Sleeping Handsome
Kingdom of Layfette Archive 3
It wasn't long before he was flying through the open window of Reise's room. "You have news your highness?" He said as he shifted into his own form and turned to look at the prince.
Reise turned away from his desk, where he was reading some more dark tomes and he grinned at Noctis. He had dark circles under his eyes from not sleeping all night, and the candle light made his skin look all the more pale. He stood up and moved towards Noctis. "I've recruited some help..." he grinned. "Trolls and goblins in the woods. They've agreed to help set traps." He rubbed his hands together and sighed, looking at him. "Did you make any progress in hindering their journey?"
Noctis couldn't help but frown slightly and gave a small shake of his head. "Those sprites are smarter than I thought. They saw through my disguises straight away. I need to find a way to fool them otherwise I won't be able to get too close." He said slumping in a vacant chair before looking at Reise. "I suppose you don't have a spell or anything that would shield me from them.."
"A spell...?" Reise asked slowly, rubbing his chin. "Hmm... a cloaking spell... yes." He turned and moved to his tall bookshelf of books and tomes and pulled down a scroll, unrolling it on his desk top and pinning the corners with weights before reading the ancient words there. "I assume part of your trouble was that damned wolfdog." he snarled. "I've read about Jollel's companion... how he can transmit spells she casts and she watches the world through his eyes. He is a mystical beast of his own accord as well... not as powerful as Jollel, for sure though. He would be no match for you should Jollel be... eliminated." he grumbled. He stopped and smiled widely. "There." He turned back to Noctis and nodded. "I will cast the spell as soon as possible. You will be cloaked from their sight for three whole days. I imagine you can find some way to sabotage them within that time?"
"I'm sure i'll think of something." Noctis said with a smirk as he straightened up in the chair he was sitting in. "So is there anything else you needed me for your highness? Any more news or errands you have for me?" He asked looking up at Reise.
Reise seemed to think about this... then paused and grinned wickedly. "Yes, actually... there is." He moved to grab a piece of parchment and a quill, then scribbled out a number. It was large, both in writing and in quantity. He sealed it with wax after folding it up neatly, then turned and offered it to Noctis. "Take this to the lake. Give it to the mers beneath the waters... I'll give you a spell with which to travel under the surface. Offer them the opportunity to aide us in stopping these neusances that plague us. Tell them this is what I'm willing to pay for their assistance."
Noctis looked at Reise with a raised eyebrow as he took the parchment from him.
what use is the mers going to be? He thought but decided not to ask. "Don't worry about a spell your highness, i'm a shapeshifter remember." He chuckled lightly as he stood up. "Will that be all?"
"That is all." Reise nodded at Noctis with another mischevious smirk. "I've got some work of my own to do... A little back-up plan. I'll be in contact when your cloaking spell is complete." he said and moved back to his desk where he went back to mixing potions and herbs, reading a book of spells to his right.
Noctis nodded then moved back to the window. "Don't work too hard your highness.." he remarked as he glanced over his shoulder at Reise before climbing up onto the ledge and jumping from the window, disappearing into the darkness.
Reise scoffed a small laugh and shook his head. "Never." he grumbled to himself, then grinned into the bowl that he was mixing chemicals and herbs inside of. He lifted it and held it up to examine, then set it on the shelf of a wardrobe chest, before locking it firmly. He then turned and moved towards where he had a series of crystals scattered on a glass board. He waved a hand over them, whispering some foreign words and the crystals glowed, lighting up the glass board with a picture... A picture of where his brother was being kept, snoozing so peacefully. He grinned to himself. "We need to make it a little less simple for these sprite friends of yours." he whispered.
He grabbed a long sewing pin, the bulb at the top painted red, and he held up a doll made to look like Dyllin almost exactly. He even had a piece of Dyllin's hair sewn onto its tiny head. "Dear brother..." he whispered evily, holding it towards the crystals, and the pin poised over a small painted-red heart on the doll's chest. "You cannot be awoken by a true love's kiss if you have no heart with which to feel love." he grinned, then plunged the pin into the doll. Dyllin's sleeping form within the crystals let out a scream and writhed in pain, but he was still asleep... and no one could hear him. He was trapped in a tower deep within the lands of Cuole. There was no one around for hundreds of miles. He thrashed in the bed as the pin seared into his chest, and when Reise pulled the pin back out, there was Dyllin's heart, sitting and magically still alive and beating on the glass board amongst the crystals. He smiled broadly and his eyes had a wicked gleam in them. He grabbed a beautifully carved, wooden box, and placed the heart inside, hearing it beating even as he closed the lid and latched it shut. The beatings were muffled now, and surely no one would hear them if he hid the box someplace safe. He licked his lips greedily and decided he needed to find a suitable place to hide this precious treasure.
Dyllin... now without his heart... went back to sleeping peacefully in his tower.
After a little while the familiar noise of movement came from outside the window and eventually Noctis appeared clambering through it. "I am exhausted.." he said with a groan. "All this back and forth between places. I need a rest." He straightened his jacket then turned to Reise. "Now to business your highness." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the scales which he held out to Reise with a triumphant grin. "You have their alliegance."
Noctis had clambered into the window just in time to see Reise locking his heavy wooden wardrobe shut, and he turned to face Noctis with a grin. "Excellent!" he beamed. "Everything is going so perfectly! At this rate, it'll take the princess and those blasted sprites YEARS to find him.." he chuckled darkly, snatching the scales from Noctis and putting them into a jar, topping it with a lid and setting it on his shelf of things he could use in his concoctions. "Have yourself a rest, Noctis... Trail the group, but don't engage them just yet. Sit back and enjoy the show." he grinned.
"Sounds wonderful." Noctis replied in a light sarcastic tone. What he wouldn't give to be able to rest the night in a comfortable bed but like most nights before it seemed he was set to sleep under the stars in the open air. "Shall I go then your highness?" He asked his eyes moving to look briefly at the large wardrobe before returning his gaze to Reise.
"Yes. Go." Reise nodded, waving Noctis away. "Keep in mind, Noctis... that for your services, you will be rewarded handsomely." He grinned at him, then turned and continued to work on Noctis' cloaking spell.
"I understand." Noctis replied then turned rolling his eyes slightly.
My services? Attacked by a dog and captured in a net..these rewards better be good. he thought as he climbed through the window once more and disappeared off in search of the group.
The Next Day...
Reise was feeling all too pleased with himself. So far, it had been three days since his brother went missing, and no one suspected a thing. He had sought help from the mermaids in the lake, and had Noctis watching the three sprites and the princess very closely. And now... Now he had the help of a few forest trolls that were going to seek out the gypsy woman and... take care of business. He grinned evily to himself, but masked it well whenever he passed someone in the halls of the grand castle this morning. He'd eaten a wonderful breakfast, dressed in his cleanest and most elegant clothes, and was searching out his parents. He'd had word that they were in his father's study.
Queen Anaita sniffled thickly as she sat in one of the King's plush chairs, holding her handkerchief to her nose and hiccuping a few sobs. "H-he's still... still gone, my sweet. Wh-who could take him from us so easily? He is so strong, so smart, so valiant... Who could have brought him down?" she whimpered, begging and pleading to know what had happened to her beautiful son.
"I know, my love... My sweet, I am so sorry for your pain, for your worry..." the King said as soothingly as he could, rubbing her back and shoulders and frowning down at her tears. "Please, don't cry, my beautiful wife... we'll find him. I swear to you, we will." he whispered and kissed her hair. "I love you, and he's alive and well, I am sure of it. If his kidnappers had killed him, I'm sure they would have sent us... some sort of notice. Some proof to show he was really dead. We have seen nothing as of yet... So do not fear the worst just yet."
Anaita sniffled and gulped, nodding weakly. She had to be strong... she was the queen. She had to be strong. "It's just... what if Jollel's predictions came true?" she asked weakly, looking up at her husband with horrified eyes.
Xander sighed and shook his head. "I... I don't know. I can't say for sure. My sword was unwrapped... and had his blood on it... his blood on the floor... But there's no guarantee that he's truly lost in sleep now. As far as we know for sure, he is only kidnapped." he said firmly. He stroked her cheeks lovingly and tried to give her a reassuring smile. "Be strong."
Anaita nodded again and sniffed, wiping her eyes with her kerchief and gulping thickly. "I will. For you, and for Dyllin and for poor Reise... I cannot imagine the pain he is feeling right now... The confusion and panic."
"Mother, father." Reise greeted as he entered the study, having caught only the end of their conversation. His smile had quickly melted away to show a worried and heartbroken frown. He moved towards them with a saddened hunch in his shoulders, his hands wringing nervously in front of himself. He cleared his throat and looked between them. "A-any news?"
"Oh, baby..." Anaita whimpered, standing up and moving to Reise, pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, but no... nothing yet." she whispered, stroking his hair lovingly and gripping to him.
Reise hugged his mother back tightly, hiding his face in her shoulder, if only to hide the fact that his fake frown was failing--brief
ly. He sighed, as sadly as he could manage, and nuzzled her hair. He really did love his mother, and he hated to be causing her this pain. But it was for the best, he was convinced. He pulled back from her eventually and frowned at her. "I'm sorry for you, mother... No woman should have to feel this dread that I'm sure you are suffering.."
Anaita gave him a weak smile and her hands lightly moved to fix his collar. "I'm alright... I'm strong, and I still have one handsome, strong, smart and dearly loved son right here in front of me." she whispered, her voice cracking a little. "I love you, Reise..." She put a hand on his cheek and smiled adoringly.
"I love you too, mom." Reise said, his words completely honest for the first time in days. He nuzzled her hand, then kissed her palm before releasing her and approaching his father at his desk. "Father... I know we haven't yet heard about Dyllin's... whereabouts, but perhaps it's time we started thinking about the possibility of my replacing him? On the throne, I mean." he said meekly, frowning at his father.
Anaita gasped. "Reise, you can't possibly think something bad has happened to Dyllin just yet--?"
"No, no, of course not, mother..." Reise said quickly, looking back at her guiltily. "I just... I mean..."
Xander sighed from behind his desk and rubbed his eyes before shaking his head. "No, he's right, Anaita. Whether or not Dyllin is alive, and whether or not he's found within a timely matter, a good king always has a backup plan." He raised his head and looked at Reise with a slight frown. "We'll begin your tutoring and other lessons necessary to be King as soon as possible. We need to be prepared for the worst." He looked at Anaita, seeing her eyes flooding with fresh tears and he shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, my love, but you know it's the truth."
Reise was all too gleeful inside, despite his mother's tears. He kept his facade strong though, and turned to face his mother solemnly. He opened his arms and she fell into them with another sob, and he stroked her hair. "Shhh... It's alright, mom..." he whispered. "I'll try my hardest and I promise you I'll be the best leader I can. For Dyllin.. For you." He stroked her hair and grinned to himself, comforting her as best he could while other deadly plots roamed in his head. He would have this kingdom under his thumb in a matter of weeks... all it would take would be to keep Dyllin hidden. Easy enough. he thought cockily and had to stifle a chuckle. He released his mother and gave his father a respectful bow before turning and leaving the room. He had training to get to.
Jollel was busy in her wagon, mixing powders and spices, concocting juices and liquids, and all the while keeping an eye on her crystal ball to watch out for Eon and the others. She could see everything through his eyes this way. "You are all doing wonderful, Eon... Keep up the good work. I'm working as fast as I can to find Dyllin, and when I know something, you will too." she said into the crystal ball, turning back to her work. She paused though when a particularly loud rumble shook the glass bottles on her table.
Jollel blinked and waited, a chill running up her spine. She heard grunting, loud footsteps.. heaving breathing. And something smelled absolutely foul. Trolls. she thought with a gasp of realization. She instantly moved to grab her satchel and began to put everything she had been working on and other necessary items inside. She then moved to grab her dagger and slid it into her belt, before wrapping her crystal ball into a large silky cloth and wrapped it up safely, slinging it over her shoulder. Just as she was heading for the curtained door of her wagon, she was hit with a wall of stench. She gasped and covered her nose, wincing at the sheer overwhelming force of the smell, peeking through her watering eyes at the three trolls outside of her door.
They all glowered down at her, grunting and growling with loud, obnoxious snorts. One was holding a heavy club make of a tree trunk, the other two were empty-handed, but looked just as menacing. Their skin was made of stones and rocks, covered in moss and tree roots, but smelling of manure and tar. They snorted down at her, as if contemplating whether or not she was really the one they were after. Trolls weren't the smartest of creatures.
Jollel watched them with wide eyes, her hand still over her nose as she inched backwards into her cart again, just taking slow, careful steps away from them. She knew that even if she wasn't the one they were after--which she knew was very certainly the case that they WERE--that they were bound to attack her anyways. Trolls were destructive and uncaring. She disappeared behind her curtain at her doorway and the troll with the club gave a menacing roar.
He lifted his club and brought it back down in a mighty swing that crushed the doorway of her cart all too easily. Jollel had just barely been missed and she let out a scream as she turned and ran back through her cart, the troll coming after her with more large swings of his club. The other two trolls were chasing her too, using their hands to pull pieces off her cart and toss them away, glass shattering around her. Jollel screamed again and barely dodged a groping hand as a troll reached for her. She ducked and slid through a window, breaking into a run for the gates of Layfette. The guards would know how to get rid of those trolls. She sprinted as fast as she could, panting hard and feeling the ground shaking underneath her feet as she ran.
The trolls were all running after her now, lifting up rocks and large chunks of the ground and throwing them at her as they moved. Jollel fell sideways when a large boulder landed just beside her, and she yelped, scrambling back up to her feet and running on. She reached the gates and panted hard. "HELP! PLEASE! TROLLS!" she screamed at the guard in the watchtower.
The guard looked down at Jollel, recognizing her instantly as the gypsy woman who spoke of the Princes' demises, and he narrowed his eyes. He was about to call her out on her lies when he saw the three trolls coming after her--one still swinging his club above his head and the others preparing to hoist another pair of rocks at her. The guard gasped and turned back to his commrades. "OPEN THE GATE! HURRY! AND TELL THE ROYAL ARMY!"
The gates opened and Jollel slipped inside just before a rock collided with the wall where she'd been previously standing. She stumbled in and then broke into a run towards the castle. She had to tell the king and queen that she was under attack. Surely they would listen to her after Dyllin's disappearance. She would leave the trolls for the Royal Guard to handle.
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