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"We are spinning our own fates, good or evil, never to be undone." - William James
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Two brilliant steeds raced from the palace's stables, navigating every possible route to safety. Their riders, under the safety of their cloaks, ducked below low wooden beams and dodged protruding torches in the narrow stone tunnels. The pair were blanketed in pale, grey light as they sped out of the passageways toward the marble outer walls.

"LOWER THE GATE!"

"DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE."

The iron gate began to descend from its holder as guards readied their bows. Arrows flew from the castle's regal stone towers while dozens of armor-ladled bodies filled the courtyard and the rapidly shrinking exit. Their hands reached in attempts to latch onto the fugitives, like ivy clinging to a tree.

Calloused fingers pulled at one of the rider's cloaks, narrowly missing the precious cargo in her arms. The mass of fabric unlatched and flew from its owner, revealing a head of flowing red-tinted golden hair.

The fugitives urged their horses to move faster as they sped under the gate, the spikes just barely grazing the top of the second rider's head. They flew past frightened vendors as they sped from the marketplace outside of the castle and across the stone bridge that connected to the surrounding town.

The chestnut stallions weaved through villagers in the crowded cobblestone streets as the soldiers' shouts grew closer. They tore through the maze of alleyways and backstreets in an attempt to put as much distance between them and the guards as possible.

The two horses galloped past the grand city gates before the ground turned to beaten earth and patches of grass. Civilization faded away as a mountain of emerald loomed in front of them. The riders' views were engulfed in green as ancient trees towered above them. They veered their steeds off of the worn dirt and into the untamed wilderness. Branches jutted out into their path, nicking at their horses and clothes as they ventured deeper into the forest.

In the distance, a rushing river flowed downstream towards a shaded valley where, hidden by thick walls of ivy, a dilapidated cottage sat nestled into a mighty tree. The duo steered their horses down the slope and dismounted them the second they reached the cabin. With one firm pat on their sides, the horses took off into the woods.

The pair hesitantly approached the mossy door and pounded on the worn wood in a varied pattern. The door slowly opened to reveal an older woman with striking amethyst eyes and dirty blonde, greying hair draped in a taupe cloak. She hurried the two inside before locking the thick oak door.

"We haven't much time," the man said, carefully taking off his cloak to not further startle the bundled infant he was holding.

"Is everything ready?" the golden-haired woman asked as she soothed a second crying baby in her arms.

The older woman nodded, her pained smile revealing her dread for the future. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"It isn't safe for them here. She will do everything in her power to find them," the man said.

"I'll give you a moment to say goodbye, then."

The young mother held the baby in her arms closer to her chest, looking at her husband who stared into the hazel eyes of the swaddled newborn encased in his own warm embrace.

The man placed a gentle kiss on the baby's forehead. "Until we meet again, my love."

As the older woman placed an aged basket cushioned with blankets on the rotted table, the dirt floor began to hum.

The young woman's large hazel eyes widened even more as the faint rumbling of hooves reached her ears. "She's coming."

As quickly as they could, the young parents placed the infants into the basket.

The old woman grabbed a pearlescent wand out of her cloak and pointed it at the ground. Light shot from the tip of her crystal wand and sank into the floor. A golden archway then sprouted from the dirt as different bursts of light flew in from various directions and crashed into each other, creating a swirl of colors. She grabbed the wickered basket and looked at the young couple.

The young woman wrapped her in a tight embrace, a single tear escaping from her damp eyes. "Keep them safe," she whispered.

The older woman kissed her cheek before retreating into the archway. The second she and the infants crossed into it, they vanished into thin air, the doorway then closing and fading into nothing.

A shrill neigh sounded from the top of the hill. The man wrapped his beloved into a tight embrace. "You need to hide."

The young woman broke away, her eyes bored into his, tears still flowing down her delicate face. "I can't leave you to fend for yourself against her, she'll show you no mercy."

"She won't kill me."

When his wife protested again, he laid his hands on her shoulders. "One of us needs to be free when they return." He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "I love you," were the only words his tightened throat would allow him to muster. She continued to cry as he led her into an empty cabinet and shut the door.

The man unsheathed his sword when he heard the clanging of armor and footsteps approaching the wooden door.

In a flash, the rotted oak door flew off its hinges and a dozen guards with their own swords drawn barged into the cabin. The sea of knights parted to allow a tall, slim woman shrouded in black to enter.

Her sharp brown eyes scanned over the decaying interior. When her gaze landed on the man, her face morphed into a scowl. "Where are they?"

"You'll never find them," the man seethed, the grip on his sword tightening.

The woman rolled her eyes before taking out a black wand and flicking it at the man. He suddenly flew towards her and was forced to his knees. "I'll give you one more chance—where are they?"

The man did not answer, his sharp jawline going rigid.

The woman sighed as she ran her slim fingers through her long, black hair. In a sudden and swift motion, her palm flew to his face, causing his cheek to erupt in searing pain and turn a bright red. She nodded at one of her guards who roughly brought the man to his feet and forced him outside where his hands were tied behind his back.

The woman in black sauntered out of the cottage but stopped when a small pile of chopped wood caught her eye. She pointed her wand at the pile before uttering a short incantation. Sparks flew from the tip and lit the wood aflame. The fire quickly latched onto the ivy that covered the abode's walls and spread to the thatched roof.

The man's crystal blue eyes widened as the rapid pulsing of his heart resounded in his ears. He struggled against his restraints, his muscles burning against the rope. Strong hands held him back. The man thrashed and kicked to free himself, but the number of hands continued to multiply to contain him.

Supports from inside the cottage began to collapse, shaking the earth like thunder. The flames let out an angry roar as they engulfed every inch of the small abode.

"NO!" the man screamed. His face flushed red with rage as his eyes welled with tears. He struggled even harder against the guards until an agonizing throbbing from his head overtook his senses and his world filled with darkness.

The aging woman stepped out of the archway to find herself on a dimly lit street. Old colonial-style homes lined both sides of the road, white picket fences surrounding them. A clicking sound reverberated from her shoes as she warily walked across the pavement. Warm, damp air filled her lungs as she tightly gripped the basket holding the restless infants.

She continued to walk past the dark, quiet homes until she reached a cul-de-sac with an empty lot still waiting to be built upon. The woman walked onto the dewy grass and breathed in the smell of rain that lingered in the air. With a slim hand, she slid the pearlescent wand out of her robe and pointed it at the ground, murmuring a sweet lullaby to the infants as the magic from the wand seeped into the dirt. From the damp grass rose a small yet comfortable home that fit in with its neighbors, complete with its own fenced-in backyard and towering oak trees.

The older woman's amethyst eyes peered up at the night sky before she raised her wand in the air, a burst of purple light shooting out and exploding high up in the air like a silent firework. The magic dust sprinkled onto the ground for miles all around, solidifying the three's existence on Earth as if they had always been there. With one last glance down the street, the woman walked down a stone path from the street to the house's porch. Reaching for the handle of the scarlet front door, she focused her gaze at the two babies and smiled as they began to drift off to sleep. "Welcome home."

♡ Melody & Rebekah ♡