Crap. Double post. >.>

Henry could understand why she wouldn't believe him. He found that an entirely logical course of action. However, poised on the edge of his tongue was the question that inevitably had to be asked.

But not yet. She wasn't ready for the question yet.

Patiently, he waited for her to finish her brief outpouring of distaste, confusion and perhaps a bit of rage. The only proof he could really provide was her own. His faded eyes watched her throw the necklace onto the table and he shook his head in return.

He wasn't the boy. He didn't have the boy. How on earth did she expect him to prove it?

His hands clasped together as he pushed the necklace back over to the princess, internally regretting his line of work and career choices.

"You felt it when he was nearby, didn't you?" Henry spoke quietly. "That necklace felt different than it does now. I'm no wizard, I'm not a magician--nothing special. I can't do anything with that pendant. But you can. You felt it."

He was more than certain of that fact, noting the way she had reacted a few days prior when watching them from a distance. It was likely a question spurred from the boy to her but she had reacted coldly and reached for the necklace.

But he was certain she had to have felt something.

Kayeni considered.

Had she felt anything different? Honestly, she couldn't tell.

"Not really? I wasn't paying attention to what I felt around him." Really, she hadn't been paying attention. And although she was giving a bit more thought to it - let's just say she wasn't completely sold on the idea.

Because it meant Nolian would have to be here to stay - and oh no no no no no, she did not want that. But then again - lying in this situation wasn't the greatest idea.

But half-truths could be kept.

She gathered up the necklace that she had thrown down onto the table. "So, you're telling me... Nolian is some sort of magical enhancer that can help me manifest something alongside this necklace." She didn't mention her doubts surrounding the necklace, and how she got it in the first place. "And that I'm meant to trust you on all of this." She shook her head. "Henry... how am I meant to trust you in this matter? I've never even heard of such a thing in the past seventeen years of my life - and now you're asking me to listen, and understand, now? I'm sorry, but I do find this rather hard to believe." She furrowed her brows at him. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Really, she didn't know what to believe. It made sense. It explained a lot. But she had never even heard anything about such a sort of magic running in her bloodline - could you doubt her for questioning it?

So she sat there, her mind whirling with what she had been told, trying to weigh it against itself - was it real, or had Henry seriously taken a knock to the head of some sort?

Henry let out a tired sigh, his hand lifting up to rub at his forehead. Exhausted. Absolutely exhausted at the entire ordeal.

"Yes, Kayeni. I don't know how, I just know that's the truth," he finally stated flatly and looked up at her before standing up. "You are the only one with a chance to finally activate the blessing given to your forefathers and you've almost squandered it. Don't think I don't know," he finally grumbled. "What I find hard to believe is that the boy just magically decided one day to just take off."

His hand moved to his hips. "I know what you tend to do and I also know that he was already on high alert. You said or did something that tipped his scales and he left."

Henry gestured to the library around them. "There are plenty of books in here that describe what I'm talking about. If you want to escape your father, I'd suggest staying in here and studying up on some of it while we figure out where the boy ran off to! Because if we don't find him, someone else will. They won't treat him like we will, the minute they know what he is... he's done for. He won't be a consort, he'll be a captive."

In the meantime, he was going to get some sleep. As good as he could at the least, the night had been restless and sleepless. Tossing, turning, pacing, laying back down and then repeating the process all the night long.

He really was regretting his career choices now and often wondered if he should've just been a bookkeeper like his father. It probably would've been less stress.

Kayeni shook her head. "Even if I were to say you were right in all of this..."

She honestly doubted Henry's word. But when had Henry ever had to lie to her? And while it did make sense... Kayeni honestly couldn't believe it still.

"What do you want me to do then?" Henry might be delusional, but he wanted Nolian back. Kayeni did not want it. And she'd be sticking to her half-truth as much as possible - she couldn't really change her story could she?

"All I know is, he's left, I've told you exactly what he said before leaving, and you're expecting me to care about him leaving because of some age-old blessing that I haven't learned of in the past 17 years. And... I'm meant to believe you?" Really - he couldn't prove anything. He couldn't prove anything - most of all he wasn't drunk, or had taken a knock to the head.

"I'll... think about it." Really, she'd probably discard it from her head the moment she left the library, but seriously - how was she meant to take him seriously? Talking about magic when she had no clue what he meant.

So she stood up, picking up the necklace that she had thrown onto the table, and left the library without a backward glance at Henry.

But she didn't discard his words from her thoughts. She remembered them.

(Gah. Trying to listen, concentrate and do this at the same time, so not the greatest)

Henry shook his head as she asked her what he wanted her to do. "Try not to chase him off again once we rescue the lad," he said with an exhausted and tired tone. She tried to go into the same circle of proving things and that she was just supposed to magically believe him. Well, had they told her before--he had a feeling she would've gone off and tried to do it her own way and gotten hurt.

He simply sighed and shook his head before he finally stepped out of the library. The time... the night crews would be returning from their posts and searches.

He would have to meet them at the gates and the man hurried over to see if any of the crews had returned. In the distance, a group rode toward the castle. But it was a slow ride--they didn't have the boy.

Henry let out a weary noise, rubbing his forehead. How had things gone so wrong? This hadn't... how had it gotten to this point?

Oh he knew. He knew a lot but he wasn't in authority to say anything.

So he waited for the inevitable report that they hadn't found a thing. Sure enough, the Captain reported nothing. Not a single finding. Not even a trail.

Henry took the news with grace despite wanting to tear his hair out. What else were they supposed to do now?

Henry sat down just outside the council room on one of the wooden benches, his hand pressed against his forehead. What else could they do? Reach out to other kingdoms to ask if they had seen the boy? That was a sure fire way to have them ransom him back.

Kayeni left the library, her head spinning.

As her brain dissected exactly everything that Henry had said - it all made sense. Why her father was going through so much to get him back. Why Henry seemed stressed out of his mind.

But she still couldn't believe it. How had she gotten through 17 years without knowing anything about this blessing of sorts?
She went straight back to her chambers, and shut the door behind her. She couldn't think.

It made sense, but also - no. That meant Nolian would be back, and hell no she didn't want a suitor - fake or otherwise.

Especially one who ran of literally the moment she tried talking to him, and getting him to behave. He wanted a rulebook? He'd get one - but only if he'd damned listened and not ran away. Now here she was, stuck with a panicking Henry and a father who wanted him back, and apparently he was useful somehow.

Well, maybe she'd try to not scare him away next time. No promises though - she still wasn't entirely sold on the idea.

And it wasn't like she could ask anyone else. Henry had specifically said not to tell anyone else - and while she may have thought Henry may have been touched in the head slightly, she wasn't one to go back on a word. Even when the person asking for it felt slightly insane.

Still. At this point she had no idea what was correct or wrong, and if Henry was right? Then Kayeni had made a bit of a mistake.

But mistakes can always be fixed.

But if Henry was right, then that was a pretty big mistake indeed.

If only Henry had told her earlier...

The castle walls were lined with thorns and dark red roses. Thick leaves drew upward, reaching for the sunlight over the aged stone. The long pathway that led into the main castle building was a well worn dirt pathway. Guards in dark armor stood at attention.

The main hallway twisted around in circles and it wasn't easy to navigate. Unless one had gotten directions or knew where they were going, they wouldn't find the main throne room easily.

But the throne room was draped with red and black colors. The throne itself was cushioned and looked like it had been carved from glass. The obsidian stone throne sat in the middle and alone.

In the red cushions, a woman sat. Her short dark hair cut into a wolf-like style framed a pale face with silver eyes. She work a dark outfit that was accented with red and gold.

Standing at the side of the throne was a larger man. His build was thick and yet fit. Ruby eyes scanned the throne room through wavy red hair. A scar ran over his lip, his vesture dipped in the same blood red color that adorned the throne room. He said nothing but his posture said everything that he didn't. He demanded respect and if he didn't get it... well, he would prove why he should.

The queen stood up slowly as one of the guards stepped up to murmur to her softly. She dipped her head and lifted one hand to signal the guard to open the doors and let the Captain in. Her dark lips pursed briefly before she took a seat again.

"Captain Johnston," her silvery voice held an edged note. Her words were firm and shivering with amusement, "from Galcolia. You bring... news, I hear? Do tell."

The woman seemed rather amused and intrigued that a guard from the southern kingdom no less would be requesting to talk with her. After all, it was no secret that she rather despised the Galcolian King. Faesia was often picking fights and at odds with the other kingdom. They preferred a rather "noble" way of living and Queen Myrissa felt that too many rules and regulations made a people that weren't loyal.

Not to say she didn't have laws and the likes but the council and royal court were far less haughty and uptight. They were far more common folk and respectable through the eyes of the people. Such as Narishian, her red-clad advisor.

Captain Johnston was more than uncomfortable with the plate that he had been given.

His orders from th garrison commander had been extremely precise - of which, he had to go to Faesia with his regiment and inform the Faesian queen of an escaped criminal wandering their lands.

Wasn't this exact person the princess's suitor a few days ago? Johnston honestly thought that was a thing. But... the court sometimes moved in strange ways.

Plus, he had his orders, directly from the princess herself. And the garrison commander.

He sunk into a deep bow. "Your majesty." It felt odd, to have to be doing this. He had maybe properly had to do this once, and that was a few days ago in Princess Kayeni's chambers. Now he was doing it again - this time to a kingdom that wasn't entirely too friendly to the one he served.

The blue-and-white star on his back felt like a death sentence in these halls, with their red and black coating every available surface. It might even have looked better than his home castle - or maybe he was just too used to Galcolia, a change of scenery was appreciated.

Still. He wished he could have been sent to any other kingdom than here. It was a logical assumption that they sent others to otherr kingdoms, and of course it was just his luck to have been assigned here.

He straightened up, but ensured he kept his eyes lowered. Proper court protocol - at least, he thought. It wasn't like he ever had trained to be addressing the queen of Faesia.

"I bring news from Galcolia." He had memorized every single word of the paper that he had been given with his instructions - they must have thought he was exceptionally dumb, they even wrote out exactly what he had to say to the Faesian queen on the paper.

So he recited it - give or take.

"A few days back, an important Galcolian criminal escaped from the holding cell he was confined in. We have scoured the kingdom and have been unable to find him, and I have a message from the King himself asking for permission to look for him in Faesia as well. We really need him back," damn but he definitely did not say what was on the script he had been given. Oh well. The result couldn't be any different, could it? Royals and their dithering and subtle jabs - Johnston honestly couldn't figure out why they couldn't be more blunt.

But he spoke it as delicately as he could. Even when there was a queen with a rather imposing bodyguard beside her.

The blue and white star was a star contrast to the wrapped roses that adorned the banners around the kingdom. At the least, the Captain had respect and sunk down to a deep bow. The addressing of the woman brought a pursed smile to her dark lips. The smile faltered slightly as he recounted his news.

"A criminal," Myrissa echoed, testing the word in the air. She let it hang and shiver for a moment. "I have no doubt that this criminal would cause potential trouble for me and my kingdom."

Her hand lifted, a cue that Narishian picked up on. The man stepped forward and tipped his chin downward to look at Johnston with ruby red eyes and an emotionless neutral gaze. The man seemed uncomfortable under his stare which was good.

"I deal with criminals," his voice was smooth, a touch deep and emotionless, "that trouble Faesia. I suppose that we will work together. I won't allow a Galcolian unit of guards to go wandering Faesia without an escort of Faesian soldiers."

He tutted shortly and glanced toward Myrissa. They seemed to have an unspoken conversation briefly before he nodded firmly. "We will have a battalion waiting for you and if you do find him, you will bring him here first."

His hands tucked behind his back as he dipped his head. "The battalion will meet you at the front gates."