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***
The marshes of Nexis were not nearly as comfortable to explore as the Enchanted Forest. Well, he was only skirting the border, eyeing the strange semi-invisible hue of blue and gold that shimmered in the dim morning light. Arthurreached out for it, his fingertips stopping at what felt like a transparent wall.
He could no longer pass. Not that he was surprised given the current situation, but he desperately began trailing the perimeter, hoping for an opening. If he could simply talk to one of the Fairy Sentinels and explain the situation, he knew he could convince one of them to take on an infiltration mission into King Travus’s lair.
“Halt.”
Arthur froze as a woman’s threatening voice called out from behind him. He heard a clink of metal, most likely a weapon, and he put his hands up in surrender to turn around.
The sight brought him so much relief that his body physically lightened.
“Aria Violetgrass,” he breathed. “It’s you! I came looking for you.”
“You could’ve sent a message,” she said curiously and put her blade away. Arthur had only seen her a handful of times, and only from a distance when she was in action.
Up close, she was a wondrous, regal sight. Her shimmering blue hair had a faint glow pulled away from her face, except for a few stray pieces. Her mystical blue eyes pierced into his intensely, challenging his gaze,followed by full pink lips set in a straight line. With her well-fitted armor of blue lined with gold, adorned with intricate carvings, she looked like a royal warrior. From the slits of her shin-length tunic peeked her slender legs covered in dark leggings, and boots of blue and gold reached up to her thighs.
Arthur was so entranced that Aria reached out for his jaw with the butt of her blade, pushing it shut with a raised brow. “Did you come here simply to gawk at me?”
“N-no!” he stammered and fell onto his knee. “I simply didn’t expect to be graced by the revered leader of the Fairy Sentinels herself so unexpectedly, Miss Violetgrass. I apologize.”
“We’re the same rank,” she drawled. “Get up, Sir Guisgard.”
He looked up at her in surprise. “You know me?”
“Like I said,” she crossed her arms to lean onto a hip, “we’re practically the same rank. Please stand up.”
Slowly standing up, he looked at the Fairy curiously. “Us Humans aren’t regarded with much respect, Miss Violetgrass.”
“It’s just Aria to you,” she said gently, but not kindly. “If you knew me well, you’d be aware I don’t buy into suchdiscriminatory practices. Humans not having their own territory is no reason to deprive them of dignity.”
“Of course!”
“Now, care to explain what you’re doing out here all alone?”
He nodded, still feeling intimidated despite Aria only coming up to his chest in height. “I need some insight. Guidance. No, a favor, actually.”
“You’re rambling.”
“Princess Mierna might get married off to King Travus,” he finally said with much anguish. “Nexis acknowledges that his conquest upon the territories is imminent and wishes to neutralize any possibility of subjugation over the Nymphs through the union.”
Aria blinked at him, visibly shocked. “I…was not expecting this. Such a decision would require all territories to hold a counsel together.”
“It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but the Queen intends for it. Princess Mierna is rather reluctant to go along with the suggestion, but she’s too steadfast in her duties to the Queendom.”
“This puts everyone at risk,” Aria grunts distastefully. “Feels like betrayal from Nexis to even think of such a thing,especially with most Orc territories in Vihnmen conquered last night.”
It stung to hear Aria talk like that, but he knew better than to protest.
“Right, this can’t be allowed to happen,” she said, and he was surprised. He didn’t think getting this far would be easy. “So, Arthur, do you have a plan in order?”
“A decoy,” he replied more confidently. “Not only can this marriage not happen, but King Travus’s plans need to be stopped. Whoever can pretend to be Princess Mierna can also gather intel to disrupt his future plans.”
Aria rubbed her chin thoughtfully, eyes scanning the forest floor as the silence stretched out between them.
“Arthur, if we do this, we need to be discreet,” she said. “We can’t tell just anyone about this mission.”
“Noted.”
