Bond Between Sisters

[SparkleBreaker]

Finn Kreger
​

Was she every headstrong. Finn had a feeling he would regret this and she would be a pain in the ass. Especially how she spoke, like it was obvious that she was going to go against her parents will, risk her life, and probably battle that creature again all for her sister. There were plenty out there that didn’t have siblings like that. Finn gave her a look as give me a break to counter her own expression. It sounded like an awful plan that would get the both of them killed. Even as she advertised it as a huge adventure and it be boring alone he wasn’t sold. The answer was no, he just didn’t know how to break the news so he looked down avoiding eye contact until he felt her hand. When he looked up he was met with a puppy dog expression that could make anyone’s heart melt. He let out a sigh as he had just given in.

“Fine. I’ll help.” he agreed, guessing he would regret it the day she called on that favor. “Just don’t get me killed.” he groaned, looking to his bad arm and back to her. The power that witch demon had was terrifying. “We should try and figure out what that thing was before we leave. Did you want any help with practicing?” he offered. If his neck was going out on the line they best be prepared as much as they could. Probably should fine someone to train in him to wield a sword. There was so much to figure out and with her on lock down time would be hard to find to spend together.

 

[pyreshadow]

Neva
​

Neva's smile grew as wide as her lips would allow them as her hands shot up into the air happily. "Yes! Wait, no! Yes to you agreeing but I'm not going to get you killed, I really won't. I'm sure I could figure out how to make this ability defensive too so it'll be fine." Neva spoke quickly, her mind already racing with the many things that she could try with the ability. That was one less thing for her to think about and now she could actually just focus on what she was going to actually do. Or maybe she should just focus on training. But then Finn said something that she should have been thinking about also; figuring out what that creature was or even the woman herself would be smart to look into. Not that Neva had any clue how to do that or where to even start. Her head nodded and her mouth opened to answer about the help with training. It was the door opening that caused her to stop right before words slipped from her mouth. "We'll talk later." She ended up whispering instead, a disappointed look on her face at the interruption. No one could know about these plans nor could they know that Neva was going to be focusing on her ability now. She needed to train hard and be ready for anything.

The Queen had a tray in her hand with two plates and two glasses of juice. She walked slowly over to the bed, her eyes already questioning why Neva was in the same bed as the servant boy. Only her expression softened when Neva sent her an actual glare and shifted to bury herself inside the blanket. She curled up into a ball at Finn's feet to try and hide away from her mother. "Neva, you shouldn't-" the Queen's soft voice hit Neva's ears and caused a fresh wave of tears to threaten her eyes. "I don't want to hear it unless Kendra's coming back!" Neva shouted though her voice was a bit muffled due to the blanket. The Queen had a feeling it was going to be like this for a while so she just let out a small sigh. Her soft gaze went to Finn before she turned to set the tray down on the stand between the beds. On each plate were two pancakes, some eggs, and bacon; one plate for each child. "I'm going to get the nurse so that she can look you over again, to make sure everything is as it should be." She spoke to both of them but her eyes stayed on Finn for a bit longer than they should have. It wasn't so much judgement in her eyes as it was understanding; Neva lost the one person she felt closest to so she was trying to latch on to someone else that understood. The Queen let it go for now and got up to leave without another word from herself or the children. Once the young princess was sure the door closed, she shifted slightly and poked her head out of the blanket.

"I'd love help with practicing but how would you help? I don't get it at all, I just know when I concentrate on things I can make them from ice." She said only after making sure there wasn't anyone else in the room. As much as she wanted to stay focused on the thoughts, the moment her eyes landed on the food her stomach rumbled quietly. "Breakfast!" The excitement spread into another smile as she wiggled out of the rest of the blanket. "Want to eat in the bed? I can probably find a chair or something too if you want." As she asked, her eyes were already looking around to try and find one. As long as she didn't think about mother or father and what they did, she'd be fine. She had to be.

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Finn Kreger
​

“Whew, I hope not.” he kidded, but was serious on the inside. He really didn’t want to get killed by that thing. It wouldn’t be a pleasant experience if it got its hand on any of them. Finn was starting to relax around Neva, even enjoying her company, until the Queen came in. He had three, four years on the princess. To any mother it would be concerning to see her daughter so attached and comfortable with a strange boy. Add that he was, so to speak, underneath them, a different class, made things all the more unnerving for him, especially when the princess dug under the covers to hide. He tensed up like a deer in the headlights. There were no words exchanged on the topic, he could feel the heavy gaze of the Queen. One he avoided until she sat the tray down and made her way out of the room. Finn let out a massive breathe, one he didn’t realize he had been holding. 

“I could set up some courses? What do you want to work on?” he asked, his eyes darted to the food when she brought up breakfast. Despite how much he would love to get up out of this bed, he figured it would be the best. “I dunno about you, but I never get breakfast in bed.” he laughed, scooting up in a upright position. “Here.” Finn passed the plate the plate of food to the princess, his hand shaking from not being able to use his good arm. His plate was sat on his lap and he struggled to cut the food in to tiny pieces. “Where do you want to practice?” he asked, before taking his first bite. It was nothing he hadn’t stolen a bite of before, but it was much easier to enjoy when it was meant for him. The bacon was his favorite. Therefore, he was saving it for last.

 

[pyreshadow]

Neva
​

Neva's eyes widened slightly when he said he never got breakfast in bed, until she remembered he was a servant boy. It made sense; they had to be up much earlier than the royal family to make sure all the tasks were completed on time. It caused a small pout to form on her face but she said nothing on the matter; it wasn't like it could be changed and her parents would say it was perfect the way it was. "Thanks." She took the plate and nibbled on the bacon first, thinking back to the first question that had been asked. Some courses would be good to work out kinks and the like but she would definitely need to get a hold of what she could do first. Then there was the question of where that was brought up next. Also what would be most important to start with testing, defense or offense. This all depended on just how much she could develop her powers as well. With a small sigh, she finished off one piece of bacon and went on to take a bite of the pancakes next before speaking.

"The gardens would be the best place to actually practice. The area that we were in last night is one that people rarely go in, which was one of the reasons Kendra and I went there often. A little further in is a grove surrounded by citrus trees that would be perfect." She paused to take a bite of the eggs and then another bite of pancake before continuing. "I don't know what'd be best to start with though: trying to make a shield or a weapon. I don't even know if I can make the ice that big..." her thoughts stopped as she glanced to the bed she had been in, where the ice-covered blanket was slowly melting away. "Okay, I might be able to with practice. The question left is which would be better first sooo I'll let you decide that when we start practicing." She elongated the 'so' as she thought, trying to make it seem like she knew what she was saying even though she partially didn't. "Are you going to need to learn anything? I could get someone to help you with it if you need. I can be very convincing when I want to be." She added a cheeky grin with that, already thinking about the time her and Kendra bribed one of the knights to pretend they weren't there so they could hide from a duke. She could probably do the same in this instance too.

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Finn Kreger
​

The gardens, Finn knew exactly what corner of the garden she meant. After all that just happened he was just really reluctant to go back there. It was the best, but he wasn’t sold she could even make it out there without being noticed. That area would be heavily watched for the time being. “Ah, perhaps when things cool down?” he suggested, scooping his fist bite of pancake in his mouth. “Is there a room in here that doesn’t get used much? It be easier to access through servant halls and doors and go undetected by knights and anyone else they put on to watch over you. The rest like you said could be decided once we start practicing.” The food was pretty much inhaled as he was eaten between words, not really caring for manners at this point. The Queen had mentioned a nurse and as soon as she came through that door their privacy would vanish until the practice started. Everything needed to get squared away. “In time, when they lighten up we could try and venture out there.” he suggested, not wanting to put her idea down when it was in fact a good one. It just wasn’t doable at this time. “We need to get down when and where before the nurse comes in. Perhaps at night, it be easier to slip away from my duties and they won’t have as many watching you?” The heels of the nurse clicking echoed outside the door. “You say it and I’ll be there.” he whispered, taking the last bite of his food. 

“Neva.” the nurse scolded, shaking her finger at the young girl. No one else might have dared to scold the young princess because of the recent events, but it was unlady like in so many ways that she was not going to bite her tongue. “You don’t crawl into to bed with a boy every!” her eyes narrowed on the young girl, hands on her hip. “Off!” she shooed with her hand until the princess conceded. “Manners, manners, Neva. Finn needs his rest after all that he went through. You as well crawl into bed. The one Kendra was in. Yours is sopping wet now.” she shook her head removing the wet blanket and the damn sheets from the bed. Once they were in order she checked the princess first. “How have you been sleeping sweet heart?” she asked, debating on if the princess was ready to be set free. The boy was going to need more medicine and she’d have to take another look at the wound on his head, it probably be a few days before he got out of there.

 

[pyreshadow]

Neva
​

Finn didn't seem taken on the idea of the gardens, at least not for any time soon. It would be wise to let things cool down some first given how many knights would be on guard now more than ever. As much as Neva didn't want to admit it, it might be better to think of something else first and foremost. "A room that doesn't get used much, huh." She repeated, turning her mind away from the gardens and how spacious it would be. Only after finishing this delicious food though would she think seriously about it. She took another bite of her pancakes, not even bothered at all by how Finn was scarfing down the food. Her mind reeled with all of the different rooms that could be used or not used. A couple in particular came to mind as she thought about how they really weren't even used all that often. Her head nodded slowly to show she was agreeing with him as she took the last bite of her eggs followed by the pancake and then the bacon. It was only after she set the empty plate down that she grabbed the juice to start sipping on it. Her mouth opened to say something but closed quickly when she heard the footsteps nearing.

"Meet me in the music room on the first floor tonight and then we'll go from there. It's never used after dinner." She whispered out quickly, wishing she could say more without having to bite her tongue. Though she was glad she did as the first thing the nurse did was scold her for being in Finn's bed. Her cheeks puffed out once again in a pout as she really didn't want to move to another bed. In the end, she knew she couldn't win against the nurse so she lazily crawled off of Finn's bed to go to the other. The juice stayed in her hand, every now and then coming up so she could sip on it. "I just wanted to make sure he was okay. It's not that big a deal if I sit on the bed with him, he's my friend." The pout was evident even in her voice as she watched the nurse closely as she cleaned up the sheet that used to be solid ice. It almost made her want to giggle at the results but she also refrained from that. She was about halfway done with the juice when the nurse came over and started looking her over to make sure she was all right. The question of how she slept caused her mind to jump to one of the nightmares she had.

"All right I guess. I kept tossing and turning most the night but I think it's because of the dreams I was having. That woman was chasing me down this endless dark hallway and every door I passed was always locked. But I woke up every time before she actually caught me so I don't know." She shrugged like it wasn't a big deal before finishing off the juice. "How long do Finn and I have to stay in here? Am I allowed to leave the castle at all? Did they find out anything about the woman or the creature?" She asked the questions in one breath as curiosity laced her tone. Her legs were lightly moving back and forth over the bed, tapping the bottom of it lightly each time they came back. "Finn isn't going to get in trouble for what we asked him to do, is he?"

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Finn Kreger
​

The nurse frowned as all the questions came spilling out of the youngster’s mouth. Finn could hear the woman sigh loudly from his bed. Her hands were firmly on her hips as she stared down at the young princess. That stance was easy to read, scolding was coming her way. Finn had a feeling that this nurse simple just lived to scold other on proper etiquette. Older ladies just seemed to get off on it or something. He figured it was if I had to go through it so do you sort of thing. Out of habit he looked down, avoiding eye contact. The blanket was his source of comfort as he played with it between his figures at the nurse started in on her spiel. Being right about things never made them easier when they came about. The first thing she brought up was her manners.

“Neva!” she scolded, shaking her head in disappointment. The nurse stopped, tapping her foot as she decided to go a different approach with the child. “I understand it is hard, what you’re going through. In your position though you can’t lose it like the rest of us. You understand?” There was a pause in her speech, but not one long enough to retaliate. “Riddling of questions, that you very know I can’t answer half of, won’t get you anywhere. And manners. You must remember those, everyone watches you. As for when you two are leaving it is none of your business when Finn gets out of here. A friendship between the two of you is very frowned upon, which is why you shouldn’t be in his bed. That also mean his fate is none of your business as well, though there probably will be consequences for his actions as he took sweets without permission and skipped out on working.” There was an awkward pause as Finn shifted uncomfortably in his bed. “I’ll let her Majesty know you are well enough to leave. I’ll come back with some more for that medicine.” Nurse had turned to him and had a slight sympathetic look on her face that he had to hear everything she was telling the princess. There was nothing said on the subject as she left.

That whole speech had gotten to him, whether that was her intentions or not it had him second guessing helping the princess. Having played a part in saving the two princesses he doubted the consequences would be severe if at all. In the future though, it could end him up in the stocks or worse. Finn sank down into his covers and let out a large sigh. What had he gotten himself into? The smart thing to do would have been to never bring the girls snacks, but then neither would be here. He had already given his word to Neva, something he didn’t want to break. It was simple. He was going to have to make his way in this world without being the help for the royal family. Ideas were spinning his head as the two sides fought each other to just back out or to stick around and find a different road.

 

[pyreshadow]

Neva
​

Neva's feet paused halfway between being outstretched fully when the nurse called her name. The young princess wasn't sure whether she liked the tone in the older woman's voice or not but once the nurse started speaking she knew. Neva didn't like it at all. Her eyes went down to the ground as a pout was forming on her face once again. Sure she didn't think all her questions could be answered but she was hoping for at least one of them. She quickly straightened up to protest about her friendship with Finn being frowned upon but that changed quickly too. Neva wasn't sure if she was pouting or glaring at the nurse at this point. What happened to Finn was her business because it was her and Kendra that asked him to bring the sweets in the first place. He wouldn't have been out there, 'skipping his duties', if it wasn't for the princesses. There was no doubt in her mind that Neva would talk to her mother to make sure Finn didn't get into trouble. She didn't care what other people thought, she'd be friends with whom she wanted to befriend.

As the nurse headed out, Neva followed her with her eyes and brought her hands up to make a funny face behind the woman's back. The moment she heard the door close though she jumped out of the bed to make her way right back into Finn's. It seemed like he was taking the nurse's words a lot harder than Neva was; the young princess was more of a 'in one ear, out the other' type when it came to being lectured. "What a grouchy lady she is." Neva pouted, situating herself so she sat cross-legged facing the servant boy. She was ready to jump back to the other bed at any given moment though as she kept an ear out for the door this time. "I'll make sure you don't get in trouble for what we asked you to do, Finn. Technically speaking you were still doing what you need to since you were bringing sweets to Kendra and I. So there's no reason that you would get in trouble, especially since you're the reason that Kendra is alive and I'm not in the hands of some...creature." There was absolutely no way her mother would condone him still getting in trouble after knowing that. "The only thing you should worry and focus on is getting better. Leave everything else to me." Though that led her to think about how they agreed to meet tonight, which probably wasn't the smartest of ideas given how Finn was injured.

"Do you want to wait until you're better first before you help me with training? I...don't want you to get worse because you're helping me." Worry was etched into both her tone and her features as she looked over the wound on his forehead then the sling. "We can start once things die down a little. Since I don't know what kind of lock-down I'd be in, it'd give me the chance to figure out how to leave my room and you the chance to heal. How about it?"

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Finn Kreger
​

The ignorant words the nurse had said was pushed to the back of his mind when Neva sat on his bed once more. The princess little poke at the grouch caused him to smile and forget the thing had ever happened. Sooner or later he would grow thicker skin when people’s opinions were boorish, which made that whole situation ironic. The one schooling “proper etiquette” was the one being ill-mannered in the process. There was reasoning for the whole bed thing, he got that. It was the whole part about his fate being none of her business. Like he was garbage and nothing anyone important should concern over. Finn’s smile grew as she promised to keep him out of trouble. 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s really up to the person in the head of the kitchen and he is a very nice man. I’m not worried over it. The man will probably make some jabs at how I was beaten by a woman in a playful manner before putting my butt back to work.” he reassured, still with a smile on his face. He watched her gaze go from the cut on his forehead to the sling where his arm was resting. Rest was what he needed, but he wasn’t too concerned that sitting around giving her suggestions to try things would do any real harm, but she was right about not being let out of sight for a while. “How about the beginning of next week? Same room, same time.” Foot-steps cut their conversation short again as the Nurse returned with the Queen and a vial of that nasty medicine to help with the pain. That was served up quickly to him and it taste was just as vile as before. Almost made the pain worth going through if he could just avoid anymore. The dosage must have been double, because the effects were taking affect before the Queen and princess had left the room. Shortly after they had, he had fallen into a deep sleep. 

                                                                                                                                    ***

It had been around eight years since he left the castle and quit servicing the royal family as a servant. There was three years after the whole incident that he had continued his service. Most of that was spent doing his duties, thinking of different ways to strengthen and help Neva train, researching the beast, and if he was lucky sleep. The research was the most difficult part. No one had heard of the lady or creature from that night, or they were too frightened speak of the witch. It was like scraping an empty bowl with a spoon, he never got anything. The only piece of the puzzle that was missing, until earlier this morning, was anonymously dropped off outside his pub. A large book, that had spells, drawings of creatures, herbs and a bunch more that he didn’t have enough time to look at. It was one of the few days in the month that he would delivery his finest wines and ale to the castle that he had bought from passing through merchants. Many were a delicious delicacy that were hard to get their hands on, honestly he kept that from the Royal family most of the time, giving them the second best of his stash and claiming it was the best. 

The head cook, and old friend, was easily bought with a bottle of his favorite whiskey to handle on the merchandise and make sure it go where it needed to go while Finn snuck off to meet the princess. The old men had never come out and asked, but he made a few jab remarks that he knew where Finn was headed. Not that he would rat the two out. Finn had grown a strong relationship with him and many of the folks that served the Royals. The book was tucked under his arm as he went down the familiar path to the gardens, next to the peach trees Neva had spoken of the first night this plan of hers was hatched. There was no sign of her quite yet, probably go held up somewhere. That didn’t bother him. They had both grown a custom for sometimes having to wait for the other. It gave him more time to process the book that was in his possession. All the little scribbles were hard to make out. Nothing described the creature that had attacked, but there was a spell that was quite intriguing, if only it was finished. 

It Read:  Power can be taken in multiple ways and depends on the race that is consuming the power on how it will be taken. Witches need something of the person’s belongings that is very important to them. The more the object is intimate to the higher the success rate and more of the power is transferred. There is a spell that goes along with this that is too dangerous to write down in this book in case it has gotten into the wrong hands. There is a possibility of death, but in most cases only power is transferred to the other.  A few possess the power to suck the life and power out of another. A ritual and spell need to be casted on the one before they soul is sucked out to have the power leave the body along with the life force. This will add to the creature’s powers and youth if successful and render the victim dead. 

The pages after describe different creatures, witches, pixies, fairies, sirens, trolls, goblins, and anything else that he could think of that came from a story book. Under some of the pictures and descriptions there was way to wore off the enemy or even how to kill it. Finn had a feeling this was a hunters or someone along that occupation’s line notes. Ages ago he had put up flyers and was seeking anyone that might have an idea on what the creature could be and it must have caught someone’s eyes. Thankfully, because they were headed out that night. This was the first bit of information they had gotten in years to go off. Finn kept flipping hoping to find more, but there was only a sketch that didn’t seem finished towards the back before the blank pages. It looked similar to the creature, but that was many years ago. It was hard to recall the what her demonic face.

   

Princess Kendra
​

Eleven years had gone by, no matter how may letters she sent to her parents pleading to bring her home, she remained in this place. A fake daughter to King Merek. Many suspicions went around the castle about her since she appeared so late in her life. The official word was that he had her off living in a nunnery, with the nuns taking care of her, for safety and kept her existence under wraps for the same reason. No one bought it. Everyone at court had prying ears and big noses they stuck in to her business trying to get to the bottom of the dark secret they thought their King was keeping. A few knew. The nurse sent with her from her homeland and a few the King and Queen were confident wouldn’t spill the beans to anyone. Kendra had no say in who could know, she was to keep mum. If the topic was brought up the she was supposed to reiterate the King’s story and report what was poking around in the royal family’s business. 

Friends were scarce because of her predicament. All of them she found had ulterior motives to befriending the princess. Not all of it was to get at the juicy secret. No, a few or more years back many had begun to try to woo the princess or ask her hand in marriage. The King and Queen had no power to marry her off, so there was no real threat to proposals, even as aggravating as they were. It was as simple as you must ask my father that would put an end to any pursuit of her hand. Kendra’s life had turned boring, dull, repetitive as she waited to be called back home. The only happiness she got was when she received a letter from her sister. There were always little hidden messages in the notes that brought a smile to her face. Both of them had worked on their powers, though since no one except Neva knew of hers extra precautions had to be taken when practicing, which limited her to the time she could work on gaining control. Eyes were always on her as the King and Queen feared that if anything were to happen to her that it would tear the alliance that had been created with her parents, who were paying the other kingdom a hefty sum to protect their daughter. 

Kendra had finished getting ready for the day. Her pale blonde hair was tucked back strategically to hide the blue streak in her hair. Everyone thought it be best if no one saw that, which meant up do every day. Over the years she had gotten pretty creative with her hair. A French braid went across the top of her had close to the hair line, taking the place of a tiara. The rest was pulled up in a bun mixed with more braids. The gown was gold colored mixed with some tints of pale blue. It was similar to the riding clothes she had tucked under her bed along with a bag of necessities that she was going to need when she left that night. Kendra put the letter down on her dresser from her sister that she had been rereading all morning since she had finished primping for this morning’s brunch. It was the last one she would receive from Neva, since her sister was on her way to come and get her.  The day the letter had come in Kendra made her mind up that she would meet her sister half way, not that she told her sister that. The letter would never reach her kingdom before her sister had set off on her quest. Instead of wasting her time trying to let her sister know, she gathered everything she would need. A map, food, some daggers, a leather canteen, some blankets and two changes of clothes were all tucked and folded in two bags under her bed, ready to go. 

“Kendra sweetie, are you ready to head down stairs.” the maid asked through the door. Kendra’s eyes lingered on the bed for a little longer before briefly stopping at the letter and then going to the door. A small sigh was let out as she pushed herself up and out of her chair. No one ever disturbed her unless she was being asked for, which meant she had to go at this time. Opening the door she greeted the other with a large smile like she normally did and leaned against the entry. It was a younger sweeter maid that was sent, a favorite of Kendra’s. “Do I really have a choice? I have a feeling I’m being summoned.” she teased, though there was truth to the joke. Both girls giggled, enjoying the brief exchange. “Yes, I suppose I should get down there before Gilbertson eats all the yummy food.” Sir Gilbertson was a noblemen that own a huge path of land off somewhere, Kendra never bothered with the details of him. The man was overweight and had a large belly that hung over below his waist. A pretty good guess to why is because the man loved sweets. So much he rarely left any for others. Kendra once counted he put away eight cranberry pies, ten cherry tarts and enormous amount of chocolate in one night. That didn’t include the three course dinner they were served prior that night. 

Laughter boomed down that hall as Kendra approached the dining room area. Only a cackle that loud could be from her supposed mother. It was a nervous tic or something, a very unflattering one. The guards opened the door as she approached, exposing all the catty women on one side of the room and the men off on their own side discussing “important” business. “There is our beautiful daughter.” The King bellowed, waving her over. Kendra did as asked, but snagged a plate of food with a buttered biscuit with an egg on top, a side of green grapes, and a cherry tart. “Good morning gentlemen.” she said, walking over to take her place at the King’s side. “How are we on this beautiful morning?” she asked, know the conversation would soon turn back to them and she would be standing there twiddling her thumbs until could make an escape to somewhere else. 
 

 

[pyreshadow]

Princess Neva
​

Time just seemed to slip away, day by day. Month by month. Year by year. Eleven long years of not having her sister by her side no matter how Neva tried to approach her parents. There was no signs of the creature or the woman, no other attempts on Neva's life. Yet the king and queen wouldn't budge with their decision. It was the same answers all the time: 'it's for your and her safety', 'it's for the best', 'she's safe where she is'. No she wasn't. Kendra would be more safe by Neva's side, more so given how much control she had now over her powers. Sure there was still so much more she could learn and she knew she wasn't perfect but she had been practicing relentlessly. Between trying to pick up non-existent rumors about the creature that still haunted her dreams and practicing, the only real good about her days was the letters and Finn. Letters from Kendra that the two shared everything with still and more. Kendra knew of Neva's plans thanks to their secret code they wrote with. Knowing Kendra was working on her own powers like Neva was kept a smile on her face most days.

In the beginning it had been hard to get her own time as there had always been a knight of some sort following her around; everywhere. Even giving him the slip several times didn't help as another one just managed to pop up. It was so hard to get to the meeting point with Finn because of it but somehow they managed just fine. It got easier as the weeks passed by with no incidents and eventually the guard wasn't needed any longer. So long as Neva didn't stray from the castle. When Finn left the castle altogether, things got harder for Neva as it felt like she was losing another person that she felt close to. The nightmares had started to come back during that time and Neva didn't want to do anything but stay curled in her bed. It took her mother and several maids to get her out during the first week; more effort had to be put in to get her to eat properly but that was about all they could muster her to do. It wasn't until Finn showed up again at their meeting point that some of the thoughts slipped from Neva's mind. She had been shocked and cried most of the night but it had been the official start of something greater. They still trained together whenever they had time and during the times they couldn't, Neva focused still on practicing on her own and doing what she could.

The past week alone was spent preparing for this night and everything was just about set in stone. Some rations were stashed in a couple leather bags, along with other necessities; a map, blankets, jewels that she could sell off if needed, and a couple changes of clothes. They were all hidden in the stables, ready by her black horse that had a diamond shaped white spot along his side. Neva had already mentioned it in her last letter to Kendra that she wouldn't hear from her in a bit as she was going to go get her. She wasn't going to wait around any longer for their stubborn parents to finally realize they were wrong in separating them from the beginning. Neva was more than just ready to get this adventure started so that she could see how Kendra was faring. After all this time she still dearly missed her sister and the time that they had when they were younger. Things couldn't go back to what they were but they would surely get better once they were together again.

Neva herself was more than ready for what was coming; the dress she wore was of a lighter material and was velvety crimson in color. The hems were gold, along with the string that laced into an intricate design in the front. It was one of the more comfortable ones that she could use while riding horseback so it would have to suffice for now. Her hair had gotten more intense in color over the years and matched perfectly with her eyes at this point. Needless to say, it made the rumors of her being a monster or demon spread more but she no longer paid them any mind. Rumors like those were useless when no one knew the truth, only her parents, Kendra, and Finn. Speaking of, Neva glanced around as she realized it was time to meet with him already. A smile grew on her lips as she rushed to the hidden door in her room and used that as a means to sneak through the castle undetected. After weaving her way through corridors and halls, she found her way to the one leading to the gardens and quickly made her way through it. Lifting up her dress some, she picked up the pace just a bit as the grove came into view. It wasn't too much longer before her eyes landed on Finn and then the book in his hands. She slowed down enough to try to sneak up on him from behind. When she was close enough, she peeked around him and glanced from the book to him.

"Whatcha got there?" She asked in a curious manner that would be 'inappropriate' -according to the very special nurse that loved lecturing- for a princess to speak in. He was too tall to actually try to peek over his shoulder so this was her best option. She eyed the page of the book he was looking on, wrinkling her nose slightly before looking up at him for the answer instead.

Tristan Doherty
​

Tristan stared at nothing in particular as he stood in the group of men next to his father, a hefty, strapping man even in his old age. Not that he'd ever tell his father he was old; the last time he did, even in a joking manner, he ended up having to run through half the manor trying to avoid a beating from the 'senile'. Tristan hadn't even called him that but that was the sign that his father was sensitive to his age. He was probably one of the ones most dressed down compared to the rest of the people in the hall, having not expected to come to this today of all days. He had made plans to go into town to try and see if he could help some of the townsfolk rebuild part of the market that was falling apart. So he wore a simple dark blue tunic, black breeches, and matching shoes. Something he could get down and dirty in so to speak. The second he mentioned that to his father, he got a typical lecture that he was used to hearing. His uncle, the king, had entrusted Tristan to watch over the princess for whatever reason he chose not to disclose. Knights were too loud and obvious but Tristan managed just fine most days. There were times were the princess had eluded him but he didn't make too much of an effort to hunt her down either. He had gotten used to her disappearing for some time and showing up around the same place she disappeared some time later. The point being that his father knew the princess would show up to this 'meeting', per the king's orders, and Tristan would need to play babysitter for a while for the 'princess'.

Much like most of the nobility, he didn't buy the story about her being in a nunnery for some of her life. Unlike the others in the court, he kept his mouth shut about it. There was a reason she needed secrecy so it wasn't his place nor anyone else's to try to pry into her business. Even if he was curious to know the truth behind it and why the king and queen were so tight lipped. He felt a nudge and turned his hazel eyes to glance at his father as the words 'pay attention' were mouthed to him. That meant he'd be getting another lecture by the end of the day about him taking over one day, how he'd need to know this and that and yadda yadda. Things that Tristan didn't completely care for. With an inaudible sigh, he reached up to run his hands through his curly blonde hair. It looked like he was paying more attention but that actually didn't happen until the doors opened and the princess stepped into the room. Why the king was bringing her over to this sort of meeting, Tristan didn't understand. Each of them gave a greeting to the princess when she neared and gave a polite bow of their heads. Of course, it seemed her question was missed as some of them all too quickly went back to talking about the upcoming hunt that was being planned. Tristan didn't think it was intentional but most of the men didn't pay much attention when women spoke in court. At least, not these bozos. At least this would be a good chance to maybe weasel himself out of this 'meeting' also.

Glancing to his father and seeing how engrossed he was in conversation, he moved a bit so he could stand close enough to the princess so she could hear him over the others' loud voices. "It's a fine morning to be anywhere but here." he commented to her quietly, making sure he wasn't speaking loud enough for his father to hear. "All they've been talking about is the hunt this and the hunt that. It's been quite boring, you haven't missed much." He added with a light shrug of his shoulders, stealing another glance to his father before looking over at the princess. "Planning on making a run for it?"

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Finn Kreger
​

It was the first time that he could really take a look at the book without prying eyes and it drew him in. All the notes in the book on the unusual creatures sort of made him want to call it off. Some were tricksters other’s just devoured you without a second thought. The sketch in the back made him keep flipping to the page. It must be what that woman is, even though that information was left out, what it was. Just a detailed illustration what seemed fairly similar to the creatures face that night. It drew the question was that her, or could it just be another nasty beastie that they would need to watch out for. It felt like they were ill prepared for what awaited them out there. The soft footsteps approaching gave him enough time to look up as Neva was peeking around him. All in play, he snapped the book close before she could get a good enough look at the book and pulled it out of arms reach and placed behind his back in case she tried anything. 

“Oh, aren’t we a bit nosey today?” he jabbed, pulling her in closer to tickle. Finn was merciless as continued torturing her with tickles and pulled her in until she was in his lap. “That is what you get for trying to sneak up on me!” he added, looking down at her with a smug smile while he gave her one good last tickle before quitting. Chuckling, he leaned back against the tree, removing the book from behind him. “This is . . . well not really sure.” he admitted, flipping it open looking for the illustration in the back. “It was just left on my door step anonymously.” he said, flipping through the pages. “Did you know there are trolls out there? Oh, and apparently little evil pixies. Witches, who are gross. Lots of maiming and sacrificing going on with that race. They collect little bones and organs from animals for their spells.” he shuddered, knowing depending on the spell it could involve human body parts. Finn flipped through the pages until he found the one in the back that he had been starting at all morning. “Look familiar?” he asked, not wanting to sway her answer with who he thought it was. “There isn’t much on it. Just that drawing.” he added, waiting for her to get a good enough look before pulling it back down. “I think that is our mystery assailant from all those years ago. I think she was trying to perform a spell to take your powers.” he flipped the book to the page with the various spells on how to transfer power and then handed it completely over. 

“I dunno if it’s right, or to trust it.” he shrugged, not really knowing what to do with the information behind it all. “I just know this is the first time I’ve seen anything close to her.” By her he was referring to the assailant. He licked his lips waiting for Neva’s response. All day he had been waiting to let her know about the book and get a second opinion on it. It seemed too good to be true. That there had to be some catch to go along with it. “There are initials near some of the drawing. I thought we could try and track the person down and see if they wrote the book or know who did to see if we can get anymore answers on the creature. Get to the bottom what it wanted and figure out if it is even still out there.”  

   

Princess Kendra
​

Naturally, the conversation went straight back to whatever they were discussing, which was a hunt. It was barbaric how they all went on about the largest kill they’ve made and that this hunt would be a walk in the park to their last. Just a bunch of gloating from entitled men. Even the king, the one to call her over, had started going on about his newest dog and that his was the best trained hound in the Kingdom. “Isn’t that right Kendra?” he asked, but neither men wanted to hear her opinion, therefore gave her no time to respond before continuing on about who’s hunting dog was better. Kendra was just about to answer before she was spoke over by the other bloke talking to the king, causing her to sigh and roll her eyes in displeasure over having to deal with the man’s company. It beat hearing the women talk amongst themselves. All of’em complained about their balding husband and how they could have done better. Some of the elders were quite amusing as they were too old to lose anything the voiced their opinions openly and very blunt. 

A familiar voice caught her attention as she smiled at his snarky comment, stifling a snicker that wanted to escape. Anywhere in the palace would be better than there. There was no argument there. “I didn’t figure I missed much.” she answered, giving a sideways glance to him with a small smirk. There was a few time that Kendra had caught Tristan in her shadow. It had mad her felt that he was following, though there was not enough to go off of to be sure. It still caused her suspicion and his following question caused her head to snap all her attention on to him, think he knew what she had planned for later in the evening.  “H-how. . .”she stopped in time before any valuable information was spilled it. It had dawned on her that he had only meant brunch. That her plan was still private. Looking to the ground in attempt to look embarrassed, she looked over to him with a small smile. “Now how did you know? Am I at obvious?” she asked, trying to play off her almost slip up. “It’s a nice morning. Was thinking a nice stroll outside would be good for me. Would you like to escort me?” she asked, giving him a small smile and an out of the now very in-depth hunting discussion. “Unless you’d rather discuss killing animals the rest of your morning.” she teased, pointing out that there was nothing better to do.   
 

 

[pyreshadow]

Princess Neva
​

Neva blinked in surprise when the book was suddenly closed and moved out of her reach. A pout grew on her features as she eyed Finn suspiciously though it only lasted a moment. His words were almost lost to the princess when he pulled her closer and started to tickle her. "W-wait, wait...I'm sorry! Sorry!" It was hard to get her own words out between the giggles and trying to swat his hands away. Of course, she knew it was all for nothing since he knew exactly where her ticklish spots were. It wasn't fair that he didn't have any! Or at least none that she had found as of yet. "I couldn't help it, it would have been the perfect chance." Neva pouted up at him when she was given a brief moment to catch her breath before he tickled her again. She ended up trying to wiggle away from his hand this time as she tried to quiet her laughter. It took her a few breaths before she was able to breath somewhat normally again though there was still a pout on her face. "Cheater." She mumbled a little under her breath, shifting slightly so she could lean more comfortably against him. Her head ended up resting near his against his shoulder as her arms went around her waist to protect herself from another attack. Just in case.

Her blue eyes darted across the pages of the book as Finn started flipping through them. It seemed odd and a tad suspicious that the book would have just popped up on his doorstep like that. Under normal circumstances, she probably would have laughed at the thought of trolls and pixies existing in their world. What couldn't be seen in front of them was hard for someone to think it was possible to exist. Only Neva knew it was possible because of that woman that tried taking her so long ago. If she could change into such a monstrosity, then there had to be other such things out there in the world. She didn't say anything on it though and just kept a curious gaze on the pages until Finn stopped on a drawing near the back. Neva swallowed nervously at the drawing and ended up curling up slightly against him. "It's that creature." The nightmares were as fresh as if it had happened yesterday and that drawing was rather spot on even if it wasn't complete yet. Tearing her eyes away, she turned her head away from the book and lightly gripped at Finn's shirt. Even with all the training they had gone through and how determined she was to leave to find Kendra, she still found herself feeling nervous and even scared of what might happen. If that creature were to come at them again, would it be as she remembered or worse? Maybe-

"A spell to take my powers?" Neva finally found her voice again though it was quiet and held some hesitance behind it. She moved only her head as she looked up at Finn before bringing her eyes back to the book. She scanned over the words, her brows furrowing together as she took in everything. Whether they could trust what this book said or not was a question she didn't have an answer for but it was a step in the right direction at least. "It isn't close, it is her." Neva corrected, drawing her gaze back up to him with some worry in her eyes. Whomever wrote this book knew about that woman, creature...thing and didn't give very much detail about her either. Why would a creature that seemed so powerful already want to take Neva's powers? All the book did was draw more questions, which caused a small sigh to escape the princess's lips. Her head dropped to rest in the grove of Finn's neck and shoulder while her hand came up to move some of her hair behind her ear. "We should focus on first getting to King Merek's kingdom so we can get Kendra back. It would probably be better if she was with us before we actually went to search for the author of the book. It'd be...safer." She added quietly, knowing that if Kendra was with them they'd have another strong ally to help in case things went south. Not that Neva and Finn couldn't defend themselves at this point but taking extra precautions would be good. "Are you ready to set out tonight? I've got some stuff stowed away already to make things quicker."

Tristan Doherty
​

Tristan's eyebrow rose curiously with how she reacted to the question he posed. He had just been talking about this meeting, yet somehow he didn't think that that was what was going on in the princess' mind. Sure he had nothing to go on but his gut but usually that was pretty spot on. She seemed to play it off just fine so a small, friendly smile grew on Tristan's lips. There was something there, in the back of her eyes that gave it away to him. He'd have to keep a close eye on her today it seemed. "Just a bit but it was more because I was thinking of doing the same thing." He told her with a small chuckle, making sure to not give his own intentions away. Should something happen to the princess, who knew what kind of outcome it would have for the king. It was something Tristan didn't want to find out or even think about. Nodding his head slightly with the idea of a stroll, his hazel eyes darted back to her with a growing grin. "A stroll, huh. Sounds nice right about now." So much better than the way she worded the current conversation. He opened his mouth to say something about it but knew there wasn't much he could say. "Hold that thought." He told her before walking around the group to go to where his father was.

"As much as this is all well and dandy, I'm going to escort the princess around the gardens." Tristan told him quietly, not even caring that he had interrupted the conversation. Before his father could say anything on it, Tristan had started to head back towards Kendra. He only paused to turn a grin to his father as he added, "And we all know His Majesty's dogs are the best trained ones." There was some laughter from the group but luckily no one really caught on to Tristan's hidden meaning. Men could be considered dogs too for their undivided loyalty and service to their master, which in this case was the king. All too quickly the group began discussing the hunt once more as Tristan gave Kendra a smile again. "Well then, shall we?" He gave her a polite bow of his head as most nobles did when greeting the princess before holding his arm out to her like a gentleman. Not that he was a gentleman by any means but he knew how to act like one when it mattered. Once she took his arm, he started leading the way out of the room and down the hall. "The conversations of men are repetitive and boring, and that's on a good day. I can't even imagine what it must be like with a group of women." He spoke in a joking manner just to keep some small talk going between them. He didn't know what to say really since it wasn't often he was actually alone with her and he didn't want to be completely offensive right off the bat.

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Finn Kreger
​

“Kendra is our top priority.” he answered, that being his way saying the book would wait for a later time. So it was put out of his mind and off to the side for the time being. An arm came around Neva holding her a bit closer in a comforting matter, knowing the illustration had upset her a bit. He rested the bottom of his chin on her head as he listened to her question. “Yes, all set for tonight. I got all the previsions we discussed and will be waiting for you right outside the gate like planned.” He reassured, smiling as he leaned back against the tree. “What did you get your hands on this time?” he asked, looking down at her, knowing everything had to be swiped or it would look suspicious. He listened to her answer while running his fingers through her blue hair. It was one of his favorite attributes about her, because it matched her eyes so well. It was captivating in a way. “You got something to cover this up right?” he asked, tickling her nose with a chunk of her blue hair. “Don’t want to make it out the gate only to return because someone noticed your pretty blue head.” he teased, still playing with her hair for a bit longer before releasing it and smoothing it out. 

“What are we working on today?” he asked, getting down to what they had come here for. “Do you still need some practice in blocking tickles? he asked, starting up on tickling her once more. He aimed for her sides, which usually made her squirm the most. “You might piss off a Pixie and she will punish you by tickling you!” Finn strategically moved so he was over Neva, pinning her on her back making it more difficult for her to escape his grasp, knowing this time she would be more likely to put up a fight. “You really are bad at withstanding tickles.” he teased releasing her once more from his vice grip, laughing. “That never gets old.” he shrugged, smirking over at her as he got to his feet. “Oh, but seriously. What would you like to work on one last time before we head out on this grand adventure as you once put it?” he asked, offering his hand to help her to up. 

 
 

Princess Kendra
​

Kendra watched as Tristan exchanged words with his father, in a pretty abrupt manner. There must be a bit of tension between the two over something. Not that it was any of her business so she turned her attention elsewhere. Until he returned, which he did so straight away. Neither of them wanted to waste more time in this stuffy room, so she was quite thankful for his sped. All the men laughed at his little jab, though it seemed there was more to it. There was something in the way he had said it. “M-hmm.”she hummed, turning to the king. “Going to the gardens.” she told his majesty, giving a little wave bye. There was a nod of acknowledgement, but nothing more. Her real father had never been so distance with any of them in that manner and she had to wonder if that was just the sort of man the King Merek was or did it have to do with her not being his blood. Whatever the case was, he truly had a way of making himself look like a inconsiderate ass. Kendra wrapped her arm around Tristan’s has he lead the way to the gardens. 

Once out of the room in the hall they could hear each other without having to strain. It must been because feeling invisible all these years had eaten its way at her, but she took offense to his comment. It was all in good to keep the conversation going, but in a way he was mocking her gender, insinuating that they had less to say then the men they just left, which wasn’t much. A little voice had popped in her head, warning her that she was over thinking it. Only moments ago, she was thankful she wasn’t in the party of women gossiping. “Well, I have been blessed with enduring both circumstance often enough.” she giggled, smiling at him. “It all really depends on who is there. Older people, they’re excellent for entertainment with their jaw dropping comments and everyone else in the party not knowing how to go about it. You know, because that respect your elders rule they all preach. Some of the comments are pretty risky. Just the other day Lady Baedor announced how good the stable boy looks in his breeches at tea. All the gasps, probably just had to be there, but it was funny.” The memory caused her to laugh a bit, people practically spit up their tea when they heard that comment. They had made it outside finally and the sun felt good on her face. “So Tristan, what do you do?” she asked, deciding to get to know the man better. Nothing else really to discuss, she hardly knew him.

 

 

[pyreshadow]

Princess Neva
​

Neva felt herself relaxing a bit more against Finn when she felt his arm go around her. Somehow, no matter how worried or lost in thoughts about the bad that could happen, whenever she was with Finn all those thoughts seemed to just disappear. It caused a content sigh to escape her lips as she closed her eyes and just enjoyed the moment. He was still going to wait by the gate like they discussed and he was ready for their little adventure. She was too, given how she had hidden everything away to make sure it was all set to go. Now the only real troubling thing was waiting until nightfall to sneak out to the stables. That was going to take too long of a time now that the actual day was here. When he asked about what she had gathered, her eyes opened to glance up at him with a small smile. "I got us a map, a couple blankets, a couple change of clothes, some nut mix from the kitchen, and some jewels that we can sell off during our travels. I figured if we really actually needed anything, it'd be easier to get coin with those." Or at least Neva hoped it would be easier for them than carrying a bunch of things in the beginning. Even as she spoke though, she ended up curling just a bit more in his lap with the way he was combing through her hair. He knew exactly how to relax her without even trying.

Seeing blue suddenly caused her to focus on her hair before she let out a soft giggle with how he used it to tickle her slightly. "No one's going to notice my hair, I've got the perfect cloak to make sure my hair's all covered up. Besides, once we leave this city then it'll be fine." Neva was rather confident things would go as smoothly as she thought they would. She had it all planned out too, how no one would likely notice her missing until well into the morning. Before she could think too much on it, Finn got to the point of their meeting only in a way she wasn't expecting. "No! No, no...!" Despite the consistent giggle fit that ensued when he started tickling her again, she kept attempting to say no. As in that wasn't what she wanted to focus on but for the most part all she could do was laugh. Even as he pressed her to the ground Neva still attempted to swat his hands away or try to get her legs as leverage to get him off; of course it didn't work, it never did. "It's your fault for knowing all my ticklish spots, meanie." Neva pouted with his tease as she worked on getting her breath back in order. She highly doubted that a pixie would end up attacking her with tickles if she upset the creature, though she kept that thought to herself. Even though she wanted to keep pouting, when he held his hand out to help her up a small smile crept its way onto her cheeks.

"Well." Neva paused to think about it as she got up and dusted off the back of her dress. For a moment she stayed quiet as if in thought before glancing Finn up and down. With a small 'hm' sound, she leaned closer as if she was examining his face before a determined smile replaced her other one. "I'm more thinking about the fact that I will find a ticklish spot on you. One day, I know I will." Neva sounded confident in thinking he had to have one before another 'hm' sounded in her throat. She ended up twirling away a couple of feet before facing him again and placing her hands on her hips. "I'm pretty confident with creating walls or barriers of ice that could protect us. So if anything, I think it's best for me to work on making weapons like I've been working on. Just this past week I was able to keep two swords around me at once for a bit, not that I would actually need them both. But..." she briefly paused again as if thinking about it before she walked back over to Finn and took his hand in hers. "I was also thinking since we've been working so hard lately anyway that we could take this day to just relax a little. I'd really really like to see your tavern before we go." There was a pleading look in her eye, even if it was just a tad risky to go into town the day they'd be leaving. Not that she planned on getting caught but the risk would be worth it.

Tristan Doherty
​

Blessed? Tristan wouldn't consider having to be stuck in both sies of completely different conversations as being blessed. He stole a glance her way as they walked along at a leisurely pace before letting out a soft chuckle. She had a point with the older people bit and it seemed man or woman it was basically the same result. An old person said something harsh and no one could say anything back or correct them. That was just how it worked but there were a few times Tristan spoke up about it. It never ended well and the scolding he received for it was never fun. But it was worth it. "Baedor? That old ha-uh, woman?" Tristan quickly glanced around to make sure no one else had heard him almost call that woman a hag. Which in truth, much of the court's women were like that since they all loved to gossip and talk dirty about anyone. "I never pegged her the type to like them young like that." He shrugged lightly, tucking the information away in the back of his mind. Just in case. He probably wouldn't ever use it for anything but he'd still keep it there. As they stepped outside, Tristan gave a nod to the knights standing guard near before continuing on.

"What do I do?" Tristan repeated the question as he turned to look at Kendra before his free hand came up to lightly scratch at his cheek. Not because it itched but more because it was a habit of his when he thought about something. "I assume that's more of a 'my role' type of question. My father's been trying to teach me all his ways in preparation of me taking over the province he watches over one day. Being a duke is a lot of work or so he claims. But the key work is trying." He reiterated with a sly grin before turning to guide them down the stairs that led to the gardens. "I much prefer other things to being stuck in a stuffy mansion all day signing paperwork and tending to the king's oh so grand meetings." He added a dramatic flare to his speech that time before shrugging his shoulders lightly. "When I have free time, I actually study herbology with the nurses in secret and read a lot. I say in secret because if my father actually found out he'd probably try to kick my ass for it. He's not the type to think that sitting around staring at a leaf would do any good, for me at least. Thinks I should be just like him, like what he likes, that sort of thing." Which clearly Tristan was far from being anything like his father. "I still tend to do what I want anyway though. What about you? You seem to like keeping to yourself for the most part. Not a people person?"

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Finn Kreger
​

The pouty face she had only caused him to smile more. It was something he had grown very use to seeing over the years. After helping her up, he did the same and brushed off any grass or dirt on his trousers. When she inched closer, he tensed ready for a counter attack, but she merely inspected him. Eyeing her suspicious, he waited. “That is complete nonsense you speak of. I have no ticklish spots.” he lied, there was one, but it was really odd and hard to find. It was his knee cap. When he wasn’t standing and someone would squeeze the soft spots around the knee cap it would cause his leg to jump and give a tickling sensation. It was very difficult to do. Only one other beside him knew about it. By no means was he as ticklish as Neva. There would be no way that she would win in a tickle war, even if she was aware of his weak spot. He watched as she energetically twirled away from him, just standing in place until she made up her mind on what to work on with a goofy smile on his face. 

Weapon making that hadn’t always gone really well. The ice would burn after a bit if it didn’t melt. It was something they had to work on, but at the same time Finn had acquired a nice sword from himself and a few daggers for Neva, but that was a surprise for later when they met up that night. “We could practi-” The touch of her hand broke his concentration as their hands intertwined. That look, he knew that look. She was going to ask something that went against his better judgment. “Relax?” he mumbled, still listening as he pursed his lips together and looked at her suspiciously, waiting for her to get to the point. “Neva.” he whined, taking her hand and giving it a soft squeeze. Trying to ease in telling her no, something she was never really fond of hearing, from anyone. That puppy dog look always worked though. His hand tightened around hers as he pulled her in a bit closer to run his fingers through her hair. “You’re lucky you mastered that puppy dog look.” he signed, tucking the chunk of hair he was playing with behind her ear. “Let’s go. We have to be quick about it. Be back here before anyone notices you missing.” he added, it was about an hour walk and she shouldn’t be gone more than a few hours.
 

Princess Kendra
​

The story got a soft chuckle out of him and that was enough. Kendra kept her gaze on him to show she was listening attentively. Only looking away to watch her step down the stairs that lead to the gardens, doing so in heels and a giant gown was always a bit tricky. His choice of words was pretty risky, especially in her presence. He was the first to use foul language in front of her and to call someone a hag, though he had caught himself mid word. Now he had said ass. Not that she mind, but it was very frown upon in the community. They whole herbology caught her off guard, that was something she would suspect him to be interested in. “Herbology. . . interesting choice.” She smiled, pretty impressed that he preferred that to other activities men were so interested in, such as hunting or sport. The conversation was turned over to her, which she suspected to happen sooner or later. 

“I . . . don’t not like people.” she said, dancing around the true reason she was to herself most of the time. She couldn’t really explain it to him. The whole being sent overseas to a neighboring country for her protection was a pretty difficult thing to swallow. The fact was in her kingdom she had more liberties and Neva. A person to trust, someone she could always trust. It just seemed like a game of lies and truth here. No one being a true alley, just wanting the money and alliance to continue and that meant looking out for her. It was only for their own means in the end. “I guess I just have an acquired taste when it comes to the company I like to keep.” she shrugged, not know what else to say on the subject. There were many other couples out enjoying the day. Getting to know each other, doing the whole courting thing. One had an obnoxious laugh that had been going on while they were talking and it seemed to travel where ever they went. “Someone please gag her.” she whispered, but covered her mouth as soon as the mistake came out. That wasn’t appropriate to say and the embarrassment had turned her cheeks bright red. It was just her sort of dry sarcastic humor that sort of snuck out when she least expected. “That- that was supposed to be thought not said. . .” she admitted, her hand now traveling to play with her hair nervously. “You don’t mind?” she asked, gesturing over to a path that wasn’t very often taken.
 

 

[pyreshadow]

Princess Neva
​

Neva had nodded her head slightly when he repeated the main word she was hoping to do: relax. Sure there had been times to do it over the years but not entirely together like this. The chance for that to happen was slim so when it did, she desperately wanted it to happen. Thus the puppy dog eyes she was oh so good at. Even as Finn whined a little, she didn't let up and just trembled her bottom lip to add a bit of flare to it. Neva knew it was working, whether he wanted to admit it or not. Finn always went along with what she asked when she gave him this look. Though the look did falter when she was pulled closer and he combed through her hair in that comforting way of his. As he spoke, a grin started spreading its way onto her lips as she knew exactly where this was going. Her arms were thrown up into the air as she jumped slightly in her excitement before she shifted to hug Finn tightly. "Yay!" Her tone held the excitement as well as she moved away from him to look around. "It'll be fine, really. We'll be back before they even notice I'm gone." She spoke confidently again as she waved off his worry before taking his hand in hers again. She led the way back to the secret passage she used to get to the gardens and would use that to get out of the castle altogether.

Overall, it didn't take as long as Neva thought it would to sneak of the castle and get into town. Truth be told, it was good practice for tonight and it showed she was more than ready to go on this trip. They had only stopped once so that Neva could pick up the cloak she'd be wearing for the beginning of their journey. It was black with silver hems around the hood itself and dragged slightly behind her. It was meant for someone just a bit taller but the fabric was heavier and sturdier than hers so it would be good to keep warm also. It helped too since it didn't look like something a noble would wear since they preferred velvet to this material. As they walked the streets of the town, Neva kept her hood low to hide her hair but she couldn't help her curious eyes looking at almost everything they passed. It had been so long since she was able to come to town like this, even if she was hiding herself. Knights still walked the streets to make sure things stayed in order and those were the ones she wanted to avoid the most. The whole time they walked, Neva kept an arm around Finn and stayed close to his side. Every now and then she'd ask about certain things she didn't know about; like why an older man was waving an axe around as he chased a chicken. Why the blacksmith just kept himself so grungy and dirty even though there was plenty of time to bathe. Why there wasn't much in the way of water around them to begin with.

All in all, it caused Neva to feel like she didn't know much about how the world outside of the castle worked and it was true. Due to the king and queen wanting to keep her safe, they had ended up secluding her from most everything else. Neva hadn't minded then but now she was wishing she would have put up a fight on that so she could have learned more. All well, best to start at some point. The tavern that belonged to Finn came into view finally and the smile on Neva's face came back tenfold. "Wow, it's bigger than I thought it'd be." Neva commented as she eyed the building for a moment before turning to grin at Finn. "How busy does it get? Do you ever get overbooked where you don't have any seats? What-oh." Neva paused when she was about to ask a few questions when an important one popped into her head. "What are you going to do about the tavern while you're gone?"

Tristan Doherty
​

Tristan eyed her with a grin and curious brow when she mentioned his study being an interesting choice. "You can't be a very good fighter if you end up bedridden because of a fever from a wound that won't close." Tristan gave the example lightly though there was a bit more to it than that. He happened to love nature and since he was a child, he wanted to involve himself in it. Helping the gardeners even when he got in trouble, experimenting with what herbs did what -and using his father's servants as guinea pigs sometimes- it was all so invigorating. He loved herbology and wasn't afraid to say it to his father either. When Kendra began to answer his question, he could tell there was some hesitance there. It was probably something that she didn't want to talk about with someone she hardly knew. Tristan wouldn't really want to if he had the choice either, though he was pretty seclusive regardless. "An acquired taste?" Tristan repeated with a chuckle as he looked over the princess again; what a way to say she was picky. It was no wonder that there weren't a lot of good rumors going around about Kendra, not that he completely paid attention to those. At the mention of gagging, he turned in the direction of the rather annoying laughter as his grin only grew. Now that was a side of Kendra he'd never seen before. As he looked back, he could tell she was embarrassed by it and ended up laughing quietly with her reaction. For a thought, it had been pretty loud.

"So." Tristan turned to go down the path that she mentioned before glancing once more to the annoying woman. "Why exactly do you care if you say something like that?" He asked her once they were a little further away from the other couples. "It's not something that you have to hide just because you have to be all proper. You should just be you and not what they want you to be, Kendra. What's the point of just being a clone of someone else when you were given your own body, your own mind, your own thoughts?" As he spoke, he pulled away from her and bent down to look at some of the flowers that had been tugged out of their spot along the path. He moved some dirt to the side so he could stick the roots back into the ground and pushed the dirt back over it. At least there was a chance it could still grow and not wilt now. "I bet you'd find someone that satisfied your pickiness if you were to be yourself more." Tristan added in a more playful manner as he stood up and wiped his hands together to get most of the dirt off.

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Finn Kreger
​

 All her plans were successes in her mind, even the very poor ones. That was just something about her he had grown used to. When her arms wrapped around him he sighed in defeat as he gave her a small hug in return before releasing her. “You always say things will be fine. That will probably cut my arm off. Oh, don’t worry everything will be fine.” he teased, the last bit in a girly mocking tone. “Always finding new ideas that could end me up in the stocks.” Finn shook his head slightly as he began to follow her out to the secret pathway that lead out of the kingdom. Just one quick stop for her cloak and off they went. There arms were linked the whole time, as he kept her close and in a safe distance. Doubtful anything would happen, but he didn’t like taking chances when it came to her safety. The questions she asked were odd, but he had to remind himself all of this was foreign to her. The way she worded it though, made it even seem strange to him, even when it was a day to day occurrence. The farmer trying to kill the chicken was probably what caused him to laugh the most, because to a stranger in this town it truly was an odd sight.

As the rounded a corner the tavern came into view and Finn pointed it out. There was a sign dangling from the door that said ‘Kreger’s Palace’ in big carved letters that was outline with a dark green paint. “Bigger?” he asked surprised, turning over to her. “Why would you think it be small?” he teased, laughing. “To answer all your little questions, during festivals it gets hard to seat everyone. At night it gets quite full after the men have finished all their work. I left a close mate in charge while I’ll be away. Plus, Cook will be checking in to make sure things are going smooth.” he added, everything had been thought of when it came to this.Finn guided her to the front door. As they reached the entrance the door popped opened to reveal a couple of the king’s guard. The two were regulars and recognized him at once. “Finny boy!” one exclaimed, making it obvious they had a few too many. Finn stepped in front of Neva waving for her to go in behind his back. “Gents don’t you have some work to do?” he joked, slapping the one closes to the door and facing his back to it to make it easier for Neva to go by undetected. “We’re working.” They protested, one letting a belch out right after finishing their sentence. “Ah, so am I. Just forgot something and then I’ll have to get. Chat another time?” he waved them off and turned to go inside and went straight to Neva. There were not words exchanged, but he gave that brief look of I told you so.  

“Finn!  Didn’t know you be back so soon. Alfred told us you be gone for some time.” A young blonde called out, wearing a low cut dress, showing off quite a bit of cleavage. The waitress briefly looked over Neva before turning to Finn to listen on what he had to say. “Just checking in, making sure Freddy didn’t burn the place down.” he lied, licking his lips as she looked for a quiet corner the two of them could sit for a bit. Give Neva the opportunity to try some of the cuisine and perhaps a drink if she wanted. “You’re soo funny Finny.” The waitress giggled, putting hand up on his shoulder and leaning into him. “Who is your friend? Haven’t seen her around.” the girl cooed, turning back to Neva only briefly before looking up to Finn for answers. Finn looked his lips nervously as he didn’t know a name of the top of his head to introduce her as or a cover. “Th-this is Eva.” A voice in his head began screaming at him for not coming up with a better name. It was enough for his worker though. “Adorable. What can I get you sweetie?” she asked, taking her order.  
 

Princess Kendra
​

His laughter only brightened her cheeks a more red. It was definitely inappropriate thing to comment on. In normal circumstances, she would have leaned over to her sister and said such a comment in secrecy. Tristian was on to something, but everything was a lie about her here. As a guest in one’s house, not matter how long, you tend to do as they ask of you. A wall was built to keep people out for her safety, so in truth she didn’t really mind that no one met the standards. It was all temporary anyhow. After tonight they would just be a faint memory that she would most likely try to block out. Her gaze followed him as he went over to the plant that had been torn away. “There are enough people in my life that suit my pickiness.” she retorted, stepping closer to get a better look at what he was doing. It was a difficult to master taking care of plants. Kendra never tried, always figured they would end up dead in her care. Tristian seemed to know well enough what he was doing. “Is it going to make it?” she asked, after he had tucked it back into the earth. She knew the type of flower. It was a Calla lily, one of her favorites because of its simplicity, but yet it still was quite beautiful. All the years with Neva in the garden and her finding refuge in this one she had become familiar with the types of flowers. “Calla lilies are pretty high up there on my favorites.” she admitted, shrugging a bit as she started walking further into the gardens to keep the distance between them and the other couples. Must of seemed so scandalous to the others. That was something she was going to run into everywhere and never get used to, being under a microscope.

“What are you going to do the day your father tries to pass on his legacy?” she asked, since he seemed so gun ho against taking over the responsibilities of that land. The time would still come when it becomes his. After all he was the heir, or so it seemed by the way he was talking earlier. There were no brothers that she had ever heard of, not that she was really seeking out that information. Free from his arm, Kendra determined where they were going in to garden as they talked. There was a little area that was over looked because it was simpler than other parts of the garden, which meant the cackling of a certain duchess was less likely to make it in this part. There was something about this day, where she didn’t really want to me around anyone. Perhaps, it had to do with being so close to breaking out of here. Free to be herself as Tristian mentioned earlier. “Ah, peaceful isn’t it?” she asked, taking a seat on a stone bench in the center. There were a few roses in this little corner, but the rest was greenery. Enough space was left for him if he chose to sit next to her. Kendra wouldn’t be offended anyway that it went. “What is your favorite plant?” she asked, trying to keep things going.
 

 

[pyreshadow]

Princess Neva
​

"I don't know how big a tavern would be." Neva pouted again as she spoke after his tease but the pout faded rather quickly when he answered her questions. The mention of a festival caused her to wonder what that was like, having never been to one. There was a time where she was almost allowed but ended up in the library since she was told to study instead. From the sounds of it, Finn had thought of everything to make sure his tavern still ran smoothly while he was gone. Somehow she felt a pang of guilt for taking him away from his place but it was bound to happen. They made a promise and neither of them were ones to break promises. As they neared the door, Neva felt herself flinch lightly when her father's knights opened it. She shrank herself to hide behind Finn some as he stepped in front of her. Why were they here during the day like this? They should be working! Even as panic set it, Finn seemed to be handling it rather well. Neva took the opportunity he gave her and snuck passed the knights to get into the tavern itself. She moved off to the side, taking in a slow breath of relief before looking around.

There didn't seem to be anyone else from the castle, which meant she'd be safe enough to remove the cloak. She didn't yet but she did pull the hood back enough where it rested at the baseline of her hair. That way the blue was still covered but her face could be seen. To the public she'd be unrecognizable since she hadn't come out since she was young. Sure the were rumors but that was about it. When she heard steps, she turned to see Finn giving her that look. Her mouth opened to say something about it but closed when someone else called his name. Neva eyed the woman in surprise with the way she was dressed, her arms crossing over her chest slowly. Who was she? Neva supposed someone that worked under Finn but the way she was being so touchy caused an odd feeling to bubble in Neva. She swallowed hard as she looked from Finn to the woman's arm around him. Neva felt apprehensive, insecure, and a mix of other emotions that she hadn't felt before. What she wanted to do was push the woman off of Finn or at least tell her to stop touching him. Maybe slip a little ice around her feet and let her trip. As much as she'd like to do that, she also didn't want to cause problems for him either. Maybe she could...her thoughts stopped when she heard Finn butcher her name and wrinkled her nose a little. It took a minute for it to click as to why he did that but that didn't help any with how she was currently feeling.

When the woman asked her what she wanted, Neva eyed her again before looking around the tavern. There was a small table off in the corner with two empty seats that she caught a glimpse of. "I don't want anything from you." The words slipped from Neva's lips before she realized what she was thinking. Even when it repeated in her head though she didn't try to fix it. She glanced to Finn with a mixed look, one that held hurt the most, before walking away to head to that table. All the while she walked, her mind wracked with trying to figure out what she was feeling. It wasn't until she sat down and rested her head in her hand that she figured it out. Was she...jealous? It made sense in a way but why would she feel that way? Finn had a life outside of the castle and had one for a long time. Of course he'd know other people, even clingy ones like that woman. Neva knew she couldn't be the only one he talked to, so why did she feel this way? Why did she think she should be the only one touching him? A small groan of annoyance escaped her lips as she closed her eyes and tried to think of something else.

Tristan Doherty
​

Somehow Tristan doubted her words very much given how Kendra was hardly ever seen with someone like this. She was more of a loner and everyone knew it. He glanced back down at the flowers before shrugging his shoulders lightly with her question. "They have a chance but it's not a guarantee. They were pulled from the roots, probably by one of the dogs that get walked here." He was hopeful but hope only got someone so far. He was more the type to do the work needed and get what he wanted himself than to just hope for it. When he heard the name of the flower come from Kendra's mouth, he turned back to her with an amused smile before nodding slowly. "Impressive." He commented, more about the fact that she knew the flower than knowing it was her favorite. Though that would also be kept in the back of his head, just in case. When she moved again, he followed after her and kept his eyes peeled in case there were other plants that needed tending to. Luckily there weren't any so his focus went right back to Kendra with her next question. "I haven't thought that far ahead, so I don't know yet." It was a partial lie; he knew he wasn't going to take over for his father, that much was a fact. Being a duke wasn't for him and his father was starting to realize it. Slowly.

"Maybe he'll focus more on my little sister and get her to take over." He added as an afterthought though he knew how doubtful that was. Not only was she too young to even consider but she was also a she. Women didn't take over a province and the thought alone caused many to laugh at. It was still a thought that he could probably get into his father's head so long as she was married off to the right kind of man. As they walked to a more secluded area, Tristan looked up at the sky and closed his eyes from the breeze that passed them by. It was peaceful, as Kendra said. A day like this was rare given how beautiful of a day it really was. He took a moment to just enjoy it before he sent Kendra a rather amused look. "Curious today, aren't we?" He said in a teasing manner, his hands looping through his belt as he stepped closer to her. It wasn't often that he talked to anyone about anything other than the dukedom and what might happen. Or maybe it was just the fact that he wasn't comfortable letting others know how he really was. Either way, he let out a soft sigh as he thought about it for a moment. "I guess that'd be the plumeria flower. It's one of the sweetest smelling flowers you'll ever come across and the smell is an enticing one. There's also the jade vine but that's a rare one; it glows in the dark and bats tend to be the ones to pollinate it."

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Finn Kreger
​

Everything caught him off guard, the tone, her reaction when the order was being taken, the decline all together and how she singled out the waitress. Finn was about to address her attitude when he saw all the twisted emotions on her face, hurt the most prominent. That caused him to swallow his words and watch as she walked off, stunned. Never had she reacted like this, but then again it had always just been the two of them around. “Neva . . .?” he called her back, but she didn’t stop. A sigh of frustration came out as he rubbed his temple. Women could be very difficult to figure out at times, normally he just didn’t care enough to put the effort into it. “Neva?’ the waitress questioned, but Finn wasn’t paying any attention to her. His eyes were following Neva. “That was pretty rude.” The waitress grumbled, pouting a bit. “Yeah, um Charlotte there is a table over there you should wait on first. Give me some time to talk to her.” Finn walked off before any protest could be made and walked over to the table that Neva was at. It was obvious something was bothering, but what he had no idea. Never being on the other end of her being upset he didn’t really know how to approach the young princess. “Neva?” he asked unsure if his presences was even unwanted. Not that he could really go anywhere; he wasn’t going to leave her alone. 

“Do you want to go?” he asked, not sure if he should ask what she was so upset about. Men had done that in the bar when their wives came in fuming about how long they had been there and it never went down really smooth. That was just something he figured to keep as a last resort or to word the question better. Finn took a seat and bent a littler lower to get a better view of her face. It seemed she was still frustrated, that something was bothering her. “We can go back or you can tell me what is going on? What is bothering you so I can help.” The subject was touchy and he was trying to go at it as tactfully as possible, but this was really out of his depth. In all eleven years he had known Neva she hand never acted this way before. Slowly, he reached his hands out to take hers and hold them, trying to get good eye contact He had a bit of a hunch why she was acting this way, the more that he thought about it. It was a shot in the dark, so he wasn’t going to insinuate anything. For some time know he had known the waitress fancied him, not the first. The tavern brought in a lot of business and that made him eye candy for many that wanted a life well off. There had been feelings for Neva for some time, but he pushed them away. She was royalty and he was a commoner the two never mixed really well. There were plenty to remind him of his place when it came to Neva’s and his relationship over the years. So all the feeling had just been pushed down and suppressed.
 

Princess Kendra
​

Curious, was that his nice way of saying nosy? There were quite a few questions thrown her way earlier involving more than plants. Kendra wrinkled her nose a bit in disapproval, but bit her tongue as he was answering the question. One common thing around this kingdom, everyone wanted their nose in your business, but when you took a closer look at them they were closed off. Like they had something to hide, probably did. She very well was hiding things. The plants he spoke of he had never come across. The rare one was an obvious, but the other one had eluded her all these years. “I’ve never seen those two.” she answered, giving a bit of a shrug. “Sound nice. The one that glows in the dark would be interesting to see.” she added, with a bit of smile. The empty space next to her remained empty, so she had taken it. Wrapping her arms around her legs she lifted her legs up and on the bench, making sure the skirt of the dress followed in a manner where no one would see too much. Then she scooted to the end so there was enough room for her to lie down. Her legs bent down at the knees and dangled over, but that didn’t bother as she let them swing. 

The sky was a light blue, with giant fluffy cloud roaming around up there. Some had a funny shape, like the one that looked similar to a peacock .They were fun to look at sometimes. Good way to kill time. That was the reason for lying she wanted the sun to beam down on here and relax. Closing her eyes, she felt it warm her face as she folded her hands together across her stomach. It probably would seem strange to people back from her homeland, how much they loved the sun, but it rained or was cloudy most days here. With certain chill that just never left, even when snuggled close to a fire. “Can we just not go back in? Is that an option?” she asked, not wanting to be called curious again, she kept the questions and conversation off of him. “That be nice. Never going back.” Soon enough she wouldn’t have to and that brought a nice smile on her face as she thought of being back with her sister soon. Back to her bed, if it was even there still. It never occurred to her since she would have out grown many of the things she had that there would be nothing to go back to. Worry wrinkled her face as she did not know how home was anymore.
 

 

[pyreshadow]

Princess Neva
​

Neva had started nibbling on one of her fingernails, something that she had been told many times was a bad habit. She couldn't help it though, it was the only thing that seemed to help her concentrate on her thoughts. She had managed to at least figure out she really didn't like the idea of another woman touching Finn like that. Not only did it make her feel jealous -something she most certainly wasn't used to- but also hurt and even envious that, in this case, the waitress could touch him so openly. Neva knew if she had done something like that in the castle, there would have been a scolding that lasted all day for the both of them and then Finn likely would have been kicked out of the castle. For a little bit. It just wasn't fair! Neva huffed a little in annoyance before she heard her name being called. She shifted slightly to glance over her shoulder to Finn before letting out a quiet 'hmph'. Her gaze went forward again as she rested her head in her hand once more. It wasn't that she didn't want to be here, she found the place rather comforting in a way. Maybe it was because it was Finn's.

When Finn moved to sit across from her, Neva eyed him for a moment before moving her gaze to face the wall. This would make the first time she'd ever gotten upset at Finn; he'd seen her upset plenty of times towards other people though. She heard his question but still said nothing, though she supposed it was more because she wasn't sure how to answer him. If she just openly said she didn't want someone touching him like that, how would he react? Maybe it was a selfish thought but she wanted to be the only one to touch him. Which led to more thoughts as she tried to think about the why behind that but before she could get very far, she felt his hands take hers. Slowly she brought her eyes to meet with his, a mix of a pout and a glare on her features. He was pretty adamant about getting an answer from her. With a small sigh, she shifted so her elbows could be on the table and allow her to be more comfortable. "I don't want to go back yet but..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced over her shoulder to eye the waitress again. She might as well just say it since she never was good at keeping anything from Finn.

"I don't like the way she was touching you, like she's trying too hard to sell herself or something." A term that she heard from one of the knights, not that she knew what it meant completely. "And you were completely okay with it." Another hurt glare was sent his way before Neva's eyes looked down at their hands. "I just, I guess I thought that...you know, I'd be the only one to...f-forget it, never mind." As much as Neva could tell him just about anything, saying she wanted to be the only one touching him out loud just caused a small blush to cross her cheeks. So she decided to go a different route and tried to still seem like she was upset even though it was clear she wasn't now. She knew now there was just no way she could stay mad at him. "Why do you let her touch you like that?"

Tristan Doherty
​

"It's no surprise you haven't seen either of them, they don't really bloom around these parts. The plumeria flower only blooms in a tropical climate while the jade vine only grows in damp forests or ravines." Tristan explained as he watched her get comfortable on the bench she was sitting on. At times she certainly didn't act like a princess and this was one of them; not even a duchess would lay down the way Kendra was. She didn't seem like she had a care in the world as she just gazed up at the sky quietly. Tristan held back the chuckle he felt as he looked up briefly also. The day was a good day overall with the way the weather was so perfect. If the sun wasn't so bright it might have been better but that was the only complaint he had. Hearing Kendra speak again brought his gaze back down to look her over with a curious gaze. To not go back wasn't an option for either of them, even if he was actually agreeing it would be nice. It would be nice to not have someone breathing down your back to make sure you're prepared for something you don't want to do. It would be nice to be free to do whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. Dreams that seemed so far away would be reachable, if only they weren't stuck here.

"That would be nice." Tristan let out with a small sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can imagine the kind of life I'd actually be able to have if I wasn't shackled down by a title. Free as a bird that flies high in the sky without a care in the world." But that just wasn't possible. Taking a small breath to prevent the sigh he felt coming, Tristan ran his fingers through his hair before eyeing the princess again. "What would you do, if you were free of this place?" He asked her, more than a little curious to know her thoughts since she had brought it up. She had to have some kind of dream, right? They all did, that was why they could live the way they do. Or at least Tristan thought so.

 

[SparkleBreaker]

 Finn Kreger
​

An answer almost didn’t seem like it was going to be in the cards. Finn didn’t know how to handle her being upset, there was nothing they weren’t able to talk about. Yet, there she was closed off. He was ready to give up when she finally spoke up. The glare made it seem hopeless, but she was at least talking. She didn’t want to leave, that was a good sign. “Ok.” he answered, relieved. There was more to it and he wasn’t going to let it go until he got all his answers until she continued. Charlotte touching him was it? His hunch had been right, but he was still having problems processing all of it. Where did she get off with him not being touched by other women? None of it made sense. Did that mean she had feelings for him? He started getting butterflies. Did they have a chance if they feelings were mutual? All sorts of scenarios were going through his mind. of them telling everyone off or running off but that ended soon. He eyed her as she danced around with words, not being able to tell him what was really on her mind. The following question caught him off guard. The tables were turned on him. A part of him felt guilty. If he had known it would bother Neva he wouldn’t have let the other women be so close to him, but honestly he didn’t think she had seen him more than a friend. Licking his lips, he looked away from her, it was tricky to answer without confessing that he didn’t know the girl he wanted to be with liked him back. 

“I dunno honestly.” he mumbled, looking down at his hands on the counter. They were still holding hers, but he had loosened his grip. “I don’t like her that way.” he admitted, looking back up at her. The fact was after all these years no one had looked at him like the women did around here. The way men interacted with him, chatting with him. Remembering him by his name instead of the brown hair boy with the tray. Here he wasn’t the servant boy. “It’s just nice to be wanted.” he shrugged, looking over to the wall. “I wasn’t aware it bothered you. I wouldn’t let it have happened if I did.” There was one more question on is mind and it was begging to get out. He just had to work the nerve up to spit it out. “W-why does it bother you? Do you want that . . .” Finn couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. The answer frightened him more. It was him just setting himself up to be rejected anyway. The two would never be allowed together. “Do you want that sort of relationship?” he asked, working up the nerve to ask the question that he wanted. It was too hard to look at her, so he avoided eye contact and kept his head down towards the table. At least he could put it behind him with some answers. It was all starting to get too confusing and he didn’t want to jeopardize their friendship.
 

Princess Kendra
​

Sounded like he was a poet as he spoke about being as free as a bird. It caused her to smile as she thought on how close she was to being out of there. It was enticing, the thought and it made her just want to make a run for it right there and then. Never look back at these people. It would be easy enough for her to do so. Taking a deep breath in, she let out a sigh of content. That was until he asked a question. Turning her head sideways, she looked over to him, her hand blocking out any sunlight that wanted to go into her eye. “Who is the curious now.” she smirked at him, it was just playful. She hummed a hmmm as she went back to enjoying the sun. Only the escape had been planned, not what she would do once she was out. It had never really occurred to her. All her spare time went into practicing on her powers or trying to figure a way to get out. There weren’t any hobbies that weren’t chores. Piano, writing poetry, learning varies languages was all required and was just so she could impress men. None of it interested her in the slightest. That made his question all the harder to answer.

“Don’t have a clue.” she giggled, thinking that she must have been a ditz not to have thought that far. “Only thought of getting out, not what I would do once free. Guess it doesn’t matter. I’m not getting out.” Well as far as he knew and that is all he needed to know. “I’d just want to try things” she added, because that is what she would end up doing. “Travel. I want to see different places. The options would be limitless.” All of the ideas were swirling in her head now on what she could do. Perhaps, Neva and her could travel somewhere. Kendra was sure her sister would have ideas of what they should do once reunited. “What about you? What would you do?” she asked, sitting back up and looking over to him. A smile was on her face. She was truly enjoying this little outing they were having, mainly because they both had the same feeling about the place.
 

 

[pyreshadow]

Princess Neva
​

Neva watched him turn away and ended up eyeing him a moment longer than she should have. More so when he said he didn't know. That caused some of the anger to come back but she kept it in check for the time being. Finn was still talking and just hearing him say he didn't like that waitress that way put some of her mind at ease. She was a bit saddened by his next words, her eyes finding their way to the wall again. Neva had always wanted him and had gone through great lengths for him too. There had been many times some of the arguments she'd had in the castle were about Finn himself since she hadn't liked the way he was treated. It had been another thing -like her sister- that seemed unwavering to change no matter how much she fought though. With a small sigh, she slowly brought her gaze back to his before he asked something she hadn't expected. He didn't finish his question at first but he brought up the why part and had her mind wracking for an answer all over again. For a moment, she actually couldn't find her voice to answer and a small squeaking sound escaped her lips. She had to clear her throat before she felt she could actually talk again. Only she didn't right away when she noticed how Finn was looking down. Did...he want that sort of relationship with her? The thought caused an odd tickling feeling that traveled through her stomach as the blush came back to her cheeks.

Keeping one hand in his, Neva got up and used the other to grab her chair. She pulled it closer so that she was now sitting next to Finn before taking his other hand and gently pulling them to their laps. "I've never...felt for someone before as I do for you, Finn. I can tell you anything, I'm always thinking about you, I get really happy knowing you're coming. Whenever you're near, it's like the world is a brighter place and I can do anything." Neva paused to swallow down some of the nervous feeling that was starting to grow in her. It was written all over her face too even though she tried hard to keep it down. "I...it's selfish of me but I don't want other women touching you. I guess I just sort of assumed that I'd be the only one to have that so today was kind of an eyeopener." Okay, first question knocked out of the way, though Neva was rather hoping it played into the second one. One of her hands started nervously tracing circles on the back of his as she looked down for a moment. "A-as for your other question, i-it seemed like -to me- we were already in that sort of relationship. I put on airs for other people but I've never been this way with anyone but you." Which at least thanks to today it was becoming a lot more evident to her why she was like that with Finn and no one else. With everything she said, it had to mean she liked him as more than just a friend; it was just something she never quite thought about since she just assumed things would continue the way they had. "Um, would it be bad for you...if I said I wanted that with you?"

Tristan Doherty
​

"Never said anything was wrong with curiosity." Tristan returned her smirk with a grin of his own as he kept his gaze on her. He knew what he would do, if he didn't have the title of duke anymore. Well, technically he was doing what he wanted on most days even with the title but he could do without the restraints. When she answered, he let out a soft laugh as he placed a hand on his hip and the other in the air. That meant Kendra was the type to think as she went, which wasn't a bad thing. As she thought more out loud about it, Tristan found himself nodding a little at the thought of travel. That would be how he'd end up too since what he'd want to do would involve travel. When the question was directed back to him, a soft 'hmm' came from his throat as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. This would be the first time he'd ever been so open with someone before but he supposed it wasn't such a bad thing. To an extent anyway. Seeing as she had sat up, Tristan moved to sit beside her and pretended like he was thinking for a moment.

"As much as I'd like to say I'd do nothing but lay in bed all day, that isn't true. To a degree yeah, I'd spend some days doing nothing but maybe cloud watching. Other days, it'd be spent with the people." He gave Kendra a small smile before leaning down so his head was resting on the back of the bench. "The other day there was a fire that destroyed a baker's shop in the city. His Majesty either didn't know of it or didn't care enough to send someone to help get him fixed back up. That was last week. Along with some of the other workers in the city, I've been helping them rebuild the shop and gave the baker a place to stay for the time being. That's what I like doing, helping people. If I wasn't bound by this title, then -much like you- I'd travel to the different cities, towns, and villages to offer help whether it's in that way or medicinal purposes. The kingdom is great and all but once you leave the main city, things aren't as pretty." It was something Tristan was rather hoping to get his father to convince the king to send men to fix but that had yet to happen. "I guess this means I'm suited for your pickiness then since we're still talking." He added with a grin towards Kendra, mainly to keep the topic light and not too heavy.

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Finn Kreger
​

Only seconds had gone by, but it felt like ages. Two voices in his head were arguing on what the hell he was doing. One telling him not in a million years would this be blessed and able to happen. The other voice kept telling him that the feelings were mutual go for it. The longer it took for her to answer the more he regretted asking. It never should have been asked because it was never going to be acceptable in the eyes of her kind. Finn looked up when she felt one of her hands slip out of his and watched as she came closer. He turned and positioned himself to face Neva as they held each other’s hands in their laps. It very well seemed that she liked him, especially the way she spoke about him. It caused a small smile to spread as he looked at her. The light circles on the back of his hand were soothing as the following question was answered, the one he wanted to know. His brow rose in surprise how she had thought it was already happening between the two. He could see it, but he always just figured that was his own desire sneaking in and making him thing that. Giving her hand a soft squeeze he gave her a comforting smile before he moved one hand to play with her hair that was still under the hood of the cloak.

“Honest, I had no idea you felt that way.” he admitted, his hand traveling down to cup her cheek. “I wouldn’t have let that happened if I did.” he reassured, which was the truth. The lady was just distraction from what he really wanted and thought he couldn’t act on. Nothing more. “And no. It would not be bad for me if you told me that is what you wanted.” He answered, not stroking her cheek with his thumb. When has it ever been bad for me to have you by my side? “ he added, breaking into a light laugh. “We won’t count all the times I did or almost got in trouble for you little schemes.” he laughed more, bopping her on the nose lightly with his index finger, before going back to play with her hair some more. After the laughter settled he looked up at her with a serious face. “Is that the sort of relationship you want with me?” he asked, swallowing all his nerves. It was pretty obvious, but he needed to hear it. Just so he knew he wasn’t chasing a dream and they were both in it together.

   

Princess Kendra
​

“I guess, I haven’t had the urge to gag you or anything so I think you passed all my picky standards.” she giggled, swinging her legs back in forth as she hunched over them, with her hands resting on the bench and holding herself up. “Still on probation though.” she added playfully, before looking down to the ground. “I’ve never been out of the castle before.” she admitted. It was too much of a risk they didn’t want anything to happen to her while the King was entrusted to protect her. “Never seen a baker shop or anything of the sorts, but that was a nice thing you did.” she nodded, wondering if the news had not been told to the King or if he just swept it under the rug with many problems like it. Kendra never found the man dependable unless it was for his own gain. Why her safety was believed to be better under his care was a mystery to her. Must be a closer family tie she did not know about.

“How would being a duke get in the way of that, helping others? Wouldn;t it give you more means and power to do some good? I guess the traveling would be difficult. You could still help many on your land and advice the king to do so as well.” she asked, actually stumped. It might have to do with Neva and herself doing as they pleased when they were together and she was at her rightful station. “I mean I can see your father getting in the way right now with him wanting you to run things the way he wants it, but once you take over couldn’t you do things how’d you like it?” It felt like she had pried too much. It really wasn’t polite of her to ask such questions or pose those thoughts. “Sorry, I’m over stepping. . .” she said before he could answer, wincing a bit at her actions. “That is what happens when the filters comes off.” she laughed nervously. Still kicking herself on the inside for prying too much in someone else’s life, especially since she knew nothing of the responsibilities that came with that title or for being a man.
 

 

[pyreshadow]

Princess Neva
​

Neva felt more than just nervous after having said all she did. She was torn between keeping her eyes on Finn and just staring at their hands. Both seemed like they'd end up the same way so she figured she might as well just keep her eyes on him. When he smiled and lifted his hand to her hair, Neva swallowed again as a small blush crept onto her cheeks still. How could he not have known she felt this way? Okay, well she hadn't even fully realized it since she thought it was just normal for the two of them. A small nod was all she could muster at the moment with his reassurance, knowing he was telling the truth. There was no point in lying, least of all to each other with how close they were. The blush darkened some when he answered her question though the tease she could have done without. A pout spread underneath the red as she stuck her tongue out at him briefly. Her nose wrinkled lightly with the touch it received before she spoke up. "You hardly got in trouble for my schemes." Mostly he didn't anyway. "Most of the time I was able to cover it up pretty well to make it seem like I just dragged you along. You must be having trouble remembering already." Neva teased him lightly, some of the nervousness going away for the most part.

Moments like these were what made it seem like there could be everything wrong in the world but it'd still feel so perfect. The world may be full of creatures they didn't know about, even the one that had tried taking her sister's life, but she felt safe with Finn. More safe than she felt when she was alone in the castle. Bringing her eyes back to his face, the question he presented almost caught her off guard again. Somehow she thought that she had answered it already but maybe she hadn't properly answered it. "Yes." Neva was quick to nod as she brought his other hand to her so she could rest her cheek against it lightly. "Mother told me what it was to love before, how she had grown to love father but it had taken some time. She told me that when you love someone, you'll know it from the bottom of your heart even if you don't realize it. And you'd do anything for that person." Neva paused as she brought her gaze back down, resting their hands again in their laps. "I think...that I've loved you for a long time, I just...didn't realize it until today. You've always had a special place in my heart, Finn and I...I...ugh, this is so embarrassing." Neva's pout came back tenfold as she brought her hands up to bury her face in them, which in turn was hiding in Finn's hand. After taking a small breath to gain some measure of control, she stayed hidden in their hands but added, "I want to be with you."

Tristan Doherty
​

"My, gagging. How pleasant." Tristan commented in a small tease, wondering how exactly that would work if she were to actually attempt that. It would certainly be the talk of the castle for a while. He chuckled some and brought his arms up to rest behind his head in a comfortable manner. This day was going rather peacefully so he supposed it was a good way to kill some time. He glanced over to Kendra with her admittance, a curious brow raised at the mention. How was she never out of the castle? He had assumed she had the same privileges as everyone else and she wasn't under lock and key but maybe he was wrong. It was more surprising to know she'd never been to a baker's shop before; that got him sitting up to stare at her in surprise before looking up to the sky in thought. It would be pretty easy since he knew the layout of the town well and the guards that were on duty currently. Plus the area that the shop was in was a good one, so it wasn't like any harm could come to her. Least of all since he'd be at her side the whole time. Maybe...his thoughts paused when she spoke again, drawing his gaze back to her with a small smile. She had a point with her question, he would have power to get things done and likely some means too. He waited until she got everything out but when she apologized, he let out a small genuine laugh. Slowly he reached out to touch her shoulder in a reassuring manner.

"I like you better when you're filters come off, you seem more...lively." Tristan admitted as he stood up, brushing off his pants some. He took a couple steps forward as he thought for a moment longer before shrugging his shoulders. "Becoming the duke would grant me status and power to a degree but not the kind that I'd want. I want to be there to physically help a person in need, not send soldiers or men to do my bidding. The king hardly listened to his brother for advice, so he certainly wouldn't listen to any duke when it comes to doing things for the people. The only good of becoming a duke would be the resources I could use but that just isn't worth it to me." He answered her quietly, keeping his gaze up towards the sky as he did so. Being this open with someone felt...odd yet at the same time, it felt natural with her. Best not to keep it focused on him though. His eyes went back to her with a small grin before he stepped closer and held his hand out to her. "Come on, I'll show you the baker's shop. I know the guards working the gate right now so they'll let us through."

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Finn Kreger
​

The answer was unexpected as she dove right into the word love. A yes was satisfactory, but a lot more came out and it turned him red, which he never did. Love was a strong word, but he felt it too. The embarrassment that she was going through caused a wide smile as she hid in their hands in a cute way. “A yes was enough, but I love you too.” he added, pulling their hands away so he could look at her. “I want to be with you and no other.” he confirmed, smiling at her. Lightly, he held her chin up looking to at her eyes then to her lips before he bent in and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. It was brief, but sweet still. He tucked away any stray hairs behind her ear before going back to holding her free hand. It felt good to get that out of the way and be on the same page. It sort of made him feel like an idiot for not seeing the signs earlier, though she admitted it wasn’t until today that she understood her feelings fully.   “Now, that was sorted.” he stated clearing his throat, hoping the whole debacle  of mixed feelings would go away with as little tension as possible. “Can we eat and enjoy you being in the tavern for the first time?” he asked, ordering food ether way this went. The whole ordeal and made him famished and his stomach wasn’t afraid to let that be known as it let out a growl. 

“I’ll get the order myself if you’d like.” he added, thinking of his own order. It was to keep from anymore touchy feely women away, that and when he went in person they were stingy on the food when they knew it was for him and a guest. A bread bowl with some of the cooks famous cheese soup was on his mind and something he figured he was going to go with. “There are a lot of soups, cheese, one with nasty mushrooms and onions in it, a chicken one with potatoes and carrots, and a rice soup. You can get it in a regular bowl or our cook makes a bread bowl he puts it in. You can get a turkey leg.” That was just a bit of the menu, he figured if there were any questions she would ask. Once he got the food part of the order he asked what she would like to drink. “There is water, wine, and ale. All sorts of it. I have a nice sweet wine that satisfy that sweet tooth we all know you have.” he grinned, remember all the sweets and chocolates that he had snuck put of the kitchen for the two of them, though he never helped himself too much. Always felt a bit guilty if he had.
 

 
​

Princess Kendra
​

Kendra looked down to the hand on her should as she was reassured that he liked it when she spoke openly. Not many men did and it was hard to wrap her head around. Not much gain and he was right, his words would most likely fall on deaf ears if he spoke with the King. She nodded, agreeing with the points that had been made. “Well, if you’re boggled down by the title in the future you should remember you could be there in person along with your men or just alone. Think most men of that statue just think it is beneath them, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t. Besides, I get the feeling you just don’t care what others think.” she smiled, saying the last thing she wanted to on the subject. What came next was surprising as he offered to take her out and off the castle grounds. Her eyes widened as if he had said the most shocking thing. Quickly, she checked their surroundings to make sure they were still alone and no one had heard his purposely. Eyeing the hand before her she hesitantly took it. “Um, what happens if we get got?” she asked, looking him over as she stood. It was a pretty big risk he was taking just to show her some of the outside world and she didn’t know why. Then again, her being under restrictions not to leave the castle in case a demon lady has found her whereabouts and want to suck her soul out wasn’t to his knowledge and very few others. The opportunity to get a sense of the world out there before that night was too good to pass up, so she agreed to it. “We just need to be sure not to get caught. Ok? Otherwise, I’ll never see the light of day.” she laughed and wrapped her arm around his ready for him to guide her out.  

Kendra didn’t worry about getting a cloak or anything to dress down. No one knew what she looked like, that the king made sure of. She just looked like a lady that came from a high statue since she didn’t bother with a crown this morning, not wanting to mess with the braids she had worked on. That was probably the only hobby or thing that wasn’t required that she had gotten good at, besides working on her power. That was something she envied of Tristian, he was boggled down, but he still got to do what he wanted sometimes, even if he had to fight for it. “Will this be the same bakery you helped build again?” she asked, curiosity getting the better of her. It was exciting to get to see outside these walls again. Not that she saw much from the carriage that brought her here. “Are there other shops? Do you know them well?” All these questions kept coming to mind. It only confirmed she needed to get out. It made it all more exciting to head out on her own this evening. This little preview was only giving her butterflies and confidence that she could handle it after this.