"Okay, everyone out of my daughters room. Now!" King Kenric yells, and too stunned to do anything else we all obey.
~Sophie~
Something felt off as I woke up this morning, groaning as I sat up and stretched my limbs. "I'm going to kill whoever left my blinds open." I pout as I look around the room, when I see that everything is intact, nothing was disturbed and as such I make my way to the dressing room.
As I dress I don't dress fancifully, I dress on the rather plain side of things. I don a red flowy dress that wraps around my neck and drops to the ground. It's a more modern piece than I'm used to, if I'm not wrong people would wear things like it to 'proms'? I really don't care, it's comfortable enough.
I wage my war, on the world inside
I take my gun to the enemy's side
Oh, I've been asking for
I shove my feet into golden sandals, smear gold powder on my eyelids, and put on ruby studs. I then wrap myself in a golden shawl and stare at my reflection. Having time to spare I try a style that Mare is fond of, those little braids everywhere. I know it's going to take a while but I woke up early so I have time.
As I finish up the braids I see that breakfast has started a couple minutes ago, welp I guess I can make a fashionable appearance. Maybe it'll piss them off a whole lot and see that I'm unfit for this duty as a Royal. Then I get a great idea on how scare them all.
I walk out of my room and Vanish, I do all the things Calla told me to do so that I would be completely invisible. I merge my darkness and light together, I Levitate, and I put a shield of wind around myself. When I get into the dining hall everyone looks to the door expecting to see someone, I laugh but it gets blocked by the wind.
I send a gust of wind and they all fall onto their asses, I watch as their Goblin guards search and still don't find me. Smirking I look for my chair which is—sadly—by Fitz, I kill my wind when Fitz finally gets up. When I snap my fingers the wind gushing around me shoots out across the table.
"Oops. Sorry wind can be hard to control sometimes." I try to hide my grin as I see all the Royals—plus Keefe—look at me in shock. To my eternal delight Fitz has turned red with anger, guess I'm not going to be the trophy wife he wanted. That's not it, we have guests over their eyes show the same shock and color as the prick of my betrothed.
~Biana~
I knew that was my long thought dead friend as soon as she blew her wind across the hall and—very—undaintily sat in the chair next to my brother. I can't help but smile in delight at my brothers anger towards my best friend. Still the same despite the years that have come to pass.
"Tara," I purr and look at her, to my chagrin she looks me over and stiffens. She deflates and her grin drops, replaced by a really fake smile. "Princess Biana," she nods her head in acknowledgment, "It's truly a pleasure to meet you again." She adds being equally fake.
I wince at the tone, she never used that voice speaking to me—ever. Then it dawns on me, we didn't end on the right foot. I had yelled at her for exposing her power when in truth I was just jealousy. She also got the attention of Lord Tam—my crush at the time—she called forth the attention of everyone. "It truly is," I mimic back.
"Well now that you're here Tara," father clears his throat and starts. "Your parents give their full permission for you to journey with us back to Everglen." He says with a smile and for the slightest moment I thought I saw Tara's eyes go cold, but it went away so fast it had to be my imagination.
"It would be my pleasure Majesty, I would love to accompany you." She says the words so fondly it was almost sincere, but one look at Keefe tells me otherwise. "Tara, you can ride with me back to the palace. Fitz will be with mother and father, Keefe will also be stuck to him like glue. It's been a while since we saw each other, I thought it'd be nice to catch up."
At this Tara gives a real—if not a little relieved—smile. "I'd love to Biana, that'd be wonderful. We could even spill the tea, my sister is very fond of it, always gossiping that one." It's the way she smiles at her comment that unsettles everyone.
It was a jab and we all know it, for my parents it was to let them know she doesn't want to be attached to them. For my brother it was to let him know he is not in her little happy circle. For me it was to let me know I'm not her sister—which really stings.
For her parents it was to let them know she still begrudges them for trying to have other kids because she was unfit for the throne and how they couldn't have anymore kids. For Keefe it was to let him know even though they were close, he has a lot of time to make up for.
For the Ruewen's it was to let them know about how they lost their daughter. And for Dex it was to let him know she was better off before he dragged her here. As we all lose ourselves in those thoughts she silently smirks.
"Well, if brunch is over we ought to get a move on." She purrs, taking some grapes then shimmies past the Goblin guards who are gaping at her. "Damn, is she always this delightful?" Keefe drawls and the guard who was stationed to travel with us gives a full laugh.
"She's more delightful when she's with them, you're lucky folks. On that topic, you're going to come with us Prince Dex, right. I do remember Tara talking about how you promised Tam you would." Another jabs, Tara just finds the most wonderful people.
"What?" Says three little voices popping out from nowhere, plus the King and Queen. "Why would you do such a thing Dex?" The Queen asks kindly, "I don't think they would have let her come here if I didn't promise to do something." Everyone's face softens, "Who are these people who demand such atrocious things out of a Prince." Fitz sneers.
Dex looks ready to answer when her guard butts in, "Prince Dex, if I may stop you from answering, that it would be best. They wish to remain hidden, I wouldn't risk Tara's wrath to tell someone who should know fully well where his people are." I mean he is right, being a Prince of the Realm Fitz should know who and where the Witches reside.
As we get moving, a blinding light appears in front of us, Tara is soon right in my face. "I forgot to ask what I need to bring and if I can bring all my things. Which isn't much, might I add." She changed out of her fancy red dress into a plain black one. "I'm sure all you—," I'm cut off by three squeals.
"Soybeannnn!" The brown eyed girl suddenly gets tackled to the floor. It's not only that move that surprised me, but the triplets aren't speaking in the enlightened language. Neither is Tara, "Wow, it's been a while since I last saw you guys. Where's Aunty Juline? Also the secret is out." She says switching back to the Enlightened language. Aunty Juline...
"Tara, it seems you've come back safely and unharmed. That's good, where's R—Randall." Soon enough, like he was summoned Randall makes his way to her and bows. "Countess Juline, it's a pleasure to see you again. How is everyone fairing?" The Countess gives a smile, a smile that only a mother can give to a son—weird.
"Well you know us, the triplets are always getting into trouble. Home isn't the same with you—without you both. The Idiot it seems to have got himself a girlfriend by the way, it's all very shocking how she didn't leave him yet." Randall, Tara, and the triplets laugh at this, Countess Juline even gives a little chuckle.
"Okay, when did this start?" Tara asks nervously and Randall smirks, "Ummm...come to think of it, I think it was right after you two left. He said something about being lonely and that his best friends ditched him." This time Tara smirks and Randall slumps.
"I won the bet! Randall you, Lex, and Bexy, now owe Rex and I twenty gold lusters, each." Tara and Rex high five as the others slump, Countess Juline has a big smile on her lips. "Even though you never bet against a Seer, I surely thought Rissa would have dumped him by now."
Tara and Randall stop cheering, "He's courting Rissa!" They both yell. "Mom you do know Rissa is evil right?" We all gasp, "Not as evil as Stina." Tara grumbles, but that's not what caught our attention, "'Mom'?" Dex questions. The Countess, Tara, and the triplets give a groan, "You're a bigger idiot than the Idiot." Bex mutters.
"You're not wrong there, Bexy. If you can't tell they aren't actual siblings, Aunt Juline adopted him when he was fifteen. He's been friends with The Idiot all his life and when he had no place to go he was brought to Juline." Tara gives a 'are we done here look' then walks out with the triplets in tow.
"I have never seen those children so...contained in my lifetime." Edaline whispers and Grady nods in agreement.
~Dex~
Mom? Wow, I have an adopted brother. How do they know Tara, they couldn't have remembered her from her betrothal party. That also doesn't explain how they were so calm, they acted like they hadn't just ate candy for once in their lives. And now I have an adopted brother who is my competition in love, well it is not just him.
It seems to be that all the males in the higher status families favor her. Well all but Wylie, he's been hard ever since his father was sentenced to a mind break and his mother faded using an illegal Pathfinder. His father was sentenced because he was rumored to know about Tara's death, and sort of confessed to helping by taking a roundabout way to answering the questions.
He was then adopted by Earl Teirgan, an old friend of Baron Prentice and Baroness Cyra. Being close to the couple led him to blame Alden and the rest of the Vacker's, for the state Wylie's family was in.
Wylie still holds a grudge against Tara because almost two months before I found her there was a prison break and the once Baron was abducted. Or so the Vacker's said. There is so much drama going down, living here is like living in a Hel hole.
I'd gladly travel with the Vacker's—plus Keefe and Randall—with Tara to Everglen. And so we set off just before lunch, we departed in four carriages. One for the King and Queen, plus their luggage and a guard. One for us boys and our things, and I'm stuck with Wonderboy—thank Zuri he decided to take a nap. Randall is stuck in the carriage with us, undoubtedly wishing he could be with Tara. Another for the girls, who seemed to get closer despite their years apart. The girl knight with them was quiet and distant, but had a wicked gleam in her eyes as she beheld Biana. And the last one was for additional luggage and more guards.
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