Love Through War

C h a p t e r S e v e n t e e n

Keefe's POV.

"Where have you been?!" Marella shouted as soon as she saw Keefe running toward the Villa. "Your parents sent me to find you, and you weren't anywhere!"

It was past dawn and Keefe knew he'd be scolded for showing up late to his own banishment.

"Sorry!" He said once he caught up with her. "I woke up early and took a walk."

Marella elbowed him as they started down the halls of Villa to the outer grounds, where a carriage that would take him to Exillium would be waiting.
"A walk, huh? Suuuuure."

Keefe attempted to look innocent. "Yeah, a walk. Where do you think I was?" He tried to make her sound crazy, but he couldn't help wondering if she knew something.

"Don't think I haven't noticed your strange disappearances since that ball," Marella said. "Not to mention the gazing off into the distance, as if thinking of someone, like a lovestruck teenager."

She definitely knew something.

"What are you implying?" Keefe asked. "Your going crazy."

Marella laughed. "At least I'll not crazy in looooove, who is it? Who has captured the heart of the one and only Keefe Sencen? You meet a little swan?"

Yes, her name is Sophie Foster and she's the Blackswan's First Lady, what do you think of that? But Keefe couldn't say that, so instead he just said, "My nonexistent love life is none of your business."

"If you say so," Marella sighed and twisted one of her tiny braids around her finger.

They were quiet the rest of the way to the outer grounds, Keefe was afraid of exposing more of himself then he already had, and he knew Marella was lost in her own thoughts.

"Keefe Sencen!" Lord Cassius marched up to Keefe as soon as he saw him. "You were supposed to be leaving twenty minutes ago!"

Keefe rolled him eyes. Of course his dad wanted him to leave as soon as possible.

He walked passed his dad without answering and double checked he had everything he needed in his satchel, he brought it with him when he went to see Sophie just incase.

His mom was waiting for him at the carriage, holding a delicious looking...Blitzenberry Muffin?

Keefe figured she would eat it as celebration as soon as he was taken away.

The driver of the carriage was a stern older man that Keefe had seen around a few times, apparently his name was Garth Katter.

Garth glared at Keefe, obviously bitter about having to wait twenty minutes for him. "Get in."

Keefe sighed and turned to Marella.
"Well," he said. "I'll see you...as soon as I can."

She nodded then cracked a smile. "Come here, Sencen." His best friend held out her arms and they exchanged the hug.

Marella went to her dad's side, who was waiting a few feet away, and he spoke to her in a hushed tone.

Marella's eyes grew wide as Trix finished speaking, but Keefe didn't have time to worry about whatever he'd said.

Lady Gisela cleared her throat and Keefe mentally prepared himself for another question asking why he was late.

Instead, his mom stiffly handed him the Blitzenberry Muffin.

Keefe raised his eyes brows down at the muffin now in his hand, unsure of what to say. "Uh...thanks."

Lady Gisela nodded curtly. "I had the chef prepare it for your ride. Now get in the carriage before Garth forcibly does."

Keefe obliged and climbed in the carriage, it was small, just enough room for one person.

He muttered a quick, "goodbye" to his mother and he could have swore her mouth flickered in the hint a smile.

As soon as Keefe was settled into the carriage, Garth immediately whipped the rains of horses and they sped down the cobblestone path.

Keefe suspiciously looked down the golden muffin, half wondering if it was poisonous.

He took a bite anyway and the cakey muffin melted gloriously in his mouth.

Maybe his mom was good for something.

The muffin kept him distracted for a good forty seconds, but once it was gone, all the old thoughts of banishment and Exillium returned.

Garth wasn't much of a talker, so Keefe was stuck with his melancholy thoughts throughout the rest of the day's worth of travel to the gates of Exillium.

~

When the carriage finally arrived at Exillium, Garth spoke only two words to Keefe, "Get out."

Keefe did, happy to get out of the stuffy carriage.

Garth immediately shot back to the Neverseen, leaving Keefe with nothing but a satchel full of art supplies and an extra tunic.

The three coaches of Exillium that Keefe heard of walked up to him and introduced themselves.

Not knowing what else to do, Keefe followed them toward the center of Exillium.

There were three large tents on the almost dead grass of Exillium, a long table that must have been where they must have put food, and a few smaller tents that Keefe assumed were for the coaches.

They told Keefe they were expecting him, and that they were informed he didn't have a place to stay.

He was set up with one of the tents to be his home until he was permitted to return to his clan.

Keefe thought that was a kind gesture.

"Since you've only just arrived today and the day is almost over," one coach, the male one, said as he led Keefe to his tent. "You will be starting your training tomorrow."

Keefe sat his satchel down on the bed roll and nodded. "Okay, thanks."

The coach left and Keefe sat down the bed roll, pulling out his sketchbook.

He flipped through the pages and until he found his favorite, an incredibly lifelike drawing of Sophie at the Swan Ball.

Keefe had a photographic memory, so it wasn't too hard remembering every detail of the background, her dress, and her smile, as he drew it.

He smiled at picture, remembering the first time he saw her, she was watching him eat Mallowmelt and he'd acted like idiot with the worst eating manners in the history of eating manners.

The picture reminded Keefe just how much he missed her and how much he...he loved her.

He'd made a promise to himself that night at the ball, a promise that he'd never leave Sophie when she needed him, a promise that he'd always be there for her.

So tonight Keefe swore another promise, a promise he'd hold himself to however long he was stuck at Exillium.
"I'll come back for you, Sophie Foster. I swear it on the River Styx."

-

𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲!
𝗬𝗮𝘆! 𝗔 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿!
𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗰𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲?
𝗟𝗲𝗼 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗱𝗲𝘇 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲?
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴!
𝗕𝘆𝗲!
~𝗧