Julius's Plan
Julius
I slipped through the shadows, following my instincts, leading me and the princess away from a life she was born to but would never know if I had anything to do with it. I knew I had to remove her from our world completely; that was the only chance I had to make my plan work. Upon reaching my mentor's home, I slipped in through the hidden stairwell, which led directly to the portal I knew was concealed there. There were 6 portals in our Realm, each one leading to a different and unique one. Our realm was the central hub, if you will, the in-between (see what we did there with the name). I knew that the princess would be found eventually; there wasn't anywhere in the 7 realms I could hide her forever, especially knowing who she was mated to. Hell, with how powerful this couple was destined to be, he probably already felt she had been born, which meant I had very little time to succeed. I had made sure my mentor, his mate, and their family would be gone for the night. I couldn't risk anyone stopping me. This Realm belonged to me, this child was the sole heir to the throne, with her gone and my darling brother and his whore gone, the throne would fall to be, and all those that inhabited The In-Between would bow to me or see the last of their days. I shook my head to clear my head. I had to stay focused; there would be time to gloat later. I knelt in front of the portals, a swirling blue and purple magical force field that shimmered between giant black marble pillars, swirled with blue and purple tendrils, wrapping the pillars like ivy would grow on a trellis. This was the entrance to the Wolves' Realm. My contact told me the most caring pack to take her to. I wanted her gone, not abused and mistreated. I carefully pulled the sleeping bundle from my cloak, laying her gently on the ground in front of me.
"I wish things could have been different, little niece," I say wistfully, running my finger down her rosy cheek. I sighed and reached into my cloak again to pull out 2 small vials. One red in gold with flecks of gold and silver flittering around; the other a deep purple with a neon green liquid bubbling inside it. I carefully opened the first vial and poured in over the infant, feeling the air grow heavy and angry. I steeled myself against the wind that seemed to come from nowhere in the enclosed room. I opened the second vial and poured it over the infant as well.
"May you be bound from your destiny, may you never return to this realm nor visit any other for as long as this binding lasts," I say, throwing both vials through the portal. The wind began whipping around the room faster, stirring rocks and dirt, turning them into little projectiles, pelting my skin relentlessly. I growled against the pain, picking up the princess, carefully shielding her to my chest. I didn't fail to notice the rocks no longer hit me in my chest where the princess was nestled. I snuggled the sleeping bundle closer to my chest and stepped through the portal, the angry room behind me fading. I closed my eyes against the swirling mist around me, only opening them once I felt solid ground under my feet. Birds sang to each other from the treetops of the largest trees I have ever seen, a gentle breeze blowing the smell of water towards me. Water usually meant there was a village nearby, so I began walking in the direction of the smell. After a short trek, I paused, hearing rustling and soft lyrical voices carrying towards me in the breeze. I knelt into a nearby shrub and tried to peek through it to see who the voices belonged to. 2 small children were playing near the river, while two women were lounging under a tree on a blanket. It appeared I was about to interrupt their picnic.
"Ada! Marcus! Come take a break and let's eat. " One of the women called out, her voice washing over me like a calming lullaby. I knew this was where I would leave the princess; surely someone with a voice like that would care for her like she deserved. I closed my eyes, silently weaving a stunning spell over the group in front of me. I walk into the open and gently place the little bundle near the tree base behind the women and turn to leave. I freeze when the young child, Ada, stares back at me. I frown and study her, moving from side to side as her eyes track me. 'That's odd. No one should be able to do anything under this spell. What makes this girl so special?' I think to myself as I approach her, her eyes widening in fear.
"Fear not, little one, I am not here to harm any of you. Please ensure this baby is taken care of and knows no pain in this life." I reach out and touch her head. She melts a little under my touch and looks at me with eyes full of a promise to do as I ask. I step away and continue back through the portal to begin taking back my kingdom.
Ada
After the man disappeared, I stood there staring in the direction he went for a few moments, wondering who he was. My eyes flicker to the little bundle he placed by the tree. Hearing my name called again, I run to my mom and Millie, my brother hot on my heels. They both smile at us and gesture to the food spread on the blanket.
"Momma, a strange man put a baby by the tree and told me we should care for it." My mom gasps and looks where I'm pointing to the bundle. She grabs the baby and sits on the blanket, Millie and I coming close to see. Marcus couldn't care less as he shovels sandwiches into his mouth.
"Luna Clara, the blanket... it..." Millie trails off as we notice the Royal Crest sewn onto the fuzzy pink blanket.
"Maybe it doesn't mean what we think it means, Millie. We'll have to hide the blanket and be very careful what we say about this baby. I don't have a good feeling about this, and if someone told Ada to look after her, then we better do as they ask. If they're powerful enough to get this baby from her parents, I don't want to be on their bad side." Luna Clara removes the blanket and gives it to Millie, who takes off her apron and, after dragging it through the mud, wraps it around the blanket, hiding it from sight. What am I going to tell my mate? He hates King Stefan; there's no way he'll let her stay. I'll have to think of something. As the group walks back to the pack house, Luna Clara tells them all the story she created to keep the baby safe.