Between the Veil and Crown

Kylin 27

Kylin had hoped to sneak back into the house without anyone noticing that he had been gone.
However, Vicious's patience had run out and he was forced to fight with her the whole way back. Morning was already breaking by the time the cottage finally came back into view.
He hurriedly got Vicious back into her pasture, and took care of the saddle that was left out all night. Then he attempted to creep back to the house, figuring it was probably better to use the front door and hope that he could act as though he had at least slept briefly.
Alas, whatever fate or fortune laid claim to his life did not believe in giving him such luck. There in the doorway, leaning against the frame, was Selim. His arms were folded and he had a rather smug look on his face. It was very likely that this was the happiest Selim greeted Kylin, but it was not encouraging.
It was in fact, very suspicious.
"What's up with you?" Kylin asked, slowing as he gave Selim the side eye.
The prince's smirk deepened. "Someone's not happy with you," he answered.
Kylin tried to bite back the groan that rose in his throat. "Where is she?" he asked, trying to keep an ear out for her movement.
Before Selim could answer, he could hear the sound of hooves coming up one of the side trails. He partially froze, not particularly ready to face her. When she came into view behind him, Selim jerked his chin at her, raising an eyebrow in amusement.
"Where have you been?!" Amelia's cry rang out from behind Kylin.
He took a deep breath and turned around.
Amelia had left her horse by the pasture and was rushing up the path towards him.
"I went out for a ride," he answered simply, hoping it would assuage her.
"All night?!" Her voice was getting higher with every syllable. As she drew level with him, he noticed that her eyes were wide and her breathing heavy. "On Vicious?!"
She had a point of concern there, that he would concede.
"Do you know how worried I was!" she cried. She screwed up her face in such a manner that Kylin stepped back, convinced that she was going to punch him. She was also clenching and unclenching her fists, causing him to take another step back to ensure that he was out of her arm's reach.
"You were so very upset last night, I didn't know what to think when you weren't here in the morning!" Her voice had reached had reached such a high pitch that his ears began ringing. "And you went out with Vicious! A horse you've never taken out of the pasture before!"
"I'm sorry," he said, a bit taken aback by her reaction. "I hadn't meant to cause any worry. I thought I would be back before anyone knew I had left."
"Next time leave a note!" she said, barely allowing time for his last statement to finish. "So I at least know when to expect you back- and to head out for you when you aren't back in time!" She stood, breathing hard for a second. Then quickly, she crossed the gap Kylin had made between them and threw her arms around him, squeezing him so tight and suddenly that the air temporarily left his body.
It lasted only two seconds. She immediately stepped back, still breathing heavy. "Don't do that again!" Tossing her braid over her shoulder, she stormed back into the cottage, brushing by Selim as she went.
Selim's smug look had turned into one of utter disappointment. He flashed a glare at Kylin before following after her.
A weight of solid guilt had now settled in Kylin's stomach. He didn't want to think about where Amelia's mind had taken her as she searched for him. Telling himself that it wasn't his intention to cause her worry didn't ease any of the guilt either.
Shaking his head, he stepped inside. Amelia had already started making breakfast, Selim clearing the table of the potion preparations that were left out since the night before. The smell reminded Kyin that he hadn't eaten since yesterday. The hunger claimed to be the root of all his problems. Clarity would be granted when he ate.
He helped Selim in clearing the table- work that got the job done faster not because there were extra hands, but because Selim began to speed up in his work once he saw Kylin help. However, to the prince's great disappointment, Amelia failed to acknowledge the better of the two in their help.
Breakfast was a quiet affair to start. Amelia was visibly calming down through the course of the meal. By the time she got to her spiced bread, she was much happier and relaxed. By the time the food was gone and only the tea remained, she was talkative enough to inquire about Kylin's future living arrangements. Wherein he informed her that he planned to stay only a few more days.
"So Rei thinks you're ready?" she asked, ignoring Selim perking up at the mention of him actually leaving.
Kylin shrugged. He paused a moment, then said, "Of a sorts. There are . . . conditions."
She tilted her head, furrowing her brow. "Conditions?"
"He wants me to be specialized."
The puzzled look remained as she mulled over what he said. "He wants you to be specialized?" she repeated.
He nodded, aware that she wasn't really looking at him.
"Wouldn't that be good news, though?" she asked haltingly, cautiously. "If the captain of the Rangers thinks that you should be specialized?"
He bit the inside of his lip, the conversation briefly playing in his head. "I guess."
Amelia watched him for a while. Then, "What's wrong with being specialized?"
He took a deep breath, considering whether or not he wanted to share the whole of his concerns with her. Amelia knew that he stopped pursuing the beastmaster apprenticeship after Songly's death, but he never got into any of the details of why he did so, even though it was likely she guessed.
"He wants me to pursue a specific field," Kylin finally said, carefully. "If I am to pursue a different field, then I would have to work very hard to convince him."
"You'll live," Selim interjected, not an ounce of sympathy in his voice. "And the sooner you go, the sooner you'll get over it. So like, three days at most?"
Kylin and Amelia stared at him in surprise.
Selim sighed irritably, rolling his eyes. "You've never been made to do something you don't want to do before? Or you're the only one? Just go already."
Brother and sister exchanged glances, Kylin's expression confused while Amelia's was bewildered.
Had it come from someone else, Kylin might have been inclined to snap back. But as it was Selim, who had no context other than that Kylin would be leaving, he supposed some grace had to be extended to him. However, it was odd that he would jump in at all.
"Are you alright?" Kylin asked.
"I will be when you're gone," came the cold response.
"As my brother, he's welcome to stay as long as he likes," Amelia said firmly.
Selim raised an eyebrow at that.
"Still not convinced on the sibling thing, are you?" Kylin sighed. He turned back to Amelia, giving her a significant look.
She shook her head. She still believed she could manage him.
"You look nothing alike," Selim pointed out, interrupting the silent conversation.
"I was adopted," Amelia answered simply. "His parents took me in while I was still young. So he and his siblings are mine as well."
"Except he's the only I ever see," Selim objected. "I realize you might not be able to see them every day, but where are they now? Why just him?" He accompanied the last question with a disdainful jerk of his jaw towards to Kylin.
It was a fair question. Especially since, to Kylin's knowledge, no one had ever really explained the family to Selim. Even when Marwick had come to visit.
But as fair as it was, it was also an uncomfortable one.
"Well," Amelia said, hesitating as she cast a look at Kylin. "You've already met Marwick. He lives in the Elven kingdom with our parents, as our father is an Elf."
Selim screwed up his face, trying to recall the event. Kylin felt a stab of pity for him. One of the side effects of the obsession potion was that it put not a few things into short term memory. With Marwick's visit having been rather quick, and no consistent talk of the Liadon family, the daily doses had no doubt tossed it from his memory. Being asked to recall certain things the potion had deemed useless was frustrating. Though it was a frustration that he would only know when under its influence. When he was safely home, he would only experience the frustration of trying to remember what happened while dosed.
If he even cared to think about it. Certainly, for Amelia's safety, it would be a blessing for her. But perhaps it would also be for Selim's sake. He wouldn't have the memory of doing things he wouldn't have otherwise done.
"It was some time ago," Amelia added, noting the look on his face. "So you've probably forgotten. But Marwick visited from the Elven kingdom. Glae . . . ." She trailed off, looking to Kylin explain this one.
Kylin was about ready to admit that he and Glae had a severe falling out, and were on opposing sides, but on second thought, it probably wasn't the best to tell a kidnapped prince that he had a brother in a position to make arrests. Particularly a brother where "not good relationship" was an understatement.
"Glae is the eldest, and we don't talk anymore," Kylin said, picking his words carefully. "And he and Amelia were never close. So it's very likely that you'll never meet him."
The answer seemed to satisfy Selim. As much as an answer could, after all.
"Songly passed away," Amelia said. "A few years ago. And Elva used to live here with me." She gestured around the cottage. "But she . . . she disappeared one day. No one could find her."
Kylin's eyes followed Amelia's hands, remembering what it was like when Elva was still there. Selim said something in response, but he missed it.
The cottage had felt so empty and hollow when he first came back after he was informed Elva was missing. The day Songly died, Amelia told the Rangers and soldiers alike searching for her that Elva had gone to the village that morning, and didn't return. The Rangers' dogs lost her scent around the area in the forest where Songly had died and Kylin had sustained serious injuries that kept him out of the know for a couple of weeks. Being an apprentice at the time, it was his mentor who sat down and asked him what had happened that night when he was finally aware enough to respond cohesively. His mentor asked if Elva was also present, and when a bewildered Kylin answered that she was not, his mentor had the task of informing him of the situation with Elva.
There was no rhyme nor reason to Elva's disappearance. Amelia had every reason to believe she would return. Elva did not have an inkling of Songly and Kylin's whereabouts. She also worked hard to make sure she had no enemies either, providing healing services to both the soldiers and the Rangers. Even years later, there was nothing that provided any clues as to where she might be, or what happened to her.
Amelia was vocally adamant against holding a memorial or vigil for Elva, hoping that she would one day return alive. With the death of one daughter having already caused damage to the family, their parents agreed with her. And since then, that was the belief held by the Liadon family.
Elva was not dead.
She was just missing.
As though her return would right the wrongs made by Songly's death.
When Kylin was abled and allowed to move freely in the forest again, he would cautiously return to the place where the scent was lost, hoping to find a trace, a whisper, a hint of her. As though he alone were capable of finding her. But the memory of the tragedy that took place nearby always drove him away after a few minutes.
The vision of the empty, hollow cottage, the blurry vision of the forest and the pond where it happened, the faint images of the med bay with his mentor sitting beside him- all that melted back into the cottage as it was now. It had returned to its bright and cheery self, even in chill of autumn. Amelia was washing the breakfast dishes, words related to the village nearby being spoken a voice as cheery as the cottage. Across the table was Selim, staring long and hard at Kylin.
Was it a look of finally understanding something? A look of trying to figure something out, of analyzing Kylin? Realization? Or was it his usual glare?
Blinking a couple of times, Kylin realized it was his usual glare.
Sighing and shaking his head, he stood up and offered a hand to Amelia.