forum A Promise of Fire (closed)

Started April 06, 2023 by @ElderGod-yellowqueen

tune

Ariella looked at his hand then back at him, then down again. She rose and took it. "I'd like to pack my things." She couldn't say goodbye. If she did, she would never leave. She would leave a note and that was it.

He nods, “Lead the way…but please don’t mind me if I sit for a while.” He smiles warmly, honestly looking tired.

Ariella walked through the crowd, his hand still in hers. She equally walked on the outskirts and to the personal tents set up beyond a rope. She walked throught the tent until she found her own. She lifted the flap and ducked inside.

Amyntas follows, sitting down in a chair and sighing in relief.

"You seem to know who I am but you haven't told me your name yet, little prince," Ariella crooned as she began to pack her things into a small bag. She didn't have many things. A few pairs of clothes, the rest she would leave. Her throwing knife set and comb and ties. She wore her boots already and they would last well traveling. Grabbing a pen and paper, she left a small note saying she jad to leave and she wished then the best.

Amyntas chuckles softly. “Little prince.” He repeats, “Amyntas. Nice to meet you.” He says softly, smiling. “Is…that all you’re bringing…?”

Ariella smiled at him. "You as well. I'm Ariella. But please, just call me Ella." Ella was who she was now. Ariella died a long time ago.

She looked down at her things. Was there a problem with what she was bringing. "This is all I have." Other than more clothes. But those were long skirts and frills and wouldn't be practical from traveling. And not when she could purchase new, better clothing when they reached the palace.

He hums, “Alright. Thats fine. Just means I can spoil you more.” He smiles, standing. “Gods-“ He mutters. He looks at her. “Ready?”

Ariella stiffened slightly. She didn't know how to feel about that. Being spoiled. She hadn't been in, well, ever. Her mother taught cruetly and selfishness. She wasn't used to such a thing. Wasn't sure if she wanted it.

"I'm ready."

Amyntas smiles, offering his hand. “Ima do a nice little magic trick that’ll tire me out…but it’s so worth it. Brace yourself.” He gently takes her hand, and suddenly, they were in the palace. Amyntas stumbles slightly, leaning into the wall. “Augh-“

Hades hurries into the great hall. “Son! Where have you been?! Your mother and I-“ He pauses, staring at Ella. He looks at Amyntas, blinking.

Amyntas gives him a look, and seemingly, Hade’s confusion turned into understanding. “I see. Well. She is more then welcome here.”

Ariella gently placed her hand in his. She looked confused at him, eyebrows drawn, and then in a blink the fabric tent faded away and stone walls came into her vision. She stumbled, taken off guard. She had to blink several times, realizing what had happened. They had teleported?

She was quickly at the prince's side as he stumbled back into a wall. She placed her hands on his arms, trying to help steady him. She looked at the man who approached, realized who he was, and dropped her eyes.

Hades chuckles softly. “Please dear…I’m not Medusa. There is no need to avert your eyes.” He helps his son sit, silently scolding him.

Amyntas rolls his eyes. “Yeah yeah- I get it, father.” He looks to Ella, “Don’t worry. I’ll survive.” He grins.

Ariella's nostrils flared. She wasn't sure what exactly was wrong with Amyntas. He had come to her like this. Something had been wrong before they ever stepped foot in this place. She would figure out what sooner or later.

She gave a polite smile to Hades. "I think you should lay down and replenish your strength," she said to the prince.

He sighs, “Later. I’ve got stuff to do.”

Hades scoffs, “Oh shush. Listen to this very smart young lady. Go to bed.”

Amyntas grumbles, standing. “After I show her her room.”

Hades rolls his eyes. “Fine.” He smiles at Ella, then walks away.

"I'm sure I could ask a maid or someone to show me. You need rest. You can barely stand on your feet." Ariella wasn't exactly sure how her day had gone from manning a fortune teller booth to taking care of a prince who was clearly too exhausted to do anything.

Amyntas laughs softly, bringing Ella to her room. “Naw…I’d rather do it.” He smiles. “My room is right next to yours. If you need me, I’m right there.”

Ariella looked at the room then back up at him. She pursed her lips. "Alright, well, thank you. And get some rest." She twisted the handle and stepped in. She turned, watching the prince until he disappeared from sight.

Amyntas sighs, limping to his own room. He leans against the door before entering, looking around. He limps over to his bed and lays down, staring at the ceiling. It only took him a few minutes before he falls into a deep sleep. He had already wasted so much energy on just walking, let alone teleporting himself, and another person.

He sighs softly in his sleep, sleeping through the rest of the night, and through the next day. In the hall, Hades could be heard having a hushed conversation with a servant. He sounded worried. Very worried. He kept mentioning Amyntas, worry flooding Hades’s voice every time he mentioned his sons name.

Ariella looked at her new room, simple, quaint. It was a little to plain her liking, a little to white, but with time she could change that. For right now, she needed a bath and a good night's sleep. She spent her time in the bath, scrubbing her skin raw. She was scared to stain something by simply touching it with dirty fingernails. So she scrubbed and scrubbed until she was clean and raw. She dressed in a clean shirt that was two sized to big for her and fell into the soft bed.

She found she had a hard time finding sleep in the bed. It was too soft. Too comfortable. She would have preferred her hard little cot back at home. She gathered the sheets off the bed and found a spit on the floor to sleep on. There, that was better.

When the day came, she could hear whispers put front of her door. Whispers about the prince next to her. When the voices disappeared, walking away, she slipped out of her room and into Amyntas room. She clicked the door shut behind her and walked over to the bed.

(Sorry I just loved how you described the room- I wanted you to chose what it looked like-)

Amyntas’s room was dark and warm. It had a homey, welcoming energy lingering through every corner. The room was simple for the most part. But what was really the eye catcher, was that everything was symmetrical. Everything was perfect. There were exactly four lights in the room at each corner. Two windows on one wall, a bookshelf with all the books lining up perfectly. Even the colors matched everything. It seemed like his room was a perfectly controlled environment. And it was.

Amyntas was pale. Abnormally pale. The only color on his skin was the red on his cheeks. His breathing was shallow, and he was wheezing slightly as he slept. Never mind slightly. No. He was wheezing. A lot. He turns to his side, coughing. He seemed sick. But his skin wasn’t hot. In fact, he was cold. Ice cold.

He whimpers softly, gripping his sheets as he coughs again. Now, he was having a nightmare. He shook slightly, his breathing quickening. “No…” He mutters, “Please…”

Ariella would have taken the time to admire his room had ot not been for the sickly prince. She was rushing to his side, climbing up on the bed and placing her hands on his shoulders. She touched his forehead and plaed herself at how cold he was. Why wasn't anyone doing anything? Where was the healer? The prince obviously needed one.

"Amyntas, wake up please. Come one." She was shaking his shoulders now. She needed to get him into a warm bath to rise his body temperature. He was too cold. But shebwouldnt be able to get him there. At least not without dragging him.

Amyntas stayed in his deep sleep, whimpering again. Sadly, this has happened more than once before. He shivers slightly, gasping. “No- let me go- please-“ He whines, shaking more. It was mainly from how cold he was, but also from fear. His dream seemed to be getting worse. His heart rate sped up an ungodly amount.

Ariella had a couple of options here. She coukd keep trying to wake him. Or she coukd drag him to the bathroom and put him in some warm water to try and rise his body temperature. Sje coukd call for help but they hadn't done anything to hell him so far and they knew something was wrong with him.

Well, here goes nothing. Ariella raised her hand and slapped him. Not hard enough to leave a mark. Or at least a large mark. But enough to jar him and hopefully pull him out of this nightmare.

Amyntas gasps, instinctively grabbing Ellas wrist and looking at her. He looks around, his eyes wide. He then looks back to her. “The hell- what are you doing in here?”

Ariella looked sheepishly down at him. "Waking you up. You were having nightmare and nothing else was working."

She wriggled her wrist out of his grip and dropped it into her lap. "Let's run you a warm bath. You'll feel better after."

He blinks, “What do you mean-? I’m fine-“ He slowly sits up, rubbing his forehead. “As for the nightmare. I get those a lot. It’s fine. Just- don’t randomly come into my room and slap me-“

Ariella sat back, giving him some space. "You wouldn't wake up. I shook your shoulders, yelled at you, nothing worked. So I had to resort to plan B." She shrugged her shoulders. "You need a warm bath, now. Your cold as ice. You're sick."

He huffs. “I’ll be fine. It’ll go away eventually.” He lays back down, covering himself up. Even under so many covers, he still was shivering. He still was as cold as ice. He closes his eyes. “There’s food on the table in the dining hall. Fathers probably waiting anyways. Just tell him I’m not hungry.”

Ariella looked at him exasperated. There was no way she was leaving him like this. Not when he was sick and unwell. Thus was dangerous, to be so cold. She wouldn't have it.

She got up but not to leave. She lit the fireplace, a warm fire roaring into place. She searched the room for extra blankets, moving some things around until she found them. She returned to the prince's side and piled them on him. She went to the bathroom and wet a hand towel with warm water and placed it on his forehead. "You need to eat. Warm soup preferably. I can send someone to get it."

He huffs. “No. I’m not hungry…” He looks over to where she moved things and huffs, getting up and fixing it, grumbling. “Don’t touch my stuff…” He spent a good 10 minutes making sure it was just right, then goes back to his bed and turns his back to her. “Please. Leave me be.”