Welcome to Gaia! ::

I can sense her worry. I wanted to reassure her that we would search for her friends as soon as we could, as long as I showed face here, but I feared that the guards would overhear what I had to say to my…companion.
I could also tell they were curious about her. I introduced her as my friend, but of course the first thing they probably thought was that she was just some woman I had picked up on my way that I fancied. I was a little irritated having to be babysat like this.

I looked to Rakia for solace but was interrupted when I heard sobbing in the distance. The gates were open, and we had just passed under the wall. The horses' hooves clopped on the cobblestone and brick. It wasn't until we neared the interior that I identified the sobbing coming from within the castle. Most likely in one of the great halls. I slid off my horse, helped Rakia off her own before making my way into the castle, without the guards and servants holding me off.

And there it was, the source of the sobbing in one of the great halls, after walking down a short walkway from outside. The room was unnaturally dark red and smelled of iron and meat. I covered my mouth, stepping into the room warily.

"Welcome home, brother!"

The voice brought my attention upwards, where my eyes locked on Stark's abnormally happy face. "And what a sight to see," I murmured quietly, hiding my disturbed expression as I gazed around the room.

Guts. And blood. The intestines and organs of one fellow were strewn about in front of me, it was the closest body near me. The next thing that had brought my attention were the heads. Fashionably on pikes, their faces of anguish were disgusting, I had to look away quickly. The women weren't spared. They were probably the worst to be mutilated, parts of their clothes shredded and their bodies mangled.

"Did you do this?" I asked, my voice ringing out as I looked upon the mess. But Stark's attention was no longer on me, but on Rakia. I looked to her before moving in front of her and giving my brother a hardy glare.

He seemed to be intimidated, and quickly lost interest in her. I waited for my answer.

There was one woman in the corner of the room, her clothes stained with a brownish bloody color and her face red from crying. Her hands covered her head in fear. She was the source of the sobbing and was quite loud. Her sobs made it hard to think; if it weren't for the state of the room, I would have urged the head maid, Gilda, to quiet her.

Upon Rakia's leave, Stark's tone of voice shifted to a more aggressive tone. I was used to Stark's…instability, but this was uncalled for.

"Was that your whore you dare to bring home?" Stark began to pace around now like a shark, eying me with his green eyes. I stared back at him, never one to like being bullied into submission. So I stood my ground.

"What would Sansa say?" He said. "You mean mother," I corrected. "And where is Indra? He allowed you to do this?"

Stark grinned. "Indra can't be bothered," he sneered snidely.

I looked to the girl, who continued to sob. "Gilda!" I called. I could no longer take her sobbing. I knelt to the closest body, the one who's intestines strewn about the floor and rolled his body over to check for identification. Everyone in the palace had identification pendants. Upon seeing none, I looked to faces, scanning their features. I frowned.

Gilda, an elderly woman walked in with a solemn face. She must've known what had happened in here, but she held a certain authority about her despite her servitude. "Tend to the young woman over there." I said. I wanted to hear it from my brother rather than the maid.
The maid took the sobbing maiden from her corner and led her out of the room, her sobs fading away in the distance.

"These are-"

"Jania's ambassadors. Poor fellows. Word travels fast Ren. I know that girl is no whore."

This stricken me with alarm. So he knew, and insulted her anyways. By this point, I understood what had happened. The two ambassadors and their families paid for their lives for Baldur's selfishness. And Stark…Stark was an idiot.

"Clean this up. I don't want to see or smell a drop of death in this hall," I muttered with disgust and turned my back on him.

"But, ah, my brother," Stark warned, "You have little power over me. Just because you are older does not give you any authority over me, especially when you leave when you please."

I squeezed my fist, but held back my tongue. Instead, I reciprocated a warning. "I'll tell Cathril." I knew then that he would do what I said. His admiration, if you would call it that, for our sister was great, and I used it often if I had to reason with Stark. With that, I left the hall with disgust. I found Rakia easily, after asking a maid where she had left to.

"Rakia, I'm so sorry. Stark is a bit…mad. But he is all we have to worry about. We'll go to the east tower, where my main residency is. No one will bother us there and we'll figure out what we'll do once we're there."

I looked down at her feet. A bloody mess, they were. I looked back up at her. "You don't have to say please. We do have a medicinal wing, but I won't take you there. We'll go straight to my place and I'll call for a doctor instead. Wandering so freely is not advised in these halls."

I paused. "It's why I leave so often." I stepped back, noticing she was tired. "I can carry you if you can't make it," I murmured after another moment. I would proceed to carry her if she complied, and if not, I lent her a helping hand. The east tower was around the bend. My quarters were there, as well as everything else I needed. It was like my own personal living space.

You would think I would stay there forever instead of running away so often, but I couldn't stand holing myself up anywhere even if it were paradise.

I took her to the east, down a curved hall splashed with colors of emerald. My annex was down the hall, which continued on into another curve. The palace was circular, so it was hard to get lost.
I entered two golden double doors, engraved intricately in carvings of animals and trees.

My annex had a lounge and tea room. It was where I took guests and relaxed to study. There was a fireplace and a crimson rug. The lounges were a deep cobalt, matching the long drapes that were pulled back to reveal the long bay windows that dripped in a bright light. The annex was bright; perfect for reading to be done in that room. There were two bookshelves of books, many of which were atlases, fables, and scientific books. I was a picky reader, so there were only particularly selected books on the shelves. There were two portraits on the walls, and those were the only decorations about the room.

One of which featured three males, including myself, and two females. The painting was of my siblings. Indra was the eldest brother, taking after mother. His hair was a chestnut color and very long. He had facial hair when he didn't tend to it, but for this portrait he looked very neat. His eyes were like mine, a blue that was taken after my father. My appearance didn't change much from the portrait, other than the fact that my hair was longer now. I had to tie it back on occasion. I looked more like father than Indra. The third oldest was Cathril, who was like an exact replica of mother. Her sepia hair was long, but was put up for this portrait. Her viridescent eyes showed a blankness, but Cathril was like that. Stark was next, who had very short light hair with green eyes like mother's. He had features of both our parents. The youngest, Guinevere also had light hair, like father's, that waved down her side and green eye's like mothers and shared features with both of them.
The second portrait was of my parents. My father had light hair with a well maintained beard. I often teased him about it, saying how he couldn't handle his own hair and had to get a barber to do it for him. His eyes were of a similar blue as mine, his holding kindness and understanding. His first name was Izana, which meant he who calmed others. My mother's name was Sansa, and was to his right, rather lovely in this portrait. Her cheeks were rosy, her wavy mahogany brown hair falling down her back and around her face. She had green eyes, ones that told her life story. She was a horrible liar; all one had to do was look into her eyes.

There was a staircase on the opposite side that would go up to my bedroom and even higher up to the lavish washroom.

I dropped Rakia on one of the armchairs. A maid who was dusting the fireplace noticed Rakia. I lifted my hand, before she said anything. "Go get Garrack, and if she isn't in, go get her assistant, Torou. Oh, and fetch food and drink for my friend and myself."

Despite my questionable stay here, I was used to ordering people around. I didn't like to, but I was used to it. I turned my attention to Rakia, kneeling by her legs to inspect her feet. "Let's not stay long? Not that I trust you, but who knows? Our treasury may already be gone as we speak." I joked. I hoped that she was would laugh at my horrible joke.

I looked at her thoroughly, searching her face with my scanning gaze before sighing and rocked on my heels. "For now, we'll head to the ports at the end of Wisteria Forests. We can't exactly go marching back into Baldur, but we can be very near it, at least. The ports are popular for trading and for thieves. We may catch word of your friends--"

I was cut off, the door opening behind me. It was Torou, a young man with dark hair and glasses. He bowed sharply, always one to be very polite, even when I asked him to not be so cordial towards me. "Miss Garrack is in the middle of some pharmacy research so she sent me in her place. I understand you need medical assistance?" He asked. I eyed him before moving aside to show Rakia's feet. "Tend to her, please?" I crossed my arms. "And Torou," I said. He stiffened as I said his name, "Keep this a secret?" He nodded slowly; he seemed to understand. He wasn't stupid if he was Garrack's apprentice.

Torou moved to Rakia. He hesitated in touching her, looking to her expression to see if he should proceed before examining her feet. He then went through his little box of medical supplies and pulled out various items, some of which he was about to use to clean her feet with.

Torou didn't speak to Rakia. The door opened again and the young maid who was dusting had brought a silver tray. She uncovered food and tea that helped with fatigue. She bowed, awaiting my order. I nodded her off, and she left before watching Torou work on Rakia's feet. "Does it hurt?" I asked in a softer voice, slightly concerned, before I picked up a dinner roll and ripped it apart with my mouth. I offered Rakia her tea before sitting back, feasting. It was good to hunt, but I did miss the luxury of good food.

I raised a brow, but continued to pick at the platter of food before I said anything at all. "You are a dancer, after all," I commented. "Supposedly," I added, though I said this under my breath; I said this rather jokingly, especially because our relationship was built fairly on a few lies. Torou kept his head down, working to thoroughly clean and bandage her feet. I leaned back, crossing my legs. "We'll have to get you new shoes," I murmured. I wiped my mouth and licked my lips, the taste of braised meat on my tongue still. I looked at her when she didn't notice, though I didn't mean for this to look so tender. Torou seemed to mistake my gaze of interest as such, and looked back down with a light blush. He had never been around women much, especially as a pharmacist's apprentice, with the exception of Garrack. But Garrack was something more of a crude but reliable and intelligent drunk.

"I've finished with your escort's feet, sir."

I rubbed my chin. I supposed it was best that they though she was a woman I was currently favoring; it prevented them from imploring further upon our relationship. My lips curled in a smile and I got up as Torou stood. "I'll send you and Garrack some wine for your good work." Torou gathered his supplies and I walked him out, before closing the double doors behind me.