It was when several days had passed and the ‘old one’ had already formed quite the small home around her. Within its trunk, she had her own ‘staircase’ around it, until she reached her own ‘bed’ within an alcove at the top of its peak sheltered from all by its foliage and limbs.
She had been dreaming of her old home. Sometimes she almost thought they were real, she felt so connected. It felt as if she were walking beside her father as he did his early morning walks through the estate checking on the tenants. One dream changed everything and made her believe perhaps they weren’t dreams at all.
They started the same as all of them, her father walking hand drifting across the trunks of the trees on the property. This time though a horse came riding up beside her father and a youth jumped from it and raced up to her father his dark hair pulled back with a leather tie flopping behind him as he sought to catch up with her father’s long strides.
“Duke Thorne!”
Her father did not stop but continued at the same pace. She could feel his slight irritation and a vein of bittersweet wistfulness, melancholy, and then that same yearning she often felt when she missed him.
The youth sped up so that he stood in front of Vienna’s father and this time Vienna got a clear look on the boy’s face. A small gasp escaped her as she realized who he was, she shook her head. He looked much older but it hadn’t been that long already, had it?
The crown prince handed a parchment letter to her father.
“I found the proof. She was in the Wilds, she even apprehended some illegal hunters. I have had our shadow knights take care of them.”
This time her father stopped, “I’ve told you to leave it be, boy. This is her journey. She’ll come home when it's time.”
Vienna’s heart clenched within her chest at the faith her father had in her. Her dream followed his path and she did too as he left the prince behind.
Her mind though couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps she had been wrong about the prince after all.
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[Special POV of Ravven Basilius]
Ravven would wish every day for nearly a year that he had chased down the wagon with Lady Vienna Thorne in it that Victory Day. He would wish he had explained what happened that day. Maybe Vienna wouldn’t have run away if she’d known the truth. Maybe he wouldn’t have been alone again.
It was all because of Adeena Nesrin. The girl with the golden hair. The girl that provided him with the other half of his missing Other’s memories. The puzzle pieces slid into place, and oh did they make her look all the more ugly in his eyes.
Adeena Nesrin was an opportunist. She sought out the brightest people gathering them around herself like brilliant jewels, tossing them away when they lost their brilliance. She had used the Other like she had used the other men in her life all for various desires, for different needs. Never really giving back for what they gave her in return.
A kingdom fell just for the so-called love he had for the girl. His parents were assassinated. His best friend was executed. The girl he thought loved throwing herself at another, begging them to listen to her, before she too disappeared leaving him behind the ashes of a once beautiful kingdom.
What disturbed Ravven the most was that he could not remember what happened shortly after he helped her execute the old Vienna Thorne. The Other’s memories were fuzzy and seemed as if they came from a feverish mind.
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After Vienna Thorne ran away, Duke Thorne was even more reserved than he had been before.
Ravven would ride out with his shadow knights in search of her, but nothing would turn up as the months would pass.
A year had passed, and he was getting a census of their cities while undercover with his shadow knights. They had heard of some Elemširdis hunting that had started happening in the territories, it was then he caught wind of someone that he suspected could be Vienna.
They had a tip-off by an Elemširdis informant known only by their codename, ‘The Mapmaker’, that there were some hunters in the city they were visiting that had escaped capture on numerous occasions.
The three hunkering fellows who no doubt came originally from the Bardt mountain ranges due to their malachite coloring sat nearly completely tap-shackled from a recent binge of a series of kegs of beer.
The tavern maid came forward and asked one of them if they’d like company. The one least in their cups pulled her onto his lap. She sent a wink towards the shadow guard behind them before whispering something into the emerald brute’s ear.
“Lost them all!”
“Too bad too!” A mumble came from one of them whose head rested over his tankard.
The lady leaned forward asking a question of the one who mumbled before he shouted louder letting Ravven and the rest hiding in the shadows hear clearly.
“It’s that little wench! Could hide just like those winged pests…” A long belch came from him before he let out another loud exclamation, “Strange little thing she was!”
The woman asked another inquiring question quietly, before the one she sat on the lap of answered.
“Slight thing, young too. No wings though. Don’t think she was Elemširdis. Maybe some sort of artificer. Once she dropped her…” He let out a belch that rivaled his brother’s. The barmaid wrinkled her nose in distaste, “she was a pretty little one, could be like those pretty little ladies you see sometimes.”
Ravven signaled his guard to take the Terrans. He would have them questioned further, and perhaps he would find out more about the young girl.
He wouldn’t find out much. Deep down Ravven just knew they had spoken of Vienna. She was alive.
[End of Special POV of Ravven Basilius]