Rena stared down at the half-empty glass of tea in front of her. It was cold by now, she'd ordered it 20 minutes ago. All she wanted to do was sit by Claude and wait for him to wake up, but she had to eat sometime.
She was a little distance from the medical office in Cross Cafe. Surrounding her were happy couples, husbands and wives meeting for a bit to eat before work began that day. Rena couldn't help but stare longingly, wishing Claude would wake up and do the same thing in Arlia.
"People-watching?"
She turned to find Chris standing behind her, carrying a sack and dressed in common clothes. It's not particuarly unusual to see the prince walking around the town; in this time of peace, he was unneeded in the castle, and just seeing him raised the general moral just a little bit.
Rena smiled at him. "Just getting a quick breakfest while waiting for Claude to wake up. It's not like I can go back to Arlia until he's better. The medical bills-"
"I was waiting for you to mention that", Chris said, sitting in the chair next to her. "My father is already aware of Claudes condition and has ordered all medical expenses be payed by the crown. There is no room for discussion, lest it be an insult to the kings generosity.
Rena looked at him, tears beginning to form. "Chris, he's gonna be okay, isn't he?"
"Rena..."
"I can't stop thinking that he's awake inside, listening to everything the doctors say, listening to everything I say. The doctors keep saying 'Stasis' and 'Coma'...I looked them both up but I still don't know anything about medical stuff so I can't help..."
She broke down sobbing onto the small table.
Chris sighed. "Rena...go back to Claude. You don't want him to wake up without you, do you?"
Rena shook her head.
"Besides, I talked to Celine this morning and she's going to look through all those Heraldry books she has and see if it's some sort of spell that caused this. She'll be at the medical office later today."
Rena looked up. "Celine?"
"Yes, why?"
Rena looked away. "...nothing. What about you, Chris? Will you come with me?"
Chris shook his head. "I have some people I have to meet today, but I'll be with Celine later to check on Claude."
Rena nodded. "Alright...Chris?"
"Hmm?"
Rena stood up and kissed Chris on the cheek, as was their custom. "Thank you, for all you've done to help Claude."
"Anything for you, Rena."
Rena blushed, left 30 fol on the table and ran out the door. Chris watched her go, then called for the waitress.
"Please bill this to my account."
She nodded and walked off. Chris picked up Rena's money, wrapped it in a fresh napkin and walked out the door.
----------------------------------------------------------------
"I can't hear you..."
"I can't feel the heat of your body..."
"All I notice is black emptiness..."
"Rena...where are you??"
"Don't leave me, PLEASE!"
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Cross jail quarters were always cold and damp; just like every other jail corrider in the world, Celine speculated. It almost made her wish she'd brought a heavier robe. Then again, with luck she wouldn't be down here that long.
She sped down the hallway to the recently occupied jail cell, where the ever-hyper youth was awaiting. As she walked, she saw the girl trying to dig underground to escape. (Celine didn't have the heart to tell her she was already underground). Somehow, she'd broken off the leg of a chair and was using it first as a shovel, then as a pick. Neither was effective.
However, as the princess approached, the girl stood and ran full speed at the bars, yelling loudly. Celine raised her hands and chanted a phrase; before the prisoner reached the bars, a white force exploded against her and pushed her against the back wall of the cell.
Celine almost laughed. How good it felt to use heraldry!, she thought to herself. But she kept an icy expression as she unlocked the door and walked into the cell. The teen was fighting against Celines power with every ounce of strength she had. It was an ineffective effort, and she found herself stuck against the wall, arms spread.
Celine sat down on the jail cot. "Got a name, kid?"
Silence.
"You coulda killed me, you know."
Silence.
Celine reached into her sack and pulled out the object that belonged to the girl. Her eyes widened.
"Tell me your name."
"...IEEEEE!"
This is getting nowhere, Celine thought. She stood up and grabbed the girl by the wrist. She screamed in pain.
"Oh, that's right", celine said. "I shattered your wristbone."
The girl winced.
"Hmm...I could take you to the medical office, I have to go there today anyways. But how can I trust you won't try to kill me again?"
The girl simply stared at Celine, comprehending but stubborn.
"I know!", said Celine. She raised her hands and chanted a phrase, and sparkling powder erupted from Celine's body. The girl fell to the floor, unconcious.
Celine smiled. "Guard, grab a lacky. We've got one here that needs medical attention."
~
She was a little distance from the medical office in Cross Cafe. Surrounding her were happy couples, husbands and wives meeting for a bit to eat before work began that day. Rena couldn't help but stare longingly, wishing Claude would wake up and do the same thing in Arlia.
"People-watching?"
She turned to find Chris standing behind her, carrying a sack and dressed in common clothes. It's not particuarly unusual to see the prince walking around the town; in this time of peace, he was unneeded in the castle, and just seeing him raised the general moral just a little bit.
Rena smiled at him. "Just getting a quick breakfest while waiting for Claude to wake up. It's not like I can go back to Arlia until he's better. The medical bills-"
"I was waiting for you to mention that", Chris said, sitting in the chair next to her. "My father is already aware of Claudes condition and has ordered all medical expenses be payed by the crown. There is no room for discussion, lest it be an insult to the kings generosity.
Rena looked at him, tears beginning to form. "Chris, he's gonna be okay, isn't he?"
"Rena..."
"I can't stop thinking that he's awake inside, listening to everything the doctors say, listening to everything I say. The doctors keep saying 'Stasis' and 'Coma'...I looked them both up but I still don't know anything about medical stuff so I can't help..."
She broke down sobbing onto the small table.
Chris sighed. "Rena...go back to Claude. You don't want him to wake up without you, do you?"
Rena shook her head.
"Besides, I talked to Celine this morning and she's going to look through all those Heraldry books she has and see if it's some sort of spell that caused this. She'll be at the medical office later today."
Rena looked up. "Celine?"
"Yes, why?"
Rena looked away. "...nothing. What about you, Chris? Will you come with me?"
Chris shook his head. "I have some people I have to meet today, but I'll be with Celine later to check on Claude."
Rena nodded. "Alright...Chris?"
"Hmm?"
Rena stood up and kissed Chris on the cheek, as was their custom. "Thank you, for all you've done to help Claude."
"Anything for you, Rena."
Rena blushed, left 30 fol on the table and ran out the door. Chris watched her go, then called for the waitress.
"Please bill this to my account."
She nodded and walked off. Chris picked up Rena's money, wrapped it in a fresh napkin and walked out the door.
----------------------------------------------------------------
"I can't hear you..."
"I can't feel the heat of your body..."
"All I notice is black emptiness..."
"Rena...where are you??"
"Don't leave me, PLEASE!"
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Cross jail quarters were always cold and damp; just like every other jail corrider in the world, Celine speculated. It almost made her wish she'd brought a heavier robe. Then again, with luck she wouldn't be down here that long.
She sped down the hallway to the recently occupied jail cell, where the ever-hyper youth was awaiting. As she walked, she saw the girl trying to dig underground to escape. (Celine didn't have the heart to tell her she was already underground). Somehow, she'd broken off the leg of a chair and was using it first as a shovel, then as a pick. Neither was effective.
However, as the princess approached, the girl stood and ran full speed at the bars, yelling loudly. Celine raised her hands and chanted a phrase; before the prisoner reached the bars, a white force exploded against her and pushed her against the back wall of the cell.
Celine almost laughed. How good it felt to use heraldry!, she thought to herself. But she kept an icy expression as she unlocked the door and walked into the cell. The teen was fighting against Celines power with every ounce of strength she had. It was an ineffective effort, and she found herself stuck against the wall, arms spread.
Celine sat down on the jail cot. "Got a name, kid?"
Silence.
"You coulda killed me, you know."
Silence.
Celine reached into her sack and pulled out the object that belonged to the girl. Her eyes widened.
"Tell me your name."
"...IEEEEE!"
This is getting nowhere, Celine thought. She stood up and grabbed the girl by the wrist. She screamed in pain.
"Oh, that's right", celine said. "I shattered your wristbone."
The girl winced.
"Hmm...I could take you to the medical office, I have to go there today anyways. But how can I trust you won't try to kill me again?"
The girl simply stared at Celine, comprehending but stubborn.
"I know!", said Celine. She raised her hands and chanted a phrase, and sparkling powder erupted from Celine's body. The girl fell to the floor, unconcious.
Celine smiled. "Guard, grab a lacky. We've got one here that needs medical attention."
~