* * *
Ally and Simona left the child in the home of one Alex in a village in the foothills several miles outside Reiham Port before tracing their way back to where Camila and Lauren were taken by the serpentinas. Apparently, this Alex person knows this child's mother and took it upon herself to look after him from here on out.
The two of them, tugging three griffins with them as they go looking like lost fools, tracked their way in the forests in hopes of finding their friends and where their captors might keep them as they travel back wherever the hell Alejandro keeps his venomous ass. Only to find stinking dead bodies and a donkey trail track that led them back to the village by the foothills at the end of the day.
With that discovery, Ally and Simona quickly came up to the conclusion that Camila and Lauren managed to escape their captors. They were fools indeed to think otherwise. Either that or they're both just afraid to come into terms with the possibility that they might've just lost people they care so much about.
But after a restless night in the forest, Ally and Simona started the day by arguing back and forth whether to continue searching the village for the boss and the princess, or wait for Dinah and Normani's reinforcing presence back in the shores of Reiham Port. The two of them simply settled in that little camp they made somewhere in the forest, along with their bored griffins as they carried on arguing.
While Ally made it a point to call out Simona for hiding the truth about Laura the guest's true identity, the older woman made it a point to tell Ally what an idiotic idea it was to go after Alejandro and his multitude of criminal followers with just the four of them.
They wasted a good amount of time arguing, that by the time they exhausted themselves to the point of growling hunger and restless sleep on a tree trunk, another night passes. When mid morning arrived the next day, Camila and Lauren sneakily shows up right where they were camping by a tree hollow.
"Lauren! Thank heavens! Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine Simona, thank you for asking me too," Camila answers with a teasing smile.
Lauren hugs the older woman and tells her she's absolutely fine. The princess goes to ask the same thing about her and Ally and the traumatized child from the day prior, while Camila simply smiles at them. Simona carries on telling Lauren where they left the child, while Ally eyes Camila like a hawk.
"What is wrong with you?" She asks when the smile on the boss's face doesn't fade.
"Why?"
"You're smiling. You never smile like that,"
"Like what?"
"Like an idiot,"
Camila glares at Ally, but before she can smack the back of her head, Lauren stands beside them.
"She's just happy we're all fine . . . Now, we just have to discuss how are we all going to proceed. The four of you wanted to get rid of the lord of serpents once and for all, right? I can help you with that. Apparently, he is in Arcade city and that's where Simona and I are eventually heading. We just need to make a detour up north so we have an army to back us up,"
The princess and the bandit continues to tell Ally and Simona everything that transpired earlier. From when they left the forest the other day leading up to the moment when Taylor and her group tried to abduct Lauren but failed.
"So . . . What else happened?" Simona asks curiously, noticing the distinct change in Camila and Lauren's dynamic.
Because instead of snarking at each other, they have become this unit where they talked and moved in perfect sync with each other. They have this rhythm as they told their adventures these past few days, finishing the other's sentences and filling in words where it's needed, lingering looks and soft smiles and all.
It's a little bit disconcerting already to see Camila simply smile.
The princess looks over at the bandit for what seems like the hundredth time in their conversation before she answers.
"Camz and I have worked out our differences and realized that . . ."
Lauren always have seen Simona, or Simon, as another parent. Another father figure when she was growing up, and now that he's turned into a woman, she might as well stand as a mother figure for her. Not only to her, but to Camila, Ally, Dinah and Normani also. She regards her with respect, so much so that it made her feel some kind of trepidation to tell what exactly is going on with her and Camila.
Thinking of her possible reservations about the matter considering that Camila being a dangerous criminal.
"The princess is the most important person for me now," Camila picks up where Lauren left the words hanging, still trying to work out how to break the news of how the nature of their relationship changed to Simona.
The bandit looked at the older woman straight in the eyes, open and sincere, "By my life or death I can protect her, I will. My father, he is nothing to me, I don't care about him or what will become of him, or what everybody else think of him. But should he, and trust me he will, go and hurt my princess and everything she cares about, I will end him. My life, my loyalties . . . My heart . . . It all belongs to Lauren, my princess, my empress. I love her and I will stand by her no matter what,"
Ally stares with an open mouth. Even Lauren seems to have been taken aback by her declaration but she stays close. Simona stares Camila down with unblinking eyes. Face devoid of any emotion.
"I feel the same about her," Lauren adds when Simona remains stoic, attesting to what Camila implies, "We didn't get along at first because Camz and I are both headstrong. But we came into terms with how we feel for each other and that's what really matters. I know, I'm aware it is frowned upon in our Arcadian ways but I can't help how I feel, Simona. I can already see the wheels turning in your head and please don't be like those ministers who advised my father to not pursue my mother who never had a noble title attached to her name. I am going to be with someone of my choosing, regardless of titles or wealth, or in this case . . . Past transgressions,"
There was a beat of silence, if not for the crickets populating that forest.
Simona sighs, her eyes unwaveringly trained on Camila, "I only have one question; Are you happy?"
"Yes,"
"I am asking you . . . Camila,"
Lauren raises an eyebrow, but an amused grin slowly spreads on her pretty face.
"Very much so," the bandit replies sincerely.
"Then I have nothing else to say on the matter," then older woman turns to the princess, "I already know you're very much like your father, no point in trying to dissuade you when you have your heart set on something,"
While Ally is still processing everything, Camila and Lauren sigh in relief. Lost in each other's eyes, smiling like fools, little pinkies intertwine.
But the old woman is not yet finished, as it turns out. She moves abruptly face to face with Camila, stands on her tippy toes just to be able to do that, then speaks in her own elderly threatening way.
"But if you break Lauren's heart, I'll be the first to break your face. Got it?"
The bandit nods. "Yes ma'am!"
"Ally?"
Lauren turns to the other bandit whose mouth is still open and eyes wide staring back and forth.
"I — I just . . . I'm processing okay,"
"Ally, I'm sorry if it's a lot to take in. I never meant to blindside you and the girls, I just . . . I didn't expect to find someone to love at this point in my life. It changed everything," Camila says to her friend. "And trust me, it's for the best,"
"I don't do well with changes but you're the boss. And more importantly, you are family. As long as you are truly happy, I can live with that. At least, Mani's got no reason to be jealous of Laura now," Ally chuckles, "I mean princess Lauren, your majesty,"
"What?"
Ally goes to tell everyone about how Normani was steaming with jealousy the first time Dinah arrived home with Lauren. She embellishes the entire story just for fun as they prepared to leave. When she finishes everyone looks to be amused. Simona then reminds Lauren of what she has to do when they arrive in Clifden.
"Just remember everything your father taught you. The path going to the Arcadian tree of life is only treacherous to those who have ill intentions. You still have your father's altair dagger with you?"
"Yes. It has served me well so far,"
"It is the only blade you can bring in there. Not even the onyx bow despite it being an artifact of equal measure. You will face dark phantoms if you brought another weapon with you. Your father made that mistake, so please do not repeat that. He barely survived the dark phantoms on his passage, his honesty and pure intentions are what pulled him through . . . Bring with you the dagger only. And this book,"
"The Arcadian book of life! I thought it was stolen!"
"Your father gave it to me when I embarked on my journey, as a reminder of home. I never understood whatever's written in it but I know you can,"
The second Lauren touched the book, it glowed a subtle blue. Just for a moment, then it faded.
At the exact same time the book glowed blue, hundreds of miles away in Arcade city, the couldron of the blue fire lights up inside the imperial temple. A bright, royal blue fire that lit up so high like a roaring beacon for everyone to see; the priestess teared up at the sight, beaming that finally her prayers are coming into fruition. It was a bright spark of inspiration for every Arcadian citizen being terrorized by the forces of the lord of serpents and his goons.
And hundreds of miles away up north, Queen Hailee and her preparations were interrupted by a howling sound from the northernmost mountains and a bluish glow in the horizon. It was like some kind of an omen that prompts her and her subjects to work harder. Because soon enough, they are going to hail a new empress to lead them all back to peace and prosperity.
"That book looks old like Simona," Ally comments.
"Allyson,"
"But magical. Clearly. I mean where do you get to see a book that glows blue when a pretty girl touches it? It's like a boner about to bust a nut,"
"Allyson!" Both Simona and Camila admonish her this time.
Princess Lauren giggles at them.
Since they all have agreed to have a search party for Dinah and Normani when they reach Clifden, unaware that the two are already guests to the queen of the kingdom located before the said county, Lauren allows herself to be amused by Ally and Simona's continued bickering. She smiles at Camila who was already staring at her like she is the center of everything. Looking back at her makes Lauren feel like she's ready to take on the world, that nothing can ever stop her.
She vows to make things right. Justice and revenge are two different things; when she ascends to her throne, she will have the law of the land do it's job when it comes to Lord Brad of Bunloaf county. She'll hold him accountable for his crimes as well as his associates, and that includes the serpentina bandits.
And while Camila and the Lionhearts had done their own crimes, none of it occured within the vast territories of the Arcadian empire. It is a stretch, a loophole she's going to take just so she can give Camila and her friends a chance to become the better versions of themselves and make better choices.
As far as princess Lauren can tell, everything is starting to fall into place.
Until she flips the pages of the book she has been holding, and lands on a seemingly innocent page. A page that has an interesting image in it.
A curious picture that somehow lingers in the back burner of Lauren's mind . . .
* * *
Lord Brad of the Bunloaf county has a skill only he knows best. And that is blending in. Putting himself in disguise. He has that uncanny skill that whenever he does it, he just simply blend with whatever crowd he is in and appear as though he belongs there.
Or whenever he wants to appear trustworthy to an emperor, he would absolutely look the most dignified and respectable noble who have walked this earth.
That's what got him so far. This far.
That's how he got into Alejandro's circle of criminals; that's how he managed to fool his own father before he murdered him, his wife and their infant son. That's how he got all of Bunloaf County rally on his side with all of their blind trust.
An act.
A disguise.
However, at this point, his defeat is clearer than the water he's drinking from the stream. But he refuses to accept it. The majority of the Arcadian population knows by now that he killed emperor Michael and his commoner wife. At the very least, the imperial ministers and leaders of kingdoms and other counties know the truth by now. All thanks to that babbling, double-crossing lord of serpents.
His beloved Lauren knows that for sure.
Despite his ambition to become emperor himself and rule the world, he does love the princess. In an obsessive, possessive manner, that is.
And that love drove him to be the worst when princess Lauren never returned his feelings. Instead of trying to be the best version of himself, he chose to become this scheming murderer.
He sharpens his dagger, bright and shiny silver, as he settled himself by the stream. A must needed reprieve from escaping both the imperial army and the serpentinas. He feels the weight of the vial inside his pocket. The last vial of bothropis Alejandro owns since his den of snakes and cellar of poisons have been burned down by the Lionhearts. He acquired it by a quick sleight of hand he learned from the great master thief himself during their last crime-plotting together. It is somewhat satisfying to know that he stole from the thief who taught him how to do the trick.
Just like the saying goes, the student becomes the master, or whatever . . .
But only princess Lauren and her massive empire of twelve kingdoms and too many cities, too many counties, and immeasurable treasures, can fully satisfy Lord Brad of Bunloaf county.
If I can't have the greatest empire in the world, if I can't have Lauren, I swear to all that's holy no else will have her . . .
* * *
🙂