While You Were Out

[Orin Evans]

There would be a lot to do. A lot to discuss and plan and get back in order now that Alexandria and Aric have returned. He had done the best he could to keep things afloat, and for the most part, things had been uneventful. Unbeknownst to others, he had started making preparations for the upcoming war--whether it would come or not. It was never a bad idea to be prepared for the expected or unexpected.

Had it been anyone else, Orin may have stayed behind as the queen’s procession vanished off in the direction of the castle. After a long trip, one would expect to take the rest of the day to rest and gain their bearings. Alexandria, on the other hand--his sister, would not be resting, he knew as much. He knew well enough that she would be expecting him to follow behind and make some sort of status report on Aralore. Not to mention, Aric’s cousin was (once again) missing and god knows where. This time, it would have to be him to give that news. And it was his fault.

The ride back seemed a lot longer than it actually was. He had recited his story multiple times over but knew it wouldn’t come out the way he had it planned. Orin was much better at thinking and writing his thoughts down than he was at verbally speaking them.

At their arrival to the castle, there seemed to be more commotion as the servants and staff quickly prepared and sprang into action. Orin handed the reins of his horse over to someone just before he followed behind the others and entered the castle. The crowd slowly dispersed in various directions and as he watched Alexandria head towards the great hall of the castle, he knew his intuition had been correct. There was no resting for his dear sister, the queen of Aralore.

Orin inhaled quietly and followed behind them. Once he entered the room, he shut the door himself and turned to face both Aric and Alexandra, void of any emotion that would allow them to make any sort of assumptions. But he knew and was prepared for whatever was about to get thrown at him.

“How was your trip back?”