"This is something else I really know nothing about," he said. "All I know is that you don't cross the Queen. Ever. If you do, whatever happens to you is your own damn fault and people will tell you so. If Fiona told people, I guess it would be all right."

Goneril brightened. "Fiona likes me," she said. "We're friends. I think."

"It never hurts to have a friend in court," he said. "Even if it's the Unseelie Court, I reckon."

Goneril made a face. "Well, I don't really have many here, apart from, er...where are you the baron of again?" she asked. "Does that count as a friend at Court?"

"Ebhot," he said. "I am a friend of the Countess who is friends with Her Majesty. So you're twice removed. Unless you count from your brother in which case it's only once removed since your brother and my sister are technically one person."

Goneril snorted. "My brother's a brother, not a friend," she pointed out. "But I suppose he holds more sway. Not that I intend to ever really need it," she said, a little haughtily. "I'd much rather rely on the Unseelie court."

Starling frowned. "We're bigger and more interesting. And warmer, if you can believe it with this weather. And Cnoch-na-Niall is a good liege to have."

"Because she's your sister," Goneril pointed out cheerily. "Is it..." She grimaced. "It gets colder that this? England is...much warmer."

"Because it's Cnoch-na-Niall," he said solemnly. "Bugger being my sister. And aye, it gets colder the further north you go, although this is pretty typical for winters here. I do hope we end up going to Melusine after this, though. I could do with seeing the sun once a day again."

"Melusine?" Goneril asked. "Like the serpent? Where is that?" She raised her eyebrows "Presumably somewhere in the south?"