The streets of Motostoke were bustling with the energy of the imminent holiday. People going about with the last minute preparations and stringing up the colorful trappings and garlands of flowers. That did not mean that they didn't stop and give way as a Foreign Royal procession came through.
Aria had seen it all before, somewhat normalized for her. But this time she was astride the back of a rather large shiny Galarian Rapidash. And with a particularly grumpy looking Rowlet on her shoulder. The Rapidash looked beautifully wild and ready to thrash any that stepped too close. The Foreign princess was dressed in black, peacock green, and gold. Head held high. Behind her flanked by her personal guard, also arrayed in their best. Evvaine this time though was sitting atop the cart they had hired to bring in their things. Behind that was the usual small but intimidating regiment the traveled with outside of her Kingdoms' waters. Holding the banners and flag of the the Island and it's Royal Family's coat of arms. They rode through the center street towards the Castle. Aria projecting her presence psychically to her cousin to let her know that they were here.
Chi sat around the campfire with her legs folded up, and her arms wrapped around her knees. Kai and Altair were off somewhere... and thus it was just the girls left in the campsite...
...in the middle of some spooky woods... with a few hours until sunset... with nothing but talismans and tents to keep them safe from the Ghosts... great...
Jeez... how does Kai and Tamera handle this? Neither one are obviously ‘settled down’ where they’d be safe after dark... and yet they’d been doing this for hundreds of years. She kind of felt envious about it...
She looked up to see if she could see Tamera around. Did Tamera get scared of the dark like Altair was? Or was she not bothered by the ghosts like Kai was? She seemed a little nervous about something the other night though? Maybe if she saw her... she’d ask her?
Aria was sort of staring off into space as she was pulling on the dress she had sent home for for this occasion. The smooth fabric moved through her fingers like water but she couldn’t focus on it.
‘You may take my arm.’ she’d told him. And those 5 words changed everything. She had been willing to give this Lord Osborn the benefit of the doubt. He was a guy used to having his way, he had a charming eloquent air, a mild mannered look about him with his clothing choices and facial features. And it was clear from the way his eyes lit up when he found out who she was that he was interested in her now. She was a beautiful woman who was a Co-Ruler of an entire country. Though he seemed to have little real knowledge about her country. She was also unwed. This all was hardly a crime and she had dealt with this for a long time. Even Long ago before she had to be in charge of a whole country.
But her outlook on him changed when he did take her arm in his. A wave of disgust washed over her when he touched her that it was all she could do not to pull back from him. Not to curl her lip and show off the sharp teeth in a warning snarl when her arm was gently taken into the crook of his. And it only got worse as they shared a carriage ride to his home, accepted the invite to stay at his Pretentiously Lavish Mansion and attend the party that he was putting on the next day. And then witnessed how he treated his servants. Aria felt the mess that he was on the inside and wanted no part of it!
But she had to know why, through all of the sludge she felt from him, there was also that feeling about him that had her heart beating loudly in her own ears. Made her want to cry and sing with relief. And most startlingly, fly into his arms and never leave them. It bothered her how much it affected her. Her heart had never felt so alive in a thousand years. But why? The familiar presence she felt on him felt like it was attached…. but also not to him. It hung around him as tightly as a shadow…. but she was so confused. Her hands sifted through the few selections of jewelry she had also sent for along with her clothes. Choosing the ones that matched her gown choice best as she now sat in front of the mirror. Evainne was now helping her with her hair. Braiding and looping her long hair into a stunning arrangement. Like the Delphox’s mother had done once upon a time.
There was also the tang of a ghost type on him…
“You’re troubled Your Highness.” Evainne stated in a soft voice. Aria nodded her head and peered at her reflection in the mirror. Her aqua freckles were something she never hid with powder. But she did choose a lip-stain for the night. Something to compliment what she was wearing and her.
“I am. This Lord Osborn troubles me.” she sighed in frustration as the Vixen took Aria’s selection of tiara into her hands and came around to carefully place it on her head once Aria had put her Masquerade Mask on.
“His energies taste vile. If I may be so bold My Lady, I would not allow his attentions if it were me.”
“I would rather not myself but there is a puzzle about him that I Must solve. I cannot rest until I do.”
“I do not understand.” Evainne shook her head and stepped back as Aria stood and slowly twirled to get her gown and hair to settle into place.
“Neither do I. But I feel that I will very soon.” Her dress was a work of art that gave Aria an even more ethereal look. The gossamer veil over her hair and the regal cape of the same material giving the impression of a rare, delicate butterfly. She gave a second slow twirl and thanked Evainne before making her way through her rooms. Passed the rest of her guard that oo-ed and awe-ed at how she looked, and then out and towards the ballroom.
She followed closely behind the purple feline, their meager groceries clutched tightly in her hands. She was getting anxious. Partially because the strap for the instrument case on her shoulder was starting to slip off. Partially because there had been so many people in that little grocery store. And the other part was because the pokeball in the pocket of her oversized hoodie was clicking. A sure sign that the aggressive dragon type in the pokeball was getting annoyed at being in his pokeball for so long.
But as she and Quiz were passing through the seedier side of this little town there was a nagging feeling that was starting to overtake her anxieties. Though those were calming a little now that there less people around. She almost tripped over the huge Espeon as he stopped right in the middle of the path they were walking.
<Listen!> his mind spoke to hers’, and Balia stopped, cocked her head to the side and tried to calm her beating heart and breathing.
Fear. Someone was afraid. She felt it and her eyes were drawn to an awful scene.
Balia wouldn’t have come here in the daytime. Somehow the sight of it in the daytime was worse. Seeing the halls she’d visited in her youth crumbling and overgrown with weeds and vines... it was horrible. Much easier to listen to the echoes of a place... and of people who she adored when the place was shrouded in darkness.
She seemed to glide across the grounds without any sound to indicate that she was really even there. Years ago she would have been afraid of ghosts hanging around a place of such tragedy and suffering, but she couldn’t care less about them now. Few things frightened her now like they once did.
She stopped moving finally. Half in shadow, half in the light of the moon and flipped the hood she had worn off of her head. Letting her long aqua hair free.
Aria was sort of staring off into space as she was pulling on the dress she had sent home for for this occasion. The smooth fabric moved through her fingers like water but she couldn’t focus on it.
‘You may take my arm.’ she’d told him. And those 5 words changed everything. She had been willing to give this Lord Osborn the benefit of the doubt. He was a guy used to having his way, he had a charming eloquent air, a mild mannered look about him with his clothing choices and facial features. And it was clear from the way his eyes lit up when he found out who she was that he was interested in her now. She was a beautiful woman who was a Co-Ruler of an entire country. And unwed. This was hardly a crime and she had dealt with this for a long time. Even Long ago before she had to be in charge of a whole country.
But her outlook on him changed when he did take her arm in his. A wave of disgust washed over her when he touched her that it was all she could do not to pull back from him. Not to curl her lip and show off the sharp teeth in a warning snarl when her arm was gently taken into the crook of his.
Aria felt the mess that he was on the inside. From how he felt about and treated his servants, the way he was feeling about her, and the aura of his plans for the near future. She wanted no part of it!
But she had to know why, through all of the sludge she felt from him, there was also that feeling about him that had her heart beating loudly in her own ears. Made her want to cry and sing with relief. And most startlingly, fly into his arms and never leave them. It bothered her how much it affected her. Her heart had never felt so alive in a thousand years. But why? The familiar presence she felt on him felt like it was attached.... but also not to him. It hung around him as tightly as a shadow.... but she was so confused. Her hands sifted through the few selections of jewelry she had also sent for along with her clothes. Choosing the ones that matched her gown choice best as she now sat in front of the mirror. Evainne was now helping her with her hair. Braiding and looping her long hair into a stunning arrangement. Like the Delphox’s mother had done once upon a time.
There was also the tang of a ghost type on him...
“You’re troubled Your Highness.” Evainne softly announced as she took Aria’s selection of tiara into her hands and came around to carefully place it on her head once Aria had put her formal eyepatch on.
“I am. This Lord Osborn troubles me.” Aria nodded her head and peered at her reflection in the mirror. Her aqua freckles were something she never hid with powder. But she did choose a lip-stain for the night.
“He tastes vile. If I may be so bold, I would not allow his attentions if it were me.”
“I would rather not myself but there is a puzzle about him that I Must solve. I cannot rest until I do.”
“I do not understand.” Evainne shook her head and stepped back as Aria stood and slowly twirled to get her gown and hair to settle into place.
In the years that followed the cataclysm that sundered the regions there was no contact with the outside world. One of a Kind Island was cut off completely and so had to adapt. The Ray Family leading the people as was of old and the people helped one another. Rallying together to survive into the uncertain future. One without the modern comforts of the years before. They relearned the old ways, but continued to patrol the borders. For any psychic of some power predicted a terrible menace coming to their shores.
And so it did. The Landwall blasted open to let into those calm coves the first armies to land on those hallowed shores for the since the days of the original Kings. That first battle was called the War of the Sisters. For the three Daughters of Ray rallied the rangers, the knights, and navies, and waged war against the invading forces. A war that revealed the nature of the three sisters as the children of the divine protectors of the Island.
There were again Queens when that first battle was won. And so their continued to be as the centuries passed and wave after wave of invaders battled for purchase on those torn shores and the Islander’s battled to uphold their own. Human, pokemon, and gijinka alike. Centuries passed like this, and it seemed it would go on till the end of time, or until someone could reach out to what might be left of the world outside their waters, or something done to defeat this unrelenting enemy.
Aria and her entourage made their way after the crowd headed to the Arena after leaving the meeting between Heldrouth, Jack, and herself. Maybe it was a wee bit premature for her to be all decked out and in her fighting clothes with sword in hand but better prepared than not. As it was though, her royal fur lined cloak was fairly hiding that she was not dressed in one of her gorgeous gowns. Her hand was on her sunflower locket, the only thing showing to those that new her that she wasn't as calm as she seemed. There was a creeping dread overtaking her at the prospect of coming face to face with the spectre that was fighting in Osborne's stead. The Ghost that wore the face of her beloved. She had not been so haunted by anyone or anything in the world in 1100 years as she was by him. He was doing well in the Tournament so far, well enough that it was looking like he might be her opponent if he won his round against Heldrouth. She dreaded it. But also yearned for it! Jittery excitement as it would serve maybe as a way to get closer to him to figure him out. Princess Aria tried to steady herself back into her usual serene demeanor.
Behind her Gorbash was animatedly, but quietly retelling Amalthea the story of the first time he had seen their Mistress fight a real battle. The surly Unicorn, recently decked out with her new robes showing she was now one of Aria's personal knights, was listening more than she was letting on. Ramon and Marcos however, were clearly struggling to not hang on every word. Evvaine the only one of the number missing as she'd stayed back at her Lady's tent.
