This is compleatly off topic, but I saw the new Star Wars and I am shook! I love it to bits! I want to shout it from my front door about it and I can't because no one has seen it yet! UGHHHH!
UUUGGHHHH!
If it helps at all, I saw the movie twice (so far) on two consecutive nights since I trooped with my 501st friends at the local premiers we had here in town, and my Star Wars bestie hasn’t seen it yet and I can’t say anything to her for fear of spoilers. I want to gush. enthusiastically about the tons of stuff. That’s practically a homage and tribute to the expanded universe, but can’t until she’s seen it.
So true. I'm going to see it new year's day with another good friend of mine, but my bestie hasn't seen it either. She's seeing it new years day.
I'm going into sims again! Yay! More chapters! I just kinda gotta arrange things in my mind as to the order I want the events in...
This chapter has verbal abuse and description of evil acts. Nothing too explicit, but you've been warned
Chapter 14
The duchess knocked on the door of the king’s office, then let herself in. She sat down casually on the couch, ready to hatch one of the plans of her mind. “Since Rosa is no longer queen, I think we should rearrange our staff. I require a nurse for my son, as Remy is having a hard time looking after him. He isn’t really made for children, just doesn’t seem to have the fathering touch. However, I think that Alice would make a lovely nurse.”
“Yes, of course.” he said absentmindedly.
“As for Amelia, she and the new queen seem to get along well, she can be her new lady. Help her look more like a queen.”
The king said nothing, he kept looking out the window to the sea.
The duchess continued, a bit annoyed that he hadn’t been listening. “And I want a lady of my own. Remy has had to help dress me for long enough, I’m afraid that he’ll never see another woman if he has to continue to be my aid. I’ll give him some time away and I’ll take a new lady in waiting.”
“Whatever you think is right…” he said robotically.
“Galant, what is the matter with you? I’m trying to play our pawns correctly and you aren’t paying attention!” she cracked.
He didn’t speak for a moment, then he grimmly replied: “The war to the north isn’t going how we planned. I hear that the troops are losing morale, they aren’t listening to the generals, and some are even deserting. I feel like I need to arrange a trip up to the front to get them in line.”
“Show them what the fate of a deserter is, eh? You just have to show them who’s boss-” she started, but the king cut her off with a hand wave.
“Violence doesn’t always win over the hearts of a crowd, Malena. I need to rile them up and tell them what we’re up against, show them that their lives are not being extinguished in vain.”
“That’s the Church’s job, not yours. You’re the king of blood, the terrifying, unstoppable force. If you cheapen what you stand for, if people think that you’ve gone soft, they’ll lose all faith in you. They won’t fear you anymore.”
“Perhaps you’re right.”
“Is the queen pregnant yet?” the duchess asked bluntly.
“No, at least, not from what can be seen.” he said, looking out at the water.
“You’ve been married for three months now, and you’ve been trying for more than four. You do know how to have children, right? With all the experience you have…”
“Yes, I know how to have children, Malene! I even have some illegitimate children. So I’ve really had enough of you asking me questions. Leave, I need to be alone. Do what you want with the staff, I don’t care.”
~*~
Romeo was looking at Anwyn during dinner, thinking about how out of all the people here who shouldn't have a woman, Sir Reed was the least likely, and yet here they were. It had been a while since Romeo had shared company with a woman, even less since a relationship was possible. The queen’s ladies had both denied him, apparently they weren’t as interested in a relationship as he was, and they were busier than he was as well with constant duties and not just standing around all day, making sure that no one stormed the island. The exciting days were when he actually got to leave the palace grounds and patrol the small island and see even more nothing.
How Liam had won over the heart of the only other available woman was astounding. She wasn’t even available, he stole her. They were sneaking around behind the king’s back. If they are caught, it would be a very hard end to their relationship and possibly their lives.
Of course Romeo hadn’t realised that he was still staring at Anwyn until she stood up from the table to leave. His attention was called forward, and he blinked. Her transformation was like the other side of a coin. She had her hair up, as was proper for a married woman, and wore a sheer veil over her hair. She wore relaxed but fine clothes, and she was quiet. When he had first met her, she was emotional, willful, but now she kept her eyes down. She was… docile. He scanned the table to see if anyone had noticed him lost in thought, and no one but the duchess seemed to have noticed. She regarded him sceptically.
That’s when she entered the door. She wore a gilded dress with her arms bare, regardless of the autumn weather. “May I announce Briella, the newest lady for Lady Melene.” Remmy introduced to the room. Anwyn passed her on her way out with a glance, but she didn’t introduce herself. She simply walked out.
“Briella, please, be seated.” the duchess offered. “Let me introduce you to the table. There’s…” and she continued to introduce the inhabitants present.
~*~
Sir Montoya knocked on Anwyn’s door. She recognized his knock. He knocked with two solid knocks, Romeo knocked with three evenly paced, official knocks, and Liam knocked with a quarter beat followed by two eight beats and a quarter. If it was Montoya, it was because the king wanted her audience, and the knights never let Liam tell her that. It was too hard for Liam, and they usually sent him on island patrol on nights like these.
Amelia looked up from her book, then stood to answer the door. His familiar figure stood there, and he didn’t even bother to say anything. He simply turned on his heel and walked away. He was a man of few words.
Amelia closed the door again and went to the get the robe ready. She removed the veil from Anwyn’s head, and Anwyn dressed for the occasion. With the coming cold, the plain cotton robe was becoming less and less temperature appropriate, but she wasn’t going to show that she was shivering. Show no fear, don’t let him know you’re afraid.
The king had a fire flickering in his room, and he was seated on his sofa made from an exotic animal. He had changed into more comfortable clothes, but he was still as dangerous even without his royal blues.
Anwyn wasn’t used to him not being ready for her. He usually stood at the foot of the bed, took her slowly by the wrist and laid her down. For the past four months it had been like this. What was she supposed to expect when he was simply sitting?
“Anwyn, I value your simplicity,” he said simply, looking into the fire. “You don’t worry about war, you don’t have to think about the kingdom and it’s finances, it’s people, how they see you, why they follow their leader. All you do is live in the moment, take things as the are, and listen to the people who have authority over you. If I could have a whole nation full of people like you, I’d be a very lucky man.” he turned to her. “Annie, we’re going to be going north to the front. The men need to see that the kingdom has a powerful leader, that weakness isn’t an option, and that we are thriving. And that means that it’s time for you to carry a child.” he said simply, but with an edge of an order to it. And with orders came threats of punishments.
Anwyn said nothing, she just continued to stare at the wall ahead of her.
“Annie, is there something you’re hiding from me? If there is, I will find out. The duchess suspects something, and I’m beginning to agree with her. You don’t talk to me, you hide in your room all day. I have to be the one to summon you, you never request time with me. You’re cold to me.” he said, and he seemed concerned.
“I was never warm,” she said, unable to keep all of the words she wanted to say in her mouth.
“What did you say?” the king asked. Anwyn just kept looking forward. The king stood from the sofa and stood in front of her. “What did you say?”
“I have never been warm with you.” she said, through gritted teeth, not meeting his eye.
“You are my wife, and I will not have my wife denying me! The last queen I had decided to go cold too, and the day she did her days on this world were numbered.” he started to circle her. “Do you want to live to see the world you love burn down around you, then live in isolation for the rest of your days while the guilt drives you mad? Don’t tempt me girl, for I crave to see a soul crushed, and every ounce hope leave their gaze until they wish they were dead. I don’t need to lay a hand on you, I can push you to the brink with a simple command to find and destroy the darling family you love. First their house, then I will find your eldest brother and have him work in the mines, never to see the sky again for as long as he shall live. I hear he has a wife, how shall I deal with her? And you have a sister, it would be a pity if she were to have to live as a woman on the street, mentally infirm and passed around like a pitcher of water. You have a younger brother? Should I remove his hands so that he would have to beg for the rest of his life, never fulfilling his dream of being a scribe and instead always having to have someone feed him and clean him? Your youngest sister is next, Sophia, is it not? A name meaning wisdom? It would be a great sadness if after an accident she couldn’t learn anymore. Do you see the point I am making or do I need to go on.” he asked, riled up and on the balls of his feet.
“No, I understand.” Anwyn’s composer had gone soft, and she was trembling at the thought of her family being harmed in the ways described.
“Good, now bear me a daughter.” he said, and he pulled her to the bed.
“Liam, I-” he heard the door bang open to his quarters. “I need you.” Anwyn started to tug him out of bed.. He had just returned home, and she was in her night dress. Her hair was down, and she looked like she was in a state. She tried to calm herself, and she wiped her palms on her nightgown. “I was with the king and he demands that I bear him a child, but I can’t do that, he can’t do that-”
She was on the verge of hysterical and talking far too loudly for these thin walls. The other officers would hear easily what they were saying if they continued here. “Anwyn, be quiet for a moment. Let’s go somewhere we can talk a bit more privately.” he hushed her.
They tiptoed through the halls and up to the second floor, turning left at the top and entering the old queen’s quarters. Her previous handmaid's still slept in at the end of the hall, but the queen’s room was unoccupied, and as the door was unlocked they slipped inside. The storm still raged on outside, and Liam was still damp from his patrol around the island. He lit a few lanterns and took Anwyn by the shoulders and tried to center her. “Anwyn, start again from the beginning. What’s the matter?”
Anwyn shook and then sunk to one of the stools. “The king will harm my family if I don’t bear him a child, but the cook at the manor made it so that he couldn’t be the father of any children for a year. I need to bear a child and have him believe that it’s his.”
“I’m so sorry…” Liam consoled. “That’s terrible. That monster. If I could, I would kill him myself. How are you going to proceed?”
Awyn looked at him as if she couldn’t believe he hadn’t put the two ends together yet. A look of realisation came over his face.
“But Anwyn, we just met a few months ago. We don’t even know if we like each other that much. We see each other maybe once a week, add that up and that’s… like 16 weeks? I’m not sure you want to-” he was grabbing for straws at this point, trying to wrap his mind around the concept.
“Liam, I have never met anyone like you and felt the same way. You are very special to me, and I want you to help me now.” she urged.
But you may not be the only one I’ve ever had feelings for before now… He looked at Anwyn, considering, his heart beating much faster than it has been even out in the storm. “Are you sure about this? I- I didn’t expect this. Not from you, not like this...” he said, feeling defeated. He flopped into a stool besides her, putting his head in his hands. “I don’t think I’m ready to be a father. I don’t know what I could do for you and the child. How would I help to raise it? How could I be responsible and do the right thing?”
“One thing at a time. I’m not pregnant yet.” she said, slowing herself down. She became more somber, her face softened. She smiled a bit, and took a breath. “Liam, I- I think I-”
“Not now. Please.” he said, freezing up. “I don’t want to associate that with this memory. Anwyn, I- I fell the same way, but I can’t say it when we’re fighting for your family’s lives. Don’t say it because you feel like you have to save it for when we’re not in danger.”
Anwyn kept the smile on her face, though her eyes looked a bit more wild now. More frightened. “Alright. Liam-” she looked for words to commemorate what they were going to do, “I can’t think of anything to say.”
“For once, she’s quiet.” he smiled, and took Anwyn up into his arms.
~*~
Sir Romeo stood at the front gate on patrol. He wished that they at least had a chair for him to sit on. The day was a muddy one as the nights always seemed to rain now, and that meant that he would have to clean his boots later, adding to another hour of maintenance on his armor… What a boring day…
The gate squeaked open and Sir Romeo turned his head sharply to see who had opened the gate. The new maid looked at him with a smile on her face. “There you are! You’re hard to find. I needed some company.” she said, leaning against the wall, looking out at the trees.
“There are far more people inside than there are out here. If you wanted company, you went out of your way to find it.” he claimed.
“Well, I try to look for the best looking people of the bunch. You seem far more interesting than the rest of the staff any how.” she flattered.
“I seem to doubt that. You’ve been here for a few days, not very long, how could you have met everyone already?” he asked.
“It’s not hard to meet everyone, but it’s hard to make relationships with them. You seem like an easy going guy, and I was wondering, what does a person do around here for fun?” she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.
He seemed a tad taken aback by this. He surely wasn’t expecting her to make advances on him. It had been a very long time since he had anyone take an interest in him, and he wasn’t sure how to proceed. He was out of practice.
“Well, there’s a ship ruin down on the beach, and there’s a bit of wildlife on the island. We have lots of books, you can play any instrument you like, painting-”
“I’m more of an extrovert and I like to move. Is there anything you do for fun?” she asked, stressing the word fun.
He eyed her carefully. She had a jolly figure, nicely padded and not boney like he imagined Anwyn would be. She obviously came from a well off family if she showed no sign of ever going hungry, probably a lower nobleman’s or a lucky merchant’s daughter. She looked vaguely familiar, but her couldn’t place where he had possibly seen her…
“There’s a bar in the guard’s lounge, and a dart board. I think there’s a horse shoe corral on the island somewhere, and a little pond from old ruins we can swim in. If you go swimming. I’ve never seen a woman swim before.” he nearly blushed.
“Well, I don’t sink if that makes you feel any better.” she said coyly and looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue.
“Otherwise, we have a little get together once a month in the guard’s lounge. It’s super informal, but it’s nice to relax.” Romeo wasn’t sure if he should tell her about that, but the girl seemed nice enough. She had just moved to the isolated palace, had no friends here with her, she should be included as a member of the staff.
“Really? How interesting! When’s the next one? It’s been forever since I feel like I could talk freely.” she admitted.
“This friday night. I’ll have you come along, if you like. I’m sure we can fit you in.”
“I can’t wait!” she smiled at him, and his stomach did a somersault. “I’m a bit chilled, so I think I’ll be going back inside now, I’ll see you later, Sir Romeo.” she curtsied and walked back into the walled courtyard.
~*~
“Have you met the new maid? She seems…” Romeo fished for words.
“Perky? Available? What you’re looking for?” peppered Sir Reed.
Romeo shoved Liam lightly. “You laugh, but you have a girl who likes you already. How am I supposed to find one that you won’t laugh at me about if I don’t try all of my very limited possibilities?”
“You know, if someone looked at us and asked which of us they thought was in a relationship, they wouldn’t guess me. They would guess you, but I think you try too hard.” he said simply.
“I’m not a try hard!” Romeo acted offended. “I prefer the term desperate!”
Liam laughed at him and exited the room. The week had progressed quickly, and he had been on island patrol for many of the nights. The king had been trying in vain to create an heir, but Anwyn and Liam had been trying nearly just as often. The poor girl must have been very tired, but she was desperate to protect her family and not let their harm be her fault.
Liam was going to be a father.
It hit him like a ton of bricks. Anwyn wasn’t even his wife, and yet he had taken her to bed and was actively trying to aid her in having a child. What would his parents think if they were alive to see this…
Anwyn shouldn’t have to give up her life to save the lives of her family. She shouldn’t have to worry that her sister would be hurt by a tyrant. They shouldn’t fear the king at all, but his reach was long and far. If they ran, they would have to run to the ends of the earth to escape him. And even if they did, would they ever feel at rest? The king would hunt them for sport…
And where would he draw the line with the people that he would save? If her siblings had spouses, do the spouses’ siblings come with? Their parents?
Liam's stomach dropped out from inside him and he braced himself against the wall. The stress and lack of sleep was getting to him. The sneaking around, the fact that his girlfriend was being abused by her husband, the most powerful man in the kingdom, and the fact that it all balanced on a very thin wire, ready to fall and be destroyed at any moment.
He couldn’t live this way. He couldn’t have his child living this way, it needed to be different.
~*~
Friday rolled around and Anwyn tiptoed down the stairs to the guard’s wing. She was looking forward to the relaxing evening ahead, but she heard a different voice beyond the door before she entered. A chill ran down her spin as she thought that the duchess may be just beyond the door.
But the duchess has been drugged for the evening, she’s fast asleep. She can’t be in there. I must be mistaken… Anwyn pushed open the door and entered the brightly lit room. The duchess wasn’t there, but her new maid was, chatting amicably with Sir Romeo and Alice. Liam sat at one of the benches talking to Amelia about the different birds he’d seen on his patrols around the island. The other three guards were at the bar, sharing a conversation too quiet to hear.
Liam didn’t rise to meet her, but gave her a friendly wave when she entered. She smiled back at him, and went over to the bar. She didn’t trust the Briella, and she didn’t need the duchess knowing about her affair she was having. She would play it cool tonight, and not get too drunk to let anything slip. She only hoped that everyone no one else would slip up and mention it.
“My queen, I didn’t expect you to associate with the staff. What are you doing in here?” Briella detached herself from the group, but they seemed to follow her over into the new conversation.
Anwyn smiled. “I am from a working class family, and I still like to relax with people who aren’t diplomats or have hidden agendas.”
“But what will the king think?” she asked breathily, as if it were the biggest gossip around.
“Why does the king have to think anything about it, Briella? Why does he need to know?” Anwyn asked, passively asserting her dominance. The king didn’t have to know, but Anwyn felt that this would probably be her last night in the guards’ lounge if she kept asking questions.
“Hey, we’re here to have a good time, not to pick fights. Bri, the higher-ups don’t know about this, and no one is going to ruin it by telling them. They’re fast asleep from their big day and planning to go North. We all came here to relax, so unwind. Have a drink.” Romeo interfered.
Anwyn smiled, as drank her drink, going to sit over by Ameila and Liam.
“Of course, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to cause any waves, I just want to get along with everyone. Don’t worry my lips are sealed, I won’t tell a soul beyond these doors.” Briella vowed.
Anwyn turned away from her, and after a few moments Liam reached to bring her closer and cuddle her, but she carefully acted like she didn’t notice. She whispered in his ear, “I don’t trust her. Act casual, we aren’t an item tonight.”
Liam just nodded, and after a bit more discussion about a funny squirrel that Amelia had seen on one of her walks, Anwyn was challenged to a game of cards.
“I have a great poker face, I’m sure to win!” she playfully gloated.
“Please, your poker face is terrible,” said Romeo. “You give yourself away all the time. Your eyes shine bright, you stop breathing normally, and forget how to act natural.”
Briella stood up from the table to make room for Anwyn. “I think I’ll get to know the handsome guard in the corner over there, don’t miss me while I’m gone.” she claimed, flirting with Romeo.
“Not a chance.” he promised.
Anwyn watched as she made her way over to Liam and Amelia, completely ignoring Amelia and only paying attention to Liam, flirting with him, touching his hand on accident, being too close, laughing at his simple phrases as if they were high comedy. It made Anwyn tense and feel like her heart was boiling.
Bloopers!
A wonderful poker face, Anwyn.
That's right, everyone look at the wonderful massage Anwyn is giving. Be jealous!
I'm starting to get into the parts that I'm more excited to write about, I just have to make sure that everything I'm putting into the story stays relevant but that I'm also not speeding. Which is tough for me, to stay on topic, have a direction, and still take my time.
What's this? Two chapters in 2 days? But that's impossible!
I had time last night and today to write a slightly shorter chapter, and I took most of the pictures already before writing the plot to them, so I had a head start on the chapter.
So, here goes!
Chapter 16
Lara looked at William and felt a tinge of melancholy. Her wedding had come and gone, and she hadn’t heard from her sister. She had heard of her, the king’s new and young bride. She was quiet, docile, plain. Everything that Anwyn strived to not be in life, she had become. It made Lara feel like she had failed her sister somehow.
In the early morning light, Lara stood up from her bed and stretched. She wasn’t with child yet, and she and her new husband were enjoying being newly wed without the responsibility of children. She was able to help with the farm work, and still had time to go and see her parents and her younger siblings. Her mother was very close to having her sixth child, and she needed help keeping the bakery tidy as she liked, so Lara ventured out and helped when she could. Her brother and his wife were too far away to be neighborly, but Lara and William lived just a mile away, a 20 minute walk.
Lara dressed and kissed her sleeping husband on the cheek and walked outside. It was a chilly day, and she was happy she had bundled up. In the distance, she heard the cows moo in discomfort, waiting to be milked, and the chickens were anxious to be fed after they had heard the squeak of the door signaling the arrival of their food.
“Hey, stranger.” came a confident female voice came from around the corner of the house. Lara practically jumped out of her skin, and whipped around to see who it was. Melinda, her friend from the manor stood there, dressed in warm clothes. She seemed well enough, and she must have been to be here in the cold morning. What time had she woken up to be here by this time?
“Melinda, you scared me half to death! What are you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me you were going to be stopping by?"
“I have news I need to tell you, and you need to listen to it. Can we go inside? I’m freezing and I want to make sure we aren’t over heard.”
~*~
Briella took Romeo by the hand and pulled him out into the hall. He had played the guitar very sweetly, and they had both had a few drinks, and they were both feeling the evening.
“Briella, I, I hope you don’t mind…” his knees shook as she smiled and gazed at him, and he leaned in and kissed her. Pulling away, he looked at her, and she fanned her face and giggled.
“I’ve been hoping you’d do that all evening! But,” she hushed her tone. “Won’t the queen be angry? Aren’t the two of you secret lovers?” She asked.
“Anwyn and I? Where did you get that idea?” he laughed.
“Well, you’re always looking at her, and you talk so easily with her. You seem to know her well since you know her tells when she’s hiding something. I figured you must spend a lot of time together as lovers.”
“Bri, we all spend a lot of time together, we know a lot about each other. If you looked harder, you would see that Anwyn and Liam were the real couple here, not Anwyn and me. She’s my best friend’s girl, not mine. I’m completely available.” he admitted.
A grin grew on her innocent face. “In that case, I wanted to show you something.” she whispered in his ear. “You know what would make this knight even better?” He kissed her quickly and sloppily, and she took him by the hand once more, leading him to the other side of the palace, into the duchess's quarters.
Romeo hesitated to enter here, knowing that the duchess was a viper of a woman who would lure you in and bite you once you were entangled in her net. Or maybe she was a spider? Romeo couldn’t get his metaphors straight.
“Don’t worry, my lady is sleeping, she won’t wake up until the morning, remember? Not even a herd of elephants would wake her now.” Briella said.
“I, I haven’t been back here before.” he admitted.
“Come in, but wait at the door way. Don’t look yet!” she squeaked in pleasure.
He turned his back, and waited. The room smelled of berries and fireplace smoke. It was brightly lit, one of the brightest in the palace. She must have some fairy lights to have it so bright, candles wouldn’t light that brightly.
“Alright, you can look now.” she called, a tone of bashfulness in her voice.
Briella was in her corset and stockings, without a shred of clothing elsewhere, and Romeo averted his gaze nearly immediately.
“Why are you averting your gaze, Sir Romeo? Haven’t you seen the figure of a woman before?” she playfully teased.
“To be honest, not in quite some time, and even then not as clearly as you are standing in front of me.” He still didn’t meet her gaze.
“Well, you’ve been very good to me, so I thought I would reward you for being… for helping me get adjusted. You’ve been very kind, and I want you to know that I’m not just hot air, I’m the real deal.” she walked over to him and kissed his cheek, the two of them enjoyed their evening until dawn.
~*~
“Hey, I’m really enjoying my time here, thank you for hiring me,” Briella thanked while she helped the duchess get dressed.
“I needed someone to do a job, and you seemed to suit the bill. I know that you have certain… talents.” she replied.
“About that, I know we had talked about not using those talents yet, but I totally slept with Sir Romeo last night. He’s a good kisser.” she said plainly.
“I thought I had been clear, no sleeping with the targets. Did you at least learn anything, now that you have jumped forward in the plan?” the duchess asked patiently.
“I learned a very important thing. Once you get Romeo drunk, his lips are loose as a limp corset. He told me,” she leaned in as if whispering to her best friend. “Romeo isn’t the one having an affair with the queen, it’s the other guard, Sir Reed. He didn’t get into the specifics, but based on how willingly he gave himself over to me last night he isn’t the one we're after.”
The duchess grinned. “This is good work, sister. With this information I will make sure that order is kept in the palace and the king has an heir of his own, not a 🐸🐸🐸🐸 child. My son will not marry the daughter of a guard and a peasant, he will marry the daughter of a queen and the most powerful man in the whole world.”
~*~
Lara knocked furiously on the door of her parents’ bakery, hoping that they were home and not out, or worse, taken by the king’s men. There was no cause for alarm, but Melinda’s message had brought as much fear as it had hope.
“Goodness, what is going on, who is- Oh, Lara, why are you breathing so heavily? Did you run here? William, it’s good to see you, son, but why are you both here so early? We didn’t expect you until it was time for dinner.” her father answered the door.
“Father, gather the family. I have news that involves us all. May William borrow a horse to get to Dante’s house? He needs to hear it too, but he lives too far away to bring all the way here. It cannot be sent in a message.” Lara wheezed out, trying to catch her breath. She had run the mile here with William and she wasn’t used to running when walking was always an easier option.
“Of course. Whatever you need. William, we’ll set a plate for you for dinner, but it’s alright if you stay at Dante’s home overnight.”
“Thankyou.” he said, rushing over to the barn for the horse.
“Now, Lara, what is so important?” her father looked at her with concern. “Are you with child? Has your house burned down? Were you robbed?”
Lara walked into the bakery and paced. There were no customers in the store, no one to over hear them. “I got word from Melinda, my friend from the manor. She received a letter from the palace from one of the king’s guards, disguised as a love letter. We have to be ready, father, we need to leave.”
~*~
After two weeks of planning, the king was finally ready to start his journey north to rally the troops. They had enough food, water, and all of the necessities needed for traveling north. The duchess was to come with them, as was her maid, the queen, Sir Reed, Romeo, and Montoya, and the king. It was going to be a small group at first, but they were also going to pick up quite a few Templar knights and the high priest and priestess.
It was going to be cold, especially going north where it was always cold, but Anwyn was excited for the change in scenery. The journey would open the world beyond the tiny island they were imprisoned on.
It would take two months to reach the front line after traveling by boat for a distance and then further inland to the rocky land they were fighting over. One month on a ship, another on land. It was certainly a long journey, and if what Anwyn had heard was correct, they were going to be travelling within two miles of her home. It would hurt so much not to see her family, but that life was behind her now, she had to move on and give them a life.
Together, with the king leading and the duchess stepping in front of the queen, they made their way out of the palace, and out the front gate.
Midshore focused on not focusing. She let her mind drift away to its empty recesses, letting out all of her inner thoughts and quieting her busy mind. As a small girl, she could barely sit still long enough to cross her legs, now she meditated for hours nearly every day.
As the gentle hum of her own mind quieted, the world around her became more apparent. For years, she had trained to feel the life around her, and on the small blooming island there was life all around her. The plants radiated freckles of warm sunlight and cool shade, the insects crawled with their many feet under the rocks to avoid the sun, and the birds in the sky drew dizzying circles, some darting back and forth, others soaring straight for miles. Their motion lulled Midshore, and as she focused, she- there it was. A dolphin jumped out of the water and then she felt the cold rush over her of re-submerging into the water. It was a thrilling feeling.
This was all familiar. Routine. They told of the coming weather being normal, no ecological disasters coming, and the volcano would be quiet.
As she reassured herself of the near future being stable, she eased aside all of the noises of the island and fell deeper into her meditation. If she was especially lucky, she could tap into a spiritual line that came from people. There were people on neighboring islands that were easy to feel, but the islands were a safe haven from war or famine; the rulers were accepting, and the government was an elected committee, not a dynasty. The people here were content, but she felt a great disturbance from beyond the islands, and it had been easier to tap into lately, making her wonder if it were getting closer, stronger, or both?
She felt it now, a tangle in the pit of her stomach, her heart constricting and her breath becoming short and shallow. Who ever was projecting such a labored feeling was in great turmoil, but sustaining an even level. It ebbed and flowed, and then it let up nearly completely and Midshore let go of her meditation. She sat back down on the ground and looked out at the sea. “What is coming? What does it mean?”
A short one today, but now that I have more time I want to get this moving more! I don't have any looming craft projects over my head right now, so I should be in the green to do this more often! Hazzah!
Also, I can't wait for you guys to read what I have coming up, I hope it's emotional and wonderful and majestic as i envision.
I'm guessing the people on the island are more open-minded about sorcery than those on the mainland. (If floating in mid-air while meditating is even considered sorcery)
Don't manhandle the urchin. He's not for sale. FIND YOUR OWN! - Xenon the Antiquarian, Dragon Age II
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
I discovered this story last night as I was looking for a new story to read and finished catching up on it this morning! From the first chapter I was hooked. I'm excited to see where you go from here with it.
I discovered this story last night as I was looking for a new story to read and finished catching up on it this morning! From the first chapter I was hooked. I'm excited to see where you go from here with it.
That's so kind of you! I'm really excited to have new readers!
Midshore was reading when she felt it. The feeling had been growing stronger each day as she meditated, becoming more vivid and defined with each day passing. It must be close to feel it outside so strongly outside of meditation, but the discontent was growing very near, and strong.
Midshore rushed to where she could see the shore. There were three ships gathered there, sailing towards her shore. The ships, boats really, which normally carried one, maybe two people were laiden with four to each, making them barely float.
Everstar joined her, looking out at the shore. “What do you sense?” she asked. She was tense, ready to grab her spear and run it through whoever thought to attack.
“I don’t believe they mean us harm…” pondered Midshore. “I think they’re refugees....”
“More refugees? Why do they come to our island when they could easily go to the big island? Where they’re prepared to take care of these sorts of things? I swear, they should put up signs to point them in the right direction or maybe train those dolphins to guide…” Everstar grumbled.
“No- I have the feeling they need our help, not just the relief the islands offer.” Midshore continued to peer down at the shore.
As the boats landed on the shore, a figure of a man stood with the figure of a pregnant woman in his arms. Another carried a baby in her arms. There were three children among them, and there appeared to be nine adults.
Midshore suddenly rushed down from her stoop to meet them. The man carrying the woman laid her down on the ground carefully.
“Wait, don’t-” Everstar objected, but it was no use. All she could do was follow after her and hope they weren’t robbed.
“Midi, oh thank the Creator I got the right island! Please, I beg you, you need to help this woman.” the man pleaded, his arms beginning to shake.
“Fredrico, what are you doing here? How did you find me? Who are these people?” Midshore asked, using Sir Romeo’s first name.
“None of that is important,” he panted “I’ve heard what you can do. This woman is the most important thing to any sort of rebellion the mainland has, she can’t die!”
“What are you talking about?” asked the woman holding the baby. “My daughter wasn’t in that bad of shape, was she? When-” she began to sob.”When did my baby girl die? How long has it been?”
“I thought I was your baby girl…” muttered one of the girl children.
The older man took the woman into his arms, his face was one of shock and his motions were mechanical.
At first, Midshore had thought that the disturbance hand been one individual with a great deal of pain, but now she couldn’t determine who was the source. Just as the strangers sprinkled the shore, so was the pain emanating. It was terrible grief.
One of the men of the group had been looking out at the water, scanning it as if they were afraid to be followed. “Look, a ship! There!” he barked.
“They found us!” a young woman shrieked. She looked terrified and held the hand of one of the men.
“Quick, the cloak!” urged Midshore to Everstar. She knew what a ship from the mainland looked like, and she didn’t need to be told twice that they were bad news.
Everstar's hands began to glitter and she let her sparks fly, raising the cloak and with a look of effort. Midshore could sense she was changing the winds as well, making them blow away form the cluster of islands.
“There, they can’t see us or sail near us. They won’t know why, they will sail around us and not bother us.” she said. She turned to Fredrico, “We can’t help her standing on the shore, I will help you bring her, but I expect a thorough explanation as to why you thought you could bring a dead woman to my door and expect you to help you.”
She turned to the rest of the party. “Unfortunately, there is limited space in where we are going, and you cannot all come with. Everstar will lead you to the refugee area once she has finished her spell. We will come and get you once we know anything.”
“But, I need to come with you!” begged the mother. “I can’t leave my baby, she has to be buried… my poor child…” she started sobbing again.
“Mother, maybe you should rest. It’s been forever since we were on solid ground, the baby still needs you, Joseph and Sophia need you. Let’s eat and sleep, and let the women do their work.” soothed one of the men.
“I can stay with her, Mother.” said the young woman as she stepped forward.
“See, Lara will make sure everything is alright,” he soothed once more.
Begrudgingly, she nodded and the trio started up the hill to the Greenhouse.
“You couldn’t have gotten a better house than this?” asked Romeo.
“This is where the spirits have led me to live my life. The island is teeming with life, and if you expect me to bring her restore her there is no better place.” she tried to look at the building with the eyes of an outsider. It was lush with vegetation, but was it over grown? Not that it mattered, she wouldn’t harm the plants for something as trivial as vanity.
“Wait, you’re going to bring her back to life? But she’s dead! That’s dark magic! I can’t let you do that to my sister and her child!” the young woman argued, stopping in her tracks.
“There is nothing wrong about restoring a life as long as it was taken unjustly. Fredrico, you know my rules, and the rules of the spirits. If I am to have their favor I must abide by them. Was she killed unjustly?” Midshore questioned.
“Yes, by a knight of the Templar.” he answered.
A shiver of hatred ran down her spine. So many of the refugees on the islands were fleeing from either the military of the mainland, or the religion of it. The Templar knights were in the crux of both evil things.
“Is she loved here?” asked Midshore.
“Deeply, not only by the people left on the shore, but also by her… I don’t know if they had a label, mate? The father of her child, Creator rest his soul.”
“He isn’t here? She inquired. “That’s too bad, if he is passed on it will be harder for her to return to the living. Final question: has she been dead for five days or less?”
Fredrico paused and thought, panic flashing over his eyes for a moment. “I think she may be, but she would want to live for her child. She wants to live for her family and to see a better tomorrow.”
“Fredrico- You know that it is nearly impossible to restore a soul that is that long gone!” she was nearly yelling at this point, furious that he would try and pull this again. “The last time I tried to restore a soul that was a week old on my own because the spirits wouldn’t help and I nearly restored a monster instead! After I reversed the ritual the spirits didn’t talk with me for nearly a month!”
“Look, I’m sorry about the last time, I really am. I had the best of intentions, but Veronica was kinda mean to begin with…” Fredrico tried to defend himself.
“Veronica was speaking in tongues on my alter and had red eyes when I was done!” She visibly reeled herself in. When she spoke next, her voice was calmer. “How long has she been gone?” she asked.
“Maybe six days. Probably five. I tried to sail as quickly as I could, I swear, but with so many people on the boats they were slow. We nearly starved a few times, we barely had enough water-”
“I don’t need the story, I need Everstar and I need to get this woman to the altar. If we are to restore her and her child, we should act quickly.” Midshore interrupted calmly in an even tone. Even when being impolite she was polite.
She walked down the path and around the side of the greenhouse and a glowing, molting arch stood before them. Midshore casually walked through it, as did Romeo, but Lara was hesitant. They had disappeared into it, dissolving like a drop of ink into a bucket of water. But they had brought Anwyn with them, and Lara would go where she did, so under the arch she walked.
Midshore noticed that the young woman was having trouble wrapping her head around the events that were happening, but she was too occupied to explain right now.
“I need her laid on the altar. Goodness, Fredrico, what is she wearing? Where are her clothes?”
“Her clothes were torn, so I wrapped her in my own shirt and part of a flap tent.” he said meekly.
“Alright then.” she accepted. She looked at the face of the woman. She looked familiar, as if she could barely remember seeing her in a dream. The smallest of threads of life she had remaining were delicate and frail, but Midshore could sense them. “It’s nearly the end of five days, we must act quickly. Fredrico, shout for Everstart right away. Girl-” she turned to the young woman, “I need you to change, we’re going to be using you as an anchor. You appear to be her sister, you will guide her back stronger than anyone else here. Her string curves towards you. Get changed.” Romeo left right away, dashing out the door to summon Everstar
“You want to involve me in your strange magic?” she nearly spat the last word, as if she couldn’t believe she was saying it. “You want to dirty my soul too? Necromancy is a dark art, I would be barred from the afterlife.” she looked disgusted and alarmed.
“Child, necromancy is fixing the job that doctors fail at. Some forms of necromancy do center around the use of dark magic, but I use life magic. The world is unbalanced when a good person dies at the hands of evil, and I am going to try and restore that balance.
“The Church was the one to tell you what is good and what is not, and yet they are the reason for many deaths. They don’t want their opposition coming back once they’ve squashed them, but here on the islands people live in harmony and free from the Church. As someone who has talked to the other side and restored souls to their bodies, I assure you that participating in life magic will not barr you from the afterlife. Now, go and change!” she pointed the girl in the direction of her chambers.
As Lara scurried away, Fredrico walked back into the ceremony room. “You never have gotten over your temper, have you?” he asked.
“I try very hard to not let it surface, and most of the time I am successful. However, I wasn’t prepared to have so many… inexperienced guests. Or even the experienced ones.” she said, glancing at him.
“So… who’s the brunette?” he asked. “Your spiritual sister, like nuns?”
“She’s my wife.” she said plainly.
“Wife?” Romeo raised his eyebrow. “I guess the islands are as accepting as I’ve heard. Kinda hot, having a wife.” he teased.
“You wouldn’t understand. You are a bachelor, probably always will be. What you and I tried didn’t work, I found something better. Besides, that was ages ago. I’ve grown since then, I hope you have too.”
The young woman opened the door wearing a blue ombre dress. “I see you found the dress, but we need to make sure you wear the right makeup and your hair is right. And you need tattoos too. Don’t worry, these won’t be permanent. The spirits get fussy over these things.”
She let down Lara’s hair and found a matching blue flower crown. With a wave of her hand, Lara was now wearing glittering makeup that pulled the whole ensemble together. With a twirl, Midshore was wearing a similar outfit, and Everstar appeared behind them in the same. They looked like beautiful goddesses, and Romeo hoped that the spirits would aid them in returning Anwyn to the land of the living.
“When this is done, I expect to hear about how this all happened and why you’re here.” Midshore said again, before all three of them entered the ceremony room to begin the restoration. “You aren’t allowed in here, her life string curves away from you. You hurt her somehow, and you won’t encourage her to return.”
“But-” he looked afraid where he had been joking minutes earlier. “I have to protect her. I- this is all my fault. I can’t let her go without helping to bring her back, I need to reverse what I’ve done, I can’t let it end this way-” he started hyperventilating.
“Fredrico, relax. You can pray, focus on asking forgiveness from the spirits. We will do everything that we can.”
He nodded, but looked miserable. He normally looked like he was suave, now he looked like he was torn to shreds. He left the ceremony room and shut the door behind him.
“What is your name, my dear?” she asked the sister.
“Lara. I’m her sister.” she responded.
“I can see that.” Midshore smiled. “Kneel at the foot of the altar, we and we will begin.”
The girl moved to her position, And Midshore and Everstar stood on either side of the altar, focusing their powers.
Midshore turned back to the woman on the altar, admiring her face. She had an unfortunate scar on her face, clearly from a years old injury. She had gone through much hardship, and Midshore felt that she was the one that had been the source of the disturbance. She held so much pain and had now passed it on to her family. To revive such a soul would be good for living, but would it be good for the returning soul?
Lara watched as they performed the ritual, and the light in the room became much more blue. The room seemed to be adorned in blue, with blue flowers, blue crystals, and blue runes on the floor.
The two women seemed to be in a trance as they moved their arms. At one point, they strode around the altar in a clockwise motion, trading places. Midshore seemed to be leading the ritual, and Everstar was following slightly. Lara wondered how many ‘restorations’ they did and how practiced they were.
With a start, Lara noticed that Anwyn was starting to levitate from the altar, arched backwards as if being lifted by the waist.
Lara looked over to Midshore, who had her head bent in concentration. Was she doing it? How was she doing it? There were no strings attached to Anwyn, how was she being raised?
The two women stepped closer to Anwyn, lifting their arms and start chanting. Before this they had been nearly silent, just muttering incantations under their breath, but now they nearly were singing a hymn.
Suddenly the lights went dark blue, and Lara felt the air stir, almost like a fall vortex where you can see the leaves turning in circles when the wind bounces off of the walls and makes the leaves dance.
The two women seemed oblivious to the change in lighting, continuing with their eyes shut and arms raised. Anwyn bobbed up and down gently, though the wind in the room became stronger.
Lara continued kneeling on the hard ground, listening to the rhythmic, nearly monotone drone of their voices, and as the wind died down, so did their chants. The two women lowered their arms and put their palms and fingertips together, opening their eyes and looking at each other.
Anwyn returned to her original position on the altar and nothing moved. The two women, who had been moving constantly for since it had begun stood statue still, then they lowered their heads and hands, as if they were curtsying.
They appeared to be praying, pleading silently with their spirits to aid them.
As suddenly as the lighting had turned blue, it became a brilliant bright gold. Lara teared up with the brightness, and with the emotion of the whole ordeal. Anwyn, Annie come back. Come back to us.
@icmnfrsh obviously there was a time jump, I'll explain everything in the next few chapters . I just want to thank you for being a constant commenter, keeps me going.
The journey north was a long one. They walked most of the way, and Anwyn’s feet were on the verge of murdering her. She hadn’t had a proper meal in days, and it made her feel queasy. It took more and more effort in the morning to get up and out of her bed roll, and she was wondering if she would make it to the end, though she was probably just being dramatic.
She felt fatigued often, and at night she practically fell into bed, not taking the time to be delicate with her movements. The king made her uneasy, sleeping next to him, so she sometimes liked to creep out and stare up at the stars, hoping they would open up and consume her, take her to their glittering, glowing world where evil men didn’t exist and she could live with her family adorned with glittering jewels.
She wasn’t alone. She was never alone. Not since they had taken on a troupe of Templars, there was always someone watching her. Sir Rhadye kept his distance, not even he would dare to touch the king’s wife. The word tasted bitter to Anwyn, even now, and she quickly rose to retch in a nearby bush. Nothing would make her love the king.
Her love laid in a tiny tent with Sir Romeo as company. Though the idea of wriggling between the two of them and being warm and safe made her smirk, she couldn’t blow the cover. She had taken a few books with her on the journey, and she read those to keep from thinking about Liam, instead studying the birds of the western islands and their colorful plumage. And there was a section on their breeding habits. Curses. Even the birds had off-spring.
The king hadn’t tried anything since their last inn stay. The walls of the tent were just too thin for him to feel they had privacy, so he had barely touched her, but then neither had Liam. He once touched her elbow in a friendly, guard-to-queen way, and it had nearly made Anwyn flush with emotion. But in such a tight group with so many eyes, it was too dangerous.
~*~
Liam and Romeo were a group of two men among many. The Templars were a closed group and didn’t invite in strangers, though they didn’t always act godly.
“Remember that barmaid? I could have mopped her floors, if you know what I mean.” said one of them.
“I could have shined her silver, if you know what I mean.” snickered another.
“She had round tables, if you know what I mean.” another laughed, and they went on that way, itemizing the various women they had met along the journey.
It must have been some sort of game that people on the mainland and in the cities played, mentioning everyday things as if they were obvious innuendos.
Liam and Romeo sat around their fire, tired from the day of walking, eating their dinner. Liam could have sworn he was starting to feel more of the ground under his boots every day, and he hoped they would last.
No one seemed to be in earshot of them, and Liam added another log to the fire, hoping that it would roar loud enough so that he wouldn’t be heard. He inched his stool closer to Romeo, and leaned in. “I need your help.”
“I feel like I’ve heard that one before. I’m not ready to put my neck out for you.” he said bluntly. “What you get into is your own mess, don’t get me involved.”
Liam shook his head. “I have a plan, a good one. But I need you to help. The further north we get, the less chance of them finding Anwyn and I when we make the escape. The templars are bound to follow us, but I have a feeling that if we have a large enough lead on them we could lose them. I’ve sent word to Anwyn’s family to get ready to leave and to meet us at a rendezvous point in some old ruins, a ways from where we’ll be leaving camp, and from there we’ll go to the coast and sail to the Western Islands.”
Romeo looked like he wanted to jump up and tell him he was crazy, but he knew that he couldn’t because that would tip off the Templars that there was something amiss.
“You’re insane. You know what happened the last time, do you think I’ll let you do it again? They’ll kill you for sure, and they won’t do it cleanly either. You’ll be in agony for months before they let you die!” he hissed. “I built you up again after they sent you north, I’m not going to bring you back from death's door. If you do this, I can’t help you. It hurts too much.”
“Besides,” he continued, “I’ve been seeing Briella, and I really think that there could be something there between us.”
“Anwyn is carrying my child, Romeo.” Liam said. “I know she is. She’s been sick intermittently but then recovers as if it never happened and has been more tired than normal lately. The king can’t bear children, so to save her family I have stepped in. The king will think it’s his child and it I will not have my child grow up with a tyrannical father, curving it to be like him. Anwyn deserves a better life, her family deserves to live safe from the king’s wrath. This could really work if you help us.”
“And what do you want me to do, exactly? I don’t see where I fit into your plan.” Romeo asked, exacerbated.
“If memory serves, there’s a native camp near here. We’re closer to the border than they think, but I’ve been here more recently than they have. We were overcome two days journey from here if I recall correctly. I need you to scout ahead and tell the natives to attack. I can’t leave, I would draw too much attention.”
“And how do you expect me to not draw attention? And what would I tell Briella when she came looking for me? The king? The duchess?” Romeo asked. “The group isn’t so large that one person missing won’t spark suspicion.”
“Say you have family that we’ll be passing, but not close enough to change the course of the rest of the group. You’ll catch up to us in a few days, but in reality you can come back to us when you bring the natives. Sneak in and flank us, they won’t notice you. Or come a bit late and act like you just got there, as scheduled.” he paused. “You can come with us, you know. Leave this forsaken kingdom and find peace.”
“I’m not running from anyone! I don’t need to find peace because I’m happy here! I’m being promoted regularly, I have a woman who I can share things with. There’s nothing I’m wanting of.” he argued.
“We stand in the drizzle, the cold, the scorching sun every day to guard an island that a murderous king lives on, and that’s all we do! When was the last time you felt your world was open to be claimed instead of assigned? You jump at every woman who comes around because you don’t have the freedom to leave the isolation! We are prisoners ourselves and if we don’t change that, we will die unfulfilled, old and sickly in our guard cots, alone. I refuse to live a sad life, and I refuse to let Anwyn live this way anymore, cooped up like a songbird in a cage.” he declared.
Romeo looked like he was going to call curses upon Liam, but instead he stood up and stormed off into the woods. He needed some time to vent and come to terms with what was being said.
Bit of a change of pace, less action, but the promise of more!
Comments
So true. I'm going to see it new year's day with another good friend of mine, but my bestie hasn't seen it either. She's seeing it new years day.
I'm going into sims again! Yay! More chapters! I just kinda gotta arrange things in my mind as to the order I want the events in...
Chapter 14
The duchess knocked on the door of the king’s office, then let herself in. She sat down casually on the couch, ready to hatch one of the plans of her mind. “Since Rosa is no longer queen, I think we should rearrange our staff. I require a nurse for my son, as Remy is having a hard time looking after him. He isn’t really made for children, just doesn’t seem to have the fathering touch. However, I think that Alice would make a lovely nurse.”
“Yes, of course.” he said absentmindedly.
“As for Amelia, she and the new queen seem to get along well, she can be her new lady. Help her look more like a queen.”
The king said nothing, he kept looking out the window to the sea.
The duchess continued, a bit annoyed that he hadn’t been listening. “And I want a lady of my own. Remy has had to help dress me for long enough, I’m afraid that he’ll never see another woman if he has to continue to be my aid. I’ll give him some time away and I’ll take a new lady in waiting.”
“Whatever you think is right…” he said robotically.
“Galant, what is the matter with you? I’m trying to play our pawns correctly and you aren’t paying attention!” she cracked.
He didn’t speak for a moment, then he grimmly replied: “The war to the north isn’t going how we planned. I hear that the troops are losing morale, they aren’t listening to the generals, and some are even deserting. I feel like I need to arrange a trip up to the front to get them in line.”
“Show them what the fate of a deserter is, eh? You just have to show them who’s boss-” she started, but the king cut her off with a hand wave.
“Violence doesn’t always win over the hearts of a crowd, Malena. I need to rile them up and tell them what we’re up against, show them that their lives are not being extinguished in vain.”
“That’s the Church’s job, not yours. You’re the king of blood, the terrifying, unstoppable force. If you cheapen what you stand for, if people think that you’ve gone soft, they’ll lose all faith in you. They won’t fear you anymore.”
“Perhaps you’re right.”
“Is the queen pregnant yet?” the duchess asked bluntly.
“No, at least, not from what can be seen.” he said, looking out at the water.
“You’ve been married for three months now, and you’ve been trying for more than four. You do know how to have children, right? With all the experience you have…”
“Yes, I know how to have children, Malene! I even have some illegitimate children. So I’ve really had enough of you asking me questions. Leave, I need to be alone. Do what you want with the staff, I don’t care.”
~*~
Romeo was looking at Anwyn during dinner, thinking about how out of all the people here who shouldn't have a woman, Sir Reed was the least likely, and yet here they were. It had been a while since Romeo had shared company with a woman, even less since a relationship was possible. The queen’s ladies had both denied him, apparently they weren’t as interested in a relationship as he was, and they were busier than he was as well with constant duties and not just standing around all day, making sure that no one stormed the island. The exciting days were when he actually got to leave the palace grounds and patrol the small island and see even more nothing.
How Liam had won over the heart of the only other available woman was astounding. She wasn’t even available, he stole her. They were sneaking around behind the king’s back. If they are caught, it would be a very hard end to their relationship and possibly their lives.
Of course Romeo hadn’t realised that he was still staring at Anwyn until she stood up from the table to leave. His attention was called forward, and he blinked. Her transformation was like the other side of a coin. She had her hair up, as was proper for a married woman, and wore a sheer veil over her hair. She wore relaxed but fine clothes, and she was quiet. When he had first met her, she was emotional, willful, but now she kept her eyes down. She was… docile. He scanned the table to see if anyone had noticed him lost in thought, and no one but the duchess seemed to have noticed. She regarded him sceptically.
That’s when she entered the door. She wore a gilded dress with her arms bare, regardless of the autumn weather. “May I announce Briella, the newest lady for Lady Melene.” Remmy introduced to the room. Anwyn passed her on her way out with a glance, but she didn’t introduce herself. She simply walked out.
“Briella, please, be seated.” the duchess offered. “Let me introduce you to the table. There’s…” and she continued to introduce the inhabitants present.
~*~
Sir Montoya knocked on Anwyn’s door. She recognized his knock. He knocked with two solid knocks, Romeo knocked with three evenly paced, official knocks, and Liam knocked with a quarter beat followed by two eight beats and a quarter. If it was Montoya, it was because the king wanted her audience, and the knights never let Liam tell her that. It was too hard for Liam, and they usually sent him on island patrol on nights like these.
Amelia looked up from her book, then stood to answer the door. His familiar figure stood there, and he didn’t even bother to say anything. He simply turned on his heel and walked away. He was a man of few words.
Amelia closed the door again and went to the get the robe ready. She removed the veil from Anwyn’s head, and Anwyn dressed for the occasion. With the coming cold, the plain cotton robe was becoming less and less temperature appropriate, but she wasn’t going to show that she was shivering. Show no fear, don’t let him know you’re afraid.
The king had a fire flickering in his room, and he was seated on his sofa made from an exotic animal. He had changed into more comfortable clothes, but he was still as dangerous even without his royal blues.
Anwyn wasn’t used to him not being ready for her. He usually stood at the foot of the bed, took her slowly by the wrist and laid her down. For the past four months it had been like this. What was she supposed to expect when he was simply sitting?
“Anwyn, I value your simplicity,” he said simply, looking into the fire. “You don’t worry about war, you don’t have to think about the kingdom and it’s finances, it’s people, how they see you, why they follow their leader. All you do is live in the moment, take things as the are, and listen to the people who have authority over you. If I could have a whole nation full of people like you, I’d be a very lucky man.” he turned to her. “Annie, we’re going to be going north to the front. The men need to see that the kingdom has a powerful leader, that weakness isn’t an option, and that we are thriving. And that means that it’s time for you to carry a child.” he said simply, but with an edge of an order to it. And with orders came threats of punishments.
Anwyn said nothing, she just continued to stare at the wall ahead of her.
“Annie, is there something you’re hiding from me? If there is, I will find out. The duchess suspects something, and I’m beginning to agree with her. You don’t talk to me, you hide in your room all day. I have to be the one to summon you, you never request time with me. You’re cold to me.” he said, and he seemed concerned.
“I was never warm,” she said, unable to keep all of the words she wanted to say in her mouth.
“What did you say?” the king asked. Anwyn just kept looking forward. The king stood from the sofa and stood in front of her. “What did you say?”
“I have never been warm with you.” she said, through gritted teeth, not meeting his eye.
“You are my wife, and I will not have my wife denying me! The last queen I had decided to go cold too, and the day she did her days on this world were numbered.” he started to circle her. “Do you want to live to see the world you love burn down around you, then live in isolation for the rest of your days while the guilt drives you mad? Don’t tempt me girl, for I crave to see a soul crushed, and every ounce hope leave their gaze until they wish they were dead. I don’t need to lay a hand on you, I can push you to the brink with a simple command to find and destroy the darling family you love. First their house, then I will find your eldest brother and have him work in the mines, never to see the sky again for as long as he shall live. I hear he has a wife, how shall I deal with her? And you have a sister, it would be a pity if she were to have to live as a woman on the street, mentally infirm and passed around like a pitcher of water. You have a younger brother? Should I remove his hands so that he would have to beg for the rest of his life, never fulfilling his dream of being a scribe and instead always having to have someone feed him and clean him? Your youngest sister is next, Sophia, is it not? A name meaning wisdom? It would be a great sadness if after an accident she couldn’t learn anymore. Do you see the point I am making or do I need to go on.” he asked, riled up and on the balls of his feet.
“No, I understand.” Anwyn’s composer had gone soft, and she was trembling at the thought of her family being harmed in the ways described.
“Good, now bear me a daughter.” he said, and he pulled her to the bed.
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
Chapter 15
“Liam, I-” he heard the door bang open to his quarters. “I need you.” Anwyn started to tug him out of bed.. He had just returned home, and she was in her night dress. Her hair was down, and she looked like she was in a state. She tried to calm herself, and she wiped her palms on her nightgown. “I was with the king and he demands that I bear him a child, but I can’t do that, he can’t do that-”
She was on the verge of hysterical and talking far too loudly for these thin walls. The other officers would hear easily what they were saying if they continued here. “Anwyn, be quiet for a moment. Let’s go somewhere we can talk a bit more privately.” he hushed her.
They tiptoed through the halls and up to the second floor, turning left at the top and entering the old queen’s quarters. Her previous handmaid's still slept in at the end of the hall, but the queen’s room was unoccupied, and as the door was unlocked they slipped inside. The storm still raged on outside, and Liam was still damp from his patrol around the island. He lit a few lanterns and took Anwyn by the shoulders and tried to center her. “Anwyn, start again from the beginning. What’s the matter?”
Anwyn shook and then sunk to one of the stools. “The king will harm my family if I don’t bear him a child, but the cook at the manor made it so that he couldn’t be the father of any children for a year. I need to bear a child and have him believe that it’s his.”
“I’m so sorry…” Liam consoled. “That’s terrible. That monster. If I could, I would kill him myself. How are you going to proceed?”
Awyn looked at him as if she couldn’t believe he hadn’t put the two ends together yet. A look of realisation came over his face.
“But Anwyn, we just met a few months ago. We don’t even know if we like each other that much. We see each other maybe once a week, add that up and that’s… like 16 weeks? I’m not sure you want to-” he was grabbing for straws at this point, trying to wrap his mind around the concept.
“Liam, I have never met anyone like you and felt the same way. You are very special to me, and I want you to help me now.” she urged.
But you may not be the only one I’ve ever had feelings for before now… He looked at Anwyn, considering, his heart beating much faster than it has been even out in the storm. “Are you sure about this? I- I didn’t expect this. Not from you, not like this...” he said, feeling defeated. He flopped into a stool besides her, putting his head in his hands. “I don’t think I’m ready to be a father. I don’t know what I could do for you and the child. How would I help to raise it? How could I be responsible and do the right thing?”
“One thing at a time. I’m not pregnant yet.” she said, slowing herself down. She became more somber, her face softened. She smiled a bit, and took a breath. “Liam, I- I think I-”
“Not now. Please.” he said, freezing up. “I don’t want to associate that with this memory. Anwyn, I- I fell the same way, but I can’t say it when we’re fighting for your family’s lives. Don’t say it because you feel like you have to save it for when we’re not in danger.”
Anwyn kept the smile on her face, though her eyes looked a bit more wild now. More frightened. “Alright. Liam-” she looked for words to commemorate what they were going to do, “I can’t think of anything to say.”
“For once, she’s quiet.” he smiled, and took Anwyn up into his arms.
~*~
Sir Romeo stood at the front gate on patrol. He wished that they at least had a chair for him to sit on. The day was a muddy one as the nights always seemed to rain now, and that meant that he would have to clean his boots later, adding to another hour of maintenance on his armor… What a boring day…
The gate squeaked open and Sir Romeo turned his head sharply to see who had opened the gate. The new maid looked at him with a smile on her face. “There you are! You’re hard to find. I needed some company.” she said, leaning against the wall, looking out at the trees.
“There are far more people inside than there are out here. If you wanted company, you went out of your way to find it.” he claimed.
“Well, I try to look for the best looking people of the bunch. You seem far more interesting than the rest of the staff any how.” she flattered.
“I seem to doubt that. You’ve been here for a few days, not very long, how could you have met everyone already?” he asked.
“It’s not hard to meet everyone, but it’s hard to make relationships with them. You seem like an easy going guy, and I was wondering, what does a person do around here for fun?” she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.
He seemed a tad taken aback by this. He surely wasn’t expecting her to make advances on him. It had been a very long time since he had anyone take an interest in him, and he wasn’t sure how to proceed. He was out of practice.
“Well, there’s a ship ruin down on the beach, and there’s a bit of wildlife on the island. We have lots of books, you can play any instrument you like, painting-”
“I’m more of an extrovert and I like to move. Is there anything you do for fun?” she asked, stressing the word fun.
He eyed her carefully. She had a jolly figure, nicely padded and not boney like he imagined Anwyn would be. She obviously came from a well off family if she showed no sign of ever going hungry, probably a lower nobleman’s or a lucky merchant’s daughter. She looked vaguely familiar, but her couldn’t place where he had possibly seen her…
“There’s a bar in the guard’s lounge, and a dart board. I think there’s a horse shoe corral on the island somewhere, and a little pond from old ruins we can swim in. If you go swimming. I’ve never seen a woman swim before.” he nearly blushed.
“Well, I don’t sink if that makes you feel any better.” she said coyly and looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue.
“Otherwise, we have a little get together once a month in the guard’s lounge. It’s super informal, but it’s nice to relax.” Romeo wasn’t sure if he should tell her about that, but the girl seemed nice enough. She had just moved to the isolated palace, had no friends here with her, she should be included as a member of the staff.
“Really? How interesting! When’s the next one? It’s been forever since I feel like I could talk freely.” she admitted.
“This friday night. I’ll have you come along, if you like. I’m sure we can fit you in.”
“I can’t wait!” she smiled at him, and his stomach did a somersault. “I’m a bit chilled, so I think I’ll be going back inside now, I’ll see you later, Sir Romeo.” she curtsied and walked back into the walled courtyard.
~*~
“Have you met the new maid? She seems…” Romeo fished for words.
“Perky? Available? What you’re looking for?” peppered Sir Reed.
Romeo shoved Liam lightly. “You laugh, but you have a girl who likes you already. How am I supposed to find one that you won’t laugh at me about if I don’t try all of my very limited possibilities?”
“You know, if someone looked at us and asked which of us they thought was in a relationship, they wouldn’t guess me. They would guess you, but I think you try too hard.” he said simply.
“I’m not a try hard!” Romeo acted offended. “I prefer the term desperate!”
Liam laughed at him and exited the room. The week had progressed quickly, and he had been on island patrol for many of the nights. The king had been trying in vain to create an heir, but Anwyn and Liam had been trying nearly just as often. The poor girl must have been very tired, but she was desperate to protect her family and not let their harm be her fault.
Liam was going to be a father.
It hit him like a ton of bricks. Anwyn wasn’t even his wife, and yet he had taken her to bed and was actively trying to aid her in having a child. What would his parents think if they were alive to see this…
Anwyn shouldn’t have to give up her life to save the lives of her family. She shouldn’t have to worry that her sister would be hurt by a tyrant. They shouldn’t fear the king at all, but his reach was long and far. If they ran, they would have to run to the ends of the earth to escape him. And even if they did, would they ever feel at rest? The king would hunt them for sport…
And where would he draw the line with the people that he would save? If her siblings had spouses, do the spouses’ siblings come with? Their parents?
Liam's stomach dropped out from inside him and he braced himself against the wall. The stress and lack of sleep was getting to him. The sneaking around, the fact that his girlfriend was being abused by her husband, the most powerful man in the kingdom, and the fact that it all balanced on a very thin wire, ready to fall and be destroyed at any moment.
He couldn’t live this way. He couldn’t have his child living this way, it needed to be different.
~*~
Friday rolled around and Anwyn tiptoed down the stairs to the guard’s wing. She was looking forward to the relaxing evening ahead, but she heard a different voice beyond the door before she entered. A chill ran down her spin as she thought that the duchess may be just beyond the door.
But the duchess has been drugged for the evening, she’s fast asleep. She can’t be in there. I must be mistaken… Anwyn pushed open the door and entered the brightly lit room. The duchess wasn’t there, but her new maid was, chatting amicably with Sir Romeo and Alice. Liam sat at one of the benches talking to Amelia about the different birds he’d seen on his patrols around the island. The other three guards were at the bar, sharing a conversation too quiet to hear.
Liam didn’t rise to meet her, but gave her a friendly wave when she entered. She smiled back at him, and went over to the bar. She didn’t trust the Briella, and she didn’t need the duchess knowing about her affair she was having. She would play it cool tonight, and not get too drunk to let anything slip. She only hoped that everyone no one else would slip up and mention it.
“My queen, I didn’t expect you to associate with the staff. What are you doing in here?” Briella detached herself from the group, but they seemed to follow her over into the new conversation.
Anwyn smiled. “I am from a working class family, and I still like to relax with people who aren’t diplomats or have hidden agendas.”
“But what will the king think?” she asked breathily, as if it were the biggest gossip around.
“Why does the king have to think anything about it, Briella? Why does he need to know?” Anwyn asked, passively asserting her dominance. The king didn’t have to know, but Anwyn felt that this would probably be her last night in the guards’ lounge if she kept asking questions.
“Hey, we’re here to have a good time, not to pick fights. Bri, the higher-ups don’t know about this, and no one is going to ruin it by telling them. They’re fast asleep from their big day and planning to go North. We all came here to relax, so unwind. Have a drink.” Romeo interfered.
Anwyn smiled, as drank her drink, going to sit over by Ameila and Liam.
“Of course, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to cause any waves, I just want to get along with everyone. Don’t worry my lips are sealed, I won’t tell a soul beyond these doors.” Briella vowed.
Anwyn turned away from her, and after a few moments Liam reached to bring her closer and cuddle her, but she carefully acted like she didn’t notice. She whispered in his ear, “I don’t trust her. Act casual, we aren’t an item tonight.”
Liam just nodded, and after a bit more discussion about a funny squirrel that Amelia had seen on one of her walks, Anwyn was challenged to a game of cards.
“I have a great poker face, I’m sure to win!” she playfully gloated.
“Please, your poker face is terrible,” said Romeo. “You give yourself away all the time. Your eyes shine bright, you stop breathing normally, and forget how to act natural.”
Briella stood up from the table to make room for Anwyn. “I think I’ll get to know the handsome guard in the corner over there, don’t miss me while I’m gone.” she claimed, flirting with Romeo.
“Not a chance.” he promised.
Anwyn watched as she made her way over to Liam and Amelia, completely ignoring Amelia and only paying attention to Liam, flirting with him, touching his hand on accident, being too close, laughing at his simple phrases as if they were high comedy. It made Anwyn tense and feel like her heart was boiling.
Bloopers!
A wonderful poker face, Anwyn.
That's right, everyone look at the wonderful massage Anwyn is giving. Be jealous!
Close up of our handsome guy!
Next time, things heat to a boil!
Awyn looked at him as if she couldn’t believe he hadn’t put the two ends together yet. A look of realisation came over his face.
This is perfect
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
I had time last night and today to write a slightly shorter chapter, and I took most of the pictures already before writing the plot to them, so I had a head start on the chapter.
So, here goes!
Chapter 16
Lara looked at William and felt a tinge of melancholy. Her wedding had come and gone, and she hadn’t heard from her sister. She had heard of her, the king’s new and young bride. She was quiet, docile, plain. Everything that Anwyn strived to not be in life, she had become. It made Lara feel like she had failed her sister somehow.
In the early morning light, Lara stood up from her bed and stretched. She wasn’t with child yet, and she and her new husband were enjoying being newly wed without the responsibility of children. She was able to help with the farm work, and still had time to go and see her parents and her younger siblings. Her mother was very close to having her sixth child, and she needed help keeping the bakery tidy as she liked, so Lara ventured out and helped when she could. Her brother and his wife were too far away to be neighborly, but Lara and William lived just a mile away, a 20 minute walk.
Lara dressed and kissed her sleeping husband on the cheek and walked outside. It was a chilly day, and she was happy she had bundled up. In the distance, she heard the cows moo in discomfort, waiting to be milked, and the chickens were anxious to be fed after they had heard the squeak of the door signaling the arrival of their food.
“Hey, stranger.” came a confident female voice came from around the corner of the house. Lara practically jumped out of her skin, and whipped around to see who it was. Melinda, her friend from the manor stood there, dressed in warm clothes. She seemed well enough, and she must have been to be here in the cold morning. What time had she woken up to be here by this time?
“Melinda, you scared me half to death! What are you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me you were going to be stopping by?"
“I have news I need to tell you, and you need to listen to it. Can we go inside? I’m freezing and I want to make sure we aren’t over heard.”
~*~
Briella took Romeo by the hand and pulled him out into the hall. He had played the guitar very sweetly, and they had both had a few drinks, and they were both feeling the evening.
“Briella, I, I hope you don’t mind…” his knees shook as she smiled and gazed at him, and he leaned in and kissed her. Pulling away, he looked at her, and she fanned her face and giggled.
“I’ve been hoping you’d do that all evening! But,” she hushed her tone. “Won’t the queen be angry? Aren’t the two of you secret lovers?” She asked.
“Anwyn and I? Where did you get that idea?” he laughed.
“Well, you’re always looking at her, and you talk so easily with her. You seem to know her well since you know her tells when she’s hiding something. I figured you must spend a lot of time together as lovers.”
“Bri, we all spend a lot of time together, we know a lot about each other. If you looked harder, you would see that Anwyn and Liam were the real couple here, not Anwyn and me. She’s my best friend’s girl, not mine. I’m completely available.” he admitted.
A grin grew on her innocent face. “In that case, I wanted to show you something.” she whispered in his ear. “You know what would make this knight even better?” He kissed her quickly and sloppily, and she took him by the hand once more, leading him to the other side of the palace, into the duchess's quarters.
Romeo hesitated to enter here, knowing that the duchess was a viper of a woman who would lure you in and bite you once you were entangled in her net. Or maybe she was a spider? Romeo couldn’t get his metaphors straight.
“Don’t worry, my lady is sleeping, she won’t wake up until the morning, remember? Not even a herd of elephants would wake her now.” Briella said.
“I, I haven’t been back here before.” he admitted.
“Come in, but wait at the door way. Don’t look yet!” she squeaked in pleasure.
He turned his back, and waited. The room smelled of berries and fireplace smoke. It was brightly lit, one of the brightest in the palace. She must have some fairy lights to have it so bright, candles wouldn’t light that brightly.
“Alright, you can look now.” she called, a tone of bashfulness in her voice.
Briella was in her corset and stockings, without a shred of clothing elsewhere, and Romeo averted his gaze nearly immediately.
“Why are you averting your gaze, Sir Romeo? Haven’t you seen the figure of a woman before?” she playfully teased.
“To be honest, not in quite some time, and even then not as clearly as you are standing in front of me.” He still didn’t meet her gaze.
“Well, you’ve been very good to me, so I thought I would reward you for being… for helping me get adjusted. You’ve been very kind, and I want you to know that I’m not just hot air, I’m the real deal.” she walked over to him and kissed his cheek, the two of them enjoyed their evening until dawn.
~*~
“Hey, I’m really enjoying my time here, thank you for hiring me,” Briella thanked while she helped the duchess get dressed.
“I needed someone to do a job, and you seemed to suit the bill. I know that you have certain… talents.” she replied.
“About that, I know we had talked about not using those talents yet, but I totally slept with Sir Romeo last night. He’s a good kisser.” she said plainly.
“I thought I had been clear, no sleeping with the targets. Did you at least learn anything, now that you have jumped forward in the plan?” the duchess asked patiently.
“I learned a very important thing. Once you get Romeo drunk, his lips are loose as a limp corset. He told me,” she leaned in as if whispering to her best friend. “Romeo isn’t the one having an affair with the queen, it’s the other guard, Sir Reed. He didn’t get into the specifics, but based on how willingly he gave himself over to me last night he isn’t the one we're after.”
The duchess grinned. “This is good work, sister. With this information I will make sure that order is kept in the palace and the king has an heir of his own, not a 🐸🐸🐸🐸 child. My son will not marry the daughter of a guard and a peasant, he will marry the daughter of a queen and the most powerful man in the whole world.”
~*~
Lara knocked furiously on the door of her parents’ bakery, hoping that they were home and not out, or worse, taken by the king’s men. There was no cause for alarm, but Melinda’s message had brought as much fear as it had hope.
“Goodness, what is going on, who is- Oh, Lara, why are you breathing so heavily? Did you run here? William, it’s good to see you, son, but why are you both here so early? We didn’t expect you until it was time for dinner.” her father answered the door.
“Father, gather the family. I have news that involves us all. May William borrow a horse to get to Dante’s house? He needs to hear it too, but he lives too far away to bring all the way here. It cannot be sent in a message.” Lara wheezed out, trying to catch her breath. She had run the mile here with William and she wasn’t used to running when walking was always an easier option.
“Of course. Whatever you need. William, we’ll set a plate for you for dinner, but it’s alright if you stay at Dante’s home overnight.”
“Thankyou.” he said, rushing over to the barn for the horse.
“Now, Lara, what is so important?” her father looked at her with concern. “Are you with child? Has your house burned down? Were you robbed?”
Lara walked into the bakery and paced. There were no customers in the store, no one to over hear them. “I got word from Melinda, my friend from the manor. She received a letter from the palace from one of the king’s guards, disguised as a love letter. We have to be ready, father, we need to leave.”
~*~
After two weeks of planning, the king was finally ready to start his journey north to rally the troops. They had enough food, water, and all of the necessities needed for traveling north. The duchess was to come with them, as was her maid, the queen, Sir Reed, Romeo, and Montoya, and the king. It was going to be a small group at first, but they were also going to pick up quite a few Templar knights and the high priest and priestess.
It was going to be cold, especially going north where it was always cold, but Anwyn was excited for the change in scenery. The journey would open the world beyond the tiny island they were imprisoned on.
It would take two months to reach the front line after traveling by boat for a distance and then further inland to the rocky land they were fighting over. One month on a ship, another on land. It was certainly a long journey, and if what Anwyn had heard was correct, they were going to be travelling within two miles of her home. It would hurt so much not to see her family, but that life was behind her now, she had to move on and give them a life.
Together, with the king leading and the duchess stepping in front of the queen, they made their way out of the palace, and out the front gate.
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
Midshore focused on not focusing. She let her mind drift away to its empty recesses, letting out all of her inner thoughts and quieting her busy mind. As a small girl, she could barely sit still long enough to cross her legs, now she meditated for hours nearly every day.
As the gentle hum of her own mind quieted, the world around her became more apparent. For years, she had trained to feel the life around her, and on the small blooming island there was life all around her. The plants radiated freckles of warm sunlight and cool shade, the insects crawled with their many feet under the rocks to avoid the sun, and the birds in the sky drew dizzying circles, some darting back and forth, others soaring straight for miles. Their motion lulled Midshore, and as she focused, she- there it was. A dolphin jumped out of the water and then she felt the cold rush over her of re-submerging into the water. It was a thrilling feeling.
This was all familiar. Routine. They told of the coming weather being normal, no ecological disasters coming, and the volcano would be quiet.
As she reassured herself of the near future being stable, she eased aside all of the noises of the island and fell deeper into her meditation. If she was especially lucky, she could tap into a spiritual line that came from people. There were people on neighboring islands that were easy to feel, but the islands were a safe haven from war or famine; the rulers were accepting, and the government was an elected committee, not a dynasty. The people here were content, but she felt a great disturbance from beyond the islands, and it had been easier to tap into lately, making her wonder if it were getting closer, stronger, or both?
She felt it now, a tangle in the pit of her stomach, her heart constricting and her breath becoming short and shallow. Who ever was projecting such a labored feeling was in great turmoil, but sustaining an even level. It ebbed and flowed, and then it let up nearly completely and Midshore let go of her meditation. She sat back down on the ground and looked out at the sea. “What is coming? What does it mean?”
A short one today, but now that I have more time I want to get this moving more! I don't have any looming craft projects over my head right now, so I should be in the green to do this more often! Hazzah!
Also, I can't wait for you guys to read what I have coming up, I hope it's emotional and wonderful and majestic as i envision.
Also, if you're wondering where I got the name Midshore, I went to a website that helps you pick a town name for Animal Crossing, and randomly picked two words, smashed them together, and there we go! https://aforestlife.com/guides/animal-crossing-town-name-ideas-and-methods/
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
Well thank you so much!
That's so kind of you! I'm really excited to have new readers!
Chapter 18
Midshore was reading when she felt it. The feeling had been growing stronger each day as she meditated, becoming more vivid and defined with each day passing. It must be close to feel it outside so strongly outside of meditation, but the discontent was growing very near, and strong.
Midshore rushed to where she could see the shore. There were three ships gathered there, sailing towards her shore. The ships, boats really, which normally carried one, maybe two people were laiden with four to each, making them barely float.
Everstar joined her, looking out at the shore. “What do you sense?” she asked. She was tense, ready to grab her spear and run it through whoever thought to attack.
“I don’t believe they mean us harm…” pondered Midshore. “I think they’re refugees....”
“More refugees? Why do they come to our island when they could easily go to the big island? Where they’re prepared to take care of these sorts of things? I swear, they should put up signs to point them in the right direction or maybe train those dolphins to guide…” Everstar grumbled.
“No- I have the feeling they need our help, not just the relief the islands offer.” Midshore continued to peer down at the shore.
As the boats landed on the shore, a figure of a man stood with the figure of a pregnant woman in his arms. Another carried a baby in her arms. There were three children among them, and there appeared to be nine adults.
Midshore suddenly rushed down from her stoop to meet them. The man carrying the woman laid her down on the ground carefully.
“Wait, don’t-” Everstar objected, but it was no use. All she could do was follow after her and hope they weren’t robbed.
“Midi, oh thank the Creator I got the right island! Please, I beg you, you need to help this woman.” the man pleaded, his arms beginning to shake.
“Fredrico, what are you doing here? How did you find me? Who are these people?” Midshore asked, using Sir Romeo’s first name.
“None of that is important,” he panted “I’ve heard what you can do. This woman is the most important thing to any sort of rebellion the mainland has, she can’t die!”
“What are you talking about?” asked the woman holding the baby. “My daughter wasn’t in that bad of shape, was she? When-” she began to sob.”When did my baby girl die? How long has it been?”
“I thought I was your baby girl…” muttered one of the girl children.
The older man took the woman into his arms, his face was one of shock and his motions were mechanical.
At first, Midshore had thought that the disturbance hand been one individual with a great deal of pain, but now she couldn’t determine who was the source. Just as the strangers sprinkled the shore, so was the pain emanating. It was terrible grief.
One of the men of the group had been looking out at the water, scanning it as if they were afraid to be followed. “Look, a ship! There!” he barked.
“They found us!” a young woman shrieked. She looked terrified and held the hand of one of the men.
“Quick, the cloak!” urged Midshore to Everstar. She knew what a ship from the mainland looked like, and she didn’t need to be told twice that they were bad news.
Everstar's hands began to glitter and she let her sparks fly, raising the cloak and with a look of effort. Midshore could sense she was changing the winds as well, making them blow away form the cluster of islands.
“There, they can’t see us or sail near us. They won’t know why, they will sail around us and not bother us.” she said. She turned to Fredrico, “We can’t help her standing on the shore, I will help you bring her, but I expect a thorough explanation as to why you thought you could bring a dead woman to my door and expect you to help you.”
She turned to the rest of the party. “Unfortunately, there is limited space in where we are going, and you cannot all come with. Everstar will lead you to the refugee area once she has finished her spell. We will come and get you once we know anything.”
“But, I need to come with you!” begged the mother. “I can’t leave my baby, she has to be buried… my poor child…” she started sobbing again.
“Mother, maybe you should rest. It’s been forever since we were on solid ground, the baby still needs you, Joseph and Sophia need you. Let’s eat and sleep, and let the women do their work.” soothed one of the men.
“I can stay with her, Mother.” said the young woman as she stepped forward.
“See, Lara will make sure everything is alright,” he soothed once more.
Begrudgingly, she nodded and the trio started up the hill to the Greenhouse.
“You couldn’t have gotten a better house than this?” asked Romeo.
“This is where the spirits have led me to live my life. The island is teeming with life, and if you expect me to bring her restore her there is no better place.” she tried to look at the building with the eyes of an outsider. It was lush with vegetation, but was it over grown? Not that it mattered, she wouldn’t harm the plants for something as trivial as vanity.
“Wait, you’re going to bring her back to life? But she’s dead! That’s dark magic! I can’t let you do that to my sister and her child!” the young woman argued, stopping in her tracks.
“There is nothing wrong about restoring a life as long as it was taken unjustly. Fredrico, you know my rules, and the rules of the spirits. If I am to have their favor I must abide by them. Was she killed unjustly?” Midshore questioned.
“Yes, by a knight of the Templar.” he answered.
A shiver of hatred ran down her spine. So many of the refugees on the islands were fleeing from either the military of the mainland, or the religion of it. The Templar knights were in the crux of both evil things.
“Is she loved here?” asked Midshore.
“Deeply, not only by the people left on the shore, but also by her… I don’t know if they had a label, mate? The father of her child, Creator rest his soul.”
“He isn’t here? She inquired. “That’s too bad, if he is passed on it will be harder for her to return to the living. Final question: has she been dead for five days or less?”
Fredrico paused and thought, panic flashing over his eyes for a moment. “I think she may be, but she would want to live for her child. She wants to live for her family and to see a better tomorrow.”
“Fredrico- You know that it is nearly impossible to restore a soul that is that long gone!” she was nearly yelling at this point, furious that he would try and pull this again. “The last time I tried to restore a soul that was a week old on my own because the spirits wouldn’t help and I nearly restored a monster instead! After I reversed the ritual the spirits didn’t talk with me for nearly a month!”
“Look, I’m sorry about the last time, I really am. I had the best of intentions, but Veronica was kinda mean to begin with…” Fredrico tried to defend himself.
“Veronica was speaking in tongues on my alter and had red eyes when I was done!” She visibly reeled herself in. When she spoke next, her voice was calmer. “How long has she been gone?” she asked.
“Maybe six days. Probably five. I tried to sail as quickly as I could, I swear, but with so many people on the boats they were slow. We nearly starved a few times, we barely had enough water-”
“I don’t need the story, I need Everstar and I need to get this woman to the altar. If we are to restore her and her child, we should act quickly.” Midshore interrupted calmly in an even tone. Even when being impolite she was polite.
She walked down the path and around the side of the greenhouse and a glowing, molting arch stood before them. Midshore casually walked through it, as did Romeo, but Lara was hesitant. They had disappeared into it, dissolving like a drop of ink into a bucket of water. But they had brought Anwyn with them, and Lara would go where she did, so under the arch she walked.
Midshore noticed that the young woman was having trouble wrapping her head around the events that were happening, but she was too occupied to explain right now.
“I need her laid on the altar. Goodness, Fredrico, what is she wearing? Where are her clothes?”
“Her clothes were torn, so I wrapped her in my own shirt and part of a flap tent.” he said meekly.
“Alright then.” she accepted. She looked at the face of the woman. She looked familiar, as if she could barely remember seeing her in a dream. The smallest of threads of life she had remaining were delicate and frail, but Midshore could sense them. “It’s nearly the end of five days, we must act quickly. Fredrico, shout for Everstart right away. Girl-” she turned to the young woman, “I need you to change, we’re going to be using you as an anchor. You appear to be her sister, you will guide her back stronger than anyone else here. Her string curves towards you. Get changed.” Romeo left right away, dashing out the door to summon Everstar
“You want to involve me in your strange magic?” she nearly spat the last word, as if she couldn’t believe she was saying it. “You want to dirty my soul too? Necromancy is a dark art, I would be barred from the afterlife.” she looked disgusted and alarmed.
“Child, necromancy is fixing the job that doctors fail at. Some forms of necromancy do center around the use of dark magic, but I use life magic. The world is unbalanced when a good person dies at the hands of evil, and I am going to try and restore that balance.
“The Church was the one to tell you what is good and what is not, and yet they are the reason for many deaths. They don’t want their opposition coming back once they’ve squashed them, but here on the islands people live in harmony and free from the Church. As someone who has talked to the other side and restored souls to their bodies, I assure you that participating in life magic will not barr you from the afterlife. Now, go and change!” she pointed the girl in the direction of her chambers.
As Lara scurried away, Fredrico walked back into the ceremony room. “You never have gotten over your temper, have you?” he asked.
“I try very hard to not let it surface, and most of the time I am successful. However, I wasn’t prepared to have so many… inexperienced guests. Or even the experienced ones.” she said, glancing at him.
“So… who’s the brunette?” he asked. “Your spiritual sister, like nuns?”
“She’s my wife.” she said plainly.
“Wife?” Romeo raised his eyebrow. “I guess the islands are as accepting as I’ve heard. Kinda hot, having a wife.” he teased.
“You wouldn’t understand. You are a bachelor, probably always will be. What you and I tried didn’t work, I found something better. Besides, that was ages ago. I’ve grown since then, I hope you have too.”
The young woman opened the door wearing a blue ombre dress. “I see you found the dress, but we need to make sure you wear the right makeup and your hair is right. And you need tattoos too. Don’t worry, these won’t be permanent. The spirits get fussy over these things.”
She let down Lara’s hair and found a matching blue flower crown. With a wave of her hand, Lara was now wearing glittering makeup that pulled the whole ensemble together. With a twirl, Midshore was wearing a similar outfit, and Everstar appeared behind them in the same. They looked like beautiful goddesses, and Romeo hoped that the spirits would aid them in returning Anwyn to the land of the living.
“When this is done, I expect to hear about how this all happened and why you’re here.” Midshore said again, before all three of them entered the ceremony room to begin the restoration. “You aren’t allowed in here, her life string curves away from you. You hurt her somehow, and you won’t encourage her to return.”
“But-” he looked afraid where he had been joking minutes earlier. “I have to protect her. I- this is all my fault. I can’t let her go without helping to bring her back, I need to reverse what I’ve done, I can’t let it end this way-” he started hyperventilating.
“Fredrico, relax. You can pray, focus on asking forgiveness from the spirits. We will do everything that we can.”
He nodded, but looked miserable. He normally looked like he was suave, now he looked like he was torn to shreds. He left the ceremony room and shut the door behind him.
“What is your name, my dear?” she asked the sister.
“Lara. I’m her sister.” she responded.
“I can see that.” Midshore smiled. “Kneel at the foot of the altar, we and we will begin.”
The girl moved to her position, And Midshore and Everstar stood on either side of the altar, focusing their powers.
Midshore turned back to the woman on the altar, admiring her face. She had an unfortunate scar on her face, clearly from a years old injury. She had gone through much hardship, and Midshore felt that she was the one that had been the source of the disturbance. She held so much pain and had now passed it on to her family. To revive such a soul would be good for living, but would it be good for the returning soul?
Lara watched as they performed the ritual, and the light in the room became much more blue. The room seemed to be adorned in blue, with blue flowers, blue crystals, and blue runes on the floor.
The two women seemed to be in a trance as they moved their arms. At one point, they strode around the altar in a clockwise motion, trading places. Midshore seemed to be leading the ritual, and Everstar was following slightly. Lara wondered how many ‘restorations’ they did and how practiced they were.
With a start, Lara noticed that Anwyn was starting to levitate from the altar, arched backwards as if being lifted by the waist.
Lara looked over to Midshore, who had her head bent in concentration. Was she doing it? How was she doing it? There were no strings attached to Anwyn, how was she being raised?
The two women stepped closer to Anwyn, lifting their arms and start chanting. Before this they had been nearly silent, just muttering incantations under their breath, but now they nearly were singing a hymn.
Suddenly the lights went dark blue, and Lara felt the air stir, almost like a fall vortex where you can see the leaves turning in circles when the wind bounces off of the walls and makes the leaves dance.
The two women seemed oblivious to the change in lighting, continuing with their eyes shut and arms raised. Anwyn bobbed up and down gently, though the wind in the room became stronger.
Lara continued kneeling on the hard ground, listening to the rhythmic, nearly monotone drone of their voices, and as the wind died down, so did their chants. The two women lowered their arms and put their palms and fingertips together, opening their eyes and looking at each other.
Anwyn returned to her original position on the altar and nothing moved. The two women, who had been moving constantly for since it had begun stood statue still, then they lowered their heads and hands, as if they were curtsying.
They appeared to be praying, pleading silently with their spirits to aid them.
As suddenly as the lighting had turned blue, it became a brilliant bright gold. Lara teared up with the brightness, and with the emotion of the whole ordeal. Anwyn, Annie come back. Come back to us.
I guess it's no surprise that word reached the king very quickly.
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
Chapter 19
The journey north was a long one. They walked most of the way, and Anwyn’s feet were on the verge of murdering her. She hadn’t had a proper meal in days, and it made her feel queasy. It took more and more effort in the morning to get up and out of her bed roll, and she was wondering if she would make it to the end, though she was probably just being dramatic.
She felt fatigued often, and at night she practically fell into bed, not taking the time to be delicate with her movements. The king made her uneasy, sleeping next to him, so she sometimes liked to creep out and stare up at the stars, hoping they would open up and consume her, take her to their glittering, glowing world where evil men didn’t exist and she could live with her family adorned with glittering jewels.
She wasn’t alone. She was never alone. Not since they had taken on a troupe of Templars, there was always someone watching her. Sir Rhadye kept his distance, not even he would dare to touch the king’s wife. The word tasted bitter to Anwyn, even now, and she quickly rose to retch in a nearby bush. Nothing would make her love the king.
Her love laid in a tiny tent with Sir Romeo as company. Though the idea of wriggling between the two of them and being warm and safe made her smirk, she couldn’t blow the cover. She had taken a few books with her on the journey, and she read those to keep from thinking about Liam, instead studying the birds of the western islands and their colorful plumage. And there was a section on their breeding habits. Curses. Even the birds had off-spring.
The king hadn’t tried anything since their last inn stay. The walls of the tent were just too thin for him to feel they had privacy, so he had barely touched her, but then neither had Liam. He once touched her elbow in a friendly, guard-to-queen way, and it had nearly made Anwyn flush with emotion. But in such a tight group with so many eyes, it was too dangerous.
~*~
Liam and Romeo were a group of two men among many. The Templars were a closed group and didn’t invite in strangers, though they didn’t always act godly.
“Remember that barmaid? I could have mopped her floors, if you know what I mean.” said one of them.
“I could have shined her silver, if you know what I mean.” snickered another.
“She had round tables, if you know what I mean.” another laughed, and they went on that way, itemizing the various women they had met along the journey.
It must have been some sort of game that people on the mainland and in the cities played, mentioning everyday things as if they were obvious innuendos.
Liam and Romeo sat around their fire, tired from the day of walking, eating their dinner. Liam could have sworn he was starting to feel more of the ground under his boots every day, and he hoped they would last.
No one seemed to be in earshot of them, and Liam added another log to the fire, hoping that it would roar loud enough so that he wouldn’t be heard. He inched his stool closer to Romeo, and leaned in. “I need your help.”
“I feel like I’ve heard that one before. I’m not ready to put my neck out for you.” he said bluntly. “What you get into is your own mess, don’t get me involved.”
Liam shook his head. “I have a plan, a good one. But I need you to help. The further north we get, the less chance of them finding Anwyn and I when we make the escape. The templars are bound to follow us, but I have a feeling that if we have a large enough lead on them we could lose them. I’ve sent word to Anwyn’s family to get ready to leave and to meet us at a rendezvous point in some old ruins, a ways from where we’ll be leaving camp, and from there we’ll go to the coast and sail to the Western Islands.”
Romeo looked like he wanted to jump up and tell him he was crazy, but he knew that he couldn’t because that would tip off the Templars that there was something amiss.
“You’re insane. You know what happened the last time, do you think I’ll let you do it again? They’ll kill you for sure, and they won’t do it cleanly either. You’ll be in agony for months before they let you die!” he hissed. “I built you up again after they sent you north, I’m not going to bring you back from death's door. If you do this, I can’t help you. It hurts too much.”
“Besides,” he continued, “I’ve been seeing Briella, and I really think that there could be something there between us.”
“Anwyn is carrying my child, Romeo.” Liam said. “I know she is. She’s been sick intermittently but then recovers as if it never happened and has been more tired than normal lately. The king can’t bear children, so to save her family I have stepped in. The king will think it’s his child and it I will not have my child grow up with a tyrannical father, curving it to be like him. Anwyn deserves a better life, her family deserves to live safe from the king’s wrath. This could really work if you help us.”
“And what do you want me to do, exactly? I don’t see where I fit into your plan.” Romeo asked, exacerbated.
“If memory serves, there’s a native camp near here. We’re closer to the border than they think, but I’ve been here more recently than they have. We were overcome two days journey from here if I recall correctly. I need you to scout ahead and tell the natives to attack. I can’t leave, I would draw too much attention.”
“And how do you expect me to not draw attention? And what would I tell Briella when she came looking for me? The king? The duchess?” Romeo asked. “The group isn’t so large that one person missing won’t spark suspicion.”
“Say you have family that we’ll be passing, but not close enough to change the course of the rest of the group. You’ll catch up to us in a few days, but in reality you can come back to us when you bring the natives. Sneak in and flank us, they won’t notice you. Or come a bit late and act like you just got there, as scheduled.” he paused. “You can come with us, you know. Leave this forsaken kingdom and find peace.”
“I’m not running from anyone! I don’t need to find peace because I’m happy here! I’m being promoted regularly, I have a woman who I can share things with. There’s nothing I’m wanting of.” he argued.
“We stand in the drizzle, the cold, the scorching sun every day to guard an island that a murderous king lives on, and that’s all we do! When was the last time you felt your world was open to be claimed instead of assigned? You jump at every woman who comes around because you don’t have the freedom to leave the isolation! We are prisoners ourselves and if we don’t change that, we will die unfulfilled, old and sickly in our guard cots, alone. I refuse to live a sad life, and I refuse to let Anwyn live this way anymore, cooped up like a songbird in a cage.” he declared.
Romeo looked like he was going to call curses upon Liam, but instead he stood up and stormed off into the woods. He needed some time to vent and come to terms with what was being said.
Bit of a change of pace, less action, but the promise of more!
Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
Yes. This is the events leading up to the island.
I truly love this story and the characters. I'm so glad I found it