The Prodigies: The Return of Equinox

Chapter Forty-Seven: Ordered - The Slate and the Manuscript

It didn't take too long for Ellondra to regain consciousness. But when she awoke she found herself in the lap of the still topless Vivia. She quickly averted her eyes to every other direction rather than look at Vivia's chest. She noticed that the room was colored in purely warm reds, golds, browns, and such. The design of the furniture was unlike anything she had seen. It was accentuated with circular designs, plenty holes to allow for movement of air, and were made from wood that she was unfamiliar with. It was as though the color of the room made the atmosphere thicker and hotter while the furniture made an attempt to cool you down.

"Are you ok?" Vivia's voice was tender, and caring. "I'm guessing maybe you weren't in the mood yet." The short haired woman chuckled as she finished her sentence.

"I'm...fine." Ellondra could barely find the willpower to bring her voice out of her throat. "What is this place?"

"This is the Precitia room. Quite a favorite of the usual traffic we get here."

"The establishment I meant," whimpered Ellondra. And with that, Vivia rolled her head back in a deep and slightly contagious laughter.

"So I'm guessing you didn't know this was a brothel? Or that I'm a 'performer' of sorts?"

"No."

"Where are you from?"

"From the Snowlands. At least that's where I'm told I came from, I don't know for certain."

"I came from there too."

"You already said that."

"Just making sure you knew." Vivia scrunched her face payfully. "Hevania to be exact. And I left when I was a young girl."

"Stop repeating yourself."

"Don't be rude now." she said as she tapped the tip of Ellondra's nose. "I was around ten years old when we were annexed. The last member of the royal families had died two years ago, and we were in deep mourning. I don't remember so much black being worn by so many people at the same time." With that Ellondra sat up right. Every member of royalty dead? Mother, father, siblings, aunts, and uncles. Any chance of her finding someone she could claim that was hers had then gone out of the window. She felt a sadness grow deep in her chest.

"But," Vivia continued. "There have been rumors that one still lives. Don't know where they come from but I still hold out hope. I would love to meet him, or her. I'd prefer a her."

"Why?"

"From my time in this business, I've come to learn one thing. Men in power are ever rarely keeping the interest of others in mind. Women, on the other hand." She winked and crawled closer to Ellondra. "Women have a certain way of knowing what you want. A certain warmth and understanding that men don't have. As far as I've seen."

Ellondra was growing more and more uncomfortable by the second. She didn't know how to feel about Vivia's advances.

"How can you tell that someone is a royal?" Vivia was taken aback by the question, but amused it. 

"Royals, I've heard, have a small mark behind one of their ears. Depending on the family it can be a different shape and color. The ruling family had a simple mark. It was a small, black, four-pointed star behind the left ear for the girls and on the right for boys."

"Could you check mine?" Ellondra didn't know what she was doing. She still didn't believe that she was royal. Her mind told her that she wasn't, that there was no way that she could be. But her heart told a different story. Would she go along with it? What if there was a mark? Could Ellondra handle it? Could Vivia?

"I don't need to check to know that you're someone's princess. Scared of what she doesn't know." Vivia leaned in again and placed a hand seductively on her jaw.

"Please." Ellondra lifted the hair around her left ear and turned her head.

"If you insist." Vivia was starting to become annoyed, but played along. She had almost went to playfully bite her ear, but froze when she saw it. Plane as day. A small, black, four pointed star. "b-but." Ellondra quickly turned to look at Vivia. Her eyes wide in disbelief, and her hands covering her mouth. She gasped for air as though she couldn't breathe.

"Vivia?" Ellondra reached for her shoulder, but Vivia flinched. Once she had started to realize what was going on she quickly buttoned up her shirt and knelt before her.

"My queen. I am so sorry! I didn't know that y-"

"It's ok. I learned who I was today also."

"Are you really Ellondra? Of the family Ventisca? The first Huven family?" Ellondra was taken aback that Vivia knew her name. 

"I must be." Vivia hugged Ellondra tightly. She could feel Vivia tremble and shudder. She heard her whimper.

"I have held hope for so long. That someone, anyone, had still been alive. And now I find you. Here. Of all places that you could be in. What are you doing here?"

"I cannot tell you now. It is very secret, and I must travel more. I will return when I am done. I can bring you home and give everyone a home that is free once more."

"Take me with you. I cannot stand to be here when I know that my queen lives and breathes."

"No! It is very dangerous. I am now a soldier, and I must finish my task. I will return and I will take you home safe and sound. I promise you and swear to Tora herself that I will do what I say now."

"Thank you." Vivia said through her tears. "I will wait for the day that you return."

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Ellondra was on the street again. The street wasn't as busy as it was before. She had been told of an inn that wasn't too far from her. Once she found a place to stay she would go find the others.

After she had walked for a bit she noticed now that her steps had focus. Her posture held purpose. The very air around her gave off importance. She was a queen, this she now knew. From this point on she would act with the best interest of her people. She promised herself that she would see the day that her people would be set free and that she would never be like Celesta.