Adrina felt something touch her throat. At first she was tense. Having something so close to such a sensitive and vulnerable spot on her body made her uneasy. She felt it again and the anxiety slipped from her mind as something gently caressed her neck. She heard a low whisper and although she couldn't understand his words, she recognized his voice. She smiled as she drifted out of sleep.
"So you are awake."
Adrina opened her eyes and even in the dim light she could see Folken leaning over her. She smiled. "Mmm hmm."
"I thought so," Folken told her, "when I began cleaning your wound you tensed up."
"Cleaned my wound?" Adrina's brow knitted in confusion.
Folken held up a cloth streaked with blood. "Your horse found us." He motioned to where the animal stood peacefully in the dark. Adrina sat up and gazed at Folken's chest. The scratches were now cleaned of blood and looked much better than before. She reached out and laid her hand against the injured flesh. It was cool and showed no signs of fever or infection.
"I'm fine," Folken assured as if reading her thoughts, "it's dark now. I think we should get moving."
Adrina nodded and Folken pulled her to her feet. He led her over to the horse and grabbed the reins. Her pack was slung over the saddle and Folken stuck the canteen he held into the pack and closed it.
"Are you ready love?"
"Yes," Adrina answered. Folken led the horse out of the cave and Adrina followed. They stepped out into the moonlit night and started down a rocky path, presumably the one the horse had come up. It took them about fifteen minutes to reach the bottom of the cliffs. Once they were on flat ground, Folken mounted the horse and held his hand out to Adrina. She took it and he easily pulled her up onto the saddle in front of him. He grabbed the reins and nudged the horse into motion. He obligingly took off across the open plains towards the mountains of Fanelia.
They rode all night without stopping. The horse didn't protest the long, strenuous ride and they made good time. As soon as the light of dawn began to seep over the land, Folken and Adrina found somewhere to hide for the day. They found another cave to hide in and had a few bites of food before going to sleep for the day.
The next day was pretty much the same as the one before. They traveled the entire night and stopped for the day. They were very close to the mountains and figured they'd be home by dawn of the next morning. When they stopped for the day they were too far away from the mountains to take cover there. They decided that they would take turns keeping watch while the other slept. Adrina agreed to take the first watch and Folken fell asleep with his head in her lap.
Adrina knew that Folken hadn't been sleeping well since they had been on the run. She suspected he had been keeping watch while she slept the day away in the caves. Of course, he'd never tell her of his sacrifice and if she asked he would deny it. That was just the kind of person he was.
Noon rolled around and Adrina was supposed to wake Folken for his watch. She looked down at his peacefully sleeping form and couldn't bring herself to do it. He needed sleep and she didn't. They would be home soon and she would be able to sleep then. She smiled down at him and continued her watch.
Just as it began to get dark, Folken awoke. Adrina felt him stir and looked down as he opened his eyes. She smiled as he yawned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. She brushed some hair out of his eyes and kissed his forehead.
"Rise and shine sleepyhead."
He sat up and looked around at the gradually darkening surroundings. "Why didn't you wake me for my watch?"
Adrina shrugged. "Figured you could use the sleep."
Folken smiled and stretched. "What do you say we have a quick dinner then head home?"
"Sounds good to me," Adrina agreed. They dipped into their still plentiful food supply and had a moderate dinner. When they had finished their meal they gathered the few things they had and put the pack on the horse's saddle. Once they were ready to go, they mounted and started for the nearby mountains.
As the night darkened, the sleepless day began to catch up with Adrina. She yawned repeatedly and tried desperately to keep her eyes open. The gentle rocking motion of the horse's walk and the warmth of Folken's embrace soon proved to be too much for her and she drifted off into a contented sleep.
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"Rina, Rina love, wake up."
Adrina slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to see that it was daytime. She turned and looked up at Folken.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"Home," Folken answered and motioned forward. Adrina looked past the horse's head and saw Fanelia spread out at the bottom of the mountain. In the growing daylight she could see the palace and the light reflecting off the fountain in the gardens. Home. They were home.
"Fanelia," Adrina breathed, the sight of her homeland stealing her breath, "We made it." She turned back to Folken. "We made it!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. There were points in their journey when she didn't think she'd ever see the green forest of Fanelia again but here they were. She had done it. She had rescued Folken successfully and both of them had made it back alive.
Folken pulled away from her and smiled. "Let's get down there and let everyone know we're all right."
Adrina nodded vigorously and Folken nudged the horse into motion. He took off at a canter down the side of the mountain. To any watching he was nothing more than a tan blur. The descent down the mountain was the quickest leg of the journey they had traveled so far. In an hour and a half they had left the mountain and were racing towards the palace, the horse never slowing.
They flew down the path towards the stables at full gallop. As they approached, they saw several people sprinting towards the palace. As they slowed down near the stables the stable master came out with a huge smile on his face. He bowed low as they came to a stop in front of him.
"My Lord, M'lady, it is good to see you have returned safely," the stable master declared.
"It is good to be home." Folken dismounted and lifted Adrina off the horse. The stable master rose from the ground and took the horses reins.
"Make sure he gets the royal treatment," Adrina told the stable master, "he was very obedient and never complained once at our quick pace. He needs rest and food."
The stable master smiled. "As you command my Queen." He disappeared into the stables with the horse.
"Shall we go to the palace?" Folken asked with a smile.
"Yes."
A sudden noise from the palace drew their attention in that direction. Coming from the palace was about twenty servants and other palace personnel. They were all smiling broadly and heading for them. From the back of the group, Adrina could see people being pushed aside as someone made their way through the crowd. Adrina wasn't surprised when a second later Merle and Zane emerged from the crowd and took off at a run towards them.
"Adrina!" Merle cried and jumped into her sister's arms. Adrina stumbled back a few steps but regained her balance quickly. Before she could speak, Merle continued. "We were so worried about you! We thought we'd never see you again!"
"I appreciate your concern Merle," Adrina told her, "to be honest, I'm surprised the two of you didn't burn down the castle while we were gone."
Merle looked up at Adrina and stuck her tongue out. "We were very responsible, weren't we Zane?"
"Yes," Zane nodded.
Adrina held her arm out. "Come here."
Zane walked over to Adrina and she pulled him into an embrace next to Merle. "It's really good to be home."
At that moment the group of people reached them, Sir Chenley in the lead. They all bowed low and the knight began to speak.
"Forgive me, my Lord," Chenley begged, "I didn't know Queen Adrina's intentions. If I had known she was going to go after you, I would've stopped her."
"No need to apologize," Folken assured, "I know you would've tried to stop her, but she would've found a way to come after me anyway."
Adrina beamed at her husband's words. "He's right. I would've found a way out." She released the cat teens but Merle still clung protectively to her arm.
"My Lord, you are injured," an elderly servant woman exclaimed.
Folken looked down at the scratches, which had scabbed over during the return trip. "It is nothing."
"You should have it looked at," Adrina insisted, "it could still get infected."
"Adrina..."
"No," Adrina interrupted, "don't try to talk me out of it. It needs medical attention."
Folken sighed, "All right, I'll have it looked at."
A few elderly women that Adrina knew were healers came forward and took Folken's arms.
"Don't worry my King," one healer said, "we'll fix you up."
The women began leading Folken towards the palace, his arms firmly locked in the older women's arms. He turned his head and looked back at Adrina.
"I'll catch up to you as soon as I can," Folken called back.
"Don't worry," Adrina laughed, "I'm not going anywhere."
"M'lady," another servant spoke, "is there anything you need?"
"Not at the moment," Adrina answered, "but I would be much appreciative if you could have the cooks prepare a nice big lunch."
"I will tell them at once." the servant bowed and hurried back to the palace. The remainder of the group professed their happiness that their monarchs were back, then drifted back to the palace, leaving Adrina, Merle, and Zane alone by the stables.
"So, what was it like sneaking into the Zaibach capital?" Zane asked as they made their way to the palace.
"Yeah," Merle added, "did you get to tear apart any of those evil sorcerers?"
"Unfortunately no," Adrina chuckled, "I never confronted the sorcerers but i have a feeling our paths will cross again soon. Something is happening in Zaibach and I can't imagine that whatever the sorcerers are planning is good for Gaea."
The three of them entered the palace and walked to Adrina's chambers. They stopped outside the door of her parlor.
"I am in desperate need of a bath," Adrina informed.
"You're telling me." Merle plugged her nose.
Adrina playfully slapped Merle's arm. "Ha ha. I'll see you two at lunch."
The two teens waved goodbye and disappeared down the hallway as Adrina opened her parlor door. She walked in and was overcome by the familiar smells of the room. She finally realized just how much she missed this place. Adrina breathed deep of the perfumed air and crossed the room to the bedroom door.
She opened the door and entered the room she shared with Folken. The bed was made and the clothes she had left lying around had been washed and returned to the wardrobe or dresser. Wanting nothing more than to get out of the clothes she had been wearing for the past five days, Adrina grabbed a deep maroon dress out of her wardrobe and hurried to the bath room that was connected to the bedroom.
The bath room was a huge stone room with a large stone basin in the middle. The basin was large enough to hold several people at once and was filled with heated water. Adrina quickly stripped out of her soiled clothing and sank into the warm water. A sigh of complete contentment slipped out of her lips as the water enveloped her and soothed away all the aches she had acquired from her journey. After relaxing for a bit, Adrina scrubbed her skin and hair clean. The warm water was starting to make her sleepy and she decided she'd better get out before she fell asleep and drowned.
Adrina stepped out of the tub and wrapped up in a nearby towel. She dried her skin and hair then dressed quickly. She left the bathhouse and returned to the bedroom, where she flopped down on the bed. She had intended to only rest for a few minutes but instead fell into a peaceful slumber.
She was awakened by a movement on the bed next to her. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Folken smiling down at her. She smiled back and sat up.
"Time for lunch," Folken informed.
"Already?" Adrina inquired. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"You needed the rest," Folken said.
"Oh yeah?" Adrina asked, "what about you? I bet you haven't even sat down since we got back."
Folken grinned guiltily. "You know me too well. Sir Chenley, the generals and I were discussing what we should do about Zaibach. I have a feeling they are up to something more sinister than kidnapping the King of Fanelia."
"I heard the sorcerers talking when I snuck into the capital," Adrina offered, "they were talking about something called Zeus and they needed Dranconians to power it."
"I heard the same thing," Folken informed, "I have a few servants combing the library for any book that might give us an idea of what Zeus is."
"Did Sir Chenley send word to Van?" Adrina questioned.
Folken nodded. "Van said he'd pack up and come back immediately. I just sent another message letting him know that we're all right and telling him not to come home. If we find nothing about Zeus in our own library, and I doubt we will, then I think we will join Van and Hitomi in Asturia. Their library almost certainly must contain some information on this Zeus. I have asked that the library be searched already."
"It's been so long since I've been to Asturia," Adrina commented, "I miss the sea."
"Then I will have the trip prepared," Folken told her, "We shall leave for Asturia as soon as possible."
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Sorry, I know this chapter was boring but it had to be added. I want to say a big THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! to Gwuinivyre for reviewing this story. I almost decided to stop writing it because nobody was reading it, but then Qwuinivyre reviewed and the story shall continue! Thanks again Gwuinivyre, and I'm glad you like it so far!
"So you are awake."
Adrina opened her eyes and even in the dim light she could see Folken leaning over her. She smiled. "Mmm hmm."
"I thought so," Folken told her, "when I began cleaning your wound you tensed up."
"Cleaned my wound?" Adrina's brow knitted in confusion.
Folken held up a cloth streaked with blood. "Your horse found us." He motioned to where the animal stood peacefully in the dark. Adrina sat up and gazed at Folken's chest. The scratches were now cleaned of blood and looked much better than before. She reached out and laid her hand against the injured flesh. It was cool and showed no signs of fever or infection.
"I'm fine," Folken assured as if reading her thoughts, "it's dark now. I think we should get moving."
Adrina nodded and Folken pulled her to her feet. He led her over to the horse and grabbed the reins. Her pack was slung over the saddle and Folken stuck the canteen he held into the pack and closed it.
"Are you ready love?"
"Yes," Adrina answered. Folken led the horse out of the cave and Adrina followed. They stepped out into the moonlit night and started down a rocky path, presumably the one the horse had come up. It took them about fifteen minutes to reach the bottom of the cliffs. Once they were on flat ground, Folken mounted the horse and held his hand out to Adrina. She took it and he easily pulled her up onto the saddle in front of him. He grabbed the reins and nudged the horse into motion. He obligingly took off across the open plains towards the mountains of Fanelia.
They rode all night without stopping. The horse didn't protest the long, strenuous ride and they made good time. As soon as the light of dawn began to seep over the land, Folken and Adrina found somewhere to hide for the day. They found another cave to hide in and had a few bites of food before going to sleep for the day.
The next day was pretty much the same as the one before. They traveled the entire night and stopped for the day. They were very close to the mountains and figured they'd be home by dawn of the next morning. When they stopped for the day they were too far away from the mountains to take cover there. They decided that they would take turns keeping watch while the other slept. Adrina agreed to take the first watch and Folken fell asleep with his head in her lap.
Adrina knew that Folken hadn't been sleeping well since they had been on the run. She suspected he had been keeping watch while she slept the day away in the caves. Of course, he'd never tell her of his sacrifice and if she asked he would deny it. That was just the kind of person he was.
Noon rolled around and Adrina was supposed to wake Folken for his watch. She looked down at his peacefully sleeping form and couldn't bring herself to do it. He needed sleep and she didn't. They would be home soon and she would be able to sleep then. She smiled down at him and continued her watch.
Just as it began to get dark, Folken awoke. Adrina felt him stir and looked down as he opened his eyes. She smiled as he yawned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. She brushed some hair out of his eyes and kissed his forehead.
"Rise and shine sleepyhead."
He sat up and looked around at the gradually darkening surroundings. "Why didn't you wake me for my watch?"
Adrina shrugged. "Figured you could use the sleep."
Folken smiled and stretched. "What do you say we have a quick dinner then head home?"
"Sounds good to me," Adrina agreed. They dipped into their still plentiful food supply and had a moderate dinner. When they had finished their meal they gathered the few things they had and put the pack on the horse's saddle. Once they were ready to go, they mounted and started for the nearby mountains.
As the night darkened, the sleepless day began to catch up with Adrina. She yawned repeatedly and tried desperately to keep her eyes open. The gentle rocking motion of the horse's walk and the warmth of Folken's embrace soon proved to be too much for her and she drifted off into a contented sleep.
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"Rina, Rina love, wake up."
Adrina slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to see that it was daytime. She turned and looked up at Folken.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"Home," Folken answered and motioned forward. Adrina looked past the horse's head and saw Fanelia spread out at the bottom of the mountain. In the growing daylight she could see the palace and the light reflecting off the fountain in the gardens. Home. They were home.
"Fanelia," Adrina breathed, the sight of her homeland stealing her breath, "We made it." She turned back to Folken. "We made it!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. There were points in their journey when she didn't think she'd ever see the green forest of Fanelia again but here they were. She had done it. She had rescued Folken successfully and both of them had made it back alive.
Folken pulled away from her and smiled. "Let's get down there and let everyone know we're all right."
Adrina nodded vigorously and Folken nudged the horse into motion. He took off at a canter down the side of the mountain. To any watching he was nothing more than a tan blur. The descent down the mountain was the quickest leg of the journey they had traveled so far. In an hour and a half they had left the mountain and were racing towards the palace, the horse never slowing.
They flew down the path towards the stables at full gallop. As they approached, they saw several people sprinting towards the palace. As they slowed down near the stables the stable master came out with a huge smile on his face. He bowed low as they came to a stop in front of him.
"My Lord, M'lady, it is good to see you have returned safely," the stable master declared.
"It is good to be home." Folken dismounted and lifted Adrina off the horse. The stable master rose from the ground and took the horses reins.
"Make sure he gets the royal treatment," Adrina told the stable master, "he was very obedient and never complained once at our quick pace. He needs rest and food."
The stable master smiled. "As you command my Queen." He disappeared into the stables with the horse.
"Shall we go to the palace?" Folken asked with a smile.
"Yes."
A sudden noise from the palace drew their attention in that direction. Coming from the palace was about twenty servants and other palace personnel. They were all smiling broadly and heading for them. From the back of the group, Adrina could see people being pushed aside as someone made their way through the crowd. Adrina wasn't surprised when a second later Merle and Zane emerged from the crowd and took off at a run towards them.
"Adrina!" Merle cried and jumped into her sister's arms. Adrina stumbled back a few steps but regained her balance quickly. Before she could speak, Merle continued. "We were so worried about you! We thought we'd never see you again!"
"I appreciate your concern Merle," Adrina told her, "to be honest, I'm surprised the two of you didn't burn down the castle while we were gone."
Merle looked up at Adrina and stuck her tongue out. "We were very responsible, weren't we Zane?"
"Yes," Zane nodded.
Adrina held her arm out. "Come here."
Zane walked over to Adrina and she pulled him into an embrace next to Merle. "It's really good to be home."
At that moment the group of people reached them, Sir Chenley in the lead. They all bowed low and the knight began to speak.
"Forgive me, my Lord," Chenley begged, "I didn't know Queen Adrina's intentions. If I had known she was going to go after you, I would've stopped her."
"No need to apologize," Folken assured, "I know you would've tried to stop her, but she would've found a way to come after me anyway."
Adrina beamed at her husband's words. "He's right. I would've found a way out." She released the cat teens but Merle still clung protectively to her arm.
"My Lord, you are injured," an elderly servant woman exclaimed.
Folken looked down at the scratches, which had scabbed over during the return trip. "It is nothing."
"You should have it looked at," Adrina insisted, "it could still get infected."
"Adrina..."
"No," Adrina interrupted, "don't try to talk me out of it. It needs medical attention."
Folken sighed, "All right, I'll have it looked at."
A few elderly women that Adrina knew were healers came forward and took Folken's arms.
"Don't worry my King," one healer said, "we'll fix you up."
The women began leading Folken towards the palace, his arms firmly locked in the older women's arms. He turned his head and looked back at Adrina.
"I'll catch up to you as soon as I can," Folken called back.
"Don't worry," Adrina laughed, "I'm not going anywhere."
"M'lady," another servant spoke, "is there anything you need?"
"Not at the moment," Adrina answered, "but I would be much appreciative if you could have the cooks prepare a nice big lunch."
"I will tell them at once." the servant bowed and hurried back to the palace. The remainder of the group professed their happiness that their monarchs were back, then drifted back to the palace, leaving Adrina, Merle, and Zane alone by the stables.
"So, what was it like sneaking into the Zaibach capital?" Zane asked as they made their way to the palace.
"Yeah," Merle added, "did you get to tear apart any of those evil sorcerers?"
"Unfortunately no," Adrina chuckled, "I never confronted the sorcerers but i have a feeling our paths will cross again soon. Something is happening in Zaibach and I can't imagine that whatever the sorcerers are planning is good for Gaea."
The three of them entered the palace and walked to Adrina's chambers. They stopped outside the door of her parlor.
"I am in desperate need of a bath," Adrina informed.
"You're telling me." Merle plugged her nose.
Adrina playfully slapped Merle's arm. "Ha ha. I'll see you two at lunch."
The two teens waved goodbye and disappeared down the hallway as Adrina opened her parlor door. She walked in and was overcome by the familiar smells of the room. She finally realized just how much she missed this place. Adrina breathed deep of the perfumed air and crossed the room to the bedroom door.
She opened the door and entered the room she shared with Folken. The bed was made and the clothes she had left lying around had been washed and returned to the wardrobe or dresser. Wanting nothing more than to get out of the clothes she had been wearing for the past five days, Adrina grabbed a deep maroon dress out of her wardrobe and hurried to the bath room that was connected to the bedroom.
The bath room was a huge stone room with a large stone basin in the middle. The basin was large enough to hold several people at once and was filled with heated water. Adrina quickly stripped out of her soiled clothing and sank into the warm water. A sigh of complete contentment slipped out of her lips as the water enveloped her and soothed away all the aches she had acquired from her journey. After relaxing for a bit, Adrina scrubbed her skin and hair clean. The warm water was starting to make her sleepy and she decided she'd better get out before she fell asleep and drowned.
Adrina stepped out of the tub and wrapped up in a nearby towel. She dried her skin and hair then dressed quickly. She left the bathhouse and returned to the bedroom, where she flopped down on the bed. She had intended to only rest for a few minutes but instead fell into a peaceful slumber.
She was awakened by a movement on the bed next to her. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Folken smiling down at her. She smiled back and sat up.
"Time for lunch," Folken informed.
"Already?" Adrina inquired. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"You needed the rest," Folken said.
"Oh yeah?" Adrina asked, "what about you? I bet you haven't even sat down since we got back."
Folken grinned guiltily. "You know me too well. Sir Chenley, the generals and I were discussing what we should do about Zaibach. I have a feeling they are up to something more sinister than kidnapping the King of Fanelia."
"I heard the sorcerers talking when I snuck into the capital," Adrina offered, "they were talking about something called Zeus and they needed Dranconians to power it."
"I heard the same thing," Folken informed, "I have a few servants combing the library for any book that might give us an idea of what Zeus is."
"Did Sir Chenley send word to Van?" Adrina questioned.
Folken nodded. "Van said he'd pack up and come back immediately. I just sent another message letting him know that we're all right and telling him not to come home. If we find nothing about Zeus in our own library, and I doubt we will, then I think we will join Van and Hitomi in Asturia. Their library almost certainly must contain some information on this Zeus. I have asked that the library be searched already."
"It's been so long since I've been to Asturia," Adrina commented, "I miss the sea."
"Then I will have the trip prepared," Folken told her, "We shall leave for Asturia as soon as possible."
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Sorry, I know this chapter was boring but it had to be added. I want to say a big THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! to Gwuinivyre for reviewing this story. I almost decided to stop writing it because nobody was reading it, but then Qwuinivyre reviewed and the story shall continue! Thanks again Gwuinivyre, and I'm glad you like it so far!