#daventryrose

“I really don’t wanna talk right now, Rosella.”

Alexander was lying on his side, facing his wall with his back to his bedroom door and his twin sister. The young man had felt down and out just about since they’d been able to have this home back to its original size. It almost felt like his first days at home again, when he was still too anxious to leave his room.

He hadn’t wanted to talk to any of them, really. Not his mother, not his sister, and most definitely not his father. All he really did want to do was see that girl... that girl that had apparently helped to save his father’s life. 

Cassima. Stars, she’d been beautiful. Alexander hoped to see her again soon.

“Please go away,” He told her. 

“Stars...” 

Gart hadn’t felt this sore after a match since he was still just a beginner, as a little boy. He supposed that that was just what happened when one went head to head with a fencer several years his senior. His mother was a formidable fighter, but so we he. 

The two had decided to have a match for a good bit of fun and practice, leaving them nearly tying twice. After five rounds, their makeshift judge hadn’t exactly known what to say. Perhaps they should’ve picked someone who knew the sport a bit better. Thus, they were left with two wins, two losses, and the final deemed a draw. However, both parties seemed to decide that they were too sore and hungry to  continue on.

For now, the now seventeen year old Gart handed off his foil to one of the servants, so it may be put back in its rightful place. As they would gradually make their way down toward the dining room, the young man gently collided his side with his mother’s grinning just a bit in jest.

“Do not want to hear it, Gerwain,” Achaka growled at the adviser. He was absolutely not going to be following the man’s advice any longer. It truly felt like he was being played for a fool, after being told that the only way to save the kingdom was to sacrifice young women to the dragon that had been plaguing Daventry since not long after Alexander had been kidnapped. Now the older man had the gall to insist that they should sacrifice Rosella. 

There was absolutely no way he was going to lose his only child left. The king looked unwell as he scowled at him, face slightly more pale than usual and his forehead sweating mildly despite it being December. It seemed as though the stress of things was truly getting to him.

“Will not do such a despicable thing. Will not destroy family anymore for this dragon. Will take down dragon myself.”

“Oh--!! No, Sire! No, that simply won’t do! You’re not a young knight anymore, King Achaka. Do you have a death wish?” The older man took note of the king’s narrow glare pointed at him.

“I’ve done this one before. Swear. It’ll take you back thirty minutes,” Alexander assured his twin as he set things up. “I’ve even used it to Cinny. That’s how confident I am that I can do this,” The poor bun had definitely been confused and startled by it, but it had worked. At the least, it had seemed it’d worked. 

Picking up the wand he’d ended up buying just a few short weeks ago, he carefully read off the words in the book in his head. His eyes did stray off to his pet bunny, whom was anxiously sitting in her cage as she watched what was going on.

“The ferry should be open now, so we can go to just about any island you’d like to visit. Though, if you do want to go to the Isle of the Mist, I beg of you to be respectful. I almost got cooked alive when I first went there. Stars only know what they’d do to you.” Alexander let out a sigh, hoping he wouldn’t have to talk his twin out of some trouble.

“I certainly don’t need the leaders of one of the isles to be angry with me already, while I’m not even the king yet.” It felt so daunting, to remember the fact that they he was going to become a king very soon.

It’d taken nearly two hours to get Graham back to his castle, considering how gentle Mordack had to be with the fragile, old king. Not to mention the fact that the old man lost consciousness while attempting to get back there. The younger man couldn’t say he was too terribly surprised... Manannan had really done a number on him.

A pang of guilt hit him hard, again. 

He should’ve done something before... Should’ve seen things the way they were himself. Graham hadn’t deserved any of this. 

The old wizard carefully continued to take Graham back to the palace. Guards were immediately alarmed by the sight of him, jumping to their own conclusions that he’d been the one to do this to their king. Mordack supposed he couldn’t blame them. He was to blame for much of this, too.

“Your King needs a doctor, immediately,” He demanded, and really none of them heeded his words for now. Instead, they would have rathered he be restrained, even though Mordack was not a visible threat.

A few guards ran inside, going to fetch any member of the royal family they could find to help take proper control over the situation.

stop calling me out smh