Chapter Nine: What Happened
...
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkzubtfjF4
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeO71Qma4if
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlCtnz8gUE
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLKF7rHuwU
Leveret slowly drifted back into consciousness, the soft, warm sensation of touch blooming across his face.
He was also suddenly aware of the throbbing headache that had begun to take its toll on him.
Hushed whispers and footsteps swirled around him in a soft domestic hum.
“Common, deary. Let’s wake up now. I got my desert and an allowance of five larkins bet on ya not being dead today.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLyp4jIfU6
Leveret’s eyes fluttered open, his vision slowly adjusting to the sunlight streaming into the room.
He sat up, blinking profusely.
“Hi there, dear!”
Marty grinned, removing a hand from Leveret’s forehead.
“We thought the fae mighta gotten to ya there for a few moments.”
Leveret sat dumbly for a moment, glancing around the dimly lit room.
“Where am I…? Who is “we”?!”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kjQzXuXCd
“Just a barn, dear and we is-”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGUKAiOl4y
“ME!”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBYxfoJpUX
A young girl announced, throwing open the door and hopping into the room, followed by a taller boy with a rather rustic build.
“Us.”
The boy corrected, patting the top of the girl’s head.
Marty sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Y’all he’s got a headache.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQ0dZL8SMl
The girl chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck.
“Oh… uh… my bad, y’all.”
Marty cleared his throat, making a grand sweeping gesture.
“These two rather loud dears are Will and Bella, Lev. My older brother and little sister.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk42Xxg8x9L
“That’s ME-”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8F1XH2BDE8
Bella piped up, suddenly shushed by Will placing his hand over her mouth.
“You shouldn’t have been over there. Well, if you were over there you should’ve at least looked where you were walking, dear.”
Marty said, turning back to Leveret.
Leveret pulled his knees up to his chest, his shoes scraping against the hay he was sitting on.
“Why? What happened?”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡny41Mth4Iy
He peeped, tapping his foot on the ground.
“You knocked a stone out of a fairy circle, dear. The fae don’t like that y’know.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUrTrrGkrl
Marty murmured, dipping a rag into the bucket of water next to him and scrubbing the dust off of his hands.
“I have gathered.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVEraW3uAP
Leveret groaned, rubbing his temples.
Marty chuckled, wiping his hands down his trousers.
Leveret looked down at his own hands in his lap, which, to his surprise, were wrapped in bandages.
He glanced back up at the young man in front of him who was now humming to himself as he doodled something in the dirt with a twig.
“Did you do this?”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRKYFVqYC3
Leveret inquired, cocking his head slightly as he held up a hand.
Marty shrugged, not looking up from his drawing.
“Kinda.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdUFbDPv0G
Leveret’s eyebrows arched.
“What in Phallowskleft does that mean?”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jX1blLuzO
“Well, my mother did most of it and then I did the rest.”
Leveret nodded slowly, looking down at his hands again.
“Thank you, Martellus.”
He mumbled in an almost child-like tone.
Marty titled his head at his drawing for a moment, a hand on his knee before clearing his throat and nodding to himself.
“Marty. Call me Marty, dear.”
Leveret looked up at him, his eyes wide.
“But formal-”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfprsaXiltC
Marty cut him off with a vague gesture.
“Yes, yes! But, you’re no longer in the castle so you needn’t worry about formality, Princy. Besides… Martellus just…”
He drummed his fingers for a moment, searching for the right words.
“Doesn’t quite fit my personality.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnivH0UXUV
Leveret tilted his head, his brow furrowing.
“But your parents thought it did.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQEeEzU0i3
Marty laughed.
“They hadn’t even met me, dear!”
Leveret nodded slowly in understanding.
“I suppose so.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRChrboaWjl
Marty smiled and patted Leveret’s hand.
“You’ll figure it out I’m sure. Don’t worry I’ll take good care of you, dear.”
Leveret scowled.
“I am perfectly capable of tending to my needs myself.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBbylvpAvb
Marty raised an eyebrow as he continued doodling in the dust.
“Mmm… so you let the fae make you ill?”
He smirked.
“No!”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9jkuoW9EU
Leveret snapped.
“Well, not exactly-”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlshBCsrNe
“Then why were you there?”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtgUcil3i5
Bella chirped, plopping herself into Marty’s lap.
“MPH- Bella, dear-”
“Shush, Marty, y’all’s friend is tellin’ a story. Don’ be impolite.”
“....Alright, dear. If you insist.”
Marty muttered.
Will clapped his brother on the shoulder.
“Tough bein’ a pushover, ain’t it?”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cGCR2cIIm
He chortled.
“...It will greatly distress me if you continue this train of events, Will.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfdnRKJ4uL
Marty grumbled.
“I’z aware. That’s why I’ma doin’ it.”
“Sooo… why were you in the fae fields, Mist-eh Prince Sir?”
“I- Well, I need to stop my sister’s wedding.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvndObkZi75
Will poked his head into the room, his eyes glinting.
“Why’s that?”
“It’s a political marriage.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHg9OGjIzEP
Leveret explained.
“So she does not get to choose whom she marries and she does not love her fiance.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTS394a0Sa7
“It’s rather depressing.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFxNlVIEVg
Marty chimed in.
“I went to the fields in an attempt to find Mogshade to see if he could stop that wretched union.”
Leveret continued, brushing a strand of hair out of his face.
Will snorted and Marty threw a stick at him.
“Well, at least ya tried, Mist-eh Prince Sir.”
Bella replied, ignoring her siblings.
“...Why is Will laughing?”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLHtoBwLjO
“He’s just annoying-”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CkiGK15i5
Marty started to say.
“Ya can’t jus’ show up in the Mystic Forest lookin’ for Mogshade like that, lil guy! Especially without proper knowledge ‘bout the fae!”
Marty sighed.
“Alright, I must admit he does have a point there, dear.”
Leveret crossed his arms over his chest.
“I shall find a way to stop that wedding.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPjsGUhlW6
“I’m sure you will, dear. But right now, you need to rest.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXK5KXKm3mY
Marty replied, gently pushing him back onto the hay.
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTR1KHzufyJ
and then Add to home screen.