SanaChan

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Hector is now open game for Adralyn's pain optimism to strike. She will make him interact regardless of whether he wishes to or not XD And yes, there is security in the garden to make up for the lack of a guard not being directly around the royals. I wasn't planning on going in to much detail about them since they're Esmeralda's guard, but I can dabble a little in it next time

A Cracked Wand and A Tarnished Sword

So sorry that took me so long, but there it is

A Cracked Wand and A Tarnished Sword

The day began in its usual fashion. Some poor sap stumbled out of one of Lady Z's establishment, confused as to what exactly had happened to him. The same old, fat baker opened his store only to rage about the fact the leftover bread from the day before had been snatched from his shop again. And everyone else ignored them as if they didn't exist, more focused on themselves than them. The poor saps in the past had once received voices of concern and guiding hands to get them before Lady Z decided to be insulted. That stopped rather quick when it was realized it was a daily occurrence. The baker had hired mercs to deal with his missing bread but the result was always some child that snuck in through the back window or came up from below, removing some of the floor tiles in the process. The idiot store keeper would forgive them with a strict warning that if he saw them again, he'd tan their hide. Then one of the kids buddies would do it and the game would begin again. Eventually mercs stopped taking the hire since there wasn't much pay to begin with. "I wonder which runt did it this time?" a voice mused to himself, sitting atop a building, watching the morning bustle begin. The streets seemed relatively safe. No one ever complained this early that they'd been pickpocketed, only to find the wallet in question at home later. No, the streets weren't the problem. Maroon eyes slid over towards the two shady fellas slipping into the alleyways. Speakin' of saps, any idiot that thought to use the alleys as a shortcut wouldn't be making it home. They usually weren't locals that they found at the edge of the alley the next day, but every now then some cocky bastard would think he could survive it and go in. "Welp," He stood up, dusting himself off, "Best go find somethin' to do," he smirked, jumping down, catching the shop sign below him and swinging down into the back of a wagon before hopping down on to the street, whistling a chipper tune as he melted in to the crowd, headed towards the tall building at the crossroads that was starting to lean a little bit. Unlike Lady Z, the boss spent more of his revenue on keeping the people from starving and other needs of theirs that arose. The last thing he was gonna spend his money on was a building that was still standin' and keepin' the rain out. Now if that roof ever corroded away, who knows what he'd do. Probably just move.

A Cracked Wand and A Tarnished Sword

Alright, give me just a little bit. Working on my novels right now too. "Hurry up and make some money so I can buy this ridiculously priced car!" says father. "Keep dreaming, it ain't happenin' anytime soon," says me.

A Cracked Wand and A Tarnished Sword

Maybe once we start more will appear? Would you all like me to go ahead and begin?

Something Wicked This Way Comes

There I fixed it. I still don't know where Hector is, but he didn't speak to them so what Adralyn thought still works.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

I think what threw me was her going back? And then Thomas addressing her but he wasn't addressing the royals and so I just guessed she hadn't gone over all the way or something. Where is Hector at so I can fix this properly

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Don't ask me how I misread cause I reread it and it was quite clear but somehow I did

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Oh I'm sorry, I fix, I misread

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Needless to say Osanne's hope that some able bodied troops would show up greatly diminished at the first three recruits. A cook. A bookworm. And a child, a mage, but still a child. She took a deep breath, rubbing her forehead. Tactics were against them so far, but the Emperor, as usual was not all that concerned. He believed their skill alone would be enough to cover for them, she supposed. But before she could truly state her concern to the royals, a young girl rushed out, no older than 12, and latched on to Esmeralda's waist, giggling a bit as her nursemaid chided her from the distance the girl had put between them. Adralyn, the youngest and the most guaranteed to be spoiled since there wasn't much left for her to inherit after her two older brothers and her older sister, smiled as she looked up at her mother, who also chided her, though less severe, for giving the maid such trouble. Osanne smiled tightly, knowing she couldn't say anything about her concerns for the girl's father in front of her, else they might end up with a stow away in the supplies. She looked back towards the gates, however, as the unmistakable sounds of squabbling rolled in their direction. She looked around and nodded to a knight that was standing nearby. They moved closer to the royals while she picked up her shield and crossed the white gravel gardens, careful of the painstakingly well trimmed pushes, not wanting to hear the groundskeeper squaking over a single petal that might fall unnaturally. She walked up to the open gates and cleared her throat. "I would hate to interrupt this lovely introduction of yours, but I would for anyone else that is coming to join our ranks to be put off by the deadly lover's feud at our door. Do please hold off on killing each other when we are underway and can tell your families you were a casualty of battle and died with honor," she said before motioning to come in to the gates, "With any luck that will be soon and your squabble, which I'm sure if pointless, can resume," she said, the expression on her face feigning politeness, but there was a clear level of annoyance in her voice. "Mama, are those people the ones travelling with Papa?" Adralyn looked around the garden, spotting the three that had presented themselves, though only one of them had approached the royals so far, though it didn't make much sense to her. "It seems like it," Esmeralda smiled, smoothing out her daughter's hair, "They certainly seem interesting don't they?" she mused, looking at her husband with a look that said that interesting wasn't comforting to her. "Relax," Balan said almost immediately, motioning towards the gates, "Those two's families we know well enough to know that there's no way under the heavens that they don't have their own platoons with them," he said simply. "You were banking on something of that nature, weren't you?" she put one hand on her head, the other hand on her daughter's back. "Of course I was and you should have been, too," he pointed out simply, "You know the political game almost better than I do, after all. And aren't you cousins or something with that fellow? He looks familiar," he said. "Why didn't you just write to the families requesting aid?" "Because then it seems like I expected it. It's much more noble when no one's expecting it." Adralyn separated from her mother and walked over to Pythia, looking at Thomas since he seemed to be addressing her as well, tilting her head a bit as she looked the two of them over. Pythia didn't seem that much older than her, but she was doing something like this, "Are you frightened?" she asked, possibly directed at the both of them, tilting her head, honestly curious of how they felt about the whole thing.