any of your ideas about it."

"But wh-"

"Because they're STUPID and because my great grandson has the right to marry whoever he chooses, as does everyone else,  and if for some bizarre reason you end up being right, and his daughter turns into the next Darkstalker, then you can scream I TOLD YOU SO at me for eternity in the afterlife. Sound good?" Snowfall scowled.

"Fine." She snapped.

"Good. Now that we're all here," Ruby sighed. "Can we get to the matter on hand? Willow's unfortunate murder."

"Have you heard anything else on how Stream and Thistle are doing?" Joy asked, but Auklet shook her head. 

"I was hoping you had anything," The Seawing Queen admitted. "I only hear about Stream through Tsunami, and Tsunami only hears about her through Seashell, and Seashell doesn't seem to be saying anything at the moment."

"That poor dragonet," Thorn said. "I thought taking him out of the Sand Kingdom entirely would spare some misery, not cause more grief."

"It did," Ruby objected. "He gained a loving family, and he didn't starve to death in a marketplace."

"But now his loving family has been ripped apart, and Stream might as well be a living ghost, and the child's biological family is nearly all dead. What family does that leave him with?"

"I suppose that brings us to the first matter," Joy said. "You let Stream and Willow adopt Thistle because you believed he was an orphan, although we know now that he still has living family. Do we leave him in Stream's care, or return him to his closest relative?"

"I will not hand that innocent child over to Vulture," Thorn spat.

"Technically Qibli is his uncle," Joy went on. "But I agree. He's not going to Vulture."

"I vote we leave him with Stream," Auklet declared. "Taking him away would only rob her of all the family she has left—the only reminder of Willow she has left. It would be cruel to take him away, even if we were placing him with a worthy guardian."

"Agreed." Ruby nodded. "Snowfall?"

"Thistle's parents surrendered all parental rights by abandoning him at an orphanage. If Stream and Willow were deemed his legal guardians, then that's who he stays with," Snowfall said. "Next issue?"

"Some Mudwings are not exactly pleased with the fact that a Sandwing killed one of their own," Moorhen offered. "They want justice for Willow."

"Sirocco's insides were shredded across an island, and the little remains were fed to sharks," Joy proclaimed. "I'd call that justice."

"That's murder, Joy. Not exactly equal to retribution."

"Then clearly we run very different tribes," Joy nodded. "An eye for an eye, right?"

"I can issue an apology?" Thorn guessed. "And you can promise your Mudwings that any and all dragons in league with Sirocco are being hunted down and imprisoned as we speak. I've let Vulture slide for too long; it's time we ended all the gangs in the Scorpion Den."

"I heard a rumor that there were some Sting survivors from the fire," Ruby admitted. "Something about one of Coal's brother still being alive." Thorn stared at her. 

"That is entirely new information," She said. "And something I will discuss with Coal immediately, thank you."

"And just so we're clear," Auklet started. "There's no hard feelings about Stream killing Sirocco, right?" Thorn snorted.

"Hell no. In fact, if you see her, tell her I said thank you." Joy grinned.

"Now I see why mother never minded these meetings," She declared.