Samantha Cassidy

The red-headed woman could not truly help the frown that furrowed on her features at the gaze of the Hunter. She was sure, decidedly so, that whatever hostility he displayed for her was completely unwarranted. She had done nothing to this man. She had done nothing to harm this supposed Council, and yet the simple act of breathing seemed to be enough to irk the blonde man in front of her. It was a shame, really. And yet Sam remained polite enough to allow him entrance into her home rather than shut the door in his face. Not that she expected that would work, anyways. But she didn't particularly wish to fight him. No, instead she would kill him with her very kindness. Even if the annoyance of it all threatened to crack her perfectly pleasant demeanor. She refused to show him any fear - even though she had ever reason to be afraid of the iron clad Hunter. No, she would show him nothing but the composed grace of a Faerie Queen. Dorian would be so proud.

Still, that didn't mean she would be okay with him getting out weapons, now did it? She hardly expected anything but hostility from the man regarding her request - no, demand. Queens demanded things, did they not? - to leave the weapon put away. But she would be lying if she said that the way his shoulders relaxed just slightly didn't surprise her - not that she showed that on her features at all. She simply offered him a soft, friendly smile as those golden hued eyes of his cast her way. He didn't trust her, and she didn't expect him to. Still, those muscular arms of his crossed across his chest rather than being on the blade, and she supposed that that could be considered progress.

The snort he afforded her at her words caused the girl to frown, her own arms folding across her chest as she regarded him. She sensed that momentary flicker of hate cross his features, an emotion she wrongly assumed was meant towards her. She couldn't help the instinctive way she drew her powers to herself, fully prepared to pluck at those strings of his emotions if only to keep him calm and herself safe. What she didn't expect, however, was the way his words slipped from his lips. His words may have been presented in that flat tone, but the regretful emotions would not slip past the empath.

"You're right." Samantha's tone was soft, though her own voice held all that raw pain that so often flickered within her at the mention of her turning. She sounded decidedly human in that moment, still that same afraid - no, terrified - college student that had been taken. It was certainly the first time that she had someone in the flesh to blame for the trauma that she had gone through. And her human side couldn't help the desire to make him understand. To make him or his species hold some level of responsibility for what she'd gone through. "You're absolutely right. One of you should have been there to save me. You... you hunters pride yourself on being superior to us... but... But you weren't there when I got stolen. You weren't there when I was held and tortured and turned. You so-called superior protectors of the human race didn't help me at all. You should have been there, but you utterly failed at your job. But instead you're worried about a faerie king who hasn't hurt anyone."

Her voice choked off, her own gaze dropping to the floor as she willed her heartbeat to slow down and her emotions to settle back down. She was angry that they'd dare threaten Dorian. The Hunter bringing the conversation back to the the reason he was here was a grateful one for the Fae Queen whose tears threatened her eyes. The young girl found herself thankful for the distraction from her rage. How dare he think that her faerie blood had somehow altered the very human heart she held. As such, she failed to have any pity for the fallen Hunter. No, for the first time ever she was very nearly grateful that one of them was dead. One less danger to herself and to Dorian. To Aiden and Raven and Tobi and all the other supernaturals like herself that they would strike down on sight. And as such, her voice was nothing but cordial as she answered the Hunter regarding the dead man he showed her. How readily she could sense that intrigue that he gave her at her words. Still, she was grateful for the warning that he offered her, though the words she offered him showed no hint of that very gratefulness.

"Neither of us were planning on inviting the Council over for dinner, you know. We both have some sense of self-preservation. As for the death of your... friend? It is tragic that a man lost his life, but can you really tell me they weren't going to kill Dorian?" She looked up, pausing just briefly enough to give him the full weight of her gaze. "No, you can't. And as such you will find none of my pity." The queen felt no remorse. She hardly cared. What mattered to her was Dorian's safety. Momentarily, she let her attention drop from the Hunter to pluck at the strings of the bond that held her and Dorian together to assure herself that he was, indeed, safe.

As for the notion of overthrowing her, Samantha found it a truly laughable concept. The young Fae Queen held nothing but faith in Dorian's loyalty for her. After all, he'd been nothing but good to her. He'd offered her nothin but protection and loyalty, and as such nothing that the Hunter said would change her mind on that matter. It was perhaps that she was too cocky - though she held no doubt that she could protect herself from him if she needed to. Her frown was genuine as he scolded her for her words, and truly she hardly wanted to annoy the Hunter. But still, she couldn't deny the irritation at his words. "You'll find that you don't know what I am capable of, either."

It was too easy then to grasp ahold of those delicate strings that held his emotions so readily, the Fae Queen offering him a ghost of a smile. It would be so easy to manipulate them, to show him what she was truly capable of and yet... she merely kept her hold on them. Perhaps if he continued to insult her she'd toy with his emotions as though she was a child with a shiny new toy. How easy it would be to make him go from happy to sad to angry to distraught and all the emotions in between. How she wanted to show him what she could do, and yet she couldn't quite bring herself to do it. Not yet.

No, for now she was entirely distracted by the question that he posed to her, a frown on her features as she considered his words. She hardly wanted to admit the tiny size of her monarchy. She didn't want to give him any reason to doubt her further, and yet she still met those golden eyes with her sapphire ones. "Myself and two others currently. I have a fourth that has expressed interest, and a whole burlesque of fae that have expressed loyalty to me, even if they haven't necessarily joined me." It was true, was it not? "As for their powers..." She paused, considering that she knew none of Dorian's powers. She knew of Ivy's power, but none of the man that she lived with. Somehow, this didn't seem like information that she should share.

"As for their powers," She spoke gently, folding her hands within her lap as she regarded the Hunter. "The faeries that turned me were horrid creatures. If I knew where they were, I would hand them over to you without a second thought. They preyed on humans like myself - they'd mentioned doing this to others, too. You'll find I am nothing like them. I want to protect humans from going through what I did, from what one of my followers did." She pursed her lips together as she considered the truth of her next words. They were cruel, and yet there was not a shadow of a doubt that she meant them.

"As for the human population... I can promise you that if I found out one of my followers had even the slightest intention of harming a human, I would strike them down myself. There would be no need for your Council. I would handle it." She let out a breath, releasing the thoughts of how seriously she would take such a strike on a human. How she wished that there had been a faerie queen to kill the girls who had done this to her. How even the kind-hearted woman would do what she had to to protect those she had sworn to protect. There would be no more Samanthas, no more Ivys. Not under her watch.

"Does that answer your question?"