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jesussavedevenme · 4 years ago

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Festival of Unity

**For an incredibly kind and polite anon with an amazing prompt!!!

Also real quick warning: Garreth's actions in this are very manipulative and borderline creepy so if that is going to bother you then, please don't make yourself read it**

The Festival of Unity. Also known as the cesspool of rumors and fake smiles

and the bane of Bracken's existence. Honestly he would rather face Ronodin or even Gorgrog instead of attending this gathering. The Festival of Unity took place every twenty years and lasted about three days. As its name suggested the festival was centered around unity. It was a time where all the creatures of light as well as every ally of the fairy realm joined together. The first two days were full of meetings and negotiations such as the discussion of the treaty with the Naga, the newest problems with the river trolls, and even a change in rules pertaining to the Centuars. Something that many of them were not happy about. The last day of the festival was spent finishing up negotiations and preparing for the huge ball that would take place to signify there successful unification. Bracken supposed he could see the logic and even the need for such a festival but that didn't mean he had to like it. This year though it wasn't just the snide remarks and stuck up dignitaries that made it awful, no this year Bracken had other worries. Because this year, Kendra was with him.

Kendra and Bracken had gotten married mere months ago and Bracken had tried everything he could to get her out of this festival. Several of the attempts had been quite comical if he was being honest. However, as she was the now princess, she was expected to attend and participate in the proceedings. Especially since this was the first festival she would be attending as princess. In fact the only other time that she had been before a big group as their princess had been right after they had gotten married. Kendra had been stressing about this festival for weeks, wanting to be absolutely perfect and, in Bracken's opinion, she had been. She handled all negotiations with grace and wisdom. She handled every snide remark and underhanded insult with a smile on her face and a calm but firm voice. She made it clear that she would not be walked on while also preventing an interspecial incident. Bracken felt nothing but pride as he watched her stun the different dignitaries and nobles with her never-ending grace and charm.

The reason for Bracken's stress was not that he thought Kendra wouldn't do well, quite the contrary, he was worried about his ability to protect her. There was a multitude of different species and thousands of creatures in attendance. Bracken couldn't ensure her safety in a crowd of that size especially since he couldn't be by her side all the time. There were times that he, as the prince and the leader of the Astrids, was called to a meeting to discuss tactics and such. Logically, he knew that Kendra was constantly surrounded by Astrid guards and that anyone would be a fool to attack the Princess of the Fairy Realm during the Festival of Unity. However, these things did nothing to settle his unease. The unease was worsened by the fact that he felt he was at a disadvantage.

The Festival of Unity was one of the few gatherings of its kind that were not held in the Fairy Realm. This was because of the few creatures that were not technically considered creatures of light or even those who didn't come often. Holding the festival outside the Fairy Realm symbolized the fact that they were all equal and no one was at an advantage. It made sense in theory but it made his job of protection even harder. The only comfort Bracken had was that he wasn't the only one looking out for Kendra.

Seth had been asked to attend as an ally of the Fairy Realm and a representative of the human Knights of the Dawn. It was the first time in history that a shadow charmer, technically a creature of darkness, had ever been in attendance. Seth was also one of the few people Bracken trusted to keep Kendra safe, even if she was pretty good at doing it herself. Bracken knew that if he wasn't with her Seth was and on the few occasions that neither of them were with her, she was with his mother or sisters. Bracken had planned it that way so it left little to no opportunity for someone to harm her. When Bracken had told Kendra his plan she had rolled her eyes but thankfully didn't protest too much.

Of course Seth wasn't the only one making an unprecedented appearance. For the first time since anyone could remember the Fair Folk had joined the festival. The Fair Folk were still sticking firmly to their neutrality however, they had decided that after the disastrous dragon uprising a few years prior , that it was best to be up to date about the goings on in the world. It was their attendance that added to Bracken's hatred of the festival. Bracken had no problem with the Fair Folk as a whole but, the representative they sent seriously got on his nerves. If Bracken had been the one to choose he would have chosen Eve. The girl was a natural leader and knew more about these things than this buffoon but, Lord Dalgorel had decided that she could not represent because she no longer believed in neutrality. Ironically the representative he had chosen was Eve's brother, Garreth.

Garreth had seemed nice enough in the beginning but as you looked deeper you found a pompous, overconfident man who showed great dislike for Bracken and a even greater liking to Kendra. It had obvious since the first time they ran into one another that Garreth knew Kendra. Bracken had heard the story of course but had never been able to place the face. He was sure that there had probably been a time in the past that he had seen him but seeing and remembering were two very different things. From the moment he laid eyes on her, Garreth had made it a point to seek Kendra out, generally when he wasn't around. Bracken had the utter most faith and trust in Kendra and therefore, that is not where his troubles laid. The problem was Garreth's persistence, it was beginning to get annoying and Bracken could tell that he wasn't the only one getting frustrated.

Seth had agreed with him on the fact that he had about enough of it. Kendra herself was determined to handle the situation as she had handled everything else during this festival. Firmly but gracefully. Unfortunately, Bracken and Seth had no such patience. Both of them were fiercely protective of Kendra and so the behavior bothered them. As the festival reached its end, Bracken had grown tired of the passive approach that obviously wasn't working. When he pointed this out to Kendra, she had chewed at her lip nervously and changed the subject. He knew that she worried about messing up or making the Fairy Realm look bad, but Bracken was not about to let her be a doormat to someone who obviously didn't hold women to the esteem that they should be held to. It enraged him to think that someone viewed Kendra as nothing more than an object instead of the beautiful, brave, and just all around amazing person that she was. Bracken knew that if Garreth pushed hard enough he would find out exactly why more than half of the magical world held a healthy dose of fear towards her. However, Bracken refused to let it get to that point.

Perhaps Kendra was right, and the prince of the Fair Folk would grow tired and quit, it was nearing the end of the festival after all. Though, unfortunately, Bracken's gut told him that it would not be the case.

†††††

Bracken listened keenly to the sounds of laughter coming from his sisters room as the women, sans his mother, got ready for the ball. He had opted to do all the preparations by himself and now sat waiting in the main room of their rather elaborate tent. The tent was of course enchanted making it roughly the size of their living quarters in the palace. The decorations were also much the same but on a smaller scale. A door opened towards his left revealing Seth in a Fairy Realm style, pitch black suit, a stark contrast to his own silvery one, and neatly done hair.

“I swear if one more person touches my head, I’m going to snap.” Seth announced, ducking away from one of the palace hairdressers that had joined them at the festival, though he still wasn't entirely sure why. Bracken honestly could blame him. He remembered those dreaded days before he decided to do it himself. The harsh tugging, the scrutinizing looks. Bracken gave a nod of dismissal to the hairdresser who huffed and stomped out of the room.

Bracken smirked and reached up in order to flick the younger boys ear. Seth sent him a deadly glare that would have sent anyone else running but Bracken simply raised his eyebrow. However, he could see the reason people would fear it. Seth was well known as a powerful shadow charmer and the aura he often gave off when annoyed or angry was unsettling to say the least. The effect was enhanced by his height. The young shadow charmer had hit a major growth spurt not long after the Dragon War. Seth towered over most people and seemed to almost grow larger when he was angry. Seth didn’t technically tower over Bracken but he was still taller then him by a fair amount. The effect of his glare was quickly lost when Seth began to tug at the collar of the suffocating jacket and messed with the overly fancy tunic that was underneath. Bracken felt like doing the same but he held off, the setting causing him to fall into the princely habits that had been ingrained into him since childhood. Seth's suit was much less extravagant than his own which held certain details that marked him as royalty from the fairy realm. Seth's suit coat was of course black but it was lined with silver embroidery along the cuffs and edges marking him as a close ally to the fairy realm. Of course that wasn't the only thing that marked him. Draped across Seth's arm was a grey cloak. The cloak wasn't long, just reaching Seth's knees but its served its purpose. The ends of it were meant to be gathered together at his left shoulder and clasped with a crest that belonged to the the Knights of the Dawn. On the crest was a picture of two swords making a peak, almost like a mountain, with the sun rising up from behind them. Surprisingly Seth didn't have a problem with the cloak, in fact it was the one article of clothing he didn't complain about, a fact that Bracken felt the need to bring up.

"So you hate wearing a the fancy clothes of royalty, not that I blame you, but the annoying cloak you're ok with?"

"You call it annoying I call it useful. A cloak like this does more than just keep away the chill," Seth replied and Bracken caught the hidden meaning behind his words. Weapons were technically forbidden at the festival but Bracken knew Seth well enough to know he had at least three knives, one in a holster on his hip which was hidden by his cloak and one tucked away in each of his knee high leather boots, currently on his person. It was something the Knights had pounded into his head and honestly, in their line of work, it was definitely a needed detail. "Plus," Seth continued with a lopsided grin, " It makes me look cooler." Bracken laughed at the response and from there the two easily fell into their normal back and forth banter. About thirty minutes later the girls emerged just as Bracken, for perhaps the tenth time, ran off the persistent hairdresser attempting to sneak up and tame Seth's unruly brown hair.

His four sisters emerged first wearing almost identical dresses. The tops had thin straps and were a shimmering silver color. The dresses were all fitted until the mid waist. The distinguishing trait between these dresses was the color of their flowing skirts, each of the colors matched the personalities of the princess that wore them. Mizelle was a light pastel purple matching her strong personality and the way that she radiated power and royalty without being overwhelmingly so. Next came Odette who was wear a soft pastel blue that matched her calm and gentle aura as well her patient nature. After Odette came Iredessa. Iredessa's dress was brighter than the rest of her sister but could still be called a lighter pastel yellow. The color perfectly corresponded to her bright, bubbly, and almost sunny, personality. Finally came his youngest sister Celeste, wearing a very muted pastel pink. Bracken thought that this fit his youngest sister well seeing as she tended to be very quiet and shy. She tended to keep to herself and when she was in a large group of people, she tended to stick to the people she felt the safest with. That was generally him, Odette, occasionally Mizelle, and surprisingly Kendra. Kendra and Celeste had a but of a rocky start. Bracken had always had a close relationship with her , despite her young age, before he was captured, something he was pleased to see hadn't changed when he returned. It was because of this that Celeste had originally disliked Kendra. Because in her mind, it was someone else trying to steal her brother. Plus her inherent shyness didn't help matters. Thankfully though it hadn't lasted long and Celeste had come to like and trust Kendra almost as much as himself. Not much was thought about Celeste's tendency to cling to her older siblings, mostly because of her age ,but also because people feared facing the wrath of the four oldest children of the Fairy Queen. Celeste still very young by unicorn standards . She had only been a few weeks old when their father was captured and because of the way unicorns aged, she had only just fully developed her first horn when he was captured. At the moment Celeste had yet to lose her second horn, though Bracken was sure it was just around the corner, something that somewhat saddened him. Finally ,as his sister moved away from the doorway, he spotted Kendra and his jaw dropped with how beautiful she looked.

She was wearing a long dress that held the same silver bodice as his siblings except hers had off the shoulder sleeves that puffed out in small ruffles instead of thin straps. The neckline of the dress was lined with light blue flowers made of lace while the rest of the bodice had beautiful leaves and stems embroidered along the sides in golden thread. Once again, like his sisters, her dress was fitted until her waist where it then flowed towards the floor. However, her dress flowed more outwards instead of flowing straight toward the floor. it wasn't so much to be overwhelmingly big but just enough to look nice. The waist line was dotted with a few more of the lacy blue flowers that were on the neckline with a couple dipping below onto the beginnings of the skirt. The skirt was a thing in of its own. The skirt itself was the sane pale pink as Celeste's if not a but lighter but over top if that pink was a deep blue shear covering, giving the illusion that the dress was changing colors as she moved. Her hair was pulled away from her face in a half up hairstyle with the sides in a subtle French braid that lead to an intricate, loopy braid. The rest of her hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back in soft curls. The few escaped pieces of hair perfectly framed her face accentuating the shape drawing attention the her bright green eyes. All and all, Kendra looked gorgeous.

All the outfits were brought together by the circlet crowns that they wore. Mizelle's was a simple silver crown that made indricate loops and patterns of it twisted around her head. The only jewel on her crown was a singular diamond that acted as the center piece of the circlet. Odettes crown was bolder than Mizelle's but not by much. Her circlet dipped down almost between her eyes and had a pure white pearl in the center of the points The points circled around her head in a relatively straight line but they were bedazzled with diamonds that sparked in the light. On either side of the pearl started a thin silver wire that arched up across her forehead and twisted around the rest of the crown forming loops and curls. As per usual, Irredessa's was the boldest and most noticeable. Unlike Odette's, her crown arched upward toward her hairline and into a soft point.From there the crown rose and fell in small waves as it circled her head. What drew attention was the large round diamonds that covered the entirety of the crown. Celeste's circlet was a combination of all three. it dipped low onto her forehead and the middle and had the same pearl and arching silver wires like Odette, she had the same indicate loops as Mizelle, and she had small diamonds that covered everything but the wires curling around the circlet.

To no ones surprise, Bracken's favorite circlet sat on Kendra's head. Unlike the rest of them her criclet was gold, showing her royal status while also separating her from the Fairy Queen's children because she had entered the family by marriage. Her circle was very simple with A bright emerald as a center piece that sat right in the middle of her forehead. There were thin gold wires that formed loops framing the emerald itself and branching off to form lose loops around part of her head. occasionally the loops would be interrupted by small light blue gems that were a bit darked and more silver tented than Odette's dress. The colored jewels of the symbolized the combination or the joining of Kendra and him and maybe that was why he loved it so much. Of course the girl who wore it impacted that as well. Bracken was pulled away from admiring his wife when Seth spoke,

" Does anyone remember where we keep the wrench because, I think Kendra broke Bracken again," Kendra and his sisters laughed causing a silver blush to creep across his cheeks and ears. Looking at the crowns the girls wore made him consciously aware of his own which was very simple and plain, just the way he wanted it. It was made with thin silver wire that came to a sharp point at the center of his forehead. There were two other wires that crossed and formed two large loops at the front of his head before coming together to form a straight line around the rest of his head. Despite its simplicity, Bracken still found it to be uncomfortable and he envied Seth because he didn't have to wear one.

Now that everyone had entered the main room, they began to make their way out the door and to the reception hall where the ball would take place. His mother had gone ahead much earlier as the main leaders were expected to arrive before the rest of the guests. His mother had always liked to be the first one to arrive at any given place as it gave her time to analyze her surroundings. Plus it tended to make the other leaders and nobles somewhat uncomfortable and nervous at the thought that the Fairy Queen had been waiting for an unknown amount of time. Bracken knew his mother found their squirming to be amusing, seeing as their was really nothing to squirm over. He was pretty sure that was as much of her reason for arriving early, if not more so, than analyzing the scene. And she wonders where he gets his mischievousness.

Bracken and Kendra had fallen behind of his sisters as they walked, hand in hand, towards the reception hall. The sky was a mural of pinks, oranges, purples and more as the sun began to dip below the horizon. The walk was fairly quite seeing as it was still early and most people were still getting ready. Bracken gently swung his and Kendra's hands as they walked and he couldn't help but turn his head to admire the way the sunset cast a golden glow on her skin in addition to the brilliant light that radiated from her. She had gotten a lot better at controlling the brightness of the light but it could never be contained completely. Bracken didn't realize how slow they had been walking until he could no longer see his sisters in the front of him. He could hear their laughter and light conversation but even that was getting faint. He had also lost sight of Seth but he was sure the shadow charmer hadn't strayed to far. He was most likely living up to his name and walking amount the shadows.

Bracken was enjoying the slow quiet moment that they were enjoying. It was perhaps the only quiet moment they had enjoyed since arriving at the festival, so it was very welcome. Unfortunately the calm didn't last long as they were stopped by an astrid, probably about twenty feet from the entrance of the reception hall. Bracken narrowed his eyes, getting an uneasy feeling in his stomach that let him know that he probably wasn't going to be pleased with what he was about to hear.

†††††

Kendra had been incredibly worried about the Festival of Unity ever since she found out she would be attending, despite Bracken's valiant efforts. Like most things she makes herself sick over, it ended up being nowhere as bad as she thought it was going to be. Sure she would much rather prefer being curled up next to Bracken on their living room couch while watching a movie but this was a good experience. She was able to build credibility among the various nobles, leaders, and magical creatures that had been in attendance. It allowed her to show them that she deserved to be where she is and that she had what it took to handle the responsibilities that came along with her position. So all in all it hadn't been that bad of an experience. Of course having Garreth there complicated things a bit. Especially since he was as persistent as the hairdresser that had tagged along with them. However as annoyed ,and borderline angry, as Bracken was about the whole Garreth situation, Kendra honestly didn't care. Sure it was annoying and at times she wanted to deck him in his perfect jaw but she also knew that it wouldn't help anything. She felt assured in her safety here at the festival and knew that Garreth wouldn't likely try anything here. Especially with Bracken and Seth so close by. Besides it wasn't as if she was helpless, A fact that most people often forgot. Though that lapse in memory had given her an advantage many times over the course of her life.

She had been enjoying the walk to the reception hall with Bracken when the Astrid showed up. The ball was something that Kendra actually looked forward to, despite the nerves she felt. It wasn't so much the party she was excited about but more the fact that the spotlight was off of her. It was easy to fade into the background during a gathering of this size. logically she knew that there would still be people that approached and interacted with them but it would most likely just be typical conversation. She also took comfort in the fact that she would not be doing this alone. Not that she ever had been but this time she would be surrounded by people who were willingly to take the brunt of the conversation. Seth had enough outgoing nature for the both of them and She knew that Bracken's sister Iredessa was likely to talk everybody's ear off.

Kendra loved Bracken's sisters as if they were her own, and they kind of were in a way. She thoroughly enjoyed being able to get to know and experience each of their personalities. Much like her and Seth, they were all vastly different. Mizelle was a born leader, much like Bracken, but she tended to analyze and observe a little more than he did. She was also more graceful in the way she handled certain situations. Kendra loved her husband dearly but he had a tendency to speak before he thought, especially when he was angry. Odette was always calm and collected. Her mere presence calmed Kendra, especially in times of great stress. She was a very gentle soul and also very wise. In a lot of ways, she reminded Kendra of the Fairy Queen. Odette was also a very skilled healer as Kendra had ,unfortunately, witnessed many times. Iredessa was bright, bubbly and loud. she brightened every room she walked into and was always the first person to start a conversation. However, when placed outside of her element she became very timid and quite as she observed. And finally there was Celeste. The two of them had gotten off to a but of a rough start because Celeste had thought that Kendra was with Bracken because of the title or the power. Eventually the two of them had ironed out all of the misunderstandings and actually become quite close. It filled Kendra with joy and pride to know that Celeste felt as comfortable with her and she did with Bracken. Celeste was by far the most timid of the siblings and was uncomfortable in any kind of social setting, not that Kendra could blame her. Kendra originally had been taken aback at how young Celeste was compared to her siblings. And even to some extent how young Odette and Iredessa were. For some.reason Kendra had been under the impression that all of them were similar to Bracken in age even though she knew that they were younger. Being in the midst of a groups such as this ,adding in Bracken, Seth and the Fairy Queen, gave her a deep sense of security that she had carried throughout the entire festival and continued to carry as they made their way to the reception hall.

Unfortunately, that sense of security was shattered when she noticed the Astrid waiting impatiently at the entrance of the hall. She felt Bracken tense up beside her. He squeezed her hand slightly before letting go and walking confidently towards the Astrid, easily falling into his role as leader. The Astrids were here in order to provide added protection to the royal family. They had stayed out of sight, as silent protectors, for most of the trip. Only emerging when she was left alone or they were needed for some sort of task or meeting. So to see one in plain sight, obviously waiting for them- well it was unnerving to say the least. Her stomach churned with anxiety and she bit her lip as she tried to focus on what Bracken was saying and not her own racing thoughts.

"Why was this meeting called? The Festival of Unity is all but over," Bracken said.making Kendra realize that she had missed the beginning of the conversation.

"I am unsure, Your Highness. I was simply asked to deliver the message," The Astrid, Kendra is pretty sure his name is Haldirn, looked nervous. Kendra guessed she understood why. Most of the Astrids were still nervous around the royal family. They had not forgotten their past failures and they did not wish to disappoint them again. Apparently Haldirn felt like this missing information was a failure of his. Kendra could see how tense his shoulders were and the way he avoided Bracken's eyes. He was ready to be scolded and berated but, Bracken was as kind as he was brave. Because of this, though he didn't sound particularly happy, he replied with,

"Its not your fault, you are doing your best with the information you have been given," Bracken shot a look at Kendra, guilt and confliction flashing in his silvery blue eyes. Kendra knew that look all to well and while she hated it, she knew it couldn't be helped. Kendra was about to reassure him when she felt a presence behind her.

"What's going on?" Asked the deep voice of Seth, causing her to relax her shoulders. Seth moved to stand by Bracken, crossing his arms as he stared at the Astrid. Seth was shorter than the Astrid but was no less intimidating. Haldirn, startled by the sudden appearance of the Shadow Charmer, attempted to stutter out an answer.

"Apparently, there has been a last minute meeting called that requires the both of us," Seth raised an eyebrow.

"But isn't the Festival over?"

"It's supposed to be. This kind.of thing isn't completely unheard of hut it certainly is rare," Bracken replied, sounding slightly grumpy. Kendra searched his face, knowing him well enough to be able to see through his infamous poker face. Kendra could see the worry and the skepticism in his gaze. Kendra would be lying if she said that she didn't agree with him. This whole situation seemed off leaving a pit in her stomach. However, it was impossible to know exactly what was going on without investigating. Kendra could also see the war raging in his mind as he weighed his options. Kendra knew that he would not only over think it but, he would also feel guilty with either decision he made. So with that thought in mind she decided to make the decision for him. She squared her shoulders and tried her best to walk confidently up to his side. She placed a gentle hand on his arm, gaining his attention, and pushing all her feelings aside she said,

"Go," The answer was simple but she said it firmly leaving no room for argument. Nevertheless she could see the response building in his mind and she cut him off as he opened his mouth, knowing what was coming next, " Go. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself," She raised an eyebrow, daring him to challenge her on the subject. She didn't want him to leave, quite the contrary but she also knew it was unavoidable. Besides, she had taught and one two wars, she could handle a ball and it wasn't as if she would be alone. She could tell that he still wanted to argue but luckily he simply turned back to the Astrid.

"Fine, take me to the meeting," The relief coming from the Astrid was almost tangible and turned to lead them away. Bracken quickly reached for her hand and linked their pinky fingers. It was a silent form of communication they had established long ago. A quick and quite way to say I love as well as a promise that everything would be alright. The exchange last less then a second and then Bracken was pulling away and following behind Haldirn. Seth had scowl on his face and a look of suspicion in his eyes. Kendra expected him to protest or demand more information but surprisingly, he follow Bracken without a word. He sent her a look over his shoulder and nodded his head in a way as to tell her to call him if she needed him. Kendra couldn't help but roll her eyes at how overprotective the two of them were.

She stood there until she could no longer see them and then turned back towards the entrance of the gathering hall. She resolved to try and find Bracken's sisters amongst the crowds but she had barely made it past the entrance before she was ambushed. Garreth had seemingly come out of nowhere, suddenly emerging in front of her. He sent her a dazzling smile which she returned with a half hearted, fake smile. She was getting tired of pretending this didn't bother and any other time she probably would have snapped. Tonight, however she just reminded herself that the Festival was almost over. A few more hours and she would have to deal with him anymore. For a second she was secretly grateful that Seth and Bracken weren't there, as she was pretty sure one or both of them really would have snapped.

" Good evening Kendra. Might I just say that you look amazing. " Kendra gave him a tight smile and fought the urge to squirm at how uncomfortable his gaze made her feel.

"Thank you," She replied stiffly attempting to turn and move away from him, hoping to get lost in the crowd. Unfortunately, he seemed to have no trouble walking along side her. She could tell he wanted her to return the compliment but, there was no way she was giving him that kind of encouragement. She avoided eye contact, focusing instead on searching the crowd for the Fairy Queen and or one of Bracken's sisters. She hoped that by ignoring him, he would lose interest and leave. Garreth, however, was not deterred by her actions. Instead, Garreth grabbed her arm, none to gently, as she attempted to turn away. He led her off somewhere to the side away from the bustle of the ball. He shattered excitedly the whole way but Kendra couldn't make out the words over her raving thoughts. She wasn't sure what was going on and she wasn't sure how she would be able to gracefully exit the situation. Kendra knew logically, that she was very capable of putting an end to this situation and getting out of it without a scratch. She had done it plenty of times before. People often forgot that , despite her power being centered around light, she was just as dangerous as Seth. She had years of experience and training in her abilities, courtesy of Bracken. And she wasn't bad with a bow either. She had come a long way from relying on a storm of arrows to protect her. In fact her arrows rarely missed their mark. However, right now she didn't have a bow and even if she did, she wouldn't be able to use it. Violence was forrbidden as it would undermine the entire purpose of the Festival of Unity. As well as cause people to question the loyalty of the Fairy Realm. It was definitely not the impression she wanted to leave. Use of her abilities would end and apply much the same way.

Still racing to come with a diplomatic solution, Kendra failed to notice that they had fully exited the ballroom until she was face to face with a large silver door. She could still hear the muffled sounds of the party traveling down the hallway that led to the door. Briefly she wondered if Bracken's sisters noticed her absence, but she quickly.brushed off the thought knowing that there was probably too much going on. She was practically forced into the room which, based on the desk, bookshelf, and scattered documents, seemed to be some kind of study. Garreth had placed himself casually in front of the door and Kendra knew that she would have to figure out a way to trick him into switching their positions. A plan had already began to form in her mind as she said,

" So, have you heard from Eve lately?" Miraculously she was able to keep the shake out of her voice. It was a casual question, one that was technically considered small talk. However, she knew that it would rile him up. Eve had rejected neutrality and joined the Knights of the Dawn with Seth, against the wishes of her family. In normal circumstances, aggravating and goading the enemy was not a good idea but at the moment she really didn't care. She just needed him to move. Not much, just enough so she could casually make her way to the door. This was also a topic that should keep him talking. Meaning it was less likely to realize what she was doing. Garreth played his part well a slight scowl on his face as he replied,

" I have not heard from my sister, since she left home, " There was a short pause before when he talked about her leaving home. Indicating that he had changed his wording at the last minute. He wondered if it had anything to do with Seth.

"Well, from what I gather she is making a very good Knight. I haven't seen her in action, but I know Seth has been rather impressed," The mention of her brother brought another scowl to his face. It was pretty common knowledge, to anyone that knew of the situation, that Lord Dalgorel blamed Seth for quote unquote "corrupting his daughter". She expected him to go off on a rant about the topic, as Lord Dalgorel had many times before, However, this is where her plan began to go wrong.

" I don't really care to know the details of Eve's relationships. I would however like to know about yours," He smiled as he said it but something in his eyes made her squirm.

" Well, Bracken and I got married a few weeks ago. It was the best day of my life and I couldn't be happier," The statement was cheesy, true but cheesy. She could hear Seth complaining in her mind but at least it was something.

" Well, a few weeks is hardly anything to judge next years of your life by. Who knows in a month or so, all of that could change," Kendra flinched as he stepped closer, practically backing her into a corner and halting the slow progress she was making towards the door. She reached her hands behind her fingering the button on her bracelet that would bring Bracken bursting into the room to her rescue. Her fingers hovered over the button but didn’t push it, not yet anyway. She felt bad for bringing Bracken into a problem that she could fix by herself. Besides she couldn’t help but feel a little responsible for this situation. She knew that Bracken and Seth would fiercely refute that statement but, that didn’t stop her from thinking it.

At this point it didn't look as if her plan would work the way she intended. Technically she could do a number of things unfortunately all of those ended in violence. She doubted that, anyone other than her family, would count this as just reason to start a fight. And besides, Garreth would probably be able to explain all of it away. He was close enough now that she could feel his breath on her face. Not liking were this was going and feeling utterly helpless. She reached for her bracelet and smashed to button that would send out a distress signal to Bracken and Seth who had a similar object in the shape of a black ring. Garreth was speaking again but she couldn't here it over the roar of the blood in her ears. She reached inside her gut and felt for the magic she knew pooled there. She gathered it willing it to grow until she felt she would burst with it. She held it the best she could, reading it for use should she need it. She was trying to keep her actions under wraps but she could tell by the way Garreth was squinting his eyes that her aura had brightened as the power built. She readied herself to release it but just before she could give the command, the door slammed open revealing and angry Unicorn and an even angrier Shadow Charmer.

†††††

Walking through the abandoned paths where the Festival took place was unnerving. Bracken's senses were on high alert as he scanned the long shadows cast by the flickering lanterns lining the walkways. The pounding of their footsteps against the.cobblestone sounded deafening in the silence. Out of the corner of his eyes Bracken saw Seth. His shoulders were squared, but not tense, his face the picture of calm. The only thing that gave away his nervousness was the way his right arm, covered by his dark cloak, continued to drift and brush against his hip. If Bracken didn't know what was hidden there, he would have overlooked it but the significance of the gesture was not lost on him. Seth was no longer a young boy who randomly swung around a sword, rushing into battle and hoping for the best. While he still held much of the same reckless spontaneity, he now attacked with deadly precision. Years of training had given him close to unmatchable skills. One flick of his wrist would send his chosen projectile thudding home with devastating results. Of course his knowledge and skill with weapons weren't the only thing that made Seth Sorensen dangerous. His mother had once told him that out of all the Shadow Charmers she had come across over her long life, he was by far the most powerful. Bracken wholeheartedly believed that, having seen it first hand many times in the past. Not for the first time, Bracken was thankful that Seth was on their side.

They walked for about another five minutes before Haldirn stopped in an empty courtyard. There was no one else there, not that they could see anyway. The air was silent apart from their breathing and the rustle of the trees in the wind. Occasionally you would also hear the call of an owl but that was it. If anyone was here then they were doing a very good job of hiding. A suspicion that he had been trying to suppress made itself know in his mind. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Bracken asked,

"Who was it that informed you of the last minute meeting?" The question felt sour in his.mouth and the implications, should his suspicions be right, caused his stomach to churn.

" It was prince Garreth of the Fair Folk your Highness " Haldirn replied, not quite grasping the significance of that statement. Bracken and Seth glanced at each other wide eyed and they were already moving when Seth's ring began to beep. Bracken could feel the alert in his own mind alerting him of the danger. He quickly called out a command for Haldirn to start as search as he broke out in a run, beginning to make his way to the ballroom. He could hear the pound if his and Seth's feet against the cobblestone path. It sound deafening compared to the silence left by the people attending the ball. Bracken slowed slightly as he reached the ballroom, not looking to cause a scene, but still kept up a hurried pace. He felt more that saw the concerned glace of his mother as she saw his panic. Bracken, however, didn't have time to think much about it. He closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind and finding the pull of Kendra's engagement ring, which had been fashioned out of his first horn. It didn't take long for it to lead him through a long hallway and to an ornate door.

Bracken threw open the door and stormed into the room. He didn't take long to survey the situation, he simply noted Garreth's position and reacted. His hands found the collar of his fancy silk tunic and he yanked him back with enough force that Garreth stumbled into the wall and slid down to the floor, looking up at them in fear. Bracken felt the room drop in temperature in response to Seth's anger. And by the way the color drained from Garreth's face, he could feel it too. They stood in silence, both of them struggling not to lunge and attack the prince of the Fair Folk. Technically violence had already occurred when Bracken threw him against the wall but he had been just gentle enough so as not to leave a mark. But only just. Garreth stood up clearing his face of the fear and attempting to regain his previous confidence. Bracken had to admit that he had a decent poker face. though the tremble in his hands gave him away. Bracken tried to avoid looking at Kendra, knowing that seeing her upset would only fuel his fury. Though this approach didn't last long as the waves of panic and distress he felt through their connection, made from both the bracelet and her engagement ring, shattered his resolve. He turned towards her, trusting Seth to keep an eye of the ambassador of the Fair Folk.

Bracken searched her face, he could see any obvious injuries but he could see the way her green eyes began to sparkle with tears that she would refuse to let fall. That was enough to make his blood boil and he found himself standing taller as a blush crept up the back of his neck and along the tips of his ears.

"Take a walk with me ambassador," Bracken said attempting to keep the heat out of his voice even if his words still came out sharp. His tone made it clear that this was not a request. He turned and walked around the gathering hall and toward one of the gardens that surrounded it. He heard that ambassador follow him but refused to turn and look at him as it would only cause him to do something rash.. He hadn't missed the scowl Garreth had sent Kendra as they left ,as he obviously blamed her for the results of the situation ,and it made him want to punch him in his smug looking face. Nevertheless, he schooled his features into his perfect poker face and led Garreth farther into the gardens. There were a few people milling around the extravagant gardens but most of them seemed to steer clear of them, most likely sensing the Fairy Prince's anger. Bracken walked to the back of the garden, where he was met with a hedge wall. This spot was quiet, dark, and gave more than enough privacy. He turned to look at the Prince of the Fair Folk, who looked far less cocky than he did a few minutes ago. He let the tense silence hang in the air a moment longer, enjoying the way it made Garreth squirm before he said,

"Allow me to remind you that harming a member of the royal family, physically or otherwise, is a very serious offense," his hand fell to his left hip searching for a sword that wasn't there and wishing that he had thought to bring a cloak like Seth had. " It would be a shame if the neutrality of the Fair Folk ended at the Festival of Unity. "

"Is that a threat your Highness?" Garreth questioned, a sudden burst of confidence entering his voice.

"Only if you choose to make it one," Bracken said off handedly. He turned his back to the other man and pretended to study one of the flowers that was nearby. The action allowed Bracken some time to regain control over himself and the anger that threatened to boil over.

" Now now, it's not good to make hasty decisions you will regret later," And Garreth had the gall to look back towards the direction in which they had come as he said it. Implying that the statement was directed toward Kendra . Bracken felt something inside him snap as the heat of the anger boiling his blood finally became too much. However, Garreth either didn't sense the shift or didn't care, because he continued before Bracken could say anything. " Of course, you always were known to be a bit quick tempered. You often allow your emotions to cloud you judgement. "

" I have been very diplomatic, very patient, but for some reason you seem to want to try that patience. You want to find my limit. Do you want to know what it will take for me to break? What will cause me to loose my temper?" Bracken asked stalking closer, his words close to a growl. Garreth held his gaze as all of his cocky confidence faded into fear. Bracken slowly pointed toward Kendra, " One tear. That's all it will take. If one tear falls from her eyes tonight I will show you exactly why they call me quick tempered. " And with that he turned and walked back through the garden and into the ballroom.

Bracken smirked as he entered the ballroom and saw Seth eyeing him from where he stood next to Kendra. The young Shadow Charmer must have taken Kendra there after he left with Garreth. Bracken approached the siblings, placed his arm around Kendra and then , looking at Seth, nodded his head toward the gardens. Seth's gaze darkened further and the air around them seemed to drop in temperature once again . The younger man also seemed to grow a little taller and darkness pooled in his chocolate brown eyes, beginning to consume the whites of his eyes. Without a word Seth made his way to the gardens, people parting , giving him a wide berth, as they glanced upon him with fear. Bracken pulled Kendra closer and leaned down to pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. He couldn't help but smirk as a clock struck midnight, letting out a chime an signaling the end to the Festival, even if people would remain until the next morning. The Festival was officially over as were any vows of complete peacefulness. All bets were off now. If Garreth thought he was bad, then he was in for a real surprise when Seth got his hands on him.

And there we go!!!!! This was super fun to write (Though probably not my best work) !!!! I hope it lived up to expectations. I tried really hard but I haven't written in this style for a while so let me know whether or not you like or if you want me to use it more often.

I also want to say a quick thank you to all of you who were patient with me. My personal life is very hectic especially right now so thank you so much for your patience. I love getting to post these and I have a lot of fun doing it but a lot of times life gets in the way of my plans to update.

As always let me know what you think and if their is anything you want to see next!!!!

#fablehaven #dragonwatch #fhdw #kendra sorenson #seth sorenson #brackendra #i tried #i finally finished it

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