Divine Realizations [ Clarion X Milori ]

Chapter 21

Later that evening, dusk was settling.
The sunset was almost gone and Milori was signing off on the final divorce documents.
He was still in a rage over the state of Arden's room but he realized there was nothing left to save.
He had maids come and clear out the dry paints and trash the unused canvases while he took Arden's unfinished lily up to his chambers.
After they had cleared and cleaned everything, he was surprised at how free the empty room felt.
It didn't feel like a defined and condemned space anymore that he painfully paid homage to.
It felt like a clean slate, like a burden being lifted off his shoulders.
Determined to stay angry at Clarion for the disturbance she had caused, he tried to avoid the places she normally frequented.
However as he made his way outside on the balcony, he spotted a lone figure standing in the middle of a vacant field that was parallel to the back of the training grounds.
It had to be Clarion as he saw flashes of gold and he turned away, not wanting to deal with her again.
But just then a soldier came up to him, bowed and said,
"My Lord, Your wife has gone off without her designated winter gaurd, would you like me to have him follow her?"
Milori waved an unconcerned hand, not bothering to turn towards the soldier.
"Queen Clarion, not my wife, is near the training grounds as we speak. We won't waste more men and resources unless necessary, so no she'll be fine."
Now turning to look at the soldier who he found was squinting at something over his shoulder, Milori too turned back towards the field again to see what the soldier was trying to discern as Clarion was easy to spot.
It was then that he noticed an Eagle was swarming above and getting close to where Clarion stood.
Alarmed, Milori looked at Clarion to see that her head was bent and she was crying, not noticing the menacing creature overhead.
Immediately Milori whistled for Archimedes who arrived at an instant.
Climbing up, he sent Archimedes flying, not liking the picture this made.
Now closer, Milori could see a masked rider on top wearing the colors of the Hinterlands. Dread raced through Milori as he spurred Archimedes even faster but to no avail.
Clarions' piercing scream filled the air as she looked up right when the masked fairy swooped down low and slid an arm around her waist.
Not missing a beat, the hinterland soldier picked up and set Clarion in front on his lap, and pulled out a white cloth.
Just has the kidnapper put it to her nose, Clarion screamed again,
"Milori!"
Knowing it was futile, (as he wasn't even close),  Milori promptly turned around after he saw Clarions' body go limp and the eagle take off.
Quickly he raced back to the palace, seeing red. If he thought he was angry at Clarion earlier today, this was a completely different level.
He was going to kill Kealy.
As soon as he landed back on the balcony, he summoned the soldier who was still waiting for him.
"Quickly, my wife has been taken. Assemble an army, pull every available man and soldier - winter or summer fairymen."
The soldier ran to pass the word on, then sounded an alarm that would call the Winter Army currently in Pixie Hollow back.
Milori walked with determination to his chambers where his battle gear was stored.
He had not been in battle for a very long time, not since he had gathered an army (to do so in his stead), but this he would personally oversee.
After getting ready in record time, the soldiers lined the training grounds on war owls who where ready to take flight.
As Milori was about to take off, his commander asked if he knew where Clarion had been taken.
Easily he replied,
"Where else would a rat take a jewel he found? Home to stash it away."
And off they went, as Milori lead the army he couldn't help but fault himself for Clarions' peril.
He would never forgive himself if anything happened to her.