* * *
"So, what exactly went on out there?"
Ally asks as Camila stared to where Lauren and Simona disappeared a minute ago. Her eyes squinted at the harsh sunlight that makes up all the blue above more vivid and bright.
Too bright. Too clear.
It's supposed to signify a good omen but Camila feels like it was the opposite.
Sure, she immediately felt the pang of loss when the princess left, but there was a feeling of dread the second she can't see Lauren anymore. Maybe it's knowing that she is a princess on the run, chased by people who wants to kill her, or maybe that gnawing suspicion that her father is somehow involved in the girl's current debacle, Camila isn't so sure which one bothers her more.
And uncertainty is something she always hates to deal with.
But what she hates the most at the moment is herself, for being such a wuss. For trying to stuff her true feelings somewhere deep in the heaps of all of her issues, or the fact that she can't handle herself for being able to feel something so strong. For deliberately acting like an asshole, dismissing Lauren like nothing special happened between them in the short span of time they have spent with each other.
For not trying to explore these feelings that has been plaguing her while she still had the chance.
That pain that weighs down in her chest is something foreign, yet still familiar. She has lost her mother so abruptly in the hands of death. Never again will she have a chance to experience the joy of having at least one genuinely caring parent who taught her she is much more than what she has been raised to become.
But, Lauren, she's one woman who has evoked strong feelings out of her, not only reminding her of her dead mother's wisdom but also awakening something so primal within her.
And she's still out there.
Alive, breathing, and probably hurting because she's suffered her own fair share of loss.
Since figuring out that Lauren is the missing princess of Arcadia, Camila has been aware of the fact that the girl is in absolute danger. A main target for those who seek power and dominions. Now, in her mind, she's standing at some sort of an impasse. She has her own long overdue vengeance to do, and much more than she doesn't want anything to do with her father anymore, she most definitely wants him dead. Gone once and for all.
Then, Lauren comes along in her life so unexpectedly, causes a riot in her once-upon-a-time numb heart and now she suddenly wants to protect her with every single fiber of her being. Everything else be damned.
And somewhere in between, she somehow feels in her gut that her father has something to do with the threat that has been looming over the princess of Arcadia.
Because if there is one person who craves for so much power that she know of, that would be her father.
"Boss?"
Ally calls for her attention, she's aware, but she can't shrug off the bad feeling she has with the bright and shiny weather. And no, her dark brooding personality and current emotional state has nothing to do with her gut feeling.
She ignores Ally some more, walks away from where she stood. But the feisty short one can't be denied. Not even by the deadly Camila Cabello.
"You two fucked, didn't you?" she says, "Well, if it was me stuck with her, I won't pass up the opportunity either,"
It made Camila trip on air. If it wasn't for Shadow catching her fall, she would've fallen face first so embarrassingly on the rocky shores of Reiham Port.
Probably in to her tragic death too.
"What the hell?!! What are you saying??! Why the fuck do you say things like that?!"
Ally shrugs, "It's just a comment . . . So, what really happened out there with you and Laura,"
If looks could kill, the short one would have been a mangled rotting corpse already with how Camila glared at her. The boss huffs and turns away, not dignifying Ally an answer.
"So, you two really fucked, huh . . . How was it?"
Still not answering, she tugged and pulled on their weapons and supplies quite harshly, readying for another flight thinking that she'll only give Dinah and Normani a couple hours of wait before moving on as planned. And probably allow Ally one last word before she stuffs her mouth with clumps of seaweed from nearby.
"Ahh . . . Maybe you didn't because you seem so tense, boss,"
"Ally, shut up . . . She already told you what happened and her name isn't Laura," she says with some sort of finality in her tone. She's been distracted enough, it's time to focus on her quest to end her father.
However, the other bandit wasn't done asking. But upon opening her mouth to question once again, Camila already holding a handful of seaweed to stuff in it, a sudden darkening over their heads caught both of their attention.
The wind picked up unnaturally and the bright clear sky quickly turned from bright blue to gray and fully into black. At first, one would think it's a storm cloud coming. But then, there was a chorus of howling sound that goes with the darkness, a bellow so loud that can only be heard from a griffin's cry.
Looking up, indeed it was a flock of griffins. And a great flock at that. Easily around five thousand of fully grown flying half-breeds speeding, cutting through the peaceful blue sky. The riders on their backs seemed fully armed, and on their claws, the griffins seems to be carrying sizeable boulders of rock.
Camila's mind quickly returned to Lauren.
Thinking only of the danger Lauren might get herself into if those suspiciously large group of griffins were actually after her, howling as they all sped up in the sky as if crying out for battle, the bandit rushed to her own trustee avian half-breed. She mounted Shadow and took off, ignoring the sudden unrest of the nearby port where people began to run for their lives and the guards were preparing themselves at the sound of the warning bells.
But instead of flying towards the large flock up in the sky, she went low and through the forest. She steered her griffin to sneak down below, galloping and following the direction where the darkness goes.
While doing so, Ally was fumbling to catch up with her, still trying to make sense of what is going on.
Not for too long though that both bandits spot Lauren and Simona. They were doing the exact same thing as Camila, only in a much slower pace. So much so, they are sort of falling behind. The two were clearly discussing something in an obvious hushed tones as they observed the flock speeding above.
Quickly, Camila steered her griffin towards the other two. Lauren noticed her right away but there wasn't much reaction from her. It struck something in the bandit that hurts. She has grown accustomed to those emerald eyes looking so brightly at her that it twisted her insides to see it so cold.
But she pushed through that stab of pain, willed herself to look more assured than ever.
"Are the two of you okay?" She asks when she was close enough.
"Yes, are you?" Simona answers.
She only nods then looks up in the darkened sky. Unsure on how to disclose what she knows of Lauren's identity and what she suspects as Simona's part to play in it.
"Is Reiham Port under attack or something? What is that all about?" Ally chimes right in the second she was in a close hearing distance; all three griffins carrying them were all in stride with one another by now.
"Griffins flying north. I haven't seen this much of them, all synchronous and armed in flight. And seeing the colors of the armors of the riders, I may have an idea where they are all headed," the princess answers.
It's not too long ago when she last heard that very feminine raspy voice, only minutes ago in fact, but Camila felt like it had been ages since. For some reason, she misses Lauren already and she's barely coping. And she's only several feet away from her, and currently assessing when, where and how those griffins execute their aerial strike and who could possibly be leading them.
Yep, she got it bad. And no, she is not going to acknowledge that fact just yet.
"Where do you think they're going?" She asks instead.
Lauren doesn't look at her when she answers, "Simona says Clifden, but if the allegiance of Bunloaf County and the kingdom of Astoria intends to strike hard, I say they would go and hit the Arcadian kingdom of Oakridge,"
"Then, why are the two of you following them, if they are obviously going up for trouble?" Ally asks this time, "Why are you still heading north?"
She receives no answer.
But of course, the little one can't be denied. She went to fester the boss instead.
"Why are we following them all the way to trouble? Don't we have our own to deal with??"
Camila hesitated. But she knows how tactless Ally can be sometimes so she makes up an excuse.
"War. There are such things as spoils of the war. We might just get something of real value there," It is a terrible excuse, and she used to be excellent in making excuses to get away with her mischiefs.
It's just that it's really not her day today.
Of course, Ally wasn't convinced. Simona looks at her weird. And worst of all, Lauren looks even more angry with her.
Nope, not really my day . . .
She sighs. It was as if she just ran out of ammunition and that never ever happens. Having enough of the bullshit, she decides to do what really feels right to her. No, she's not going to confess her feelings outright. But, she's going to speak about what she knows.
Maybe then, Lauren will decide to give her a little benefit of the doubt, or a little sliver of trust, and tell her a little bit more about herself, her situation or whatever it is that she is up to. Or anything really, she just wants Lauren to look at her with those bright eyes again and smile.
"Okay . . . everybody, let's stop for a minute here," she calls out in an adequately firm tone, "I have something to say,"
Ally looks at her with a poker face, knowing that she's finally gonna get some definite answers that actually makes sense. Simona looks at her quizzically. Lauren on the other hand, looks as if she couldn't wait to get out of Camila's immediate proximity. She doesn't look her way, but still, she heeds the bandit's request and stops steering the griffin away.
"I know that you are not who you say you are, Laura,"
That surely caught Lauren's attention fully. Now she looks at Camila, emerald meets gold spot on.
The bandit continues, "I didn't figure it out until we were in Taurea, but when I did . . . I didn't tell you because I didn't want to scare you off. I didn't want you to just run away from me, or come up with assumptions, and just run into whatever trouble awaits you. I just . . . I just think that maybe . . . Maybe if you let me, I could help you; offer you some kind of protection or any help that you need . . ."
"Say what now?? Help with what? What protection?? I thought we're off hunting your scumbag of a father??" Ally cuts in, then turns to Lauren, "And who are you exactly, if you're not who you say you are?"
Camila ignores Ally's interruption, "I know you are Lauren Michelle, the only child of the emperor Michael and heir to the throne of the great empire of Arcadia. Word has been spread that your father was murdered by Commader Austin Mahone of the imperial army. Word also has it that the commander has been hunting you down to end your bloodline so his own family can take over all of the empire. I just, I don't know . . . I lost my mother brutally and I wanted revenge too. Since we somehow have experienced similar tragedy, I do relate to what you're going through. That maybe I could help you . . . Help you plot your revenge or something, really, whatever you need,"
Ally looks at Camila weirdly. She never saw the boss ramble like this ever. It was so weird for her.
"Commander Austin Mahone was not the person who killed my parents," Lauren replies quietly, she wasn't exactly surprised Camila figured out her true identity but she wasn't expecting her to be so forward about it, "And I appreciate your intent to help but it's not necessary. You have your own matters to deal with, as Ally pointed out earlier, you can focus all of your attention on that,"
The princess carries on steering the griffin further from Camila. But the bandit keeps up the pace with her.
"Lauren . . . Your Majesty, your highness, your grace, your beauty, your gorgeousness . . . Whatever else curtsy there is, listen . . . I know we haven't been getting along so well but you need to know that I don't hate you, okay. Besides, I still owe you for saving me from that bitch snake who hurt me. Let me repay you somehow,"
The princess halted the griffin and faced Camila. Ally was right next to the boss looking curiously at her, while Simona is still devoid of any reaction. She is likely gauging Camila and her sincerity. But before Lauren can respectfully decline Camila's offer one more time, riders on horses just burst out from behind trees and were coming on to them really fast.
It only took a moment before blades were clashing; four against way too many.
Camila, Lauren, Ally and Simona found themselves heavily outnumbered by foes that just suddenly came out of nowhere. And these foes, they are not soldiers trying to protect Reiham Port, or those uniformed soldiers from the flying griffins above.
They were young, bloodthirsty bandits bearing a variety of snake tattoos on their skin . . .
* * *
A/N:
30 chapters of slow burn with a side of eggs and bacon bruh
Anyway, we're getting there . . . I think 😬
Thanks for all the reads and votes
- Hatfield 🙂