Chapter Text
The team walked in on the King looking at himself in the mirror, he looked extremely happy about what he was seeing.
”Oh, thank goodness… The Royal countenance is restored! THANK YOU! THANK YOU THANK YOU! AND THANK YOU!” He said, each thank you was directed at a different member of the team. “ACCEPT OUR ROYAL GRATITUUUUDE!” Felix was handed a giant bag stuffed to the top with gold, no one in the team had ever seen that much gold in one spot at a time. The King let out a sigh, he was definitely calmer now. “Now we must replenish ourselves.” The King started eating from a large plate, he picked up a large piece of meat on a bone. When he was done, he spoke again. “But you know, that Dark Lord Erix is certainly no joke! We’re all in a lot of trouble with that scoundrel running around… Go and warn the princess while we take care of this…” He said while doing the opposite of ‘taking care of this’.
Charlotte asked a guard to show them to the Princess’s room, they did so gladly.
The room was beautiful, the decor looked more expensive than Charlotte’s childhood home.
”Hm?” The Princess turned around, she looked only slightly younger than Lena, they were both kids… Kids that were in danger because of the Dark Lord. “And who might you be?”
”I’m Lena, we are here because the Dark Lord attacked Greenhorne an-“ Lena was cut offf by the young royal.
”The Dark Lord’s been to Greenhorne? Oh dear… Is Andrew ok?!” She worriedly asked. “Oh, I’m sorry…” She sewed together a calm, gentle, and unfazed attitude, Charlotte knew that this was false though, especially because of how she acted when she was asking about her friend. “I’m worried about my friend in town…” She calmly said, but Charlotte could see her shaking. “Would you check on Andrew for me?” She had a slight crack in her voice while asking.
”Of course!” Lena energetically said.
”Oh, thank you, thank you! …Please tell him that… Calista is worried about him.”
”Will do!” Lena smiled, she carried so much light, the Princess - Calista looked much more relaxed with Lena around, she was really a social butterfly.
Walking to Greenhorne town again was exhausting, Charlotte made Lena ride on Jasper for the trip, Lena was absurdly underweight, so he didn’t notice her much. That made Charlotte want to maim that excuse of a man who raised her. This kid was almost malnourished, she had gained some weight while travelling, so there was that at least.
After a long and tiring walk, they arrived at Greenhorne town, it wasn’t dark out, so that was good.
“We’re here!” Lena said, she was excited.
But Charlotte saw a woman looking around, she had worry in her eyes.
She saw Lena and then ran up to the team.
”Oh, adventurer! Alan’s gone missing! I can’t find him anywhere! Would you help me look for him? …Please?” Why was this Lena’s responsibility? She is a kid, not a babysitter.
But Lena smiled at her. “Of course!”
”Oh… Thank you ever so much! Actually, I asked someone else too. Maybe this is a bit rude, but… I don’t think he’s up to it. So it’s a relief that you’re here! My child shouldn’t have gone that far. Could you search near town for me?”
”Alright!” Lena cheerily said.
“H-here goes… Alan! Where are youuu?!” Andrew said, he was scared, but he had to do this!
”No! Stay Away!” He knew that voice!
”That voice!”
He looked over, he saw the small boy surrounded by goblins, usually friendly -if mischievous-, but now menacing and horrifying. They were surrounding the child!
”Somebody help me!” Andrew was so scared, for both himself and the child, But he couldn’t turn into a plant! Not now! He wanted to, but he shouldn’t!
”I-I’ve got to do something…” Half of his mind wanted to turn into a plant to hide, he knew that he might not be able to turn back, but it could protect him… And the other half wanted to fight! He was going to be a hero! He was going to save this child! “You-! You get away from him!!!” He waved his arms around.
His bravery was not rewarded though, the goblins attacked him, he saw bruises forming on his ocean-coloured arms. How hard had those goblins hit him for bruises to be forming this quickly??? Should he turn into a tree now?! No!
Andrew saw four people run up to him, one leaned down, she asked him if he was okay. That didn’t matter.
”There’s nothing I can do… Please, save the boy!”
“Waaaaa! Mommy!” Andrew thought that he heard the child running back towards the town, that was good. His legs hurt too much for him to get up though…
But he saw the people walk up to him, one had an inflatable hammer, she used that to heal his legs, they felt fine! Good even!
”Thank you so much for your help.” He sat up, his saviour looked similar in age to him. “My name is Andrew.”
”So you’re…” She looked shocked. “Princess Calista is worried about you.” Callie?! She was worried about him?! Why? He was fine, he wasn’t outside when the Dark Lord attacked…
”The Princess… is worried about me…? Oh! Never mind that, what on earth happened to those goblins?”
”The Dark Lord, he attaches faces to monsters, and I think it’s fear that makes them attack… But, I don’t know…”
“I turned my back and all this happened… And the way you handled those monsters… You were incredible! And I was as useful as a chocolate teapot. I-I think I’ll be leaving now!” Andrew then ran off.
“So Andrew is safe… That is a relief! Please accept this reward!” Calista said as she handed Lena a bag full of gold, it was so much, Lena was shocked that she was even holding the bag, and it was heavy.
”Now, now, child…” the King started. “You must forget about that Andrew chap. You are betrothed to Prince Cassius after all!” Lena saw the Princess’s posture change, if she was staring at her, she probably would’ve seen her face fall too. “Is that clear?”
”But Papa…” Calista weakly started. “I love him…” she mumbled, Lena heard it though, and she would try her best to help her new friend, because, dads were just like that sometimes.
“The Princess’s fiancé should be on his way. Ah, since you’re here… Would you mind seeing him to the castle?” The King asked.
”Alright…” Lena agreed.
”Much obliged! The Princess’s fiancé is from yonder kingdom, it used to be a part of Greenhorne. He should be waiting at the Arid Frontier. Could you head to the frontier?”
“Well, the King was an ass, don’t you think?” Charlotte said to the entire team as they entered the divine inn.
”Yep.” Felicity affirmed.
”Absolutely.” Felix bluntly stated.
”Maybe…? I mean, dads are just… like that sometimes. It’s normal.” This earned Lena questioning glances from the team, that sort of parent was normal for her? “I’m gonna go to bed…” Lena said while grabbing her journal, she would come back out for dinner, and then she would write with Jasper sleeping next to her.
“Goodnight everyone!” Felicity yelled, she was tired, but also excited, this Cassius person might have a chance of being nice.
”Night.” Charlotte said. She was glad that Lena had come for dinner, but she was worried that Lena said that the King’s attitude was normal, maybe she thought it was even better than her father? But Charlotte wanted to sleep well tonight, so she pushed those thoughts away. Lena was safe now, that was all that mattered, the kid is safe, happy, and will only get hurt by the Dark Lord over her dead body. It’s no use trying to find out why she was hurt in the past, because that can’t be changed, but Charlotte can change if she’s hurt now.
Lena and Felix said their own versions of good night before leaving, Lena stayed with Jasper that night, she liked hanging around Jasper, she hadn’t been around that many animals growing up, especially horses, so this was magical!
24/5/2023
Dear diary…
Today we checked on the King, he is fine, we then met his daughter - Princess Calista, she is really nice! She has this friend - Andrew! On our way to the inn, Charlotte said that she saw someone who looked like him in history class once, that’s really interesting!
I think she said that the class was talking about the ‘War of the sky’ (???), it sounds familiar-ish, but I can’t remember anything about it for the life of me! Since it involves the sky, maybe avariels were involved?
But that doesn’t make much sense, as avariels have been counted as Miis for about a hundred and fifty-ish years. Maybe it does, if I remember, I’ll ask Charlotte about it!Anyways, Andrew is a dryad, he’s also a year-ish younger than me. So maybe me, him, and Calista could become good friends after we all defeat Erix! Like I could help them!
Now we have to see this guy that Calista is engaged to - Prince Cassius. She doesn’t seem to like him much.
I’ll write what happens tomorrow!