Author: Dusk, Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 7:43 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

“A shack is wholly unacceptable,” Lewis stated with a smirk. “Only the best. We’ll run our secret project AND an expansion on the castle. We need more space,” he stated firmly. “We can’t have more kids without more space.” He stared up at her for a moment longer, caressing her face with his hand. “Well…you never really got to break in this bed, right? We could…” He smirked again.

—-

Several hours later the two wandered into the halls, looking a whole lot messier than they originally started out. Waiting for them was Xeik with his arms crossed.

“Finished? Good. Cause I almost walked in on it.” He straightened himself out. “I’ve found several things that might be of interest. Jurian’s journals, among things.” He looked to Simone. “I won’t copy those down unless you want me to. Otherwise, they’re on his desk in the study. There were also several books on magicks…” The Divine Mender was salivating. “The arts that have been lost…you have NO idea how magically advanced Auclair was. On the surface it didn’t look like much, but there was SO much lost….”

“Did you know Auclair had a magic barrier?” Xeik stated. “No, of course you did. But did you know that it was trained in on a unique signature? It’s genetic. A magic that can detect and recognize genetics…that’s INSANE!”

“Are you…quite done?” Lewis asked.

“What do you mean ‘done.’ I’ve barely gotten started. This place has a unique magic that circulates air and water. There are magical formations that run on the inner linings of the wall and guide them. It’s absolutely-”

“Magical, yes, I get that,” the ex-assassin said with a sigh. “Simone can we just…go before he nerds out more?”

Author: Simone, Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 7:24 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

Simone looked up at him as the kids looked between their mother and father. They would normally have read their feelings but since the cord was cut the kids had to be detectives. This was a serious conversation so the kids let their parents carefully navigate it. “It’s alright, unlike Auclair… Koskaan is truly ours. I would have loved to be here in Auclair with you but I’m not settling. I truly love Koskaan and while Auclair is a loss I would have it no other way. Besides our kids still getting yelled at by Silva~” She smirked a bit.

She leaned over and kissed Lewis tenderly. “We’ll be okay Dear. Home, after all, is wherever you and the kids are and I would have that no other way.” She snuggled close with all of them and the kids giggled.

“Mommy? Can we explore the castle?”

Simone looked down, “Is this your giving us room?”

The twins nodded.

“I suppose it can’t hurt but do not cause trouble… and if you get lost find a way to let us know.”

“We won’t use the secret passages…” The twins rolled their eyes before slipping out of bed to explore. They closed the door leaving their parents in the room.

“…Thank you for thinking of me.” She rolled over him and smiled at him from above him. “It’s super sexy.” She teased him lightly. “But all I need is you and our kids. Auclair isn’t needed. We could even be in a shack.”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 7:01 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

It was surreal for Lewis to be laying in a bed that was, in essence, older than Angela. He could imagine them running through the halls of Auclair, laughing as they played about the rooms. He could see the maids and butlers chastising the kids, wondering if the Queen of Auclair, their mother, knew where they were…

All of these things that could have been, but never would be.

Lewis smiled and ruffled Janus’ hair. He was happy, though, with what they had. They had all come so far….

“How does it feel to be back?” he asked as he leaned into Simone. “I’m sorry that all of this…can’t be yours like it was meant to be. Koskaan seems to pale in comparison…”

Author: Simone, Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:08 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

“Ohh?” Simone smiled at Lewis as she put her arms around his waist. “Or we could do that project we’ve been talking about~” She pressed her lips to his cheek and smiled. “I also like your butt.”

“THIS MUCH!” Lila held out her arms again.

“Thank you Lila!” Simone chuckled a bit. She picked the kids up and put them in the bed. “Look how small you are in the bed. It was always so lonely for me when I was a kid but… It looks so much better with all of us here.”

She laid on the bed with the bed and they snuggled up at her. Looking up at Lewis she patted the bed.

“Well, we’re going to go find the study,” Llywellyn pulled Avery out to go find the secret passages. Simone kissed the tops of the children’s heads. “I have wanted to share this place with you both so much.” She looked down at the twins with wonder. “Now we can all experience it together… You can see your mother’s origins even if it is just a memory.”

The twins were smiling up at her and they gave her kisses as they snuggled close. “My father would come in when he had free time and he would lay here with me reading me books. All he had was these poetry books. They were my mother’s. It’s why I love poetry so much.”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:01 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

Lewis looked around the room. In a way, he wasn’t surprised. The bed seemed a bit gaugy at first, but he realized that it was something Simone would love. The more he thought about, the more it grew on him, and he took a mental note of the design. He wondered how well Kalina worked with wood.

He followed Simone to the balcony, and looked around. “I can see why the lock wasn’t high quality. They assumed no one could really get up here, but…” He sighed. “Llywellyn could do it, and a very young me could have done it as well. They probably should have fixed it…” He shrugged. “Must not have been a problem. Either that, or Llywellyn never let on how bad it was because he wanted easy access to your room.”

He glared over at the Elf King. “Try it now and you’ll find yourself missing a few fingers…”

Lila giggled, wandering about. “Daddy is serious. Momma’s butt is his, and his alone.”

Lewis sighed, “I don’t need you spreading that around….”

“But it’s true,” she responded with a grin. “You like Momma’s but THIISSS much.” He spread her arms out wide. “Actually…probably more…”

“It’s a beautiful room,” Lewis said, ignoring his daughter’s ranting about how much he liked Simone’s butt. “I wonder if we can recreate it on the island. Maybe add a new layer to the castle…”

Author: Simone, Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:44 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

Simone slapped Lewis lightly upside the head and the twins were giggling because they were also communicating. “I would always choose you. To be you would be the bigger loss even if it meant I lost Auclair in the process. You are my home, completely and without you I wouldn’t have my precious ones.”

His assassination comment got Simone to giggle. “Yeah, they always did struggle to kill me.”

“…Those were the worst,” Llywellyn frowned. “I remember breaking an assassin’s arms and pinning him down just on the edge of Simone’s bed. Scrawny little fucker~”

Simone held out her arms as she shrugged. “The poisoning was the worst…”

“Yeah, it ended up being your personal maid,” Avery answered. “I made her pay for that one.”

“…You did that?” Simone looked shocked and the image of the mangled corpse appeared in her memories.

“Of course, the pain you felt I wanted her to feel it back… So many people do things without thinking about who they hurt. She was supposed to protect you.” Avery admitted to not being as innocent as he tended to come off.

“I am touched… A little bit,” Simone smirked a bit. Letting Janus down she took Lewis’s hand. “I’m going to spend some time with your father. Explore with your Uncle Llywellyn an–”

“UNCLE AVERY! Please call me Uncle Avery… I’ve always wanted a niece and nephew~”

“But you had two siblings…”

“Had. I needed to become king so I could find you. Small price to pay and they were jerks.” Ah… Yeah, his brothers were jerks now that Simone thought about it.

Simone tugged Lewis with her and showed him up to her room. It was colorful and girly. There were stuffed animals and she had a large canopy bed. Soft silk draped over the bed making it look enchanted. Large elegant gold in-laid wood was sculpted to curve and it almost looked too extravagant for a young princess. Soft pinks and purples were through out the room.

“This is how my bedroom actually was. I guess I forgot a lot of details.” She touched the bed and smirked. “My father got me this bed when I turned six. It was lavish and he wanted me to have it so bad. He actually fist fought a noble for it from what I hear.” She sat down on the bed and looked towards the balcony door.

“The balcony locked but it’s easily picked if you know how to do it… At least I always thought it was.”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:12 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

Lewis had spent his time wandering about the outer gardens. When he was younger, he couldn’t have cared less about the different kinds of flowers and their meanings, yet now he could name almost all of them. Most of that was from Simone’s side of the resonance, but it was interesting that he at least knew how t o appreciate them on an aesthetic level as well. He had come so far, and all because of Simone.

His smile, though, faded.

“Daddy, you don’t look happy now,” Lila said with a similar frump. “What’s wrong with you?”

“All of this used to be Simone’s home. And while I’m happy she’s here now, with me…I can’t help but feel like so much was sacrificed just for her to be here.” Memories of the alternate worlds they had visited in their dreams flooded his mind. Worlds where Simone was happy, and a world that might have been…one where Auclair was never sacrificed. “I’ve done a lot of damage in my life…but nothing to this scale. I can’t comprehend what was lost all so that I could meet her…”

Lila looked at Lewis with a curious glint in her eye. “But it’s not like it’s your fault. You didn’t do this, right?”

“No, but-”

“No buts, Daddy. Momma would scold you for being so negative. All that matters is that she’s here now. Right?”

Lewis smirked. “When did you get so bossy.”

“I’m always bossy,” Lila responded, sticking her tongue out.

When Simone and the rest finally caught up with Lewis, they found themselves at the entrance to the grant castle.

“It’s…really big,” the ex-assassin answered, looking around. “Would have been a pain in the ass to plan any kind of hit here.” It was still one of the first things he always thought about. “But it’s beautiful. Even if it is a little creepy here…” He couldn‘t help but shiver. “So…now for the grand tour of the castle. Lead the way, Lady Simone…”

Author: Simone, Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:01 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

Janus had followed his mother and snuggled up to her. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“I know baby,” she kissed his forehead. “It’s been a very long time since I saw home.”

“Home… is where your heart is,” Janus repeated what he had heard his mother and grandmother say.

“That’s right and a piece of my heart will always be in Auclair.” She helped her son out of her lap and got up. Leading him over to a statue of a woman she smiled a bit.

“That looks just like you mama!” Janus sounded excited.

“That’s my mother. My father had it built as a memorial for her,” Simone explained calmly. “He had loved her as much as daddy loves me.”

“That’s a lot of love…” Janus held onto her hand as they walked around some more.

“That’s the stable that your uncle Llywellyn used to sleep in when he wanted to get away from his lessons.”

“The hay was okay,” Llywellyn found them and stayed near Simone. “Avery had the same look as you… and I’ve just gotten good at hiding it. This place was home to us too but not as much as you.”

“No, it was home to all of us. We all grew up here…” Simone gave a smile and held Janus a bit tighter. “We can venture to the castle.”

“Not yet… There’s something I want to show you.” He took Simone’s hand and he led both of them into the castle gardens. There was an easel set up with a half done painting.

“That’s…” Simone lost her voice. It was a half done painting of Simone, Avery, Llywellyn, and Jerome. “We all look so happy…”

“Aye, this magic is something else… I almost wish we could take it with us. Just get rid of Jerome though.” That made Simone chuckle a bit. “Horse’s ass…” Llywellyn took her over to a swing hanging from a large white oak tree. It was an odd looking tree.

“What’s this tree?” Janus looked at it oddly having never seen one.

“This is called the White Oak. It was the only one of it’s kind. Jurien saved it from disease when the others died. Simone sit,” Llywellyn put her on the swing with Janus in her lap. He started to push her.

“Gods, this reminds me of when we were seven…” Simone laughed with Janus as they got pushed.

“…Reminds me of before all of the others show up. You probably don’t remember but… We played out here even when you were a toddler. Your father would push us on the swing. You would be in my lap. I wasn’t that much older but I can remember it. You always had the widest eyes when you discovered something new. The same look that Lila does.”

“That’s where she gets it from?” Janus was excited to learn new things.

After exploring a bit more Simone and the boys met back up with Lewis. Simone gave him a kiss and smiled. “Do you like Auclair? It used to be so loud in the center…”

“There was always a festival. I swear… Auclair found things to celebrate. The Flower Festival was what they were famous for though. It’s actually how we met Avery for the first time. He was so awkward. This scrawny little kid who hid practically under his mother’s skirt.” Llywellyn explained. “Simone coaxed him out and we went to the flower festival together. He didn’t speak the whole time until Simone got him to eat some pudding. He hasn’t shut up since.”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2021 7:44 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

As the four started their chant, magic crackled to life around them. The scale and magnitude of this spell was unlike anything that Lewis had ever seen, even in his time as an assassin. He was impressed not only by the raw magical power, but the fact that Xeik was a part of something so mystical.

The spell worked, reconstructing the long lost Auclair, and as the magic and chanting faded, the sounds of the fountain were all that remained. It was eerie that, despite all the warmth on display, how cold and eerie it all felt. THis may have been Auclair in physical form, but it was merely the resurrected corpse of the long dead kingdom. The soul was nowhere to be found.

Still, even the shell of Auclair was enough to bring Simone to tears, and Lewis could feel that. Despite the lifelessness of the place,it was still a beauty to behold, and one that held many secrets still yet to be discovered.

Xeik took a few deep breaths as he stepped outside the magical circle. “If you need me, I’ll be in the library researching. Who knows what may have been lost.” He pulled out a notebook and a map, and without much else to say, disappeared into the castle.

Lewis wandered around the courtyard for a moment, breaking off from Simone for the time. Lila was still in his arms, and she seemed almost confused at Lewis’ actions.

“Daddy, why aren’t you with Momma?” she asked. “She looked sad.”

“That’s…hard to explain,” he replied. “This was her home. We’re always connected, but even sometimes she needs to experience these things alone to figure out how she feels. If she needs me, she knows I’m always here.” He paused. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. And if she isn’t, she has Janus by her side. Right?”

“Right,” Lila responded. “If you’re not careful, though, he might steal her away.”

That brought a smile to Lewis’ face. “You know that’s not how that works…’

Author: Simone, Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2021 7:33 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

Raine got a look on her face, “Xeik~ My precious protector.” She hugged him and suddenly left him and made a face. “Let’s see you keep up now~” Xeik was frozen like a statue as he yelled at Raine to reverse what she did.

“RAINE!”

“RAINE!”

“I can’t say I feel bad for you…” Simone said as she laughed. The delay was worth what happened to Xeik.

And so the magic circle took two and a half hours to complete because Raine taught Xeik a valuable lesson.

“Well, it was well worth the wait~” Simone smiled as she had both children in her lap now reading them a book. The men were sitting around her listening to her calming voice. It passed the time well and Simone’s voice calmed nearly everyone down.

“Okay, let’s activate this…” Angela took her place in the circle as Avery, Raine, and Xeik took theirs. Luckily, with Angela here they only needed the four of them. The incantation started and it was almost mesmerizing watching all of them chant at once. The twins were intrigued with it as they sat on the edge of their mother’s lap.

The magic activated and Auclair came back to life. The trees, the buildings, the smells… There were no people but it was just like it was days before the assault. Simone stood up putting the children down. She wandered into the town square and looked around. The fountain was roaring to life and she looked down at all of the coins in the basin.

Her eyes were tearing up. She couldn’t have remembered all the details. The little church on the corner with the beautiful stained glass… The little merchant stalls in the corner. The bakery that always gave them sweets for nothing as long as Simone was happy. She hadn’t been able to recall these vivid things about Auclair but now she could barely contain herself as she lost her balance and sat down on the edge of the fountain.

“It’s almost too much for me… I can’t believe I forgot so much about this place…”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:49 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

Xeik smirked at the fact that Avery was after Raine’s feathers. It was always a personal revenge for him whenever a crackpot mage went after the rainbow phoenix, and this was no exception. For what he had to put up with on a regular basis from the woman, this was the best he could ask for.

“All right, let’s get to work then,” the Divine Mender said as he rolled up his sleeves. “Thirty minutes. I can keep up no problem. Right Raine!? I bet I can do it even faster…” He gave a look to Angela, “But someone might slow us down…” He was being a smart ass, but that was how Angela had taught him, and he ended up one of the best healers in the world for it.

Lewis sighed, “Just don’t blow anything up please.”

“Like you have room to talk. You and your pranks almost got a few people killed,” Xeik snapped back with a glare.

“Not my fault that ‘the best healer in the world’ wasn’t paying enough attention to what he was giving out.” Lewis knew how to hit a button.

“Do you want Auclair or not? Cause I can just-”

“Get to work,” Lewis replied, clapping his hands together with a smirk. “Chop chop….”

Author: Simone, Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:32 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

“Angela said that it should last a total of five days. It was the most she could afford to us to study this place. It might take a bit to master the new magic and to teach it to Janus and Lila as well,” Avery answered. “Her magic formulas are amazing. I’ve never seen such pristine work.”

“Thanks, she’s a workaholic…” Xeik spoke up as the new trio showed up. Raine was there as she looked around. It was her first time seeing Llywellyn and Avery.

“Who’s the girl?” Llywellyn asked.

“A rainbow phoenix,” Xeik answered which got a glare from Raine.

She started to open her mouth but Avery was holding her hand almost in her face, “You are so rare and amazing. Beautiful even!”

Raine was blushing now as she was speechless and finally, she shoved Avery away, “I! I HAVE A BOYFRIEND!”

“That’s nice,” Avery patted her hand. “Can I–”

“Don’t ask the question you were about to… She’ll body you,” Angela appeared and smirked. “She hates that question.”

“My feathers! You monster!” Raine shoved him and put her hands on her hips. “No! BAD MAGE!”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Avery ran behind Llywellyn.

“It will take us a little bit to prepare. We have to draw the magic circle and do an incantation. It should take us an hour… Thirty minutes at minimum if Xeik and Raine can keep up with me.”

Author: Dusk, Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:23 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

It was at times like this that Lewis felt like an outsider. Simone, Avery, and Llywellyn were all reminiscing about the old kingdom, and that left Lewis a bit out of the loop. It was hard for him to understand what they were experiencing, and that usually left him with little to no input for most of the conversation.

There was, though, a little bit at the end that gave him a half smile. “I’ll kill you both if you make her sad.” He could feel Simone’s smile at that. It was practically a classic at this point.

“Angela and Xeik should be arriving soon,” Lewis stated as they got closer. “Are you sure this spell will work? How long are we going to have?” Angela was a Goddess, but even she had to have limits.

Author: Simone, Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:11 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

Simone pulled Janus up into her arms as they walked the flooded area around and in Auclair. “This is where you were born?” Janus was actually paying attention now and wide awake compared to how he normally was.

“It didn’t use to look like this when I was born. It was a lot like Adeluna~ But the castle was made of white stone. The stone is all discolored now,” Simone gave a smile as they listened to Lewis talk to Lila. “It’s true Lila. All that we have now was expedited and Grandma Angela helped us talk to Uncle Raile about a house. We lived in Jayou for a little in a very small townhouse.”

“Small?!” Lila got excited. “How small?”

It made Simone chuckle. “It was probably as big as your playroom combined with both of your rooms.”

“I can’t imagine Mama living in something so dinky…” Lila replied with a face as she looked up at her father. “No wonder you got her a castle~”

“I do know how to be humble~” Simone chuckled.

Mone held a look on her face, “Even though I’ve seen it in dreams… I wonder if what I remember is actually how it was.”

“It’s possible that you aren’t remembering it correctly… You haven’t seen it in pristine condition for a very long time,” Avery said as he walked along side her. Llywellyn was near by as well putting up some wards so they went undisturbed. “We’ll make sure it’s put back exactly the way it was. Magic is unique like that.”

Mone nodded and snuggled into Janus who was quietly observing everything. “There was a flower stand that used to be over there,” she pointed at a swampy portion of the city.

“Oh… Miss Mable’s!” Llywellyn and Avery yelled together.

“She would always tease you before putting a flower crown on your head,” Llywellyn smiled as he recounted the memory.

“Then she would get mad at us boys and tell us we had to protect Auclair’s Jewel.”

“Auclair’s Jewel?” Janus tilted his head and Simone blushed a bit.

“That was your mother’s nickname,” Avery answered. “Everyone loved her in Auclair. At least we thought everyone did…” A grim look was on his face and Simone frowned a bit.

“Everyone in Auclair of now loves your mother though,” Llywellyn spoke up. “She’s irreplaceable to all of us.” That got Simone to smile a bit.

“I could punch you both…”

“Just have Lewis threaten us that always makes you feel better,” Avery answered her.

Author: Dusk, Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2021 5:53 PM, Post Subject: Shadows of Auclair [p/r]

“So…we’re here,” Lewis said as they stepped through the gateway.

Neither Lewis nor Simone had visited the ruins of Auclair since their ‘death’. That tragic instance where they sacrificed it all to save their kids, and in the end…

None of that mattered now as the sun started to rise across the horizon, casting shadows upon the once glorious castle. Lewis had only ever seen the castle in dreams and shared memories with Simone. What used to be a grand opened was nothing more than a pile of dirt and rubble. The pathway leading into the front courtyard was nothing but weeds and half dead grass, the stone paths cracked and scattered. Remnants of great walls were scattered about. If one were to try hard enough, they could almost see the hallways and rooms that they used to be.

“I can’t even begin to imagine what this used to be,” Lewis said. “Dreams have nothing against the true architecture. I wonder…was this bigger than Lord Raith’s keep?”

“Who’s ‘Lord Raith?’” a small voice asked from his side. Lila was tugging at his shirt,asking to be picked up. ‘

“You’re almost getting too old to do this,” the ex-assassin said with a smile and he scooped his daughter up. “Lord Raith used to be a deity. I followed him for a time until I decided to leave with your mother…”

“Why’d you leave?” Lila asked.

“Well…Lord Raith wasn’t very happy with me when I asked Grandma Angela for help. Let’s just say that I got into a lot of trouble for that….”