Emmeline raised a brow at Ace explaining that he was here because he had an actual job, but that did explain what she felt about the magic around him and her confusion about calling him a channel.
“Maman?” she asked softly in near shock. “She’s the only other one I know of who has the same magic that I do.” she explained, subtly dropping her spell from earlier since it didn't seem that Ace was going to harm her. “You think your… employer may have known my Maman and used her magic to… make you?” she pressed, taking another step towards him.
Ace looked her up and down questioningly. Although she had spelled him to keep herself safe, the fact that she was moving closer said otherwise. "Yes, Magic knows magic. My abilities are rooted in magic and yours is familiar to it. That's why he was on edge earlier. Before you ask, I have his memories, he cannot have all of mine."
Emmeline nodded. “I know it does but the magic I feel from you… doesn't feel like Maman’s. It's… chaud. Not burning but still feu… Maybe it's because of this connection that your magic feels this way to me.” she theorized with a slight shrug before looking back at Ace. “I am assuming that you won’t tell me who your employer is even if I asked and I can respect that. But I may have a proposition for both of you. You see, Maman disappeared a couple years ago and I have been trying to find her. I don't know if this is part of a test of my magic or if something happened to her. If your employer knows her or has a connection with her then maybe he can help me find her.” she explained. “Perhaps there is a way for us to help each other.”
Ace snickered at her description of the magic. Of course the magic felt different, there was no way Hades would blindly trust someone, not even the Enchantress herself. He had added a bit of his magic to whatever spell he had given the knights of his kingdom in the past. They were only aiming to transform the broken child into something else for some entertainment. But when nothing happened, they cursed Hades who in turn, turned them all into goats. Unbeknownst to them, that spell had caused a spark in Cade which created Ace. "Perhaps there is." He thought for a bit then folded his hands behind his head. "I wish I could be there to see his reaction when you bring up all of this tomorrow." He chuckled. "There is little chance he would agree, especially not because of his little quest." His chuckle faded into silence as a dark look came over his face. He rubbed the necklace around his neck, lost in thought for a moment.
Emmeline smirked as Ace agreed with her suggestion but was not about to give up when he admitted that the other side of him might not be so easily swayed. “And what if I was to offer to help him on his quest? Would that convince him?” she suggested raising a finely arched brow. “The aid of the daughter of the powerful Enchantress? In exchange for the both of you to return the favor? That seems like a fair offer to me, n'est-ce pas?” she chuckled. “And I’ll see what I can do about helping you see his reaction to the conversation tomorrow night.”
"How, pray tell, would you be able to help him om his quest, I will not say a word about it, and he certainly won't. Though I do believe you could be of…some…help, he's extremely private. It was a great shock that he even approached you." Ace smirked. The smirk dropped as the pain in his head returned and he reached out his hand to steady himself. Squinting and looking at the sky, streaks of red and blue were slowly getting bigger and bigger though the sun had not made an appearance. "I regret to inform you, I must leave you in peace. May the gods keep you rested," he winked, "and no more beautiful than you already are." Without another word he turned around and began walking.
“Hopefully, my family reputation and magic will be enough to convince him. Otherwise, I’ll figure something out.” she admitted with a slight shrug. Seeing Ace barely catch himself from falling caused her to be concerned and take another step toward him before she remembered his comment about how he was only in control during the night. She glanced to the East in surprise that they had talked that long but let him walk away. Though she let out a playful giggle at his wink and flirtatious comment. “Je te verrai demain soir.” she called out, debating how long she should wait before going to find the man to make her offer and how to bring it up.
Ace stumbled his way to the spot where he had awakened and groaned. How did they fall onto such a rocky surface and not get a single scratch or bruise? A chill went through his body and escaped his mouth like a frosty breath. He made a silent prayer of gratitude to the god below and lay back down on the rocks, wincing. He jerked back up and groaned again before taking his parchment out and scrawling a message about the night's deeds and how much of this month's quota had been met. He chose to leave out any specifics about his meeting with Emmeline, instead writing that he had bumped into a lady friend of his who was familiar with him and chose to leave her be. Ace knew that he would be curious about why but he hoped that Emmeline would have a reasonable explanation for tomorrow, or rather, the next little bit.
he lay back down, clutching the parchment in his hand, and closed his eyes, feeling the darkness take over and suddenly, he could no longer feel a thing.
Cade woke up. The feeling of waking up on the side of a road with soft murmurs was nothing to be proud of. He cursed Ace and stood up, dusting himself off. The 2 people around him shared whispers and exchanged glances before continuing to walk their route. Cade pulled open the parchment and read the information. Thankfully, they would only need 2-3 more souls to meet this month's quota. As he continued reading his face revealed no emotion until the end. "WHAT?!" he reread the last sentence and groaned, pocketing the small sheet and running back to the tavern. He had no lady friends so the only person it could have been was the lady he met last night. He couldn't remember her name. Whether it was because he didn't care to remember it or whether they did not exchange this information, it didn't matter. She had seen Ace and he did not kill her. Why?
Emmeline returned to the tavern and got a room for what was left of the night. Mostly because she wanted to be able to find… “not Ace”, and for him to find her, easily. The fact that they hadn't exchanged names before was an obvious complication but she hoped that they would be able to run into each other if they met in a familiar location.
Due to the fact that she had stayed up all night, she didn't get much sleep for fear of missing the gentleman but she still took some time to make herself look presentable before heading back to the main level of the inn and ordering breakfast for two as she waited for the man to arrive. This would certainly be more interesting than yesterday had been before.
As he reached the tavern, he was glad to see that she was not downstairs. He asked a maid to fetch him some hot water for a bath and went to check on Lord, who was still asleep. He gave the stablehand a few copper pieces and told him to get some fresh carrots for the horse when he woke up and brush him well as he would be leaving quite hurriedly. Cade went up and thanked the maid, giving her a few copper pieces before washing up and getting dressed in comfortable riding clothes.
Cade came downstairs to the main level, his cloak on and his hood up, but even still the lady was able to pick him out. He wasn't being as inconspicuous as he thought. He joined her and a barmaid came out with two plates of steaming breakfast. He thanked her and turned to Emmeline to talk but his stomach protested very loudly. Face flushing, he ducked his head and took a bite of the warm bread.
Emmeline smiled as the man joined her. She appreciated his attempt at discretion but because of the unique nature of their magic, it had been all too easy for her to pick him out of the crowd. That would be useful later on, she was sure.
“It is good to see you again, Monsieur.” she greeted, keeping the conversation normal for now. “I apologize for not being able to introduce myself yesterday but I understand you were in a hurry.”
"I would agree but unfortunately I would have rathered not see you again." Cade gnawed on his bread and kept his eyes on the lady. In some of Ace's information, he had mentioned why her magic was familiar. It was used to curse them and as the saying goes, magic knows magic. However altered it may have been, however strange bits added, it was still rooted deep within the last and Cade needed to know why. "What do you want?" He finally asked, pushing the now empty plate away.
“Does my magic disturb you so much?” Emmeline asked, feigning disappointment and minor offense. “After last night, I was truly hoping to speak with you again.” she admitted.
She smiled coyly, appreciating how direct he was being. “Well, first… my name is Emmeline and I am the daughter of the Enchantress. I’m sure you know who that is.” she said simply. “As for what I want… last night I spoke with someone you should know, and it was a most interesting conversation. He explained that you are on a quest, though he was vague on the details. I simply want to offer my aid, and magic, in your quest in exchange for the opportunity to meet… your employer. Ace and I believe that he may know my Maman, and I just want to know where she is and if she’s alright.” she explained.
(As much as Emmeline likes Ace, She's going to hate Cade :E)
Cade thought for a while. It would seem this lady had charmed Ace into revealing his name. Unless there was another reason but surely he could not be so stupid. "Emmeline." He muttered to himself. He laced his fingers together and put his chin on them. "I'm Arlo—a traveler hailing from distant lands. I cannot believe that Ace revealed anything. Especially to–" He looked her up and down, "you." Cade used the name he often did when he was without his entourage. He was known in a few villages outside of here so it would make for a good cover just in case she truly did not believe him.
"I work alone. I need no assistance from a fairy such as yourself. What can you do that I cannot? All I need is a faster mode of transportation which is easily acquired. I admire the magic of the enchantress but it was used to curse me so I have no need to help you out." Just as he said this, he internally cursed. If the Enchantress' magic was used to curse him, surely she could reverse it, no?
(Especially since Cade called her the “f” word to her face! 🫢 She hates that!)
Emmeline raised a brow at Arlo's assessment of her. “Is Ace so hard to impress in your opinion? Or is there something about me that you do not approve of?” she asked, wanting to know both better.
Her green eyes flashed molten gold and it took all of her self-control not to slam her hand against the table. “I am not some weak fairy! I am the daughter of the Enchantress! Call me otherwise again and you will have claws for hands.” she warned, her hand glowing with magic. “My power is not limited to time constraints of a few mere hours or require feeble gibberish to be cast.”
She closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath to reign in her rage. “I do not think you fully understand what I am capable of and how I am able to help you.” she tried again, mirroring the position of Arlo’s hands. “You want to know what I can do that you cannot? The answer to that is that I can do much that you cannot. Can you cast magic? I know some of what Ace can do and am curious what else he is capable of. But you… I can feel the magic on you but I have yet to see you use any.” she pointed out.
(I think this will be a great relationship Lmao.)
"HAH! The only difference I see between you and fairies is that they have wings and flit around like bugs. The level of annoyingness remains the same, there's no contest there." Cade scoffed and rolled his eyes. He needed her to leave him alone. As much as he wanted to believe that she could help him, he couldn't help but be suspicious. After all, why would the great Enchantress need to be found? It's not as though she could have just got up and left. "You forget one thing about Ace and I. We share the same magic, same employer, and same vessel. Gods above," and below he thought. "How could you help me when you cannot understand a fact as simple as that."
(I agree! Great dynamic! lol)
“Oh, gods… you know nothing at all about fairies, do you?” Emmeline realized, feeling even more insulted by the comparison than normal. Since his apparently limited knowledge of magic made things worse. But she only needed to tolerate him to get to his employer. “I grew up learning more about magic than you clearly will ever understand. I know that the magic around you and Ace is the same, but his connection is stronger so it wasn’t obvious whether or not you can use it as easily… or at all. It happens with certain cases.” she explained with a slight smirk. “You obviously need my help if you don't know that.”
Cade made a rude gesture as he used his hand to mimic her. "Well, M'Lady Know-it-all, you can discover all the secrets about the oh so special Ace when you see him which, if I remember this correctly, will be never. It was…a pleasure… if you will. I hope to never have to cross paths with you again." He stood up and put his hood up again. "I would stay, but, thankfully, I have to head east before sunset." He made an exaggerated bow and pulled his glove tight before walking in the direction of the door. Corona wasn't too far if you were travelling alone on a well-paced steed, but the inner city closed their doors as soon as the sun set and the torches were lit. Not only did Cade intend on sneaking into the city, he also planned to stay in the Palace Gardens, a lush forest was well-kept within and it would make for a great place for him to strategize while he was there.
“And how do you plan to get rid of me when Ace already agreed to my proposal?” Emmeline called out with a confident smirk. It was a bit of a risk using this bluff, but it was still likely to get an entertaining reaction from Arlo. And perhaps some more information. “This was just a polite formality to include you since the two of you share… so much. But I’m afraid you are stuck with me until you, and Ace, hold up your end of the deal.”
Her words stopped him in his tracks. There was no way…but how could he know? Ace never revealed his memories, Hades gave him that much considering he was just a part of Cade's personality that grew too confident. Cade flipped around. "He wouldn't dare."He said in a low, almost shocked, voice. He clenched his fist, digging his nails in his palm. "He knows, he should know." He muttered to himself.
Cade grit his teeth in frustration, rolled his eyes, and sighed. "I shan't know until nightfall." Contemplating for a few seconds, he sighed again. "I suppose you must join me for now, at least until nightfall so that I may use some of my own magic–" He paused and looked at her pointedly, "To question him myself."
Emmeline kept her face completely calm and unreadable, except for a confident smirk, as Arlo froze before looking back at her. She could tell this was a very dangerous ploy but there was nothing to do about it now except to go with it. Though the fact that he could communicate with Ace was perhaps the most concerning since she didn't know either of them very well and it was entirely possible that Ace would give her away.
“I look forward to seeing you use magic.” she answered, getting up from her seat and joining Arlo at the door, almost seeming to float despite the soft sound of her footsteps. “Do you have everything you need for this part of your journey?” she asked as she turned her flower basket into a sturdy satchel and placed it securely on her shoulder.
"No." He stated. Without another word, he walked out the door, not caring to hold the door open for the lady behind. He walked to the stables and saw that the stablehand had returned with a bag of carrots and had given Lord a new saddlebag. "What's this?" He asked the man. "A lad came and dropped it off fer ye, said ye requested it." The man responded with a thick northern accent. Cade frowned. He called on Hades and slowly waved his hand over the surface, detecting any signs of magic. There was a minor spell he felt, something to do with fire? Cade sighed and used a large stick to to pick it up and throw it to the side. He placed Lord's original bag back and led him out, climbing on swiftly and pulling open a leather bound book from the bag. He scrawled a few lines and shut it, placing it back. "Are you coming?" He asked snarkily.
Emmeline giggled as she caught the door with her magic and followed him outside, enjoying his reactions… for now. She had a suspicion that the amusement would not last. Especially once Alro spoke to Ace. In the meantime, she was determined to make the most of this situation.
She watched the interaction between Arlo and the stranger with interest. There were many travelers around here but the accent was curious… as was Arlo’s technique to remove the saddle. She could feel the fire spell on it but didn't look too closely at it. “Does this happen to you often?” she wondered as she stood beside him and his horse. Though she rolled her eyes at his tone. “Oui. Will you allow me to ride with you or shall I get a horse of my own?” she questioned with a skeptically raised brow.
Cade almost shuddered. "Get your own. I have no intention of sharing anything but our journey with you." He said. "There is an extra here you could take though I'm not sure. Whatever you decide, make haste. The sun is almost to the mountain peak and once it reaches it, there is no way we would be able to reach my destination in time."
Emmeline chuckled at Arlo’s physical reaction to even the thought of sharing a horse with her. “Very well.” she shrugged before stepping out of the stable and whistling sharply.
It didn't take more than a minute for a beautiful pinto to come galloping up, already saddled and ready to be ridden. “Bonjour Cher. Merci d'être venu.” she cooed, petting the mare’s neck before gracefully mounting the saddle. “Now… you said east, correct?” she smiled confidently at Arlo.
