Darius was looking at everything around him as if he was a lost puppy. Darius couldn’t put his finger on it, but for some reason the whole place reminded him of home, just a bit more… natural. Especially the people, Darius had been a bit too preoccupied with his mission, so he’d never noticed it, but the way the people clothed themselves was eerily similar to the fashion in Acumenos. Even more so than the other islands that surrounded it.
Krista had to hold onto Darius’s arm to make sure he wouldn’t wander off as they traveled deeper into the city when the shops started to pop up. Such shops included a blacksmith, where he watched one of the workers holding a blade still completely red from heat. A staff shop with dozens if not hundreds of staffs, each one intricately designed and varying in price. Also what Darius had assumed to be a pet shop, with many more creatures he had yet to see and a few he had, including a cat like creature that he had stepped on it because it looked like a patch of grass. The way the cat eyed him made Darius question that maybe it was the same one.
“Not long until we hit Guild Street,” Krista whispered to Darius. “I’m starting to worry about Amelia, she was supposed to meet up with us just inside the border. Why haven’t we seen her yet?”
“Calm down Krista, this is Amelia we’re talking about,” Darius responded. “She may be a bit ditsy sometimes, but she’s trustworthy. I can’t imagine- Amelia!”
In front of a street with six large buildings, while not comparable in size, they reminded Darius greatly of the castle that the city surrounded. As soon as Darius’s eyes met hers, Amelia looked away. Before Darius could try to understand why Amelia did that, Krista bolted to her side subjugating the poor girl to a bear hug.
“Don’t scare me like that Amelia!” Krista wailed, “We were supposed to meet right inside the border. What are you doing all the way at Guild Street?”
Amelia shuffled around a bit, unable to breathe under Krista’s grip. Realizing that she was choking the girl, Krista finally let her go.
“N-Now Krista… please don’t be mad with me, but-but you know how easy I crack under pressure,” Amelia said barely catching her breath.
Suddenly, the sound of heavy metal boots surrounded the area, and a swarm of guards appeared blocking all available exits. Instinctively, Darius snuggled himself amongst the other guild members as closely, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. In the end, it was his goal to get a meeting with the royal family, being labeled as a criminal would probably put a damper on those plans. Krista must have had similar thoughts because she looked like she was ready to bolt. Unfortunately, the guards reacted to any of her shifts in movement, each of them more than ready to apprehend her at any moment.
“Krista, you need to come home,” said a soothing voice from a woman behind Amelia.
It was a voice Krista hadn’t heard in some time, and it stopped her in her tracks. Darius felt that he had also heard this voice before, but he started to have a headache when trying to recollect it.
In a wheelchair being pushed by a young maid, a very old and pale skinned woman revealed herself. “Grand Auntie?” Krista asked cautiously.
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“Yes honey, it’s me. I’m sorry for being gone so long,” she responded.
With tears in her eyes, the girl ran to hold onto her Grand Auntie. ““I missed you, I missed you so much! You were gone for so long, why did you leave?”
“I’m sorry baby, but you know my position,” Krista’s Grand Auntie said while stroking her hair. “If the Archmagi calls me, I need to go, this time was only a bit more… serious than usual. But hey, it looks like you’ve grown up a lot since I’ve seen you.”
Knowing that her Grand Auntie was aware of Amelia’s synthesis, this almost got a light chuckle from Krista, but that was interrupted when her Grand Auntie started coughing into a handkerchief given to her by her maid. Blood being sprayed onto it.
“Grand Auntie!”
“Don’t worry child, I still have many more good years in this body. A bit of blood doesn’t mean-” Krista’s Grand Auntie cut herself off as she continued to cough.
For Darius it was hard to ignore how weak and frail the woman looked. Just based on appearance, she looked even older that his own grandfather who was nearing his 80’s. Her movements were slow and concise as if each movement was too much of an energy drain. Though strangely enough, her dress was very regal. That could explain why she was able move this number of guards for personal reasons.
“Are you sure you’re alright Grand Auntie?” Krista asked.
After catching her breath, Krista’s Grand Auntie continued, “Yes, yes, I’m quite fine. Honestly, I’m more interested in why you’ve returned… and about the gentleman Amelia said you were traveling with.”
Her eyes locked quickly to Darius, filled with an unexpected amount of ire. Darius was momentarily confused as to how she picked out that he was the person who traveled alongside Krista and Amelia, but quickly realized that he was missing the colored necklace that all the other guild members shared. Simple proof of their tie to New Dawn as natives.
Rather than continue to draw this woman’s ire by hiding more, Darius decided to speak out, “By gentleman, I assume you mean my humble self.”
“Only if you are the young man who was sleeping with my Grandnieces?” she asked coldly.
Darius could tell this was going to go nowhere fast, so he quickly retorted, “We were just traveling partners. I’m sure Amelia would have told you as such.”
“True, actually Amelia has told me a lot of things… except why you are here.” One look from Amelia told Darius that if she had known why he was here, she would have told her Grand Auntie. “She did tell me that Krista owed you passage to New Dawn, but not why she came inside with you. Considering how long she’d been gone, it just doesn’t make sense, though I have my suspicions.”
“That’s… not something I can really disclose. Unless, of course, you were royalty.”
“Then tell me,” she responded without any hesitation.
“No, like I said…” It took a moment before Darius fully took in what Krista’s Grand Auntie meant by what she said. “You’re royalty? Of New Dawn? You’re a Knightley?!”
“Last time I checked, yes. My niece is the Queen of New Dawn… Do you not know who I am?” she asked of the strange man that spent so much time with her nieces.
Darius’s thoughts were erratic, he had no idea how he found himself in this situation. All he’d done was walk down the street and now Krista’s Grand Auntie ambushed them with an armed entourage.
“Wait… Grand Auntie… but that woman said that she was royalty and that Krista needed to come home... Oh my Iroh.” It had gone over his head until now, but now his thoughts started to flow out. “Krista, you’re the missing princess, aren’t you?”