Folke ♥︎|| Folkelore

♥︎ 21 ♥︎

    I make my way to the war room, a room I never expected to use. Yet, here we are! With the attack of the three men in Scle, my parents want to send a group of soldiers to Scle. Partly as a way to search for Gaia, partly to retaliate for the attack.

    Stepping into the room, I blink in the low light. Candles are scattered around a long— and I mean like really long — table that is covered in maps. Ambrose is seated at the end farthest from me, leaning over an old map that's curling around the edges. The rest of the council are seated close to him, with the seat at his right open for me. The seat on his left, Apollo's seat, is also empty. Everyone looks up at the sound of my heels, Ambrose's permanent scowl present.

    "You're late," he huffs.

    "Everyone is in need of my time these days," I retort, making my way over to take my seat at his side. Ambrose's dry honesty is refreshing. He harrumphs, pointing to the map in front of him. I glance down at the rendering of the six Courts of Extier.

    "As you can see here," Ambrose starts. "The quickest way to Aero from Scle besides through a door, which we know is not currently possible, is through Loam. There is a very large possibility that Octavia plans on sending her army to the coast of our beautiful Court before opening a door from there to Aero. That could cause problems for the coastal villages..."

    Honestly, I zone out after that. I understand the dangers of Scle and Aero going to war. I know that we might be dragged into the war. I don't need it all explained to me.

    "Ambrose," I cut him off mid-sentence. "I trust your judgment. For Deimos's sake, you trained me. If I have a problem with how you do something, I will not hesitate to let you know. But right now, I feel like we could be doing something better with our time."

    "Your Majesty," Maude begins. "I don't mean any offense, but I believe Ambrose is correct. We need a plan."

"Are the troops prepared to fight at a moment's notice?"

    "Of course," Ambrose grumbles.

    "And Is the training of new troops going smoothly?"

    "Yes."

    "Do we have contingency plans we can fall back on?"

    "Absolutely, but Your Highness-"

    I hold up a hand. "I feel I have made myself quite clear. If there is something already in place, I have no objections. Are there any gaps we need to fill immediately?"

    He glowers at me, his arms crossing over his chest. "No, Your Highness."

    "Good, now if you'll excuse me, I am needed elsewhere." Standing, I release a pent up breath and roll my shoulders. Maybe I'll regret that later, but at the moment I need some time to breathe. Ever since returning from Scle, everyone seems to need my attention at every moment of every day. It's exhausting.

    Before I can make it halfway down the hall, Apollo catches me. "The meeting is over already?"

    I wince. "I may have cut Ambrose off, and insisted we be done?"

    "You always hated sitting still," he chuckles. I scoff, hitting his chest with the back of my hand.

    "You were just as bad as a child."

    "Yes, but I am much better now." He grins, taking my hand. "I have something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

    "If it's war plans, I don't want to hear it."

    "It's not war plans, although those are important." He smirks at me, pulling me along as he walks. "It appears you want to return to Scle despite the dangers." He glances at me from the corner of his eye. "Is that true?"

    "Yes, of course. If Gaia is to be found, I want to be there."

    Apollo sighs, running his free hand through his hair. "I thought you would say that. Your parents, the King and Queen, have not... agreed to the decision, and they likely won't. You might want to adjust–"

    "No." I wave away his concerns. "If Loam troops are marching on Scle, I will be there."

    "Why are you always so stubborn," Apollo growls. I grin up at him, patting his arm.

    "Don't worry, I'll let you come along."

    "Why, so I can get myself killed as well?"

I jerk back. "What?"

He growls, dragging his fingers into his curls. "I'm worried about you, Calla. You're acting like you did before."

"Before what?" I huff, crossing my arms.

"Before Scle. You're not thinking straight, and it terrifies me."

Chuckling, I pat his chest. "I'm fine, Apollo. Don't worry about me."

Moving around him, I leave him behind in the Palace. As I meander through the grounds, the sounds of training float towards me. With a grin, I rush towards it.

Ambrose glares when I interrupt him to join in, but quickly returns to his shouting when I just stand beside the nearest soldier. Ambrose calls out commands, and we follow them. It's freeing to do something so mindless. It's just do, and not think.

Eventually, Ambrose has us switch to one on one combat, to my surprise he pairs me with my husband.

Apollo's head snaps back in surprise. "I-I can't fight her!"

"Why not? I'm a worthy partner."

He sighs, his hands resting on his hips. "It's not that I think I'll win, which I do, you're my wife."

He says it like it explains everything. Which it doesn't.

"So? You're my husband, and I'll still fight you."

"It's not about winning or losing," Ambrose barks. I give Apollo a "see?" look.

He shakes his head, looking off into the distance. "It's always about winning with my wife," he grumbles.

That's when I make my move. I step forward, twisting around him and grab his neck. Laying my full weight on it, I feel him begin to choke before his training kicks in. He flips me over his shoulder, slamming me somewhat gently into the ground. The wind is knocked out of me, and I grunt. He kneels over me, glaring into my eyes.

"I told you I wouldn't fight you."

"Yet you did," I wheeze.

"Only because you attacked me!" I gasp for air, and it rushes into my lungs. Apollo stands, holding out a hand to help me up. I see the opportunity and go for it. With a kick of my feet, he's laying on the ground next to me, groaning. I stand, brushing off my dress and walk away. With a smirk, I call over my shoulder, "I thought you said you would win."

"I didn't think you'd fight dirty!" He hisses in my ear. I jump, not realizing he was already caught up with me...

"Hey! Don't use your powers like that!"

He smirks, one eyebrow lifting, and it sends my stomach tumbling. "You fight dirty, darling and I'll retaliate in the same way."

Narrowing my eyes at him, I feel my cheeks heat. His eyes flick down to my lips, and I look away. What were we just talking about?

"I... need to go get changed for dinner," I mumble awkwardly with a point over my shoulder in the direction I think the Palace is in. I don't look up at Apollo while I wait for his response.

Finally, he murmurs, "You do that, Princess." I nod, turning around with a deep breath. The things he does to me...

Glancing over my shoulder, I find him watching me with a content smile, arms crossed over his chest. Heat blooms in my chest, and I quicken my steps to a jog with a little laugh.