Alone at her leisure to do as she pleased. Truly that was one of the better gifts he could have given her. Even if she wasn’t entirely alone, and was still all too aware of the demon basking in the sunlight nearby where no one was going to notice or care about a single gleaming beetle. Calia still needed the time to process, happy to do so in the warm spring air in a place that felt vibrantly alive.
There was maybe a lone flicker of a glance to Archimedes and nothing more. He needed time himself, she bet. Not only with the means of healing, he likely needed to get his mind in order too. If the damnable man even care about doing so. If he didn’t, they were sure to be stuck with each other until somebody finally laid her in the ground.
Not one to waste this opportunity of – as Renus said, getting some aggression out – Calia switch up her weapons to that of a duel wielding. Going through a practiced routine of motions that were meant to keep muscle memory fresh and stretch out her limbs. A dance of movement that followed the breeze and the rustle of leaves. Twirling and whirling and spinning to some song no one could hear, until such rhythms helped her organize her own thoughts.
Something in this palace was amiss and it went deeper than just Starling making bad decisions, that much she knew. The fae tree in the royal courtyard had been so demanding, so intense about that need for her to Help them. Protect them. Calia had heeded that beckoning to help stop the demon blood from tainting the roots, to stop Queen Ashera from doing something she might regret.
…that could not be all though? No. Something about this place and time felt fated. She’d never been one to believe in destiny and fate before. Yet everything with Derrick had taken years to develop, along side the problem of Archimedes that was an entire century of the making. She knew all of these scattered pieces of information, and none of it even remotely made a picture she could understand yet.
A person couldn’t chase destiny any more than they could run from it, though, much to Calia’s annoyance. At least while she was here, she’d collect what information she could on the mystery that was Archimedes and then, well… she really did have her own problems to worry about, didn’t she.
It was probably a good hour of this silent, thoughtful practice before she’d thoroughly been satisfied. Putting wooden swords away, and seeking out one of the ornate water fountains to help cool herself down just a little. Pondering if it was even worth having a conversation with trees, or if that was just going to put her back in Nysia’s line of sight.
The rhythm of the constant beating on a wooden carved person was almost therapeutic. Lulling one into the ease of napping just between the state of really asleep and hovering at awake. Certainly not enough to be considered alert by any means. So when the foliage around him started ruffling and he was nearly thrown out of the bushes that he had managed to claim as a good enough spot to be sunning, it was more than alarming!
“Shh!” Fingers pressed against lips as a bright emerald trait eyes peered through the shrubbery, “[We’ll get caught if you aren’t quite, Ternlei.]” The elven tongue came from a petite girl, red hair vibrant and wild about her head. Barely managed even in the hair band that kept it from falling into eyes.
“[Lyndis, we shouldn’t be here.]” The boy whispered, “[Dad is guna be mad that we snuck away to look at Grandmother’s guest.]”
Turning carefully on that of his leaf, eyes went outwards to where Calia had been training. Not particularly surprised that there were some little children roaming around. Guessing that the path of greenery did in fact lead outside further somewhere and they likely were able to squeeze through due to their size. “[I’ve never seen a round ear before.]” The girl spoke looking at her brother with excitement.
“[We shouldn’t be here.]”
“[Quit being a baby, she’s never going to know.]”
Arc peered at them, “[Oh, she’ll know.]” He offered making them both eep loudly as he trotted off the leaf to the ground. Sighing a bit to go wandering along till he could mount up along the wooden weapon rack to yawn loudly. “Yah be havin’ guests, yer highness. Wee ones, if yah couldn’t tell.”
Calia was deep within her own thoughts until there was a great deal of rustling. At first thinking Archimedes might’ve been making an attempt to come out of that beetle form, but soon there was the whisper argument. If one could even consider that a whispering. She couldn’t understand a damned word of it, but she surely knew the high pitched tones of children. Especially when they made a sudden EEP because Arc was a bratty little bug.
As she’d said to Nysia, she didn’t dislike children. They were just little things curious about the world and who could get mad about that.
It did, however, make her a little uneasy if only because she was still so worried some cursed eventful something was sure to happen and she was going to be at fault for it.
She flicked her gaze down at the demon, with a little twist of her mouth.
“I guess I should do something interesting,” she mused with a tilt of her head.
Leaving the side of the fountain waters she strode out into the grass, only to give a sudden gasp and clutch at her heart with both hands as if someone had just struck her with an invisible arrow. A twist, a turn… and she fainted dead away to the ground. Almost maybe a little too convincing with the landing, but she lay there still as could be. Eyes closed and dead as a opossum.
They’d run off screeching or come poke at her with sticks. Either way, they’d learn a good lesson about spying on strangers!
“Yah don’t think yah bein’ a whole different being from a foreign place, ain’t interestin’ already? Add on all the commotion and well,” there was more whispering about the girl, the voice that they had heard but hadn’t placed together that belonged to a beetle currently and the means of trying to shut the other up. Not wanting to get caught! Although he was equally curious to what the hell Calia was going to do and hopefully not become a living nightmare for the little ones that were doing what little ones did.
Being curious!
Granted, watching her wander over to the grass only to make a dramatic keel over, his figurative brows lifted. “Yah that won’t scare them.” Arc commented as the boy in fact got up and was already squirming away in horror because he clearly appeared to be the nervous logical one. Not about to get caught having been spying and then having to explain that they somehow killed their grandmother’s guest!
It was the little girl –the older one if he had to guess- that decided to scoff at the disappearing sibling. Inching closer to unceremoniously jab her fingers into Calia’s cheek, “You’re not dead.”
“She’s smart.” The demon commented dryly which only caused the kid to look around once more.
“Now Ternlei is guna tell father though. And that’s guna be poopy, I think you scared him and he’s already a scardycat, miss mountain lady human person.” More poking was given.
Calia was pretty good at being a dead opossum, taking several pokes before she rolled in the grass out of poking’s reach. Opening one eye and then another before rising up on her elbows to peer at this far too smart little girl, who was daring enough to suggest it was Calia who was being naughty for giving them a fright.
“Is it poopy? I hope he doesn’t get into too much trouble, then, seeing as I’m not actually dead,” she answered easily. Finding a great deal of amusement in the little one not yet realizing where that other chattering voice was coming from.
“You’ll both need to work on your sneaking skills,” came a suggestion and a shrug of her shoulder. “I’m just a boring mountain lady so I don’t mind the snooping. Next time though you’ll have to be careful. You don’t want to get yourselves caught by some mean old hag. They’ll shake a stick at you and you’ll wake up the next morning with hairy toes and snakes for fingers.”
“If the one fleeing is Ternlei, and I am Calia, then who are you miss pokes dead bodies?”
“He doesn’t know that!” Arms flew up as if the whole point was being missed. Suddenly now her brother had gone off back the way they had snuck in to tell their father about the mountain lady that had keeled over in the sparring room and left her behind. It was a gruesome tale that was going to have to be fact checked and Ternlei was likely to over spin the story too. “As far as he knows, you’re dead. And he seen it happen. You really didn’t think about what was going to happen after,” Eyes ventured around before cupping her hand to mouth.
“I will make sure you don’t get into trouble though. Grandmother is pretty nice and she’ll make sure father doesn’t get too upset.” Well look at that Calia did in fact have personal skills that wasn’t yell and stab. Colour him surprised even if he wasn’t that interested in really being that involved.
Watching, absolutely!
“You didn’t know we were here for how long though. I mean, we can sneak pretty good before Ternlei was getting all whiney about it.” Emeralds laid matter of fact upon the women. Considering her up close then and humming more so to herself. She didn’t look scary honestly but a lot of people were talking about her. Not that she really understood why but adults liked to talk a lot about things that happened over and over and over. “What kind of hags have you seen that you know that! Have you seen people with snake fingers cause I’ve seen people with hairy toes before. That’s not weird.”
“I think yah met yer match, this one is wise.” Once more she looked around, “For a kid.”
She’d find that voice eventually, “I know. Aunt Liriel was talking about you when father came to check on her and Aunt Nysia. They said your name was Calia and you are from inside the mountains or something.” The girl looked matter of fact again, “I’m Lyndis. The next queen of Edelguard after Aunt Liriel.” Self proclaimed of course, “Why are you here by yourself. I heard Aunt Nysia talking about needing more dresses and things and how she was going to make all pretty or something.”
“Hmn, that is true. Sometimes I am very bad at thinking about the consequences,” she nodded, accepting this child’s lecture with grace. “and thank you. I guess if I was a papa I’d come beat up whomever was scaring my kids. I’d rather make friends.”
By now Calia was picking up on the clues that this might just be one of Queen Ashera’s grandchildren. If the lineage of eye color was any hint, she’d seen enough of this bright green shade to be familiar. Pleased in a nostalgic sort of way that the royal children here were free to roam and explore and be mischievous little wild things, instead of being trapped under a thumb. A similarity to her own childhood that she could appreciate.
This one insisted their sneaking had been really good, and Calia was not going to argue. Instead taking on a thoughtful expression about hags, hairy toes, and snakes.
“I’ve seen a lot of different sort of hags that love shaking their sticks. And I guess I’ve never seen someone with snakes for fingers, but I did see a half man, half spider and if that’s not scary, I don’t know what is.”
Calia cracked into a grin when Arc’s voice had the girl giving this frustrated studious little look. Soon to have it confirmed that she was of Ashera’s brood and the wee sprite thought she was going to be Queen one day! Having Calia’s eyes go wide with a bit of curious wonderment if that was just what Miss Princess Lyndis had decided on her own, or if the elven line of succession worked a little differently from the traditions she was used to.
“I am from a valley in the mountains,” she corrected easily. “Something terrible has happened in my kingdom so I have come to ask Queen Ashera for help. Your Aunt Nysia is being very kind to help me with new clothing, as I’ve lost everything I used to have except for a very special ring.”
“As for being alone, I am not,” her grin cracked even wider. “You hear him. You could say he is my… familiar.”
It was likely the most apt description she could give him right now. Doubting it was a good idea to say she had a pet demon!
With a great measure of control and some magical power helped him keep from scoffing at the statement that Calia would rather make friends. Not about to encourage her to actually come over and start introducing him to the bottom of her foot currently. Settling to be a singular unsuspected audience as the girl seemed to be quite forward and confident in herself. Where brother had fled quickly to avoid anything that might have resulted in trouble, Lyndis was meeting it head on. In particular, this foreign person in that of the palace and giving questions to the woman in reply.
Looking temporarily thoughtful about how Calia had never seen someone with snakes for fingers but rather met enough souls that had shaken their sticks. Something he might have guessed was at her more often than naught. “A half man, half spider.” Lyndis looked somewhere between curious and incredulous. Likely not yet knowing about drows and their strange fascination to turn themselves into horrors of the night. And he wasn’t particularly a fan about dryders, still cursing that one that had wanted to turn Calia into his spider queen, whether she liked it or not. The whole poisoning part still a strong grudge and had he not killed the damn thing, he’d have gone back now to do so. Settling to mentally sigh at it.
Lyndis kept her features showing uncertainty for a moment longer. Shifting when Calia expressed she was from the valley in the mountains and how her very land had things happen in which she needed that of grandmother’s assistance for. Pairing on about Nysia being helpful, “Aunt Nysia is pretty nice. She’s fun to play with honestly. She’s pretty good at sneaking around too.” Arc surmised that was probably used for other things than simply spying on unusual guests.
Spying on the suitors, highly likely. “What kind of ring?” She asked but then of course Calia suggested that he was a familiar. Spurring the girl to look around again.
She was probably around ten or eleven by human years. Smart enough to know things but still young enough to be easily amazed by the unknown. “So if you have a familiar, then are you a witch? Witches from books have familiars. Is he like a cat or an owl or a frog.”
“Don’t be gettin’ any ideas, Lia. I cannot be any of those things.”
Calia had finally shifted from relaxing back on her elbows in the grass to fully sitting up. Seemingly perfectly comfortable having a silly conversation on the ground with a child as if it were something she did everyday. Really, there was nothing to worry about when it came to kids as all they really wanted was to ask questions and chatter. To play and poke around at whatever caught their eye. Babies… well that was a different story. Those things were wriggling little bundles of glass that she wanted nothing to do with. This, though? This was fine!
As for her ring, she’d been wearing it on her finger instead of the chain she usually kept it on, ever since staying here at the elven capitol. With it as her only proof of being a Princess of Caeldalmor, it felt important to keep it readily available. Especially since she wasn’t certain what weird garments Nysia was going to try dressing her in.
Twisting it off her finger, she offered it to the girl. Grinning all the more at Arc’s declaration he couldn’t be a cat or owl or frog. Finding that hard to believe, surely!
“My own papa made one of these for each of his children as a gift on their sixteenth birthday. The symbol there is the Caeldalmor royal crest, and behind it is a white stag just for me. My mother always said if I ever get lost to look towards the white stag for guidance.” She’d honestly not even thought about that in such a long time. A warm memory for the only item in the world that she still had from her former life.
“I’m certainly not a witch, nor do you need to be a witch to have a familiar. I got mine by accident and he’s a little golden beetle that doesn’t know how to be quiet.”
Amongst other things, but she wasn’t going to tell this child the demon was an asshole.
With the ring off and the girl taking it carefully in hand, bringing it right up close to study its crest face. Feeling it under fingertips with a deep level of concentration that was quite indepth for one so young. Granted the girl was just a child but she was likely closer to Calia’s age than the princess even knew. Listening to the details that were spoken at all before Lyndis offered back the ring politely. “Driira has never talked about a white stag before, but she’s told stories of a white winged wolf.”
Arc thought about that and felt like it was a clue that it could provoke a memory from the depth of skull. Hissing about it privately but helped himself to flutter off his perch to wander slowly over. Where child seemed to be doing that studying thing again of Calia when told that one didn’t have to be a witch for a familiar.
Evidently Lyndis had been taught certain things and Calia was threatening to break them, but with him sauntering up to be the golden beetle, it seemed to hush the child momentarily. “Yah ought to give me proper credit, I’ve been quiet and respectful as of this day. Yah know what the other side could be and how well we’d be gettin’ along.” The child’s brows lifted one moment and hands came out the next. Properly startling him to take to flight. “Naw noope! No touchy, wee one. Look with yer eyes, not with yer fingers.”
“Aww.” She pouted while he made sure to land on the nearest bush once more. To be present but not to be easily accessible by most. Where her mouth opened as though it was some secret lever that had unintentionally opened the nearest door for it truly did push open in quite a haste.
To let a man step through with brown hair and the same green eyes. “Lyndis.” A deep thundery baritone pulled thick from his chest, where one could take stock of a boy that had been stationed just a few steps behind father. Emeralds picking them out quickly to have a set deep frown. Seemingly taking a moment to decide his action that came as a fist to the chest and a very half offered bow. “Pardon my intrusion, Princess Calia.” Lyndis sucked a breath in suddenly knowing that she had been caught being ill behaved. “It would seem that you’ve have the luck of meeting my children before I had the chance to properly introduce myself and them.”
He looked familiar. Enough to hasten himself to deepen into the bush as he didn’t want to encourage more brain pain.
“Lyndis come here proper.”
“We are just talking Vara.” She whined, making a show of standing up to brush off her knees, “Ternlei didn’t have to run away!”
A winged white wolf? That practically reeked of fae nonsense, though it was curious all the same. Forgotten in an instance, as it seemed her commentary had lured Archimedes out to finally show himself and have a fuss. Not even feeling the slightest bit bad about what she said – it’s not rude if it’s the truth! Even snickering under her breath when Lyndis proved she was very much of the same blood as Nysia, and went grabbing for his buggy form.
Lyndis might not have been hasty to get to her feet, but Calia sure as hell was! Practically bouncing up like a rabbit, with dark fir green eyes meeting bright emerald and trying not to look like she’d be caught up something. Cause she hadn’t been.
If at any point she thought all elves were of the softer reedy side, this stocky bear of a man certainly proved otherwise. Ignoring Archimedes as an example, as he was a demon anyway and surely not a good example of male elven kind! Standing straight with only the slightest of bow herself, she did hold out her hand tight to her side with a beckoning of fingers for Lyndis to hand her ring back.
“They were being curious and I decided to get up to mischief. I honestly didn’t mean to startle them. …too much. A little scare, maybe. For the snooping.”
An honest reply that didn’t need to be so poorly done, nearly stammering if only because the man had burst into the training courtyard with the energy of a parent about to fight the gods on behalf of his missing daughter!
It was a slow motion of daughter giving back the ring and rising to her feet. Patting down herself a bit longer than absolutely necessary while the appearance of the red head boy was holding onto father’s trousers. Looking both curious but more uneasy with the whole fact that the woman that had fainted was in fact up and alive. Whilst daughter finally toddled over to look up at the man. Earning a disapproving look from him in reply. Although it might be clear that Lyndis wasn’t exactly rushing to apologize for anything.
She seemed to have a streak of stubbornness herself and needed not to really heed where heeding ought to be had!
With hand coming out to scoop at girl’s cheek, lightly pressing fingers into to massage it in a gentle motion, the bearded man stepped further in. Seemingly relinquishing son to start quietly bickering with that of sister. The pair of them nattering and hissing back and forth a moment while the other prince approached to have the distance between himself and Calia obviously close. Looking at her eye level –to be considered tall at this point-, he considered the room around them. “The snooping is improper but it is their home as well. I meant to come and introduce myself when the chance arose properly. Although the scaring might have been much for youth’s who do not know who you are.”
“I know who she is!” Lyndis declared and got a disapproving look from father. “Well, I do.” She got another bit of hissing from Ternlei. Round two beginning between them each.
“Prince Aien Evindal.” He spoke politely in the low quivering timbre, “Renus said you were a curious person, Princess Calia. Clearly enough to have Nysia being the one to be your second host in the palace. You’ve been a day and some and you’ve already made quite the state of rumours.”
“Vara, can we invite her to dinner? She seems really okay and she could sit with us and tell us stories about the valley she comes from. It would be fun.” Lyndis offered, “And maybe then Ternlei wouldn’t be such a scardy cat of new people.”
There was a level of exasperation that wrote itself upon Aien’s face. It wasn’t hard to tell that he likely had a bit of a rough time with his child being headstrong. Doing as she pleased, when she wanted and how she wanted. And she was still young! He was going to have a hell of a time by the time she was of teenage years. “I see no Renus or Nysia with you, I hope they haven’t been troublemakers.”
Calia was in that very moment trying not to have a panic that she’d somehow made a poor impression and screwed up this meeting of the final sibling. Especially considering her reputation was already doing a good job of that for her, and teasing children really wasn’t anything bad at all. It took some counting numbers in her head and forcing herself to breathe, before she ended up opening her mouth and saying anything stupid.
She hadn’t done anything wrong, she didn’t need to jump to her own defense to make apologies or excuses.
He wasn’t showing any ill signs, he was just being a protective father.
And now Archimedes was as silent as could be. Curious in itself if this prince sparked memories.
“Renus has been a bit of a blessing in disguise, I have to admit,” she said first, as that was whole heartedly true on a multitude of levels. If she’d gained anything here, it’d been a friendship with the Commander Prince that she hoped would last her a lifetime. He’d actually made that big of an impact to her. Of mention of Nysia she broke into a wide smile. “I haven’t quite figured out if placing me with Nysia was actually to refine me into a proper princess, or to refine her. I am both scared and delighted to see where that takes us.”
Calia could not hide the surprise on her face to so suddenly be invited to dinner by the little one, casting a quick worried glance at said papa who was currently being put on the spot.
“Renus is a bit worried that Nysia’s temperament is liable to set me in a foul state, so he’s introduced me to this space as a way I might… get some peace of mind. It’s been a constructive place to put my energy.”
She might’ve added that it felt like she was being managed with careful hands, as if no one actually knew what to do with her. She bet it was like going from walking on egg shells to shattered glass now that it wasn’t just her to worry about, but the demon she could apparently control as she pleased. In some other universe and some other circumstance Calia would’ve found it hilarious.
“Between the pair of them, I think you have quite the combo to deal with.” Aien offered thoughtfully even if he was shortly chuckling warmly at the whole Nysia portion. Squeezing eyes shut a moment, “Wise words and good observation. Just don’t let her bully you around. She can get a bit cruel in unusual ways but you seem like you at least can stand up to her too.” There seemed to be almost a story with that but Lyndis was deciding to invite Calia to dinner. Something that the man didn’t seem like was good idea.
Likely because it wasn’t exactly proper just to drop an informal invite and there was a missing few party members to such an venue that ought to have a choice on it as well. “From last I heard, Princess Calia was to do as she wanted in such things.” Aien glanced at her in such a way that suggested he wasn’t just talking into thin air. She was no prisoner in the palace and she very well might want to go exploring at her own leisure. Or want to do something else to her own discretion. “We do not just invite someone without talking to your grandmother, Lyndis. Or your driira.” Lyndis still bore that look of sounds like not my problem whilst Ternlei had managed to gravitate closer to father once more.
Hiding behind legs to get a good look at the not so dead lady!
“Well you are welcome to explore at your freedom, Princess Calia. I know Renus has been busy as of late and Nysia is our more free spirited sibling. I trust my brother’s judgment if he felt this was a good option. Especially since,” His eyes moved away in an obvious motion that was clearly looking for someone that he had assumed would be of a man stature but wasn’t there. “You’ve got an addition to yourself.” Aka, dealing with a demon was probably more likely to try her patience.
“There was another voice, vara.” Ternlei whispered because he had heard that too.
“That’s Calia’s familiar. It’s a golden beetle she said.” The girl stepped forward with arms crossed. “He was just here and when vara came in, he disappeared. I think vara scared him because he’s no longer talking. Calia was telling me about old hags with sticks and snake fingers too. Then about white stag stories her driira talked about.” Aien took this information in thoughtfully but seemed to be chewing on something at the same time.
At least she wasn’t too worried about Nysia. At some point she was going to call the elven princess’ bluff and actually wrestle her to te floor, consequences be damned. It seemed as if her siblings – her brothers, anyway – had the opinion that the woman needed a few attitude adjustments, anyway, so maybe she’d not get in too much trouble for it!
Calia did find it odd that she was meant to be left up to her own devices to a large extend, to just wander around and do as she wished. Wondering if that was because no one wanted to risk her feeling like a caged animal and thus bucking up against the cage, part of their concerns about how Archimedes was going to respond to things, or something else entirely.
“I am happy to be invited to dinner,” she stated then to at least make it clear that she did indeed want to interact and get to know their family. Not just be an introverted ghost haunting and menacing their halls! “When it’s discussed with your mother and the Queen, of course. They might have other plans and we don’t want to ruin those.”
The boy was getting a little braver and for him, nothing but warm, harmless smiles. She was not a wicked witch here to eat little children.
Alright, maybe that smile wasn’t one hundred percent harmless, but it was difficult sometimes not to be wholly herself, even when that self was a mischief making minx. He’d feel all the more braver when he did finally talk to her.
“He is afraid of grabby hands and being squished as Princess Nysia already tried to snatch him this morning,” she told little Lyndis. “Best to only look and not touch, and he might be more willing to chat.”
“You are a brave woman.” It came out so fast that even if Aien was to be embarrassed about it, he just started laughing instead. Reaching down to smooth a hand across son’s head while taming the giggles down. “Most people wouldn’t want to dine with the entire royal family after just a bit of an introduction to them all. It’s a first and I will rely that little tidbit of information back.” The man smiled sweetly, “Nysia may dress you up, just be warned.”
Whatever plans there would be, it seemed he was going to be truthful to the means of giving Calia the invitation when the reigning queen decided it to be so. Sure that it would be no troubles now with said information but it was best that his mother be the deciding factor in it all.
And well, there was no telling what sort of dinner it would be considering there was a very much unexpected addition in the form of an old friend that had turned traitor and done some truly despicable things.
Of course he had expected to see someone standing there or present he supposed in the flesh, but listening to his daughter no sooner express about how Calia a familiar in the form of a golden beetle, he couldn’t stop the pure bafflement on his face. “A beetle?” Ternlei buried half his face into leg. Not a fan of bugs.
“I wasn’t guna hold him. Long. I just wanted to see him up close.” Lyndis sighed, “And I’m way more patience than Aunt Nysia.”
“Nysia tried to grab your uhm… familiar? I should be more surprised about that.” Of course he wasn’t entirely but there was a frown deepening on his face.
“Beetles shouldn’t be able to talk.” The boy offered sagely advice. Spurring a sigh from sister. Eyes rolling so far in her head that it might be a concern if they got stuck.
Smoothing hand once more, Aien gave a low hum. “If you get an invite to dinner, I am sure Nysia will let you know. As for now, and this impromptu greeting, I do need to return my runaway children to that of their mother, for lessons.”
On cue, the groaning from both of them began. Spurring a laugh from him, “I wish I knew then how much less fun being an adult is compared to just getting lessons. If you need anything, princess. I hope you know you can ask for any of us. Though I would suggest taking a walk around outside the palace too, into the streets of the city. It’s quite a sight to see and probably less restraining than being cooped up here all day. We’ll likely have a larger meeting coming up to discuss the queen’s plans for assistance for yourself. And what to do with your, golden beetle.”
Suddenly Calia got the feeling that she ought to be a lot more afraid and worried about sitting down for a meal with this family! It not occurring to her that she was basically throwing herself into the lion’s den as fresh meat, until that very moment he called her brave and started laughing. Realizing too that it’d be considered a big deal, so naturally Nysia was going to make a whole spectacle of it. Either just for the pure joy of having a ward of her own to dress up and polish, or just to show off to the rest about how well she was tidying Calia up.
Good gods, what had she agreed to.
At least Aien did not seem vexed with her or worried at all now. Hesitant about where Archimedes was going to come into play, but that was to be expected. She’d worry too if she were the royal family.
Herself? Not so much. At least not while he was still healing. If he truly was as intelligent as everyone claimed, he’d wait until he was fully healed before mouthing off to anyone that might actually want some retribution. It was already strange he wasn’t being as obnoxious as usual. Although, she wasn’t really hissing and fighting with him to help fan those embers either.
“I think I might do that, take a walk through the city, that is. Take my beetle for an enrichment walk.”
Didn’t hurt to poke at him just a little.
Calia wiggled her fingers at the two small ones. “Goodbye Princess Pokes Dead People and Prince Run n’ Squeak.”
“You should. Take as much time as you can to see the place before you are too busy to enjoy it.” Aien affirmed flashing a easy smile that soured a little, “Make sure it’s on a leash. Or just toss it into a hole somewhere.” Apparently not about to be warm or fuzzy in the means of dealing even conversationally about a bastard.
Nysia was likely right, she was going to be the only one that wasn’t hateful.
With a hand raising up to wave, Ternlei didn’t look too thrilled at being called anything besides his name. Lyndis shrugged and waved back, “Bye weird mountain round ear witch.” Aien groaned if not giving Calia a slight look of you’re guna start something and she’s guna copy it. Parenthood being certainly not for the faint of heart. Escorting his children from the sparring room, to find that of the female parent for the next unfair torture of learning and understanding things that were deemed important for them to have! Truly such a terrible thing.
Where a room lulled back into a silence and a lack of said demon gone beetle to converse. It would have been easier to hide if it weren’t for the tether that declared he was still nearby. Maybe not as close as he had been, having gone into the open brush of the room to have found the spot where the children had found their way in!
Calia should absolutely not be imaging tying a silken thread to Arc’s tiny little beetle body to keep him on a tethered leash. That was far too amusing and would get her in so much trouble. This moment of calm they were having liable to end in a heartbeat! She did, however, give the prince an affirming nod and unfortunately a rejoining smile that she wasn’t too sorry about the trouble he was now going to have with little Lyndis.
As soon as the little family had left the courtyard, Calia turned on her heels, seeking out the golden jewel that was going to need her as a living shield at this rate.
“And what avoidant reasons do we have for the silence now, my unwilling little familiar?” she asked the bushes and the brush. “Another agony of memories involving Prince Aien, or are you hiding because you don’t even want to risk it?”
Either or both could be true. They were going to find out eventually, there wasn’t going to be anywhere for him to hide until it was time for her to leave this kingdom.
“…let’s get out of here, anyway. I’m tired of being in a fishbowl and I’m sure you are too.”
Maybe he should have just slipped through the sneaky little hole in the wall that was covered up by the wildlife in the space because he was not a familiar! Left her to have to try and chase him down because while he was certainly tied to her by that of magical binding, he didn’t have a recall button either. Granted he wouldn’t have gotten very far and he knew it. Being both not well received here –as one would expect- and the fact he was a beetle liable to be smack, squished and stomped by anyone who was horrified by them, was reasons enough.
Outside the obvious ones that were just facts that he wasn’t well enough to do much.
“Weren’t yah the one that said I talked so much and didn’t have anythin’ of value to say. Or that I talk too damn much? I’d have been thinkin’ yah be grateful I’ve been on better behaviour and sayin’ little.” Arc contemplated truly just slipping into a very hard to reach place but withheld himself from actually doing so. Leisurely appearing out of the foliage to be present enough.
Not that she was right on both fronts. Avoiding looking at another prince seemed wise in case he had some uninvited memories trying to slammed themselves against the mental wall with little regard to the actual agony that writhed around inside him. It seemed wise to just actively avoid it. Once this morning and a few threatening twinges thus far were more than enough for him. Wanting nothing to do with a rinse and repeat situation.
“Why do yah be needin’ me to tag along? I ain’t doin’ nothin’ besides merely existin’ in discrete efforts. I ain’t goin’ nowhere. Even if I wanted too, yah’d be able to find me. So don’t be worryin’ yer head or stressin’ that I’m guna whisper ill omens in people’s pointed ears. I’m bound to yah. Ain’t much I can do without yer approval anyways. And mischief right now seems like a fine way to ensure I have no healin’ at all.” Arc mounted up on a leaf, “Plus, yah don’t wanna be the weird lady with a giant bug.”
“Alright,” she said surprisingly softly, “I will stop my teasing.”
Lo and behold! What a surprise that was, to have her willingly say she wasn’t going to pester him any further. Without a snapback or scathing bit of commentary. Even she wasn’t entirely sure why she felt compelled to offer him this bit of peace, after the right pain in the ass he’d been to her. Surely no one here felt he deserved anything more than endless torment and suffering for all he’d done.
Maybe that was why. She’d seen with her own eyes what that sort of suffering looked like, and not even her worst of enemies deserved that. Arc was hardly her worst enemy, and the more she learned about his former life the less she felt he even earned any of this abused. He’d been punished plenty enough, it was time to let him be.
Calia crouched down near his bush until she was at a reasonable eye level with the fussing thing.
“You’re going to heal faster when you’re close to me,” was her first reason. “As I’ve said before, you met me at my worst and because of that we had a terrible start. I don’t want to be that person anymore so I’d like this to work for us. But it’s not going to if we avoid each other, Archimedes. You’ve got to meet me halfway.”
Should he be far more concerned that she was not only capable of being gingerly but she was even offering to cease her teasing. Honestly, such words ought to make him properly nervous because well, this was Calia. And he was himself. They weren’t exactly a well meshed duo! Of course there was obvious circumstances for that originally which a wise person would keep in mind rather than completely forget.
However, they weren’t exactly separate beings currently either.
It was pretty easy for Calia now to inflict pain on him and it wouldn’t even matter if he could sense her intentions of doing so. Being the master of the contract really did offer benefits over the other and he was smart enough not to willingly incur such resulting disciplinary actions.
Rotating himself around in a neat little circle as to face her when she drooped to such a level to give the compiling knowledge that he did in fact heal better when he was closer to the owner of the binding, he was shocked at her follow up commentary. Studying her as she pointed out that they did in fact start off terribly. As one would when she was stressed up to her eyeballs with knowledge of a man stealing not only her heart in any figurative sense but literal, with her magic. Unleashing demons a plenty into her realm and killing anyone and everyone they could. He did know it was not exactly a gentle greeting and he was of course, a demon too. Very concerned over his own amusement rather than anything else. It still stood, he really wasn’t that interested in being forced to recall things that were clearly better left alone!
Arc still knew that Calia was right. Unfortunately for both of them, he could be a demon pretty perfectly but even he knew there was still emotions inside him that didn’t exactly compliment the demonic personalities perfectly. He could lie about it but it wouldn’t be convincing surprisingly. Pair on that he had plenty of time to think about his actions when being carved up like a winter solstice ham, it was likely better he didn’t just lead entirely with his dick!
“I wasn’t guna avoid yah. I was attemptin’ to be obligin’ of awareness.” Mostly true though he was in fact not that interested in going out and about so more people could potentially made him want to die. “Yah know that ownin’ my leash is not for the faint of heart. Even without the whole apparent former forgotten association I be havin’.” Feelers twitched and fluttered slightly but ultimately he wasn’t about to fight a battle that wasn’t even a battle at all!
“Yah could start by stop addressin’ me as Archimedes. It’s too proper especially since it’s considered poison on lips.” Taking a few steps forward to her, indicating he was fine with going with her and was being polite enough not to adopt her as his chariot this time. “Do yah really wanna be eatin’ with the whole royal family? That seems far worse than that dryder psycho, personally.”
“I am fairly certain being stuck with me isn’t going to be a spring picnic either,” she retorted with quite the winsome smile. Not feeling the slightest bit bad about it in this moment, as he was the one and only to at least see snippets of what she was actually capable of. And that had all just been her unbridled rage and a short leash of unfamiliar magic! If he thought she was frightening before, well… now she was going to take him on a wild ride.
“I like saying your full name, it bounces on the tongue,” she declared, finally rising up to her feet again. This time being the one to sweep her hand to capture him off that leaf and set him up on her shoulder. Her own choice, if simply because there was no sense in him expelling energy to fly all over the capitol to keep up with her. With a tiny bit of reasoning that she felt it’d make those who knew whom he was, feel a little safer and believe he was in fact ‘leashed’.
“If you wanna be an egg sack for that fucking spider, by all means go for it,” she answered with a scrunched of her nose. “I’ll take the royal family any day. Only Renus has seen me behaving like an ass, so the rest are only working with rumors. Although, I guess they might wonder now what sort of person I am to hold a demon by contract. It’s just a dinner with a family, as long as we’re quiet and don’t get in the middle of anyone’s squabbles it’ll be fine.”
Most likely. At least now she was more worried about how they’d react to Arc than how she was going to need to behave. He was going to be a shield for her just as much as she was for him!
“I’d be more concerned if it were a spring picnic.” If she was able to stow away all those emotions and put on such fake ones with that practiced of ease, his hackles were going to rise. As much as they didn’t get along, he at least knew she was pretty genuine. Even in the worse chaotic moments, Calia worked on emotion. True blue, out in the open and plain to see, emotion. Of course he suspected she could hide it too being that of a trained royal herself but thus far, there was no need to entirely put the kiddy gloves on to manage her. Which in itself was likely another reason they got along like oilsoaked rag on fire.
With him being snatched up by hands that weren’t some random other princesses –seeing a trend here- he sighed at her. Settling down easily, “Yah know people guna get all fussed and shit. Usin’ a shortened form at least is potentially associated to other names.” And he was not going to list any cause he couldn’t think of any.
Sucking little buggy legs in to balance under the curve of body, he practically growled at the idea of being an egg sack. “I killed the bastard, didn’t I? Clearly I’ve made my feelin’s known about the nasty thin’.” Dryders were fucked up creatures honestly. But to hear her expressed that she would take a room full of royal elves in reply, he couldn’t entirely disagree with it. Of course he was less thrilled by it because the whole remembrance thing and well, he wasn’t sure what the hell was going to trigger something. “Just throw me in a wine glass and drown me that way if I have to be assaulted by unwanted recollections. May as well be drunk as hell to get through it.”
Still as her little accomplice for now, he had to wonder. “What have yah learned then in the meantime? Outside of the whole dungeon of fun and mages apparently being squirrelly.”
If he wanted her to stick with just Arc, Calia could do that. Understanding it easy enough that he might be right about how others were going to react to his full name. It could be for the best to have this new, memory-less version of himself with a less weighted title. Grinning soon after at the thought of dropping him into a wine glass to swim about fully snockered. He ought to not be giving her all these ideas, as she was going to be far to tempted to try at least one.
With the agenda in mind of getting out of this palace to claim a little bit of respite for the both of them, Calia made a quick exit from the courtyard to enter that of the palace again. Striding down the hall in no rush to be anywhere fast and just glad that for now she didn’t need to be somewhere, perform good behaviors, or do anything other than just exist for the moment.
“Hmn, that half the things I say sound like I’m threatening people,” she mused out loud, both in just and with all seriousness. “I’m too frank with my thoughts, I’m too aggressive. Oh, I am also self righteous and a whore.”
This was all mostly just a ranting on her part. Just because Calia was starting to see why people had these perspectives of her, didn’t mean she always agreed or even had to like it. Leaving her shrugging her shoulders and softly crossing her arms as she wandered down the long hall, counting the doors and archways they passed.
“What I’ve actually learned is that Renus is a good commander and he has a hard time loosening up. I’m almost positive that Nysia has a secret spy network that works through the court. Liriel is presently exhausted with caring the new child, but she still has this way of looking someone up and down and catching on real quick about the reality of them. And that Queen Ashera has been making moves to protect the kingdom from this ominous Imperial Queen on the other side of the mountains, and because of that she is missing the darkness that’s within her own court. None of them can hear their own great tree whispering warnings that the danger is already here. And it’s not you and I.”
To be told that she spoke in a way that sounded like it was threatening people, that she was very forward and rather aggressive with a paired ending conclusion of being self righteous and a whore, he hummed. Taking it all in one piece at a time while making it an overall understanding that he impressively didn’t have something to comment on. Well mostly, “Elves are prudish.” Arc offered with no follow up. He could fathom why people would tell her such things but also could put together that they hadn’t experienced what she had gone through.
So while they could be right or wrong, they wouldn’t know the truth of it merely due to the fact that they were never going to have the exact same replication of behaviours or happenstances to them. Even he could say that it was probably far more impressive that Calia wasn’t a raging bull with knocking down support columns and banging on her chest. Even now she had full access to all his spells and abilities, she really could be a terror if she wanted too. Instead, she was behaving and showing that she was trying to learn, listen and absorb.
She moved on as they walked. The place was a bit all the same feeling. Golden walls with little bits of indoor plants and décor that was devoid of a speck of dust. Everything in its place and no one lurking behind any pillars ready to jump out and attack the foreign guest. Though one could see a maid or servant every so often, they merely nodded to her and kept at the task they were busy with. It was hardly riveting and likely a good thing.
She gave a short run down of the people thus far met.
Renus. Nysia. Liriel. Queen Ashera.
He was nudging those names carefully and it was the last two that were more of a sensitive sensation in his little flat buggy head. Thankfully, she spoke about a mad bitch of a queen and a great tree in which that got him to pay more attention. “Hierra is a psychopath. The imperial queen. She makes some demons look like little cherubs to be honest. Dominating other kingdoms with her magic, her power and whatever minion she has at her beck and call. Last I heard, there were at least twelve kingdoms she overtook to make into the imperial lands.” Figurative eyebrows lifted, “Curious the queen here is guna go against that but well, with those weapons maybe possible.”
Arc went thoughtfully quiet a moment. Assessing his knowledge about the great tree as it wasn’t unknown to him. “Yah know that tree is of fae lineage. Elves aren’t fae anymore since their whole realm and stuff. The tree was like a last link and it speaks to other fae trees like it. Through their roots or somethin’. Though yah bein’ able to hear it, yah might be fae touched. Somewhere in yer family line, there was a fae in there. So loose now that it’s not really much but considerin’ yer magic and all of it, hmm… not implausible that yah got quite the little unknown addition to yah. Unsolicited advice for yah, talk to the tree. Just know its fae so it’s likely a bit devious. Yah might get more answers from it than the queen or her family.”
“Humans are prudish too,” she countered with a half smile. At least many of the women were, which really did not feel fair in her opinion. Much of her existence had been doing things that others told her she couldn’t simply because she didn’t like their reasons why she was being denied it. Oh, she’d listen if there was a point and purpose… otherwise she was liable to try a thing just out of spite. Not a good way to behave now as a grown adult, even if she still struggled against all of these rules and boundaries.
“I’m not sure if fae-touched is any better than being demon-touch,” she admitted, not outright discounting it as… well, she’d investigated a lot of different sorts of magic so far, hadn’t she? Of witches and warlocks, of sorcerers and wizards, and mages and more. Even a few beastly creatures here and there. Now with her experience of a demon’s magic she knew it was not that either, her only options left were creatures of fae origins.
That in itself was a frightening prospect, for the fae of Caeldalmor were reclusive and rare. They lived deep in the fir forest and had no interest in interacting with the mortal realm. Those that did come out to roam were more often than not of the dark fae persuasions – ones seeking to start trouble or cause mayhem. Seeking contracts of their own in a way that usually involved snatching people away never to be seen again.
Considering Calia’s inclinations, maybe she was indeed fae after all!
“The tree did encourage me whole heartedly to make this binding. To use your magic,” she admitted there, stopping in a fork of the hall. “It was very adamant about protecting this royal family, and for me to use your magic. Now what could be made of that?”
The musing was more rhetorical than anything else, for now she was gesturing at the two halls.
“Should we sneak into the courtyard now and see what might come of it? Or take this chance to give you a taste of freedom after being a filleted ham hock for days?”
“Ehhh, yer not wrong.” One conceded easily to the humans are prudish too. She would know better than he did and even what he did know, it walked very close to her own assessment. But that was just a filler topic now by comparison to the whole mad queen out in the world and the tree that had been a pillar of the elven’s belief’s for a very long time.
Giving her a faceted look as she suggested fae-touched and demon-touched were pretty much the same person riding a different pony. He wasn’t too sure if he would consider one over the other seeing as he had no history personally with the fae side. Just demon and frankly his opinion was heavily skewed. While fae were certainly the sorts that were particularly mischievous, they were also ancient beings. With tales and stories and traditions and histories so deep that it would be properly impossible for anyone of limited years to learn it all. One would have to be immortal and fascinated with the very idea of their existence to try and examine it all.
“Weird.” He applied the honest fact that out of every entity in this place, he would not have thought a ancient tree of the fae realm would encourage a mortal to bound a demon at all. It seemed pretty high on the taboo list but he couldn’t argue against it either. “Even if I had half an idea to what or why, I don’t think it would be of use. I ain’t got any idea unless the fae tree is also tryin’ to get me to do the rememberin’ stuff and it’s just amused.” The bug shimmied in a form of shrugging shoulders.
“I wonder if any of the runes on my body is important to that.” Arc mused a bit but promptly was lending focus to her about her query. “Courtyard could be far more interestin’, if yah wanna be nosy. See what sort of lingerin’ nobles are about and talkin’ all sorts of smarmy shit that they shouldn’t be sayin’. Already not being a filleted ham is doin’ me wonder’s, lass.”
“You do not remember what all of the runes are for?” Now that was a thing that stood out amidst the details. She’d seen them clearly on Arc in random moments and never gave them any thought before. Magical symbols she was familiar enough to recognize as a means of magic, but not for what sort or purpose. Runs and sigils were common for mages, warlocks and even witches. Now it was in her mind, though, connecting where she’d seen things of a similar nature.
Starling, for example. Who’d mentioned in their quiet and brief conversation that his own were a means for faster casting.
Tapping her foot on the polished floor, made the decision then, that turning to the left and heading towards the courtyard was going to be a better use of her time. The capitol village wasn’t going anywhere, there would be plenty of time for that. After all, she still needed to acquire things later for travel.
Not so much interested in speaking with the tree, as the damn thing was going to tug at her when it pleased whether she wanted it to or not. But now having an idea in mind of seeing exactly what might be lurking in the court to create this need to enlist her into the intrigue. To have wholeheartedly invited her into making a bond with a demon that had harmed this very family and land.
“Just a forewarning, I am not very good with courtly politesse,” and easy admittance. Calia was charming in a tavern, that seemed to be about the extent of her ability to be charming.
“I have runes all over my chest and back. They all intersect with another and are tied to each other. There are elements in some. The speed of casting. The modifier for power and strength and a build of for distractions. Empowerin’ in night and day. They all have meaning’ I know what they do but what I be meanin’ is I don’t remember how they came to be. They’ve just been there and mages only inscribe their flesh for boosting their particular skill. My own are likely very frowned upon because there is forbidden runes.” Arc answered and thought, “And well… I don’t know all of them. Some I have and don’t seem to be useful for anythin’ but that could be part of this whole yah know, memory thin’.”
More wiggling for his effect of shrugging shoulders, it would have to be something to check into when he was more of his physical self.
Where movement pulled to take them to the left and he gave a easy chuckle at her statement of not being very good with the courtly politeness. “Lass, anyone talkin’ shit here and is tryin’ to be discrete about it, likely needs to be told off. Nobles are stuffy busybodies from what I’ve seen. And well, what are they guna do about it. Yer the royal families guest? They could bitch and moan but at the end of it all, they can’t do shit about it. But it could be interestin’ if say, one or two try to butter yah up. Word prolly has spread throughout the inner circles that yah have done quite a bit here. There’s always someone who wants to rub elbows with those who seem like they might have stings to pull. Just yah ain’t got that. Maybe the fae tree knows there might be someone here that needs a good clock upside an ear.”
“Could be fun to be a pest here. Yah know what they say, to know thy enemy one has to be their confident.” Well he made that up but it sounded good enough.
“Sounds as if we’re going to spend some very long hours in a library studying your body, Arc.”
Oh, she knew exactly how that phrase sounded. Delivering it with deadpan innocence, simply because despite how salacious it sounded, that was indeed exactly what they’d have to do. Copying down each symbol he didn’t recognize and then scouring the archives deep down below, all his ancient notes – if anyone had thought to keep them safe considering the very purge of what they were doing now. All of that research to see if they could find hints of what they were meant for, and if it even meant anything important.
For all they knew, they could just be there for nonsense or aesthetic. To make him more pleasing for women and the kind of perverted bullshit wizards liked to get up to.
“Nysia also seems to be hoping I’ll cause a stir with the court, so maybe you are right that a little mischief will do them some good,” she admitted. Deciding if she did end up with her foot in her mouth, that she’d point her fingers directly at the elven princess who was tasked with refining her wild habits.
Still, bridges needed to be made with more than just the royal family if she were to use this time wisely. One couldn’t bluster in like a wild mare just to kick up dust and see what came scurrying out.
It did not take her long to find her way back to the grand central courtyard, where the great tree lived it’s charmed existence. After all, there was the gentle tugging and the soft whisper of a lovely song that drifted along with the sweet promise of soon to be spring blossoms. It did baffle her a little that this place was open for the nobility to peruse at their leisure, but she supposed if she had a big important tree she’d also want it to be somewhere all could admire it.
She slipped in without grand affair and likely could’ve blended in easily with her present attire, if not for her round ears and her far too tall stature. Calia knew she was spotted by the quick glances and whispers, leaving her to play the role of visiting princess. Standing straight and unbothered, clasping her hands behind her back.
Curiously, the tree said nothing, but it did seem amused. So at the very least Calia supposed this would be it’s entertainment.
“Yah know if it were anyone else, I’d be thinkin’ up at least ten different lines to try and make that happen. With yerself, I have reserved hesitation.” It sounded absolutely promiscuous in every letter but he did in fact know better. And well, he was actually curious about a library. It likely held all sort of information that could be both just interesting to learn or useful for him to have. It was unlikely he was going to stumble upon any demons that were of any use to him and needed to be relieved of their hearts so he could further embolden his spell list. So it would have to be a different method of broadening that scope of magical education.
Though of course there was equal wonderment if any of his apparent tomes he might have had notes in would be present. Wondering if it would be just an unpleasant brain pain fest or something to learn from. Keeping that to himself.
“Yah know, she seems like the sort that would be the pot stirrer herself while gettin’ others to lick the shit stick she was usin’.” It did make him wonder what sort of court they were about to see or deal with that one of their own princesses were heavily thinking how much fun it would be to get them uppity sorts all fussed and frazzled. Choking on their oho’s and clutching at pearls.
Wisely upon the entrance to the very space, he went to silence that of himself. Unfortunately for Calia, he wasn’t exactly just a small little moth that could be ignored but a glittering jewel of a shiny beetle. It drew attention just as much as she did. Where people who were milling about the area under the tree –his focus had turned to it to study it far better now that he wasn’t chained to a magic circle looking like he had a hook fetish and felt… nothing towards it. No hinting pressure that was telling him an unbidden recollection was about to assault. Just a rather otherworldly view of a great tree that had a clear flow of magic around it. It warmed his blood in ways that was tantalizing! Curious to the thing naturally and wondering if it was being noisy in suddenly talking at all.
There were plenty of nobles present. The throne itself was empty and it was clear this was no queen’s court in session.
Although one would have to be plenty deaf not to hear the mutterings of people obviously pointing out the princess. The foreigner. The human. The guest. And some additions of unsavoury things that made him twitch an antenna. “Yah think they would have been less interested in yah if yah burst in and started demanding sacrifices?” Arc whispered lowly. Curious who was going to be bold enough to approach first.
Her smile was immediate and brilliant at his hesitation of any witty or charming comebacks to her original statement – like to have all within the courtyard thinking she was a pleasant seeming girl happy to see such a beautiful tree and all of it’s courtly attendees. Instead of the truth being her full amusement that Arc found her too terrifying a prospect to even dare a meaningless flirt. Which was perfectly fine with her, as she had no interest in him either with his sassy nonsense and general being.
With the Queen not holding court right this moment, Calia didn’t have to worry about being under the scrutiny of her eyes and judgement. Leaving her free to make a sauntering meander of a walk, as if she strolled through this courtyard every day. Most of her attention appeared on the tree itself, at least from and outward perspective. But her awareness was keen of just how many were in the room, where they stood. She kept track of shadows and light and whispered voices. Of footsteps and the swish of silk.
Taking in a deep relieving breath, as the world felt alive again. Calia might’ve still had them without magic flowing through her veins, but it was so much more vibrant being connected again.
It helped too that the tree was it’s own form of sunny warmth. Gently swaying in it’s own way. Leaving her to wonder if anyone here realized that it could be as simple as touching the bark and giving a respectful request, that one might get some very spectacular results.
“It’s sure not pity for a poor refugee princess, is it,” she muttered under her breath. No, there was no pity here! Curiosity, disdain, confusion, maybe even a little bit of horror. There was no telling which pieces of gossip had spread and which hadn’t. A mere twenty four hours was both a small amount of time and plenty!
It seemed the first that would dare to approach was a matronly woman, old enough to have her hair gone silver and her face to be aged, but that hardly meant much for Calia when elves could live multiple centuries. She had a sharp nose that she somehow looked down at her with despite the fact Calia was a good foot taller, yet surely wanted to test this means of interaction as the first one to meet the mountain princess.
“This court has not seen such a mayfly stain the halls in quite some time,” said the matronly dame with such a condescending countenance that Calia got the feeling that mayfly wasn’t referring to the beetle on her shoulder, nor that it was a pleasant thing to be!
It should have been expected to see, that in that moment Calia straightened, mirroring the woman’s very stance and body language like a chameleon. Reflecting it back with such an ease, that anyone might believe she was always like this. For truly, as such an emotional thing, hadn’t she always seemed to give back exactly what a person gave to her? Good and bad.
“Best take a lesson from the Great Tree, Elder, and bloom sweet. Else a crone’s tongue grows more bitter with age.”
The pure look of shock on the woman’s face was worth it. Calia prayed this woman was no one important, for she looked the princess up and down before scoffing under her breath and scurrying off to greet a circle of what Calia could only assume were her generation’s clucking hens. Seemed even the elven court had it’s cluster of gossipy old windbags.
“Hope that’s not gonna bite us in the ass later,” she mused. “…what did she mean by mayfly?”
Whether or not he had any recollection of this people or place, he knew elves well enough to understand that they could be quite full of themselves. Living so long tended to make people removed from the roots of their own existence. Looking down on others and acting the part of how mighty they were. After all, the sharpness of their ears was suggested they were made as such to hear their gods better. It found it to be almost a crock of shit but he could only hum to agree to Calia’s assessment of how no one here was even forming an inkling of pity.
Either they were really looking down on her or they truly didn’t know the scope of crap that had happened to the refugee princess. Or the third option, they just didn’t care.
Whatever it was, it seemed the first brave enough soul and sauntered up. Looking the part of vulture in his own thoughts. With a beak to truly go along with it. Twitching antenna for the purpose of being potentially considered nasty living vermin while the old broad spoke up. Her tongue posed to be sharp but her insult had him effectively rolling eyes. Figuratively of course.
If this was supposed to be some show that this crotchety old bat was about to set some unspoken precedent of power, she clearly was due some sass back. Something the human girl was quite good at and thus far hadn’t a reason to withhold her tongue because age was respect or something. Replying in kind with a mimicked body stance. Giving what was being taken and shortly shooing the biddy back to her group of other bearded nannygoats.
“She’s callin’ yah temporary. Yah know, mayfly’s only livin’ for a very short time as adults. Your existence or time being short-lived. She’s being a sour mingr, that’s what.” He didn’t exactly scale his tone back on that one. “The higher the monkey climbs the tree, the further up its arse yah see.” Speaking clearly enough to be sure that someone was listening before contemplating something. “Think if yer Nysia want’s yah to start somethin’ interestin’ in these halls, yah could put them on the receiving end. If yer feelin’ brave enough and the tree herself ain’t guna be insulted. Food for thought. Unless yah want me to start bein’ a right soddin’ pest so yah don’t have more heat.”
“Bold and rude,” was her only comment about that old woman. To have the gall to approach a visiting royal and insult them to their face spoke volumes. Knowing her own mother wouldn’t tolerate that sort of thing in her court, but Queen Ashera wasn’t exactly here to catch on, was she. People did tend to get brave when the crown wasn’t watching, especially when they felt one was not worthy of the space they were in.
Calia probably wasn’t worthy, nor did she feel she belonged here… but still. She would not allow herself to be abused just to keep peace.
Which had her tilting her head in a soft consideration.
“Liriel would know Nysia’s habits, wouldn’t she,” an out loud pondering. Starting her walking again to make a slow, graceful prowl around the great tree itself. Lending herself to be something to watch, since so many wanted to stare and whisper. “She’d know that Nysia likes causing a stir and shaking things up.”
“… and their mother is allowing me free reign to do as I will. If it were me on my own, I wouldn’t think twice about that decision. But she’s still allowing this freedom even now that I have you. So it’s probably a test of what I will do and how I do it.”
No one trusts the word of their children that much, to let a woman they just met bind themselves to an infamous most hated foe and then let her loose without some form of supervision. Even for long lived elves, that felt a bit reckless. Even if they believed she could talk to the great tree, and believed her words. There was a purpose for this.
“You listened to Nysia’s blatherings about her suitors,” there was a tone to her voice, subtle as it was. “I am meant to help her narrow things down, after all…”
Likely that Calia was right that she was likely having someone watch her even from afar. To see just what she did or didn’t do depending on whatever situation presented itself. Although he could only agree with a bare hum that Liriel would know her sister’s habits. Waiting for the wandering princess with eyes a plenty on her to made her slow rotation around that of the healthy tree. Eyeing it himself a long moment and didn’t exactly resist the thought that made him curious if it had sap in it.
Would one be able to take the magic from something as ancient as this deep rooted vessel in the earth and what could it be worth. Let alone he bet the bark itself could be useful for some things while being a somewhat attentive minion to her clear talking.
He could hear some whispers though the clarity on them were still hard to comprehend, just till she stated the fact that even he had heard the blathering’s –more like stalking- about the nine suitors and how in turn, Calia was charged with helping her narrow things down.
Ah, so that was it. Declare it as nonchalantly but purposefully as possible that she had been charged with helping one of the royal children pick her suitable consort and just whom could be given an political advantage with such a thing. That Calia was given power –even if it might seem more like a burden- people here just might be associated with one or two of those unnamed suitors. “That is true,” Arc followed her lead and cleared his throat thoughtfully, “It would be a shame if yah weren’t treated with the right level of respect to help the young princess make a wise and informed decision.”
The beetle pointedly moved to crawl over her back to the opposite shoulder. Adjusting his posture, “Surely no one would be so disrespectful to you and the Princess Nysia and the rest.”
There was more muttering that had started to float around them. Rising noticeably and he could feel a smirk on his buggy little face. “Any particular ones that have been favourable, Princess Calia?” He could admit that he didn’t recall any of their names from this morning, more concerned that nine of them were crazy enough to want to be in this selection process at all.
Why were nobles like this, she did wonder to herself. Did these people not have jobs of their own to do? Things they needed to oversee and worry about beyond prancing around in fancy clothes and gossiping about each other? Calia did enjoy pretty clothes and lively parties, she understood celebrations were necessary to ease tensions. But she didn’t get all of this. Lurking around the court in hopes they’d have more to talk about.
For fuck’s sake, the could go be learning a skill or something!
“Nysia’s heart is torn, as she’s said she’s so enamored with all of them and they each have something worthwhile to enrich her life,” she was very careful now about how she said this, seeing as these long-eared elves were hanging on ever word hoping to catch something juicy. It wouldn’t be good if she insulted any of the royal family. Even Nysia who was so full of her own brand of bullshit that Calia was still trying to figure out what she was all about.
“There is that lord that is a sea captain,” she mused, following one of the roots of the tree to step in a little closer to it. “She’d enjoy the freedom, I think. But if Nysia is wishing to raise a family of her own, she shouldn’t have a husband away at sea all the time.”
Whisper, whispers. Frustrating that a lot of it was in elvish words she didn’t understand the slightest. Accents she could pick up easily and even mimic, but remembering the damn vocabulary of different languages had always been frustrating for her. At least Arc had picked up on this little game they were playing, although she would’ve rather set loose a bunch of raccoons and entertained herself that way.
“She did spend extra time talking about that one who lives in the capitol, some old, old family name. He sounded promising… up until I heard his parents had three other ladies lined up as potential betrothals for him. She ought to drop him immediately, they clearly don’t feel the Princess as a worthy option to pursue.”
Calia could practically feel a budding tsunami of chitters on that one. Maybe this was fun after all!
“Regardless, I think she is looking for someone to stand out and sweep her away. Nysia is too strong of a personality to settle for anything less than an enthusiastic romancing.”
She couldn’t be sure if Nysia was actually into romance or if that was just a persona she had to go along with her sparkling personality, but hopefully it’d light a fire under a few of those suitors to be a little more competitive for her affections. Would it be good? Bad? Calia didn’t have a clue!
“Do you think I’ll get shot full of arrows if I try to climb this tree?”
“Ah the sea, such a place to be. The salt filled air. The crashing waves and the means of always travellin’ makin’ it rather hard to do much of anythin’ outside manin’ the grand vessel. If the princess wishes for wee babies to be at her ankles, then cut that one loose.” Arc was following her statements now, mentally smirking at the rising chatter.
They all wanted to gossip after all and well, what was better than giving them a little prelude to the knowledge she personally had. Whilst equally affirming that she did in fact have that in which was a potentially bent ear to the princess.
With a bit of extra bobbing on her shoulder to be a bit of a flashy thing, Arc fluttered the wings for a light buzzing. Stopping nearly immediately when she spoke about some old family that had been potentially promising, till she mentioned how the family clearly thought little of the princess that they had other maids lined up. That one got a few more ramblings and shocked surprise. He could understand their flitting tongues and had to suppress an amuse chuckle.
Guesses of whom the family was, naming off Rosetine’s and Sparrowwind’s and Blacktree’s as the ones of particular question. Though maybe one or two sounded assured that they knew who it was, he rotated around to stare at the masses. Looking for a few that seemed to be almost guilty and noticeably not speaking as much.
Of course Calia kept feeding these grazing vultures, where chatter rose again. Names came forth of young men that either potentially not even part of the suitor list but now had a potential foot in the game. Nysia may have wanted Calia to stir things up but surely she didn’t expect the chance of more suitors to join the fray. “And pray tell Princess Calia, do yah know what sort of enthusiastic romancin’ the dear lady deserves? After all, a lady knows best where men cannot even begin to guess.” Arc was prodding her to give any sort of details she wanted. Be it helpful or not!
Just that he turned back around to look at the tree and hummed. “Yah might, though is it the tree biddin’ yah to try?”
He really did like to talk and spin a grand yarnball of pretty words, which Calia at least found amusing in this context when he wasn’t being a pain in her royal ass. Finding it increasingly easy to imagine him in this place as the Mage Advisor, trying to charm women and frustrating the hell out of those he was working for. Honestly, she didn’t even know what a Mage Advisor was meant to do. Advise on magical issues? How often did those actually pop up! Then again, it seemed demons had been a problem here, so there was plenty of something.
“Do I know?” she said aloud, pretending not to notice the stir they were causing as if she were indeed far more interested in the tree than anything else.
Actually, she was more interested in the tree, but not so much she wasn’t paying attention either.
“Well, they better not be timid,” she declared easily, resting her hands on her hips. “Aside from being spoiled for choices so they’d be forgotten in the fray, someone timid isn’t going to make her feel very impassioned, will they.”
As for the tree, she gave a small shrug of her shoulder and spoke more softly.
“She is a matron, a mother who loves the attention and getting to be a part of things. Just as happy to have little ones climbing all over her as she is amused at us stirring the pot. I’m more worried about offending all these damn elves.”
With three words, he was surprised there weren’t those of the nosiest sort pressed up to her back. With eyes gleaming and fingers itching to catch the details that the guest of the halls could provide. A part of him was a bit surprised at the actions of these nobles. Then again, it didn’t reach so deep into his thoughts of being so out of place that he was trying to stave Calia from littering little nuggets of information for the greedy souls.
Elves were supposed to be these refined souls. Apparently enough time spent in the mundane realm would change even the most noblest of sorts into avarice striken beasts. And they were now dripping off of Calia’s words rather than giving her the barest of looks. Funny how they could switch sides so easily and it made him wonder what benefits they would try to get from the royal family. Either they were wanting something so badly they couldn’t do through the right channels or they were simply looking for easier ways to slide close and whisper ideas into a regal ear.
He wasn’t sure but she did well to set them aflurry of information.
“Well maybe don’t take it that far.” Arc advised, “Whether or not the fae tree is preenin’ under it all, it may be best to only toy with the greedy souls rather than invite them to make you a new target board.”
A rise of voices stirred. Shifting bodies and an obvious adjustment of mood could be felt almost immediately once the doors to a chamber opened. Forcing him to hunker somewhat down as elves of all sorts began the wave like motion of bowing and curtsey’s. Paired with low displeased commentary that only encouraged him to look to where the queen’s door had opened and strode the woman of the hour. Her form favouring a mostly white gown with a nebulous colouring of pale blues and salmon pinks that rose along the bodice to bosom of the copper crowned queen. Her eyes making slow passes over the masses gathered till it was hard not to notice her stare settling upon Calia. Lips remained in a neutral smile but most of the attention was on the man behind her.
No longer did he wear embellish robes. Or a smugness that deserved a strong slap to be removed but he was cowed. Adorned in simple brown cloth that was taking fashion hints from a human friar. Looking at the ground akin to a scolded child, “I see you’ve found your way into the Queen’s Court once more, Princess Calia.” Ashera’s voice sang amongst the room without a need to raise it. “I hope you’ve been well received.” She giggled but there was a stirring amongst the court that was practically shaking.
Queen Ashera knew how to make an entrance, that was for sure. Her prior meetings with the woman had been more casual – even the presentation of Archimedes, despite all the drama and chaos that had caused. Calia had thought the woman full of limitless grace and poise then, but it truly was casual compared to this! Looking very much the ethereal royal that’d been spoken about in Caeldalmor, a soft and gentle elven queen of legend.
As for the one behind her, well, Calia pretended not to notice.
“I am taking my time with getting familiar with your court,” Calia told her, a deliberate choice to not mention the mayfly slight from the only one that’d been brave enough to approach her directly. There was no need to be petty and spiteful over people who didn’t matter. Let the worry and fret about what sort of game or agenda she was playing, because she honestly didn’t have one. Not one that involved anyone at this court, anyway!
“On my way out to explore the city and get some fresh air, I detoured here to have a visit. It’s comforting here. …or at least it is when there aren’t so many eyeballs.”
Now what, she wondered! Still pointedly trying to ignore the brown-clad problem that’d eventually have to be acknowledged. Even glancing upwards at the long thick branches, hoping a guiding voice was going to chime in and give her some instructions. Nothing. Damn this tree, she lived at the pace of the universe and did not seem to understand the urgency of timely information.
“…since you are here, it would be nice to know whether or not I’m going to insult your family and ancestors if I vanished myself up into the branches. Not right this moment, of course, just.. for later.”
Said court rippled at the comment. A slow purposeful glance over came from the redheaded queen to slowly graze focus over those in attendance. Whatever thoughts that arose within the woman’s head, they weren’t showing themselves on orchestrated features. If anything, she just kept peacefully smiling. That alone seemed to be a fine thing to unnerve others as there was noticeable shifting by some. But any following commentary from the reigning liege did not find purchase. Instead she settled in on looking upon the woman from Caeldalmor.
A subtle shift to the corner of lips was made while hands moved to fold over another before that of waist. “Are you now,” Arc nearly shivered as if that were a prelude to something bigger. He heard those words before and they were often accompanied by some sort of menial task in which was better avoided than completed. And Ashera was in fact about to do that. Unfolding palm to gesture to the dishonoured former Master of Research mage, Starling. Where the man didn’t look up thankfully.
“Then I have a task for you as I would feel comfortable knowing that someone had seen Starling Everflame outside the palace. Since you both will be going the same way, perhaps you would be kind enough to be the guiding escort.” Aka, this was likely a chance for Calia to get out every thought, word and wish to slap the man without the queen or children present. Was this a gift or a sense of torture, he wasn’t sure.
Save she smiled a bit broader then when the question came to whether or not there was an allowance of climbing on the grand vessel of a tree. “If that were the case, then we would have committed such insult many, many times.” The corners of her eyes softened in a motherly way, “I am sure the Fae Tree would not be upset to have one in her boughs. Though with less eyes,” She made a pointed look outwards that seemed to ripple through the nobles. “You are welcomed to play and climb at your leisure when court is not in session.” The queen approached closer to reach out a hand, laying it lightly to Calia’s forearm. Leaning close enough to whisper, “Court ends within two hours, then it will be empty save for those who wish to come and look around. Enjoy yourself, Calia.”
Fuck! Fuck and damn and shit and fuck!
Calia had been tricked and bamboozled, surely. Not sure how she landed into this role of guiding escort, but certain that somehow Queen Ashera had been plotting and scheming it, only to have such a plan play out perfectly to the Queen’s liking because Calia had placed herself in the perfect spot at the perfect time. Unable to mask her immediate appalled reaction in her features, even if she did manage to hold back from saying a blurted out no thanks at such a task.
Did this woman not see Archimedes sitting on her shoulder. Was she not perfectly aware that Calia had some very complicated feelings about this man, and had Renus not warned the woman that Calia had a scorching temper. She knew these things. So why, why, why.
Maybe she hoped Calia would kill him, so the Queen herself could maintain her image of poised gentle kindness.
Or it was a test to see how much control Calia had over Archimedes, cause he was bound to want a little vengeance himself.
Dangling a chance of getting to spend time with the great tree, with the unspoken caveat that she do this task.
Finally she just sighed, a heavy disparaging sigh all too reminiscent of a teenage child only doing what they were told because they knew better than to fight it.
“An escort I shall be, then,” she acquiesced. “I hope court goes well for you, Majesty. They seem lively today.”
“Oh I am sure they will have much to speak about.” Squeezing lids shut with a beaming grin, there was an unspoken motion that had Starling bowing properly to the crown of the land and then looking to Calia. Only shortly seemingly noticing that there was an addition of a large golden beetle with her that was really trying not to growl and hiss or even materialize back into his less than healed physical state. Debating how worth it would be just to fucking slug the guy even if he wasn’t potentially able to be all that threatening.
Wiggling little buggy feet as if assessing just how much his natural appearance had healed without being able to tell. Weighing options whilst Calia had managed to come to agree to the terms of leaving for now. Guessing that her lingering in court now was probably not for any benefit besides riling up the nobles more than she already had.
“Shoibag.” Arc hissed watching Starling’s features grow absolutely intrigued rather than insulted, though it also got a look from the queen. Something about that got him to merely grump and flatten himself out on the princess’s shoulder.
Whether it was a blessing, Starling offered Calia a sheepish smile. “At your motion, Princess Calia.”
“If yah don’t clock him, I’m guna.” Arc muttered lowly.
Calia bestowed the queen with a small bow of her own, complete with a soft unspoken look of I hope you know what you’re doing. Almost daring to hope the woman would change her mind quickly and perhaps claim she had something better in mind. When that didn’t come, the princess gave Starling a cool sort of flicker of a glance before straightening up to her full height and turning on a heel to do as she was asked. Be his guide out.
Oh, Calia was for certain thinking about hitting him. Whether or not that was a good idea, though…
She remained stiffly quiet until the were well out of the courtyard and down one of the halls. Where no one else was coming and going from any direction. Pondering if the silent treatment was the best way to go – what did she even have to say to the man? He hadn’t done her personally dirty, it was his actions and choices that shook her opinion of him. There were so many things one could shrug off as simply a difference of opinions or a conflict of personality, but how could the man not understand that you couldn’t get yourself caught flaying living creatures alive and then just smile like it wasn’t something horrifying!
“Am I escorting you out of the palace or out of the city,” she asked coolly. Honestly surprised Ashera didn’t give a full guard to do the escorting out. Starling was a mage, if he wanted to be dangerous himself he could be.
He might actually be able to get away with being his usual self. Though it was likely he was still baring enough gore that it wouldn’t be a pretty sight! Not sure what part would have healed firstly as a priority, be it his body. His eye or tongue or foot? Realizing that even if he wanted to make it happen, he was liable to be more of a problem simply being weakened than not. So as Calia marched, he just kept his face firmly staring at Starling. Contemplating ways of flaying him even after he had healed and just how much he could wriggle his leash with Calia to see if she would let him go off and pay the mage a lesson at all.
She was emotional after all and he was certain he could either convince or annoy her to let him do so. But it would take a bit of skill.
“Just out of the palace. I am to return to the tower and resume juvenile training under some of the master’s there.” The man supplied information that was not asked for. “I must admit I am surprised you are giving such a cold shoulder, Princess.”
“Yah just be lucky there ain’t more comin’ yer way, gobshite!” There was a glance at him, “For all the thin’s that ought to happen to yah, yer only gettin’ a bare slap on the wrist.”
“I don’t know if it was a bare slap on the wrist.” Starling rolled up a sleeve to show a black banding across his wrist. With the light hitting it a certain way it showed reflective lettering. “Having my magic sealed somewhat is not what I would consider enjoyable. Though I suppose it doesn’t matter to the likes of a man that had slaughtered his own countrymen and sacrificed his sister to do it.”
“Fuck you.” Arc wasn’t entirely sure why he got particularly mad about that but to stop himself from flying at this guys face and biting it, he went to Calia’s other shoulder.
Calia cast a quick look to the side, where Starling revealed the banding around his wrist. Finding that it was indeed a terrifying sounding punishment, though she doubted it affected the mage the same way it made her own skin crawl. He didn’t bleed and breath magic, he just used it as a tool. Or rather abused it, so then… maybe this punishment was fitting.
She’d not have allowed him to go back to training. Though, she was struggling in that moment to think of what she would do as a proper punishment for the man. Comparing her actions from the past, were she’d not taken severe enough action with Derrick and that had allowed him to grow more dangerous over time. To the present, where she wanted to do so much worse but couldn’t seem to stomach the idea of actual torture and pain.
“You don’t know me, Starling, and you ought to choose your words carefully. He may still be healing, but I can only hold my temper for as long as it takes us to get off the palace grounds.”
It was the only warning he was going to get, as Calia was fairly tempted to let the demon on her shoulder do as he wished. Honestly, the only thing stopping her was this cycle of vengeance and rage that had been going on before she’d even been born. Seeing it still burning hot in others after all of this time was holding up this bitter mirror to her own. Was she going to be another one getting caught up in the wheel, or would she be able to find some spark in her that was capable of putting a stop to it!
“Do you even know if you’re speaking truth of what happened then, or are you just spitting out more assumed vitriol because it is easy to blame him?”
“I would say the same thing Princess. You don’t know me either. Only what a single night of a few drinks, a clumsy dance on my part and bedroom matters doesn’t suddenly reveal everything about another person. I can apologize that yes, I don’t know you but it is a two way street.” The man seemed genuine but at the same time, almost clueless.
If one had to surmise Starling, he wasn’t inherently evil but rather he just seen things as black or white. Regardless of the right or wrong. Weighing things out to be considered useful or not. His intentions had been meant for good but the execution had been on the side of villain. It might have been the reason why he was spared from having his head severed from his body. That, and well he had been a part of the magical tower as a respectable person for however long. Reputation did play a part one could guess.
All he could personally wish was that Starling’s arms were too short and his crotch was infested with ants so he might never scratch it. Imagine his surprise when the princess spoke up in her way to question what was what or was it just regurgitated information that had been passed around till everyone had a slice. Such a look on the man’s face showed similar confusion. “I suppose there is some assumptions in it but the devastation that had occurred and the records that were made are based in the truth. It was reported that Lady Aelyra had been one of the first sacrificed to it all.” Arc winced, buzzing his head back and forth.
Starting to pick up that it appeared to be names thus far that triggered near memories. “Why are you defending a demon, if I might ask? If you’re willing to educate me on the matter. It’s curious to find out that you as a person also affected by their destruction and cruelty, while having stated that this one in particular had been a pest to your as well, you are defending him. I mean I found it strange you would agree to hold a binding contract to him but I suppose that applies to the whole, I don’t know you portion.”
“Don’t be wastin’ yer breath on that locust, lass. No sense in explainin’ anythin’ yah don’t need too.” Arc was scowling at Starling even if it wasn’t exactly well translated. He’d never actually tried to use his magic in this form before, but he was severely contemplating it.
The man had climbed the ranks to become a Master of Research, so surely he had to be intelligent. Smart. Have at least two brain cells to put simple cause and effect together to understand what her fucking problem was. As if that night alone was what she was presently basing her ire on, instead of the fact that she’d witnessed with her own eyes the kind of shit he was capable of doing with his work!
Actually going speechless for a long moment, because he went on to admit that his statements were just assumptions. Not seeming to understand that he’d taken action based on those assumptions… A Master of Research… where the hell was his research! She herself barely even knew anything about Archimedes and even she had at least taken three seconds to ask questions!
The demon piped in and maybe he was right. It was a waste of her breath trying to talk to the man. Only it… bothered her. Deeply irked her that he could be so callous and clueless. That he’d had a wealth of information at his disposal and still took the route that didn’t at all feel like emotional vengeance or justice. But rather something calculated and cruel.
“Let me rephrase it, then,” she started, slowly. Doing well to keep that irritation of hers in check. “What gave you the impression that I could see a dungeon of creatures full of hooks and chains, with flesh and bone and limb cut from their still living bodies and be fine with that. What am I supposed to think about a man who can go from torturing creatures for their parts, and then smile and laugh and sleep with a woman as if nothing in the world is amiss?”
The glare she cast him then was scathing. “It didn’t matter to me that he is a demon, I would have ended all of their suffering regardless. No living thing deserves to live a life of suffering and torment. Not even demons.”
There was a subtle roll of her shoulders there and small wiggling of her fingers at her sides, not caring if it were perceptible to the mage, but the demon on her shoulder would be able to pull that gentle plucking. As testing of the magic they now shared as they grew closer to the big doors that’d grant them leave from the palace building itself and onto the grounds. Unsure still yet what she wanted to do, if she was going to do anything at all, only wanting to be prepared.
“If Queen Ashera had wanted him put to death for his crimes, that would have been fair justice. Not the madness you were up to. I accepted the binding because Ashera assured me that his real intentions all those years ago hadn’t been the destruction and devastation – only a consequence of bad decisions, and honestly he’d suffered plenty enough. Now he can make up for his wrongs and help me right others.”
She was certainly far better than he was. Well, she was behaving mostly. Had their roles been switched, oh he would have happily laid Starling out on the floor like the next rug to be used on the palace floor. For his attitude –while he had known that mages could be pretty removed from the world- he still deserved to be given a dirty dusting just for being that so far removed that he couldn’t see his own hypocrisy.
Fine! He was a demon. So what. If he wanted to split hairs, he hadn’t even done anything when he had been captured by the mages and used like a pincushion. He had just been having a meal at the tavern he had settled down for the night in and was deciding if he was having the fish or the girl as a starter. Guessing that someone may have finally recognized him or something because they were there rather quick and the rest was history. He hadn’t done a single thing to warrant being used as a living distribution centre.
“I suppose I simply assumed.” Starling blinked at her. “I don’t exactly resonated that demons are worth being considered as living and if they had resources that we could harvest, then it seemed like a better way to have a renewable resource rather than having to hunt, kill and take what was necessary.”
There was something truly unhinged about how matter of fact Starling said it. He just didn’t see the error in it, he saw the resource management of it all. Demon or not. “So yer sayin’ that if it had been any other mortal, any other animal, yah’d done the same?” Arc asked but he wasn’t really inviting the means of conversation, “Fuck man, even I know that goes against yer Earth mother teachin’s. Gaia gives to support that of her children but thanks and return them to the soil after. The whole circle of life, yah eejit.”
He felt it. The tingling and motion of unseen fingers pulling on threads that were attached to the manna fountain that fuelled that of his magic. Calia was practically readying herself to run fingers through it and he actually wondered if he ought to stop it or encourage it.
“Impressive that you know Gaia’s teachings.”
“Impressive yah conveniently ignorin’ such thin’s. Pretty sure that’s a few black marks on yer soul or whatever it is elves believe in. If there is reincarnation, I hope she bring’s yah back as a dung beetle.” For some reason that made Starling laugh, only annoying him further.
Only that he stopped from chuckling as Calia strangely vouched for him. How she took it and was intending to do better than worse. Okay so he might have originally read her wrong. “Real intentions?” Starling of course looked curious. Head tilting one way then another, mouth parting as if the words were already laid bare upon tongue.
“Ah, there ain’t no way in hell, heaven or inbetween that if yah even ask or suggest that yah be wantin’ to offer assistance would I even oblige listenin’. Damn the contract, I’d rather be smote down and pickled before yah should ever get yer pointy ass nose involved, yah miserable scud licker.” He skittered around then to hang off the first shoulder once more, leaning over and flicking antenna wickedly back and forth. “Who the hell knows what sort of ill omens yah would bring by being a nosy shit. Yah aren’t even on the same level as Lia here. Mercy seas and wenched underbritches, yah aren’t even good enough to clean that of her boots with her tongue, so get yer messy self outta the business. Yer assistance ain’t wanted. Needed or asked for. So help me, I’m about to come over there and make yah realize why I am a demon and use yer god damn head as a piss pot!”
“Awfully lively.”
“Oh that does it!”
To not consider demons as deserving of life… what an awful, cold thing to say. Calia was no fan of demons after what had happened to her own kingdom, but she was not about to curse all of their existence to be worthless! Most were just beasts trying to have a meal like any other creature in the wild. Those that were of more sentience, that were following the beck and call of a master or their own cruel inclinations, well she could blame and punish those. That still did not mean Calia was not about to damn them all, anymore than she would damn the wolves of the woods, or the snakes in the grass!
Convenient that Starling so easily discounted every point that Arc made about Gaia’s teachings, to ignore his very own culture. Notably too, he’d not denied that he might use other mortals and animals the way he had tortured the demons. Quick instead to throw back short commentary to barb the furious beetle in a way that Calia doubted he’d have the balls to do if Archimedes was in full strength of himself and not on Calia’s contracted leash.
She let the demon run his mouth, by all the gods, he’d earned that chance to do so. Only surprised in the things he’d said about her, certain that he was only singing her praises now because she’d pulled him out of the fire and he wanted Starling to feel as stupid and as small as possible. Honestly, it wasn’t scathing enough! There ought to be a few more insults in there too, along with that well deserved punch in the face.
Calia almost even swung the fist herself when the jeweled demon scuttled and nearly leapt himself off her shoulder. Having to react in quick succession to snatch him before he did something wild and regrettable, before they’d cleared away from the palace itself!
The princess held him captured in the dome of her hands for a brief moment, taking in a big deep breath… letting out slow. A big deep breath…. and letting it release. For her own sake, honestly, more than Archimedes.
“You said that you built on his own research – is it still there?” she asked, with a very pointed expression that his answer was going to make a difference on what series of actions she’d take next. Gesturing with her head for him to open up the palace doors for her, as well… she was the only thing keeping an angry demon from getting loose and tearing his face off in that moment.
Being snatched from the air and put into a finger cage to be held back from biting and pulling that smug bastard’s eyelids off, he’d fuss and buzz noisily. Sticking legs or head between fingers with every intention of getting free without chomping at her. Knowing he likely could get free that way and smacked no sooner! But this plonker was being saved by the princess.
She was truly better than he was and he had no problems with that currently!
Where Starling hummed thoughtfully but had a measure about himself that seemed almost too sure that nothing would happen. Instead turning attention to that of Calia and to her question. Thinking about it with due care, “He was to be the Mage Advisor to the late prince. While not to be one of the masters of the tower, he had been quite gifted in learning various means of untold magic and spells. When the research was found that he had been investigating demonology and found a way to use the demon’s own bodies against them, Master Omal had decided it was good information to show the queen. It should still be in the library but you’d likely need to speak to the Queen and Omal.”
Reaching forward to open the doors for the woman as she gestured, “I believe much of his original tomes and notes were kept. At least the ones that hadn’t been destroyed. Though I should warn you, demonology studies are pretty heavily frowned upon. It’s not something of common knowledge. I was permitted to replicate the work.”
“And fuckin’ goin’ overboard with it.” Arc spat from his confinement. “That’s the thin’ with yah sorts. Yah learn something’ and then yah go too far with it. Makin’ shit taboo cuz one stupid bastard went right fuckin’ ham with it. If that is my work, yah fuckin’ abused it! I’d take repayment in the form of yer blood! I don’t care if its comin’ out yer lip, yer nose or yer eye!”
Calia didn’t like the fact this man was too calm. People called her cold and unfeeling when she had to put on a stony face, but Starling’s absolute pure lack of giving a shit was uncanny. He didn’t fear her – that was fine, Calia was used to being underestimated until she’d proven just how dangerous she could be. But he didn’t fear any retribution from Archimedes either. Was he banking on the demon being too weak right now? On her to stop him?
There was irony of course, in Arc having a spitting fit about Starling going too far with that research, having to wonder if the demon realized that his former self may have done that very thing. Taken his own research too far and unleashing the demons into the kingdom. Calia flattened her hands to pancake him into a harmless, but secure squish. Walking out of the palace to set a quicker pace now that they were on the grounds.
A few paces farther and she’d have completed the task the queen had given her, and then she’d be free to do as she wished.
“I’m sure being bound to a demon is also frowned upon. I don’t believe Queen Ashera is expecting me to follow the rules here,” a statement was strangely now without her prior frustration. Calm and passive, almost even sort of mimicking this attitude she was perceiving from the mage. Casually examining the magic within the jeweled demon, pulling only a teeny tiny little thread of something to use for herself.
“Do you have any regrets about harvesting from live demons?” she asked him then, a curious tilt of her head and carefully watching the mage’s features for his response. Maybe Starling was stuck on the grand bigger picture, but these small details mattered to her. The details were more important than anything else. Because even if she was self-righteous – sure, she could claim that and be honest about it! – even if she knew things weren’t as simple as black and white, good and evil, some things were still obvious truth.
“Knowing what you know now, would you still have done it anyway?”
“Likely but I don’t think that has been something committed before.” Starling stated easily to the idea that it was probably not a common occurrence that one bound a demon to themselves. Especially here in the palace. Maybe somewhere else in Edelguard but it hadn’t come up, so one couldn’t exactly know either. “The queen’s judgment has always been resolute and thoughtful. While I may not understand why she did what she did rather than just killing Archimedes, it was her choice at the end.”
“Ass kisser.” Arc squirmed against his pancake form, squeezing out the insult as best he could but eventually stopped trying to struggle. Didn’t mean he was about to be quiet either. Slipping to cursing vividly in the elven tongue like that was going to do something more profound to the at least stripped mage.
Walking out into the grounds of the palace and humming thoughtfully at the questions. Strumming fingers to clean shaven chin with due care. At least he was putting effort into really thinking about it instead of just spitballing out the first answer that came to mind. “No.” Starling motioned with a finger, “As I said, I don’t personally consider demons to be living things. They are beasts from the bowels of hell that cause more damage than aid. Truthfully, I think of what my efforts were, were akin to a type of culling. We were just using them to build useful resources and living ones proved to be better for the task. Their healing abilities are quite impressive, seeing as they can regenerate even limbs back. So long as they have their heads and hearts, they are a renewable item for what they had been used for. You may not like it Princess Calia, but if I got emotional or concerned about creatures that would gladly kill us first with no remorse, I can’t afford them the sentiment.”
Shoulders rose a little and fell. “If what I know now was able to save other lives, then yes. I would have still done it anyways.” Both hands lifted, “I have to be methodical and mathematical about it. A few living demons,” Left hand shook, “Thousands of elven innocents,” Right hand repeated the measure. “And all it took for this one to stay safer than naught, then yes. I would do the same thing. I do understand you are not fond of my selected methods but it was helping the citizens here. It was making a difference. Its only my hands that are stained with blood and a few others of course. But I made the choice and understand it was not well received. I am not blaming anyone else for it. I just used the resources that were there.”
Eyes fell on the beetle, “I just put the effort in where one’s mere theory had been found. To say I did the legwork to ensure it could be completed, would be fair.”
“That’s not what it was meant for!” Arc suddenly barked out before practically having a convulsion in Calia’s hands. Rolling up and decidedly dying figuratively. Apparently having gotten a glimpse of a past piece again and it made sure it felt the result of it.
Chilling. He did not even seem to comprehend how heartless it was. That reducing a living creature to something not worth anything but parts, without respecting the very life it held went against nature itself. Finding with every added sentence, that he didn’t even understand and respect his own magic to recognize that magic itself was born of life. Thriving, living, beautiful life. Not this dark and twisted thing he’d begun to create, on the anguish of demons, that had began to taint the very tree that’d looked over generations of elves.
Yet in all of his words, she plucked out some important pieces that she would need to mull over later. Puzzle pieces that belonged to the work of Archimedes and the truth of what may have really happened back then. As this perversion of natural magic hadn’t started with Starling, it had begun then.
Confirmed when the jeweled man of the hour jolted and shriveled up from some unspoken triggered memory.
“Perhaps I should take this same action to protect my own people…” she stated simply, matter of fact. Using that same tone as Starling, as he so chillingly excused all of his choices. Striding without pause across the palace grounds, counting the steps in her head as she did so, and paying attention to the way the tugging from the great tree lessoned the farther she got. Almost testing to see if she would still feel the same way about the man, once she was no longer under the tree’s influence.
“Except, it wasn’t demons deciding on their own to attack and obliterate my kingdom. It was a man much like you, who enjoyed researching and studying magic that unleashed them. By your logic, I should be rounding up every mage and sorcerer I can find to study them, bleed them of their magic so I can protect my people from further abuse. I could save not just thousand of human lives, but elven lives too.”
Calia found it. The crossover from the palace grounds where she could no longer feel the pull of the tree, slowing her steps to a gradual stop. Finally removing her hands from the jeweled beetle, with a soft stroke of finger to pull an invisible golden thread, before she tucked Arc safely into the satin sash around her waist. Turning to the fallen mage, letting deep fir eyes to look him over one more time.
“I could take your heart, the same way mine was taken. Take yours and the heart of every powerful person I meet from here on out. All in the name of protecting my people from arrogant mages that abuse magic for their own purpose. No emotion to it, no care, no sentiment. The ends justify the means, right? Your lives for my people.”
She shrugged her shoulders then, a wry disappointed motion before she shook her head. Reaching out her hand to brush thumb gently against his jaw, leaving just the barest streak of gold until it vanished in an instant.
“You’re wrong. And until you understand why, you’re going to have a very hard time sleeping at night Starling Everflame. …Now go away.”
Pointing his direction on down the, this was as far as her duty went. Out of the palace and off the grounds, now he could get the fuck out of her sight before she decided his whole line of logic were actually a tempting idea and started murdering mages with him as her first!
It was a difference of opinions likely believed by that of the mage himself. While others might have taken her follow up commentary as threats and raise the alarms to warrant a interference, the stripped and magically bound down former master of research merely listened. Curious in some ways, others he seemed to just accept that she wanted to say her own peace. Noticing they were distancing from the palace till there was a solid stop.
If he was about to conflict her in anything said, he wasn’t rushing to do so. Simply watching. Growing a bit surprised at the brushing of thumb but otherwise, there was little to say. Unless they wanted to continue this means of ring around the rosy in a conversational sense. Debating each other but not entirely listening either. Both had valid points perhaps but it was not about to come to fruition of a sense of grace. Instead, the elven man watched her.
And the bold go away that he bowed formally to her. “If you ever need anything. You can find me at Bladerift Tower in the east. In the plains of Goldenrod.” He offered but seemed like he was at least respectful not to keep trying his luck in getting her to come to fathom his logic. “Be safe, shooting star.” Straightening up as hands smoothed along the robes , he stepped around. Knowing that he had been successfully escorted and her task complete. Needing know to simply make the trek back to the said tower with a report to the other masters.
Arc, himself, was quiet. Nursing his head and his pride for the whole thing. Mad and sore at the whole situation! And he was the demon yet that master made him seem like a damn saint!
Starling’s calm was so unnerving, it almost had Calia questioning everything. Watching him walk away in her own silence, trying to run the events over in her mind trying to see if she missed something vital somewhere, that maybe it was her that’d been wrong all along. That demons were demons and who cared if they suffered in the name of protecting others. Or if somehow things were being too harsh in Starling’s direction for whatever reason.
All at the same time wishing she hadn’t taken a more calculated route and had instead just given into her desire to summon up the biggest balls of fire and rain them down from the sky. Scorched earth cleansed him from the world as that lack of emotion actually scared her. Even having the slightest of shudder, for who could be so devoid of empathy.
If he had no empathy, would her spell even work? Or had she just done something equally as terrible as Starling.
Now she felt a bit sick to her stomach, remembering only then she’d stashed the demon safely away in her belted sash when she placed her hand there. Shifting a bit to bring him back out into the open light and prod at his little golden form.
“Shake it off, petal. You’ll be alright,” she murmured, mimicking a bit of that accent he generally had.
“Easy for yah to say. It ain’t yer brain tryin’ to turn itself into mash vegetables each time it has an unwarranted and unsolicited memory poppin’ up.” Unfurling in that of palm whilst she seemed to have taken to poking at him far more than any time prior. “Startin’ to think that the queen is a devious mastermind to ensure that punishment is truly this painful and no hands doin’ it.”
Reaching up to smooth front legs over antenna, the heart demon gave a bare bone sigh. Weary. If not somewhat guarded because who the hell could say what would trigger it next. It was only day one and not even high noon yet he had been sufficiently battered.
“Mhmmm,” the bare effort to skull was hardly helping and he was worried about his next slip of tongue, “Why are yah askin’ for former research or whatever it is. If yah lookin’ for ways to torture me, I think it’s been well covered.” With a gentle add on, “What did yah do to the ass kisser? That didn’t feel like one of my spells or yah changed it enough that I don’t know it upon a mere glance.”
“I do believe Ashera is great intelligence indeed,” she agreed, unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Calia had certainly now gotten wrapped up in the woman’s bigger picture of things. Whether she was playing into her hands or struggling against it, there was no telling!
Once she was certain Starling was far enough out of her line of sight that she wasn’t liable to change her mind and call the sun down from the sky, started a slow walk of her own to head towards the city proper. Archimedes might be exhausted, but some time away from the elven palace would likely help avoid any more triggers of memory. She herself needed to shake off this creeping feeling the fallen mage had left her with.
“You need to know what happened, good or bad, and everyone here won’t be able to move on either until it’s settled.” she answered the first question. “The best place to start will be that research.”
As for the other question, there was a bit of a grimace there. The uncertainty bleeding through.
“In our first contract, it shared a bit of information between us. Memory. So I… borrowed the idea.” That was the best way she could explain it, anyway. “The memory was recent enough to pluck a copy, so I gave it to Starling. When he sleeps, he’ll get to see himself through your eyes and feel that pain. It should stop when he recognizes what he’d done. …I’m wondering if that might’ve been the worst possible thing now though.”
Should he never understand, there was a chance Calia had just made a new bitter monster. Why the fuck couldn’t she think these things through before she did them!
The queen was a fine fit for the throne. Seemingly elegant and sweet but with a dastardly streak that had successfully encouraged the binding between them and was making sure that he was left to suffer for whatever transgressions he had committed when he was fully elven. Clearly he had done some things because his mentioned brain was being turned into a roasting hunk of meat over a violently slow spinning spit that every so often got seared due to being close to remembering something. Or did vaguely before it was practically splitting his skull open.
Something he would like to stop doing. He didn’t want the memories back! And yet, his question as Calia selected her new course of wandering, was declaring he had too. “I don’t think they’re guna move on regardless of what comes from this. I ain’t elven and it’s so abundantly clear the means of hatred that really, is there a point to attemptin’ to mend somethin’ that isn’t guna be mended. Even if I got any of it back, who’s to say its guna be of use. Yah got me bound to yah. The queen wants information about demons and stuff, yah could just force me to tell yah.” Likely pointing out the obvious, “I have to obey yer commands. Any, all. It’s the non- negotiable iron clad statement of binding a demon or sentient creature to a person.”
Surely Calia understood he was sufficiently under her thumb now. He could say whatever he wanted but that didn’t mean she couldn’t punish him for it. Should a command be given –something as small as fetch me that book, or large like telling him to go jump into the nearest volcano,- he’d have to obey! No if’s, ands, or buts about it.
“I don’t know how useful that research is guna be besides potentially makin’ me consider ways of killin’ myself. I’d be wiser to get the memories back before checkin’ out research that make’s dilly crap. And for bastard’s to twist it to their own organized idea that is absolutely a fuckin’ savior complex.” The beetle crawled its way along arm to reapply himself to shoulder, to have a vantage point without her potentially caging him again. Not that he could stop it right now!
Of course he was still curious to what she had done to the elf nob gobbler. Surprised though that she had applied an idea of their first encounter to where the contract had shared recent information from him and her. It was to facilitate the means of effect between the two people that had made the contract, but he didn’t think about using it in a way to make Starling feel and learn to develop a proper conscious. Or to go absolutely batshit and start trying to destroy everything just to be freed. “Yah know people go crazy when they can’t sleep after a while. If not entirely die from it.” Arc stated unusually soft, “I ain’t sure that mad mage is liable to feel anythin’ besides his own rudimentary belief’s. Yah sure yah wanna leave him with that. I mean, it could be reversed after a few days if he don’t get his head outta his asshole. It would just mean yah would have to get me to do it so yah weren’t missin’ from the palace and issue said direct order.”
The beetle hummed before he dared to continue, “I don’t think yer methods were wrong. He needs a strong clunk upside the head. While I can understand the means of not thinkin’ demons are worth much besides body parts, it’s the measure of knowin’ when and where thin’s are going too far. Which he lacks. He’s young for an elf mage. Barely the over the mark of bein’ an adult but still, thin’s to learn. He don’t strike me as the sort that can handle pain well, so maybe this will fix whatever is broken in that resource management skull of his. I ain’t sure. I ain’t sayin’ yer wrong either.” Arc paused, “That was quick thinkin’ though. Impressive actually.”
“I guess it doesn’t matter if they get over it or not,” she did admit, crossing her arms loosely once he’d reclaimed his perch on her shoulder. “We can only stay as long as it takes to have a weapon forged for me. By then Nysia will be done with whatever her nonsense is with me. I’ll attend their celebration for the newborn prince, as it’d be rude not to. After that it’ll be time for us to go.”
What didn’t sit well was the fact she could force what information they needed out of him by command. That she now had the power to force him to do anything at all. It was one thing to fantasize about such things, entertain daydreams, or even wish you could intimidate or beat the shit out of someone to something from them… it was an entire different story to take their agency away. Calia could not think of a worse nightmare than having her control being in someone else’s hands. It was not something she actually she wanted to do to Arc unless he was being a top tier piece of shit and there was no other choice.
And right now, against all odds, they’d seemed to have settled into a back and forth that wasn’t explosive.
“If we find anything useful, we go on from there. If we don’t we don’t. Either way, Ashera will have to let us move on.” That was all that really could be said on that front. At least Calia didn’t believe the elven Queen would force them both to remain in the elven city. If anything, maybe she’d be glad they’d gone off to be someone else’s problem!
Bringing Starling back into the conversation made her skin creepy crawly, though. From his own attitude and now the suggestion she might’ve set the mage on the fast track to madness with her little spell. Something she’d thought of in the brief moments from leaving the Queen’s court through the short walk outside. A single simple thing that hinged on Starling actually being a good person with the right intention deep down under that chilling disdain he had about demons.
Thankful for the reminder that she could take it back. If it didn’t go the way she hoped and he broke the enchantment on his own, she could always pay him another awkward visit and remove it herself. For certain, she couldn’t let Archimedes go do it on his own, because that was just asking for the mage to be murdered, wasn’t it!
“I hope you are right, then. That he comes to his senses, and I haven’t gifted an already twisted man a good reason to start a new kind of murder spree with the two of us being at the top of the list. I’m glad at least someone thinks that it was impressive.”
Normally she would too, if she weren’t second guessing the damn thing.
“I ain’t plannin’ on comin’ back here for a vacation whether they do or not.” Hoping there was some humour in there that might at least express he wasn’t nearly as bothered by this idea. He was of course, but trying to downplay it felt far more beneficial than admitting he was properly horrified that his place was turning into the worst zone’s he had ever encountered. And that came from someone that literally had to go back into hell each time he died or was demanded too.
Which that was a curious thought. He was bound to Calia, suppose he couldn’t be forced back to the fiery underbelly without it breaking the binding and then consequences were to be had even on the one who forced it to end.
Listening to the declaration of what the plan of attack was he could only hum. About to ask what would happen if they couldn’t force his memories back, then what? Only Calia stated that they couldn’t be forced to stay here. Leaving him to be curiously staring at the ebon haired woman. Finding it both strange and impressive that she was this strongwilled that she would not be pressed on the matter. Granted, the queen didn’t seem that interested in making them stay put really.
Nevermind this pressure in his chest that seemed to be associated with memories but not threatening to cause him agony.
Rather than linger on it, he decided to comment on her skill of using something that she had merely seen once and altered it to have a pressing effect on the mage that needed a strong dose of enlightenment. There was naturally some side effects that came from something such as that. Such as madness and death, if Starling was truly that devoid of natural emotions that he could only spiral rather than understand the critical error he had committed. It meant giving Calia that information about how she could in fact use him to her needs and how he could remove the spell if needed. Seeing as he could move a lot faster but it wasn’t exactly spoken fondly of.
“I mean what’s one more crazy asshole.” Arc mused loudly with a sounding hum behind it, “But if he’s as smart as he seems to be albeit nuts, he ought to clue in right quick. Mages aren’t very offensive people, pain isn’t exactly somethin’ they be good at handlin’. That one didn’t strike me as someone who picked up a sword or spear any time.” The bug wiggled then, “It was impressive. Yah don’t seem to realize that develop an alteration of a spell in a manner of minutes is practically on the scale of genius. It may not thrill yah but that was talent. Startin’ to really suspect yah have some fae blood in there somewhere.”
With a bit of a shift and a posing upwards to look around, “Where we goin’ anyways? What am I allowed to do? Yah may have eaten but I’m eyeballin’ somethin’ of the food variety to excel this whole healin’ process. If I’m guna be stuck here, I may as well make people properly uncomfortable to get some amusement from it.”
Calia honestly didn’t want to speak anymore about Starling, finding that none of her complicated feelings on that front were settling into a resolution she was comfortable with. The man was quickly becoming a walking example of just how bad her judgement of people could be on every level, and frankly she was done with it. Else she was going to end up slipping into that brooding mood again.
She missed those moments she felt nothing, but now seeing it in Starling, Calia was never going back to that. Fuck it, let her feel all of the things and she would find a way to deal with it.
“Did I not tell you that I am something extraordinary?” she asked with amusement. “What I could do was spectacular and beautiful. Even then when I wasn’t pushing it as far as I could go, because… well. Magic is dangerous when you’re not mindful.” The irony that now Starling made a real good example of this too without having to share her own experiences of learning her magic, but Calia was trying her damndest not to think about him. Resuming of her following down a path that was widening up into more of a road. “I may be saying it too much now, and it sounds like bragging or fluffing my own ego. It honestly just feels good to actually say it out loud and for people to know. No more secrets, I can just be.”
“I’m leery of this potential connection with fae, but it’s becoming hard to deny now. What can I even do about it, it’s as if there is anyone I can ask. Except maybe the great tree, but she does as she wishes, when she wishes, as she’s about as old as this land and just as cantankerous.” That may of been why Calia felt herself being so much calmer and more settled into herself now, she surmised. Despite now having this inconvenient binding, magic was her very life and soul – something very reminiscent of the fae themselves as creatures of magic. She needed magic to feel right, and it was entirely possible that she’d been slipping into madness without it.
It could just been time too, but Calia preferred the magic.
“In any case, you can do whatever you wish, Arc. We’re going into the city, so you can flitter off to eat and drink as you please. Even find yourself a lady that is really, really into bugs. As long as you’re not hurting anyone that doesn’t deserve it, or getting me into more trouble, it does not matter to me.”
If he had any eyebrows, they would have lifted clean off his face with the way he was trying to roll his eyes at her humble bragging amusement. Knowing that it was pretty much a joke but still hearing it was enough to make him want to groan. Ceasing himself from actually doing so. “Magic is dangerous. Mindful or not, it depends who is usin’ it.” They surely both understood that. It didn’t meant someone wasn’t mindful, they just might find ways to go around the rules and laws about it. He might have been included on that considering this whole apparently being someone else and maybe a bit important only to fall into the clutches of what he was now.
Which in itself, had him raising private questions too.
“I’m just still wonderin’ what the hell had happened to yer people or yer father that he became so defensive against somethin’ that when trained correctly, is a marvel. Nothin’ like accidentally makin’ yer child feel potentially inferior or unwanted by sayin’ cruel thin’s about a part of them kept secret.” He knew what he was saying and holding to it. Sighing momentarily, “Yah know it’s prolly guna be like that other places. Magic is pretty well known in most places in this world. Various of course the allowance or acceptance but so long as yah ain’t doin’ somethin’ wild or necromantic, yah outta be fine.”
The shimmering beetle shifted his position to stand sideways on that of shoulder. Looking out amongst the sea of bright canopies and a few people that were walking around enjoying the bright day. The winter had not yet reached here and if it had, it was incredibly mild. As she spoke about the connection she had to the fae, only that he started to chuckle at her summary of the fae tree. “Yah just described the fae. They do as they want. When they want and that’s how it be. Granted, if yah make friends with them, they can be quite the powerful ally. Givin’ yah trinkets that just may be useful in ways yah never suspected. She might be the one of use right now as I don’t think yer guna run into too many of them. Not unless yah go searchin’ and that could be dangerous itself. Dark fae are quite the problem after all.”
She would be able to make the choices as she needed, he knew this. Of course all this made him wonder about a few things that would hinge on whether or not he was to be freed of this binding.
Settling instead to ask about the purpose of wandering now. And what he was allowed to do in which was apparently a lot more than he would have guessed. Rotating around to look at her purposefully with a deep mirthful chuckle again. “I ain’t guna do nothin’ to get yah or I into trouble. Look at where it’s already gotten us. And honestly, I’d be worryin’ about any gentle lass that is into bugs and finds a talkin’ one. She’d prolly try to sell me or make it into a freakshow. Not my cuppa tea.”
He thought and then hummed. “I may attempt to use my actual form. I ain’t sure how far its progressed but I would like the use of my hands again.”
“Nysia had herself an interesting theory that the demons unleashed here, spilled out into the mountain passes and into the valleys back in the day of my great grandfather was King. And with these things I keep hearing about an Imperial Queen on the other side of the mountains, I can see where he might’ve thought it was a safer idea to pull away from the world and be wary of magic. I don’t believe isolation was the right choice, but I am starting to get why.”
Really, this was only a theory and it’d take a bit of looking into to even confirm. Only, that’d involve being home again in her abandoned half destroyed castle home, and hoping that maybe there was still a library of books or records still intact. In the end, Calia wondered if it even mattered anymore at this point! There was no one left that would’ve cared about that history besides herself, and what she intended to build now would be different.
Still wishing it wasn’t herself that had to do so, but Renus was right. Calia needed to stop running and fighting it.
“When you explain fae like this, it does sound like myself too doesn’t it,” she responded with a cheeky grin. “We’ve got enough problems on our own without seeking out fae to add to them.”
She did give him a curious peek at his mention of wanting to be his whole physical self again, shrugging shoulders at the suggestion.
“You’re going to heal faster the longer you stay small like this and close to me, but I’d sure want my hands back too, so I’m not arguing. If you’re still missing half your face, though, you’re gonna give these people some new nightmares.”
“Hmm.” That was a very interesting theory and probably had a spark of truth to it. Considering, “Well I sure as hell didn’t stay in one place so prolly likely there was some stragglers that wandered through that passage. Might explain those soul collectors too.” But he knew about the Imperial Queen more so only cause of her influence, the black wyvern and the demons. Things he heard and had really no real interaction with. Hearsay but strong hearsay. “Regardless, isolation helps only for so long. One’s gotta still have feelers out in the world to know what’s happenin’ even if yah don’t like it. Otherwise yah end up in what seems like a different world. But yer ancestors made choices for what they felt was beneficial at the time. Can’t fault them for doin’ what they thought best.”
It only made them a target eventually. Not that he was going to say that.
Without them knowing the truths of everything around them, they became naïve. And he surely didn’t believe it for a second that there weren’t other people similar to Calia that had some magic in them. Maybe not as strong as her own but still kept secret. When there wasn’t a chance for it to be welcomed, people would often hide it. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. In Calia’s case, Derrick had found out and look what happened.
Sometimes people really made demon’s seem like the lesser of evils.
“Problems can be fixed with the right tools however. One thin’ atta time sure, but I don’t think yah ought to close the book on the fae yet. There’s an enchanted woods in the Imperial lands and Fae don’t like the Imperial Queen.” He gave her that little bit of information, “Bet yah could make good use of that somehow.” She was smart even if he thought her highly reckless and wild like a freeborn mare. But if she was in fact holding fae blood in her, that would explain a lot of that.
A thing to put a pin in, as he expressed a want to have his own hands. Where she was eying him and offering information. “Yah say that like it’s a bad thin’, Lia. Maybe some folks need a bit of excitement, even be it half a face missin’.” Of course he thought it was a bit funny but knew it wouldn’t really help. “Yer not wrong though, hmm. Fine… fine no hands. Not till later. Then guess I’ll just be yer little tagalong still. I do wanna heal, being like this is fine for travel but eventually it gets old. Guess it ain’t guna matter if I wander in the full is it? Horns and all. Seein’ as folks around here likely know what I look like or looked like. Had too… otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten snared. Hmm…”
He went scurrying around again, looping over back to opposite shoulder. “Then we lookin’ about… yah should look at new gear. Weapons too, not just the demon stabbin’ sort. Elven weapons are pretty sturdy, especially if they be made from mithril. Find one and throw it on the Bladerift Tower bill, ha! Tag it with Starling Everflame’s name.”
She certainly couldn’t argue that isolation made things worse. For her kingdom, it cut them off so much from the wider world that they were easily overcome the moment something bad happened. Granted, who could be prepared for demons being unleashed right from within your own capitol – but it’s not as if they had an army of fighters! The knight’s guard had been plenty enough to defend border towns when necessary and solve smaller problems… they weren’t prepared for a war of any kind.
This was all too much to think about right now and liable to send her into a tail-spin trying to figure out demons, armies, fae, and more. Planning and organizing was not one of her skills. If they could all just point her in a direction and tell her to go do that thing, Calia could accomplish the task. The rest of it was all too overwhelming.
Thus she was glad that he’d decided to change the subject to something she could actually do right now in the moment.
“I’d rather not give him any more excuses to come see me,” she admitted, though she did laugh about it. “But I do look forward to the both of us getting to be as we wish, perceptions be damned. I want to breathe.”
Likely he did too after being trapped in that magical dungeon for who knew how long. She sure wasn’t going to stop him if he did want to return to his most natural form, even if it meant scaring the shit out of the locals. With Queen Ashera approving of this unconventional partnership, the gossip was bound to spread through their capitol city at a records pace.
It likely meant she’d have to defend him and herself at some point, but she was used to that. Calia would just have to stay wary.
“I suspect that recognition is those violet eyes of yours. Apparently that’s rare, even amongst elves where this little thing of eye color hints at lineage and family names.” she offered, just in case that was part of the many things he couldn’t quite remember about his former life.
Weapons sounded like a fun idea, but Renus had warned her not to be wearing them about the palace, so it likely wasn’t a good idea on her first day bound with this demon to come back with an entire fresh arsenal at her hips, on her back, and in her boots. Fresh gear on the other hand could easily be done now that she had the opportunity to get it properly sized to her form. No more borrowed pieces that were meant for small little ladies or awkwardly shape menfolk! Not to mention a proper swap of clothes for traveling through the mountains.
“Aye. Aye…” Figurative brows lifted at the means of looking forward to just being able to exist as they were. Just to breath even if he could have pointed out she likely wasn’t about to get that luxury really. People were going to be absolutely judgmental regardless if you were magical, demon or something else. Not everyone liked everyone and some were just so god damn set in their views that it was deeper seeded problem. Yet he didn’t want to continue beating that topic like it was a dead horse.
Even if he was raising a bit of a thought with the mention of his eye colour. “Yah I remember the old man in the cart seemin’ fussed about them. But god damn that’s a lot of knowledge yah know. There’s only so many colours in the world and I suspect it varies on shades and shit. Sounds like far too much attention to something so mundane.” Granted if it was just his eye colour, then there was always ways to fix that. But something about how he had been captured and people were wigging out about him suggested it was not the case.
“Family names.” Arc mused though and went momentarily hushed. Leaving her to think about the weapons because he figured that was right up her alley.
Settling to ride the wave as it were, he was poking at the memories locked behind that of a closed door. He’d been called Silverstone. After how many times Starling said it in passing and present, it was well adopted into his thoughts. Although it felt weird to consider a surname associated with him, Arc followed it symbolically down a rabbit hole. Certainly getting the bursting pains and pressure that made him want to curl up into a ball all over again. To whinge and bitch and dig into his own ear to pull the whole gray matter out to throw on the floor! But knew that this was going to happen a lot –as if he wasn’t getting a private viewing of it since this morning and it was unlikely to cease any time soon. So he had to either hope it made him pass out or grow tolerant to the pain. Something he had never done in all his years but damn it all, it wasn’t guna get any easier!
It was impressive how such painful thoughts could make him lose track of time too, not even sure where the hell Calia had taken them before he grumped and was rubbing his head into shoulder.