Chương 684: The Crown
A blur of motion was racing toward the Forbidden Tower at full speed.
It wasn't one creature though; it was...five.
"It cannot be!" Aurora's words caught in her throat.
Were her eyes deceiving her?
In the back of the group a riderless polar bear lumbered on three legs, its teeth bared in a fierce grin. In front, three nearly invisible leopards raced ahead of him in graceful bounds.
On the front leopard...
...there was a man. Straight backed, he rode with ease atop the powerful feline. His form was strong and his cloak fluttered behind him like a royal banner.
There was no doubt who the figure could be.
"Devrim!" Aurora tried to descend the stairs and slipped. Brinn caught her, and the two women watched with the others as the party neared the tower.
"You know that man?" The Keeper watched the woman's face light up.
"He is my husband. I thought..." The Empress refused to finish the sentence. "I am so glad he is here!"
"Ah, so there is the crown." The Master of the Tower nodded knowingly. "That makes more sense."
Enraptured, Aurora watched the grey-eyed man ride into the circle of the leopards before leaping from his mount.
"Aurora!" he hurried across the ground and skipped as many of the stairs as he could.
"Devrim. You are alive!" The Empress blinked back her tears.
"I thought we agreed there would be no dying on this trip. I am a man of my word," he kissed his wife on the lips.
A few steps behind the last leopard, the snowbear entered the circle and collapsed from exhaustion. Isbora came to his side and began speaking with him in growls.
"What happened." Aurora tried to make sense of the bear's injury.
"We were the last to enter the storm. It was slow going, but we pressed forward. Then the wind suddenly changed directions and something came at us from the white void. As it struck us, I realized it was the supply sled. The brunt of the hit was against my poor bear's front leg. The two of us were thrown down."
Devrim turned his cheek. There was a small gash that was beginning to scab.
"Oh no!" Aurora caressed around the wound.
"At least it wasn't my eye," the man took her hand. "So there we were on the ground in the cold. I don't know how long we huddled together, but at last, my friend found the strength to stand. I tried to walk beside him, but the wind was just too much. I walked behind him for a short time, but even that was not enough to keep me upright. At last, I had to climb on his back once more and let him carry me to safety. All the time I was thinking of you."
Devrim kissed the hand he held.
"Me?" Aurora couldn't help but blush.
"I was very glad you were not in the sled, but I was also concerned. The supplies had been attached to Isbora. Were you both in danger? I looked through through the never-ending white, but I could not find a trace of you or anyone. When at last we made it through the other side of the storm. We all but collapsed." Devrim shook his head, recalling what happened next.
"Then the storm decided it wasn't through. It chased us. Only a loud ringing made the thing stop. At least I was able to run on my own two feet at that point. I don't think my furry friend would have been able to carry me any longer. I don't even know when we fell asleep, but I know when we awoke..."
Devrim looked at the leopards with a solemn expression.
"I was terrified at first, but they didn't eat me. They wanted to usher me forward. I was reluctant, but I had no other choice. I walked in their midst until they could stand it no more. I was not fast enough for them. One bowed, and I was nudged onto his back. Since then, I have been experiencing the ride of my life. I barely dared to hope that I would see you again. Yet here you are!"
Devrim hugged the woman before him, lifting her off the ground slightly with his enthusiasm.
"I thought you were gone. We waited for you until the storm started to close in. I guess you came out at a different spot. I am sorry we missed you." Aurora felt very guilty for abandoning her husband.
"None of that. Do not blame yourself for what is out of your control. I am here now." The Emperor kissed Aurora's forehead gently. He turned his attention to the blue-skinned being and the fairy he did not recognize. "Does anyone want to fill me in on what is happening?"
Aurora wondered how much the fairy and Fate spoke in the human language. It was best to keep any private communication to herself. "Well, we were caught like you by the leopards and escorted here. The Keeper wanted to send us away. He is not a fan of the rest of the Fates and believed our arrival to be some scheme by them. He took my Fate's chain and left, but I touched the door and my body glowed..."
"Your body, hair, eyes. The whole thing!" Brinn added, her own eyes widening to a frightening degree.
"I couldn't see that, so I'll trust you," Aurora shook her head. "Anyway, the Keeper had a vision of a star coming and so he is willing to give us the Seed."
"That's excellent news." Devrim saw his wife's face change slightly. "That is not excellent news?"
"It is good news, but there is a problem." The Empress sighed.
"It is one that the Crown will fix," The Keeper joined the conversation abruptly, confirming Aurora's suspicions that he understood. He looked expectantly at Devrim.
"Am I the Crown? I would be happy to fix the problem. Only…I don't know what the problem is." The Emperor searched the faces around him for the answer.
"Why, you have the way to transport the Seed! Please produce it so we can move on with the process." The ethereal being furrowed his brow. Humans could be very frustrating when they wanted to be.
"He means like a special box. I don't suppose you have one of those?" The woman's blue eyes made Devrim's heart melt.
He wanted so badly to be able to answer her with a yes. Alas, he could not.
"I have no box to hold the Seed." The grey-eyed man chewed the inside of his cheek. "I did not know we needed one."
"None of us did," Aurora confirmed. "What are we going to do?! We are so close."
"I don't know." Devrim frowned. He was beyond relieved to be back with the woman he loved but saddened by the turn of events. "Perhaps we can convene to find a solution, but first, I do have something for you." The man reached beneath his cloak and into the coat underneath.
"I am not sure this is a good time for gifts." Aurora suddenly felt embarrassed.
"I understand, but I want to make you smile if only for a moment. You see. When the sled broke, it scattered all of its contents." Devrim spoke slowly.
Aurora knew this. All of her things were on there as were many of the group's supplies.
"I am aware."
"The thing that hit me in the face was quite soft except for the wire running through it to help keep its shape. That is why my cut is not very deep." The Emperor grabbed hold of something in his cloak. "The silk caught in my mouth long enough for me to grab hold and stuff it into my clothes. Perhaps it was a silly thing to do, but I knew how much it meant to you."
"How much what meant to me?" Aurora held her breath.
The Emperor pulled out a perfect silk white bloom with a wide grin. "Recognize this?"
"Oh, Devrim!" The Empress kissed her husband and took the flower in her hands. "Thank you!"
The Keeper guffawed. "You see, I knew you would bring it!"
He snatched it from Aurora's hands. "You four, follow me."
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