The Kingdoms of Blue and Green.

Part 31

Marlin looked at Collin suggestively. Rising her eyebrows while she lifted the cup to her pale lips. Collin groaned and turned to face Lisandra. Evelynn scanned their faces. Rylen sat up giving her attention to Lisandra. Solar paused in eating and looked at her also. Lisandra placed her arms on the table and spoke.

"I desperately need a getaway and we are sure all safe from elimination tomorrow," Lisandra raised her hands above her head in a stretching motion, and Evelynn could hear the soft cracks of her bones as she reached up.

"Sounds good to me!" Marlin rejoiced. Collin placing his hands in hers on the table.

"Well as long as I can bring Rayleen," Collin said sulky in a pout at Marlin. Then smiled wickedly.

"I am sure Abbigail would love to come with us," Evelynn added nodding at Collin. His pale pink-headed hair bobbed as he nodded at Marlin.

She huffed and patted his pink head.  "Fine, they can come," Marlin mumbled, caught in Collin's dark basil green eyes. Collin smiled at her. His cheeks flushed with pink.

Evelynn exhaled. Is that what I look like with him. Like that?  She looked back at Marlin and Collin. They were all over each other. Marlin's smile radiated through Collin's bones. Seeing Collin laugh melted Marlin's heart.

Solar faced Rylen, placing a baby blue iced cookie in her small hands. "You should bring Vallie," Rylen blushed and closed her hand over the iced sweet. She nodded at Solar. Solar smiled. Bearing her white teeth.

Lisandra smiled in success, "Okay so, Marlin and Collin, Vallie and Rylen, Abbigail and Rayleen, Solar, Evelynn and I, then?"

They all nodded.

"It's settled. I will get 10 horses available the day after tomorrow. Pack the bare necessities. Collin brings the grog."

"Rayleen will help with that," He chuckled. Lisandra smirked at him, raising her eyebrows.

"I'll talk to Abbigail," Solar spoke, twiddling a packaged sweet between her dark fingers.

Evelynn banged her fist on the table. "Let the getaway begin. We ride at dawn!"

Cheers erupted from the rest of them. It overjoyed her to see them smile.

Evelynn's cheeks flushed with colour as she saw them. She repeated the words Lisandra said at the start. 'Friends'. She chuckled at Rylen sticking her tongue out at Collin. She was home, with them. A makeshift home she would call it. Her second family wherever they go. It brought joy to Evelynn's cracked heart and rattled bones.

                                                          ~

Evelynn strutted down the common room aisle. On her way back to her room. Filled with sweets in her pockets and happiness in her heart. A small fragile figure appeared from around a corner. Evelynn smiled at the small girl. Her blonde hair plated into braids on either side of her head. Then Roselin followed behind her.

"Edith! God's do you know how to walk like a lady,"

"Can't be as worse as you sister," Edith snapped back. Evelynn halted and faced the young women and Roselin.

"I think your walk is the most wonderful," Evelynn lowered herself to Edith.

"Thank you, princess," Edith curtsied. Roselin crossed her arms behind them.

"No need for that, please call me Evelynn," Evelynn smiled, lifting herself back up.

"Well Evelynn this is my sister, Roselin," Edith turned to her sister.

Roselin lowered her arms and looked down at her sister. She scanned Evelynn and inhaled. Her beautiful blonde hair was pure genetics, sharing the genetics with her sister. Evelynn looked at her plunging v neck on her gold dress. She swallowed and looked back at Edith. A younger more innocent version of Roselin.

"I'm sorry for using physical violence on you at the first elimination," Evelynn stammered looking back at Roselin. She bit her cheeks and exhaled. Her shoulders dropping.

"You hit her?" Edith shouted.

"I did," Evelynn whispered trying to get Edith to quiet down. She felt her stomach knot at the sight of Edith. How she stood, and slightly slouched posture. "And there was no need for it. I am deeply sorry to your sister about that incident. I was overwhelmed and overreacted," Evelynn spoke honest sincerity.

"Please forgive her," Edith pleaded to her sister. She nudged her sister in the elbow. Roselin looked up at Evelynn. Sudden pain in her gut appeared. Evelynn lowered her head.

"Your forgiven," Roselin nodded. Evelynn snapped her head back up and looked into Roselin's eyes. Evelynn exhaled heavily. She smiled slightly. Evelynn reached her hand out to ask.

"6 year age gap," Roselin hummed.

"I'm 16 at the very end of the year," Edith smiled at Evelynn.

Evelynn's heart sank. This girl was only a child. Her smile was bright. So was Evelynn's nearing 16. Then the piles of responsibilities and expectations stacked high over her innocence and childhood.

"You need to start to prepare for your 'outing'," Roselin interrupted Evelynn's thoughts.

Evelynn bit her cheeks. Her outing was prepared for months. Where she was displayed to the court and her people as the air and a woman of the country. As well as for sale. Edith had to look forward to going to the starlight ball at the star-calendared year. As a displaying herself as a potential lady of the court of Eramada.

"How was your 'outing'?" Edith questioned.

"Oh it was horrible," Evelynn smiled at the both of them. "I near tripped in my dress, and my corset almost squished my insides together," Evelynn laughed. "It was the most wonderful night though. Dancing with my village friends and Princes under the starlight," Evelynn nodded at Edith.

"We don't have peasants that attend the ball you should know that," Roselin questioned.

"Oh, of course, I meant court member's sons, of course not village people where on earth did I get that from," Evelynn chuckled as her heartbeat heavier. She swallowed and smiled back at Roselin.

"You should be excited," Roselin, smiled at her sister. "You get to wear the most beautiful dresses,"

Evelynn nodded glancing at Edith.

"Well I must go, we were on our way to Mother's," Edith pulled at Roselin's dress. Humming at Evelynn.

"Of course, sorry for the holdup," Evelynn apologized. Edith waved goodbye and disappeared around the corridor that Evelynn came from. Roselin remained. She thinned her lips and rubbed her tongue over her teeth.

"Thank you," Roselin spoke. Evelynn was caught off guard. "She'd had been against it for ages," She looked towards where Edith disappeared.

"Of course," Evelynn responded.

"Thank you for apologizing too," Roselin haltered. "I was being extremely self-centred, I didn't mean to be rude,"

"Don't worry about it Roselin," Evelynn smiled. "I have been called much worse,"

Roselin nodded and turned away from Evelynn walking away from her.

"You know what?" Roselin turned back. Her blonde waves shifting over her shoulders. "You'd make a good Queen,"

Evelynn wanted to melt into the floor. She gripped her fingers in her cloak.

"His queen," She said smiling turning back as she followed Edith. Disappearing from view.

Evelynn turned around and walked to her room. She wanted to simply run to Edith and tell her to run, run far away from where the responsibilities couldn't reach her innocent hands. Evelynn wanted to scream and tell them that she didn't belong here. That she didn't want to be his. Azrael's.