Fantasy Whisper Wood (A fantasy adventure rp)

[Aeron]

"Well, You're welcome. But, I do show all that stuff. I don't know maybe you're better looking than I am." Lucas laughed. "But, sure, I'll tell you if I need help with a job. Of course, it would be nice to know what type of animal you are." Lucas scratched his head while saying that. Throughout his day talking to Jacob, he never found out what his animal was. He didn't know if he was a bear, a fish, a parrot, etc.

Jacob pursed his lips and struck a diva pose. "You know I'm better looking that you!" He began to laugh, but then stopped at the animal question. "What animal I am? What do you mean by that? Im not a shapeshifter, or anything..." Jacob asked worridley.

 

[A C E S]

Purposely trying to ignore the bright-eyed, oblivious blonde sat beside him, Kael kept his eyes fixed on his almost completely disassembled roll of bread before him as he nodded in acknowledgement of her concluding words. Now, he wasn't one to indulge himself with such childishly indecent thoughts or activities -certainly not upon initial encounters [aside from brothels, of which he almost never visited on his own free will], so he was a bit peeved, edged by confusion when he looked up and caught a glimpse of Cerulean glaring venomously at Azure before he turned away. Kael wasn't sure if this regarded something outside of the dining room or if he managed to catch on to his -honest to heavens- slip up, but he respected [differing from condoned] his blatant protectiveness and opted against saying anything. Although, it seemed to be borderline possessive. Adding a few spices to his stew and stirring them thoroughly into the mix of vegetables and what he assumed to be chicken, Kael returned his full attention to the Human girl and lightly furrowed his brows as if to shake off her ridiculous statement. In this realm, art was a pretty high valued thing and would most definitely string up more than enough as a living. What with everyone readily saddling up for battle and dark days draping over their once peaceful world, entertainment in any form was in exorbitant demand. But seeing as she came from a place indisputably divergent to this, he could understand if they had different ideals as well.


With a small shrug he dipped a small piece of bread into his bowl and looked back at her drawings. After she explained her run in with the man drawn next to the Jaguar, his face contorted in both thoughtfulness and piqued interest. So, this is the girl that Kalora was speaking of. She and the guard Queen Emberly and she spoke of were the ones who everyone was so fixed on finding? He opened his mouth to inquire about the events that led up to her attack, but his companion beat him to it. Looking up to shortly meet Kalora's questioning gaze as she edged the girl further into conversation -it was beginning to sound like an interrogation from his angle- he decided to eavesdrop for as long as his attention span would allow, occasionally popping a broth soaked tuft of bread into his mouth to avoid staying any longer for breakfast than needed. But as the two girls went on about the attack and Kalora continued to question her -even going as far as implying there might have been a certain sigil found on site, Kael gradually slowed down the pace of which his spoon touched his lips and eventually stopped altogether as Kalora brought up her family and their disapproval of her choice in profession. This time, he had deliberately tore himself from the conversation, focusing the entirety of his attention on his half-empty bowl.


The last time she'd mentioned her family, at least in his presence, things hadn't gone so well. So from that day forth, as if on impulse, he chose to stray from such topics [whether they be first or secondhand] and would find ways to distract himself or walk away. Seeing as there wasn't exactly much he could find to occupy his mind, he opted on the latter and quickly downed the remnants of his soup before dabbing the residual liquid beads off his top lip with the cloth napkin that was set beside his utensils. He didn't exactly know where he planned to go, but high noon was still quite a ways from then and he couldn't just sit idly as he listened to the trivial and/or tedious tête-à-tête circling the table, so he resolved to get back to his given room and clean himself off and then head out to the Guard Training Station for obvious reasons. Michaelis never was one to miss a day of practice even with an injury; his father always being the first to admonish him for weakness. Groaning at the thought, he stood from his seat and excused himself before walking out, hands pocketed. He definitely had to remember to thank Novah whenever she returned. As much as he hated to admit it, the damned concoction was working... for now.

 

[Flutterby]

Azure and Cerulean both listened passively to the conversation between Scarlett and Kalora as they finished their breakfasts, hardly looking at each other. Cerulean was put out by his sister's perceived disdain for his protective nature, and Azure was put out by her brother's unexplained annoyance with her. They made quite a pair. When Azure was finished, not long after Michaelis had stood to leave, she wanted more than anything to get out of the palace and back to work. "Well, I have to get back to work. So, my dear humans, if you would like to visit the forge, feel free, and Dysis, dont forget to come by for your claw." She said politely, even picking up her own dishes so one of the maids wouldnt have to do it. She took them to the kitchen, receiving a very warm and grateful smile. "We do wish you would visit your brother more often, Miss Azure. Youre a joy to have around." The dishwasher said happily, and she smiled. "You know I cant stand to be in this stuffy place for long." She said, but promised to drop by much more often.


Exiting the kitchen, she bumped into Cerulean's chest. He had stood and followed her, an angry look on his face. In the doorway between the kitchen and dining room, they spoke in hushed, annoyed voices. If one listened, they would catch the phrases "elf," "ogling," and "soup." Azure shook her head and pursed her lips, brushing past him before exclaiming, "You know I can take care of myself!" over her shoulder. Her brother threw his hands up in defeat and retreated into the kitchen, where the slamming of pots and pans could be heard. Azure nodded a farewell to those at the table before leaving. She went as far as leaving the castle entirely, returning to her beloved forge. She pulled on her gloves, a slim pair made of the toughest leather available, and began the work that had pilled up during her absence, starting with anything that involved hammering.

 

[Sparkstorm1000]

Jacob pursed his lips and struck a diva pose. "You know I'm better looking that you!" He began to laugh, but then stopped at the animal question. "What animal I am? What do you mean by that? I'm not a shapeshifter, or anything..." Jacob asked worridley.

Lucas looked at him confused. "Wait a minute... If you're not a Shifter then..." Lucas thought for a moment, his eyes grew wide with shock. "YOU'RE A HUMAN!?" Lucas said stepping back in absolute shock. To compose himself, he shook his head and observed Jacob. "Interesting, Novah was right, Humans and Shifters do look alike." Rubbing his eyes to make sure he was right, he started laughing. "Wow Smoker, you sure threw me into a loop!" Lucas laughed. "Sorry for my reaction, I didn't realize I was talking to a human this entire time." Lucas smiled "I don't think any differently than I did before but, its was just shocking that's all.

 

[Lithia]

Scarlett thought for a minute, "It all happened so fast I'm not sure if there were symbols, but the bodies might still be there if you wanted to see them." she cringed a bit at the thought of the bodies, some of which were in pieces.


Scarlett smiled at Kalora thankful for the advice. If only it were that easy, Kalora didn't know her mother though. Still she looked happy and Scarlet thought she probably had gone through her share of rough times especially in a world like this. Either way law school wasn't an option here so she would make the best of it. "I'm going to explore a bit if you don't need anything else?" she said taking another apple for the road. Scarlett wanted to see if she could find Damian and at least thank him again for saving her life, if not find out more about him.


--------


Emberly dressed herself in a black gown, it was form fitting and flared out at the bottom with tiny flower details around the edges. It was off the shoulder as usual and low in the back. She put a simple crown on with a black stone in the center. She knew that a funeral pyre was being built so some of her people would suspect a death, they probably just did not realize it was their prince.


She slowly walked down the steps to the throne room, feeling completely alone. She touched the spot on her hand that had the sigil, Emberly had scrubbed it raw leaving a red mark. The guards walked with her not too close but on all sides of her. She would have no peace any more. She wondered what her father would have done in this situation, she wished he was still around to ask. However if he was still alive then he would be King and she would not be Queen and therefore would have no need of his council.


Emberly wondered if she should tell Kalora of her dream. If the person behind the dragon sigil could manipulate dreams then everything had just become even more dangerous. Was it just her dreams he could enter or could he do that to everyone? And why had he called her 'Queen of Nothing?' She was Queen of a whole kingdom. She hoped her friend would know what to do because it was taking everything Emberly had just to keep it together.


As she stepped into the empty throne room she had to fight back tears. She was the only one left, what would become of her throne now that Everestt was gone? She bit her lip to focus on then physical pain rather then the emotional. It did not matter she would not let them win, whoever did this would pay dearly.


She handed a stack of papers to one of the guards, "Send out the announcement that the Prince is dead." He took them from her hand giving her a look that said he was sorry before he bowed and left to bring the papers to her people. She did not give details in the announcement, not wanting to cause panic and fear, just that he was dead and they would light his pyre later tonight. Of course rumours would fly like the wind, they always did but for now that was better than truth.


-------


Novah feeling like she had lingered on the beach for long enough started the long walk back. She didn't feel much like flying and she thought the walk might clear her head. It wasn't like she had been completely in love with him, she definitely had feelings for him but they were just beginning to explore that. More than anything she felt the loss of her friend. The person she had grown up with, talked to every day, shared adventures, and got into trouble with. She loved him in a way that you couldn't define.


It took a while but finally Novah was at the edge of the village. She looked at all the smiling faces of the people around her going about their day in the market, they had no idea. She hoped she didn't look too bad but her hair was tangled and you could probably tell she was crying. She would stop by the healers hut first, it was at the edge of the market just before the palace. Maybe her Mistress Healer knew something she did not about how to cure this kind of pain.

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

Nathalia and Zero

It had been what felt like months since Seera's last unexpected visit in the Cawthorne household. For many days, silence surrounded the noble family like a heavy grey cloud. A few words were spoken, but they had no meaning and only added to the cloud already hanging above them. The house was unusually quiet as the orange glow of dawn shone over the horizon and beyond the vast forest below Nathalia's window. She sat on her windowpane, staring out into the open world that was still unknown to her. The elegant bed was left untouched inside her room. She had gotten not a single ounce of sleep, but her delicate face showed no sign of it. Every single bird that soared past her, she found herself staring after them wistfully as they disappeared into the orange sky and out of view.


A sudden creak of the door sounded behind Nathalia.


"Nathalia?" Zero's brother whispered, his voice soft and innocent. She glanced behind her at the strange looking boy, blinking those large blue eyes of hers and smiling warmly towards him. Zero relaxed his muscles at the sight of his older sister and as always, was amazed by how much kindness was radiating from her. It was infectious, and he ended up matching her smile with his own. Two sets of pointed teeth appeared.





"I'm ready to visit the castle..." Nathalia rose from her seat at his words, and brought him into a loving hug. She pulled away and cupped the sides of his cheeks, smiling in a motherly way.


"We will leave at once, before mother wakes. Come now. A new day has begun." She murmured to him in her usual angelic voice. Zero nodded eagerly after Nathalia removed her soft hands from his face.


With one last smile, Nathalia shifted into her animal form. A beautiful white dove hovered in front of Zero, flapping its gentle wings rhythmically up and down. Zero was soon to follow, but instead of a white dove, a hideous bat replaced where he originally stood. His nose was squished into his face, and he had small beady eyes that held a coldness to them. Together, the two flew out of the open window, disappearing into the orange sky just as the birds did.




The colors in the sky grew brighter and brighter as the sun continued to rise to wake the world. Nathalia and Zero glided on the breeze, inching closer and closer to the magnificent castle in the distance. Their journey was short but sweet, and soon, the two nobles stood at the entrance of the royal castle. Nathalia and Zero returned to their regular forms, and entered. Guards nodded in their direction respectfully as they passed. Nathalia entered the throne room with Zero behind her. His anxiety grew stronger with each step, and rocketed to a record high when he saw the Queen stood only a few feet away.


"Your highness..." Nathalia bowed before her. Zero mimicked her, but in a more unnatural way. She returned to a normal stance, and stared warmly in the direction of Queen Emberly.


"I apologize for our lateness. There were a few... problems." Nathalia murmured calmly. Her younger brother fidgeted nervously, avoiding the Queen's gaze.





@Lithia

 

[Aeron]

Lucas looked at him confused. "Wait a minute... If you're not a Shifter then..." Lucas thought for a moment, his eyes grew wide with shock. "YOU'RE A HUMAN!?" Lucas said stepping back in absolute shock. To compose himself, he shook his head and observed Jacob. "Interesting, Novah was right, Humans and Shifters do look alike." Rubbing his eyes to make sure he was right, he started laughing. "Wow Smoker, you sure threw me into a loop!" Lucas laughed. "Sorry for my reaction, I didn't realize I was talking to a human this entire time." Lucas smiled "I don't think any differently than I did before but, its was just shocking that's all.

Jacob shook his head. "Wait...what?! Your a Shifter? Weren't you one of the people from the boat?" Jacob asked, astonished at his own thinking that he was. "And you thought I was a Shifter, too? Can't you tell the differences?"

 

[Lithia]

Emberly looked at the siblings who could not be more different. "That is quite alright, things around here have been very hectic to say the least," she said in a kind voice, her sadness slightly evident. "I am glad you made here at last, I wanted to offer you both a position at my court. You will move into the palace should you wish and take part in other events." She hoped they would accept her offer, Emberly's scouts had informed her of some very interesting pieces of information particularly surrounding Zero. "I have been told your home situation is not the most enjoyable, maybe you could find some peace here?" she suggested. "In any case I would love to know more about you both."


Even though her son had been killed Emberly still had a kingdom to oversee. She did her very best to hold back her grief, only allowing her thoughts to drift back to the Prince for a second here and there. She still had to figure out her strange dream and the news of her son would reach the people soon so she could expect more visitors. Later that evening she would say one last goodbye, light his pyre and send him to the Forest Spirits. She remembered doing the same for her father and her husband but this hurt much deeper.

 

[Sparkstorm1000]

Jacob shook his head. "Wait...what?! Your a Shifter? Weren't you one of the people from the boat?" Jacob asked, astonished at his own thinking that he was. "And you thought I was a Shifter, too? Can't you tell the differences?"

"No, I wasn't a person on a boat. I just got here a day ago looking for work." Lucas said scratching his head in confusion. "Obviously you should know now I can't tell the difference." Lucas sighed looked around the town seeing people staring at them. He didn't seem to care that much but wondered if this much attention would be bad for Jacob. "Hey, Smoker, you wanna continue this chat in private?" He said as he started to walk down the road.

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

Before the Queen could even speak, Zero felt her sadness from behind the shadow of his sister. It crippled his mysterious heart to pieces, in more ways than one. He clenched his blind eyes shut, trying to push away the overbearing feeling radiating off of the royal woman before them. The darkened boy hid more behind Nathalia, face lowered and pale eyes troubled.


"We would be honored, your grace." Nathalia bowed a small bow, smiling warmly towards the queen. The throne room was eerie, and had a heavy cloud hanging over it, similar to the one at Nathalia's own home. She felt Zero move closer behind her, hiding from view. His senses were intensified more than hers, meaning he could sense something she couldn't.


"It is true our living situation is not enjoyable. To stay here in the palace would be of my best interests, your highness. To protect my brother, and myself, from the abusive parents who harbor us." She responded calmly. Zero listened in silence, his blind eyes glowing in the dark shadow of his sister. He sensed the Queen's gaze shift to him for a moment, as if she were curious. His grey hands clasped and unclasped from each other nervously.





Get it together, get it together. You are acting like a fool.





The familiar voice of his conscious erupted in his voice angrily. The young boy gulped, and slowly stepped out from behind Nathalia. With a more confident look on his face, Zero met the queen's eyes with his own cold, pale ones. He heard the guards whispering, and as soon as he heard the word 'ugly', his confidence died down. Zero's stance seemed to shrink lower altogether, and his face frowned in disappointment. Nathalia entwined her fingers with his and squeezed his small hand, trying to comfort her nervous brother.

 

[Aeron]

"No, I wasn't a person on a boat. I just got here a day ago looking for work." Lucas said scratching his head in confusion. "Obviously you should know now I can't tell the difference." Lucas sighed looked around the town seeing people staring at them. He didn't seem to care that much but wondered if this much attention would be bad for Jacob. "Hey, Smoker, you wanna continue this chat in private?" He said as he started to walk down the road.

"Um, sure..." Jacob looked around at the people in the market. They all seemed to look at him...Jacob looked up at Lucas. "Maybe we should go somewhere a bit far from the market, eh?" He said darkly. He hated attention, it never brought good things to anyone, especially when it was from strangers.

 

[Lithia]

Emberly also heard the guards whispering and one call Zero ugly. She glared at him with fiery eyes, "Step forward," she said to him anger in her voice. The guard nervously stepped forward bowing to his Queen. "You are dismissed from your duties permanently, and with his new position Zero now out ranks you, so run along now and get out of my sight. Maybe if you are lucky you'll be able to find work in the market but there is no place for your kind in my Royal Guard." The guard hurried away without looking back. "Does anyone else have anything they wish to say?" she asked the rest of the guards to which she heard everyone reply with "no my Queen." "Good. I will speak to your Capitan and ensure that he feels the same way to do."


"I am truly sorry for that," she told Zero and Nathalia. "Please feel free to make yourself at home, your rooms are on the second floor and the palace chef is the best in the land." She smiled warmly at the pair, sadness still filling her eyes. "If you will excuse me I must tend to some rather sensitive matters but should you need anything just let me know, you are friends of the Queen and no one can hurt you now." Emberly smiled again before leaving the throne room and heading onto the secluded balcony behind it.


She leaned on the edge of the beautifully crafted railing breathing deeply. The air felt good on her face but she still felt like she was about to drown.


-------


As Novah made her way through the market she saw guards posting papers. The mood of the market was changing as people realized that the Prince was dead. She quickly ducked into the healers hut not wanting anyone to speak to her. The Mistress Healer was sitting by a small fire despite the early summer sun. "I know why you have come child and no I do not have some potion that can heal your heart for only time can do that." Novah sighed, she knew that would be her response. "Might I offer you a bit of advice child?" Novah lifted her head, "What that I should give myself time to heal and all that?" The healer chuckled, "Not at all child, I was going to suggest that you avenge him." The younger girl tilted her head, that was quite unexpected, "Avenge him? How?" she asked. "I have taught you many ways to heal wounds and cure sickness but I have also taught you much knowledge of poisons," the old woman smiled at her, "He was my Prince to you know, just not in the same way."


Novah had never considered herself to be anything other than a healer, everything she did was to help, but maybe it was time to change that. She left the small hut with a new purpose in mind.

 

[marorda]

Kalora smiled at Scarlett. "Thank you. Although it is not much, this information might be of use. If it were not for the fact that I am too busy with other matters, I would have loved showing you around," she said kindly. "But alas... duty's calling, so I won't have time in a while to come... So I'll just suggest a couple of places you should definitely see if you want to explore." Kalora thought for a moment. To her, most places around the castle were places she had seen so often it was just normal to her. Yet she still loved visiting certain places, no matter how often she had seen them. "The Courtyard is really pretty this time of the year. And it's quite large, so you can easily spend an entire afternoon wandering around the orchards and the flowers and the ponds... Though I've walked the paths in the gardens for many decades now, I can still quite easily lose myself there."


Kalora finished her breakfast and stood up from the table.


"Now if you'll all excuse me, there is someone I wish to talk to before I go to my study."


Kalora walked out of the castle, wondering whether or not Novah had returned from wherever she had flown off to. She had wanted to speak to the girl ever since she had tried eavesdropping on the scene in the Prince's room. She figured that the best place to start looking would be at the healers hut. Although the elderly lady living there might not know for sure where Novah went off to, she might at least have an idea. Kalora peeked into the hut. "Excuse me, mistress, but do you perhaps know where..." Kalora fell silent as she spotted the girl in the hut. The poor thing was clearly heartbroken and the redness of her face betrayed the tears that had flown.


"Novah..." Kalora said in a worried tone. "There you are. I was about to start looking for you." Kalora smiled kindly, as to let the girl know she meant her no harm and that the Queen hadn't sent her to have her arrested or something for knowing things she shouldn't know. "I've been meaning to speak to you since the little... ehmm... run-in earlier. Do you have time now?"

 

[Lithia]

Novah turned at the sound of her name. It was Kalora, the Queen's good friend so this was most definitely about Everestt. It didn't seem like she was in trouble, even though she hadn't exactly listened when Queen Emberly told her to leave.


Novah knew she would have to talk about her grief eventually and at least Kalora was kind and understanding, she was also familiar with her because of spending so much time at the castle with Everestt. She decided that she could try and find out information later, it wasn't like whoever had murdered the prince was still hanging around. She would talk with Kalora and later tonight while everyone was grieving their Prince she would fly up to his room and see if there was anything to find.


"Sure I have time, what do you need?" she asked smiling sadly at Kalora her eyes filling up with tears.

 

[marorda]

Kalora winched slightly as she saw the tears filling the girl's eyes. This was more confronting than she had thought at first, but she would not back out. The poor thing needed someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on. "Come here you," she said as she stepped towards the girl and gave her a warm hug. "Let's go find a more quiet and private place to talk, shall we?"


Kalora would stick close to the girl on their walk, so she would be right there in case Novah would break down on the spot. Although she had no idea if her speaking to her would be of much help, Kalora was determined to at least try. She quickly ran a hand through the younger Shifter's hair and gave a small nod towards the elderly healer.


"I'll bring her back when we're done talking," she promised the lady.

 

[Lithia]

Novah held her tears back as best as she could as Kalora hugged her. She really appreciated that Kalora cared enough to come find her when there were clearly more important things to do. She knew that the bard worked for the Queen, doing secret things, Everestt had told her that much. Novah just didn't know what those secret things were but she guessed they should be more of a priority than herself. Yet here she was making sure Novah was alright, it was easy to see why Kalora and Emberly were such good friends.


She let Kalora lead her somewhere where they could talk just the two of them. Novah wasn't really sure what she should say so to break the silence she asked, "Did that healing potion help that man, you know the one who was injured in the Queen's bed?" To be on the safe side she quickly added, "Don't worry I didn't say anything to anyone, I just wanted to check because sometimes the side effects can be a little weird. Strange dreams, hallucinations, and well, over confidence in certain areas..." She didn't quite know how to say the last one without making the situation awkward for the both of them, "But it varies with different patients so he might have experienced some, all, or none of those things."

 

[marorda]

"Don't worry about him," Kalora smiled. "He's fine thanks to you. Although since I think he might not be the one to admit it, let me thank you on his behalf. The guy can be a bit of an ass occasionally. And I didn't think you would tell anyone, don't worry." Kalora sighed sadly. "It's already horrible enough having to see it... Especially when you're as close as the two of you were. It was quite obvious the Prince was quite fond of you, to say the least." She sat down on a bench between some trees, quite secluded from the eyes and ears of others.


"But I didn't come to see whether you have spoken to anyone about what you have seen. I came to see how you were holding up," Kalora said, patting the spot next to her in a gesture for Novah to sit down beside her. "It is no secret you were as fond of the Prince as he was of you," she smiled sadly. "As you might know, there is no cure for a broken heart. They say only time will heal you, and I'm not going to lie to you; that's bullshit. I do not mean to sound harsh, or to frighten you, but the pain might never entirely fade away. It will always remain a bit painful, sadly. Although... sadly... Maybe it's not so sad. Feeling the pain means what you felt for him was genuine. If there was a way for that pain to forever fade away, I think the world would become a much darker place. As contradictory as it might sound."


She glanced at Novah and put an arm around her shoulders. "The only thing that might make you feel a little better is talking about it, find a shoulder to cry on."


Her gaze went up to the sky, her eyes becoming teary as well as she gazed up at the clouds and the sun shining through the leaves above them.

 

[Sparkstorm1000]

"Um, sure..." Jacob looked around at the people in the market. They all seemed to look at him...Jacob looked up at Lucas. "Maybe we should go somewhere a bit far from the market, eh?" He said darkly. He hated attention, it never brought good things to anyone, especially when it was from strangers.

"Not a bad idea Smoker." Lucas smiled and continued walking he looked around seeing guards putting posters around the town. Curiosity peaked his interest. "Hey Smoker, I'm going to see what's going on." He started walking to one of the guardsmen. "Oh, look! Its my old buddy Frank!!!" Lucas laughed joyfully once he walked up to the guard. "Its not Frank... Also, I'm not your buddy..." The guard said with absolute annoyance. "Look, I'm busy right now...With some troubling news..." The guard said and handed Lucas a poster. Lucas's facial expression changed from being happy and relaxed, to a shocked look. "W-w-what!?" Lucas yelled out loud in absolute shock. His knees felt like they turned to jelly. He collapsed to the ground, unable to believe what he was hearing. "There is no way the Prince would of died from natural causes!!!" Lucas thought to himself "Which means, someone killed him! When I was on lookout with Kai... We missed something! But how!?" Lucas was on his knees in absolute shock.

 

[Lithia]

Novah sat down beside Kalora. She was glad to hear that guy was alright and that he could be an ass, it just meant that the way he was acting toward her was normal.


Her mind drifted back to the scene she saw this morning, "At first I thought it wasn't even real, like maybe I was having a nightmare or something." A few tears slid down her cheeks, "He told me a couple of nights ago he was going to ask for his mother's permission to court me. He wanted me to be his Queen someday. I think I would have been terrible at it, but he would have been a great King and I would have always stood beside him."


As she listened to Kalora's words Novah knew she was right, "Been through something like this before?" she asked Kalora. "You don't have to share but I can't help but feel like you're speaking from personal experience," she told her. Everything she said just made so much sense, Novah's love for Everestt would always keep his memory alive. Kalora was so wise, she was glad someone like her advised the Queen, the kingdom would be in good hands with the two of them.

 

[marorda]

"We all wish what we have seen this morning was not real. But it was. A waking nightmare for all of us," Kalora sighed with a shake of her head. "I'm certain the Queen would have granted her permission. All she ever wanted was for him to be happy. You would have learned the comings and going of the court soon enough. If the prince would have allowed me to serve him as I serve the Queen now, and her father before her, I would have been more than happy to help you with it." She pulled the girl close to her and wiped the tears of Novah's face.


Kalora remained silent for a bit as Novah asked her her question. She was correct to state Kalora was speaking from personal experience, but was she ready to speak of it? It had been a long time since she had spoken of it. It was probably last mentioned when Emberly lost her husband and was, logically, torn by grief. "Yes," she said after several moments of silence. "It's been a long time though, but I still remember it like it was yesterday..."


Another few moments of silence followed as her thoughts drifted back to that day, several decades ago now.


"It was my first love, much like the prince was yours. We met on one of my travels, and we hit off very well. Only two weeks after we met, it felt like we had been friends for years. Not just because we traveled together, but also because it seemed like our minds were one. It took us a little while longer before either of us dared to speak up about our feelings," Kalora chuckled, remembering how awkward and shy the both of them had been.


"A couple of months later, we got into a fight. Not with each other, of course. No... We fought side by side against people with ill intend. When they hurt me, Rowan nearly went into a blind rage, killing our enemies, but he got severely injured. We kept fighting, side by side, until our enemies stood no longer. Now, as you might know, I am no healer. In fact I have little to no knowledge when it comes to curing anything. We were too far away from any village or people who could heal him. All I could do was sit by his side and hold him... watch the life slip away from him... watch him suffering, struggling to hold on. But it was all in vain. I sat by his side and held him as he died in my arms, hours after the battle. I had to return alone and explain what had happened... And unlike some others, I had nobody around to support me."


They had been each other's first love, and in both cases, their last ones too. Rowan was dead, and Kalora just couldn't bring herself to find a new partner.

 

[Flutterby]

News spread through the palace like wildfire. When the kitchens heard, they were grief stricken. Although many of them had only spoken to the Prince in passing, cooking every meal for someone built a particular fondness for them. Cerulean sent most of his staff home, keeping only the essentials for the upcoming events. The rest would grieve for their lost prince with their families. The whole nation would grieve, but none more than their Queen. Cerulean put together a tray of relaxing tea and small snacks for her, taking it up personally. He knew she likely wouldnt eat or drink at all, but it was his job, and he needed something to do. He knocked softly, waiting for the guards to let him in.


Azure paused in her work as a pair of guards walked up. They handed her a poster and then hung one at the entrance of the shop. She read it and sat down, absorbing the information before picking up her hammer and starting work again, grieving in her own way.

 

[The Velveteen Rabbit]

"Thank you... your grace."


It was Zero who spoke, his words consumed in an innocent whisper. He felt frozen in place. The only thing that moved was his hand, which shook furiously in Nathalia's own. This inevitable reality would never shake from Zero's mind, that he was forever a corruption to the world, and perhaps even to himself. The queen's kind words and actions warmed his untouched heart, but he knew she would not always be there to save him from this harsh reality that was his life. It was something he learned to accept long ago.


Zero and Nathalia bowed deeply, both of their hands still tightly entwined. Nathalia returned the smile, and nodded as the queen dismissed them. She gently led her younger brother out of the throne room, leaving the queen to her saddened thoughts.


"Let's get some breakfast. I could hear your stomach growling in the throne room, so I know you're hungry." Nathalia squeezed his hand and chuckled. Zero's blind eyes widened in disbelief. He began to stutter.


"I-I thought no one else could hear that but me."


Nathalia laughed softly just as they entered the dining room, catching the attention of many. She was told by other individuals that her presence purified the room of all negativity, but she believed it to be nonsense.


"Good morning, Lady and Lord Cawthorne." A guard nodded towards them respectfully as they passed by. Nathalia returned his kind gesture, responding with a soft 'good morning'.


The two found a seat at one of the long tables occupying the magnificent room. Many others had already found their place there, and were eating happily. Two empty plates sat in front of them, along with what seemed like hundreds of different assortments of food lined up along the middle of the table. Nathalia reached out towards a bowl of fruits, and gently picked off a few strawberries and grapes to add to her plate. Zero watched her, but instead found himself leaning towards a plate of what looked like a meat of some sort.


"Oh no, no!"


A booming voice exclaimed behind them. Zero jumped and clattered his plate in the process, glancing behind him to see a man dressed in chef clothes and a disapproving look on his face.


"Guests of honor do not eat foods such as those!" The plates before Nathalia and Zero were removed in a blink of an eye, and now sat in his hands.


"A specially prepared meal shall be sent out. A surprise, if you will." He smiled specifically at Nathalia, trying to woe the pretty noble before him with his charming ways. She smiled and laughed quietly.


"That would be delightful."


The assistant chef clapped his hands and laughed boisterously.


"It shall be right out! The wait will not be long!" He called out as he strode down the room and disappeared into the kitchens. Zero watched him go with a bewildered look on his face.


"Quite the character, isn't he?" Nathalia turned towards him and smiled in amusement. Zero nodded and returned the smile, looking down at the empty spot where his plate had been.


@anyone

 

[Aeron]

"Not a bad idea Smoker." Lucas smiled and continued walking he looked around seeing guards putting posters around the town. Curiosity peaked his interest. "Hey Smoker, I'm going to see what's going on." He started walking to one of the guardsmen. "Oh, look! Its my old buddy Frank!!!" Lucas laughed joyfully once he walked up to the guard. "Its not Frank... Also, I'm not your buddy..." The guard said with absolute annoyance. "Look, I'm busy right now...With some troubling news..." The guard said and handed Lucas a poster. Lucas's facial expression changed from being happy and relaxed, to a shocked look. "W-w-what!?" Lucas yelled out loud in absolute shock. His knees felt like they turned to jelly. He collapsed to the ground, unable to believe what he was hearing. "There is no way the Prince would of died from natural causes!!!" Lucas thought to himself "Which means, someone killed him! When I was on lookout with Kai... We missed something! But how!?" Lucas was on his knees in absolute shock.

Jacob turned when he heard Lucas yell. "...Lucas?" Jacob's eyes widened as he saw Lucas had fallen to his knees. "Lucas!" He ran to Lucas and grabbed his shoulders. He's not responding...he's in shock! Jacob thought and began to shake him. "Lucas, snap out of it! What's the matter..." Jacob looked down and noticed that he was gripping a poster. The Prince...dead. A poster of a dead Prince. Maybe the Prince... Jacob didn't know him, but maybe Lucas did. "Hey, Lucas, you gotta get up, buddy, we gotta move." Jacob squatted as he tried to get Lucas to react, now noticing that the atmosphere of the market was becoming somber at the news of the prince's death, but now even more eyes on himself and Lucas. It's possible that since he and Lucas aren't known around the market that they could be seen as suspects in the eyes of the people. "Lucas, we gotta move!"

 

[Sparkstorm1000]

Lucas looked up after hearing Jacob's voice. he shook his head and started to get up "Hey, no need to yell Jacob... I'm up..." Lucas started to brush himself off he looked at Jacob and the guard. "I'm sorry, just in shock that the prince is dead..." Lucas sighed. The guard looked at Lucas funny and sighed. "Hey, kid, watch your friend. He seems unstable." The guardsmen said and started to walk off. "I'm fine... Just fine..." Lucas said looking down. He shook his head and looked at Jacob "Well, Smoker, that was indeed interesting, I apologize for that scene that just happened..." Lucas smiled like nothing was wrong.

 

[Aeron]

Lucas looked up after hearing Jacob's voice. he shook his head and started to get up "Hey, no need to yell Jacob... I'm up..." Lucas started to brush himself off he looked at Jacob and the guard. "I'm sorry, just in shock that the prince is dead..." Lucas sighed. The guard looked at Lucas funny and sighed. "Hey, kid, watch your friend. He seems unstable." The guardsmen said and started to walk off. "I'm fine... Just fine..." Lucas said looking down. He shook his head and looked at Jacob "Well, Smoker, that was indeed interesting, I apologize for that scene that just happened..." Lucas smiled like nothing was wrong.

"Yea, yea...hey man, we should go. People are starting to look funny at us, and I dont think its looking good." Jacob said as he quickly lit another cigarette and inhaled a bit. "Maybe we should go." Jacob murmered as smoke came out of his nose.