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I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites
Thank you if you take the time to read it!

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Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 41: ANTECEDENT

                The walk back to Kadem’s lair was more excruciating than Aldous could have predicted. Once his tears were dry and his mind clear, it dawned on him just how embarrassing his return would be. “After everything I said… what face should I make when I show up?”
                “Don’t ask me.” Licorice was petting the bird perched on her arm, “I don’t see what the problem is. The life of a human is a constant succession of blunders and amendments. You were being idiotic, now you’re a little less so. There’s nothing out of the ordinary.”
                “I can’t pretend nothing happened!” Aldous was distressed. He didn’t know what was more mortifying: the source of his personal crisis, or the fact that Licorice had solved it with ease.
                “You better decide what face you’ll make.” There was a delicate mockery in her subtle smile, “We’re almost there.”
                Despite his agonizing over the forthcoming moment, once his friends were within sight Aldous’ body knew what to do on its own. Later he wouldn’t recall the exact words he had used to apologize, nor how his excuses had ended up in a group hug. He would nonetheless remember thinking yet again that his comrades were too kind for their own good.
                Malia, Gorken and Bayard had been unable to question Licorice’s conviction when, unlike them, she had followed Aldous without hesitation. They could have accused themselves of sloth for leaving it all in the hands of the ancient demon, but somehow they had known her confidence was truthful. And so they had waited outside of Kadem’s home, patiently and assuredly, for the human and the demon to rejoin them.
                “Welcome back.” Kadem scoffed when they reentered the room, “Does anyone else need a transitory breakdown, or can we go ahead with our planning?” Her harsh derision had the intended result of depleting any remaining tension.
                “Ouch.” Aldous grimaced as he sat at the table, “That stung more than it should have.”
                “Be merciful, Lady Kadem.” Licorice reclaimed her spot next to her sister, “Even heroes have the right to crack every once in a while… as long as they’re human.” The sly glance she shared with the redhead belonged only to him.
                “Breaking is not an affliction exclusive to humanity.” Kadem sighed, “But it’s not my place to argue with an ancient demon. Before this recent… intermission, we agreed the twins would travel to confirm the location of the stone seals, and Gorken would go back to the rebellion headquarters to inform them of our undertaking. What would the timeline for that be?”
                “I can leave tomorrow at first light.” Gorken said, “It should only take me a few days to do what’s needed.”
                “We can depart at any moment.” Hedera shrugged, “We should be back even before Gorken. Traversing land is simple when we don’t have to account for human limitations.”
                “I like the sound of that.” Kadem nodded, “The three of you can leave at dawn then.”
                “Not three.” Lyra declared, “If possible, I would like to take off too. I believe I could be of use amidst the members of the human rebellion. I have no intention of hindering your trip, Mister Gorken, so instructions on the location of headquarters would suffice for me. I’ll get there on my own.”
                “What?!” Malia’s response tumbled out of her before she could give it any thought.
                Lyra smiled pleasantly, “Like I said, I could contribute more by joining the human rebellion than by being here. I’m no warrior, but I am adept at teaching and explaining. My familiarity with the information we transcribed here and my knowledge of immortal culture are my best assets. Aldous and Bayard told me of the work you did by instructing human rebels, Princess. I can continue that work while you focus on breaking the spell and securing allies for the future. I must keep my eyes on that future.”
                “I… You… That’s…” Malia inhaled, “Everything you said makes sense. I can’t refute a thing… But I can say that I wanted us to stay together. I don’t care if that makes me a spoiled child.”
                “You can always command me to stay.” Lyra’s stare was unflinching, “I won’t disobey an order from you.”
                “…You know I can’t do that.” Malia hugged her handmaiden. “I have no right to. I’m a spoiled child, not an evil one.”
                “Good.” Lyra chuckled lightly.
                “I’m thankful for your proposal, Lyra.” Gorken chimed in, “Your presence at headquarters will be valuable. But I can’t let you travel on your own. I’ll escort you.”
                “You’ll get marriage proposals in no time!” Aldous snickered, “There’s a severe lack of girls in the rebellion. And you’re much more approachable than Malia over here.”
                “That’s not a reassuring thought!” Malia was dismayed.
                “Rose will adopt her right away.” Bayard said as he patted Malia’s head, probably trying to calm her down.
                “We all have things to do, then.” Kadem left the table before anyone could ask her where she was going. Malia wondered if the silver witch was caring for her master; the princess hadn’t yet had a chance to talk to Gabrielle, and Kadem had moved in the direction of her sick-room.

                As Gorken and Lyra prepared for their upcoming journey, Malia chose to use her time circling Kadem’s giant tree. It was her duty to restore mastership of her legs as soon as possible. Aldous and Bayard took turns keeping her company, which compelled her to exert herself; she couldn’t allow the time they gifted her to go to waste, and she was unwilling to show them her unseemly figure crawling through the dirt. By the time sunlight receded between Aldous’ noisy cheering and Bayard’s encouraging silence, Malia was capable of walking to the well and back on her own two feet. No bath had ever been as rewarding as the one she took that night.
                Malia was fortunate to have a room to herself, but that didn’t stop her from yearning to sleep with the rest of her companions; they had been spending their nights in the mess of pillows, blankets and makeshift mattresses that flooded the largest chamber inside Kadem’s lair. Her condition had made that desire unattainable until that evening, since her useless legs would have been a hindrance in the packed room. Knowing she would be separated from Gorken and Lyra come morning, she was desperate for excuses to consume every second with them.
                She was running her hand through her ponytail, as she usually did when she was anxious, when her nervous habit gave her the push she needed. She grabbed a hairbrush and rushed through the wooden hallways, hoping Gorken would still be awake. She found him cleaning his sword under a window, taking advantage of the moonlight. Aldous and Bayard were already sound asleep, and the twins were leaning on the wall with their eyes closed.
                “Gorken.” Malia whispered, mindful not to disturb Bayard and Aldous.
                “Hmm?” he turned his head slowly.
                “Can I brush your hair?”
                The question took him by surprise, but he collected himself quickly, “…Sure. I don’t want to go bald though, so if you could be a bit gentler than when you were combing your own-”
                She smacked him in the head with a pillow, causing Aldous to stir in his sleep and Hedera and Licorice to glare at her reprehensibly. The princess mouthed a silent apology as she sat down behind Gorken.
                In spite of his teasing, Gorken was nearly undone by the tender touch of Malia’s hands through his hair. Each time her fingers gingerly grazed the back of his neck, a sinuous jolt pierced his spine and permeated his body with delight. He had to allocate all of his efforts on not letting it show.
                Braiding Gorken’s hair in the dark was trickier than Malia expected, but she managed to do it properly. She didn’t want to reach the bottom of the braid though; she didn’t want it to end. She could only stall for so long, so she stayed near him when she was done, her mind blank aside from the wish to linger by his side.
                He turned around and faced her then, “It’s my turn now, right?”
                “You don’t have to.” She mumbled unconvincingly as he sat behind her, “I did it for myself, really.”

                “I do it for myself, too.” Gorken replied as he loosened her ponytail. She couldn’t object, nor did she wish to. Malia probably loved having Gorken play with her hair more than anything else in the world, as silly as that realization made her feel. She couldn’t deny it. The sensation of his hands diving into her mane lulled her entire body, his caress soothed her fears. Thus, slumber took her mercilessly.

Description
I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites
Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 41: ANTECEDENT

                The walk back to Kadem’s lair was more excruciating than Aldous could have predicted. Once his tears were dry and his mind clear, it dawned on him just how embarrassing his return would be. “After everything I said… what face should I make when I show up?”
                “Don’t ask me.” Licorice was petting the bird perched on her arm, “I don’t see what the problem is. The life of a human is a constant succession of blunders and amendments. You were being idiotic, now you’re a little less so. There’s nothing out of the ordinary.”
                “I can’t pretend nothing happened!” Aldous was distressed. He didn’t know what was more mortifying: the source of his personal crisis, or the fact that Licorice had solved it with ease.
                “You better decide what face you’ll make.” There was a delicate mockery in her subtle smile, “We’re almost there.”
                Despite his agonizing over the forthcoming moment, once his friends were within sight Aldous’ body knew what to do on its own. Later he wouldn’t recall the exact words he had used to apologize, nor how his excuses had ended up in a group hug. He would nonetheless remember thinking yet again that his comrades were too kind for their own good.
                Malia, Gorken and Bayard had been unable to question Licorice’s conviction when, unlike them, she had followed Aldous without hesitation. They could have accused themselves of sloth for leaving it all in the hands of the ancient demon, but somehow they had known her confidence was truthful. And so they had waited outside of Kadem’s home, patiently and assuredly, for the human and the demon to rejoin them.
                “Welcome back.” Kadem scoffed when they reentered the room, “Does anyone else need a transitory breakdown, or can we go ahead with our planning?” Her harsh derision had the intended result of depleting any remaining tension.
                “Ouch.” Aldous grimaced as he sat at the table, “That stung more than it should have.”
                “Be merciful, Lady Kadem.” Licorice reclaimed her spot next to her sister, “Even heroes have the right to crack every once in a while… as long as they’re human.” The sly glance she shared with the redhead belonged only to him.
                “Breaking is not an affliction exclusive to humanity.” Kadem sighed, “But it’s not my place to argue with an ancient demon. Before this recent… intermission, we agreed the twins would travel to confirm the location of the stone seals, and Gorken would go back to the rebellion headquarters to inform them of our undertaking. What would the timeline for that be?”
                “I can leave tomorrow at first light.” Gorken said, “It should only take me a few days to do what’s needed.”
                “We can depart at any moment.” Hedera shrugged, “We should be back even before Gorken. Traversing land is simple when we don’t have to account for human limitations.”
                “I like the sound of that.” Kadem nodded, “The three of you can leave at dawn then.”
                “Not three.” Lyra declared, “If possible, I would like to take off too. I believe I could be of use amidst the members of the human rebellion. I have no intention of hindering your trip, Mister Gorken, so instructions on the location of headquarters would suffice for me. I’ll get there on my own.”
                “What?!” Malia’s response tumbled out of her before she could give it any thought.
                Lyra smiled pleasantly, “Like I said, I could contribute more by joining the human rebellion than by being here. I’m no warrior, but I am adept at teaching and explaining. My familiarity with the information we transcribed here and my knowledge of immortal culture are my best assets. Aldous and Bayard told me of the work you did by instructing human rebels, Princess. I can continue that work while you focus on breaking the spell and securing allies for the future. I must keep my eyes on that future.”
                “I… You… That’s…” Malia inhaled, “Everything you said makes sense. I can’t refute a thing… But I can say that I wanted us to stay together. I don’t care if that makes me a spoiled child.”
                “You can always command me to stay.” Lyra’s stare was unflinching, “I won’t disobey an order from you.”
                “…You know I can’t do that.” Malia hugged her handmaiden. “I have no right to. I’m a spoiled child, not an evil one.”
                “Good.” Lyra chuckled lightly.
                “I’m thankful for your proposal, Lyra.” Gorken chimed in, “Your presence at headquarters will be valuable. But I can’t let you travel on your own. I’ll escort you.”
                “You’ll get marriage proposals in no time!” Aldous snickered, “There’s a severe lack of girls in the rebellion. And you’re much more approachable than Malia over here.”
                “That’s not a reassuring thought!” Malia was dismayed.
                “Rose will adopt her right away.” Bayard said as he patted Malia’s head, probably trying to calm her down.
                “We all have things to do, then.” Kadem left the table before anyone could ask her where she was going. Malia wondered if the silver witch was caring for her master; the princess hadn’t yet had a chance to talk to Gabrielle, and Kadem had moved in the direction of her sick-room.

                As Gorken and Lyra prepared for their upcoming journey, Malia chose to use her time circling Kadem’s giant tree. It was her duty to restore mastership of her legs as soon as possible. Aldous and Bayard took turns keeping her company, which compelled her to exert herself; she couldn’t allow the time they gifted her to go to waste, and she was unwilling to show them her unseemly figure crawling through the dirt. By the time sunlight receded between Aldous’ noisy cheering and Bayard’s encouraging silence, Malia was capable of walking to the well and back on her own two feet. No bath had ever been as rewarding as the one she took that night.
                Malia was fortunate to have a room to herself, but that didn’t stop her from yearning to sleep with the rest of her companions; they had been spending their nights in the mess of pillows, blankets and makeshift mattresses that flooded the largest chamber inside Kadem’s lair. Her condition had made that desire unattainable until that evening, since her useless legs would have been a hindrance in the packed room. Knowing she would be separated from Gorken and Lyra come morning, she was desperate for excuses to consume every second with them.
                She was running her hand through her ponytail, as she usually did when she was anxious, when her nervous habit gave her the push she needed. She grabbed a hairbrush and rushed through the wooden hallways, hoping Gorken would still be awake. She found him cleaning his sword under a window, taking advantage of the moonlight. Aldous and Bayard were already sound asleep, and the twins were leaning on the wall with their eyes closed.
                “Gorken.” Malia whispered, mindful not to disturb Bayard and Aldous.
                “Hmm?” he turned his head slowly.
                “Can I brush your hair?”
                The question took him by surprise, but he collected himself quickly, “…Sure. I don’t want to go bald though, so if you could be a bit gentler than when you were combing your own-”
                She smacked him in the head with a pillow, causing Aldous to stir in his sleep and Hedera and Licorice to glare at her reprehensibly. The princess mouthed a silent apology as she sat down behind Gorken.
                In spite of his teasing, Gorken was nearly undone by the tender touch of Malia’s hands through his hair. Each time her fingers gingerly grazed the back of his neck, a sinuous jolt pierced his spine and permeated his body with delight. He had to allocate all of his efforts on not letting it show.
                Braiding Gorken’s hair in the dark was trickier than Malia expected, but she managed to do it properly. She didn’t want to reach the bottom of the braid though; she didn’t want it to end. She could only stall for so long, so she stayed near him when she was done, her mind blank aside from the wish to linger by his side.
                He turned around and faced her then, “It’s my turn now, right?”
                “You don’t have to.” She mumbled unconvincingly as he sat behind her, “I did it for myself, really.”

                “I do it for myself, too.” Gorken replied as he loosened her ponytail. She couldn’t object, nor did she wish to. Malia probably loved having Gorken play with her hair more than anything else in the world, as silly as that realization made her feel. She couldn’t deny it. The sensation of his hands diving into her mane lulled her entire body, his caress soothed her fears. Thus, slumber took her mercilessly.