Private Tales The Broken Crown

[Mariana]

Averey nudged the larger orc with her slight shoulder as she finished her stew and he finished his story.

"If you'll excuse me, I think I'll retire for the night." She gave him a small smile. He nodded down at her.

"Would strap yerself in tonight, miss. There be storms comin' on the seas."

"Thank you for the warning, Tom." Gathering the fabric of her dress in her hands, she rose and began making her way back to the cabin. The stars already dotted across the black sky. Her favorite time - and why she'd chosen, no, been drawn to, the night court. Alre would often find her out on deck until early morning. Then she'd drag herself back to their quarters to sleep. Tonight was different, though.

She felt awkward around the young prince.

She felt like there was unsettled business between them, since his outburst and her apology.

And so, since their journey on the ship was coming to an end, soon, she wanted to...hopefully, make amends. She knocked on the cabin door and spoke quietly. "Alre, are you clothed? May I come in?"

 

[Alre Castielle]

Alre was already back in the hammock, a place that for him seemed almost entirely natural to actually be in. His head tilted as he heard the knock on the door.

"What?" He called out. "Of course I am."

What did she think that all heathens ran around naked all the time? His head shook almost as if he couldn't quite conceive she would even think him so low.

"Just come in!" The Prince said, shifting in his hammock again to be more comfortable.

A part of him couldn't quite believe this was where he'd ended up.

 

[Mariana]

"You could've been changing," she muttered as she opened the door. She closed it behind her as she stepped inside. Going to the water basin on the small table in their quarters, she splashed some of it on her face. Kicking off her sandals, she slid into the hammock beneath him, easing onto her back.

Wavy hair curled and rested along her skin and shoulders, fanning out across the netting of the hammock as she looked up at him.

"Alre," she said quietly. "Do you forgive me? For...before?"

 

[Alre Castielle]

Alre perked an eyebrow at her words, though she wouldn't be able to see it of course from her position. Lips thinned for a moment, not really sure what to say to that. "Not sure what there is to forgive."

Not that he really cared.

The day that his father had died, the day that his throne had been taken from him Alre had thought of any debt or harm to him done from that point less important. His uncle was all that mattered. Getting back what was his was all that mattered.

Everything else could fall by the way side.

"Don't worry about it." He would do far worse by the end.

 

[Mariana]

“Well. Like I said. I misjudged you. You could’ve left me behind. Multiple times. And you didn’t. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you had,” she said quietly.

Her head turned, catching the moon’s beams on her face. She looked off into the distance of their porthole window. “Some of the crew have offered me...us lodging in Salitra. Free. I was hoping to help. Somehow.”

 

[Alre Castielle]

Alre pinched the bridge of his nose, but didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Lodging?"

Well that was something at least.

He-they, he supposed, had plenty of gold. They probably could have afford to rent out an entire Estate if they wanted to, but hanging around with a bunch of sailors was likely far less likely to be noticed by anyone following them.

"Excellent." Alre actually sounded pleased. "I'm sure we can find our way from there."

To one of the cities Princes.

 

[Mariana]

“I’ll need to try and get word back to my sisters. To the temple masters. When we get to the city. See what’s happened.”

She’d been wearing the same dress for their entire voyage.

“I’ll need some new clothes as well.” And she wanted some work. Or to explore the city. Find out who they worshipped. Averey used to travel a lot for the courts temples in her earlier days. But that had been years ago. And she’d forgotten how much she enjoyed it.

 

[Alre Castielle]

"I wouldn't do that." He said with a frown.

Alre knew that she would likely object, but there was really only one way something like that could actually go. If word got back to the Temples, then it would eventually get back to those hunting her and her sisters. That was how it always worked.

He had no doubt that the other Priestesses were loyal to Avery, that they would try to keep her secrets, but even the hardest men found torture difficult to resist. "Anything you send back will have information of where we are."

The young Prince explained.

"A trail that can be followed." Not wise.

 

[Mariana]

"Well," she sighed a small smile on her lips as she looked up at him. "At least you didn't say no to some more clothes."

She sighed.

"I understand what you're saying but they're my family. I have to know...if they're okay. What happened. Maybe there's a way to ask around without asking directly. We dock in the morning."

She shifted on the hammock, turning her gaze toward the light cast from the moon on their doorway.

"Will you miss the sea?"

 

[Alre Castielle]

Clothes, he did not mind.

It was reaching out to people who could possibly get them...him killed. The fact of the matter was that if they were going to stick together, which he wanted given her power, he did not want her reaching out to anyone at all.

Not if it could give them away. "Just search for news in Alliria."

He told her.

'Rumors aren't exactly the best source of news, but you can paint a picture with it." Which should be enough for her to be satisfied. "Just don't send anything back."

Not when they were still in danger of being found out and followed. Confrontation was inevitable, but Alre would be damned if he let it happen before they were ready.

When she asked her next question he frowned. "Maybe."

He had never been far from the sea, in truth, but that wasn't something he was willing to admit to her.

 

[Mariana]

"We'll see what I find out," she mused quietly. Saying a quick, silent prayer to the goddess and the night court, Averey finally closed her eyes. It was hard for her to fall asleep. It still wasn't past midnight. And more than that, she was worried about those she'd left behind. And since she'd taken the words of the book on her own skin, she'd felt their thrumming power within her. Something she didn't want to share with Alre.

Hours later, the bright light of dawn pressed into their porthole. There were shouts of men working outside. They'd come to a stop and were tying the rigging up to the docks now.

They'd made it to Sailtra.

Pungent smells from the marketplace were already seeking to permeate their cabin. Smells of cinnamon, curry, and cardamom. There were shouts from the throngs of people along the busy streets just outside the docks. Averey turned over and squeezed her eyes more tightly closed.

 

[Alre Castielle]

Alre was standing in the middle of the cabin, already dressed and prepared to get off the ship as fast as humanly possible.

He did not want to linger.

If there was one thing he'd learned while on the run from his Uncle it was the fact that staying in one place was a bad idea. Sooner or later if someone was looking for you they would find you. You made it easier the longer you stayed in one place. Such a lesson did not have to be taught twice.

At least not to anyone with a brain. "Up and at em, Priestess."

Alre said as he grabbed the edge of the hammock and began to shake it. Not violently enough that she would fall out of it, but enough that she would be rocked back and forth a few times and hopefully stirred awake.

"We have a city to explore." Princes to charm and Information to glean.

It would be a busy day.

 

[Mariana]

While elven ears were far more honed than a human's, she didn't hear Alre right next to her until her hammock started to shake. Cobalt-blues snapped open and a hand went to her chest as she glared up at the princeling.

"Goddess above," eyes narrowed further. "You certainly enjoyed that, didn't you?" The priestess huffed, though a trace of amusement flecked in her gaze. Hand ran down her face and she sat up, swinging her legs from the hammock and standing up.

She'd be glad to have a solid bed again. Even a cot. She didn't enjoy sleeping in hammocks for long periods of time, so she found on this voyage. She had no bags or other belongings since fleeing Aliria, so it was easy to depart their small cabin and the ship. Running her fingers to smooth out her curls, she followed Alre out.

Tom's towering form stepped away from the cargo he was offloading and wrapped the priestess in a giant orc hug, lifting her easily off her feet. Averey yelped slightly at the squeeze. He released her and rubbed the back of her neck.

"So it's settled then. My cousin has a house on the river with a spare room. Just tell him you're friends of mine." The orc offered a wink to Alre and laid a massive hand on the young man's shoulder. "She's a special woman. You take care of her." That hand tightened momentarily on his shoulder.

 

[Alre Castielle]

"I can assure you." Alre told the orc in his most earnest tone. "Not a hair will be harmed on her head."

Those tattoos though...that was a different story.

In his own mind he estimated that they had at least a week or two here before they had to worry about being followed. From what Avery had told him these bandits had been chasing her and her Temples all over the continent, that likely meant resources.

Unfortunately when leaving Alliria he hadn't exactly been...subtle.

A man carrying a pack full of gold and a beautiful elven woman slung over his shoulders wasn't exactly the most inconspicuous thing, and there was no doubt he'd been noticed. Sailors had loose lips, and before long those who had been after the book would come for the Priestess.

"Well stay there a day or two." He told Avery as they headed out. "But I think it best if he move around."

His lip thinned for a moment and he looked at her. "So we don't out anyone in danger."

 

[Mariana]

"A few days," she agreed. She would never wish danger upon anyone else. Especially ones that were giving them a place to stay without ever having met them. Her smaller hand fit into the orc's massive palm one last time and gave Tom a gentle squeeze. Then she turned and followed Alre off the ship and onto the busy streets of Salitra.

It reminded her of Alliria. Just dryer. Perhaps a little more color. There was a fleck of yellow through the crowds. Bright yellow eyes set between bandages. As her own eyes met that strange pair, they were gone.

"Did you see," she murmured to Alre. "Never mind." A small frown tugged on her lips.

"So Tom said to follow the streets East. Over the second bridge. Turn right and it's to the left of the apothecary."

 

[Alre Castielle]

Alre nodded his head, not entirely sure of the directions being accurate but deciding that it was best not to ask too many questions at this juncture.

His focus was mostly on the city around them.

He tried to remember details of Salitra from when he'd been here as a child, but his experience had been decidedly different than it was right now. Things were a bit more...crowded, and no one was being pushed away by soldiers.

Almost instinctively he stepped towards Avery, not because of him, but because he knew crowds like this from Alliria. Cut-purses, thieves, rapists, and half a dozen other sordid folk walked places like this. Best to keep the rather naive Priestess close. "That it?"

He said as he pointed towards the apothecary.

"Seems like it." The neighborhood was...not nice, which tracked with a sailors home.

 

[Mariana]

An auburn brow lofted at the princeling and his protective stance.

"I've grown up in cities across the continent. Traveled, though not here. You do not need to...worry so much." She commented quietly to him. And she was older then him. By a few decades if she was judging correctly.

"Yes, that seems to be it," she finally concluded and balled a fist to knock on the wooden door.

"Wat the hell you want?!" A gruff, female voice barked from the other side.

Averey cleared her throat. "We're friends of Tom and he mentioned we might be able to stay here for a few nights." There was a pregnant pause of silence and then they heard a series of locks being unlocked from the other side.

 

[Alre Castielle]

Alre did not say anything to Avery's comments.

He was not worried necessarily about the city itself, what worried him as the idea of leaving a trail. He did not want to get caught by something, he did not want to end up with his throat slit and his hands bound. There was something entirely disagreeable about the prospect.

Something that set him on the edge of his nerves. Fingers tightened for a brief moment, eyes closing as he took in a deep breath. "Hello there."

Alre said with a small wave.

His gaze cast inside the room, and as he suspected it was...well a shithole by his standards. It would do though, at least for a day or two.

 

[Mariana]

"C'min then," the orc grunted after running a critical eye over Averey and Alre. Alre for longer. She wondered who this whelp of a boy was with that proud jaw and chin. A meaty arm motioned them in, casting a longer glance outside.

If Averey was surprised or disgusted at the state of where they would be living for a few days, she didn't show it. In fact, she didn't mind the conditions at all. She'd stayed in much work. There was that time she cared for the sick in the jungles bordering where the Nagai were.

The orc showed them a room with a single bed with a window facing the wall of another building.

"Thank you," Averey looked up at the woman. "My name is Averey and this is Alre. We appreciate your hospitality. Don't we Alre?"

 

[Alre Castielle]

"We do." Somehow the young Prince managed not to sound sarcastic.

He'd always been a good liar, and perhaps that was helping him in this situation now. His lips thinned for a brief moment, but then he smiled and tried to offer some sort of pleasant expression. At least what someone might have read as a pleasant expression if they didn't actually know him.

In reality though this place disgusted him.

There was something about all this that made him feel somewhat sick. Lips thinned briefly and he shook his head as the Orc smiled back and then turned on his heel and began to step away.

"I'll leave ya to it then."

The Orc closed the door, wanting to give them some privacy. "So...you wanna cuddle?"

Alre joked as he looked at the single bed.

 

[Mariana]

Averey looked at the small room. Even smaller than their quarters on the ship. Thank the temple it was a bed and not a hammock. She needed something that wasn't swinging. Even the floor.

"Very funny," the priestess said dryly.

Taking the one-ish step to the single bed, she sat down on the mattress.

"It's not so...," as she sat down there was a loud creeeeeak-yyy-creak sound as the springs protested. "...bad." Cobalt-blues traveled back to the prince. "You can take the bed the first night and I'll take it the second. I imagine you don't want staying here more than that?" Finger tapped against the mattress as she looked up at him. Hand lifted, palm upward in expectation.

"I'll need some coin for some new clothes. I think it's time I check the markets."

 

[Alre Castielle]

He would be ready to leave after the first night.

There was no argument to her buying new clothes though, and from the satchel on the small of his back he pulled out a single gold coin. It was an Allirian Crown, often considered to be the most worth by the weight of gold actually in it.

Even here in the empire it would be enough. "Here."

Alre said as he flipped it over towards the Priestess.

"Get something simple." He urged her. "The Last thing we want to do right now is stand out."

 

[Mariana]

"Really, Alre, please have some faith in me even if you don't believe in any higher power." Averey clicked her tongue once at the young human and took the coin. Standing from the mattress, she moved around him and opened the door. Averey did not like asking him for money. She was used to doing what she needed to do at the temple. She was used to having more to give away. And here? She had nothing to give to others.

And even though he didn't say it, she knew it would be hard for her not to stick out regardless. Her skin was practically glowing before the magical spells written on them. And now? Now it seemed to make her skin glow even more. At least it was brightly sunny here to help hide it during the day. And her natural beauty stood out even wearing the drabbest fashion. Being an elf made her features fairer than most, more otherworldly and peculiar.

"Don't wait up for me," she teased him as she went back toward the way they'd come into the little hovel.

 

[Alre Castielle]

Alre didn't stay behind.

He allowed some time to pass after Avery left the small room, pacing around for a few seconds before he checked to make sure that she was gone.

When he confirmed that, the young Prince immediately darted out. He offered only a simple wave of good bye to the owner of the house, muttering some excuse about having to find some new clothes as well before he went into the city.

His trip was fast, at least faster than shopping.

Alre stopped by several Inn's, spreading around Silver and copper to collect rumors and names of those who might help him. It took him only an hour, but eventually he landed upon the name of Amir Sulah Tel Irrid. A powerful merchant with apparently...pliable morals.

As soon as he had wanted he wanted Alre returned, and by the time Avery got back she would find him lounging on the bed.

 

[Mariana]

Averey managed to find some new clothing in the local style. She opted to change into some of the clothing at one of the shops. Wherever she went, she seemed to make friends. It was very hard for Averey to lay low. She ended up giving her earings away to a woman in-need along the streets but the woman insisted on giving Averey her last bag of spices that she was trying to sell.

By the time she got back to the orc's house, she was buzzing with energy. Or perhaps with magic. She felt...off. Fingers ran down the length of her arms as if she could brush the growing itch away.

Coming into the small room, she set the bags down loudly.

"Comfortable I see?"

Clunk.