Head in the Clouds

Chapter 1: Think Like a Woman

Part 2: The Secrets of the Emerald City

From the time they were old enough to understand, Queen Avina read her boys all the tales of old. From giants to fairies, she taught them everything there was to know about these beings, much to her husband's dismay. It was in those moments with her sons that she felt connected to her and her people- those destroyed by Jericho's knights. 

As the years went by, Prince Clyde saw them as nothing more than mere fairytales taking interest in other things like fighting and Deidre, but Prince Carter never did. He continued reading up on these so-called 'fairy tales' learning the lore and meaning behind them all. Though this remained a rather secret part of his life, it was a part that took up a lot of time.

Sir Ko was a bit different. Growing up with seven sisters, he was only privy to the stories they told. They spoke of witches who cursed cruel children who wouldn't share their sweets (usually right before he received his desert) and pirates who scavenged the land and took what they pleased (he liked those the most), but the stories he appreciated most were those of the sister that came right before him, Vera.

Vera would tell stories of a fairy whose wings grew so strong they could bend trees and his true love, the woman with the golden soul. He learned of a boy who never grew up, and one destined to live and die in an endless circle. Vera was just as, if not more, adventurous as the characters she spoke of. Maybe that's why she saved up all her money and ran away from home at thirteen.

He missed her, that was a fact, but he didn't really know her anymore. He knew who he remembered her as, but that was nearly nine years ago. He had no real clue who she was now, or if she was even alive. Still, when eating a quiet dinner with his parents and two remaining sisters (being the only ones unmarried or living alone), he knew she'd hate every second of it and do something to make it more interesting.

"Always keep a promise," she told him. He remembered because it was the last thing she said before she left, "Even thieves and pirates keep their promises. Don't be worse than a thief or a pirate."

Maybe that's why he found himself back in the Callaco forest. His sister's words may have been haunting him from wherever she was now urging him to keep his promise to Deidre, though he barely promised at all.

"Find them and keep them safe," she said to him. 

He may not have done it if she hadn't gone missing. In fact, he didn't want to do it now, but if Deidre couldn't protect herself, then those poor fools definitely couldn't.

He remembered watching the boy walk into the woods from the east, so that's where he went. He traveled on the eastern path happy that Asa was too torn up to leave the house.

"I can't believe this happened," she mumbled to him back in the home, "She was so nice to me."

He couldn't hear it anymore. Was he upset that Deidre was missing? A little. Did he wish she was safe? Sure, but she chose to be a hero. If he were her, he would claim he was holding her hostage as a magical being since she had all those connections, but no. She wanted to protect him. She wanted to save him. She wanted to save everyone, and just what he said would happen did.

"Couldn't ask me to stay home?" He thought as his beautiful ruby shoes sunk into the dirt as he headed uphill, "Always making life difficult."

He carried on though, wondering if this would be something that'd make Vera happy or if it'd be something she'd do while planning her escape from the family. He figured she may like the small hill at the edge of the forest and the small farm waiting on top of it for her, but imagined she'd be bored of the climbing. Maybe she'd even insist on going out and finding Deidre together.