Archer nodded when he heard Cassandra speak, and they were led back to the hall.
As they walked through the hallways, he noticed the artwork, particularly a picture of a man who hadn't been introduced or mentioned.
Curious, he asked Hemera, "Who is the young man in the paintings? I know your eldest brother is on a campaign against pirates."
At the mention of her brother, Hemera's expression turned sad, and she fell silent.
But her sister, Despina, spoke up, "That was our big brother, Leonidas. He vanished 21 years ago."
Archer, noticing the sorrow in their eyes, asked gently, "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to him?"
The girls went silent, seemingly remembering something they didn't want to share.
Archer decided not to press further, and then Cassandra spoke up, "Wait until we are sitting down, and I'll tell you the tale of our oldest son."
In agreement, he nodded, following Agamemnon into a lavishly decorated hall. As they entered, Cassandra gestured for Archer and the girls to take a seat, followed by Hemera's siblings.
Once everyone was settled, Cassandra began to tell the tale of the Solarian's lost prince.
[The Helios family's POV - 25 years ago]
Hemera was a young girl when she remembered a family meeting that included Leonidas, who was arguing with her father.
"Pater! She is a wonderful girl, regardless of her being a Moon Elf," Leonidas shouted in frustration.
Agamemnon replied, "You foolish child! The Lunarians have declared war on us due to the Delphosian's meddling. Do you think Menelaus will entertain an engagement proposal when they want our lands?"
Leonidas sat back down, stewing in anger, but soon heard his mother speak. "Darling, the war will end in a few years, and then we can discuss an engagement. This happens all the time since the old empire collapsed."
He looked at her and informed them why he was panicking. "Menelaus is marrying her off to the strongest noble family in the Delphosia Republic."
Cassandra's eyes widened upon hearing her son's words. Agamemnon spoke up, "There will be other women, Leonidas. Don't worry about the Lunarian Princess; it will never work out."
Upon hearing this, the young man rose from his seat and left the hall before he could argue anymore.
He made his way over to Hemera and gave her a kiss on the forehead before whispering to her. ''I will always love you, my baby sister. Grow up to be a good woman.''
She watched her oldest brother walk away as she didn't understand why he said that, never imagining that it would be the last time any of them would see him.
[Leonidas and Fabia's POV - Two months later]
After hearing his father's harsh words, Leonidas decided to go and get Fabia himself and run away with her.
Fabia was eager to join him and arranged to meet in the forest near Larissa. Though it took him a while to get there, they had a magic artifact that allowed them to communicate.
Finally arriving at Nocturna Forest, Leonidas found Fabia sitting by a pond, their usual meeting spot. She turned around, smiling when she saw him and rushed to hug him.
"It's good to see you, darling. Father nearly caught me, but little Hecate helped me escape," Fabia said, her relief evident.
Leonidas smiled back and replied, ''I managed to say goodbye to Hemi before I left. I'm really going to miss that ball of fun. Maybe one day we can return.''
Fabia nodded, hugging him tighter. The young couple then quickly fled into the night, unaware that Andreas Theodoris, the man meant to marry her, was hunting them.
Andreas was the son of an important Strategos in the Delphosia Republic and had led every attack against the Solarian Empire.
Leonidas and Fabia managed to hide on the coast of Lunaris for a year, living peacefully. They were already married when they were finally discovered after a spy spotted the couple in the local city.
By the time they were found, they escaped to the Mediterra border and settled in a town called Wildwood Crossing, just across the border.
It was the last stop before the Uncharted Beastlands, leading toward the Land of Plenty. They settled there for another year before Fabia gave birth to a little girl.
Leonidas was over the moon and celebrated with his friends by going out for drinks.
Unfortunately, luck wasn't on their side, and they were rediscovered due to a 'friend' reporting them.
The story of the Solairan Prince and Lunarian Princess running away was well-known all over Mediterra, and the Delphosia Republic never forgot the insult they received from the couple.
They hired bounty hunters, adventurers, and skilled individuals to find them, and after a while of searching, the couple was located in the border town.
When Leonidas realized this he escaped with Fabia and their baby girl, they managed to dodge the hunters due to the help of his work friends and the town guards.
The three of them managed to make it to the Shadowvale Forest and rushed into it, the hunters took a while to catch up with them.
As the couple found themselves cornered, the men were just about to grab Fabia when a sudden arrow pierced into the hunter's head.
Out of the brush emerged a group of fierce warrior women, who swiftly dealt with the assailants.
However, the momentary respite was short-lived as another woman appeared and hurriedly approached their leader.
"Mother, more humans have entered the forest. We need to go deeper so they won't discover us" she urgently informed.
Leonidas looked at the older woman who nodded and rushed off without saying anything, but the younger woman walked over to Fabia and started examining the baby.
As the young couple started to panic the woman looked at Fabia and spoke in a heavy accent, ''You can join the tribe, but he cannot. Mother won't allow it.''
Fabia looked panicked, but Leonidas spoke, ''Can she leave the tribe if she wants to?''
The woman nodded in response. "Indeed, they will receive no help. If anyone discovers their presence, they will be hunted. The humans I was watching mentioned capturing a princess."
Leonidas paled but quickly nodded at Fabia, ''Go, my love. When they stop hunting me, I'll come to you.''
Fabia stated and rushed up to him as he hugged her and the baby, but the woman panicked as three humans appeared.
They spotted Leonidas and Fabia and smiled as they knew they finally found their pray. The hunters knew the Delphosians will pay well.
As flames engulfed the air, a searing fire spell shot toward the couple. With instinctive bravery, Leonidas swiftly pushed Fabia out of harm's way, sacrificing himself to protect her.
The impact of the spell sent Leonidas hurtling backward, his body propelled through the air.
As Fabia's eyes widened in terror, a young woman from the tribe rushed to her side, grabbing hold of her tightly while swiftly pulling her away from the danger, through the dense forest.
After finding safety, Fabia was made to promise the tribe leader not to reveal her background or noble status to her child, as she now has become part of them.
She named her daughter Talila, raising the girl as a member of the tribe, unaware of her true heritage.
Fabia and Talila integrated into the tribe and lived their lives, their child grew up learning Archery and how to survive in the forest while Fabia stayed in the village helping out there.
The tribe lived deep in the Shadowvale Forest and was comprised of only women from all different races who escaped horrible situations.
They rarely interacted with the outside world until they established a small shop in Wildwood Crossing that was used to receive much-needed coins to survive.
For years Fabia grieved the loss of her husband Leonidas, when Talila turned ten she became unwell and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Talila didn't know what was happening but continued with her training and taking care of her mother.
It wasn't until she reached the age of thirteen that things started going wrong for the tribe and the forest.
Their fortunes took a turn for the worse as hunting dwindled, and more humans and other races encroached upon their territory.
Determined to support her mother and protect her tribe, the then fifteen-year-old Talila embarked on a journey to seek aid for them.
Traveling north, she eventually encountered a group known as The Sparrows, who graciously invited her to join their ranks.
Ever since she tirelessly searched for someone capable of assisting her mother and her tribe.
For three long years, she adventured and honed her skills before undertaking an important escort mission to the Mediterra.
Planning to visit her tribe on her way back home and eager to bring her newfound friends with her, fate had other plans in store.
Unexpectedly, she crossed paths with someone she never thought she would encounter in Mediterra, forever altering her destiny.
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