"FAYE!" Burne screamed as he ran to the spot the group had been before they vanished. Damien just stood there dumbly as Derek rushed to Rosa's side and pulled the sword out of her chest. "FAYE!" Burne yelled again as he searched for any trace of where they'd gone.
Then he stopped and looked up at Damien. "This is YOUR FAULT!" he screamed at Damien. He drew his sword and rushed Damien at top speed. Damien held up a hand and Burne flew backwards through the air into a large rock.
"How is this my fault?" Damien yelled. He moved his hand and Burne was hoisted into the air and pinned against the rock.
"You let her come up here to save that worthless girl, and the girl died anyway!" Burne roared.
"She wouldn't let me come with her!" Damien screamed.
"Guys, stop!" Derek yelled. "We don't have time for this! We need to get back to the group, and Rosa need's medical attention!"
Damien released Burne and turned to Derek. "She isn't dead?"
"No." Derek scooped her into his arms. "But she will be if we don't get help."
"I'm going after them." Burne scowled.
"No, you aren't." Derek growled. "We need to ask Jagger what to do. He leads us for a reason. He'll know what to do." Burne growled at him, but he came over and started down the path. Derek shrugged and motioned for Damien to follow him.
Damien sighed and followed down the path.
Faye closed her eyes as the group teleported, and waited for solid ground to be under her feet again. When she felt the ground, she opened her eyes and breathed in sharply. She recognized the grand room around them. It was the audience chamber for the king. The room was extremely large, with great pillars on either side supporting the roof. She looked at the other end of the room, but the large gilded golden throne was empty.
Drago let her go, but he still held her arm. "Come on." Amis began walking forward and Drago followed, forcing Faye to come too. They briskly walked up to the steps leading to the throne, and Drago forced Faye to her knees at the foot of them. Drago and Amis retreated behind her so the three of them made a triangle, but they stayed standing.
"All rise for King Arrison!" someone called from the side of the room.
"Stay on your knees." Drago whispered from behind Faye. She looked at the floor, and didn't look up when she heard footsteps in front of her.
"My lord, we brought you the girl." Amis declared from behind her.
"Really." A familiar booming voice spoke from the direction of the throne. "Look at me, girl." Faye took a deep breath and looked up into the king's eyes. He hadn't changed much since she had last seen him, except maybe there were a few more gray hairs in his hair. His brown hair was grown just past his ears and his icy blue eyes were watching her intently.
"You've grown considerably since I've last seen you." he stated simply. "You look like your mother."
"But also like her father, my lord." Amis put in. "The eyes..."
"Be silent, Amis." the king boomed. He stood from his throne and approached Faye. "You're wearing your mother's necklace."
"And she had this, my lord." Amis drew Faye's sword and handed it to him.
"I remember this sword." Arrison tilted his head as he took it. He turned it over and over in his hands, then flung it at the wall, where it clattered to the ground and lay in the dark. "You will have no more need of it, Fayela."
"I-" Fayela began, but the king broke her off.
"You will be a proper lady as your mother never learned to be. You will be polite, quiet, clean, and most importantly, you will never touch a sword again. You belong here, not with the rebellion. You will have the richest wardrobe, and you will never wear leather. After all, a king's daughter must act like one."
"Who did you see in the group?" Jagger asked after Burne relayed what happened. Rosa was lying on a bed nearby as a doctor tended to her wound.
"I saw Amis, but I didn't recognize the boy holding Faye. He couldn't have been but a few years older than her." Burne explained. "I didn't get enough time to see anyone else." He buried his head in his hands.
"I don't understand." Damien sighed. "Why would they just leave? They attacked Rosa, took Faye, and just left. They didn't attack anywhere else or try to kill anyone else."
"That's because they weren't here to attack." Jagger breathed.
"You don't mean..." Burne stared at him.
"They knew. I don't know how, but they knew that she was here." Jagger put his head in his hands.
"Maybe they were here to attack, saw her, and just decided that the attack was irrelevant and that it was a better idea to just take her and get out." Burne offered.
"Wait, why would they want Faye?" Damien asked. "Is she that good of a warrior or something?"
"Damien..." Jagger sighed. "I guess you should know. The king has been searching for her since she joined the rebellion. Not just because she's one of our best fighters. The king wants her back."
"Why?" Damien sat down. "Does he know her?"
Burne snorted. "You could say that."
"You see Damien, she's the king's daughter."
"Get dressed." Drago pushed Faye into a bedchamber and followed her inside, shutting the door behind him.
"No." Faye said stubbornly. Drago sighed and pushed past her to the wardrobe.
"We've kept your room stocked with clothing ever since you left." Drago rummaged through the dresses and pulled out a faded blue. "Here. I believe this was your mother's."
"I'm not wearing that." Faye stood up straighter and scowled at him.
"Fayela, you could boss me around when we were younger, but not anymore." Drago pushed his dark hair out of his face and handed the dress to her. "Now take that leather off. You're a lady, not a warrior."
"I told you, no." Faye set her jaw.
Drago took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes at her. Faye stiffened, and her face contorted. "Why can't I move?"
"I told you. You can't boss me around anymore." Drago reached forward and began untying the lacings of her arm plates. He slid them off of her arms and threw them aside. Then he reached around her and untied the lacings of her corset. When he was done untying every piece of leather on her, she was left in her pants and her loose shirt.
Drago had been a serving boy in the castle when Faye was young, and though he was a couple of years older than her, she had been Elden and thus stronger. Now he was tall, and dark. His hair flopped lazily around his eyes and curled at the top of his neck. His eyes were an odd faded red, but when Faye had left the castle, they had been light green.
"What happened to you?" Faye asked as she felt control come back to her body.
Drago raised his eyebrows. "Hmm?"
"You used to be so sweet and normal." Faye sat down on the bed. "Now..."
"I used to be a coward." Drago laughed as he moved towards the door. "Now isn't the time for that story. I'll send in your ladies, they can help you get cleaned and readied."
"For what?"
"Your welcome home feast."
"My lord, we brought you the girl." Amis declared from behind her.
"Really." A familiar booming voice spoke from the direction of the throne. "Look at me, girl." Faye took a deep breath and looked up into the king's eyes. He hadn't changed much since she had last seen him, except maybe there were a few more gray hairs in his hair. His brown hair was grown just past his ears and his icy blue eyes were watching her intently.
"You've grown considerably since I've last seen you." he stated simply. "You look like your mother."
"But also like her father, my lord." Amis put in. "The eyes..."
"Be silent, Amis." the king boomed. He stood from his throne and approached Faye. "You're wearing your mother's necklace."
"And she had this, my lord." Amis drew Faye's sword and handed it to him.
"I remember this sword." Arrison tilted his head as he took it. He turned it over and over in his hands, then flung it at the wall, where it clattered to the ground and lay in the dark. "You will have no more need of it, Fayela."
"I-" Fayela began, but the king broke her off.
"You will be a proper lady as your mother never learned to be. You will be polite, quiet, clean, and most importantly, you will never touch a sword again. You belong here, not with the rebellion. You will have the richest wardrobe, and you will never wear leather. After all, a king's daughter must act like one."
"Who did you see in the group?" Jagger asked after Burne relayed what happened. Rosa was lying on a bed nearby as a doctor tended to her wound.
"I saw Amis, but I didn't recognize the boy holding Faye. He couldn't have been but a few years older than her." Burne explained. "I didn't get enough time to see anyone else." He buried his head in his hands.
"I don't understand." Damien sighed. "Why would they just leave? They attacked Rosa, took Faye, and just left. They didn't attack anywhere else or try to kill anyone else."
"That's because they weren't here to attack." Jagger breathed.
"You don't mean..." Burne stared at him.
"They knew. I don't know how, but they knew that she was here." Jagger put his head in his hands.
"Maybe they were here to attack, saw her, and just decided that the attack was irrelevant and that it was a better idea to just take her and get out." Burne offered.
"Wait, why would they want Faye?" Damien asked. "Is she that good of a warrior or something?"
"Damien..." Jagger sighed. "I guess you should know. The king has been searching for her since she joined the rebellion. Not just because she's one of our best fighters. The king wants her back."
"Why?" Damien sat down. "Does he know her?"
Burne snorted. "You could say that."
"You see Damien, she's the king's daughter."
"Get dressed." Drago pushed Faye into a bedchamber and followed her inside, shutting the door behind him.
"No." Faye said stubbornly. Drago sighed and pushed past her to the wardrobe.
"We've kept your room stocked with clothing ever since you left." Drago rummaged through the dresses and pulled out a faded blue. "Here. I believe this was your mother's."
"I'm not wearing that." Faye stood up straighter and scowled at him.
"Fayela, you could boss me around when we were younger, but not anymore." Drago pushed his dark hair out of his face and handed the dress to her. "Now take that leather off. You're a lady, not a warrior."
"I told you, no." Faye set her jaw.
Drago took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes at her. Faye stiffened, and her face contorted. "Why can't I move?"
"I told you. You can't boss me around anymore." Drago reached forward and began untying the lacings of her arm plates. He slid them off of her arms and threw them aside. Then he reached around her and untied the lacings of her corset. When he was done untying every piece of leather on her, she was left in her pants and her loose shirt.
Drago had been a serving boy in the castle when Faye was young, and though he was a couple of years older than her, she had been Elden and thus stronger. Now he was tall, and dark. His hair flopped lazily around his eyes and curled at the top of his neck. His eyes were an odd faded red, but when Faye had left the castle, they had been light green.
"What happened to you?" Faye asked as she felt control come back to her body.
Drago raised his eyebrows. "Hmm?"
"You used to be so sweet and normal." Faye sat down on the bed. "Now..."
"I used to be a coward." Drago laughed as he moved towards the door. "Now isn't the time for that story. I'll send in your ladies, they can help you get cleaned and readied."
"For what?"
"Your welcome home feast."
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