Two Bodies, One Soul: A Damsel Fanfiction

Chapter 2: The Kingdom of Aurea

As she stood on the ship, taking her family and their daemons to Aurea, Elodie stood on the bow of the ship, staring off into the cold sea. Xena, haven taken the form of a Sugar Glider, Xena's second favorite form, was sitting on Elodie's shoulder, nuzzled into her side.

"What do you think will happen, Xena?" Elodie asked, turning her head to look at her daemon. Xena looked up at her mistress.

"I don't know, Elodie. But whatever happens, know that I will be right by your side." She said. Elodie smiled and gently stroked Xena's head with her finger, Xena closing her eyes in content. Floria walked over, Valerie, haven taken the form of a Bearded Dragon, Valerie's second favorite form, clung to the front of her mistress's dress. Floria looked at her sister.

"Elodie, what's the matter?" She asked. Elodie sighed, not looking at her sister.

"Nothing." She tried to reassure. Floria wasn't tricked. Valerie spoke up.

"Kahlan says that it's natural to be nervous about meeting your new husband and his daemon." Valerie said. Floria nodded.

"Val's right. It's perfectly natural." She said. Elodie sighed and looked at her sister and her daemon.

"They're strangers. Xena and I have never even heard of the kingdom of Aurea until Father and Kahlan sprung this on us. Who knows. The Prince's daemon might jump at the chance to hurt Xena." She said. She lifted her hands up and gently took Xena off her shoulder, holding her daemon close to her chest. Xena nuzzled into her mistress's hold. Lady Bayford walked out of the cabin, wrapped in a red blanket, looking for her step daughter's and their daemons. Her face fell in astonishment and she and Arya walked closer to the bow of the ship.

"Oh! Are you crazy? What are you two doing up there?" Lady Bayford asked in astonishment. "Come down here." She said. Arya sighed and looked up at her mistress.

"Lady, it is quite alright." Arya said. Lady Bayford looked down at her daemon.

"It is not alright, Arya," she said. "This is how Elodie wants her prince to meet her?" Lady Bayford asked, wrapping the blanket around Elodie's shoulders. Elodie wrapped the blanket around Floria's shoulders as well. "Scared, cold as a corpse. Nose all drippy and wet," she chided. "And, your daemons in forms that don't fit that of royalty." She said. Elodie looked at her Step Mother.

"Xena and Valerie are allowed to be in any form that makes them feel comfortable." Elodie defended. Lady Bayford sighed.

"I want Arya to be comfortable as well, but, sometimes, I must put respect over comfort," she said. She looked down at Arya. Arya gave a sigh of dissatisfaction. Golden dust swirled around Arya's form. In the place of a snow leopard, stood a golden Lioness. Lady Bayford nodded in approval. She looked back at her step daughters. "What have I been telling you this entire trip?" She asked. The sisters sighed.

"First impressions are everything." The two said together. Lady Bayford nodded. She then looked at the girls' daemons. Floria looked down at Valerie.

"Val," she said. Valerie looked up at her mistress and nodded. Floria gently took Valerie and set her on the cold deck of the ship. Just as Arya had done moments before, Valerie transformed into a young lioness in a swirl of golden dust. Sighing in slightly frustration, Elodie looked down at Xena. Xena nodded.

"It's okay." Xena said. Elodie gently pick up Xena and set her down. Xena shifted into a lioness. Suddenly, there was the sound of a horn blowing. Looking at each other, then looking up, they saw the man in the crow's nest blowing the horn. The crew and the sisters looked in confusion and slight fear as the ship sailed into a thick fog. Lord Bayford walked out of the cabin with Kahlan at his side, now taking the form of a proud lion.