Siege

No Sleep For Those Breaking

A few days had passed since the meeting where the twins had broken down and Sinbad had become much more attune to human emotions realizing that his sister wouldn't always be strong and it was time he learned how to feel and deal with emotions in a healthy manner that didn't involve ignoring them. Akila however was doing the opposite. In her mind it wasn't a time for emotion but for strategy and strength and she didn't want to break again. She started to close off a bit and hardly noticed. Although she knew she was shoving emotions away she never realized how much it was changing her. The twins seemed to be swapping personalities but no one noticed not even they noticed until the newest threat came. The day that the raider had suggested as their death date was drawing ever closer but that was the only thing getting closer as they were no closer to finding who the inside men were. Until today when Leala ran into the room where Akila sat thinking and shoving away the emotions. She was holding a new letter from the raider. As she burst into the room Akila barely turned in her chair while any other day she would've been out of the chair already. Leala was not at all calm as she quickly handed the letter to Akila who read it quietly. When she finished she turned the rest of the way to Leala.

"Call for my brother, he should hear about this." Akila said rather unemotionally. Leala nodded and ran off. Soon she returned with Sinbad and a slightly angry Daemyn. They sat down and Akila handed the letter around going from Sinbad to Daemyn who then read it.

"Hello dear twins. I hear you are no closer in your case ah well tick tock goes the clock before your miserable wretched lives end anyways. Why not give up entirely as it seems this is weighing quite heavily on both of you. 'Are you really that shallow?' After all. But I guess it hardly matters now that you seem to be all fixed up. See you in two weeks. Sincerely, The Raider of Alenns." Daemyn read no one responded which greatly surprised Daemyn usually Akila would've jumped on this.

"So let's look at the facts. We know this raider has a man inside, we know he's threatening the king's life, we know he's coming in two weeks, and we know his man heard are conversation last time." Akila responded finally devoid of all emotion. This was when Daemyn finally connected it. She had said king Akila never says king it was always Sinbad, never prince or king when addressing him. Not to mention she had left out Daemyn's name entirely. She hadn't referred to him at all yet. This hurt him badly. The meeting went on with her simply gesturing never ever using names of any kind. Sinbad however was using names all the time whenever he spoke he threw in a name. His voice was changing to it was more commanding and understanding. Akila's however was just as Sinbad's used to be devoid of emotion, smug, unfeeling, and cold. While Sinbad returned to the way he was within his childhood years Akila began to lose sight of all hope, happiness, and love and now people were noticing. Daemyn was noticing the subtle changes and drastic ones in Akila. The way she had held herself changed. Her hand continuously rested on her sword hilt and she leaned slightly far less intimidating and powerful. Her face was bland and empty without the little sparkle and light that always seemed to dance in them and to Daemyn it was as if Akila was dead. Leala began to notice what had happened to Sinbad the way he was a lot more like Akila used to be. In charge, commanding, kind, and sensitive. For once she saw emotions and feeling within the boy she began to realize maybe he was capable of love as the flings had gone down in number and there were hardly any of them now. She was still wary for old habits die hard but for once she found that doubt being overcome by a sense of want. She had never realized how much she wanted herself to be wrong about Sinbad until it was actually happening. How badly she had wanted that emotion to exist within him. Daemyn quietly reached for Akila's hand that rested on her swords hilt and clasped it in his. Sparks ran along his arm and through his system as they had every time he made contact with her. It had happened every time he had to stop her from drawing her weapon and when they had linked arms at Sinbad's coronation.

Eventually the meeting had ended with a solution to solving the case of who the inside man is and Daemyn had to let go of Akila's hand. Daemyn, Sinbad, and Leala stood from their chairs and turned to leave but after realizing Akila was not coming Daemyn paused.

"What's happened to you?" He asked his hand on the door ready to push it open.

"I don't know what you mean." Akila responded in a voice he still refused to call hers. It wasn't after all her voice was beautiful and warm and kind and this wasn't at all the voice he knew.

"I think you do. You're not yourself anymore Akila you are not the Princess I know. The one I knew would call Leala and I by name and would refer to her brother as such a brother not as king. Every time he's been in danger it's protect my brother never once have you said protect the prince or the king." Daemyn continued his hand slightly pushing on the door. It had cracked open and he saw Sinbad sitting by the wall head in his hands. "Akila you're breaking your brother. He sees you now and he realizes this is what he used to be but far worse and its destroying him." His hand slipped from the door closing it as he slowly turned around. He ran his hands through his hair and whispered "you're destroying me as well. Can't you see what its doing to us. It hurts to see that I can't help you because you're shutting me out. You are no longer the girl who I was best friends with." Then he turned back around and pushed open the door exiting. He never heard the choked out whisper from Akila he never heard her say oh so quietly and sadly "wait." He didn't hear her world break around her. For the fourth time her entire life and he had always been there but not this time and that's what made it all the worse. She didn't have her strong soldier boy to give her comfort and rebuild the world around her. She had to do it on her own and she finally understood her brother and why he'd done what he did.

Out side the room Daemyn crouched down next to Sinbad and said quietly "I think we need a distraction. Organize a ball and invite everyone you can. We need a break. This is wearing down on all of us." Then he stood and once again ran his fingers through his hair. He walked away slowly and didn't notice Akila peek through the door after their conversation. Neither of them had and all Akila saw was her little broken brother and the one who held her heart walk away his head bowed and shoulders slumped continuously running his hands through his hair. She didn't see his tears and she didn't hear the little words he had said to Sinbad.

Daemyn found his way to the training area and began to train with dummies. As he swung he remembered each and every moment with Akila. Every time they had touched and so on. The most prominent though was when he had caught her and her brother spying on one of the parties. They attended usually but Sinbad was sick and so he could not go. Akila however had been there moments earlier and was in a large ball gown. She had abandoned the party though for she missed her brother. The siblings were dancing wildly and laughing and occasionally they'd pause and make fun of the attendees. Daemyn had simply leaned against the wall and smiled at the two for quite a bit before interrupting.

"What's going on here?" He had said using his best voice impersonation of the Captain of the Guard.

"Oh no we're caught!" Yelled Akila after noticing Daemyn and grabbed Sinbad's hand she then dragged him out of there running as fast as possible. Sinbad followed walking and found them hiding behind a suit of armor.

"You know you're going to need a better hiding spot than that." Daemyn said.

"Maybe we wanted to be caught." Akila had replied and then she had run again. By the time he had finished remembering tears streamed down his face and a small grin filled with pain lay on his features. The sun was setting and he quietly found his way back to his quarters. He couldn't sleep that night and stayed awake until daylight once again filled the sky.

Sinbad hadn't slept either he feared what his dreams would hold and so he had spent all night planning the ball. He had it all planned now and just had to get it all ready. He gathered the chef and a few servants and told them of his plans. It was to be a grand masquerade the ball room would be gorgeously decorated and no one would know who was who. Before the ball everyone would be split into groups and then taken into the ball room one at a time so that Sinbad could make sure everyone had come and was there mainly just so he could guarantee that Akila would show up.

Eventually it was all set up and everyone had been invited including all the servants who weren't doing anything to help at the masquerade. Sinbad had separated everyone into their groups and everyone was there and so the masquerade began.