Chapter Text
Jude,
You are perhaps only being overcautious, but I am writing to inform you that all is settled between the Undersea and Elfhame. The treaties are signed in sea-foam and blood.
Expectantly,
Cardan
Jude crushed the letter in her fist, throwing it across the small desk in her room in Vivi’s apartment. The gall, honestly. It had been weeks, and the first thing he says to her is political. Even her, with her violent tendencies, thought an apology would have been best to start with.
Despite her anger, the strategist in her had begun to speak up again. The weeks back in the mortal world had been gloomy at best. She missed being in charge. She missed playing with power. She even missed Cardan, damn him.
She missed him but she hated him. She still could not understand what had compelled him to treat her like he did. Maybe he had wanted to show the queen of the Undersea that he had power over his subjects. Of course, no one knew of the marriage so it would have looked completely normal. Maybe it would have, without her outburst. She hated him for that most of all. She hated that he made her seem foolish, and stupid, and disgustingly delusional. Everyone there who had respected her probably thought she was crazy now. He had known and hadn’t said anything. He had known and hadn’t defended her as she was dragged off. He had known and she hated him for it.
Jude got up from the desk and looked around her room. It was small, but Vivi and Oak had tried to make her feel at home. Oak, specifically, had drawn a picture of them all with Heather and made her put it up above her bed. It was sweet, really.
As she left the room, she decided that the letter would go unanswered. Let him think it had gone astray. Better yet, let him assume the truth; that she was boiling mad at him. She severely doubted it, but she liked to imagine her absence had forced him to become smarter. And hopefully less drunk, though that she doubted even more.
She reached the kitchen and got a mug from the high cupboard. Vivi was much taller than she was so all the useful things were high up, where Jude would have to almost dislocate a shoulder to get to them. Of course, Vivi had not accounted for the little international emergency that would be Jude and Cardan’s first marital spat.
Jude had told Vivi everything on the night that she had appeared, exhausted, on her doorstep. A bewildered Heather was also present, as Jude had unceremoniously interrupted a date night for the other two. As Jude spoke and spoke, she noticed Vivi getting stranger and stranger. It seemed, strangely enough, like she wanted to laugh. Once Jude reached the part where she had made an idiot of herself, Vivi finally lost control of herself. She laughed herself sick. Honestly, Jude wasn’t really that surprised. Vivi had been friends with Cardan’s sister at one point, and was constantly treated to Jude railing about him, so their marriage of all things must be funny. And it was typically Vivi’s way to take pleasure in Jude’s embarrassment, as long as she wasn’t physically hurt.
As Jude had finished brewing her tea, she heard Vivi’s car pull into the parking lot below. She had learned to drive during her time in the mortal world, and therefore did everything that needed to be done outside the house. Today, it was picking up Oak from daycare. The horns and hooves were easily glamoured away by Vivi, all for Oak to have a chance at a normal childhood. Or as normal a childhood as someone could have as a faerie in the mortal world, and having an aunt be Queen of the hidden faerie world.
Vivi and Oak came in the door, laughing and carrying grocery bags. As soon as he saw Jude, Oak dropped the little bags he was holding and came running at her, crashing at her legs.
“Hi, Jude! Vivi took me to a supermarket after school, and I finally got chocolate!” He exclaimed excitedly. Oh how wonderful it would be for her chief worry to be chocolate.
“That’s great, Oak, how about you have some of it after lunch?” Jude replied, patting his curly hair fondly.
Oak seemed to love that idea, and ran off to his room to put the bar in pride of place on his nightstand.
Vivi smiled at his disappearing shadow and turned to Jude. “Sometimes, I don’t want him to grow up. Can’t imagine that sweet boy on the throne of Elfhame.”
“Speaking of Elfhame, I got a letter today,” Jude said.
Vivi looked up from her shopping bags with an apprehensive look in her eye. “Who from?” She asked slowly.
Jude turned away and folded her arms tight. “Who do you think? It wasn’t even respectable, just a note on the treaty with the Undersea. Like that’s what I would care to hear from him now. I mean, of course I care about Elfhame’s security, but an apology is in order, no?”
“An apology would have been nice, true,” Vivi said, walking over to the couch and opening her phone. “Are you going to respond?”
“No. He can stew all he likes. I know what uncertainty feels like, and I hate him enough right now to leave him languishing,” Jude said, her voice rising a little by the end. She sat down beside Vivi and let her head hang back, so she was staring at the ceiling. She felt Vivi putting an arm around her.
“Alright, don’t respond. Not now, anyway. But know when to let go of that stubborn pride of yours, please. It will be the end of you.”
Jude closed her eyes and thought on Vivi’s words. It was unlike her to be this cautious about most things, so she must care about this enough to intervene. Jude thought she might respond if Cardan sent anything else. Preferably after she had had time to cool off from this. Maybe something with a little self-awareness, then she might entertain him. Now, though, there was chocolate to regulate.