#aurora rightfully belongs to e-vay!!

[power-rings]

Light Consorting with Shadows

Chapter 7: More Of You

Author's Note: Feel free to listen to this playlist while reading, if you like! Thought this was perfect for Aurora's thoughts in this chapter.

[previous]

She felt pain shoot through her body, and the strong arms holding her starting to give way. For some reason, the head knight was carrying her, but he was struggling. The dark knight fell to his knees, dropping her on the grass. The princess saw he was bleeding through his shirt, and the gauze was soaked. He was losing blood... and fast. Aurora was hurt badly, too. She couldn't even remember what exactly led them to get injured so badly, but that didn't matter. They both desperately needed medical attention. She inched closer to the knight, ripping off some fabric from her clothing to apply to the wound.

The knight rested a hand ontop of hers, "don't worry about me. If you think you can run ahead... go... leave me." He looked so pale, and his breathing was labored.

Aurora shook her head, refusing to leave his side. They could get home. They always managed to get out of situations as messy as this, but right now... it felt different. Perhaps it would have be their last?

The knight's ears twitched, catching a sound of movement from behind them. Whoever it was... they were catching up. Panic set in for the knight. "Aurora! GO!" She had never seen him this frightened for her.

Aurora froze, when Shadow grabbed her by the shoulders. Blood stained gloves gripping her hard. She looked at him, fresh tears escaped when she met his hard gaze. "I won't leave you." She finally managed to speak. Aurora could have sworn, Shadow was starting to tear up. "If you can use the Chaos Emerald-" He shook his head, confirming that he did not have one on possession.

Quickly, he looked over his shoulder to see how close their enemies were. They were running out of time. He could hear the shouting getting closer. "If we don't see each other again..." The dark hedgehog inched closer to the young princess, his lips meeting hers. A kiss filled with passion, as if this would be last time they would see one another. "I always loved you, Aurora. Now, please... run." Aurora was still in shock from that kiss. She had never known until now that he actually had the same feelings for her. But, the confession came at the worst time possible.

Just like the knight had asked...

She ran.

Leaving half of her heart behind her.

Unfortunately, she wasn't safe no matter how fast she ran. A black-hooded figure with piercing red eyes was on her tail. Aurora quickly reached for her sword, her hands shaking. Before successfully retrieving her weapon of choice, she tripped over a rock in her path. With the speeds she was traveling, she knew that this would hurt like hell. Thinking quickly, she rolled into a ball. She crashed into a brick wall. Uncurling herself, Aurora felt her body scratched up even more than before. But, she didn't have time to tend to her wounds. Her opponent was inches from her. Its hands glowing.

"Any last words, Princess?"

--

A startling scream filled the castle, when Aurora hit the floor of her living quarters. When she started to sit up, her brow was drenched in sweat as well as the her light-green nightgown she was wearing. Her maiden came rushing in, followed by her mother. Thank Chaos, it was just a really bad nightmare. When her mother, and the maiden reached her side, she started to get herself up from the hard wooden floor, trying to catch her breath. But it wasn't all a nightmare, was it? He kissed you. She shook her head, shaking these thoughts away. "I'm okay, mom. Really. Just a bad dream." Her maiden left to retrieve a cold cloth. Her mom sat on the edge of the bed, trying to brush the unkept quills down.

"Chaos, Rory you scared me half to death." Amy had worried someone had actually broke into the castle, and was trying to get away with hurting her daughter... When Aurora's maiden returned Amy wiped at her daughter's brow. She had a minor mark on her temple from the fall, but nothing major. Aurora's body shook slightly from the coldness of the cloth against her. "Do we need to talk about what happened?" Amy brushed Aurora's sweaty bangs out of her eyes.

Immediately, Aurora shook her head no. She wanted to forget this nightmare. She also knew that if she told her mother about the details of this dream, it would just worry her too much. Especially with them traveling miles away from home soon. She embraced her mom tightly. Aurora turned down the breakfast that was offered, her stomach couldn't handle anything right now. As her parents sat at the dining table, she quickly dismissed herself in search of a certain knight. Please let him be okay. Please. She noticed Blaze and Galahad were keeping guard near the steps of the palace. She was starting to wonder if Lancelot was outside of the kingdom's walls, perhaps on patrol again? Aurora soon got her answer, though, when she caught a glimpse of the knight in question, he was with this human friend that was introduced to the royal family the other day.

They were found at the market, Maria was picking out some veggies, fruit, and some fish that was for sale today. "If you need some clothes, there are some more booths over here-" Shadow stopped mid-sentence when Aurora arrived. Shadow opened his mouth to speak, Maria cut in; it seemed like his friend was eager to finally meet the young princess.

"You must be the princess that I've heard so much about!" Maria gave her collection of items to Shadow to hold, and gave a Aurora a warm handshake. "Aurora, isn't it?"

Maria was greeted with a warm smile, and a handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Maria." The princess then squinted at the knight, "what exactly has he told you about me? Hm?"

In response, Maria gave a hearty laugh. "All good things, princess. I assure you of that!" She elbowed the dark hedgehog beside her. "Here, I'm gonna go look around some more if you need to speak to him? I need to get back to the house soon anyway." The girls agreed that they would catch up just the two of them, once they found the oppontunity.

Once they were alone, Aurora gave Shadow a hug without even hesitating any longer. The knight felt her sigh in relief against his body, "thank goodness you're okay..."

The knight pulled away, his hands on her shoulders. "Of course I am?" Both blushed when their eyes locked with one another. Aurora found herself confessing some details of her nightmare, however she left big gaps of details causing the knight to have more questions than answers. He didn't pry for more; Aurora was grateful for that. He could tell this nightmare really unsettled her. Shadow tried to comfort her by explaining that the day should be easy. He said both of their armors were being adjusted still, (that must have been why he wasn't wearing his). So, he was stuck inside the safety of Camelot.

Honestly, this didn't really comfort Aurora. The knight went on ahead without, until he noticed that she didn't leave her spot. Aurora was staring at the exit gate. "Are there any guards out there?" It wasn't like Aurora was afraid of being attacked. She knew she could handle them. But, that dark figure in her dream concerned her. Would her sword handle such an opponent like this enemy? It was as if this opponent wielded some sort of magic? What scared her the most was losing Shadow. After all these years, she couldn't imagine a life without him. Sure, he had vowed to protect her and her family, but she would give anything to protect him.

She felt Shadow's finger under her chin, guiding her to look at him. "Rory, there's six guards .. maybe even more outside all surrounding the perimeter.. there's nothing to be concerned about." His voice soft, and soothing. Aurora felt her heart beat in her ears when their gaze met once more. She knew deep down that Camelot was heavily protected. However, the princess just couldn't help but shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Aurora started breathing heavily, and fell to her knees, startling Shadow. "Let's get you inside." She vaguely heard him over her nagging thoughts, she watched in silence as their family physician checked her over. Aurora didn't feel the need for medical attention, but the willpower wasn't strong enough to deny this. It must have been some sort of panic attack, the doctor confirmed. Most people just think you were just going mad, since the resources to understand such a reaction wasn't available to them yet; so, of course the doctor wasn't sure how to treat her, except with some rest.

She rested for several hours more, once she woke up she would make out the bright moon shining through her window. Night time had approached quickly..

Moments later, the princess was brought a plate of food. She hadn't ate anything since last night and despite not wanting to admit... she started to feel the effects of it. Shaky, weak in the knees, and stomach grumbling quite loudly. Aurora started to eat on the piece of freshly baked bread. The princess sighed in satisfaction. It wasn't often she got to eat in bed, and honestly, she could get use to it. Aurora almost choked on the last piece of bread after hearing a knock on the door, and Shadow stepping in. He looked so awkward standing there. It was adorable. With a mouthful of bread, she couldn't exactly speak, so she tapped the empty spot on the end of her bed. She saw his eyes dart from the bed, to the lonely chair in the room that was setup near her vanity. Instead, dragging the chair across the floor and taking a seat at her bedside. Aurora rolled her eyes.

"I shouldn't be here, I know. So, I'll be quick." He cleared his throat, his eyes kept darting at the door, then back to her. "You feeling alright? If you need anything..."

Aurora stared at her empty plate. Shadow knew that the princess had a maiden that brings her things to her bedroom, but she didn't desire anything other than his company right now. (Except, maybe two or three more rolls.. perhaps). "Could you stay with me, tonight?" Her voice low, in case someone was outside her door. "Please?"

The knight wasn't sure if perhaps Aurora was just frightened after that nightmare, or there was more to it, but he knew his place and where he belonged. In the princess bedroom? If her father was to find out, he'd have his head. "You know, I can't."

Aurora gave a defeated sigh. "I just don't feel that safe tonight." The princess was playing the pity card. It wasn't often that she had to, but in desperate hours such as this... it might just work. "But, if you feel comfortable knowing something bad could happen to-"

Shadow threw his hands in the air, "I'll stay." Aurora smiled as she took a sip of her water. Throughout the evening, her maiden came and left quickly to attend to any of the princess' needs. When she left her for the rest of the night, Shadow reappeared again. Aurora watched him try to get comfortable in the chair. The pair were quiet throughout the night, fearing to be caught by either her parents or the guards that patrolled the palace during the night. Aurora tossed and turned for several hours it seemed like, before she fell into a deep slumber.

--

When she woke up in the morning, she found the knight had joined her in bed. He was out like a light, and he was resting ontop of the thick comforter that was spread out on her bed. She glanced out the window, taking a guess at the time. Her maiden would be coming soon. She inched closer to the dark hedgehog, head resting on his chest, the steady heartbeat comforting to her; even if they only just got a few moments alone. This moment was cut short, as Shadow started to stir awake. Heat rushed to his cheeks, when he realized that the princess was awake now too. Quickly, he sat up from the bed. "I... I apologize." His voice groggy from sleep. Feeling like he overstepped his welcome, and risk getting in trouble. Not only for him, but the princess as well. "It sounded like you were having a bad dream, again."

Aurora couldn't remember much about whether she did have another dream like the night before, she was relieved for that. "Thanks for staying..." The princess knew that the dark hedgehog would have to leave soon. But, he kept his word and stayed with her throughout the night. She got upon her knees, embracing him from behind. The pair was soon interrupted by a faint knock on the door. She cursed under her breath, just as quick as her maiden opened the door, Shadow disappeared in a flash of light. Aurora laid her head back on her pillow, pretending nothing ever happened.

"Who were you talking to, m'lady?" Her servant came in with a handful of clean clothes, suspiciously she scanned the room for a source of the voice.

"Oh, nobody~!" She fibbed, the princess stretched her stiff muscles and was helped out with her morning routine. She noticed that her outfit wasn't her usual heavy gowns. This time, it was a light-green tunic with pants and a pair of knee-high boots. Perhaps easier to handle during combat, and more than likely more comfortable. While getting ready, she requested that her quills be in a ponytail. Her maiden was confused at first, but she didn't argue with the princess. It was actually a nice look on her. She joined her parents in a meal, both of them relieved that she felt up to eating this morning. It was a short and quick meal. They had a good distance to take ahead of them, they couldn't waste more daylight.

Outside the palace Lancelot, and the rest of the knights were getting their horses ready. Maria insisted on traveling with them, which Aurora was tickled for her company- she liked her eager spirit. While the horses were getting saddled, Percival came over to help Aurora with her gold armor. It fit snuggly, but not enough to limit her breathing. "Are you ready, princess?" Percival also helped Aurora mount her horse. The princess looked onward, and squeezed the reins tighter. Nervousness was settling in the pit of her stomach. This wasn't like Aurora, at all. Much like her father, she loved the unknown dangers of a new adventure. Yet, she couldn't shake the memories of that nightmare, and how real it felt. Could it be an omen? She watched Shadow mount his black horse, and the other knights followed suit. None of them showing fear of what may await them. They were trained for this, of course. But, wasn't she as well? At least, that's what Shadow felt like anyway. Otherwise, she wouldn't even be here. She was startled from her thoughts, when Blaze touched her hand. "Aurora?" She lifted her helmet, seeing the concern in her eyes.

"Oh, yes." Aurora pulled her own helmet above her head. "All ready!" She saw Shadow, and her father come before them. A few words were spoken between the two, that wasn't audible to her ears.

"Let's head out." Sonic commanded, fixing his helmet before signaling to his horse to head straight toward the exit of Camelot. Lancelot was close on his tail, Aurora, Percival, Maria, and the rest of the Knights followed closely.

--

That night they made camp, but they didn't wait too long. They fed their horses, and everyone enjoyed a small meal at the fire. If they travel the way they were going, they hoped to reach the village by the next evening. The darkness of the night hopefully will work in their favors.

A few hours later, they were off again. Making a good progress in their travel. They were halfway now. "We won't know what will be waiting for us in a few more miles. I'll tell you went to get off of our horses. Some of us will be much faster on foot, in case we need to make a run for it." Shadow glanced towards Sonic, Aurora, and Blaze, which they acknowledged with a nod. "Galahad, I want you to stay with Maria." He instructed. They took another break once the sun started to peak above the horizon. Once they rested well, and ate once more. They only had about 5 more miles before they would reach their destination.

When they were ontop of a hill, Aurora could make out some remains of the village. Her heart ached for those that lost their lives in protecting their homes. She knew this must have been harder on Shadow to see again. She watched as he came to a stop, all of them dismounting their horses. Aurora followed suit, and caught up to them. She lingered in between her father, and the dark knight. "We'll search the village for any possible clues, then we go further to the west of here." Shadow instructed, as they inched closer to what would have been a entrance that use to have been a gate, and fence that were all taken by the flames, all nothing but ash. The four of them searched thoroughly through what remained of the village. Any source of clues that would provide them answers on who attacked them, and why.

A couple yards of what remained of the village stood a lonely hut- the flames must have stopped before they reached this hut. Her father and Aurora, searched the perimeter of the shelter. Cautiously, Aurora pushed the door opened, not much was left inside. A few pots and pans, broken dishware, and a bed in the far corner. It was dark, dusty, and spiderwebs hung above her head. "Stop. Don't come any closer." A voice startled her in her tracks. She retrieved her sword, ready to defend herself. "I don't wish any harm..."

"Rory?!" Quickly, her father rushed in, taking notice that the door was forced open.

"You! Stop right there..." the stranger's voice started to break. Sonic stood infront of his daughter. He knew that his daughter could probably take this individual without his aide, but he wasn't gonna risk it. A bright red glow appeared before the royal hedgehogs. It flickered slightly, it disappeared just as quickly. "T-take what you like!" The owner of the mysterious glow, rushed out the door. Well, as quick as possible with a bad limp. Outside, the caped individual fell outside and met Blaze's dagger. Shadow soon joined them, carefully scanning over the royal hedgehogs to make sure they were alright.

He pulled his cape down, his face was covered with a strange mask, but it looked damaged and he looked to be bleeding. He bowed his head, in submission. "P-please don't kill me. I...swear to you I mean no harm." He pleaded before them. "I'll be on my way... " the caped stranger started coughing violently. The group decided to hear him out, they gave him some water, and some bread that they carried with them on the trip.

"We may need to take him to Camelot, Shadow. He's losing a lot blood." The knight wasn't sure whether to trust this caped person, if he had lived in this village it was rare to see another Mobian like the rest of them. This village was more known for humankind citizens. Perhaps, he was just seeking refuge in that lonely hut? It wasn't exactly uncommon to find homeless individuals making themselves welcomed there. Whatever answers they were seeking would not be answered right now, while they made camp just outside of the village the stranger ended up passing out from blood loss. They didn't make a lot more progress at the village, but Galahad and Percival agreed to stay behind to search some more once everyone leaves out for Camelot.

They made haste back to Camelot, with the unconscious stranger laid out on a makeshift wooden stretcher. Aurora didn't like this one bit, she was normally fine with helping those in need, just like her father, but this time... it was different. Something about him, startled her. She couldn't shake that feeling. That mysterious red glow from his hands, and those eyes. Just like in her nightmare. She shivered, "I don't feel good about this, Lancelot." Aurora whispered to the knight, catching up to him leading the group. She knew it would be too late, now. Her father was determined to get him some medical help. Who knows, he may have information regarding the ambush on the village?

The knight and the royal hedgehog were finally alone to talk. "Once he gets help, he'll be gone." The knight concluded. His response wasn't exactly reassuring the princess.

What if this was leading them into a deadly trap? Aurora wondered. "He looks like the one I saw in my dream." This caught Shadow's attention, "he almost looks like the one that attacked us... " Aurora remembered she had left those details out before, "I know it was just a dream, but I can't help feel like it was a... vision? A warning?", the princess shrugged dramatically, "I don't know! I just don't feel like this was a good idea." Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but Aurora couldn't shake the feeling.

[power-rings]

Light Consorting with Shadows

Chapter 4: Ambush (edited version)

 Author’s note: I dug through my stories on my blog, went through my drafts and decided to touch up Chapter 4. I am planning on working on chapter 5 hopefully tonight!       

                                 *I don’t claim Aurora as my own, she rightfully belongs to @e-vay !

It was a long travel to a neighboring kingdom Murasia, and after they made their way through the forest, that was worth at least two days of trekking through, then they would need to travel by boat for until they arrived on the island where the older kingdom stood strong. For years, they had yearned to become allies, and finally sign a peace treaty; that Sonic didn’t feel the need to sign because a piece of paper did not mean a thing to him. It was the actions and the fellow king’s character that mattered to him, more.

He did not travel alone. His wife came along, and with much persuasion from his daughter she tagged along with her parents – he didn’t want to bring up the fact that this dude was interested in marrying his son off to Aurora.

In the wagon, being pulled by a pair of horses Aurora was currently resting on some silk sheets, surrounded by supplies in the wagon. She the puffy clouds pass over her head, and occasionally feeling the breeze tickling her face slightly soothed her. Oh, and the fact that she was no longer restricted in Camelot. She felt free... and perhaps forgetting her role as a princess altogether, if only for a short time. Sure there were knights surrounding her and her family to secure their safety, which she merely ignored many hours ago. Lancelot might’ve been great company too if he was actually being sociable. That wasn’t the case today, the dark hedgehog was far too focused on getting to their destination instead of making small talk with the princess. It surprised her how disappointed she felt because of how distant he was being. However, this feeling was quickly ignored when she realized how she was being quite selfish simply because the knight was on duty.

There was so much she wanted to do after they reached the village. Explore, interact with the villagers, try various foods the merchants may sell there, and even if it was a fleeting thought... perhaps sneak out of the glimpse of her royal bodyguards’ view to explore outside of the village walls. There were lots of sights she desired to see. But, she had to remind herself this wasn’t a vacation of any sort.

Aurora was soon startled awake when the wagon hit a pothole, and then suddenly coming to a complete stop. When she opened her eyes, she noticed that she stars were shining brightly. She was quite shocked on how long she had been asleep. She overheard her parents talking about setting camp here, and taking a break before continuing onward. Hopping out of the wagon, Aurora gave a stretch and a yawn before meeting up with her parents. Behind her, the horses kicked at the ground, neighed and shook their heads in response a knight approached the two horses to offer them some fresh water and food, and then guided them away from the path, leaving the wagon abandoned on the side of the road. The horses ate some more grass, and some apples provided by their caretakers. Once they decided where to setup camp, which was between several trees - only a faint shine from the moon peeked through providing them some light. Aurora caught a sight of Lancelot leaning against one tree, just observing his surrounding for any sight of danger. Her attention went back to her parents  who was laying out their bedding for the night, a goodnight kiss was exchanged between them, and as she wiggled underneath her blanket she heard her father whisper to her “Goodnight, Tiny.”

Whenever Aurora tried to fall asleep again she was quickly disturbed by the sound of creatures that were more lively during the nighttime. Owls, coyote’s yelping and even wolves howling, and her father’s snoring was the most disturbing of them all. With a sigh, Aurora left her bed. As she came near the tree Lancelot had been standing before she leaned against it to support her.

Snap! Came the sound of a twig, followed by the sound of footsteps. Starling her, Aurora quickly peeked over to the left of her to notice Lancelot was approaching her. All she could see through the darkness was his crimson eyes, and the moon shining off his armor. “Princess?” He cleared his throat to make a correction to his response, “Aurora. What are you doing awake?”

“Not tired.” She answered with a shrug, “I slept the whole way here.” Lancelot nodded in understanding, and came closer to stand in front of her. Aurora gave him a challenging look, “don’t even think about it. This is my tree.”

“Oh? I don’t see your name on it.” He knew she was only teasing, so he played along. Why not? It was gonna be a long night, he might as well make it a little interesting!

Aurora frowned at him, and then glanced around to look at the ground to search for a good stick to write her name on the tree. With her hand resting on the trunk, she inched a little further away from the tree to reach down and grab the stick. She turned, her back facing Lancelot now as she carved her name into the trunk of the tree. “There! Happy now?” She heard Lancelot stifle a soft laugh, and he shook his head, taking a step closer to take the stick she carved her name with.

“Hey! Don’t carve in my- What are you carving, anyway?” Lancelot gestured for her to wait, and she stood next to him, struggling to see what he was carving into the tree. As she waited, Aurora tapped her foot impatiently until Lancelot moved aside.

“Fixed it.”

She gave him a suspicious look before checking to see what he carved into the tree. It read: “Lancelot was here first”. She turned around to face him again, “how old are you? Five?”

“Tch. Says the one who started this fight over a tree.”

“....Hmph! I bet you can’t climb it!” A wide grin spread across her face.

Lancelot glanced up to the nearest branch - which would be a huge challenge for either of them no matter how skilled they were in climbing. “Actually, I don’t think-” Before Lancelot could argue back, Aurora was already attempting to climb it. She struggled to even reach the nearest branch, she dug her nails into the bark to and pushed herself up only to lose her footing on the side of the tree when getting a tad closer to the branch. As she fell, it was all a blur until she felt two strong arms around her before hitting the ground. They looked at each other, in silence.

“Don’t you dare say it.” Aurora gave a nervous laugh, and walked away from the knight.

“Say what?”

“I told you so.”

Lancelot looked away, but that smirk didn’t go unnoticed by Aurora whatsoever. “... I was actually gonna say you lost your own bet.”

-

The following day, they were heading in the direction of the deep forest that stretched for miles and miles. There was no other route to take unless they preferred to take a boat across the borderline. It was a risky journey ahead, for the forest packed lots of traps and horrific legends that left man and women shaking. Theories of ghosts haunting were spread across the land, which lead them to believe that is why many who traveled here never returned. Instead of hesitation among the group, however. Sonic led them onward displaying no sign of fear whatsoever. This was typical of the hedgehog and everyone simply went along, trusting their leader’s intuition instead of dwelling on childish fairy tales.

For a couple hours they continued onward without stopping for a break, until the horses needed to be tended to and the canteens that had been provided for the whole group was refilled with fresh water that they gathered from a nearby stream. Some of the knights removed their helmets and poured some water on their heads to cool them off while others gathered some snacks, and found themselves a comfortable seat on the damp grass. With the soothing breeze, and their quiet surroundings it was a struggle for many to not dose off right that second. Once the horses’ restored their energy again, they kicked at the ground, and tugged at the restraints as if they were ready to take on without the group. Sonic was the first to stand up and encourage the others to get back on their feet again. They were wasting precious daylight! Every knight returned in their designated position among the group like before, but not without giving a sigh of complaint for having such a short break, yet they respected the king’s wishes and made themselves ready for the rest of the journey for the day.

Following alongside her parents, Aurora caught a glimpse of Lancelot in the corner of her eye. He was gripping his hilt of his sword awfully tight. Taking a few steps away from her parents, she quietly approached the knight and elbowed him gently. Who in turn, quickly glanced in her direction. “You’re not nervous about those ghosts, are you?”

“I have a feeling ghosts will be the least of our worries, princess.” Her eyebrows arched slightly when Lancelot was being so vague.

“That’s awfully vague... what are you nervous about then?”

It surprised him somewhat that she picked up on his body language so quickly in the first place. Yet at the same time... after being in her company more often, she could’ve caught on to many of his quirks and habits in that period of time. Is it really that obvious? No matter, Lancelot was standing his ground by completely ignoring the following question and focused on their surroundings instead. Why should he worry her with his suspicion?  

                                                         ~~~

  “Aurora?” That voice sounded all too familiar, and only few that she was close to called her by her name. Gradually that voice encouraged her to fight the pain. The princess’s eyes begun to open, blinking up at the handsome knight hovering above her. Everything was hazy. Squinting, and slowly lifting her head. “Don’t move.” The knight’s voice was soft, but stern. With a groan, she obeyed and rested her head. What in the world happened? Why did her head hurt so bad? She was bearing tons of questions that she was fearing to discover the answers to.

She rested her eyes momentarily, until she was disturbed with that throbbing pain on the back of her head, and the terrible ringing in her ears. The princess took notice that Lancelot was no longer beside her. Here in a tent, all alone. Her body ached when she moved any. Something awful had taken place, that was for sure. She called out, her voice straining. Then, she heard footsteps and a shadow came closer to her tent. Peeking in, it was the unmasked knight – Lancelot. When he discovered she was awake, he entered the tent, crouching down to her level. She raised a brow, taking in his appearance. He had a cut along his eye, and jawline. Aurora opened her mouth to speak, only to find a canteen of water presented before her. She desperately desired for some water, and so she gladly took his offer without another word.

The refreshing sips of water seemed to help gain her voice back, “w-what happened?” She watched the flame flicker in the lantern, that seemed to grow duller and duller.

It was that dreaded question Lancelot wasn’t prepared for. He felt like a failure to the royal family. However, he couldn’t hide it for too long. She would be able to figure it out soon enough. Without looking at her, the knight sighed. “We were ambushed, the other night.” Well, that clarified why Lancelot was injured. He must’ve fought hard.

Aurora lifted her gaze to watch the knight’s face, watching for a change in his expression. “Is everyone okay…?” Hell, she was surprised her parents wasn’t freaking out about her being knocked out. Other than that, she heard no commotion outside. No stirring of feet, hooves beating against the ground, just the eerie stillness of the forest.

“There was a huge number of attackers, Aurora. Some of us made it through okay, while…” The solemn tone suggested that something tragic had happened, that she was unaware of.

She swallowed thickly, and her chest tightened. “Mom and dad?” Immediately, she noticed Lancelot clenching up his fist.

“They were taken.” Their eyes met, and Aurora could’ve sworn she saw sorrow in his eyes. It was a rare sight. Of course, it made sense though. Lancelot cared a lot about her and her parents, and the very kingdom itself.

More questions filled the princess’ head. Who took her parents away, and why? “W-we have to find them!” She exclaimed with determination, although, her voice cracking with emotion did not help her sound so strong. Fighting through the pain, she slowly stood to her feet, albeit very wobbly as she did so. Lancelot was on his feet in a heartbeat, and quickly steadied her before she fell. Don’t need her bumping her head again, he thought.

“Aurora, we have to plan this out. But, first… you need medical attention. You bumped your head- “

She jerked away from him, only to stumble and almost fell out of the tent in a very unfashionable way. “N-No! They may hurt them… or w-worse!” And then, there came the tears.

The knight’s hands rested on her shoulders, and turned her around to face him. “Aurora, I will do anything in my power to get them back to safety. But, we must look at this in a realistic way.” He paused, once Aurora finally met his gaze again; shimmering with fresh tears. “I would like to remind you that your father probably has this situation well under control… in his own way. “Aurora gave a nod. She felt dizzy now. Both from the head injury and the stress of the news she just received.

                                                           ~~~

It was a bit of a risk as they took the boat to the nearby island, that was home to the Murasian’s civilization. It did not look like much from afar, but this very kingdom use to dominate most of the world until the former king had been brutally murdered. His great grandson took over, bringing peace for years to come. During King Alastair’s reign, the civilization was known for their advancement in technology, and many desired trade with them. Camelot’s civilization was the only outsider that the Murasian’s accepted as their allies, and would trade with them in the future.

They were indeed expecting the royal family to set foot on their territory, but would they be friendly when they discover that the king and queen were not with them? It would defiantly look sketchy. Lancelot took Aurora’s hand, and helped her along the shore. Not far from the shoreline, there were stone steps up ahead. Lancelot stood there, surveying the walls that protected the kingdom; feeling weary of archers that may be standing on top.

“Let me go first.” Aurora offered, stepping ahead of him. His eyes grew wide, slightly startled by such a bold move.

“No.” He grabbed her by the wrist gently, “you’re not leaving my side.”

“I can protect myself.” She stubbornly remarked, “what if they recognize-“The sound of a loud horn hurt their ears. Lancelot saw a figure on top of the towers, and he pushed himself onto Aurora, her back against the stone wall. She opened her mouth to speak, only to be hushed by the knight. She glared at him with piercing emerald eyes.

It wasn’t until they heard something from behind them. It sounded like voices, and then from the corner of Lancelot’s eye he noticed a with two passengers paddling to the shore. He cursed under his breath as begun to pick up the containers being carried on the boat, and stepped off the boat, now walking closer to the steps. One of the men noticed the two immediately. His eyes darkened, and he dropped his things. He pulled out a dagger. “State the meaning of your presence. Now.”

Lancelot gave Aurora some room, now standing in front of her. For once, the knight did not pull out his sword. He wanted to make this as peaceful as possible. Aurora needed medical help, and they needed assistance in finding the king and queen. Calmly, he stood his ground as another native came forward – who left his belongings next to the other container. “I am Sir Lancelot of Camelot. We came for your assistance.” The two Murasians looked at each other, and slowly lowered the dagger held in tightly in their grasps.

“Camelot, you say? The King Alastair was supposed to meet with King Sonic. If you say you’re with King Sonic, dare I say. Where is he now?” The taller and muscular individual stared the two down, harshly. 

“That’s why we came. My majesty and his queen was kidnapped the other night.” Their eyes grew wide, but they were still skeptical of the whole situation. The older and smaller Murasian took a step forward, “and who are you, miss?” He pointed with his dagger in the direction of Aurora.

“I am Sonic’s daughter, Princess Aurora.” It rolled off her tongue, after saying that same phrase for many years.

“Well, well. The king would be happy to see you, M’lady.” He coughed, “despite the circumstances. My apologizes. We shall take you to him, then. Perhaps he’ll even assist in your search.” Grabbing their belongings, the natives led the pair up the stairs to be welcomed to an almost ancient appearance, with a touch of modern buildings spotted here and there. Walking further down the pathway, they did not meet very many of Murasians out and about, and if they did there were some odd glances sent their way. The guards at the gate, which blocked the entrance to the castle stood upright and looked at the fellow citizens, which now Lancelot and Aurora soon learned were the ones who conducted trade with other civilizations. The youngest of the two, spoke to the guards in a hushed voice. He glanced at Aurora, gave a nod and stepped aside to open the gate. Inside the palace, they admired their surroundings. It was nice here, but it definitely wasn’t like home. Ironic how Aurora had wanted to get outside of the walls of Camelot, however, due to the situation at hand, she desperately just wanted to be back home instead... safe with her parents.

“What’s this all about?” That deep voice sounded from the walls of the palace. Immediately, the traders fell to their knees. Lancelot and Aurora did not follow along, which earned a disapproval scowl from the king. “No kneeling before my presence?” Alastair scoffed, he stepped forward. Lancelot stared him straight in the eye unmoved by his cold stare.

“You are not my king, therefore I refuse to kneel.” Such a bold move that would have cost the lives of many that spoke to him in a manner just like this.

“Is that so? Then who is your king?”

“King Sonic.” Alastair was taken aback. “That doesn’t make sense. If he’s not bold enough to face me, then we can’t settle the deal.”

“No, sir. Sonic and his queen Amy was taken while we were camping.” Everything was becoming clearer now, and Alastair’s gaze seemed to soften ever so slightly. The Princess was introduced soon after, and then Lancelot mentioned seeking medical attention for her. It wasn’t long before one of the servants came back with the middle-aged physician who took Aurora away to be examined. The rest of the evening, the knight, the king of Murasia and his son Baron talked about finding the royal couple of Camelot. They concluded that there wasn’t much that could be done, especially without any clues of who these attackers were and where they even came from. However, Alastair was willing to assist with his strongest soldiers alongside to fight whatever forces that may intervene in the couple’s safety. “Now, I want you to realize that I suspect something in return for my assistance when they are found..” He retorted, his gaze once more cold, but the knight wasn’t fazed, and stood stiff under his gaze, they quietly settled on an agreement, the King dismissed Lancelot while Alastair found his men dressed in heavy armor to discuss the plan.

                                                       ~~~

Lancelot took a quick bath, and made his way down the hallway. They were in a building connected to the palace where the physician was nearby. The other rooms sometimes housed patients with severe illnesses, but now there were only a few rooms that were currently being used. The room at the end of the corridor had been where Aurora was staying the night. The knight lightly knocked on the door, before being greeted with a soft “come in” from the princess.

“Hey.”

Aurora perked up when noticing it wasn’t her doctor, but instead it was a familiar face who wasn’t asking her a thousand questions that concerned her wellbeing. She smiled faintly. “Hi.”

Lancelot looked around the room, kind of awkward. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“Nope.” She seemed a bit more upbeat now that she had something to take for the pain, and a warm place to rest. She invited him to join her at the end of the bed.

“I miss being at home…” After longest span of silence between the two Aurora spoke up again. If she hadn’t, Lancelot would have been asleep by now.

Lancelot mumbled something under his breath, and rubbed at his eyes. “I can understand why.”

“Don’t you miss being at home?”

He wasn’t sure if he was making the right connections to her question. Lancelot looked at her, his brow raised slightly. Was she implying Camelot, or his home before he entered knighthood? He did not know. It was possible she was asking about his past; since there were still a lot he hadn’t told her. “…I do.”      

Aurora gave a yawn, and stretched out those stiff muscles. “It all feels like a dream, you know.” If that was so, it would be great time to wake up by now!

“It’ll be over, soon. Until then, you need your rest.” The dark knight stood to his feet, and was about to walk away until he felt her hand grasp a hold of his own. He gave it a light squeeze.

 “Please… don’t leave.”

Heat rushed to his cheeks. Sharing a bed with her? She can’t be serious! Sonic would have his head! “No we shouldn’t- “

“Okay, first of all. You have a dirty mind. Secondly,” she raised her voice slightly, showing she was frustrated that the knight jumped to conclusions. “we don’t have to share the bed. You can take that ugly couch.” Aurora grinned, pointing towards the furniture. 

Boy, did he feel stupid. “I knew that.” He frowned. Refusing to look her way until his cheeks weren’t red as a tomato. He walked away, kicked off his boots, and took off his gloves before settling down.

“Goodnight my fair knight.” She stifled a laugh, before rolling over on her side.  

 “Goodnight, m’lady.”    

“Goodnight, Lancey.”          

“Stop that.”          

Another giggle from the other side of the room, “wait! I’ve got one more I promise.” The knight gave a sigh, but waited. It was like being in the same room as her father. They were certainly two peas in a pod.

“Goodnight my- uh.” Aurora gave an awkward laugh, “I lost it.”

“I’ve noticed.” Through the darkness, Lancelot grinned wider. “Now, get some sleep Rory.” In response, Aurora snorted at his remark, when she closed her eyes slumber quickly took over her.

[power-rings]

L.C.W.S doodles

(Aurora rightfully belongs to e-vay!)

I would have added more details but my apple pencil was dying on me 🥴