“But it did have something to do with your magic. Otherwise, it wouldn't have disappeared like that.” Emmeline pointed out, remembering the sight when she spoke to Ace last night. She was relieved that Arlo seemed to have calmed down and accepted, if not tolerated, her presence but she didn't want to upset things too soon. She suspected that she would still be in trouble if Ace decided to rat her out. Of course, the amicable silence had given her plenty of opportunities to come up with more negotiations and plans just in case.
“That sounds like a good plan.” she nodded. “Once we reach that grove, I can set up a suitable camp for us.” she said somewhere between offering and stating a fact.
"I wild appreciate that. Give me time to speak to Ace. If you do that, I'll go a little ways ahead and begin." Cade slowed his horse as the approached the Grove and dismounted. He led Lord to a tree and tied him down. He waited for Emmeline to do the same before he went off to speak to Ace.
Emmeline nodded and dismounted alongside him. “Merci, Cher. Ne vous égarez pas trop loin.” she instructed with a gentle pat on her horse’s neck.
She waited a moment for him to leave before letting out a slow calming breath. She knew better than to cast any spell when she was nervous. But she couldn't help how she felt waiting for Arlo, or Ace, to come back.
After getting a proper layout of the grove, she summoned her magic to build the campsite. It took a while but in the end she managed to get two decent-sized tents, with comfortable sleeping arrangements, and even a safely arranged fire going.
Cade walked a distance away and sat on the forest floor. He closed his eyes and began a spell that was given to him a long time ago for purposes like this. As he recited the words and made different gestures with his hands, he could feel his consciousness separating. A few moments later, he opened his eyes to see his body in front of him. "Ace." He stated. It was very strange watching his face do things that he wasn't doing. His lips curled up into a smirk and his body opened its eyes to show silvery ones.
Ace felt something happening. It felt painful and yet painless at the same time, like scratching an itch a little too hard. Once he heard a voice calling him, he opened his eyes and saw a ghost floating in front of him.
Cade spoke with Ace about the conversation with Emmeline. They agreed that while she could be an asset to their revenge, she was not to be trusted until she proved herself. They spoke about other things as well then became silent. As their consciousness' began to merge again, Their voice spoke, "I hope you know that I do not despise what is going on with us. Your presence is a comfort at times, reminding me that I'm not completely alone." They kept their eyes closed a moment longer and when they opened them again, Ace felt wetness in them.
(Aww! That's sweet!)
Emmeline could feel the magic that Arlo was using but stopped herself from looking further into it. No matter what she felt personally about the conversation that was going on, it felt private.
She sighed and stretched, pushing the temptation to eavesdrop aside, before walking over to the horses. Cher just nickered softly as Emmeline pulled a carrot out of her bag and gave it to the pinto. Turning towards Arlo’s horse made her a little more nervous but she was slow and calm as she pulled out a cube of sugar and held it out in her palm.
(Thanks! I was a bit conflicted about adding it but I feel like in this way, it's not 100% clear which of them said it!)
Ace sauntered back to the campsite and watched as Emmeline fed the horses. "Bonjour Madame." He spoke softly. He walked to the fire and sat down silently. Although he was fine currently, he wanted to make her feel as though he was a bit upset that she had used his name to try and convince Cade.
(I noticed that. Very nice touch.)
“Bonjour.” Emmeline smiled softly, petting the horse as he ate the sugar. “How did the… talk go?” she asked, remembering what Ace said about having Arlo's memories as well as his. But she would have to be blind to notice the atmosphere he was projecting, she just raised a brow as she tried to decipher if it was genuine or a facade. “Or should I prepare to pack up camp and leave in the morning?”
(Thank you)
"I understand you told Ca–Arlo that you and I had spoken about coming along?" Ace cursed internally. His counterpart had asked him to keep his identity up until they found they could trust Emmeline and within the first few minutes he almost revealed himself. "I'm a bit disappointed. I had hoped you would do something more exciting to try and convince him. It was not a very interesting battle. though I must say, your reaction to him calling you a fairy was amusing to watch."
“I did mention that.” Emmeline admitted since there was no point in lying. “And we had discussed the possibility of me joining you. We just didn't come to an agreement about that. Though I am sorry for using your name that way.” she added sincerely.
Though she raised a brow when he mentioned being disappointed. “It was the best I could think of to keep him from leaving. What did you expect me to do? Just start casting spells? That's not a very good way to get someone to listen to you.” she pointed out obviously as she joined Ace by the fire.
“Oh please. Maman is not a fairy and neither am I. It's quite simple.” she groaned, rolling her eyes. “They need a focus to cast any spell. Their wings are superfluous. And they can’t even manage a simple transformation spell without a time limit of a few hours at most or limiting a spell under the guise of “needing to earn it” or “learning a lesson”. It’s pathetic.” she tried to keep herself from getting too upset as she ranted… but the flames of the fire flickered rapidly in response.
(I have a bit of a plot twist for this in regards to my character/s, I wonder if you'll be able to guess it)
Ace quietly listened to her and was glad that she chose not to lie. "I accept that, I would have liked to have been told this prior. Although we are 2 people, we are the same vessel. I do not like having to lie to him. Annoying him, that's another story. That is far too amusing to stop." He softly chuckled, eyes never straying from the fire.
The flames danced and swayed in an almost trance-inducing way. Ace watched with minor interest as he paid attention to her words. He moved over a little to make some space on the patch of dirt for her. He scoffed at her words. "I am a cold and calculating psychopathic killer. I kill anything and anyone–" He looked at her, "That I come across. However, you were the first non-animal to survive meeting me. Twice at that. Whatever you did to me, you could have done to him." It seemed as though he was a little more hurt than he realized, but why? What was it about Emmeline's interaction with Cade that was making him feel… something?
Ace noticed the fire flickering excessively as she began to get more and more upset, he patted her shoulder and let his hand linger there a moment. "I apologize, one thing we are not is racist. He may be uneducated in these matters as we do not tend to have many magical creatures where we hail from. Maybe the odd elf, fairy, goblin, troll, or even gnome, but the only consistent magical beings we have would be the mages in the kingdom or those that sell enchanted items." he paused to poke the fire. "I am trying to get Ca–Arlo to open trade routes through the kingdoms of other magical beings but you've seen how well he listens to me." he smirked.
(😯 Can't wait to discover it!)
“If I had thought of it beforehand, I would have told you.” Emmeline assured before chuckling. “I may not know him as well as you do but I did get the impression that he is fun to tease.” she agreed.
“Merci.” she nodded as he moved to make room for her. But she raised a brow at his self-assessment. “I did nothing to you except prevent you from coming closer to me with ill intent. It is easier to keep others away than it is to make someone listen or even approach with magic.” she explained, her eyes flashing a soft gold as she met his eyes. “But I don't know if I would use those words to describe you.”
At his touch, she closed her eyes for a moment and took a calming breath to relax her irritation. It was a bit of a relief to know that Ace seemed a bit more understanding about magic than “Arlo”. The fact that he had nearly slipped up twice did not escape her notice but she decided to bring it up later. “I would have been less insulted if he had compared me to a mage. But I wonder what influence you both have to open such routes.” she admitted with a raised brow.
(insert evil laugh)
Ace drifted in a bit of nostalgia as he remembered some of the most amusing times he had bugged Cade. Although he was glad that Emmeline didn't view him as a cold-blooded killer, he sighed and fiddled with his necklace. "I see, so it was simply speaking with you that kept me routed in the ground. I could have just walked away." He spoke more to himself than to Emmeline but he felt he react to his response.
"Oh, I–we serve as a kind of advisor to an advisor to an advisor to an advisor to an advisor to the king. Although he interacts with the person more, I try to use my knowledge and nighttime influence to urge him to being up things that could be good for the kingdom." Ace didn't even think a moment before he responded. Whether he had practiced beforehand or whether he spoke the first thing on his mind, wasn't clear.
“Oui. You could have walked away… but I am glad that you didn't.” she smiled softly. “You are very interesting to talk to, and perhaps more amicable than ‘Arlo’. As fun as he is to tease, he is quite stubborn.”
Emmeline hummed thoughtfully and nodded at his answer. “You both must be very valued to be able to make such suggestions. A shame that you do not have a more direct line to the king.” she sighed. “But I’ve always found it something of a hassle for royals to have such procedures in place. Things get lost, misheard, or simply ignored before they even hear anything.”
"Arlo is….hurt. His past was not nice, and it made him lose trust in basically everyone and thing. He trusts me, and I don't want to lose that trust. It's why I dislike lying to him." He finally stopped poking the fire and turned to face her, the flickering flames casting long shadows on parts of his face. "I'm glad you find me to be so interesting to talk to. It's the first time I've spoken to anyone in this way, so I'm quite excited about our future together." He offered her a soft smile.
Ace tilted his head a couple times then shrugged. "We recently recieved this position, within the last couple years, so it's still taking time to adjust considering we didn't have any official training. I do hope we are considered valued, it would make our job much easier."
"Why don't you get some rest? I need to go hunting for tomorrow's trip and I need to fill the remainder of the quota. I'll be close by but I'll summon some guards to protect you." He stood up and dusted his clothes, reaching a hand down ro help her up.
“I can understand that.” Emmeline nodded. Betrayal was always personal and from what Ace had just told her, it was obvious that ‘Arlo’ had been a victim of it. But was it really so bad that he had to use a false name? Or was that just a choice from other circumstances? “So am I, mon ami.” she smiled back. Though she was a little sad that Ace hadn't spoken to anyone else before.
She gave a brief hum, accepting his explanation and letting the topic drop since she wasn't particularly interested in the politics of royalty.
“I probably should since I didn't get much sleep last night.” she admitted with a playful smirk as she accepted his hand. “I don't believe we will need the guards, but I appreciate the gesture.”
(Timeskip?)
Ace pulled her up and nodded. "As you say M'Lady." He winked at her then unscathed his sword. "I shall return before you awaken."
(Sorry its so short, I'm literally trying to finish my chores before my book meeting with my friends!)
(sure. Unless you have something planned for the night.)
“Bonne nuit.” Emmeline smiled, letting him help her up. “I hope to see you in the morning then.” she giggled as he winked at her. She cast a simple spell to remove the dirt and grass from sitting before heading to her tent and getting ready for bed.
(No worries!)
(Nope!)
Ace leaned against the tree and took deep gulps of air. His last hunt was a little more difficult considering that he was facing an enchanted bear. It may have been a human that had been cursed years ago but the aggression was almost overwhelming for him, he almost didn't survive. As he watched the underworld knights drag the ginormous animal below, he slowed his breathing to allow his heart rate to return to its normal pace.
The sun began to rise over the peaks of the mountain and Ace shielded his eyes, relishing the warmth. He welcomed the change. Whenever Cade would use the spell, He would need to rest for longer so Ace got the chance to enjoy the warm sunshine. As the forest began waking up, he sheathed his sword and took out some throwing knives. A few minutes later, he had breakfast ready for them. He took it back to the campsite and began preparing the poultry and the fire before Emmeline woke.
Emmeline stirred with the rising sun, having slept peacefully all night. She wasn't sure if it was because she was so tired or because of the knowledge that Ace had placed his guards to protect her or even if there was some kind of protection from her magic or even from her Maman… but she wasn't going to question such a thing this early.
Getting up from her bed, she stretched and cast a couple of “tidying-up” spells on herself. Much easier and quicker than trying to run a brush through her hair on such journeys. Especially when she was still hoping to see one of her traveling companions before…
She smiled softly as she smelled the food cooking and exited her tent. “Good morning.” she greeted the figure by the fire, cautiously joining him.
"Bonjour madame." he looked at her in greeting and turned back to the fire, turning the meat and brushing it with a mixture he had set on the side. Satisfied with his work, he took the stick of meat off the fire and placed it on a wooden plate. "How did you rest? Despite you saying no, I did summon a couple guards and asked them to stay by the edge of the forest to give you your privacy."
Ace took out a knife and expertly deboned and plated the meat along with a few fresh berries he had found. "Breakfast is served!" He sat down next to her and offered her a plate. "Had I not been a solider, I could have been a very skilled spouse." He winked at her.
“I slept very well.” Emmeline smiled a bit brighter, knowing that it was in fact still Ace. “Thank you for that. It may have helped.” she admitted as she sat beside him. “I know you said you would be here before I woke but it is still a surprise to speak to you now.”
“Merci beaucoup.” she nodded, accepting the plate of food. Though she giggled at the jest. “I have no doubt. You certainly are a gentleman. The test of your cooking will be a test of your claim.” she teased before starting to eat.
"I may not be liked by everyone but I never lie, or at least I try my best." Ace grinned. "I'm not certain how long I'll have but I plan to thoroughly enjoy my time. That being said, we need to reach the city before late or the doors will be shut."
Ace responded to her teasing remark with a smirk. "It's the first I've been called a gentleman. I wonder if I'll live up to your expectations?"
(I had an idea that Cade is recognised in Corona as being "Arlo's son" and Emmeline is the one to protect him to which she wants answers. Bu this point Cade will recognise her ability and usefulness so he'll know he'll need her help)
“I respect that. And try not to lie much myself.” Emmeline told him. “I may omit things or imply others or even use half-truths. But I don't like to outright lie…unless I have no choice.” she explained before nodding with a smile. “I plan to enjoy our time together then too.”
She hummed in contentment at the meal before chuckling. “You have so far. Though my definition may be different from what people traditionally expect.” she confessed with a shrug. “And the food is delicious.”
(Oh, yeah! That sounds great!)
"Did you learn conversation from the Fae?" He asked, only half-joking. "It's a good thing your words don't hold the same weight as theirs do over a person." Ace finished his breakfast and cleaned up his dishes before sitting back on the ground and leaning on a nearby tree. "I'm glad you enjoy my food, I am curious to know what your definition of a gentleman entails. It seems to be quite different from the common definition." As he waited for her response, he felt a presence in his mind and immediately put up blockers.
Hades. What do you want? he mentally glared.
Hades chuckled, I see you've met my quota for this month. I'm here with your next assignment. I need twice as many magical souls as you collected this time around. Though if you get me the soul of the girl in front of you, I may never need you to collect souls for me again.
Ace glanced at Emmeline. No. Absolutely not. Now go away.
(Did you have any ideas of how Hades would be connected to the Enchantress?)
Emmeline laughed a little but shot him a look of playful warning. “No, I learned from Maman. Now, if she learned from them… I wouldn't be surprised if her words could hold that kind of weight.” she shrugged, following his lead with her plate.
“I’m sure it is.” she smirked. “Most people I’ve seen who fit the common definition of a gentleman, I find them dull, pompous, and vain… with few exceptions.” she quickly added, about to continue her explanation before feeling a familiar surge of magic around Ace and her own shields raised instinctively. “Are you alright?”
(Honestly… not really. From what we have so far, they obviously had some deals in the past but how that happened: I don’t know. But I’m open to suggestions.)
Hades' voice died down and Ace shook his head to clear it. "I'm fine, thank you for asking. If you are ready, shall we move on?" Ace knew that despite not giving Emmeline any details, she had already gotten an idea of who his employer was. He was a bit on edge. Ace knew that Cade would be able to accept Hades' offer and if he didn't find a use for Emmeline, would not hesitate to hurt her. Ace knew how much they truly needed her help and Hade's constant remarks to give her to him were not going unnoticed. He needed to find a way to make sure Cade didn't hurt Emmeline, not even a scratch.
(Hmm What if the magic that was used to curse Cade and Ace took a bit too much out of the Enchantress and Hades trapped her in the underworld, aiming to use her power, combined with whatever lifeforce Cade and Ace sent to him, to escape his confinement to the underworld and become all-powerful? Maybe the Enchantress left her power with Emmeline so she is vital to his escape? (Kinda using the plot of Descendants 3 here) Idk just an idea)
“Si vous êtes sûr.” Emmeline nodded, quickly dispelling the campsite. “I am ready if you are ready.” she assured before glancing towards the sky. “How much more time do you think you have left?”
She had a suspicion as to who Ace and Arlo’s employer was… the thought was a just little too intimating to entertain for long. But the fiery feeling of the magic and the literal undead knight all but spelled it out. Though she would cherish her deliberate naivety as long as she could, until one or both of the boys confirmed it
(That could work. It could explain why Emmeline has such strong magic… well stronger than it should be at her age.)
Ace doused the fire and scattered the embers in the dirt to smother the lingering heat. He loaded his supplies into Lord's saddlebag and climbed on top. He waited for Emmeline to do the same before pulling out his map. He quickly looked at his surroundings for the right landmarks and determined the direction as he wrote more notes in the journal. He summoned an undead knight and waited for it to appear. "Welcome. I am tasking you with scouting our journey ahead. You will report to me at night when I summon you of what you've overheard or seen. Use shadow travel only." He lowered his voice and made sure Emmeline wasn't listening before bending down. "I also need you to keep an eye on both the lady and myself to make sure I do not try to hurt her during the day."
Emmeline rolled her eyes as Ace ignored her question but mounted Cher all the same, determined to keep an eye on Ace if or when ‘Arlo’ showed up. But the mental image did spark a rather mischievous thought that she couldn't help chuckling about. She waited until he was done speaking with the soldier before urging her horse alongside his. "You know, I never did show you his reaction to our conversation about me joining the both of you… but I'm thinking of letting him believe he fell off his horse when you switch again and I promise to show you that reaction." she smirked. "Don't worry, I'll catch you but… Hopefully, he'll just be embarrassed." she giggled again.
Ace looked at her a little suspiciously. "What do you mean he'll believe that he fell off? What are you going to do?" He slowed his pace a little to match hers and looked at her. "I'd love to see his reaction but how would you show me? Is it a spell of sorts?" Ace was confused, and a little concerned honestly. The sun was steadily rising and yet Cade had not appeared. He poked around in his mind to find him but was a little surprised to find that Cade had put up shields. He didn't even know Cade could do that.
