Rym- Episode 2 (Season 1): Unsafe Haven

Location: Quartzine Palace; Shiri

"What do you mean, you lost track of her?" Sapphrine asked gravely, resting her hand lightly on her forehead. The room in which her voice echoed was a throne-room; high ceilings, lined with pillars along the longways-walls. The pillars were constructed of a white, glimmering quartz, as was the floor. Along the ceiling, hidden partially behind the rafters made out of the same mineral, broad windows were soaked with the amber light from the outdoor sky. Symmetrical shadows marked the floor below. Sapphrine was with the King, Vesuvius, Spruce (an adviser), Marrow and Jade (Alex's escorts), and the seven officers assigned with bringing Alex back to Shiri.

"We had her in bounds," said Falcon, one of the officers. "We were awaiting a larger ship for transport. The princess wouldn't be able to securely ride in one of the personal carriers."

"I'm not asking you why you were waiting about," Sapphrine said, turning around to face him. "I am demanding, how exactly she managed to escape her arrest!" The echo in her voice lasted longer as it rang throughout the room. There was a pause.

"She didn't escape," Thorne (another officer) broke the silence. "Someone let her free." Sapphrine looked solemnly at the officer while her husband spoke. "Who was it?" Vesuvius asked much more calmly.

"We do not know," Capalta said, "We heard no name." She lightly stroked the mark on her right hand. Sapphrine sighed, then turned to Jade and Marrow. "Would either of you know anything about this?" They both stood respectfully, with their arms crossed behind their backs. "No, your majesty," Jade and Marrow replied at the same time.

Before Alex had disappeared, and after they'd discovered the cherub, Jade had planned to inform Sapphrine and Vesuvius about it, even after Alex had ordered them to pretend it'd never happened. She'd also convinced Marrow to go along with her plan. However, once Alex had gone missing, they'd decided that it wouldn't make anything better; it would only make the king and queen (mostly the queen) more distraught. They decided to tell Vesuvius and Sapphrine a while after Alex had returned.

"Are you sure, neither of you know anything about where Alexandrael is, or who she would be with?" Vesuvius asked once more for reassurance. "Y-yes, your majesty," they both replied, though Marrow answered a bit hesitantly. Sapphrine let out a frustrated sigh.

"Hmm..." Vesuvius hummed to himself. "We'll... send some officers to travel to Archenon, and locate Alex." A couple of the officers nodded their heads. Vesuvius turned to his adviser. "Spruce, if you could go with-" "It's not going to do any good," Sapphrine interrupted.

"Even if we do find her, she's not going to want to come back." "Sapphrine, I-" Vesuvius began before the queen cut him off again. "She doesn't want to listen to us, and there will only be more anger between us. We need to just," "Sapph-"

"Let her," Sapphrine had been balling her hands into fists, "stay on Archenon..." She unballed her fists. "If she doesn't want to listen to us, then so be it."

Vesuvius and Sapphrine gazed at each other for a moment, then the king turned to the other ryms in the room. "All of you, go back to your regular posts," he said to the officers, his voice sounding a bit exhausted. "Marrow, Jade; until Alexandrael returns, you'll be working with them." Jade and Marrow both gave a nod, then exited the room following the officers. Vesuvius began speaking to Spruce, but the echo in the hall masked their conversation so that the others couldn't hear.

Marrow spoke quietly to Jade, "Why would she go back?" "I don't know," Jade responded. "D-do you think she went back because of the cherub?" "Marrow, be quiet." "I am quiet...!" They proceeded down the halls of the palace. Thorne and Capalta were talking quietly a few feet ahead of Marrow and Jade. "We do not need to discuss this right now." "Well then what exactly are we going to..." Marrow trailed off when he heard someone mention the word 'cherub'. They both looked over at Thorne and Capalta, and listened in on their conversation.

"... you don't really think it could be, do you?" Capalta asked. Thorne gently held up Capalta's injured hand, "What else can leave a burn like this, Capalta?" "But it, just..." she began to trail off, "it doesn't make sense... Why would the princess... Why would a cherub help her escape?"