Chapter Text
Hissing lowly, Sirius grit his teeth as the head of the arrow sliced through his flesh and pain flooded him. His arm throbbed, but it was enough. The fog that was trying to cloud his thoughts was receding in the face of the wound. How long had it been since he’d done this? He couldn’t even remember. Slowly exhaling, he stayed on his knees and focused only on the pain. The spell hadn’t worked but he wanted to be sure.
But his thoughts turned. What had happened? They’d barely been here long, talks to return Celeste not even starting, before the whole of the square had been overrun with smoke. He’d had a split second to yell orders to take cover before the arrows had followed. It was all too fast and he’d immediately known magic was involved. A fool would think it was an attack from the Red Army to take out their enemy in one fell swoop, but he was no fool.
Years may have separated them, but Lancelot would never use such a coward’s tactic. If he needed proof it was in the spell that had followed. But who did that leave that wanted to spark a confrontation between the armies? The list was very short.
When the smoke began to clear, Sirius quickly lifted his head to scan the area, ticking off officers as he spotted them. They were all sprawled on the cobblestones, unable to withstand the spell. Or knowing how. Years of being friends with the greatest wizards in Cradle had taught him a trick or two in keeping up with them and he hadn’t shared that information. There was no time to consider regretting that though. Keeping low, he moved to the closest to him because he needed to be sure.
Luka’s heart beat strong against Sirius’ fingers as he pressed them to his neck. Sighing in relief, he was glad he was right. They were all asleep. A glance showed him that the younger man was uninjured, arrows littering the ground around him. It was the same around most everyone.
Two spells that fast, at that strength? His gaze immediately moved across the square as the last of the smoke faded. The Red Army hadn’t fared better than the Black, only two people unaffected. One he’d expected since he’d cast the spell, but the other? Why would Lance spare her? Sirius knew she hadn’t broken the spell to keep herself awake; he didn’t think she had the control to keep only herself safe. Not from one of Lancelot’s spells.
“Little lady,” he said softly, watching as she stumbled away from Lance to rush to where the Red Ace was lying on the ground.
Even from across the square, he could feel her concern and confusion. How had this gone wrong so fast? They’d meant to get her back so that she could spend the rest of her days in Cradle in safety and peace without having to worry about the possible war. Instead, she’d once again been thrust into the centre of a conflict that had nothing to do with her. He’d promised to keep her safe, along with the rest of the army, and what had happened? She’d been kidnapped and held hostage by the opposing army and now this. Regret and shame burned at him for how badly they’d failed her, how badly he’d failed her.
But he couldn’t deny how the tightness gripping his chest had eased when he’d seen her arrive with the Red Army officers. She’d looked well and while it made him happy…it also worried him. Getting information from inside that headquarters was near impossible, even for his spies, so he had no idea how they’d been treating her. But if her appearance was anything to go on, they’d been good to her.
He didn’t know what to think about that. He knew what kind of man Lancelot used to be, knew that Celeste would have been safe around that man, but the reports he’d been getting lately were conflicting at best. He wanted to believe the man he’d known was still there if only for her sake.
Now, wasn’t the time to wonder, however. The three of them were the only ones conscious in the whole of the square and he needed to do something. He’d come here to bring her back to the Black Army and he needed to do that. He’d resolved himself to do it, one way or another. Negotiations were the proper way and he might even have a chance given that it was only him and Lancelot. Maybe. If he played his cards right. Relying on past friendships wouldn’t work so he needed to do this right, for Celeste’s sake.
His gut lurched when he heard the pained groan ripple through the square. He jerked around to look at Lancelot in time to see him stumble. Damn it. Spells were draining on a good day and he doubted Lancelot had had many of them recently. Couple that with not one, but two spells rapidly cast? Negotiations would have to wait; he’d put aside title and rank for now and-
“King Lancelot!”
Sirius froze at the cry and watched as Celeste scrambled to her feet. She ran the short distance toward Lancelot as he wobbled again. The man’s form easily dwarfed her small frame and she had no hope of catching him. But she slowed his fall as he collapsed, cradling his head in her lap.
He couldn’t do anything but stare, his thoughts racing. That wasn’t the reaction of a woman who had been kidnapped and held hostage. What little time he’d spent with her, he’d come to realise that she had a caring heart. Was this the reaction of a woman who wanted to help or something else? Something more?
The cold, logical part of him knew that this was a chance he shouldn’t be passing up. The armies would wake naturally from the spell, but right now only he and Celeste were conscious. Or at least coherent. He could get her out of here and back to headquarters before anyone was any the wiser. He could finish what they’d come here to do. All he had to do was stand and cross the distance between them.
But he hesitated as he watched her look down at his old friend. If he gave her a chance to run, would she? Before they’d come here, there’d been no doubt in him. He’d known what he was going to do, that he was bringing Celeste back come hell or high water. Now, he couldn’t move. Not even to soothe the worry on her face, a worry that ate at him for so many reasons.
His body wouldn’t budge as he watched the confusion on her face melt into determination as she stood. It bled into him as she reached down to hook Lancelot’s arm over her shoulders, helping him rise to his feet, if unsteadily. What…What was going on? Had they gotten it wrong and she was choosing to remain with the Red Army? Forever ago, he knew Lancelot could be kind and caring but he hadn’t seen that side of him in years, not since he’d become king. But….
An odd feeling coiled around him, sinking slowly into him. Celeste had been with the Black Army for such a short time but everyone within it would gladly risk him or herself to keep her safe and smiling. Her shy and sweet demeanour had won all of them over quickly and none of them had been a match for her. If anyone could draw the same kind of response out of the Red Army, it would be her. If anyone could find the man Sirius had once known…it would be her. So why was it leaving such a bad taste in his mouth?
Shouldn’t he be happy at the idea of Lancelot having someone to confide in? They’d been friends for years and a friend should want that to happen. He’d wanted it at one point before everything had gone sideways, wanting nothing but good things for both of his friends. So why was his gut roiling sickly at the mere thought of Lancelot possibly finding that happiness now?
His fingers suddenly throbbed and he realised he’d been gripping the shaft of the arrow like a lifeline. No. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen. There would have been negotiations, which he doubted would have gone in their favour but they were still going to try this peacefully. None of them had wanted an all out fight, but the whole of the army had agreed. If Celeste had wanted to come back with them, they weren’t going to stop until it happened.
She was gone from the square now, heading in the direction of the woods, but he still couldn’t move. His thoughts kept him rooted to the spot as he struggled to contain them. All he could think about was how she had called Lancelot’s name and rushed to him.
It replayed in his mind, the concern and fear in her voice as clear as when she’d said it. Lancelot had never had a shortage of women wanting his attention, as the next in line to be the King of Hearts it was expected, but had any of them said his name like that? Had any of them rushed to his side to help him in a moment of weakness? Had he even shown any woman that before?
His heart was thumping dully in his chest as he pushed himself to his feet. He needed answers. He could sit here for the rest of the night trying to find them, but that was pointless. If he wanted those answers, he needed to get them from the source. But his steps were slow as he walked to his horse. This could be a foolish idea, but he needed to do it. He could tell himself it was for the Black Army, so that they would know what Celeste was choosing…but he was selfish and he wanted the answers for himself.
Sliding into his saddle, Sirius told himself the army would be fine. Everyone was likely to wake at the same time and with both Lancelot and Celeste gone, they wouldn’t stay. The Red Army would return to headquarters to find their king and the Black would retreat as well if she wasn’t there. He needed to find Celeste before it was too late.
A cold realisation had him tapping his heels hard into his horse’s flanks. Whoever had attacked both armies were still out there. Which was probably why Celeste had taken Lancelot away but what if she was heading right into their grasp? What if they found her and blamed her for what had happened in the square? What if-
Pressing his lips together, he leaned forward, urging his horse to go faster. She couldn’t have gotten far on foot, not with how bad Lancelot had been. He was impressed she’d even managed to get him out of there, given how small she was. Maybe she wasn’t as fragile as she looked, but that didn’t mean she’d be able to defend herself and Lancelot against any attacks.
He should have gone after her immediately instead of sitting in the square like a fool. No, he shouldn’t have let her leave alone. What kind of man was he to place that kind of responsibility only on her? Lancelot was his friend. He should have acted faster, conflicting emotions be damned. If anything happened to them, it was on him.
Trees closed in around him and he slowed his horse. He knew the paths well enough but too many things lurked in the darkness of the forest. And he’d just let Celeste go there on her own. Maybe he didn’t deserve to bring her back to the Black Army, maybe this was his punishment for failing her the way he had. Why would she trust him to keep her safe when he’d let her be kidnapped? Had let her wander out into the woods without any protection?
“Please.”
The voice was weak, nearly drown out by the sound of the horse’s steps. Pulling back on the reins, Sirius kept perfectly still and waited. Was it her? Had he imagined it? Was it someone trying to lure him into a trap?
“I can’t….”
Swivelling in the saddle, he stared hard through the trees. It was her. He wasn’t imagining it. He turned the horse toward it and slowly approached. “Little lady?” he called gently.
There was a sharp inhale. “Oh my god, Sirius?!”
His horse whinnied in protest when he jerked on the reins, his eyes widening. The hope in her voice had made his heart skip a beat, but it wasn’t just that. There was something more in it, something he hadn’t heard before. When the horse tossed his head, he quickly patted his neck and urged him forward again. His grip on the reins went slack as they broke into a small clearing and he saw her.
She was sitting with her back to a tree, Lancelot’s unconscious form in her lap again. Her face was pale in the moonlight filtering in through the canopy, but he could see dirt smudged across her cheek. She’d clearly been rubbing at her face to stem the tears slipping from her eyes. The tears hurt him, each one of them like a knife in the heart. She wasn’t supposed to be crying, she should be smiling and happy, not pulled into their stupid war again and again. His fault. How was he keeping her safe? How was he doing anything to fulfil his promise to her?
“Sirius,” she whispered, her voice shaking.
Why was she saying his name like that? “Celeste,” he breathed, sliding down from his horse. He could see her lower lip trembling as he approached her and she was trying not to show it. But more than that, he could see the utter relief on her face as she stared up at him. What was he supposed to do in the wake of that look? What was he supposed to do when it made him weak in the knees like nothing had ever done before?
But he crossed the short distance, crouching in front of her and looking her over. “Are you alright? You aren’t hurt, are you?”
She shook her head, sniffing softly and wiping at her eyes again. All it did was smudge even more dirt on her pale skin and his shoulders slumped a little as he stared at her. She looked so lost and small. He wanted her to smile, but what was there to smile about any of this? “No,” she finally whispered. “But you…the spell?”
He saw her gaze move over him, her brows drawing together and he knew she’d seen it. When her eyes returned to his face, he gave her the best smile he could, but he knew it was strained. “Distracting your mind is the only way to prevent the spell from taking control,” he admitted. “This is the easiest way to do it.”
She didn’t like that. He could see it on her face, in the way even more tears pooled in her eyes. “Oh, Sirius….”
No, don’t cry. Smile. Please. Your tears hurt more than this ever could. Pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket, he wrapped the wound and tried to tuck it out of sight. “I saw you getting Lance out of there,” he said, hoping to distract her.
Celeste didn’t look convinced but she nodded and they both looked down at him. He was still completely unconscious and now that he was closer, he could see the strain on the man’s face. He was overdoing it, why? What was going on that Lance would feel that he needed to push himself this hard? What was he fighting so hard for that it was worth doing this kind of damage to himself?
“Knowing him,” he said quietly, “he’ll wake up in due time. It’s just a reaction to using that much magic all at once.”
She was looking at him curiously now, the fear fading from her gaze as he talked with her. “Do you and King Lancelot know each other well, Sirius?”
Stop saying my name. It’s not fair and you don’t understand. “Not really,” he admitted, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. “We used to know each other back in our school days. But we’re not close anymore.”
“Why not?”
She was simply curious, but how was he supposed to answer that? “We had a falling out,” he said lamely even if it was the truth. His gaze dropped back to Lancelot’s face and he nearly sighed. How had it all gone so wrong? “Back then, he hoped the Red and Black could work together as one.”
“Really?”
Sirius chuckled at the disbelief in her voice, looking up with a smile. “It sounds like a stretch, I know. But when he took the throne, he changed-became an entirely different person.” It had felt like watching a friend die when it had happened. The things Lance said that he wanted didn’t fit the man he’d known.
He chanced a glance down but Lancelot was still asleep. What happened to make you change? What made you shut all of us out like that?
“I don’t understand,” Celeste whispered, her voice lost. “The first day I was brought to Red Headquarters, he said he fights in order to gain control of the world.”
That was utter bullshit, but she sounded like she wanted to say more. “And?”
“I didn’t believe him,” she said softly, her big eyes looking up at him. “I don’t think that’s what he wants at all.”
“What do you mean?”
Her expression grew pensive and she looked down at Lancelot again. An ache bloomed through his chest as she brushed the hair back from his friend’s face to see him. “He chooses to hurt himself before hurting others. He clearly cares about human lives even if he pretends he doesn’t.”
How did she know all of that? How close was she getting to the Red King to make these kind of observations? How did he stop feeling like utter hell thinking about the possible reason why?
“I just feel like he’s hiding something, that his true intentions aren’t anything like what he says they are.”
When she trailed off, the pensive look on her face tugged at his heart. “I’m sorry, Celeste. I can’t give you the answers you seek. I’m not privy to what’s inside Lance’s heart anymore.” But…maybe she could be. Maybe she could get the truth out of Lancelot. Maybe she could be the one to finally help his friend. He swallowed the lump in his throat and murmured, “But I can tell you this. The man I knew would never act for selfish or cowardly reasons.”
“You believe me then?”
Do it, Sirius. Give her the push she needs to see what’s in front of her. This…this isn’t about you. “I believe that the man I knew is still there.”
Celeste was back to staring at him, but, for once, he couldn’t read her expression.
He was a fool, but a cold wind blew through the trees and he saw her shiver. “We need to move before the others wake up,” he said, pushing to his feet and holding his hand out to her. One last thing. Do it. For Lance. “Celeste,” he said softly, “if you take my hand I’ll bring you back to the Black Army.”
He heard her breath catch, saw her eyes widen, but she didn’t say anything.
“And I will protect you if the Red Army tries to reclaim you with a fight.” The words were meant to push her to see what he was beginning to…but they were the truth. He meant every single word with everything in him and he hated himself for wanting her to listen to him. To take his hand and run with him, to let him protect her, to let him keep her. “But the choice is yours. What do you want to do?”
Her breaths echoed in the silence and he counted them, tucking them away as the seconds that were passing until she gave him the answer he knew she would. How could she not? “We have to get him back to headquarters,” she whispered.
Not quite the answer he expected but it didn’t surprise him. They were basically strangers after all and what had he done to show her he was worth trusting? Reaching down, he pulled Lancelot away from her with ease. “I’ve got him,” he assured her, carrying the unconscious man toward his horse.
He heard the quiet sounds of her standing up and brushing off her skirt, but he didn’t turn, didn’t let himself look at her as he hefted Lancelot’s form up onto his horse. “Here, you can ride with him. You’re probably tired.”
“I’d rather walk.”
Sirius frowned, quickly adjusting some of the straps to loop around Lancelot’s limbs to keep him on the horse. He’d hoped she would ride so that she could help keep him on the horse. He wasn’t going to ride if she was walking so they’d have to be a little more careful. “Let’s go, little lady.”
Her steps quickly caught up with him but she walked slightly behind him as he started off. He let her, knowing she was staying close and, honestly, she had a lot to think about. As did he. This was probably going to be the last time he would be with her and he wanted to talk to her, to say anything, but he wasn’t sure how to break the silence. What would he even talk to her about?
The forest was full of soft sounds around them as they walked and he took solace in that at least. For now, they wouldn’t have to worry about an attack. It didn’t mean he was going to drop his guard, not when he had these two in his care.
“Are you sure you should be going to Red Headquarters?” she asked softly.
Sirius chuckled faintly. “Don’t underestimate me. I’m not the Queen of Spades for nothing.”
She hummed softly but he could hear her doubt in it.
“I can take care of myself, little lady,” he assured her. “And if we’re quick, I’ll be in and out before any of them even come back.” That might be a stretch. If she’d ridden, he could have easily kept up with a faster pace but with the pair of them walking, he might be cutting this close.
She fell silent again and he immediately missed her voice.
“Have they been good to you?”
Celeste made a soft noise at the sudden question and he nearly took it back. He hadn’t meant to ask that. He wanted to know, but at the same time he didn’t. Surely they had to be if she was willingly staying with them. “In their own ways,” she said softly. “They’re…different in how they show affection, more formal, more…reserved. Sometimes. But they’re good people.”
Show affection? She had won them over then. Of course she had. No one seemed to be a match for her. “That’s good,” he pushed out, leading her down another path.
“I suppose it is,” she murmured.
They fell into silence again and he didn’t try to break it this time. There wasn’t anything else to say. Soft noises filled the air as they traversed the forest, their presence barely noticed. Or cared about.
“Watch your step,” Sirius said, stepping carefully through an overgrown patch.
Chills raced up his arm when a pair of small hands grasped his. He glanced at her, but she was staring at her feet as she placed them down. She was using him to help keep her balance, that was all. He knew that but…she was holding his hand and taken his heart right along with it.
The realisation ripped through him, driving his breath from his lungs. Of course he cared about her, but this was more than caring. This was so much more than caring…and he had to let her go.
He nearly laughed at himself. He’d told himself that his work as Queen of Spades was his life and he didn’t want more than that. He’d lived by that for years, but then she’d come and shaken the very foundations of what he’d believed in a few short days. He was a damn fool for not realising this sooner and fighting harder to get her back. As soon as he’d seen her in the square, he should have made his move. He shouldn’t have waited because now….
He didn’t comment when she didn’t let go of his hand after they passed the rough patch. Her hands were cold against his, even through his glove, and he’d give her all the warmth he could. If he could do more in the moment, he would. But he was taking her back to the Red Army. Whatever he got on this walk was all he was ever going to get.
The thought had his fingers tightening around hers. It was wrong of him to want anything from her when she’d chosen to stay with Lancelot. What kind of friend was he to want a woman who could possibly be the saving grace his friend needed? What kind of friend was he to consider taking her for himself? What kind of man was he to hate the idea of someone making her smile other than him?
She isn’t yours. She never has been.
Gritting his teeth, Sirius choked on the thought and kept moving forward. With his hand tight around hers.
The forest began to thin around them, revealing the barracks in the distance. The Territory was quiet, most having probably shut themselves in early with the confrontation happening in Central. Which would make it easier for them to move, but he still needed to be careful.
In all honesty, he should let go of Celeste’s hand. If something happened, letting go would be a second he might not be able to afford to lose. He was taking her back to where she wanted to be so he needed to not be greedy anymore. He’d gotten enough from her; the rest of what she had to give was Lancelot’s.
He gently shook his hand free of hers, ignoring the quiet protest that slipped from her, and took a few longer strides to get in front of her. This was for the best. Now he needed to stop being Sirius and be the Queen of Spades. If he did this right, no one would be any the wiser that he’d ever been here.
They made it to the wall around the barracks without issue and she held the horse steady as he hauled Lancelot off the saddle. It worried him how deep Lance was out of it, but he was also glad because it had made it easier to get him back. There would have been a fight if he’d been conscious for any of this.
“Let’s go,” Sirius said, jerking his chin at the large building.
Sirius followed her as she led him through the grounds then headquarters. Her steps were quick, sure, and he appreciated it. He trusted her, but this was the heart of enemy territory. Even though he didn’t think anyone would be back yet, he didn’t let his guard down. He knew how it would look if someone caught the Queen of Spades with the unconscious King of Hearts slung over his shoulder in their barracks. None of them needed that stress tonight and he didn’t want that to be her last memory of him.
“It’s locked,” Celeste murmured as she tried a door.
“Is there somewhere else we can put him that he can be safe?” They were on the top floor and about as far away from any feasible exit as they could get. If they got stopped by a locked door, he wasn’t sure he’d have time to get away cleanly.
“No, there’s another way.” She turned to a door just down the hall from Lancelot’s.
His heart did something funny in his chest as she led him into a soft room-hers. The furnishings were elegant, leaps and bounds above what they’d given her. Comfort and luxury screamed from everything, flaunting the fact that she’d never want for anything if she stayed in this room. “What is that?” His voice had come out flat and hard when she approached a plain door.
“It leads into his room,” she said, her voice absent as she tried the knob and found it unlocked.
It…. There was the confirmation he didn’t want. His grip tightened on his old friend’s form for a moment, a scalding emotion whipping through him before he shoved it down. No. This was her choice. She’d made it and he would respect it with everything he had. Even if it was eating him alive.
He was silent as she held the door open for him, moving through it without looking around. Easing Lancelot down onto his bed, Sirius watched as Celeste tugged his boots off, neatly placing them near the foot of the bed. She was too kind, her heart so large…and he needed to walk away now. He gently touched her shoulder, gesturing at the door. He would give her a story to tell the others, to keep both her and Lancelot safe. It was an easy lie to tell and he’d had plenty of time to craft it.
She followed him out into the hall, looking at him curiously.
He explained his idea, told her what to say to convince the other officers of what had happened. But the entire time he was committing her face to memory, taking in every little shift as she listened. The small pinch to her brow as she concentrated on his words. The way her gaze darted away from him at the smallest sound nearby. The purse to her lips the longer he stood there and put himself at risk. He would have given anything to see her smile one more time, to take that memory with him, but he wasn’t lucky enough to have it.
“Do you understand, little lady?”
Her expression was unreadable again, her blue eyes nearly as dark as the night sky as she watched him. “I do.”
He let himself have one more moment, one more second with her, before he turned his back on her. He needed to go. The Red Army would be returning soon and he couldn’t be found here. She would be safe and happy here. That was all he could ask for. That was all he would allow himself to ask for.
Sirius froze before he’d taken the first step away from her when he felt the small hand slip into his again, but his heart started pounding wildly in his chest. “Little lady?” he asked lowly. Don’t look at her. Don’t do it. Let her go. Just let-
“I’m ready to go,” she whispered.
His head snapped around. She was flushed faintly, but she met his gaze evenly. “You…what?”
Her eyes were luminous in the lights, a sheen of tears in them again. “We brought him back. It’s time to go.”
Sirius stared at her. What was she saying? “Why?” he croaked.
“You’re home,” Celeste breathed.
She didn’t mean him, he knew she meant the Black Army. But for this moment, he was going to be greedy and pretend it was for him. “Celeste….”
She shyly dropped her gaze, rocking on her toes, and he knew. If she came back with him…he was never letting her go again.