The Regal Rogue

7. Crossing Incense

I got up extra early and decided to make breakfast of beer bread and the "jelly" that Serenity made that was made of jarred simmered berries.

I saw Serenity had fallen asleep against Callum's arm. I saw his other, strong arm move softly and hold her head gently.

With a big breath, I stepped in his view, but continued to go on as if he weren't there.

I could hear the slow, painful rumble of a chuckle in his chest.

I acted as if I was still ignoring him, but began to speak.

"So you're looking better." I say flatly.

"Thank you for the sympathy but I'm doing much better on those herbs." He said somewhat wily, putting his free arm behind his head to prop it up.

"As am I," a voice broke through our conversation.

Roselyn was stepping towards us and sat by Serenity's chair on the floor.

I don't know what their intention was, but I felt like it was them against me because they were standing opposite of me just looking.

"I know there's a lot to discuss about all this but I need you to answer me this." I said to Callum.

"Really. Who are you? You are not the Robert I knew." I asked.

"Well. I didn't lie. My name is Robert, in a way and is Callum. I'm Callum Andrew Robberts. No doubt my sister talked about me. Though she's probably forgotten. Her real name was Auraleigh Etheridge Robberts. But I leave her with the name she's chosen." He explained with boredom.

"Very English." I critically commented, but moved on to a more serious matter.
"Why are you here and why did you leave your own sister behind?" I sounded a little edgy around the last part.

"It wasn't my fault. I was abducted by The Cronans in my sleep. I was found back in England where I was drafted as a King's spy. I was sent here and thanks to fate I have found my sister." He seemed prideful in saying it.

Now that I knew everything I relaxed a bit.
"And what of you Roselyn?" I asked.

"Me? Oh nothing. Unless you count me as a former princess who shares half a bloodline with the present king of Grimshaw." She answered bitterly.

"I never heard Desmond having a sister ." I said.
"Half." She corrected. "If I had my way. I would rather be a full blooded pheasant than related to him." She was starting to redden.

"I think we all agree Crimson's brother-in-law is an arse. But your not the only one, even if only half related. He's still a burden in her family too, Rose."
Callum answered and she immediately calmed down.

"How much longer do you think she will sleep?" Roselyn asked looking up at Serenity and them to him.

"Hard to say. But as much as she's gone through I hope she gets as much rest as she needs." He said, reaching his hand over and cradled her head.

I just stood there. Seeing this I almost wanted to cry. To see how much care these siblings had for each other. It made me think of how opposite the way things were with Eleanor and I.

I clear my throat to break up the sudden silence.

"So any ideas. Do we have a plan?" I mimicked Callum's careless, cocky expression which made him as uncomfortable as it had me.

"Plan for what?" Roselyn asked, sitting up on her knees.

"Well I don't expect to reside in a tree house hiding from my sister." I raise my brows at her as if it was obvious.

"Is it not enough to stay with us?" Callum had a sort of worry masked by his dull expression.

"She stole half of what is mine. She's a tyrant to the people. I have to do something......and we could all live there." I added the last part hesitantly.

"How? We have no army. No form of power. No....," Roselyn began.

"Well every form of magic has a weakness. We find that and use it against her." I shrugged simply.

"Again how? It's not like we have a library." Roselyn said crossly.

As if to answer, I dug into my satchel, looking through my folded dresses and found my folklore volume I had saved.

Roselyn clamped her mouth shut tightly and waited with an irritated look.

I flipped through the book and read for what seemed a long time.

By this time Serenity had awoken and sat eagerly, waiting as I read to myself.

Then I finally found it. "Ha. My sister is much weaker than I had once believed." I shook my head at the page.

"Crimson what is it?" Serenity asked, expectantly.

"We just have to burn some crossing incense, whatever that is, in the castle and it will remove her power since it was only self taught." I explained.

"Crimson. Crossing incense is very rare. And well a fortune." Roselyn cut in.

"Am I not wealthy? I am a princess after all. I have a right to the castle's treasury. If only we can find it." I said, thinking to myself.

"Actually. When I was younger I used to run from my teacher and hide and play in the thick fields near the castle. Once I met a band of gypsies and they tried to steal me for they were in the market of selling children, but I did see they also sold many magical substances." Roselyn managed to choke out.

We all stared at her. "It's a long shot, it's been years and I don't know what we'd have to pay, but if it would help, I guess." She didn't really know how to say it.

"We? So you will help?" I asked.

"You need to destroy your sister. She is the key to my brother. It's a win win situation." She had a slight grin.

I looked to Serenity and Callum.

"I am loyal to my friends. I will go." Serenity said strangely proper to show how serious she was.
"And I stand by my sister." was all Callum answered.

"So we have a plan?" I stated.

We all nodded in agreement and began packing.

We were going to have to make a camp on the ground for the sistering kingdom was a far ways off.

As I helped Roselyn pack the tenting quilts I began to ask more about the gypsies.

"How much do you think they'll want?" I ask cooly, knowing I could pay what ever they asked for.

"I don't know. Usually they ask for rare riches, but that is for commoners. They might ask for something strange from royal blood because they know riches are not rare to them. They want something that possibly you couldn't live without." She answered, the subject giving her gloom in her eyes.

"It will be hard to part with, but I have my newborn tiara. It's made of bronze and has every stone known in Ireland." I said with a hopeful sadness.
"We shall see if it works." She said.

We were just about finished packing when the fog settled impossibly thicker.

I knew something bad was about to happen. Callum the bird flew overhead and was cawing nonsense.

Something's coming.