Among the People (Cipher/Open)

It was Market Day in the Enchanted Dominion, a tradition that had been around for as long as the kingdom had been established. Every Sunday, farmers and merchants brought their goods to castle-town to sell. Not only were there commoners, but otherworldly visitors as well, bringing forth items that could only be found in places such as the Land of Dragons. It was a day Faye had once found annoying, dealing with people that didn't understand her and the fact she just had an all around superiority attitude, but not anymore. The queen had matured much over the years and had been humbled through experience. She enjoyed the simpler aspects that life had to offer, and though the sorceress enjoyed life in the palace, sometimes it was nice just to take a little break. Garbed in simple traveling clothes and a red hood to conceal her face, Faye walked among her people in disguise. Of course, she was not alone. Her faithful knight would never allow for that. Though he did not have his dragoon armor on, he did wear some common gear for protection, and as always his lance was resting on his back.

"Perhaps we should head back soon, my lady." Xander whispered, looking down at the short woman.

"Nonsense. We just arrived, Xander." Faye whispered back. "Tis hard for a queen to observe the true lives of her people when they're falling all over themselves trying to bow at her feet. This is more natural. A formal walk will necessary soon, yes, but not now. For once, I would like to do the watching."

They continued their walk, observing the many stalls lined up in the streets.

Cipher had heard that a kingdom was having some type of sale so he hitched raid with some people that had planned to go and see the shops. When he arrived he helped the people unload their goods "Thanks again for letting Cipher help you with this." he tells the group "No problem kid." one of the men tells him. After helping them finish he found imself in a sea of people buying and selling things.

As Cipher made his way through the sea of people he umped into a man and women in a red cloke "Oh am sorry but could you help me, knew around to this world." he asked the two hoping that they would be nice enough to help him around this new world. (Maybe I'll remember something important if I look around?) he hoped cause randomly gain memories is a pain at times.

Faye was examining a stall of exotic fabrics when the young man had arrived, her knight ever alert for trouble. "Oh!" Faye gasped, securing her hood around her head. It had almost fallen back when Cipher had bumped into her. Turning to meet the stranger, the first thing she noticed were his unusual colored eyes. One was blue while the other was brown. There was an air of magic about him, as did many people, but there was something about that azure eye of his. The sorceress couldn't quite put her finger on it. "You're fine, dear." she gave Xander a look, one that told him silently to calm down. The man acted like he was going to pop a blood vessel almost every time she met an otherworldly visitor. It was obvious that he was before he even opened his mouth. The queen had always had an eye for such things.

She nodded as the teen asked for some help getting around. What better way for a person to be introduced to her magical kingdom than by being shown around by its queen, though she would keep that under wraps for the time being. "Yes, you certainly have the looks of a newcomer about you." she spoke with the wisdom of someone who had experienced much in their life, calm and regal. "I am Faye, and this is my companion Xander." she gestured to the blonde man next to her before turning back to Cipher. "It would be our pleasure help you get acquainted with majesty that is the Enchanted Dominion. Have you a name, young man?" she asked.

Cipher thought the man would punch him if not for the hooded women next to him (I should make sure not to get him angry at all.) he told himself as he looked around. When he heard her say that he really looks like one he questioned it and then grabbed both of her hands and held them "Thank you, Lady Faye, it Cipher really mean's it." he told her as he shaking her hand "My name is Cipher.... umm sorry I only remember my first or Last name sorry." he tells her and her boyfriend.

He turns around and pulls Faye behind him "Let's go this way." he tells her even though he asked her to show him around. Cipher's head starts to hurt as he keeps walking but pays it no mind (Why now I just got here I don't want Lady Faye to worry.) he thought to himself as he walked through the sea of people "Whats that place Lady Faye?" he asks pointing to the castle in the distances.

Right away, Faye found the boy a bit... odd. Speaking in the third person wasn't anything new to her, but she was still caught off guard. He was obviously harmless, though. "Cipher. 'Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance." she said, giving him a subtle smile.

She followed behind the lad as he took her hand, trying to keep him at a leisurely pace as they moved along. True, Faye had never been a touchy feely kind of person, preferring her personal space, but for younglings she made an exception. Teen or no, he was still a child in her eyes. Cipher asked about the castle and she was more than happy to tell its story. "The castle of the Enchanted Dominon, and home to every ruler that has sat on the throne..." she said, without giving away it was where she lived now. She decided she'd throw in a little history lesson while she was at it too. "Twas built during the days when this world was still young and established by the first king and his knights centuries ago."

Cipher felt as if Faye was hiding something but then again so was he is to (This place feel so strange for some reason but I can't put my finger on it.) he tells himself as he listens to Faye tell the story of the castle. He tries not to look at Faye's boyfriend but looks at him anyway and then pulls Faye along with him "Umm sorry to ask Lady Faye but how long have you and your boyfriend been going out?" he asked as she was speaking.

He walks over to wall and uses it to help him stand up as he starts to breathe heavily (Whats going on with my body it feels so heavy right now?) he asks himself slowly regaining control of his breathing. "Cipher is sorry that was really hard to ask."

It was easy to tell that Cipher was intimidated by Xander. Most were, and it didn't help that he had a habit of leering at people all the time. It wasn't often that he took off his helm, but when he did he almost always forgot that his expressions--good and bad--were open for the world to see. He preferred his dragoon armor, but when the queen wished to stay low key, a woman walking around with a fully armored knight is not subtle. So, he had to settle for his leather jerkin or a piece of light chainmail to remain inconspicuous.

When the teen asked how long Faye and Xander had been dating, the queen and her knight shared a look. The term boyfriend was not unfamiliar to the woman. It was what she considered an otherworldly term for courtship. That was what the Enchanted Dominion had always referred to as dating, though more often than not they were more like arranged marriages--something that had steadily declined since Faye had taken the throne. Finally, Faye shook her head looking very amused. Xander played along, faking a chuckle. It stung just a little, but he was used to that feeling by now.

"Xander and I? Gracious no! He is my guardian, a trusted and dear friend. We are in no way..." she decided to use what was considered the 'modern' term for courtship. "Dating."

"My vow is to protect Lady Faye until my dying breath." usually, he would have rambled on a little more when it came to his service to the queen, but he had to remember that she wasn't being a queen at the moment. "I am but her humble servant."

Faye noticed that the boy was having a little trouble breathing. Was he tired already? "Are you alright? You seem a bit flustered. Perhaps you should sit and rest a moment." she asked, brows furrowing in concern.

"No Really...am okay." this was a lie of, course seeing how his body wanted to do othering like fall to the ground (Come on keep it up for a bit longer.) he told himself as he took Faye's hand again and pulled her along "This happens all the time it okay." he told her as he walked to the castle (It must be the castle doing this to me.) he thought clutching hi chest in pain "Need to see the King's Daughter." he said in a different voice from his own.

Faye would pull the young man to a stop the moment his voice took an odd tone. It put her on edge, and she would stop him before they made their way across the bridge. Xander flexed his fingers, ready to go for his lance if necessary. Not that she thought the boy was dangerous, and even if he was, Faye was certain she could handle him, but she did want to find out what was wrong with him before he entered the castle. Perhaps she could propose to examine him herself and get to the bottom of it. Though she had no idea how long he had been having issues, surely he was curious to find out the cause. It was possible that he could have simply been sick, true but the altered voice challenged that theory.

"Wait a moment, Cipher. There is no king." the sorceress would turn the teen around and rest her hands on his shoulder. Squinting her eyes for a moment, she took some quick observations before speaking. "Do you speak of King Stephen and the Princess Aurora? If you do... then I'm afraid that speaking with them will not be possible. The last royal family was assassinated some twenty years. It was a tragedy that brought on the war." she said, softly.

"It is a queen that now sits upon the throne." Xander added. "This world would not be what it is today without her grace."


Faye had to resist the urge to grin and lift her head in pride at the compliment. Of course, she couldn't take all the credit. There were many that helped her. She still didn't want to give herself away to Cipher. "I can personally arrange an audience for you with the queen if need be." tilting her head slightly, she continued. "Forgive me for being nosy, but would you care to explain how long this state of yours has been going on? Does it seem to come and go? Sudden headaches and labored breaths... I have taken notice and I am concerned for your well-being. Please, I would like to know more."

When Faye stopped him it was like he was way from his body and had no idea to what was happening "Cipher is sorry what do you mean me never asked to see a king/Queen?" he told her with his tone going back to normal. (What is she talking about and why is Mr. Xander looking at me like am a Heartless?) he wondered as he looked at the two confused. He felt his blue eye twitch like it was telling him something by just covered it. Cipher smiled at the two "Cipher has been asleep for years and has weird powers sorry, if something happen am still learning." he told them still smiling at them hoping to calm down the tension.

Oh no. Faye was not going to let him brush that off that easily. Something was definitely going on."I am certain that you did." she said. "In fact, your voice took a strange tone. How long have this been happening?" if this boy was the vessel of a Heartless or something else equally as bad... well, she couldn't just let him wander around her kingdom without knowing for sure.

Cipher really had no idea of what Faye was talking about he didn't want her to get angry at him (Wait could it because of my second heart!?) he questioned "Ms. Faye umm am sorry but ever since I got here I've had a weird feeling almost as if someone wanted me here." he tells her with a saddened look on his face like he was sad to leave someone important to him. (I really wanted this day to fun but now it's turning out like the others.) he thought to himself as he grabbed Faye's hands and looked at her "Please believe me when Cipher says he doesn't know." he said ith fear and sadness in his eyes. Cipher didn't want her to treat him like he was a freak or something even worse a Heartless in disguise.

"A weird feeling?" Faye quirked a brow as he explained his condition. "Could you describe more for me? I am well versed in magic, you see. Perhaps I could assist you in finding the reason behind this... phenomenon of yours." she looked down at the boy, studying his expression. No thought crossed her mind that he was a Heartless. No, he seemed much too innocent for that, but she had been surprised before. As much as she wanted to poke at him for more answers and discover the truths he was hiding, she thought it wise not to push him. "Or maybe you would be interested in visiting one of the many academies we have here in the Enchanted Dominion. If you would rather get your mind off of this."

"You have a spell library here I hope its bigger than the one back home!" Cipher said with much hype in his voice as he hugs Faye's knight out of joy "I promise I will tell you everything when I'm done with my mission okay." he tells them as he pulls out a phone and takes a selfie (This day can't get any weirder than this first I meet this nice lady and her knight or brother and now I get to learn more magic.) he thought to himself. He waited for Faye to lead him to the new magic.

Xander simply stood there shocked when the teen wrapped his arms around him. It wasn't everyday he had someone just randomly hug him, and Faye bit her lip to hold back her laughter. The faces that man made sometimes. He forgot he didn't have his mask again, of course, otherwise it would have been emotionless.

"Yes, Cipher. We have many schools dedicated to the art of magic and swordcraft. Speaking of libraries, the Marigold Academy of Magic has the best collection of books in the land. That would be the first place to start." she began walking back towards the market beckoning for Cipher to follow. It didn't take them long for them to dive back into the sea of busy people bustling through the streets. "Where are you from, by the way? And what is this mission you speak of?" she asked as they drew closer to the world's oldest school.

Cipher skipped behind them as just thought of all the new things he would learn at the "school" as Faye called it "If its that old then that mean's there are a lot of spells that no one has used in years." he thought aloud as they made their way through the sea of people. (I can't wait to tell the twins all about this!) he thought to himself as they reached the school "Oh uummm I don't know when I woke up I was in a lab in Radiant Garden but now I live in lots of places." he told her as he pulled out a candy bar "Oh my mission is to find the person that put me in the lab and restore my memory." he told her with a bit of the bar still in his mouth .

The Marigold Academy of Magic was a grand structure of spiraling crystal towers and gardens. Here, nature existed with the architecture as if it had always been there, a fine representation of the vision Faye had for this world. Man, fairies, and nature living together as one. It was a lovely picture and one the queen hoped would continue to grow and flourish. The courtyard was filled with shrubbery and flowers with the stature of a tall woman in the center. What was odd was that the statue was not at all dressed like a native of the Enchanted Dominion. Instead, she was garbed in a jacket and pants with a large bow in her hair. Though Cipher probably had no idea who she was, it was the woman who had helped Faye protect this world from the Heartless two decades ago.

As they passed through the iron gates and into the school's courtyard, preteens to young adults were talking among themselves in groups or studying their tomes at tables or benches. Most of the students were too busy with their own affairs to pay them any mind, but there were a few studying alone that lifted their heads to watch the newcomers enter the main establishment. Faye would lead Cipher through the corridors, attracting the attention of mortal and fairy professors alike whom bowed their heads to her as she passed.

The library was large and vast with shelves that towered over them, holding hundreds of books both new and ancient. Above them was a skylight of colored glass, draping the room in a lovely hue of sun kissed pastels. Every section was organized by content: magical anomalies, creatures of myth, the element of aether, and many more. None of these were what the queen was looking for. There was a smaller section in the corner of the room with only a single shelf and it was not even completely filled. The condition of the books ranged from very old to relatively new. There did not seem to be any in between these ages.

"Studies of the heart." Faye looked at Cipher. "If there are answers you seek, mayhaps you will find them here. 'Tis all subjective, of course. The heart is a fickle thing. We may never truly understand it. Feel free to look around and see if you can find anything that could possibly shed some light on your situation, Cipher." she held up a finger. "If you do wish to try some spells, however. You may walk through that door there into one of the training halls. 'Twould not be good to cast fire spells or anything else in here. This literature is very important."

Cipher was more than awestruck when he saw the massive collection of books that were on the shelf, he was so excited that he started to recite a spell (This place is so awesome I have to take at least 45 book's back with me a to read!) he thought to himself as he ran off to a section that had tens of thousands of books on Famous Keyblade users. He took so many off the shelves that he couldn't see over them "Umm Ms. Faye, Mr. X could one of you clear a table for me?" he asked them guessing that he was near them by the sound of their voices.

As he tried to keep the books sturdy he also read one that was leaning against the other (So the Keyblade is something that only people that have a master can get.) he thought to himself walking as slow as he could to not tip over and lose his books. "I will find a keyblade master to better myself and unlock all the doors to my heart." he proclaimed as he nearly fell.

Faye noted the number of books he took. She didn't know what it was with students always trying to carry more than they could handle. Maybe it was just a result of their enthusiasm. She could remember being like that just more... logical. At this rate, the poor teen was going to fall flat on his face. Xander answered Cipher's request, guiding him to an empty table. The knight made sure to steady the boy as he almost stumbled.

"A keyblade, hm? That is quite the proclamation." Faye said as Xander pulled out a seat for her to sit down. "Sadly, it is easier said than done. Many have come studying these books and have yet to unlock its secrets. Myself included."

"Thank you Mr...umm Xander." he said continuing to read his book and found it to be really interesting but so helpful all at the same time (Maybe there's something in this one?) he thought to himself as he opened one book after another "Um Cipher is sorry he wasn't really listening Ms.Faye." he says moving from book to book. He started to nod off a few times as he started to take notes when a short memory played, of him in much smaller school with kids around him (Think am gonna take a nap.) he told himself as he fell asleep with tackets of books around him.

Xander made some grumpy remark under his breath, seeing that the kid had dozed off, but Faye did not catch it. The sorceress placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and gave him a gentle shake in an attempt to wake him. "You would probably be more comfortable sleeping at the inn. You can always come back tomorrow and resume your research."

Cipher dreamt of that he was in a black room with white spots all over and a women in a very motherly like white dress stood before him "Its not yet time my little shadow." she said pushing him away "Wait who are you?!" he cried as he woke up from his dream. He looked around to see faey and Xander around him "Oh am sorry if i was too loud I was dreaming about...nothing." he stood up and shock his arms awake "Can we see the castle and the Queen, Cipher has always wanted to see one in...person?" he says questioning himself (I did?) he thinks to himself as he starts to poke Xander with a stick.

Faye raised an brow as the boy woke with a start, and the skepticism on her face only increased when he claimed that he was dreaming about nothing. It seemed like one fib after another with this kid, and it only irked the sorceress more and more that he was hiding something. Then again, she had to remind herself that they had only just met and It wasn't as if he was going to outright tell her... or maybe he would. Cipher seemed to be very unpredictable.

Xander did not enjoy being poked, but as a knight he kept his calm and stepped out of range of the boy. Anything he wanted to do to the kid would only displease his liege. It was best she handle it as she saw fit, but if she complied with his request, he would definitely show his disapproval... not that she ever listened to it normally. He just wanted to keep her safe.

"We have only just arrived and now you desire to move again?" Faye placed a hand to her chin, giving Xander a glance. It probably was best that she get home and she could kill two birds with one stone by taking Cipher to see the Queen. "You wish to meet the queen?" she thought for a moment before giving him a nod. "Very well... Follow me."

Faye would lead Cipher out of the magic academy and back to the stone bridge where they had been previously. As they reached the castle they stood before a tangle of thorns that served as the gateway into the courtyard. The two battle-mages guarding the entrance saluted them before creating a path through the thorns. They moved on through into what was more like a forest than a courtyard. Trees towered over them with squirrels and chipmunks scurrying above through the branches. The doors to the throne room were opened, a beautiful fairy garden of glowing lights and enchanted water.

The sorceress stopped before the throne of leaves and marble that sat upon a large lilypad. "One moment." Raising her hand above her head, violet magic began to swirl around her body, transforming the woman's common clothing into an extravagant ivory and gold gown. "There we are." she said as she took a seat on the throne. "Oh! I almost forgot." she tapped the top of her head and in a shimmer of lights a tiara of white gold and pearls appeared. She looked down at Cipher. Surely he had put two and two together. "Forgive me for the deception, Cipher. There are days I enjoy walking among my people as one of them. I can observe them in ways I could not otherwise." she gave him subtle smile. "You wished to meet the queen and so here I am. What else can I do for you?

"I memorized everything in the books already." Cipher said tapping his head with a cheerful smile on his face as he used a spell to close all the books and followed Faye as they left the school. (I hope I didn't cause too much for them.) he thought to himself as they crossed the bridge, as the crossed he couldn't help but think about all the other places that had bridges with amazing view's like that one.

Cipher followed until they got to a wall "Oh ya photo time!!" he said quickly taking a photo of him and Faye even though it was rude to take it without them knowing. When they arrived he watched Faye change clothes which made him turn around until she was done "Umm...am sorry umm thank you for showing me around the kingdom Its was really nice and thoughtful." he says bowing to her over and over again.

Hmph. I thought he'd be a little more impressed than that. Faye thought to herself. She was also confused to the fact that he turned around... it's not like she had undressed or something. She crossed her ankles and leaned back in her throne. "You are welcome." Faye wasn't sure what else she could do for the young man at this point. There was more of the kingdom to see, true, but she did have some work she needed to get done as well. She could still spare a couple of minutes thought.