Vivalius was there, again. Assuntina had begged and pleaded and even tried bargaining with her father to be allowed to sit in on their meeting, but he had said no. And then told her to go and ride her horse or something, he was busy.
Assuntina did no go and ride her horse. She waited outside like last time, in her riding breeches as a subtle show of defiance, and so that she could claim to be just about to go on a ride if her father asked. She sat by the door with her ears perked up, just a bit smug at her own cleverness.
The voices from inside the meeting room were tense this time, bordering on angry. She could hear her father's mocking hisses, and the barely-restrained rage in Vivalius' short replies. She expected him to come out in a huff, but he didn't seem angry, or even tense. He walked on, lost in thought, but paused when he noticed her. Perhaps he could smell her.
"Princess," he said with a nod over his shoulder.
"Did you fly here?" she asked by way of a hello, hurrying to join him.
"In a way," Vivalius said absentmindedly. "I took a griffin."
Assuntina gaped. "Here? In the city?" She made herself focus as she followed the nymph into the gardens. "What I meant to say was, I told Arista, that you're her father."
That seemed to get his attention. He swallowed and glanced at her. "And? What did she say?"
She shrugged. "Not much of anything," she admitted. "She seemed a bit dazed." Arista's reaction had left her quite surprised. She had expected joy, not shock. "But why did you have me tell her?"
Vivalius hesitated. "I don't know, child," he murmured. "I don't know."
Assuntina was about to prod for more when the ground jolted. She would have fallen over if Vivalius hadn't grabbed her arm.
"Are you alright, child?"
She licked her lips. "What," she gasped, "what was that?"
The nymph pressed his lips into a grim line. "That," he said as he rushed, in quick strides, towards the abandoned old guard tower in the corner of the garden, "was an angry Titan trying to break out of the earth."
Assuntina hurried to match her stride to his. "You're leaving," she realized. "You'll take Arista and leave. That's why you brought another griffin."
He nodded, starting up the stairs. "I don't trust your father will give any response to my warnings at all."
Assuntina swallowed, hurrying after him. The Titans, the earthquakes, Arista... "Let me come with you," she blurted, beginning to huff from the strain of the steps.
Vivalius turned to look at her, but didn't slow his step.
"I don't want to stay here. Not with the Titans and my father and... I'd feel safer with you. And Arista. I could even run and fetch her for you, she does trust me."
Vivalius furrowed his brow. "I couldn't bring you back once you left," he warned. "And there'd be none of the luxury you're used to. I live simply."
She scoffed. "As if I care about any of that." She was about to ask why, exactly, they were climbing a guard tower, when she saw the griffin and froze.
It was taller than a horse, and prouder. She thought she knew what a griffin looked like, from when the nymph had turned to one, but the beast that stood before her now, its head turned towards the horizon, put Vivalius's version to shame.
"Bernie," Vivalius called.
The beast swiveled its mighty head towards them, letting out a cry with a beak big enough to fit her head in. She noticed he had a saddle on his back, where feathers met fur.
"You want to come with me to Alyppia? You're sure?"
Assuntina looked back at the nymph. "Yes," she said.
"You want to fetch Arista, you said? You know where she is?"
She nodded. "At Gregor's. Where she always is. Do you want me to go and get her?"
Vivalius cocked his head, a touch of mischief in his eyes. "Do you think you could do it on Bernie, here?"
Assuntina hesitated. "Is it like riding a horse."
He shrugged. "More or less. You pull the reins up to go down and down to go up."
Her lips curved into a smirk. "I can do that."
Vivalius helped her into the saddle and gave her a few more tips. Assuntina stroked Bernie the griffin's soft feathers as he did. Finally, Vivalius stepped back and Assuntina drew the reins, shooting into the sky, wind pulling hair our of her braid.
The earth again began to shake as Bernie's feet left the tower roof.
Hello, lovely readers!
I hope you've enjoyed this next chapter! Vote and comment, I'm eager to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for making it this far!
~Mandy