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Araya Lucaris (Elora Krisara x AndrewS)

Kelaria seemed determined to find a way to put herself to use to theses people while Vander rested. She probably could have benefited from some rest herself but the glamour she had placed upon herself hid her exhaustion well. If she couldn't help Vander at the moment, or continue on their journey, as least she could find some small ways to help these people and repay Shara and Sam for their hospitality. By the time Vander woke up, Kelaria was nowhere to be seen. She was tucked away outside working on weeding Shara's herb garden where she woman had left her while heading inside to tend to the newest visitor.

Something about this new stranger put Kelaria on edge. She didn't look like she was from here. Many of the subtler features on her face reminded her far more of Vander and his people than her own. Kelaria shook her head. She was becoming paranoid. The woman was clearly just another refugee fleeing from the devastation of the attack on her kingdom. If Kelaria spent her time looking for ways to mistrust someone she would find it whether it was truly there or not. For now she would have to accept the brief scene of ease and normalcy that this small village afforded her and she would try to leave her mistrust in the back of her mind. No one knew who she was here anyway.

Kelaria felt a tugging in the back of her mind as though her magic was suddenly making her more aware of Vander and was telling her he was awake. That was odd and certainly not anything she had experience before. A great deal of magic had been exchanged between them these last few days and perhaps that had left some lasting effect. It could just be from her magic actively working to disguise him now. In either event, Kelaria stood from where she worked. Her hands and knees were covered in dirt and her dress, which was already in rough shape, had seen better days. As soon as she could she'd find something else to wear. Kelaria dusted herself off as best she could before heading back to the hut where Vander waited.
 
"I'm fine, thanks to you." Vander quickly covered, trying to put Sharla back at ease, but he couldn't dare to bring his eyes anywhere in the direction of the woman in the bed beside him. "I would just like to see my sister, please."

"She's in the garden. She was certainly worried about you. You put her through quite a bit of distress, Vincent."

"Ah, yeah...I apologize for worrying you as well...can we talk later? I would really like to speak with my sister..."

"Your sister?" Came the voice of Alexandra, proud, yet feminine, strong, but without sounding like the typical voice of a commander. "This isn't the sort of place that gets many visitors. What brought you out this way?" She asked, curiously, her gaze fixed on Vander, who wouldn't meet it, perhaps making Alexandra all the more suspicious. "It's very dangerous traveling unarmed. I am a warrior and even I found myself in harm's way during my travels."

Vander could barely remember the excuse they had given to Sharla's husband. It had been a while ago, all fabricated, and he had slept a great deal in between. Kelaria was the clever one, not him, but she wasn't here to save him this time. "We were..."

"They were attacked by the invaders." Sharla answered, interrupting, answering for Vander and sparing him the possible trouble. Now, Alexandra seemed even more intrigued. "Lost their horses, took quite a fall."

"Attacked, you say? That's...curious. There haven't been any reported sightings of the invaders around these parts lately..." She would know, given she was one of them. She could already see through him, but Vander was also, in return, peering straight through her own excuse as well.

"Yet, you just said you were attacked as well. A warrior as clearly capable as you say to be...certainly regular folk like my sister and I could do nothing more than to run. It can't be that farfetched to believe."

Alexandra furrowed her brow, a smirk moving over her curved lips. "Like I said, dangerous travels, Vincent."

Vander pulled himself up at the edge of his bed. Sharla reached out for him to try and keep him in place, but he lifted his hand upwards to show her that he was okay and meant no harm to himself. "I really do need to speak with Lana. Please, excuse me."

Sharla sighed, realizing she couldn't stop him. She stepped aside and nodded her head. "You come back right away, you hear? You're not out of the woods yet."

"I will. I promise." Vander lied, nodding his head with a faux smile before slipping out in desperate search of Kelaria. They could not stay. All the while, as he stepped out, Alexandra's cerulean stare followed him out, eyes lingering on the exit even as Sharla moved closer to tend to her some more, grumbling under her breath about "Vincent's" stubborn behavior.
 
Kelaria nearly ran right into Vander as she crossed the garden to go inside to check on him. She was too distracted brushing the dirt off herself and didn't even notice him rushing out to find her. Kelaira stumbled to a stop right before crashing into him. "Oh!" She looked at him and a look of relief washed over her. She began to immediately look him over, assessing the state of him. Kelaira's face had specs of dirt on it and there was a smudge of dirt on her nose that she was entirely unaware of. Her dress had certainly seen better days.

Kelaira smiled sheepishly as she looked at her hands and dress. She held her hands up, palms towards him. "I asked Sharla to put me to work and we both agreed I'd be useful in the garden. I figured it was the least I could do to return their kindness. I just wish I could do more"

"How are you feeling? You had me wor- well...you... How are you feeling?" She asked awkwardly as she avoided admitting out loud how worried she had been. Kelaira saw the frantic expression in his eyes and immediately her smile dropped. She lowered her voice. "What's wrong? What happened?" Suddenly Kelaira was on edge as if waiting for an attack.
 
Had Vander not be in such a rush to put separation between Alexandra and himself, he might have noticed the way she reacted upon seeing him again, like she had found an unspeakable relief in knowing he was back on his feet and no longer confined to Sharla's patient bed. He might have noticed the dirt that had packed onto the dress she was wearing, or the awkward tension in her voice as she expressed her worry. He may have almost even noticed that the same sense of relief had found him as well when he saw her, alive and well, with his own two eyes.

But time was not on their side. Perhaps, it never would be.

"We need to go." He told her, with certainty, reaching out for her arm to tug her away from Sharla's hut, even though his tired and aching body still experienced pain from the suddenness of the motion.

A few houses down, behind them, the sound of Sharla calling after Alexandra rang out, faintly. Vander looked over his shoulder, with concern, as the "injured" warrior stormed out of Sharla's home, no worse for wear, and no doubt in pursuit of them both. With the grip on Kelaria's arm, Vander tugged her between two nearby homes, hiding in what was essentially an alley formed between the two of them.

"Alexandra van Arbos. She works for my brother, she's bad news. We can't let her find us."

For some reason, Vander seemed more concerned with Alexandra than he ever did Finlay, a telling sign that this was not something or someone they should be taking very lightly. He gave a stern look to Kelaria, staring into her eyes, even as they remained cloaked by her magic. "I need to teleport us out of here..." The mere thought of putting his body through that stress seemed to suck whatever adrenaline and life he had garnered from his panic straight out of his body, but he didn't have a choice. As long as she would allow him to do it, it was the easiest way to spare them the trouble.
 
As Vander pulled her away from their hosts and down into the village, Kelaria didn't put up a fight. She simply allowed him to pull her along because it was obvious he felt they were in serious danger. She'd demand and explanation when they stopped. While she would have liked to stop him and force him to rest, she knew better than to try that at a moment like this. She spared a glance towards Sharla's home as the stranger exited. Kelaira frowned but allowed Vander to pull her between two houses.

"Alexandra van Arbos?" Kelaria frowned as she tried to recognize the name. While most of her tutoring and studying growing up had been magic focused, she took great care in her political studies. A large part of that was learning the names of political and militant leaders not only in her own kingdom but in neighboring kingdoms, especially Vander's. For some reason the name didn't ring any bells in Kelaria's mind but it was obvious she was someone to be feared. Vander seemed more worried about her than he seemed to be about Finlay and his men.

"Does she weild demon magic as well?" Women usually didn't deal with demons because many had their own magic and demons seemed less interested in dealing with them, but it was entirely possible she could have been pressured into it by Balthier. "Does she have magic at all? How did she see through the glamour? Does she even known who we are?" Kelaria frowned. "I need to know what we're up against."

Kelaria's eyes popped open wider as he suggested, no insisted, that he was going to teleport them again. "No!" Kelaria pulled her hand from his and took a step back so he wouldn't be tempted to do so anyway. She wanted to draw her magic around her to prevent him from being able to teleport her but couldn't risk the light giving them away. "We can't keep draining your energy, your magic, like that! You haven't even finished recovering from the last time." Kelaria recognized that he would have very little concern over his own wellbeing so she decided to appeal to his more logical side. "If you keep draining yourself like that we will have to keep stopping to allow you to recover. Each time we'll only be giving your brother and his lackeys a chance to catch up. I don't know if I can handle being teleported again either." Kelaria crossed her arms.

Her mind raced for a solution. "Does she know for sure it's you? Do you think she's assuming because we're a man and woman traveling as refugees together? How do you know she's on our trail? What if I change our glamours? We separate long enough to get out of the village so we're harder for her to recognize? There has to be a better solution than you teleporting us again." Kelaria kept her voice low and quiet.
 
"She has magic." Vander confirmed, still hurried by the severity of the situation. "And I don't think it came from any demon, but that's the thing about her..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "She garnered her position in our military based off of her own merit, and her ability to wield a sword. She never used her magic to get an advantage over any other soldier. Alexandra is no joke..."

Vander's concerned seemed more founded than a simple worry about being ousted by one of his brother's men. There was a hint of something more personal here, a tie between him and Alexandra he was keeping hidden. In truth, the two of them were more than just comrades on the battlefield, but that was neither here nor there and certainly not important to their immediate situation. They needed to get away from her and they needed to do it right away.

"I need to know what we're up against."

Vander sighed. To no surprise of his, Kelaria refused to let him teleport, raising her voice loud enough that he was certain Alexandra probably could have heard it. Harkening back to her previous question, Vander looked her dead in the eyes, straight through her glamor, and gave her his response. "What we are up against is something I cannot protect you from. This is not a fight we pick, we are leaving, by any means necessary."

Why was she pushing back against this? He knew it was dangerous to use his magic again, but what awaited them was much worse if he didn't. "It doesn't matter if you change our glamour. She's going to see through it. We are running out of time. Kelaria, ple-"

"Kelaria?"

Vander's eyes widened, had he not been glamored, surely he would have turned paled with the realization of to whom that voice belonged. "So, I was right."

Alexandra stood at the entrance to the alleyway, one hand on her hip, the other outstretched at her side. "Drop the act, Albright. I know it's you. I could sense you the moment I walked into town. You're a real piece of work, you know that? And a traitor along with it."

Vander turned, slowly, putting himself between Alexandra and Kelaria, instinctively, catching himself in the crossfire of the crimson haired warrior's glare.

"Alex, I..."

Alex? A rather formal greeting of a potential enemy only further cemented the fact that something more was afoot here than he was leading Kelaria to believe.

"Save it, Van. There's nothing you can say that will make me forgive you and I know you haven't forgotten. To think you'd be running around, fraternizing with the princess of the enemy...you should be ashamed of yourself, bouncing from bed to bed without any concern for the damage you leave behind. You're a wanted man, Vander. How poetic it'd be if I'm the one who brings you and your new little girlfriend back to your brother."

Alex looked past Vander, straight at Kelaria, noting her apparent confusion. "Oh, she doesn't know?"
 
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Vander's words clearly irritated Kelaria. Her jaw ticked slightly to the side. "I'm not suggesting we fight her. I'm trying to find another way to get away so that you don't over extend yourself again. This isn't some attempt at heroism to prove I can take her down. You can't keep doing this with your magic. There might come a time where I can't bring you back from it. Doing it again will only slow our progress and we can't afford that." She kept enough distance to prevent him from grabbing her to teleport them. She was determined to find another way out of this.

Her body only continued to tense as he argued against her again. When a third voice interrupted their argument, Kelaira froze and turned her attention to the newcomer. Dread filled her body. There was no point now in trying to convince her otherwise. She had seen them run and heard Vander use her name. In order to stop expending the energy, even such a little amount, Kelaria dropped their glamour. Kelaira's eyes glowed purple as she prepared to use her magic.

Alex? Van? Kelaira listened to Alex and quickly realized there was more to their relationship. It bothered Kelaria way more than it should. He didn't belong to her. They weren't anything to each other. She was just a means to an end for Vander. Jealousy should be the last thing on her mind but that logic didn't stop the bitterness of envy from seeping into her mind. Kelaria's look of confusion was a brief moment of hurt that was quickly replaced with anger. They didn't have time for this.

"As much as I hate to get in the middle of this reunion" she gestured between them "Or lovers quarrel is would seem. But we really must be going." She grabbed Vander by the shoulder and yanked him back before raising her other hand up. Two walls of rock shot up from the ground, trapping Alexandra between them in the alleyway. Kelaira turned and pulled Vander along with her, running once again.

Kelaira moved as fast as she could manage. She wasn't foolish enough to believe that those walls would hold her for long if she were as powerful as Vander warned. Kelaria returned their glamour but they appeared quite different than the previous glamour.
 
Vander let Kelaria pull him away, partly because he was too stunned by what was unfolding to argue against her any longer. He kept looking back, towards where Alexandra was, like he knew this wasn't going to stop her. On cue, shards of stone splattered against the ground, ricocheting off of the walls of the adjacent buildings. Alexandra stood, unharmed, her eyes glowing bright blue with a simple hand outstretched, showing great power from such a simple gesture. And with power came her agility; she was on them in an instant even though they had been granted a head start.

A pillar of stone erected itself in front of them in return, with Alexandra playing the same trick on them as Kelaria had tried on her. Vander pulled Kelaria aside by her arm so that she didn't run straight into it, but nearly stumbled off balance in the process of doing so. A second pillar fired upwards, directly beneath him, sending him up into the air, separating their hold on each other. He landed against the ground with a thud on the way down, groaning in pain as the earth broke his sudden fall. He looked up at Kelaria, knowing there wasn't any chance she'd continue running away without him. He wished she would, but he knew better.

"That looked like it hurt." Alexandra chimed, smirking playfully. "He isn't worth it, you know." This time, she seemed to be talking to Kelaria directly. "Let me guess, he told you what you needed to hear, convinced you that he was on your side...some grand declaration of how he wasn't like his brother and that he was going to save your kingdom. What a joke."

"Alex..." Vander groaned, lifting himself back up, slowly.

"Oh, Van..." She sighed, a hint of pity in her voice. "You never change. There isn't a sincere bone in your body. Why don't you tell Kelaria the real reason why you're on her side, hm? You don't want to save anyone, you just want to use her. And when you're done, you'll break her heart. It's what you do, right?"

"It wasn't like that..."

"Old habits die hard. She might not know you as well as I do, but she'll figure it out eventually...well, she would, but unfortunately, I can't let the two of you prance around any longer. Your brother gave me orders...hell, he gave everybody orders. He's turning this entire country against you to try and find the princess. You're honestly pretty lucky I'm the one who found you. It could have been so much worse."

"I'm not sure that's possible." Vander mumbled, standing in front of Kelaria again.

"Oh, how noble. I remember when you used to try and stand up for me. How boring, and honestly, a little insulting, it is watching you do the same thing for her that you did for me. Kind of sleazy, don't you think, Kelaria? Is anything about you sincere anymore, Van?"

Alexandra extended her hand at her side. A brilliant glow formed around her palm as her eyes lit up blue once more. From that glow formed a shape, long and sharp, the light weaving and designing itself into the make and form of a sword. When it faded, it wasn't magic that rested firmly in her grasp but the beautiful, perfectly crafted steel of her weapon, shimmering in the light with it's razor-sharp blade glistening pristine.

"Well, let's get this over with. I am Alexandra van Arbos, daughter of Phinneas and Lucetria van Abros, First Lieutenant of the Astellian Crown Guard. You, the last survivor of the Arellian Royal Family, are wanted...and you..." She pointed the tip of her blade towards Vander. "...are many things, most of which would make me unlady-like to speak aloud. But above all else, you are a traitor to your family and to your people. It is my sworn duty to bring you both to justice, disregarding my personal ties and beliefs in service of the good of my nation. Yield, or face my blade."
 
It took all of Kelaria's willpower to stop herself from crying out as Vander was thrown away from her. She wasn't able to stop herself from wincing as she heard him hit the ground. Her eyes quickly found Alexandra's with a nearly lethal glare. Her constant jabs at what she assumed as a relationship between Kelaria and Vander was starting to get on her nerves. Of course Kelaria couldn't see her own reactions to Vander. She couldn't see the looks of concern she spared him as his safety was threatened. She hadn't seen the relief on her own face when he had emerged from Sharla's hut. Kelaria didn't see the way she angled herself protectively around Vander even when he was the one trying to act as her shield. As far as Kelaria was concerned Alexandra's assumptions were based only upon jealousy.

"First of all, my heart isn't his to break. I don't give a damn what he does after this is all done. He isn't saving going to save my kingdom. I am. And whatever this little song and dance is, isn't going to stop me from doing that." Kearia's jaw was tight. Her eyes darted around, evaluating the scene around them in an attempt to find a way out. They couldn't fight. Kelaria couldn't defeat Alexandra on her own- Well she might stand a chance but it was too close a fight to risk it. Vander was in no position to help her.

"For the good of your nation? You seem like a smart woman. Too smart to be fooled into thinking that this is all ok. You can't truthfully believe this is for the good of your nation. The Albrights have unleashed a plague of darkness on your kingdom and will only continue to do so once they have what they came here for. How is that for the good of your nation? For the demons to rule it? You can't truly believe they will give you or anyone else an ounce of power or influence on what happens to the people of Astellia. Their power is insatiable and won't stop until all of both kingdoms are corrupted by it. If this was for the good of your nation you wouldn't be turning us in. So call it what it is, It's a betrayal of your kingdom for your own good. You're just a pawn to them. " Swirling, brilliant, purple light shot down Kelaria's arms. She could use a blade but she knew her skill with a sword wouldn't come close to Alexandra's. Even without seeing the woman in action she could tell as much. Her only chance of holding her off was with magic.

"I refuse to let that same plague ruin my own kingdom. So no. I will not yield. I'd rather die at your blade now than return to my castle to be tortured into revealing the one secret that will ensure the doom of both our kingdoms." Her other arm grabbed Vander and yanked him behind her, as he was hardly in any sort of shape to fight. Her eyes caught his briefly but urgently. She hoped that look would be enough to communicate her okay for him to teleport them if it seemed they had no other choice. Kelaria loathed to do it but was struggling to see a way out.
 
Alexandra seemed to be listening to Kelaria, but how much attention she was paying, or how much she was actually taking from the words of the princess, was up for debate. Still, she heard Kelaria out, her blade still at the ready for her planned attack, but Kelaria had at least bought them a little bit of time, delaying the eventual confrontation between the two sides. Alexandra's interest only piqued when the beautiful purple of Kelaria's magic made it's debut, swirling around her arms, flaring with her strength in a way clearly meant to intimidate.

"Oh, now that's interesting." Alexandra commented, her brilliant eyes following the energy as it moved up Kelaria's arm, settling back on her face once more. Alexandra took one step forward, than another, closing the distance, but slowly, each move deliberate as to not incite any action on Kelaria's part just yet. "You speak as if you know my intentions, or that I should listen to the judgement you've so easily passed on me and my people. Are you not every bit a puppet as you believe I am? Harboring the secrets of your royal family, the way your nation itself hoards the magic that my people discovered and keeps it hidden...the Araya Lucaris does not belong to you. It never belonged to you. Think of all the good it's power could do for our world? We could bring back everybody who was lost..."

"Do you really believe my brother intends to do that? Or that the demon wants to bring back anyone he enjoyed killing?" Vandre spoke up in return, seeing a point to be made on his own without Kelaria needing to speak for him or give her own answer. He had noticed the look in her eye, almost like she was giving him silent permission to use his power again, something which conflicted him given how adamant she had been just moments prior about him not using it at all. Had she let him, when he came to her, none of this would even be happening at all. "I don't really know why he wants the Araya Lucaris, but we can't let him get to it. I know you better than this, Alex...you're not stupid enough to believe any of his bullshit."

"And I didn't think you were stupid enough to throw us away...or to get yourself exiled from our home. Do you have any idea how awful it felt to hear that news? How people reacted when they found out that the Vander Albright turned his back on us at the peak of his brother's occupation? Or that, even now, you're frolicking around with the one person who can stand against our nation's progress?"

"That's where you're wrong. She's the only person who can stop our 'progress', if you can even call what we've done progress at all. Killing innocent people...laying siege to towns and villages, burning everything in sight and taking what we want in the name of some crusade whispered into his ear by a demon..."

"What would you have us do? What would you have me do? Just...stop? Give up when we're so close to what we've always wanted? Pack up, go home, pretend that none of this ever happened? You might be able to give up on people, and your ideals, easily, but I can assure you that I am not nearly as willing."

"Alex..."

"I'm sorry, Van. I truly am. I didn't wish for it to be this way, but I have no choice. You are standing against us." Alexandra took one final, daring, step forward, lifting her blade into a ready position. "I can no longer trust you. Not just for what you've done to your people...but for what you did to me. The princess must come with me, but whether she's in one piece when that happens is beyond my concern."

By the time Alexandra was in motion, it was already too late. She was incredibly fast, her agility beyond the limits of a normal warrior. She had closed the distance in remarkable fashion, her shoulder coming into direct contact with Vander's. The speed by which she moved gave enough momentum for her to send him launching backwards, taken straight off of his feet. As if not reacting at all to the impact, she turned on a dime, launching straight for Kelaria next, only she swung her blade in the Princess' direction.
 
It was only Alexandra's choice to throw Vander aside that gave Kelaria time to react. Had Vander not been between them there would have been no chance for Kelaria to react to Alexandra's speed in time. The brilliant light that swirled around her arms intensified. Kelarai brought her arm up to protect herself in just enough time to stop the sword from coming down on her in a far more vital area. The light that danced angrily on Kelaria's arms grew and as the blade came down on her it seemed to grab onto it and slow it's progression. Even still, the blade still found her arm and soon, not even hidden by the blinding light, crimson bloomed across her skin where the blade sliced her. Kelaria let out a cry of pain and jumped back. She gritted her teeth.

"I'm not standing in the way of your nation's progress. I'm standing in the way of it's destruction! I never wanted to keep the Araya Lucaris away from your people." she gritted her teeth and reached out her uninjured arm. Light shot from her palm and wrapped itself around Alexandra's blade. For a very brief moment her eyes darted out to locate Vander but she quickly returned to look at her attacker, not wanting to let herself become distracted. When fighting someone of Alexandra's skill distraction means death. "This is about more than any of us Alexandra. This can't be about personal vendettas or fancies of glory. Two kingdoms stand to be destroyed. Mine might be the one in smoke and ruins, but yours was destroyed the second They-" she nodded in Vander's direction "- decided gaining power was worth signing themselves away to a demon."

Kelaria backed up as she spoke but her magic remained wrapped around her opponent's blade. Blood dripped steadily from her arm onto the ground, creating a trail as she moved. "My family- my anscestors were wrong to hide and keep something so important, but letting it fall into the hands of a demon isn't the answer. That monster doesn't care about you or your people. They're expendable and so are you." The light around Alexandra's blade grew even brighter. "You seem like a smart woman. What does that demon gain by helping your people. What is your kingdom to him? Once he has what he was looking for, what makes you think he's going to make anything better for you or the people you are so determined to see 'progress'"

The light that wrapped itself around Alexandra's blade caused it to heat up to an almost unbearable degree before it yanked on the blade in order to pull it from her hand and toss it aside. Kelaria knew that wasn't going to stop Alexandra for long. The second the blade was out of Alexandra's reach Kelaria turned and ran in Vander's direction.
 
Alexandra seemed surprised by Kelaria's reaction, and by the strength of her magic. Forcing some of her own into her blade to will it forward against the violet resistance, Alexandra finally broke through Kelaria's guard, though the blow she had landed was not nearly as damaging as she would have liked. It wasn't often that she failed to meet her mark; she almost looked a little impressed. A small amount of distance was placed between them during the recoil and Alexandra was already coiling to strike again, like a cobra following it's injured prey, but the heat that began to envelop her sword stopped her momentarily to observe the strange reaction.

Kelaria said she never wanted to keep the Araya Lucaris away. Alexandra knew that was true, but she also knew that Kelaria's parents didn't feel the same way. "What about your mother and your father? It wasn't you who made the decision, but it was your family."

Vander pulled himself back to his feet, again. Exhausted and weak, and honestly a little tired of Alexandra's interference, he was ready to get into the fight himself, but to do so without accessing his magic would have left him very outmatched given the arsenal Alexandra and Kelaria were equipped with yet, using his powers made him at risk of losing everything. It was a tricky situation and he, noting the way Kelaria nodded at him, began to look for an opening while Alexandra was distracted.

Her sword continued to hum with magic, burning hotter and hotter until Alexandra could hardly keep her grip. When the blade was yanked away, she snatched at it, but failed to keep it from leaving her grasp, discarded and clattering against the ground a few yards away.

"All this power...it's a shame that you fight for the wrong side. Balthier is our ruler...our king...he..."

Kelaria's words seemed to be getting through to Alexandra, though steadfast and headstrong she was. Despite the distraction and break in her concentration, she spotted Kelaria breaking into a run when she was separated from her blade, straight towards Vander. She lifted her hand, erecting another spire of stone between the two of them, keeping her from reaching him. As Vander tried to move around it, another shot up in it's place, almost like Alexandra was toying with them. "I won't let you play games with my mind, princess. Trickery and deception must be traits that he taught you..."

Vander realized pretty quickly that as long as Alexandra was still in control, he wasn't reaching Kelaria at all. He needed to do something different, he needed to give them a chance.

~~~

"That's a pretty cool trick, Alex."

Alexandra beamed with a beautiful smile. She seemed happy, her hair flowing in the gentle breeze as she, and Vander, sat near the side of a river. Her sword had appeared in her hand again, having disappeared and reappeared several times as she demonstrated to him, proudly, her new ability.

"You think so?" She asked, grinning still.

"Yeah...how do you do it?"

Alexandra paused for a moment before continuing, as if thinking whether she wanted to trust him with the details. She looked at him with such reverence; if one didn't know better, it might have been called love, but she would have never admitted that a warrior as fearless, and one from such a powerful family as hers, would fall in love with someone she knew she couldn't have. The Albrights were off-limits, they were royalty after all, yet she trusted him. Besides, she had magic, he didn't. There wasn't anything he'd be able to do with the knowledge.

"I was in a battle...you've heard of the bandits that attacked Raven's Perch?"

"Of course. I wished to fight in the battle but was forbidden by my father."

"Yeah...well, they put up quite the fight. They weren't regular bandits...they had been active for quite some time. They had a plethora of royal-grade weapons, some of our strongest steel, all stolen, no doubt. Though they lacked the skill to wield them accurately, I had underestimated their leader. He got the jump on my unit...they had Marley pinned..."

Vander's expression softened. Marley was one of the newest recruits, one that Alexandra had taken under her wing. She thought highly of the young woman, though Vander suspected part of it was just having another female around in a force that was predominantly male. The women had magic, most of them didn't care to learn the way of the sword or another conventional weapon.

"I froze...for the first time since I started fighting I felt scared. Not for myself, but for somebody that I cared about. I don't really know how it happened, it just sort of...did. I imagined what I would do if I still had my sword with me and before I knew it, it just...was. It was there, in my hand. And after it happened the first time, it just became something I could control. I guess the fear of losing somebody that I loved had gotten the best of me and my magic did the rest."

"That's incredible. You're really something, Alex."

She felt a faint blush dye her cheeks the same shade of crimson as her hair, nodding coyly. "You're just saying that..."

~~~

The recollection was still fresh in Vander's mind. He wasn't sure what was happening on the other side, but he could hear the rumbling of the earth as more spires rose, likely in Kelaria's direction. Much like Alexandra, Vander now found himself in a situation where he was unarmed and somebody he cared about was in trouble. He wondered what would happen if he tried to follow Alexandra's lead.

He closed his eyes and opened his hand. He thought of a weapon being in it, he envisioned the way he could cut through any and all obstacles set before him to rescue Kelaria from Alexandra's wrath. Though his magic was dark in nature, it began to react the same way. Black energy formed around the palm of Vander's hand until he felt a weight replace it. HIs fingers curled around the hilt of Alexandra's blade, having teleported it from it's place on the ground and into his hand. It felt heavier than it looked, but even with his tired muscles, Vander was able to hold it steady, letting adrenaline fuel him. His magic seemed under control, anchored by such a powerful emotion, and with her sword, he lunged forward.

Alexandra was caught off guard, entirely, her next spire missing Vander completely, connecting with her sword and causing sparks to emit from where it scraped her blade. Vander leapt in Alex's direction, swinging the sword towards her. She was frozen in place. For the second time in her life, she felt fear, but Vander couldn't bring himself to strike her down. The sword missed her, burying into the dirt at her right side. He was close enough to her now that only a few inches remained between them and their gazes locked, letting her see the conviction in his eyes while he saw the temporary fear in hers.

"If you want to fight somebody, choose me. Kelaria is under my protection."
 
"Balthier may have started out with honorable intentions- though I don't see how destroying the lives of others is honorable- but those intentions are gone now. He's just as power hungry and corrupt as his master and at the end of the day he will answer to his master. He has no choice. We saw first hand what it did to Finlay. When was the last time you saw Balthier with your own two eyes? I'm not sure he'd be the man you remember him being." Kelaria argued. She was determined to make her see reason. In a lot of ways she could relate to Alexandra. At least she could relate in one big way. They both just wanted to do what was best for their people and for their kingdoms. Kelaria needed Alexandra to see what this was doing to her people and she couldn't let Alexandra stop her from saving her own.

"He didn't teach me anything. I hardly know him Alexandra. Stop putting me in the middle of whatever happened between you two. I'm sorry he hurt you but I don't know what you think is going on here. I need his help. There's nothing more to it than that." In the moment Kelaria couldn't see how wrong her words were. "Be mad at him for what he did. Be mad at me for what I represent. Don't confuse the two."



Pain shot up Kelaria's injured arm as she placed her hands out to stop herself before crashing into the pillar of earth that suddenly separated her from Vander. She let out another short cry of pain. Quickly she reigned it in, not wanting to give Alexandra the satisfaction nor cause Vander to worry and act rashly. Kelaria clenched her fist. As her hand closed the spire crumbled to pieces but more took it's place. Alexandra was creating them faster than Kelaria could destroy them.

When Alexandra's spires stopped shooting up around her, Kelaira turned to face the warrior. Quickly she destroyed the spire blocking her view only to see Vander lunging at Alexandra. Kelaria tensed and opened her mouth to shout at him, to stop him. She had already come so close to losing him today and she wasn't ready to have it happen for good. Maybe he would have been a fair match to Alexandra on a normal day but today was not a normal day. Vander was still weak.

Kelaria stopped herself from shouting as she watched the expression on Alexandra's face change. Kelaria's mouth closed and she frowned to see the fear on the warriors face. Taken off guard as she was, Vander could have easily struck her with her own blade but instead it landed in the dirt beside her.

"Kelaria is under my protection."

Kelaria couldn't hear much at her distance but she heard that. She didn't like the warmth those words filled her with. She wanted to rip those words from his mouth and remind him that she was more than capable of taking care of herself but right now she needed his help. Whether she cared to admit it or not, those words did bring on an almost foreign feeling of comfort. She just worried what effect they would have on Alexandra.
 
Alexandra remained quiet for a little while longer, simply staring back at Vander in a mixture of fear and disbelief. Finally, her voice broke the quiet, her eyes glancing down, away from his, to her sword which was now sticking out of the dirt just a hair's breadth away from her side. "Under your protection...?" She asked, her tone softening. She was showing vulnerability. It was easier for her to play the tough warrior who could turn her feelings aside to serve some greater good, but this was personal for her, and she was more upset than she was willing to let on.

Truthfully, Kelaria was right, and Alexandra knew that. She didn't want to admit it, but deep down, she knew. There were two very different conflicts at play here, she was letting those repressed emotions bleed over. She didn't need to hurt Kelaria, she just needed to bring her in. Likewise, she didn't need to hate Vander for trying to protect her, nor could she simply assume that Vander was trying to manipulate somebody else. What happened between them was their business, and she couldn't place her hatred on another person simply because Vander was acting close to her.

But that didn't make his words sting any less.

"Van..." Alexandra whispered, her eyes shutting. It was a daring choice for a warrior to close her eyes in the middle of a fight, but she knew Vander wasn't about to strike her down while she wasn't looking, he could have already maimed her had he wanted to. She knew his abilities, she knew he wasn't a rookie soldier who made a mistake, he chose not to kill her, or he couldn't bring himself to do it. "Are you willing to die for this cause?"

"Yes." Vander's response came without a moment of hesitation, his conviction showing through once again as he faced the question she brought to him. He was as good as dead already, after all. If he had a chance to set things right, it was a chance he needed to take. If anything, he was also complicating things by letting his emotions interfere. He shouldn't care about Kelaria at all, she was a means to an end and that's how it should have stayed and yet, here he was, fighting an old flame to protect her, defying his family and everybody who once cared about him for the small chance that he and the enemy's princess could find a way to stop this war. But Vander wouldn't lose himself in introspection, at least, not now. He had a question on the tip of his tongue sharper than any blade and he intended to give it to her.

"...are you?"

Alexandra's beautiful eyes opened back up to look at him again. There was heartbreak in her expression, there was pain in the way she tried to rise to the occasion and give him an answer that she couldn't find. The response she settled on was avoidance at best. "I'm not going to die here."

"I believe you. And I hope that's true. But if you continue to try and come after us...it doesn't matter what we once were. I will fight you."

Vander's words struck a chord, shattering what little bit of hesitation Alexandra still had inside of her. He was so...sure. She could tell. She knew him better than Kelaria did, better than anybody other than his brother, and she could tell he was certain beyond any doubt that this was what he was willing to die for and what he would be willing to do. "I knew that I didn't mean much to you, but it still stings me to hear you say it."

"I'm sorry, Alex."

"So am I."

As her anger began to come back to her, Alexandra opened her palm and concentrated, as she always did. Her sword reappeared in her own hand, out of Vander's, out of dirt where he had buried it. With a roll of her wrist, she brought the sharpest end of her blade against Vander's midsection. There was no force behind it, just yet, though her hand was practically shaking as she held back. It was a warning, a display that she was still in control even if he had managed to distract her for a moment.

At this point, Vander realized that he had over stepped, and that talking wasn't going to fix the pain he had caused. "Kelaria..." He called over his shoulder. He didn't move, he wasn't reacting to the threat just yet, like a part of him too was still holding on to some belief that Alexandra wouldn't do what she was intending to do. "Get out of here. You need to go. Find Sam and Sharla, get in their carriage and just go...I cannot protect you if you stay. I need to do this on my own."

He knew she wasn't going to listen to him, but he had to communicate that with her. Unfortunately, the softness he was showing was only aggravating Alexandra more. She drew back her sword, a tear dropping from her eye, staining her cheek and rolling off onto the hilt of her blade. She swung it forward, painfully, screaming in frustration with Vander as her target, but the sword never made contact. As Vander's instincts kicked in, he had performed the same teleportation as he did before, ripping the sword out of Alexandra's hand before it could hit him and returning it to his own. Her fist bounced off of his side, forceful, but without harm, as she looked down at her now-empty fingers and back to her trusty weapon that he had stolen from her yet again.

"The more you act like a thief, the less it hurts me to fight you. I see you for what you are, not what you once were. I will not confuse the two." Echoing Kelaria's words, she lifted her hand, three small balls of magic extending from her palm and into the air. Two of them shot straight for Vander, who dodged the first then used her sword to block the second. The third, however, swooped underneath his swing and smashed into his fingers, burning against his skin. Vander gritted his teeth, trying to hold onto the sword, but he loosened his grip from the pain. Before it could fall to the earth again, it was back in Alexandra's dominant hand, another swing angling it directly towards her former partner, her tears now flowing rather than being kept singular.
 
Kelaria knew she should have run. She should have listened to Vander and left him and saved herself but she couldn't. Even as blood trickled down her arm as a reminder of Alexandra's capabilities, Kelaria remained rooted in place. She couldn't leave now if she wanted to and she didn't want to face why that was. She felt an aching in her chest as a sense of dread seized her as Alexandra brought her blade to him. Why wouldn't he move?! Was he mad? Why wouldn't he move away from her blade why she had it stilled against him. He could he fast enough if he tried.

The realization hit Kelaira like a slap to the face. He wasn't moving because he was hoping Alexandra's feelings for him would stop her from ending him. At one point or another they had meant that much to each other. Vander was holding out hope that those feelings still existed. Maybe she was holding that same hope. The history between them was very obvious from where Kelaira watched. The realization shouldn't hurt but it did. It stung in a way Kelaria refused to analyze. Would anyone ever hold out the same hope for her?

Watching the back and forth between the two left Kelaria with emotional whiplash. It left her so dizzy she was nauseous, or maybe that was the blood loss paired with how little she had eaten in the last twenty-four hours.

That heavy dread returned when Alexandra once again swung her blade at Vander, this time distracted by the pain her magic had caused. Vander was right, he needed to do this on his own, but Kelaria was incapable of standing by to watch him be killed. Vander had taken it to far and only sparked Alexandra's wrath again. Kelaria didn't know how far that wrath would take uer but was unwilling to find out.

"Vander!" She shouted his name before she could stop herself. Kelaria realized she might have distracted him and acted again quickly with little thought. Her foot hit the ground and suddenly the ground between Vander and Alexandra began to rumble.
 
Kelaria's yell pulled Vander out of his sense of focus at the wrong time. Alexandra's sword was coming in, quickly, but the rumble unsteadied the ground beneath her, causing her to miss her mark. The blade moved across Vander's hip, slicing, though barely, but enough to assure that Kelaria wasn't the only person walking away with a bleeding wound from this encounter. Alexandra herself seemed surprised, but it was unclear whether it was from the sudden earthquake, or the fact that she had actually been willing to kill him if her attack had properly connected. With the rumble still persisting a few moments later, Vander took the opportunity to seize the weapon away from Alexandra again, though he was doing it in his off hand now since his primary still stung from Alexandra's previous magical attack.

Vander focused and tried to find the rhythm in the way Kelaria shook the earth beneath his feet. His magic helped him stabilize, letting him walk across the uneven terrain, straight back towards Alexandra, who lifted her hand again. This time, her magic shone blue, forming the circular width of a magical buckler, softening the blow of Vander's swing, though he did so with much less force than usual given his injury. "This is ridiculous. Why are we still fighting?" He asked her, shaking his head.

"You betrayed me!" She called out from behind her shield, hurt and pain in her voice, an emphasis placed on the fact that she said 'me' and not 'us', referring to herself over what he had done to his brother or his people.

"We never stood a chance!" He called back, breaking himself. He slashed against the buckler a second time in emotional desperation. "Do you really think my family would have allowed me to be distracted by you? By what we had?"

"That didn't stop you from laying in my bed, did it? It didn't stop you from telling me you loved me! You never cared!" The sword disappeared from Vander's hand and reappeared in Alexandra's. The warrior was a mess and she swung forward again, forcing Vander to step aside, though just barely.

"Because I did." He retorted, hoping she would see reason. "But it was ill-fated from the start and deep down, you knew that." When she swung a second time, Vander summoned the sword back, their tug-of-war causing the weapon to change hands back and forth. The more he did it, however, the more unstable his dark magic was becoming, the emotional anchor that had kept him steady before losing it's weight the more volatile the state of those emotions became. "Your father found out. He came to mine and they told me to stay away from you."

"And you listened!" She yelled back, releasing a burst of magic directly in front of them both that sent both combatants shooting backwards from the force. Vander fell onto his back, while Kelaria steadied herself with one knee down against the dirt, leaving a trail from where it had scraped into the ground to hold on. "..you listened..." She repeated, a second time, softer than the first.

Vander peered over his shoulder, straight at Kelaria, who was witness to the entire thing. He wondered what she thought of him, or what was going through her mind as his dirty laundry was aired for her to hear. It was one thing to tell her that he wasn't like his brother and that he wanted to help her, that everything he did was because he was under the influence of dark magic, but it was another to hear of the pain his deeds had caused when he was completely himself without any magical factors affecting his decisions. He sighed, knowing he couldn't keep fighting and risk losing control of his magic. He looked straight forward then stood up again, despite the pain in his body. He began to walk towards where Alexandra remained, on one knee, dropping the sword half way between where he had landed and where she had fallen and then, he too was on his knees at her side. His arm reached out for her, slowly.

"Don't touch me..." She scorned, but she did not pull away when he pulled her into his chest, embracing her. The sudden warmth of the gesture caused the warrior to lose her guard, her magical shield fading away. She remained limp in his hold, not hugging him back, but simply resting there while he spoke and held her in comfort.

"I lied to you about why I did what I did...but I never lied about what I had felt. You can call me whatever you will. Call me a traitor, call me a betrayer, an exile...but I refuse to hear you tell me that I never cared about you."

The moment was tender, sweet. It was out of place in any fight, on any battlefield, and yet it felt natural for the two of them to have come to this conclusion.

Alexandra's hand finally lifted up towards the wound on Vander's side, her magic sparkling between her finger tips as she attempted to heal it. He reached down with his free arm, however, wrapping around her wrist and pulling it away, not allowing her to use her power to ease his pain. That was something Kelaria did for him, not her.

"I can't let you go, Van...I need to bring you both in. You know that..."

"No, you don't. You aren't my brother's puppet any longer. Like myself, you can see what he is doing is wrong. You are free to stand against him, or stand aside and let us pass, but do not stand between."

"Do you love her?" She asked, her voice a quiet whisper, not loud enough for Kelaria to hear from where she was standing. Vander hesitated and shook his head.

"We are working together to save our kingdoms. That is enough for me. But if you would be inclined to help us, there's always room for a third on our journey."

Alexandra stood up, pulling herself from Vander's arms. By now, their commotion had drawn the attention of the villagers. This was far too much commotion. Behind them, Sam and Sharla were coming closer as well, seeing what was happening, seeing them all for who they were without any glamor or magic to conceal their identities.

"Van...there's something you need to know. When I told you that your brother had turned the people of this country against you, I..."

"There they are!"

"That's the princess!"

"And the exile too!"

"We let you into our home..." Sam had stepped forward now, as well. There was something off about him, something in his eyes that felt unnatural.

"Sam? Honey, what are yo-"

Sam pushed Sharla back, away from him. "Don't let them get away!"

Not everybody in the village was reacting, but many of them were. They were moving past Alexandra, straight towards Kelaria.

"Wait...no! Stop!" Alexandra yelled as another villager tried to pull her to her feet.

"Ms. van Arbos, you must help us contain the wanted individuals." She glanced to the side, Vander was already on his way back to Kelaria, running interference to try and stop her as he saw what was happening.

His brother must have gotten to them, somehow. He was turning Kelaria's own people against her...Vander was bereft with anger. A pulse of magic, not from himself or Kelaria, pushed through the mob of people advancing on the pair. Alexandra was the source, using her power to push back the captors. She was on her feet, moving quickly towards Vander and Kelaria. When she got there, she reached out and took both of their hands into hers.

"I'm terribly sorry for what I have done but the time for apologies is later. Much, much later. Van, do you still trust me?"

"...yes." He told her. The way he looked at her was soft and kind, like he was finally, again, seeing the real Alexandra van Arbos.

"Use your power. Focus on me, what I'm thinking. Teleport us from this place."

"If I lose control..."

"You won't. I've got you. Now, do it!" Alexandra squeezed his hand. She was so certain of him, it would've been sweet had it not been under such duress and panic.

Vander hesitated, looking between both of them before nodding and closing his eyes. His dark magic ignited once again and he thought of Alexandra, just as she had asked, though his mind couldn't focus simply on her. There was a worry for Kelaria too, a care for her seeping in, altering the course of the teleportation. When his magic activated, it swirled around them, whisking the trio away from where they were standing and to some place else entirely.

They arrived in a forest. It wasn't the Nither, but it was a forest nonetheless. As Alexandra's eyes adjusted, she sighed. "You didn't focus..." She chastised, but she wasn't too angry at Vander. It had worked, they were out of danger for now, and like she had told him, his magic had retreated the second the teleport finished and he remained in control. "It doesn't matter...we're not too far off from where I wanted us to go. Follow me."

Pushing forward through the trees, she stopped to look back at them both, urging them to do as she said. "We have much to talk about on the way..."
 
This had gone so far beyond Alexandra fighting to take them in. This had nothing to do with Kelaria anymore. She should just run like Vander instructed her to do. As distracted as Alexandra was, she'd be able to make it far enough away, even injured, to possibly get Alexandra off her trail. The cost of that choice could very well be Vander's life. Kelaria stubbornly refused to pay that price and she couldn't even make up a good excuse for why she was unwilling to pay it. Kelaria was unable to tear her eyes away from their fight that became more and more hostile. She found herself holding her breath as she watched Vander's temper change. He would lose control. Kelaria, not knowing what thought had tethered and protected his magic from getting out of hand up until this point, was shocked that he hadn't lost it already.

Kelaria felt her magic instinctively draw near to her again, prepared to intervene on Vander's behalf again if things continued to go south but soon it seemed there was no need. As the combat dissolved into something more intimate Kelaria had to look away. It felt wrong to watch and witnessing it made her uneasy and irrationally bitter. Kelaria had to hope this wasn't a trap and had to trust that Vander would be alright without her watching. It wasn't until she heard the approaching villagers that Kelaria finally looked up. For a brief moment she considered throwing up her glamor but knew there was no point. Whether they had seen her or not, they could certainly see what happened here.

When Shara and Sam came into view Kelaria's heart sank. Not because she feared them but because she feared for them. They had seen her and helped her. Had she signed their death warrant? Then there were the others, would they be doomed to die as well? Another town torn apart by her presence? It wasn't until she saw the look on Vander's face that she really processed what was being said.

They were against her. Her own people were ready to turn her in to the very monster that was destroying their kingdom. Kelaria's face fell as she felt her heart sink lower. Her eyes darted across the faces coming her way. She caught Shara's eyes as she did. Kelaria's face was full of confusion, dread, and a deep, deep sadness. "I don't- I don't understand" she began to back up and tried to gather her magic up around her in order to protect herself but found it oddly difficult to muster it. "I don't mean any of you any harm. I'm trying to help, I swear. Whatever you've been told-" she was cut short by Alexandra's interference.

Kelaria looked to Vander, not making any attempts to hide her expression. She was shocked when Alexandra was suddenly beside her, taking their hands. "What are you doing?-" She looked to Vander when Alexandra suggested he use his magic to teleport them. She didn't like it. Vander had already used so much of his magic when he was already still weak and recovering. This would be dangerous but it seemed to be the only way to get out without hurting anyone so Kelaria didn't argue.


Once they were away from the angry mob and in the quiet of the forest Kelaria let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her mind was racing and she didn't even hear Alexandra accuse Vander of not focusing. In fact, Kelaria wasn't looking at or paying attention to either of them. She wasn't sure how but her own people had been turned against her. Kelaria felt dizzy and sick. Was this the next sign she was failing? What had they been told? What had been done to them? Did they simply have no faith in her? Did they somehow think her responsible? The support of her people was one of the few things helping her succeed. She liked to think she was giving them hope...apparently she was wrong.

It took a long moment for Kelaria to process what was being said, or that anything was being said at all. She stood rooted in place and the rest of the world was tuned out for a moment. Finally she lifted her head and looked at Alexandra. "Follow you? You want us-" she remembered Alexandra and Vander's moment together before the mob arrived. Maybe it wasn't an us anymore. Maybe Vander's loyalties to Alexandra were stronger. Kelaria was confident his loyalties to their cause was still in tact but she wasn't so sure she had the right to lump him in with her in the decison making process. "-you want me to follow you? Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for you getting us away from there but moments ago you tried to kill Vander and had every intention of slicing me to pieces in order to drag me to your masters. I heard you tell Vander you had to take us in. I'm not following you anywhere until you tell me where you want us to go. Then I'll decide if I'm willing to trust you."

Maybe Kelaria was being unnecessarily harsh but it would be foolish for her to just blindly follow this woman who nearly ruined everything just moments ago.
 
Alexandra stopped once she realized Kelaria wasn't following her. Vander was somewhere in between, having begun moving in Alex's direction but having not quite caught up yet. He too turned back towards their third just in time to hear her reasoning, and the subdued, harsh anger in the tone of her voice as she spoke up.

"Suit yourself. I have a camp, not too far from here." She replied, calmly, showing no sign of anger in return towards Kelaria's out burst. "I can't teleport, I traveled by mount, and then foot. I was told to scout the area by King Balthier, thought maybe I'd integrate myself in the village to gather information."

Vander hated hearing Alex call his brother with his title. It was clear on his face how disgusted he was to hear her address him that way.

"I received communication that he had activated a magical incantation, stripping people of their free will. There are people all across your nation, your people who are being manipulated as we speak. He couldn't find you on his own, so he decided to do some recruitment. I'm not sure anywhere is safe at this point."

"But even Sam? He was so kind to us..."

"He, and his wife, were kind to me as well. I don't doubt that they are good people, but the Alzahar must have found something within him that could be used as a weakness. Curiously enough, Sharla seemed unaffected..."

"We can't just leave them brainwashed..."

"It doesn't work like that." Alexandra shook her head. "From what I was told, it's less brainwash and more about following orders. They're instructed to take you both in and report you, seeing you triggers that in them, but if you aren't around, I presume they'll just go back to their normal selves and lie in wait. Basically, as long as you both stay away from them, they'll be fine, but I can't say the same for any other town or city you may wander into from this point on."

Alexandra looked towards Kelaria again, expectedly. "If I were leading you into a trap, that explanation would actively go against my best interests. Do not confuse my kindness as a request for peace. I'm going to get you both some where safe and I'm going to leave. What happens to you after that is out of my hands, but should we meet again, I will not be allowed to offer you the same kindness a second time. I'm already at risk for having interfered, I'm just hoping that none of the afflicted will remember what happened after they revert so nobody can report my interference to the crown.'

"Alexandra..."

"What?"

Vander hesitated for a moment before finishing that thought. "Thank you."

Alexandra looked back at him, her cheeks burning slightly from the sudden comment. She shook her head, dismissing it. "You can thank me by making the Princess get a move on. We are not far." She turned to begin walking again, leaving Vander to try and convince Kelaria to follow. Meanwhile, with her back turned, he was unable to see the slight smile that graced the warrior's lips before turning downtrodden as her melancholy fought back any of the happiness she had felt.

"We can trust her. Let's just keep moving, alright? You don't need it, but should the moment arise, I'll protect you." He told her, glancing down at the gash on her arm.

Why hadn't she healed it? He too was still bleeding from his own wound, but he wasn't worried about that at the moment. His gaze lingered on her injury before the sound of ripping cloth could be heard. He had torn a piece from the hem of his shirt, the cloth a little dirty but the best that he had for now. Vander took her hand in his own, gently, lifting it up so that he could wrap the cloth around the damaged area, tying it tight with a knot. He gave her a nod, tugging her hand before letting it drop back to her side. "Let's go."
 
The gash on Kelaria's arm looked worse up close. It was deeper than it originally seemed. It was frightening for Kelaria to imagine what would have happened if her magic hadn't slowed the blade. Alexandra could have easily damaged the muscle bad enough to render the arm useless. Kelaira frowned as she thought of the anger that would have driven Alexandra to do that kind of damage. Kelaria caught the confusion on Vander's face as he looked at the gash on her arm. Kelaria quickly guessed the reason. "I can't heal myself" she answered the unspoken question in a soft tone. Her mother always told her it was like lighting a candle on a bright and sunny day. You wouldn't see the light given off by the flame because it was already so bright out. It never made much sense to Kelaria as a child but she understood that she was unable to heal herself.

The sound of tearing fabric pulled her attention to what Vander was doing. "What are you doing?" when he took her arm she wanted to yank it away. She cast a worried glance in Alexandra's direction. Kelaria looked back to Vander. Something about the look on his face stopped her from pulling away. She watched him as he bandaged the wound. She tried to ignore the warm comfort of his touch as he treated her wound in the way he best could, the way she had done for him in her own way many times over now. Her eyes caught his as he tugged her hand. She looked away quickly before he spoke. There was a slight blush to her cheeks. "Thank you." There was something strangely intimate about the moment.

Kelaria caught his hand before he could turn. "wait." She dropped his hand quickly once she had his attention. "don't move" she spoke softly as she moved her now bandaged hand so that it hovered over the cut on his hip. Her hand grew warm as she felt her magic come easily to her once again. Her light spread across the wound, easing the pain and knitting the torn flesh back together again. Kelaria let her hand drop from his hip. Her eyes caught his again and nodded once. "Let's go" she agreed. She may not trust Alexandra but against her better judgement she trusted Vander. She trusted that if it came down to it he would protect her, even if she didn't need it.

Kelaira finally moved from her spot but the weight of her dread hadn't changed much. She was failing her people and she couldn't ignore that fact. Alexandra's explination of what happened to Sam and the others only eased a tiny fraction of her concern. Who knows what was done to the others? She was failing them. Kelaria glanced down at her arm and felt embarrassed. Her magic had come easily to her when she healed Vander but back there when the mob faced them her magic had failed her. Her mother would have been ashamed. Kelaria was ashamed. How could she protect her people if she couldn't even protect herself?

For a while Kelaria was quiet as she followed Alexandra. She let herself stay at the back of the group but she continued to follow. It was a while before Kelaria spoke. "How did you know it was us? It seems you hadn't even seen me before you made up your mind? Could you see through my glamour?" Kelaria felt a moment of panic. If she couldn't handle a simple glamour then maybe her magic was failing her. Maybe she wasn't a prodigy after all, just an fraud with the privilege of some of the best teachers to be found.
 
The tug on his hand stopped Vander from progressing any farther towards Alexandra. The red haired woman had already turned behind, once more, to see what was the cause of the delay, witnessing the intimate moment between the two as Vander tended to Kelaria's wound and the princess, in return, used her magic to heal his. Alexandra noted the way that Vander seemed to allow Kelaria to do so when he had stopped her and it was enough to make her look away, averting her gaze, unwilling to watch anymore intimacy unfold in front of her eyes.

Silence fell between the three of them, but at least they were moving. Alexandra likely felt out of place, while Vander could tell that Kelaria was tired and still grasping with the guilt of what had happened at the village. As for him, he very much believed he was stuck between a proverbial rock and a hard place with the role he had taken between the two women and perhaps his best course of action at that moment was to just stay quiet and ride this thing out.

Finally, a voice broke the lull, with Kelaria posing a question to Alexandra. Vander had already discerned the answer, but he was staying steady to his commitment on being seen, but not heard.

"Your glamour was fine, but you spend as much time with somebody as I have with Van and you start to pick up on little things about them. His magic, though dark, has a succinct feel. I knew it was him, it couldn't have been anybody other than him."

Vander shrugged his shoulders, keeping his head down as he continued to walk between them.

"Your magic in general is quite powerful, Princess. It surprised even myself, knowing that you were already tired and worn out from your travels and your confrontation in the Nither." Alexandra seemed to know what had happened with them and Finlay, but she was glossing over it rather nonchalantly. It didn't seem like either she nor Vander would mourn the loss of a man so vile, but at least she was humble enough to recognize Kelaria's strength and to give credit where it was due. "I can see why you're a threat to our King, even beyond the fact that you have what he wants...speaking of which, what was your plan?" Alexandra asked, looking over her shoulder again, eyes darting between Vander and Kelaria for answers. "Just waltz up to thing, make a wish and set everything straight? Does it even work like that..?"
 
"You can be honest. Vander was also a terrible actor wasn't he?" There was the tiniest bit of a teasing smile on the corners of her lip as she glanced to him then back to Alexandra. She was relived to know it hadn't been her glamour failing that had revealed them. Alexandra's information also gave Kelaria more knowledge on how to perfect the glamour on him the next time she had to use it. "When we first met he was trying to convince people he was from a small village outside the capital and didn't even think to hide his accent. The way he spoke was all wrong and his attempts to disguise his garb were poor. His story was pretty flimsy as well." Kelaria looked to Vander again with a look that could only be described as amused fondness. Kelaria realized what her face might be betraying and she quickly dropped the expression and looked away. "He was pretty unfortunate that the first person he had to test that story one was the cr- was me" Kelaria stopped herself from using her title. Right now she didn't really feel like she had earned it.

Alexandra's next questions wiped away any hint of a smile anyway. "You have it all wrong. It was Vander who saved us in the Nither. I fought Finlay before that but succeeded only in awakening him." All she had succeeded in doing was destroying a village and killing a horse. In fact the fight in the Nither had ended much like todays fight, with Kelaria standing at the sidelines holding her breath in the hopes that Vander would survive. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Kelaria needed Vander's protection far more than she liked.

Kelaria flinched when Alexandra asked about the Araya Lucaris. "No. That isn't how it works at all. I-I don't know what I'm going to do....I don't know what our plan is. Vander insists it will help and I can't think of anything else" Kelaria's voice was tight as she admitted to being blind in all of this. She didn't really have a plan. Up until this point the plan had just been getting to the Araya Lucaris and staying alive in the process. She had been dreading the moment when she had to face the reality of their situation. There was no plan.

Kelaria was silent for a moment as a chilling realization crept over her. "I assume that-" she frowned and stopped herself from revealing what little of a plan she might have. "Wait- Why am I telling you any of this? Following you to safety is one thing but you've made it clear that after this you're still going to be against us. You'll be returning to King Balthier won't you?"
 
Vander heard Alexandra let out a small laugh as Kelaria began to poke fun at him. He was suddenly feeling very ganged up on, but at least the silence was broken and things didn't feel as hostile as they did before. It was at his expense, but he would allow it if it meant they wouldn't have to fight anymore. Things wouldn't stay jovial for long, however, as Alexandra posed a more serious question that Kelaria had to respond to. In truth, Vander was mostly flying blind as well. He had a plan in mind, but he knew it wasn't going to fly with Kelaria, and it would find even more resistance now that Alexandra was involved. Beyond that, he knew they had to get to the Araya Lucaris first, before his brother, but even he wasn't really sure what exactly they were going to do once they found it, just that it had to be something they got to and that Balthier could never be allowed a chance to manipulate it's power.

"Until we part ways, you need to learn to trust me, Kelaria. If I still wanted you dead, you would be dead. I haven't even summoned my sword back to my side. You are safe for now. But I suppose that means the ball's in your court, Van. What exactly are you going to do once you get to the Araya Lucaris?"

"It matters more that we take it from my brother than it does what we do with it."

"So, you don't know either? Really?"

"No, I have an idea...but it's not one either of you will be fond of."

Alexandra sighed. "Something self destructive, I'm sure."

"It doesn't matter until we find it. I'm just as in the dark as you are, she hasn't told me the location either."

"Smart girl. I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you, and I've proven I can throw you pretty damn far." Alexandra smirked, trying to crack another joke. Vander rolled his eyes, though he knew it was true. Neither Alexandra, nor Kelaria, should be trusting him given what he had done and yet, here they were.

"I regret letting the two of you start talking. In fact, I've changed my mind, entirely. Can you go back to trying to kill each other, please?" Vander grumbled, defeatedly.

She pushed through one final set of trees, revealing a small, quaint camp site. There was a meticulously crafted fire pit, partially burned, and some provisions. A blanket lay on the ground, double wrapped, made from warm wool which likely served as her place of rest, and a small pot of half-finished stew had gone cold. "Make yourself comfortable, if you can. There's something here that I need to find."

Alex walked into the make shift camp sight and knelt down. She placed her hand against the ground and a pulse of magic emitted inside. Before her, a hole caved in on itself, revealing a hiding place she had sat up with her abilities. Meanwhile, Vander stood at Kelaria's side, wanting to be close just to give her an extra layer of security since he could tell she was still on edge about following Alexandra, and very much in her own head over what had occured.
 
"I'm not worried about trusting you until we part ways. I'm following you aren't I? I'm worried about trusting you when we do. If I tell you now what I plan to do, what stops you from turning around after all this and telling Balthier all our secrets?" Now that the question had been asked out loud, Kelaria was becoming more confident in what would need to be done. She knew what the plan was she just wasn't sure if it would work or not. Her eyes quickly flashed to Vander when he expressed that he had his own plan and she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that it conflicted directly with what she had in mind.

Kelaria could only spare a small smirk at Alexandra's comment but her mind was mostly occupied and she truthfully didn't feel like smiling. She fell back into silence and moved to the edge of the campsite but didn't sit down or make any moves to make herself comfortable. She folded her arms across herself but instead of folding them across her chest she held them lower and nearer to her torso as if hugging herself. Her injured arm throbbed a bit in protests but Kelaria didn't seem to notice. She noted Vander's proximity and the comfort it brought her. His proximity should not be comforting to her and for many reasons she almost wished he'd stop trying to comfort her. The air between them was heavy with things that had been left unsaid for too long.
 
Vander noticed the way Kelaria was standing, like she was nursing her injury still. He knew that simply wrapping a piece of cloth around it like a makeshift bandage wasn't going to actually seal the wound. He wished he could do more, but he couldn't use his magic to heal...but Alexandra could.

He remained closed to Kelaria for a few moments more before stepping forward, across the campsite, closer to where Alex was. It was a temporary disruption to their proximity as he looked over her shoulder, wondering what she was searching for while trying to find the words to ask for what he needed. Alexandra's hands dipped down into the hole she had uncovered, and when they returned above ground, they were holding a disk-shaped device of some sort. Vander could see some sort of language engraved into the metal but he couldn't read it, nor could he recognize it as any language or runic transcription he had ever seen before.

Alexandra waved her hand over the center of the disk and it came to life, pulsing a faint blue. The writing lit up, shone from underneath by whatever kind of magic was fueling the device. She looked upwards from where she was kneeling, spotting Vander looking over her shoulder. "There is nothing stopping me from doing just that. But you can take solace in knowing that I am a woman of my word and I-oh." She mumbled, quickly, awkwardly interrupting herself when she noticed him, standing back up and turning to face them both. She held the device out in front of her for them to see like a child a show-and-tell. "Right...so, you recognize this, don't you, Van?"

"Somewhat. I never got to use one myself..."

"It's a communication device." She explained herself, to Kelaria. "It's something that the King commissioned, a combination of magic and technology. It allows him to send messages over long distances. The runes light up, spelling words...it's a little tricky, though. It isn't a language native to either kingdom, which is probably why you never got to use any of them. You wouldn't have understood it."

Vander wasn't sure whether to be relieved, or offended. "And you're using it to send a message?" To his brother?

"To receive one." She corrected. "I'm seeing if there were any transmissions that I missed...something that could give me an idea of what might be coming our way, or what I might be leading you both into."

"So, why bury it?" Vander asked, his eyes shifting back to Kelaria again, lowered towards her arm. Alexandra lifted a brow, spotting this.

"It functions as a tracker as well. I may be loyal to our King, but I'm not a fan of being watched like a child..."

Vander remembered that being a bit of a pet peeve of hers with her father, and part of the reason why her parents got involved the moment they learned that he and Alexandra had feelings for each other. Both of their families were over protective, it seemed like Alexandra hadn't grown fond of that treatment even over their time apart. She ran her fingers around the device, causing the light inside to grow then dim, repeatedly, like it was searching for something. "Nothing new. That's good. It means I'm up to date on our current plans and scouting routes..."

"So, you can find us a way out?"

"Of course I can." She confirmed, letting the device go dormant again. "But first, why don't you just say what's on your mind, Van?"

"...what?"

Alexandra rolled her eyes, stepping past him. She walked straight to Kelaria, reaching out without a word to grab her arm. Her magic activated, seeping into the wound, repairing damaged skin and forcing it shut again, healing her of the damage she had inflicted. "There. See? I'm just as good as she is when it comes to this sort of thing." That felt like a shot at him, she had probably noticed what he had done before. Vander sighed and nodded his head.

"Thank you, Alex."

"Yeah." She responded, simply, her voice short. "It's the least I could do seeing as I'm the one who caused it....rest up, the both of you. I'm assuming neither of you want to try the teleportation again, so we'll leave later tonight. I can get you both some place safer, but it will be easier to move when it's dark."
 
Kelaria was unfamiliar with the device Alexandra held in her hands and became increasingly uncomfortable with it as she went on to explain its purpose. It was a communication device that neither Vander nor Kelaria had any prayer of understanding that gave Alexandra direct communication to their enemy. To top it off, it was also a tracking device. Kelaria shot a look at Vander but noticed his attention was on the device. Kelaria was doing her best to trust Alexandra for the moment but it seemed to be incredibly difficult as their time together continued. Their mission was far too important and Kelaria couldn't help but worry that his feelings towards Alexandra were clouding his judgement.

Almost immedietly, though not fast enough to stop her, Kelaria yanked her arm out of Alexandra's hold as if she had burned her. She didn't like to be touched, especially not by other magic users. Not that Alexandra would know that. In the short time she had known Kelaria she had seen Vander touch her without any sort of negative reaction. Kelaria inspected her arm and unwrapped Vander's makeshift bandage. All that remained of the wound was a faint soreness and some dried blood. Kelaria looked up at her. "Thank you." she spoke softly.

Having turned away at that point in her moment with Vander earlier, Kelaria missed the meaning behind her comment about being as capable as Kelaria was at healing. A frown came to her lips and she gave Vander a confused look but didn't voice her question out loud. Instead she just found a rock large enough to be comfortable to sit on near the edge of the campsite. As the events of the day replayed through Kelaria's mind she knew she would have to have a talk with Vander. It couldn't be avoided much longer but that didn't mean Kelaria was eager in any way to have it.
 
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