A Promise is a Promise

[Brayden Antares]

Forbidden Temple
Endelaan

Technically, Brayden had been on Endelaan for roughly a week. Following a day or so to rest from the journey with [member="Faye Malvern"], the Endelaan Prince had set to purpose attempting to line up all the necessary information for what would prove to be...his most arduous task of recent years. A few weeks prior, the Sith Lord had made something of a...promise to a woman he barely knew. As a rule, Brayden avoided pledging himself to any task or individual.

During conversations with Francesca, Brayden had realized that he harbored a much larger degree of uncertainty than he'd been willing to admit. There were precisely two people alive that could influence the Sith Lord to engage in that which he normally avoided with even the lightest of touches. One of those people was presently resting at Villa Sogno. Faye had rapidly become an integral part of his life, securing a permanent place in his heart. However, this particular journey to the Forbidden Temple had to occur independently. The pain of the separation was very much a physical one as the large Sith lightly patted one of Arash's front legs.

I will be ready to depart for Al-Zeresh at your leisure, My Prince.

Brayden afforded the large dragon a brief smile before stepping towards the Leader of the Ravens and the Captain of the King's Own that were already approaching. As he drifted closer towards the location of his birth, Brayden's thoughts shifted from Faye to his wayward sister. The recent struggle was the attempt to reconcile his sister's obvious choice to do something so drastic to herself with what he thought was best...or wanted. It had not really even occurred to him how selfish his motivations had been until he was departing Krant. Madalena through no actual fault of her own had created an independent life. The obvious compromise was claiming he could transport that particular consciousness into a new body. A feat he passed off as simple but would, in fact, be anything but simple.

Having reached out to Eve upon his return to Endelaan, he'd instructed her to quietly allocate an ideal facility to grow one of his parent's embryos. He did not care whom she required to assist her in the effort, but he did need her to ensure their secrecy. The last thing Brayden actually wanted to do was to give life to something his parents had chosen to create. Allowing any of his brothers and sisters to grow into an actual being should have been a decision that only the King and Queen need make.

First, however, he needed to find an ideal...specimen. "Good Afternoon," Brayden said by way of greeting to the Leader of the Ravens and the Captain of the Guard. "I will be but a few moments. Please save any inquiries for another time." The last thing that Brayden wanted to endure or encourage was this particular visit maintaining any true length. He'd engaged in a number of ceremonial activities during his first trip to Endelaan with Faye. His existence shouldn't have been so much of a surprise to the people of Endelaan, but he was well aware of the love and respect that his parents had engendered among the people.

While Brayden had no problem with the people knowing of his return and thoroughly enjoyed being among them, he could not allow himself to be distracted with the individual direction of Endelaan until he could unite his family. Endelaan was very much its own entity...one that had grown and evolved throughout the years. It would continue to do so while Brayden did his part to unite what remained of the family that brought it to glory on multiple separate occasions. Family meant so much to Brayden because he had lived nearly all of his life without it. It was the only entity you could truly count on and trust in.

Stepping past the sentries that guarded the entrance to his parent's former quarters, Brayden made his way towards the discreet room in the back. After confirming that no further vials had gone missing, the Sith Lord took a seat on the floor. Closing his eyes, he stretched out with the Force and gently reached to the fledgling presences of his would be sisters one-by-one. Though he cared very little for Madalena, Brayden needed the most viable embryo to help ensure success. If nothing else, Brayden detested the notion of failure.

Allowing Arash's own strength and perception to join with his mind, Brayden exhaled deeply as a surge of strength ripped through his being.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Brayden Antares"]

Al-Zeresh, the city of knowledge. Eve had wandered little through it as a child, preferring to spend her times away from duty with her sisters or training on her own. It had always seemed to her to be such a barbaric place. Why did they need science when they could do so much with the Force? Why work with bacta when you could Heal? But she had been wrong. They were about to embark on a new mission now, one that demanded both the Force and the science. One without the other would be completely useless in the endeavor.

It had been a dangerous thing, to find people she could trust in this city. As little a she knew it, she knew the people in it even less. Acquiring contacts had been hard. She'd had to rely on the Force to guide her to degrees that could later prove to be fatal, both to herself and to the Prince of Endelaan, and to a certain extent, to the Princess of Endelaan as well.

To say that she was worried would have been an understatement. Eve was a Seer, a practitioner of the Great Web, accepted to her place within the Council due to her abilities and training. Yet no often how hard she tried, no matter what equipment she used, she could not See into this. She did not know what the result would be. She could not tell who would still be breathing by the end of it. It unbalanced her, and her unbalance had been noted among the Council. By sheer luck she had managed to turn it into a simply loss of focus due to an infatuation with the Prince, and the other Seers assured her that she would be meeting with him today. However, if any of them had checked or had any knowledge of what they were today, they had not let on.

Al-Zeresh was such a strange place. Eve was not accustomed to needing identification to enter anywhere, let alone a building which could be considered governmental. But this tall building, several dozen stories tall, this was the place. It was full of laboratories, and people who experimented. The entire twenty first floor was dedicated to fertility; that was where the scientist of the city conducted their experiments, brought forth by knowledge they had gained regarding embryos and their treatment. There were little pods there in which seed and egg could be grown together, attached by the correct tubes to make the fetus turn into a baby. After that, she was not certain. Accelerated growth was needed, but were they good enough to do that on the planet? And more importantly; was it safe enough for the second woman to be able to live and thrive afterwards, without becoming old too soon?

And there was, of course, the whole matter of the Force. To take a personality created on feigned memories and turn it into an actual person. That part, Eve was struggling with even more. It was not taking the soul of one body into another. It could not even be the splitting of a soul, something that would have been easier to logically construct. In truth, she had no answers and no leads to that.

But she would. She would continue to work hard, to sit for hours in the libraries of both the Forbidden Temple and Al-Zeresh, and find a solution.

Having acquired the needed passes for both herself and the Prince, Eve sat herself down in the café across the street, and waited.

 

[Brayden Antares]

Nareen...had been extremely confused by the summons delivered to her by her mentor a few days ago. The man had assigned her to work with an individual that he refused to name or even really describe. If that was not awkward enough, he gave surprisingly little information on the intent of the procedure until that very morning. Fortunately, secrets had never been a foreign concept to Nareen. As a child, she'd grown up within a city that did not ordinarily produce many of Endelaan's force users. The result was...a definitive stigma against many of the force-wielding inhabitants of Endelaan.

History learned by all children of Endelaan clearly indicated how dire the situation had been in the past. For this reason, Nareen's mother had sent her to train and live within the secluded confines of Al-Moab. It was not until progressing from Magician to Sorceress that Nareen returned to her birthplace of Al-Zeresh. While she had never been the most skilled sorceress, she did find herself taking a liking to the more science-based focus of her hometown. For more than the next decade, Nareen attended classes and worked apprenticeships with her mentor. With her knowledge of the Force, she was able to accomplish a great many feats quicker than others.

Seated in her office reviewing paperwork, Nareen sensed a power washing over the city that, given her sensitivity to the Force, she was only able to recognize as familiar because it was so distinct. It had also happened a few times in recent months. Instinctively, Nareen's blue eyes darted down to the swell of her belly. As if on cue, the presence within stirred slightly at the wash of force energy. Placing a gentle, protective hand over her unborn child, Nareen smiled softly but there was a hint of sadness to her features. It took effectively no time for word to spread as chatter from her assistants outside her office quickly rose from the sight of the massive red dragon out the window.

Sighing, Nareen came to her feet to go and tell the women to get back to work. Yes. The Prince had once again come to Al-Zeresh. Not the Prince I need to speak with...

Nareen would never dream of approaching the son of the King and Queen with a request. It was not her place, and she did not want to bring any attention to herself or her daughter.

----------

In a last minute decision, Brayden had returned to Villa Sogno to collect Faye before transiting to Al-Zeresh. As Arash swept low over the tone to the sound of a deep roar, the Prince's silver-green gaze swept the streets. It took him no time to find Eve, but he wouldn't have needed to see her to know where she was.

Once Arash had landed in a clearing that the people of Al-Zeresh had constructed in the wake of Brayden's first visit on the back of the large beast, Brayden descended to the ground - offering an unnecessary by chivalrous hand to the beauty that was Faye. Offering the woman a smile, Brayden looped his arm with hers and proceeded towards Eve. Eve and Faye had met during Faye's first visit to Endelaan, but it had been brief and largely contractual as she'd met a number of influential figures during the feast at the Forbidden Temple.

As they reached the cafe where Eve waited, Brayden was obviously aware of the eyes that followed them. Several children had actually run up to the pair as they walked. Regardless of the fact that Brayden had indeed visited before, it had still been some time since any of his family had publicly been on the surface of Endelaan so...regularly. "Eve. Thank you so much for this. You of course remember Faye?" Turning slightly, Brayden allowed the two women to greet each other. The vial containing the selected...specimen was placed in one of the large pockets of Brayden's black and silver robes.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"] | [member="Faye Malvern"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Brayden Antares"] & [member="Faye Malvern"]

Not even a blind person would have missed the entrance that the Prince made when he arrived on the back of his dragon. While it was a majestic sight indeed, Eve could not help but wonder why he did so. Endelaan had progressed since the time of his parents; there were vehicles that could bring him there while attracting much less attention from pretty much everyone within sight and beyond. And arriving with him, was his Sorceress; Faye, daughter of- No. Faye Malvern. The first person that Eve had ever seen that was neither of Endelaan or its Royal Family, at least by blood. The woman was impressive, though behind with her Force training by the standards of Endelaan. Still, knowing little about her life, Eve wished both her and them well, and had offered Faye training upon the planet, remaining perfectly polite, warm, and friendly.

As the two got near, Eve tossed a few coins on the table and rose to greet them, offering a smile to them both. "How could I ever forget the first Outsider to walk Endelaan in over seven hundred years?" she smiled with a nod, "It is always an honor to have you here, Faye."

Though she did wish the Prince had alerted her earlier that h would be bringing her along. Securing another pass would take time, and Eve did not know how much of it they actually had. To work the Force to gain entrance would be… Infinitely stupid. But she would find the way. She usually did.

Motioning for the two to follow her, Eve led them into the building. The lobby was big, minimal; receptionists and security people, no real place to sit down. This place was not intended to be friendly or inviting. But that was all right, they did not need either of those. Eve walked up straight to the little door that led to the security's office, motioning for the Prince and Faye to wait a moment. It took her longer than she wanted to before she at last returned, holding a third pass now.

"Floor twenty one," she nodded to the droid as the three stepped into the elevator.

Droids. Eve felt so uncomfortable around them. Why the people of Al-Zeresh insisted on making use of them instead of just building buttons to click was beyond her. Turning to the couple, she tried to give them a reassuring smile. "Once we are in the proper office, we wil have the privacy we need," she said, not knowing if this droid creature could understand from her words what they were up to at all.

At last, the doors opened, and the three could step outside. Locating the office itself was not hard from here.

"Nareen?" Eve asked carefully as she peeked her head into what she hoped was the right place.

 

[Faye Malvern]

Villa Sogno was an endless maze of surprising beauty and intriguing design. On the one and only occurrence that Brayden had personal business to attend to, Faye had taken to pacing the marble corridors. She had pouted some when he told her but could find no reason to argue against it. Begrudgingly, she stood to wave goodbye when he departed. The pain of separation was more unbearable than she had expected. Nothing could keep her mind occupied long enough for her to settle. Every task seemed tedious and dull without his presence. Her only saving grace was exploring the impressive marble structure. For a while now she had been playing a game with herself. Lined up in the corridors and scattered about rooms where decadent paints and sculptures. Trying to put the names from her memory to faces in them before she allowed herself to glance at the inscriptions underneath had provided a small amount of entertainment.

Half way through deciphering one of the massive images scrawled on arches Faye felt a wave of warm rush over her body. To her delight the wait for Brayden's return wasn't as long as he had made out. Turning on the spot, she rushed out through the grand, winding corridors to meet him. The notion of riding Arash was still mildly terrifying, but she was so excited and pleased to see him she simply lifted the skirts of her dress and flung herself onto the dragon. The journey was short, as it often was when you were riding on the back of a giant lizard. Once they had landed she accepted his hand with a dizzying amount of elegance, the colour of her cheeks changing to a deep crimson that matched her dress. Walking anywhere in public with Brayden was always an experience. Everyone seemed to adore him beyond words and Faye delighted in it.

The cafe wasn't far and they soon found themselves greeting one of the strangely beautiful women she'd met when she first arrived. 'Eve, it's lovely to see you again.' Faye said with a smile and a nod in the direction of the raven haired seer. Once the pleasantries had been dispensed the trio strode their way through a large lobby that seemed distinctly unwelcoming in comparison to the rest of Endelaan. There was some inkling of what the whole meeting was about, but instead of being presumptuous she opted to watch, listen and wait.

[member="Brayden Antares"] | [member="Scherezade deWinter"]​

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden allowed the overwhelming majority of the pleasantries to pass by with little more than a smile and a nod. Certainly, the Prince was happy that Eve had things well in hand prior to their arrival. As a result, the amount of time they were required to spend outdoors among the throngs of onlookers in Zeresh had been minimal.

Stepping inside the large edifice, Brayden was...not surprised to find its decor mostly cold and functional. If legend was to be believed, Clan Zeresh had always been a bit...different. That had not changed so much even during the evolutionary phases of Endelaan. In keeping with the progress of most of its previously small villages, Al-Zeresh had transformed into a surprisingly modern hub of science and technology. Despite the advancements of Endelaan, Brayden required Arash close less for the flash of an entry so much as the strength of their bond. It seemed there were, however, daily reminders of the simple fact that not only did Endelaan need to push forward in many ways, it was all too ready for such.

Silence was all that Brayden had to offer Eve as they ascended to the appropriate floor and stepped off the lift. Arriving into a fairly expansive but equally spartan office, Brayden's silver-green gaze fell upon the two assistants in the antechamber. Recognizing the look in their eyes and the...almost awkwardly abrupt motion to come to their feet, Brayden waved a dismissive hand with a smile. "Please stay seated ladies." No sooner had he addressed them than they slowly lowered back into their seats and shifted their gaze to the red-clad beauty neatly tucked against Brayden's body courtesy of a loving arm around her waist.

As Eve stepped forward to directly approach the woman in the room just beyond, Brayden turned his head to lightly kiss [member="Faye Malvern"] on the cheek. His forehead rested against her for a few brief moments until he saw a flash of green fabric out the corner of his eye. Raising his head, Brayden maintained an easy smile. If nothing else, Endelaan seemed to have...a high concentration of attractive people period. However, like Eve, he could tell that Nareen was...not the usual dark-skinned beauty. Silver-green eyes made a quick appraisal of the woman. Eventually, they fell upon the gentle swell of her stomach that was just barely visible in the flowing gown.

However...his eyes lingered as the strength of his presence washed over all those in the room. Faye he knew intimately and could separate her presence from the others. The Serenno beauty was like a constant blanket of warmth that moved and shifted so in sync with his own presence it was hard to tell they were two distinct people in the Force. Eve was familiar to him due to the bond she created to communicate over distance. This Nareen, however, she had a strength...one she seemed to try and mute to some degree? It was an odd thing for someone of Endelaan, but he presumed that perhaps the circumstances of life inside of Al-Zeresh encouraged not to be so in-your-face about her strength. The curiosity, however, was the...somewhat subtle pulsing presence in her womb. Ordinarily it would have felt like...well...just another life, too closely mirrored to the mother that carried it for the other half of its genetic makeup to matter.

Unless, of course, the other half was of relation to Brayden's family; Endelaan's first family. More importantly, he could just barely make out the traits of the Centurion side of the Family of Darkness. Silver-green eyes abruptly shot to Faye, who would have been feeling everything Brayden was feeling already, then to Eve, and then back to Nareen whom had just started to bow. "No, no. You're fine too. What is your name?"

----------

Nareen's bright blue eyes had already focused on the man she'd sensed arriving. In fact, she had known he was coming her way the moment he stepped foot on the lift. It had, at least, enabled her time to prepare her two assistants and herself. The moment she felt the trio entering her outer office, Nareen hefted herself from her desk and stepped to the door to her inner office. One of her hands rested gently underneath the small bump she sported while the other settled just on top, encasing her unborn and currently very active child in a loving embrace. Feeling the shifting and kicking beneath her palms, Nareen could not help but avert her gaze briefly to smile at the young life.

When Eve addressed her, Nareen lifted her gaze. "You must be Eve? I'm sorry I was only given...partial details of this meeting this morning." Feeling the eyes of the Prince upon her, Nareen shifted her gaze and was just about to bow when he beckoned her to remain upright. Managing a soft respectful smile, Nareen managed a polite nod to both the Prince and the woman by his side. She was not of Endelaan, but Nareen could tell there was love and devotion there just the same. The woman was not jealous...she had made several decisions absent coercion or threat. However, she could not deny that she was concerned for the well-being of a child whom did not benefit from the influence of both mother and father, sorceress and warrior. In the end of the day, she was of Endelaan and their beliefs still rang very strong in her being.

The Prince's penetrating gaze did nothing to quiet Nareen's mind. Would he insist on a mate for her? Force her to get rid of the child? Swallowing casually, Nareen decided quite simply to answer the Prince's questions. If the man had designs on controlling her life, he might well find out just how much of a problem she could be. "Nareen, daughter of Uma, daughter of Deborah, of Clan Zeresh, Your Highness." There was hardly a soul on Endelaan that did not know the Prince and even Faye though Nareen had never before seen her. Shifting her gaze to the woman, Nareen posed her own observation. "You must be Faye Malvern. It seems your beauty was very understated."

Finally, Nareen allowed her gaze to travel back to Eve. "How might I be of service to you all? I'm afraid details of the procedure were not conveyed to me." Stepping to the side, Nareen motioned for them all to enter her inner office.
--------

As Nareen ushered them all into her office, Brayden sent but a brief message to Faye and Faye alone. He would rather the knowledge not reach Eve just yet. She carries a child of my family in her womb, but she is not related to me.

There was a brief pause as Brayden cast a subtle smirk at Faye as they stepped forward. I've taken no lovers from this world.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Brayden Antares"] [member="Faye Malvern"]

Eve remained quiet as introduction were made. She had never met Nareen before, but there was no time now to invite her for a cup of coffee. The Seer was more than sufficiently aware of how small her part in this would be; she was here to help draw the lines between the dots, but she would not be an actual dot within this quilt of events.

As the three moved into Nareen's personal office, Eve waited for the doors to close before she spoke. While she had spotted the gentle curve of the belly as well, shedid not know who the father was, nor would she garner a guess. Whether the woman was bonded or not had nothing to do with what they were there for that day,

"Nareen, daughter of Uma, daughter of Deborah, of Clan Zeresh, Lead Scientist," Eve afforded all the courtesies as required. At least when it came to that, Al-Zeresh was not so different from the other cities and villages of Endelaan. "We come to you because we require your aid. There are matters that require scientific involvement, in which the Force cannot help. As you have been told, this operation is to remain discreet. We require the absolute minimum amount of people involved as possible."

It did not matter that she had rehearsed the word these past few weeks over and over again. Now that she was actually there, actually speaking, actually helping the Prince in matters that were of such importance, Eve found herself needing to go over her words again before the spoke them out loud, constantly hoping that she was saying the right thing. She was one of the Council members, yes, but speaking and such direct diplomatic activities were new territory to her. The woman could only hope she was doing it well enough. Anything beyond that would be taken as a bonus.

"There is an… embryo," she explained, "a fertilized egg, saved in a vial. We wish to use your technology to make that embryo become a child, and then an adult, in as little time as possible. And if it possible at all, we need that child to remain a clean slate; no soul may enter it, no person at all, of past or present, especially past. We will handle that part ourselves later with the Force."

Eve knew what Boadicea had done. She also knew how vulnerable such an empty slate would be to someone like Boadicea if she'd had an inkling of it. As all those who were of Endelaan, Eve knew when and where her planet had begun and what the first Warrior King and Sorceress Queen meant. But she could revere them without wishing them back. Endelaan needed to step forward. Maximus and Boadicea… They would only serve to keep it stagnant. Whether the Prince would be the one to take them forward though… Now would not be the time Eve formed an opinion. All she could do was watch, and do her utter best to help.

 

[Brayden Antares]

Once they had all relocated to Nareen's office and the doors sealed behind Nareen as the last to enter, the red-haired scientist casually made her way towards her chair. With care, the Sorceress eased herself into the ergonomic chair. Once she had adjusted in the seat, she folded her hands on top of her desk, blue eyes focusing on Eve as she spoke.

As the member of the Council gave a brief explanation for Nareen's services being requested, the Al-Zeresh native allowed her gaze to shift briefly to the visage of the Prince and Faye. "I...see. My mentor instructed me to honor your wishes as far as discretion was concerned. A team had not yet been assigned to this program just yet because, well, I did not know what I was dealing with." Lightly, Nareen drummed her fingers on top of the table before offering her newest clients a bit of professional insight. "I trust this vial has been stored...properly?"

It was Brayden that spoke next...by virtue of producing the vial. The vial itself looked as if it was fresh from a freezer. It was a very...unusual phenomenon given the fact it had been stored in the pocket of his robes for at least the time he'd been in Al-Zeresh.

Nareen's eyes did not flinch as the focused in on the device in the Prince's hands. Turning one of her own hands palm up on the desk, she politely intoned. "May I?"

With the Force, Brayden floated the vial to the scientist.

Nareen turned the device over in her palm several times, noting that it still appeared to be freezing. Glancing up at the Prince, she arched a curious brow. Turning in her chair, Nareen wheeled over to a small freezer unit just behind her desk. After entering in a code, she opened the door and placed the vial in a rack designed to hold such items. Once she closed the door, it beeped twice indicating the encryption lock had been reactivated. No sooner had that occurred, then she felt the Prince's massive presence recede abruptly. Turning her head, she narrowed her eyes at the man briefly.

What Nareen did not know was that Brayden required Arash with him to draw on the beast's strength to keep the vial at the appropriate temperature. With the vial safely stored in an appropriate device once more, the Prince allowed himself to withdraw from Arash. A soft exhale escaped his lips as he turned to smile briefly at Faye. There was nothing specific in the gaze outside of the fact he found it near impossible to be out of contact for very long.

Doing her best to ignore the Prince's motions, Nareen swallowed and focused her attention on Eve as the child in her womb picked up in activity once more. "Your request is certainly...obtainable. I will have to ask my mentor for assistance, I would think. Much of what you are describing is...theoretical science. In that I mean we have attempted trials of sorts with animals. The initial process is simple enough. We use the genetic material from the embryo to, effectively, grow a body. We've done this with limbs utilizing genetic markers...an entire human body is a bit trickier, time consuming. As for the request of souls, I'm afraid there is little to be done. It is possible to keep the body in a state of suspended animation. No brain or cellular activity to speak of."

Nareen paused for but a moment before concluding her thoughts. "However, the genetics of the embryo will be the human body. The moment we bring it to consciousness...it will have a soul just one ignorant of the galaxy. I project once we've created the body...which can take some time, perhaps a month, it will take another two to accelerate the evolution into adulthood. Have you given thought to a particular age range?"

Brayden responded almost instantly. "Nineteen standard years."

Nareen glanced to the Prince before inclining her head respectfully. "As you wish, Your Highness. How often would you like to be updated as to the progress?"

"When you have finished your preparations, inform me. I would like to meet with the team. Additionally, someone will be on hand to...supervise."

Nareen tilted her head ever so slightly. "Of course, Your Highness. Is there...anything else?" Nareen shifted her gaze between the two Endelaan natives and Faye equally.

Brayden hadn't intended to...bring this up, but it was something he needed to know. Further more, he saw no reason to allow the query to fester. If nothing else, it could well be...a bit of leverage. "You are pregnant. I trust you and the father are looking forward to bringing new life into this galaxy?"

Nareen blinked several times as she openly stared at Brayden. Her heartbeat quickened as her mind drifted back nearly five months ago. It had been but a week...but a memorable week. Nareen had always thirsted for knowledge. One of the biggest draws of knowledge for her were the cultures and species of the greater galaxy. She longed to leave the jeweled shores of Endelaan behind for the stars some day. Enter Aiden. He was, obviously, attractive, but Nareen had seen attractive men before. There had been something...magnetic and exciting about his aura. He seemed to carry the weight of centuries so lightly. To think she may never have even laid eyes upon him had she not elected to go for a walk in the forest that day.

Forcing herself back into the present, Nareen shook her head slightly. "No, Your Highness. I mean... Yes, I am excited."

Brayden arched a curious brow as he sat up just a touch straighter in his chair. "Nareen... I am asking for your help in something very, very important to my family. My entire family. As an impending mother, I'm sure you can understand that level of importance and why this absolutely must remain a secret." Pausing for but a moment, the Sith Lord allowed a thin smile to play across his lips. "I appreciate everything." As the spoken words drifted from his lips to Nareen's ears, Brayden supplemented it with a non-verbal mental communication. I know you carry an heir to the Family of Darkness, Nareen. I know not who the father is, but I'm sure the inability to communicate off this planet has created some amount of...stress. In exchange for your services, I will lighten that burden if you give me but a name.

Nareen managed a pleasant, partially fake smile at the Prince. "You have my word, Your Highness, and thank you for your kind words." For the moment, Nareen remained seated, waiting for the Prince to adjourn the meeting. While she waited, she responded to his telepathic message in kind. I...carry the daughter of Aiden, son of the Warrior Cameron Centurion, of your family's paternal line.

For his part, Brayden did his best not to have a response to the telepathic revelation. There was...a slight change to the reality of his Uncle's birth, but it was hardly important in the moment. Returning Nareen's smile, Brayden gave Faye's hand a squeeze to signal he was about to stand. Immediately thereafter, the Prince came to his feet. "Thank you, Nareen." Turning to Eve, Brayden nodded his head, signaling he was ready to depart when she was.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"] | [member="Faye Malvern"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Brayden Antares"] & [member="Faye Malvern"]

Eve's pale eyes followed the exchange of the vial as it moved from the Prince to Nareen. It was the first time she saw it like that; one vial, detached from the rest, not nestling among hundreds of others that looked exactly like it. She would have been lying to herself had she said it did not feel strange, borderline wrong. It was the Prince who had chosen to do this and not the King or the Queen, who were the rightful parents. How had anyone messed with the vials without feeling the wrongness of it down to their very bones?

Remaining silent, she took note of the sense of the Force, realizing only now why the Prince had flown in with his dragon, and the woman nodded. Next came the explanation. Eve was not certain why it was now subbed as theoretical. Had they not done such things before? Al-Zeresh was the place many couples who wished for children went to for aid with fertility matters but… Oh. That was not exactly the issue here. A certain amount of comprehension dawned on her then.

Eve remained quiet, having no further questions that she wanted to ask in front of Nareen.

"Are you certain you wish to do this here, your Highness?" Eve asked as the trio made their exit from the elevator on the ground floor, " are there not planets more advanced with science and these sort of matters where conducting such a thing would be safer?"

Surely the safety of this child, this potential child of the King and Queen, another Prince or Princess of Endelaan, ought to trump the want to do it here? If there had been more time, she would have recommended that the next time the Prince left the planet, he would take Nareen and the people she recommended to go and study for a few years somewhere else and return with the gained advancements. But… Things were urgent now. They did not have years to wait, if she understood the matters properly.

A few more quick steps were taken. If Brayden answered her, Eve did not hear it as the arrow nestled between her breasts. She looked up in surprise, eyes gazing at the sky between the tall buildings. Two more arrows were shot, one for each of them. She knew the general direction and her hands came up, the lightning already forming in them… And just as quickly, beginning to subside.

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden glanced to Eve with a subtle smile as they began to cross the main lobby of the large structure. "There may well be places with more technological advancement, but the loss in discretion is too great. So to are the measures we would invariably have to take to ensure...compliance with that discretion." As they neared the exit, Brayden lightly placed the hand that was not wrapped around Faye's waist onto Eve's shoulder. "You've done well in acquiring this for us, Eve. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I know my sister will be grateful as well upon her return."

The warmth of the sun was the first thing that Brayden felt as the trio stepped outside. Then...a flicker of something. The Prince recognized it immediately, and it certainly was not his own senses that warned him. The impending attack had been sensed by something older and far more mysteriously powerful than himself. Suddenly, Arash's presence forced its way into Brayden's mind. The sound of the dragon's voice was so intense that he hadn't even been able to hear his own voice yelling Faye's name, "FAYE!"

As if forced by the dragon himself, Brayden whirled away from the arrow meant for his heart with a speed even he could not have managed on his own. Though that particular arrow impacted harmlessly with the glass of the building's entrance, the one meant for Faye planted itself firmly into the Sith Lord's back. Lurching forward, Brayden managed just enough to wrap Faye into a cocoon with just enough space to keep the tip of the arrow from harming her. Despite the pain, Brayden forced a smile that was meant to be reassuring but probably looked a little too pained as he allowed a single finger to brush her cheek. "I-I-I love you." Tanned eyelids slid shut over his bright silver-green orbs.

Arash felt, saw, and could taste the entire spectacle. Further more, he had seen from where the arrows had originated, but the would-be assassins had treated the moment the massive dragon sprang into motion. The ground quaked beneath Arash's form as an angry, aggressive roar ripped through the air. Allowing the strength of his presence to surge through to all three of the two-legs, Arash shifted most of his focus to Faye. When he spoke into her mind, his deep, earthy voice was strong but not overbearing. The woman was familiar with his presence but not in the same way as her lover, and he could very well obliterate her mind were he not careful.

Lady Malvern. We must go. Now.

Arash was already collecting Faye in one massive hand as he stretched out the other, palm up for Faye to try and settle both herself and Brayden.

[member="Faye Malvern"] | [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Faye Malvern]

For a brief moment she was entire lost in the gentle touch of her lover, but his sudden and obvious glance disturbed her sanctuary. The flame haired woman was pleasant enough, Faye returned her comment with a soft smile and a nod of her head. Her gaze quickly settled on the soft slope over her stomach and it didn't escape her notice that Brayden noticed too. Faye followed closely behind Eve as they were guided into Nareen's office. She struggled to hide the half-grin on her face that appeared as Brayden's voice crept over her mind. A secret child? It couldn't have been Brayden's and as far as she was aware Caid had settled himself happily on Malagaar with Cersei. As she slipped from his grasp and took his hand in her own she pressed her own thoughts back. I should hope not. She accompanied this with a playful, but subtle, bump of her hip. I think it's plainly obvious who's it is, unless Caid enjoys infidelity from time to time.

She stuck close, entirely aware that the next subject would be a sensitive one. She worried for the man on her arm. The following few minutes, during the discussion between Eve, Brayden and Nareen, allowed Faye to concentrate on the unspoken emotion in the room. Eve's nerves frayed her own thread by thread, similarly she could feel Nareen's complicated mixture of fear and pride. The unborn child however... Faye had never been in close proximity to one. She had, of course, walked past pregnant women before, but there had never been an opportunity to be close to one. It was a strange sensation, it felt everything and nothing all at the same time. All the emotion of the Mother coursed through it's veins, yet it did not understand. It simply reacted. At the sound of Brayden's question regarding the child, she brought her attention back to the gathering in the small office. Faye found her hand squeezing his gently, the grin returning on her face. So subtle... Her thoughts wrapped around his mind, mixing delightfully with the sound of his voice.

As they stepped out into the fresh air Faye felt herself shoulders tense. After years of running, hiding, waiting and expecting the worst she knew the feeling like the back of her hand. Someone somewhere was doing something they ought not to be. The sensation made her nervous, her empathic abilities heightened to the point where all she could hear was the rush and thunderous thud of blood from her rapidly pumping. Her hand tightened around Brayden's as she turned her head a fraction of an inch to speak. 'Somet-...' In the blink of an eye three arrows had cut through the air to reach their mark. One had missed but the other two had found their mark. She screamed. The pain was blinding. Both Eve's pain and Brayden's ripped through her soul like a hurricane set on a path of death and destruction. Faye cupped Brayden's face in her hand, desperately trying to keep the light in his silver-green eyes. 'No, no, no, no! Don't you dare close your eyes!'

Brayden's final words before passing out echoed in her mind. All of a sudden, as if they were the key to restarting her, instinct kicked in. Defend him, defend yourself. The harsh tone came from her own mind, cutting through all the white noise and confusion. The blue sheen fell from the sky and spread around the trio like a glistening waterfall. The shield would be enough for now, she was skilled enough to keep it up even as the thunderous steps of Arash shook the ground beneath them. His voice followed. She had heard it once or twice before but it still made the edges of her mind swell uncomfortably. With little time to waste and adrenaline pumping through her system Faye nodded her head. Brayden and Eve she dealt with first, setting them both down gently onto Arash's open palm. Brayden will be alright... She spoke quickly to the beast as she settled herself next to the sandy-haired man. She wasn't sure if she was just telling herself that Brayden was okay, or if she actually believed it. But Eve... She needs help. I don't know anything about healing.

[member="Brayden Antares"] | [member="Scherezade deWinter"]​

 

[Brayden Antares]

Arash's voice reached back to Faye but only briefly. The council can aid her, My Lady. Tend to my Prince as best you can in the meantime. In that moment, Faye would feel Arash's presence retreat from her slightly as his massive wings unfurled and launched them all into the air. To Eve, Arash paid a greater share of his attention, infusing her life force with his own to keep her alive. While the denizen of the Forbidden Continent had a great benefit of strength to offer, it was certainly not limitless.

As was the case with anything in life, there was a give and take. While Arash gave more of his strength and energy to the humans, he could not also create the veil of atmospheric comfort necessary for them to stay conscious at higher altitudes. At higher altitudes, the air was thinner and Arash could fly much faster with less effort. However, today he would have to stay relatively low and slosh his way through the thicker air with due haste without exhausting himself completely.

Another forty-five minutes passed before an exhausted Arash began to descend slightly clumsily towards the Forbidden Temple. Having calculated the required descent rate based on distance and speed over the ground, Arash decided to glide in for most of the approach. The brief respite permitted him the necessary time to regain some energy prior to the massive effort it would take to slow down his bulk.

When the dragon was within fifty feet of the ground, he flapped his wings hard several times as he reoriented his body to land on his hind legs. The landing was not overly graceful, but it was very impressive for a such an exhausted creature of his size. If nothing else, it spoke largely to his experience. Carefully, Arash unfurled his massive talons and revealed the unharmed human creatures protected within.

As soon as the dragon had landed, the black and silver robed Captain of the King's Own was already making his way to the courtyard. As usual, he was accompanied by the Leader of the Queen's Ravens. When the pair recognized the Prince, Council member, and the Prince's chosen, they broke out into a light jog. Neither spoke directly to the beast, they knew the law about interacting with creatures from the Forbidden Continent without being spoken to first. Instead, the Captain focused his attention on Faye. "Lady Malvern...what has happened!?"

Before she could even respond, the Captain turned his head to yell back up at men in the Temple. "Inform the healers we are on our way!" Another warrior and sorceress soon emerged to help tend to the wounded, but the Captain himself would help Faye with the Prince.

[member="Faye Malvern"] | [member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Brayden Antares"] & [member="Faye Malvern"]

She could feel the Force at work. She heard the screams, but they sounded so distant, even though she knew words were being yelled right by her. The lightning at Eve's hands had faded, giving nothing but the smallest and most harmless of zaps, but there was no one to give them to. Confused, the Seer brought her hands up, fingers wrapping around the shaft of the arrow that was still poking out of her chest.

Eve had not expected to ever find herself… Part of this. There had been no inkling, nothing in what she had Seen. Certainly, she knew there would be dangers, especially after getting involved. But where was the Force? Why had she not received warning of this? Panic began to wash over her. Panic at having an arrow in the chest, panic at having the taste of blood suddenly fill her mouth. She had some tricks up her sleeve, but the woman was far from being a combatant, and had not received more than the most basic of training regarding how to keep one's wits about themselves in situations such as these.

Pale eyes looked up again, trying to make sense of the situation. Eve tried to think, but her mind had shut. The last thing she saw before her eyes closed was the massive claw of the dragon, and then all was silent.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When Eve opened her eyes, she immediately recognized the ceiling. She was in the Forbidden Temple. She sighed in relief, only now realizing the taste of blood was no longer in her mouth. Moving her head, the Seer saw two slaves on chairs; drained. Their lives for hers, as it should be. She was alive and well, the only thing reminding her of what had occurred being a dull ache in her chest. Nothing that proper sleep and food wouldn't take care of, she was certain.

Her head ever so slightly woozy, Eve carefully got herself off the bed, feeling forward with the Force to see if the Prince and his Sorceress were nearby.

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden and Faye had both been sojourned in one of the rooms frequently used in the distant past for visitors to the Forbidden Temple. This particular suite of rooms had been used by various members of the Nessarose and Diomedes' families in the distant past. However, there was precisely no real indication of that reality. The precise room within which Brayden rested had only been prepared after he had been escorted to a separate location to be mended and healed. As of now, Bacta was not a widespread commodity which Endelaan maintained in any high degree. In fact, the medical facilities onboard Brayden's vessel was likely one of the few present large sources of Bacta currently on the world.

However, a limited stockpile of Bacta did exist for grievous injuries or, in this particular case, injury to someone of very high importance to Endelaan. As a result, Faye would have noted no slaves being utilized in Brayden's care. More importantly, there was a strict desire to avoid the use of intermixing the blood and vitality of a slave with that of the royal family. It was an intriguing point when one considered that one of Brayden's grandfathers had been born of a slave.

Once the arrow had been removed from the Endelaan native's back, his wounds had been cleaned and dressed with bacta patches and a simple compression wrap. By the time that was complete, the room within which the Prince now rested had been cleaned and made-up. The rugs and furniture spoke of a time long past, of the history of Endelaan. Plus pillows rested beneath the Prince's head as eyelids fluttered open to reveal silver-green eyes. Brayden knew better than to immediately bolt upright, but the immediate sight of Faye snuggled against him sound asleep was enough to keep him rooted for eternity.

As a soft smile touched his lips, Brayden gingerly shifted his body to place a soft kiss to her forehead. Slowly, so as not to disturb the sleeping beauty, Brayden gradually inched his way towards the edge of the large bed. Upon reaching the edge, he swung his legs over the side and slowly sat up. There was no real pain as the Prince finally looked down to inspect the bandage on his chest. He could not see the one on his back, but he could certainly feel it there beneath the compression bandage that wrapped around his exposed upper torso. Satisfied he wasn't going to bleed out the moment he got to his feet, Brayden allowed his presence to gradually expand until he could feel Eve.

Memories of the event rushed back to him, but he did not find himself being taken by anger. Instead there was mostly...confusion, concern. Who on Endelaan would have tried to kill the three of them? Why? Both Brayden and Faye had experienced nothing but love and acceptance in all of their trips to Endelaan, and it certainly was not because they stayed within the confines of the Forbidden Temple. Quite to the contrary, they made a purposeful show of seeing the people, speaking to them, getting to know the present status of culture on the planet. There had been questions, yes, but nothing that ever made Brayden genuinely concerned for Faye's life. If he had, would he have necessarily done anything differently? Doubtful. He only ever acted with Faye's best interests in mind, but in the end of the day she was a capable woman.

Flexing the muscles in his hamstrings and quads, Brayden forced himself to his feet. After locating his weapon's belt and sword, Brayden pulled it on out of habit before making his way into the corridor and in the direction of Eve's presence. Eve. Are you ok...?

----------
Al-Aram

Arastos, son of David, son of Arthur, of Al-Zeresh, sat comfortably in a plush leather chair. Though the over-sized piece of furniture seemed to practically swallow the man's medium build, it was dwarfed by the monstrous size of the well-appointed room. Arrayed before Arastos on a variety of sofas and other chairs were the four other members of his cohort. "Your would-be assassins failed, Spiro."

"They hit their mark...well...two of them, but the most important two. How could they have expected the Prince to show up on his massive beast? It's like a virtually limitless supply of energy and strength, and there is no man on this planet foolish enough to directly invoke the fury of a creature from the Forbidden Continent."

Arastos rolled his eyes slowly. "More mystical leanings from days long since past, reigned over by a family long bereft of leadership."

Spiro glanced at the others as he shifted uncomfortably. In the centuries since the disappearance of the King and Queen, these five families had flourished in the expansion of Endelaan's economy. Truthfully, they were key figures in improving Endelaan to what it presently was. Progress had been slow throughout the years, but they were finally hitting a stride when members of the royal family started popping up out of nowhere. No amount of technological advancement had been enough to overcome the massive, pervasive love the people of Endelaan had for the royal family. There was only one solution. They had to be eliminated along with the members of the Council that did not see things in the same way as those in the room. "We already play a dangerous game. Why were they even in that facility?"


Arastos looked to a female in the group, a descendant of Clan Vashti. "Elise?"

"Unknown. As you know, Arastos, the building is dedicated to medical research and innovation. I would suggest you reach out to Dastan."

Arastos rolled his eyes again as he bolted to his feet and walked to a nearby fireplace. Gazing at the flames, the ruggedly built warrior exhaled softly. "Dastan. That man has more secrets than the entirety of the Forbidden Temple. We've funded much of his research and innovation, but can any of you honestly tell me he does not have some kind of overbearing leverage on you?" Slowly, Arastos turned to gaze at the assembled group. They were silent as he'd expected. "That's what I thought. I will reach out to Dastan, but you all must understand the risk we take by continuing to directly involve ourselves with that man."

[member="Scherezade deWinter"] | [member="Faye Malvern"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Brayden Antares"] & [member="Faye Malvern"]

The part of the Temple that Eve was in was unfamiliar to her. She recognized the ore that made the walls, knew the feel of the ground as her bare feet walked on it, but the halls were… Not the ones she knew. The Forbidden Temple was a vast building, and it was known to all that the corridors changed in many parts of it, the changes coming on at random. Some theorized that the Temple was trying to eat some of the people within it. Others supposed it was to protect them. Yet only a tiny portion had actually been mapped properly, and all the areas outside of it… Well, no one had figured a pattern to this day.

Help me, Eve uttered a prayer to the Force, don't let me get lost here… There is work to do…

There had been no reason to place her in any of the unknown parts of the Temple. There were more than enough chambers that were deemed safe, more than enough places to put her, the Prince, and his Sorceress ten times fold. Twenty! Probably more. Eve turned a corner, still not recognizing the halls she was in.

Do not let me get lost in here, she pleaded, pale eyes looking at the ceiling of the Temple, not while I am attempting to help the Prince restore Princess. Not while there are an unknown number of those who are trying to hurt him… Not while there are those of Endelaan who would attempt to wipe the Royal Family…

Another corner turned.

Eve. Are you ok...?

Eve gasped with relief and delight. She could sense the Prince now, not too far away. Another corner, and another one, and she was in a hall that she knew. The Seer knew there would be no point in looking back; the hall she would see behind her would not be the one she had come from. Her steps quickened as she made her way to the Prince, gasping with relief again when she saw that he was up and well.

"I am alive," she said with a nod a smile, "as are you," she added approvingly.

The would-be assassins had not succeeded.

"Protocol would dictate we turn to the Seraphine and let them know what has happened…" she mumbled, "Though perhaps the King's Own would be better to go through first?"

Not for the first time, Eve wished her mother had been alive. Her mother would know what to do, who the suspects are, what to watch out for. Her mother had utterly failed in providing her daughter with the tools to do this easier, and Eve did not know if whatever tools she possessed would be sufficient.

"Perhaps… It would be best if you rode the dragon to the Forbidden Continent, where it is safe for you and your Sorceress."

 

[Brayden Antares]

Brayden sighed briefly with relief. While he couldn't quite consider Eve a friend just yet, he did count her as the one person on Endelaan apart from Faye that he could trust. Still...even with that reality in existence, Brayden knew it was the best policy to keep a plan tucked away to deal with any potential...transgressions. "I am."

Before Brayden could really get another word in, Eve began spouting off about protocols and suggestions for next steps. Eventually, the Prince held up a simple hand. "There is no version of reality where I go and hide while this threat remains unidentified and, as a result, unaddressed." Pausing for a moment, Brayden considered the extent of the situation. While he had not had the pleasure to grow up on Endelaan, he knew a few things about the culture and its people. In order to pull off this type of...action, someone would undoubtedly have to be extremely well motivated. Was the motivation money? A desire to prevent the return of the King and Queen's family? A desire to destroy the monarchy altogether?

There was only one thing that Brayden knew for certain. The responsibility for preventing these such actions rested squarely on the shoulders of the Seraphine in the absence of the Queen or King. Lowering his hand, Brayden motioned for Eve to walk with him. A soldier from the King's Own and a representative of the Ravens had already been positioned to stand sentry outside of the room that Brayden formerly occupied. He was content in the protection they provided to Faye while she slept soundly within the Forbidden Temple. "Notify the Seraphine. I will speak with the Captain of the King's Own and Leader of the Ravens regarding the investigation into the matter."

Slowly, Brayden reached out with his right hand and lightly grasped Eve's shoulder. "Speak with the Council as well. I wish to know if anyone has seen anything regarding this. Until we know what the motivations of these would-be assassins were, we can do very little to address their concerns or find them." Releasing Eve's shoulder, Brayden offered the woman a final nod. "I need to meditate as well. Come find me once you've spoken to the Council."

Turning, Brayden began to retreat back in the direction of the room that Faye was sleeping in. Outside, he paused to speak with the Raven and Warrior standing sentry. "Inform your respective leaders that I need to speak with them most urgently." Disappearing back inside the room, Brayden quietly secured the doors. Taking a seat on the floor at the foot of the bed, the Sith Lord slipped into a state of meditation. Reaching into the ether of the Force, he reached out for the two presences with which he was most familiar outside of Faye.

Aiden, Caid...I require your assistance most urgently. There has been...a complication on Endelaan. Aiden, I have particularly...intriguing news for you. It relates to a woman by the name of Nareen. I imagine you know her quite well...

There was no immediate response. Eventually, however, he heard from Caid first. I am preparing to handle my own...concern on Malagarr. At the resolution of this interaction, Cersei and I shall make all due haste for Endelaan.

Shortly thereafter, the gruff response from the eldest of his Aunts and Uncles was received. Very well, Brayden.

Withdrawing from the Force, Brayden opened his eyes just in time to sense the arrival of the two individuals he had summoned. After coming to his feet, the Prince chanced a brief glance back at Faye's sleeping form. A warm smile played on his lips, allowing the simple appearance of her sleeping soundly to spread through his entire body like a wash of sunlight. Begrudgingly, Brayden turned and exited the room. "Walk with me," was the simple command he gave to the two as he began to explain what had transpired and what he wanted to happen next.

--------
Edom Town

Arastos paced impatiently by the dark waters. There was very little moonlight this night, and it made the environment exceedingly dark. In fact it had a startling similarity to the velvety black of deep space. The sound of an approaching speeder drew Arastos' attention as he fidgeted slightly with his expensive overcoat, smoothing out invisible wrinkles.

The elderly Dastan stepped out of the speeder with a surprising amount of grace. His long black hair contained the occasional streak of silver as he approached the younger businessman. "Arastos. What is it? The idea was not to ever meet in person."

"The Quintus held up their end of the bargain. The question we have is...what was the Prince doing in your building?"

Dastan smiled thinly, appreciated the uncharacteristically direct nature of Arastos. "He took a personal meeting with my Deputy, Nareen. The Prince asked it be private, so I'm unsure what the purpose of the meeting was." That was, of course, a lie. Dastan knew Nareen's true specialty. Her research and notes had been instrumental in the successful implantation of a number of the Queen's fertilized eggs into bodies constructed based on associated genetic material. Unfortunately for Nareen, Dastan had used the funds from the Quintus to fund his own private project that mirrored her efforts. In the end, funding was what caused scientific and medical advancements. As Nareen, ultimately, received none, she never got to see the fruits of her labor.

It did seem, however, that just maybe the freshly returned Prince was becoming...much more aware as to what happened to the embryos.

"Is this something we should be concerned about?"

Dastan shrugged his shoulders as he began to make his way back to his speeder. Prior to climbing back inside, he made only one statement. "Do not contact me again, Arastos. If you do, I will lay waste to all that you hold dear and forever tarnish your family's legacy."

Just like that, the Seraphine was gone.

[member="Scherezade deWinter"] | [member="Faye Malvern"] | [member="Cersei Moirae"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Brayden Antares"]

Eve said nothing at first as the Prince declared that he would not go into hiding. It was pride, foolish pride, that put him in unneeded danger. She was certain that now that some of the plot had been revealed, surely that was enough for the King's Own and the Ravens to handle it while the Prince ensured his own safety? She raked through her memories, attempting to find a single example of anyone on Endelaan attempting to harm the Royal Family, yet all she could come up with was Royal Family against its own members. There was nothing about the people of Endelaan being involved in any way, shape, or form.

This was… New territory. Completely. Sufficiently new to stress the Seer out, even if she made her best attempt to not show it.

Moments later, her orders were clear. Notify the Seraphine, speak with the Council of Seers.

Eve nodded, ignoring the sense of minor warmth that lingered where the Prince had put his hand on her shoulder but a moment ago.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The place where most people dressed the Seraphine had always been in the Main Hall. But Eve could not do that now, not when the Main Hall offered absolutely no privacy, and the matters at hand were so delicate. Yet even as a member of the Council of Seers, she knew she had little leeway into getting all nine of the Serapahine in private.

As such, she did all she could to get the ear of the Ancient One, and the two chose a private and secluded meeting spot on the grounds behind the Temple. It was not perfect, yet it gave both women more possibilities in tracking and locating any potential would be eavesdroppers then they'd otherwise have inside the Temple without risking the unknown corridors.

Eve did not approve of how troubled the Ancient One seemed at the news. Oh, she knew how troubling it actually was, yet this Ancient One, whom she knew barely, seemed to have a hard time keeping her emotions in. Eve had always viewed her as a stiff woman, and to see her show emotional turmoil over this… No. She had to do better. She told her as much.

Verberri agreed, though it took her some time to return to herself. Eve would not let either of them leave the gardens before that happened. By the end, the two had agreed that Verberri would organize a private meeting between Eve and the Seraphine; but it would take at least half a day to set such a thing up, giving Eve ample time to go to the Council of Seers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Eve arrived at the chamber that had been furnished for the Council immediately after her meeting with Verberri. Wordlessly, she took her seat among the Circle, joining hands. They were always stronger when they were joined, arm fasted to arm.

"We must focus," Eve said a moment later, drawing gasps of surprise from the women around her. It was rare that she spoke at all; it was the first time they had seen her assume any form of leadership so openly and plainly, "focus on the Prince. Focus on the Royal Family. Focus on danger. If you have not yet heard, an assassination attempt was made earlier today on the Prince, his Sorceress, and myself. We must see what we can see to uncover anything that could help us locate the culprits."

A few eyes seemed to narrow. Was it disbelief? Was it surprise? Was it cautiousness? Eve did not know. And yet they focused, together.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


It was hours later that Eve left he chamber, utterly exhausted. Nothing. They had found absolutely nothing other than the sense of foreboding danger, hints that more was to come. But a direction, a hint, of that, there was nothing.

Eve paused by the Dining Chamber to grab some food which she nibbled on as she made her way towards where she and the Prince had spoken in private for the first time. She would need to recover soon. It would after nightfall that he Seraphine would meet with her and she needed her energies for that.

I await you where we first spoke, she sent softy to the Prince. Perhaps, if nothing else, she could convince him to leave Endelaan while investigations occurred.

 

[Brayden Antares]

It absolutely was enough for the various entities on Endelaan to handle. However, with the threat unidentified and ultimately unknown, how could Brayden very well place the trust of his home and his people into the hands of others that he, honestly, did not know. If nothing else, Brayden's only current goal was to be a caretaker for the world which his parents had helped to cultivate and advance. Would this likely require sacrifice and adjustments? Absolutely, but he could be neither an agent nor participant in forward progress if he simply ran and hide every time things got a little rough. The Sith Lord was gifted with the memories of his mother. Several times she had been threatened by many entities...never had she elected to run into hiding.

Brayden had no business doing any worse than his blood demanded.

While Eve had spent her time carrying out Brayden's requests, the young Prince occupied himself with assembling his own impromptu advisory council. The Leader of the Ravens and the Captain of the King's Own were understandably troubled by the news. For a brief moment, they seemed to be curious as to his purpose in Al-Zeresh for any length of time. Brayden had responded to their questions calmly but without so much as hinting at the true reason he had been there. Escorted to a command facility on the grounds but not attached to the Forbidden Temple, Brayden was shown a dossier on a number of individuals that had been under observation for one reason or another.

This being the first true briefing he'd had from the two individuals and their direct support staffs, Brayden was almost...shocked at how little he knew about his homeworld and its people in present time. He'd believed that he could truly get a pulse of things by being out among the people as often as possible. To an extent, this had been true, but it only gave him the very basic level of emotional understanding required to continue his pseudo-celebrity status. Given that he'd lead neither military entities nor governments before, Brayden was now realizing how sorely ill-prepared he was for leading an entire planet...especially one as rich in history as Endelaan.

"We haven't noted any sincere efforts at destabilization, but you must understand...for so long the Seraphine have been in control. Let's just say...not all Seraphines are created equal. The most senior of the warriors is Dastan..." The Captain of the King's Own paused momentarily before adding, "As I'm sure you're aware from your recent trip, he is the Chief Scientist in Al-Zeresh."

Brayden kept himself centered in the Force as he listened to the older man. No. Brayden had not known much of anything about Dastan until just this moment. While it was...possible some of the Seraphine were curious as to Brayden's intentions and capability, he did not see why a small coincidence would immediately make the man a suspect. Again, Brayden had yet to even meet with the Seraphine. It had been his intention not to seem to be...grasping at power too soon. "Continue, Captain."

However, it was the Leader of the Ravens that spoke next. "Kimora is the most senior Sorceress other than the Ancient One. In fact, she is much older than Dastan. Neither have been anything but publicly supportive of the policies and procedures set in place by your parents. The only ones that have voiced much desire to make changes are actually the younger, newer Seraphines."

Once more, the Prince nodded his head. "If you've already been keeping tabs on them," which, Brayden now realized, was the primary job of the Ravens and King's Own in the absence of an actual Queen and King to serve, "Then I see no reason to change that. Tell me about the wealthy of Endelaan you mentioned."

"Arastos," the Captain was quick to respond. "He's been very vocal about the desire to see Endelaan rejoin the greater galaxy, throw off the stigma and savage ways of the past. His words, Your Highness."

"He is the only one?"

"He will occasionally get others worked up into a frenzy, but he is neither very powerful himself nor commands the resource of warriors and sorceresses to fight for him. We keep very close tabs on our defensive forces. There has been little to no dissent and those that do not show the utmost loyalty to the Throne are dealt with very swiftly."

"Arastos and his ilk are merely political idealists. They'll rattle their swords against their shields and then mostly fade into the background."

"How did he make his money?"

"Industrial innovation."

For several moments, Brayden was completely silent. "Alright. Let's move one. What else do you have?" For another hour, Brayden listened to the individuals in the room go through every potential threat right down to the emotionally disturbed individuals that seemed to have a fascination with Brayden's family. Naturally, if they were found to be legitimately crazy, they were purged from society. When the briefing was finally down, Brayden ran a hand through his long hair. "Thank you everyone. Continue your surveillance. I will pass further instructions once I am able to meet with a few others."

Returning to the Forbidden Temple, Brayden went to check on Faye. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he realized the woman was still sound asleep. Without disturbing her, the Prince went to get something to eat. Just as he was finishing off his second plate to sate his ravenous hunger, he felt Eve's familiar presence press against his mind. Very well.

On his way to the forest, Brayden stopped by Arash to check on the large beast. Arash stated that he was fine and not hungry, but Brayden could tell the large beast was agitated from staying largely idle for so long. Until Brayden commanded the dragon to go and feed, he refused to leave the immediate area. Watching quietly as the red form faded over the horizon, Brayden exhaled softly. He could already security ramping up around the Forbidden Temple. For a brief moment, he wondered if this was how it had looked in the past during times of war.

After shaking himself from such thoughts, Brayden continued on his way to meet with Eve. In a matter of minutes he had arrived. "Any luck?"

[member="Scherezade deWinter"] | [member="Faye Malvern"]

 

[Nessarose deWinter]

Bare fit hit against the cold cobbles that made the floor of the Forbidden Temple. The woman was out of breath, yet continued to run. She knew these halls, she knew all of them. The ever changing game-like halls had only scared her once in her entire life, and that had been a few days before she slayed the Ancient One who de-facto ruled the planet over seven hundred years before now. These walls and doors had never obeyed her command as a rule, but they did not scare her, had long ago lost the power to put fear in her heart.

The glow of her eyes filled the air around her. At present it was not the gentle or fierce glow that adorned all those of her family who were alive and awake, no, right now; it was as though the green light came from her very eyes, casting its shade and brightness on everything. And still she ran.

Her pale hand slammed against one of the doors and it opened her. The woman entered the dark room that was behind, her feet now not finding any floors, and she fell, fell down and down and down, until she landed back in another corridor. She had not expected any less.

She could feel them. She could feel them all. The two who had been born of her womb, the two who had almost killed her as they made their way into life and existence. They were alive. She could feel the others as well, most of them spread around the galaxy, only the tiniest of numbers still on the planet which was their home and birth right. But she could not feel him. Not right now. Yet it did not matter; they had spent much time apart even when both of them were alive and in this reality. His absence was neither a sign of something wrong or of something right. She sometimes wished she had the childish freedom of awaiting him as she had done several times when they were both so young. But things had since changed. He could never be her sole first priority again, just as she could never be his.

Another corridor, and she was still running. Of all her children, Nessarose deWinter knew who was closest, who she had a chance to reach. Brayden. They'd had a few brief moments before during her respite from the war she and her mother were entangled in. It had been close to a year since the last unnatural shift in it. Truth be told, the Queen of Endelaan, the Sorceress, the Witch of Fhost, the Necromancer, Seer, Beast Master, Cursed by the Arduer and mother to hundreds… All her titles, and she did not know.

She did not know.

There, the final door. She could run out of it, and then only two hundred meters and she could embrace her son.

Nessarose opened the final door and continued to run.

And before anyone knew any better, Nessarose deWinter had vanished into thin air again, nothing lingering behind but a faint smell and a distant scream.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

[member="Brayden Antares"]

Eve has been standing under the tree, waiting for the prince of Endelaan to arrive. It has only been a handful of heartbeats, yet every second seems like a lifetime to the young Seer. Pale eyes stared into the horizon as she waited, having no clue as to what had occurred within the halls of the Forbidden Temple a mere few moments ago. After her little experience with the corridors, she hoped that the Prince would not be stalled on his way to her, for who knew what other dangers would reveal themselves.

When he came into view, Eve gave a sigh of relief. So far so good. It had been Al-Zeresh that they had been attacked in, but there was no telling whether their enemies would stoop as low as to attack anyone within the sacred grounds of the Temple itself. The place between her breasts where the arrow had been nestled still gave off a low-key thud, reminding her that although she was healed and fine now, there had still been a weapon lodged there, an attempt on her life.

And why? Did their enemies know what was going on? Were they merely trying to get rid of the Royal Family and she was nearly taken care of simply because she was in the vicinity?

Forcing her attention to his question, all the Seer could do was shake her head. "If any of the Seers know of a plot, they are hiding it well," she answered truthfully. She had a hope, a small one, that none of them knew anything. But the likelihood… Was not on their side. "We attempted a circle, to join our powers and see if we could find anything, but there was nothing other than a general sense of upcoming danger, too fuzzy and out of focus to be able to pinpoint any specifics down.

Which is why I do believe that there is t least one person among the Circle of Seers that knows something. For us to focus our energies together as such and come up with nothing? That is not very probable. But whoever knows of it must have some very strong weapons or artifacts on their side, to hide so skillfully.

I have also spoken to the Ancient One. I believe her alarm and concern is genuine. She has set up a meeting with the Seraphine, but that is a few hours from now."