Previous Chapter
"Kalevi, Cyrus, did you find the girl?" Rayna's heart stopped as she heard the voice that spoke. Her heartbreaking all over again as the horse's steps came closer, and then came to a complete stop.
Theo.
Part 2
She wanted to look up so badly, but she knew she couldn't. She just wanted a glimpse. But all she saw was the hooves of the horse he rode on. She bowed her head further and spoke. "Gely uim les lou uavr sounq uer mnd lou jily gakr ze oacx go jherr V pamr sroz." (Tell him yes you have found her and you will take me back to where I came from). She wasn't sure if she spoke too fast for Cyrus to understand what she was saying, Aequsie, but she had to hope he caught her words.
Both men were stunned and kept quiet as everyone just looked to them. Cyrus finally got his wits together and spoke, "Yes, this is her, Theo. King Silas was kind enough to find her for us. He was looking for us when we rode up."
Theo smiled at King Silas; as he dismounted from his horse to shake the King's hand, "Why, thank you, King Silas. You don't know what your assistance means to us. Poor Lady Catherina was worried sick for her servant's safe return." Prince Coilleach hid his laugh at the word servant with a cough. And Rayna tried to hide her scoff at the word with a cough too.
King Silas was much more poised than the two young royals, "It was our pleasure, Theo. Take care of this young girl." Rayna could hear the smile in his voice, "We have become fond of her."
Cyrus got down from his horse and took Rayna by the hand to help her stand up, shielding her from the prince. He whispered. "V xnoj lou jang go, out Rayna qo aot yoox nt uim nt nll." (I know you want to, but Rayna do not look at him at all.)
The sky began to softly cry, letting down the rain gently as Rayna nodded her head in understanding a single tear sliding down her own face. She was trying to control her emotions, but she couldn't hold it in knowing what she knows now. Being near someone, she longed to see.
All who were in the presence of these two felt the mood change as the rain came softly down. Every person and creature had learned of the engagement between the two royals, and some were lucky enough to witness the friendship grow as children, and they all knew one day that that friendship would have turned into true love. It's why no one ever objected to their future together; because it was inevitable.
The King of the Obscurum Jungle felt the young queen's sorrow as she walked past Prince Theo. He did not need to be an anmio to know the pain she was feeling. If only he knew it was her standing there right before him. He would have never let her go. But it was for the best that only she knew because she was strong enough to leave, ready to continue to the end game.
The king engaged Theo in small talk to distract him as Cyrus walked Rayna passed him. Rayna breathed in deep as she walked past Theo, breathing in his scent. It made her heart hurt even more as she began to remember everything they had done together in the past. She turned her head over so slightly in his direction, catching a glimpse of his hand. He turned his head toward her, just catching the piece of hair that fell out of her hood. He grew curious, only seeing that color on two other people, but the King grabbed his attention again.
At that moment, as Rayna was being put on the horse, she took a little peek at him again, but this time getting the full view of him. He was just as she remembered, but older, of course. His hair was still the crazy, curly auburn brown it had always been, but it was shorter and slicked back from his helmet and the rain. His facial features were more defined; his jawline and cheekbones sharper all the baby fat has gone from his face. But his eyes... those beautiful green eyes were just the same. They had not changed one bit; what she wouldn't give to look into those eyes once again.
Rayna looked down just as quickly as she had looked up. He did not see her at all, and she couldn't help the disappointment that washed over her. Of course, as soon as she turned away, he looked to her.
He took note of the cloak she was wearing and gasped, noticing the golden flowers on the blue cloak just as the townspeople have said before! He felt nothing but hope as the thought passed through his mind. Just then, her hair fell out a little more as Cyrus began riding off with her, and with each step they grew further away, he wanted to know more of this mysterious servant that spoke Aequsie that wore the same exact cloak that fueled the rumors around town.
But King Silas diverted his attention once more, and he had to focus on what was being said by the King of the Jungle. He turned his head ever so slightly to the sky and noticed the gentle rain that sprinkled around them and thought to himself how the sky seemed to be crying.
Cyrus, Rayna, and Kalevi rode in silence as they made their way back to the Hidden Castle. They both wanted to lecture her to scold her for what she had done, but they felt the sadness rolling off of her. No, not just sadness, but t agony. Pure agony and they felt nothing but guilt from keeping the news from her. They felt even more guilty for the way that she found out, from that vile excuse of a man of all people.
They would have known her pain even without their gift; they could tell just from the sky alone as the rain came down slowly around them on the road. So they kept silent, letting the girl sit there wallowing in her pain. As they continued through the Obscurum Jungle, creatures would bow to them as they passed. Both Kalevi and Cyrus felt concern and fear for this new development. But they would save their worry for tomorrow.
Rayna received an earful once they returned to the castle. Not just from Kalevi and Cyrus, but from Catherin, Revon, and Andre. They reprimanded her for her foolish actions. They scolded her for revealing the secret. But she did not hear a word. All she could think of was what she knows now. She knows what her home has become. She knows her people are suffering far worse than she could have ever imagined. She knows that Theo... her Theo was to be married to another. Someone called Princess Ivy. She grimaced at the name of the girl, despising her already.
When they were to be married, she did not know, but surely it would be soon. And there was nothing she could about it. Not only did she know this about him, but she had seen him again for the first time in six years. She had such mixed feelings about seeing him again. On the one hand, she was overjoyed to see the man he was growing up to be. But then again she wished she hadn't seen him, because, in the end, she had to leave him. So through all the yelling and lectures, she just sat there staring blankly off into space as she thought of everything that was forever changed.
The only other person to remain silent through the yelling was Jewel. She watched her dear friend closely throughout the entire thing. She saw the emptiness on her face but saw the sadness circling in her eyes. After a while, the yelling turned to soft words from Catherina as the men went elsewhere once they really got a look at the young princess. But even the words of her aunt did not shake the gray clouds from outside.
After super Rayna took to her rooms, not doing anything in particular just staring out the window imagining being somewhere not so far away looking out a different window from a higher up castle. That was until Jewel came to see her late into the night.
Jewel did not say a word as she entered Rayna's room. She just sat onto Rayna's bed, in a similar fashion to when they had first met as children. She waited from Rayna come sit beside her on the bed before she turned to look at her. The anger was clear on Jewel's face. Rayna felt shocked at first looking at her angry expression, but then turned her gaze mournfully down to the covers of her bed. "I'm sorry." She whispered out.
Jewel just shook her head, looking away from her towards the window. "We were so worried, Rayna. We couldn't find you anywhere." A tear slid down her cheek, "We thought those guards had found you or something." She whipped the tear away, "Luckily, Aunt Catherina had remained calm, and we walked off after that dreadful conversation, walking towards the edge of the jungle and called out to Uncle Kalevi and Cyrus... and Theo." Jewel looked at Rayna when she said his name and watched Rayna's shoulders slump with sadness. "It felt like forever waiting for them to return with you here. They all split up immediately searching for you."
Rayna shook her head, not wanting to hear anymore. She had heard it all already. "I know, J, I know, they told me all this already. I said I am sorry, what more do you want?" There was a sharp tone to her voice as she spits the words out.
Jewel didn't react at all to her tone, just looking at her, "I don't know. I just hated that I wasn't able to help find you. That there was nothing that I could do to help make sure you were safe." She lifted her hand to wipe away the tears sliding down. "You would feel just the same if the roles were reversed here, Rayna don't you dare try to deny that."
Seeing Jewel cry broke Rayna's heart. She leaned forward, pulling her friend into a hug, trying to soother her the best way she could when a thought crossed her mind. Rayna pushed Jewel away for a moment, eyes wide with curiosity. "What if there is a way?"
"What? What do you mean?" Jewel looked at her, confused sniffling slightly.
Rayna bit her lip, trying to find the right words. "What if there was a way for the two of us to always be able to find one another?"
Jewel's eyes widened, her hands squeezing Rayna's forearms at the possibility. "Is there a spell to be able to do that?"
"Well... there is... but," Rayna shook her head, "We could get in an awful lot of trouble for using such a spell."
Jewel understood her meaning behind her words and remained silent for a few moments as she contemplated this, knowing dark magic was clearly going to be involved. "Let's do it."
It was Rayna's turn to look shocked. "Jewel, I don't think you understand it's-"
Jewel interrupted her, her face flushed with anger. "I understand perfectly fine, Rayna. I am not eight years old anymore. But you don't seem to understand the fear that I felt when you were missing. I never want to feel that way again. And if there is a dark magic spell or curse or whatever it is that can take away that fear; then I am in." Jewel grabbed her hands in hers and squeezed them. "We can truly protect one another, now and forevermore."
The pain was clear in Jewel's voice. Rayna didn't hesitate as she went to grab the spellbook from under her bed and the knife she kept under her pillow.
Rayna took the knife to her left hand and sliced it. She winced in pain but did not make a sound. Then she passed it to Jewel to do the same, but Jewel groaned slightly at the sharp pain of the cold blade. Rayna turned to the page that they needed, and pointed it out for Jewel to read together. They took each other's hurt hands into the other and whispered the spell.
"Ubi semper nos esse, longe vel prope, invenies nos mutuo. Nec refert ad periculum, nos una faciem, atque defendat se." Looked each other in the others glowing violet eyes and smiled watching the magic work a bright light shining in between their palms. They said the final word to seal the spell, feeling the magic move throughout their souls.
"Aeternum."
A/N: Ah, long runs through the jungle, seeing old friends and royalty, and then casting blood magic spells. Eventful chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed this one! Can't wait for the next chapters to come!
Comment what you think so far! Vote if you enjoyed the chapter :) Thanks so much!
J
3/13/2020