Arieon Flare

Perhaps it is a twin thing how both Ashton and I yawn at the same time because of the lack of sleep. We had to stay up all night inspecting gaurd's shifts and alternative exit routes to aid in Ashton's escape.

Our previous plan of running like hell and burning everyone and everything in our path was not the perfect one. Knowing the Lone Shadow, Ashton would probably be labeled a deserter, and if they honor their word as we do, they will not go after her.

The Shadows claim that everyone here have come by their own free will. Chosing between conscription or labor and a rebel group othed to make the wanderer lives better would not be a hard decision.

Ashton's presence is a constant reminder that she will not be there tomorrow. The thought is so disturbing that I almost do not notice Luca approach us at our table. He narrows his eyes at our untouched breakfast plates but decided not to ask about it.

"Colonel Agnor ordered us to meet him in the command room. It feels like the old man wants to maintain the suspense by not telling us the reason." Luca rolls his eyes clearly annoyed. Father used to do that too. He had chuckled and said that he would tell me the reason after my coronation. I guess I will never know.

~~♡~~

If Ashton is right when she says I am always correct in what I say, dinosaurs must have a terrible sense of direction.

I can not be at fault when I compared her to a headless dinosaur, and I would not want to call the future queen a liar. We had been to the command room yesterday and yet she does not remember the way.

"We have to go left, right?" she asks.

I chuckle quietly wondering if she even remember our home as she has been away for so long. "Straight ahed, Ash." She rolls her eyes but smiles anyway.

At the end of the corridor, we push the iron door open to find Leona, Luca and Katrin already waiting for us inside. Colonel leans against one of the desks at the center while the poor guy on the right is still sorting out papers.

"Everyone is here. Now what went wrong Colonel?" Leona asks. Ashton joins them at the center of the room but I just lean against the wall again.

"There was an announcement from his royal highness." he sneers. His words dripping with venom. "We have tried to keep it under wraps about how much of a failure you were Captain, but I fear the Lone Shadow may wither with this information."

Leona barely flinches at his words, perhaps she is used to it like I was to Mother's dissapointment in Ashton and I. Colonel walks over to the blonde haired man with dark amber eyes sitting at one of the chairs on our left and nods at the screens. The man quickly punches a few buttons and Axel's face appears on screen.

By my flame, he still looks young. Court had not been kind for Ashton or me. We lived among vultures, who were waiting for the moment we falter to take our crowns. Ashton thinks we were made to be weapons so we could be controlled. But perhaps our ancestors knew that vultures would fear only weapons, I can not say.

Axel wears no crown, his once messy brown hair now perfectly sits in place. His simple black suit is a sign of mourning but when it is combined with the fiery red cape, it looks nothing but intimidating. Lady Melody, my betrothed, stands beside him, a gloved hand on his shoulder.

Axel is not a weapon they fear. He is a weapon they believe they can control. A muscle in his cheek twitches as he begins to speak, "With the death of King Viceroy Flare and Queen Ara Delroy of House Drecats, I, Axel Flare swear to uphold the crown myself."

He looks towards Melody before he continues, "I am aware of my... age inconvenience. Hence I have appointment, Lady Melody Dalton of House Metallica to be the Reagent and assist me through the courtly procedures."

His voice does not waver, nor does his eyes show any sign of weakness. Mother and Father trained us too well for that. But I can not help but feel protective of my little brother. Melody's hand on his shoulder do little to calm me down. She is a daughter of steel who can kill him in the blink of an eye.

I watch him grit his teeth before saying the next part, "We are still clearing the debris at the castle. The electrical malfunction which caused the blast has already taken much from Evercrest, I refuse to let it affect us anymore.

The Flare twins are missing, presumed dead. If not, they are traitors for abandoning the country. Catch them, dead or alive and to receive the gratitude of your future king."

His fists start to curl in but the camera cuts off before he says anything else. We look towards the colonel, waiting for him to speak. Ashton does not meet my eyes. Why would she? This is the second time we are failing to protect the last living member or our family.

Leona scoffs, speaking before the Colonel can. "The boy king is barely eight. And the Regent is a teenage girl thinking too much of herself. I'd say the kingdom is already crumbling, we just need to crush it whole."

"He's thirteen actually." I speaks up, "Can't really forget the number of times I watched nobles trying to get in the good graces of the late king and queen on his birthdays. The only entertainment we had really."

An easy lie, because it is mostly true. I can not count the number of times nobels tried to impress us with gifts and words. We accepted them gracefully of course, but they did not receive more than an ounce of our parents attention. Colonel just nods, I have not met him since yesterday when Leona all but introduced me as their strategist.

Colonel Agnor's face shows a rare smirk when he finally speaks. "They put out our attack as an electrical malfunction. Let's return the favor by finally putting out the reign of Flares."