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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 48: PACKING

                When Malia managed to slap Kadem after days of laborious efforts, it didn’t feel like an accomplishment. Her mind had been occupied elsewhere, insistently searching for a thread to hang on to. She had been earnest in her declaration to her master: she believed that she could find a way to heal Gabrielle. The princess had hoped that surely, now that she had tapped into her core, any magical endeavor was within grasp.
                Each failure stung harder than the last. Every time her ideas carved a path to a feasible solution, reality truncated it harshly. Kadem’s evasiveness in front of her proposals made Malia feel like a toddler being protected from truth. She had never been talented at healing magic, but the amiable way Kadem rejected her theories left her seeming asinine.
                Nature had been just as unforgiving as magic toward her speculations.
                “I’m sorry, but that wouldn’t work either.” Hedera’s sympathetic tone had made her, for the first time, like a big sister in Malia’s eyes, “I’ve been giving it some thought too, but there’s nothing we can do. The touch of nature can’t fix what is manmade… only dispel it.” Licorice had then confirmed her twin’s words with a somber nod.
                Therefore, when Kadem had proclaimed their training completed, and Gorken had suggested a date for their departure, Malia had seen it as a road opening up amidst the shadowy dead ends. The Eirian library was a treasure cove of lost knowledge, a vast collection of tomes and pages and parchments that had only been preserved there. Maybe, just maybe, one of their skilled magicians would hold the key to the shackles of Gabrielle’s ailment.
                Their main objective of gaining the support of the Eirian clan was already intimidating, but the chance of finding more than that settled the southern lands as an exhilarating destination in Malia’s heart. That same heart however, murmured sour facts at her during quiet moments. If Kadem can’t do it, no one can. Perhaps a journey is what I need… time and distance can erode even the densest of sorrows. Don’t look away from what is, don’t run from what you already know will happen.
                Malia was absentmindedly folding a cloak into her bag when Kadem’s voice saved her from sinking deeper into grim thoughts, “I’m out of touch with the current state of politics.” The silver woman handed Gorken a scarf, “Are you sure it’s wise for a runaway princess, a few human rebels and two demons to show up at the front door of the Eirian Palace? No matter how nice the Eirians may be, that scenario sounds like you will certainly be spending a few nights in a dungeon.”
                “I trust my aunt.” Malia said, remembering Lyra’s faith in the clan the blonde had originally served, “If we end up in a dungeon, it’ll be after she listens to us… and if we mess up really badly. The Eirians take pride in their hospitality.” Although Malia was worried about persuading her aunt Frida; joining a conflict that might ultimately not benefit the southern realm was a hard sell. The southern queen had a peculiar sense of justice… but will I be able to resonate with it? To understand it enough to sway her?
                It was eerie how quickly Malia’s enthusiastic disposition toward a future they could shape had mutated into concern and ambivalence… and into fear. Had it been the revelation about her master? Or had she been too absorbed by her daily tasks before then to stop for a moment and imagine what could go wrong? Either way, she knew better than to burden her friends by voicing her doubts; it wasn’t their job to keep her spirits up. We all have anxieties of our own.
                As if he could hear her thoughts loud and clear, Gorken stood behind Malia and locked his arms around her. “It’ll be alright.” He whispered in her ear.
                How could she be so simple? An effortless hug, an obvious encouragement, and suddenly she was ready to battle the world and win. The power of Gorken’s gesture to shift her emotions left her stunned, embarrassed at how easily he could fill the void in her chest. She didn’t move, her face alight and her center restored.
                Aldous ruptured the scene when he noticed Malia’s aggressively red cheeks, “Aw, should we leave the room? Is a tender hug too much for the princess to handle?”
                Bayard glared at Aldous disapprovingly, but for once it wasn’t up to him to stop the redhead’s frivolity. “It’s curious you would point that out.” Gorken said, “Your red ears always spoke vehemently of your inability to handle Bayard’s affections. Focus on packing enough clothes, soldier, or the southern cold will beat you.”
                “That’s not fair boss!” Aldous fit a blanket into his bag with surprising dexterity, given he could only rely on one hand, “He may seem calm, but you don’t know what kinds of things Bayard used to do in bed when-”
                “Stop it right there!” Malia cut Aldous off, “I don’t need to hear about that! …But… You and Bayard were… lovers?”
                “For a time, yeah. But what’s this?” Aldous pointed at Malia’s even redder cheeks, a mocking grin slowly shaping his features, “Are immortals shy about love? Did you never ask about where babies come from?”
                “Two men can’t make any babies!” Malia snapped, angry that Aldous had probably hit the nail on the head; immortal nobles didn’t talk openly about intercourse… but she had thoroughly studied immortal biology, which was to say, human biology. “Some things should stay private, especially out of respect for your partner!”
                “Indeed.” Bayard joined in, “Aldous has always been this unbearably inappropriate regarding all matters. But he will never recognize he did something wrong if you call him out.”
                “There you go again, pretending you’re the mature one.” Aldous mumbled.
                Bayard pierced him with his gaze, “If you have something to say, say it audibly.”
                “Ha! You’re one to talk! No one can endure your constant swinging between cold silence and mean berating. It’s no wonder my gentle heart couldn’t take it.”
                “Was that supposed to be a jape?” There was ice in Bayard’s soft remark.
                “Cut it out.” Gorken silenced them, “I apologize for bringing it up. Let’s concentrate on our luggage, or we will regret it.”
                Malia exhaled when Gorken let go of her to grab his own bag. She had been so comfortable in his arms that a twinge of disappointment assailed her, but she chased it away swiftly.
                It was then she observed that Kadem, Hedera and Licorice had been staring at them, keenly listening to their conversation. The silver witch looked comprehensibly amused, while the expressions of the demon twins conveyed they had been witnessing some sort of wondrous, outlandish occurrence.

                Never before had Malia felt so human.

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 48: PACKING

                When Malia managed to slap Kadem after days of laborious efforts, it didn’t feel like an accomplishment. Her mind had been occupied elsewhere, insistently searching for a thread to hang on to. She had been earnest in her declaration to her master: she believed that she could find a way to heal Gabrielle. The princess had hoped that surely, now that she had tapped into her core, any magical endeavor was within grasp.
                Each failure stung harder than the last. Every time her ideas carved a path to a feasible solution, reality truncated it harshly. Kadem’s evasiveness in front of her proposals made Malia feel like a toddler being protected from truth. She had never been talented at healing magic, but the amiable way Kadem rejected her theories left her seeming asinine.
                Nature had been just as unforgiving as magic toward her speculations.
                “I’m sorry, but that wouldn’t work either.” Hedera’s sympathetic tone had made her, for the first time, like a big sister in Malia’s eyes, “I’ve been giving it some thought too, but there’s nothing we can do. The touch of nature can’t fix what is manmade… only dispel it.” Licorice had then confirmed her twin’s words with a somber nod.
                Therefore, when Kadem had proclaimed their training completed, and Gorken had suggested a date for their departure, Malia had seen it as a road opening up amidst the shadowy dead ends. The Eirian library was a treasure cove of lost knowledge, a vast collection of tomes and pages and parchments that had only been preserved there. Maybe, just maybe, one of their skilled magicians would hold the key to the shackles of Gabrielle’s ailment.
                Their main objective of gaining the support of the Eirian clan was already intimidating, but the chance of finding more than that settled the southern lands as an exhilarating destination in Malia’s heart. That same heart however, murmured sour facts at her during quiet moments. If Kadem can’t do it, no one can. Perhaps a journey is what I need… time and distance can erode even the densest of sorrows. Don’t look away from what is, don’t run from what you already know will happen.
                Malia was absentmindedly folding a cloak into her bag when Kadem’s voice saved her from sinking deeper into grim thoughts, “I’m out of touch with the current state of politics.” The silver woman handed Gorken a scarf, “Are you sure it’s wise for a runaway princess, a few human rebels and two demons to show up at the front door of the Eirian Palace? No matter how nice the Eirians may be, that scenario sounds like you will certainly be spending a few nights in a dungeon.”
                “I trust my aunt.” Malia said, remembering Lyra’s faith in the clan the blonde had originally served, “If we end up in a dungeon, it’ll be after she listens to us… and if we mess up really badly. The Eirians take pride in their hospitality.” Although Malia was worried about persuading her aunt Frida; joining a conflict that might ultimately not benefit the southern realm was a hard sell. The southern queen had a peculiar sense of justice… but will I be able to resonate with it? To understand it enough to sway her?
                It was eerie how quickly Malia’s enthusiastic disposition toward a future they could shape had mutated into concern and ambivalence… and into fear. Had it been the revelation about her master? Or had she been too absorbed by her daily tasks before then to stop for a moment and imagine what could go wrong? Either way, she knew better than to burden her friends by voicing her doubts; it wasn’t their job to keep her spirits up. We all have anxieties of our own.
                As if he could hear her thoughts loud and clear, Gorken stood behind Malia and locked his arms around her. “It’ll be alright.” He whispered in her ear.
                How could she be so simple? An effortless hug, an obvious encouragement, and suddenly she was ready to battle the world and win. The power of Gorken’s gesture to shift her emotions left her stunned, embarrassed at how easily he could fill the void in her chest. She didn’t move, her face alight and her center restored.
                Aldous ruptured the scene when he noticed Malia’s aggressively red cheeks, “Aw, should we leave the room? Is a tender hug too much for the princess to handle?”
                Bayard glared at Aldous disapprovingly, but for once it wasn’t up to him to stop the redhead’s frivolity. “It’s curious you would point that out.” Gorken said, “Your red ears always spoke vehemently of your inability to handle Bayard’s affections. Focus on packing enough clothes, soldier, or the southern cold will beat you.”
                “That’s not fair boss!” Aldous fit a blanket into his bag with surprising dexterity, given he could only rely on one hand, “He may seem calm, but you don’t know what kinds of things Bayard used to do in bed when-”
                “Stop it right there!” Malia cut Aldous off, “I don’t need to hear about that! …But… You and Bayard were… lovers?”
                “For a time, yeah. But what’s this?” Aldous pointed at Malia’s even redder cheeks, a mocking grin slowly shaping his features, “Are immortals shy about love? Did you never ask about where babies come from?”
                “Two men can’t make any babies!” Malia snapped, angry that Aldous had probably hit the nail on the head; immortal nobles didn’t talk openly about intercourse… but she had thoroughly studied immortal biology, which was to say, human biology. “Some things should stay private, especially out of respect for your partner!”
                “Indeed.” Bayard joined in, “Aldous has always been this unbearably inappropriate regarding all matters. But he will never recognize he did something wrong if you call him out.”
                “There you go again, pretending you’re the mature one.” Aldous mumbled.
                Bayard pierced him with his gaze, “If you have something to say, say it audibly.”
                “Ha! You’re one to talk! No one can endure your constant swinging between cold silence and mean berating. It’s no wonder my gentle heart couldn’t take it.”
                “Was that supposed to be a jape?” There was ice in Bayard’s soft remark.
                “Cut it out.” Gorken silenced them, “I apologize for bringing it up. Let’s concentrate on our luggage, or we will regret it.”
                Malia exhaled when Gorken let go of her to grab his own bag. She had been so comfortable in his arms that a twinge of disappointment assailed her, but she chased it away swiftly.
                It was then she observed that Kadem, Hedera and Licorice had been staring at them, keenly listening to their conversation. The silver witch looked comprehensibly amused, while the expressions of the demon twins conveyed they had been witnessing some sort of wondrous, outlandish occurrence.

                Never before had Malia felt so human.