Blue

Arrival to Idris

Night had almost fallen by the time the city Gate were in view. Tallulah was white knuckling it on Iris' reins. She felt sick with anxiety.

The gates opened immediately upon their arrival.

She was hyperventilating at this point, eyes searching the faces that greeted them. Many eyes lowered as they realized who was in their presence. So many looked on with curiosity at the presence of their prince within their city.

She had yet to see the reason for her anxiety, she was grateful. She sat higher in her saddle, holding her head in a more confident manner. These people did not recognize her, they never knew her enough for that.

They were in the middle of the city when her eyes connected with a pair of similar color. Her confidence faltered. It was her mother. Next to her stood Bard her stepfather. She knew her mother recognized her with ease, but Bard did not. She looked forward, ignoring the nagging feeling in her chest.

She would visit her mother before she left the city, against her better judgement that is.

They continued to the Lord's keep. She had neve been inside of this building, her mother forbade her, it never stopped her from playing on the ramparts though. It was a common pastime when she was young, her only friend had been her brother. Her mother was furious each time she found her there.

They passed by her old house, where her husband resided. She kept her focus straight ahead once she realized where they were along the road.  She didn't have ti gaze upon the face of her ruin and she was thankful.

It seemed to take ages to reach the keep. They were all welcome with open arms, in respect. She noted the way Mykel's Father...her father...was not here for the welcoming party.

"Where is Lord Kelwin?" Atlas inquired of the men before them.

"He is taking care of a situation. One of our women went missing and her husband has spent months looking for her. She hasn't been found so we must fear the worst for her," Tallulah blanched. They had to be talking about her. She wanted nothing more than the crawl in a hole at that very moment.

"What a shame, is there foul play suspected?" They replied that there wasn't. Which meant Gareth had lied. She had basically poisoned him before running off. It made her curious why he was protecting her.

They were about to be lead into the keep when out strode a man dressed in fine fabrics. She knew who he was immediately. They had the same eyes and the same scale color. Beside him was her husband. She nearly fainted her heart was racing so fast.

"Your grace! What an honor it is!" He welcomed with open arms.

"My lord, I will take my leave," her husband said. She glanced at him. Did he recognize her? She couldn't help but worry.

"I trust all is well, Kelwin," Atlas replied, taking a step towards the man.

"Of course, I do have some shocking information to share, but that is for when we are inside where prying ears cannot reach us," he said.

"I trust this is a conversation that can be spoken about over some food. We've been on the road for a fortnight,"

"Of course, come, my table is already prepared," he invited.

Tallulah followed everyone else. It didn't go past her notice that he said nothing to Mykel. She felt horrible for him.

The arched ceilings reminded her of the palace in Aria but this place wasn't as beautiful. That would make sense though.

"On the way to the front lines, what brings you there with your guard?" Lord Kelwin asked.

"Business, and diplomacy," was Atlas' reply.

"Like your father, you are a man of few words," he said.

"Aye, I don't need them falling on the wrong ears," Atlas said in return. An echo of the words Kelwin had seemingly just said.

"Well, if you trust this group with your life, then I do as well. It has come to my attention that I have an illegitimate daughter, one who is older than even Mykel," he gestured down the table. Tallulah gave a quick glance towards him.

"Are you certain?" Atlas replied. Tallulah gulped and shakily took a sip of the wine in front of her.

"Very much so. She was conceived by a mortal woman who I had a fling with before finding my mate," Lord Kelwin replied. He didn't see, guilty about it either. "Found out once she went missing, her husband knew about it and wanted to find her so he came to me for help," Tallulah had to pause her eating. She wanted nothing more than to cry. Her husband was using her for his own gain. Her life didn't matter to him. Not that it ever had.

She could feel apprehension through the bond. And it made her slightly glad.

"What about her parents and family?"

"Her stepfather didn't care enough and her mother wept but offered no other help," Tallulah had to stop eating altogether. These words were making her sick.

"Would you consider her a legitimate heir? If you found her?"

"Possibly, depending on her mate, I refuse to let another of my offspring be a slag. Although she could stay married to the mortal an bear no children for him, but that would end my bloodline," Mykel slammed down his cutlery, and stormed out of the hall. She wanted to follow but couldn't. "I have two other perfectly good heirs," he said as an afterthought.

"I don't think that comment was necessary," she found herself saying.

"And who are you to tell me what I can or cannot say, boy? Barely out of boyhood, or still in, your lack of facial hair and tenor voice oddly perceive you," he pointed out.

"That is my friend and comrade you so blatantly disrespect, he cannot help who he loves, just like you could not help who you had a fling with before your mate, your argument isn't there, my lord, and your mannerisms are inexplicably gross," she took her own leave.

"Insulted in my own home, your grace I would like to see proper punishment for that boy," she didn't stick around for Atlas' reply.

She found Mykel in a random corridor.

"He knew I was coming, Tallulah, and he told me I wouldn't get to see my siblings. He forbade it because my infection may wear off on them. He told me he would not speak to me or to Ander if we were to enter his halls,"

"I am so sorry, Mykel,"

"If he knew who you were, Tallulah, you could have everything you ever wanted, a loving family, the prince. If you shared your scales for all to see, he would claim you right then and there. None of his other children would matter,"

"It would be at the expense of my brother, though, and I couldn't have that," she gave Mykel a warm smile. "I also might have angered him after you left," she laughed.

"It is easy to do so. He is very stuck in his ways and mindset," he replied.

"Are you going to visit your mother?"

"I have to. Some part of me wants to know why she didn't care enough about me leaving, and why she didn't care that I was put through hell beforehand," she replied.

"You're too nice,"

"You're talking to the one who poisoned her husband to escape," she laughed.

"I stand corrected," Mykel grinned.

They sat in the corridor for the time everyone else continued to dine. It remained silent after their initial conversation. Once they heard the boisterous noise of drunk men, they went to meet them in order to find their rooms for their stay.

They were given lavish rooms. If they hadn't been in the company of Atlas, she knew they'd receive maids quarters or something of the like. It was far nicer than anything she had growing up and she wondered if this was the kind of thing she would have had if she had grown up as Lord Kelwin's daughter.

She had to sneak away to find her mother.

She wanted retribution.