Won't you come out and play with me?

Summary: Innocently, in an attempt not to hurt anyone, Boa begins a dangerous game that will ultimately end with her demise. Carrion/Boa/Finnegan

Author's Note: I'm taking liberties with what Clive Barker has told us about this relationship, and am inventing a LOT of events, but I am aiming to keep as close to the book as I can get. (This fic will run parallel to my other fic 'when war consumes us' but only through brief references.)

Disclaimer: Most certainly not mine, I am very guilty of stealing, but in admiration!

Chapter One: Only emptiness inside me

Christopher Carrion was waiting outside in the garden, the sun on his face, a strange mixture; the Prince of Midnight, and the sun. But in this strange happy place he didn't mind it touching his skin, it hurt his eyes, but he didn't mind it; it made him feel warm in his blood, just like she did.

Trying to get an audience with the Princess Boa was hard at the best of times, as she was constantly engaged to do something else; usually at the last minute. But Carrion wasn't going to be defeated, even if it was obvious that some of her excuses were only given because she wished to avoid him. He didn't ask to see her often, even if he did spend a lot of his time at the Twilight Palace on the island of Scoriae, making himself at home even if he was never actually invited; and so when he did, he expected her to comply.

Standing in the sun was now making him dizzy, he wasn't used to it; he had the same disoriented feeling that a daylight person had in the darkness; but she had promised that she would join him soon, sending her usual handmaid down to meet him and give him her message. The poor young girl who was forced to take messages had developed a new skill of disappearing again before Carrion could question her further or complain that he had been waiting long enough already.

Today his temper was fast coming to the end of its leash, and he couldn't bear to be stared at by another passing gardener or kitchen hand a moment longer. Turning around he stomped out of the sweet smelling garden and headed back to where the Wormwood was waiting for him in the water, and without even taking his leave of her parents, Carrion left.

Boa frowned as she reached the garden, her dress long and trailing on the ground. She had given her word to meet the Prince in the garden, but when she had got there he wasn't waiting for her. Stopping a gardener that bowed as he walked past, she asked him if he had seen him.

The short man with the long beard nodded and held the end of his beard in thought.

"Yes M'am, about ten minutes ago, he was here in the garden. I myself am glad he's gone, can't relax when he's around," he told her.

"He has left?" Boa exclaimed worried. She didn't like to offend anyone, and she knew enough of Christopher Carrion to know that he lost his temper easily.

"He's not in the garden Your Majesty," the man told her.

Boa bit her bottom lip between her teeth and looked around. Finally she thanked the man and walked slowly back to the palace. On her way her worried face caught the attention of another visiting party, Finnegan Hobb. He smiled at her warmly as she walked towards him.

"It's not like your face to carry a frown," he said cheerily patting the neck of the large white horse that he rode everywhere, adding to his famous image as the bold knight of both daylight and night time parents.

Boa gave him a small smile, but it was too much of an effort to hold.

"You haven't seen Lord Carrion have you?" she asked as he joined her on her walk back to the palace.

"Oh him? Yes, saw him leaving in that horrible ship of his. Good riddance I say," he said with a slight boastful tone to his voice.

"Don't be rude about him Finnegan, his presence here is an honour to us," Boa said. "At least that's what my parents say anyway."

"Whenever he is here he brings darkness with him, it's unnatural," Finnegan told her.

Boa shook her head at him and climbed up the steps to her home.

"Surely you don't defend him?" he asked incredulously.

"I must write to him," she said speaking to herself.

"You will encourage him!" Finnegan exclaimed angrily.

Boa looked at him surprised at his outburst.

"You will not shout at me Finnegan," she warned, but Finnegan wouldn't be hushed.

"He will do no good for this hour, and his interest in you I find alarming!"

"Well in that case, it is a good thing that it has nothing to do with you then Hobb," Boa said her disposition changing from polite to angry in which was almost a foreign place for her, but when she was there, it was almost always Carrion or Finnegan's doing "I shall bid you good day."

Finnegan didn't know if she did write him, but a few months later Christopher Carrion was back in Scoriae, reading in the library like no time at all had passed. He often wondered how this was benefiting the island. The Lord of Midnight absorbing everything that was in the royal library, arming himself with knowledge that was reserved for the royal family of 7pm. All of this was trouble as far as he could see.

Yet the man never did anything out of place, even if he wasn't very pleasant, he was always well mannered. This irritated Finnegan above all other things, whenever the two of them should meet, he always seemed to end up the loser, no matter what it was. Even when they passed in the corridors, Carrion would stop and let him go past as if he was a lesser being, even if by rights, they were both born Princes.

Carrion would walk around building as if he owned it as well, which angered Finnegan immensely, and would keep up his show of magnificence no matter how many excuses Boa made to avoid seeing him.

In the three months he spent on the island, Boa only spoke to him alone twice, and both times were cut short by events Boa herself had scheduled to happen. It was slowly dawning upon her that his visits to their palace were for more than just the library, and she slowly began to understand why Finnegan had been so outspoken towards her during the conversation in the garden. He'd recognised the Prince's motives long before she did.

"My Lord you are leaving?" Boa asked as Carrion walked past her heading for the main doors. He stopped and turned around; clearly he hadn't noticed her standing there.

"I have stayed too long," he said looking past her. Finnegan had appeared from a door further up the large corridor, and both men were locked in a hard glare.

"I am sorry we didn't talk more," Boa said. Whenever he left, Boa would always be filled with shame for the way she treated him, avoiding someone was a horrible thing to do, yet when he was around her she always felt uneasy.

Carrion didn't answer her.

"Are you returning by sea?" she tried again. Typical, she thought, the only time she tried to have a conversation with him, he was ignoring her. Turning her head to discover why he wasn't paying her any attention, she saw Finnegan standing further up the corridor, watching them.

Boa scowled. Surely she Finnegan didn't think Carrion was a threat to her? She'd known since she was a child, and he had never done anything untoward, not to her anyway.

"I am leaving," Carrion announced before turning his back on them both and walking out of the palace with the masterful air that so became him.

Boa stared after him, happy that he'd finally gone, yet already feeling the familiar feeling of shame burning in her heart. Finnegan was at her side immediately.

"I thought he'd never leave," he said earnestly.

"At least he does go home," Boa mumbled, instantly she regretted it. Finnegan was clearly offended. "I'm sorry Finnegan, I didn't mean that, I..."

"Don't worry Princess, if my being here causes you distress I shall leave. You will have more time to spend alone with Carrion if I do," he said spitefully, turning away from her and heading to his rooms.

Boa hurried after him, aggravated that he taken her words so childishly, even if they had not been very pleasant.

"I never spend anytime alone with Carrion, you know that, and why do you hate him so much? I am sorry for what I said Finnegan, but I cannot stand this hatred between you both, Lord Carrion never says anything discourteous about you..."

"He doesn't have to, he makes it very clear to everyone with his actions," Finnegan said climbing up the stairs, the Princess still following him.

"You haven't answered me," Boa angrily, taking hold of his arm and stopping him on the last step.

Finnegan turned to face her slowly, his expression was grave.

"I hate him because of what he is to you. He wants the same as me, and I know he shall win if I fight him."

"Fight for what Finnegan?" she asked desperately. "Truly he is nothing to me now," she added at his reluctance.

Finnegan took a deep breath, the time he never thought would come had come, and he was to tell her to her truth. The truth to why he was always here, why Carrion was always here, why he was so loathed for them both to be alone together.

"Boa I love you, and I cannot bear for him to be anywhere near you, because he loves you too. I know I can never have those innocent years with you like he did, but I love you no less for their loss," Finnegan said in a rush before Boa stopped him by pressing her lips to his in action that had happened and not been thought-out.

Her eyes were shining, her face glowing. How had it taken so long to be said?

Before Finnegan could even understand that she might feel the same, someone was calling her name, and she was away from him faster than it had all happened. She backed away from him down the stairs shaking her head as she went. When she was far enough away, she spoke.

"I cannot afford to offend him Finnegan."

Finnegan stared after speechless, what was she saying? That she would stop their happiness for Carrion's sake? But it was too late; she was too far away from him now for him to talk some reason into her. Boa walked further down and waited for the person calling her to find her. It was her mother, and she was taken away from him.

Tbc...