One morning, Briar awoke to find the castle even more busy. She tried asking one of the servants, but they were moving too fast to hear. They all seemed to have something on their minds too. What's going on, Briar wondered. She decided to go to her mothers’ room and found that it was where most of the servants were going. She furrowed her brows and went to go in when a servant stopped her.
“Briar! You shouldn't go in there right now. Why don't we go down the feast hall and get breakfast?” Briar recognized the servant as Emma.
“Uh, alright I guess. But what's going on?” Briar asked as she followed Emma to the feast hall.
“I shouldn't say. Your mother would get mad. Wait for her to tell you.” Emma said, biting her lip. “Now, sit down, I'll go get you some food.”
As Briar sat down, she wondered several things at once. Why can't she go to her mothers’ room? Why is Emma acting so secretive? What's for breakfast?
“Here you go. Strawberry cheesecake pancakes with eggs and bacon. And your favorite, hot chocolate.” Emma said, setting the sweet smelling plate and cup down before heading back in the direction of Briar’s mothers’ room.
“Emma, could you stay here please? I don't want to be alone.” Briar called out to Emma suddenly feeling very alone in the big hall.
A few minutes later, Briar had finished her food and was slowly drinking her hot chocolate when Tinley entered. Emma stood quickly and bowed, before heading into the kitchen with Briar’s plate. Tinley crossed the room quickly, signs of tears on her face. She sat down in the chair next to Briar and held her hand.
“Briar. You’ve noticed how the castle has been..busier than normal?” Tinley asked, searching for the right word.
“Mhm” the Briar said before taking another sip of her drink.
“Well, the reason is…your mom Cloud…” Tinley paused, closing her eyes to hold back tears before continuing, “She’s gone missing. I woke up this morning and she wasn't there but I thought she just woke up early. But I couldn't find her anywhere and none of the servants had seen her. However, the window in our room was open and we never ever open it. So we are suspecting someone cast a spell to make everyone sleep longer and took her. Why, I cannot say.”
Briar just listened in stunned silence, not even lifting her hot cocoa to drink. A few tears fell down her face before turning to many. She hugged Tinley tight, both crying at the disappearance of Cloud.
A few moments later a servant, Eve, Briar remembered when she was hired, came in. she bowed as she entered and walked up to them. Briar and Tinley lifted their heads and wiped their tears.
“Yes?” Tinley asked
“They have found something you might want to see, Mrs Tinley.” Eve informed her.
“Tell them I'll be right there.” Tinley said, nodding to Eve who then exited the room, “Briar, would you like to come along?”
“Yes, if that's alright.” Briar responded.
“Alright, let's go.”
A few minutes later they stood in Cloud and Tinley’s room. Most of the servants had left the room, so it was just Emma, Briar, Tinley, and the detective they had hired almost immediately after they realized Cloud was missing.
“Your majesty. Your highness.” the detective said, bowing to both in turn, “We have found evidence of a spell. And the captor left something, a piece of cloth.”
“Will you be able to identify who it was with it?” Tinley asked.
“We are not sure. I've sent it back to my co-workers to examine. But we found something else.” The detective led them to the window, where a paper was sitting just below. On it, it seemed someone wrote the words in a panic and hurry:
Hlp me. They have tkn me to th marshmallow moo
It ended there. Tinley and Briar recognized it as Cloud’s handwriting. They thought Cloud had awoken shortly after having been taken. She likely then found a Peep to deliver it to the palace.
“Oh..” Tinley squeaked as she fell to her knees.
“I-isnt marshmallow moors the…most dangerous place in Candia?” Briar stammered, her eyes widened as Emma and the detective nodded, “N-no. M-mom c-cant be there…”
“I guess there’s only one thing to do.” Tinley said.
“W-what?” Briar faced her mother.
“Send soldiers to Marshmallow Moors.”
“But mom! Remember I was the one who found Luna?” Briar complained.
“NO! It's simply too dangerous for you Briar” Tinley said, refusing to let Briar go.
“But-” Briar broke off as Tinley stormed out of the room.
“No buts! This is final!”
Briar sighed then grabbed her favorite book about a faraway place called Tar. She sat down at her window, opening her book to the first page. She also grabbed her headphones and put them in, listening to music to help her calm down. A few moments later she had an idea.
She snuck down to the armory and picked up a dagger. She found a dummy in the far corner to practice with. After several hits, she cast a spell that made the dummy come to life. This offered her better practice since the dummy would now try to dodge and attack her. After using the dagger for an hour, she picked up a rapier. It felt light in her hand and she tried a few practice swings, the blade seemed to hum as it flew through the air.
“This is awesome!” she grinned.
She continued practicing until she remembered she would need to be used to armor to help her plan. So, she trudged over to the armor stands and searched for a small set. She found one and put it on piece by piece, till she had it all on. She practiced walking, taking it off, and putting it back on till she looked out the window and saw it getting dark. Oh no! Briar panicked; I'm going to be late for dinner with the rulers of Exotia.
She hurried to her room to change, grabbing the big poofy dress from the closet. She sighed then squeezed into it. She tied it as tight as she could bear, knowing it would only be tied tighter by her maid. She was proved correct when Eve, her maid, entered her room.
“Princess Briar. I know you don't like it tight, but it is protocol.” Eve said, undoing the strings and quickly tying them again.
“I know…it's just so uncomfortable.” Briar sighed.
“Well, hurry. The Exotia rulers are almost here.” Eve said, stepping back to allow Briar to hurry to the front gates.
“Briar! Where were you?” Tinley said with a low voice.
“I'm sorry mother. I was trying to tie my dress.” Briar muttered then stood straight as she saw the Exotia rulers’ carriage.
Tinley and Margaret, the Exotia queen, hugged each other in greeting. Alexander and Exavier, the two princes, came up and said hello to Briar, standing awkwardly beside her, obviously uncomfortable in their formal wear as well. The king, Kallo, shook Tinley’s hand and asked:
“Where is Her majesty, Cloud?”
“She is not feeling well so she won't be joining us this evening.” Tinley lied.
Briar was filled with anger, but kept her face neutral. Why did her mom lie?! Why not tell them the truth?! She clenched her fists then unclenched them as they headed inside the palace towards the Feast Hall. They had three courses before dessert. Throughout the night, the two princes and Briar kept quiet and still even though they were bored. By the end of the night, Tinley and Briar were tired and retired to their rooms.
Briar collapsed on her bed after squeezing out of the dress. She curled up before remembering, The plan! I still need to practice! And… Briar didn't finish that thought as she twisted her hair around, and quietly sneaked down to the armory once more, after emerging from her room, her hair shorter than usual.
The morning Tinley sent out the soldiers to Marshmallow Moors, Briar was nowhere to be found. Little did Tinley know, Briar had snuck in among the soldiers heading out, wearing armor. The soldiers knew, for she had told them the day before, but they gave away nothing. Briar grinned, hidden behind her armor and helmet thinking about how Tinley would react when she came back home, with Cloud.
“This will be fun!” Briar murmured to herself.
A day later, Briar was starting to regret sneaking along. All the soldiers had removed their armor and stored it on their horses. It was getting too hot to wear. However, one scout had run ahead and came running back, with a huge grin on her face.
“We’ve made it! We've made it!” the scout cried.
The soldiers and Briar now rode with more purpose, faster than they had before. Briar smiled as she began to see the Marshmallow Moors in the distance. She looked up and her smile quickly turned to a frown. The sun was setting. The officers saw as well and gave the order to stop and make camp.
Briar was on watch that night, bored, trying to read a book by candle light to keep herself awake. She gave a gasp as a Peep landed on her knee. They don't normally come right up to you unless they have a message. They Peep pecked at its leg, on which a small roll of what looked like paper was tied. Briar gently untied it, nodded to the other soldier on watch, and headed to the head officer’s tent.
“Sir.” she said gently, setting the roll of paper on a small desk. "A Peep came, and it had a message.”
The man stirred, slowly bringing his hands to his eyes to rub them. He sat up and grabbed his glasses off the table, then looked at the paper. He grabbed it gingerly, for it was small. He carefully unrolled it and his eyes widened. He quickly stood and walked out of his tent, pausing at the entrance to wait for Briar.
“Sir?”
“We must leave immediately. Your mother said her captors are planning to move towards the Exotia empire.” The officer said urgently, “help me wake everyone”
“Yes sir” Briar hurried off to begin waking the soldiers.
It wasn't long before they had broken camp and jumped on their horses. They ran as fast as they could towards the Marshmallow Moors. Briar sped ahead of the others, her horse the fastest one in the group. As she galloped into the moors, she kept her eyes open for the camp. She saw a plume of smoke not far off and turned in that direction. The rest of the group followed, trusting her. They burst into the camp with a yell, jumping off horses and drawing their swords.
Briar snuck around, searching for her mom. She quickly took down any soldiers she came across. I'm glad I practiced on my own as well as with the group on the way here, she thought. She gave a gasp as she spotted her mother, surrounded by the strongest men she had ever seen. They were laughing at and beating her. Big bruises and cuts covered Cloud's body, her head bowed down.
Briar gritted her teeth and snuck up, yelling as she jumped on the nearest soldier with her dagger out. The soldier staggered, surprised by the sudden weight. He twisted his head and grabbed at Briar’s free arm. She had it around the soldier’s neck, choking him while she raised her dagger.
“Come any closer and I will kill.” She warned.
The big men looked at each other and laughed. “You think you have the guts to kill someone?”
“Yes I do.” Briar replied, moving her dagger downward and into the man’s back before quickly jumping off and looking at the other men, who stared in surprise.
“You little..” One man with dark hair rushed at her.
Briar grinned and rolled under his legs, kicking him in the groin while doing so. The man collapsed, curling up in pain. Briar jumped around behind him, holding her dagger up, then drawing another from her belt. The other men quickly surrounded Cloud, fists raised in a position to attack if Briar she came closer.
“Ha!” Briar laughed, before standing up, “Let my mother go you son of a #@%*&!”
She then ran at them, her daggers held tight in her hands. One man was able to pull out a sword and waved off her attacks when she had taken down the other men. He quickly moved behind Cloud, holding her neck up and positioning his sword in a threatening way.
“Move, and I cut her. I doubt she’ll survive no matter what you do.” He warned.
“Oh? You really think you can kill the ruler of a major nation? And do you really think I wouldn't be able to save her?” Briar tipped her head in a grin, scaring the man but he stayed where he was.
“Suit yourself.” Briar shrugged and put her daggers back on her belt, and saying, “Mother, you might want to close your eyes for this”
Cloud quickly closed her eyes, knowing that Briar was going to use a spell. The man holding her, however, did not know that people of Candia had spells they could use. So, he didn't know to close his eyes if he wanted to stay alive when Briar spoke her favorite fighting spell, Blinding Kill. This spell kills anyone in a 10 feet radius with open eyes. Briar knew even the caster had to close their eyes, so she waited a minute after the spell was cast to open them. She rushed to Cloud’s side and used one of her daggers to cut the ropes binding her mother. She then removed the gag from her mouth and helped her stand.
“Blinding Kill…I never would have thought of that.” Cloud murmured.
“Well, I’m glad I did” Briar said, slowly helping her mother to the center of camp, where the rest of the Candia soldiers were gathered around captives.
“Mrs. Cloud!” a medic they had brought along rushed to Cloud's side and lowered her to the ground with Briar’s help. “What have they done to you…
“Well, no worries! I can fix you up.” the medic stated before ordering, “Everyone back away please. This only works on one person at a time, so step back.”
Everyone stepped backwards, eyes on the medic and Cloud. The medic stood and began chanting. The spell was one for healing it seemed…except… something was off…
“STOP.” Briar yelled, rushing forward and tackling the ‘medic.’
“Gahhh!” the medic shouted, “Foolish girl! You have ruined the spell!”
“AND I'M GLAD.” Briar then pulled out a dagger. “Don't EVER, try to hurt my mother again you bastard. Can I get some rope please?!”
One of the soldiers quickly found spare rope and tossed it to her. She quickly tied it around the ‘medic’s’ hands and feet. She marched the medic to the rest of the captives from the fight.
“THAT wasn't a healing spell. this ‘medic’ used a spell that seems a lot like one, but is actually a spell used to kill.” Briar announced to the soldiers. “This ‘medic’ thought no one would know. Except he forgot one thing. I'm trained to help my people. That includes knowing spells to heal, and knowing spells to kill. You will be put to death for this treason when we return to Candia.”
They traveled slowly back to Candia and reached it on the fourth day. Briar marched the so-called ‘medic’ to a dark, cramped cell in the dungeon. She then found Tinley and explained what had happened. Tinley was furious and held a meeting to announce it to the people.
“People of Candia! I have gathered you here to share news with you. Some of you may have heard that Cloud went missing several days ago and that these brave soldiers, including my daughter, Briar, fought hard to bring her back. The man you see here,” she nodded to the fake medic, now standing with rope around his neck, hanging from an arch. “He has been found guilty of trying to murder our queen, Cloud, after Briar rescued her. Me, Cloud, and Briar have decided that he is worthy of execution. What do you think?”
The crowd was furious at hearing the news about the attempted murder of queen cloud and the kidnapping. They yelled as loud as they could. All agreed with the royal family. So, at a signal from Briar, the soldier behind the man, whose name was Shadow, kicked the barrel he was standing on. Shadow fell downwards, then was caught by the rope around his neck. His neck instantly snapped, and he hung limp and dead.