Walking out of the manor, Damian takes a slow deep breath to release some tension. He didn't want to say it in front of his men. But the information he receives was incorrect. Drover is supposed to be a ruined city with a population less than fifty, and half of that population is supposed to be the council. But entering the town today, he was proven wrong. He is seeing the large crowd of people put him on edge. Now he's not confident in his escape plan. He needed a new strategy on everything, and to form a new plan, he needs more information. The King of Runeswift takes a deep breath once again and head towards the market square to get answers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Moonlight sits on one of the empties creates as she sews another cloth doll. The sounds of the busy market, though much different than the noises of the farm. She found it relaxing; she also must admit though the crowds are a bit overwhelming, she was having a good time out in the front selling.
"Moonlight, dear, are you back here?" Marcus calls out to his daughter as he moves the hanging blanket aside to look in the back.
"Yes?" She places the unfinished doll down next to her and stands up, brushing the dirt off her dress. "Do you need me, upfront papa?"
"No, it's not that though we are pretty busy right now I need you to do something else." He said, stopping her from coming to the front.
Moonlight halted and looked up at her Father, tilting her head. "What is it that you need me to do?"
"Would you mind going to the inn and getting us a room? I'm afraid I won't be able to make it over there in time."
"I can do that but," She felt both excited and nervous. "I don't know where it."
The Jeweler walks in the back to retrieve another item to put out in the front and overhears the conversation. "You guys staying in an inn? Which one?"
Marcus turns to him; all morning, the three men helped each other with sales, that they form a friendly bond. "Yes, we are staying in the Stone Illuminator Inn."
"I know that place." He nods, thinking about it. "I can draw you a map if you like." He offers to Moonlight as he places the black velvet box and takes out a piece of parchment paper.
"If it's not too much trouble, yes, please!" She said as she quickly put away the sewing kit as he draws her map.
Once finished, he holds it out to her. "No trouble at all when you get there tells Mary that John said hello." He looks over to Marcus. "I'll see you out front." As John makes his way back to his stand with the small box in his hand.
The farmer turns back to his daughter. "Well, best be on your way, dear. Don't want to miss getting a room." He tells her walking her towards the cart and dig through a bag. "We just need one room with two beds. Also, don't forget to ask for a stall in the stables for Daisy." He turns around and hands her a small leather pouch and an apple. "There should be enough for the room and an apple for lunch."
She nods and places the apple in the small bag. "Okay, father." She leaves the stand and begins to head down the road map in hand.
"Oh! Moonlight!" The Father called out to his daughter.
Moonlight stops and turns back around to her Father.
"Stay clear from those monks!" He warns her.
The farmer girl waves goodbye to her Father and heads down the road again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Father Lanney slams the door to the monastery open and storms in with Brother Maller close behind him. Both men ascend the stone staircase.
"How many times did I tell you brother Maller Nox has no control over that girl? He pays no attention to her powers now; she can send those damn birds to spy on us! She will ruin everything if anyone sees those blasted birds."
"But Father, how would he know she could do that? He doesn't even believe she has powers." Maller tries to explain to Father Lanney, Maller, and the other brothers never witness her using her powers. They all believe Lanney just locks up the poor girl due to the unfortunate event that happens eighteen years ago.
Reaching the floor where the dorms are, Father Lanney spun on his heels and turned to and Maller, making the monk stumbles a bit. "If you believe that, then you are a bigger fool then I thought." He growls.
"Father, everyone believes that." He defends himself. "We never saw Dismas use her powers."
"Thank you is all fools! It's because of the chains Maller. Why do you think I have gotten a Suppressor Maester to create those chains for her? I've been keeping this place safe from her powers. But that fool must be taking her chains off. If she finds out how powerful, she is the kingdom will be destroyed!" He turns around and notices a monk peer out of his room to see what the yelling is about, getting the attention of Father Lanney. "You! Find Nox and tell him I want to speak with him now!"
"Yes, father but," The young man stemmers.
"What now?! What excuse do you have?" Lanney snaps, charging at him.
"I-it's two o'clock, he's with Dismas." The monk answers quickly, seeing the father charge after him. "I-I can go fetch him if you wish."
"No need I'll speak to that damn fool." The Father walks past the shaken monk and up a spiral staircase leading to the tower Maller still towing behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Alright, Dismas, you're all done just and need to put these back on, and I'll give you a snack." Nox tells the pale woman standing in front of him as he puts Iron shackles around her thin wrist. He frowns hearing them click; he hated putting these on; he considers this an overkill since locking her in the room should be enough.
After Nox place the shackles back on, Dismas went and sits on her bed of hay looking up at the small window.
'The least they can do is gives you a bed.' Nox thought glumly as he turns to the small table and begins to cut a purple fruit. "I'll talk to Father Lanney and see if we can get you a decent bed up here."
"Hm," Dismas respond, still looking up.
Finishing, he digs in his pocket and takes out the small doll he accidentally took from that stand with the girl with red hair and purple eyes like Dismas. "Hey Dis-"
The door suddenly slams open, making them both jump and turn around to see who slams the door open.
Standing in the doorway is a very red face Father Lanney a vein pulsing in his forehead. Behind him is a massive breathing Maller hunch over trying to catch his breath.
Nox's brow knit in confusion. "Father Lanney?" It's rare to see him up here in Dismas's room. It's a significant reason why Nox is Dismas's primary caretaker. "What are you doing-" He is quickly cut off as Father Lanney across the room in a sprint and grab Nox by the robes shoving him against the table, knocking over the plate of fruit.
"You stupid child! I should have left you in the streets to starve!" The Father yells, his voice echoing in the small room. "You could have ruined everything."
Taken by surprise Nox's eyes goes wide. He never saw Father Lanney act this way. He never loses his temper this terribly. "Father, what are you talking about? If I have done something to offend you, I'm sorry." He reaches up and tries to get pry Lanney's hands off his robes. He looks past the Father's shoulder, hearing chains moving around; watch Dismas pull against the strings since the men were just out of her reach.
"Stop it!" Let him go!" He didn't do anything wrong!" She demanded, her voice strain with distress.
Hearing the distress in her voice, he knows that she will lose control of her powers if she gets more upset. "It's okay Dismas, I'm alright." He tells her, giving her a reassuring smile.
Lanney grabs the young man's chin roughly, making Nox winch slightly in pain. "This is what you do! You coddle her so much you allow her to use her powers! She almost exposes herself to the Runeswift Kingdom. Do you have any idea if they figure out our 'powerful' mage is just a child?!"
"Father, she doesn't have powers like that. If she could do what you say, then the chains you have on her would have prevented her unless they were taken off. But I was in the market this morning." Nox explains. "Father please listen Dismas has no powers, once she could but,"
"Don't lie to me, boy!" Lanney snarl shoving him again as he points to Brother Maller, who was leaning against the doorway, still trying to catch his breath. "Brother Maller saw a black crow this morning. Black crows don't live here, Nox. The only ones that appear are the ones she makes. If anyone of those landed on someone, the Rabid Banshee would spread through the streets once again. She will- "As soon as he turns around gesturing to Dismas, his eyes lock with hers, and an intense fear wells up in his chest.
"Leave him alone." She growls. "Nox didn't do anything wrong; I send those birds out while he was gone." She confesses.
Nox stops himself from groaning but notice Father's grip shakily release his robe and step away from him.
Father Lanney takes a slow deep breath, trying to calm down before approaching her. "Dismas, my dear," He pauses and swallows a little. "Nox did a poor job keeping you safe." he places his hand on her cheek as he spoke to her calmly. "We don't want the bad people to find you and hurt you, do we?"
'How dare he touch us!' The mother's voice snarls.
Dismas take a step back out of Lanney's reach. "The only bad man I see is you."
Lanney frowns, not liking this display of defiance. "I do not like what he is teaching you Dismas; maybe it's time to make a change in your care hm? First, the chains," He reaches out and pulls on, making her come closer to him.
Dismas tug on them, trying to get them out of his grip. "Let go!"
"I think it will be time to replaces these with newer ones. Maybe add more." He pounders as he let the chains slip from his fingers.
"No!" Dismas move away from him quickly; her eyes go wide.
He hides the smile when he sees her coward. "No? Then I have to replace Nox since he does not see to your wellbeing."
"No!" Three female voices, a child, Dismas, and an older woman, spoke simultaneously. Her fear gone, and her eyes fill with rage and anger as they slowly turn black. "You will not take Nox away from me!" She swings her hand towards the door.
Brother Maller is pushed by an unseen force out of the doorway right before, and the door slams shut.
Father Lanney turns and looks at the sudden close door, and back to Dismas, his eyes go wide, realizing what she has done.
Looking towards Dismas, Nox notices the candle flicker's flame, and the shadows ripple-like angry waves. Each pick becomes sharper and sharper until they are looking like spikes pointing at Father Lanney.
The air around Father Lanney begins to thin out, causing him to gasp for the little air around him. Unknown to him, a shadow creeps up to him and crawl up his leg.
"Dissy!" Nox calls out to her breaking her concentration, making the shadows going robust, and the darkness in on his leg reseeds back on the floor. He moves around Father Lanney stands in front of him, blocking Dismas' view. He raises both his hands up a little bit. "Easy, Dissy, I'm not going anywhere." He tells her calmly as he moves towards her slowly. "Just calm down, remember what happens if you get upset." He places a hand on her cheek to have her focus on him.
As soon as her black eyes look into his green eyes, they change to violet, and both can hear the Father takes in a deep breath as the air around him became more natural for him to breath.
"That's it calms down. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." He soothes as his thumbs rubbed her cheek.
'I want him to go away!' The child cries out.
Dismas darts her eyes to Father Lanney as he leans against the table, trying to get a breath. She looks back at Nox, her eyes wide in fear. As he speaks, her voice was now just her own. "I can hear them again, Nox."
"I know, dear, it's going to be okay they will quiet down soon." He assures her, knowing the voices in her head were just voices.
"But they want him to go away." She whispers as if she's afraid of them hearing her telling on them.
Nox tries to hide his fear and gives her a warm smile. "Alright, Dismas. I will make him go away. Wait here, okay?" He waited for her to nod before walking to Father Lanney.
The Father coughs as he tries to catch his breath, and hearing the footsteps approach him; he looks up to see a worry expression on his face. "W-what was that? Did she?"
"Now would be an appropriate time to leave." Nox told him, helping Lanney to his feet and begin to lead him to the door.
Seeing the look on his face and the stern in his voice trying to hide his fear. Lanney didn't argue and allow the young man to lead him and out of the room. He thanks the goddess when the door opens to a worried and terrified Brother Maller.
"Father!" The monk helped take Father Lanney from Nox. "What happen?" he asks the young monk.
"Close the door!" Father Lanney rasps, not giving Nox to answer as he begins to head down the stairs holding Maller for support.
Nox nods his head and closes the door behind them.
"The chains are growing weaker; she's able to use her powers." Father Lanney rasps as they ascend down.
"Shall I call for the Suppressor Maester?" Brother Maller asks.
"No," He shakes his head. "I'll see him myself once I can. I need to see why the chains aren't working anymore."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nox turns back to her after closing the door. "See Dismas, he's gone now; everything will be okay." He assures her, walking back towards her.
Watching Nox returning to her, tears well up in her eyes, seeing the bruise from his chin. "Are you okay?" She reaches up to touch the bruised area. "Does it hurt?"
He takes her hand and gives it a gentle kiss and assuring smile. "I'm fine; it's just a few bruises, nothing I'm not used to. But Dissy, what you said was true? Did you send a bird out this morning?"
She takes her hand away and slowly turns away. "I heard a lot of noise. It was a lot more than normal; I, no, they wanted to know what was going on."
"Dismas, we have been over this." He sighs with the sound of disappointment in his tone. "You can't show our powers. I was almost able to convince them to remove the chains. A few more months, then I would have been able to have you out of this room."
"He was hurting you, Nox!" She turns around, getting upset again. "I couldn't let him hurt you while I could do something!"
"I could handle it, Dismas. It won't be the first time I got rough up." Nox tells her.
"But it was the first time because of me. I can't watch that. They can't watch it."
"You allow them to try to control your Dismas. They are using you for their benefit." He warns her as he approaches, reaching out to her.
"Using me?" She steps away from him, her eyes wide and confuses. "They are my friends Nox. They keep me company here. They walk to me, they teach me." She begins to get upset. "They don't lock me away from the world." She holds her arms up, showing him the chains. "They don't chain me up in here!" She cries out, and as her voice echoes around, the shadows begin to ripple again.
"They are just scared, Diss-." He said softly, seeing her getting upset once more. "They don't understand your powers, especially what happens eighteen years ago."
"That's wasn't my fault! I didn't ask for this! My family didn't ask for this!" She moves away from him. "They took my family away. They lock me here until I die. Now they want to take you away."
"That's not going to happen; I promise you. Don't you remember what I said the first time we met?" He continues to move closer to her.
"You made a vow to me." She tells him quietly.
"Yes, a vow that I'm not planning to break." He cups her cheek, and the room calms down. "I'll talk to Father Lanney. It will take some convincing a bit longer, but Dismas, I promise you will see the world again. But right now, you need to keep calm and don't allow them to trick you. Okay?"
Dismas nods. "Okay, I will try."
He smiles and kisses her temple. "That's all I am asking. Now I must go and clean up this mess, so I'm afraid I won't be back until dinner. Promise stay out of trouble until then?"
"Yes, I promise." She nods and watches him leave the room, leaving her alone in her room with the only light is her candle since the sun has shifted in the sky, and no light is spilling in anymore.
'Dismas.' The child calls out to her.
"No, hush," Dismas said, turning away from the candle and head to her bed of hay.
'But Dismas look, by the table something new.' The child tells her as a small shadow mouse comes out from under the tables pulling the little cloth doll. 'Nox left this.'
"Nox left it?" She walks over to the small mouse and picks it up to examine it. The doll has a drawn on smiling face and red yarn hair. "It's cute."
'Interesting.' The mother coos. 'Dismas, this belongs to your sister.'
"What? How?" She turns the doll over a few times, trying to see what the mother could see.
'I can sense it, your little sister lives. You have a family, my dear.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A soft knock on the study's door made Gaberal look up from his book and to the clock on the mantel to see what time it is. The only person that could be bothering him around noon would be a servant. "Yes? Who is it?" He calls out, looking towards the door.
The door opens, and Rosabella enters. "Afternoon, my dear king." She does a curtsy bowing her head a bit. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"Rosabella, of course not." He gets up, and as he places the book on the small table, he walks towards his wife. "What do I owe this wonderful visit in the afternoon?"
The Queen rises and smiles at her husband as she closes the door behind herself. "Well, the boys are heading out and won't be back until dinner. I was hoping you can make time to have tea with your wife."
Gabel chuckles a bit and takes his wife's hands into his. "Having tea with you will be a blessing for this old man." He says as he leads her to the sitting area.
"Oh, stop." She laughs a little. "You're not that old." She tells him as she sits down and straightens her skirt.
He walks to the door and opens it just a little. "Someone bring Lady Rosabella and I tea in the study!" He orders before he closes the door and joins his wife by the fire. "Tell me, dear, how's your stay so far? Is your room to your liking?"
"The room is alright; it's just." She pauses, trying to figure how to tell him.
The King notices her pausing and takes her hands and gives it a little squeeze. "What is it, my love? What makes you unhappy?"
"It's nothing." She tells him, but looking over to her husband, she sees his giving her a knowing look that tells her he knows it's something. "I guess I am just homesick. Please don't think I'm unhappy to see your summer childhood home, but it's just," She pauses a moment. "Besides the servants from our kingdom, I feel out of place; I don't feel comfortable and a little bit lonely here."
"Oh, my dear." He runs his thumb over her glove knuckles. "I promise we will leave soon. Once we work out the terms of the treaty and finalize the details of Anoi betrothal to Lady Ishtar we will;"
"Wait, what?" The confusion comes across her face as she removes her hands from him. "I thought Felix is betrothal to her, and Anoi is promising to one of the ladies in from The Wepis kingdom. Why are you changing it now before discussing it with me?" The Queen asks as she gets ups from her chair, her voice rising in anger
The King let out a tired sigh as he gets up and approaches his wife. "Rosabella, why are you upset? I thought you wanted this. I thought you would be happy knowing he will have a chance to a throne."
"But it's not our throne; you are sending him away to a kingdom that we have been at war with for years! Why must you hate our son so much?" She accuses him as she turns her back to him.
"Hate, our son?" Gabel looks at him, shocked. "Rosabella, do you hear what you are saying? Are you not aware I include that boy in everything?" He asks her, now sounding tired from this conversation.
"But never thought of offering the seat to his throne. You barely give him a thought when you have meetings with the lords, and only think of including Felix." She walks towards his desk, her red shoes hitting the wooden floors hard.
"Felix has to be involved he will be King, it's his birthrate, and he needs to attend these meetings. He's been training for the throne since birth."
"Only because you focus on him and not your other son. What about Anoi's birthright?" She spun on her heels, stopping her husband from getting closer to her. "What do you expect him to do? Hm? Do you expect him to live in Felix's shadow?" She snaps.
Gabel rubs the bridge of his nose. "No one is saying that Rosabella. I do not wish for him to live in Felix's shadow. But I don't have two thrones to give. Can't you see I'm trying to get both to be King? Wepis's King already has a son, and that boy is married. It's only a matter of time before his wife produces an heir. There is no chance for Neviland. They didn't even bother to respond to the invite to this treaty. But Runeswift will be the best choice for him."
"How? Runeswift has a king." Rosabella retorted.
"Yes, A king with no heirs. The King doesn't have a wife." Gabel explains as he moves closer to her. "The information I've gotten is that he has no interest in finding a wife or obtaining heirs. That's why he will have a better chance there. Once he married Lady Ishtar, he can use his cunning and resourcefulness to gain favor in that court and obtain the throne once the king pass."
"But why so far away?" She asks, her anger burning away into sadness.
"The distance will be good. Anoi will have independence as well as be away from the Rumors." The tells her.
She looks surprised, "Rumors? What rumors?"
He gave her a look that says she knows. "I'm sure you heard of them, dear." But seeing the same look of surprise, he gave a sigh knowing this will be a headache. "They are calling him the child prince. Saying that the youth can't do anything with his mother and hides behind her skirt."
"Who is spreading that?" Her amber eyes harden as her voice grows venomous.
"Why? What are you going to do if you find them?" He asks, turning his back to his wife. This Rosabella is the same song and dance. He tells her something she doesn't like and kicks a poor lady or lord out of court. "Kicking him out of court will not stop the rumors."
"That's too merciful." She says, opening her palm and a flame spark in it. "I will make sure just speaking will be too painful for them."
Gabel turn around, and seeing the flame dancing his wife's hand, he sighs, and with a flick of the wrist, her fire went out. "This is why there are rumors. You are so busy fighting for him; it's making people think that he's weak.
She looks insulted by what he is implying. "I do not fight his battles for him." She defends.
"Oh, you don't? Then tell me, dear, what has he done without your help or suggestions." He asks, crossing his arms as he waits.
The Queen takes a moment to think to try to think of a time that Anoi did something on his own. "There was a time where he holds that meeting with the prince of Weips."
"Oh, was that a meeting? I saw the boys running off to go hunting because both boys are friends."
"How do you know they didn't discuss politics while they hunted?"
"Because I ask the servants they brought. All they did is hunted and play with the servant girls." Feeling a headache coming, he wishes to end this argument. "My dear." He let out another sigh. "Your love for our son is wonderful, but you smother his flame that it almost died. Take a step back and allow it to grow."
They stand in silence for a moment until the knock on the door broke the silence. Rosabella walks back to the fireplace and sits down. Another knock on the door brought the attention of the King. He walks to the door and opens it to a small servant girl.
"Good afternoon, Milord." She was holding the tray on-hand, and the other lifts her skirt a bit, giving a curtsey. "I hope I'm not interrupting. I bring you and Lady Rosabella your afternoon tea."
"If you are here to serve us tea hurry in then, don't make your king hold the door for you much longer." The Queen calls out from her seat by the fire.
Gabel steps aside. "Come in, my dear."
"Thank you, Milord." She let go of her skirt and enters the study.
"Place it here and make it quick, you made us wait long enough." The Queen said, pointing at the small table next to her.
"Yes, milady." The young girl said softly and hurried over and delicately place the tray on the table. After another curtesy, she hurries out.
Gabel closes the door and turns to his seething wife. "If Runeswift bothers you, I can inquiry a marriage proposal to Malecordia."
"Malecordia." She scoffs as she reaches for the teapot. "That Queen is as old as me. There's no way she will let Anoi rule. No, you are right Runeswift will be his best choice for him. After pouring herself a cup and add a few cubes of sugars, she picks up her cup to drink. She stops when she notices the design on the teacup. "Oh my." She admires the red wisps dance on the white porcelain. "What an exquisite cup."