PLAY WITH FIRE.

               she wasn’t sure why she stopped, maybe it had something to do with the look the queen held, still she listened to her talk and her own gaze made it’s way to the forest. “i don’t — no. not generally. most think what lies in there is a lie and others tend to leave them in there so we may live out here in peace.” she answers softly, her hand going to grab the queen’s wrist knowing she may be crossing a line and still uncaring. “come, don’t fill your mind with what lurks in there.”

Eleanor felt like she was partly responsible, despite the reassurances. Everything negative that happened in their land, to their guests, was something that would upset her no matter what level of control she held over the situation. The reassuring squeeze of her hand was welcomed nonetheless. It would not change her emotions, but it was comforting enough, coming from the queen herself. The puzzled look was evident on her face at the mention of blood. It wasn’t until Emeline explained what happened that things started to make sense in Eleanor’s mind. “I think that makes sense. The blood. It must have drawn them to you, and they wanted more. Emeline, you do not have to apologize for the things you had to do for Dracborough. I simply hope that the spiders will not seek more blood now that they have smelt it.”

when the queen approached onto his land without warning, he might have cursed. it was not altogether unsurprising, but he’d have appreciated at least some chance to rise comfortably. instead he all but leapt to his feet, wincing as his back protested and the wounds on his sides burned. “your highness,” he muttered as she came closer, his head bowing briefly. he wouldn’t ask what the matters were. she was going to tell him anyway, that much he knew. “ah,” her smile filled him with nothing but confusion and apprehension. “i suppose i will just have to try again and again until they live.”

it’s with equal measures of awe and worry that he regards her now. he wonders what on earth happened when the queen and whoever she was with were attacked. in the forest? beyond its borders? how far were the creatures venturing? “i am sorry to hear that, your majesty. but very glad that you survived.” he doesn’t dare ask any further questions. he doesn’t want to press her; it doesn’t seem like the sort of thing easily suited to conversation.

Levi gives way to a small polite bow, he’d of done it all over again without a second thought, honestly and truly there was no better choice he could make then to simply listen to her and Cesar. He hadn’t thought much on the outcome till now, on the fact he could be dead by his queens orders; he thinks it matters not. “I intend ta’ continue ta’ do so, Your Highness.” He admits, softly, continuing.  “M’ glad it’s done n’ over with ta’, n’ m’ glad your safe, truly.” Another pause, he thinks if only briefly on what he’d wanted to tell her at the ball, there hadn’t been a right time; doesn’t think there is now either. Maybe such words would fall to the waist side, it is silly after all. “I wanted ta’ thank ya’, by tha’ way, fa’ tha’ gift. Did me some good yesterday, all things considered.” Levi nods, if only to affirm that with himself, the blade had indeed held up and he’d been more than please by it. “Sorry if me givin’ ya’ a sword seemed a bit…strange. It was the traitors, called it Oathkeeper he did, kinda’ thought it fit was all.”

            no one’s loyalty compared to levi’s, he was always so ready to do what his kingdom or his queen asked of him-- no questions. it was people like levi that made emeline want to do a better job as queen, her people deserved it. “as am i,” she answers, giving a nod. “glad you’re safe, that is. i don’t know where i might be without my best hunter.” her gaze returns to the woods, eyeing them suspiciously. the dagger on the inside of her thigh feels a lot heavy now, heavier than when she attired it last night after the attack. 

it had been weeks. weeks since he was able to see his queen in person, there right before him like he was discovering a ghost. his work, his TRAVELS, had taken him farther than he’d been in so long - but still. a small dip at the waist when she actually looked at him, lips spreading into a small smile. “ the creatures don’t go after the royalty, my queen. at least not when i’m here. ” the leaves crunched beneath his boots as he took another step forward, “ time has been good to you? ”

Charlotte could argue again that the queen couldn’t really command her to do anything but what would be the point, if anything she’d just anger a queen and Charlotte wasn’t still a point where she would flat out be totally rude to royalty, besides the queen seemed to care for Bryn and that made it better. “I do love him, more than anything else.” and that it seemed was the problem

“It’s human nature to turn a blind eye to things you don’t want to see.” He finds that this is true in many areas of life, not just pertaining to the land’s dangerous creatures, but he doesn’t elaborate. “You shouldn’t feel sorry. Things… happen.” He shrugs, and offers her a smile. “I’d very much like to go home, though. I may have had enough of things happening for a little while.”

At the queen’s comparison, she glances up and cocks an eyebrow. She’d seen the dragons from afar, but never had she been close enough to actually guess the size of one’s foot, nor did she ever intend to. “Good. Perhaps your dragons can step on them, then, and we can be done with it.” Khai turned to her then and added, “I’m Khailee, by the way, Your Grace. I don’t believe I’ve ever properly introduced myself to you. It’s an honor.”

“a foolish man perhaps might wander,” he agrees, nodding his head as he folds his arms over his small chest, arms spiking up on them as a wave of nervousness washes over him like a tidal wave. “though with all that is going on, i imagine the horrors of the forest are starting to look inviting.”

he returned the smile. “i don’t know. it would depend on the reason. but i wouldn’t like to do it if it weren’t necessary. i wouldn’t take a leisurely stroll into the mountains in norden, either, unless i was told to. would you, your majesty?”

it was strange, to have more land to himself than just a box of a room with a desk and bed. in some ways, it was nice: in others, it did little more than remind him of his home, where his mother was stranded without him to aid in the upkeep of their house and to go to the markets for her. but if he was going to attempt for some semblance of normalcy, or of a life not dominated by his secrets nor by his queen’s mandate, he might as well have a home. it was still small, but it had a garden - one he was more than happy to tend to then, pulling out weeds and pressing younger plants into the earth. his wounds burned with the movement, but there was some relief in it. he sat back, legs splayed in front of him, face streaked with sweat, his back to the tiny cottage, when he noticed someone nearby. his eyes narrowed in a habit of mistrust and in vague embarrassment, and he raised his less injured arm to wave. “i hope you haven’t come to tell me i’m killing the plants.”

Why couldn’t the spiders remain a legend? Why did they have to attack their guests, and Emeline out of all people. She was like family to her.  “I would say that you are right.” She had never feared nature, for the earth protected her. That was what her father always told her, and that was what she had grown to learn throughout the years. Yet could the earth protect her from giant spiders? Were they even natural, or was magic at play? At the queen’s question, she merely let out a soft sigh. “Upset, I guess that would be a good word to use. I wish that you hadn’t gotten attacked by those monsters in our land. They have always remained hidden in the forest. Why would they try to hurt you now?”

“Your majesty know that i respect you as i respect all the royals in Zenan and I know king Nathaniel holds you on the highest regards. But you are not my queen and so I don’t have to explain myself to you. And in the end that situation is only the concern of me, Bryn and Silas.”

“I have never heard of an attack before.” She said softly, then again she rarely used to pay attention to things like that, maybe she should have. “I very rarely been near the forest anyway.”