Victoria tries her best to read the storybook her parents got her at the last town. Her mother, Helena, wanted her to read it out loud, but she found it much easier to read silently. The constant motion or the carriage didn't bother her so much anymore, but it did make coloring a horrifying ordeal. Helena and Illiana were currently in the wagon discussing things as they went. She eyes their concealed weapons, wishing she was able to look closer at them. The adults weren't a fan of that though, and all of the children were kept far from them. She and her cousins enjoyed sneaking peeks at them idly playing with their weapons sometimes though.
"I have to pee!" Hero suddenly announces, causing the conversations to quiet down.
"One moment baby, we'll let them know." Illiana consoles him.
"Honey, the kids need to relieve themselves." Helena calls to Quinton, soon followed by the wagons slowing to a stop.
Victoria didn't think she had to go until she was in the forest by a tree with her parents close by. At that moment, the strong urge suddenly assaulted her. She still got a little embarrassed having to go outside though, it feeling yucky compared to how they lived before. "Mommy, I miss toilets." She grumbles quietly to her mom as they get back into the wagons.
"Yeah, me too." Helena says before giving her a kiss as the adults chuckle. Victoria didn't mind though as she cuddled against her. Soon enough, she's drifting to sleep with the familiar, steady rock of the wagons.
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Luther squints into the trees around them, unnerved by the shadowy man that was watching them. Of course, him pointing them out didn't do anything as the adults didn't see him. His cousins had also seen him, but the adults didn't seem too concerned anymore. He rides beside Heith still, trying to help point out anything important. He noticed the change in scenery not too long ago, Heith telling him that they have entered the Cervitaur's lands. "Heith, what's a ce-cer-vi…" He scrunches his face up and tries again. "Cer-vi-tor?"
Heith chuckles before replying. "It's a half man, half elk creature like the centaur. They're noble beasts that protect the forests and all within it."
"Will we see one?!" Luther asks excitedly with gleaming, hopeful eyes.
Heith chuckles and shakes his head a bit before turning his attention back to the road. "We just might, you can never tell when meeting the druids. Some may just be a cervitaur."
Luther's eyes widen at this, feeling excitement course through him. He knew they were running to a safe place, but the chance of meeting one of these creatures was so amazingly unfathomable to his young mind that he could hardly ponder anything else.
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Hero snickers as he sees Victoria sleeping, drool dribbling out of her open mouth. He turns his attention back to the game he had been playing of trying to bounce a ball into the different holes in a wooden box. With the wagon moving, it made him even more unsteady but he was determined to do this! He carefully aims the ball, his tongue sticking out as he scrunches his face in determination and concentration. He throws it, the ball bouncing from the top of the box, soaring just right as it sails towards one of the holes where it just barely hits the edge and bounces away.
"We'll be stopping for lunch soon. I can watch Hero afterwards if you'd like to get some rest." Helena offers to Illiana, catching his attention.
"Mommy sleepy?" He asks with a tiny frown as he walks over to them, immediately getting between them on the bench.
"Just a bit, will you be ok with Aunty Helena after lunch?" Illiana asks him as she smooths his hair away from his face, then places a kiss on his forehead.
"No, I want to sleep too!" He replies almost instantly, not wanting to let Illiana out of his sight. He's noticed that she's been sicker than usual since they started travelling, so he wanted to keep an eye on her. The women share a look with exhausted smiles though.
"Ok, we'll do that my little shadow." Illiana relents, glad that each wagon held toys as she doubted he'd actually nap giving he was a high energy sort.
"Love you mommy! Love you Aunty!" Hero exclaims, giving them both a kiss on the cheek, making them laugh and reply in same.
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Jaden rode pass the group eating, Savannah and he would trade off with Layla and Remy soon so they all had a chance to rest and eat. He eyes the family, feeling himself being drawn to them at the same time as he continued to find them weird. Sometimes they would say things that weren't quite right, or act a bit strangely. However, the pay was fair and the resources were plenty, not to mention all four of them being hired together made things all the more necessary to travel with them. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that he himself wasn't whole, and that something big was coming their way.
"Hey Jade, it's time to switch." Layla breaks into his thoughts, fist bumping as they passed one another. He settles down as nicely as the others, easily sharing stories as he ate. Having such highly sought individuals in one family though was surprising too. The skilled alchemists was one thing, but then an entertainer, potter and painter all being rather proficient was another. Such luck and genes could only exist in fiction, or so he had believed before.
Soon, he finds himself returning from scouting ahead, giving the all clear. "Nothing suspicious has been spotted yet sir."
"Thanks, we'll get going then." Heith replies before setting the wagon into motion. Jaden moves beside the lead wagon, still a bit unsettled with the notion of something not being quite right.
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Adriana tries to focus on the sheet of paper holding musical scores, which she's supposed to be putting together to form a new song. Instead, her mind wanders off again to her dream, something that had happened so much today that Marigold has largely given up on trying to converse with her at this point. Even now, her mind reals back to the scene…
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"Lady Adriana, you are more beautiful than accounted by my ministers. I hope you've found your stay well." Crown Prince Diomedes Malone asks her with the smuggest smile she's ever witnessed in her life.
Adriana gives him a deadpanned look with the iciest glare she could summon. "No, I would like to return to the Council of Clarity." She states, done with this man's bullshit.
Diomedes throws his head back with a full bellied laugh that causes some to wince. He speaks jovially afterwards, as though what he says isn't insanity. "Why would I take you back there when you'll be my wife?"
Adriana all but growls in anger to him "I will NOT marry you! Clotilde won't be happy that her husband is attempting to marry another either."
Diomedes snorts at this with a careless shrug. "She'll understand that being my head concubine will be better for her. Besides," he pauses here to give Adriana a chilling look "she knows better than to disappoint me."
"What a pitiful woman than." Adriana spits out at him as she shakes the iciness of his words away. Currently, anger pervades every ounce of her being with the burning hatred for him.
Diomedes smirks at her. "I see no reason to wait until our wedding day to enjoy ourselves. I promise, your tone will change by the time I'm done with you." He states as he moves up to her, the various servants immediately leaving as he starts to push her upon the bed.
"Don't you dare you vile trash!" Adriana seethes at him as she struggles against him, her weapons long missing from her person as the first inklings of fear rears it's head.
"Now, now, my adorable wife, we'll be getting to the fun soon enough." He gloatingly all but purrs at her as his body covers hers. He then starts to tear away her clothing leisurely as she fights against him.
"Get your disgraceful hands off of me, you fucking bastard!" She yells, then headbutts him hard.
This makes his head snap back before he slowly lowers it again with a glint in his eyes as he laughs gleefully. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this!" He says as her head swims, the room swirling as she sees doubles. He lowers his head to kiss her when a loud pounding on the door interrupts them. "Whoever the fuck that is better have a death wish!" He shouts in annoyance.
"Your Majesty, Queen Araminta's heath has changed. The royal physicians request your immediate attention!" Prince Pandion Malone enters, stating urgently the news that brought him to them. He wisely stays in a kneeled stance with his eyes averted.
Diomedes hesitates, looking her over again. He suddenly sighs with a huff as he moves off of her and heads towards the door. "A shame really, but we'll have to pick this back up another time." He calls back over his shoulder to her, then there were only two left in the room.
"For the last time, stop making things difficult on yourself by antagonizing him." Pandion sighs out as he stands. When he sees the state she's in, he freezes with his face going eerily blank.
"I don't need advice from the biggest coward of them all!" Adriana shouts in reply as tears rolls down her cheeks. She buries her face in her hands before feeling Pandion drape a cape around her shoulders.
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Just recalling the vision causes the anger, disgust and fear to return in full speed. The nobleman they passed leaving the trading city Duskrift happened to be Prince Pandion Malone, the third prince from Queen Araminta Malone.