Chapter Nine: What Happened
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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.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQqSWHArAT
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”?!”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsILeYYOsjn
“Just a barn, dear and we is-”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCW2PGdmFv
“ME!”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAn9y4FhOY
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.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHteeZdODlL
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.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfoi45tK8O
“That’s ME-”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTtbaT8hD1
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?”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bHhfUCRPF
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.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzusNsogWLq
Marty murmured, dipping a rag into the bucket of water next to him and scrubbing the dust off of his hands.
“I have gathered.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4QVTB3i6h
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?”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPGutF365z
Leveret inquired, cocking his head slightly as he held up a hand.
Marty shrugged, not looking up from his drawing.
“Kinda.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjNyepH4qN
Leveret’s eyebrows arched.
“What in Phallowskleft does that mean?”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjR2sTlL6o
“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-”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJw8AhawzWd
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.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7rqWLBv40
Leveret tilted his head, his brow furrowing.
“But your parents thought it did.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFVNWD0q7b
Marty laughed.
“They hadn’t even met me, dear!”
Leveret nodded slowly in understanding.
“I suppose so.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrTrbQcKX7
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.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUnjlt6xdZ
Marty raised an eyebrow as he continued doodling in the dust.
“Mmm… so you let the fae make you ill?”
He smirked.
“No!”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgvZ94d0pJ
Leveret snapped.
“Well, not exactly-”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7Bs8Ya0Ej
“Then why were you there?”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu56Br8TrZ8
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?”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQedXwOjWh
He chortled.
“...It will greatly distress me if you continue this train of events, Will.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2DFDIKSkB
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.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5EOTVk4pg
Will poked his head into the room, his eyes glinting.
“Why’s that?”
“It’s a political marriage.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWJwzdFKKj
Leveret explained.
“So she does not get to choose whom she marries and she does not love her fiance.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrEXIeMQ07
“It’s rather depressing.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaM5kg9ZTGI
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?”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuSME1fTvX
“He’s just annoying-”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLNVzsVfm9
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.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOx2KEm1Gwv
“I’m sure you will, dear. But right now, you need to rest.”47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItEA5lLXTk
Marty replied, gently pushing him back onto the hay.
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and then Add to home screen.