A Twist of Fate

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As they arrived at the entrance of the castle, Cryon gave a soft farewell to his mage friend, giving the guards there a polite nod as he passed by into the castle. It was a short walk to the bedroom, and he even stopped a servant, requesting water be brought so that he could wash up. It would be nice to remove the dust and sweat that clung to his skin, even though the air had cooled long since the sweltering heat of that previous afternoon.

The water was brought in a simple bowl and rag, but he soaked the cloth in the water before wringing it out, wiping his skin down as he stripped out of his clothes. It was refreshing, and he couldn't help but let out a shiver as his skin lost that layer of dirt and felt the cool air that surrounded him. He didn't mind though as he continued downwards, the rag and water becoming dirtied as he finished and placed the rag on the edge of the bowl to hang off.

He adorned his night clothing that he had brought with him. They were made of simple cotton, soft and perfect for the cool night air such as this. He climbed into the guest bed, a bit of nervousness flittering in his chest as he thought of what tomorrow would bring. Hopefully, the king would agree to this idea, and he could maybe save both of the kingdoms from a war faced alone.

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When the king announced that he would alliance with Jorell, Cryon nearly jumped for joy, relief rushing through his heart and leaving him lighter than he could ever remember being. It was a great occasion, and he couldn't help but feel a bit prideful that he had completed this big of a task all on his own. He couldn't wait to return home and give his citizens the greatly needed good news.

On the day that they were supposed to leave, Cryon gathered his things as the servants prepared his horse. He told the guards of Mallin's company, and although they seemed a bit skeptical, they said nothing to his happy words as they set off towards the edge of the city. When he saw the mage, his face lit up, and he returned the greeting with a soft 'good morning'.

"Hopefully we can get a lot of the traveling done before midday, so we do not have to keep moving in this heat." Cryon replied, his eyes casting towards the sun with a wrinkled nose. When he turned his eyes back to Mallin, his vision blurred for just a moment, working out the sudden change in light. "Ready to go?"
 
Mallin stayed patient and still as Cryon approached, waiting for him to be close enough to speak and looking up at the man when he was near enough. "It would be best to travel in the early hours, and break for the hottest, when the sun is straight above us." If Cryon's men were amenable to it and wouldn't think he was trying to pull something over on them, he could even forge for them a roof to stay under in the hottest hours of the day, so that no one fell to sun stroke.

With a self conscious shift of weight, Mallin picked up his bag and looked at Alexander even as he shouldered it, unsure if he should give it to someone. "Am I with you, then?" He asked, wondering if the man had been serious about them sharing a horse. "I don't mind walking. You shouldn't push your mounts to trot in the heat anyway." Horses were durable animals, but not quite made for burdening in the sun like camels were. It would be days before they were back to Jorell, so it was best not to set too quick of a pace.

((Sorry it's a bit short))
 
"Of course. The horse can hold your weight. After all, they carry those guards and they are easily twice as big as either of us." Cryon said, giving the guards a slightly jealous look. The two men merely gave small twists of their mouths, trying to hide their smiles as their horses snorted. The king grinned at his accomplishment of getting them to show some kind of emotion on this trip and looked at the mage.

"Come on, let's get going." Cryon said, holding his hand out to the mage to help him on the horse. One of the servants took the mage's bag from him, strapping it along with the king's own things. There wasn't much, just two satchels. One contained his clothing, a couple pairs of traveling clothes and night clothes, while the other contained the documents that were needed for the trip. The guards horses carried their owner's satchels as well, along with food provisions and drink for the trip back home.

(It's fine. Mine was sort of short too)
 
Mallin only glanced at the guards when Cryon mentioned them, uncertain still but willing enough to let it go. If he saw the horse tiring he would get down later on and walk. When Cryon extended a hand down to him, Mallin was distracted and almost stopped the person that took his bag, simply on reflex. But he relaxed before he could do anything rash and simply reached for Cryon's hand, supporting most of his own weight with a little hop up and a hand on the saddle. It was easy enough to swing a leg over the horse and settle in, as used to a bit of acrobatics as the Mage was.

"Sorry," Mallin murmured softly once he was settled in place. "I don't mean to slow us down. I'm used to worrying over the beast's of travelers. Some don't realize how much they push until the poor things collapse." He shook his head a little as they started to move. "But if your horses are as strong as you say then it should be all right." In a few days they would begin to find cooler temperatures anyway.

The Mage was quiet for a few minutes as they rode, getting as comfortable as one could while riding a horse and trying not to be in the way, or to press against Cryon too much for fear of making the man warmer. "Your guards aren't . . . displeased with my coming with you?" He asked, concerned still but more for the others' comfort than any real fears of being rejected. "I'd've thought they wouldn't want a stranger so close to their king."
 
"I have faith in my horses. They are, after all, bred for long treks and harsh lands such as this one. War horses do come in handy for these kinds of times." Cryon responded, smiling gently as he looked over his shoulder at Mallin. He could understand Mallin's concern for the horses. After all, they required a lot to drink for long travel such as this, but they hopefully had more than enough water for the beasts.

"Oh, it was hell trying to get them to let you come. I argued with them for a countless amount of time over it." The king responded, giving the guard closest to him a look. The guard returned the gaze evenly, the guard on the other side watching the two closely. It may not have been obvious to those who didn't know what they were looking for, but both of the guards were stiffer than usual, a clarity in their gaze to show that they were not quite at ease with the predicament. They were ready for any betraying moment from the mage, which Cryon was clearly aware of by the way he scoffed.

"I managed to convince them enough to not keep you bound the entire way back." Cryon continued, looking back towards the front and patting his steed gently on the neck as they continued at their pace. "I apologize if they are a bit short with you though. They are still suspicious it seems."
 
Mallin wanted to say more about the horses, but he supposed that conversation was over. There were more important things going on, after all, like Cryon's guards all but staring holes into his head. The mage let out a soft sigh, a quiet, chiding sound at the end, and gave his head a disapproving shake. It felt like old times already. "Cry," He complained, with little in way of true irritation in his voice, "I told you I could have walked. . ." Surely the guards would have felt better if they weren't sitting so close. Mallin could think of a lot of different ways to potentially kill a person from the position they were in, not that any of it occurred to him as something he might actually do.

Frowning a bit at the idea of being bound the whole way, Mallin gave a thoughtful little roll of his shoulders, as if imagining what it might be like. "I don't think I would have agreed with that where it's so warm." He said, contemplating the idea. "I wouldn't be of as much use to you without a range of motion, and I might fall over. Once we reach cooler places, perhaps, if it makes them feel better. . ." It wouldn't be the worst inconvenience he'd ever experienced. He was sure he could deal with it a while if it would put everyone else at ease.

"It's all right." Mallin gave a small smile to show he wasn't angry about the guards, far from it. "I understand. I . . . I'll try not to do anything to make it worse, but . . . I'd like to be able to help when I can. I can always put a roof over us to shield us when we stop at the sun's peak, and you won't have to worry about running out of water, or not being able to start a fire." He had all of those things covered, easily. He just didn't think the guards would be happy with evidence of his magic so near to them. It wouldn't be good for anyone to get jumpy and take rash actions.
 
"It's quite alright, Mallin. You don't have to worry about the guards. They are just wary of newcomers as of late. I trust you, and that's all I need." Cryon assured gently, releasing one hand from his steed's reign to pat the side of the mage's leg comfortingly. He ignored the way his guards have him a look, an almost accusing tone to it. He knew that sometimes he was a little too trusting for his own good, but was it so wrong to see the good in others?

"And don't even worry about being tied up. I'm sure they'll have warmed up to you by then." The king continued, refining his hand back to the reigns. "Who knows? You might even make them laugh. I'm afraid I'm not funny enough for company during long travels." A faint blush crosses his face at the thought of his own shortcomings. He had never been really able to make people laugh or tell tales like some. His mind was too skittish, skipping back and forth and leaving him just as confused as everyone else. He left the fun to others.

Cryon looked at the guards thoughtfully, trying to imagine what they would do if Mallin used magic. Honestly, he had no idea how they would react. "I believe as long as you tell them what you are doing, and try not to make sudden movements, you might be able to do that. I'll have to ask them when we stop." The king said, narrowing his eyes. "If it's for shade of water, I'm sure we could work something out."
 
Mallin frowned slightly, feeling a bit guilty still but not wanting to disappoint Cryon by continuing to argue. "I just don't want to cause trouble for anyone. . . But, I'm happy you trust me, at least." He couldn't heLo a small smile, at that. To think after what had happened and the time that had seperated them, Cryon could still trust him like they had never stopped being friends. The Mage wondered how long it had taken a sad, angry child to forgive him, after the truth was eventually revealed, and if there was any of that anger still left over somewhere inside the man. It was a terrifying sort of thought and he did his best to push it away.

"Maybe in a few days I could try making it rain." Mallin said with a little smile, glad for the small, reassuring touch. "It wouldn't last very long, but it might be refreshing. It would take a while to gather enough water for just a few minutes of rainfall." Even for just a full minute, it would take at least half an hour, if not longer, to gather as much. Perhaps it was best he just gather enough to fill their canteens and wet their heads. He couldn't help feeling sorry for them, having to be so alert while traveling so far into unfamiliar climates.

"Perhaps when we stop at midday, then." He suggested. "To rest your horses and stretch your legs. . . It would be a rather loud process, so I might go on ahead a bit for it. . ." He would have to drag up slabs of earth after all. Using shadows wasn't something one did around people wary of magic, as the feeling of it generally left normal people unsettled. After a moment of thought he glanced at the guards and then at Cryon again. "Have you any extra cloth with you? It makes a surprising difference simply to cover your head, and shield your face a bit from the sun."
 
"Of course I trust you." Cryon said, a bit intrigued by even his own readiness to trust Mallin again. Even if he was a more trusting person than he should be, he latched onto the mage like a leech, feeding on the attention. Maybe it stemmed from Mallin being the last link to his happiness when he was a child, or maybe it was something deeper. He didn't know, but he wasn't going to question it.

"You can make it rain now?" The king questioned, one brow arching up as he looked back at the mage. Surely the power it took would be too massive for such a lean frame. Than again, the mage always did seem to possess a power that even other mages did not. "Mallin, you never cease to amaze me."

"If you feel it is better to go farther ahead, then I won't stop you when we take a rest." Cryon replied, giving a small nod. He pressed his lips together in a thoughtful moment before leaning back, motioning to one of the bags strapped to the back of the steed. "There should be some kind of cloth in there. I would reach for it myself, but I'm afraid that I would be on top of you. Could you look, please?" Cryon asked, keeping a tight hold on the horse's reigns as he flashed the mage an innocent smile. Normally, he wouldn't worry about getting in his space, as they were traveling on a horse and were already in a close proximity, but, the guards already looked suspicious enough of Mallin, and moving on top of him certainly wouldn't help the poor mage's case.
 
Mallin had to fight the urge to act embarrassed when Cryon praised his strength, awe in his voice. It had been a long while since the mage had been anywhere where he wasn't known, where his magic was something new and exciting. It wasn't as if he'd ever really used much more than water to help the people. Occasionally earth or fire, when it was needed, and secretly a few times every month or so he would bring a little breeze to the town when it was most needed. But the people had grown used to him, and even before him they had had Eide.

"It - It isn't so much making rain as it is faking it." The mage tried to explain, making a vague gesture at the air with one hand but sure not to move it anywhere towards Cryon, or at a threatening speed. "One simply gathers enough water above their heads, and let's it flow free in tiny little droplets, over a wide enough area. It is not . . . easy, I would say, but I have more control over such things than others." Water magic flowed easily enough from him that he hardly even needed gestures anymore, let alone the runes that the rest of his magic required.

Mallin managed a little smile and a simple, "I have a feeling we would both fall off," rather than the more awkward 'we wouldn't want that' which almost happened instead. Twisting carefully to see the bag in question, Mallin opened it very carefully and looked through, pulling out something that look wide and long enough. "I meant it for you," The mage said with a bit of humor in his voice, even as he resealed the bag, "But I don't think your guards would like me wrapping something around your head, so I will demonstrate."

It was easy and simple enough, at least to someone that had done it before. A layer of the cloth went over the top of his head to shield it, the rest twisted a bit to wrap around his head and finally tie it in the back, with the tails of the fabric just low enough to cover the back of his neck. "Like so." He said with a smile. "It helps a little, if you think they'll let me do it for you." He would gladly give up the length of cloth, as the light cloak he wore came with a hood he'd yet to pull up.
 
"Still, to simulate rain seems like such an enormous task. The amount of water it would take alone." Cryon commented, his tone showing just how impressed he was. "Never mind distending that much water above our heads and letting only a little out at time. It must take a lot of strength and willpower."

"Falling may be even more embarrassing than being on top one another. After all, what king has trouble staying on a horse?" The king replied, a small smile playing on his lips at the thought of the comedic atmosphere of it all. Maybe he should try it and see if would get the guards to at least smile once in this trip.

He turned to watch Mallin show how to the the cloths around his head. It was hard to really focus on the demonstration, his back straining with the effort of twisting in a strange fashion, especially with his hands so tightly gripping the reigns so his momentum wouldn't knock him off. He turned to the guards at Mallin's suggestion, arching one eyebrow.

"Perhaps you should cover your heads too. It'll help." Cryon suggested to the guards, receiving a nod in response. "I'm not sure they'll mind, but if you prefer, you could hold the reigns will I put it on." The king continued, smiling back at the mage.
 
"It's . . . difficult." The Mage admitted, focusing on untying the knot he'd made after his own demonstration. "I wanted to do something for the little ones." He added softly, a fond little smile on his face. "So I would practice when I was home between rounds of work, trying to get it right so I could show them what rain felt like outside of the real rainy season. They were happy while it lasted, jumping and playing. . ."

It made him feel better about himself, he thought, spending so many hours when he was already tired and worn to practice his magic for good things, for simple and selfless things. The children had been so happy, and he'd been able to see them smiling even more than children usually did. In making himself feel better that way, it was probably a selfish act after all.

"I'll be careful." Mallin said, looking the cloth over and reshaping it carefully so that he folded it into more of a triangle, one corner meant to dangle down and shield the neck while the rest was rolled up enough to tie. "Hold still a moment." He was careful to keep his movements nonthreatening, his posture as relaxed as it could be while on a horse, and made sure not to cover Cryon's eyes. He tied it carefully so it wouldn't come off and pulled his hands away when he was done.

"He's right." The Mage said meekly, looking here and there at the nearest guards. "If you've anything to cover your heads with, it will help keep your body temperature more regular, and prevent a bit of heatstroke." It wasn't full proof but it definitely helped.

((did you want to skip to them getting home? I can do that in the next if you want, or you can. Either way))
 
(Sorry for not replying! My computer crashed and my phone wouldn't load the browser until I reset it XP)

((Yeah, let's skip))

"That's very kind of you to work so hard to make the children happy." Crohn commented, A lax smile crossing his features as he imagined working hard to give the kids some form of happiness, if only for a moment. He himself had never done much to please children, but with the call of the King's role, he never really had much time for it anyways.

He leaned his head back just the smallest bit to give the mage more access, glancing towards the sky with narrower eyes. He felt Mallin place the cloth over the top of his head, focusing on the land that stretched before his horse as fingers tied the cloth together. When Mallin finished, he glanced back, smiling. "It does protect from the Sun's heat. Thank you." Cryon said, glancing at the guards.

"If you do not have cloth, I can give you some, but I really recommend you do this for this hard journey." The king added, and the guards nodded in acknowledgement. One at a time, they turned their watch from the king to search for cloth and tying it quickly around their head. When one finished, another would look and so on and so forth.
 
((Oh no D: that sucks so bad! I hope everything's cool for you now, sorry about your computer :( ))

It was a bit of relief when the guards took Mallin's advice, despite getting it through Cryon. As they went Mallin tried to give as much advice as he could, and spoke a little to them, harmless jests and idle talk, or information about where they were. He did end up jogging ahead each day, after warning the guards, and creating a simple shelter made of slabs of earth where they could hide from the hottest rays of sun. The guards were wary, but he assured them it wouldn't fall over, and by the third day he hoped they trusted him in that and were more at ease with a display of his magic's strength. He only meant it to help them after all.

The rain was more appreciated, when he managed it, and he hoped some of them had at least smiled.

It was only in the last leg of their journey that Mallin began to feel nervous. He had begun to grow cold in the last few days before they even saw the kingdom, but endured well enough with the clothes he had brought with him. But seeing Jorrell again and thinking of all it contained had fear and nerves settling along the joy in his stomach. He kept his hood pulled down and his head bowed when they encountered people, and couldn't make himself speak.

The castle was even more intimidating, bringing waves of old memories, good and bad. He couldn't help looking cautiously around as they had the horses taken away, eyes wandering around the old building he remembered so well. The interior had changed a bit but he recognized most of it all the same, and equal parts of him wanted to enter the throne room and to never see it again. That was where it had all gone wrong, after all. Some day, he wondered if he would go and have a look inside, but now was not the time.

Mallin was glad to have his bag back, and insisted he was okay to carry it himself as he followed Cryon inside, though he did thank the servants that asked. ". . . Where would you have me stay?" Mallin asked softly, cautious and admittedly a bit nervous, not knowing where he was welcome. "I'll go where you ask."
 
(Yeah, it's going to take me a while to get posts out until I get a new one)

The journey to Jorell had been a long one, and despite the company that he had with Mallin, he was thankful to be at home. The road that led up to the castle filled him with new life, and he couldn't stop the smile that spread across his features as he greeted different people as they passed, all to aware of the way their eyes lingered on the mage sitting behind him. He doubted that they recognized him, but still, it made him feel bad for Mallin, knowing that he would be uncomfortable for a while.

The sight of the castle, however, made him look back at Mallin excitedly, warmth in his eyes as he finally dismounted his horse, welcoming the chill that came to his skin compared to the heat that he had been traveling for the past few days. He headed inside, greeting the guards that watched, and relieving the ones that had traveled with him for some much needed rest. The smell of vanilla, the smell that his mother always so much, cloyed the air, easing a sweet sigh from his lips.

Cryon turned when Mallin asked the question, and he gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "You can go wherever you wish." The king assured, sweeping his arm around the interior of the castle in emphasis. "Is there any specific place you would like to stay in? I can have any room fixed for you."
 
Mallin could appreciate Cryon's excitement. It was good to see the former prince happy, and Mallin himself held a certain soft spot for this place, held it as Home in his mind. But there were dark spots to the memories, amongst all the happier thoughts, and Mallin was still nervous about what others might think of him and what his place would be here. He didn't want to come only to find out that his presence would bring trouble for Cryon rather than just the return of an old friendship.

The Mage managed a smile when Cryon patted him, as if to ease his nerves, and gave a shy sort of look around, hesitating to ask. "Is it too much to ask that I stay somewhere near you?" As much as he'd wanted to return to this place, much of it was foreign to him, and he couldn't fight the urge to stay close to his friend anyway. He would take servant's quarters if it was necessary, as it would still be much more space than he was used to. He wouldnt ask for extravagance.

Shivering slightly, Mallin rubbed a free hand up and down his arm and shook his head. "I've forgotten how it is to live without constantly feeling too warm, I suppose." He said with a small laugh. Somewhere in him he knew it probably wasn't very cold, but in a relative sense it was for him. "After I've set down my things, is it all right to wander a while? I need to relearn this place." And he would have to see about a proper outfit for the wedding, sooner rather than later.
 
"Of course. I'll have the room next door made up for you." He replied, calling a maid servant over and relaying the request to her. She bowed her head and rushed off, her small hands hiking up her dress for better movement. He motioned to another servant, an elderly man with a pleasant look in his eyes.

"Could you have the cooks fix a small snack for us? I'm afraid I'm famished after that journey." Cryon said in a soft, polite manner. After, his servants were not mere animals to do whatever he said, but people with their own thoughts and ideas. Besides, he wouldn't want to end up dead from poisoned soup even if he did not respect them.

At Mallin's words, he smiled, pulling off his cloak and wrapping it around the mage's shoulders. "I do not mind. Go. Explore. If you'd like me to come with you, I can. If not, meet us in the kitchens in an hour where we can get something to eat." The king offered, giving him a small smile of his own before stepping back. "After that, we should really see if a have any clothes that could fit you for the wedding. If not, the tailor would be happy to make you one."
 
Mallin watched on quietly as Cryon interacted with his servants, a little bloom of warm affection in his chest as he did. Despite trial and pain and a royal upbringing on top of it all, Cryon was still gentle and kind to anyone, and Mallin knew that even as much as he wished tragedy had never befallen them Jorell could have no better King. It was encouraging, at the very least, to see that some parts of his friend hadn't changed.

"Oh." The Mage murmured softly as a cloak was draped around his shoulders, a hand coming up instinctively to hold it carefully closed. He gave Cryon a grateful, almost shy sort of smile. "Thank you. . ." His own cloak was light and thin, meant for shielding from the sun and not really giving warmth, and the lingering body heat on Cryon's cloak was a welcome feeling as it was settled around him. "If there is somewhere for it, I would like to set my things down. . . Then, perhaps you would come with me? I wouldn't want to get lost."

Soon, Mallin was sure, after a day of 'rest' from traveling, Cryon wouldnt have so much time for him. While he trusted his friend would always try, the Mage knew that a kings work was difficult and required time and a great deal of effort. He would help as much as he could, but for this day he wished just to steal as much time as they could have together.
 
"Of course. Your things can stay in my quarters until they finish with your arrangements." Cryon suggested, smiling and motioning towards the grand staircase that led up towards the second floor. "Let's go. I can't wait to show you our home, though I doubt it is much different from how it used to be." He nodded his head to the servant's that remained in the foyer, giving the simple nod of dismissal before he took Mallin's hand, hurrying up the stairs with a child-like excitement.

Energy flooded through him, and his aching legs and tired stiffness of his muscles from the journey was forgotten. The coolness of his home made him take in a deep breath, pausing at the top of the stairs to look towards the entrance. He missed his home dearly, and he couldn't imagine wanting to trade it for anything.

"My new room is up on the fourth floor, so I'm afraid we'll have some stair climbing to do." Cryon said to the mage, giving an almost shy smile. "It's larger than my old room, too large for one person, I'm afraid. I guess the council members thought that I would be marrying soon." He said, his lips moving to one side as he began heading up the stairs with Mallin.
 
Mallin looked back at Cryon when the man took his hand, giving a soft sort of yelp when he was suddenly pulling along and muffling a laugh on their way up the stairs. It felt like old times, like being a child again, Cryon toting him along when he was too hesitant or shy to venture to a new part of the castle or to play a 'game' that might get them in trouble. He had missed those times, even as he struggled getting older, and having something reminiscent of that even for just this day was such a relief he couldn't help but smile.

"Do you think I've gotten lazy in my time away?" The Mage teased with a little chuckle, keeping pace as they went up the stairs - he wasn't quite used to the exact motion of it, as most houses were one story in Arcturus, but walking or running uphill wasn't anything new to him. "If I weren't carrying my things I would tell you I'd race you to the top."

Simple things like that, as children, had been the best of times, even when he was too clumsy for growing limbs and tended to trip if he didn't pay attention. He had always chased after his Cryon, and somehow the idea of the man having a wife made him unhappy. It would have been fine, if the former prince were happy himself, but the tone implied it wasn't what he wanted. "Being a bit pushy, are they?" He tried with a small smile. "Surely there isn't a lack of interest." Cryon was a king, and he'd turned into a handsome young man. He had to have women vying for his attention.
 
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