An Invitation, and A Journey
Neil stares at the paper Katelyn just handed him. She was jumping in excitement, oblivious to Neil’s panic.
Even if it wasn’t an Evermore invite and didn’t have his true name on it, it still invokes the same dread as if it did. He can hear his mother ripping it up and staring at its shreds as it burns. Neil knows he should rip it up and burn it, but he still wants to go.
He wants to go so badly but he knows he shouldn’t. Before he can pack his things and run.
Run.
He needs to RUN-
“This is the best!” Katelyn squealed, “We have to go together.”
Neil was silent, still panicking. He wanted to go, but he could feel his mother screaming at him to run . If she were still here, she could get her handmaidens to drag him away. Away from Valenda.
But she isn't here anymore. She’s been dead for 2 years, and he knows he has to run, but he wants to experience magic again, not her mother’s making humans pledge loyalty to her, or his own twisting their heads to survive and taking advantage of them.
But magic that makes life seem beautiful again, magic twisting the stars into beautiful constellations, magic that makes colors seem brighter and bolder, and magic that tastes like burned sugar on his tongue.
“Neil, I met someone at the docks that might be able to get us- Neil. Are you okay?” Katelyn asked after seeing the expression of panic on his face.
Her voice brought him back to the present, back in his room above the bar they both worked at.
“I- I” can’t
“ Neil ,” Katelyn said with so much hope in her eyes. He could usually tune out the emotions of the people around him, but Katelyn was so hopeful. Her eyes seemed to glow a pale blue, even though he knew her eyes were gray,
He couldn’t say no. Against his better judgement. He couldn’t say anything, he only gulped and nodded.
Katelyn beamed, “I know this boy that came in at the docks. He could help us get to Valenda! I think he also has an invite of his own. We can work together and win.”
“Isn’t that the same boy you gushed about?” Neil said, trying not to think about the impending carnival and the death warrant he might've just signed.
Katelyn blushed, “I- He is very cute Neil. And he has the cutest laugh. And-”
“And you’re smitten with him,” Neil supplied, she had gone from blue to yellow to a deep cherry red.
“I- Fine I’m smitten with him,” Katelyn admitted but then she got a challenging glint in her eye, “But what about your love life, Neil? Any cute boys or girls?”
“I- I don’t swing Katelyn,” Neil rolled his eyes.
“Not even one cutie had caught your eye?”
Neil shook his head.
Katelyn thought for a moment before moving on, “We have to pack for the journey, I don’t have many good dresses but maybe I can scrounge something up just for the occasion. What about you, I’ve never seen you wearing anything other than that.”
“It’s fine, this is all I need,” he didn’t understand what was wrong with his clothes, they were plain but that's how he liked it. Plus Her Majesty’s Gown could change into whatever suit he liked.
“Neil!” she sounded absolutely scandalized, “You’d be completely out of place! Everyone would stare at you and we absolutely cannot have your beautiful face disregarded due to your shabby outfit.”
He knew she did have a point, and that he would be out of place. He had Her Majesty’s Gown but Katelyn didn’t know that. And he knew she wouldn’t stop pestering him until he produced some clothes she accepted. He didn’t know if he could tell her he had a Fated Object however. That would lead to too many questions.
Questions that would lead to more questions. Questions that might uncover his past, because he knew Katelyn would be smart enough to connect the dots, even if she only had a few.
He sighed, “Hold on, Katelyn.”
He walked into the washroom he was provided when he first came to the inn. He could tell Her Majesty’s Gown was absolutely delighted to have free reign and make itself as fancy as it wanted. He didn’t spare a glance at the mirror and walked outback into Katelyn’s view.
Neil sighed, “Is this good?”
Katelyn gaped, “W- Where did you get that?”
“Doesn’t matter. But does this meet your standards?” Neil joked.
“Neil, look at yourself, you’d fit right into the palace nobles,” Katelyn exclaimed.
Neil looked down as his outfit, he was wearing a deep nearly black blue vest on top of a simple white long sleeve shirt with gold accents. With black trousers tucked into his knee high boots.
“Huh, maybe I would,” he murmured, “But I guess we should save this outfit for Palmetto.”
He walked back into the washroom and Her Majesty’s Gown sadly transformed back into its former state.
When he sat back down next to Katelyn, he asked, “So, how’s your crush gonna get us to Valenda?”
Katelyn blushed and said, “Well he came on a ship here from the coast of the empire, and he said he had connections so he could help us get to the palace!”
“Wait, it's taking place at the palace!? ” Neil could feel his heart skip a beat and his mother yelling at him.
“I know right! We’re so lucky to get invites. I heard that the only other people to get invites were nobles, and a few random people from all around the Meridian Empire.”
“Well shouldn’t we get everything set with your boy so we don’t miss the chance?” Neil sighed, but smiled weakly at Katelyn.
“We can get that set tomorrow. Now, we have a shift to work remember?” Katelyn giggled and dragged him down to the bar so they could start their shift.
~~~
Neil looked at how Aaron was glancing at Katelyn as she talked about how excited she was to see Valenda and the Meridian Empire. They were currently on the ship to a port on the coast of the Meridian Empire. Neil and Katelyn shared a room and Aaron was currently sitting across from them on the floor.
He looked as smitten with her as she was with him. Neil just hoped that Aaron wouldn’t be another part of Palmetto’s game, because if he was and broke Katelyn’s heart, Neil wouldn’t hesitate to kill him or the mastermind behind the game.
“Neil, aren’t you also excited to go see Valenda?” Katelyn asked.
“Oh, I just-, it’s just a lot to take in that I’m going back to Valenda,” Neil stuttered.
He didn’t have a lot of fond memories of the place, having to help his mother get the deck of cards and free his Uncle Stuart, the assassin, and getting the Reverie Key while being chased by his dad’s cult.
And before that, before they ran, his first memories of magic and blood. Watching his father tortue and burn people to death, watching the fates toy with humans, and having to watch them fawn over what they thought he would be able to do once he got control of his powers and became a full fledged fate instead of the ageless being he was, and still is-
“What do you mean back to? ” Aaron shifted his now sharp gaze from Katelyn to Neil.
“Oh, ummm, I used to live in Valenda with my mom, but then she died and I took our family’s money and ran away here.” Neil sputtered.
Aaron accepted this, but it didn’t seem like he actually believed Neil.
“Are there any good places you know of that we should go? I want to see the ruins of when the Fates ruled, and what type of food there will be there. There probably won’t be any of the food we had on the Isle. Oooooooh I wonder what different spices you’ll find there,” Katelyn gushed.
“Oh, ummm. It’s hard for me to talk about. The city contains bad memories, and I’d rather not think about it,” it was true, but it also helped hide the fact he hadn’t been back to Valenda in about 300 years.
Give or take.
Katelyn accepted this wordlessly, then turned to Aaron and began asking about all the places he’s traveled to.
Neil tuned out their conversation and fell asleep. He usually wouldn’t be okay with sleeping near strangers, but Katelyn was there, and he trusted Katelyn. Even though he knew he shouldn’t.
~~~
“Abram,” Mary hissed, “RUN”
Her jeweled eye patch glittered in the light, even though there was no light, Neil could see. Neil watched her cough up blood and her body turned to ash. Though he could still hear her words.
RUN.
That word kept repeating in his ears, even when all that was left of her was her jeweled eye patch. At some point, it wasn’t even only Mary’s voice. Her hand maiden’s voices also joined in.
~~~
Neil shot up, his eyes opening up to look around at his surroundings. His eyes first shot to the doors, but then he saw Katelyn looking at him with concern in her eyes. Aaron was nowhere to be found.
“Neil, are you ok?” She never asked about whatever the dreams were about, even though he knew she must’ve heard him muttering.
“Fine, I’m,” he shook his head to clear his thoughts, “Fine.”
“You’ve said that after being hit in the head with a crate,” Katelyn scolded.
“Fine, I feel a little disoriented, but other than that, I feel fine,” Neil rolled his eyes.
“Good,” Katelyn smiled, “Anyways, Aaron said we’d arrive by tomorrow night, and we have about 3 days to get set up there before Palmetto starts.”
“Are we going to stay at an inn, or at the palace?”
“Neil, it’s on the invitation,” Katelyn giggled, “Did getting your head hit with a crate mess with your memory retention skills?”
“Maybe it did. Wait, who are you again?” Neil forgot about the invitation, but he could sense its presence in his satchel.
Katelyn laughed, “Well, I’ve lived in The Conquered Isle Of Trisda my whole life and got kicked out by my very wealthy and powerful family three years ago. I work at the bar and the dock, where I met Aaron a few weeks ago, and then we got invites to Palmetto. And,” she boopped him on the nose, “I’m your bestest bestest friend in the whole world.“
“We’re friends?”
“Neil! Of course we are. What kind of question even is that?”
“I’ve just never had a friend before,” Neil admitted, Kevin didn’t count.
Nor did Jean or Riko, they were just people he had to get along with to survive.
He didn’t see any of them much anyway before he and his mother ran, but they were notorious for helping to make the illusions that made Evermore so popular. Neil knew they were connected to the fates, but his mother never told him how, and his father never told him anything.
Riko had always been the best, but Kevin was a close second. Jean just did as he was told and stood in the background, but he never seemed like he was truly there, sometimes he looked like he was crying and sometimes it looked like he was the happiest person in the world. But if you really tried to focus on him you were just looking at a blur that looked like a human.
Or maybe that was his mind deceiving him, he only saw him once after all.
“Neil! Once in Valenda we have to go sightseeing together, no just moping around in your room like you did in the isles.”
Years of his mother telling him to stay in his room to not be seen and following her orders made him visibly cringe.
“Neil, it’ll be fine. If any one gives us trouble I can just beat them up,” Katelyn shot a thumbs up at him.
Neil tried to smile, “Thanks Katelyn.”
He could handle being in a large crowd, but in Valenda, where the Fates used to rule, where Kevin is. He might’ve not been the most connected with the news of the world, but even he knew how Kevin Day ran away from Evermore and showed up and joined Palmetto.
He would be in Valenda, and Riko could also be too.
But the last time he saw them was about 1000 years ago, so they most likely didn’t recognize him.
Hopefully.
He also didn’t want to be seen by so many people that could be a part of his father’s cult.
But he also didn’t want to disappoint Katelyn. He was already breaking two of his mother’s biggest rules, so what was another one?
“We’ll get to Valenda by tomorrow night, right?”
“Mhmm, it’s about dusk right now. You slept for quite awhile,” Katelyn chuckled, “Are you trying to adjust your sleep schedule so you can get started right away the night they start Palmetto?”
“Mn,” Neil yawned, “No I’m just going to go back to sleep.”
“Lazy ass,” Katelyn teased.
“I’m tired, let me sleep in peace woman,” Neil yawned again., “Go bother Aaron, not me.”
“Good night Neil,” Katelyn reached over and ruffled his hair, ignoring his protests.
Neil laid on the bed and fell asleep to the lulling of the sea and the ship rocking back and forth.
He woke up once when Katelyn came back to their shared room, she didn’t notice him tense and awake.
Just crept into bed and went to sleep. Oblivious to Neil’s panic. Neil spent a minute reassuring himself that it was just Katelyn, and he needn’t panic.
He still had to teach himself how to breathe again before he went back to sleep.
~~~
He was in Valenda. Somewhere he never thought he’d be again. Somewhere he swore not to go again.
But against his better judgement, and his mother’s wishes, he was there.
He wasn’t sure if he regretted it or not, but so far it was okay. But he’s barely been in the city for more than an hour so far, and there was a lot that could go wrong in the next week.
Katelyn took his arm and dragged him away from the port. She did the same with Aaron, and together they went into the city.
Aaron said something about them needing to head to the castle but Katelyn shushed him.
“I know you’ve been all around the world Aaron, but this is my first time out of The Conquered Isle of Trisda. And I don’t want to go back to a stuffy castle filled with dumb nobles,” Katelyn said as she took in the world around them.
Aaron aquised, but if it was Neil asking, he probably would have dragged them there. He didn’t seem to like him very much.
Katelyn dragged them around to different food stands and paid for all the food, even though Aaron tried to pay for her.
Neil bit into a stick with glazed roasted sweet potatoes. He surveyed his surroundings, his instincts on a hair trigger.
He was okay with loud sounds and the chatter of the people around him, but the sound of people making loud shows of the sizzling cooking food, cutting things vigorously made him jump every time it happened.
It sounded too much like burning flesh, and the hacking of limbs.
Neil tried to tune out all the noise and focus on eating his glazed yams.
Katelyn then dragged them away to a little courtyard she found, and one that he recognized.
It was an overgrown courtyard filled with life like statues, Neil could feel the roasted yam in his stomach churning. He could remember exactly why some of these people were turned to stone.
One was a servant that messed up one too many times. And they learned the price of making mistakes when working for the fates.
Now she was forgotten by all but Neil, who wished he didn’t know who she was. Who wished that she was just another face lost in the sands of time, but even covered in vines, chipped and cracked, he could still recognize her.
“I heard it was The Poisoner who turned these people to stone. I wonder how she did that,” Katelyn murmured.
“Maybe she gave them poison that turned them to stone,” Aaron looked at the statues with distaste.
“Oh, that would make sense,” Katelyn laughed nervously, “Neil, what do you think about it?”
“It’s… interesting,” Neil could remember the joy on Lola’s face as she forced the servant to eat a poisoned biscuit.
And the grin on her face when she told Neil what he might be able to do one day. How powerful of a fate he could be and how important he was to his father.
He hated her. Whenever he made a mistake, his father let her mutilate him with her knives.
Even worse, he let her use her poisons on him too. And he had to wait until they made someone take his place in his suffering.
Suddenly the statues became too much for him, “Katelyn, I’m gonna go for a walk. I’ll find you guys later.”
Katelyn frowned, “Okay, see you later Neil.”
Neil walked out of view of where Katelyn and Aaron were sitting, and into an alleyway about a block from the courtyard.
He sat on the floor and tried taking it all in. Valenda was completely different then how he remembered it. The fate’s old stronghold was completely gone and the castle he saw in the distance seemed completely new.
He never had to step foot in his childhood home ever again, that fact was oddly reassuring, but he could see the Fallen Star temple in the distance, and that filled him with dread.
It seemed to be on the opposite side of the city in relation to the castle so hopefully, he never had to venture near it.
He took out the invitation from his bag.
He knew he should’ve looked at it sooner, but it just filled him with dread.
But at this point, he was already too far in to give up. So he looked at the slightly waterlogged card.
Palmetto
Neil Josten
Valenda
Starts At Midnight
From the pen of Palmetto Masterpupeteer
He let out a breath.
He was going to Palmetto. He let his mind run at all the possibilities of what it would be like.
He gave up, there was no point at trying to guess what it would be like. He would just be disappointed if it didn’t live up to his expectations.
He walked back to the courtyard, trying not to look at the statues, and found the bench where he last saw Aaron and Katelyn.
All that was left was a note that was held in place by a rock. He must’ve lost track of time.
We should be at the ruins of where the Fates used to live. If we aren’t, then we’re probably at the palace.
-Katelyn
The ruins weren’t far, but there was no way he was going there. He just decided to trek up to the palace.
His clothes were the same fashion they were as back at the Conquered Isle of Trisda.
He stuck out like a sore thumb as he walked towards the palace. He didn’t run, he was itching to though. But if he did, he’d attract too much attention from the people around him. More so than he already had by wearing rags in the wealthier part of Valenda.
Before he could duck in an alleyway, a carriage pulled up beside him.
His blood felt ice cold. He debated whether he should or shouldn’t, and thought it was too much of a risk.
He didn’t think he could outrun a carriage, and it would just bring more unwanted attention.
A figure stepped out of the carriage, he was wearing refined elegant clothes, but they were terribly disheveled.
He was holding an apple. It’s skin was a shiny white, but other than that there it seemed like a normal apple.
The person who stood across him was Riko Moriyama.
“You look lost. Do you need help finding your way?” He asked sweetly, but his eyes were a dark brown void.
“I, umm, no. I’m heading to the palace, for uhh Palmetto,” Neil didn’t like the uncertainty in his voice, and how it turned his statement into a question.
His eyes turned icy, but he kept his words sweet, “Well, I live at the palace, and am going there currently. You can join me if you’d like.”
Neil didn’t know what game he was playing at, and whether or not Riko recognized him, but he saw no flash of recognition in his eyes.
And he lived at the palace, where Neil would be for the next week. He couldn’t draw attention to himself unless Riko put 2 and 2 together.
“No thanks, I’m fine walking,” Neil declined.
Riko laughed, “Good luck with Palmetto.”
There was no sincerity in his laugh or his tone. He went and got back in the carriage. Something fell out of his pocket.
Neil froze, “You dropped this.”
Riko waved him off, and rode off in the direction of the castle.
Neil stared at the luckless coin in his palm. Fates used them to track people they were interested in, and when you spun them, they showed which Fate the coin belonged to.
Neil had one from his mother, just in case they ever got separated. He still has it, right next to where he kept her jeweled eyepatch.
Neil took a second to spin the one Riko just left.
The Prince of Hearts.
Neil breathed out a sigh of relief, it wasn’t his father.
As he walked to the castle his mind drifted as he thought about why exactly Riko had a luckless coin.
He briefly pondered whether or not Riko was the Prince of Hearts.
He scrapped that idea however, when he and his mother had gotten the deck and released his uncle, he looked through all the cards.
And Riko wasn’t in the deck.
~~~
“Neil there you are,” Katelyn waved at him.
She and Aaron were waiting at the main gate to the castle.
“Hey Katelyn.”
They went up to the guard to be let in.
“Names?”
“Aaron Minyard,” he showed the guard his invite.
She checked her list and nodded.
“Katelyn Lilya.”
She nodded again when Katelyn showed her invite.
“Neil Josten,” he showed her his invite.
“You’re not on the list,” the guard stated.
His heart skipped a beat.
Katelyn gaped, “He better be on the list, he’s the, uh, fiance of the crown prince!”
Neil shot a horrified look to Katelyn.
The guard just shrugged and let them pass.
“Katelyn!” Neil hissed right when they were out of earshot of the guard.
Aaron huffed out a laugh, “You do realize the prince has a reputation for killing anyone in his path to the throne right?”
“Shit! Sorry Neil,” Katelyn went pale.
“It’s fine, just as long as the guard doesn’t spread the word,” Neil couldn’t really care whether or not a murderous prince came after him.
Just another inconvenience in a very long line of problems.
~~~
Word’s gotten to me that you’re my fiance. I’m sure you know of my rather controversial reputation. I don’t know what you think you’re going to accomplish, but since news of my rather sudden engagement has spread through the castle. I can’t exactly kill you yet. Wear this on the opening night of Palmetto.
-R
Neil stared at the box that was given to him. He didn’t want to open it, feeling as though he would find a severed head instead of clothes.
A day had passed since Katelyn made up the lie that he was the crown prince’s fiance.
And in that day, everyone in the palace knew of their ‘engagement.’
He had a day to decide if he wanted to run or not. The Reverie key was a heavy weight in his pocket.
~~~
Neil walked with Katelyn and Aaron into the party. He was still wearing Her Majesty's Gown, but the same outfit as the one the prince provided.
Just in case he had to run.
At one point, he got separated from Katelyn and Aaron, so he just hung at the edges of the party.
He saw who he thought was Aaron walking away from the party into a courtyard where there were less people.
“Hey Aaro- you’re not Aaron.”
“Really, I’ve been told I look exactly like him,” the stranger said with no emotion in his voice.
Neil didn’t think they looked like each other much, the only reason he mistaken him first was because of the blond hair and short stature.
Other than that, they had completely different mannerisms and the person standing across from him was smoking tobacco.
“Are you brothers, and if so why didn’t you come with him?” Neil was starting to think this was a part of the game.
“We’re twins, and I’m not in control of what he does.”
“Huh, well what's your name?”
“Andrew, are we done with this conversation yet?” He flicked a piece of ash towards Neil.
Neil took that as his cue to leave.
When he walked back into the party, he was greeted by the sight of Riko Moriyama.
“My dearest fiance, may I have this dance?” Brown eyes stared at him expectantly.