• Come and Find Me by Josh Ritter •

A sharp purr from her cat made Larimar rush towards the bedroom - her hair in a towel and wearing nothing from the neck down.

As she stepped into her sleeping room, she realized why her cat had been calling to her. But she was a moment late at the realization, and at that moment, the other figure in her room let their eyes rove over her body one full time before turning away.

Larimar gasped and rushed back into the private bathroom. Her cat followed her steps, and took refuge behind her legs.

"My apologies, High Princess Larimar." It was the voice of an unfamiliar woman. "I'm... I...didn't realize you'd be in the bath at this hour. I'm Jade...from Jahima. Could you please come with me for a moment? Please?"

Jade. From Jahima.

Queen Jade? The one who revolted against her father and took away the woodside realm from under his control? The one Larimar had read dozens of books about, and always wondered what kind of a person she might be?

Larimar covered her mouth in astonishment. What could she possibly be doing here at this hour? What did she want with her?

"And why would I?" Jade heard her ask. The young Queen's cheeks were flushed red from the encounter, hot from seeing the Princess nude. And hot from the stagnant air in the room.

She sighed. "You'd probably not want to come with me if I tell you."

"Then, that should be the end of the conversation, no?" Larimar returned, trying to sound antagonizing.

Jade smiled a little. She knew the pretense of a heavier voice, and the swift yet nervous uttering of several words at once. She'd done that herself before.

"There's a...battle going on in the front yard of your home, Princess," Jade informed.

"A battle? Between whom?"

"Your aunt Sillia and I had come here to... umm... assassinate your father. But we discovered that somebody had snitched and he was ready for us with...his soldiers."

"Wait, wait, wait! You're telling me, you came here to assassinate my father? And now you want me to just come with you? If you want me to walk into a trap, at least don't make it this obvious." Larimar giggled, feeling the faintest tremors of power from making a snarky remark.

The warrior Queen felt a heaving tightness around her chest. "Princess, I'm not here to hurt you. Some of my troops had gotten inside the castle on Sillia's orders to capture your ministers, family, and yourself. I'm here to...and, you may not believe me, but I'm here to prevent that. Please come with me."

Lari didn't reply for a few moments, calculating the pros and cons inside her head, trying to figure out whether she was being lied to. Mewton was near her feet, on her four paws, her tail alert and unwavering, her tricolored fur standing on her neck. She was not purring anymore.

"Is it done?" Larimar finally asked, her enunciation shaken, her bottom lip between her teeth, "is he... RR gone?"

Jade weighed the question in her mind before answering. What did the Princess want to hear?

"Sillia took responsibility for it. I had to come to find you."

Larimar sighed and took the towel off her hair, letting the damp strands fall past her shoulders, before wrapping it around her bust and walking out. Jade turned to look away again, giving her as much privacy as was possible at the moment.

"How did you find my quarters?" Larimar asked again. "You're not supposed to know the layout of the palace."

"I was lucky," Jade returned, touching the cut on her cheek. The warmth of the room irritated it. "I met a kind, old man on my way and he recognized me. I told him the circumstances and he showed me to your quarters."

"An old man?" Lari kept the Queen busy with conversation as she nimbly put on the silk night robe her handmaiden had set out for her.

Although it was always cold in Eira, the Princess only ever felt it on her tours around the castle and during her archery practices. She mostly stayed confined to her quarters, the walls of which were especially maneuvered to have the water from a nearby hot spring run through them. And on especially frigid days, her handmaiden lit up the fireplace to help her stay warm.

Larimar tossed her towel into a straw basket and walked past her companion towards the main door of her room. "Princess, it's dangerous outside," Jade warned, following her, but she didn't listen. She opened the doors and as she had expected, her tutor was pacing outside.

"Professor," she called out. "Come inside. It's dangerous out there...apparently."

The old man hurried inside, his long silvery hair flying behind him ans immediately rolled up the bell sleeves of his maester's suit, making Jade envious of his wardrobe.

Larimar bolted the door and turned to Jade, waiting for her to speak, but the Maester beat her to it.

"Your Majesty," he said, addressing the young Queen. "You told me there are your troops in the castle, who have come in to take the ministers and the Empress? But for as long as I was out there, I didn't see anybody."

"Maybe they went in a different direction first?" Jade concluded. That got the Professor thinking.

He said, "but the living quarters are all on this side of the castle."

"Maybe they didn't figure it out yet. Anyway, we should hurry," Jade was beyond exasperated. "We should at least get the Empress and the Princess out of here, and I can come back to lead my troops out. If..."

Her eyes darted up to meet Larimar's before she continued, "if Sillia has been able to go through with the...assassination, then we'll have no reason to stay here any longer."

"It is true." The Maester hummed. "As soon as the news of the Emperor's demise spreads, the realms would be driven into chaos. The wardens will take over, while others might try to snatch their seats. You have thought of the consequences, am I right, Your Majesty?"

Jade stayed silent, tight-lipped, confining her gaze to the floor. She had only thought about avenging her mother.

It's to avenge your mother and all the people who fell prey to Laz's selfishness, Sillia had said. And Jade had agreed, failing to see the bigger picture.

"Aunt Sillia is her advisor," Princess Larimar pointed out. "What do you expect, Professor?"

"I think..." Jade stammered. "We should collect the Empress and get out of the castle first." The others nodded.

"Missy, Missy, come on," Larimar was quick to call out to her cat who came trotting towards her and jumped into her arms.

Queen Jade took one look at them, before saying, "I'm sure the cat would have been fine here, Princess."

Until this moment, the two women hadn't had a chance to properly look at each other. The candlelit room didn't do either of them justice but for the moment, it was enough.

Jade was sure the One True Princess of the mortal realm, the beauty from the snowside kingdom, would not remember their one chance meeting before this night. And she was correct.

Larimar looked at her like she was a stranger, albeit quite taken aback by her grace. Jade was a warrior queen to the truest core of the phrase - her beautiful auburn hair was tied intricately, messed a little from the fight, and a long plait hung from the base of her cranium. Her cheekbones were high and mighty, eyebrows prominently filled. The bruise had stopped bleeding, but it didn't avoid the Princess's scrutiny.

Jade had a beautiful blunt nose that could probably smell an enemy from a mile away if her sage green eyes hadn't already seen them. Her attire was that of a righteous fighter - a black titanium breastplate over what seemed in the dim light to be a viridian vest, tight at the arms, showing off her strong muscles, and her pants were leather and rigid, perfect for combat.

"She's my familiar, I'm not leaving her alone," Larimar replied, letting the cat perch upon her shoulder. She was exactly how Jade remembered her from twelve years ago when they had first met, just a little older.

Her face was still soft, round, glowing from the recent bath, and the care she had received in her royal abode. Her eyes were wide, pupils for some reason eternally dilated, blue irises striking in comparison to her dark skin and hair. She smelled of tangerines, making the Queen realize her hunger.

Larimar's nose was sharp, but only ever made to inhale the delicate aroma of a gourmet kitchen, scented satin, and perfumed soap. Her handmaidens had diligently chosen for her a nightgown that matched the colors of her dynasty's flag - a pastel blue, with a pattern of lace on the borders of her sleeves, and a front that cut till her center.

"Okay," Jade nodded, watching her drape a coat with thick fur around the neck. "Let's go then."

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