8. Aura

CHAPTER 8

Aura

I t was morning when Aura found Kellian in one of the studies the next day. He was dressed in royal garbs, a golden embroidered brown leather tunic and a tied belt around his waist. His hair was swept back into a bun, clean and precise. He looked every bit of the king he would soon be.

"We have located the woman who sent the elixir's and threats," he said, not looking up as she walked into the room. She let out a sigh, waiting for the next bit she didn't really want to hear.

"She will be tried for high treason against the crown."

"Kel." Aura walked forward, placing her hands on the wooden desk he sat in. Her gauzy blue sleeves of a formal dress draped around her, flowing into billowing skirts and a tie around her neck. She loved this dress, and was not planning on getting dressed up for bad news today. She had council meetings to conduct, court members to meet with, a training class to be reassigned while she was gone.

"It is done. Mae was let go, she and her family under watch to make sure everyone is safe. I will not stand for threats in this kingdom, especially to my family. The court will meet on the morrow," he said, finally meeting her eyes.

"Rule fairly, but kindly." She nodded. Fendiah would say as such if he were here but he was still in the northern Isles, at the dragon council. It could be days, weeks, or months till he returned, they had no way of knowing. But her brother ruled fairly, as he was taught. He always placed kindness first in their sacred land.

"Always," he replied sternly, then shifted his expression into something lighter. "Why are you dressed up for the day?"

"I'll be on the road for goddess knows how long, I'll miss my nice things." She smirked with a twirl. "Additionally, I have meetings today, I'll leave notes for you when I am done."

"Thank you sister." Kellian smiled. "I am proud of you, you are so much like our mother, more and more every day." His eyes were ever so slightly watery, only few knew the signs of an emotional Kellian, he was so quick to wear a stern and stone faced expression. But she could see it, the crease on the corners of his eyes, the way the light was glimmering off his golden eyes a little too much. He cleared his throat and the emotion was gone as fast as it came.

"Are you ready for your travels?" He asked, changing the subject. Aura gladly accepted the change, and fell quickly into explaining the plans her and Nox had concocted the night before. Kellian said once they were back to the edge of The Hollow, he and Ameline and Kyeria would meet them just past the border, and escort them home. No one knew of this plan inside the castle but their small inner circle of trusted family. There was no time to send word to Fendiah, and ultimately the siblings did not want to, since Fendiah had drug his feet on rescuing the trapped people for years. Aura was ready, she could do this and the excitement gnawed at her throat. She finally had the chance to prove herself to her grandfather, the king.

The sun was casting small shadows, as it hung low in the sky, along the path of Aura's mothers gardens. She walked the space in a quiet solace and asked the goddesses and gods for their favor, to protect her on her journey. The day had been busy, her eyes were heavy and tired. A good night's rest was needed before the long journey. They would travel across the Ash Mountains, a path she knew well, past the Great Lake where she had met Kyeria and through the same side Kyeria had entered, the Eastern border that touched Evanthian lands. The forest went on for some time before villages began, according to Kyeria. Nox had made quick work of sending messages to his people outside the barrier. One in Levin, a small river side village a days journey from the barrier's edge, and another in Ancher where they would get a merchant's cart and begin the journey to the castle walls. The trek to Ancher would take five days in total if they rest sparingly.

Aura was dawning her travel clothes, a pack on her back as she walked the familiar path past the gardens and to the back path to Nox's house. Her hand reached for the cool metal of the door, and it opened for her easily.

She found Nox in his kitchen, warming a soup on his stove and muttering to himself.

"All packed?" He asked, as she crossed through the doorway.

"Mmhm," she hummed and dropped the pack to the ground. They needed to pack light as they would be traveling on foot for most if not all of the journey.

"I made us a warm meal, our last before the dried meats and bread for the next while." Nox motioned to her to grab a bowl he scooped the soup into. She did so easily. The shift in them was evident, after only a few nights of staying with him and she was comfortable here. She sat cross legged on a couch near a wooden table he had set up near his fireplace.

"How are you feeling about the journey?" Nox asked, sitting next to her. She nodded into her soup, a big helping going into her mouth making her groan on first taste. His eyes met hers, amused.

"Goddess above, who knew you could cook like this?" She hastily took another bite.

"There's plenty more." He chucked in response. "We leave before first light, I have received back word that horses will be waiting for us in Levin."

"How do you know so many people?" Aura asked.

"I made friends rather easily." Nox shrugged.

"Of course you did." She scoffed and was met with a half hearted glare. His hair was cropped short again, no longer falling in front of his eyes or nearly touching his shoulders. His usual scratchy short beard was gone as well. She was oddly fond of his longer hair, and found herself missing the pieces that drifted down and got in his eyes.

"I like your long hair." She noted out loud.

"Hmm," he muttered, "it'll grow plenty over the journey. Then you can run your hands through it again, like you like to."

Goddess above, give her strength. That smirk could make her walls fall in an instant. A fact that she hated about herself.

But her strength gave out quickly, as he moved towards her, took her finished bowl from her hands without breaking eye contact. He placed it on the table and moved his arm past her, leaning into her.

"Unless you like this better and you just don't want to admit it," he said, taking her other hand and placing it on her cheek. Her hand glided over his soft skin and she didn't fight the movement, the closeness, or the overconfidence of Nox. No, she melted right into it, because her damned body was traitorous. They spent the night tangled up in the other, skin pressed to skin, roaming hands and mouths. It was comfortable and normal for them now. She was comfortable here, without the sweet words, only using their hands to communicate with each other. Not one sweet nothing muttered to the other.

Morning came too quickly. She heard the birds singing outside, their songs drifting in through the open window. The barracks were quiet, no one was awake as the sun was hours from rising. But the night birds were her sign. She pushed herself off Nox, annoyed at herself even sleeping so closely to him. Closely, was of course, an understatement. Aura had woken, her arm and leg wrapped around Nox, her head resting on his chest and his arm wrapped around her, holding her to him. She was weak when it came to him. She hated it.

"Get up." She shoved his shoulder and pushed herself up on the mattress. He groaned, blue eyes cracking open and drinking her in. She rolled her eyes, not wanting to know what thoughts were littering his mind, because simply put—they did not have time for that.

"Let's go," she said, pushing off the bed and redressing in her training clothes as the base, a light linen skirt tied to her waist with a wrapping ribbon. She secured her leather corset, tied up her boots, and clipped a brown, and rather boring, cloak around her neck. She walked over to the fire place, embers long since died out and reached into the ash.

"What—" Nox started but clamped his own mouth shut as she took ashes into her hands and pressed them into her hair, using a small mirror he had to cover her white hair, turning it a muddy grey and black.

"There," Aura announced when she was done, washing the soot off her hands. Hands on hips, she stared at Nox expectantly. He looked dazed, gorgeous blue eyes trained on her.

"Well that is different," he finally spoke.

"You said I needed to cover my hair." She shrugged.

"And now you'll smell like a fireplace," he grumbled, pulling on his own clothes, pushing on boots and slinging his pack around his shoulders. He didn't say another word, only walked down the stairs and out the back door, expecting her to follow.

They walked in silence till the sun crested over the mountains, announcing the morning with the songs drifting through the air of the morning birds that lived in the mountains. Ember was due to meet them at the lakes but that was still a ways away.

"So you don't like dark hair on me?" Aura asked, smirking as they climbed another boulder.

"I do not care the color of your hair, princess," he grumbled.

"You know," she hummed to herself, "you're going to have to call me by my name out there, not princess or your highness."

Nox only glared at the rock beneath his feet. He had slipped up and called her name just the other day while reassuring her after the information about the woman who called her cursed and tried to poison her magic with an elixir. It was so rare for him to use her given name, that she could count it on one hand over the last twenty years it had happened. It was always, your highness, or princess. Sometimes even, Ror, when he really wanted to make her mad.

Oh, no.

"Whatever you say, Ror." Nox smirked, looking back at her and holding out a hand to help her over a few tall rocks. She glared hard, threw all her energy into the glare even.

"Goddess above, of course you pick that." She wasn't sure when he began the nickname, but she had never liked it. She loved her name, it was picked specifically from her mother, a family name, the last queen Ophelia's own mother had been named Aura.

"Why not my actual name?" She grumbled, swatting away his hand and climbing over the rocks herself.

"Might be caught." He shrugged and walked ahead.

Aura got used to staring at his backside until they reached the lakes. It was odd to see him out of uniform, no red cape or chainmail on his muscular form. Instead, he wore a simple linen shirt and trousers. He looked like any given villager, but the thin fabric held tightly to his muscles making Aura even more annoyed.

The view, she had to admit, was not bad.

A flutter of light flew past them then paused in front of them, just as the trees broke apart to reveal the Great Lake.

"Hello!" Ember said happily, her hair was flowing around her small body and she wore a brown leafed dress with a small corset around her waist.

"My sister, Nessa, sent word that our people are not in the dungeons, they have their own rooms actually, in the far west end. Our plans may need to change a little, as there is a ball the night we are set to arrive, and the prisoners will be there." She shook her head sadly. "The Mad King seems to like to use them as trophies, has the witches perform during the balls."

Aura shuttered at the thought. "Change of plans then." She nodded. "I guess we're going to a ball." She smirked. Nox looked at her with uncertainty but she didn't leave any space for argument, simply walked ahead of them towards the border.

"And," Ember spoke up again, pulling a ring from her bag she had slung across her. "Esmeralda sent me with this, it will alter your appearance," she noted, tossing the ring to Aura. Aura smiled, no more covering her hair in ash, thank the goddess.

Aura slipped on the ring, Nox's expression looked startled and Ember only smiled. Aura wished for a godsdamned mirror in these mountains. She wondered how deeply her appearance had changed, and wanted to walk back to the Great Lake, to see her reflection in the lake. But they hadn't the time, and with the change of plans, they had much to figure out on their journey.

Ember flew near Nox, as they went over the information they both knew, planning a new entrance into the castle. They would still enter as merchants during the day, but would sneak into the ball disguised as Evanthians and sneak the prisoners out to safety. By the time they neared the edge of the barrier, Aura took a steadying breath. She had never been beyond The Hollow borders, only within and safe. But this was her chance to be something more. The magical barrier glittered where it ended, the light reflecting along it. Ember smiled and flew past them, going through the barrier first, Nox motioned for Aura to wait, for him to go first. She glared at him at the assumption and instead pushed through before he could.

A coldness washed over her, making her bones feel itchy and odd. She shuddered at the lack of magic in this land, the difference that such a small step could be. When she turned back, expecting to see Nox, she saw only trees and the beginnings of a mountain. Her breath hitched, where was he?

Only a second later, he appeared before her, as if she blinked and suddenly he was there.

"What—" she started. But then familiar blue eyes and bulky stature was in front of her again.

"You can't see past the border from the outside. Only on the Evanthian border side, however. Esmeralda and Kyeria reinforced this area after the beast was banished," he explained. She sighed and nodded, turning to the light sprite by her side.

"Ready?" she whispered to her old friend. Ember nodded, determination clear on her features and her light shifted, only a reflection of her surroundings, Ember all but disappeared. Only a small fraction of light reflecting notified Aura of her presence. She felt the air move from Ember's wings as she flew closer to Aura's ear.

"I'll stay hidden, but I am here," she whispered to Aura.

Hours into their trek, Nox paused and decided to make camp far from the main path. They set up a small fire, and ate their dried meats in silence for dinner. Aura's body was sore, muscles aching. She was used to training and fighting, but climbing through the Ash Mountains, then walking a forested hillside, had not been easy. Nox rolled out a bedroll in the small tent, and motioned towards it,

"Rest, I'll take first watch." His voice was low in the silent forest. Barely above a whisper. The fire had been extinguished, and only the moon was providing them light now. Aura held out her hand, making a small light appear, dancing around her fingers in three plumes.

"Mind if I sit? I will not be able to sleep," she asked quietly. His chin dipped in a nod, signifying a yes. They sat against the sturdy thick base of a tree. Aura wondered what the breeze was saying as it blew past them, missing her friends already.

"Are you worried?" Aura's voice was barely a whisper as if not wanting to even put the words out into the world. But she couldn't help it, her body was racked with tension, anxious energy filling her muscles. She didn't love the last minute change of plans.

"It will be fine," Nox said, laying a hand on the ground, he tipped his head back against the bark of the tree and stared through the branches into the sky.

"Who do you know in Levin?" Aura asked, changing the subject.

"Someone my mother was close with, she is trustworthy and kind," Nox sighed into the night, "but, you will go by Ror. From here till we are back. I do not wish to risk any information about you getting into the hands of the Mad King. We get in, get our people, and get out." He tilted his chin, meeting her eyes then glancing at the three tendrils of dim light bouncing around them.

"No more magic, it's outlawed here, and would draw too much attention."

"We're in the woods, far from a path or a village," Aura argued.

"Nonetheless, I do not wish for royal guards to appear and drag us into the dungeons of the Mad King." His tone was slow and serious, a tone Aura had heard often when he spoke to the soldiers, but never, if not rarely, to her. She held her jaw closed, holding back her reply and snide remarks on the tip on her tongue.

"Like you would let them." Aura smirked. "Why did it have to be Ror?" She sighed and let her head tilt back onto the bark of the tree as well.

"I like it." He shrugged. Aura found herself biting back a smile.

"You're getting soft on me, Captain."

"Never," He replied quickly with a bump of his shoulder, the humor again drifting away. He looked to her, eyes dark. "I am no Captain here, only Nox. We are not the people we are back home," he paused, the air drifting around them, the leaves of the tree shaking gently, "We cannot be them."

"I've always wanted to go on a mission outside of the borders," she whispered into the night. "Ever since I was young, I wanted to do more, be more." The night seemed to accept the truths, swallow them up into their silence. An owl cooed in the distance.

"You have always been more," Nox whispered back, letting his own truth into the night. They sat in that silence, in those truths. Feeling the freedom to speak those words outside of The Hollow's borders, in this new unknown land, where they could be Nox and Ror, not a princess and the captain. She let the light drop, let only the moon be their light again. The light poured back into her fingers as she tapped them on her thigh. She could feel the warm gaze of Nox, watching.