~Mirandiona💎

My eyes were set on Algrie, large and black on the horizon with its cityscape in sharp contrast with the slowly setting sun. We were almost there, just a few more minutes and we'd be passing over the wall and into the safety it provided.

If I had known a simple hunting trip would have turned into that mess, I wouldn't have even considered going out.

As we neared the wall I looked over toward the rebel chained to the other prel. Her jaw was tense and her green tented black hair whipped back and forth almost ferociously, as if her anger and rage was moving it instead of the wind.

There was a clear look of unease about her as we flew over the wall. Turning my gaze toward the castle I felt a sense of unease as well, but for an entirely different reason. I faintly wondered who would be more upset with me for leaving the castle. Guess we're about to find out.

The guard leading my prel began to descend toward the infirmary, along with the rest of the patrol. The prel landed with a thud as it ran a short distance to slow down and stop.

I started unchaining myself as a guard came to help and another disappeared into the infirmary. I've barely gotten the restraints off and put my feet on the ground before Selina is barreling through the double doors with a look of pure rage and relief.

"Mirandiona Nykima Lavaris!" She practically roared my name causing me to flinch at the sound.

Turning to face her I straighten my back and hold my wings up as best I can considering one was now severely swollen and sore. "Yes?" I ask, keeping my tone low and friendly.

The doctor only scowled as she stormed toward me. "Do you have any idea how worried we were?! You could have gotten yourself killed! What were you thinking?!" She shouted question after question as she closed the distance between us. I was about to defend my actions when her eyes caught on my wing. Before I could even get a word out the smaller woman grabbed me by the shoulder and spun me around. "And what did you do to your wing?!" Her voice went up an octave as her hands quickly set about poking and prodding my tender wing blade.

I stayed silent as she inspected the base of my wing and the bloody feathers and claw marks around the arch. I was bracing for another slew of shouting as she questioned who ripped my wing out of socket but the next time she spoke her voice had grown soft again. "Who did this?" She asked stepping around to look me in the eye.

My eyes shot to the side to land on the culprit who was wisely keeping her distance from the doctor. Selina quickly turned her head to follow my gaze to a sheepish looking Serana.

Selina seemed to completely deflate after that and turned to go back into the infirmary. "Come on the both of you." She calls over her wing. "And bring her with you." She orders, flicking her wing at Myka as she passes her.

Myka looked slightly surprised but wisely kept her mouth shut in the wake of a woman who just reprimanded the queen. The guards glanced nervously between Selina's retreating back and me.

I nod my head and began following the violet wings of the older woman.

Walking into the infirmary I pick a vacant bed and hop up to sit on the end with my bad wing facing out so I didn't have to fold it. Serana came and sat next to me on the same bed while Myka was escorted to the opposite one with four guards standing around her.

The woman looked every bit as disdainful as she did scared.

With a huff Selina came back into view holding a wing sling, a vile of disinfectant cream, and two cups with something in them that I definitely wasn't going to like.

"Drink this." She orders, thrusting one of the cups toward me.

Not wanting to risk angering her again I take the cup without a word and down its contents without looking. I immediately regret the decision when my throat and mouth feel like they've caught on fire.

I start to sputter and cough, desperately looking around for something to drink in its place. Another cup gets shoved into my hands and I look at it to see what was inside.

"It's milk, it'll help." Selina says pushing the cup up towards my face.

Not really having a choice but to trust her I drank that cup as well and was relieved when the burning went down, it didn't go away but it was bearable. "What in the skies did you give me?!" I demand with a slightly strained voice.

Selina didn't look up from her task of applying the disinfectant cream to the puncture wounds on my wing. "Just something to relax your muscles and make the inflammation go down with a dried pyro pepper I had in store added into it." She answers nonchalantly as if she hadn't just made me drink a blisteringly hot pepper mixed in with the medicine.

"Why?" The word is barely out of my mouth before a wing connects with the back of my head.

"For terrifying me and the rest of the castle, that's why!" Selina barked before forcing my wing into a horizontal position so that she could put the sling on.

Wincing I lift a hand to the back of my head where a dull throb echoed from the force of her blow. "Not so fun when it's you is it?" Fyko's voice sounds from the doorway shooting him a glare I was a bit surprised to find him shooting me one in return. His glare didn't ease up as he walked further into the room. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?" He asked in far too calm of a voice for his words.

I rolled my eyes at him, knowing full well he was far more likely worried about his life than mine. "I'm sure you were terrified." I deadpan.

"Mira." Serana lightly hit my arm, reprimanding me for my tone.

"Considering you two are literally the only people who talk to me semi decently, yes I was!" Fyko's voice was suddenly loud as he stood over me.

"Fyko." Selina warns glaring at him from over my shoulder.

"Serana?!" Another male voice joins the already overly full room.

Fyko turned sideways to look at the new arrival allowing me to see Treale rushing toward us and scooping Serana up off of the table next to me and into a crushing hug.

"I thought you were dead!" He nearly cried into her shoulder. "Your Nani was about to kill someone she was so worried." He pulled back from the hug and held her out at arms length. "The whole castle was in a frenzy because of you two." He keeps talking, glancing over to look at me. When his eyes catch on Fyko his relieved smile turns teasing. "I thought he and Katal were going to rip into each other when she told him he couldn't go looking for you."

Fyko snarled at the other man as his face turned bright red.

My eyebrows shot up and my gaze whipped back toward Fyko. "You tried to search for us?" I asked truly shocked by the revelation.

Fyko's attention darted to me and his face turned even redder as he took a step back puffing his wings and chest up in an effort to look less embarrassed. "I- Well- It's not like-" After the third failed attempt to explain himself I rolled my eyes and glanced over to make sure Selina was through messing with my wing.

Not seeing the doctor anywhere I assumed she had gone back into the storage room and was finished with me. Slipping off the bed I use my good wing to wrap around and cuff Fyko upside the head, careful not to hit him with the metal sword hilt.

"Don't hurt yourself." I tease gently before turning away from him.

Out of the corner of my eye I see him sag in relief before straightening up.

I walked over to Myka and took the keys off one of the guards. All four tense but they didn't dare question my actions.

"Skies alight..." I hear Fyko breath and I look over to see him staring at the gold skinned woman chained before me.

Narrowing my eyes into a glare."Don't even think about it." I warn.

"Think about what?" Myka shot me a look before her eyes darted back to Fyko suspiciously.

"He's going to try sleeping with you if the look on his face is anything to go by." I answer unchaining her arms so that her armor could be removed. While Fyko's flailing I turn to Serana. "Serana help me get her armor off." I call the other woman over.

At that, Myka snatches my hand and bares her teeth in a snarl. Every one of the rooms occupants braces, about to jump at her for being aggressive.

"Stand down." I order. "The most threatening person in this room is Selina"

Everyone but the guards untense as a light laugh comes from the storage room. Selina stepped out with a few bandages and various ointments and elixirs. "And don't you forget it." She teases as she makes her way over to Myka's bedside and sets her assortment down. "Sweety, this armor is going to have to come off if I'm to treat your wounds." Selina tries to get the woman to cooperate.

"I'm perfectly fine." Myka snarls at the violate winged woman.

Pulling my hand from her grip I lightly slap her lower abdomen where I could see fresh blood oozing out from under the armor plating. She hisses and jerks back away from the touch.

"Yes, you appear to be perfectly fine." I comment before reaching for the armor clasp.

Selina began to undo the ones on the back while I undid the front clips. Pulling her chest piece off I turn and pass it to Serana before moving on to her gauntlets.

She was definitely wounded, but not from today's fight. There was a blood soaked bandage around her midriff that was only getting darker.

"A curtesy from one of the city guards." She sneers.

The guards around us tense even farther but don't make a move aside from that.

"Let me see." Selina pushes me back so that she can begin unwrapping the bandage and pull back the gauze. The thick deep red gauze was dripping with blood as Selina peeled it off her side to reveal a deep gash from the bottom of her ribs in the back to the front of her hip, that looked to be poorly stitched.

Serana gasped from behind me and stepped around to the other side of the bed to get a better look. "How were you running with that?" She questions, ducking her head to look around Selina's quickly working hands.

"I'm used to pain." Myka answers gruffly, wincing a little as Selina put an alcohol soaked rag over her bloodied flesh.

The doctor tusk as she reaches for a pair of scissors. "I'll have to restitch it. You're lucky this wound isn't very old." She tells Myka. "If it had healed like this you'd have had trouble flying for the rest of your life."

The rebel watched as Selina cut away her stitches and set about applying new ones.

Serana seemed to be fascinated by the process so I left her to watch as I turned around to address Fyko.

"Fyko, Treale." I call lowly stepping away from the other so that we could talk a bit more privately. "Treale, go find Evyo and tell her that Serana is safe, then find Avar and tell him to meet me in my study." I instruct him.

"Yes your majesty." He gives a bit of a sloppy salute before turning to leave and do as instructed.

Turning my gaze back to Fyko. "Where's Katal?"

"She's been searching for you, I'm sure one of the guards that found you went to get her." He informs. "What do you want to do with tall, dark, and angry over there?" He asked nodding his head toward Myka.

"I'm hoping that with her cooperation we can coax her into aiding us find this weapon the rebels have in the city." I inform him, making sure to keep my voice low enough so as not to be overheard.

"So we play nice and try to get her to see our side? Shouldn't be too hard, you have a natural knack for drawing people to you and getting them to do what you want." He says optimistically.

I hummed skeptically. "I wouldn't count her just yet. She apparently thinks I've done something to wrong her, or at least my parents had." I shrugged, flinching a little at the pull on my wing. "Whatever it was, it's got deep roots in her and even if she doesn't like Helton or his ideas, she probably hates me and what I represent enough to stay loyal to him." I explain my reasoning.

It was his turn to hum and furrow his brow. "So what do you plan on doing?" He ask, looking to me with curious eyes.

I stayed quiet for a moment not quite knowing we're to start with her. A wicked smile spread across my face as a brilliant idea struck me, it only grew as Fyko paled with a vague look of dread. "I was thinking of chaining her to the most charming and insufferable person I know." I took a page from his book and threw the arm of my good side over his wings to rest on top of their base and his shoulders, pulling him into my side.

"Please tell me you're talking about Katal." He gives me a pleading look, I only answer with a dazzling grin and a tight squeeze to his shoulders.

His gaze turned to the green winged woman with a look of utter despair.

Serana catches the looks on our faces and glances between the two of us with a pensive expression. "Mira, what did you say to him?" She ask, sounding like she might not want to know.

Instead of answering her I turn my grin on Myka. "Mykala was it?" I ask, using the full name Limah had used. "Meet your new best friend." I jostle Fyko's shoulder.

The rebel's glare turns to the man at my side. He noticeably gulps and shrinks back, hiding behind me and tucking himself into my wing like a child does their parent.

Fyko turns a pleading look on me. "Do I have to?" He whines, exaggerating the fact that he didn't want to spend an indeterminate amount of time chained to a woman who was likely going to, at least verbally, torture him if not physically abuse him.

Slipping my arm off his shoulders I turn and grab his chin in my hand, using it to lift him up straight again. "Yes, you have no choice on this matter." I pat his cheek and stepped around him to exit the infirmary.

"Mirandiona, where are you going?" Selina's voice calls out behind me.

I barely turn my head to call back over my wing. "To speak with Avar." I don't wait for a reply as I push my way through the door. Pulling short I turn around to look at Serana. "You should probably go see your nani. I sent Treale to tell her you were safe back in the castle. I'm sure she'll be looking for you." At that Serana's eyes go wide and she bounds to her feet, realizing that I was probably right.

She was by my side in a flash and practically shoving me out the door to get me out of the way.

Planting my feet I hold my ground, gritting my teeth when she pushed against the injured side of my back. "Are you that eager to see your nani?" I tease, knowing full well she was trying to avoid a confrontation.

"Damn it Mira, move." She orders through clenched teeth.

I heard a door and look out of the room to see Evyo quickly walking toward us. Grinning at her I quickly stepped sideways out of the room allowing Serana to tumble out and almost run straight into the older woman.

Serana quickly backpedaled away from her and cornered herself back in the infirmary. "Nani." She greets with a nervous grin.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?" Evyo steps forward trying to inspect her daughter for any injuries.

"No Nani I'm fine." Serana assures, pushing the other woman's hands away.

In a blur of blue, black, and gold a resounding thunk rang out as Evyo's wing connected with the side of Serana's head.

Serana shouted in equal parts pain and surprise as a hand flew up to grip the side of her head.

"What were you thinking?!" Evyo was suddenly shouting now that she knew her daughter wasn't injured or otherwise unhealthy. "You could have gotten yourself killed!" Evyo continues her ranting at the top of her lungs as Serana shrinks back.

Not wanting to stick around and get more verbal lashings than I could help, I spun around and marched toward the castle leaving Serana there to fend off her nani. She can kill me later.

I made my way through the castle and up to my study to see what had transpired in my two day absence.

Every time I passed a guard, noble, or even a lycan it seemed like a sense of relief washed over them as they saw me pass. I guess I was missed. I muss while pressing my good side to the study door to help me open it.

"Mirandiona." Avar's voice is calling my name before I've even stepped into the room.

Stepping through the threshold I spot the man standing by my desk with a less than pleased expression. Taking a calming breath I square my shoulders and push the door closed behind me.

The moment the click sounds Avar is speaking in a deep and agitated voice. "Do you have any idea how reckless you were in leaving, not only the castle, but Algrie all together?" The low baritone of his voice was even and just below a normal volume meaning he was far angrier than Selina had been. "What do you think would have happened if you had been captured, or worse yet killed?" His body was tense and his gaze piercing with the amount of restrained anger he was showing.

A small huff of laughter left me as the corners of my lips turned up. "You and I have two very different definitions of worse." I say in an equally low and even voice.

It had been a while since I'd used that tone with anyone, including Avar. It seemed its return struck a cord as the head councilman seemed to deflate a little bit and draw back in an unconscious acknowledgment of my position and subsequent power.

"Has any headway been made with finding the weapon?" I ask changing topics.

"No your majesty, all efforts were halted in the light of your disappearance." He informs.

Letting a sigh escape my lips I walk over to my desk to see the same papers from a couple days ago scattered across it exactly the way I had left them. "A rebel woman was captured and brought to the castle with us, I want her chained to Fyko at all times. No one is to be cruel nor are they to be overly nice." I order. "She may be our best chance at finding this weapon before the rebels find another way to set it off." I explain before Avar can open his mouth to object.

"Also." I continue again before he can speak. "Has there been any word from Kenysiz?" I turn my head to look at him across the desk.

"No your majesty, whatever Helton is doing there he's keeping a tight security around the city to keep it hidden." He answers.

"Thank you. See to it my orders are carried out. And have Katal sent to me the moment she returns." I dismiss turning back to the papers on my desk.

"At once your majesty." He bows before making his way to the balcony and leaping off to do as told.

The moment he left my whole body sagged in both relief and exhaustion. At the very least it was good that nothing new had transpired in my absence. I looked at my chair for a long moment before turning and making my way to the divan and dropping onto my stomach with next to no grace. Sitting in a chair with my wing folded behind my back would be unbearably uncomfortable and I was not looking forward to the first time I'd have to do it.

I wasn't sure how long I had laid there but I was very nearly asleep when the door creaked open a moment before being forcefully swung open by something fast and large. Lifting my head I see a flurry of black and gray feathers only a moment before I have a giant black beak shoved in my face, huffing and puffing as it sniffed me down.