AURORA’S TALE: PART TWO
Aurora carefully snuck up to the room where her Protector, Leal Grayson and King Ember of Medula were discussing some top secret things she wasn’t allowed to know about ‘for her own safety’. Unfortunately, such instances of holding meetings that had purposely been exclusive of her including a crucial meeting (a few weeks prior to the Leal’s and King Ember’s latest meeting) with the Travelers and Seers that she and King Ember had rounded up and brought to their home pocket dimension with the sole reason being Aurora’s pregnancy and eventual delivery of her daughter Avery, had become commonplace.
Aurora leaned closer to listen in on the conversation but the two men, who were well informed of just how resourceful Aurora was when it came to seeking information particularly of the kind they were discussing that was meant to be withheld from her, for her own good, had taken special precautions to ensure no one eavesdropped on their conversation using any magical or non-magical inventions. She tried every thing she could think of to try and eavesdrop on the conversation without alerting the two men, to no avail.
Finally conceding defeat, she waited around the first left turn along the hallway from where her Protector emerged from the meeting room and upon seeing him, Aurora folded her arms in anger and defiance, before taking a deep breath and looking away from Leal’s eyes. She had to remember that she was upset at him for withholding information from her and somehow had to forget about the mere fact that he was her Protector so that she wouldn’t get distracted which was becoming increasingly hard to do in recent days.
“I know that you’re cross with me, but would you please look directly at me, darling?” Leal asked her gently. His request was muttered so gently and lovingly, Aurora nearly complied with his request, beginning to feel the familiar heartstrings being tugged at within her, which was no doubt his intention to diffuse her anger and perhaps even to divert her curiosity to other things.
“Don’t… start with me, Leal. You know what I want… What I need… I need information. I am an important member of this team and I demand to know the truth! Need I remind you and Ember just who started this team? It was me! And before that, I was doing missions all on my own so I demand to know right now exactly what are you hiding from me?”
“Aurora, I promise that I’ll reveal the whole truth to you but not right away, okay? I have a mission ahead of me but I promise you once I get back-” Leal tried to explain.
“What’s the mission about? Did we find another traveler? Or is it a seer who’s suffered through the nightmare? At least give me something,” Aurora interjected interrupting Leal.
“Aurora, darling, please-” he pleaded.
“Leal, I demand to know!” she exclaimed, daring to stare him directly in the eyes.
“Darling, Avery needs you. Please let me take care of everything else for the time being while you care for her,”
“Avery is my first priority as always and so don’t you dare use her as an excuse. What’s the harm in letting me know the mission? It’s not like I want to do anything stupid. I just want to know the truth,”
“Aurora, I know you. You won’t be able to walk away. Please darling, accept that I shall tell you the truth after I’m successful. I’ll tell you everything. Please, I promise, I just- I’m your Protector and I can’t let you risk your life or let any harm come to you for that matter,”
Aurora shook her head, eyes filling up with angry tears. “You are making my choice for me, Leal and it’s so unfair! Fine, don’t tell me. I’ll find out anyway!” she said and stormed away. She began to reflect about her rather emotional demeanor ever since she’d had Avery and was absolutely flabbergasted at her recent emotional outbursts when she had been so cool and rational before. She had to find a way to control herself, she thought.
She returned to find Anna soothing Avery to sleep as the latter was so fond of doing. Just as Anna carefully placed a sleeping Avery back in her crib, Aurora faced away from her to ensure that Anna did not see her shedding angry tears. She whispered her apology for interrupting and quietly sneaked out of the room and walked towards one of the other rooms until Anna came to join her.
Unfortunately, Aurora was caught red handed crying in anger, something she detested more than anything. Of course Anna wanted to know what was wrong and Aurora had to tell her and felt humiliated for it even when Anna assured her that there was nothing wrong with Aurora’s display of emotions to her…
Anna was a great listener and by the end of the story, she was as gentle and caring as ever. “I understand how frustrating it can be especially considering our family’s penchant for seeking knowledge and information. You saved us all and we are all eternally in your debt, Aurora. However, forgive me for saying this but I think going out to the field and back on the mission is putting yourself and your family at unnecessary peril. Aurora, you’re a mother now and Avery needs you and Protector Leal is just trying to avoid a situation where Avery grows up without you. As an orphan myself, I can tell you that the loneliness a child faces without a parent is very difficult. Please, if not for your own sake, stay for Avery,’s,”
Disappointed by Anna’s words, Aurora simply offered up a fake smile and an ‘Okay’ before remaining silent for the duration of the day. She did not respond to anything any one of her friends or even her Protector said instead barricading herself in the library, pouring over large volumes of books to distract herself. Leal thought that he needed to complete his mission soon or else risk having his charge remain upset with him for the rest of their lives.
Aurora was about to call it a night when she heard a knock on the library door. She did not respond but the person on the other end of the door let themselves in anyway. She looked up to see Leal coming into the library and she huffed in anger and moved as close to the furthest wall as she could. Leal walked silently until he standing directly behind her.
“Still mad at me darling?” he asked her gently placing both his hands on her shoulders.
She shrugged them off and continued pouting.
“Okay, I give up. I’ll tell you everything you need to know if you promise- no, swear to me that you won’t go off on your own,”
Aurora turned to face him and nodded.
Leal smiled but something about it seemed different. She ignored that feeling and listened intently. He sighed and shook his head.
“Please,” she begged him looking directly in his eyes and lovingly rubbing his shoulders. Somehow, someway, it was as if she didn’t know the man looking back at her. He felt like a total stranger. Could Avery really have brought so much change to their lives? Why was her husband’s gaze so impersonal and cold?
“Okay. So a few days ago, the C.P. sent in this report. A traveler appeared in timeline B-3. She was babbling incoherently and it’s possible that she appeared in this timeline completely by accident. She appeared just a few kilometers from the shores of Avala and was taken in by the Mystai there who have been giving her treatment whilst trying to unscramble her strange babbling. The C.P says the only things the Mystai have been able to get out of her babbling is something about a box and then she dropped a few ‘common’ names like Ember and Anna’s and ours. C.P. says she wanted me to investigate and debrief her,”
“Is she sure that the traveler mentioned us by name?”
“The C.P was surprised the traveler mentioned us too and that’s why she sent word that I should investigate asap. Well, though the Mystai have managed to treat her somewhat, her memories are still clouded and unclear. So I told Ember about it and we were planning to go see her. Please, Aurora, promise me you won’t go and see her especially without us,”
“She obviously needs our help. When were you planning on getting to her?”
“When I know it’s safe. Don’t even think about tagging along, I forbid it. Please, darling, swear to me you’ll let this go. I have gone against my better judgement and told you everything which I shouldn’t have but… well, I suppose I just couldn’t help myself,”
“I swear I won’t go off on my own,” Aurora said unable to look at him directly in his eyes while she stated that obvious lie. After sometime, Leal began rummaging through his pockets while grumbling incoherently.
Finally, he sighed and handed her a hospital electronic key card.
“My love?” she asked surprised receiving the card.
“Use this to get to her. I should have known better than to try and talk you out of going there,”
“Trust me, Leal,”
“Oh I do, Aurora. A little too much,”
She smiled, rubbed his arms lovingly and then rushed to the clock tower room, the only room where they could access magic in the entire pocket dimension and used her grandfather-clock disguised traveling machine to open up a portal to Avala.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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