Elemental Outpour
Summary: They thought they could handle anything, including facing mortal peril, and come out unscathed. They thought their powers were enough to overcome anything. They thought nothing could be worse than the Never Realm. They thought wrong.
Disclaimer: I don't own the show. I own the Elementals, Master Extorio, Caledon the Cunning, Angel, and Corban. The other OCs belong to Deth, especially Nana and Tanya.
A/N: This is a little different take on a situation than I'd normally do. In short, we get to see things through Roland's eyes for a change. Trust me, it's warranted. 😊
Chapter 3: Every Heartbeat
"…So, with that being said, King Roland," Orion finished respectfully, watching the other man's uncertain expression, "we beseech you to allow us to help protect this kingdom—and hopefully this realm—from the Elementals. We are at your command." With that, he bowed respectfully with his arm across his chest, the other Protectors following suit.
"Oh, um…" Roland held one hand to his head, still trying to process everything. "That's…a lot to take in, honestly…"
"Dad," Sofia began as she stood with the others, Nana clinging to her neck, "trust me. The Elementals are dangerous. It's going to take a lot to stop them. And as a Protector myself, I'm going to help them."
The king frowned, lowering his hand to his knee. "Sofia, are you sure that's wise? You've been through a lot recently. What if you get hurt?"
"It wouldn't be the first time," James mumbled under his breath. He saw Vivian giving him 'the look' from her position near the side and smiled sheepishly.
"We'll all protect your daughter, King Roland," Chrysta assured him with a pleasant smile. "Sofia's one of us! We won't let anything happen to her." She glanced to the side, observing as Cedric wrapped one arm around the princess, his hand gently caressing her side. "And obviously, neither will the sorcerer."
Cedric blinked at the cheeky comment before blushing as he caught the king's curious stare. "O-Oh, um… R-Right, Your Majesty." He nodded, his nerves a bit frayed at having been spotted. "I'd…protect Sofia with my life…" Despite his nervousness, he didn't release Sofia, causing the princess to smile fondly at him.
Roland nodded, his eyes narrowing in curiosity as he observed his friend and his daughter. He wasn't nearly as clueless as people assumed he was, and he'd been seeing signs of something stronger growing between them the last several months—actually, even over the last few years, especially. Sofia had always admired Cedric, and Cedric had nothing but respect and adoration for Sofia. But this was something far different… This was less professional and more…personal. And if their more frequent hand holding, hair caressing, cheek kissing, slow dancing, and warm gazing wasn't enough, then there was the fact that they were always together… Not to mention that kiss he'd seen at the ball recently... He had suspected something far more intimate and deeper between them for a while now, though he wasn't really sure how to approach that subject. Then again, did he even need to?
"Daddy?" Amber asked, smiling as her father glanced toward her. "Are you all right?"
"Hmm, yes, I think so…" He sighed, glancing back toward the others. "Protectors, I thank you for coming to our aid… This is…a lot to take in at once though. I think I need some air." He stood up, excusing himself, before leaving from the throne room.
"Was it something we said?" Chrysta wondered, folding her arms.
"I think King Roland just needs time to process what we've told him," Vega replied. "In the meantime, it's best we secure the kingdom. Cedric." She turned to the royal sorcerer, smiling. "Gather any of your family and fellow magic wielders. We're going to need all the help we can get."
He nodded, using his free hand to unsheathe his wand. "Consider it done."
Roland exited the castle, heading toward the one place he could always have some peace and quiet: Lorelei's garden. There was even an enchanted rainbow eucalyptus tree planted there in her memory (within the last several years, as a matter of fact, since Amber had shown Sofia the same species at Royal Prep many years ago). After the future queen had explained the tree's backstory to him, he'd agreed to have one planted. Now here it stood: a modest size with its famous rainbow bark streaking down the tree trunk.
'They say this type of tree is enchanted, Daddy,' Amber had told him several years ago. 'If you touch the bark, it may grant you a wish.'
Roland hadn't had the best luck with wishes in the past, so he generally abstained from them as much as possible. Still… It would be nice to have someone to talk to right now about his concerns. No one else really could understand the weight of this burden, because no one else understood the position of the king. Normally, he would speak with Miranda, because she was levelheaded and could offer some sensible advice (and his wife, which would be a default form of reasoning), but she was tending to a sick Corban and was otherwise preoccupied.
So, instead, he decided to try something different. He sat down facing the tree, trying his best to imagine his first wife sitting in front of him: her patient smile, her kind eyes, her gentle demeanor… Everything that made her Lorelei. "I…" He cleared his throat before sighing. "Lorelei, if you can hear me, I could really use some advice…" He blinked as he felt a slight change in the air, the shift of the wind ever so slightly noticeable. He smiled, taking that for a sign. "I, um…" His smile fell from his face, replaced instead with a frown, his lips slightly downturned. "I'm concerned…"
The king glanced upward as he felt the wind picking up a bit more, rustling the green leaves far above his position. "We're in danger… Me, Miranda, the kids, the entire kingdom… Honestly, Lori, even the entire realm is probably in dire straits. There are these wicked beings called the Elementals, and they've already tried to attack Sofia…and several others, including Cedric and his family." He sighed, lowering his head. "I can't lose anyone else, Lorelei… I know every heartbeat is important, and many are under my reign and therefore, they are my responsibility… But I can't do this alone." He gasped softly as he felt a hand land on his shoulder. Looking behind him, he released his breath and smiled. "Miranda…"
"You're not going to face this alone, Roland," she assured him, sitting down next to him.
"How much did you hear?" He absently picked at a few blades of grass, feeling her gaze on his face.
"Enough to know you still carry the weight of the entire realm on your shoulders." She leaned against his arm, smiling warmly as he shuffled a bit to accommodate her, his arm wrapping around her. "I got Corban to sleep not long ago, and I noticed you heading out here from his window. I figured I'd check on you."
"I'm glad you did. I could really use some advice from someone who can actually respond…"
She laughed softly. "Rollie, we've been through some bad things before. We'll just approach this the same way we've done with everything else: with determination and togetherness."
He chuckled, nuzzling her cheek before kissing her forehead. "It always amazes me how you look on the bright side. I guess it's safe to say that Sofia inherited that from you."
The queen smiled tenderly at him, taking his free hand. "I'm glad she did… And I look on the bright side, because even the darkest night soon ends, even the harshest silence soon fills with song, and even the faintest heartbeat is still a life. While we may not have magical abilities to protect this kingdom, we can still support those who do, and we'll do our best to help take this evil down in any way possible."
"You're absolutely right," he admitted, nodding as he felt a huge burden lifting from his shoulders at last. "You're good for the soul, Miranda."
She laughed. "And you're good for the heart, Roland. Now, come on." She stood, pulling him up and taking his hand. "Let's get back inside." She blinked as a huge crack of thunder echoed across the sky, the winds picking up and rushing through the trees. "Looks like a storm is coming."
If only she knew how much of an understatement that would be…
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Conflict of Interests