Veil of Shadow and Rain ✓ [TSC #1]

Chapter 42 - Destiny

'What happened, Your Highness? Why did you leave?'

'Was your sister abusing you?'

'Were you held hostage, Your Highness? Your Highness!'

'Your Highness, over here -'

Cameras flashed into Wren's eyes. A crowd of reporters surrounded her; she flinched. Her eyes glowed bright again, the colors of her eyes saturating. Another camera flashed. Voices overlapped the other.

'I left on my own will,' she said loudly, making sure her voice powered over the reporters'. There was an immediate silence, broken only by the clicking and flashes of cameras. 'I left Argonian on my own will. I can assure you there was no abuse. I left on my own will to find the Faerie Queen and find out what happened to the late King Tristan and Queen Eana.'

A lump formed in her throat as she said it; she blinked. She would not give the reporters the satisfaction of her breaking down and crying. She swallowed and stood tall. Noise erupted at once.

'Why, Your Highness? Do you not believe they were dead?'

Another flash. Click-click-click.

'I did not,' Wren said loudly, and more noise, more cameras, more voices. Wren flinched, taking a step back and reminding herself whatever she said would go on the news and it would stay there permanently, forever. She raised her voice.

'Is it wrong for a child to refuse to believe the death of their parents? Is it wrong for a child who didn't know anything about their parents to refuse to believe the theories? And,' she raised her voice even louder, 'Hartlet did not murder King Tristand and Queen Eana! Put that in the news! Record me! It was the Faerie Queen herself, believe it, whether you like or not!'

Her eyes glowed dangerously. The reporters ignored and more questions were thrown at her. Wren clenched her jaw in wrath. These reporters would do anything for a story. She would give them a story.

'Tomorrow, I leave Argonian,' she announced. 'I leave with the High King of Elryzian. We are to face and solve problems together. Kingdom with kingdom. Friend with friend. King with princess.'

A roar of voices drowned the ending of her statement. Wren swore she would go deaf. She felt a sudden twang of guilt for putting Odyssey through all this. The questions that the reporters threw at her were ridiculous.

'May I ask why, Your Highness? What kind of problems?'

'Will Argonian be at war?'

'Are you and His Majesty the High King romantically involved by any chance -?'

'Enough!' Wren shouted angrily. Cameras continued flashing. 'All questions closed for now.' She signaled the guards to escort the reporters away. Loud voices of protests rose - Wren ignored them and headed back to the Palace, where her sister and Nathaniel were in a deep conversation.

'Well,' Wren said loudly. Both King and Queen turned to her. 'That was chaotic.'

Hat's why I prefer staying inside my Court and not moving anywhere else,' humphed Nathaniel.

'That's understandable,' huffed Wren. 'Well, if you'll excuse me, I will be off to tell Jake and Ladislaya the news.'

'I hope I am not disrupting their education,' said the High King loftily. 'Although they have the choice to refuse to come.'

⋆‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙⋆

'Are you joking? Of course I'll come!'

Ladislaya's face fell. The three of them were sitting on a bench overlooking the ocean, watching as the sun set, glowing a radiant orange.

'It's OK, you can refuse to come if you want to,' Wren said to Ladislaya quickly. 'Words of the High King himself. But personally though - I'd prefer if you came.'

'Well,' said Ladislaya in a small voice, 'well - of course I'll come - but under one condition.'

'Hit me,' said Wren, grinning. 'You want a new planner that screams for you to study every one hour? A holiday box-set of textbooks you can't get access of from the school library? Money to buy books?'

'I want to be tutored in the High King's Court,' Ladislaya announced. Both Wren and Jake groaned.

'Honestly, Lays, is study always on your mind? I'd give anything to drop school!'

'Well, of course, it defines my future!' said Ladislaya indignantly.

'I'm not sure that's even a thing Nathaniel can provide!' said Wren incredulously.

'Well he has to do it,' retorted Ladislaya, 'whether he can or not. I can't just abandon my studies.'

'Alright, I'll tell him,' Wren said as Jake rolled his eyes. 'So you two are in, right?'

'Even though our lives are in danger because of you, we'd do it,' promised Jake. 'Us three are in for it together right? Forever. Always.'

'Forever and always,' echoed Wren and Ladislaya.

Suddenly, there was a ringing in Wren's pocket. Wren pulled out her phone and stared at the caller ID on the screen.

One call. One person. One new journey.