"Will do, Elara." Trevor took the scrap of paper, faithfully not looking at it, and scurrying off. "We'll go to see the king. No use hiding in the shadows, waiting in fear to face what we must." it said, interlocking its arm with Elara's and walking her into the throne room.
Elara tugged her arm from Adrian's, returning it to her pocket. She had grown up in the shadows, using them as a cover from all the bad things that hid in the light. It was stupid to be scared of them now, human-ish or not. Besides, she was a Light-Spinner. "Fear ain' somethin' I'm feelin' right now. Jus' the urge t' punch ya."
"If you'd like, you may. However, we should hurry and gain orders from your father as to our departure. I've received information from the maker as to our current situation." Adrian said, turning it's head, seemingly distracted.
"I told ya, I ain't leavin'." Elara said, shaking her head. Anything else she might have said was cut off, as another one of the doors to the Throne Room was opened, a Guard leading the way, the King sandwitched between him and another Guard.
"Oh, good, you two are already here." The King said, greeting his daughter and the Golem with a nod. "I suppose that means you are already aware of your already scheduled departure." The King spoke with a dialect and the properness expected from a royal, so different from his daughter.
"Yes, we have been updated on the current situation." Adrian said smoothly, politely. "As ordered, I will be accompanying your daughter, her Highness. Is there any other information we should be informed of, Magesty?" it asked calmly.
"Sadly, we do not know much." The King said, shaking his head slightly. "Just that there may be an attempt on my daughter's life in the near future. That is why I am sending her, and you as her Guard, away for a while. Just until the threat is taken care of."
"Y'all can stop fuckin' talkin' about me like I ain't here." Elara grumbled, pulling her hands from her pockets to cross her arms over her chest, something shiny glinting in her hand before it was hidden with the movement. "I'm no' goin' any-" She paused then to think, her brows drawing together. If she stayed, what were the chances she'd be putting people she cared about in danger? "I-can I at least say goodbye t' a few people?"
"I would advocate against this. If her life truly is in danger, which I feel with 96% certainty it is, we should make haste with our departure lest we risk her Highness' life being taken." Adrian said, no emotion showing in his facial features, voice, or body language, or anything else that might be telling.
"I have to agree." The King said, shooting Elara a sympathetic smile that just deepened her scowl. "Your safety is of the utmost importance right now, as the Heir. Your things have already been packed, and a caravan is being prepared as we speak."
Elara spun on her heel, closing her eyes for a brief moment as something like worry and guilt flickered across her face, before it was replaced by the scowl once more. "Fine. I'm takin' a minute alone in the hallway."
"Suit yourself. Leave the hallway unsupervised and I will find you, of course. Your safety is of the utmost importance." it said. Adrian was practically a broken record, the amount of times it'd repeat how "important your safety is" to Elara. Not that it seems to understand that, really.
"Yeah, sure, whatever." Elara grumbled, slipping out of the throne room.
"I am a bit surprised." The King said, once his daughter was out of view. "That you actually have managed to keep next to her. She has a history of slipping away from all of her Guards, except that one boy."
Once in the hallway, Elara slumped back against the wall, unbraiding her hair to drag a hand through it. "I'm so sorry, Mack…" She whispered, dragging her hand from her hair and down her face as she looked up at the ornate ceiling. She couldn't say goodbye, couldn't send a letter that would get there on time, couldn't visit one last time before leaving. All because of that damn Golem.
"I was created for one purpose, to stay by her Highness and protect her, no matter what obstacle gets in the way." Adrian said placidly, its voice empty, drained of feeling.
"Which might, in fact, make you perfect for guarding her. She won't be able to convince you to let her do anything." The King said, huffing a laugh. A wiry looking man with a clipboard hurried in, the King's Guards letting him pass without problem, to mutter worriedly to the King. With a nod, he sent him off, before looking to Adrian again. "The work of a King never seems to cease. Good luck with my daughter."
Adrian nodded, and exited to the hall. "We should be leaving. Your things are already packed, we'll be taking the back route to avoid suspicion." it assured, lightly guiding Elara by the shoulder.
"O' course my things're already packed." Elara said, slipping out of his grasp and speeding up just a bit. She shifted her bag on her shoulder, drawing attention to it or adjusting it or both. "They never leave my bag." And that was true. All of the items and possessions she considered hers were right there, on her person, and never left her. That was how she'd learned to live, everything within reach, in case she needed to up and leave.
Adrian sighed. Why did humans have to be so impossible to manage? Why did they have to think in circles? It's head ached at the very thought of it. People who thought would soon only ever have thoughts to think, and nothing else. They'd be trapped with themselves, lost in a labyrinth of neurons and soul. It was Adrian's job to keep Elara productive, and look how well it was doing? She'd have to learn at some point that things were bigger than the tiny world of thought she'd encased herself into. Thoughts, Adrian mused, they're such trouble when you get too far into them.
A pit of unease was forming in Elara's gut, and she was well aware that it stemmed from a lack of control over her own situation. She had worked carefully to build herself a table-ish world inside the walls of the palace, and Adrian was throwing that fragile peace out of wack. The Shadows weren't helping either. Shaking her head, she tugged a hand through her hair once more, a sign of veiled stress, before pulling a key from her pocket. That was what she'd been holding on to earlier, the item that had caught the light. A symbol of something to run to if she couldn't take the world anymore, and a pipe dream.
"It will be alright, Highness." Adrian said. As far as it knew, this helped human, right? The maker had said something about positive affirmation, and it couldn't help but try, right? Adrian stood still, but then slowly moved a hand to brush back a few strands of Elara's hair, doing it as carefully as if it was taming a wild beast.
Elara's steps faltered as Adrian brushed her hair back, her eyes widening slightly. "Wha-" She, for once, couldn't quite seem to figure out a response to that, as she flickered a wide-eyed look over at him. Her first instinct was to jerk away, to shun the gesture as best she could. But a part of her managed to keep her from doing so, at least fully. It was, in fact, somewhat reassuring, if odd and unexpected. "O' course it will…" She finally managed, looking straight ahead once more. "E'ryone's jus' paranoid, is all."
"A justified paranoia. We shouldn't waste any more time, come with me." Adrian said, escorting Elara outside to their departure squadron.
"Justified paranoia." Elara muttered, raking a hand through her hair once more as her eyes flickered from the modes of transport, to the Guards set to come with. Roman wasn't among them. In fact, barely any of her own Guard were. Huffing a sigh, she ignored the offer for help into the carriage in the center, climbing in herself and plopping down onto the bench. "Hey, Matthias! Any clue where the first stop is?"
Matthias, one of the few Guards among the group she actually liked, shot her a small smile as he glanced into the carriage. "Tieran this time around, Magpie."
Adrian clambered into the carriage with Elara, sitting directly next to her. "We'll take the back roads, go through tougher terrain. It will cause some mild discomfort, but will get us to where we need to go."
"Hmph." Was Elara's only response to that, as she pulled her legs up underneath her and scooted to lean against the wall of the carriage. Her bag acted as a divider between her and Adrian, half out of habit and half out of conscious choice. A few minutes later, the carriage began moving, setting them off on their journey.
((Would skipping ahead be a good idea? Maybe even to the attack?))