TM
TM
TM
Long after Sora left, Ken stayed and read on.
The scroll that he had received that morning was the information he request from Mizu about Leon.
However, as he read on, he wasn't sure if the Head Fairy understood what he wanted. His eyes took in a listing that was titled, "Those Interested in Nobleman Leon."
There was a rather long list of noblewomen that apparently had talked at some point or another about the silver haired nobleman. It was rather intricate in that the dates and locations of when each lady had brought up an interest in the man occurred.
'This is not what I meant when I asked about court information. This is just gossip!'
Though, after the list, there was a note of sorts that stated that the newly introduced Family Heads approached Leon with their daughters. A few days at court and those that approached Leon stopped.
'So, that means the Heads that have been around longer know not to approach Leon about issues of courting or marriages.' Ken scribbled that information down along with other ideas as to why that occurred.
Along with the Oswald family tree book, he also checked out the procedures and rules of the courts. 'Although some rules may change over time, there are some that stay consistent. I'll have to look over those and see if any match with the, er, information I received.'
Ken tapped a finger to his chin. "I have noticed that issues of inheritance are left to the Heads of Families rather than the King's courts. The King must have felt it unnecessary to be bothered about intra-family issues."
From what he read, the Oswald family, more often than not, preferred to have heirs without any magical abilities. 'Before coming here, I had heard that the courts here don't look too fondly upon those with magic in their bloodlines. Something about keeping the lines pure or such.'
He idly twirled his quill. 'In multiple families, those who showed signs of magic are stripped of their inheritances. Some are more lenient, but the other families see them as lower nobles.'
It was quite strange to him. 'You would think they would be seen as higher since they have magic…Perhaps because of the positions of fairy aides, they might be seen as a type of servant.'
He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. He can't count the number of times nobles have addressed him as a servant.
'From what I've seen, Mizu and the other aides here seem to be doing ok. Maybe the Head Fairy shifted that way of thinking here.'
The clock on the wall caught his attention.
He rolled the scroll up and packed it into his bag along with a book and his notes.
'Don't want to be late with my meeting with the Head Fairy.'
TM
After visiting the library, Sora went to the inn.
She had a small dinner with Sarine even though the afternoon happenings didn't give her that much of an appetite. Regardless, she knew she should eat something for her strength.
As they ate, Sarine told her that Leon stopped by but when Sora didn't really respond to that, the chef was slightly concern.
"Did your beau do something last night?"
Sora blinked out of her thoughts. "B-Beau?"
Sarine gave a crooked grinned. "Your admirer, suitor, lover…whatever you youngsters call it these days."
Sora's eyes were wide.
The older woman laughed. "Don't look so shocked, my dear. We magical creatures don't have as strict and confining relationships as the humans here uphold." Her grin grew. "Or at least, try to uphold."
"I was a pretty lass myself when I was younger, I'll have you know. I had a few beaus before I found the love of my life. The others weren't serious relationships, mind you. There were just some fleeting touches here and a kiss there."
"With my Jerobi, just holding hands had my heart all aflutter." Her eyes gleamed with mischief. "Though, holding hands was not the only thing we did."
Sora's face flamed.
Sarine chuckled for a bit before she settled down. "Teasing aside, you do need to keep the human codes and sensibilities in mind. Jerobi was familiar with some pixie rituals. Leon, as far as I know, isn't very knowledgeable about fairies."
The chef reached a hand over to gently pat Sora's. "I tell you this in order to prevent any hurt feelings on either side. I do understand that certain things might just happen—be it as a result of your instincts or just your understanding of wooing within the fairy culture. Just be sure that you both work on understanding what the other's doing and be aware of the other's feelings."
Sora had a thoughtful expression.
"Leon told you what I did," she quietly stated.
Sarine gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "He didn't know where else to go, dearie. Though, from my experience, the men can use all the help they can get when it comes to courting."
The chef let out an exaggerated sigh. "My poor daughters, so many mixed signals and misunderstandings. I had to drag a few of the lads over to Jerobi to straighten them out."
Sarine took a sip of her drink.
"To be fair, Jerobi sometimes had to bring our daughters over to me to give a talking to as well." Sarine gave a wistful smile. "My darlings inherited some of my pixie mischief, I'm afraid."
Sora let out a little giggle.
"Well, we did acknowledge the fact that we're courting." Sora gave a half smile. "Unfortunately, I was unaware that Leon had to be the one to ask. Thankfully, he didn't take any offence to that."
"An assertive gal, Leon must like that." Sarine gave Sora a wink. "He doesn't strike me as the type to feel a loss of masculinity because of something like that."
"I agree," Sora murmured.
'I'd say he's quite assured in his masculinity.' Her hand drifted to her neck.
"But Leon's not the reason I'm upset." Sora paused, and then added in, "Well, at least not directly."
She had Sarine's attention.
"I lost a friend," Sora said quietly.
Sarine poured her a cup. "I have time, dear. Go ahead and tell me."
Sora took the cup with a sad smile.
TM
Mizu looked over the message she received.
She languidly lounged on a plush recliner. Her hand reached over to pluck a couple of grapes from the bowl on the table. 'Silver stag…what are you up to?'
A knock on the door disrupted her thoughts.
"Come in," she called out.
Ken walked into her sitting room. She gestured to the chair across from her as her eyes stayed on the message. "Feel free to eat or drink something as I finish this report," Mizu said.
Ken's eyes ran over the small feast on the table. 'She even has a whole duck!'
He reached over for a leg and munched on it as she read. With a sigh, she placed the scroll down. "So, it has been a few days since our last meeting. Have you learned of anything?"
Ken swallowed the meat in his mouth. "I've been familiarizing myself with the way the courts and Head Families work. Other than that, I've only caught Nobleman Leon receiving a note at court—which you have informed me that you saw as well—and he was in the public maze the day after getting the note."
Mizu hummed. "My informant has spotted the noble wandering around the castle gardens and heading into town a few times. However, there was nothing amiss with these wanderings."
Ken debated on whether to add in something or not for a few moments. Meanwhile, Mizu grabbed a goblet with some sort of gold-orange drink. Ken squinted his eyes as he watched the drink go down her mouth.
Mizu caught his gaze. "It's a mixture of mainly nectar and apricot. Please, try some."
Ken blinked at the goblet close to him. Curious, he took a drink.
It was a strong, thick drink; its flavor played along his taste buds. As he swallowed the concoction, he felt his body relax and he felt a little lightheaded.
Mizu watched as he slowly put the cup down. "Was there anything else you wanted to say?"
Ken blinked as he looked at her.
"Y-Yes. That is…that time in the maze, when I followed him there, I had actually seen him in the market." He took another bite of his duck leg.
"Did he do something strange in the market?" Mizu's index finger traced the rim of the goblet.
A faint ringing sounded into the air.
Ken paused in his eating to listen to it. "He didn't do something per se…however; one of the shopkeepers had seen Nobleman Leon and said that there was a lady he was interacting with."
Mizu's finger stopped; the ringing halted abruptly.
"A lady?" Mizu questioned aloud. Her red lips quirked up. "I suppose noblemen are allowed their interests, in and out of the courts."
The ringing continued.
Ken spoke up, "I was thinking that maybe this lady is the one who wrote him the note. Also, I have reason to believe that she was in the maze with him."
Mizu raised a dark eyebrow. "Do you wish to pursue the identity of the lady?"
With Ken's nod, she continued with a sigh, "Well, if you feel that we should, I could get my informant to keep an eye out for this lady when he follows the noble. Do you know what she looks like?"
Sheepish, Ken shrugged. "I, uh, forgot to ask the shopkeeper what she looked like. I could go back and ask and then send you the description."
"Please do," she softly, yet sternly, murmured.
TM
That night, Sora sat up in her bed.
After saying good night to Sarine, she washed up and changed into her nightclothes. Her hair was in a loose braid as she wrote down a message for Leon. When she finished, she placed it onto the side table.
She was about to call it a night when the folded message on the side table gave her pause.
With a start, she realized she had yet to read the copied letter from Ken's room.
Suddenly wide awake, she kicked the blanket off of her legs. Her bare feet padded across the floorboards to grab the letter from her bag on the dresser.
Letter in hand, she jumped onto the bed to read it by the oil lamp.
What was written left her unsettled.
'Leon wrote this?' Her brows furrowed. 'Certainly, he would be upset about Yuri not coming to help Sophie, but this…Leon's calling out for blood.'
"I didn't think he would write something so callous, so bloodthirsty, so…vicious. If he acted in the same manner that he wrote, I can't blame Yuri for kicking Leon out of his courts."
She checked the name at the bottom just to make sure it was his writing. Sure enough, it was his signature at the bottom of the letter.
Sora folded it back up as she decided what to do.
She leaned over to the table and switched letters. Getting her quill and ink out, Sora scratched a line after her signature.
I need to talk to you. Meet me by the maze at noon.
Finished with the added portion she placed the materials back onto the table. 'I'll see if Sarine can send someone to give this to him in the morning.'
She turned the oil lamp knob off.
Her sleep was full of terrors as she envisioned Leon ripping Yuri's heart out and feasting on it. Blood dripped everywhere and stained his face, clothing, and silver locks. Yuri lay lifeless on the ground; blood flowed out of the open chest wound.
She gripped her pillow in her sleep, unable to shake the image away.
TM
The next morning a scroll was next to Leon's breakfast.
Neitol left earlier to check on his family. It had been quite a while since he was able to see them. Leon had insisted that Neitol go home and spend the whole day with them. After all, Leon's presence in the manor is what kept Neitol away from them.
Before he left, he made a quick breakfast for Leon.
'That man is loyal to a fault,' Leon wirily noted.
He uncovered the dish to reveal some eggs and sausages. His customary tea was set out as well. Leon poured himself a cup before he undid the scroll.
His eyes recognized the writing. He let out a small smile.
With one hand he held the letter while he ate his meal. 'It seems she recalls the alternate ending.'
When he fell upon the information, he paused in mid-sip.
"Detoxification?"
He let the idea roll around in his mind. 'If the curse is like a poison, I suppose we could try to somehow "drain" the curse from Sophie.'
"Perhaps there is a spell for such a thing." He felt the beginnings of excitement at the news, but he stubbornly pushed it down. 'I do not dare to rejoice until we know for sure. I have to ask her about the details of this cure the next time I visit her.'
He frowned at the somewhat abrupt message after her name. "At noon?"
His eyes looked up at the clock. He had enough time. 'Good thing I'm an early riser.'
Leon picked up the dishes and went to go wash them.
TM
The street market was packed with people.
Ken squeezed his way over to where he thought the pastry stand was. 'Usually, vendors keep the same spot that way people can find them again.' Some just had their booths in front of their shops. Having some items out in the open drew people into the actual shop.
The pastry stand was in front of the shop.
The carrot top looked at the goods for today. 'Those pumpkin walnut muffins smell great.' Ken greeted the person running the booth.
"I'll take some of those muffins."
As the apprentice grabbed the muffins, Ken asked, "Is your master in the shop? I would like to speak to him."
"Ah, he was asked to cater a midday tea event at a merchant's house. He went to make sure that the goods are set up properly and fix any iced treats that were smudged on the way over. After that, he usually collects the money and then comes back."
Ken rubbed the back of his neck. 'The bells haven't sounded the new hour, so it's still within the 11th hour of the morning.'
"How long do you think your master will take?"
The apprentice shrugged. "At least fifteen minutes after the noon hour and thirty minutes at the latest."
Ken inwardly sighed. He paid for his muffins. "Alright then, I shall return later."
The apprentice bid him a good day.
Ken took out a muffin and began to eat it as he browsed the other shops.
TM
A petite figure in maroon walked through the grass.
The public gardens had a few picnics here and there. Sora was glad that they were mainly over by the magnolia trees.
She found the maze and stood by the entrance as her fingers twirled the end of her braid.
Sarine did a French braid and added the amber ribbon without asking her about it. To be truthful, Sora wasn't sure if she would have allowed Sarine to put it in if she had asked.
A part of her felt terrible for even thinking about foregoing the ribbon, yet the other part—the one that was anxious and afraid—didn't think she should have.
'It was those blasted nightmares,' she thought with frustration. 'I've been on edge ever since waking up.'
She woke up later than usual and the bloody nightmares lingered with her for quite some time. She stayed in bed and continued to grip the pillow for a while until the shakiness of the dreams faded somewhat.
When she moved to make the bed, she saw that she had ripped a piece of the seam of the pillow. Some goose feathers lay on the mattress and the floor.
Her wand was able to fix that.
Then, when she went down to the kitchen to get something to eat, she saw Sarine holding a strawberry to her mouth. "Oh Sora, take a look at what that wonderful husband of mine got me!"
Sarine pointed to the small wooden box of strawberries and then took a bite out of the red fruit. The juice dripped down her fingers and hand in a morbid way.
Sora quickly lost her appetite.
She was only thankful that Sarine was too busy eating the fruit to have noticed her dismayed expression.
'Of all the fruits for Jerobi to have given Sarine, it had to be a red one.'
The universe was laughing at her, she was sure of it.
Her hand brought the end of her braid up. She looked at the ribbon in a sort of fascinated way.
Her mind replayed the short, last nightmare she had.
This time, instead of it being Yuri and Leon, it was her with Leon. His hand caressed her cheek and drifted to her ribbon. An evil grin appeared on his face as he tugged the ribbon from her hair and began to strangle her with it. She could feel herself choking and slowly fading out of consciousness.
The last thing she recalled seeing was his grey eyes taking such perverse pleasure out of her suffering.
She woke up with gasping breaths.
The hand holding the braid shook with the recollection.
Sora threw the braid over her shoulder. 'Stupid nightmares.'
TM
Leon leisurely walked over to the maze.
He wondered what it was that she wanted to talk to him about. The curses, of course, were almost always a topic they needed to talk about. However, he got the feeling that her urgency was not about her desire to talk to him about the detoxification method for Sophie.
'Did something happen with Ken?'
His eyes narrowed at the thought. 'If he did something, there will be hell to pay.'
He was tired of dealing with Prince Yuri anyways. Adding another person to his list of 'People to Despise' wouldn't be a problem.
He hastened his steps.
He spotted her red hair by the entrance. When he was close enough for her to see him, she made her way into the maze. He slowed down his steps.
He did once last glance around the area before entering through the other entrance. Leon soon found her standing by the converge point. Her head moved back and forth, no doubt trying to see the opening to the secret place.
He chuckled at her predicament.
She started at the sound. Sora whipped around, her braid swinging with the action.
"Y-You startled me!" Her hand was over her heart. He raised a brow at the action.
"I do apologize, that was not my intent." He came up to place a hand along her back. He felt her flinch before she settled back against his hand.
'How strange.'
"The key is to not use your sight," he murmured into her ear. "You just need to step forward without worrying about walking into the bush."
He saw her turn towards him. Her bottom lip was between her teeth in a nervous manner.
He tilted his head at her fear. "You need not worry about the bushes. There is no trap."
Her eyes regarded him.
After a couple of seconds, she released her lip. "It's kind of like having a little blind faith," she quietly stated.
"Yes," he said, though he was confused at her words.
The words seemed to have relaxed her enough for her to step forward.
When he did not immediately follow, she turned around and grabbed his hand.
They walked into the secret area together.
TM
Sora looked around the area.
"The wisterias are falling," she noted with a bit of a sad tone.
Leon's hand was still on her back. "Fall's coming. It was bound to happen."
She let him lead her to the bench. When they sat, his arm came around her. She was glad she didn't flinch this time.
When he was talking about the secret entrance, she realized how ridiculous she was being. She saw that her actions were confusing him. 'It's like Sarine said. I need to be aware of his feelings as he was when he didn't say anything about my strange behavior.'
She leaned into his half embrace. 'Those stupid nightmares weren't real.'
'That scary, morbid Leon isn't real.' Her arms wrapped around his torso. 'This one is real.' Her nose took in his scent of pine, earth, and that tangy spice she hasn't figured out yet.
She didn't see Leon quirk a brow at her actions.
Though, she did feel him tilt her chin up. "Sora, is there something you want to tell me?"
She took in the concern swirling in his grey eyes. 'These eyes are definitely real.'
She let out a little smile. "I do, but first there's something I need to do."
Sora shifted onto his lap. Her hands rested along his shoulder blades. She looked up at him with a straight face and asked, "Could you caress my cheek?"
Both of his eyebrows shot up.
Seconds went by and she continued to stare at him expectantly. His hand came up to touch her cheek.
"You're a strange fairy," he muttered as his fingers stroked her face.
"Yet, you still stay with me."
His lips quirked as she used the same words he said to her from a time that felt so long ago.
"How true," he said with some amusement.
She moved her head to kiss his palm. "Would that make you the strangest of the both of us since you're voluntarily staying with a strange fairy?" she joked.
"There are worse things to be," he said with a tilt of his chin.
His words reminded her of the letter. "Yes," she stated.
Leon noticed the shift in mood.
"Leon, I need to share something with you that I found." Her arms unwound from around him. She got out of his lap in order to give him some room. Her hands opened her bag and fished out the letter.
She handed it to him.
Leon grabbed it and unfolded it.
Surprise came across his face. He gave Sora a glance and then went back to the letter. His brows furrowed as he went on.
She waited patiently for him to finish.
He mumbled something ever so faintly. Sora didn't hear it and asked him to repeat it.
"This," he agitatedly gestured to the parchment, "isn't my letter."
TM
His eyes narrowed on the words before him.
He looked up at Sora to see something like relief flash through her eyes. 'She must have read it.' Suddenly, her earlier flinching and nervousness made sense to him. 'Did you fear me after reading this?'
He couldn't blame her for her actions. In all honesty, he'd be wary of the being that wrote this as well.
She scooted closer to him.
Her hand lay on his forearm. "What do you mean that this isn't your letter? It's your handwriting and signature."
He nodded as he viewed the message. "Although certain parts are mine, the bulk of this letter is not."
His fingers ran over a line that questioned Yuri's honor and integrity. "This is mine…"
Sora peered at it.
His fingers halted at the next line regarding the slow mutilation of Yuri's fingers and limbs. "This is not mine."
Sora gripped his arm when she saw the line. Her grip relaxed once she looked away from it.
"I'm glad it's not," she mumbled.
Leon reached a hand to touch her face.
"Is that why you wanted me to caress you?" He watched as her eyes closed. "Were you looking for some comfort or some sort of a sign that I didn't write this?"
"Yes," she whispered.
He felt her press her cheek into his hand. "I do feel great anger at times, however, I wouldn't go as far as the obscene scenarios this letter has."
He paused for a moment before he asked his thought.
"If I had written this, would you have ended our courtship?"
Her eyes opened to look at him. "I…I would have first tried to understand what you were going through when you wrote this."
"If you had repeated the sentiments or showed signs of…enacting any of those scenarios…I don't think I could have continued it."
Her hand came up to lie on his hand.
"I care about you; more than I've felt about anyone else." Her eyes dropped away from his face. "But I don't think I could be with someone that would be ok with doing such things. I don't want to be afraid of the person I'm with…"
"I'd always be on guard and wondering if he'd do such things to me someday." Her hand tightened around his as she looked back at him. "Or do terrible things to our children."
Her last statement was but a faint whisper.
He hadn't realized that she had been contemplating the possibility of him as a father.
He had considered how she would be as a mother and he was sure that if she was sweet to a stranger's child, then she would probably be just as attentive and loving with her own.
As for any thoughts regarding himself as a parent…he never really gave it much thought.
His eyes were pensive. "I honestly do not know how I would be as a father."
Sora smiled at his uncertainty, the earlier unsettling mood dissipated like the morning fog.
"Well, based on my observations," she shifted herself back onto his lap, "I think you would be grumpy during their infancy—what with the crying and midnight feeding—but you wouldn't yell at them. I most likely would be the one to coddle them when they fell and hurt themselves, but you would be standing nearby in case your help was needed."
"As for the disciplining, you'd most likely make them do the most tedious chores or have them climb up a really tall tree."
He chuckled at that.
Her arms wrapped around his neck. "And at night, when we put them to bed, I'd kiss their foreheads as you made sure they were warm and properly covered."
"Does that sound about right?" she murmured as her forehead rested against his.
"You deduced this before or after reading the letter?"
"Before," she nuzzled his cheek. "Although, I will admit, the letter had me second guessing my deductions."
She stopped and brought her face forward. "But I decided to put a little faith in you."
His eyes were warm.
"Only a little faith?" he joked. "I think I deserve more than that."
"So much more," she murmured, her lips gently touching his.
Her lips lured him, but her words stopped him from leaning into her. He felt a slight twinge of guilt for his silence on a certain matter.
"Sora, I—"
"I hope they'd have your eyes," she stated warmly.
His planned words caught in his throat. "My eyes?"
She blushed lightly. "If this—if we work out."
His hand brushed her cheek as his eyes roamed over her features.
"Your hair," he suddenly stated.
Sora's cheeks reddened as he joined in her imagining, but she was also pleased.
Her fingers ran through his locks.
"Your silky hair would be better. Besides," her eyes glowed with some heat, "I imagined a silver haired child."
Their lips collided with a sudden force.
The letter that was in Leon's hand fell to the ground as he released it to press Sora closer to him.
Her hands gripped his neck as he stood up and laid her on the nearby grass. Their lips opened to the other. She whimpered as his mouth threatened to overwhelm her.
Wisterias and soft earth cushioned her body even when Leon pushed her into the ground as their kiss deepened.
'This will work,' Leon vowed as he tasted a sweet and tantalizing future with this redheaded fairy.
TM
The talking crows in the public garden peered at the maze.
"Caw! Silver stag went in! Silver stag still in!"
One of them pecked the loudmouth on the head. The crow that had talked ducked his head away from another attack.
Another crow hopped back and forth. "Redhead too? Redhead too?"
The crow that pecked the loudmouth pecked the hopper as well. "Go look, go look."
TM
Twenty so minutes after the noon bell sounded, Ken returned.
The apprentice recognized him and pointed to the shop door. Ken gave a nod and then entered the pastry shop.
He waited in a short line for the chance to talk to the owner.
TM
Sora was in bliss.
Her hands threaded through silver smooth locks as his hand cupped her face.
She softly mewled at the feeling of his warm mouth.
All too soon, his lips left her mouth to travel along her jaw. She nearly whimpered at the loss, but was pacified with his continued affections.
His free hand undid the buttons of her collar.
He paused to take a look at his work. His thumb ran along the high mark on her neck.
'It did come out bigger than I had meant to make it.' He let out a devilish grin.
Sora caught his smug look.
Her hand lightly smacked his chest. "Don't look so high and mighty nymph; your mark got me into trouble!"
He raised a brow. "What sort of trouble?"
She sighed. "Let's just say that I can't count on Ken's advice anymore."
Her eyes were tinged with a hint of unhappiness. "Or his friendship."
Leon's grin grew solemn.
"I am sorry. That was not my intention." He placed a kiss on her cheek. "I merely wished to stop his advances, not your overall association."
She gave a crooked smile. "I knew it; you did want it visible."
"Though, you really didn't do much, now that I think about it." Her mouth twisted slightly. "Apparently, we were never friends to begin with. At least, he didn't see us as friends."
"The loss is his, then, for being so narrow-minded."
She lightly giggled. "So are you saying that if you were in a similar position, you would have been able to stay friends with a girl you had a crush on, knowing that she was interested in someone else?"
Leon looked at her with a bit of haughtiness. "I wouldn't allow our friendship to go on for so long without letting my changed interest be known."
He smirked at her. "I actually didn't let it go on. I showed interest and reaped the rewards."
"Rewards?" Her lips tilted up. "Whatever could you mean by that?"
Her hands twiddled with his hair. He let her tease him.
"Do you mean something like this?" Her hand scratched the base of his neck. His eyes lowered slightly.
"Or something like this?" Her hand ran down his chest and then back up again. She saw his eyes gleam with the start of a very blue fire.
"Or this?" She leaned up to capture his mouth in a kiss. She pulled back a little with his bottom lip caught in her mouth.
His heavy exhale let her know that she was affecting him.
She released his lip. "Is that what you mean?"
The blue fire was lit and burning bright. "Something like that," he murmured.
He leaned forward to continue what she started when a flapping noise caught his attention.
'Is someone here?' His arms pulled her to his chest in order to cover her face. He looked around the area but saw nothing but a few black feathers near the secret entrance.
He relaxed and loosened his hold.
"What was it?" she quietly asked.
Leon continued to look around. "A bird."
She let out an exhale of relief. "Oh good; I thought it might have been something else."
"Just in case, we should leave soon." He helped her up.
Sora picked up the letter and wrinkled her nose. "If you didn't write these awful things, who did?"
Leon sat down on the bench. "Where did you say you found it?"
She avoided his gaze. "In Ken's room."
A silver brow rose up. "Why in all the world were you in there?"
"I'd rather not talk about it. It was awkward enough being in there."
He regarded her before he relented. "So then, why does he have the letter if it was for Prince Yuri?"
"Maybe Yuri gave it to him for safekeeping as a piece of evidence of your threat to him." she shrugged. "Anyways, it must have been traded off somewhere in the delivery."
"Delivery?" Leon questioned as his eyes unfocused.
She saw his eyes widen.
He looked at her. "Tell me, do fairy aides act as messengers?"
"From time to time, but only within the castle. Why do you ask?"
His eyes were filled with a different sort of fire. "I am positive that it was Ken that delivered my message to Prince Yuri."
TM
'Finally!' Ken thought.
The line wasn't that long and it was going fast for a while until the customer before him decided to start a very long conversation with the pastry creator.
The owner was wiping down the counter when Ken stepped up.
"Oh, hello again! Are you back for some more goods? My apprentice told me that you bought a few already."
"Oh, no. I still have some leftover from this morning. I, uh, actually wanted to talk to you about the last time I approached your booth."
The owner paused in his wiping. "Last time?"
"Yes, I had asked you if a silver haired man had passed your booth."
"Oh, yes! That's right." The owner shook his head. "I nearly forgot about that."
Ken stepped closer to the counter. "You told me that he was speaking with a lady. Do you think you can describe her to me?"
"Ah, the lady. Yes, she was pretty in her unique hair color…"
TM
TM
TM
AN: So, this chapter was getting pretty long with a total of 5,716 words. New chapter record! Haha! I had to leave some parts for the next chapter, but mood and flow wise, it should be fine. Plus, this gives you time to ponder and wonder... : P
