Dawn nearly had to fight the urge to flinch at the expression that crossed her friend's face; yet she truly did not understand the fear for the Slaugh. Yes, they were dark and wild, but then to her all of the fey was to an extent, and they at least were more honest about what they wanted and how they went about it then the Seelie were at times. Not that any of her guards or ladies would be overly happy to hear that sentiment leave her lips, and so she kept that belief to herself. Instead she steeled herself inside and put sincere need and pleading in her eyes, because she could not ask anyone but Lyra to do this for her.<br/><br/>"He will not hurt you, I swear that on my own name may the Goddess strike me if I lie. He wouldn't dare, after all you are<em>my</em>handmaiden and he wants this meeting just as I do, otherwise he wouldn't have agreed to it. I need you to go, if one of the men did it would only cause a fight or worse and I need a alliance. Please Lyra, my cousin already has advantages, I need all the help I can get to keep myself ahead in this game of politics."<br/><br/>"Please...I do not ask this lightly...." She murmured again, her tone pleading and she let some of her own nerves and fear show in her expression, breaking the smooth facade that she so often presented to everyone else. Only to have it vanished when the door opened and Fionn appeared in the gap.<br/><br/>Her midnight gem eyes narrowed and she stood straight and stiff, unsure of what this would mean. His opening words had a sharp retort forming on her lips, after all he should understand what it meant to play to the whims of Kings, but then he was male and male's weapons of choice were never this. "I will be careful Fionn, but I bargain for us all, not just myself lest you forget that. You think Aria will be wasting her time? Would you see her crowned? Think before you speak, for all that I care deeply for you I have to keep us all safe and this is part of it."