A/N: I'm not a fan of Author's Notes as I believe they take away from the immersion of the story, so I will keep this brief. Just as a reminder, this story will take some creative liberties and a few turns for some originality, but I will be following the basic story line of the game. The characters will stay in character (cause why write about characters you love if you're going to change who they are?) and I hope you enjoy the story for what it is. Thanks for reading. :)
Chapter One
The cool breeze was refreshing, carrying the scents of the spring season. A damp, earthy smell lingered in the air as the breeze lightly rustled the branches of the blossom flower trees, waking the newly budding plants from their winter slumber.
She inhaled slowly as the scent filled breeze blew gently past her, tousling her waist length, light brown hair, her long bangs tickling the sides of her face. She leaned her hands against the varnished wood railing, smiling contentedly as her bright green eyes scanned over the soft white clouds that floated along as the airship flew by. The bright sunlight gleamed against the calm waters of the ocean below, the calls of soaring seagulls echoing softly below.
No matter how beautiful the view, no matter how much she'd been looking forward to this day, Frey couldn't stop the nerves that had been building since the moment she left home. She gripped the railing tightly and took a long, calming breath, reminding herself that everything was okay. She lost count of how many times she'd had to remind her nerve-raddled mind that moving away wasn't as big of a deal as she was making it out to be. It proved to be more difficult convincing herself of this than she thought, considering she'd never been more than a few miles away from her hometown in her entire twenty year life. Now, she found herself on an airship, moving not only to another town entirely, but to another country across the sea. The move itself wasn't what was causing all the jitters; on the contrary, she'd always dreamed of seeing more of the world, her adventurous nature always drawing her to see new places and experience new things. But she never had any opportunity growing up. There were always too many responsibilities keeping her in the small farming town she'd grown up in. No, she was a nervous wreck because this was the first time she'd ever been able to act on any of her desires. All she wanted was to own farmland of her own, and after that dream became a reality, it quickly led to many firsts. It took courage she didn't know she had to take her first airship ride, leave the town she'd always known, leave the country and it was just dawning on her now that she would well and truly be on her own for the first time. No matter how desperately she wanted this, it was enough to challenge her courage to its very limits.
But all it took to remind her that all this fear was temporary and would all be worth it was the memory of when she first laid eyes on her new home. Even though she'd only seen it once when she traveled there to purchase it a few weeks ago, one look was all it took for her to know it was the place she wanted to call home. She reminded herself of the beautiful, modestly sized farmland that sat tucked away in the lush forests at the end of a long dirt road. A perfectly sized one story house sat in the middle of the land, and she remembered when she looked around the inside she felt more at home than she ever had before. That one look was all it took for her to know it was where she belonged.
The land needed some work and cleanup before it would be ready for planting, but she was more than ready to take up the task. The house itself was unfurnished so it took most of what she had left to buy some basic furniture at the local shops, but she had no regrets because it was perfect when she was done. The final step was to take one last trip back to collect the rest of her belongings and head to her new home for good. And now with those remaining belongings in the bag against her back, here she was, on her way to her new home.
While she anxiously anticipated her arrival a sudden, strange sensation quickly filled her stomach. It was a nauseous feeling that made her arms feel weak, making it difficult to keep her grip on the railing. The sensation became stronger, then she suddenly felt like she was falling, though her feet hadn't left the airship's deck. She held her breath and forced her fingers to tighten their grip as she was tossed to the side, as if the airship was tipping. She braced her feet and kept herself still, the adrenaline of the sudden event making her heart race. The wooden beam of the airship groaned loudly as it swayed the other way, forcing her to tighten her grip to keep from falling overboard. Her eyes darted around and her heart began to pound in her head as she tried to find a clue as to what was happening, but she dared not move from her spot in fear that she would fall over the edge.
And then just as suddenly as it started, it stopped.
Frey remained still, not trusting that the sudden turbulence was over yet. Her heart continued to pound, making it difficult to hear anything around her. She swallowed and released the breath she was holding, attempting to quiet her heart rate so she could listen for anything that would hint at what happened. She straightened up, the pounding in her head fading as her heart rate returned to normal. Able to hear again, she carefully listened for any sounds that were out of the ordinary. There was nothing but the wind and the normal creaks of the ship as it continued on its flight as if nothing happened.
She released her grip on the railing and slowly turned around. She instinctively became calm and focused, on high alert after her narrowed, focused eyes scanned the entire airship deck and found nothing out of place. She expected to see maybe some cargo tossed about or some of the crew coming up top to take care of any damage. She immediately became suspicious when none of that happened. She didn't have enough experience on airships to know how much turbulence was considered normal; maybe no one reacted because this was normal and everything was fine. But it wasn't sitting right with her; her instincts told her that something was wrong. She knew there was a good chance she was overreacting, but these feelings she had were rarely wrong and had saved her from serious injury more than once when she'd been out on battle training throughout her life. She continued looking out over the deck, scanning everything again with emerald eyes darting over everything, hoping to find something she missed. The more time passed with nothing the more concerned she became. She tried to tell herself that everything was fine, but she couldn't calm her nerves. Something had to be wrong. The feeling was so strong that she began to worry for the crew. Maybe they hadn't come above deck because they couldn't. Maybe something happened to them?
Just when she began considering going to check on things below deck, a sudden, loud creak startled her, making her jump. Her eyes darted to the pile of barrels just ahead of her, the ones she'd scanned many times but ignored because they were still in one piece. She was almost sure the sound had come from there. She stared at them, listening carefully for any other sounds that might follow it. When none came, she started thinking all this paranoia was making her jumpy and she was overreacting to nothing. She kept trying to shake the feeling away so she could get her nerves under control and check on the crew, even if just to put her mind at ease and prove to herself that nothing was wrong.
She had no chance to move or react when two flashes of silver suddenly hurdled over the barrels she'd been starting at and landed on the side opposite her. They spread their stance as they landed, lowering down in a crouched position, hands hovering above the weapons at their hips. Frey blinked in shock and stared at them when she realized what she was she was seeing
Two soldiers, full clad in iron armor and standing in battle ready positions stood facing her.
She didn't react right away, too surprised to do anything. They'd certainly caught her off guard and would have had the upper hand if they'd attacked her when they appeared. She was certainly relieved that they hadn't; she doubted she could have defended herself in time. She remained still, her eyes carefully going back and forth between them, waiting for them to make a move. They didn't, and her mind finally began to clear enough for her to realize what was going on. She had no idea who they were or why they were here. She felt unease build in her middle as she realized that, whatever they wanted, they wanted it from her. Her nerves grew uneasy when she began wondering what they wanted. If they were planning to fight her they could have easily done so when they caught her by surprise. But they hadn't. It wasn't until now that she realized how little sense that made. If they didn't want to fight then she was having a hard time figuring out what they wanted. And she wasn't sure if she was going to wait long enough to find out.
While she was attempting to think of a way to handle the situation, she saw one of the soldiers tap his partner's arm with his finger before he leaned in closer, covering his mouth with the back of his hand, as if he were trying to keep her from hearing him. "Is that her?" He whispered loudly, his hand doing nothing to quiet his voice, making it easy for her to hear every word. When the sentence reached her ears, her stomach sank as it almost confirmed they were after her. The other soldier leaned in, covering his own mouth like his partner, the action equally as useless as she was able to clearly hear him as he spoke. "I don't know."
Frey took an instinctive, startled step back when the first soldier suddenly straightened. Panic began to rise in her throat when she believed he was about to attack, but calmed almost immediately when she realized the soldier was no longer staring at her, but rather down at his partner. "WHAT!?" He yelled loudly, clearly no longer interested in his poor attempt to remain quiet. "You don't know!?" His partner straightened as well, scratching below his chin with his gloved hand. "Nope." There was a short silence before he added, "I don't even know if this is the right ship."
"WHAT!?"
And the argument quickly derailed from there. Within less than a minute, the pair of soldiers were yelling at one another, flailing their arms and throwing insults at one another. They'd seemed to all but forget that Frey was still standing there, staring at them and feeling more dumbfounded than she'd ever felt. Any fear she'd had all but vanished and now she felt like she was watching a pair of clowns putting on an act. The atmosphere change was so drastic that it was almost surreal. She had no idea what to do, so she just watched and listened while she waited for an opportunity to say or do something to get herself out of this strange predicament.
"Hey!"
The soldiers silenced immediately and Frey quickly turned her eyes toward the sound of the new voice. Just down the other side of the deck she saw the ship's captain, strolling quickly towards all of them, an irritated scowl on his face. He reached them quickly, stopping next to the soldiers. He glanced at Frey once before rounding on the soldiers, a livid look flashing in his eyes. "Who are you!? How did you get on my ship!?"
Frey stared as the two soldiers exchanged nervous glances between one another. The captain's livid behavior took her by surprise; she'd only spoken to him briefly, but he'd been only pleasant with her and seemed like a nice man. That only further confirmed that the presence of these two soldiers wasn't normal if he was this angry at the sight of them. And based on the way he questioned their presence, they weren't even supposed to be here in the first place.
One of the soldiers suddenly straightened, seemingly unaffected by the captain's dangerous glare. He pointed at the older man and asked in a loud, commanding voice, "You there! Is the courier bearing the gift for the Queen of Selphia on this ship!?"
A sudden feeling of dread filled Frey's middle and made her chest feel heavy. Her heart began pounding in her ears and she tried not to panic when she realized that they really were here for her after all. But she wasn't feeling afraid for herself; rather she was afraid for the pouch she carried on her belt, the one that carried the exact gift they were after. The one that had been discreetly handed to her by one of the royal guard before she'd left home. It caused her no end of confusion when she'd been asked to deliver it to the Queen of Selphia, the leader of the town she was moving to. She couldn't fathom why they'd asked her to deliver something so important when they surely had high ranking officers that could do the same. She voiced her concerns and their reasoning was vague at best, but she had no reason to say no and was happy to help.
And it was only this morning that she'd left with the satchel, carrying it on her belt and determined to keep it safe. It wasn't until she boarded the ship that her curiosity began to get the better of her. Under normal circumstances she'd never even consider looking, but she'd never been told what was in the satchel and she just had to know. They never told her she couldn't look, and she needed to know, if to at least ease her suspicions, which she still had some because of the sudden and strange request.
When she did look inside she found four small, oddly shaped jewels. They glowed a brilliant, light blue, like they were full of starlight. She plucked one from the bag and the glow brightened when her fingers came in contact, shimmering enough to force her eyes to squint against the bright light. They were like no gems she'd ever seen, and she couldn't even begin to imagine their worth. She placed it back in the bag and sealed it tightly, keeping it close to her to keep them safe.
And she'd had no doubt that she could complete the task successfully. Until now. It never occurred to her that anyone would actually try to steal them. Though the amount of details she'd been given were few, one thing she'd been told for certain was that the delivery was a secret and that no one outside of the Royal Guard and herself knew about it. And she knew what the Royal Guard's armor looked like; these two were clearly not part of them.
A loud metallic clang rang through the air, startling her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see one of the soldiers rubbing the back of his head while the other one pointed a finger at him. "Don't tell them we're here for the Rune Spheres you fool!"
Rune Spheres. Frey hadn't heard that before. It was clearly what the gems were called but she hadn't been told that. She began wondering how much of this supposed secret delivery was actually secret when these two seemed to know more about them than she did. A very uncomfortable knot formed in her stomach as what was happening finally started sinking in. None of this was right. Someone must have lied to her, known of her kindness and naivety and taken advantage of it. It wasn't the first time someone had done so, and she'd fallen for it again, her eagerness to help people blinding her to what would have been obvious to anyone else. The heaviness in her chest made her feel lower as she realized she'd been too trusting like she'd always been and let herself be taken advantage of again. She gave the benefit of the doubt despite her suspicions and was paying for it. She wondered how she could be so stupid and didn't know what to do now.
Thoroughly distracted by all of that, Frey wasn't able to react in time when she felt something grabbing at her belt. It instantly pulled her back to reality and she saw one of the soldiers with his hands wrapped around the pouch, twisting at the rope with his fingers in an attempt to untie it from her belt. Her distractions disappeared and her instincts to protect herself and the gems immediately kicked in. She grabbed one of his hands at the wrist and twisted it, her martial arts abilities at the forefront of her mind. The soldier yelped and released his hold on the pouch, while Frey used her other hand to snatch the pouch back from his grasp. She used the moment to lean her back against the railing. Using it to support her back, she lifted both legs and kicked forward into the soldier's stomach. He let out a grunt and went flying backwards, colliding with his partner and they both fell onto the floor in a heap. Frey's fighting instincts became the only thing on her mind and she automatically got into her battle stance, placing her feet shoulder length apart with one foot slightly behind her, her hands lifted to shoulder level and her fingers splayed loosely in front of her, lowering her head slightly and staring her foes down with a piercing, focused glare, the pouch dangling from her fingers. Her heart began to race with the thrill of the battle and she released a calming breath as she focused her mind on the foe before her.
She made up her mind. Rather, there was no question to begin with. It didn't matter if she'd been taken advantage of again or how it made her feel. She'd made a promise to deliver the gems safely, and no matter what she faced along the way, she would see it through. No matter what it took, that's exactly what she would do.
It took no time for the soldiers to recover; they were back on their feet before her stance was even complete. She kept her eyes on them, looking back and forth between them to study their movements. Her careful spotting was why she was just in time to react when one of the soldier's drew his sword. He swung on the draw, dragging it through the air in a horizontal slice. Her left temple in its path, Frey leaned backward, the tip of the sword hissing past her cheek, just missing its mark. She'd succeeded in dodging the attack from doing her harm, but didn't realize until it was too late that the action also put the pouch, sill hanging in her fingers, directly in the path of the sword.
Her eyes widened and her heart sank as the sword's blade ripped through the pouch's fabric like water, leaving a hole large enough for all four gems to spill. The breeze caused by the moving airship blew them to the side, sending them sailing over the railing and down towards the land below.
Frey's heart sank and the fight became forgotten. She spun around and looked over the railing, searching desperately for any signs of the gems. The dread in the pit of her stomach grew as she found nothing; they'd fallen away and out of sight. There would be no way to find them now.
Frey could only stare, unable to believe she'd let this happen. She couldn't believe herself. The circumstances meant nothing; all she knew was that she failed. She'd lost the gems. She began wracking her brain for a way to fix this, a way to make it right, but she had no idea where to start.
A hand was suddenly on her shoulder and forcefully turned her around. She barely had time to recognize one of the soldiers before he swiftly kicked her in the chest; and hard. She coughed, the force so great that the wind was practically knocked out of her. She fell backwards and into the railing. The lack of air in her lungs made her unable to tell her arms to grasp at the railing, and she fell backwards until she fell over the edge and off the ship, towards the land below. The sensation of falling filled her middle and the ship grew smaller and smaller above her as she fell further and further to what she could only imagine to be her death. She had no idea how high the ship was in the air, but she doubted it was low enough for this fall to be anything but fatal. All she could do was brace herself for impact, so she closed her eyes and waited for the most likely fatal landing.
When her back finally collided with the ground below, it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. The surface she landed on was bumpy and uneven, and though the impact wasn't as hard as she'd expected it too be, it still further pushed the air from her lungs. She began rolling, like she were falling down a large hill. A few nauseating revolutions later, she fell another short distance, this time landing on a hard, cold surface. She rolled a few more times before she came to a stop, lying on her stomach with the cold surface pressed against her cheek. The impact was painful, making stars dance in her eyes and her vision blur. Her heart pounded in her ears and a dull ache in her chest reminded her that she had yet to breathe. She tried to force air into her lungs, and after multiple tries she succeeded. She inhaled deeply and began coughing uncontrollably on the exhale. She breathed in a few more times, the wracking coughs slowing each time until she was taking in small, sharp breaths. She lay still for a few moments, taking small, shaky breaths as her lungs thankfully absorbed the air, the ache in her chest and the pain in her body beginning to dull. No part of her body was in any significant pain other than the top of her left shoulder blade. She wasn't surprised, as that's what she'd landed on during both falls. The pain was sharp, like a knife wedging itself between her shoulder and spine. It thankfully didn't take long before it faded into a dull throb, feeling more like a sore bruise that she would feel for a while. She didn't notice any other significant pains in her body and deemed herself to be in one piece. She had no idea how she managed it, but she was alive.
The blur in her vision had been preventing her from observing her surroundings so she had no idea where she was. She cleared it after a few blinks, wanting to find where she'd landed and maybe find out how she'd managed to survive the fall. Instead of finding answers, however, she found herself with more questions when she found the gray brick walls of a large room surrounding her. Since she had no clue where she was, this shouldn't have confused her so much. But somewhere in the back of her mind she'd just assumed she'd landed on the ground, or maybe even in the ocean. But inside a building hadn't occurred to her until now.
Her current position wasn't going to make looking around any easier, so she carefully rolled onto her back. The motion sent a sting through her shoulder but as she lay on the cool floor, the pain began to ease again. Her arm landed on something soft and familiar. She knew without looking that it was her bag. It slipped from her shoulders during the fall and must have landed near her. She blinked as she examined the ceiling above her. The first and most obvious detail was how high it was. It was so high up that it made the room seem cavernous. The ceiling itself was vaulted, intricate details carved into gray brick that matched the walls. This only served to confuse her further. What kind of building had she fallen into? Surely it wasn't a house; the size alone made that much clear. Only something like a castle would have a ceiling this high and fancy. It wasn't until she scanned her eyes further up the ceiling that one of the many mysteries was solved; namely, how she got in. In what appeared to be the middle of the vaulted ceiling was a large, unobstructed hole, one that looked like it was there by design. A skylight, she assumed, opened up to the clear sky above. When she fell, some manor of luck made her fall through that hole and into the building. She wanted to count herself lucky, but she had no way of knowing whether landing on the floor did any less damage to her than it would have if she, say, fell on the roof. Instead, she was just thankful that she was alive. But she still had no clear indication of where she was. And she knew her position laying on the floor wasn't helping matters. She took some care in sitting up, gritting her teeth as her shoulder protested sharply again. It faded quickly and she was glad to see that it was not a constant pain, but rather only one that happened when she moved. It would be easier to control the pain that way. She turned her head to examine the room further to finally determine where she was.
Instead, she found a very large set of eyes staring back at her.
She inhaled sharply, her breath catching in her throat and her heart just about to explode. She froze, unable to move as the room's other occupant stared back at her without a word. Frey was already finding it hard enough not to panic in the face of a stranger staring at her. But what tested every ounce of courage she had was when she found the owner of the eyes to be a very large, emerald green dragon. It was sitting perched on the white floor in the middle of the rounded room, its long neck craned down to look at her. The nose at the end of its long muzzle was inches from her face, its eyebrows furrowed downward in a concerned frown over eyes as magnificently green as its gleaming scales. The look on her face must have been one of fear, because the dragon pulled its head away slightly, as if noticing her discomfort and wanting to give her some room. The look of concern on the dragon's face didn't waver, however.
And as if some kind of fate had decided that Frey was going to experience more surprises in one day than she had in her entire lifetime in order to test her courage and sanity, the dragon sprung one more surprise on her.
It spoke.
"Are you alright?" The voice, though it came from such a grand creature, was surprisingly smooth and gentle. It was a feminine voice, clear and melodic, though a hint of concern made it waver.
Frey didn't answer. The shock in her system was locking up her mind and her breath was still caught in her throat, preventing her from speaking even if she wanted to. Her sanity was truly being tested, as she was having an almost impossible time absorbing all the things she'd experienced in such a short amount of time. She never had time to even begin dealing with the possibility that she'd been lied to and taken advantage of yet again, by the royal guard no less, and then sent to what she thought to be certain death as she fell from the airship. And as if all of that wasn't enough to weigh her down with more stress than she could ever recall having in recent memory, she found herself face to face with a dragon, one that could speak.
If she were honest with herself, the dragon wasn't even what surprised her so much. She was fully aware of the existence of dragons, though she'd never actually seen one herself. But she'd never been made aware that they could speak. And having one that could speak be the first one you see would be enough to put anyone on edge.
A strange clicking sound echoed through the room, catching Frey's attention. She found the dragon had leaned in closer like before, frown deepening and large eyes scanning Frey's face.
"You're not dead, are you?"
For some reason, the question pulled Frey from the mess in her mind and pulled her back to reality. It reminded her that, no, she was not dead, and she still didn't know why. Surely falling from the ship would have been fatal, and yet here she was, no worse for wear, and alive. With a newfound courage fueled by her desire for answers, she met the dragon's gaze, her fear of seeing the grand creature suddenly gone. She smiled in spite of herself, chuckling for a reason she didn't really know. "No," she said, finding herself wanting to reassure the dragon. She felt guilty for the concerned look the grand creature was giving her and wanted to soothe her worry if she could. "I'm just fine."
The dragon straightened her neck, raising both eyebrows in surprise. "Really!? You mean you're not hurt at all!?"
Frey nodded, reassuring the dragon with a smile. The only thing bothering her was the throb in her shoulder, but that injury was so minor it didn't even need to be mentioned. She'd had much worse than this and knew she would be fine. It would bruise and be sore for a while and be gone before she knew it. To her that was the same as not being hurt at all.
The dragon didn't seemed relieved, though. She looked more surprised, her eyes wide and her jaw falling open. "Even after falling from the sky!?" The dragon shook her head in disbelief. "I know that landing on my back cushioned your fall somewhat, but surely you shouldn't have escaped unscathed." She looked Frey up and down like she was attempting to identify some strange mystery. "What kind of creature are you?"
Frey felt sudden guilt when she heard she'd landed on the dragon. She may not have had any control over it, but the fact remained that it happened. At least she knew why the surface she fell on felt so bumpy and uneven and why she'd fallen again after she landed; she landed on the dragon then fell to the floor afterwards. The dragon's hard scales may not have made the most ideal cushion, but it must have slowed her fall enough to explain how she survived the fall. Landing directly on the hard floor would have surely caused more serious damage. But regardless of the circumstances, Frey immediately started getting to her feet so she could apologize. Once she was on her feet, ignoring the ache it caused her shoulder, she faced the dragon, her face apologetic and her voice panicked. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to. Are you hurt? It was an accident-" She started speaking too quickly to keep track of exactly what she was saying, wanting desperately to relay how sorry she was.
Then, to her complete surprise, the dragon didn't get angry. Rather, she laughed. She raised her head and closed her eyes, her mouth spreading in a wide grin as she laughed heartily. Frey became quiet and just stared in disbelief as the dragon laughed for a reason she had yet to understand. Once the dragon was done laughing she met Frey's gaze, flashing a friendly and amused smile. "Oh, I'm just fine. It would take a lot more than a small human fluttering from the sky with all the danger of a swan's feather to harm me."
Frey remained quiet as she realized what the dragon said. When she saw the dragon's genuine smile, she began to relax as she realized she'd caused the dragon no harm. It was the first time since all this started that she felt relieved, like at least some weight had been removed from her shoulders. She exhaled quietly, the tension in her chest fading.
Then she was caught off guard when the dragon's demeanor changed. The dragon's entire body froze and her eyes widened like she'd just remembered something shocking. She simply sat there, still as a statue, and Frey could only watch and wait, the tension in her chest growing as each second passed. When the dragon finally did move, it startled Frey so much that she almost jumped. The dragon raised her head high, straightening her posture, tail wrapped around her front paws, her wings opening and fanning out, making her look even larger and more intimidating than she already was. Her eyes turned downward to fix a hard stare on Frey, her brows furrowed and making her glare all the more fierce. Just like that, the dragon no longer appeared friendly and warm; now, she appeared as a creature that demanded respect.
Frey stared back with wide eyes, an uneasy feeling making her queasy as she became intimidated by the sudden change in atmosphere. Her mind began searching for an idea of what to do, but she was too confused to act. Instead, she just stared and waited, her nerves on high alert.
The dragon's chest expanded as she took in a deep breath, and then she began to speak. The friendly and melodic voice was gone; now a loud, deep and demanding voice echoed all throughout the cavernous room. Frey was almost certain she felt the echoes shake her on her feet. "I am Ventuswill, Queen of Selphia. You will explain your presence in my castle at once, human!"
It took more time than it should have for the words to sink in. Frey's system had been shocked so many times today that she had a hard time understanding how she could still feel this surprised. But this surprise hit her just as hard as the first, leaving her speechless, staring in slack-jawed confusion at the dragon and unable to speak. She was so confused that her breath had caught in her throat, making it impossible for her to answer even if she wanted to.
Her silence was apparently not appreciated by the dragon as she only waited in the silence for a few moments before shouting again. "Answer me, human!" Her large, narrowed eyes pierced Frey, proving how serious she was in getting an answer. The threatening stare didn't make it any easier for Frey to answer. She still couldn't. Even if she forced herself to speak, she hadn't the slightest clue what she would say. She didn't know how she was supposed to answer a question that didn't make any sense. After all, the dragon was asking a question to the answer she'd already received before she suddenly became demanding. Frey had already told why she was here. It made no sense for the dragon to ask why she was here. She already knew. Frey didn't understand and couldn't figure out what was going on no matter how much she tried.
"Lady Ventuswill!"
The sound of another voice, one that didn't belong to her or the dragon, was so out of place that it almost threw her for a loop. It made her surroundings feel so surreal that she just blinked instead of trying to find out who it was. It wasn't until she heard footsteps coming from her left that she was starting to come back to reality and she finally turned her head to look. What she found was a very tall man dressed in a black suit rushing towards where she stood, his coattails trailing behind him. As he got closer she saw the worry lines marring his face. He appeared to be an older man, his short white hair and gray mustache making that much clear, but despite his age he had the wide eyed expression of a worried child. He stopped just feet away from Frey, his large eyes staring up at the dragon, concern wavering his voice. "What is the matter!? What is the meaning of all the racket!?" His hands were balled into fists at his chest and he looked up at the dragon like he was worried sick about her. And he was loud. Almost as loud as Ventuswill.
Ventuswill turned her eyes to look at him but didn't change her demeanor in the slightest. She looked down at him with the same commanding stare she'd given Frey. It didn't seem to faze him in the slightest, though. When she answered him her voice wasn't quite as loud as it had been before, but it was just as intimidating. "I was simply acquiring an answer from our visitor as to why she is here. And unannounced, no less."
For some reason, the dragon's change in behavior didn't intimidate Frey. She was too confused to be afraid. She didn't understand how the dragon could go from having sympathy and understanding for her plight, then immediately go and make it seem like Frey was to blame for it all, as if she'd done it all on purpose. And for some reason, it didn't upset her. All she cared about was finding out why.
When she turned to look at the old man to see why he'd been quiet since the dragon spoke to him, she found he was staring at her. His eyes were wide with surprise and his mouth was hanging slightly open, brow furrowed in a questioning expression. He turned back to the dragon and asked, "When did this visitor enter the castle? I've been watching the front door all afternoon and saw no one enter."
"Because she did not enter through the door." Ventuswill turned her eyes upward, towards the sunroof, and the old man followed her gaze. When she returned her gaze to the old man, she added, "She entered through the ceiling."
The old man's eyes moved around for a few moments before he seemed to understand what she meant. His eyes widened even more than they had before, his jaw dropping almost low enough to hit the floor. Ventuswill went on to explain in accurate detail everything Frey had told her and everything that happened afterward. As Frey listened, she began to see a possible reason for Ventuswill suddenly becoming demanding and why she seemed to be putting Frey at fault for what happened. All the dragon knew was that Frey had fallen through the sunroof and into the castle, but Frey had never explained why. Now that she saw Ventuswill's point of view, she was less upset that she'd been put at fault for entering the castle unannounced. Frey could have easily been up to no good as far as Ventuswill knew. This realization not only put her at ease, but also made her realize how important it was to mention everything that happened, at least to clear up any possible misunderstanding that might still remain.
While she waited for an opportunity to explain herself, she noticed the old man's shocked expression had become more so, his jaw lowering even further than she thought possible. Ventuswill tilted her head slightly, taking on a thoughtful expression though she never lost the air of importance she'd had this whole time. She turned her gaze back to Frey and said, "Now that I think on it, you never explained what led you to fall into my castle in the first place." She lowered her brows and set a fierce stare on Frey. "Explain. Now."
Frey was still not feeling intimidated by the dragon, too eager to explain herself now that the opportunity had shown itself. She decided it best not to omit any details, just to make sure there would be no more misunderstandings and to prove she'd meant no one any harm. She started with how she was on her way here on an airship and went on to say how the ship was attacked by two soldiers, how they confronted her and demanded the gems she carried.
That was when the guilt of losing them weighed down on Frey again, a heavy feeling sinking down on her chest. She became unable to keep eye contact with Ventuswill as she told the rest of the story, too ashamed to look her in the eye. After all, it was clear that the gems she lost had been meant for Ventuswill. She mentioned earlier that she was the Queen of Selphia. She explained how she'd been asked by the royal guard in her home country to deliver them and how she'd tried to defend them from the thieves, only to lose them and be pushed from the ship, leading her to where she was now. She stared at the floor when her story was finished, feeling thoroughly ashamed of herself. It was already difficult enough to face herself with the guilt that she failed what should have been a simple task, but now she had to explain to the Queen personally of her failure. Though she'd done everything she could, she felt like she was just making excuses. She remained silent and awaited the Queen's judgment. She wanted to apologize for her actions, but she was too ashamed to speak and didn't think it would do any good anyway. After all, this was the Queen of her new home and she wouldn't dare try to escape any punishment she might receive. She would receive it without excuse and without argument.
When silence followed, her shame grew to an uncomfortable degree. The Queen must have been so angry she was at a loss for words. The silence was becoming deafening as it continued, and Frey found herself unable to take it anymore. She looked up at the dragon, ready to face whatever anger the dragon had. But what she found wasn't a scowl of anger. What she found was the Queen staring down at her, all anger and demanding demeanor gone. Instead, she stared with eyes as wide as the old man's, eyebrows raised in utter shock.
"You…" Ventuswill started, speaking slowly like she were in disbelief. Frey also noted that the loud tone had vanished; the gentle, melodic tone had made a return. "...Fell off an airship?" Though she was put at ease when she found the Queen wasn't angry, Frey couldn't understand where the shock was coming from. She nodded, not sure what else to say.
Frey heard a quiet whimper, but it wasn't coming from the dragon. Before she could turn to see where it was coming from, she suddenly found herself enveloped in a hug, long arms wrapped around her back as she was crushed against the person responsible. At first she realized that the one hugging her was the old man, evidenced by the dark suit she saw in her mostly blocked vision and how tall the person was. The second was the sharp, crushing pain that erupted in her shoulder. Stars danced in her eyes and the pain made her feel dizzy. She just remained still, holding back a groan of pain as the old man wailed in her ear, now crying for some reason. "Oh my..." the old man blubbered through his tears, "To go through such a traumatic experience.. you must have been so scared!" He wailed even louder and shook her, making it even more difficult for her to hold back her cry of pain. "You poor thing!"
When the pain was starting to make Frey feel faint, the old man released his hold on her. She wobbled but managed to stay on her feet, her vision clearing and the pain slowly fading back into a dull throb. She took in a grateful breath, instinctively grabbing at her injury with her hand, pressing her fingers into it to ease the pain. She watched as the old man straightened his posture, staring up at the dragon with a determined stare. "My Lady, we must investigate this ship at once! Perhaps the thieves can be apprehended if we hurry!"
Ventuswill was quiet for a moment, appearing thoughtful before she nodded. "Yes, it's possible. The condition of the ship and its crew is a concern as well. See to it at once, Volkanon." The old man straightened and saluted her, flashing a broad, proud smile. "Yes! At once, My Lady!" He then turned and ran out of the room as quickly and in the same way as he had entered.
Frey managed to soothe the pain in her shoulder by the time the old man was out of sight. It just started dawning on her how different his behavior was. He reminded her more of an excited and emotional child than an adult. She didn't think anything wrong with it, it was jut the first time she'd seen someone his age that excitable. After all, not many adults hugged strangers so suddenly. She appreciated how he'd been trying to make her feel better and decided it was fine. If he meant well, that's all that really mattered. She reminded herself what really mattered now was what Ventuswill had to say about all this. She assumed her story was enough to explain her presence in the castle but she still didn't know what her punishment might be for losing the gems.
The queen let out a sigh, and Frey looked at her, finding her expression seeming a bit tired. "Well, I suppose that's that, then." She spoke with the clear, friendly voice from earlier. "Since it appears no one was hurt we can just forget the whole thing." She gave Frey a warm, reassuring smile.
The words didn't sink in right away. There was so much wrong with it that Frey wasn't sure how to react at first. The first thing that she didn't understand was why the dragon was being friendly again. And the other thing she didn't understand was her lack of care for the gems. It made so little sense for the Queen to show so little care for what seemed to be precious gems, Frey began t wonder if she'd forgotten about them. "But..." she started, and Ventuswill looked at her. "What about the gems?"
Ventuswill tilted her head, seeming confused by the question. "What about them?"
Frey stared, feeling shocked. So she hadn't forgotten, she truly just didn't care. Frey began wondering what it was all for, why she had been entrusted to deliver them in the first place if they didn't matter. Why she'd beaten herself up for losing something that wasn't important in the first place. No, it didn't make sense. There had to be a mistake. "But..." she started, not ready to believe that it was that easy, "Weren't they important?"
Ventuswill tilted her head and appeared to think for a moment, then relaxed and fanned her wings casually. "No, not really."
Frey didn't know what to say. She really wasn't going to face punishment for her failure. It was all fine. She had no reason to be angry with herself because all was forgiven. The relief she felt was only marred by her confusion. She was glad that she was forgiven but it left her wondering what it all meant in the first place. She didn't understand why there was so much secrecy around the gems if the didn't matter.
And if there was one thing that didn't sit well with Frey, it was an unanswered question. Her curiosity always got the best of her and, as long as she wasn't stepping into business that wasn't her own, she always felt the need for answers.
Since she no longer had shame keeping her silent, she faced the Queen without fear and asked directly, "So, if they weren't important, why was I asked to secretly deliver them to you?"
Ventuswill smiled a wide, friendly smile. "Oh, don't worry about that. It's a shame they're gone, but what's a few gems compared to the riches of a Queen?" Her demeanor was very warm and reassuring, and Frey found herself believing it. After all, how would she know what was considered valuable to a Queen? To Frey, they seemed like precious, priceless treasure, but to a Queen they were probably no more valuable than any other gem she had. Maybe all the secrecy was because it was a surprise, nothing as important as Frey had assumed. In addition to that, it would also explain why they'd ask a simple civilian to deliver the gems. It all started making sense. They didn't ask a civilian to deliver something important because it wasn't important. For the first time since all this started, Frey smiled. She'd made it all out to be a bigger deal than it was, and couldn't be more relieved that she'd just simply overreacted. No one had taken advantage of her; she was just asked to deliver something because she just happened to be on her way there. It was about convenience and nothing more.
The relief that came over Frey made her feel lighter than she had in a while. She breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled to herself, glad to have the mess that had been plaguing her out of the way. She found the dragon still smiling at her and she returned the favor. She was glad she could focus on her new life on her farm rather than all this gem business. But she decided that she wouldn't be able to put it behind her until she apologized. Whether the gems were important or not, she still lost them.
She cleared her throat and became serious. Though the guilt started to creep up on her again she forced herself to keep her eyes on the dragon. "Even though you say the gems weren't important, I'm sorry I lost them. I was trusted to deliver them to you, and I failed. I'm sorry." She lowered her head slightly, feeling just enough guilt that she couldn't look at the dragon anymore. She immediately looked up again when the dragon clicked her tongue and chuckled. "Oh, don't worry so much about it, it's quite alright. Just forget the whole thing and get yourself home." She tilted her head in thought and added, "You mentioned you were moving here, yes?"
Frey remembered when she mentioned that she purchased the farm when she told her story earlier. "Oh, yeah, I am."
Ventuswill smiled warmly. "To the farm up north, right? Ah, that land is beautiful, truly a wonderful place to raise crops and run a farm." She sat back and appeared to relax, like she were having a pleasant and casual conversation. "It's been for sale for quite some time. It's wonderful that someone will finally make use of the land." She looked at Frey with a curious stare. "You do plan to use it as a farm, do you not?"
Frey smiled, feeling more relaxed and relieved now that the conversation was on lighter topics. "Yes, I do. It's why I bought it in the first place."
Ventuswill smiled brightly. "Wonderful! I look forward to seeing how you do." She lowered her head to eye level with Frey, and Frey found herself not intimidated by it in the slightest. The dragon's warm and friendly demeanor was easy to handle and she didn't mind. "Would you like me to have one of my butlers escort you up there...um..." She suddenly frowned thoughtfully and tilted her head. "Now that I think on it, I never got your name."
The realization dawned on Frey that she'd never introduced herself. "Oh, right. I'm Frey. It's nice to meet you, Queen Ventuswill."
Ventuswill smiled. "Oh please, just Ventuswill will do. I prefer to keep things casual." No sooner had the words left her mouth did the dragon's brows furrow in a worried expression. It concerned Frey but before she could ask about it, Ventuswill spoke in a slightly nervous voice, like she'd been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing. She smiled sheepishly and said, "But if you could do me a favor… I'd appreciate if you didn't tell anyone else, okay?"
Frey blinked not sure what the Queen meant. "About what?"
"That I'm, well… rather informal by nature. I am the Queen of Selphia so I must behave like it. A tougher demeanor is best to keep my rank in check."
"Oh," Frey said, understanding the request. She didn't understand why though; she found the dragon much easier to talk to like this. But she decided not to pry and just agree to the request. It must have been another royal matter that she couldn't hope to understand, like the gems. "Yeah, sure. I won't tell anyone."
Ventuswill seemed pleased. "Thank you, I appreciate it." She was quiet before asking, "So, would you like a guide to take you to your farm?"
Frey shook her head. "Oh, no thank you. I know where it is. I've been there once before."
Ventuswill nodded, "Alright, if you're sure."
Frey was about to say her goodbyes until she realized that, though she knew where her farm was, she didn't know where the castle was. She'd only know how to get to her farm from the airship dock and had no idea how to get there form the castle. And she had yet to acquire a map of town. She smiled up at the Queen nervously, feeling a bit foolish for forgetting something like that. "Well, I guess it would be helpful if you could tell me which way to turn when leave the castle. I don't actually know where I am until I get to the airship dock."
For some reason, Ventuswill chuckled, sounding thoroughly amused, like she thought the question was cute. Without saying anything else, she raised her head and, using the same, booming voice she'd used earlier, she shouted, "Vishnal! Come to my chambers at once!"
In mere seconds, a young man with long, blue hair came running from the same room Volkanon had earlier. He rushed over to the queen, stopping before her and placing a hand over his chest and the other behind his back, half bowing in respect. He smiled up at her, a calm and sophisticated demeanor about him. "Yes my lady, what do you need?" He spoke in a soft and professional manner, one that seemed to surpass his years.
Still using the same booming voice, Ventuswill nodded towards Frey and said, "This is Frey. She's the new owner of the farm up north. Help her find her way there, as far as she wishes."
Vishnal bowed again. "Yes, right away my lady." He turned to Frey and smiled warmly at her. He bowed to her, gesturing toward the castle's front gate with a wave. "When you are ready, miss."
Frey had never been addressed in such a respectful manner before, especially not by a Queen's personal butler. She was speechless for a moment and then felt awkward when she realized she'd been quiet with him waiting on her. She apologized and bent down to grab her bag, straightening up as she slung it over her shoulders. She nodded her assurance to Vishnal and she waved toward Ventuswill as Vishnal began to lead her to the front gate. "Bye Venti- I mean, Queen Ventuswill." Ventuswill nodded politely, and that was that. Frey let Vishnal lead her toward the northern part of town, which didn't take as long as she thought. She learned that the castle was situated in the middle of town and the airship dock wasn't far. Once she saw it, she told Vishnal that she knew the way from there and would be fine. He sent her on her way with a bow and a wave, and Frey walked on her own the rest of the way to her farm, feeling more ready than ever to start her new life.