Orenda

But

Hi everybody! I actually have zero readers rn, but thats okay bc I'm just enjoying writing the story! So, for anybody who might see this sometime, thank you so much for reading it means A LOT to me it's a dream come true!

Mery Christmas to all who actually see this!

-- Ivy :)

A soft touch brushes my forehead, waking me up gently. Adam, I realize, a small smile spreading across my face as butterflies flutter through my stomach. My eyes open slowly, pinpointing the man that my heart desires.

He smiles at me, "Hey cutie."

I roll my eyes at the nickname but play along, "Hey handsome."

"Are you feeling okay? The guards said that you were...uh...reacting strongly?" Adam questions, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear.

I hesitate, "Yeah, I'm okay. Did they let you go?"

At that question, Adam's eyes dart towards the door and then the window. That's an answer for itself, and fear trickles into my gut as I suddenly understand that he can't stay. I sit up a bit, pulling the covers around my lap.

Adam knows that I know he broke out of the prison, so he knows that I know he has to go. He reaches forward and hugs me, pulling me tightly into his strong arms and pressing my head into his chest. "I'm so sorry..." he murmurs. "You know I have to go, but I'll see you soon, 'kay?"

I nod into his chest, "Stay safe, please," I beg him, my eyes wide and pleading.

He gives a curt nod back to me as he pulls away, "I'll try, Alaynia."

And then, faster than the wind on a summer day, he's gone.

Only moments later, the door bursts open and Technoblade  stands in the entrance with his sword unsheathed. He's breathing heavily, obviously having run all the way up here. "Techno!" I protest, pulling the covers up higher even though I'm decent right now.

My brother looks at me, only registering where he is in that moment. Then, his eyes narrow. "Alaynia, come here."

"I-" I try to protest.

"I'm not even going to ask if that man was here, because I know he was," Techno cuts me off abruptly, his eyebrows raised in an expression that I don't really want to read.

I slide out of my warm, comforting bed, and walk over to my brother. To my surprise, he grabs my arm roughly and yanks me out of my room. "Techno, what are you doing?" I gasp, startled.

"Keeping you safe, because you clearly can't handle doing so yourself," he practically snarls back.

I'm shocked into silence by his tone, and he drags me silently, and ruthlessly, through the castle. Finally, however, we come to a door that I recognize well. I'm surprised by this, also, because I thought he was going to take me to Dad or something. But no, he sheathes his sword so he can fling open the door to his room and all but toss me inside.

The force of my brother pushing me into the room makes me lose my balance, and I sprawl onto the floor. Instantly, I flip over onto my back and scooch away from my towering sibling. Oh, how the tables of senority have turned.

"Since you clearly can't handle being sleeping alone, you can stay in my room until I decide that it's safe for you to come out," Techno spits, still blatantly angry.

"What? Techno, you're being-" I try to argue, now irritated with my usually docile brother.

"Irrational? Unrealistic? Overprotective? No, I'm not, Alaynia, too many people want to take advantage of you and you're so blindfolded by them that you don't even see it anymore!" Techno interrupts me off venomously. He suddenly relaxes, seeming to see that he was towering over my small form with a bit too much ferocity. "Alaynia," he continues, his voice softer and gentler, "I just don't want you to get hurt, okay? And I'm serious, you can't leave this room unless I say otherwise. You don't have anything to attend to right now anyways, and the public isn't exactly expecting you to make any appearances."

"So you just...expect me to stay in here?" I ask, pushing myself up off of the floor.

He nods, "Yep, that's exactly what I expect you to do. And if you're wondering, my door does lock from the outside as well as the inside. I have the only key."

"You're locking me in here?" I stare up into the face of Techno, my eyes still filled with shock, and I'm obviously upset.

Techno sighs, "Yes, I'm locking you in here. Judging from your tone, you clearly would have left the second after I did otherwise, so it's a needed precaution. I'll send for a maid to bring you some clothes and blankets in a little bit," And with that, he walks over to his bookshelf, pulls down a thick green volume from the top shelf, and pulls a key from it. I can only watch as he walks out of the room and closes the door behind him, and a moment later, I hear the subtle but tell-tale click of the lock.

I sigh, sinking down into the desk chair and staring at the blank sheets of paper that sit in a neat stack in front of me. I don't do anything, though, I just sit there and reflect on the past few weeks.

The door clicks, wakng me from my reverie. I turn to see it open, and a maid comes inside. She is carrying a basket with one hand as she closes the door behind her again. She sets the basket down on the ground and begins to sift through its contents and place them on Techno's bed.

After a long moment of this, she finally looks up. "My lady, are you just going to sit there?"

"I, uh..." I stammer, a little taken aback.

The maid laughs, "Princess, my name is Atalia. Prince Technoblade sent me over here with, ah, pocketless clothes and some blankets for you. Mind explaining why?"

She was a daring maid, that was for sure. The majority of my conversation with the servants and the housekeeping consisted of titles, bowing, and inability to look me in the eye. But I didn't mind, not at all. "I'm locked in here," I deadpan.

"I'm aware of that, why?" Atalia puts her hands on her hips and stares me down.

"Because Techno says that I'm not safe anywhere."

"Because you were kidnapped, and then you found someone you loved, and then Techno decided to be overprotective and pretend that he's a bad guy?" The maid suggests.

I nod, "Pretty much."

Atalia sighs, "Good, glad we got that established. Glad you can actually be honest with me, princess. Now, you actually don't have many dresses or outfits that fit what Techno wants. Technically, if we count all of his rules, you don't have any. So they're making you some, but here are the blankets."

"What do you mean, glad I can be honest with you?" I ask, hung up on that part of her sentence.

"Because some royalty around here thinks that being honest with us is a very horrible idea, especially when it comes to matters like this," Atalia responds.

I get the distinct feeling that she means Technoblade.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Hello everybody which is just me rn but that's OKAY! If you happen to read this, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

- Ivy :)